Most People just don't understand the power of using their home as a Wealth Creation Tool. How many people do you know who have lived in the same house for 10, 15 or more years and have virtually no mortgage, You know the Type 'House Rich Cash Poor'. There are strategies these homeowners can use to put that House Rich Part to work Building Wealth.
Did you miss the Going out of Business sale at the Bank Last Week? They were selling $100 bills for only $97. Darn you missed it. Ok the Bank didn't have a going out of business sale but if they did how many $100 Bills would buy? I'd back up the SUV to the bank and see how many Bills I could get in and then go back for as many Trips as I could. Your Bank is Selling $100 Bills for $97 Back up the SUV.
The Equity in your Home is like that Bank. If you Qualify you can Borrow money at 2% or Less and turn around and Achieve Returns of 5% or More fairly safely with Equity Indexed Annuities. In Most cases the money you borrow is Tax Deductable while the money you place in the Equity Indexed Annuity is Tax Defered.
Taking a Closer Look, If you Borrow money at 2% and turn around and get a return of 5% that means your net return is 3%. For Evey $100 you Borrow you are placing $3 in your pocket. Wow the bank really is selling $100 Bills for only $97.00
Many lenders are offering Mortgages with the payment fixed at 2% for the first 5 Years. What are you waiting for back up that SUV and get your $100 Bills Today.
Selasa, 29 Desember 2009
Use this Simple Trick its to Buy $100 Bills Direct from your Bank for only $97
Dumb Money
Many people have, at one time or another, taken some of their hard-earned funds, and decided to put them in the stock market. These well-meaning individuals either acted on a tip they saw on CNBC, or actually believed one of those crazy faxes/emails that said XBXB @ $0.17/share was the next Microsoft. These people thought they were being smart, but they probably just ended up lining the pockets of brokers and mutual funds when they lost money on their 'investment'. I know, because I've done it, too.
Part of the problem we face is that we are big underdogs in the investment channel. We, as individuals, have access to hordes of information. Yet, we don't even scratch the surface of our knowledge potential. We invest without carefully reading financial statements and company reports, looking instead to message boards and TV stock 'experts' for guidance. If you own mutual funds, do you know what companies those funds are holding? Most people have no clue.
Investors can be lumped into two categories: smart money and dumb money. Most individuals are 'dumb money'. Smart money regularly beats the market, and includes many mutual funds. Dumb money generally loses. Dumb money often over-reacts to market pressure.
There are a few ways to avoid becoming 'dumb money'...
First, forget about short-term investing. If you plan to rapidly buy & sell stocks, statistics show that, on average, you will lose, and maybe lose big. Long-term investors don't easily get scared off by market fluctations, 10% price swings, or a bad earnings report. Plus, they don't have to pay the transaction fees over and over like the day traders do. The best way to ensure that you will make money investing is to find your initial investment vehicle, and leave your money alone.
Second, don't go along with the crowd. Example: Walmart's stock has been a great investment over the last 5 years, right? Wrong! It's actually lost about 5% during that time. Yet, if you watched CNBC, you'd swear that Walmart was the best thing since sliced bread. Find a strategy that makes fundamental good-sense, and don't throw your money into a stock or fund because it's a big name. Finally, diversify! If you're in it for the long-haul, you need to make sure that some really bad news doesn't keep the kids from going to college.
That's it for now. Check out
Is Your Mutual Fund the Right One for You?
Mutual Funds are considered to be one of the best investments one can get hands on. They're very flexible and cost-effective. An excellent investment for people with restricted knowledge, time or, money.
For beginners, who might have a perplexed expression on their faces at the mention of mutual funds; let me first acquaint them with what the mutual funds are all about.
A mutual fund is a financial instrument that enables a group of investors to pool their money together. There's a fund manager who takes care of the pooled money and invests them into specific securities (stocks or bonds). Investing in mutual funds basically means buying shares of the mutual fund and becoming a shareholder.
Having read this, you may have now decided to buy a mutual fund. But you've over 10,000 mutual funds to choose from. So how do you make sure that the one you've picked up is the right one?
For those who're new to this investment thing, let me apprise you with 'load' and 'no load' mutual funds. 'Load' is basically a commission that has to be paid to the broker when you buy the fund while 'no load' mutual funds are free from such commission hassles, as they're sold directly by the investment company.
It's best to consult an investment counselor before plunging into this venture. These finance mentors will charge a certain fee from you. They get no commission from the firms. Getting paid from their clients, these counselors make sure that you get the best out of any deal you make. Hence, you're sure of getting a reliable advice from your counselor. And obviously, they'd always advise you to go for 'no load' mutual funds. Why?
Well, it goes like this. 'Load' mutual funds are sold by brokers who get paid by the firms. Right? So, I don't see any reason why they'd be concerned whether you make or lose money. They're only interested in persuading you to buy funds often, so that they can relish their rewards from the firms. Moreover, 'load' mutual funds consist of front-end charges, back-end charges, or deferred charges. Quite loaded!
Any savvy investor would certainly ensure that all of his/her investments are worthy. The investors get to choose the funds on their own, the way in which it happens with the 'no load' mutual funds, as they are free from charges.
However, at the end of the day, the presence or absence of a broker has got nothing to do with the success of your investment. It's actually the advice you get from your counselor that really matters. A well-planned decision and a loyal advice on when to buy or sell are vital for securing a bright financial future. So, keep your mind wide open and invest! Good luck!
Types of Investment
The word 'investments' is one that most of us are familiar with hearing in financial context. For many of us, it may make us thing of big business and vasts sums of money, but there's much to the world of investments than multi-million dollar deals.
Although it's true that, at the top level, investments may run into many millions, it is possible for the average person in the street to invest smaller amounts of money and to invest it wisely. If you've ever thought about trying to help your money to grow, then maybe you've wondered what opportunities are available.
In truth, investments can cover a wide range of options. One of the most traditional types of investing is in the stock market. This has been viewed by some as being a difficult type of investment to get into, but times are changing. The new range of online stockbrokers available mean that it's now easy (and fairly inexpensive) to get involved in buying and selling shares. If you're interested in share dealing yourself, then you'd be wise to remember that there is a risk involved ("shares may go down in value, as well as up"). It's vital that you investigate the area thoroughly before taking the plunge and you should view shares as a medium to long-term investment. If you invest expecting to make a quick buck, then you're likely to be disappointed.
An alternative type of investment, which has become particularly popular in the UK, is that of property. Putting money into residential properties and then taking a rental income is seen by many as a win-win situation. The largest downside to this type of investing is that you'll need a large capital sum to begin with, or else you'll need to take out a sizeable loan. As with the stock market, property should be looked at as a long-term investment.
If you'd like to know more about investment opportunities, then there's lots of good, free information available online. The www.financefacts.co.uk web site is one of many sites that deals with personal finance.
Profitability And Stock Turn Rate
The inventory of the typical store represents the largest single element of its total assets. The sale of goods from this inventory is the merchant's chief source of operating profit. Thus, the way in which this merchandise investment is put to work is of utmost importance in achieving a profitable operation.
To illustrate, a retailer may carry an average retail inventory of $200,000, with sales of $400,000, resulting in a 2.0 Stock Turn Rate. If this retailer had the same $400,000 sales but a 3.0 Stock Turn Rate, the average retail inventory would be $133,300. This is a difference of $66,700 at retail or approximately $32,000 at cost.
The cost of owning excess inventory is approximately 2½% per month, or 30% per year. This is due to increased expenses such as interest, insurance, buying expense, receiving department expense, property taxes, markdowns and shrinkage. Therefore, a retailer can reduce these expenses by reducing his average inventory level. In the example above, the annual savings would be approximately $10,000 ($32,000 times 30%).
All other things being equal, a higher stock turn rate tends to lead to higher sales and a higher profit, which should be an essential goal of every merchant. I will discuss this more later, but first we must have a good understanding of what Stock Turn Rate is and how it is to be computed.
WHAT IS STOCK TURN RATE?
Stock Turn Rate can be computed using units, cost dollars or retail dollars. For comparative purposes, it is desirable that the Stock Turn Rate calculation be standard. We advocate retail, which is the generally accepted method in the retail industry.
Stock Turn Rate is the ratio of sales to average inventory. It is computed as follows: Stock Turn Rate = Total Annual Sales divided by Average Inventory at Retail
Example A
Annual Sales = $900,000: Average Retail Inventory = $450,000:
Stock Turn Rate = 2.0
Example B
Annual Sales = $900,000: Average Retail Inventory = $300,000:
Stock Turn Rate = 3.0
COMPUTING AVERAGE INVENTORY
The chief problem in computing Stock Turn Rate is to determine the average stock carried during the period. This can be a problem since there are so many variations in use. The chief methods are:
1. Average of the inventory at the beginning and end of year.
2. Average of inventory at the beginning, middle and end of year.
3. Average of monthly inventory levels.
The standard is to use the average of the monthly inventory levels which is computed as follows:
Inventory at the beginning of the year plus the inventory at the end of each month, divided by thirteen.
WHAT STOCK TURN RATE IS NOT
While Stock Turn Rate is the ratio of sales to average stock, it is not the actual number of times a physical stock of goods is bought and sold during a period. A simplified example follows:
A retailer purchases a 4-month supply of socks, a staple item, and does not restock until the old stock is completely sold out. During the year, three purchases, each $4,0000 are made and three lots are sold, for a total of $12,000 but the Stock Turn Rate is not three. The average stock is about a 2-month supply, since four month's supply is on hand only at the start of each 4-month period and virtually none is on hand at the end of each 4-month period. THus the average stock is about half the amount received each 4-month period, or $2,000. This results in a Stock Turn Rate of approximately six, and a lot of lost sales due to having such a low supply on hand during much of the year.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF STOCK TURN RATE?
The Stock Turn Rate ratio measures the effectiveness of inventory planning control. A Stock Turn Rate that is too low indicates poor planning and lack of control. A classification having a very low Stock Turn Rate usually will not be achieving its sales potential due to having too much old merchandise in stock and too little new, fresh merchandise. It is also likely to have higher than normal markdowns, thereby reducing Gross Profit. Stock Turn Rate can also be used to calculate the proper beginning-of-month inventory level for each classification on the Open-To-Buy.
ADVANTAGES OF A FAST STOCK TURN RATE
In retailing it is important to realize a large volume of sales on as small an inventory investment as possible while maintaining sufficient inventory to meet customer demands. Also, it is important, as fashions and seasons change, to turn the inventory quickly so as to avoid excessive markdowns or carryover of out-of-season inventory. Another advantage is that a fast Stock Turn Rate will actually increase sales due to the increased flow of fresh new merchandise.
LIMITATIONS OF A FAST STOCK TURN RATE
While a fast Stock Turn Rate has many advantages, the Stock Turn Rate can be too fast for a particular classification. When that happens the store risks losing sales due to inadequate assortments.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE STOCK TURN RATE?
From a study of the basic Stock Turn Rate formula, it is clear that there are three ways to increase Stock Turn Rate:
1. Increase sales without increasing the average stock assortment.
2. Decrease stocks without interfering with sales.
3. Increase sales and at the same time reduce stocks.
The approach used depends on the circumstances. Probably the surest way to increase Stock Turn Rate over a period of time, is to increase sales volume without a proportionate increase in inventory levels. However, since a retailer has greater control over his inventory than over his sales, this should be where attention should be given first. THe first step to increasing Stock Turn Rate and sales, incidentally, is the preparation of an Open-To-Buy. This should be based upon planned sales, planned markdowns and planned Stock Turn Rate. Once the Open-To-Buy has been prepared, the retailer can turn his attention to taking the necessary steps to reduce the actual inventory on hand to bring it in line with the planned inventory on the Open-To-Buy. A few suggestions on how to do this follow:
1. Buy more frequently, in smaller quantities.
2. Reduce number of assortments (vendors, styles, colors, sizes, prices).
3. Eliminate slow-selling merchandise.
4. Buy closer to the selling season.
SUMMARY
Stock Turn Rate is an important ratio used to measure the effectiveness of merchandise planning and control. Its two most important uses are in Open-To-Buy planning and then in measuring performance against this plan. Most retailers I see that are having problems achieving adequate profits have a poor Stock Turn Rate due to lack of planning, which results in overbuying, excessive markdowns and a low Gross Margin.
Are You An Investment Dummy Like Me?
I am good at a few things. I can certainly market well and I consult with others about how to bring more attention to their products and services on the internet for a living.
I am a fair musician. I love music and play all sorts of percussion instruments and even dabble with the guitar.
I can cook better than most guys. I can survive in the wild with nothing more than a good sharp knife.
But ask me how to best manage my investments and grow and protect my wealth, and I am like a deer staring into the headlights of oncoming traffic. Paralyzed with doubt, fear, and inexperience.
Much like my clients are when they come to me for marketing advice.
It wasn't until a new client came to me with an idea for a new book he had written on active investment strategies called "Scientific Wealth Strategies" that I realized I might not be far from figuring this whole investment and wealth protection thing out for myself.
In fact, just by consulting with him on the marketing of his book I picked up a lot of new information that has taken a grand portion of my doubts and fears away.
As I began to wrap up our contract I found I was looking more and more at the information in his book from a personal interest as a solution to my worries about whether I was doing everything right with my investments.
First thing I learned is that I was following the vast majority of others who think the same way about investing. "Throw it in something we think is safe and leave it there." And I realized that we are all being lulled into low return funds and investments masked as great returns in a bad economy.
Then I learned what I could do to take the same amount of capital I had in low return investments and actively manage it for far greater returns than what most people generally assume are the best returns you can get these days with 401ks, IRAs, and stocks.
In short, I was learning about investing on my terms. I was learning because my client, C.C. Collins, had chosen to write for people like ME instead of a bunch of learned investment "geeks."
Finally someone had written about investing strategies in a language that I could understand and about strategies I could feel comfortable in applying without feeling as though I was being a risk taker or putting my money in jeopardy.
This is no small feat. I feel most people who are like me are conservative with their investing, and don't become active in the management of their investments, because we much prefer the relative piece of mind we get from letting a "professional" handle the decisions.
Now that I feel more comfortable in the knowledge I have gained from this easy to understand yet incredibly powerful source of investment and wealth buidling knowledge, I have no doubt my investment future is much brighter and is going to bear much more fruit than the track I was on before I met C.C.!
So if you are an investment "dummy" like me, I strongly urge you to take the first step in becoming a relative investment "whiz" by checking out Scientific Wealth Strategies for yourself.
It will really empower you to take charge of your investments and push you to get more from your hard earned dollars than you are currently netting!
Scientific Wealth Strategies
eBook and Software with calculators, investment terminology definitions, and many, many more useful tools.
Protecting the Tax Advantage of Your Deferred Compensation
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 imposed strict new rules on non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Beginning in 2005, deferred compensation programs that are not in compliance with the new rules may be taxed as wages, slapped with a 20% excise tax, plus charged an interest penalty.
Given the potentially huge tax consequences for non-compliance with the rules, you should consult with your organization's benefit specialist and your tax professionals to figure how your compensation might be affected by these new rules.
Deferred compensation plans are often used to provide for the deferral of salary, incentive compensation (i.e., commissions or bonuses), or supplemental compensation for top executives, independent corporate directors, and individual board members. The new rules apply to nonqualified deferred compensation plans at taxable and tax-exempt organizations.
An option for independent corporate directors and individual board members who receive 1099 income for their services may consider is to freeze their nonqualified plan and adopt a qualified plan such as the "one person defined benefit plan", called the Solo-DB Plan. Qualified retirement plans are exempt from the requirements of the American Jobs Creation Act.
The Solo-DB plan allows the highest deductible contributions possible in a qualified retirement plan. For example in 2005 one can contribute up to $170,000 of compensation into a tax-deferred Solo-DB plan.
Defined benefits plans have been around for a long time. But, recent pension legislation has raised the contribution and deductibility limits as well as simplified plan fund requirements. Thus, defined benefit plans like Solo-DB have become much more attractive to upper-income individuals with self-employment income. The Solo-DB plan will allow you to aggressively fund your retirement while cutting your taxes significantly.
Individuals who qualify for the Solo-DB plan include sole proprietors, independent contractors, and small business owners age 45 or older who can contribute more than $41,000 annually to the plan for at least three years.