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Are Penny Stocks for You?

Penny stocks are definitely risks that are better suited for the investor that likes to go skydiving, skinny-dipping, and bungee jumping. Of course even a few more conservative investors will find some attraction in the low risk promise of hefty payouts that the right penny stock can offer. In fact, many investors dream of being the one to find that perfect penny stock with absolute potential that will someday become the next LDDS turned WorldCom before the fall. The truth is that little businesses become big businesses everyday. Unfortunately, those that make it to the big leagues are quite few in number when compared to those who do not.

Penny stocks are a great way for small companies to finance growth spurts, smooth over rough spots and manage to become even better. This also gives companies a chance to restructure and by allowing their stocks to be traded as penny stocks they are generating revenue that can be reinvested into the company to great effect. Many times, this is a successful venture for the company but there are many times it isn't. This is part of the risk that is taken when investing in penny stocks. When the companies manage to pull themselves together, grow at an exceptional rate, and become the company you hope they can become the payouts are amazing. But do not expect immediate results from your penny stock investment.

You should also be aware that many companies use penny stocks in order to run scams on unsuspecting investors. It is nearly impossible to get all the particulars about penny stock companies when investing in penny stocks because unlike those companies that trade with the big boys (NYCE, NASDAQ, etc.) these companies are not required to open their books to potential investors and do not face nearly the same amount of scrutiny that larger corporations face when opening their doors to investors.

But the question of whether or not penny stock trading is for your is going to depend almost entirely on your personal sense of adventure and your willingness to take risks with your money. There are many out there who firmly believe that in order to gain much, you must also be willing to risk much. This is a way of life for many that holds true for them in love, life, and in money. These people are much more capricious with their money and are willing to take the risk without reservation or fear of a negative outcome. These are the people who do wonderfully, win or loose when investing in penny stocks.

On the other end of the spectrum there are those who jealously guard their nest eggs and bank their retirement security upon the funds going in that basket. These are people that are quite likely to find themselves panicking their way through a penny stock investment for many reasons. You can't really research the companies (a travesty to people who prefer careful planning) and you can't gain quick and easy access to your funds once invested. This removes some sense of control over you financial health and isn't a comfortable feeling for investors who like to feel in control. I can definitely relate to those who are in no condition, really, to invest in penny stocks. It's a frightening investment practice when houses, retirements, braces, and college educations are on the line.

If you are the type to invest in penny stocks without carrying the heavy baggage of worry, stress, and nervous sweats along with you then you may find yourself in the position to change your wealth status. Even if you go against your comfort level and make the investment there is much to gain. Unfortunately the risks of this sort of investment are great as well and should not be overlooked or underestimated. So it still boils down to you and the person you are deep down inside. Are penny stocks right for you? Only you can answer that.

Are You Ready to Invest?

We grew up in world in which the news about the failure of Social Security is almost as constant as the news about the failure HMOs. We all know that it is unlikely that many people who are currently contributing to social security will ever see the money we've invested into the program. At least these funds are probably not coming back to darken our doors. This means we need to find alternatives and end our reliance on the government for a comfortable retirement that doesn't appear to be in the woodworks.

For this reason we are seeing more and more people in the twenty and thirty something generation taking matters into their own hands and investing not only for their retirements and the days when we can no longer work but also for those days when things happen and we need to fix broken houses, buy new cars, or pay hefty insurance deductibles for medical care. There are many reasons we choose to invest and very few that would ever be considered the wrong reason. The question remains, because there are so many out there who are not yet investing, with so many reasons to invest, are you ready to invest?

Here are a few situations in which if you don't think you are ready to invest you may need to revisit your opinions and decide that ready or not, you need to invest.

If you have children and a job that doesn't offer a pension plan or matching retirement fund then it is probably a good idea to invest on your own. Even if you don't have corporate provisions for contributions you have alternatives such as Roth IRAs that will give you a tax break for investing some of your money and helping to plan for your own retirement.

If you have children that will some day need dental work, medical services, and/or college educations it is about time that you began those savings plans. Yet again there are tax deferred and tax fee options that are available and having this money invested ahead of time can save you so much money later on that it is worth making a few sacrifices along the way to secure the future of your children.

If you want to give your daughter the wedding of her dreams then you absolutely need to begin preparing, saving, planning, and investing about 10 years before she's born. Weddings are expensive and if you are going to go the dream wedding route you need to be saving some serious money in order to give her that fairy tale.

Finally, if you want your retirement to be a nice comfortable existence and not to be spent in your future daughter-in-law's broom closet you need to be ready today to begin investing in your future retirement. Time is short, life expectancies are longer than ever, and the costs of living are continuing to rise at alarming rates. If you're not ready to invest you need to figure out why and fix the problem so that you can be ready to invest and soon.

Investing in your financial future is the greatest gift you can give yourself by far. If you aren't sure where to begin or how, perhaps it's time to seek the services of a qualified financial advisor. His advice may prove invaluable and may give you a much more comfortable future than you would have ever imagined left to your own devices.

Benefits of Using a Stock Broker

I should begin this by saying that stock brokers are expensive. However, if you are new to the world of investing and find the terminology, expenses, fees, and process the least bit confusing it is best to utilize the services of a stock broker that is going to work with you every step of the way and explain the way things work at least for the first several trades you make. Stock brokers are paid through commissions that are earned every time you buy or sell a stock. For this reason they are great for advising you on which stocks to buy or sell though their main goal is to keep you buying and selling because they earn money on each transaction so be sure to take their advice, to some degree, with a grain of salt.

That being said a good stock broker can help you learn the ropes about trading stocks when you are just beginning in your investment efforts. Their advice and services can be invaluable and well worth every penny you pay them provided you find a broker that is going to work with you even though you are, presumably, going to be trading on a much smaller scale than some of their high dollar clients. In other words you want someone that is going to work with you even though you aren't likely to be their biggest client anytime in the near future unless they make some excellent decisions on your behalf.

Stock brokers can also provide excellent insight and invaluable advice on how to diversify your portfolio in order to minimize your risks as far as your investments go while building the foundation for a successful future trading in the market. More importantly a stock broker can help you identify diamonds in the stock business that may be disguised as lumps of coal. They have a great deal of experience in this business, even more education, and often times excellent gut instincts about what is coming next in a given stock.

This by no means indicates that the services or advice of stock brokers is somehow infallible. This isn't the case at all. Everyone makes mistakes but by following the advice of a stock broker you are much likely to make fewer mistakes than if you were going it alone because you can learn from past mistakes the brokers have made and hopefully avoid future mistakes of your own by taking their advice and guidance to heart.

If the high commissions of brick and mortar brokerages are hard to come by or sacrifice you may want to consider an online stock broker. While they often won't have the pedigree and credentials of some of the stock broker experts that can be found in many financial institutions on Wall Street they also do not charge commissions that match those pedigrees and can be invaluable in helping you make the most of your stock market investments. Learn when to take the advice that is given for what it is worth and use it to your advantage. Their advice can still help you much more than trying to muddle through the intricacies of investing and online trading on your own.

If you decide not to go with a stock broker you need to understand that you are doing so at your own risk. The roads of the stock market are difficult to navigate even for those that have some degree of experience and there are few roadmaps to help guide you along the way. A qualified and competent stock broker can be the difference between a successful investment future and a loosing your shirt on your first time out of the gate. Take advantage of the benefit that a stock broker can bring to the table until you are confident in your ability to navigate these waters on your own. It can make all the difference in the world to your portfolio.

How to Diversify Your Portfolio

I'm sure you've heard how important it is to keep a diverse financial portfolio. There are many reasons for this not the least of which is spreading out the risks as well as the rewards so that one bad day on the market doesn't do in your entire financial future. Many people have learned along the way that the price to be paid for failing to diversify can be very high indeed. If you aren't prepared to pay that price then the solution is probably much simpler than you may realize.

The first thing you need to realize is that there is no perfect solution that is always guaranteed to be a safe investment (there is no such thing as a risk free investment only those that carry less risk than others). With this in mind you can minimize the risks by spreading them out between several different stocks, bonds, and funds.

It is important to seek the services of a financial advisor if you can at all afford to do so. In all honesty you really can't afford to rest your financial future in the hands of an amateur who knows very little if anything about the way the stock market works and how best to structure your portfolio. If for what ever reason you choose to go it alone there are many options available to have a truly diverse portfolio.

The first thing you want to do is divide your holdings between several sectors. This means that when one sector performs poorly you still have the hope that the other sectors won't share the same fate. During the dot com bust a few years back and the sub prime real estate bust more recently many people learned the hardships that can come about by having too much invested in one industry. Had they spread their investments around a little better many people would not have been hit nearly as hard as they were.

Once you've done that you will want to purchase a few stocks, some mutual funds (these are much lower risk funds that are designed to steadily but slowly build value over time), and a few CDs to balance things out. There are all kinds of formulas as to how to do this for maximum effect but the truth of the matter is that you can't really determine the best route for you to take without knowing a little more about your current situation and your goals and plans. This is why a financial advisor is so important. Different concentrations of stocks, bonds, and funds are preferable at different stages in your life and according to the amount of money you currently have set aside.

Ultimately in diversifying you want to avoid having too great of a concentration in one stock, one sector, and one investment type whenever possible. You never want to rest your entire financial future in one stock, bond, or fund because that really is an all or nothing risk and rarely turns out good. If you get nothing else from a financial planner you really should consult with one about how to best diversify your investment portfolio. He or she can help you get started along the path to financially planning a brighter future than you may have ever imagined for your family.

Losing to Win

In the world of the stock market, particularly when it comes to higher risk investments such as day trading there is a bit of a learning curve. In other words you must be prepared to lose in order to win. By doing this you will be in a much better position for making wise decisions later on based on your past experiences.

This means that you will either need to lose money by investing in a broker that can assist you in making those initial trades while educating you on the ways of the market or you are going to need to spend a little money learning the ropes on your own. Either way in the stock market you will learn much more from the losses you take along the way than you will ever learn through successes that get you through the days.

The theory behind losing to win is that you will spend a little money learning the ropes and that will be money well spent once you learn the ins and outs of trading. It is quite likely that this will not be the only money that you will lose along the way as you journey into the world of high finance and stock market and mutual fund investments but it is probably going to be the largest concentration of money that you will lose during the process.

If you are willing to risk those initial dollars for the purpose of learning a new and better way of making your money work for you then you can expect to not only establish a comfortable retirement but also to quite possibly make a comfortable living in the meantime. Most day traders fail all together. Among those that ultimately succeed they face heavy losses in the beginning at least until they work out some sort of system that brings success their way more often than not. In order to succeed in that particularly volatile market you must be observant, pay attention to detail, and keep accurate and copious records not only of all transactions but the results of those transactions for better or worse. This helps you see patterns that you might not otherwise see as well as keeps your wins and losses in black and white so that you are aware of just how much money you are making and losing while learning the ropes.

For those who are willing to take these steps there is a lot of money to be made in the stock market-particularly in the field of day trading. High profits are great and something that most investors secretly dream of whether they'll ever admit it out loud or not. The difference in those investors and those that go the day trading route is that the day traders are actually placing themselves in a position to experience these massive profits that everyone else will be so jealous of in the end. It is a risk, no doubt, but careful consideration, planning, and attention to detail can bring those big paydays.

Some people go to college for advanced degrees in their chosen fields. Education is a big investment with high interest bearing student loans left over when all is said and done. All in all, a year of learning the ropes with day trading can prove to be a much lower expense than a full four-year college education (interest included) and bring about bigger profits without creating nearly the mountain of debt (provided of course that you invested wisely). If a small learning curve and one year's worth of time can produce results such as this wouldn't it be well worth it to try and see how much of a difference day trading can make in your financial future? If you are at all interested in this form or any other form of stock market investing take the time to learn a little more before taking the plunge.

Low Risk Stocks

Stocks are a great way to secure your family's financial future. From braces, to college, to weddings, and retirement you will find a way to pay for all of these things and a few of life's unexpected emergencies along the way. For this reason many people have an inner battle as to whether it is a better idea to invest a little more aggressively or conservatively in order to get the most for their money. The problem with low risk investments for many is the fact that lower risks typically render lower yields. This means that there is less money to work with when that important day comes (at least in theory). Of course if you take a few larger risks along the way you still risk having less when the time comes to cash in your nest egg and rely upon it for a living or to take care of the needs we encounter along the way.

Common low risk investments include mutual funds and certificates of deposits though there are many stocks that would be considered low risk. Those would be the giants of industry that have withstood various tests of time and have come out no worse for wear as a result. It is important to remember that low risk doesn't indicate that the investments you are making carry no risk. There is no such thing as a no risk investment though these mentioned above carry far fewer risks than some of the more volatile markets in which one could choose to invest.

Another low risk investment for many is to go with childhood favorites such as Hershey, Mattel, GE, and other stocks that have been around for a very long time and have become almost a household name. The longevity of these companies makes them attractive for those looking for long term, low risk investments. They are relatively steady experience growth that often goes hand in hand with inflation. They do not generally experience the roller coaster ride that many stocks on various exchanges may go through so they are definitely not fodder for the manipulations of day traders. They are instead solid investments that while not flashy in their offerings are stable and that is something that low risk investors admire in stocks.

Certificates of deposit (CDs) have been known to offer significantly better rates of returns than many mutual funds and most interest rates for savings plans. If you are going to go the route of a mutual fund you either need to carefully consider how conservative you want your mutual fund to be (more aggressive funds can make more money than the average CD but you'll need to carefully consider which will be best for your financial goals) before deciding which is the better option of the two for you.

If you choose to go with mutual funds there are several types from which to choose. You need to decide from the beginning if you prefer a mutual fund that will give you a monthly income now or if you want a mutual fund that is dedicated to slow growth and a constantly increasing value. You will want a mutual fund that pays out a certain amount of money each month as you near retirement. Until then it is in your best interest to avoid those, as there is very little, if any, growth in the value of these funds.

Investing in the stock market is taking a risk. For some people investing in the market is a leap of faith while others are more confident taking baby steps towards their financial goals and future plans. Whatever type of investor you may be you will find some value in having at least some mutual funds and lower risks investments included in your portfolio. If you do not have any in your portfolio at the moment, there is no time like the present to include them.

Reasons to Invest

Many people think of investing in the stock market as a means of reaching retirement goals and nothing more. There is very little that could be further from the truth though. There are many reasons that people invest in the stock market that have a lot to do with the more immediate future. If you haven't considered all the great things that can come about as the result of savvy investing in the stock market and mutual funds, perhaps these ideas will give you a little inspiration.

1) Buying a home. While you do not necessarily need the money upfront to pay for the entire house it would be great. Of course, down payments are great to have to and the more money you can spend as a down payment the lower interest rate you can get, which means you will pay considerably less over the life of your home. It also means you will have instant equity in your home that is almost always a great thing.

2) Sending the kids to college. This is a long term investing goal but it isn't as long term for many as retirement. Most of us can actually envision sending our kids off to college while we aren't yet ready to imagine or day to dream (or dread) what our retirement is going to be like. But many people wonder often how they are going to give their children the college education they dream of for their children.

3) Braces and other medical expenses. If you have kids you should be prepared for unexpected medical and dental expenses along the way. Even if you have an excellent insurance plan chances are that you will need to bear the brunt of some of these costs along the way in the form of deductibles and co payments that can be costly in their own rights. It helps if you have a little money set aside and earning interest for these occasions.

4) Dream vacations. We all have places we'd love to go, things we'd love to do, and sights we'd love to see. Most of us put a lot of time and effort into securing our future and forget the importance of taking some time to enjoy the time we have today. Our children are only young once so if you want to take them to Disney it is best to do it while they are young and can enjoy and remember the experience. More importantly they can remember sharing the experience with you. This is one of the best reasons to invest.

5) To pay for the unexpected. Pipes burst, the heating and air conditioning go out, and new cars are needed along the way. Most investments have a much better return on investment than the average bank's interest rate. This means that by investing the money you are more likely to have it making money for you while you are waiting for those moments when you need to withdraw it in order to handle those little emergencies.

As you can see there are plenty of reasons to invest your money that have nothing to do with retirement though securing a comfortable retirement is near the top of most people's lists of reasons to invest. If you haven't thought of all these reasons and a few more and aren't yet investing, what on earth is stopping you from getting started right away?

Stock Market Gambling

Are you addicted to gambling? How about taking risks? There are many who are literally addicted to gambling and the stock market is their drug of choice. There are many options available for their gambling pleasure and the tables, it seems, are always open with various markets around the world opening up to US money and the prevalence of Internet trading venues that are available to the average investor through nothing more sophisticated than a computer and a modem.

Day trading is a particular draw for those who are addicted to gambling through trading stocks. It provides the ups and downs very similar to the roll of the dice or the ringing of the slot machines and instant hits and misses. It can even be addictive for those who have never set foot in a casino. Of course this type of investing isn't the only investing that is very much like gambling. Any high-risk investment is going to bear some similarities, especially those that offer high payouts to those who do succeed on occasion.

The problem is that that addictive gambling can be devastating to friends, family, and finances. If you suspect that you or someone you love has a gambling problem you need to either get help yourself or encourage them to get help. There are many ways that this can be accomplished and anonymous help can be found online. Day traders have gained so much notoriety as potential gambling addicts that gamblers anonymous has begun a support group specifically for those who are addicted to gambling via day trader trading.

If you have the personality that is easily addicted to things such as lottery tickets, slot machines, chocolate candy bars, etc. this doesn't mean that you can't ever trade on the stock market it just means that it might be a good idea to avoid some of the higher risk trading and stick with more slow and steady options such as mutual funds, CDs, and the like. Your rewards are likely to be better over time and you aren't likely to experience the ups and downs that go along with activities that closely resemble gambling.

An addiction to gambling is a serious problem that can ruin a family financially. It is imperative that you get the help you need if you discover that you have a gambling problem. The first suggestion is to close up all stock market accounts that could lead to temptation. Removing temptation is always a great first step when fighting any addiction. You also need to seek support. There are many groups around the country such as gambler's anonymous that can provide you a close knit support group whenever temptation strikes. If your local chapter has a group that is designed specifically for those who are addicted to gambling through day stock trading that might prove to be the best choice to help you on the road to recovery from your addiction.

If you have been addicted to gambling in the past you should also avoid the temptation that day trading may present. Addictions may be overcome but they are never cured and temptation for many can prove to be the fatal downfall. Do not allow your gambling addiction to take control of your life once again by entering into the world of day trading after working so hard to overcome your addiction in the first place and build a life after the sometimes devastating effects that addictions can bring.

Gambling is nothing new to the world and there is nothing wrong with having the sort of personality that likes to take a gamble on occasion. In fact, there needs to be a little bit of that personality type in every day trader. It's when the gambling becomes a problem and takes over your life and your ability to make rational decisions about the money and the risks you are taking that it crosses the line between gambling and a gambling problem that borders on or is a gambling addiction. If you have crossed that line, get help today.

Stocks verses Mutual Funds

While some may find that idea of comparing stocks to mutual funds a little bit odd, since mutual funds are often made up of stocks, bonds, or some combination of the two, it is quite necessary to compare the two when it comes to deciding what is best for your financial outlook. Some of the more notable differences will be discussed below in order to help you decide which investment type is more suitable for your financial situation.

When it comes to investing for the everyday man or woman you really can't beat mutual funds. Stocks carry hefty fees for buying, selling, and transferring that significantly hinder any profits that would otherwise be made from the transaction. In fact, these fees often serve to deter the trading of stocks rather than encouraging it. Perversely, big trading companies offer hefty discounts for their big spenders making the stock market trading game seem even more exclusive by making it easier for those who already have a great deal invested than they make it for the new guy trying to make his way on the market. Mutual funds are much more accessible to those who don't have massive fortunes available to invest and need to make small steps (such as $100 a month) towards their financial and investment goals.

Mutual funds typically carry less risk than the average stock purchase as well. This happens for many reasons. First of all mutual funds are not generally invested in one sector, industry, or company. For this reason if one of the stocks fails, the proceeds from the other stocks and bonds purchased will help mitigate the loss, making it less noticeable. At the same time, the loss is shared by a large group of people so that even if a slight overall loss is experienced as the result it will be much less noticeable than if the stock purchased was yours and your alone. Finally, the fact that the funds are already diversified to a large degree helps insulate from huge fluctuations in the market such as those seen recently when the sub prime mortgage industry bubble popped leaving many investors ducking for cover.

Share the wealth. Share the risk. Mutual funds offer a sense of community, commonality, and shared risk among those who buy into a specific mutual fund. This is a good thing most of the time as it enables a large group of people to share a much smaller portion of risk than if they were buying stocks of their own volition. The existence of a fund manager means that there is someone "in the know" who is looking after the profit of the fund and that has the success of the fund at heart. This is something that you won't find when investing in stocks. In fact, when it comes to the stock market the only people that really care about how your stocks are performing are those that you pay to care for these things such as your financial advisor, accountant, and/or stockbroker.

Another thing to consider about mutual funds is that they are much easier to use and/or trade than stocks. They are much less expensive to trade as well. You can purchase mutual funds from your local bank, online, and through many online trading companies as well as through many company 401 (k) plans. In other words mutual funds go out of their way to make themselves accessible. The most important thing, really, when it comes to buying mutual funds is that you devote some time to studying the history and performance of the fund you are considering to purchase as well as the fund manager for peace of mind.

As you can see there are a lot of differences between stocks and mutual funds. For small investors mutual funds are often the best route to take. They pose less risk, impose fewer fees, and place owners in a position to accrue steady, if slow, returns on their investments.