Invest money

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There has been many discussion about which strategy is better, fundamental analysis or technical analysis. Technical approach has been reinforced by trading software which can be used to predict price based on price simulation, where it uses models for each market without regard the underlying economy or fundamental which driven the market. Several recently developed programs help boil down the maze of economic and fundamental information into a form useful by traders who do not have formal training in economics. These programs help track the impact that economic indicators have on price in various markets. Such software gives traders an easy-to-understand link between fundamental data and price. The technical analysis is easier to use than fundamental. But when the market crash on October 1987, traders started to pay attention on the fundamentals, like unemployement figures, trade deficit, unemployment, and
commodity supply/demand data . With the combination of two strategy, we will have quite a powerfull strategy.
Technical analysis tells us when the price will likely move, while fundamental analysis tells us what stock is good. By combining the two strategy, we can have a good stock which the price will likely move. In this ebook, I want to combine the two stategy to make a new strategy, the combination on fundamental and
technical analysis. A trading plan is needed to win the battle win other investor. You need to know how to choose a good stock, and how to choose a stock which will move in favor of us shortly.

Learn more here.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DJI) is one of several stock market indices, created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow.

The average is computed from the stock prices of 30 of the largest and most widely held public companies in the United States. Current companies included in the DJIA are:

• 3M (MMM)
• Alcoa (AA)
• American Express (AXP)
• AT&T (T)
• Bank of America (BAC)
• Boeing (BA)
• Caterpillar (CAT)
• Chevron Corporation (CVX)
• Citigroup (C)
• Coca-Cola (KO)
• DuPont (DD)
• ExxonMobil (XOM)
• General Electric (GE)
• General Motors (GM)
• Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)
• Home Depot (HD)
• Intel (INTC)
• IBM (IBM)
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
• JPMorgan Chase (JPM)
• Kraft Foods (KFT)
• McDonald’s (MCD)
• Merck (MRK)
• Microsoft (MSFT)
• Pfizer (PFE)
• Procter & Gamble (PG)
• United Technologies Corporation (UTX)
• Verizon Communications (VZ)
• Walmart (WMT)
• Walt Disney (DIS)

Another ponzi scheme was recently revealed. Bernard Madoff, once chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market, confessed this week that his investment business was “a giant Ponzi scheme” that cost clients $50 billion. It rank among the biggest fraud cases ever. When Enron filed for bankruptcy in 2001, it had $63.4 billion in assets.

Madoff’s firm had about $17.1 billion in assets under management as of Nov. 17, according to NASD records. At least half of its clients were hedge funds, and others included banks and wealthy individuals. He said he had “absolutely nothing,” that “it’s all just one big lie,” and that it was “basically, a giant Ponzi scheme,” He paid investors for years out of principal from other investors.

So what is A Ponzi scheme? A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that promise abnormally high returns to investors out of the money paid in by the new investors, rather than from revenues generated by real business. The scheme is named after Charles Ponzi, who use the technique after immigrating from Italy to the United States in 1903. The system  will collapse eventually, because there are little or no earnings received from the business or investment.

People really don’t learn from past fraud. There are always new victims and new bad guy. Often people only look at the return or profit without thinking if it is possible or not. Always remember the rule of thumb, the higher the return, the higher the risk. So always be cautious on suspicious investment. Always find out the investment activity, where you money went, and from where the money they use to pay you.

From recent financial news, many people said we are going to have a deflation. Deflation is a persistent decrease in the general price level of goods and services. The collapse in oil and commodities prices will cause the prices of goods and services tumble. So deflation is generally caused by a collapse in demand (economy slowdown), and is associated with recession.

According to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co, China faces deflation next year as food and commodities prices have plunged, which will prompt the central bank to cut interest rates further. Prices fall because demand for goods fall, making the price fall too to reach equilibrium.

Deflation is regarded negatively, because deflation will discourages investment as profits may be negative due to lower price.

At first it was believed that deflation can cure it self, because lower price will bring higher demand. But this is a slow process. Government need to be proactive in increasing demand by tax cuts or increasing in government spending. Central bank can help by increasing money supply which will cause the inflation rate to rise and lowering interest rate.

The world is having a serious financial crisis. Many people has lost their jobs because of it. To survive, you need to save your money. Basically you can save money by reducing your comfort. Comfort means money. But there are also other tricks to save money. Here are 100 ways to save money:

Shopping

1. Before shopping create your shopping list and stick with it.
2. Don’t buy branded goods, and buy cheaper product with the same quality.
3. Buy in bulk whenever possible. It is cheaper.
4. Buy generic products whenever possible. There are plenty of private label product nowadays. The store will make their own product using their own brand. This is cheaper because they do not spend money for advertising.
5. Always compare product’s price and specification when you need to buy expensive things.
6. Shop online. Online company usually cheaper, because they can save money on their store rent.
7. Use couponsfor shopping.
8. Find a garage sale. You can find gold there.

Computer


9. Screen savers does not reduce energy consumption. Automatic switching to sleep mode or hibernate is better.
10. Consider buying a laptop. They use less energy than desktop computers.
11. Consider buying LCD monitor. They use less energy than CRT monitor.
12. Stop renting the cable modem. You can buy a cable modem for cheaper cost in the future.
13. Plug your computer and other electronic into a good UPS. So can save money by not buying a new circuit board that is fried.
14. Use open source software like Linux Operating System and Open Office.
15. Upgrade an existing PC rather than buying a new one. Usually it is cheaper to upgrade. But if your computer is very old, you need to buy a new one.

Appliances

16. Maintain your heating system appliances because they are the ones that consume too much electricity.
17. Turn off the lights if it is not used.
18. Use low energy light bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs.
19. Clean your AC air filters. A dirty air filter reduces airflow, causing it to work harder and use more energy.
20. Use of solar power for for heating water.
21. Find natural gas appliances with blue flames. This indicates that the gas is burning efficiently.
22. Install a programmable thermostat to have your house in comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.
23. Turn off your electronic appliances like TV, and computer when not in use.
24. Look dishwasher for the ENERGY STAR label that uses less water and less energy.
25. Regularly manual
26. defrost freezers. Frost buildup decreases the energy efficiency of the unit.
27. Cover your kettle or pan to boil water. It will be done faster and can save energy.
28. Request an energy audit from your utility company. It’s free, and they’ll give you plenty of tips to reduce your power bill.
29. Lower your thermostat 1 degree and you will save 2 percent on your monthly energy bill. You can put on a sweater to deal with the cold.

Transportation


30. Go to work by using bus, or maybe riding a bike.
31. Check your engine and tire pressure. Having unequal pressure can greatly affect the car’s fuel economy.
32. Look for frequent shopper deals on gas. Some grocery stores can offer gas discount with a frequent shopper card.
33. Avoid rush hour traffic as much as possible. Stopping in traffic can burn up lots of gas.
34. Drive at constant speed to save gas.
35. Keep your car light. Remove any unnecessary heavy items from your car. Heavy items makes the car work harder.
36. Take turns with your nearby friend to work.
37. Fix your car with skilled mechanic. If it is not correctly repaired, you might pay more for broken spare parts in the future.
38. Consider buying a fuel
39. efficient car.
40. Compare prices at different gas stations, and find the lowest.
41. Choose manual transmission car than automatic.
42. Use the correct grade of the oil which tells about the viscosity. If you use the wrong grade, you may increase the friction in your engine, and uses more gas.
43. Replace your air filter every three months or 3,000 miles or as specified in your owner’s manual.

Credit card

44. Be sure to pay on time.
45. Don’t spend more than you can afford.
46. Pay off your balance in full each month if possible.
47. Stop using credit cards. You can overspend, if you’re getting money from credit account.
48. Avoid using cash advances on credit card. Only it as the last option. They have a higher interest rate than regular card charges.
49. Transfer your credit card debt to a card that charges a lower interest rate. Read your application carefully for this.
50. Negotiate a lower rate with your credit card company. If you have a good credit history, they might lower your interest rate.
51. If you have a balance on more than one credit card. Pay the most you can afford on the highest interest rate card, and make the minimum payment on the others. Once the card with the highest interest rate is paid, you can start paying the next highest interest rate.

Health


52. If you are sick buy generic drugs. Generic drugs are basically the same as the branded ones in terms of ingredients and quality.
53. Don’t smoke or reduce cigarette.
54. Don’t drink alcohol or reduce your alcohol consumption.
55. Don’t go to the gym. You can exercise by running or riding a bicycle.
56. Stay healthy. Eat well and rest well. Don’t drink or smoke.
57. Reduce your weight. Overweight is source to many illness.
58. Participate in your employer’s health insurance plan. They have lower rate, because employers direct a large number of people to the insurer.

Entertainment

59. Use only TV cable that you really need. Choose a smaller package.
60. Don’t buy popcorn and drinks on theater. They are very expensive.
61. Rent a movie instead of going to the theater.
62. Do cheap entertainment like hiking, picnicking, fishing, or camping.
63. Buy movie tickets in bulk. The cost per ticker is lower.
64. When traveling, buy a guidebook instead of hiring a travel guide.

Food and drink

65. Cook home as often as you can. By not eating at the restaurant, you can save a lot.
66. Bring your lunch from home.
67. Eliminate Expensive Coffee Drinks. In some places, you pay a lot for the atmosphere not the coffee.
68. Use discount dining cards.
69. Take advantage of promotions, like buy one get one free offer.
70. Consider making your own bread. You can find the recipes in the internet.
71. Buy products on sale. Repackage and store it in the freezer for future use.
72. Consider buying meat with bones. Being willing to skin and de-bone it yourself can save you dollars.
73. If you have time, consider cooking from scratch. Frozen meals is convenient but more expensive.

Travel

74. Book your hotel at least one month in advance.
75. Don’t use hotel phones for long-distance calls before inquiring about the charges.
76. Find fares and room rates on Internet which is usually cheaper.
77. Go travel by avoiding the crowds. If a destination sees its highest tourist traffic in winter, then go on summer, spring or fall if posible.
78. Use small inn instead of a big hotel.
79. Go wait until the last minute for an airline ticket. They usually on sale because plenty of times a plance is flying around 80% full.Finance
80. When you apply on mortgage, go for the shortest-term mortgage you can afford. Shortest-term will save you more money.
81. Consider refinancing your mortgage if you can get a rate that is lower than your existing mortgage rate. If the interest is low, it’s time to refinance your loan.
82. Don’t buy lottery. The odds of winning is very low.
83. Save you money in piggy bag dailly. Be discipline on it.
84. Apply scholarships for your college.
85. Improve your credit score so you can get better deal on loans.
86. Don’t do stock trading. Buy and hold is better because you don’t have to pay commission. You just need to buy good and cheap company and hold it.
87. If you don’t rely on your broker’s recommendations and don’t trade often, choose a discount broker, where transactions cost is lower.

Internet

88. Use free online greeting card if you want to send someone a card.
89. Find used products at ebay.
90. Buy used books instead of new books at amazon.
91. Get free software from download.com.
92. Save on your communication bill by chatting via computer or with free software from Skype.com. It’s free to call another Skype user.
93. Don’t subscribe on printed magazine. Read online news sites is cheaper.
94. Instead of buying whole album, buy music that you really like from service like Itunes.

General

95. Don’t buy things that do do not need.
96. Borrow books from the library instead of buying.
97. Pay yourself first. Deposit 10% of every salary in a savings account.
98. Be an early bird for seminars.
99. Do a garage sale to get rid of un-needed items.
100. Bundle your services, like bundling cable or satellite TV, telephone service, and high-speed Internet service. This is often cheaper than you buy it separately.

You say you know where your money goes and you don’t need it all written down to keep up with it? I issue you this challenge. Keep track of every penny you spend for one month and I do mean every penny.

You will be shocked at what the itty-bitty expenses add up to. Take the total you spent on just one unnecessary item for the month, multiply it by 12 for months in a year and multiply the result by 5 to represent 5 years.

That is how much you could have saved AND drawn interest on in just five years. That, my friend, is the very reason all of us need a budget. By budgeting, you can save a lot of money.

The little things really do count. Cutting what you spend on lunch from five dollars a day to three dollars a day on every work day in a five day work week saves $10 a week… $40 a month… $480 a year… $2400 in five years….plus interest.

See what I mean… it really IS the little things and you still eat lunch everyday AND that was only one place to save money in your daily living without doing without one thing you really need. There are a lot of places to cut expenses if you look for them.

Set some specific long term and short term goals. There are no wrong answers here. If it’s important to you, then it’s important period.

If you want to be able to make a down payment on a house, start a college fund for your kids, buy a sports car, take a vacation to Aruba… anything… then that is your goal and your reason to get a handle on your financial situation now.

Many people are confused about their options or about how to obtain the best health insurance for them or their family. There are several ways to obtain health insurance.

• Health insurance is commonly obtained through an employer. Nearly all employers these days offer some sort of “group” health insurance plan for employees. The term “group” simply denotes that there is a large group of people on the plan, which decreases the cost of the monthly premium for all members. These plans can cover yourself, your spouse, and your family, depending on the specific policy. Covering more than just yourself obviously increases your monthly premium, but the ability to cover your family inexpensively is a huge benefit. To obtain group health insurance through your employer, you should contact your human resources department or whoever is in charge of benefits in your company. You should be able to buy into the group health insurance plan at any time during your employment.
• If you leave an employer who offers group health insurance without first finding other coverage, you can also use the COBRA law with your previous employer’s health insurance coverage. COBRA is a government act that allows you to continue coverage under your previous employer, though at a more expensive rate.
• Individual health insurance plans are more often than not very expensive in relation to group health insurance plans. These plans can also cover family members and spouses for additional costs. Finding individual health plans is not difficult. Almost all health insurance companies offer individual plans. Some Web sites even allow you to compare pricing and details of plans offered in your area .
• There is also federal health assistance available depending on certain criteria. If you are over the age of 65 or if you have a disability or specific condition (detailed by the government), you are eligible for Medicare. Medicaid is another government health insurance program that is based on income. Overall, it is simply important to be covered, no matter how you go about doing it.