Mutual Funds vs ETF's

By Peggy Black

Why buy mutual funds when you can be owning an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)? Mutual funds have limited liquidity in that you can only buy and sell mutual funds at the end of the day. Plus exorbitant fees charged investors average 1.5%.

Mutual funds are only required to declare their investment holding twice a year. Investors in funds are in the blind and not sure what they own until it is disclosed.

The first ETF's was the S&P Depository Receipt known as SPDR (exchange symbol SPY). It was basically a stock that owned all 500 companies that make up the S&P 500 Index. So with one trade you could own the whole S&P 500 index.

ETF's stay very close to their inherent net asset value. If values drift too far, professional arbitrage traders will soon bring values into line. It is entirely self-policed by these mechanics.

Just like a stock, one can place loss protection in the form of stop-loss and limit order. You are able to see quotes on a real-time basis.

The expenses to own an ETF is negligible. For instance, fees for SPY (S&P 500 index ETF) are pegged at 0.09 percent.

Best of all, ETFs are transparent and you always know what you are getting. You'll know exactly what the market index is composed of. There is now wondering if your ETF owns something that you did not know about.

If there is a choice between mutual funds or ETFs, one should be aware of fund management past history and direction. How do they do in a bear market? How do they perform in a bull market? Do the beat the ETF for the same investment area? - 23167

About the Author:

Find learned insight on Exchange Traded Funds and investments of any sort, read the Wall Street Journal. Most every serious investor reads it for breaking investment news and the latest rumblings in the market. Get free delivery of the Wall Street Journal for 80% off news stand price at Wall Street Journal Subscription

Does GM need saving?

By Dino P Delellis

Amongst GM employees, aside from the fear of getting a pink paper next week ( or the week after ) speculation is high as to whether the concept vehicle, being called the Volt, is going to be as revolutionary as the hype suggests.

GM, Ford and Chrysler arrayed a huge number of lawyers and much cherished Washington lobbyists to go after California after it decided to introduce a zero emissions rule on part of all car fleets. While GM was fighting California, it was also building an electric car, 10 years ago called the EV1. The state lost, GM breathed a sigh of relief and promptly destroyed all EV1's and sold the patents.

It was said that the link between GM and big Oil was never so blatant as when the EV1 was shelved, the many patents accompanying that huge R&D effort was simply sold to BIG OIL.

Some might say, that was a wise business move to recoup costs, but most of the public would in acute dismay exclaim "Why would oil companies be interested in automotive patents that would/could eventually diminish their own returns ?"

So much for the history lesson, this week, we are back at square one watching a video interview with GM's Chief Designer as he discusses the new GM Chevy Volt.

GM has almost entirely "bet the boat" on the new technologies going to market in the electric Chevy Volt. We are sure that GM Detroit Management exactly didn't plan it this way, but their European operations must have seen the writing on the wall many years ago as gas hit 3+ dollars per gallon in europe and continued on through the equivalent $4 dollar mark. With the global credit crunch, increased gas prices and declining sales of the big cash SUV's GM is feeling the pinch like never before. The Volt must become iconic.

The car is also GM's gambit to outpace foreign competitors like Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC). Unlike conventional hybrids-including the best-selling Prius-the Volt is essentially a plug-in electric car with an onboard gas-burning engine that can recharge the vehicle's batteries. This enables the Volt to travel some 40 miles before the driver turns on the gas.

According to GM research, many drivers will not need to switch to the gas engine because simply recharging the vehicle via a regular outlet at home overnight will satisfy most of their driving needs. When I first heard this, I thought - What a useless car. Who wants a car that does only 40 miles per charge, but in truth, the car simply switches to the small gas engine at that point and continues its merry way.

Despite the GM bashing that many of us might engage in, on occasion, we all truly want a Volt or something like it. Traveling and seeing new places isn't just a wish for the elite. But with gas prices threatening to go higher and the slightest threat of war poised to carry them beyond even the previous high of $147 per barrel, having a vehicle with the potential of the Volt is simply everyone's dream.

So will or can the dream car Volt save the General?

I suppose it might be presumptuous but perhaps we should first ask - Does the General really need saving?

BusinessWeek estimated GM's Liquidity position to be 45 Billion in May of 2005 with a burn rate this year of over a Billion a month here in 2008 ( Boston Herald ). Estimated reserves now stand at about 25 Billion and analysts say that even with the 10 Billion in future cost cutting, GM may need another 10-12 Billion in cash to see their way through to 2010.

Detroit News writes in an article on Oct 14th 2008

GM had access to about $21 billion cash, $5 billion in available credit lines and is raising $5 billion through asset sales and borrowing.

Cost-cutting associated with the aforementioned 10 Billion in cuts, intensified when GM announced it was closing plants in Grand Rapids and Janesville, Wis. 2500 workers are affected by these measures in plants that produce sport-utility vehicles and parts for pickups/SUVs.

Since 2005, the General's cash reserves have been reduced from 45 Billion to a mere 25 Billion and with the tightening credit crunch and federal government moving slowly on aiding the BIG3, the rumour doing the rounds is that GM is eyeing the cash reserves of Chrysler ( estimated 11 Billion ) to help it through 2009 when the arrival of the Chevy Volt and Cruz, the following quarter are expected to help turn things around.

So, what are our expectations for the Volt? GM says its expecting to sell about 10,000 Chevy Volts at between 30-40,000 USD each in 2010. So, that's about 3-4 Billion dollars in gross sales with a net of about a 800 Million dollars annually at an estimated 20% profit per car.

So, is this innovative car of the 2010 year - Volt just a little, just too late?

Looking at these numbers alone, I would wager, most emphatically no. - 23167

About the Author:

Dino DeLellis writes on a number of interesting topics. To see more of the Dino personal journals hop on over to Dino P. Delellis and catch his strange views on the world at large.

Forex Signals and Alerts

By Volodq Christoff

There are very few forex trading signals providers that are genuinely consistently profitable month after month. There are many that claim to be and have impressive looking performance records but very often it transpires that they massage their numbers, and use hypothetical figures in their calculations, rather than trade their signals themselves.

I've come across many different forex signals providers in my time. It's hard not to as the internet's full of them. Nearly all of them have turned out to be a waste of time. I thought I'd found a great site a while back in the shape of Forex Live Pro, but after having several highly profitable months, even they ended up going on a losing streak and have since closed down.

That's why there's only one company that I'm more than happy to recommend and that's ForexManuals.com

It's basically a managed forex trading account where you're in complete control over which signal providers you use, and all trading is completely automated.

I'm not sure how common the Smoothed Repulse indicator actually is but it's one that I've recently discovered hidden away in ProRealTime, the excellent charting software, and I have to say I'm quite impressed by it so far. - 23167

About the Author:

It is always handy to have good free signals forex. I use them all the time and it makes a big difference in the outcome of my free forex trading signals trades

Seven Secrets to Financial Empowerment in 2009

By Trisha

As you work to fulfill your dreams in the field of real estate investing I want you to embrace your future and do everything in your power to help ensure your success despite the challenges youll face along the way. Ive identified 7 financial keys that can unlock the door to success for you and others you may come in contact with along the way.

There are a lot of things you can do every day that can help determine whether you reach the pinnacle of success or remain in the valley of missed opportunity, but very few things will figure as prominently as your finances. Financial gurus got it right when they say that if you dont control your money it controls you! Heres how to regain control of your financial future one step at a time.

Control Your Spending " By taking control of your spending you can have a much bigger say in the types of deals you have available to you. This process starts with having " and sticking to " a realistic and attainable budget. Im not suggesting you should sell your TV and hit your kids up for gas money in exchange for taking them to t-ball practice.

There is a direct connection between giving and receiving " just make sure you really believe in the organizations youre giving your money to!

Control Your Debt " In many ways this goes hand in hand with controlling your spending because for many investors (especially brand new ones with unrealistic expectations) their first inclination is to whip out a credit card for routine purchases.

Control Your Thinking " You should get motivated and fired up every day! Instead of listening to negative people complain about high gas prices, inflation, or politics, tap into a good motivational book, CD, or seminar that will do something for you other than raise your blood pressure. Unless youre a member of OPEC or on the board of an oil company you cant control prices. However, by controlling your thinking and your thought processes you can build your own cartel of real estate investment properties!

Control Your Saving " By getting into the habit of regularly setting money aside for a rainy day, you can systematically build a rainy day fund that you can tap into for unplanned expenses. By having 3-6 months of expenses in an interest earning money market account you have cash available in case of a short term need. If you have this cash you can take advantage of more property opportunities. Sometimes a seller will agree to your terms if you can meet their need for cash. If you have a few thousand dollars sitting in an account you can access it quickly and still get a lucrative deal while its still available!

Control Your Habits " I dont want to offend anyone here, but its very easy to have expensive habits that can reduce the pool of money you have when you need it. It could be $4-$5 cups of coffee, cigarettes, or other substances. Aside from the potential long term impact some habits can have on your health, they can also take money away from your investing activities. Take control of the kinds of things you spend your money on. Youll be surprised by how much extra cash you can come up with after just 30 days!

Control Your Debt " In many ways this goes hand in hand with controlling your spending because for many investors (especially brand new ones with unrealistic expectations) their first inclination is to whip out a credit card for routine purchases.

By keeping your balances low you free up additional funds for additional property purchases. Not only can credit cards charge hefty interest rates, they make it very easy to spend more than you otherwise might. Fast food restaurants dont take plastic because theyre dedicated to superior customer service. They want to make it as easy as possible to Super Size " your waist line and their bottom line.

Control Your Spending " By taking control of your spending you can have a much bigger say in the types of deals you have available to you. This process starts with having " and sticking to " a realistic and attainable budget. Im not suggesting you should sell your TV and hit your kids up for gas money in exchange for taking them to t-ball practice.

What I am saying, however, is that if youre clear about exactly where your money goes youll have more control over reducing unnecessary, frivolous expenses. Think before you say, Charge it! If you dont really need another John Tesh video " dont buy it! Sooner or later Blockbuster will have it for 49 cents.

These are just a few things you can do to financially empower yourself. Put these into practice today, perfect them " and make them your own! The secret to financial empowerment is really no secret at all. The secret lies in actually applying them in your life today and make tomorrow lucrative. Start now and live the life youve been dreaming about! - 23167

About the Author:

If you need help to raise you to the top of the real estate empire, then Charissa Crawley has everything you need. Find more information regarding her Real Estate Power Investor guide right here.

Practical Forex Made Easy Tips

By Chan Boldene

Forex Made Easy is not always easy. Before we delve into figuring out this whole Forex business (and it is a business), I thought I'd share some simple yet important Forex Made Easy tips. I will be going back to this periodically because they're important not just because you're learning to trade 4x but because they are good sound principles to live by.

If you've been around at all, you've heard or read how the boat load of money you can make from FX Trading (or Forex Trading), so what are the rules and strategies and tips you can use to make money from 4X Trading? Below are the seven tidbits of wisdom for trading Forex that the team of Forex Made Easy concocted to help make you lots of USD, Euro, and Swiss Francs in this crazy and rewarding field.

Tip #1: Don't get greedy.

This is surprisingly simple. When you're riding on a longish winning streak, it's easy to think that you won't be able to lose, but that's a dangerous kind of thinking. Trading is easy, but you can quickly lose your pants, shirt, shoes, socks, and your growing bank account. Greed can consume your entire being and deplete your trading account faster than you can say "Where'd it all go?" Greed can hurt you rapidly.

Tidbit #2: Learn All You Can.

You don't have to be a market genius to make money in Forex. The Forex Made Easy blog is here to help you with that. Anyone can learn how to trade and anyone can make money. You don't need to spend long getting educated either, but having experience trading will be invaluable to you. Make sure you have a trading rules and a trading plan.

Forex Made Easy Tip #3: The Best Proven Systems are Simple

This Forex Made Easy tip is perhaps the most difficult to conquer because we like gadgets and systems and indicators and tools. Use the KISS method: Keep it Simple Stupid. The phrase is completely overused but it fits. Keep it simple, use a few indicators, and support and resistance. Don't get complicated. Simple trading "systems" are far more robust than complicated ones.

Tip #4: Make sure you have Risk and Money Management Rules

This Forex Made Easy tip is probably the least glamorous. Success is built on money and risk management. You need to learn about fluctuations and standard price deviation and if you have no idea what it is, there are plenty of resources online to educate yourself.

Tidbit #5: Discipline - Set Up a Basic Set of Rules and Stick to It.

No matter how good you think you are, you will pile up losses over time. You need disciple. So, let me repeat that, you will lose occasionally and you will have losses. But you need to have discipline to ride out the losses and return to the trading table. Know the rules you've created for your trading style. Test them, then trade them. Stick to them. Leave nothing to your emotions. Write your rules down and follow them. I can't emphasize this enough, because if you don't follow what you created when there was no pressure on you at all, then you probably will lose money. It all depends on how far you deviate from your rules.

Tip #6: Have Fun

Trading Forex can be challenging and rewarding. It can also be exciting as you "win" more and more. Don't take your gains OR your losses so seriously. Don't spend your entire day in front of the computer screen. Go outside. Relax. Spend some quality time with your family. Watch a sunrise. Go treat your kids to an amusement park. Go on a second or third or eleven honeymoon with your spouse. The markets will always be there tomorrow.

Tip #7: Paper Trade Until You "Make Money"

Practice Practice Practice. You won't hear that enough. There are software applications on the market (and some that we can recommend) to help you so that you won't lose money quickly. You can test strategies, theories, and win a million dollars - all with no money changing hands! You need to "paper trade." It's actually a no-brainer but something you will overlook if you think you are smarter than the markets. If you cannot make money when there's it's just on your computer screen, what makes you think you can make money when you're risking your hard-earned money?

We at believe that anyone can make money trading the Forex markets. The effort you need to put in will be well rewarded. So don't forget this rule: simplicity is best. Simple, steady, and well-executed strategies will make you a lot of money from trading the currency markets. That's the Forex Made Easy way. - 23167

About the Author:

Mr. Mr. Boldene is a freelance technical writer and has penned numerous articles on the currency markets. Join him at currency Tips for a few key pointers. Visit also currency Rumors.