Friday, 30 May 2014

Mutual Fund Returns May Not Be As They Seem!

Arthur Levitt, during his tenure at the SEC, experienced many cases where the non-indexed mutual fund manager bought shares for their own account before the fund bought the shares. Purchases of the fund drove the price of stocks and the fund manager's made a killing on the deal. This is called "front running," and is illegal under securities law.

Mr. Levitt also witnessed cases where the funds would buy large blocks run in the share price at the end of the financial period. This made the fund as if it had a high profit when it did not. This makes the performance of the fund look better than it really is.

The SEC brought enforcement cases against some of the largest and most respected companies in Mr. Levitt's tenure as SEC chairman. A mutual fund is managed by Van Kampen Investment instance, Corp. claimed in public that advertising 62 percent in 1996 had returned. This causes information to be reported as the best performance in its class, a full 20% ahead of the second-best performing fund in the category. Fund rating service Lipper Inc. to fund

But investors were not told that the excellent performance of the Van Kampen fund were small assets of $ 200,000.00 to $ 380,000.00. This is because it really was a so-called incubator fund active in seed capital to its portfolio manager has a track record for marketing determine. Nor were told that more than half of the income came from investments in thirty hot IPO investors. An IPO is an "Initial Public Offering" which occurs when a company offers first stock on a public exchange. As the stock is new nobody knows how it will perform except insiders.

The fund had only to buy between 100 and 400 shares of IPO to achieve. An enormous strengthening of returns The 62% increased yield unrealistic expectations of investors and was unsustainable. If senior managers of Van Kampen decided to sell to the public fund some 15,000 people invested $ 100,000,000.00 within six weeks. Van Kampen SEC settled charges that it had misled investors. What a bunch of crooks. The fund is like a modern day remake of the movie "The Sting" where Paul Newman's character is replaced by the fund manager!

A fund managed by Dreyfus Corp., owned by Mellon Financial Corp., paid nearly $ 3 million to settle, without admitting or denying guilt, similar charges of fraudulently lure investors with unsustainable returns. Her manager claimed efficiency of over 80%, but not to tell that the fund had received. Disproportionate number of IPO shares that should be allocated to other investors Dreyfus funds

The fund industry less on image creation and more should work to ensure that every effort to protect money and boost efficiency investor has done. On The mutual fund industry has become a financial powerhouse of the last twenty years and only care about how much money it can suck out of the public just as it was in the beginning of the last century, when they were called investments. Funds are glitzy marketing activities rather than stewards of other people's money. Put your trust in them, unless they are fully indexed as the Vanguard 500 (VFINX).

Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., aka? The Wallet Doctor?, Is a successful futures trader, real estate investor, and stock investor. Dr. Brown has a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina. His 1998 articles in technical analysis of stocks and commodities were prophetic in predicting an impending stock market crash. He has helped many people profitable investors learn to look out over many years to spot stocks that are low and ready to rise in the new bull market by them. His second article welcomed by Dr. Bob Shiller of Yale University. Dr. Shiller is the economist that Alan Greenspan most concerned that the term? Irrational exuberance.? In 1998, he called out to the world? Get out? of the fair, but now he is shouting to everyone that it's time? get? The Wallet Doctor is not only sought after for investment advice and coaching to invest in stock but also in futures trading and real estate investing. Visit Dr. Brown? S site or sign up for his investment tips

Thursday, 15 May 2014

The Truth About Real Estate Investing - Is It Right For You?

You've probably been hearing, seeing and reading that real estate investing is the best thing since sliced ​​bread. There are many late night cable television infomercials spewing out sales pitches for courses that teach you how to buy no money or for next to nothing. Residential real estate Moreover polished pitch men on the ad emphasize that it is so easy that anyone can do. They show you smug that easy as they pencil on the back of a napkin how probably will make a fortune in real estate. Then it turns out that real estate investment course promoters "real" interviews of people who have reportedly made gobs of money with the course system.

While it is true that fortunes can be made in real estate, it is actually more likely that the guru owner of the real estate course you will be! The reason is that real estate investing is a lot harder than most people realize. When you buy, rent and sell real estate, unlike stocks that you are dealing with people directly and there is no organized exchange to keep things standardized. Remember that judges see it as their duty to the care of families, even if they are not paying tenants to protect it. His total deadbeats Another problem is that many foreign contractors who fix up jobs for real estate rehabbers are drifters with so many personal and financial problems as bad tenants. They damage homes and in the streets when they have a little money from the hapless real estate investor.

It also takes many years to learn to judge how good value in a city or neighborhood and get the required experience in real estate closings to the big gains you think you see a deal not leak initially. The main point of this edition of the "Wallet Doctor" is that real estate investing is a business. Like any other business it requires constant dedication and education. If you work full time it means losing your free time and your rental rehabs. If not sell a house or if the tenant does not pay, you must lose to cover the mortgage. Part of your salary You should enjoy your regular full-time job because you selected. If you prefer cookouts and trips to the beach about collecting rent and repair your residential property investment than the stock market is a better place for you.

Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., aka? The Wallet Doctor?, Is a successful futures trader, real estate investor, and stock investor. Dr. Brown has a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina. His 1998 articles in technical analysis of stocks and commodities were prophetic in predicting an impending stock market crash. He has helped many people profitable investors learn to look out over many years to spot stocks that are low and ready to rise in the new bull market by them. His second article welcomed by Dr. Bob Shiller of Yale University. Dr. Shiller is the economist that Alan Greenspan most concerned that the term? Irrational exuberance.? In 1998, he called out to the world? Get out? of the fair, but now he is shouting to everyone that it's time? get? The Wallet Doctor is not only sought after for investment advice and coaching to invest in stock but also in futures trading and real estate investing.

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Making Your Investment Dollars Work for You

Investments are scary for some people, especially those who have never invested before. We grow up hearing horror stories about how this person or that person lost everything they had on some bad investment some odd years ago and it builds in us a fear to invest so profound that it is sometimes easier to get to march a confirmed agoraphobia in the Macy's Day Parade than it is to find someone to put in stocks or mutual funds a few dollars.

Part of the problem is that people have the wrong idea about how investments should work. We are always looking for the big score, the fast road to riches, and the rapid investment return that will turn ten thousand dollars in ten million dollars overnight. What do you think? These investments do not exist.

"What about Microsoft?" Is the question that many will ask here. "How about eBay and Wal-Mart and Xerox and ..." you get the picture. Though it is there are some companies that have surprised where everyone by rapidly successes and their shareholders looked excited with eyes and dilated pupils if their portfolios did what colossal grows short while, these are the exception rather than investing. rule Investments should look to the long term money makers and safety providers, not a spin of the roulette wheel with a big payoff or a devastating loss.

If you invest casually the best thing you could do is to find a stable company or investment funds, in money, and forget about it. Those who watch the market reports constantly and suffering palpitations every time the company they have invested in drops a few points will either crazy or liquidate lose by selling shares of the company at a lower price than they paid for fear that money if they do not get out now, the bottom drop out, leaving them with worthless stock. Do not worry. Coca-Cola is not going belly up anytime soon.

Visit the Global Investment Institute and signup for our free Investing For Beginners E-Course at

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Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Shareholders Meeting Changing With Times

A significant number of companies that bills in the past year are ready to keep. Their annual shareholder meetings 

In the meetings of this year, more than 300 companies plan as their primary concern defense measures against hostile takeover bids.

Interestingly, more companies introduced systems to allow shareholders to vote via the Internet and mobile phones cater, the new way and will hold shareholder meetings on different dates from other companies.

This year has also seen companies more desperate to secure long-term shareholders by placing more importance on the interests of shareholders.
According to a Forbes magazine survey, among the more than 130 companies considering defensive measures against takeovers, the ten so-called poison pill defense of issuing warrants to introduce such actions go. At

Also, 90 of those companies plan to revisions of their corporate charters proposals to extend the meetings this year. Possible issuance of authorized stocks

A new corporate law that is set next year to establish the rules for so-called triangular mergers taking to liberalize. Foreign companies buying different companies using their own shares

For each of the enterprises, the introduction of defensive measures against hostile takeover bids is an urgent task. But unfortunately, some of the measures are not necessarily shareholders.

Attention is focused on how shareholders on both sides - who seek acquisitions and individual shareholders in target companies - defense measures in the proposed meetings will judge.

To shareholders a technological enterprise in this past spring in San Francisco, managers hoped to obtain. Shareholder approval for the business integration with another company

But big stick holder, James Harold Garrison, 61, Palo Alto, California called to oppose the plan, calling attention to the outcome of the meeting. Other shareholders

Another trend is the increasing number of companies using information technology for voting and other purposes.

Systems on the own voting via the Internet somewhere were liberalized in 2002, and according to the four major trust banks, the number of corporations offering online voting increased from 403 last year to 698 this year. The number of companies allow voting by mobile phone has increased from 59 last year to 354. Many companies are also planning to establish live Internet broadcasts of their shareholder meetings.

Eric Newman is an author for Teanobi.com. All articles can be used and reprinted as long as they are an active link at the bottom with the anchored text: Teanobi - Green Tea

Sunday, 30 March 2014

Reading "Between The Lines" In Annual Proxy Statements

Upper Saddle River, NJ - May 11, 2005 - Now that a large number of the proxy statements for public companies with fiscal years ending issued, those of us who investigate them for a lifetime, as well as those that have invested in on December 31, 2004 companies, have a chance to analyze. their remuneration packages in detail With all the attention on corporate governance and how to improve the level of transparency and to ensure that there is a strong relationship between pay and performance, these explanations for interesting reading.

Many comb through these filings with the intent of learning as the fee is reflective of recent trends toward "pay-for-performance". In reality, accurately reflect the offsetting financial performance of the company? And does it make sense? We are also interested in learning how companies respond to the recent and expected changes in tax, accounting rules, and related legislation and the extent to which these changes affect executive compensation design.

With this in mind, we have read in several recent cases, which when analyzed, still leaves some doubt whether the companies are as open and straightforward as we all hoped. Unfortunately, there is still a tendency for companies to use. Ambiguous, unclear language In some cases, the link to the performance is still questionable. The key is to read what has been presented in great care taking into account what has been said and in some cases, which is not being said. Some examples of recent proxy issued by a large company can demonstrate why it is important to read and interpret carefully:

"Our policy is to the tax deductibility of compensation payments to (Top Management) under Article 162 (m) of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder (Section 162 (m)) to maximize. Our shareholders have approved our incentive plans designed and managed to qualify compensation awarded thereunder as "performance-based." However, we must allow payments to (Top Management) that may not be fully deductible if we believe that such payments are in the interests of our shareholders. "

This means that the programs are consistent with the Internal Revenue Code § 162 (m), however, and it is a big BUT, they can not qualify for exemption under the one million dollar cap, and therefore would not tax deductible. We think it is a lot to see how it is in the interest of the shareholder, as a non-deductible expenses reduces the profitability of the company.

"(Top Management) wage is compared with (Key Sales Management) pay to ensure appropriate internal ratios are achieved."

While the internal equity and hierarchical relationships are important in the situation of this company, Key Sales Management consists of some very highly compensated sales types that can actually push up the Top Management wage, if the company tries to maintain internally. Equity The reality is that top sellers / manufacturers can make large quantities, but it is based on their individual performance achievement, and so it may be more than the amount that would be paid to corporate officers are. Trying to maintain an artificial differential can not be justified, even in the best interest of the shareholders.

"(The CEO) participates in a number of defined benefit plans, including some unfunded executive plans .... The amount .... is .... not less social security or other compensatory payments."

Most large companies have some form of additional Executive Retirement Program (SERP), non-qualified pension benefits offered by the government regulations over and above those allowed. The standard in the design of these plans, which are typically very generous and have a time instead of performance commitment is that other company-sponsored retirement programs, 401 (k) matches, and Social Security benefits would be provided compensation. Although in the scheme of things, the lack of compensation for these additional benefits can be a big expense, it is still a hidden benefit that should be quantified and disclosed.

"As described above, unlike compensation in prior fiscal years, we did not ascribe a value to compensate for the accrual period features (the CEO) restricted stock units based on a discount of 25% of the market value of the ordinary shares and the transfer restrictions on the restricted stock units. "

At first reading, this seems to make sense, but after several readings, we're still not sure what this means, the restricted shares discounted or not? This is an example of ambiguous and confusing language that companies should work to avoid.

The bottom line is that while many companies are becoming more and more open to respond to regulatory and shareholder requirements in their public disclosures, more work is needed to have full transparency. In the meantime, let the reader be wary.

Compensation Resources, Inc. provides compensation and human resources consulting to medium and Fortune 500 clients such as public, private, family-owned and emerging companies. CRI specializes in Executive Compensation, Payroll, Performance Management, Sales Compensation, and expert witness services. Our reference library has over 4800 surveys.

Saturday, 15 March 2014

Bad News - Why The Financial News Media Can Cost You Money!

The communication innovations we now have around us, such as the internet, financial newspapers, and special interest channels focused on investing like CNBC are a high speed pipeline of nonsensical chatter. All these sources of information mean that there is no shortage of media people trying to answer our questions about the stock market and specific stocks. You have to remember that the news media are constantly competing to survive against other things you can look. If they do not always sound like they know exactly what is going on then you will not watch their presentations. If you do not tune in their actions than their ratings go down. If their ratings go down they fired and her show is canceled.

This means that financial journalists are in the business of finding great stories and sounding like authorities no matter what. The fair is to dig up news 'scoops' to feed to the public. A great place for them They do not really check their facts very well and sometimes not at all. This means that if some insider wants to feed you a line of bull manure then all they have to do is to maintain good relationships with financial journalists, sponsors see an investment, or outright an investing TV channel like Jack Welch, the CEO of GE, buy did when he set up CNBC. What a great way for executives within the flow of news information to the public then the control to actually own one of the only financial news channels ... but not so great for you!

These journalists also kick up the fire to bring in 'experts' to talk about each side of some topic that real experts would not consider. Important by This just makes it all the more confusing for the public to understand what is important when buying or selling a stock. Shows on CNBC like 'Closing Bell', 'Kudlow & Company', and 'Mad Money' do nothing but confuse and mislead the attention of most individual investors in the audience. Worse, this means that the financial news media allows overpriced stocks recommended by analysts in the inside web that inside executives dumping on the public because they are trying to get out. This actually happened at the top of the bull market in 1999. For a great historical description of what happened read Maggie Mahar's book entitled "Bull. "

The famous Yale University economist, Professor Bob Shiller, Ph.D. is particularly hard on the media in his book "Irrational Exuberance." Dr. Shiller is one of the economists that Alan Greenspan respects most and where he coined the term "irrational exuberance. "He portrays the media as sound-bite-driven where superficial opinions are preferred over in-depth analyzes. I whole heartedly with him and contend that it happens, just because the industry would prefer the small investor confused and emotionally pliable to you to buy and sell when they want with total disregard for your interests!

People who had invested their savings in the stock market were ripped off in the stock market because the financial news media and analysts were hyping what a great buy stocks were at the top of the market in 1999 and 2000. At the same time inside corporate executives were selling everything they had. What is amazing is that our federal government in the form of the Security Exchange Commission never did a thing about it. There was never a blanket case taken or an outcry that almost all of the inside executives had crashed six months for the market to magically sold out of the market.

Here is the valuable tip I can consider in this edition of 'The Wallet Doctor ": if you are a beginner investor it is important that you NOT THE FINANCIAL NEWS NOT watch or read FINANCIAL NEWSPAPERS! Do not let the stock market industry lead you around by the nose like cattle to the slaughterhouse. Do not listen to what they want you to listen to. You should focus on learning what is important in the stock market and the mass media will only confuse yourself until you have trained. Also, remember that I will show you how to focus on what is important for stocks that are priced low, but probably identify lower, because the insiders are buying them and I'll show you when to sell when the same insiders probably dumping the same stocks on the public in my course "The Blue Collar Base Bonanza - What the insiders [certainly] not want you to know!" You can get more information about the course course website get
Recommended reading:

1. Mahar, M. Bull! A History of the Boom, 1929-1999 (New York, Harper Business, 2003)

2. Shiller, R., Irrational Exhuberance, (New York, Broadway Books, 2000)

I wish you great abundance in your life that you deserve through what you are and remember that happiness is found only in the precious present moment!

Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., the Wallet Doctor, is a successful futures trader, real estate investor, and stock investor. Dr. Brown has a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina and a Master in International Management from the prestigious American Graduate School of International Business aka Thunderbird. His 1998 articles in technical analysis of stocks and commodities were prophetic in predicting an impending stock market crash. He has helped many people profitable investors by looking out over many years to spot stocks that are low and ready to rise in the new bull market. In 1998 he was shouting to the world? Get out? of the fair, but now he is shouting to everyone that it's time? get? The Wallet Doctor is not only sought after for investment advice and coaching to invest in stock but also in futures trading and real estate investing. For more information visit Dr. Brown? S site  or sign up for his investment tips

Friday, 28 February 2014

Gold and Silver Maple Leafs Get New Packaging

Gold Maple Leafs and Silver Maple Leafs receiving packaging makeovers, changes clearly mandated by investor disfavor with packaging that the Royal Canadian Mint has used since the coins were introduced. Gold Maple Leafs debuted in 1979, Silver Maple Leafs in 1988. The changes seem good movement, whose sales of Silver Maple Leafs should increase and help to Gold Maple Leafs the preferred pure (.9999 fine) gold bullion coins.

Since its inception, 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs are packaged ten to a tube. Because Maple Leafs are 24-karat, pure gold, they are 'soft', compared to alloy gold coins like the American Gold Eagles and Krugerrands. Furthermore, because the design of the coins and the tight pipes, it is difficult to remove, inspect, and place 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs in their tubes without scratching the coins.

Actually, reinserting Gold Maple Leafs without at least some scratching is almost impossible. Further, if the persons inspecting the coins do not know how easy the Gold Maple Leafs are damaged, unnecessary damage often occurs while the coins of their tubes.

Gold Maple Leafs bear the image of Queen Elizabeth II on the front, with a flat, clear field next to the picture. The backs are the outline of a maple leaf, so took the coins. The problem stems from really sharp milled (fine grain) edges of the coins. When the coins are returned to their tubes, the milled edges often scratch the fields.

Then there is the problem with investors who like to "raise" their currencies there "to get. Sense of them" If they are four or five Gold Maple Leafs in the palms of their hands and "clang" them, the damage can be very serious. Should a Gold Maple Leaf be dropped, rim damage is almost guaranteed.

If Gold Maple Leafs are sold in the secondary market, have such a problem that damaged coins have become lost with investors. Gold Maple Leafs popularity The problem is so widespread that many wholesalers bid only "melt" for Gold Maple Leafs, regardless of their condition become. By paying only "melt", wholesalers can profitably sell the coins for industrial or jewelry purposes if no buyers are found for the coins.

Gold Maple Leafs, as the Golden Eagles and Krugerrands are gold coins, which trade on the value of their gold content, plus small premiums. Damaged Gold Maple Leafs do not mean a loss of gold, they contain an ounce of gold, regardless of scratches or nicks rim. However, buyers like can not receive. Damaged coins This means that the Gold Maple Leafs sold in the secondary market should be monitored for the degree of damage.

Some wholesalers refuse to take the time to individually inspect Gold Maple Leafs and separate them according to their condition them. These are the wholesalers who usually pays only "melt" for the 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs, regardless of condition. Fortunately, the free market is what it is, there are still some wholesalers who will buy based on condition.

Nevertheless, the handwriting is on the wall: 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs will continue in popularity to lose and probably will join in tubes Krugerrands, Mexican 50 Pesos, and Austrian 100 Coronas as basic gold coins, which carry the smallest premiums in the bullion coin market. However, the packaging makeover selling new Gold Maple Leafs Fillip.

With the new packaging, will each 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf are encased in plastic and hung in the middle of a plastic card, somewhat packed. As 1-oz gold bars However, the plastic protection of the Gold Maple Leafs are heavier and more durable than the plastic used with 1-oz gold bars. The new packaging is to keep from being easily damaged. Coins

With the new packaging, the Royal Canadian Mint made another big change: 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs is now 25 a box, while the old packaging is ten to a tube. This change may further increase sales 20 coins are often ordering units for gold bullion coins, because the world's most popular gold bullion coins - American Gold Eagles - come 20 to a tube. As a result of the change, investors who "complete original packaging" up to 25 grams.

However, orders for small quantities mean the coins will have to be removed from their coin boxes - but still individually encapsulated - and in other containers. The new packaging will also have more storage space for Gold Maple Leafs than for one-ounce gold coins that come in tubes needed.

Although 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs will cumbersome to handle a bit more of a large part of the gold coin gold market prefer pure gold coins. Gold Maple Leafs are the most popular 1-oz pure long time (or .9999 fine 24-karat) gold bullion coins on the market, and the new packaging should keep as the preferred 24-karat gold bullion coins Gold Maple Leafs . (The market for pure gold bullion coins is estimated at $ 2.4 billion per year.) The new packaging is expected to debut sometime in August.

New packaging for 1-oz Silver Maple Leafs is already entered. However, Silver Maple Leafs in their old packaging are still available. Because Silver Maple Leafs were introduced in 1988, they are packaged twenty coins to a sheet, 200 coins in a box. Each coin was individually enclosed in plastic. The new packaging will be similar to the U.S. Mint's Silver Eagles packaging.

Silver Maple Leafs is now 20 with a tube, 25 tubes in a container, and 500 coins to a "mint box." The new box is made of durable heavy plastic, while 200 are cardboard boxes. The new packaging should make Silver Maple Leafs more competitive with American Silver Eagles, currently sold the most popular 1-oz modern silver bullion coins.

Bill Haynes heads CMI Gold & Silver Inc., one of America's oldest precious metals dealers. See CMIGS 'website at