Despite the availability of professional tax preparation services, an estimated 40% of Americans do their own taxes. The typical do-it-yourself filer needs about 24 hours to complete the task, according to the IRS.
Commercially available software undoubtedly makes the job a lot easier, but no brand is guaranteed to be infallible. Thus, it's important for do-it-yourself filers to keep up as best they can with relevant changes to the tax code as a safeguard against errors in their tax prep software. Here are four of the most important changes to know about as you prepare your 2010 return.
1. Smaller Deductions for Business and Medical Mileage
You can't write off the cost of a daily commute by car, but you can deduct other work-related mileage you're not reimbursed for. This year, for example, you'd get 50 cents a mile for driving from, say, Boston to New York City and back for a trade show. That's five cents less per mile than you'd have gotten for the same trip in 2009.
At 16.5 cents a mile, the deduction for operating your car for medical reasons is 7.5 cents less than last year. However, driving for charitable purposes is still deductible at 14 cents per mile, just like last year.
2. Better Limits on Deductions for Property Damage or Loss Due to Theft
For damaged or stolen property to be deductible, the loss amount must now only exceed $100, compared with $500 in 2009. The "10% of AGI" rule still generally applies though.
Remember, AGI is the sum of all your income - such as wages, interest and alimony received - minus certain adjustments, such as IRA contributions, student loan interest you've paid and moving expenses.
3. Deduction for Taxes and Fees on New Motor Vehicle Purchases
Did you buy a new car, light truck, motor home or motorcycle between February 17 and December 31 of 2009? If so, in 2010 you can deduct state, local, and excise taxes related to the purchase. If your state has no sales tax, you can instead deduct other taxes or fees the purchase generated. A neat feature of this deduction is you can use it to increase your standard deduction or take it as a regular itemized deduction, whichever works out best for you.
There are a couple limitations to know about. First, the deduction is only good on up to $49,500 of the purchase price. Second, it's phased out at certain levels of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) - between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers and from $125,000 to $135,000 for other taxpayers. MAGI is your AGI plus certain deductions such as those for student loans, IRA contributions and higher education costs.
4. Bigger Deductions for Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance Premiums
IRS rules allow LTC insurance policy owners to deduct more of their premiums in 2010 than in 2009. For example, those ages 51 to 60 can claim up to $1,230 in LTC insurance premiums this year, compared with $1,190 last year - about a 3% increase. Similar increases have been approved for other age groups as well: 40 and under, 41-50, 61-70 and 71 or over. At $330, the deduction is smallest for the 40-and-under age group. It rises progressively to a maximum of $4,110 for those ages 71 or over.
Other Tax Law Changes
As you can probably imagine, the government has tinkered with the tax rules quite a bit more than this article describes. To see what other potentially beneficial changes have been made, check out a list called "Tax Changes for Individuals" at the IRS website. Who knows what other sorts of breaks you might unearth?
resource: http://finance.yahoo.com/taxes/article/111561/2010-tax-changes-you-need-to-know?mod=taxes-advice
_strategy
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Bond Investing 101: The 3 Most Deadly Misconceptions About Bonds
While bonds are generally safer than stocks, it's still vital to understand the mechanics of an investment in bonds. So before we go further, let's do a quick review of what bonds are and why they're important.
When ordinary people borrow money, they ask the bank for a loan, mortgage or line of credit (aka credit cards). However, when extremely large borrowers, like corporations, municipal governments or the U.S. Department of Treasury want to borrow money, they don't run down to the local bank to fill out a loan application. Instead, they borrow money from the worldwide investment community via bonds. And by doing so, they make available a great opportunity for individual investors.
Large entities typically choose to borrow via bonds because they often pay a lower interest rate versus the rate on a bank loan. So when you buy a bond, you are essentially replacing the bank and becoming the lender to the entity issuing the bonds.
Because bonds are less risky than stocks, they're suitable for investors with more conservative goals. But regardless of whether you're conservative or aggressive, bonds are extremely important for diversification and should be a part of any well-diversified portfolio.
Keeping the basic structure of bonds in mind, let's delve into the three most common misconceptions of the notice bond investor.
Deadly Misconception #1: Bonds Aren't Risky
Many investors mistakenly think bonds are like a certificate of deposit. But this is absolutely not true.
Though bonds are less risky than stocks, that doesn't mean they aren't risky at all. Investors need to account for several different kinds of risk when they evaluate bonds, the most important being default risk and interest rate risk.
Default risk accounts for the chance that a company or government will simply stop paying their debts, meaning the bondholder won't get all the interest and/or principal he's entitled to.
Interest rate risk accounts for the chance that interest rates will increase in the future, making your bonds less valuable. We'll cover that concept in detail a little later.
Every almost all bonds come with a rating, which is an indication of the "quality" of the issuer of that bond. After all, a bond is a promise to repay the investor both the interest and the principal at a stated future date. If the investor becomes insolvent, the investor loses out.
The highest-rated bonds -- AAA -- are issued by Uncle Sam, the largest issuer of bonds in the world. If the U.S. government itself goes belly-up, investors probably have bigger things to worry about than their bonds.
But why would an investor purchase a bond rated less than AAA? Because bonds with the highest ratings have the lowest yields, and bonds with the lower ratings have higher yields. Corporate bonds earn the pejorative term “junk” if their rating is very low, and they pay the highest rates of all.
Deadly Misconception #2: The Coupon Rate Is Equal to the Rate of Return
To analyze a bond as an investment, you need to know 5 things: its par value (face value), maturity date, coupon rate, yield and price.
The bond's par value is the principal amount that the lender (investor) is lending to the borrower (issuer). Corporate bonds are typically issued in $1,000 increments. If a corporation wants to borrow $1 billion, it will issue 1 million bonds with a par value of $1,000 each.
The maturity date is the date on which the bond stops paying interest, and it's also the day the borrower repays the lender the par value of the bond. The maturity date is also sometimes referred to as the redemption date.
The majority of bonds are issued with an extended maturity date, sometimes as long as 30 years. But it's important to understand that regardless of the bond's maturity date, the investor can buy or sell it at any time. In fact, very few bonds are held all the way from issuance to maturity.
The coupon rate is the bond's expressed rate of interest. It determines the interest payment the bondholder will receive (usually annually or semi-annually). This rate is typically fixed for the life of the bond, although variable rate bonds are available.
Not all bonds have coupons. A zero-coupon bond does not make periodic coupon payments. Instead, investors purchase them at a discount to face value, and realize a return when the bonds are redeemed at face value at maturity. U.S. Savings bonds and U.S. Treasury bills are notable zero-coupon bonds.
If the bond's price stays equal to its face value, then the coupon rate will be equal to the bond's yield. Often called yield to maturity (YTM), think of the yield as the bond's annual rate of return. Investors tend to be confused by the difference between the yield and the coupon, so let's walk through an example.
Assume you purchase a 30 year bond for $1,000. The coupon rate is 6%. If you hold the bond for the full 30 years, you'll get $60 in interest payments each year (based on the coupon rate) and you'll get back your $1,000 in principal at the end of year 30. When you do the math, you'll see the bond yield is 6%, exactly the same as the coupon rate.
But if you buy a bond at a discount or a premium, the yield will be different from the coupon rate. If you purchase the same 30 year bond for $960 instead of $1,000, the yield jumps to 6.3%. It makes sense when you think about it -- you're getting the same annual payments for less money, so your return on investment is higher.
If you choose to sell your bond after five years instead of waiting the full 30 years, the issuer of the bond doesn't buy it back. Instead, you must find another investor willing to purchase the bond from you. Which brings us to…
Deadly Misconception #3: The Price of a Bond is Equal to Its Face Value
Now comes the tricky part. We're going to revisit the concept of interest rate risk that we introduced earlier.
Let's go back to the 30 year bond we bought in the first example. We've decided to sell it after five years, and we want to know what price we can sell it for. During the five years we held the bond, interest rates increased and new bonds pay coupon rates of 9% instead of the 6% coupon rate on our bond. We can still sell our bond, but the buyer will insist that he or she get the market rate of 9%.
Since you can't change the coupon rate on your bond, the only option is to sell it at a discount. In this example, for the buyer to get a 9% return on a 6% bond with 25 years left to maturity, he would pay you $705.32. That's a pretty substantial haircut from the $1,000 you paid.
Note that the price of the bond ($705.32) is very different from its par value ($1,000). The price fluctuates so that the yield on the bond always matches the going interest rates on bonds that are issued today.
As you can see, the value of bonds decreases when interest rates rise. Likewise, the value of bonds increases when interest rates fall. Today, with interest rates at or near historic lows, bond prices are at or near their all-time highs. For bond prices to increase, interest rates would have to drop even lower than they already have.
resource: http://www.investinganswers.com/education/bond-investing-101-3-most-deadly-misconceptions-about-bonds
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Saturday, August 7, 2010
5 Ways to Save Cash Each Day
Taking into consideration the way the economy, a person can certainly save a few dollars by being frugal. These simple and easy to apply techniques will enable one to be able to save quite a bit at the end of each month.
When you start using these simple techniques and cost saving measures, you will notice a world of difference, in your monthly budget. Notice the number of trips that you make to the mall every month. This can work out to be quite a dent in your budget. The reason being malls are expensively priced when compared to other options such as online. The reason for this is that malls have a whole lot of overheads that they need to address such as employee salary and all of that. This makes them more expensive than online shopping.
There are plenty of discount offers around and that is what you should check. If you are lucky you will be able to find offers that are as less as 20 to 50% of the overall cost. This will fetch you a huge amount of saving.
The next best option is to go ahead and buy replicas for you. There are several different wonderful shoes in replica shoes collection which are priced affordable. Compare the prices of the replica shoes with the originals and you will notice the difference in cost. Also, what you get is the very same design and style.
Try out home options. You don't always need to join an expensive gym to lose weight. You can try to go for walks or you might want to learn exercises from the internet or television and try them out yourself. Same is the case with a salon. You can wash and blow-dry your hair at home. You can ask friends who are good at styling or hair coloring to try that out on you. However, opt for this with enough caution. If you are good at something you can try and sell that to your friends. For instance make your own jewelry using beads and baubles.
Check the utility bills that strike your doorstep regularly. Are you ending up paying for services that you hardly ever use? Well, opt out of these services that you might have signed into when you bought the mobile phone or the services. This will bring back a whole lot of money into your pocket again. Check the appliances that you use and if they are switched off. This will go a long way in helping you cut down on costs.
When you start using these simple techniques and cost saving measures, you will notice a world of difference, in your monthly budget. Notice the number of trips that you make to the mall every month. This can work out to be quite a dent in your budget. The reason being malls are expensively priced when compared to other options such as online. The reason for this is that malls have a whole lot of overheads that they need to address such as employee salary and all of that. This makes them more expensive than online shopping.
The next best option is to go ahead and buy replicas for you. There are several different wonderful shoes in replica shoes collection which are priced affordable. Compare the prices of the replica shoes with the originals and you will notice the difference in cost. Also, what you get is the very same design and style.
Try out home options. You don't always need to join an expensive gym to lose weight. You can try to go for walks or you might want to learn exercises from the internet or television and try them out yourself. Same is the case with a salon. You can wash and blow-dry your hair at home. You can ask friends who are good at styling or hair coloring to try that out on you. However, opt for this with enough caution. If you are good at something you can try and sell that to your friends. For instance make your own jewelry using beads and baubles.
Check the utility bills that strike your doorstep regularly. Are you ending up paying for services that you hardly ever use? Well, opt out of these services that you might have signed into when you bought the mobile phone or the services. This will bring back a whole lot of money into your pocket again. Check the appliances that you use and if they are switched off. This will go a long way in helping you cut down on costs.
About the Author:
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21 Things You Should Never Buy New
resource: Yahoo! FinanceIf you're looking to get the most value for your dollar, it would do your wallet good to check out secondhand options. Many used goods still have plenty of life left in them even years after the original purchase, and they're usually resold at a fraction of the retail price, to boot. Here's a list of 21 things that make for a better deal when you buy them used.
1. DVDs and CDs: Used DVDs and CDs will play like new if they were well taken care of. Even if you wind up with a scratched disc and you don't want to bother with a return, there are ways to remove the scratches and make the DVD or CD playable again.
2. Books: You can buy used books at significant discounts from online sellers and brick-and-mortar used book stores. The condition of the books may vary, but they usually range from good to like-new. And of course, check out your local library for free reading material.
3. Video Games: Kids get tired of video games rather quickly. You can easily find used video games from online sellers at sites like Amazon and eBay a few months after the release date. Most video game store outlets will feature a used game shelf, as well. And if you're not the patient type, you can rent or borrow from a friend first to see if it's worth the purchase.
4. Special Occasion and Holiday Clothing: Sometimes you'll need to buy formal clothing for special occasions, such as weddings or prom. Most people will take good care of formal clothing but will only wear it once or twice. Their closet castouts are your savings: Thrift stores, yard sales, online sellers and even some dress shops offer fantastic buys on used formalwear.
5. Jewelry: Depreciation hits hard when you try to sell used jewelry, but as a buyer you can take advantage of the markdown to save a bundle. This is especially true for diamonds, which has ridiculously low resale value. Check out estate sales and reputable pawn shops to find great deals on unique pieces. Even if you decide to resell the jewelry later, the depreciation won't hurt as much.
6. Ikea Furniture: Why bother assembling your own when you can pick it up for free (or nearly free) on Craigslist and Freecycle? Summer is the best time to hunt for Ikea furniture--that's when college students are changing apartments and tossing out their goodies.
7. Games and Toys: How long do games and toys remain your child's favorite before they're left forgotten under the bed or in the closet? You can find used children's toys in great condition at moving sales or on Craigslist, or you can ask your neighbors, friends, and family to trade used toys. Just make sure to give them a good wash before letting junior play.
8. Maternity and Baby Clothes: Compared to everyday outfits that you can wear any time, maternity clothes don't get much wear outside the few months of pregnancy when they fit. The same goes for baby clothes that are quickly outgrown. You'll save a small fortune by purchasing gently used maternity clothes and baby clothes at garage sales and thrift stores. Like children's games and toys, friends and family may have baby or maternity clothing that they'll be happy to let you take off their hands.
9. Musical Instruments: Purchasing new musical instruments for a beginner musician is rarely a good idea. For your little dear who wants to learn to play an instrument, you should see how long his or her interest lasts by acquiring a rented or used instrument to practice with first. Unless you're a professional musician or your junior prodigy is seriously committed to music, a brand new instrument may not be the best investment.
10. Pets: If you buy a puppy (or kitty) from a professional breeder or a pet store outlet, it can set you back anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. On top of this, you'll need to anticipate additional fees and vet bills, too. Instead, adopt a pre-owned pet from your local animal shelter and get a new family member, fees, and vaccines at a substantially lower cost.
11. Home Accent: Pieces Home decorating pieces and artwork are rarely handled on a day-to-day basis, so they're generally still in good condition even after being resold multiple times. If you like the worn-out look of some decor pieces, you can be sure you didn't pay extra for something that comes naturally with time. And don't forget, for most of us, discovering a true gem at a garage sale is 90% of the fun!
12. Craft Supplies: If you're into crafting, you probably have a variety of different supplies left over from prior projects. If you require some additional supplies for your upcoming project, then you can join a craft swap where you'll find other crafty people to trade supplies with. If you have leftovers, be sure to donate them to your local schools.
13. Houses: You're typically able to get better and more features for your dollar when you purchase an older home rather than building new. Older houses were often constructed on bigger corner lots, and you also get architectural variety in your neighborhood if the houses were built or remodeled in different eras.
14. Office Furniture: Good office furniture is built to withstand heavy use and handling. Really solid pieces will last a lifetime, long after they're resold the first or second time. A great used desk or file cabinet will work as well as (or better than) a new one, but for a fraction of the cost. With the recession shutting down so many businesses, you can easily find lots of great office furniture deals.
15. Cars: You've probably heard this before: Cars depreciate the second you drive them off of the dealership's lot. In buying a used car, you save money on both the initial cost and the insurance. It also helps to know a trusty mechanic who can check it over first. This way, you'll be aware of any potential problems before you make the purchase.
16. Hand Tools: Simple tools with few moving parts, like hammers, hoes and wrenches, will keep for decades so long as they are well-made to begin with and are well-maintained. These are fairly easy to find at neighborhood yard or garage sales. If you don't need to use hand tools very often, an even better deal is to rent a set of tools or borrow them from a friend.
17. Sports Equipment: Most people buy sports equipment planning to use it until it drops, but this rarely happens. So when sports equipment ends up on the resale market, they tend to still be in excellent condition. Look into buying used sporting gear through Craigslist and at yard sales or sports equipment stores.
18. Consumer Electronics: I know most folks like shiny new toys, but refurbished electronic goods are a much sweeter deal. Consumer electronics are returned to the manufacturer for different reasons, but generally, they'll be inspected for damaged parts, fixed, tested, then resold at a lower price. Just make sure you get a good warranty along with your purchase.
19. Gardening Supplies: This is an easy way for you to save money, and all you need to do is be observant. Take a look outdoors and you'll likely find such gardening supplies as mulch, wood, and even stones for free or vastly reduced prices. Used garden equipment and tools are also common goods at yard sales.
20. Timeshares: Buying timeshares isn't for everyone, but if you decide that it suits your lifestyle, purchasing the property as a resale would be a better deal than buying it brand new: on average, you'll save 67 percent on the price for a comparable new timeshare. If you're new to timeshare ownership, give it a test run first by renting short term.
21. Recreational Items: It's fairly easy to find high ticket recreational items like campers, boats, and jet skis being resold. Oftentimes, they're barely used at all. As long as they're in safe, working condition, they'll make for a better value when purchased used than new.
Lynn Truong is the co-founder and Deals Editor of Wise Bread, a blog dedicated to helping readers live large on a small budget. Wise Bread's book, 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget, debuted as the #1 Money Management book on Amazon.com.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
How NOT to Lose Cash - Buy Renters Insurance
Apartment renters insurance was available through a few companies, so we got quotes from; Geico, Nationwide and State Farm. Nationwide was the cheapest, so we bought a policy and only paid for one month.
While we were staying there Debbie accidentally knocked over the television set that was in her bedroom. After reading the Renters insurance contract, we figured the liability section would cover the cost of a new set or repair without a deductible. The liability section stated that it would provide coverage for bodily injury or property damage which you or an insured under the policy are legally obligated to pay. We called the insurance company and made the claim.
One of the reasons we liked the apartment it had waterbeds, a nice change from your ordinary hotel bed. Unfortunately, a few days later, Sherry was using a knife to peel an apple and stuck the waterbed causing a slight leak. When we had taken out the Renters Insurance policy we asked the agent about an endorsement to cover waterbeds. Luckily the waterbed was repairable, so not only did we have a repair bill, we also had some minor water damage. The coverage was provided under; Optional Endorsements you may request for your policy.
Extension of Liability Coverage Endorsement-Waterbeds
The optional coverage pays for damage to property of others that results from sudden and accidental discharge of water from your waterbed. It does not pay for structural damage which results from a slow, gradual leak, the weight of the waterbed or damage to the waterbed itself.
I am sure glad we looked over the renters insurance contract before we purchased it. Other coverages that were included, but subject to a deductible were:
Personal Property Coverage
This policy will pay for the loss or damage to your property when caused by the perils listed below:
1. Fire and Lightning 2. Windstorm or Hail 3. Explosion 4. Riot or Civil Commotion 5. Aircraft 6. Vehicles 7. Smoke 8. Vandalism or Malicious Mischief 9. Burglary 10. Falling Objects. 11. Weight of ice, snow or sleet 12. Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from within a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic fire protective sprinkler or from within a household appliance. 13. Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging of a steam or hot water heating system, and air conditioning system, or an appliance for heating water. 14. Freezing of plumbing, heating, and air conditioning systems or automatic fire protective sprinkler system or of a household appliance. 15. Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current 16. Volcanic eruption
But always remember to add the Replacement cost endorsement to your renters policy:
The Personal Property Replacement Cost Endorsement:
The Declarations Page will state that under “Additional Coverages” your policy has Replacement Value coverage.
Without acquiring this endorsment your personal property will be subject to Actual Cash Value (ACV) for a covered loss. ACV means the cost to replace an item with another item of similar kind and quality less an allowance for depreciation.
Replacement Cost coverage allows for payment of the loss at full cost to repair or replace the damaged item. Replacement cost is only paid when you purchase the replacement item within 180 days after the loss.
Loss of Use;
If you cannot live in your home as a result of a covered loss and you must temporarily live elsewhere, this coverage pays, for a specified period, for reasonable and necessary extra living expenses you incur over what you would have normally spent to maintain your standard of living if no loss had occurred.
Your Renters Insurance policy will have exclusions, along with other optional endorsements. Please read or review your policy with your insurance agent. We were glad we did. I couldn’t imagine our boss getting the repair bills with our expense reports. Our Renters Insurance policy probably saved our jobs.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Four Stocks That Seem Ready to Rebound
April 5 (Bloomberg) -- NutriSystem Inc. went on a starvation diet in the first quarter, losing 42 percent. I think it has an excellent chance of bulking back up in the next year.
Every quarter, I pick a few stocks that have been knocked down and that I think can not only recover, but go on to notch significant gains. I call these picks the Casualty List.
Such stocks appeal to me because a big part of what I try to do as a money manager is to buy good companies on bad news. Along with NutriSystem, on my list this quarter are Goodrich Petroleum Corp.,
Piper Jaffray Cos. and Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp.
These were lonely sufferers, because most stocks rose in the first three months of the year. Among the more than 2,000 U.S. equities with a market value of $500 million or more, 58 percent gained, 41 percent fell, and 1 percent were unchanged.
Only 7 percent of stocks fell more than 10 percent. It was among this group that I searched for bargains.
NutriSystem, a weight-loss company with headquarters in Horsham, Pennsylvania, plummeted 43 percent in the three months ended March 31 as the company reported mediocre earnings for the fourth quarter and made a tepid first quarter forecast.
In the fourth quarter, NutriSystem earned 9 cents a share, its worst showing since the same period in 2008. It is spending more heavily on advertising, with diminishing results.
I think these troubles will pass. A huge percentage of Americans want to lose weight, and NutriSystem is one of the few major programs for doing so in a systematic way. As the economy improves, I believe more people will be willing to pay for the company’s weight-control counseling and diet foods.
Rich and Thin
NutriSystem’s balance sheet is admirably svelte. It has $32 million in cash and cash equivalents, another $30 million in short-term investments, and a total of $170 million in assets. Total liabilities are only $42 million and the company has no borrowings, short-term or long-term.
Houston-based Goodrich Petroleum, which explores for and produces oil and gas, fell 36 percent in the first quarter. It announced a loss of $190 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, its third consecutive quarterly loss and by far the largest of the three.
The vast majority of the loss came from an impairment charge of $185 million. When you really dig into the nature of that charge, the news isn’t all bad.
The charge stems from shutting down certain wells as it changes from vertical to horizontal drilling and focuses its efforts increasingly on the Haynesville Shale formation. The area is a huge and promising natural-gas field in northwest Louisiana, extending into parts of east Texas and Arkansas.
In February, Walter Goodrich, the company’s chief executive officer, said that the Haynesville Shale had gone in a single year from being a negligible part of the company’s business to being 47 percent of its reserves and 42 percent of its fourth- quarter production.
Piper’s Fall
Piper Jaffray, based in Minneapolis, is an institutional broker and investment bank that conducts stock and bond offerings for medium-size companies. Its stock declined 20 percent in the first quarter.
Piper stock fell on 12 of the last 14 trading days in March. I am puzzled by the weakness. Piper reported a profit of $30 million for 2009, compared with a $183 million loss in the poisonous year of 2008.
My best guess is that Piper fell as shareholders locked in profits after the stock advanced 96 percent in the final nine months of 2009. The stock is selling for about $40, while book value (corporate net worth) is about $50.
Coeur d’Alene Mines, a silver and gold miner located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, tumbled 17 percent. Part of its decline stemmed from a mild drop in precious-metal prices since November.
A strengthening dollar generally hurts gold and silver prices (at least when measured in dollars). The U.S. currency was strong because of fears that Greece might default on its debt, which if true might adversely impact the entire European Union.
Non-Raging Bull
I am not a raging bull on precious metals, but I think gold is a decent bet for the next few years, as large U.S. deficits lead more investors to seek out hard assets. Silver might outperform gold, if for no reason other than that it has lagged behind gold for several years.
I don’t like Coeur d’Alene’s recent earnings pattern. It lost a penny a share in 2008 and lost 45 cents a share in 2009. What’s more, it had a checkered earnings history for years.
Yet there are several things that attract me to Coeur d’Alene. It has very little debt -- less than 17 percent of stockholders’ equity. And its stock is selling for only 64 percent of book value.
I can’t promise that all -- or any -- of these stocks will advance in the next three to 12 months. But I think they have been excessively punished for relatively minor sins. A bounce- back seems highly likely to me.
Disclosure note: I own Piper Jaffray shares personally and for my clients who have higher risk tolerance. I currently have no positions, long or short, in the other stocks discussed in this week’s column.
Click on “Send Comment” in the sidebar display to send a letter to the editor.
To contact the writer of this column: John Dorfman at jdorfman@thunderstormcapital.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this column: James Greiff at jgreiff@bloomberg.net
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Use One of These Simple Ways to Make Extra Money Online
Are you searching for ways to make a side income? Well, there are new simple ways to make extra money online fast.
The worldwide web has opened up a new world of opportunities for many people. You may have heard of people making money online and becoming millionaires overnight. In such cases, much effort, time and energy were invested mainly for internet marketing.
However, for those of you who already have a regular job or simply want to make some extra cash, there are various opportunities without having to spend so much energy, time and effort. One of those ways is to fill out surveys. Many companies are willing to pay money or reward you with points for filling out surveys.
The points can be converted into cash money or discount vouchers once you reach a certain limit. Spend some time to check out the companies that offer paid surveys. Sign up with the companies of your choice. Create your membership profile to receive survey forms.
If you do not mind reading e-mails, there is a job for you as well. Companies are hiring others to read their general e-mails instead of wasting the time of their staff. Some of the companies receive too many e-mails, requiring them to hire others to read e-mails on their behalf.
If you prefer to carry out research, there is work for you as well. Some companies hire others to carry out some valuable research on their behalf as part of their improvement programs. Another good way for earning easy money is to fill out surveys.
Another very easy job is keying in the relevant data for companies. It is matter of spending one to two hours for adding some data into spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel. You do not need to be a computer or internet expert for any of the above jobs.
Just having some basic internet and computer skills would suffice. Unbelievably, some companies actually advertise jobs asking for people who can cut and paste onto spreadsheets. You just need to download certain information from the worldwide web and paste onto the spreadsheets like Ms Excel. To find out about research, data input or typing jobs, just check out the relevant online job sites.
The worldwide web has opened up a new world of opportunities for many people. You may have heard of people making money online and becoming millionaires overnight. In such cases, much effort, time and energy were invested mainly for internet marketing.
However, for those of you who already have a regular job or simply want to make some extra cash, there are various opportunities without having to spend so much energy, time and effort. One of those ways is to fill out surveys. Many companies are willing to pay money or reward you with points for filling out surveys.
The points can be converted into cash money or discount vouchers once you reach a certain limit. Spend some time to check out the companies that offer paid surveys. Sign up with the companies of your choice. Create your membership profile to receive survey forms.
If you do not mind reading e-mails, there is a job for you as well. Companies are hiring others to read their general e-mails instead of wasting the time of their staff. Some of the companies receive too many e-mails, requiring them to hire others to read e-mails on their behalf.
If you prefer to carry out research, there is work for you as well. Some companies hire others to carry out some valuable research on their behalf as part of their improvement programs. Another good way for earning easy money is to fill out surveys.
Another very easy job is keying in the relevant data for companies. It is matter of spending one to two hours for adding some data into spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel. You do not need to be a computer or internet expert for any of the above jobs.
Just having some basic internet and computer skills would suffice. Unbelievably, some companies actually advertise jobs asking for people who can cut and paste onto spreadsheets. You just need to download certain information from the worldwide web and paste onto the spreadsheets like Ms Excel. To find out about research, data input or typing jobs, just check out the relevant online job sites.
About the Author:
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Facebook Money Making Techniques
No offense to any home business owners out there, but many of those persons tend to be in the MLM business. The attrition rate in MLM right now is not awesome... most new beginers to MLM quit the company they joined within their first 90 days. Join home-based business groups, MLM groups, internet marketing groups, and so on, and add members to your friends list. This is not the time to promote your new friend a link to your website or tell them about your business program. Simply send a message such as "Hi Rod,I see you're a member of 'so and so' group. I'm looking to network with same-minded persons... I hope you accept me as a friend". If they agree to ask you about your business, then go ahead and discuss it... but let them come to you about it as opposed to the other way around.
Your Facebook profile should show who you are and what your program is (with a link or two to your websites). Posting in group topics with useful home-business information, or posting your blog feed to your page can portray to establish you as a reliable home-business owner with some experience knowledge to share... which may ebtice people to know more about what it is you do. Having the entire page dedicated to business can be a turn-off to probable visitors how ever, so personalize it with pictures and information about yourself and show vistors who you really are.
Using Facebook or other social platform will be more profitable for you if you're with a top-tier internet marketing program where any lead could generate a probable payments in the thousands of dollars. You're also limited to I think 4000 friends or so on Facebook, so leads are not endless. It's 100% free more ever, so whoever you're with, make a page and start prospecting.
If you know how to earn money with Facebook it is possible to do so with a few effort. Just think in a few days or weeks you could be earning money by using Facebook at the same time as you are keeping in contact with friends and family.
About the Author:
Go here for awesome tips on Honest ways to Make Money Onlineyou can also grab free Work at Hometips.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Webinar Strategy That Causes Customers To Buy
A webinar can be a great way to promote your product or service. There are four major types of webinars, and each can be effective, depending on the goals for your webinar. Each webinar strategy is detailed below.
The first webinar strategy is to hold a free webinar. The majority of this presentation should contain quality information although it is of course acceptable to include a sales piece near the end. This type of webinar should be full of good content and seek to educate your viewers. By sharing your knowledge, you can also feel free to show the participants how you or your product can help them.
The second webinar strategy should be used when selling a service for a slightly more complex topic. You will want to educate your viewers on the various parts of the process and what is required of them to do it. After this informational portion, you will explain how you are able to make this process easier for them. Now that they have a clear understanding of what the process entails, they will be excited to hire someone who can help them do it.
In the third webinar strategy, you give viewers a sample of what you have to offer by using a free webinar to sell classes. Think of your free webinar as a way for viewers to try out your product. By giving them a great experience, they will want more of what you have to offer. Allowing them this free trial is a powerful tool in convincing them that your paid webinars are even more valuable.
The fourth webinar strategy involves showing your webinar to several groups of people. Although the content of each webinar is the same, the audience for each viewing is different. This allows you to promote your goods or services multiple times.
Each webinar strategy has its own benefits, and you can even consider using all four of them at different times to promote your business. Taking the time to learn about each strategy will go a long way in strengthening your marketing plan.
The first webinar strategy is to hold a free webinar. The majority of this presentation should contain quality information although it is of course acceptable to include a sales piece near the end. This type of webinar should be full of good content and seek to educate your viewers. By sharing your knowledge, you can also feel free to show the participants how you or your product can help them.
The second webinar strategy should be used when selling a service for a slightly more complex topic. You will want to educate your viewers on the various parts of the process and what is required of them to do it. After this informational portion, you will explain how you are able to make this process easier for them. Now that they have a clear understanding of what the process entails, they will be excited to hire someone who can help them do it.
In the third webinar strategy, you give viewers a sample of what you have to offer by using a free webinar to sell classes. Think of your free webinar as a way for viewers to try out your product. By giving them a great experience, they will want more of what you have to offer. Allowing them this free trial is a powerful tool in convincing them that your paid webinars are even more valuable.
The fourth webinar strategy involves showing your webinar to several groups of people. Although the content of each webinar is the same, the audience for each viewing is different. This allows you to promote your goods or services multiple times.
Each webinar strategy has its own benefits, and you can even consider using all four of them at different times to promote your business. Taking the time to learn about each strategy will go a long way in strengthening your marketing plan.
About the Author:
Stephen Beck enjoys helping entrepreneurs learn how to succeed online through webinar strategy. Pick up Stephen's free online business information at http://www.WildlyWealthyWebinars.com so that you can begin today.
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