Determining Where You Will Invest

There are several different types of investments, and there are many factors in determining where you should invest your funds.

Of course, determining where you will invest begins with researching the various available types of investments, determining your risk tolerance, and determining your investment style – along with your financial goals.

If you were going to purchase a new car, you would do quite a bit of research before making a final decision and a purchase. You would never consider purchasing a car that you had not fully looked over and taken for a test drive. Investing works much the same way.

You will of course learn as much about the investment as possible, and you would want to see how past investors have done as well. It’s common sense!

Learning about the stock market and investments takes a lot of time… but it is time well spent. There are numerous books and websites on the topic, and you can even take college level courses on the topic – which is what stock brokers do. With access to the Internet, you can actually play the stock market – with fake money – to get a feel for how it works.

You can make pretend investments, and see how they do. Do a search with any search engine for ‘Stock Market Games’ or ‘Stock Market Simulations.’ This is a great way to start learning about investing in the stock market.

Other types of investments – outside of the stock market – do not have simulators. You must learn about those types of investments the hard way – by reading.

As a potential investor, you should read anything you can get your hands on about investing…but start with the beginning investment books and websites first. Otherwise, you will quickly find that you are lost.

Finally, speak with a financial planner. Tell them your goals, and ask them for their suggestions – this is what they do! A good financial planner can easily help you determine where to invest your funds, and help you set up a plan to reach all of your financial goals. Many will even teach you about investing along the way – make sure you pay attention to what they are telling you!

Rgds
Ard

What businesses are succeeding on the Net?

This week we will address the most basic question anyInternet business owner will have to answer at one point oranother…”what should I sell?”.
After the settling down of the dot-com bubble, sanity checkshave brought realistic expectations to the fore. Initially,a backlash was seen, forecasting the doom of the Internet.Finally, merits have made the Internet gain its rightfulplace. In breakthroughs that show the promise of e-commercewasn't all smoke and mirrors, four dot-coms recentlyreported their first quarterly profits. The list of theInternet’s publicly held moneymakers includes eBay Inc.,Amazon.com Inc., Yahoo! Inc., Overture Services Inc.,Expedia Inc., FindWhat.com Inc. and E-Trade Group Inc. Several privately owned dot-coms, including search enginesGoogle and DealTime, say they have been making money, too.
In 2001, the last full year where numbers are available, theDepartment of Commerce broke out e-commerce sales versustotal U.S retail sales which revealed the $3.16 trillionretail industry saw a total of $37.7 billion in sales takeplace online -- comprising 1.2 percent of the total. Thisyear e-commerce is tracking about the same. Through thethird quarter, the last full quarter where numbers areavailable, total retail sales were $856 billion versus $11billion in e-commerce, about a 1.3 percent share.
There were big gains made in Home and Garden, a 78 percentincrease; Furniture and Appliances, a 75 percent increase;and Toy shopping online with a 61 percent increase in theyear 2002. There is no doubt that online shopping isgrowing.
Nielsen//NetRatings found that more than 35.5 million U.S.Internet users made shopping trips to virtual departmentstore sites during the week ending November 3, 2002 - that'sa 20 percent increase from the week ending October 20 androughly 14 million more than almost the same time period in2001.
There is a growing tendency amongst Internet users to payfor valuable content online. There are many reasons forthis. First, only a few websites operated by big companiescan afford to provide valuable content without beingcompensated. The rest of us can't be so generous. And tryingto recapture our expenses by selling advertising on ourwebsites has failed to pay the bills. Online advertising andclick-through rates are on the decline.
Second, many people are now more than willing to pay toreceive quality services and products even if they wereoffered for free earlier. Several paid content websites havealready proven this unmistakable trend. The discerning buyervalues his/her time as also the quality of information orservice and is willing to pay for it.
However, not all products can be sold on the Internet. Someproducts may be better suited for online sales than others;others simply will not work on this new commercial medium.According to an Ernst and Young study, the most popularonline purchases are computer related products (40%), books(20%), travel (16%), clothing (10%), recorded music (6%),subscriptions (6%), gifts (5%) and investments (4%).
Businesses offering paid services have also prosperedenormously. The top three categories (BusinessContent/Investment, Entertainment/Lifestyles andPersonals/Dating) accounted for 62% of all paid contentrevenues in the first three quarters of 2002. The totalmarket for paid online content in the U.S. grew to $361.4million for the quarter, a 14 percent gain over the previousquarter and a 105.3 percent gain over Q3 2001. Aninteresting statistic put forward by this report is that 85%of money spent by U.S. Consumers for online content goes tothe top 50 sites in most of the categories.
The graph below (Top 3 Content Categories) is indicative ofthis change.
In terms of “stickiness” of different categories, Businesssites - especially finance and investment rank the highest.In other words, users are more likely to spend longer timesurfing through a business website compared to othercategories. This study was conducted by Nielsen//NetRatings.The table below shows the most addictive web categories for2002.
Category Time per person(hr:min:sec) AudienceBusiness – Finance and Investment 0:21:33 51,586General News 0:15:47 64,822Entertainment 0:14:32 45,922
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
According to the above figures a person spends about 22minutes on a finance website on an average.
Should you be selling a product or a service?
The Internet is primarily used to communicate, entertain,educate and research. It is thus no wonder thatnonperishable, information-intensive products - includingcomputers and software, books, travel, consumer electronics,magazine subscriptions - are the most popular onlineproducts at present. Content-rich sites, subscription-basedsites to advertiser-supported sites focusing on a wide rangeof topics, have been sprouting all over the Internet.
Services such as hotel reservation, air travel andinvestments have successfully translated themselves to theInternet.
Unique services such as Online driving schools have beenprospering. Some states in the US have set up online paymentsites for Government services. Residents of a state can logon to a common site to pay all bills and other expenses,such as parking tickets to the local/County courts.
However, all kinds of services cannot be run entirely on theInternet. The Internet is less effective when face-to-faceselling is needed to close a deal. The Internet can givelots of preliminary information that's useful in setting thescene for the closing. But the actual closing takes placeoffline - i.e., not on the Internet.
Products can also be marketed and sold successfully on theInternet. The kinds of products and services that sell beston the Internet are those that take advantage of theconvenience of the Net. Remember that convenience is theprimary reason why consumers flock to the Internet in thefirst place. People can shop any hour of the day at anysite. They can avoid crowded stores, irritating salesclerks, and even avoid pickpockets.
Offbeat or unusual products and services often attractonline attention and sell strongly. You would generally nottry to sell items people can get at the corner store. Thus,few toothbrushes are sold on the Net; the same thing withdaily food and beverage purchases. But special cheeses, rarecigars, Turkish plates, long-aged wines, even diamonds, canand do sell on the Net.
Most products sold by catalog and mail order also sell wellon the Net. However, people tend to buy only those productsthat could be shipped at a reasonable price. Higher shippingcosts diminish the price competitiveness of online productsand turns-off a lot of potential buyers. In fact, highshipping costs is the primary factor that discourages peoplefrom buying online more than any other single reason. AnErnst and Young report shows that 53 percent of onlineshoppers are concerned with shipping costs that are toohigh, compared to only 19 percent who are concerned withcredit cards being stolen.
As an online merchant, you have to work out the advantagesas well as disadvantages of selling either products orservices. However, in the recent past, online services haveknown to flourish. Nevertheless, if you chose to sellproducts you need to rethink your product offering if thetotal costs of the product and the shipping are higher thanwhat is offered elsewhere.
Take some time to evaluate your products or services. Thereis a growing market of potential customers on the Internet,you just need to offer the products and services they arelooking for.

warmly
ARD

Your Website + Adsense = guarented Profitable!

How do you maximize your site? By earning some few dollars per click from displaying Adsense ads on it. Many are now realizing that good money is made from this source of revenue. Try the simple mathematical computation of multiplying those clicks for every page on your website and you get a summation of earnings equivalent to a monthly residual income with that little effort you have made.
Google Adsense is a fast and easy way for website publishers of all sizes to display relevant and text-based Google ads on their website’s content pages and earn money in the process. The ads displayed are related to what your users are looking for on your site. This is the main reason why you both can monetize and enhance your content pages using Adsense.
How much you will be earning will depend on how much the advertisers are willing to pay. It will depend also on the keywords required. If the keywords the advertiser have chosen are in high demand, you could receive more dollars per click. On the other hand, low demand keywords will earn you just a few cents per click.
How can you start making profits out of your website using Adsense?
1. Sign up for an Adsense account. It will only take a few minutes of your time.
2. When the site is accepted, you will be receiving a clip code to include in your web pages. You can insert this code on as many pages or web sites that you want. The AdWords will start appearing immediately after.
3. You will be earning a few cents or some dollars per click when someone starts clicking on the AdWords displayed on any of your web pages. Trying to earn false revenues by repetitively clicking on your own ads is a no-no. This will result in a penalty or the possibility of your site being eliminated. The money you have already earned may be lost because of this.
4. View your statistics. Adsense earnings can be checked anytime by logging into your web site account.
Once you got your account working, you may still want to pattern them to the many sites that are earning more money than you are. It is important to note that there are factors affecting how your website will perform and the amount of money it will give you.
It is a common practice that when a site earning money, the tendency is for the owner to want to make more out of what they are getting already. It usually takes some time combined with trial and error to attain what you want for your Adsense contents.
Time and some important factors that you can practice and use.
How do you increase your Adsense earnings?
1. Choose one topic per page. It is best to write a content for your page with just a few targeted phrases. The search engine will then serve ads that are more relevant which will then result in higher clickthoughs.
2. Using white space around your ad. This can make your ad stand out from the rest of your page so visitors can spot them easily. There are also other choices of colors you can use, provided by search engines, which can harmonize the color of your ad with the web page color.
3. Test your ad placement. It is recommended to use the vertical format that runs down the side of the web page to get more positive results. You can also try both horizontal and vertical formats for a certain period of time to see which one will give you better results.4. More content-based pages. Widen the theme of your website by creating pages that focus more on your keyword phrases. This will optimize the pages for the search engines. It can not only attract traffic but also make them more relevant for the AdWords to be displayed. 5. Site Build It. This is the perfect tool to be used for creating lots of Adsense revenues. Site Build It has all the tools necessary to quickly achieve a keyword-rich site that can rank high in the search engines. This will also produce a flow of traffic to your site of highly targeted visitors.

What is your investment style

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles – and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive.

Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use.

If you are saving for retirement in your early twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing – but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style.

Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts.

An interest earning savings account is very common for conservative investors.
A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments. Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments.

An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns – either over time or in a short amount of time. Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market.

Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment. Never invest without having all of the facts!

Author : admin

INVESTMENT

tell those who ask that there are two types of successful investors: the skeptical optimist or the optimistic skeptic. Either of these might have identified a number of reasons to stay as far away from Bernie Madoff as possible.
Avoiding fraud is not rocket science but then too, the regulatory authorities do not make it easy. In the Madoff case an objective observer might wonder how it could happen.
How were so many intelligent people, including professional money managers, duped for so many years? A quick and easy answer is that the client-victims seemed to have placed perception ahead of due diligence. An unkind critic might reverse the words in that phrase - "If you're so smart why aren't you rich?" The investors may have relied on reputation, image, and the word of other investors as the basis for their trust. It is the latter, client testimonials, that are the lifeblood of any Ponzi scheme. The client who unknowingly receives the principal investment of newer clients as his "investment return" can become the unwitting source of additional victims for the perpetrator.
A deeper examination reveals a higher level of complexity. Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC is an investment advisor registered with the Securities Exchange Commission. This implies investor protection in the form of regulation and oversight. If an advisor retains custody of client assets then he must have independent audits performed in addition to the unannounced audits conducted by the Commission. If the firm does not retain custody (we are in this group), then the client has the statements of the third party custodian to match against the advisor statement. This check and balance system is virtually fraud-proof. In the Madoff case, the independent accounting firm was an obscure, two-person outfit. That relationship alone raises the first red flag.
However, a review of the advisory firm's ADV, available to the public at the SEC website, should have raised additional questions. Item 5 of the ADV application provides information about the advisory business. For example, for the answer to the question about how many employees perform investment advisory functions including research the box "1 to 5" was checked. Question B (3) asks how many firms or other persons solicit clients on your behalf. The answer checked here is "zero". For question C the box 11 to 25 is checked for number of clients served and that is confirmed in question F which lists 23 discretionary accounts totaling $17 billion in assets.
If you were a prospective investor from Palm Beach being solicited by an outside firm and you knew of at least thirty other individuals locally who invested with Madoff, you would need some clarification to those ADV answers. A look back at question D which asks about types of clients provides a clue. Here "51-75%" was select for item (6) - other pooled investment vehicles (e.g. hedge funds). It is clear now that your investment will be under the umbrella of a Madoff hedge fund and that S.E.C. oversight and regulation does not apply. Before making a decision to invest you could examine the characteristics of The KL Group, a West Palm Beach hedge fund that went under in recent years.
Despite the wide difference in scope, you would find the following in common:
The principals led a first class lifestyle, had a history of success, and were perceived as experts.
The annual returns were well above normal, almost "too good to be true".
Their offices were expensive and well appointed.
Their strategies were secretive and too complicated to explain.
They were selective as to client acceptance.
Their clients relied solely on company prepared reports.
Dorothy eventually did return from the land of OZ but not before finding out that the wizard was just a befuddled old man behind a curtain. Image and reputation are easy to produce; long term, extraordinary results are not. If not given the opportunity to pull all the curtains aside, your internal skeptic should overrule the resident optimist.
Tom Nolan is Chairman and founder of Atlantic Capital Management. For more information on portfolio management or investing go to http://www.client-centered.net/.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_M._Nolan

Investment Consultant

The Best Investment Consultant
By: John Nolan



Article Summary: Whether you want to be a consultant or hire a consultant, there are a few things that you should always bear

in mind. You should understand the key reasons as to why a consultant is needed in order to reap the full benefits.

Whether you want to be a consultant or hire a consultant, there are a few things that you should always bear in mind. You

should understand the key reasons as to why a consultant is needed in order to reap the full benefits.

You should always look to hire a consultant in their field of expertise, which means knowing exactly what you need before

starting your search. If you are the consultant yourself, make it clear exactly what you know and what your strengths are.

Define yourself narrowly and base your portfolio on this.

If you choose to hire a consultant to start your business this is a good idea for help in all phases of starting the

business, from business plans to recruiting your staff. If you are a consultant yourself this is one area in which you will

find a lot of potential businesses looking for your skills and expertise to help them succeed.

Another reason consultants are needed is to solve problems in a company, calling for a well qualified consultant who can tell

you whether the problem is to do with human resources, manufacturing or some other department. You may think you know where

the problem lies, but always be willing to listen to your consultant's advice. If you are the consultant yourself, then make

sure to examine each case individually.

If a business needs to add to their staff, then remember that this will cost more than hiring an investment consultant, who

may even be more efficient than an extra member of staff. Consultants can also be hired to train skills to other staff, where

this comes from hands on experience. If you are a consultant yourself, make sure that you have specific practical experience

to offer and not just information from a text book.

Hiring an investment consultant to make changes to a business can be a great way to gain acceptance by employees. If you are

the consultant yourself then make sure you understand what change really means. You must make clear what the benefits will be

to the staff, and be able to explain to them the positive outcomes. A business may also hire a consultant so that they can

make any unpopular decisions for you, but if this is a job you have to do you must be aware of this responsibility.

The last reason that you may choose to hire a consultant is for the contacts they have, for all areas such as fund raising,

community, entertainment or anything that you may need. All of the above reasons are extremely important, so look at the

consultant's contact as a bonus rather than the main reason for hiring them. If you are a consultant yourself always make

sure that you meet new people, expanding your contacts and knowing exactly where to go to help you client as best you can.

These are the top factors that should be considered when hiring an investment consultant, whether you are looking to hire or

to be hired yourself.


Copyright (c) 2008 John Nolan

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
John Nolan
Learn More About Financial Online, and Mortgage Loans Interest.

Keywords: Best Investment Consultant

Risk Investments

Low Risk Investments
By: John Nolan


Article Summary: Investments can be a big decision, and only worth it if they provide a high return. This is why so many

people ask if it is possible to get a low risk investment, and the answer is yes!

Investments can be a big decision, and only worth it if they provide a high return. This is why so many people ask if it is

possible to get a low risk investment, and the answer is yes!

Property has always been a high return investment with low risk if you know where to buy and find something affordable. There

are now many Americans investing in properties in Costa Rica due to the fact that there are large growth rates as well as a

low entry cost from around $30,000-$60,000.

You might be unsure, but here are a few reasons why this is such a low risk investment. Firstly, the growth rates of the last

ten years have stood at around 300% on average. This means that many people have been able to double their money. Not only

this, but the properties of Costa Rica cost up to 70% less than properties on the south coast of America.

Another great reason why you might choose this as your investment is due to the fact that you can really enjoy it, using your

property as a holiday home if you wish, or renting it out whenever it is not in use. Costa Rice itself is a beautiful

location, cheap to live in as well as containing some great tax advantages, scenic places of interest, educational

institutions and much more!

A big question that many are starting to ask is will prices continue to increase? All evidence shows that yes they will, and

there is huge demand making more and more Americans jump on board this unique investment opportunity.

The best investment opportunities at the moment include locations near the freeway to the major cities, around the general

location of a new international airport that is being built, or next to the largest marina of the country. Choose an area

such as this and you can get your investment before everyone else learns of the great opportunity.

Location really is the most important factor here, so choose wisely to get the most out of your investment as you possibly

can. This is a solid low risk investment opportunity but does require you to do some research before you take the plunge.

However, this could be the opportunity that you have always dreamed of so start thinking now about how you could use that

dream home in Costa Rica and what you might do with the money that you make when you eventually sell this property on.

If this sounds like a great opportunity then you can either choose to go it alone or get some advice on your investment, such

as where to buy, how much to invest and so on. Do a simple internet search and you can learn about those willing to help, as

well as learning about the local area itself. This is not like investing in stocks or mutual funds, this really is an

investment that you can enjoy without all of the associated risks!


Copyright (c) 2008 John Nolan

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
John Nolan
Learn More About Investment Insurance and Real Estate Directory.

Keywords: Low Risk Investments

Investment Mistakes

Five Investment Mistakes You Don't Want To Make
By: John Rasor



Article Summary: Current market conditions have people making irrational decisions.

These are frightening times for people trying to build or preserve their retirement accounts. The stock market has produced

daily swings large enough to churn just about everyone's stomach. This landscape makes it easy to commit big mistakes and

investment no no's. Credit markets have tightened such that no credit score is good enough to borrower money. Here are some

of the worst maneuvers you can make during these crazy economic times.

DON'T FREAK OUT: During bear markets like today it's easy to freak out as we watch stock prices fall almost on a daily basis.

Fear kicks in and we think, sell now and cut our losses. The worst thing to do is sell, hide the money in cash and wait for

things to turn around. Why? Because more often than naught things turn around and all of a sudden we're back in after prices

have raced back up.

Don't act on fear. If you have an investment account that is well diversified and designed with long term objectives in mind,

chances are that your portfolio should be left alone.

EUPHORIA: Just the opposite of freaking out. During bull markets your portfolio is going through the roof. Everything you

touch turns to gold, equities are surging and all common sense goes out the window.

As the equity markets rise, investors reason that the risk of a significant decline fades away. When the DOW hit 15,000 you

could feel the Euphoria on Wall Street. I'd say a few people freaked out when it dropped below 10,000. As the market soars

the potential for a drop is greater than before. Thus the market becomes riskier, not safer.

PUTTING ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET: Probably the worst investment mistake of all. Confining your portfolio with what's hot

today makes you a sitting duck. Chasing the sector of the moment is a dangerous game. Look for a balanced group of investment

vehicles that include stocks, bonds, mutual funds and a money market component.

Keep in mind that diversification does not assure against market loss and there is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio

will outperform and undiversified one.

NOT HAVING A PLAN: You may have heard the old saying....if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.

You must have a personal investment plan with specific goals and objectives. Whether it's retiring at age 60 or saving enough

money for your children's college you need a plan.

A plan will help you adhere to a sound long term policy even when current market conditions are unsettling. Having a good

plan and sticking to it is not near as fun as trying to time and beat the markets, but it will likely be more profitable in

the long run.

BELIEVING THE HYPE There is almost nothing on financial news shows that can help you achieve your goals. News letters rarely

offer anything of value and when they do, how do you identify them in advance? If there really was a secret formula to making

big bucks do you really think someone would make a living telling others how to do it?

Spend less time watching financial news shows and reading newsletters. Spend more time sticking to your investment plan. No

matter the market, sound investing principles will serve you in the long run.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
John Rasor
http://www.creditscorecowboy.com is the one of the most unique on-line resources for free credit score reports, Identity

theft protection software, and a BLOG with a wealth of personal credit information. The information within this website is

written by professionals that know about credit.

Keywords: credit scores

Recession

Investing During A Recession
By: Heather Seitz



Article Summary: Buying Real Estate during a recession may seem like a scary thing to do but it is actually a great

investment move. During a recession many homes are being foreclosed or selling at much less than the asking price. If you

research why the house is selling, how long it has been on the market, and what the asking price is, you could end up with a

great investment during a recession.

It can be scary to invest in anything during a recession. We all have visions of the great depression and bread lines and

people selling apples. The idea of putting your money into anything can be frightening in this day and age. However, real

estate should never be looked upon as an ordinary investment.

Real estate is one of the few investments that we actually not only can use, but need. Everyone needs a place to live. And

real estate has systematically proven to have risen in value over the past several decades. Yes, you are paying interest in a

mortgage for your home, but you are also getting a tax write off for the interest as well as a write off for any property

taxes that are paid.

The mortgage rates have not been as low as they are now since the 1960s. This is an ideal time to purchase and take advantage

not only of the low interest rates, but also the low prices on homes. Because there are so many more homes on the market than

buyers, the price of homes in most areas has fallen considerably. On top of that, people who overextended themselves in the

early part of the century are finding themselves in foreclosure.

Now is the time to buy and buy cheap. Do not feel intimidated by an agent who tells you that you are going to "insult"

someone if you offer a low price for a home. The agent wants you to spend as much money as possible because they get a

commission off of the sale. Use your head and take a look at the market. When you are buying a home in a recession, consider

the following:

Is The Home In Foreclosure?

If the home is owned by the bank, you should be prepared to offer a lot less than the asking price. Do not allow an agent to

sway you when it comes to making an offer. If they use any tricks such as "I do not want to present such a low offer," tell

them that you will find someone else who will. Real estate agents are a dime a dozen, especially in the market today. If the

home is in foreclosure, offer at least 20 percent less than the asking price.

How Long Has The Home Been On The Market?

A few years ago, a home that was on the market for several months was either priced too high or there was something

significantly wrong with the home. Nowadays, homes stay on the market for 90 days as a matter of routine. Never make a really

low offer on a home that is fresh on the market unless you know the home is in foreclosure or about to become foreclosed

upon. Feel free to make low offers on those homes that have been on the market for a month or so. Those that have been on the

market for a year are owned by people who are willing to wait out the storm and will most likely not be sold for a low price.

Why Is The Owner Selling?

You can find this out by directly asking or looking around. If the home is in a state of disrepair, chances are that there

are financial problems. You can offer a significant amount less. If the owner has another home that they are buying, you can

also offer less.

Make sure you do your homework and do not be afraid to invest during a real estate recession. Contrary to what you may have

heard, this is the best time to buy a home.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Heather Seitz
Heather Seitz is a national real estate investor, trainer and publisher and has worked with top advisors worldwide. To get

current and accurate real estate investment tips and advice, visit http://www.RealEstateRant.net and find out how you can get

$852.90 in FREE real estate investing information delivered to your front door.

Keywords: investing, , recession

Angel Investors

What Angel Investors Should Look For
By: John Lux



Article Summary: Contains tips for angel investors, such as accredited investors, investing in venture capital deals such as

startups ventures.

As an angel investor or venture capital investor, you are always looking for the next big investment. In our current

environment, as always, there are many deals looking for seed capital.

Most of us who qualify as accredited investors or qualified investors know, that most of these venture investments will fail.

How do you choose the next big angel investment?

Here are a few things to look for:

You want people who are totally dedicated to their business, not those who are trying to make a fast buck on the latest fad.

If they have the company logo secretly tattooed on their arm, they are for you. If they say things like “If this tech thing

doesn’t work, I can always go back to truck driving” then run! Your team must be willing to take those strong pains that are

the growing pains of a small business.

One thing that is always a turn off – the deal offered to the investor is one-sided. Let’s face it, in almost all startups

seeking seed money, the proposition boils down to “With our brains and your money, what have we got to lose?” The investors

should get a big enough piece of the company that if it wins, they win big, because most startups seeking see money will

fail.

Granted, deals that favor the investor de-motivate the entrepreneurial team and are also to be avoided. The company should

give the investors a chance to take over if the company fails. Most investors won’t want to, and even if they do, there is

likely to be nothing to salvage, but give them a prayer.

The company must offer a fair deal. I find that valuing companies seeking venture capital, particularly if they are startups,

is very hard. Only hindsight can tell you what the value is. However, it is easy to see that you should get an expert to tell

you what the investor expects.

Seed money investors are looking for character in management. There are several indicators of this. The first is a successful

track record.

The next is that the handling of investor funds is transparent. Inventory that cannot be verified does not exist.

Another sign of character is a scrupulous adherence to the securities laws. Anyone who invests in a deal where the principals

are ignorant of the regulations, are making unlawful sales of unregistered securities, and who are paying illegal finders’

fee and commissions to unlicensed securities “brokers” deserves everything they inevitably get. We know that the securities

laws are almost impossible to understand and comply with, but there must be a scrupulous effort. Companies who do not bother

to find expert securities help are probably not good investments.

As most startups fail, let’s take a look at why. Probably the largest cause of failure is management. While managers need a

living wage so they do not have to worry about their own finances while building their company, managers who pay themselves

lavish salaries and perks should be shot. Beware lavish spending of any kind. The watchword for a venture company is

frugality. Only the cheapskates will survive the hammer and pound of the business world.

Next, although this could be called incompetent management, having a faulty business model is probably the next most serious

cause of failure. Volumes can be written here, but the worst crime in this category is failing to do many customer surveys

and make them thorough.

Sadly, the next cause of failure is fraudulent conduct. Some “entrepreneurs” want to do nothing more than milk unsuspecting

investors. The worst of them lie to get the money. No matter how much due diligence you do, you may be up against

professional scam artists who make a career of doing this. As this is their career, they are good at it. Or you may be lulled

into a feeling of confidence by the stellar reputation of the promoters. It is at this point where the investor must be a

suspicious swine. As guilty as he may feel about it, it is his only hope.

The last risk is not that of failure. The risk is that of dilution. The company succeeds but the business is soaking up much

more cash than expected and the new stock that is sold dilutes your equity.

As all of us in this industry know, you will spend several times more than you expect and take twice as long as you expect to

do anything.

As many venture investors will tell you, the way to really do due diligence is to invest and be inside the company for a

year. Then you will really know what you have.

I believe that venture companies are our real hope for the future. They will fuel growth and competitiveness. I have a soft

spot for the brave entrepreneur who wants to sacrifice his life for his goals. Let’s give him the resources he needs to

succeed and do it fast. Then, a year or two from now, we can all look back on this as the start of a great deal for all

concerned. That is what we all want, isn’t it?

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
John Lux
The author is a former OTC market maker, trader, attorney, security analysts and investment banker. He currently is a

principal in several venture companies and private equity funds. There is more for you at http://www.asklux.com or email me

at lux.investor @ gmail.com

Trading System

Currency Trading System - A Timeless Simple Way to Make Huge Gains
By: kelly price


Article Summary: Here we will show a simple method you can base your currency trading system on which will always work, is

simple to understand and can make huge gains. Let's take a look at it in more detail.

Here we will show a simple method you can base your currency trading system on which will always work, is simple to

understand and can make huge gains. Let's take a look at it in more detail...

The method we are going to look at is simply buying or selling new highs or lows on a currency chart.

If you take a look at any currency chart, you will see that all big trends start and continue from breakouts to new highs and

lows and they last a long time, many last several weeks, months or even years.

Most traders hate breakout trading, because they are obsessed with buy lows or selling highs (even though that's impossible)

and they think when a break comes, they have missed the move. They then want to enter on a pullback but the trends don't pull

back and they miss the opportunity.

Its not about pinpoint market timing it's about the odds of the trade.Valid breakouts make huge profits so don't think about

the little bit you missed, think of the huge amount that could be coming!

Breakout trading works and you can put a simple, robust, trading system together quickly. Let's look at how to do it.

Step 1 - Use Bar Charts

Just simple charts and look for areas of support or resistance that have been tested a few times and are considered important

by the market. The minim number of tests is 2 but the more the better and generally, if there in time frames wide apart

that's better too.

The really good breakouts only come around a few times a month so be patient, you want the big high odds trades.

Step 2 - Confirm the Break

Not all breakouts continue of course so you need to filter them and for this you need some momentum indicators to confirm

that price momentum is accelerating. Two good ones to use are the stochastic and RSI. These indicators give confirmation of

whether momentum supports the break or not.

There are other momentum indicators but the above two are a good place to start. Don't use too many one or two is enough.

Step 3 - Stops and money Management

Stops are easy behind the breakout point. The real key to making money is trailing the stop, don't move it too quickly! If

you are trading big breakouts, you need to give the market room to breathe and accept dips in open equity. A moving average

near a key trend line, is a good way of doing it. We like the 40 day MA, then look for strong level around this average.

Keep in mind you will always give bit back at the end of a trend but the big trends can last many weeks or months and if you

get just 70% of these trends, you will make a lot of money.

Breakouts A Timeless Method for Profits

Sure breakout trading is simple but it works and its obvious why.

If you put together a simple system and apply it with discipline, you could soon be making triple digit gains and enjoying

currency trading success.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
kelly price
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS
ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info and a Successful Breakout

Trading System visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com

Keywords: Automated Forex Robots, forex robots, forex trading systems, currency trading systems, forex trading

Investors Guide

An Investors Guide to South Africa
By: Karl Hopkins


Article Summary: Useful guide to South Africa providing essential property investment information, demographics and it's

history.

Commanding strategically important sea routes between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Republic of South Africa is at the

southernmost tip of the African continent.

With a coastline of some 2,954 kilometres, it is bounded to the north by borders within Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and

Mozambique. To the north east is Swaziland, a small, landlocked kingdom surrounded by South Africa except for a short border

with Mozambique.

Also contained within South Africa's borders is the independent country Lesotho, formerly Basutoland.

With a land area of over 1.2m square kilometres, South Africa is larger than the combined area of Holland, Belgium, France,

Italy and Germany yet has a population of just 42.6m. It is comprised of nine provinces. Durban, the major sea port, is in

Kwa-Zulu Natal on the north east coast, Cape Town is in Western cape to the south west, and Port Elizabeth in Eastern Cape.

South Africa's two major international airports are in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The legislative capital is Cape Town, the

administrative capital is Pretoria, the judicial capital is Bloemfontein and the biggest city is Johannesburg.

The 'rainbow nation', it has a rich mixture of races and cultures with no less than 11 officially recognised languages,

including English, Afrikaans, and native African tongues.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office describes the geography as comprising a coastal strip of below 1,500 feet fringed by steep

mountain ranges, with a high plateau in the interior ranging up to 6,000 feet above sea level.

The coastline is swept by two major ocean currents - the warm south flowing Mozambique-Agulhas and the cold Benguela which

flows northwards along the west coast as far as southern Angola.

On the west coast, the cold Atlantic current creates arid scrubland terrain. Higher levels of rainfall on the central plateau

produce grassland. A continuous mountain range runs down the east coast warmed by the Indian Ocean giving a sub-tropical

climate. The north of the country has savannah-type vegetation, whilst the southern tip has a Mediterranean-type climate.

Once shunned because of its apartheid policy, the country is now an active player in international relations: hosting major

international sporting events, playing a full part in the UN and the Commonwealth, and having a significant stake in

international business.

But although a manufacturing country, with important mining (including gold and diamond, and also coal and minerals) and

finance services industries, South Africa also 'has an economy consisting of the very poor who eke out a living through

near-subsistence agriculture or the informal sector', says the Foreign Office.

Unemployment levels are officially almost 27 per cent but may in practice be as high as 40 per cent.

The Foreign Office warns that there are high levels of crime in the country, but that most occurs in townships and isolated

areas away from the normal tourist destinations. 'The standard of driving is variable and there are many fatal accidents'.

However, more than 460,000 Britons visit South Africa every year and most visits are trouble- free.

As in most places there remains 'an underlying threat from terrorism'. And although unlikely, attacks 'could be

indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers'.

British nationals visiting South Africa on holiday for less than 90 days do not require visas. After entry, extensions of

stay may be sought from the Department of Home Affairs. Visitors who overstay without authority may be fined, either on exit

or at the nearest South African mission on your return to the UK (or elsewhere).

Re-entry to South Africa will not be permitted until the fine has been paid in full.

Those who substantially over stay their visas may be arrested on departure and detained before appearing in court. In such

cases you may face a very substantial fine and then be deported at your own expense.

In all South Africa has 13 types of temporary and 11 types of permanent residence permits, including relative's permits,

business permits, and retired person's permits. Business permits are available for up to two years for people looking to

invest or set up their own business. Work permits can be obtained for up to three years while a permanent contract of

employment will support an application for permanent residence.


The Foreign Office warns that following a House of Lords decision, state pensions to UK residents in South Africa are not

increased annually in line with inflation but are frozen, either from the date the person first became entitled to a state

pension, or from the date that they left the UK, depending on which is the later.

There are no restrictions to foreigners purchasing in South Africa, although there has been talk of imposing such

restrictions at least on a temporary basis in the future as a way of curbing runaway house price inflation. Mortgages,

however, are generally restricted to 50 per cent of purchase price.

Purchasers can buy property as individuals or via companies. Written offers and deeds of sale are legally binding. Completion

follows when the title is formally transferred and registered with the land registry.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Karl Hopkins
This and many other featured articles focusing on popular investment destinations from around the world can be found at

http://www.fly-2let.co.uk

Keywords: overseas property, buy to let, investment property, south africa, real estate

Forex Day Trading

Forex Day Trading - Make a Regular Income With Low Risk
By: kelly price



Article Summary: Most novice traders like to use Forex day trading systems to keep risk low and scalp small regular profits.

Here we will look in more depth at Forex day trading systems...

Most novice traders like to use Forex day trading systems to keep risk low and scalp small regular profits. Here we will look

in more depth at Forex day trading systems...

I have worked in investment houses where floor traders made a lot of money day trading sometimes millions per annum, as they

had an advantage of having the news quicker and could react quicker than the retail traders.

With the rise of the internet this advantage as disappeared, as we all have the information at the click of a mouse and no

one has an advantage and this has meant Forex day trading doesn't work.

We will show you a better short term method of trading that works later but lets first look at the facts of why you will lose

money in daily time frames.

The problem today is that if you try and day trade, you are simply trading within the daily range and trying to use support

and resistance levels that are not valid, you can't get the odds on your side and you will lose.

There are a lot of systems sold online which tell you they make money scalping profits on a regular basis but they don't work

in real time!

These systems are based on back tested results knowing the closing prices and all fail in real time. Most are sold by

marketing companies not traders and the past results never repeat.

If you think about day trading the aim of predicting where prices may go in minutes or hours is impossible, here's why.

You have millions upon millions of traders, all with different systems, aims, various levels of skill and a huge percentage

who respond to their emotions. This vast mass of people is not logical and trying to work out where prices will go in the

short term, is impossible and you will never win.

Lots of people will tell you markets move to some higher form or science and can be predicted but it's obvious they don't.

Because if they did, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market.

The myth that retail traders win long term with Forex day trading systems is just that - a myth.

Winning at Forex Trading

Forex trading is all about trading the odds and you can't get the odds on your side in such short term time frames. If you

want to trade short term and get the odds on your side then try Forex swing trading.

Swing trading is still short term but the time frame of a few days to about a week allows you to get the odds on your side

and that's what you need to do to win at Forex.

So forget Forex day trading systems and look at swing trading, its simple to learn, exciting and you can get the odds on your

side and win. Check this method of trading and you will be on the road to currency trading success.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
kelly price
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS
ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info and a RISK FREE Forex Trading

Course visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com.

Keywords: Forex Day Trading, Forex Day Trading system, forex scalping, forex scalping system, forex trading

Forex Education

Forex Education - The Biggest Mistake Novice Traders Make Which Sees Them Get Wiped Out Quickly
By: kelly price



Article Summary: It's a fact 95% of Forex traders lose money trading and while anyone can learn to trade and make great

profits, the novice trader makes a fatal mistake which is enclosed and should be part of any novice traders Forex

education...

It's a fact 95% of Forex traders lose money trading and while anyone can learn to trade and make great profits, the novice

trader makes a fatal mistake which is enclosed and should be part of any novice traders Forex education...

Forex trading is different in terms of the skills you need to make money in Forex to the skills you need in everyday life.

Some explanation will make this clearer.

Let's look at the fatal mistakes novice traders make.

1. Consulting an Expert Will Bring You Success

Most people who claim to be experts are not. You have seen them, the $100 buck robots and sure fire courses, offering you an

income with no effort and guess what? They all fail.

In normal life we are taught to consult an expert, to fix your car or a burst pipe and they can give you a guaranteed result.

This is not so in Forex, as your not dealing with certainties and mathematical formulas. In Forex you deal with the odds and

your best off to get the right Forex education and do it on your own.

2. Hard Work will Give you a Reward

This is actually good news!

You can learn Forex trading in a few weeks and soon be making big profits but for this you work smart not hard. Avoid the

myths, and making huge effort and expecting a result that may work in a 9 - 5 job but not Forex. Simply learn the right way

and cut your work load. All you need is a simple system and the mindset to succeed which is covered in the next point.


3. Being Clever is an Advantage

A huge myth you would think the best group of traders had a background in mathematics or something else complex but the most

successful group are actually ex poker players! Why?

Because they know that a simple plan, playing the odds is the way to win which leads me onto the next point. Simple systems

work best and always have and that a fact, make a system to complicated and it will have too many elements to break.

4. Mindset is More important than Method

Yes it is! - Because you have to apply any method with discipline and even the best Forex trading system, will fail unless

you do. Most traders cannot trade through periods of losses and keep them small, all systems have them and you must get

through them.

You don't just get discipline though without effort, it's based on education and confidence in what you have learned. If you

want to win, you need to stay on track through losing periods until you hit a home run.

If you can't trade your system with discipline you don't have a system! Trading discipline is the big variable between

success and failure.

The Real Way to Make Big Gains and You Can Do It!

Forex trading success is open to all but many try and apply the wrong logic as we have seen and you will lose.

If you want to win all you need to do is get the right Forex education and have the discipline to apply what you have

learned. It sounds simple and it is - but most traders simply won't do it. They don't get the right education and or they are

simply lazy and want to follow others.

If you understand the message of this article, you can win and generate a great second or even life changing income.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
kelly price
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS
ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info and a RISK FREE Forex Trading

Course visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com.

Keywords: forex education, online forex trading, forex trading, forex trading basics, forex, currency trading

Forex Robots

Forex Robots - The Best Robots Double Your Income Quickly Myth Or Reality?
By: Samuel Leslie Berkovits


Article Summary: The best Forex robots claim they can double your income every month with low risk and best of al you make no

effort as the sophisticated algorithms work while you go about your daily business is this myth or reality? Let's find out...

The best Forex robots claim they can double your income every month with low risk and best of al you make no effort as the

sophisticated algorithms work while you go about your daily business is this myth or reality? Let's find out...

I have been a trader for over 25 years and have never seen any system or trader double their money regularly, this includes

even the world's top traders on millions a year in salaries and bonuses. Of course if it were true, no one would work - banks

and investment houses would sack there dealing teams and use a $100 Forex robot of course, this has not happened.

If it looks to good to be true it is and this is the case with Forex automated trading systems.

You can win at Forex trading and make a lot of money but let's look at why the facts don't add up in relation to the robots

first.

Where are the Real Audited Track Records?

Try and find one and your in for a long search!

You get mostly back tests ( done knowing the closing prices) which is easy, or track records from the vendor themselves Its

up to you if you believe them - but lets look at a fact of Forex trading which shows you why you cannot guarantee regular

profits.

Fact: Forex markets cannot be predicted and do not move to mathematical formulas so if they don't what use is a complex

mathematical algorithm? None!

It's a known fact that simple systems work best, as in Forex your trading only the odds, not certainties. In an odds based

market, a simple system is more robust, with fewer elements to break than a complex one. Its obvious Forex markets don't move

to mathematics as if they did, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market!

So can you make money trading Forex?

Of course you can but its not as easy as spending a $100 or so and making money with no effort that's not life and certainly

not Forex trading.

The way to win is to get yourself a simple Forex trading system and get the right Forex education, get confidence and trade

with discipline. If you do this, the rewards can be life changing but you have to make an effort.

If you are serious about making money at Forex trading, don't think you can simply do it with no effort.

We marvel at how technology changes our lives for the better and many think it can help in Forex but the fact below will

dispel this myth.

Fact: In the last 30 years, we have seen huge advances in technology in trading yet, the ratio of winners to losers remains

the same - 95%. So technology, robots etc haven't helped.

If you want to win in Forex trading get the right education and don't believe in the automatic income, with no effort myth.

If howeveryou do take Forex trading seriously and make an effort, huge rewards await you.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Samuel Leslie Berkovits
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS
ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info and a RISK FREE Forex Trading

Course visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com.

Keywords: forex robots, forex trading system, forex expert advisor, automated forex trading system, forex trading

Salary

Single and Living on One Salary
By: Samantha Asher


Article Summary: If you are single, is it possible to live on one salary? Of course it is, but can it be done well?

There are many financial benefits to being single. First of all, you only have one person weighing in on any and all

financial decisions. You don't have to ask your spouse if it's okay to buy that computer you have been wanting or if you can

lease that car you desperately need. Second, you can manage your money exactly how you want. You don't have to make a budget

and make sure your family is okay with it. Finally, all the money you make is 100 percent yours. You don't have to spend it

on anyone else. You can do whatever you want with it.

Though there are some definite financial perks to being single, it isn't all great. For one, you can't share the

responsibility with anyone else. If you make a poor decision, it is 100 percent your fault. If there is a difficult decision

to make, you don't have anyone else to lean on. But the biggest problem of all is that you only have one salary. If you make

a large salary, this probably isn't a big issue for you. If you make plenty of money to live on, there's no problem there,

but if you make a small salary, it can make things harder on you.

When you get married, you then have two salaries for two people. It isn't equal to two single people living on there own each

with a salary because there are a lot of things the two can share. If you are comfortable with it, you can buy or rent a one

or two bedroom small home for the same price as someone single. You share the cable bill, the phone bill for landlines,

internet, utilities (they may go up a little with two people, but probably not double), health insurance, and several other

things. Plus, there are tax benefits to being married.

If you are uncomfortable living by yourself on one salary and you plan on eventually having a family, you will just have to

work toward making more money or saving more. If you think it's tough now, wait till you have a family and are living on just

one salary. This is definitely not the worst financial situation you could be in.

If you can't make ends meet, or you aren't able to save for retirement, first you need to make a budget. You need to start

spending less so that you can save more. If this still isn't enough, go back to school so that you can get a better job, ask

for a raise, look for a higher paying job, or get a part time job. Once you are bringing in more money, you will have more

money that can earn you a passive income. Don't stress out over living on one salary. Do something about it!

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Samantha Asher
Do you want to learn more about personal money management? Find ou

Digital Payments

Financial Inclusion and Digital Payments
By: Laveesh Bhandari


Article Summary: A good digital payment ecosystem is one that enables financial inclusion, that allows all citizens to

participate in the growth and development trajectory of the economy. Given that the business of digital transactions is new

and unfamiliar, governments and regulators tend to be cautious about allowing innovations that may disrupt financial

stability of the economy.

A Good Digital Payment Ecosystem: Characteristics and Recommendations

A good digital payment ecosystem is one that enables financial inclusion, an ecosystem that allows all citizens to

participate in the growth and development trajectory of the economy.

The key stakeholders in the digital payment scenario are numerous – internet service providers, payment system operators,

technology providers, mobile network operators, banks and retailers form the actual players in the market. The digital

transaction system allows banks to increase their customer base with lower costs and risks. According to Booz Allen

estimates, banks can reduce cash logistics by 10% through use of cashless payment transactions. Telecom and internet service

providers gain by increasing customer retention, higher revenues through value added services etc. Retailers and service

providers benefit through fast access to a larger base of customers, better payment collections etc. There is a synergy

between the digital world and the financial world that needs to be exploited successfully to give the final benefit to the

consumer. However, at the same time the government and regulators of banking, telecommunications, payment systems,

competition issues, anti-money laundering, all form the environment in which the digital payments business model functions.

Given that the business of digital transactions is new and unfamiliar, governments and regulators tend to be cautious about

allowing innovations that may disrupt financial stability of the economy. As has been emphasized in the previous sections of

this paper, while on one hand financial inclusion is the stated objective of governments, and new technology has been widely

accepted as a tool for financial inclusion, regulatory and supervisory concerns have inhibited the development of digital

payments in many countries, including India. For a new product market to develop, it is important that the enabling

environment be one which blends legal and regulatory openness and certainty – openness will allow innovation to flourish

while certainty will give confidence to entrepreneurs to make investments. Thus the markets which develop fastest are those

which are in environments that are moving towards greater openness and greater certainty. The most crucial issue here is to

ensure that the market remains open and competitive for entrepreneurs to take up new business models. The key characteristics

have been mentioned and discussed at various points in the preceding sections. These are:

1. Ensure entry by ensuring a high degree of inclusiveness in types of service providers, ensuring a level playing field, and

also ensure that both large and small players can enter the industry.

Inclusiveness: Both banking and non-banking entities should be encouraged to enter the industry.

The basic concerns of regulators in the financial sphere revolve around (i) maintaining financial stability, (ii) raising

economic efficiency, (iii) increasing access to financial services, (iv) ensuring financial integrity, and (v) ensuring

consumer protection, and (vi) ensure rapid accessibility of such services for the masses with heterogeneous requirements.

Given the focus of financial regulators to ensure financial stability, it is but natural for them to have a bank focus. But,

disruption to financial stability deals with systemically important payment systems, and not retail payment systems,

especially of micro-magnitude. This distinctiveness of retail and micro-amounts should be well understood to avoid stifling

innovation that has the potential to help the masses of the country. Consequently there is no need to limit this industry

only to the banks.

According to the Bank of International Settlements, one of the main objectives of payment regulation is to address those

legal and regulatory barriers to market development and innovation. It is for the RBI and other regulators to work towards

this end, so that the potential of technology can be exploited to the full in meeting the goal of financial inclusion.

Level playing field: The close links between the network service providers and the consumer should not provide inordinate

advantages to those companies at the cost of other players. For instance, currently the mobile phone is considered the most

potent tool of financial inclusion. However the mobile industry is characterized by only a handful of operators both in India

and abroad. Given the close links between the consumer and the mobile service provider and the tie-in of the consumer to the

service provider, a monopolistic digital transaction industry would be a likely outcome if a level playing field is not

created.

A digital-payment platform set up by the service provider should be open to other account holders within a specific agreed

time period, and new entrants should be allowed to use existing payment infrastructures. Just as landline users can choose

between different long distance providers, so too must regulation ensure that various financial service providers can access

the user.

Large and small: The digital transaction eco system should involve, and not keep out, small firms.

Large firms should not derive undue advantage from regulatory prescriptions. This is important for many reasons. Take for

example Micro-finance initiatives and how they can leverage the intra-communities ties for lowering cost of credit. Whether

we have MFIs or bank correspondents, or private money-lenders, or NGOs, or other entities operating in small distinct

communities, such entities need not be debarred from providing their services to their users through digital means.

Though certain prudential norms would be essential, they should not follow a one size fits all approach and, depending upon

scale and scope of their operations, their regulatory requirements also need to be appropriately structured.

2. Ensure low cost access for the masses that is integrated with the economy.

Know Your Customer Norms: If digital transactions are to be truly transformational, it is important to bring unbanked

customers into the fold of payment systems. KYC regulations put in to ensure financial integrity can hamper the growth of

this market and hence affect the aim of financial inclusion.

According to RBI guidelines, mobile payment services to be offered by banks are not only restricted only to their customers,

but also to those customers who are KYC/AML compliant. Since subscription to a mobile phone also involves identity checks,

this is a duplication of effort and can given rise to inconsistencies in norms. Standardizing the system of compliance across

digital and financial worlds will also help sharing of data and information. These may seem as small glitches now, but can

appear as roadblocks later on retarding the goal of integrating the latest digital technology with financial services.

Discussion on evolving systems is important to keep abreast of technological and market developments.

Integration: Facilitate a variety of services that are easy to integrate with all sectors of the economy.

In the digital transaction market, there is a significant coordination problem that arises due to the overlapping role of

multiple regulators of banking, telecom and payment system supervisors, competition and agencies involved in monitoring

activities of money laundering and fraud. The problem is compounded because of the dynamic nature of the industry and

continuously evolving technology. This means that the regulators have to be flexible, be quick on the uptake to change when

needed and deliver appropriate regulatory orders in a coordinated and consistent fashion.

3. Ensure that the system can serve heterogeneous requirements

Inherent flexibility: A one size fit all approach that is currently the practice in banking regulation needs to change to

become more flexible and adapt to the different needs of the consumers at the bottom of the pyramid, who are a highly

heterogeneous group. The terms ‘masses’ and ‘under-privileged’ are a highly heterogeneous segment. They include self-employed

and unemployed, cultivators and land-less laborers, literate and illiterate, nuclear households and joint families, indeed

the range is large. And so are the requirements.

Conclusion: Financial inclusion is recognized as a goal by all policy makers as the economic growth and development story

will remain incomplete without participation by the poorest of the poor. Evolving technology has changed the landscape of the

financial world as digital payments bring with them significant efficiencies. Further, with the fast adoption of mobile

phones and spread of the networks, costs of making transactions have been significantly reduced. Experiences in other

countries and modern technology shows that the future lies in involving non-bank institutions as intermediaries. While

vigilance is justified when confronted with new, unfamiliar systems, stifling innovations and market developments through

extreme caution will only retard the growth trajectory of the economy. The policy makers should therefore work towards

providing an environment where all stakeholders can perform the functions they do best. An added problem in the digital

payment space is that the overlapping roles of multiple regulators leads to coordination failure and this should be well

understood by all policy makers. The need of the hour therefore is to work with clarity and consistency and speed up the

process of moving towards greater openness and greater certainty in the digital payment sphere.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Laveesh Bhandari
Laveesh Bhandari, (Ph.D. Economics, Boston University, USA), Founder Director of Indicus Analytics, an economics research

firm, Best thesis award holder. His areas of work are macroeconomic research, large-frame surveys on economic and social

sector. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications on socio-economic development, health, education etc. For more

visit http://www.indicus.net and http://www.indicus.net/Products/Home/Product%20Briefs/Market%20Skyline%20of%20India/

Keywords: maintaining financial stability, market development and innovation, an economics research firm, socio-economic

development, economic research

Online Banking

The Benefits Of Online Banking
By: Alisdair Cosgrove


Article Summary: Managing your finances can be difficult and time consuming at the best of times, and the last thing that

most people want is to have to spend long periods of time on the phone to their bank, especially if it means being put

through to a foreign call centre. People also tend to want to avoid having to keep rushing to the branch to sort out their

banking issues, as this can take valuable time, especially if you work full time or have other full time commitments

There are many things that can be done online these days, and amongst the many things that you can do online nowadays is your

banking. This method of banking provides a valuable and convenient alternative to traditional banking for many people, and

you will find that it is possible to save yourself the hassle and stress of being stuck in queues either at the branch or on

the phone. Many people these days struggle to keep on top of their finances, and this is made all the more difficult through

the constraints that come with regular banking

One way to avoid the queues and the frustration associated with having to keep phoning your bank or calling in at the branch

is to opt for online banking, which is a facility that many banks offer to customers these days. With online banking the

consumer gets to enjoy a far greater degree of control over their finances, and this means that you can sort out your finance

at a time and from a place that suits you

You will find that there are some major high street banks that offer traditional branch and phone banking facilities, as well

as online banking facilities, enabling consumers to enjoy choice as well as convenience. There are also banks that operate

exclusively online, offering a comprehensive banking service that you can access from your very own home or office

You can conduct pretty much all of your financial matters when you use online banking, and this includes transferring money,

making bill payments, setting up direct debits and standing orders, checking your statements, ordering banking stationery,

and more. This has eliminated the need for many customers to have to contact their banks in person or by phone

Online banking has become increasingly popular over the past few years, and consumers are becoming more and more confidence

with regards to the safety and security of online banking. You will receive your own password and security details when you

register for online banking, and you should obviously exercise caution in terms of things such as saving your password and

security details on a shared computer

A major benefit of online banking is that you do not have to worry about opening times, as you have access to your account

around the clock, seven days a week, and you can do this from the comfort and privacy of your own home. This gives you far

greater control over your account, although you should still be careful about your security details – for example, never save

your password and security number on a shared computer

Whilst many banks do offer online banking facilities, there are some that may not, so you need to ensure that you check with

your bank with regards to whether online banking facilities are on offer. You may prefer to sign up with a bank that operates

exclusively online, and there are banks such as First Direct that offer this service. With online banking you can enjoy a

more convenient and speedy way of operating your current and your savings accounts without even leaving the home

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Alisdair Cosgrove
Alisdair Cosgrove has been writing personal finance articles for many years and can find more of his work at the UK site

www.TheMoneyStop.co.uk, offering balance transfer credit cards along with great business accounts. Visit today to find a

great deal or read one more of Alsidair's great articles.

Keywords: personal, finance, interest, money, cash, income, credit, loans, cards, homeowners

Extra Cash

Three Ways To Make Extra Cash Today
By: Richard Adams



Article Summary: Provides tried and tested strategies for earning quick cash when you are in a squeeze. Excellent advice at

this time of year.

With the prevalent economic crisis today and with the holiday season fast approaching, you are probably very much pressured

to earn more. True, you are expecting a Christmas bonus from your company, but that, in itself, may have already been

allocated for a certain project or expense. So you are left with resorting to other means of income. This article will

provide you with three ways to make extra cash today. These are fairly simple suggestions, and these do not need a lot of

capital, as well.

1. Get freelance work from friends or other companies. As almost all services are being outsourced today, for sure you will

find clients who want small projects done. As these are fairly temporary in nature, companies prefer freelancers to take care

of the job so they don't have to hire additional people and let them go after the project is completed.

Getting freelance jobs from friends is easier as you've already established a relationship with them. Also, they are already

familiar with your work ethics, so it wouldn't be much of an issue negotiating terms and conditions.

Usually, website design, software development, training, and writing are among the most common jobs you can take to earn

extra cash. Make use of your talent and translate it to extra income.

2. Get rid of your unused stuff. Selling is perhaps the oldest form of making money, so make use of this method of earning

extra cash. Look into the things that you have been storing in your broom closet, and identify the items that you are never

ever going to use again. At the outset, it'll be hard to let go of some stuff, especially when these have sentimental value.

Sometimes, however, you need to be practical and finally let go of some things. This way, you are not only earning extra

money, you are also clearing your house from clutter.

Of course, it goes without saying that you need to make sure that the items you want to sell are still usable and are of good

quality. Otherwise, this means of earning extra income will not really work.

3. Use the Internet. Of course, no other resource is better than the Internet when it comes to earning extra income. It is so

accessible that anyone who has an Internet connection can reap its benefits.

There are more than a hundred ways of earning extra income from the Internet. The most common ones are participating in

online surveys, joining online shopping sites, bidding to develop software, and online writing.

With online surveys, clients send you forms and questions to answer. Aside from the upfront cash offered by this endeavor,

it's great to know that your opinion is valued.

There are also a number of things that you can do for online writing. Whether you're writing blogs, product descriptions, or

even tips and trivia, there's always something for the writer in you.

Whatever skill you may have, you will always find something on the Internet that will let you earn extra cash. The good thing

about this method of making additional income is there's practically no amount needed from you as investment. All you need to

have is a computer, an Internet connection, an ample amount of extra time, and, of course, your talent. There are still a

number of other strategies of earning extra cash. The ones mentioned above are the simplest and the most common ones adapted

by many. If you do decide to try put in a substantial increase on your regular paycheck, then it may serve you right to

research on other more profitable ways and see what works for you.

These three ways to make extra cash today will surely address some of your financial obligations. The earnings may not be

enough to cover a full-month's salary, but, at least, it can help you. After all, these are only meant to be additional

income. This means that they will only supplement the regular amount of money that you are receiving from your primary job.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Richard Adams
For plenty more ideas on how to make cash today visit our new website which can be found at: http://www.Make-Cash-Today.com

Keywords: money, make money, make money online, cash, quick cash, internet marketing

Crisis or Opportunity

Crisis or Opportunity? - Wealth Creation Tips in Recession
By: Elizabeth Siebert


Article Summary: While the financial crisis is real, what it represents is entirely up to you. More Millionaires were borne

out of the Great Depression than any other time in history. "Be fearful when others and greedy, and greedy when others are

fearful." See these tips to not just surviving but profiting from recession.

Crisis Or Opportunity?

While the current financial crisis is real, what it represents is up to you. The Chinese symbol for "crisis" is said to be

made up of two individual characters which mean, in broad terms, "danger" and "opportunity".

You can decide how you will respond to the current climate. Will you adopt a poverty consciousness and cut back to survive?

Or, will you see the current state of play in the global economy as an opportunity to foster your entrepreneurial skills and

build more prosperity?

The transferral of wealth currently taking place means there has never been a better time to launch a business in a market

you identify as growing already or is predicted to grow into the future. The current climate represents the perfect storm of

opportunity. However, it is up to you to decide whether you will capitalise on the market conditions. More millionaires were

made out of the Great Depression than ever before.

If you believe the conditions represent all threat and no opportunity, you are right. If you believe they can assist you in

creating wealth and prosperity, you are are also correct. As Warren Buffet put it, "Be fearful when others and greedy, and

greedy when others are fearful."

Take responsibility, set down your goals, identify opportunity and take confident action.

Survival Tip 1 : Take Responsibility

Accept that you are where you are because of decisions you have made. Sure, others may have had an influence and you may see

circumstance as playing a role, but now is the time to acknowledge that you need to find a way forward. While you are

thinking this through, remember - if you keep doing what you've been doing, you will keep getting what you've been getting.

This is a time for creative thinking and practical steps. It is not someone else's job to 'rescue you'. For the longest time,

I didn't understand this (and many people fail to ever grasp this concept) your financial future is in your hands. Don't out

source it - it can be great fun creating wealth and freedom, but you must take responsibility.

Survival Tip 2: Set Your Goals

What needs to change? Where will you be in a month, six months, a year? When was the last time you thought about what you

used to want for your life? Is that the life your are living? Or, is there something better out there for you? Do you need to

pay off your debt? Or are you brave enough to think beyond this? Do you aspire to financial security? What are your goals?

Think about this carefully, you get what you focus on.

Survival Tip 3: Identify Opportunity

There are a number of courses of action available to you.

Start Saving : Cut down on every luxury you can and make it a game. There are loads of suggestions available on the internet

about how to save and live well. In the early stages, this might work. But, remember, having a 'poverty consciousness' will

keep you poor. The best approach is to couple some sensible spending with investment in opportunities that will provide

further income.

Work Harder : Think this through, will longer hours generate more wealth or just longer hours? While you are at it, ask

yourself whether you have an 'employee' mentality or an 'entrepreneur's' mindset. There is a big difference. If you believe

that your only course is to work for someone else, then that's the path you will choose. If, however, you can shift your

beliefs just a little, you might find an entrepreneur buried in there just dying to get out. Will working harder enable you

to achieve the goals you have set down above?

Work Smarter : There are hundreds of big and small opportunities out there to start creating wealth. Start seeking out and

exploring opportunities. You should be aiming to create three to four income streams. Some, preferably all, of these will be

passive or residual income opportunities. This might include anything from marketing someone else's product on line through

to share trading and property investment. Be judicious and do your homework. Starting as a click bank marketer can quickly

lead to beginning your own business in a field that is growing. Follow not just your passion but growth patterns and strong

evidence of market size and predicted growth. Again, will these opportunities (or a collection of them) provide sufficient

wealth to realise your goals?

Survival Tip 4 : Take Action

Hemingway tells us, 'Never mistake motion for action'. Things will not change for you unless you change your choices. This is

not an exercise in positive thinking - although your beliefs will most certainly drive your actions - this is an exercise in

behavioural change. You need to be 'being' different by making different choices, then you need to be 'doing' things

differently to have different results. One of the most powerful methods for this is developing a daily practice. Assess your

daily activities against your short, medium and long term goals. If your activities aren't supporting the direction in which

you have decided you want to go, then why are you spending time on them? If your activities aren't generating health, wealth

or happiness, reassess and recalibrate.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Elizabeth Siebert
Elizabeth Siebert is a Master of Economics, international policy adviser, writer and entrepreneur. She is Director of

Extraordinary Life Enterprises, a company that assists people all over the world to change their behaviour to create wealth

and freedom. Go to: http://www.extraordinarylife.com .au

Keywords: wealth, money, recession, home businesses, home based businesses, franchise, work from home, law of attraction,

personal development

Finance That Computer

Should You Finance That Computer?
By: Samantha Asher


Article Summary: Is financing always the right choice? Better yet, is financing ever the right choice? Find out what

financing anything could do to you.

So you're browsing in an electronic store or on the internet at computers. Maybe you have been in the market for one or maybe

you just stumbled along them by chance. Either way, you have eyed a computer system that is just too good to be true. It has

everything you've ever wanted in a computer. It is chock full of memory on its larger than life hard drive, it has all your

favorite programs preinstalled, and it even has the large screen you've always wanted. It is truly the cream of the crop when

it comes to computers.

What's the problem? What else but the price. Something so luxurious is bound to be expensive and far above any price you'd be

willing to pay. In the event that something is beyond what you can afford, there are other options. You could ask your

parents or a friend for the money, you could sell a kidney to pay for it, you could charge it to your credit card, or you

could finance.

When you finance a purchase, you are essentially borrowing money to pay for it. It is almost like you are leasing it until it

is paid for and then you can keep it. For example, let's say this computer is $1,000 and you can only afford $500. You can

pay $500 and finance the rest, or you can finance the entire purchase. This allows you to take home the computer today

instead of having to wait until you have saved enough money at which time the computer might be outdated.

Before you make such a big decision, you need to understand why it's such a big decision and what effect it can have

whichever way you go. When you finance a purchase, you are charged interest. This is where they get you. When you buy a

house, you might get anywhere from a 5 to 8 percent interest rate. This is not the case with consumer purchases. I know

someone who financed a computer for about $600 and got a 28% interest rate. That is enormous! If they only paid $20 a month,

a few dollars above he minimum required, they would be paying between $10 and $14 a month in interest for the first year. If

they pay it at the minimum until it's paid, they will have paid hundreds of dollars in interest!

This interest rate is even more than some credit card rates. If you just have to buy it now, check your credit card rate and

compare it to the rate they give you and go with the lesser of the two. Better yet, save your money, put it into an interest

bearing account such as a CD, and let it accumulate even faster. You will save a LOT of money.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Samantha Asher
Should I pay off my debt? Find out more about financial planning at FinancialPlanningMadeEasy.info.

Keywords: budgeting, financial planning