For the past few weeks the market has had a very nice advance breaking out of an eight month sideways pattern. Then the brick wall. Several days of slamming down taking back some of the nice profits that have been accumulating.
Now what? We know which way is up, but we don’t know how high is up? Don’t think you are confused. So am I and I am considered a professional trader.
The market is giving mixed signals. Some technicians claim their signals are bullish and others say their signals are bearish. The fundamentalists (those folks including many economists) are also on both sides of the fence.
Is there anything folks can do to protect their investments?
Wall Street says buy and hold. We have seen what happened with that scenario in 2000. Many investors lost their shirt, pants and underwear. Less than 1% of brokers called their clients to tell them to sell. They did not know either because they have not been taught how to protect portfolio profits. Many investors said I can’t sell here because I will have to pay huge taxes. Well, they didn’t have to pay any taxes because they gave back all their profits and in some cases much of their original investment. Can that happen again? You betcha sweet bibby it can. Has your broker learned anything since 2000? More importantly have YOU learned anything from the 2000 debacle?
There is what I call portfolio insurance that helps you identify how high is up. How? Having been an exchange member and floor trader for 17 years I learned very quickly (or you go quickly broke) that I had better have my exit strategy planned before I buy.
Did you know that when a general makes a battle plan he also has a retreat strategy for his troops? If the battle does not go well he wishes to withdraw with as many of his troops in tact as possible. The same strategy should be employed for your investments. When you buy any stock or mutual fund you must have a plan to sell before you lose all your money. Any fool can buy. It is the wise investor who knows when to sell.
Your automobile may cost $15,000 and I will bet you have a policy that has a deductible amount to protect you from a total loss in event of an accident. This also the way you should think about buying stocks or mutual funds. The deductible is
your stop loss order for every position in your portfolio. No one is 100% right when buying so you must know how much you are risking before you buy and place the open stop loss the moment your order is executed.
When you buy your portfolio insurance (and it is free) it is also prudent to raise that stop as your stock advances so you will not give back your profits. Every professional trader uses stops. You can too.
Article written by: Albert W. Thomas, author of best seller "IF IT DOESN'T GO UP,DON'T BUY IT!", former 17-year exchange member, floor trader and brokerage company owner. Visit his website at: www.mutualfundmagic.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
What is Credit Insurance?
Are you wondering what is credit insurance? Very simply, credit insurance is an insurance policy that protects a loan on the chance that you are unable to make the repayments. The next time you have occasion to apply for a loan or mortgage, you will be asked if you want to buy credit insurance, or it might already be included in your loan proposal. If so, it will increase your loan amount and you'll pay additional interest.
Credit insurance usually is optional, which means you don't have to purchase it from the lender. Before deciding to buy credit insurance from a lender, think about your needs, your options, and the rates you're going to pay. You may decide you don't need credit insurance.
If you decide to get credit insurance be aware that it can be an expensive form of insurance. For example, it may be less expensive and more practical for you to get life insurance than credit insurance.
Before deciding to buy credit insurance, ask the lender the following questions:
1. How much is the credit insurance premium?
2. Will the credit insurance premium be financed as part of the loan?
3. Can you pay monthly instead of financing the entire premium as part of your loan?
4. How much lower would your monthly loan payment be without the credit insurance?
5. Will the insurance cover the full length of your loan and the full loan amount?
6. Can you cancel the insurance? If so, what kind of refund is available?
Prior to signing any loan papers, ask the lender whether the loan includes any charges for voluntary credit insurance. If you don't want credit insurance, tell the lender. If the lender still insists that you take out credit insurance, find another lender.
You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:
About the Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Credit insurance usually is optional, which means you don't have to purchase it from the lender. Before deciding to buy credit insurance from a lender, think about your needs, your options, and the rates you're going to pay. You may decide you don't need credit insurance.
If you decide to get credit insurance be aware that it can be an expensive form of insurance. For example, it may be less expensive and more practical for you to get life insurance than credit insurance.
Before deciding to buy credit insurance, ask the lender the following questions:
1. How much is the credit insurance premium?
2. Will the credit insurance premium be financed as part of the loan?
3. Can you pay monthly instead of financing the entire premium as part of your loan?
4. How much lower would your monthly loan payment be without the credit insurance?
5. Will the insurance cover the full length of your loan and the full loan amount?
6. Can you cancel the insurance? If so, what kind of refund is available?
Prior to signing any loan papers, ask the lender whether the loan includes any charges for voluntary credit insurance. If you don't want credit insurance, tell the lender. If the lender still insists that you take out credit insurance, find another lender.
You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:
About the Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Dental Insurance
Dental costs are becoming an increasingly significant health care expense and more and more people are making sure they are protected against these costs with a dental insurance policy. Dental insurance policies typically work in the same way as any other medical insurance policy. You will pay your monthly premium and this will entitle you to specific dental care procedures such as checkups, cleaning and x-rays. You will also be covered for other procedures that are deemed necessary to keep your teeth and gums in good health.
As with all insurance policies, they will vary in what treatments they cover and how much they cost. While more expensive policies will give you greater benefits and allow you access to a greater range of services, cheaper ones will be restricted in what they cover and you will be required to contribute to the cost of procedures you require. If you think you will need dental surgery, oral implants, the services of an orthodontist and other more expensive forms of treatment, you will probably want to go for a more comprehensive policy.
One of the main differences between medical and dental health care is that children generally require far more treatment and expense than adults do. This is true right up through your child's teen years when orthodontists' bills can often be extremely expensive. You may therefore wish to cover only your children with dental insurance and you should check with your insurer to see if this is possible. While some insurance companies will allow children to have their own dental insurance policies, others will only insure them as part of an adult or family plan and if this is the case you will require to insure them with your own dental insurance provider and this may mean taking out dental insurance for yourself if you do not already have it.
Another option offered by some insurance companies is to take a form of dental discount card. This is not dental insurance in the strict sense of the meaning but does provide you with discounts on dental treatment when you require using them. They can be a cheaper way of obtaining limited protection against dental costs and for this reason are growing in popularity. Not all insurers will provide them so shop around and see what's on offer. As with all insurance, there can be great differences is what you will be offered for your money and considering that dental insurance can be a significant expense, it is wise to make sure you know what is available before you decide to opt for any policy.
About the author: Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of insurance in the UK. If you found this article interesting you may find more articles of the same nature in the insurance guide located on site.
As with all insurance policies, they will vary in what treatments they cover and how much they cost. While more expensive policies will give you greater benefits and allow you access to a greater range of services, cheaper ones will be restricted in what they cover and you will be required to contribute to the cost of procedures you require. If you think you will need dental surgery, oral implants, the services of an orthodontist and other more expensive forms of treatment, you will probably want to go for a more comprehensive policy.
One of the main differences between medical and dental health care is that children generally require far more treatment and expense than adults do. This is true right up through your child's teen years when orthodontists' bills can often be extremely expensive. You may therefore wish to cover only your children with dental insurance and you should check with your insurer to see if this is possible. While some insurance companies will allow children to have their own dental insurance policies, others will only insure them as part of an adult or family plan and if this is the case you will require to insure them with your own dental insurance provider and this may mean taking out dental insurance for yourself if you do not already have it.
Another option offered by some insurance companies is to take a form of dental discount card. This is not dental insurance in the strict sense of the meaning but does provide you with discounts on dental treatment when you require using them. They can be a cheaper way of obtaining limited protection against dental costs and for this reason are growing in popularity. Not all insurers will provide them so shop around and see what's on offer. As with all insurance, there can be great differences is what you will be offered for your money and considering that dental insurance can be a significant expense, it is wise to make sure you know what is available before you decide to opt for any policy.
About the author: Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of insurance in the UK. If you found this article interesting you may find more articles of the same nature in the insurance guide located on site.
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