50 Ways To Boost Your Brain Power

1) Meditate — Meditation has been known to increase IQ, relieve stress, and promotes higher levels of brain functioning. Meditation also activates the “prefrontal cortex” of the brain, an area responsible for advanced thinking ability and performance.

2) Draw A Picture — Drawing stimulates the right-hemisphere of the brain and inspires creativity. Get out the colored pencils and begin drawing your way to a powerful brain.

3) Exercise — Long-term exercise has been proven to increase brain power and even create new neurons in the brain. Go out and get a natural high off of your own brain chemistry through exercise!

4) Brainwave Entrainment — Brainwave entrainment is a safe, innovative way to stimulate and shape the brain and it’s functioning. You can literally build up more control over your life and harness your brain’s potential!

5) Avoid Junk Food – Junk food has been proven to decrease energy in the body and promotes “brain fog.” Cut some junk food from your diet, and reap the benefits of a more calm, focused brain chemistry.

6) Deep Breathing — Deep breathing actually increases oxygen levels and blood-flow to the brain. 10-15 minutes of daily deep breathing can make a huge difference in the quality of your life and brain’s functioning potential.

7) Learn A New Language — Learning adds more structure to the brain and improves the brain’s speech centers. Hablas espanol? It may be time for you to take a class or program to supplement your job-skills and brain power!

8) Take Fish Oil — Fish oil supplements are literally like membrane material for the brain. The 2 primary components of EPA and DHA each act to strengthen both the emotional center of the brain and boost focus. There is an increase in overall brain activity after taking fish oil for awhile.

9) Laugh It Up — Laughter causes a natural release of the brain’s endorphins — chemicals that drown out pain and increase overall wellbeing. Laughter is a well known, natural stress reducer. Watch a comedy, crack a joke, and increase those endorphin levels!

10) Engage In Debate — A good, healthy debate strengthens the brain’s ability to think quickly and apply intelligence to verbal situations. Work to build up your brain power by engaging in plenty of healthy debate. Just ask someone who they are voting for in the presidential election and you’ll definitely provoke a debate!

11) Take A Multivitamin — Vitamins are great for the brain, and if it does not get enough of a certain vitamin through daily diet, consider a multivitamin. Multivitamins help facilitate the functioning of a healthy body and enriched brain. Start popping a vitamin each morning for awhile and chances are good that you’ll notice a difference!

12) Drink Red Wine — Alcohol in moderation has been proven to be good for the brain. Why? It is rich in antioxidants — chemicals that actually protect the brain! One glass daily for women and two for men is generally considered a healthy amount.

13) Eat Healthy — You know what ‘healthy’ is, so why not eat healthy and improve your brain? The brain requires a certain amount of energy to reach it’s maximum level of functioning. Eating chocolate cake and chips instead of fish and legumes, well maybe that’s why you cannot think clearly.

14) Change Your Environment — To keep your brain properly stimulated, it is important to keep changing your environment. Drive a new route to work, eat at a new restaurant on Friday night. Changing the environment helps change the brain!

15) Set Goals — Setting goals activates areas of the brain associated with positive thinking and action. Setting goals is great for achieving success and prosperity in life and boosting your brain.

16) Listen To Music — Studies have proven that listening to music strengthens the right-hemisphere of the brain and literally changes the structure. Those same studies have found that people who listen to music are generally smarter and have more emotional intelligence than those who don’t.

17) Be Empathetic — Being empathetic and trying to understand the emotions of others is a skill that your brain can learn. Being empathetic is definitely a powerful trait to have and allows your brain to relate to the emotions of others.

18) Avoid Stress — A little bit of stress will never hurt anybody. Too much stress actually causes detrimental increases in the hormone “cortisol” which in high levels, kills brain cells and suppresses brain functioning.

19) Think Positive — If you are currently very good at thinking positively, chances are good that you already have a more powerful brain than those “Negative Nellies.” Take 10 minutes daily to think more positive and start noticing an improvement in thinking abilities and problem solving skills.

20) Brainstorm — A good brainstorming session to think of new, stimulating ideas is a great way to boost your brains ability to think creatively. Brainstorming is actually a different way of thinking that will equip your brain with a quick creative boost.

21) Write An Article — Writing is linked to an improved memory and expression of thoughts. When you write, you are strengthening your brain’s natural ability to convey thoughts and feelings. Writing is a great way to exercise your ability to analyze and build a thought process with critical thinking. Journals, diaries, blog entries, and writing stories are phenomenal ways to fulfill your brain.

22) Visualize — Visualization has been associated with focus at a deeper level. Many successful athletes that are able to play “in the zone” actually visualize their game at a deeper level. Visualization has been linked to lowered stress, increased creativity, and peak mind-body performance.

23) Get Some Sleep — Be sure to always fulfill your brain’s need for sleep. Sleep clears out mental clutter and unimportant thoughts. Getting a good night’s sleep can also be the difference between a sharp memory and feeling forgetful. Everyone has different sleep requirements, be sure to fulfill yours! If you don’t get enough sleep — you may want to take a nap…

24) Do Self-Hypnosis — The power of hypnotic suggestion is definitely real. You can change aspects of your thought process and learn to shift your focus by taking the time to do some self-hypnosis. Hypnosis research shows that by practicing hypnosis, an individual experiences lowered stress, increased pain tolerance, and clear thinking. Try it out for yourself if you haven’t already!

25) Do Crossword Puzzles — Crossword puzzles bring out your brain’s ability to critically think and recall past memories. The challenge of completing crossword puzzles is definitely mentally invigorating and stimulating. If you enjoy reading the newspaper, be sure to check out the daily crossword puzzles section and build up that brain power!

26) Eat Nuts — Brazil and South American University students swear by eating nuts before taking exams. They notice that eating them is correlated with an increase in test scores. New studies are beginning to prove nuts effectiveness at increasing brain power. If you do not eat a lot of nuts, try it sometime and reap the brain related benefits!

27) Read Books — Reading books teaches your brain to adapt to absorb large amounts of information in shorter periods of time. Books challenge your thinking abilities and memorization skills, as well as boost vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Not only do you learn something from reading a book, but your brain power increases as you build up the book load.

28) Listen To Classical Tunes — Listening to classical music activates the left hemisphere of the brain, which is why classical music usually helps students do better in mathematics and writing. If you haven’t yet tried listening to some Mozart, consider it! Mozart has been linked to an 80 % increase in spatial intelligence scores!

29) Play “Brain Age” — New games like “Brain Age” for the nintendo DS and Big-Brain Academy help promote quick thinking and essential brain skills. These games work wonderful for improving thinking speed and natural problem solving skills. I’ve had a chance to play these games before and I can personally vouch for their effectiveness!

30) Take A Nap – Taking a nap has been proven through research to significantly improve task-performance and thinking abilities. If you are feeling tired throughout the day and have time to take a quick nap, it is recommended. Naps are a wonderful refresher and quick little mental booster.

31) Turn Off The T.V. – Watching T.V. may not be the only reason which rotting begins in the brain, but it is a key ingredient to the rotting process. A little T.V. will never hurt anybody, but it does definitely change brain functioning. The act of watching T.V. slows brainwaves and causes a decline in brain fitness.

32) Paint A Picture — Being able to visualize where you want paint to go on paper sparks pure creativity from within. Painting is an exercise that gets the right-brain fully functioning and improves your creative side. If you haven’t tried painting a picture, give it a shot and notice that you’re likely to feel and be more creative.

33) Start Crying — Don’t be afraid to cry when the time is right! Crying actually heals emotions and promotes healthy circulation within the brain. Those who are able to cry are actually cleansing the inside of their brain, which is another very healthy way to increase brain power.

34) Eat Less — Eating too much food has the effect of decreasing blood-flow to the brain and increasing blood-flow to the digestive system. Therefore, if you are able to cut-back on the total amount of food you consume, you will have enhanced brain functioning. In several lab studies, rats on a calorie-restricted diet had increased blood flow to their brains.

35) Eat Breakfast — When kids who hadn’t eating breakfast for awhile, began to eat breakfast, their math grades went up an entire letter grade (on average). Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day — it provides your body with fuel for the rest of the day. If you don’t have time to eat an entire breakfast in the morning, at least have some sort of snack… It could give your brain a powerful edge!

36) Go For A Walk — Exercise deifnitely benefits the brain, and walking is a great form of exercise that is easy and very effective for boosting brainpower. Walking puts your mind in a relaxed state of clear thought and brain function. Walking gives your brain a chance to wander and free itself from any troubling thoughts.

37) Mimic Others — Being able to mimic other’s actions and talk activates several areas of the brain that are usually inactive. Mimicing others, if done in a fun, playful manner, can improve your brain power and the brain’s natural ability to adapt quickly when faced with new situations.

38) Solve Puzzles — Solving puzzles is a great way to stimulate your brains ability to critically think and process information. Puzzles are thought provoking, challenging, and a fun activity. The great thing about puzzles is that they require activity in the left-hemisphere of the brain to work with, and transfer information to, the right hemisphere’s visual center of the brain. Want a more integrated brain? Solve a puzzle!

39) Do Neurofeedback — Neurofeedback is a great way to learn to consciously control your brain wave patterns. Neurofeedback builds brain structure and helps promote flexibility within a brain’s neural network. Though neurofeedback is somewhat costly, if you’ve got enough money — it may very well be the best investment you can make for your brain!

40) Cut Alcohol Consumption — Alcohol in moderation isn’t terrible for the brain, too much alcohol is damaging to brain health and function. If you want to boost brain power, cutting alcohol is a great way to do it. Alcohol can cause memory problems and encourage “foggy,” disorganized thinking.

41) Live A Drug-Free Lifestyle — Everyone knows that drugs are bad for them. Drugs do not foster creativity, they kill creativity and deplete brain cells. Depending on the drug, effects can range from brain bleeding, to cell loss, to impairments in neural growth. Live drug free and keep your brain more powerful!

42) Drink Fruit Juice — Drinking fruit juice revitalizes the brain and provides cells with a refreshing jolt of nutrients. Great juices to drink include: grape juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, and apple juice. Most juices provide your brain with vital nutrients which in turn, provide you with more mental energy and focus.

43) Be Self-Aware — When you learn to let go of ego-driven and emotional aspects of life, rational thinking kicks in. Rational thinking will allow you to become self-aware, which in turn allows you to make better future decisions to achieve optimal brain health. Activities like meditation, self-hypnosis, and introspection allow us to increase our self-awareness.

44) Take Gingko Biloba — Gingko Biloba has been scientifically researched and documented to significantly increase blood-flow to the brain. Gingko Biloba is a farily inexpensive way to pump up your brain’s blood-flow. Increased bloodflow to the brain is correlated with an increase in focus and problem solving. Try some Gingko Biloba and allow your brain to reap the benefits!

45) Have Sex — Having sex is a great way to naturally release vital hormones in the brain. When involved in a loving relationship, having sex improves social connection as well as emotional intelligence. Sex is connecting, stress-relieving, and a great way to give your brain a boost. Chances are that sex will also improve your confidence and ability to think positively!

46) Drink Caffeine — Research shows that students that drink coffee before exams, have higher scores. Why? Caffeine seems to stimulate activity in the brain, speed up thinking, and improve focus. Too much caffeine is never good as it can cause stress or trigger anger. A little bit, however, may be the ticket to an “A” on your test. Drink some and find out how it affects your focus and thinking abilities!

47) Sniff Some Basil — I personally haven’t tried this method, but there seem to be many claims testifying for Basil’s effectiveness at improving overall brain function. Either way, certain fragrances actually change brain functioning. Taking a whiff of peppermint speeds up brain functioning, while other fragrances actually slow things down! Since scent is the strongest thing tied to memory, some good fragrances can definitely help out brain functioning.

48) Stay In School — If you are in school, chances are good that you will boost your brain power more than the average dropout! Keeping up with school work, means giving your brain a good workout in areas of self-discipline, learning, and mental processing. Stay in school, or do something to always be learning something new!

49) Ask Questions — Asking questions is a phenomenal way to keep your brain in shape. Get in the habit of questioning others and their thoughts. Questions can provoke new thoughts and ideas and asking them is a great way to build up brain power!

50) Re-Read This List – Want to boost your brain power? Start by re-reading this list and highlighting several methods that you can apply to your life. As a matter of fact, print this list out and staple it up someplace that you will view everyday. That way, when walking past the list, you can take a glance and randomly choose an activity to boost your brain power!

How To Use CSV Files

Data tables are presented in Comma Delimited, CSV text file format. Although this file format allows for the data table to be easily retrieved into a variety of applications, they are best viewed within one that will allow one to easily manipulate data that is in columnar format. Common examples of such applications are those that are used to create spreadsheets and databases.

If you don't have access to either a spreadsheet or a database application, you can also retrieve the data table file into either an ASCII text-editing or a word-processing application. However, since neither of these two application types has the facility to easily format the width of the data columns, quite a bit of manual reformatting will be required to properly view the data.

Before you save the data table to disk, it is recommended that you view it first to make sure that it contains the data you are interested in.

To View a Data Table

To view a data table, within your browser window, click on the CSV link that is located just to the right of the table name.

Alternatively, you can right-click on the CSV link and then select "Open in New Window." This viewing method is particularly useful if you want to open several tables for viewing at the same time. Simply repeat the steps for each table you want to open for viewing.

File Viewing Tip: If you find that the table is wider than can be viewed within the width of your screen, use your browser's Search key to locate key information that you are looking for.

To Save a Data Table to Disk

To save a data table to disk, highlight the CSV link, right-click, and then select "Save Target As." Make sure that you save the file as a CSV Text Document.

File Saving Tip: If you want to save the data table to a diskette, check its file size beforehand to confirm that it will fit on the diskette. Open the data table for viewing. Click on File/Properties. (Alternatively, you can right-click anywhere within the table and select "Properties".) Included in the properties displayed will be the file's size.

To Retrieve a Data Table in to a Spreadsheet Application or Import the Data Table into a Database Application

To retrieve the data table into a spreadsheet application, proceed with the steps that you normally go through to open an existing spreadsheet.

To import the data table into a database, create a new table and then import the data table file into the newly created database table.

Note that because the data table is formatted as a CSV Text Document, you may be prompted to set the file import options, which will ensure that the data is properly formatted when the file is retrieved into the spreadsheet or imported into the database table. The key file import options and their associated values are listed in the table below.

Import Option	Value
Data Type	Comma Delimited
File Origin	Windows ANSI
Text Qualifier	{"}
Field Delimiter	{,}
First Row	Field Names

Additionally, please note that null field values may be represented by the phrase "n.a." You may need to replace all instances of "n.a." with a blank field before importing the data table into your spreadsheet/database.

Tips: Once you've retrieved/imported the data table, immediately save it to disk before making any formatting changes. This will avoid the need to reimport it should you run into problems formatting the table. Remember to save the file in the native format of the spreadsheet/database package rather than as a text file. All fields, except those that contain numbers, should be specified as field type = text. Numeric fields that contain "n.a." field values should have a numeric field type. When selecting which numeric field type to use, keep in mind that the field type you select will determine the decimal precision of the field. Decimal precision will, in turn, determine the amount of disk space that is allocated to the data stored in that field. In general, the greater the degree of decimal precision required, the more disk space that is needed to store the field value. If the overall size of the database is of a programmatic concern to you, choose your numeric fields carefully. To print the entire data table, you may need to maximize your page format settings as follows:
Format Setting	Value
Page Size	Legal
Page Orientation	Landscape
Font Type	Any proportional font such as Line Printer, Arial, or Universe. A fixed font such as Times Roman or Courier will increase the required line length.
Font Size	8 point or smaller
Margins	Left = 0" Right = 0"	Actual margin width will be set to the lowest default value for your printer.

To Retrieve a Data Table into an ASCII Text Editor or Word-Processing Application

To retrieve the data table into either an ASCII text editor or word-processing application, proceed with the steps that you normally go through to open a text file or document.

If you are retrieving the data table into a word-processing application, you may be prompted to convert the file format. If yes, indicate that you are converting from "ASCII Text."

Tips for Retrieving a Data Table into a Word-Processing Application: Once you've retrieved/imported the data table, immediately save it to disk before making any formatting changes. This will avoid the need to reimport it should you run into problems formatting the table. Remember to save the file in the native format of the spreadsheet/database package rather than as a text file. Since the data columns are delimited with commas, you can search and replace all instances of commas with a Tab command. This will automatically align the columns for easier reading. To view and/or print an entire data table, you may need to adjust the document's tab settings so that the columns display correctly. Also, you may need to maximize your page format settings as follows:
Format Setting	Value
Page Size	Legal
Page Orientation	Landscape
Font Type	Any proportional font such as Line Printer, Arial, or Universe. A fixed font such as Times Roman or Courier will increase the required line length.
Font Size	8 point or smaller
Margins	Left = 0" Right = 0"	Actual margin width will be set to the lowest default value for your printer.

Some Tips For Online Trading

Stock trading is a very profitable business for many people. The key is to analyze the market trends and formulate smart strategies for them. Yes, education is needed if you are to realize real profits in stocks.

The following are a few tips to help you reap the rewards of stock trading:

1. Do your due diligence. Learn some trading strategies that others are using that are working for them and then work out your own trading strategy for your temperament.

2. Do your research. Get to know what companies make, what their management is like, how much capital they have, how much stock the owners have.

3. Don't get overly exuberant. If you see a stock that is taking off and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon...don't jump with them unless you've researched the stock or at least checked it out on a chart. You want to buy low and sell high. In other words buy a stock from a good company but buy that stock ON SALE.

4. Don't get greedy. Once you start to see some profits but think the stock will go higher - take some of your profits off the table and let the rest ride. This way you lower your risk while still giving yourself the potential to make more profits.

5. Develop a diverse portfolio for yourself. Don't put all your eggs in one basket by investing in one company. That's not wise even if the company is very profitable right now. Invest in small cap and large cap stocks in different industries. The big ones might move slowly, but the small ones will be the ones that will keep the money flowing.

6. Learn the market trends. There are many trends to watch but some could include a company that is about to turn around in the future, or a company that is an Initial Public Offering (IPO), or one that is getting ready to merge, or a company that has new products coming out. Any time a company is about to take a step in a positive direction is a good time to consider trading that company's stock.

7. Always use proper money management. Don't throw all your money into stock trading. Keep separate accounts, one for trading, one for long-term investments and another for savings.

8. In your trading account always determine how much risk you are willing to take with each trade before you make that trade. In other words, how much can you afford to lose in each trade without depleting your capital?

9. Don't trade with your emotions. If you're having a bad day. If your not feeling well. DON'T TRADE that day. There's always another day to trade and being in the right frame of mind is crucial so you don't make a stupid trading decision.

10. Treat trading like a business, keep good records, make decisions that are good for your "company".

Start small. Start safe. Your stock trading will eventually take you to the financial freedom you are looking for.

A way to start small and safe is with microcap stocks, forex or options since the outlay of capital is much, much lower. For a detailed review of some systems that can use to get you started making money trading stocks go here http://www.squidoo.com/tradingstocksmadeeasy

Mutual Fund Investment Companies Worldwide

There are lots of Mutual Fund Investment Companies all over the world. With the growing popularity of the investment it has become important to analyze the best companies but there is no particular criteria to base the analysis. With the help provided by the professionals and the financial advisers it has become very easy to invest in mutual funds and it has become the secured way to generate money. There are various types of mutual funds and there are three main that are income funds, growth funds and balanced funds.

As mutual funds are becoming most preferred investment portfolio it is important that you know exactly where to buy these instruments so that your hard earned money is in safe hands. If you are trying to invest in mutual funds of insurance companies then it will not prove to be very profitable. They don't sell the product directly but try to combine with other products. Banks also provide with mutual funds but in the form of loaded funds. So if you want to generate more income, trust the stockbrokers and the investment advisers.

While selecting a group that offers investment advices you should be very cautious and beware of the fake groups. Try to research online about the group and read the reviews and feedbacks of the users so that you get the idea of the benefits and the drawbacks of the group easily. With so many mutual fund investment companies and various options available in the market it becomes difficult to choose the right one. You should know clearly your financial goals before investing and choose the mutual fund investment companies to invest your money. In this way you will get maximum returns for your money.

Russell Clark owns and operates the popular website Trust-Deed-Investor.com

Understanding Mutual Fund Terms

Once you know the meaning of these terms, it will be a lot easier for you to understand what all those mutual fund consultants and financial managers are saying.

Expense Ratio

One of the most common mutual fund terms is expense ratio. What does it mean? Expense ratio simply means the cost to operate your fund. This includes administrative fees, management fees and other expenses related to fund operations. You will see the expense ratio in a form of percentage deducted from your earnings.

If you do not understand why a certain percentage is deducted from your earnings, ask you financial consultant or fund manager to explain to you the whole thing. It may be difficult for your fund manager to come up with an itemized list of expenses and their corresponding amount but he or she can give you a good idea of what fees were paid out of your earnings.

12b-1 Fee

The term "12b-1 fee" may sound weird to you but this term is something that you should not forget when you invest in mutual funds. The 12b-1 fee pays for your promotion, distribution and marketing expenses. Actually, that weird sounding term was derived from the law which created this fee. What effect does 12b-1 fee on you investment? The 12b-1 fee can lower your overall return so watch out for this one.

Alpha

You probable learned from school that alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the area of finance however, the mutual fund term alpha has nothing to do with the Greeks. The term alpha is a measure of the different in the fund's real return and its projected or expected return. For instance, a high alpha means that the fund is doing well and a low alpha is definite a cause for alarm. When you invest in, pay close attention to the alpha of your investment and make sure that it stays higher than 1.

Beta

Again, this term has nothing to do with the Greek alphabet. Beta represents the volatility of the funds. The beta is measured against the S7P 500 index. By nature, beta or the volatility of the funds can greatly affect the returns of your investment.

Richard Henderson runs his own internet marketing business from home. Check out these great Mutual Funds tips and articles or the more specific Mutual Funds Comparison articles and guides - http://www.mutualfundscomparison.com

Finding the Best Mutual Funds for You

It's obvious that any investor is going to want to be holding the best mutual funds. The problem is that most investors don't really have a clue as to what they expect from a mutual fund, and so don't have a plan to identify the best fund for their particular situation.

The will change from one investor to the next. We all have our particular situation to address. Factors like age, income, risk tolerance, years until retirement, and so on have a real impact on the expectations you have for your investments, and therefore the "best" fund for you.

For example, take a look at your risk tolerance. During the bear market years of 2000 through 2002 the Nasdaq 100 fell almost 80%, and the S&P 500 feel almost 50%. So to be fulling invested in only the equity markets would have exposed you to this kind of risk. If you were retired, or close to it, this kind of drop would be catastrophic. Conversely, if you were just out of school with 40 years until retirement and very little to invest right now, the prospect of that kind of drop would not seem as frightening, and might be tolerated in the hope that you could see the higher returns that equities have brought.

If you are looking for some kind of income stream out of these funds, because you are in retirement, then either fixed income funds or stock funds investing in high dividend yielding stocks could be a great choice. On the other hand, if you are currently in a higher tax bracket, more income may not be what you are looking for, but instead would be interested more in growth type investments that are likely to increase in value over time, but the results would be redeemed as a capital gains in later years.

We have information on some of the best ways to manage your mutual funds, including finding the best mutual funds.

Get more information regarding Fidelity mutual funds.

Investing in Mutual Funds

Investing money or assets comes from the Latin word vestis meant garment and the deed of things to put into pockets of some other people. Investing or investment is a term with several closely-related meanings in finance and economics, in association with saving the money. The deed is expected when an asset is usually purchased, or the equal money is deposited in a bank. The investment is made in hopes of getting returns or interest from it in the future. The advisors of mutual fund companies are required to execute the best through brokerage arrangements so that the commissions charged to the fund will not be a large amount for the investors. The process of buying and selling securities also has its own costs which are carried by the fund's shareholders along with these commisions.

Money from many investors is invested in stocks, bonds, short term investments and securities which is managed by good professionalists. This collective investment is called the mutual fund.The investors check at every point of gain or loss by the companies. The management fee, advisory fee along with administrative fees will be collected.

For the fund is usually synonymous with the contractual investment advisory fee charged for the management of a fund's investments.The fund manager trades with the securities and collects the dividens or the interest income. He then passes the message to the investors. The value of a share of the mutual fund, known as the net asset value per share.Everyday this is calculated based on the total value of the fund divided by the number of shares currently issued. The account contains the outstanding shares also. Many fund companies include administrative fees in the advisory fee component, when attempting to compare the total management expenses of different funds, it is helpful to define management fee as equal to the contractual advisory fee along with the contractual administrator fee. Contractual advisory fees may be structured as flat-rate fees which is the single fee charged to the fund, no matter what the asset value is.

Brokerage commissions are directly proportional to the rate of turnover per year i.e, higher the rate of the portfolio turnover, the higher the brokerage commissions. These commissions are additional to the investors and are in the operations terms. These are incorporated after three months into the price of the funds. Portfolio turnover refers to the number of times the fund's assets are bought and sold over the course of a year. Different kinds of securities are invested in mutual funds. Some are bonds, stock, cash etc.

1. Bond funds can vary according to risk ie, high-yield investment or corporate bonds issued by government agencies, corporations or municipalities and also short or long term bonds. Mutual funds which are of tax-free municipal bond income are also tax-free to the shareholder.

2. Stock funds can be invested primarily in the shares of a particular industry in a particular department known as sector funds. They may in research and development or administration etc. Mutual funds carrying taxable distributions can be either capital gain depending on how the fund earned those distributions.

Jon Elton owns and operates a Best Penny Stocks Picks website to help other investors with their stock decisions. He also operates a Home Based Business earn money online site to help entrepreneurs gain experience and wealth.

Investment Opportunities in IPOs

IPO stands for Initial Public Offer and investment in IPO is not a new phenomenon. While it provides wonderful opportunities to investors to mint money, it can also become dangerous if individuals do not exercise caution in their choice of IPOs that they invest.

As per the conventional wisdom, the investors need to purchase stocks with the intention of holding them for a long term. The money can be made only when, the individuals keep their investment for a year or so. Although this is true and investors need to stick to it, most IPOs come with a discount tag to their actual value and can present profits to the investor thereon. This profit is what, termed as listing gain.

Tips for IPO investments:

Below mentioned are a couple of tips that can hold an individual in good stead while investing in IPOs. By investing in IPOs, investors block a huge chunk of their cash for about a month or so. Moreover, invariably, the number of shares allotted to individuals is not even half of whatever they apply. This is a critical thing, as it can happen that the shares may get oversubscribed at least 6 to 7 times and investors may invest only a small amount. The ultimate result would be they might end up not getting a single share. In these circumstances, not only do they lose the interest for that time being, but also lose opportunities of investing in other IPOs that were open during that time.

In order to avoid such situations, it is better for investors to try investing only during last couple of days of an IPO. In addition, they need to keep an eye on the number of times the issue got oversubscribed. Investors can easily monitor this by going online. With a hit and trial method, they can get a fair idea about the amount of shares that they would get, based on the money invested and the number of times the issue gets oversubscribed.

Important Parameters of Consideration:

Although most IPOs result in gains for the investor, there has to be some watchfulness regarding the IPOs to invest. Generally, it is a good idea to invest in the IPOs of those companies that have yielded good returns to their investors. It is also better to have a look at, the previous record of accomplishment of such companies and the number of years of their existence. This would at least give an idea to the investor that, the promoters have a good understanding of the business. In addition, they are not fly by night operators.

The other important factor is to have a look at the P/E multiple. It stands for the Price/Earning Multiple. Here, the "pricing" is as per the present market price of the share, and "earning" is the earning per share of the company. P/E multiples of stock indicate the number of times the market is willing to pay for the current earnings of the firm. For instance, a stock has an EPS of $ 10 and the market price of the share is $ 100, this means that P/E multiple is 10 or the investors are willing to pay 10 times the company's earnings.

On most occasions, promoters launch their IPOs at boom times and extract the maximum of out them as the IPOs in all probabilities get oversubscribed many a times. Nevertheless, this does not go well for the investors, as they are stuck with their shares at a higher price with lesser chance of appreciation.

John Elton owns and operates a Best Penny Stocks Picks website to help other investors with their stock decisions. He also operates a Home Based Business earn money online site to help entrepreneurs gain experience and wealth."

What Kinds of Mutual Funds Are Available?

When you start investing in mutual funds, you will need to choose from a large selection. Mutual funds are available in many different kinds and in different levels of risk. Since they are based on stocks, among other things, there will also be a reflection on the market of how well certain stocks are performing. Here are some types of mutual funds that are available for you to buy.

Mutual Funds Reflect the Market

If you are aware that certain types of stock are not performing well at the time you are looking to buy, then you can skip over those mutual funds that deal with low performing stock. Remember that a mutual fund is composed of various stocks, bonds, and other things, and will reflect that market.

Different mutual funds, however, cover the markets differently, giving you either a broader base of protection or a narrow one if it concentrates on a specific market sector. You can buy mutual funds by market sector, and in some cases, by geographic location - such as a particular country.

Load and No-Load Funds

Mutual funds are generally available as either a load fund or a no-load fund. All that means is that either there is a sales fee associated with it or there is not one with it. The value of the mutual fund is not necessarily determined by these criteria, however, so you can find good funds under either term.

Types of Funds

Several different types of mutual funds are available for you to focus your investments. These include four kinds:

• Bond Funds

Bond funds are made up of government, municipal or corporate bonds and serve as a loan to one of these agencies. As the loan is slowly repaid, you gain interest. This will generally provide you with a stable but lower rate of interest.

• Money Market Funds

These are low interest loans that are made either to state or local governments. They are very stable but on the low end in interest when it comes to mutual funds. They are generally short-term and can last anywhere from one day up to about a year. An advantage is that they are generally tax-free if it is for the state you live in, and free from Federal tax.

• Stock Funds

This type of fund will potentially give you the highest interest rate of mutual funds. They are the most commonly sold funds, and can bring a lot of growth to your portfolio. Be careful of investing in one sector only, as this can lead to costly losses if that sector fails.

• Mixed Assets

As its name implies, it is a mixed bag of stocks and bonds to provide you with a more stable portfolio through wider diversification. The bonds offset the rising and losses of the stocks and should provide you with a mix that is good for the long haul.

You can choose from a variety of types of funds to make up your perfect mix. Some of these can also match your risk level by giving you a conservative, moderate or a high level of risk.

When you look to purchase mutual funds, be sure to compare companies, costs, and all other features before you buy. Look at the age of the company your fund is from, the type of stock, your level of participation, and how much assistance the fund provides. Companies vary, and the degree of protection you have may vary, too.

For more information on how to invest in shares, visit http://www.investinshares.freedvd.com.au

James McInnes is a professional share market trader and investment entrepreneur, with many years experience trading the Australian Share market. You can visit his site at http://www.investinshares.freedvd.com.au for further information on trading the Australian Share Market

How to Select A Mutual Fund

Investing in mutual funds is a way to make a surer investment than some other forms. It provides you with a more stable foundation for your investments and can act as a balance to other high-risk type of instruments. Here are some tips on how you can choose a good mutual fund that will bring you the safe returns you want.

Determine Your Investing Goals First

Your investing goals will help you determine just how you should invest. Mutual funds come in different forms, as well as risk levels, so you will need to make a decision about this from the start.

Decide How Much You Have for Fees

Some forms of mutual funds, such as no load funds, have no additional fees associated with them. This also means, though, that you do not get the same level of services with your mutual fund as you would with those that have fees. You have no professional assistance or oversight of your fund, which means that it will not be given the best attention or care. Of course, if you know what you are doing, then this would give you a low cost way to control your own funds.

Loaded funds mean that you will have to pay a sales fee for your purchase. Along with the fees, though, comes a lot better management of your investment. Your broker will pay closer attention to how your investments are doing which also means that you have a lower risk involved.

Choose How Much Involvement You Want

With no load funds, you need to pay attention to your own investments. This is because you are the only one making those choices, and any success you have is largely up to you. You also will not receive investment counsel from your choice of mutual fund company.

Loaded funds are the best way to go if you want professional care over your investment. This allows you to take a hands off approach and they do the investing for you. They know that poor management will mean loss of customers and money so they have a very good reason to want to do a good job.

Make Decisions over the Variables

Once you decide about the cost needed for the investment, there are some other factors you want to choose from. This would include things like:

• The time frame

• The taxes

• The fund's goals.

You will also need to consider how profit comes to you. If you are looking for dividends to be paid, then you need to look for funds that will do that.

Others may give capital appreciation or capital gains distribution. Just be sure that you know beforehand, so that you know how money is either to be paid to you or reinvested.

All mutual fund companies are not the same, so you will need to look over the details of each before you decide. If you want a particular fund, then you will have to choose from those companies that deal with it. For more information on investing in shares visit http://www.investinginshares.freedvd.com.au/

James McInnes is a professional share market trader and investment entrepreneur, with many years experience trading the Australian Share market. You can visit his site at http://www.investinginshares.freedvd.com.au for further information on trading the Australian Share Market

Basics Tips on Mutual Fund Investing

Whether your are a savvy investor in the stock market or not, you've probably heard the term "Mutual Fund." If you are like me a few years back knowing nothing about the ABC of stock investing, you probably might lost some of your hard-earned money in the money market.

But do you know how this 'mutual fund market' does work? The performance of mutual fund depends mainly on the efficiency of fund manager who manages portfolio of stocks on behalf of investors. So making an informed decision, choosing a rated and well-performed fund manager is absolutely critical to your success financially in the mutual fund market. That's why you may need Basics Tips on Mutual Fund Investing.

So back to basics, mutual funds are a collection of stocks and bonds that are owned by a group of people rather than one individual investor. This makes it a more advantageous. First of all, it allows investors to buy in with considerably less money than it would take to purchase the same 'portfolio' on their own and it spreads the risks out there among a group of people should something go wrong.

In addition, because it isn't one single stock or bond or generally even one sector of the stock market, the risks of vanishing your money are reduced to a greater extent. But always keep in mind that the market does perform worst and there could be deep cut occasionally in share prices. Its true that there really is no method or strategy invented in investment market that is completely safe and without risks.

Mutual funds, however have lower risks than many other investment options, that makes them an attractive buy for those who lacks proper up-to date knowledge and skills in investment market. In fact, mutual funds often have much better rates of return than the average savings account at your local bank and the risks are minimal in this type of investment, particularly compared to other more riskier ventures.

Additionally, if you have an idea of which sectors are performing well and strengthening the GDP growth, you are at an advantageous position of choosing a good and slightly riskier sectoral fund. But make sure, always select a star rated company. Diversification is one of the key ingredients of a healthy portfolio and mutual funds will help you get diversified portfolio in broader sense.

If you are young and just beginning your career and in no real hurry for retirement, this is the one of the safest ways to invest your money for the long term. But most mutual funds do not have the high payoffs that many investors seek to include for their retirement planning.

There are essentially three types of mutual funds with some variations on each. First there are money market funds. These funds are great for the long-term investor who has a slow and steady approach to investing that are better than leaving your money in a interest-paying savings account. Second are the equity funds that provide slow growth over time with some income along the way. And finally there are the fixed income funds that are created to provide a current income over time. This is great for those who have retired or investors that are extremely conservative in nature.

Kaushik Adhikary operates http://www.myinsuranceinsiderinfo.com a blog all about fresh and quality content on insurance and personal finance field. He loves giving away Free Stuffs and Free 5 Days Interactive Email Course alongwith Free Membership and Newsletters.

For more info,Visit- http://myinsuranceinsiderinfo.com/2008/02/07/basics-tips-on-mutual-fund-investing/

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are mutual funds that trade like stocks. Each ETF has its own ticker symbol and expense ratio (assets that are used pay for operating expenses). They are very easy to trade and understand.

ETFs have transformed from a way to investment in the major indexes into a wide range of other financial markets and sectors. Today, ETFs give you a variety of different markets and commodities to trade without the hassle of opening up separate brokerage accounts. Because ETFs are traded like stock, they can be purchased through almost all of your brokerage accounts. ETF's can even be traded in most 401K, IRAs, and other retirement accounts.

For example, let's say you wanted to invest in Crude Oil (light, sweet crude oil). Crude Oil is traded on NYMEX. If you did not have access to NYMEX through your current account, you would have to open up a separate brokerage account to get access to this commodity.

Now, with ETFs, all you would have to do is invest in ticket symbol: CUSIP. "This ETF will track the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, whose price is the primary benchmark in the U.S. for crude oil."

It is a much easier transaction to buy the ETF because it trades like a stock. Like stocks, though, ETFs trade throughout the day and are priced by the market, not necessarily at their net asset value (unlike mutual funds that only trade at their settled net asset value at the end of the trading day). To your broker, trading an ETF is the same as trading a stock. The fee you pay to buy or sell an ETF is the same fee you would pay to trade a stock.

You also don't have to worry about calculating how many, "contracts" to buy or contract expiration dates as you would with a separate futures account. The EFT takes care of all of this for you.

Although ETFs trade differently than your traditional mutual funds, your decision to buy, hold or sell remains the same.

The decision to use ETFs is up to you. They are ideal for day trading, swing trading and long term, "buy and hold" investments. Because ETFs trade like stocks, they minimize trading restrictions often imposed by your mutual funds. For example, on some Fidelity Mutual Funds, you would face a short term holding fee of $75.00 if you traded your mutual fund without holding it for approximately 90 days (Check with your fund company to confirm their policy.). If you were attempting to day trade or swing trade this mutual fund, you would have to pay $75 dollars every time you violated this holding period. If you were to purchase an ETF instead, you would only have to pay your brokerage fees for a stock transaction.

ETFs have grown in popularity and have been accepted by the professional and novice investor as a valid investment choice. They have allowed many people to invest in markets that were not easily available. The only choice for you now is to research the wide range of ETF's available to you and see which ones fit into your overall investment portfolio.

Michael MeAngelo writes a BLOG on Online Trading at http://www.onlinetradingday.com

What is a Mutual Fund?

Ever wondered what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund is a pool of money run by a professional or group of professionals called the "investment adviser." It is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the money in stocks, bonds, short-term money-market instruments, other securities or assets, or some combination of these investments.

The combined holdings the fund owns are known as its portfolio. Each share represents an investor's proportionate ownership of the fund's holdings and the income those holdings generate.

Because it is sometimes hard for investors to become experts on various businesses for example, what are the best steel, automobile, or telephone companies, investors often depend on professionals who are trained to investigate companies and recommend companies that are likely to succeed.

In a managed mutual fund, after investigating the prospects of many companies, the fund's investment adviser will pick the stocks or bonds of companies and put them into a fund. Investors can buy shares of the fund, and their shares rise or fall in value as the values of the stocks and bonds in the fund rise and fall.

Fees

Investors may typically pay a fee when they buy or sell their shares in the fund, and those fees in part pay the salaries and expenses of the professionals who manage the fund.

Even small fees can and do add up and eat into a significant chunk of the returns a mutual fund is likely to produce, so you need to look carefully at how much a fund costs and think about how much it will cost you over the amount of time you plan to own its shares.

If two funds are similar in every way except that one charges a higher fee than the other, you'll make more money by choosing the fund with the lower annual costs.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. So don't be dazzled by last year's high returns. But past performance can help you assess a fund's volatility over time.

Making any sort of investment involved a certain amount of risk so it is always wise to seek the advice of a professional before making any decisions.

Bill Stone writes for Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

About Mutual Funds

Outlined below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of mutual funds. Every investment has advantages and disadvantages. But it's important to remember that features that matter to one investor may not be important to you. Whether any particular feature is an advantage for you will depend on your unique circumstances.

Advantages

For some investors, mutual funds provide an attractive investment choice because they generally offer the following features:

Professional Management:

Professional money managers research, select, and monitor the performance of the securities the fund purchases.

Diversification:

Diversification is an investing strategy that can be neatly summed up as "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Spreading your investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower your risk if a company or sector fails. Some investors find it easier to achieve diversification through ownership of mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.

Affordability:

Some mutual funds accommodate investors who don't have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively low pound amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.

Liquidity:

Mutual fund investors can readily redeem their shares plus any fees and charges assessed on redemption at any time.

Disadvantages

But mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages, such as:

Costs despite Negative Returns:

Investors must pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. And, depending on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains distribution they receive - even if the fund went on to perform poorly after they bought shares.

Lack of Control:

Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund's portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades.

Price Uncertainty:

With an individual stock, you can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling your broker. You can also monitor how a stock's price changes from hour to hour - or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which you purchase or redeem shares will typically depend on the fund's net asset value, which the fund might not calculate until many hours after you've placed your order.

Making any sort of investment involved a certain amount of risk so it is always wise to seek the advice of a professional before making any decisions.

Jerry Warner writes general finance and loan articles for the Bad Credit Loans Online website at http://www.badcreditloansonline.co.uk

Different Types of Mutual Funds

This is a guide to the different types of mutual funds. When it comes to investing in mutual funds, investors have literally thousands of choices. Before you invest in any given fund, decide whether the investment strategy and risks of the fund are a good fit for you. The first step to successful investing is figuring out your financial goals and risk tolerance - either on your own or with the help of a financial professional. Once you know what you're saving for, when you'll need the money, and how much risk you can tolerate, you can more easily narrow your choices.

Most mutual funds fall into one of three main categories - money market funds, bond funds (also called "fixed income" funds), and stock funds (also called "equity" funds). Each type has different features and different risks and rewards. Generally, the higher the potential return, the higher the risk of loss.

Money Market Funds:

Money market funds have relatively low risks, compared to other mutual funds. Investor losses have been rare, but they are possible. Money market funds pay dividends that generally reflect short-term interest rates, and historically the returns for money market funds have been lower than for either bond or stock funds.

Bond Funds:

Bond funds generally have higher risks than money market funds, largely because they typically pursue strategies aimed at producing higher yields. Because there are many different types of bonds, bond funds can vary dramatically in their risks and rewards.

Stock Funds:

Although a stock fund's value can rise and fall quickly (and dramatically) over the short term, historically stocks have performed better over the long term than other types of investments - including corporate bonds and government bonds.

You can purchase shares in some mutual funds by contacting the fund directly. Other mutual fund shares are sold mainly through brokers, banks, financial planners, or insurance agents. All mutual funds will redeem (buy back) your shares on any business day.

Making any sort of investment involved a certain amount of risk so it is always wise to seek the advice of a professional before making any decisions.

Bill Stone writes for Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

8 Reasons Why Mutual Funds Make For Lousy Investments

Many people think that investing in mutual funds is the way to go and the best method for getting rich. I think mutual funds are horrible investments. Here are 8 reasons why you should not invest in mutual funds.

1. Mutual funds don't beat the market.

72% of actively-managed large-cap mutual funds failed to beat the stock market over the past five years. Trying to beat the market is difficult, and you're better off putting your money in an index fund. An index fund attempts to mirror a particular index (such as the S&P 500 index). It mirrors that index as closely as it can by buying each of that index's stocks in amounts equal to the proportions within the index itself. For example, a fund that tracks the S&P 500 index buys each of the 500 stocks in that index in amounts proportional to the S&P 500 index. Thus, because an index fund matches the stock market (instead of trying to exceed it), it performs better than the average mutual fund that attempts (and often fails) to beat the market.

2. Mutual funds have high expenses.

The stocks in a particular index are not a mystery. They are a known quantity. A company that runs an index fund does not need to pay analysts to pick the stocks to be held in the fund. This process results in a lower expense ratio for index funds. Thus, if a mutual fund and an index fund both post a 10% return for the next year, once you deduct The expense ratio for the average large cap actively-managed mutual fund is 1.3% to 1.4% (and can be as high as 2.5%). By contrast, the expense ratio of an index fund can be as low as 0.15% for large company indexes. Index funds have smaller expenses than mutual funds because it costs less to run an index fund. expenses (1.3% for the mutual fund and 0.15% for the index fund), you are left with an after-expense return of 8.7% for the mutual fund and 9.85% for the index fund. Over a period of time (5 years, 10 years), that difference translates into thousands of dollars in savings for the investor.

3. Mutual funds have high turnover.

Turnover is a fund's selling and buying of stocks. When you sell stocks, you have to pay a tax on capital gains. This constant buying and selling produces a tax bill that someone has to pay. Mutual funds don't write off this cost. Instead, they pass it off to you, the investor. There is no escaping Uncle Sam. Contrast this problem with index funds, which have lower turnover. Because the stocks in a particular index are known, they are easy to identify. An index fund does not need to buy and sell different stocks constantly; rather, it holds its stocks for a longer period of time, which results in lower turnover costs.

4. The longer you invest, the richer they get.

According to a popular study by John Bogle (of The Vanguard Group), over a 15- or 16-year period, an investor gets to keep only 47% of a cumulative return from an average actively-managed mutual fund, but he or she gets to keep 87% of the returns in an index fund. This is due to the higher fees associated with a mutual fund. So, if you invest $10,000 in an index fund, that money would grow to $90,000 over that period of time. In an average mutual fund, however, that figure would only be $49,000. That is a 40% disadvantage by investing in a mutual fund. In dollars, that's $41,000 you lose by putting your money in a mutual fund. Why do you think these financial institutions tell you to invest for the "long term"? It means more money in their pocket, not yours.

5. Mutual funds put all the risk on the investor.

If a mutual fund makes money, both you and the mutual fund company make money. But if a mutual fund loses money, you lose money and the mutual fund company still makes money. What?? That's not fair!! Remember: the mutual fund company takes a bite out of your returns with that 1.3% expense ratio. But it takes that bite whether you make money or lose money. Think about that. The mutual fund company puts up 0% of the money to invest and assumes 0% of the risk. You put up 100% of the money and assume 100% of the risk. The mutual fund company makes a guaranteed return (from the fees it charges). You, the investor, not only are not guaranteed a return, but you can lose a lot of money. And you have to pay the mutual fund company for those losses. (Remember also that, even if you do make a return, over time the mutual fund company takes about half of that money from you.)

6. Mutual Funds are unpredictable.

The holdings of a mutual fund do not track the stock market exactly. If the market goes up, you might make a lot of money, or you might not. If the market goes down (the way it is now), you might lose a little bit of money . . . or you might lose A LOT. Because a mutual fund's benchmark isn't a particular market index, its performance can be rather unpredictable. Index funds, on the other hand, are more predictable because they TRACK the market. Thus, if the market goes up or down, you know where your money is going and how much you might make or lose. This transparency gives you more peace of mind instead of holding your breath with a mutual fund.

7. Mutual Funds are sales items.

Why don't all these money and financial magazines tell you about index funds? Why don't the covers of these magazines read "Index Funds: The Most Obvious And Rational Investment!" It's simple. That's a boring heading. Who would want to buy something that isn't exciting or that doesn't tickle one's imagination of immense riches? A magazine with that headline won't sell as many copies as a magazine that boasts "Our 100 Best Mutual Funds For 2008!" Remember: a magazine company is in the business of selling... magazines. It can't put a boring headline about index funds on its front cover, even if that headline is true. They need to put something on the cover that will attract buyers. Not surprisingly, a list of mutual funds that analysts predict will skyrocket will sell loads of magazines.

8. Warren Buffett does not recommend mutual funds.

If the above seven reasons for not investing in mutual funds don't convince you, then why not listen to the wisdom of the richest investor in the world? In several annual letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett has commented on the value of index funds. Here are a few quotes from those letters:

1997 Letter: "Most investors, both institutional and individual, will find that the best way to own common stocks is through an index fund that charges minimal fees. Those following this path are sure to beat the net results (after fees and expenses) delivered by the great majority of investment professionals."

2004 Letter: "American business has delivered terrific results. It should therefore have been easy for investors to earn juicy returns: All they had to do was piggyback corporate America in a diversified, low-expense way. An index fund that they never touched would have done the job. Instead many investors have had experiences ranging from mediocre to disastrous."

Bottom Line: If you want to make money, you need to copy what rich people do. So if Buffett doesn't like mutual funds, why would you? So, if not mutual funds, what should passive investors invest in? The answer by now is clear. Invest in index funds. Index funds have lower fees, and you keep more of your returns in the long term. They are also more predictable, and they give you peace of mind.

The author of this article is Jim "The Net Fool".

He is owner of theNetFool.com If you'd like to learn more about the stock market or internet marketing, you can visit http://www.thenetfool.com You'll find all the information you need!

Why Save And Invest?

It really baffles me when people who work so hard for money don't want their money to work harder. Managing money is one of the most important and most difficult things in life. We all work for money. We toil day and night, sacrifice our leisure, and leave our near and dear ones and go abroad to brighten our prospects. Then why don't we make our money work for us. Remember, saving and investing is not about putting your money in a haphazard manner and investing somewhere just because one our friend or relative has told us to do so.

By saving and investing I mean putting your hard earned money to good use so that you can earn maximum profit from your investments. There are many people who believe in earning and spending today. Little do they realize that they are partying all the way to disaster? A day will come when we'll have to quit the job and relax. But would we really be able to relax? Who will look after our expenses? After our retirement income will cease whereas expenses will be as they were before. We work hard throughout our life so that we could live a comfortable life and provide the same to our children. A major chunk of our income goes towards children education, marriage and providing them with money till they are on their own. Children are dependent on their parents till they grow up and the situation will be just the opposite when we retire.

Do we really want the situation to reverse? Will we be comfortable asking for money from our children? Well, there is no harm but still the answer is a big NO. Also if we consider the growing inflation our expense will grow by leaps and bounds by the time we retire. It's better to sacrifice some leisure now rather than compromise later on when we are on the brink of retirement. When we are young we can face hardships better but as we grow old we tend to become weak in all aspects be it physical mental or psychological. So at least in one aspect we should be very strong and that is financial and that we can achieve only if we save and invest regularly.

http://www.investorcamp.blogspot.com

Best Time Management Tips - Part 5

Mentors are quite possibly the greatest time-saving technique ever created. So why don't we hear about them more often? It's just one of those hidden secrets of time management that very few people are aware of, apparently even the people that write the time management books! If you only take one technique from this book - make it getting yourself a strong and wise mentor. It's just that important.

Mentors can be powerful in your life for many reasons. The first of which is that they can take years off the learning curve. Things that would take you 10, 20, 30, 50 years to learn they can teach you in a matter of hours, days or weeks. Clearly, this makes mentoring the ultimate time management skill. I can't think of anything that will save you more time, money and aggravation (with the possible exception of choosing the right spouse. I'm just kidding - sort of).

Mentors also typically bring with them a huge network of individuals and resources that they have gathered over the years. People and resources that it would take a lifetime (if ever) to get access to, they can share with you today. Many people who obtain a mentor failed to recognize this great resource and therefore don't take advantage of it. Don't let this be you! Make sure to explore and utilize these resources to their full and natural benefit.

A person can also have more than one mentor, and I highly recommend that you try to obtain two to five good mentors that each bring something different to the table. In all likelihood, these people will be your greatest resource and account for the vast majority of your success in life. This is provided they utilize them properly and take the bulk of their suggestions. I am always surprised how many people get access to a fantastic mentor and then fail to take their recommendations. Knowledge means you know something, but wisdom is utilizing that knowledge for positive gain. Therefore it's much better to be wise then knowledgeable.

Mentors are also a great source of support and give you someone you trust that you can talk to about your future plans, hopes and fears. Mentors will often become your best friends. My definition of a best friend is "the one who brings out the best in me." Typically this person is going to be a mentor of some kind.

Remember that your mentor(s) does a lot for you, so be sure to show appreciation, speak well of them to others, and be of service to them in any way shape or form that you can. All good relationships are based on reciprocity, liking, support and trust.

Start today to search out possible mentors around you and be bold and specific and asking them to become your mentor and exactly what you are seeking in a mentoring relationship. They will want to know what it will look like and what your expectations are. I always tell them that I will take up a minimum of their time, and then I try to keep that promise.

Sometimes when you're first starting out it seems very difficult to find mentors. But remember that while you are looking you can have many what I call "Remote Mentors." These take the form of books, audio CDs or MP3s, videos or Internet contacts that you can get access to relatively quickly. You are still getting the benefit of years of experience, it's just indirect, and in most cases, you can't ask questions. But it's a great place to start building your knowledge and wisdom while you wait to secure a direct and permanent mentor.

Prof. Paul J. Cline MA CAGS CAP Ed.D (ABD) is a Trainer / Seminar Leader, University Professor, Certified Addictions Professional (CAP) and local expert on Addictions and Mental Health. Paul is owner of Advanced Training Seminars, providing seminars, consulting and coaching based in St. Petersburg, Florida (727) 204-0779. Visit our website at: http://www.advancedtrainingseminars.com Check out our selection of FREE articles and Useful Links & Resources.

Time Management - Working SMART

In your working life it is unlikely that you will consciously waste time purely for the sake of it. The consequences of such destructive behaviour are obvious. You probably engaged at times in activities that apparently added nothing to your utility value of your time ie. idle chitchat with a colleague, flicking through a journal without really reading it, looking out the window, daydreaming. These are all examples of 'time stealers'.

Then you wake up and see how hard your fellow workers have been whilst you've been in your 'time zone' and even though your distraction was stimulated by a biological or psychological necessity to withdraw from the task, motivated by guilt and possibly anxiety, you attempt to hurry and catch up the lost time. The more conscious you become of having 'wasted' time the more enveloping that thought can become - to the point when the worry compromises your mental effort to re-focus on what you were supposed to be doing.

Doing more is not the issue. The value of what you get done is what counts. It's best to develop a strong sense of time and objectives. Well-clarified objectives meet several criteria, described by the acronym SMART:

S: Specific - Write down exactly what needs to be done.

M: Measurable - Measuring the quality/quantity of one's performance.

A: Achievable - The difficulty level of completing the task within the resources available.

R: Realistic - The difficulty level of completing the task within the time and not so easy that attaining them adds nothing to the value of your time.

T: Timed - Short-, medium- or long-term. Achieving short-term objectives lead to the achievement of medium-terms which in turn should lead to the achievement of long-term goals.

The very best time managers realize that they will never have enough time to do everything in their business and social lives that they would like to do. No one can do everything, and to try is to fail.

Aaron is a successful full-time internet marketer who has stepped off the time treadmill and understood the value of time. Aaron has been vigorously researching multiple money-making techniques and now provides step-by-step tutorials for other people who are looking to make money with the internet. Simply visit http://www.sourceofknowledge.org and sign up for the new experience.

Time Management - The Difference Between Importance And Urgency

In your daily life it is unlikely that you will consciously waste time purely for the sake of it. The consequences of such destructive behaviour are obvious. You probably engage at times in activities that apparently added nothing to your utility value of your time like idle chitchat with a colleague, flicking through a magazine without really reading it, looking out the window, daydreaming. These are all examples of 'time stealers'. But how does one go about prioritizing and change their way of thinking for effective time management?

To keep your attention focused on the activities that are most important - the ones that contribute to the accomplishment of your objectives - you need to set priorities. The more an activity will help move you toward an objective, the more valuable is that activity. The more valuable an activity, the higher its priority. Urgency should only be a secondary consideration when deciding priorities.

All activities have some degree of importance and urgency. Generally they fall into 4 categories;

1. Important and urgent - example: paying a mortgage which already has 2 months missed payments.

2. Important but not urgent - example: getting driving lessons so you can get your license to drive your car.

3. Urgent but not important - example: your favorite TV program starts in 2 minutes but you're 5 minutes away from home.

4. Neither important nor urgent - example: meeting some friends for another night out or drink at a pub (although some may beg to differ).

Your challenge is to decide what are the most important things, then to focus on these and ignore the others. When you respond to urgencies and ignore the important ones, you have a time management problem and you'll be on time's treadmill. The only way to break the tyranny of urgent demands that seem to fill every day is to define and adhere to a pursuit of your objectives.

Aaron is a successful full-time internet marketer who has stepped off the time treadmill and understood the value of time. Aaron has been vigorously researching multiple money-making techniques and now provides step-by-step tutorials for other people who are looking to make money with the internet. Simply visit http://www.sourceofknowledge.org and sign up for the new experience.

10 Easy Time Management Tips

Many people mistakenly believe that time management is about squeezing more tasks and activities into a day. Time management is actually about getting the important things done. It's also about learning to do things efficiently so you can ultimately accomplish more. Here's how:

1. Focus. On a sticky note, write the important things in your life you need to focus on today. At home, attach it to your refrigerator. At work, stick it on your computer monitor. As projects come and go, you'll need to modify the list.

2. Write it down. If your head is full of clutter, you won't get as much done. "Scatterbrain Syndrome" is caused by too much data floating around in your head. Cure it by writing in a spiral notebook everything you need to do. If you're working on a task and something else pops into your head, write it down in the notebook.

3. Keep a daily to-do list. Write down the 12 most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow.

4. Make a daily schedule. You'll be more efficient. Look at tomorrow's appointments and meetings. Mark those beginning to end times in your calendar. Then review your to-do list and schedule time for your to-do's. Remember, only schedule 70% of your day. The other 30% will be filled with interruptions and emergencies.

5. Delegate. This is the most underused time management tool today. Look at your to-do list after you write it and ask yourself what you can delegate. Consider hiring college students for small tasks. Barter activities with neighbors and co-workers. Teach your kids life skills and enlist their help on a daily basis.

6. Multi-task the details. While it's important to focus on projects, it's also efficient to take care of simple tasks simultaneously. Cook dinner while returning phone calls. File while watching TV. Check your e-mail while listening to voice mail messages.

7. Group like activities. Keep a running list of errands and take care of all of them once a week. Return phone calls during a certain time period. Do all your computer work within a certain time period. It takes time to switch tasks so you'll save time by doing like activities together.

8. Organize your surroundings. The Wall Street Journal once reported that the average executive loses up to an hour per day looking for misplaced papers. You'll save time if you don't have to step over and look through clutter.

9. Analyze everything you do for the next week. Try to find a quicker, more efficient way to do things. Briefly work with a friend or co-worker to come up with ideas.

10. Read it better. Learn to skim information. Highlight important text for easier retrieval. Carry reading material with you wherever you go. Consider taking a speed reading course.

Barbara Myers is a speaker, writer and organizing consultant. Enjoy a FREE time management tips booklet at http://www.ineedmoretime.com

7 Tips For Time Management Working From Home

When you first decided you would work from home did you imagine that time would be endless and there was so much you could achieve without the distractions of the office? Now you are at home and suddenly every day you feel time flies by and how little you have accomplished?

Yet every person in the world has the same 24 hours to live their day, so why is it that some people appear to achieve so much more. There is no magic formula; just by creating a change in our basic behaviour patterns will enable us to become more productive and less stressed.

The study of time management is particularly important for small businesses. Home based workers suddenly find themselves having to cope with all the additional paperwork that their new situation demands. By setting yourself an organized work schedule and trying to keep to this new routine, you will discover more time over the course of a week.

1) Work out a plan that sets aside say one hour a day to deal with your business paperwork.

2) Set a time limit for morning and afternoon sessions to deal with emails. Reading and answering messages can devour most of your day, unsubscribe from any lists that are not relevant to your business.

3) Unless you need the telephone as a part of your sales division, invest in an answering machine or voice mail. Dealing with calls throughout the day will eat away so much of your time.

4) At the end of every day, write out a plan for tomorrow. Keep your list achievable, there is nothing as satisfying as checking off items completed.

5) Spend a little time organizing your home office, purchase some in and out trays, a filing cabinet. By keeping your files in order you will save valuable time on those frustrating searches for lost papers.

6) Keep pen and paper to hand, plus one of those micro-cassette recorders. You never know when an idea will come to you, do not rely on your memory. Write or record everything.

7) One of the biggest reasons you gave for wishing to work from home was being able to work whenever you wanted. You must set yourself some kind of time limits. If you start to work every hour of every day and night, your work will suffer and so will your health AND so will your business.

If you adopt time management for your home business you will discover you feel less stressed, productively will rise and your profits should soar.

Michael Lyall was a professional financial consultant who now enjoys the freedom and independence of working from home, helping others Start A Home Business. For more info: http://work-home-biz.blogspot.com

Time Management - Essential For Success

Control is having the power to manage ourselves. When we have control of our lives, then we have the ability to manage anything that comes our way. No one can control every aspect of life, but we can maintain some control over what happens to us. It is important to keep in mind that all things in life have an effect on us somehow, and when we are trying to learn time management, we need to consider that.

The process of time management is complicated, but once mastered, makes life much easier. In order to develop an effective time management plan, you need to consider all areas of your life, and evaluate where your time is spent.

In thinking about how you can better manage your time, you need to consider all factors: time with family, friends, work, yourself, etc. You must prepare yourself for the little crises that are inevitable in life. This is the start of how to learn to control and manage your time. There is no end to managing time, but if we are able to do it, life will be easier and less stressful.

When considering how we can control our time management, you must consider such aspects of life as entertainment, relaxing, meals, dressing, and other things that form your life. Think about where you spend more time than you need, and figure out where you could use that time to make your life better. Eliminating wasted time in one realm of our lives and putting it somewhere else can help to build and solidify relationships, aid in stress relief, even help you do your job better.

One place where you can concentrate on controlling your time is at the workplace. Not using your time wisely, or spending too much time on a project that can be delegated to other co-workers can make your job stressful, routine, even boring. Taking control of your time will allow you to take on more meaningful projects, and be more valued as an employee. Control and management of your time is the best way to get the most out of your work, and your life

To find more information about business and effective time management visit http://comprehensive-business.com

Time Management - Accepting the Importance of Time Management

None of us can deny the importance of time management.

All too easily though, this can become little more than a sound bite, or business term. It can seem of little significance to the ordinary individual, whether working for himself or as part of an organization. And yet it would be true to say that every one of us, regardless of our backgrounds or employment, would benefit from greater efficiency.

Time management for students, for example, is a concept which few would deny is something worth considering. With all the pressures and demands on students' time, from assignments to the required social pastimes, most would seem to benefit from having an extra day in the week and a few extra hours each day.

Indeed, despite the fact that in many ways we can agree on the importance of time management, we rarely take the steps required for us to apply them to ourselves in a consistent and therefore effective manner.

I can safely say there is not one of us who has not had the experience of running out of time on a particular project, be it at home or at work. Yet at the same time, we had a sense of guilt lurking at the back of our minds. This guilt is due largely to the fact that we admit we are prone to procrastination, and that we have more fun things to do than actually sit down and get on with work. Although we accept the importance of time management; we simply don't do it. Or perhaps we don't know where to start.

The issue with most of us is that without effective time management techniques, including everything from paper lists to time tracking software, we allow ourselves to be distracted. This can be by either unnecessary rewards such as checking email, making a cup of tea or tidying the stack of paper-clips on our desk.

What we do need to do is to recognize the delay tactics and excuses that we make, and work on correcting our thoughts and behavior towards time management.

And if we do that, we might just unlock the secret to better time management.

And now, I'd like to invite you to get your free instant access to a 7-Part eCourse on Secrets To Better Time Management at http://www.PlanYourTimeNow.com where you can discover more ways to use time effectively.

Shafir Ahmad of http://www.ShafirAhmad.com is the author of "The Experts Guide to Managing Your Time".

Time Management Tips - Tips On Time Management

Life just seems so busy these days that we feel we just don't have time to do anything any more.

Or is it that we have created so many things to do in our lives that we don't have enough time to do everything we want to do. People ask us to do something or go some where how many times do you answer back I am just to busy. Well that's how it feels at times.

Time management is to write a list of all the things you do for a week. One way of being more detailed is to write a list everyday of how you spent the day then at the end of the week you will see what you have done for the whole week.

Start going through the list and realize what you actually do in that week. Often times it's a reality check on how we spend our time. So if your finding you don't have time to do what you want in your life then maybe it is time for a reality check and if your serious then you will write down how you just spent your last week.

Your list can be as detailed as you want, and the more detailed you are the more honest you are with yourself. Remember this is your list, no one has to see this. Look for time wasters like how much time you spent on the phone, watching TV etc. Think about what you could have been doing instead. Time management is about you asking yourself, is this utilising my time?, could I be doing something else I want to achieve.

After looking at your list and you can see that you have a problem with time management, then maybe its time to writing to do lists each day. You have probably heard that so many times. But if your having problems with managing your time then maybe its time you started to do lists. Each day write what you need to do. What does not get done that day write the activity on the next days list keep doing this until all you have on your list is done.

The saying that ask a busy person to do something and it will get done. Is probably true as most people that are busy seem to be more organized. Is it because they use time management, that they allocate times when they need to have things done and use to do lists?.

If you feel that time management is a concern for you then maybe you need some time out each day just to sit quietly and slow your racing mind down. When we sit and allow ourselves some time out from the rest of the world we allow ourselves to be us, we clear our mind and

thoughts become clearer. When we have a clearer mind then we feel more organized within ourselves then time management is now not such an issue. So within so without!

Article written by Cynthia Kerry. For even greater insights on Time Management and how to manage your time efficiently using , delegation, goal-setting, planning, organizing, and overcoming the so called "time robbers." Visit. http://www.time-management.tips-7.com