As an investment professional specializing in managing investments for entrepreneurs and small business owners (SBOs) I am repeatedly confronted with several investing issues that specifically deal with these individuals. Because of their unique situation, several of these issues go overlooked by the business owners.

Too Much Risk

Entrepreneurs by definition like to take risks. This type-A behavior often spills over into their investment portfolios. The first mistake often made by the SBO or their advisor is they don’t consider the business as a piece of the portfolio. This is critical because the business is often the most precarious component of the portfolio.

Small businesses are heavily influenced by economic cycles, competition, and raw material inflation. The small business owner must look at their investment portfolio less as a growth vehicle and more as a vehicle for capital accumulation and preservation. By doing so the SBO has the option of using their portfolio for income generation during tough economic times. If the portfolio is only structured for growth they are very likely to lose a large portion of their net worth during poor economic times (as the stock market leads the economy by 6-12 months).

This brings me to the second reason SBOs assume too much risk. Many small business owners like to invest in the same industry as their business. At first glance this seems logical, as one can make a more informed decision regarding an investment decision if you know the industry. But once you start to include the business as a piece of portfolio you soon realize you are overweighed in that sector or industry. If their industry goes into a negative economic cycle the result is a drastic drop in the SBO’s net worth and available liquid assets. Investing in the same industry only compounds the problem. Instead SBOs should look to invest in counter cyclical industries as a component of their portfolio. Therefore during times of economic contraction in their sector their portfolio will be protected by growth in those inversely correlated investments.

Hold & Hope

Wall Street, just like Pavlov, has mastered the art of classically conditioning their subjects. In just about every advertisement you will see the worn mantra “buy and hold for the long-term” or “stocks always go up long-term”. But stocks always go up long-term right? This all depends on YOUR definition of long-term. As an example, the S&P-500 peaked in 1969. In 1982 the S&P-500 was at the same price! Can you afford 13 years of no investment gains in your portfolio?

The truth is that stocks (or bonds for that matter) are not always good investments. Just ask Warren Buffett; He’s holding over $40 Billion in cash because bargains are scarce. It all boils down to this: Wall Street can never be negative on stocks; if they were, they would have nothing to sell to the public.

Instead of buy and hold small business owners need to manage their investments just like their business: proactively.

To get your free report titled “Ten Hot Tips To Investment Success” send an e-mail to mailto:info@taliskergroup.com info@taliskergroup.com and place the words “Ten Tips” in the subject line.

Daniel Wiggins is the President and Chief Investment Officer for Talisker Investment Group, LLC. Prior to starting Talisker, he worked as a Hedge Fund Manager for Iris Financial Group and a Financial Planner for AXA Advisors in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Wiggins has also worked in the high tech industry for Motorola and Quantum in the areas of business strategy and manufacturing.

Daniel Wiggins has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MBA from Arizona State University.

Daniel’s commentary has been featured in the Idaho Statesman, Everyday Wealth Radio with Gerri Detweiler, The Idaho Business Review, and on GEM Radio. Daniel is also a regular guest on Ike Iossif’s Marketviews TV.

There are some very important questions here before you decide to invest your money in the stock market.

First of all, which money do you use? We suggest money for your investment is the one that is not used to fulfill the requirement of everyday life. Then which one is that? The answer is your idle money. What is idle money? Idle money is the one that you do not need in the close time and if you utilize it in the stock market will not bother your day to day life.

Then how much is the amount from your idle money? Regarding that, it is of courses that everyone who wants to invest must know the ability of his/her self. Normally we recommend to range from 10 to 20 % from total of your idle money. You do not have to release moreover unless you are very sure that you will get profit from your investment in stock market. Always remember that making investment there having lost probability which is larger than other investment instrument like deposit and saving.

After you decide to make an investment in the stock market remember this important aphorism. Do not put your eggs in one basket. Among investor this is a common aphorism especially for you which have ever experienced in stock market investment

Yes, this term is used to depict that in the stock market investment we do not ever put down all of our idle money at one kind of share. However, we better disseminate that into some kinds of share that having different liquidity level and fundamental ability. This is to anticipate if one of your share/ stock degrades and mainly will decrease your investment value.

Thus again before you invest in the stock market remember three things which I have mentioned above:

1. Use your idle money.

2. Maximum amount to invest is 20 % from your idle money

3. Spread your Investment. Do not ever you invest money only at one stock/ share.

Happy investment and try your luck!

The author is an “active player” in stock market, would like to share his experiences to people who wants to invest in the stock market. Its risks, profit & others. See his other articles at stockmarkettip.blogspot.com stockmarkettip.blogspot.com

Have you ever been denied a credit card or home loan, and you simply just didn’t know why? The credit provider or lender told you that your credit history just wasn’t up to par in order to qualify for the line of credit or loan.

Well sure you made a few mistakes in the past, perhaps a few late payments, and of course there is some debt that you are aware of. But then again, doesn’t everyone? You certainly didn’t believe that your credit report history was bad enough to not qualify for a credit card or loan, even at a higher interest rate.

Let me tell you a secret, many people have absolutely no idea what is on their credit report! Your credit report has, in the past, been something not readily available to you, or an expensive item to attain. Many people are just not aware that your credit history can determine your financial activities for your entire life. This is becoming more prevalent as credit awareness and education is deemed necessary. So it is important to always be apprised as to what is really on your credit report!

There can be either two items on your credit report: accurate or inaccurate. Credit providers may have reported inaccurate information on your report! Mistakes happen that you may not even be aware of. A move, changed phone number, lost mail, open credit cards from 15 years ago that you simply didn’t know existed, and other easily overlooked or forgotten items do happen, more than one might think. Hey, who has time to keep track of every single financial item when life, as we know it (busy, fast paced) is hardly ever forgiving?

Many people get down on themselves for having a bad credit score. But this is not necessary! It is not a reflection of who you are. Really. You may have never been educated on how to handle your finances or extenuating circumstances may have greatly effected your credit. So in order to stay on top of your credit history, and not be blind sided by an embarrassing, unexpected rejection, check your credit report!

Credit reports are no longer some far off document that is hard to get a hold of. After all, it is YOUR credit report, right? Shouldn’t you have easy access to it? Well somebody else thought you should too, and the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) was enacted just for this reason. Here are the terms:

• Every person is entitled to a free credit report if a credit company takes an adverse action against you, or if your application for credit or insurance is denied.

• You are entitled to a free credit report if you are unemployed and plan to get a job in 60 days, are on welfare, or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud including identity theft.

• Equifax, Experian and Transunion, all nationwide consumer reporting companies, are required to provide you with a free copy of your credit report every 12 months.

Now there is no excuse for you not to keep on top of your very important credit report. All you have to do is go to www.annualcreditreport.com and request your free report! Or, you can call 1-877-322-8228. Always check your credit report before you apply for any mortgage loan or line of credit.

So you have your credit report, what next? Evaluate each item as accurate or inaccurate. Which items can you clear quickly by simply closing a card or calling a creditor and paying off an old debt? If there are inaccurate items, you must make a dispute in writing with supporting information. This means copies of any documents that support your claim. You must send this information to both the credit consumer company as well as the credit provider.

If your dispute is accepted and changes are made, the company must send you the changes in writing as well as send you a new credit report with the inaccurate information removed. The credit provider may not make the same claim against you again. If you find inaccurate information and get it fixed, then your credit report will be better, and another step towards getting that lower mortgage rate has been made!

If there are negative items that are accurate on your report, then you must take action towards fixing them! If you are not sure what to do, consult a financial advisor at your bank who can help you set up a repayment plan, consolidate debt if need be, or even investigate debt forgiveness.

Negative items will stay on the credit report up to seven years, but if you make an effort to begin paying back debts, and show you are serious about qualifying for a mortgage loan, then you are yet closer to proving to a mortgage lender that you are both willing and able to pay back a loan. And these two things: willingness and ability are exactly what a lender evaluates when considering a person for a loan.

Fixing your credit of accurate negative items takes personal effort and time. However, fixing inaccurate information that can greatly increase your credit score, can be done fairly quickly. If you are serious about getting a mortgage loan, or even a better mortgage loan to save you money, consult your credit report before you take any steps at all!

By understanding where you stand, you can either choose to go forward and find a mortgage loan that is within your limits, or repair your credit before making a move. Even if you are not considering a loan or line of credit, always stay on top of your credit history because you never know when a better score can save you time, money, and huge headaches!

John R Blakefield is a mortgage and real estate specialist. For more information, articles, news, tools and valuable resources on home mortgages or investment loans, refinancing, debt solutions, visit this site: scourtheweb.com/mortgage/ scourtheweb.com/mortgage/

WOW! That is how I would describe the well organized, well thought out, cornucopia of information that is presented in Lawrence A. Kane’s, “Surviving Armed Assault: A Martial Artist’s Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, & Countervailing Force.” I’ve had this book for awhile now and have, on several different occasions, sat down and skimmed through different sections when time permitted. Just recently however, I was able to sit down and read this book from cover to cover, and boy let me tell you that I was thoroughly impressed with what I read.

Lawrence does a terrific job of organizing the information presented in this book in a very easy to read and follow format that takes you through each step in the survival process. This is not a book on techniques; rather it is a book on the more important aspect of the principles behind surviving against an armed assault. Which, in my opinion, is far more important than the techniques themselves. That’s not to imply that self-defense techniques are not important or valid, it simply means that the technique that may work for one person, may not work so well for another. However, the principle behind the use of the technique will generally work for everyone.

This book is so full of useful information that it should be required reading for not only the self-defense minded individual, but also those whose profession places them in situations where they are more apt to be confronted by an armed individual. This includes, but is no means limited to, law enforcement officers, security personnel, bouncers, paramedics, military personnel, etc.

Having worked as a law enforcement officer, bouncer, and provided security for various businesses and individuals over the years, I found quite a few things in Lawrence’s book that I hadn’t taken into consideration and am very glad that I had the opportunity to read it first instead of experiencing it in a bad way. As with any good book on the subject of self-defense, Lawrence promotes the use of awareness and avoidance as your primary and most important forms of defense over actual physical techniques. Smart and the hallmark of someone who knows what they are talking about.

Lawrence then delves into various scenarios throughout the book and ways of safely getting out of the situation you may find yourself in without resorting to a physical confrontation with your potential attacker. Some of which is so simple that I hadn’t even considered them as options. Although after being presented with them I could see how effective they would and could be in certain situations.

This is followed with sections on using countervailing force and the ramifications of using such force such as; the physical and mental effects, moral implications and considerations, the possible legal ramifications of using force, etc. One point that Lawrence makes, and it is a very good one, is to always remember that the law enforcement officer that you may have to deal with is not your friend! Let me repeat that, the law enforcement officer that you may have to deal with is not your friend! Now Lawrence and I are both not saying that they are the enemy, it’s just that you have to protect yourself at all times and the three best things to do are as follows:

1. Keep your mouth shut.
2. Contact your attorney.
3. Keep your mouth shut.

I was particularly fond of Lawrence’s 9 rules to live by. Now I am not going to divulge them here, and since you will undoubtedly be purchasing this book after reading this and the other reviews, it will give you one of numerous things to look forward to when it arrives on your doorstep.

One particular section of note was the section related to the types of weapons you are most likely to encounter and how they function. This section is deserving of an entire volume on its own and perhaps Lawrence is working on that as I type this review and as you read it. Let us hope anyhow.

This book and the information contained within it should be a constant companion in your home library, and in the forefront of your mind whenever you are somewhere outside the confines and safety of your own home. On second thought, the information provided in this book should probably be in the forefront of your mind even when you are at home. As Lawrence so profoundly states in this book, you never know when are going to be attacked, by whom, or what that person or persons will attack you with.

I highly recommend this book, “Surviving Armed Assaults,” as well as, “The Way of Kata,” and “Martial Arts Instruction” all by Lawrence A. Kane as valuable additions to your personal martial arts library.

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed chikara-kan.com/shoppingcart” target=”_blank Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series.

Lawrence can be reached via his publisher’s web site at: ymaa.com/publishing/authors/lawrence_kane YMAA

Unsecured personal loans are possibly the most common loan option in the financial market today. It can be procured without putting up any collateral – a godsend for non homeowners and tenants.

One distinct benefit with unsecured personal loans is the swiftness of support. There is no need to evaluate any property with this loan type. Thus, there is no overkill of paperwork. A substantial amount of time is saved in the absence of this assessment. Consequently, unsecured personal loans can be procured faster. Still, these loans can be of little help if the finances required are a big amount. The maximum unsecured loan amount that can be borrowed in UK is £25,000.

The non-existence of collateral with this loan type generates higher interest rates. The lender is undertaking a huge risk by simply agreeing to give away the loan, based on nothing but the borrower’s trustworthiness. So, the stark difference in interest rates between secured and unsecured loans is clearly justified. Consequently, there is no reason for borrowers to malign “overstated” interest rates with unsecured loans, which is sometimes the case.

The absence of security and the lack of repossession threat is no license for the borrower to default on unsecured personal loans. Court may be arranged to recoup the loan amount, should the borrower default with the repayments.

There is a surfeit of unsecured personal loans in the market today. Traditional sources like banks and building societies are still in vogue. However, the advent of the World Wide Web has rendered the online option a favourite among borrowers in UK (for that matter, anywhere in the world).

In spite of the myriad options that the Internet provides, it is still wise to tread this ground with caution. Doubtless it holds some of the best loan quotes available. However, there are other lenders, too, who are there simply to make a fast pound through high interest rates.

About The Author: The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in business administration and is currently assisting Loans11 as a finance specialist.

For more information please visit at: loans11.co.uk loans11.co.uk

With ever demanding lifestyle and never ending needs, it is becoming increasingly hard to save at the end of the month. It may be startling enough to know that nearly one-third of the Britons failed to produce any savings during 2006.

A research from a leading bank further revealed that almost one-fifth admitted to not saving as much as they had planned for during the last year. A dreadful majority of 82 per cent said that they intend to sort out their savings in 2007. The fewer savings and demanding lifestyle has made the people rely more on personal loans rather than their own savings.

With a personal loan, you can fulfil almost any of your requirements. These multi-purpose loans cater to the wide section of society. You may be a homeowner, a tenant, self employed professional, businessman or any other interested UK resident. Following are amongst some of the most common uses of such a loan:

Debt consolidation – chance4finance.co.uk/personal-loans.html” target=”_blank Personal loan can help you merge your multiple debts into a single and manageable debt. If your debts consist of credit card dues then you may be paying a high rate of interest. In that situation, consolidating the debts will help you save on interest payment also. Usually, the APR is low in case of a personal loan when compared to what the card companies charge. Paying outstanding bills – You may have tax liability, debt instalments or any other similar debts. You can use a personal loan to repay all such debts. Home Improvement – Mostly, home improvements are done on an amateur DIY (do it yourself) basis. You may need some financial help in the process.Purchasing a vehicle – Most people prefer to buy a car with a personal loan. It is one of the least expensive sources for financing your car.

The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry.
He has done her masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Chance4finance as a finance specialist. To find a chance4finance.co.uk personal loans , that best suits your needs, visit chance4finance UK.

A Cash Advance also referred to, as a payday loan is one of the fastest ways to put urgent money in your hands for any emergency that may crop up during the month. Cash Advances are made available to individuals who meet some specific basic requirements. Cash Advance providers offer this service online making it extremely easy for you and me to apply for the cash advance. Cash advances are made available to the applicant twenty-four hours after he or she filled in the application. Interest rates on cash advances are high, some lenders charge as high as twenty five percent, so you should only borrow what you definately and only need. Once your cash advance is approved it is deposited electronically into your account the next business day. Payments for your cash advance are automatically withdrawn from your account on your next payday.

The truth in the lending act requires the provider to clearly show the Annual Percentage Interest (APR). This is done to protect the borrower from unscrupulous providers out take advantage of borrowers. Cash Advance providers offer this service online making it extremely easy for you and me to apply for the cash advance, it is deposited electronically into your account the next business day.

cashnetusa.com/cashAdvance.html Cash Advance

Accounting is the art of analyzing and interpreting data. It may not be apparent to some but every business and every individual uses accounting in some form. An individual may knowingly or unknowingly use accounting when he evaluates his financial information and relays the results to others. Accounting is an indispensable tool in any business, may it be small or multi-national.

The term “accounting” covers many different types of accounting on the basis of the group or groups served. The following are the types of accounting.

1. Private or Industrial Accounting: This type of accounting refers to accounting activity that is limited only to a single firm. A private accountant provides his skills and services to a single employer and receives salary on an employer-employee basis. The term private is applied to the accountant and the accounting service he renders. The term is used when an employer-employee type of relationship exists even though the employer is some case is a public corporation.

2. Public Accounting: Public accounting refers to the accounting service offered by a public accountant to the general public. When a practitioner-client relationship exists, the accountant is referred to as a public accountant. Public accounting is considered to be more professional than private accounting. Both certified and non certified public accountants can provide public accounting services. Certified accountants can be single practitioners or by partnership ranging in size from two to hundreds of members. The scope of these accounting firms can include local, national and international clientele.

3. Governmental Accounting: Governmental accounting refers to accounting for a branch or unit of government at any level, may it be federal, state, or local. Governmental accounting is very similar to conventional accounting methods. Both the governmental and conventional accounting methods use the double-entry system of accounting and journals and ledgers. The object of government accounting units is to give service rather than make profits. Since profit motive cannot be used as a measure of efficiency in government units, other control measures must be developed. To enhance control, special funds accounting is used. Governmental units can use the services of both private and public accountant just as any business entity.

4. Fiduciary Accounting: Fiduciary accounting lies in the notion of trust. This type of accounting is done by a trustee, administrator, executor, or anyone in a position of trust. His work is to keep the records and prepares the reports. This may be authorized by or under the jurisdiction of a court of law. The fiduciary accountant should seek out and control all property subject to the estate or trust. The concept of proprietorship that is common in the usual types of accounting is non-existent or greatly modified in fiduciary accounting.

5. National Income Accounting: National income accounting uses the economic or social concept in establishing accounting rather than the usual business entity concept. The national income accounting is responsible in providing the public an estimate of the nation’s annual purchasing power. The GNP or the gross national product is a related term, which refers to the total market value of all the goods and services produced by a country within a given period of time, usually a calendar year.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to accounting-guides.com/ Accounting

Many people are confused by the idea of reducing their debt by saving money. It’s easier than you think though, and makes complete sense when you understand the concept.

By saving money on your everyday fixed or variable expenses, you have more that can be contributed towards paying off your outstanding debts. And the faster you pay these debts, the more money you save in interest accumulation.

Let’s say for instance, that you have credit card debts of $10,000. And let’s also say – for the sake of example only – that you’re paying 10% interest on that debt, and your minimum monthly payments are $250.

Note that these figures will not be fully accurate, because we’re creating an example only.

Now, if you paid zero interest on that credit card debt, you’d have it completely paid off in 40 months. That is three years and three months. Seems forever already, doesn’t it?

But since your debt is accumulating interest over that entire time, it is likely to DOUBLE while you’re paying it off. In other words: What would take a little over 3 years to pay off without any interest charges, could now take 6 years or more. And you’ll end up paying $20,000 or more before it’s all said and done.

If however, you’re able to save money in your budget each month, you can contribute more money towards paying that debt off faster. So let’s say you’re able to pay $350 every month instead of the base $250. Doing this means your reducing the amount of interest charged to you each month, thus you’re reducing the overall amount of money being paid to this debt account.

A zero interest debt could be paid off in as little as 28 months – a little over 2 years – instead of the original 3.3 years. Since all debts have interest rates of course, you’ll still be paying more in the end. But you’ll be able to pay that debt off faster – and at much less cost – by paying more than the minimums.

So find ways to get additional money out of your budget today, and start reducing those outstanding debts faster!

© 2006, Kathy Burns-Millyard. More About

If you are like many of the thousands of people trying to make money online today, then you are probably trying to find a program that works. I have tried Quixstar, Market America and Amway, all of which require you to build a down line and sell a product. The one and only program that I found to work is the e-currency exchange program.

Electronic currency exchange is the fastest growing online business today. Currency exchanging allows users to tap into a global network where they can trade e-currencies such as INTgold, E-gold, Netpay and many more on a daily basis.

Here is how it all works. Initially the user creates a portfolio that is compounded daily, with gains ranging anywhere from .3% to .5% of their portfolio value. If a portfolio has a value of $5,000 then .3% gains per day would come out to roughly $450 a month in net profit. Once a user has reached the $5,000 mark there are other ways to maximize their profits.

At the $5,000 mark, the user can apply for what is called a console. A console allows the user to build float and move funds from and to e-currencies such as from INTgold to Netpay. When a user builds float, he or she is building up capital that they can temporarily lend to an e-currency to complete a transaction. Let me explain in more detail. If you have $400 in float, you can temporarily lend your $400 to an e-currency to process transactions for other traders. In return for lending that $400 to an e-currency to process a transaction they will pay you 6% of the total amount you lent to them, which turns out to be $24. The $400 you initially lent to an e-currency is now $424. Money is constantly flowing in and out of the global e-currency network, therefore is it possible to process multiple transaction just like the one above on a daily basis.

E-currency is a relatively unknown, but lucrative business. The learning curve is extremely slow, however does pay off. I have tried to learn the e-currency exchange network sitting in chat rooms, reading forums and asking questions. This method became tiresome and time consuming. After spending countless hours trying to figure out e-currency on my own, I eventually purchased a guide that showed me how to maximize my trades and work the system in a simplified manner. If you are truly interested in e-currency trading, there are plenty of resources available online to help anyone get started.

Tim Rohrer is an established writer and currency trader. There is only one legitimate program that has mananged to pay the bills every month. mazumoney.net mazumoney.net