Investment Funds and Investments

Federal Reserve System

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:55:09 -0500

Daily Market Commentary for March , Federal Reserve released Quarterly Flow of Funds: U.S. Household net worth shrinks to . in Q read more at Millennium-Traders.Comhttp:www.millennium-traders.comnewsnewscommentary.aspxEconomic data released today:Retail Sales:U.S. February Retail & Food Sales fell . compared to consensus of a drop by .; US February Retail & Food Sales Excluding-Autos rose .; January Retail & Food Sales Revised to increase by . from increase by ..Jobless Claims: U.S. Jobless Claims for week of March increased by K to K compared to survey of an increase by K; U.S. Continuing Claims for week of February increased by K to ,,; U.S. Jobless Claims Revised for week of to K from K; U.S. Continuing Claims at Record High.Business Inventories:U.S. January Business Inventories fell . but was expected to drop by .; Inventory-to-Sales Ratio Holds at . In January.At the NYSE closing bell on the New Yo...

Who Gets Funded Today? Are You That Great Entrepreneur?

Sat, 19 May 2012 00:44:35 -0500

b>Venture Capital Equity InvestmentWith the current odds of having a project funded about in,, the question of who gets the Venture Capital EquityInvestment funding has to be one of the most critical for anyentrepreneur.And What Is An Entrepreneur?A dictionary comes in handy here: "A person who organizes,operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture."Here's another: " A risk-taker who has the skills and initiativeto establish a business."Note that one word: RISK.Virtually any new business...or expanding an old one...entailsrisk. What's the biggest risk? Failure, of course. And if you'renot at least aware of that possibility, you're not a "safe"entrepreneur, not to an investor, at any rate. It means you're aloose cannon, someone who may jump the harness and invest theirmonies in things which have not been thought out, not organized.So one of the key items in a great entrepreneur - whom everyinvestor always hopes to find - is risking with foresight.You'v...

Checklist for starting a business

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:43:46 -0500

Use this comprehensive checklist to plan each step of your newbusiness and transform your dream of entrepreneurship intoreality. These steps may not necessarily be completed in theorder listed; however, you can use them as a guideline forcompleting all of the necessary business startup tasks. -Determine what kind of business you want to start. - Learn aboutthe industry for your business. - Analyze the market for yourbusiness. - Study your competition. - Educate yourself onrunning a business. - Join trade associations. - Name yourbusiness. - Perform a trademark search. - Register a domainname. - Design a website. - Obtain a logo. - Determine businessstructure sole proprietor, partnership, or corporation. -Evaluate your personal budget. - Write a business plan. - Writea marketing plan. - Locate financing. - Create a list ofstart-up supplies with budget. - Set up a system for accountingand payroll. - Apply for business license, fed tax ID,fictitious business name. - Sele...

Is Our Money Safe? - Part I

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:46:12 -0500

Banks are institutions where miracles happen regularly. Werarely entrust our money to anyone but ourselves ' and ourbanks. Despite a very chequered history of mismanagement,corruption, false promises and representations, delusions andbehavioural inconsistency ' banks still succeed to motivate usto give them our money. Partly it is the feeling that there issafety in numbers. The fashionable term today is "moral hazard".The implicit guarantees of the state and of other financialinstitutions move us to take risks which we would, otherwise,have avoided. Partly it is the sophistication of the banks inmarketing and promoting themselves and their products. Glossybrochures, professional computer and video presentations andvast, shrine-like, real estate complexes all serve to enhancethe image of the banks as the temples of the new religion ofmoney.But what is behind all this? How can we judge the soundness ofour banks? In other words, how can we tell if our money issafely tucke...

Beware of Defensive Stocks! June 25

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:43:40 -0500

Beware of Defensive Stocks! June .Just the thought of a double-dip less than a year after the economy began pulling out of the last recession is agonizing. Just the thought of another bear market in stocks so soon, with the S&P still below its peaks of and , is unbearable for many.Illustrating the emotional problem, in a recent e-mail dialog, the well-known anchor of a financial TV show explained to me why he is constantly arguing with analysts trying to warn investors, rather than letting them have their say, why he is trying to present a positive outlook for the market. He said, "My portfolio is still below where it was ten years ago, and I am probably in a state of denial, unable to contemplate the possibility of another lost decade."It's likely that many investors are in the same boat, still scarred by the back-to-back bear markets and hoping if they ignore the present threat that it will go away.Unfortunately, the unpopular early warni...