Monday, March 31, 2008

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Purpose and History of Bankruptcy in the United States

Posted: 30 Mar 2008 05:13 AM CDT

Bankruptcy is a declaration by a borrower of his or her inability to pay his or her debtors that balance that is owed. Companies can also declare it though it is usually declared by individuals whose debt has become overwhelming.

The main purpose of bankruptcy is to give a debtor a sort of fresh start by relieving him of most of his debts or to pay back his creditors what he can, though he might not be able to pay back everything. It usually allows people to be relieved of their legal obligation to repay most of their debts by submitting any non-exempt assets to a bankruptcy court so that the court can then distribute those assets among the accounts that are still owed money.
There are two forms declaring yourself bankrupt. The first kind is liquidation in which all of the person’s non-exempt assets are sold off in an attempt to settle debts with creditors. All of the other forms fall under the reorganization category, which is when the person or company is given an opportunity to restructure his or their assets and debts to better pay everything off. Typically creditors take a portion of the person’s income. Many businesses enter into reorganization to stay in an operating capacity.

In the United States, bankruptcies are under Federal jurisdiction by the Constitution as declared in article one, section eight of the Constitution. This article states that Congress can enact “uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States.” The implementation of these laws, however, is found in statute law. These statutes are incorporated into the Bankruptcy Code which is found at Title Eleven of the United States Code and then is subject to state law in instances that the federal law is not sufficient to cover the circumstances of an individual’s case.

The United States requires all bankruptcy cases to be filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court, which is adjacent to the United States District Courts. These cases are very dependent upon individual state laws, especially when dealing with exemptions and claims. Because these cases are so dependent upon state law, bankruptcy is not usually recognized in more than one state at a time.

The United States has six types of bankruptcy:

Chapter Seven: liquidation for businesses and individuals Chapter Nine: municipal Chapter Eleven: reorganization and rehabilitation, usually used by businesses though it can also be used by individuals. Chapter Twelve: rehabilitation for fishermen and farmers Chapter Thirteen: rehabilitation that comes with a payment plan for people who have a regular income source Chapter Fifteen: for international and ancillary cases.

The most common chapters to be filed are chapter seven and chapter thirteen, and chapter thirteen is favorable to chapter seven in that an individual can keep his assets but is required to devote some of his income to the repayment of his debt, which is spread out over a period of three to five years. There are some who believe that bankruptcy does not actually benefit individuals and that credit counseling is better.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

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Facts About Diamond Appraisals

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 05:14 AM CDT

If you are planning to invest in diamonds, you’ll need two things: (A) a thorough knowledge of diamonds, and (B) diamond appraisal services. The latter is particularly important in determining the value of and diamonds you are planning to purchase, and should be performed by a party that is independent of any diamond wholesalers with whom you are considering transactions.

This can be challenging, because the entire diamond industry is controlled by a handful of corporate entities throughout the world. It may take a bit of detective work, but the time and trouble taken to locate and secure independent diamond appraisal services can be well worth it when it comes to insuring the value of your investment in loose diamonds.

What Are “Loose Diamonds”?

Simply put, loose diamonds are just that - diamonds that have not been placed in a setting, such as a ring, bracelet, necklace or other type of jewelry. Investors and diamond dealers usually purchase these from diamond wholesalers, either as a hedge against inflation or for use in the manufacture of retail commercial jewelry.

Diamond Appraisal and Lab Analysis

These diamonds are cut and ready for mounting, and the quality of this cutting work can have a great effect on the value of such stones. A certificate from a gemology laboratory can provide a great deal of objective, quantifiable information about diamonds, including:

- carat (basically the weight and mass of the stone; a carat equals 1/5 of a gram) - grade (the overall quality of the stone in terms of color and clarity) - dimensions - quality of the cut and shape of the stone

Such a report, while important, does not necessarily determine the value of diamonds however.

In contrast to a lab report, a diamond appraisal determines the market value of the stones. Essentially, a diamond appraisal is required in order to place a dollar value on the stones, particularly for insurance and marketing purposes.

While the lab report contains information that remains constant, a diamond appraisal can change depending on numerous factors, not the least of which is market conditions. Due to currency fluctuation and exchange rates, diamonds may command a greater price in some parts of the world than others. Should stones be re-cut, this can also affect the value.

It’s a good idea to keep all of this in mind whether you are an investor or are among the diamond dealers seeking stones for commercial jewelry settings.

Avoiding Conflict of Interest

It may seem obvious, but it bears repeating: do not, under any circumstances, have your stoned appraised by the diamond wholesaler. While most are reputable and adhere to ethical standards, it is human nature for a merchant to place an elevated value on his own wares. An independent appraiser with nothing to gain but his own standard fee will provide much more reliable figures.

Friday, March 28, 2008

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The Stock Trading Robot - Is Marl All That He’s Cracked Up To Be?

Posted: 27 Mar 2008 05:15 AM CDT

Marl, The Stock Trading Robot, contrary to what it’s creators would have you believe is not unique. There have been automated trading systems for years on the internet, be they in Forex or the stock and bond markets. What is different about Marl is the way in which stocks are analyzed and the information relayed. I’m sure many of you (much like myself until a few years ago) possessed a very rudimentary knowledge of investment strategy and terminology. To me the stock market represented the boring few seconds before the newscaster got to sports. However, I now know that with a solid knowledge of the market and a tool like the stock trading robot the market can be a powerful money making tool.

What Exactly does Marl do?
When I first heard of the creation this was the first question on my mind, and at first the answer seems quite straight forward; Marl analyzes penny stocks. In essence, this is true however I feel that it is important to explain how exactly the process happens. It analyzes a stock’s trading patterns and looks for patterns using mathematical algorithms. Let’s say that company XYZ for a 7 day period of time traded at either +/- $0.50 of it’s beginning week value. Marl breaks down the trading record and determines at which points the stock peaked, and the points where it’s value declined. By doing this it is able to tell you a time to buy or sell the security.

Right now you may be thinking that the Stock Trading Robot is your ticket to early retirement, and if this is the case, please listen to what I am about to tell you. Human analysts have been trying to predict the stock market since its inception over a century ago, and they are still no closer. Tools like Marl are certainly helpful, but the best way to have a long term healthy return in the market is to utilize a sound investment strategy. I have known many people who lost huge portions of their savings by simply putting all of their eggs in one basket. The penny stock market which The Stock Trading Robot deals primarily in is a volatile market.

It has the greatest potential, risk and also the greatest potential return. For your investment strategies I highly recommend that you utilize knowledge and all other tools that may be available to assist you. Is the stock trading robot one of these tools? From my own experience, yes it can be. However, you as the investor must exercise both prudent financial judgment and common sense when dealing with any security.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

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Surefire Way To Making Money With Affiliate Programs

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 10:37 PM CDT

Don’t have a web site? Don’t have a list of avid buyers? No problem.

Making money with web marketing is not pretty hard. It’s been said that 5% or less of net entrepreneurs make enough money to buy a reasonable dinner or a pizza. But those ‘wanna be web entrepreneurs are spending the dinner money, the food money and in a fewsad cases are going into burdensome debt attempting to discover the holy grail leading to six figure incomes.
I know, been there, done that, and don’t want to ever go through it again. It is humiliating to look your spouse or girlfriend in the eyes and say that I know I’m close to riches, I just have to discover that hidden secret. Or you prematurely quit your day job when the cash seems to be flowing only to findGoogle, Yahoo or MSN have altered their Adsense contextual ad algorithms or your Adwords account is draining your bank account faster than the Rooter Router man.

However, don’t give up the ship yet, it only is leaking a little water and with the correct bilge pumps you can stay cruising, at least, until aid arrives.

Before you leap from one wonderful sounding ebook, software or membership site keep asking yourself if it fits in with your overall marketing plan. Only then, if it does, should you invest. Jumping from “this is the key, to this is a winner” and other ‘can’t miss’ sales copy is the #1 reason that 95% of newbies/net marketers fail to make significant income on the web. Becoming easily unfocused is a absolute pathway to failure!

Hopefully you won’t have to keep looking for that magic potion if you follow some of these appropriate steps:

After the smoke clears the victors left are those that had:

1. Luck (where action meets opportunity) 2. Determination (you have be super-focused and not let distractions mislead your marketing plan for success) 3. Guts (having the intestinal fortitude to think ‘outside the box’. 4. Vision (if you don’t know where you are going you will flounder on the rocks)

Here is one simple way to make money with affiliate programs.

1. Discoverpopular products on clickbank.com 2. Create a bonus 3. Write copy that pre-sells, web blog or newsletter to earn cash with affiliate programs. All it takes is a marketing plan and ACTION!

Getting The Best Stock Market Investing Guide

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 05:15 AM CDT

Now more than ever, online stock trading has become easy and accessible to beginners in the field. Online information and short courses on how to trade online are being offered by some of the most reliable sources for stock investment.

The best way to learn online stock trading is getting a good and reputable stock market investing guide. For this, you’ll need to sign up with an online trading firm. There are many online firms that offer free account registration. What matters is that you won’t be left on your own, once you’ve started. Here are some tips to picking a reliable stock trading site as your stock market investing guide:

Trustworthy online trading firm should not only instruct you the tools of the trade, but it should also be your online stock market investing guide.
Any online trading firm would want to have you sign up with them because it is profitable for them that you do. But there are many fraudulent online firms that would not hesitate at taking advantage of your investments. One of the most common schemes these fraudulent sites would try is the “Pump and Dump” scheme. They’ll hype and inflate prices of stocks and then dump these on investors who have no idea what they’re getting into. So be careful when choosing which online trading firm you would want as your stock market investing guide.

There are a lot of online trading firms that cater to individual non-professional stock traders who want that hands-on approach in dealing with their investments. A great stock market investing guide is one who can show you not only the tools of the trade, but how you can keep track of your stock investments, as well.

Look for an online stock investing guide that offers its non-professional investors with online trading support services.

Don’t be taken in by online trading firms that say you don’t need to worry about your investment and that they’ll take care of everything. That’s not a sign of a reliable stock market investing guide. Always ask to take control of your investments. Look for a trading site that offers services like direct investment options, listings of independent stock news sources, as well as courses on online stock trading. These are signs that a stock trading firm not only wants you onboard, it will take care of you and your investment by acting as a trustworthy stock market investing guide.

The bloodline in every stock market move is information. When choosing a online stock trading site, make sure that the one you is updated and well-informed, particularly in the markets you’re interested in. There are sites that serve that offer vital stock quote data, charts, news and information. There are also other sites that cater specifically to the online trading community in terms of offering tools and applications that help beginners with stock analysis, streaming stock quote data, and other useful information.

Don’t rely on your stock market investing guide alone. Choosing a reliable online trading firm as your stock market investing guide is half of the work done. The rest is up to you. Once you get the hang of online stock trading investments you’ll be more confident in investing bigger stock picks.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

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Forex Day Trading For Novices

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 05:16 AM CDT

Most newbie forex traders go for forex day trading as a basis for their forex trading strategy, as they see it as a low risk way to trade and an opportunity to make small regular profits. This article is all about day trading for novices and what they need to know.

The rise of online forex trading, tighter spreads and lower minimums has led to an influx of day traders and there are plenty of vendors offering day trading or scalping systems which claim to make big profits but there is a problem.
They all lose - because day trading by its very nature is bound to fail. If you see a day trading forex track record chances are it has a disclaimer on it like the following one - take a read and you will see its not reality:

“CFTC RULE 4.41 - Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown”.

Of course it’s simulated knowing what happened and vendors can and do make up track records to sell to greedy naïve traders and the greedy herd all lose.

So why doesn’t day trading work then?

It’s obvious we have countless millions of traders all with their own different forex trading strategies and views and to say you can predict what they will do in a few hours is totally absurd.

Humans are not predictable in short time frames their the total opposite!

All the volatility in short term time frames is random, daily ranges cannot act as support and resistance and anyone trying to trade the data is wasting their time - its simply not valid.

If you want to win:

Keep in mind you need the odds on your side and that means trading longer term.

If you do, this you’re using valid data where you can win and it really is as simple as that. The shame is many day traders work hard (far harder than a lot of the traders who make big gains) but they lose through ignorance of how and why markets really move.

Day trading for novices is simply a quick lesson in how to wipe out account equity - PERIOD.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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A Review of High Yield Investments

Posted: 24 Mar 2008 05:45 AM CDT

If you are new to internet marketing, you may be little bit bit confused by the term “High Yield Investments.” Shouldn’t all investments be considered high yield? When used in this context (and keep in mind that there is some variation across the board), it refers to the potential for making money online in direct marketing opportunities, network marketing opportunities or through passive systems like pay to read systems. If you have a great deal of interest in getting involved in making money in these ventures, learning about the genre as a whole is a good way to get started.
The first tip that is usually given to people who are interested in High Yield Investments is that they need to diversify. If you are shortly getting into this field, you may be a little bit timid about spreading yourself too thin, but it makes sense. Many of these opportunities are fairly short term, and is usually a good idea to have something waiting in the wings in case one or more opportunities go bust in a short period of time.

When you are thinking about High Yield Investments , you should always think about what your goals are. Are you looking to make some money for Christmas or a special event, or are you trying to replace a full-time job? Be realistic about what you can invest in these opportunities and make sure that you never get in too deep to dig yourself out. Similarly, remember to do your own research and go with your gut; some High Yield Investments are quite risky when it comes to what they ask you to risk.

If you are getting involved in High Yield Investments, you need to remember that frequently, you will get out of what you put in. How much time are you willing to put in? Remember to do more than just weigh the tangible benefits. Will you be doing something else while you’re online or will you be simply spending time to online to commit to this opportunity? Think about what any of these opportunities are worth to you.

When you are considering getting involved with High Yield Investments, remember that there are as many good investments out there as there are bad ones, and though you should always be cautious, you shouldn’t be afraid to take a risk on something that you feel might be able to help you achieve your goals. Think of it as gambling money, if you put $100 or $200 in a program and it goes belly up, not all is lost.

Monday, March 24, 2008

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Day Trading Articles - How To Find The Best Authors

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 05:47 AM CDT

With the rise of day trading online, there are a lot of day trading articles on the net. If you want good information you want day trading articles that have been written by people who actually trade and thats what were going to look at here.

The vast majority of articles written on day trading are not written by traders at all. There normally written by people who are simply trying to make money by appealing to traders to visit their site where they have ad words or products from vendors for sale.

These products appeal to people who are looking for an easy way to make money in forex and they lose.

The fact is day trading simply doesn’t work.
As an experienced trader, I find it amusing that people actually believe what some authors say in terms of day trading, here are just some examples:

“Predict market tops and bottoms with 90% accuracy”

“Scalp profits everyday”

“Earn $10,000 a month with this system”

Of course these day trading systems don’t work as the track record that comes with them will have the disclaimer below (or a similar one), read it carefully:

“CFTC RULE 4.41 - Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown”.

What this means is a vendor can make up any track record they like in hindsight, knowing the closing prices - but trading is actually a little more difficult, you have to trade without knowing the closing prices!

You will never see a day trading system with a track record of real gains, audited with account statements over the longer term. If you do - let me know because I have been trading for 25 years and never seen one.

Day trading forex day trading stocks, day trading commodities, day trading CFD’s - it doesn’t matter - day trading does not work in any of them due to the following:

All volatility in short term time frames is random and prices can and do go anywhere, meaning that if you try and use support and resistance levels they wont help you with your trading signal or help you get profitable market timing.

You therefore can’t get the odds in your favour and will lose over time.

This is fairly obvious when you consider that the price in any financial market is made by a vast diverse group of traders.

You simply cannot predict what this vast mass of people will do in a period of a few hours - the time period is simply to short.

If you want to make money trading then you need to trade longer time frames, where you can calculate and get the odds in your favour. This means swing trading or trend following.

So the next time you read a day trading article you should be aware that the person writing it has probably got no experience on the subject they are actually writing about. There are lots of day trading articles and the vast majority of the authors have simply never traded.