Category: Online Stock Trading Software

Almost everyone is searching for someone to blame for the current economic crisis. The problem is, most of the people looking to point the finger, are actually the ones who should be looking in the mirror when it comes to who is really at fault. Unfortunately, the American consumers put themselves in this situation through a combination of greed and lack of personal financial knowledge. Sure, greedy corporations and lending institutions played a role as well, especially if they deceived unwitting borrowers, but there again, the key word is “unwitting”. Buyer beware is still the mantra, even when it comes to purchasing a home.

According to the President, Congress, independent financial experts, and TV pundits, this week’s economic picture for the country is the worst seen since the Great Depression. It can be argued that Warren Buffet is the richest man in the United States, turning over his capital to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for philanthropic purposes notwithstanding.

The next line in that famous baseball song goes “Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack.” These days investing in baseball are even more popular than peanuts, if certainly not more profitable. Baseball is big business and there are some big league company names investing and partnering with Major League Baseball (MLB) to increase their bottom lines.

In 2007, President George W. Bush developed a plan that would reduce gasoline usage by over 20% in the next ten years, and with both major presidential candidates making alternative energy a priority in the upcoming election; electric cars may be commonplace on our nation’s highways in the near future. What does this mean for investors? As the number of electric powered cars increase, expect utility companies to get in on the action. Companies that operate as an electric utility and a renewable energy company offer investors a “two for one” opportunity.

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China will potentially offer companies unique business opportunities, even after the Olympics are over. China is undergoing an economic revolution and industrial boom. Companies that can meet the challenges that come with this rapid growth could benefit financially.

Oil has recently been selling at an all time high. Gasoline prices are draining American consumers directly when they fill up, and indirectly through the added expense of shipping all of the products they buy. In response, the President has lifted the ban on additional offshore oil drilling that had been imposed by his father in an earlier and very different time.

The American dream still thrives in the stock investing market. It is the only investment vehicle that has proven to increase wealth over time and one that mitigates inflationary pressures. The question for the average stock investing person is how to find the offbeat stock that flies beneath the popularity grid yet still maintains the potential for a positive Return On Investment (ROI). The following indicates some not so glamorous stocks that have strong growth and high employee satisfaction. The employee satisfaction is an integral component of a successful operation because the satisfied employee goes the extra distance for the company, lessens the impact on employee benefit packages and thereby, enhances the Earnings Per Share (EPS). The following companies score in the Forbes, 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2008, while exhibiting positive growth.

Financial companies have borne the brunt of the downturn in the U.S. stock investing market in the last year. For some companies, such as Bear Stearns and Countrywide Financial, the bottom has dropped out all the way to requiring takeovers by competitors in order to avoid bankruptcy. For other companies, such as Lehman Brothers (LEH) or mega-insurer American International Group (AIG), the impact has cut share prices in half, or worse.

The real estate market like all other asset classes is subject to the laws of supply and demand. When supply outstrips demand, inventory rises, prices fall and it takes longer for sellers to sell their homes. The longer it takes for a seller to offload his or her property the more likely they are to drop prices. Real estate unlike many other investments usually involves a significant cash outlay to purchase and sell; as a result there is a sizable carrying cost for holding real estate as an investment. Forget the flippers and the no document, no down payment sales, they are not investments in the traditional sense of an investment, they fall more into the class of so called investments called ponzi schemes.

Worried about your investments if your candidate doesn’t win in November? Whether the Internet savvy Obama, or the defense minded McCain prevails, you can protect yourself and even make money with covered call investing. Look over your portfolio segments. If a democrat wins and you own oil stocks, write covered calls on them with a strike price at or a little lower than the current market price. Since democrats are no friends of big oil, their constant negativity may drive prices down.