Doesn’t it make sense to learn to invest (some basics) before you start investing money for real? Maybe a course called investing 101 or personal investing would be helpful. Here this retired financial planner relates a story, and then points the new investor in the right direction so he or she does not start investing uninformed.In the dean’s office of one of the largest universities in America, I recently asked if they offered investing 101, personal investing, or any finance course where the student could learn to invest. “After all, we all need to start investing money someday, and it is much to one’s advantage to be informed vs. uninformed, isn’t it?” That was my response when told, “no, or at least I can’t find one” by the dean. I was informed that they had well over 50,000 current students enrolled and offered THOUSANDS of courses in the various colleges throughout the university. But he could find no course under the heading of personal investing or investing 101, and he was in charge of the curriculum.We spent about an hour together searching and were both laughing out loud at what WAS offered. How about a course in “the art of falling down”? It’s offered. Investing 101? Which college in the university would offer such a course? “The athletic department is real big here; maybe they could help”, I suggested. After all, professional football players make big money. They need to learn to invest money (in case their career is short) and should start investing early. I knew a few players when I was a financial planner, but like most folks they tend to procrastinate when the money is flowing in. They’re too busy earning it, and don’t have the time to learn to invest.The truth of the matter is that I don’t find it funny that it’s difficult to find a down-to earth practical course that most people could truly benefit from, because as a new investor you need to learn to invest money before you start investing for retirement or any other financial goal. As a new investor you may not be able to find a financial planner you can work with or afford. Even if you found one, do you really want to start investing money with him or her without first getting your feet wet in the basics of personal investing? Let’s start at the beginning.Before you get into financial concepts like asset allocation and strategy, you should first learn the very basics: investment characteristics. How can you compare various alternatives to determine which best suit your needs, financial goals and comfort level? In other words, you need to decide what you are really looking for. And you need a list of factors to consider before you start investing money. For example, do you have a long term goal like retirement, and are you willing to accept a moderate level of risk? If so, there are numerous investment alternatives to consider, and you can also get tax breaks.On the other hand, if you have a shorter term financial goal and might need access to your money at a moment’s notice, that’s a totally different picture. You need to match your financial wants and needs to the various alternatives that have characteristics best suited to your personal investing goals. There is no single best choice for every financial goal. It’s a matter of give and take. I have a list of 5 factors you must consider and a few other things you should consider before making a decision. This is basic investing 101. Whether you are a new investor or you’ve been at it for a while and have never really taken the time to learn to invest – you should learn the basics.This is the first in a series of investing 101 articles I plan to write. In my next article I plan to put my list of characteristics you need to consider before you start investing money in black and white. Don’t feel bad if you are an uniformed new investor (or a want to-be). Do something and learn to invest starting with the basics.Once you have a handle on a few basic financial concepts you can start investing with confidence. Once you learn to invest you can reach your financial goals. If you think I’m trying to build your confidence, you are right. Stay tuned to investing 101 as we get back to basics. No offense to anyone at one of THE largest universities in the country, but there’s a void out there and I plan to fill it.
Forex Trading Software and Choosing the Right One
Doing a lot of research and learning on how to do it is the key to making profits from forex trading. However, if you are too busy to be engaged in research on money markets in order to arm yourself with the necessary knowledge, you never need to be disheartened. Still, you have the possibility of engaging in trading foreign exchange using software designed for the purpose.Types of forex trading softwareThough different trading companies on forex have their own different software packages that allow their traders to do their transactions automatically, these software packages could be divided into two main categories. One is online software and the other is desktop based software. Though both have similarities and specialties you have the option to choose your favorite type of software.Desktop type of forex trading softwareThe specialty of this type of software is their being resident in the hard drive of your computer. Supplier of the software will send the updates on daily basis in order to have your software up to date. It is necessary for you to install these updates and have your software up to date. Also, you are responsible on the protection of software from viruses and hackers. The advantage with this type of software is that you never need to be connected to internet all the time in order to work with them.Web based softwareWhen you use web based software for forex trading you never need to do any downloading. As a result, there is no need to protect it from viruses and hackers either. The only thing is that every time you need to use the software it is a must to log into internet. This type of software is always filled with up to the minute information.When you use online software for trading in foreign exchange you need to pay a monthly fee. In case you purchase one that is desktop based you never need to do so. You only need to pay a onetime fee at the time of purchase. Normally this fee includes payment for lifetime updates.Whatever the type of forex trading software you buy it is able to make your trading profitable. Since research necessary to compile data for these software packages are done by professionals they are useful in helping you more reliable predictions. They will reduce your workload also. Choosing between the two types of software could be done on your preference.
Obama’s Pastor Jeremiah Wright Controversy About America – Rev Wright & Obama on Race and Politics
Recently the major right wing conservative talk show pundits have played continuously an excerpt from Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sermon in which he calls America to account, after which the Pastor challenges the typically uttered cliche “God bless America” with a provoking “God damn America.”As a minister I do not find the Pastor’s sermons disturbing in the least. After all a good sermon should afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. This Rev. Wright has truly done. Rev. Wright and his church very actively help the poor in his community and empower the disenfranchised, while simultaneously loving white citizens and confronting the arrogance of the self-righteous establishment governmentally propagating war without end.Rush Limbaugh thought to call the Pastor of Obama’s church in Chicago, Jeremiah Wright, to account reciting an excerpt from one of his sermons in which the Rev. said in 2001 shortly after the 9/11 attacks:WRIGHT: “We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”I agree wholeheartedly with everything Pastor Wright said here. If American history turns Rush Limbaugh’s stomach, perhaps he should get a little more intestinal fortitude before he decides to go on the national airwaves. Don’t side with pro-war conservatives, an oxymoron in itself considering the trillion dollar expenditure of killing in foreign theaters of war, and then hide from the consequences of your foreign policy.Barack Obama’s speech on March 18, 2008, put to rest and quieted much of the controversy. Although I’m sure guys like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilley, and Sean Hannity will keep hammering Obama as long as it will increase listenership and improve their ratings. The American viewers love a little controversy and rightfully so because this is what makes democracy, a little debate and public scrutiny.Senator Barack Obama in his speech said: “…my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect.”"…For the men and women of Reverend Wright’s generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician’s own failings.”"And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright’s sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change.”Wise and unifying words from Barack Obama as he seeks to transcend the racial divide and form a more perfect union across these supposedly United States.