Sunshine-Empire & EmMax

The anticipated worldwide economic recovery is yet to materialise and the key financial markets from Tokyo to New York are still in an unfavourable state. Confused investors who are being forced to look for secure havens that will prove to offer good returns during recessions and financial commotion, are looking narrowly at the high returns yielded over the past few years from Fine Wine investment.

Few know that Fine Wine has outperformed almost every major financial index in the last two decades, and in some periods has even outperformed gold and crude oil investments. 5 year average performance of wines quoted on the Liv-ex 50 and Live-ex100 indices, the global marketplace, have showed growth of 270% and 192% respectively, effortlessly matching returns from other riskier investments.

Wine investment is not a new trend, however historically this lucrative division was traditionally the province of the knowledgeable few, but now an increasing number of investors are taking their first steps into this exciting market.

There is a wide choice of fine wine investment companies to assist people get into the market and help them throughout the process, whereby investors need not know anything about vintage wine. Buying investment wine from a reputable source and having it correctly stored is the very first step to ensuring the investment potential of a fine wine.

Generally, it is recommended investors consider Fine Wine as a medium to long term investment. Recent years have seen major price growth in the short term for specific wines, however, an investment period of 3-5 years should allow investors to benefit from the opportunities of a full market cycle and a longer phase of 8-10 years or more could see maximum returns.

Prices per case vary, but the top performers will demand over £5000 per case which can double in money. Given the current nature of the market first time investor's budget should ideally contain a mix of traditionally good performing wines, such as one of the so called Big Nine most prestigious Bordeaux's along with less well established, vintages.

Prices of cases may go down as well as up, and the ultimate endeavour is to depart at a profit. The catchword for any canny investor in these difficult economic times diversification and fine wine makes a great addition to any investment portfolio. What better companion could be asked for as we navigate through this rough economic period than some fine wine!

Article written on behalf of Vin-X, fine wine investment brokers - http://www.vin-x.co.uk/.

Labels: Investing

Here are two strategies that will generate low risk residual income with minimal effort.

1. Network Marketing

This is basically where you get paid a commission to recommend a company's product(s) to the everyday consumer. In everyday network marketing you get paid whenever a sale is made, but let's take this a step further. Imagine network marketing companies that do not only pay for a one time sale, but pay recurring commissions? By this I am referring to companies that pay commissions on memberships.

If you get involved with network marketing, I recommend only looking for companies that pay recurring fees on memberships or something similar. Here is an example: let's say Joe's gym has a rewards program to encourage membership referrals. Monthly membership dues at Joe's gym are $60 per month. For every person you can refer that signs up for a membership, Joe will split the membership fees with you and pay you $20. Not only will Joe pay you $20 when your friend signs up, Joe will continue to pay you $20 every time your friend pays their $60 each month.

If you can find ten friends that want to be in better health, you will have added $200 per month to your income stream. Do you know 10 or twenty people that would be interested in going to the gym? Or buying a book? Or taking a trip somewhere? This is network marketing in a nutshell. You find a product that you personally like and use, you tell your friends (or strangers if you're brave enough) about it, and you get paid a commission every time your friend uses the product.

Before you choose a network marketing company, make sure you do some research on the company and understand their business plan and payout structure. The big downside to this is getting wrapped up with a pyramid scheme company. True network marketing is NOT a pyramid scheme strategy. Think about 5 things you really enjoy, then find network marketing companies that offer "recurring" commissions for you to tell people about their products. It's that simple.

2. Selling options

Statistics show that 80% of options sellers make money while 80% of options buyers lose money. Being an options buyer is a VERY lucrative way to make triple digit gains (200%-300%) in a matter of hours or even minutes. I have experienced triple digit returns as an options buyer firsthand. However, I think greed, leverage and inexperience cause a lot of options buyers to lose money. As you approach retirement age, I think it is better to go with low risk options trading strategies that are stacked in your favor. With an 80% chance of success, I think being an options seller is a better investment choice in the long run. There are many people that use money received from selling options as their primary source of income. With a few mouse clicks you can be on your way to making 20% or more per month.

Stocks can only move in three basic directions, they can go up, down, or stay flat. As an options seller you can still guarantee profits if the stock moves in two out of the three directions. Profiting in the third direction will be determined by the strike price that you choose for your option. To be safe I sell options two strike prices below the current stock price for a bullish strategy, and two prices above for a bearish strategy. You receive less money, but your risk goes down... A LOT. As an options buyer you will only profit if the stock moves in one direction and by a significant amount.

If you don't have options investing as a part of your retirement strategy, get started on this now!

Dale K Poyser has been investing for 11 years and has done meticulous research on various strategies that can add residual streams of income to your life.

Not only does Dale personally practice the methods he writes about, he has also coached many others in these methods to show how easy it is to make money with residual streams of income. You can read more about Dale's options trading strategies at http://easyoptionstradingstrategies.blogspot.com/

Labels: Generate, Investing, Month, Strategies

With all the hoopla about the European debt crisis, a few of the governments in the Euro area are finding it hard to keep their finances in order. If you live in these countries, it would be risky to lend your money to the government because default is always a possibility. But for us Filipinos, lending money to the government is a good opportunity to earn some interest income.

One way to lend money to the government is through buying Retail Treasury Bonds (RTB) issued by the Bureau of the Treasury. RTB's are government securities which are considered unconditional obligations of the sovereign state. It is backed by the full taxing power of the government. Therefore, government securities are practically free from default. In other words, there is very little risk in investing in these securities.

Retail Treasury Bonds can be bought from banks such as the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). The minimum investment is usually 5000 pesos or higher. Interest rates for these bonds vary depending on the term. For example, the coupon interest on the 3-year bond is 8.50% per annum and for the 5-year bond, 9.0%. Interests are usually paid on a quarterly basis subject to a withholding tax of 20%.

Because of the 20% withholding tax, the 8.5% interest would give a net return of 6.8% while a 9% interest will yield a 7.2% return. These interest earnings, however, are paid immediately to the coupon holder. Therefore they do not become part of the investment principal and would not have a compounding effect. Still these are good returns considering how almost risk-free the securities are.

There are several comparative advantages on Retail Treasury Bonds as an investment instrument.

1. Low Risk - Unless the government defaults on its debt, which very rarely happens, the investor will not lose his money. The interest rate will not change even if the market collapses.

2. Liquidity - If you need the money invested, there is a secondary market where you can sell your RTB's before maturity.

3. Investment Amount - the minimum amount of investment can go as low as 5000 pesos. This makes the securities within the reach of most middle class Filipinos.

4. Quarterly income - the fixed income payments are made on a quarterly basis instead of 1 year which makes the first 3 payments worth much more than the stated interest rate given the added opportunity to invest the earnings.

Government borrowings is an indication that projects will be underway that needs financing. Hopefully, the money will go to projects that make people's lives better.

Hi! My name is Joel Olave. I was a licensed life insurance agent for a multi-national insurance company in the Philippines. I am a process engineer working for one of the largest companies in the semiconductor industry. I am currently based in Pampanga, Philippines. I live with my partner and my two kids.

To read more of my articles you may visit my personal finance blog at Invest in Your Future.

Labels: Bonds, Investing, Philippines, Retail, Treasury

So as to minimize risk, a portfolio should be as diverse as possible. This will be possible if some assets are held as stocks while some as bonds. A good portion of funds can be dedicated towards junk bond investing. Companies that deal with this kind of financial instrument are companies which are not very established.

A company may be a start up but it may have a solid financial foundation. Such a company may decide to get capital by issuing bonds. The capital obtained is used to purchase fixed assets and to construct new buildings. Background research should be done on an enterprise before its financial instruments are purchased.

Background research will definitely be an easy affair if it carried out online. Online research involves collecting information from different blogs and websites. Blogs that have been written by experts should be one's choice. A search engine will come in handy during the online research process. Once a keyword has been entered in a search engine, millions of results are produced.

Findings from online based research must be validated by consulting real people. Friends and family members who are avid investors will offer useful advice. If one has sufficient money, one can solicit advice from a consultant.

After being satisfied that a certain company has a stable foundation, one should search for a credible fund. A good fund is one that is managed by a professional. It is only a real professional who knows how to go about the investment process and how to manage the different assets. A manager's academic credentials and experience level must be confirmed. The fund managed by a person having many years of experience and was schooled in a top notch university is definitely a good investment option.

In this domain, one actually has two options. The first option is to invest through a fund while the other one is buying the instrument in question directly from the company. The latter option is the preserve of individuals who have solid rock portfolios and have stock market experience. Novices should go with the former option since it comes with less risk.

A junk bond has a high yield that is why it is also called high yielding instrument. A high yield is used to entice investors to look beyond the situation of the company involved. Such a company will definitely not be a broke enterprise but will most likely be a start up. Businesses that are just starting maybe faced with unpredictable variables. However, looking at the bright side of things start up enterprises that are in niche industries have profit potential. Niche industries are those that deal with software, construction, hi-tech electronics or automobiles. Goods produced by such manufacturing concerns are demanded by consumers from different parts of the world thus can be exported.

Junk bond investing will be a profitable affair if enough research is done prior to the real investment exercise. Research work will help one to find a good fund. Credible funds are those handled by well known financial managers.

You can get more on junk bond investing by stopping by the link. A large selection of stock and bond investment related topics are evaluated like arbitrage and quite a bit more as it relates to investing.

Labels: Diversifying, Investing, Portfolio

Not too long ago I was working on a business deal with a millionaire. My role was to prospect for a new business opportunity. I spent a lot of time searching for the right opportunity and I came up with an idea that I thought would work.

I presented the idea to the millionaire and we decided to take a closer look. Over the course of a year I did the market analysis, financial projections, and created a business plan. It came down to decision time and -

The millionaire walked away.

I was so upset. I thought to myself that I had wasted time. It was worth nothing.

Within the next 6 months the country fell into a deep recession. Companies went out of business. People lost their jobs, homes, and retirement portfolios. Many lives changed. I am sure that you were affected also. Had we made that investment, we'd have suffered a significant loss.

The millionaire could foresee what might happen and he protected himself from it. The conditions weren't suitable for him so he refused the opportunity.

Now when I look back on that experience I realize the valuable lesson that I learned:

Millionaires don't take risks.

My perception was always that millionaires lived life on the edge. I thought that they enjoyed speculating and taking risks, when in fact the opposite holds true. Millionaires only bet if the odds weigh heavily in their favor. They wait for the right conditions and then BET BIG.

If you are in a situation where you are considering making a large investment, here are four investing rules that you might find helpful:

1. Invest in what you know. Stay inside your circle of competence.
2. Expect reasonable earnings. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
3. Seek wise mentors. Surround yourself with people who have experience and have your best interests in mind.
4. Protect yourself from the downside. Ask yourself - What is the worst that could happen? If you can live with your answer, then that is a very good sign about what decision you must make.

I don't wish to discourage you or scare you away from an idea you would like to pursue. My goal here is to share a meaningful story with you and to offer you a mental framework for making investment decisions.

Most endeavors we pursue don't have huge financial consequences. If you're afraid of failure or what others may think - please know that these are probably emotional fears and not financial risks. Typically, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Always bet big on yourself. Go for it.

However, when the stakes are high, remember my story of the millionaire. I learned a lot from that experience and I am fortunate to have had him as my guide. What I initially thought was a defeat turned into one of the most important business lessons of my life.

What are your thoughts?

As always, thank you reading and have an excellent week.

For more information on achieving your leadership goals please visit Margin of Excellence.

Labels: Avert, Guidelines, Investing

You have several options when it comes to choosing the your top long-term investments. Your choice depends on several factors like exactly how much you can afford to invest, what type of returns you are looking for and how long is long-term for you. But the most important thing to keep in mind is that you should invest in markets with which you are familiar. For instance you should understand how to invest in real estate before you opt for this market and not just jump in because everybody is saying that it is a good opportunity. The same holds true for any other investments.

Most people are attracted by the notion of a quick profit, but at least a part of your portfolio must include some long-term investments. You must be pragmatic about this. As your age increases, your income potential is likely to fall. Long-term investments will give you financial freedom after retirement. Whether it is medical expense or fulfilling a long cherished dream, you will be able to decide for yourself if you have made wise investments.

There are some negative sides to even the best long-term investments. When you have made an investment, your money is also blocked for a long time and you will not be able to access it before your investment matures. Apart from this, long-term market trends cannot always be predicted correctly. If your investment performs poorly, you are liable to lose all your money.

However, that is a common risk of every type of investment. Since we do not know what will be the condition of social security or Medicare in the future, it is safer to choose longer term investments.

There are many different avenues of investments. These include stocks, bonds, real estate, funds and precious metals. It is difficult to decide which of these would be the best long-term investments.

So, the golden rule of investment is that never invest in anything which you do not understand. Real estate is often a viable option, especially if you can locate a property with a lot of potential and can afford to buy it. You can remodel it and sell it for a profit. Renting can be quite lucrative depending upon the location of the property. It is recommended that real estate form at least a part of your long-term investment.

Stocks are another option, but except for certain well established companies, they are not a good bet for longer term investments. Bonds are generally less risky. Most experts recommend that precious metals like gold form a part of your long-term investment because it is the best available store of value.

Whichever option seems the best investment for you, you should follow a few ground rules. You need to be systematic about your investments. A good rule of thumb is to keep aside about 15% of your pay-check for investments each month. Finally, be careful when choosing your stockbroker or mortgage company so that your investment remains in safe hands.

Learning how to invest in real estate is an important step in your investment endeavors for either the long term or the short term. If you would like to learn more about how to invest in real estate or any other investment then click the link to visit my website.

Labels: Investing