Meg Whitman : Former CEO of online auction website eBay.Go to : Meg Whitman Biography - Meg Whitman Quotations
Donald Trump : Real Estate mogul and star of The Apprentice.Go to : Donald Trump Biography - Donald Trump Quotations - All Donald Trump
Friday, August 7, 2009
Biography - Information
Meg Whitman : Former CEO of online auction website eBay.Go to : Meg Whitman Biography - Meg Whitman Quotations
Business Leaders, Politicians & Motivational Experts - A to Z
Roman Abramovich : Personal finance author and best selling author. Go to : Roman Abramovich Biography - Roman Abramovich Quotations - All Roman AbramovichGiorgio Armani : Famous Italian billionaire businessman and fashion designer. Go to : Giogrio Armani Biography - Giorgio Armani Quotations Bernard Arnault : LVMH chairman, French businessman, and richest person in France.Go to : Bernard Arnault Biography - Bernard Arnault Quotations David Bach : Personal finance author and best selling author. Go to : David Bach Biography - David Bach Quotations Steve Ballmer : American billionaire Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft. Go to : Steve Ballmer Biography - Steve Ballmer Quotations Ben Bernanke : Jewish American economist and Feral Reserve Chairman. Go to : Ben Bernanke Biography - Ben Bernanke Quotations Jeff Bezos : Internet entrepreneur and Amazon.com founder. Go to : Jeff Bezos Biography - Jeff Bezos Quotations Joe Biden : American democratic politician and Barack Obama running mate in 2008.Go to : Joe Biden Biography - Joe Biden Quotations Tim Blixseth : Successful American billionaire businessman and entrepreneur.Go to : Tim Blixseth Biography - Tim Blixseth Quotations Richard Branson : British entrepreneur and Founder of Virgin Music.Go to : Richard Branson Biography - Richard Branson Quotations - All Richard BransonSergey Brin : Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of the Google search engine.Go to : Sergey Brin Biography - Sergey Brin QuotationsEli Broad : Jewish American billionaire philanthropist and art collector.Go to : Eli Broad Biography - Eli Broad Quotations - All Eli BroadWarren Buffett : Successful American Investor and Stockmarket Guru.Go to : Warren Buffett Biography - Warren Buffett Quotations - Buffett PhilanthropyJack Canfield : Success author and American motivational speaker. Go to : Jack Canfield Biography - Jack Canfield Quotations - All Jack CanfieldCarlos Castaneda : Peruvian born American spiritual author of "The Teachings of Don Juan"Go to : Carlos Castaneda Biography - Carlos Castaneda Quotations Deepak Chopra : Indian born American spiritual writer and motivational speaker.Go to : Deepak Chopra Biography - Deepak Chopra Quotations - All Deepak ChopraBill Clinton : 42nd President of the United States of America.Go to : Bill Clinton Biography - Bill Clinton Quotations - All Bill ClintonHillary Clinton : Wife of the former President of America and New York SenatorGo to : Hillary Clinton Biography - Hillary Clinton QuotationsStephen R. Covey : Author of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Go to : Stephen Covey Biography - Stephen Covey QuotationsSimon Cowell : Wealthy British television personality and judge on the American Idol tv show. Go to : Simon Cowell Biography - Simon Cowell Quotations Mark Cuban : Internet billionaire and owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team. Go to : Mark Cuban Biography - Mark Cuban Quotations Charles Darwin : English naturalist and writer on the theory of evolution.Go to : Charles Darwin Biography - Charles Darwin Quotations - All Charles DarwinRichard Dawkins : UK author, god skeptic and atheist.Go to : Richard Dawkins Biography - Richard Dawkins Quotations - All Richard DawkinsMichael Dell : American billionaire and founder of the Dell computer company.Go to : Michael Dell Biography - Michael Dell QuotationsWalt Disney : Media mogul and founder of the Walt Disney Company.Go to : Walt Disney Biography - Walt Disney Quotations Peter Drucker : Business author and business strategist.Go to : Peter Drucker Biography - Peter Drucker Quotations - Peter Drucker Quotes 2 - All Peter Drucker Dr. Wayne W. Dyer : Self Help expert, author and public speaker. Go to : Wayne Dyer Biography - Wayne Dyer QuotationsThomas Edison : Prolific American Inventor that invented the light bulbGo to : Thomas Edison Biography - Thomas Edison Quotations - All Thomas EdisonLarry Ellison : Jewish American billionaire founder of the technology company Oracle.Go to : Larry Ellison Biography - Larry Ellison Quotations - All Larry EllisonDavid Filo : American internet billionaire and founder of the Yahoo! search engine and web portal.Go to : David Filo Biography - David Filo Quotations Henry Ford : Founder of the Ford Motor CompanyGo to : Henry Ford Biography - Henry Ford QuotationsBill Gates : Microsoft Founder and one of the worlds richest men.Go to : Bill Gates Biography - Bill Gates Quotations - All Bill GatesMelinda Gates : Cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and wife of Bill Gates.Go to : Melinda Gates Biography - Melinda Gates Quotations Al Gore : American politician and environmental activist. Go to : Al Gore Biography - Al Gore Quotations Alan Greenspan : Federal reserve chairman of the United States.Go to : Alan Greenspan Biography - Alan Greenspan Quotations Gerry Harvey : Australian billionaire entrepreneur and retailer of "Harvey Norman".Go to : Gerry Harvey Biography - Gerry Harvey Quotations Stephen Hawking : British physicist and mathematician with a physical disability.Go to : Stephen Hawking Biography - Stephen Hawking Quotations Louise Hay : American self improvement author and founder of publishing company Hay House.Go to : Louise Hay Biography - Louise Hay Quotations Hugh Hefner : American entrepreneur and founder of the Playboy magazine.Go to : Hugh Hefner Biography - Hugh Hefner Quotations - All Hugh HefnerCarlos Slim Helu : The richest man in Mexico and wealthy businessmanGo to : Carlos Slim Helu Biography - Carlos Slim Helu Quotations Napoleon Hill : American self improvement author of the classic Think and Grow Rich book.Go to : Napoleon Hill Biography - Napoleon Hill Quotations - All Napoleon HillConrad Hilton : American businessman, hotelier, philanthropist, and founder of Hilton Hotels. Go to : Conrad Hilton Biography - Conrad Hilton Quotations - All Conrad HiltonLee Iacocca : American philanthropist, writer, business leader, and former CEO of Chrysler.Go to : Lee Iacocca Biography - Lee Iacocca Quotations - All Lee IacoccaCarl Icahn : Activist investor and billionaire businessman.Go to : Carl Icahn Biography - Carl Icahn Quotations John Ilhan : Famous Australian entrepreneur and retailer of the Crazy John's company. Go to : John Ilhan Biography - John Ilhan Quotations Jeffrey Immelt : American businessman and CEO of the GE company.Go to : Jeffrey Immelt Biography - Jeffrey Immelt Quotations Magic Johnson : African American businessman, entrepreneur, and retured NBA basketball player. Go to : Magic Johnson Biography - Magic Johnson QuotationsSteve Jobs : CEO of Apple Computers and Pixar media company.Go to : Steve Jobs Biography - Steve Jobs Quotations - All Steve JobsAngelina Jolie : Famous American actress, model, and humanitarian.Go to : Angelina Jolie Biography - Angelina Jolie Quotations - All Angelina JolieCarl Jung : Famous Swiss psychologist and author.Go to : Carl Jung Biography - Carl Jung Quotations - All Carl Gustav JungIngvar Kamprad : Swedish billionaire businessman of the Ikea furniture retail chain.Go to : Ingvar Kamprad Biography - Ingvar Kamprad Quotations Li Ka Shing : Hong Kong billionaire investor and businessmanGo to : Li Ka Shing Biography - Li Ka Shing QuotesHelen Keller : Inspirational American deafblind author and activist. Go to : Helen Keller Biography - Helen Keller Quotations Martin Luther King : Famous African American human rights activist.Go to : Martin Luther King Biography - Martin Luther King Quotations - All Martin Luther KingRobert Kiyosaki : Investor, author and financial educator.Go to : Robert Kiyosaki Biography - Robert Kiyosaki QuotesCalvin Klein : American jewish fashion designer and businessman.Go to : Calvin Klein Biography - Calvin Klein QuotationsRay Kroc : McDonald's founder and entrepreneur.Go to : Ray Kroc Biography - Ray Kroc Quotations - All Ray KrocRalph Lauren : Famous Jewish American billionaire businessman and fashion designer.Go to : Ralph Lauren Biography - Ralph Lauren Quotations - All Ralph Lauren Abraham Lincoln : 16th president of the United States of America. Go to : Abe Lincoln Biography - Abraham Lincoln QuotationsVince Lombardi : Famous American football coach with an impressive winning record.Go to : Vince Lombardi Biography - Vince Lombardi Quotations - All Vince LombardiPeter Lynch : Fidelity Magellan Fund Manager and stock market investing author.Go to : Peter Lynch Biography - Peter Lynch Quotations - All Peter Lynch Bernard Madoff : Jewish American investor fraud of a $50 billion ponzi scheme.Go to : Bernard Madoff Biography - Bernie Madoff Quotations - All Bernard MadoffBill Maher : American talk show host, comedian, and critic of religion.Go to : Bill Maher Biography - Bill Maher Quotations - All Bill MaherNelson Mandela : South African politician and human rights activist.Go to : Nelson Mandela Biography - Nelson Mandela Quotations - All Nelson Mandela Og Mandino : American motivational speaker and self help author.Go to : Og Mandino Biography - Og Mandino Quotations - All Og MandinoKarl Marx : Influential writer, sociologist, and philosopher.Go to : Karl Marx Biography - Karl Marx Quotations - All Karl Marx Abraham Maslow : Notable American psychologist and author on psychology.Go to : Abraham Maslow Biography - Abraham Maslow Quotations John McCain : American politician of the Republican party.Go to : John McCain Biography - John McCain Quotations - All John McCainMichael Milken : American financier, investor, philanthropist, and convicted criminal.Go to : Michael Milken Biography - Michael Milken QuotationsDan Millman : Athlete, spiritual author and motivational speaker. Go to : Dan Millman Biography - Dan Millman Quotations Lakshmi Mittal : Wealthy Indian born British billionaire and steel mogul.Go to : Lakshmi Mittal Biography - Lakshmi Mittal Quotations Rupert Murdoch : Media mogul and founder of the News Corporation company. Go to : Rupert Murdoch Biography - Rupert Murdoch Quotations - Rupert Murdoch Companies - All Rupert MurdochBarack Obama : African American politician of the Democrats.Go to : Barack Obama Biography - Barack Obama Quotations - All Barack ObamaMichelle Obama : Wife of the Democrat politician Barack Obama.Go to : Michelle Obama Biography - Michelle Obama QuotationsSuze Orman : Certified Financial Planner and host of "The Suze Orman Show"Go to : Suze Orman Biography - Suze Orman Quotations - All Suze Orman Amancio Ortega Gaona : Richest man in Spain and fashion billionaire businessman.Go to : Amancio Ortega Biography - Amancio Ortega Quotations Kerry Packer : Australia's richest man and media mogul.Go to : Kerry Packer Biography - Kerry Packer QuotationsLarry Page : Google search engine Cofounder.Go to : Larry Page Biography - Larry Page QuotationsSarah Palin : American female politician and Governor of Alaska.Go to : Sarah Palin Biography - Sarah Palin Quotations - All Sarah PalinNorman Vincent Peale : American spiritual teacher and author of positive thinking books. Go to : Norman Vincent Peale Biography - Norman Vincent Peale Quotations T Boone Pickens : American investor and oil billionaire of the Pickens Plan energy solution. Go to : T. Boone Pickens Biography - T. Boone Pickens Quotations - All T. Boone PickensAnthony Robbins : Motivational speaker and self help coach Tony Robbins.Go to : Tony Robbins Biography - Tony Robbins QuotationsAnita Roddick : British entrepreneur activist and founder of The Body Shop. Go to : Anita Roddick Biography - Anita Roddick Quotations Jim Rohn : Self help author, Motivational Speaker and business coach Jim Rohn.Go to : Jim Rohn Biography - Jim Rohn Articles - Jim Rohn QuotationsJoanne Rowling : Famous British billionaire author of the Harry Potter series of books.Go to : J.K. Rowling Biography - JK Rowling Quotations Kevin Rudd : Australian prime minister and political leader of Australia.Go to : Kevin Rudd Biography - Kevin Rudd Quotations - All Kevin RuddColonel Sanders : American entrepreneur and founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).Go to : Colonel Sanders Biography - Colonel Sanders Quotations - All Harland Sanders Albert Schweitzer : Inspirational German humanitarian, physician, and philosopher.Go to : Albert Schweitzer Biography - Albert Schweitzer Quotations - All Albert Schweitzer George Soros : Billionaire fund manager and PhilanthropistGo to : George Soros Biography - George Soros QuotationsMartha Stewart : Martha Stewart Living program and entrepreneur.Go to : Martha Stewart Biography - Martha Stewart Quotations - All Martha StewartDavid Suzuki : Canadian environmentalist, activist and published author.Go to : David Suzuki Biography - David Suzuki Quotations Mr T : Famous African American actor and entertainer.Go to : Mr. T Biography - Mr T Quotations Ratan Tata : Indian billionaire and chairman of the Tata Group conglomerate.Go to : Ratan Tata Biography - Ratan Tata Quotations Mother Teresa : Famous Christian humanitarian and Catholic nun.Go to : Mother Teresa Biography - Mother Teresa Quotations - All Mother TeresaHenry David Thoreau : Famous American author, philosopher and early environmentalist.Go to : Henry David Thoreau Biography - Henry Thoreau QuotationsEckhart Tolle : Best selling spiritual author of The Power of Now.Go to : Eckhart Tolle Biography - Eckhart Tolle Quotations - All Eckhart TolleBrian Tracy : Self help author and business coach Brian Tracy.Go to : Brian Tracy Biography - Brian Tracy Articles - Brian Tracy QuotationsDonald Trump : Real Estate mogul and star of The Apprentice.Go to : Donald Trump Biography - Donald Trump QuotationsIvanka Trump : Daughter of Donald TrumpGo to : Ivanka Trump Biography - Ivanka Trump Quotations Mark Twain : Famous American writer, novelist, and humorist.Go to : Mark Twain Biography - Mark Twain QuotationsSun Tzu : Chinese philosopher, military strategist and author of The Art of War.Go to : Sun Tzu Biography - Sun Tzu Quotations - All Sun TzuSam Walton : Wal-Mart founder and American entrepreneur.Go to : Sam Walton Biography - Sam Walton Quotations - All Sam Walton Jack Welch : General Electric CEO of 20 years and respected business leader.Go to : Jack Welch Biography - Jack Welch QuotationsMeg Whitman : Former CEO of online auction website eBay.Go to : Meg Whitman Biography - Meg Whitman Quotations Noel Whittaker : Investment planner, money columnist and personal finance writer.Go to : Noel Whittaker Biography - Noel Whittaker Quotations - Noel Whittaker Interview Oscar Wilde : Inspirational Irish poet, playwright, and novelist.Go to : Oscar Wilde Biography - Oscar Wilde Quotations Oprah Winfrey : Talk show host and wealthy business woman.Go to : Oprah Winfrey Biography - The Oprah Winfrey Show - Oprah Winfrey Quotations - Quotes 2 Steve Wynn : Billionaire Las Vegas casino and resort developer.Go to : Steve Wynn Biography - Steve Wynn Quotations Sam Zell : Billionaire real estate and media mogul.Go to : Sam Zell Biography - Sam Zell Quotations - All Sam Zell Zig Ziglar : Motivational speaker and best selling self improvement author.Go to : Zig Ziglar Biography - Zig Ziglar Quotations
Brief summary of each business leader with a listing of popular business quotes and comments by each individual.
Mary Kay Ash : Mary Cosmetics founder and sales woman. Go to : Mary Kay Biography - Mary Kay Ash QuotationsMichael Bloomberg : New York Mayor and Bloomberg business media company founder.Go to : Micheal Bloomberg Biography - Michael Bloomberg QuotationsDr Phil McGraw : American talkshow host and motivational author.Go to : Dr Phil Biography - Dr Phil Quotations
Brief summary of each business leader with a listing of popular business quotes and comments by each individual.
Mary Kay Ash : Mary Cosmetics founder and sales woman. Go to : Mary Kay Biography - Mary Kay Ash QuotationsMichael Bloomberg : New York Mayor and Bloomberg business media company founder.Go to : Micheal Bloomberg Biography - Michael Bloomberg QuotationsDr Phil McGraw : American talkshow host and motivational author.Go to : Dr Phil Biography - Dr Phil Quotations
How to Make Your Business Greener
Going green doesn't necessarily require a radical makeover. A series of small steps--many of which don't cost a dime--can add up to a new way of doing business.
2. Get an energy audit Most local utilities offer businesses free on-site consultations on how they can reduce usage and save money. Among the frequent suggestions: Improve insulation, and install timers to turn lights off automatically.
3. Go paperless Encourage e-mailing. When paper is necessary, photocopy on both sides and use old letterhead for scratch.
4. Consider the commute Provide preferred parking for carpoolers. Offer transit passes to employees who take the bus or subway and bike racks for cyclists. Let workers telecommute.
5. Curb business travel Teleconference instead of traveling. For must-go trips, keep track of the miles driven and flown and buy "carbon offsets" from a nonprofit like Carbonfund.org to make up for the greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Buy green Tell suppliers that you're interested in sustainable products and set specific goals for buying recycled, refurbished, or used. Make the environment, and not just price, a factor when purchasing.
7. Detox Many offices have toxic substances, such as used batteries and copier toner, on hand. Talk to suppliers about alternatives to toxics, and make sure you properly dispose of the ones you can't avoid using.
8. Rethink transportation Consider the petroleum it takes to ship and receive products. Evaluate the impact of products you buy or sell, and find ways to mitigate those impacts.
9. Get the employees involved Create a team to lead the company's eco-efforts and determine where you can have the biggest impact for the least amount of money.
10. Communicate Inform suppliers and customers about your efforts. And get in touch with local regulatory agencies, many of which offer financial incentives to businesses that clean up their acts.
Human Resources Blog
Share Your Training Stories
Everyone who has ever trained or educated fellow humans, whether at work, in seminars, in associations, or for civic groups, has stories to share. In fact, anyone who's ever attended a training session has stories to share. I have a few that still make me laugh 
every time I tell them. Here's one of them.
every time I tell them. Here's one of them.If I share mine, will you share yours? Send email, respond in "comments" below, or post in the HR Forum.
Picture me in my mid-thirties having just started my own business; I had taught university and adult education classes, but I had never trained an employee group. My friend, Leslie Charles, subcontracted work with a civil service department to me to help get me started.
I arrived at the top floor of a government building to find a glorious view out over a river from floor to ceiling windows - and the entire classroom was oriented so the attendees could look out the windows all day. With no hesitation, I spent the first half hour moving ever chair in the room. I did not plan to compete for attention with the view, the seagulls, and helicopters taking off from nearby rooftop platforms.
People straggled in to the session that was about self-image and self-respect. At ten minutes past the starting time, the room was half full but people were still arriving and disrupting. To pass a few minutes, and "make friends" with my audience, I had been greeting attendees.
Then, I started the session with a question, warned by other trainers who had worked with this group to get it over with on the front end. "How many of you are here under duress?" Every single hand in the room went up - all 45 of them.
Dumbfounded, I headed to the hall to get a drink of water and to just catch my breath for a minute. (Truth told, I was trying to figure out what to do next because the audience was really looking at me with downright hostility.)
Tap, tap, tap, on my shoulder. One of the attendees - the brave one - had come out into the hall. She looked at me expectantly, and asked, "We'd like to know if you're going to come back in the room." Pause, pause, pause; I'll never forget her gleeful, "we-won" tone: "Because if you're not," she said, "we're going to leave."
The story had a happy ending, however. I did go back in, told them all they had scared me to death, and that I was a new trainer. I asked them to make the day a positive experience just for themselves, to choose to get something out of the time they were investing.
We did fun, on-topic ice breakers and, as the day passed, you could feel the tension in the room slip away. The evaluations were great and I spent several years training state and federal employees, as a portion of my consulting work.
Picture me in my mid-thirties having just started my own business; I had taught university and adult education classes, but I had never trained an employee group. My friend, Leslie Charles, subcontracted work with a civil service department to me to help get me started.
I arrived at the top floor of a government building to find a glorious view out over a river from floor to ceiling windows - and the entire classroom was oriented so the attendees could look out the windows all day. With no hesitation, I spent the first half hour moving ever chair in the room. I did not plan to compete for attention with the view, the seagulls, and helicopters taking off from nearby rooftop platforms.
People straggled in to the session that was about self-image and self-respect. At ten minutes past the starting time, the room was half full but people were still arriving and disrupting. To pass a few minutes, and "make friends" with my audience, I had been greeting attendees.
Then, I started the session with a question, warned by other trainers who had worked with this group to get it over with on the front end. "How many of you are here under duress?" Every single hand in the room went up - all 45 of them.
Dumbfounded, I headed to the hall to get a drink of water and to just catch my breath for a minute. (Truth told, I was trying to figure out what to do next because the audience was really looking at me with downright hostility.)
Tap, tap, tap, on my shoulder. One of the attendees - the brave one - had come out into the hall. She looked at me expectantly, and asked, "We'd like to know if you're going to come back in the room." Pause, pause, pause; I'll never forget her gleeful, "we-won" tone: "Because if you're not," she said, "we're going to leave."
The story had a happy ending, however. I did go back in, told them all they had scared me to death, and that I was a new trainer. I asked them to make the day a positive experience just for themselves, to choose to get something out of the time they were investing.
We did fun, on-topic ice breakers and, as the day passed, you could feel the tension in the room slip away. The evaluations were great and I spent several years training state and federal employees, as a portion of my consulting work.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The New Era of ETFs -Independent, Informed & International
Over t
he last 40 years, the way individuals invest has evolved in five stages or eras, with each stage of the evolution marked by its own set of tools and preferences. Each era has also been marked by progressively greater benefits, but also many drawbacks and disadvantages.However, I believe the era of investing we are in today offers the greatest opportunities and advantages that individual investors have ever had access to. That means your ability to profit, while taking on less risk, is greater today than ever before. Let me show you what I mean.The following are what I refer to as the five "eras" of individual investing, along with some of the benefits and drawbacks for each one:Individual Investing 1.0 - Mutual FundsMutual funds began to gain prominence in the 1970s and really took off in the 80s and 90s. The primary advantage of mutual funds is that they can mitigate risk through wide diversification - something that used to be very difficult for individual investors to accomplish with a small portfolio. There are also a wide range of styles, managers and sector-specific funds to choose from.But there are MANY disadvantages to mutual funds as well. They can only be bought and sold at the end of the day. Most managers under-perform their targets. The fees can be expensive. You can be hit with capital gains taxes, due to sales of securities inside the fund (even if you don't sell your shares). And mutual funds generally only work in a bull market (although today there are many more choices than there were 20 years ago).In 2008, with no bull market in place, investors lost almost $3.7 trillion in mutual funds, according to the mutual fund industry's own Investment Company Institute.Investing 2.0 - Investing with a BrokerIn the 1980s and 90s the number of individual stock market accounts exploded. And at that time, the only way to trade was through a broker. There are many very good brokers out there. But there are many more who have no idea what they're doing. Others push the products and stocks their firms want them to push (often with conflicts of interest attached).Brokers also have a strong bias towards buying stocks and keeping you in the market. Not too many brokers would tell their clients, "I expect this bear market to be a ripper. What do you think about liquidating and sitting on cash for a year or two?"Investing 3.0 - Online InvestingSince the late 90s we have seen a massive shift away from broker-assisted trades to online investing where the investors executes his own buys and sells. This has fostered an era of lower costs and much greater convenience. But it has been offset by much greater risk.Millions of investors took charge of their own accounts. And many of them were not qualified in the least to do so. With dollar signs in their eyes and an itchy trigger finger on the mouse, they approached the management of their life savings as it if were a video game. They chased internet stock tips. They ‘dabbled' in options and day trading. And they bought when exuberance was high and sold when despair was in the air - exactly the opposite of what an experienced investor would do.Investing 4.0 - Hedge FundsThe 2000s ushered in the era of hedge funds. And there are many advantages to hedge funds. They offered coverage of markets and access to investment classes that were formerly completely out of reach for most investors. And when hedge funds do well, they can do REALLY well.But they are also very exclusive and exclusionary. They are not transparent, so you have little idea where your money invested at any given time. And they are expensive, with most funds taking 2% of assets under management, plus 20% of the gains. But the biggest drawback to this fee structure wasn't the cost, it was the "heads I win, tails you lose" nature of the relationship. Funds that are structured this way have strong incentives to jack up the risk to boost the gains. But if their bets go wrong... it's your money that gets flushed.Investing 5.0 - Exchange Traded FundsThis decade has also ushered in the era of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). When used properly, ETFs can offer you all the advantage of what has come before, but with almost none of the drawbacks. ETFs have truly leveled the playing field for individual investors, allowing us to accomplish things that only the largest institutional investors could do just a few years ago. Learn how to use the wide world of ETFs in your portfolio and you can invest with greater safety, lower costs, more diversification and higher profits than ever before.
he last 40 years, the way individuals invest has evolved in five stages or eras, with each stage of the evolution marked by its own set of tools and preferences. Each era has also been marked by progressively greater benefits, but also many drawbacks and disadvantages.However, I believe the era of investing we are in today offers the greatest opportunities and advantages that individual investors have ever had access to. That means your ability to profit, while taking on less risk, is greater today than ever before. Let me show you what I mean.The following are what I refer to as the five "eras" of individual investing, along with some of the benefits and drawbacks for each one:Individual Investing 1.0 - Mutual FundsMutual funds began to gain prominence in the 1970s and really took off in the 80s and 90s. The primary advantage of mutual funds is that they can mitigate risk through wide diversification - something that used to be very difficult for individual investors to accomplish with a small portfolio. There are also a wide range of styles, managers and sector-specific funds to choose from.But there are MANY disadvantages to mutual funds as well. They can only be bought and sold at the end of the day. Most managers under-perform their targets. The fees can be expensive. You can be hit with capital gains taxes, due to sales of securities inside the fund (even if you don't sell your shares). And mutual funds generally only work in a bull market (although today there are many more choices than there were 20 years ago).In 2008, with no bull market in place, investors lost almost $3.7 trillion in mutual funds, according to the mutual fund industry's own Investment Company Institute.Investing 2.0 - Investing with a BrokerIn the 1980s and 90s the number of individual stock market accounts exploded. And at that time, the only way to trade was through a broker. There are many very good brokers out there. But there are many more who have no idea what they're doing. Others push the products and stocks their firms want them to push (often with conflicts of interest attached).Brokers also have a strong bias towards buying stocks and keeping you in the market. Not too many brokers would tell their clients, "I expect this bear market to be a ripper. What do you think about liquidating and sitting on cash for a year or two?"Investing 3.0 - Online InvestingSince the late 90s we have seen a massive shift away from broker-assisted trades to online investing where the investors executes his own buys and sells. This has fostered an era of lower costs and much greater convenience. But it has been offset by much greater risk.Millions of investors took charge of their own accounts. And many of them were not qualified in the least to do so. With dollar signs in their eyes and an itchy trigger finger on the mouse, they approached the management of their life savings as it if were a video game. They chased internet stock tips. They ‘dabbled' in options and day trading. And they bought when exuberance was high and sold when despair was in the air - exactly the opposite of what an experienced investor would do.Investing 4.0 - Hedge FundsThe 2000s ushered in the era of hedge funds. And there are many advantages to hedge funds. They offered coverage of markets and access to investment classes that were formerly completely out of reach for most investors. And when hedge funds do well, they can do REALLY well.But they are also very exclusive and exclusionary. They are not transparent, so you have little idea where your money invested at any given time. And they are expensive, with most funds taking 2% of assets under management, plus 20% of the gains. But the biggest drawback to this fee structure wasn't the cost, it was the "heads I win, tails you lose" nature of the relationship. Funds that are structured this way have strong incentives to jack up the risk to boost the gains. But if their bets go wrong... it's your money that gets flushed.Investing 5.0 - Exchange Traded FundsThis decade has also ushered in the era of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). When used properly, ETFs can offer you all the advantage of what has come before, but with almost none of the drawbacks. ETFs have truly leveled the playing field for individual investors, allowing us to accomplish things that only the largest institutional investors could do just a few years ago. Learn how to use the wide world of ETFs in your portfolio and you can invest with greater safety, lower costs, more diversification and higher profits than ever before.
I've been quite bullish on Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) for some time now. In fact, the stock is up over 119% since I first recommended it to Investor's Daily Edge readers on February 12th of this year.And I'm still recommending the company as a strong buy.Freeport-McMoRan is one of the world's biggest copper miners, with 12 producing mines in Indonesia, North America, and South America, along with exploration projects in Africa. As of December 31, 2008, consolidated recoverable proven and probable reserves totaled 102.0 billion pounds of copper. As copper prices rise, the value of the ore they have in the ground increases, resulting in a higher stock price.Freeport-McMoRan is well positioned to capitalize on rising demand for copper. The company's copper production totaled 4.0 billion pounds last year, while gold production totaled 1.3 million ounces.I expect a full recovery in the demand for copper and much less supply. Copper is at $2.80 per pound and it could easily go over $3 per pound in a couple of months. Production of copper can't keep up with demand, as production at existing mines is dropping and a smaller number new mines start production. Falling scrap supplies are also leading to lower copper inventories.Copper is one of the best conductors of electricity. It doesn't corrode easily and it's bendable and strong. Copper is used in every industry and is absolutely necessary to sustain our society. It's widely used in construction, coinage, electronics and automobiles, and the price is closely tied to economic activity. Economic activity is showing signs of a recovery and copper prices will benefit.China, the world's biggest metals user, should also help revive copper prices with a new wave of government stimulus spending, leading to steady construction and infrastructure activity. Copper demand is already picking up in China during its peak construction season. It also appears that China desires to triple its government copper reserves.Other countries are also increasing spending on infrastructure projects like roads and bridges as well, which will boost demand for the copper used in wires and pipes.Worldwide government stimulus spending programs spur economic growth and encourage higher copper consumption. Copper will benefit from the "reflation trade", which is playing out due to central governments attempting to stimulate the economy by increasing the money supply. This "reflation" can cause inflation and benefit copper prices, and therefore FCX
Economic Systems and Micro Economic Thoery
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About the Book: The present book has been written for the students of B.Com. Pass, First Year, and B.A. Pass, First Year , of the University of Delhi. It covers the entire syllabus of the paper on "Economic Systems, and Microeconomic Theory" in a comprehensive and exhaustive way. In accordance with the syllabus, the book is divided into two sections- Sections A on `An Overview of Economic Systems and Organization` and Section B on `Micro Economic Theory`. Section A consists of 16 chapters and discusses issues relating to the central problems of an economy, economic systems and national accounting are generally found to be difficult by many students, adequate care has been take to ensure utmost clarity in discussion. Wherever necessary, numerical questions have been incorporated to explain the concepts ( in this context, see particularly chapter 7 and chapter 11 ). Chapters 2 to 6 deal with economic systems. Without a proper understanding of the modes of production, one cannot correctly appreciate the evolution of different economic systems. Therefore we start with a discussion on modes of production in chapter 2 and follow it up with a discussion on feudalism, capitalism and socialism in subsequent chapters. A separate chapter (chapter 6) is devoted to a discussion of the Indian economic system. Keeping in view the fact that the book is meant for first year students, the language of the book has been kept simple and treatment of the subject is lucid. All difficult concepts have been explained thoroughly in an easy manner and , for this purpose, liberal use of diagrams has been made. For the benefit of students, important definitions in all chapters have been highlighted separately in bold letters while important statements have been presented in italics. Book Contents:
Central Problems of an Economy
Mode of Production
Feudalism
Capitalism
Socialism
The Indian Economic System
National Income and Product - Structure and Concepts
Circular Flow of Income
National Income Estimation
National Income Estimation in India
National Income Aggregates : Significance and Inter relationships
National Income and Economic Welfare
National Capital
Inequalities of Income and Wealth
Inequalities of Income and Wealth in India
Labour Force : Occupational Structure
Price Mechanism
Demand and Supply
Elasticity of Demand and Supply
Marshallian Utility Analysis
Indifference Curve Analysis
Basics of the Price Theory and Applications of Demand and Supply Analysis
Theory of Production
Theory of Costs and Revenue
Theory of Price Under Perfect Competition
Theory of Price Under Monopoly
Theory of Price under Imperfect Competition
The Theory of Distribution : Factor Pricing
International Specialization : The Theory of Comparative CostsAbout the Author(s): S. K. Misra is a Reader in Economics in Hindu College, Delhi University and has a teaching experience spanning four decades. V.K. Puri is a Reader in Economics in Shyam Lal College, Delhi University and has a teaching experience of almost three decades. They have co-authored some very popular and widely acclaimed textbooks. These include Indian Economy (currently running in sixteenth edition), Bharatiya Arthavyavastha (the Hindi version of the above book currently running in tenth edition), Economics of Development and Planning (currently running in seventh edition). Microeconomics : Theory and Applications Part I and II (currently running in second edition). Modern Microeconomics and Modern Macroeconomic Theory.
About the Book: The present book has been written for the students of B.Com. Pass, First Year, and B.A. Pass, First Year , of the University of Delhi. It covers the entire syllabus of the paper on "Economic Systems, and Microeconomic Theory" in a comprehensive and exhaustive way. In accordance with the syllabus, the book is divided into two sections- Sections A on `An Overview of Economic Systems and Organization` and Section B on `Micro Economic Theory`. Section A consists of 16 chapters and discusses issues relating to the central problems of an economy, economic systems and national accounting are generally found to be difficult by many students, adequate care has been take to ensure utmost clarity in discussion. Wherever necessary, numerical questions have been incorporated to explain the concepts ( in this context, see particularly chapter 7 and chapter 11 ). Chapters 2 to 6 deal with economic systems. Without a proper understanding of the modes of production, one cannot correctly appreciate the evolution of different economic systems. Therefore we start with a discussion on modes of production in chapter 2 and follow it up with a discussion on feudalism, capitalism and socialism in subsequent chapters. A separate chapter (chapter 6) is devoted to a discussion of the Indian economic system. Keeping in view the fact that the book is meant for first year students, the language of the book has been kept simple and treatment of the subject is lucid. All difficult concepts have been explained thoroughly in an easy manner and , for this purpose, liberal use of diagrams has been made. For the benefit of students, important definitions in all chapters have been highlighted separately in bold letters while important statements have been presented in italics. Book Contents:
Central Problems of an Economy
Mode of Production
Feudalism
Capitalism
Socialism
The Indian Economic System
National Income and Product - Structure and Concepts
Circular Flow of Income
National Income Estimation
National Income Estimation in India
National Income Aggregates : Significance and Inter relationships
National Income and Economic Welfare
National Capital
Inequalities of Income and Wealth
Inequalities of Income and Wealth in India
Labour Force : Occupational Structure
Price Mechanism
Demand and Supply
Elasticity of Demand and Supply
Marshallian Utility Analysis
Indifference Curve Analysis
Basics of the Price Theory and Applications of Demand and Supply Analysis
Theory of Production
Theory of Costs and Revenue
Theory of Price Under Perfect Competition
Theory of Price Under Monopoly
Theory of Price under Imperfect Competition
The Theory of Distribution : Factor Pricing
International Specialization : The Theory of Comparative CostsAbout the Author(s): S. K. Misra is a Reader in Economics in Hindu College, Delhi University and has a teaching experience spanning four decades. V.K. Puri is a Reader in Economics in Shyam Lal College, Delhi University and has a teaching experience of almost three decades. They have co-authored some very popular and widely acclaimed textbooks. These include Indian Economy (currently running in sixteenth edition), Bharatiya Arthavyavastha (the Hindi version of the above book currently running in tenth edition), Economics of Development and Planning (currently running in seventh edition). Microeconomics : Theory and Applications Part I and II (currently running in second edition). Modern Microeconomics and Modern Macroeconomic Theory.
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