Saturday, June 30, 2012
DealBook Online
The Frequency of Black Swan Events
The Frequency of Black Swan Events is brought to you by Canadian Capitalist -- Helping you to invest & prosper.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ccapitalist/~3/6peMjCCmgk8/
Roots and Shoots
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/E00SI8bvvFc/profile3.html
Finances through the Sick Mind
Source: http://canadianbudgetbinder.com/2012/06/28/finances-through-the-sick-mind/
Buying the Bench?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/rlm2ikqv6Cs/watch3.html
Plug-In Electric Station
We at house housedna.com are working to bring to life, the old joy of driving, by paying 40 cents a gallon of gas. It will be a pleasure going [...]
Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/press/plug-in-electric-station/
American Dream
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/IQMJimIesFk/whats_the_future_of_the_americ.html
Sunday Catch up
First off, this colitis is kicking my ass. My health sucks. The colitis itself is still not regulated. The side effects of the meds are strong - joint pain like nobody's business. I can barely walk or bend my knees sometimes. The final side effect is the absolute exhaustion. I talked to the specialist this week and she said this is mostly due to my body working so hard to try to fight this for the last 6 months. Between the physical problems and the changing of the meds and the dehydration, I'm just tired. I am a very very lucky girl. My admin is giving me a couple days each week to stay at home and rest. I still have to prepare for the sub teacher, but the days off will hopefully give me time to get my health balance back. I truly do realize how fortunate I am to be given this time. I didn't want to take full leave and abandon my babies for two months.
I have now completed my second week of WW. I am doing it at home, with my old materials. My first goal is to lose the 20 lbs I gained on the steroids. Then I can continue on the 'normal' weight loss journey. I thought long and hard about signing up again, either for meetings or for WW online. Both of course, cost $ and I would be forced to work with the new Points Plus program, which I haven't really had any success with. I figured there was no point wasting money right now on a program that I didn't have success with, when I have all the tools needed for the old program at home, for free. The catch is, will I stick with it. So far so good. I have lost 10 of the 20 steroid pounds in my 2 weeks and I really really want to have success with this. My mantra, this time, is quite blunt. Lose weight or die. Yup, that's where it is for me right now.
DS2 got his learner's licence this week so mother is back in the passenger seat teaching another child to drive. I don't know if my nerves can handle it. I thought DS1 was bad when we first started but oh lordy, DS2 needs a LOT of work. Good thing we have the summer coming soon so we can practice. His learner's cost me $25 for the year. He won't be eligible to take his driver's until April of next year when he turns 16.
My brother in law's brother passed away this week. A very quick heart attack. I didn't know him terribly well but seeing the sadness in my brother in law's soul, is hard. It was a reminder that life is very very fragile, and quite finite.
Our local MS walk was today. There were 20 of my family there walking for the cause. My parents didn't walk, nor did my sister. I wasn't able to and I hated that I was too weak and sore to walk. I have simply GOT to get better.
Source: http://shakingthemoneytree.blogspot.com/2012/05/sunday-catch-up.html
Joe Nocera
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/Yb49OUENyJQ/profile.html
The Key to Low-Cost Solar Cells
One of those approaches comes with the collaboration of the Department of Engineering [...]
Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/press/key-low-cost-solar-cells/
Proposed Banking Regulations Would Drive Gold Prices Higher
Proposals from BIS, OCC and FDIC Would Reclassify Gold as a Tier 1 Asset There are many, many, many, many reasons why gold prices should go higher, despite claims that gold is in a bubble … and despite the fact … Continue reading
Proposed Banking Regulations Would Drive Gold Prices Higher was originally published on Washington's Blog
Friday, June 29, 2012
The New and Even Worse ObamaCare
The political case for repealing Obamacare, which has always been the most significant and relevant case, is stronger than ever after today’s decision. Left alone, the law will spend well over a trillion dollars in the coming decade on yet another health-care entitlement program and on the expansion of existing entitlements, micromanage the insurance industry in ways likely to make it even less efficient, employ even heavier price controls of the sort that have always failed in Medicare, and raise half a trillion dollars in taxes on employment, investment, and medical research. And...
Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/06/28/the_new_and_even_worse_obamacare_283567.html
Sam Tanenhaus
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/Xytor7FPdPs/watch.html
Read the Internal Document that Contradicts BP’s Claims on Oil Flow
Rep. Ed Markey has been among BP's toughest critics in Congress following the Deepwater Horizon blowout, accusing it, among other things, of lowballing its estimates of oil flow.
On Sunday, Markey was at it again. As you may have read, the Boston Democrat released an internal BP document that shows that early company estimates for worst-case oil flow scenarios were far higher than the company has ever acknowledged -- up to 100,000 barrels per day if all containment mechanisms were to fail. Take a look at the document for yourself.
The document is not dated, but a statement from Rep. Markey that accompanied its release said that BP's oil flow estimate at the time the document was made available to Congress was 5,000 barrels per day, and its worst-case scenario was 60,000 barrels per day, figures the company provided for much of the month of May.
The 100,000-barrels-per-day scenario contrasts sharply with the company’s public pronouncements at the time.
“I think those estimates of 70,000, with due respect to the experts, don't match the many, many experts and scientists that are involved in this in a unified way," Bob Dudley, BP’s managing director and the newly anointed chief of the company’s spill response, said on MSNBC on May 14. "It's not just a BP estimate ... 70,000 feels like a little exaggeration, a little scare-mongering."
Source: http://feeds.propublica.org/~r/propublica/energy-environment/~3/9XiXjMWeUCw/
Short-Term Stock Support Still In Picture
It is too early to buy. It is also too early to give the bearish case the nod. Possible support exists on [...]
JPMorgan may tip Wall Street’s hand on ploys to beat Volcker
America's Policy on Bombing.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/bG7MAxRPpHM/profile.html
What Your Next Move Should Be, Part II
As discussed in a previous article posted in March, obtaining the perfect portfolio is the holy grail of financial strategies. However, it is also an enigma that can be difficult to obtain. As we previously illustrated, each person's particular situation brings with it different goals and suggestions.
Scenario #4: 75-year-old widow or widower
Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/137932/What-Your-Next-Move-Should-Be-Part-II
Tips That Will Help You Live a Better Life
Today we are not going to talk about ways to make more money or ways to save more money. We are not going to think about budgets or how to buy more for less. Sometimes it is good to take a break from thinking about money, whether or not we have a lot of money, or too little money. Today we are going to talk about the simple things that each of us can do each and everyday to live a better life and be happy.
Tips to Live a Better Life
1. Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
2. Don't judge people by their relatives.
3. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
4. When you realize you've made a mistake take immediate steps to correct it.
5. Give people more than they expect, and do it cheerfully.
6. Memorize your favourite poem.
7. Don't believe all that you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.
8. When you say "I love you" mean it.
9. When you say "I'm sorry" look the person in the eye.
10. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
11. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
12. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
13. Talk slowly but think quickly.
14. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?".
15. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
16. Say "Bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
18. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
19. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older their conversational skills will be as important as any others.
20. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
21. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
22. Read more books and watch less TV.
23. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
24. Mind your own business.
25. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
26. Once a year go someplace you have never been.
27. Learn the rules, then break some.
28. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
29. Do all you can to creat a tranquil, harmonious home.
30. Remember that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
Source: http://tacklingourdebt.com/2012/05/23/tips-will-help-you-live-better-life/
The Karl Marx MasterCard Is Here. It Needs A Tagline.
What City and County Bankruptcies Mean for the Muni-Bond Market
Filed under: Economy, Investing, Market News, Investment
First came Central Falls, R.I., which filed for bankruptcy Monday. Then the headliner talk this week that Jefferson County in Alabama could end up filing the country's largest municipal bankruptcy when it meets Aug. 12. All together, there have been five municipal bankruptcies this year. Municipal-bond markets remain a relative safe haven for investors. Yesterday, after the stock market took its worst nosedive since the depths of the financial crisis, investors flooded into municipal bonds.
But municipal bankruptcies have the potential to rattle the municipal-bond market in several ways. Investors may be prone to worry about a contagion effect from municipal bonds that are in hot water, casting doubt on the financial soundness of surrounding cities, counties or state. A default also translates into higher costs throughout the market, even though investors do still get paid.
The board runs a muni-bond website, called EMMA, which allows investors to search for pricing information for bond trades, as well as official disclosures about material events that could impact bond prices. It's the only resource that makes the same information that retail investors use available to mom-and-pop investors.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
What’s New Around The Blogosphere: June 15th, 2012
Source: http://www.boomerandecho.com/whats-new-around-the-blogosphere-june-15th-2012/
John Roberts Changes His Legacy
My friend Laurence Tribe, the nation's leading constitutional scholar who once had a student named John Roberts in his Harvard Law School class, had predicted the outcome.In the face of the overwhelming consensus that the Supreme Court would strike down the individual mandate at the heart of health reform, Tribe has repeatedly said the issue was clear and the Court did not even need to reach the question of whether the mandate was a proper exercise of Congressional power over interstate commerce. Tribe said to me as late as yesterday that the Affordable Care Act offered people a choice:...
Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/06/28/john_roberts_changes_his_legacy_283533.html
Dems in Tough Races Seek Distance from Obama
The glare of the White House race is forcing vulnerable Democrats to choose between their president and their political future.As many as two dozen Democrats may vote Thursday to hold Barack Obama's attorney general in contempt of Congress. Democratic lawmakers and candidates for Congress are bailing in droves on the national convention in Charlotte, a three-day gathering that's supposed to be a celebration of Obama and a unifying moment for the party. Steve Israel, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is flatly telling candidates not to go to Charlotte...
Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/06/28/dems_in_tough_races_seek_distance_from_obama_283501.html
Verizon to Ditch Most Phone Plans for Multi-Device Deals
Filed under: Company News, Technology, AT&T, Verizon
By PETER SVENSSONVerizon Wireless, the nation's largest cellphone company, is dropping nearly all of its phone plans in favor of pricing schemes that encourage consumers to connect their non-phone devices, like tablets and PCs, to Verizon's (VZ) network.
The new plans will become available on June 28, and reflect Verizon's desire to keep growing now that nearly every American already has a phone. The plans let families and other subscribers share a monthly data allowance over up to 10 devices.
It's the biggest revamp in wireless pricing in years, and one that's likely to be copied by other carriers. AT&T (T) has already said that it's looking at introducing shared-data plans soon.
Change, across the industry, was inevitable. In the first quarter of this year, phone companies, for the first time, reported a drop in the number of phones on contract-based plans, which are the most lucrative. To keep service revenues rising, the phone companies are betting on increased data usage, and that means getting more data-hungry devices on their networks.
Verizon's new "Share Everything" plans, announced Tuesday, include unlimited phone calls and texting, and will start at $90 per month for one smartphone and 1 gigabyte of data. If used only with a smartphone, "Share Everything" prices are lower than for current plans with unlimited calling and texting, but higher than plans with limited calling and texting.
The plans will push many subscribers toward spending more, by including unlimited calling and texting by default. Unlimited calling plans provide peace of mind, but not many people need them, and the average number of minutes used is declining.
The savings will come to subscribers who add more devices like tablets to their plans. In such cases, the new pricing system will be cheaper compared with separate data plans for each device. Today, few consumers put tablets on data plans, probably because they dread paying an extra $30 or so per month, on top of their phone bills.
Under "Share Everything," adding a tablet to a plan will cost $10 per month. Adding a USB data stick for a laptop will cost $20.
Verizon's limited-calling and texting plans will disappear, except for one $40-per-month plan intended for "dumb" phones. Verizon is keeping its limited-data plans for single non-phone devices, like the $30 tablet plan.
Current Verizon customers will be able to switch to the new plans or keep their old ones, with one exception. Those who have unlimited-data plans for their smartphones won't be able to move those to new phones, unless they pay the full, unsubsidized price for those phones. (For example, an iPhone 4S that costs $200 with a two-year contract costs $650 unsubsidized, with no contract.)
Verizon stopped signing people up for unlimited-data plans last summer. The industry as a whole is moving away from the plans, since the data capacity of their networks is limited.
Under the new plans, subscribers can stop worrying about monitoring the number of calling minutes or text messages their families use in a month, but they'll have to keep a close eye on data consumption. Verizon will allow subscribers to adjust their data allowance from month to month, but if they go over their monthly allotment, that will cost $15 per gigabyte.
The data allowances start at $50 per month for 1 gigabyte. That's enough for prudent two-smartphone users who use WiFi a lot, but Verizon recommends getting 2 gigabytes for $60. After that, each additional 2 gigabytes cost an extra $10 per month.
Under "Share Everything," Verizon will stop charging extra for letting devices act as "mobile WiFi hotspots." That means subscribers who have a recent smartphone could use it to connect a tablet to the Internet, without paying the extra $10 per month for a tablet.
Verizon had telegraphed the move toward shared plans, but had not revealed the details or pricing.
Verizon Wireless has 93 million subscribers on its plans. It's a joint venture of New York-based phone company Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group (VOD), a British cellphone company with wide international interests.
Verizon shares rose 2 cents to $42.58 in morning trading. The shares are close to a four-year high of $42.95.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/06/12/verizon-to-ditch-most-phone-plans-for-multi-device-deals/
Mark Danner
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/IA_RXn58raw/profile.html
Seven reasons I’m glad Apple’s killing the Dock Connector
Source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/seven-reasons-im-glad-apples-killing-the-dock-connector/13150
Biofuels: The Next Generation
Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/press/biofuels-the-next-generation/
Los Angeles Labor
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/9l8Dgsa34G8/profile.html
CPI Drops in May 2012 in Canada? WTH?!?
CPI Drops in May 2012 in Canada? WTH?!? is a post from: Canadian Personal Finance Blog and follow me on twitter as well: Big Cajun Man, daily updates from all over the Blogosphere. Subscribe to my comments feed as well!
Your advertisement could be here, contact me for info Big Cajun Man
Related posts:
- Yikes: CPI hits 3.7% Gas to Blame for May 2011 Inflation is Hot! The title pretty much sums it all up, thanks to the price...
- CPI on the Rebound August 2011 in Canada Here we go again folks, the Consumer Price Index as reported by Stats Canada for...
- CPI Slows for October 2011 in Canada Inflation continues to rumble along, but it’s rate has slowed a little (year over year)...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CanadianFinancialStuff/~3/YRIai0NVVjI/
jpmorgan: Hey @steph_hay Cool to see you quoted on TechCrunch…had no idea what you are doing. Glad to see you're doing well!
Source: http://twitter.com/jpmorgan/statuses/203317829959811072
It Was Time to Take a Break
I Took a Break
Dear Friends,
So last week I abruptly took a break from anything that had to do with anything online such as posting on my blog, commenting on other blogs, tweeting, and interacting with my online circle of friends.
While I did occasionally check email due to some other business that I was trying to sort out, my decision to escape the online world for a week was sudden and quick, and it was simply based on the fact that I felt burnt out and I had developed writers block. My life was completely out of balance and I didn’t know what to do next.
Spending Way Too Much Time Online
I was spending so much time writing posts and interacting with so many very supportive and fun friends online that I had begun neglecting other areas of my life. And by that I just mean simple things, like enjoying the sunshine, getting things done around the house, baking and making good meals, and just simply enjoying life.
Why? Because I loved building this new network of friends and learning about so many different people. I didn’t want to miss what everyone else was up to. I feel inspired by all the wonderful things that all of you write about and it helps me discover new options and new ways of doing things.
The second reason I was spending so much time online was because I am an analytical person that is driven by stats and accomplishments. I wanted to do the best that I could do in the quickest amount of time in regards to building my new blog.
Quitter
You see so many times in my life I have started something and quit before really accomplishing anything at all. I would lose my focus, lose my desire, lose my momentum, and nothing would get done.
Does that happen to any of you?
This blog was meant to be different. I vowed that when I started this blog (only 4 months ago) that I would work hard on it. To me that meant publishing 3 to 4 posts a week (sometimes more), building a friendly following, networking, and connecting with wonderful people online, and increasing my stats on a daily basis.
A Typical Day
A typical day for me consisted of posting, approving comments, replying to comments when I could, commenting on 40 other blogs, and tweeting from sunrise to dinner time, and writing for other blogs so that I could earn money.
Some days I would even write all of my posts for the following week.
Is it Easy
When I started this blog did I think that it was going to be easy? Not at all.
Did I think that I would eventually burn out, and\or develop writers block? Absolutely, at some point.
But isn’t that just a fact of life?
Writers Block
Some of the most famous writers in the world develop writers block at some point in their lives. And heck I am nowhere near ever becoming a famous writer. I don’t want to be.
I am just someone who in 2004 began dreaming about developing a website that one day might become something.
My dream was to create a website for women and fill it with all kinds of resources that they would find helpful. So many websites just like that have been created over the years. None of them mine. Then all of the mompreneur sites popped up and again became very popular. Since I’m not a mom creating a site like that was never on my radar.
Money and Debt
So there it was, January 2012 and I still felt the desire to have my own site. But what would it be about?
Then I thought why not build a blog around money and debt? Money and debt is a huge issue in my life and I know it is for so many other people.
But as I began to write a few personal posts about these issues in my life I began feeling quite vulnerable and immediately began worrying about how people would react to what I wrote. “Would so and so think less of me because I am in debt and they aren’t?”
What happened next? I stepped back into my comfort zone. From that point forward my posts were still about things that I really enjoy, but in general terms. Nothing that made me feel vulnerable and nothing that really helped me with my debt issue.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Honestly, at this point I am not even sure what my next steps are. I am not sure what I will write about, how much time I can devote to my online activities on an on-going basis, and of course, how to deal with money and debt. Two things I do know is that I am not going to quit blogging, and I am going to work on restoring some sort of balance in my daily life.
To My Circle of Friends
But to you my friends I want to say how happy I am to get to know each and everyone of you. Each week one of you introduces me to someone new and wonderful. Some of you live quite far away and some of you only live a few hours away, but nonetheless, online we are all so close. Thank you for supporting me, checking up on me, and motivating me. I will do my best to provide you with the same!
Before you leave quickly check out this cartoon about spending too much time online. Let me know if you can relate?
Source: http://tacklingourdebt.com/2012/06/11/it-was-time-take-break/
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
My Next Blog
You can find my next blog at
www.southmountaineconomics.com
I'm taking a hiatus from blogging for about a month. But I will be focusing on innovation and growth.
(If there's any problem with getting to the blog, let me know)
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/economicsunbound/archives/2009/11/my_next_blog.html
Women Taking the Wheel
Many women have not realized that now is the time to take control of your finances. For too long, a great number of you have relied on men, be it a husband or whatnot, to control your finances and help you plan for retirement. And the truth is, this line of thinking continues to this day.
Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/142483/Women-Taking-the-Wheel
What's Wrong at CNN
In April, as Republicans were throwing their weight behind Mitt Romney and the lengthy, combative presidential primary process was drawing to a close, CNN's senior vice president and Washington bureau chief Sam Feist presented his staff with a "CNN Half-time Election Report."The four-minute video, shown at the quarterly staff meeting, was a highlight reel of CNN debates, primary night coverage, and interviews interspersed with laudatory reviews. CNN, the video reminded its staff, had hosted more debates than any other network and landed some of the most significant...
Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/06/27/what039s_wrong_at_cnn_283429.html
Health Care Reform
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/AmoGUwcvZlA/profile2.html
Inside the DFA Global Balanced Fund
4-minute video: Matt shows humanity wants dancing, not 1%’s wars, lies, debt
Let’s be clear: current US-led wars are only possible by a 1% “leadership” in government and corporate media who blatantly violate war law, and then lie with whatever shifting BS they think will sell. War law is crystal-clear in letter … Continue reading
4-minute video: Matt shows humanity wants dancing, not 1%’s wars, lies, debt was originally published on Washington's Blog
Microsoft Becomes Most Interesting Stock in the World
Filed under: Technology, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM, Google , Microsoft, Apple, Stocks in the News
By Dana Blankenhorn NEW YORK -- When I last wrote about Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows 8, I described its Metro user interface as "one interface to rule them all," because it can be adapted to PCs, tablets, phones, and even game machines.
I suggested it might do for Microsoft what Linux did for IBM (IBM): unify disparate product lines. But it turns out it's more than that. Metro is making Microsoft the most interesting stock in the world.
That's because, according to former Apple (AAPL) and Palm executive Michael Mace, this is the most important rollout Microsoft has had since Windows 3.0 more than 20 years ago, and an entire industry is on the line.
There are three possible outcomes:
- Microsoft wins and extends its desktop dominance into phones, online services, tablets and social networking.
- Microsoft loses, and becomes vulnerable to desktops using other operating systems such as Apple's Macs and Google's (GOOG) Chromebooks.
- Meh. Users resist upgrading, and we go on as we have been.
The main Metro screen will be filled with Microsoft products, Mace writes, and efforts by competitors to put their own brand identities on their "tiles," which replace icons, will tend to look shabby.
The old Start menu is disappearing -- users will be pressed to learn a new way of doing things. And forget about restarts -- even turning the thing off is going to be a trial.
It's true that the old Windows 7 interface will remain available, much as MS-DOS compatibility remained in Windows 3.0. (Don't remember DOS? Ask your dad.) But users, and developers, will be strongly pushed toward Metro. Either you like Metro or you don't.
Windows 3.0 basically forced IBM out of the PC business, made Apple marginal for a decade, and gave us Microsoft Office, pushing out older application vendors like Lotus, WordPerfect and Ashton-Tate.
You can see a version of Metro on the Lumia 900, which Nokia(NOK_) is advertising with the tag line "the smart phone beta test is over!"
It's a funny ad, and stars former Saturday Night Live funnyman Chris Parnell, best known these days for playing Dr. Leo Spaceman (pronounced "speh-che-min"), a walking malpractice suit of supreme self-confidence, even self-delusion. (An interesting choice.)
Why will "meh" be the worst possible outcome? Because it would leave Microsoft's biggest OEMs, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL), vulnerable to Chinese competitors such as Lenovo that can better handle today's value pricing.
It would prevent these American companies from gaining a toehold in the tablet market. Something has to change, in other words, or Microsoft's whole ecosystem, including Nokia, goes down in flames.
Mace wrote in his blog post that he did a search comparing "I hate Windows 8" and "I love Windows 8."
Hate outran love by 3-1.
But my own Googlefight on those same two terms showed love outrunning hate by nearly 30-1, and a straight comparison of the terms on Google.com had love outrunning hate 15-1. (Mace later wrote to say he got it wrong.)
But we don't really know. Microsoft is doing a slow, controlled rollout, and the current view may be down to PR -- it may all be marketing hype. We won't know the result of all this until the fall, after the software is officially released.
Microsoft has been a sort of widows-and-orphans stock for a decade, bouncing between $25 and $30 a share. Those days are ending. It will either rise or fall with Metro. Which way will it go? Your guess is as good as mine.
At the time of publication, Blankenhorn held shares of Microsoft, Apple and Google.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/05/31/microsoft-becomes-most-interesting-stock-in-the-world/
Why Futures and Options Expirations Won't Boost Wall Street
Filed under: Economy, Investing
The "quadruple witching" hour -- when index futures, index options, equity options and security futures expire simultaneously -- is traditionally a time of higher trading volumes and investors decide what to do next. But if the low trading volumes so far this week are any indication, the next quadruple witching hour, scheduled Friday, will likely pass with barely a bump.The investor uncertainty that has characterized the market's choppy performance seems to be going strong. For the entire month of September, investors have behaved as if someone cast a spell rendering them unable to rally or retreat from stocks.
"We are at a point where the economic numbers are a little bit better, but they are not good enough to convince the buyers or sellers to take a stance with any kind of conviction," says Nate Peterson, senior derivatives analyst for Charles Schwab. "It's a market where you continue to wait and see. As the [reports] come out, you look for indicators that will give you a reason to buy, or to short the market."
Waiting for News
Options investors seem to be waiting for news and economic reports to help them reassess their positions before making trades, Peterson says. As a result, the average options volume in September has slipped to 15 million contracts per week from the 20 million contracts per week the market averaged through May.
That options volume may stay low until closer to October, when companies may begin making announcements in advance of the earnings season, Peterson says. Those announcements may then give investors better clues to where the market is headed. Unfortunately, while providing some clarity for investors, those announcements can also create higher market volatility.
"Right now VIX futures are around 25 - so traders are not pricing in a lot of volatility for October," Peterson says, referring to the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index ($VIX), which measures the market's anticipated volatility based on the sale of S&P 500 index futures and options. Historically, volatility has usually grown during earnings seasons, and an increase in the market volatility index generally makes options and futures more expensive, so Friday may be traders' last chance to lock in positions before higher volatility -- and higher prices -- kicks in.
Leading up to the quadruple witching, some traders bought new options on Wednesday and Thursday, but it seems that most are waiting until next week to decide if they need options to protect their long positions. Those who choose to buy put options for that protection as earnings season approaches can likely get them cheap, relatively speaking, on Friday, Peterson says.
And getting cheaper protection would definitely take the hex out of quadruple witching.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/16/futures-options-expirations-wont-help-stocks/
Beyond the numbers: do banks manage risk?
Is It Possible to Save Too Much for Retirement?
As you head into retirement, the most important decision to make is how much money to save. You want to make sure that the amount is enough for how you'd like to spend your later years, without needing to worry so much about financial concerns.
To get a second opinion on your retirement plans, schedule your free, no-obligation appointment.
Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/128210/Is-It-Possible-to-Save-Too-Much-for-Retirement
Life’s BIG Financial Steps
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ModestMoney/~3/Rydo-AbW0SA/
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Banned McDonald’s Customer: I Didn’t Even Hit Employee With The Chicken Sandwich I Threw At Her
How to avoid costly iPhone data roaming charges
Filed under: Technology, Video, Travel
Recently the Los Angeles Times showcased a problem that more and more iPhone users are running into when they travel; expensive data roaming charges. The article profiles the plight of Nathan Oventhal to get a $550 data charge removed from his AT&T bill after his iPhone connected to the Internet while traveling in Paris.According to Oventhal, when he turned his iPhone on in Paris he didn't make any calls or use the Internet; opting only to take some pictures, but when he got home he found a bill for 20 MB worth of data. In the States 20MB of data wouldn't make a difference, but the exchange rate for data use is incredibly high, which resulted in his $550 welcome home gift.
Continue reading How to avoid costly iPhone data roaming charges
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/10/14/how-to-avoid-costly-iphone-data-roaming-charges/
But I don’t like roller coasters! I like carousels.
(JOB. Coincidence? I think not.)
Target bal
Current/
Portfolio
Gain/(loss)
YTD
Annual
Dec-11
209,769
Invested
Actual
Gain
less inv
%
%
Jan
217,292
217,288
7,519
7,519
3.6%
43.0%
Feb
224,815
5,000
224,808
15,039
10,039
4.8%
28.7%
Mar
232,338
15,000
235,273
25,504
5,504
2.6%
10.5%
Apr
239,861
235,568
25,799
5,799
2.8%
8.3%
May
247,384
5,000
227,578
17,809
– [...]
Source: http://singlemomrichmom.com/but-i-dont-like-roller-coasters/
Debt crisis: as it happened - June 26, 2012
Critical Condition Pt 2
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/7mYuCtND4eM/profile2.html
Expose on the Journal: The Business of Poverty
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/dOvLMbdNtZo/profile.html
What Not to Say to Co-Workers
What not to say to co-workers is a topic that I thought of several months ago when I was writing up a list of blog post ideas. I jotted down a bunch of points under the title but never turned them into a post because I thought it might be viewed as old fashion and out-of-date.
But today while having lunch I thought that it might be a fun post to write because it will be interesting to see which points people agree with and which they disagree with based on their experiences.
Obviously it is important to build strong working relationships with your co-workers no matter where you work. And building those strong relationships can take time. After putting all that effort into building good relationships with your fellow employees the last thing you want to do is to jeopardize any of those relationships by talking about the wrong things.
We all know that every work environment is different. While one person could be working in retail, another could be working as a chef, and still others could be working in corporate offices.
As well, what goes on in work environments these days is different then what was happening 20 years ago. Add to that the fact that what is frowned upon in one work environment may be fair game in another location.
Okay, here are some guidelines on what not to say to co-workers.
Intimate Relationships
Don’t talk about your intimate relationships. Don’t tell your co-workers about your sexual encounters with your significant other, or your best friend’s mother, or the new hot girl in accounting.
Gossip
Don’t gossip. One of the things that happened over and over again in many of the corporate offices that I worked in was office gossip. Many people think that the best way to get to know their co-workers is through office gossip. I think they couldn’t be more wrong. You can quickly create a bad image of yourself by participating in gossip. While it may seem fun and harmless in the beginning, it can quickly create big problems. People hear you gossip and they remember that you like to gossip. Some even go so far as to form opinions around how good of an employee you are based on the gossip they hear you spreading versus the actual work that you get done.
Might be Pregnant - Might Not Be
Never ask a woman when she is due unless you are absolutely sure you are right.
Parties
Don’t talk about all the parties you attended on the weekend and how you drank gallons of beer and did drugs for 10 hours straight.
Personal Problems
Don’t whine about your personal problems on a regular and on-going basis. Everyone has stuff going on in their lives. While you may feel that some of your co-workers have become your best friends you never know what the future holds and how things can come back to haunt you until the first time it happens to you.
Paycheck
Don’t discuss your paycheck. This is typically a work place policy, but again every place is different. I would be quiet, just to be safe.
Finances
Don’t talk about your personal finances with your co-workers unless you work with financial advisors and it seems appropriate to discuss your personal finances with them.
Religion or Cultural Beliefs
Don’t talk about religious beliefs or different cultural beliefs. Work environments consist of different people from all over the world and it is important to keep that in mind when you speak. While your co-workers may smile or even laugh as you speak about different religions or different cultures, these things may actually make them feel quite uncomfortable.
Venting
Don’t vent to someone in your workplace about someone else in your workplace that you are having difficulties with. Again, some how, some way, it will come back to bite you in the ass. Trust me!
Jokes
Don’t toss out negative jokes about management or other co-workers. Just because you think it is funny doesn’t mean anyone else does. While everyone may laugh at the time, they may just be laughing because they now feel uncomfortable around you.
Swearing
Don’t swear at someone that you work with. While you may just be speaking to the person seated next to you, others may overhear you and may take offence.
Keep in mind that while many work environments can get quite stressful at times, for whatever reasons, talking about certain things and making co-workers feel uncomfortable will only add to the stress.
So did I miss any points on what not to say to co-workers? Again, I am interested in hearing your perspective of what should and shouldn’t be said based on your experiences in your present or past work environment.
Source: http://tacklingourdebt.com/2012/05/29/what-not-say-co-workers/