orlando area students to attend future investor clubs of ... literacy... · training company...

www.financialliteracynews.com

Sandra Perkins

The Future Investor Clubs of America (FICA) founded in January 1997, is a financial intelligence training company designed to introduce youth ages 8-19 to the world of finance and business intelligence in a fun and exciting way. FICA is dedicated to "Training Tomorrow's Investors Today TM. This outstanding financial intelligence training company was designed by FICA Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Frank Parks, with assistance from a group teachers and business leaders. Mr. Parks decided to develop FICA after beginning to train his own two children then ages eight and nine about the world of finance. As a professionally trained financial advisor and parent Mr. Parks worried about his kids growing up making financial mistakes simply because of a lack of knowledge.

Mr. Parks decided in 1995 to begin searching for a comprehensive financial training program for youth ages 8-19, he found none. “I was searching for a program that my kids could get into that would provide superior financial training applications. Continued on page 3.

Orlando Area Students To Attend Future Investor Clubs of America Training Programs

A Community Financial Education Publication Spring 2012

Letter from the Editor Future Investor Clubs of America, Incorporated is a financial intelligence training company that has since 1997 developed Financial Literacy News as a community financial education newspaper and online internet resource www.financialliteracynews.com. Subscribers to the Financial Literacy News publication have the opportunity to learn about the world of business, careers and personal financial matters in a language that our readers can easily understand. We understand that the daily challenges normally does not allow our readers to travel around to financial meetings, watch financial television shows hours at a time and or visit financial markets around the world. Therefore, Financial Literacy News is designed to be a trusted source that provides readers with the inside information you and your family needs to succeed.

The Financial Literacy News community publication is strategically distributed throughout the community in order to make it easily accessible for those individuals seeking to increase their financial intelligence. The recent financial recession has made it imperative that individuals play a much larger role in planning for their own personal and families financial success. The mission of the FLN publication is to help you do just that. Our columnist are normal people, many themselves have faced financial challenges and must research solutions to various issues which allows them that information on our readers.

In the Financial Literacy News community publication provides subscribers access to information on many of the most important financial intelligence topics such as: Kids, Teens and Money, Home Ownership, Taxes, Banking, Careers, Bonds, Saving, Investing, Legal Matters, Loans, Mortgages, Stocks and more. In addition to reading the columns, FLN subscribers can also engage with our columnists through email, video interviews and web-only postings.

All of our news, features, editorials and analysis will also remain available to readers on FinancialLiteracyNews.com, as will our interactive graphics, multimedia and videos. As part of FLN we are now working developing a e-mail alert service that keeps readers abreast of the articles they most want. We look forward to providing you the financial intelligence you need to become successful.

Frank Parks-Editor and Publisher

Financial Literacy News (FLN) is published quarterly with two additional special Holiday and Back To School Editions. FLN is available free of charge, by subscription and or via sponsorship. Financial Literacy News is strategically distributed throughout the community via approved private and public locations. US Copyrights and Trademark laws protect Financial Literacy News TM. No part of this newspaper is to be reproduce without the written permission of the publisher. Financial Literacy News is not responsible for any editorial comment outside of its own corporate position, typographical errors from advertisements submitted as camera ready or any reproductions of advertisements submitted as camera ready. If an advertisement does not meet our standards or acceptance we reserve the right to cancel the advertisement at anytime. The advertiser assumes sole responsibility for all statements contained in submitted copy and will protect and indemnify Financial Literacy News TM, its owners, publisher, and employees against any and all liability, loss or expense arising out of claims for libel, unfair trade names, patents, copyrights and propriety rights, an all violations of the right of privacy or other violations resulting from the publication of this newspaper of its advertising copy. Publisher shall will not for any reason be liable for the delay, or failure in the performance in publication and or distribution of all or any portion of an issue is delayed or suspended. Financial Literacy News will exercise reasonable judgment in these instances and will make adjustments for the advertiser where and when appropriate. Financial Literacy News is a division of the Future Investor Clubs of America, Inc.

11310 South Orange Blossom Trail #244 Orlando, Florida 32937

407-968-4108 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.financialliteracynews.com

Publisher Future Investor Clubs of America Editor Frank Parks Art Director Ryan Parks Graphic Artist Ryan Parks Staff Writer Sandra Perkins Freelance Writer Ernest Johnson Freelance Writer Jose Ramirez Freelance Writer James Roan Freelance Writer Richard Goldstein Freelance Writer Sue Grayson Freelance Writer Conrad Jacobs Freelance Writer Maria Gonzales

Subscribe To FICA Financial Literacy News TM

407-968-4108 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.financialliteracynews.com

One Year Sponsorship Subscription (6 Issues) via First Class Mail is $30.00

Check or Money Order Made Payable To: Future Investor Clubs of America, Inc.

11310 South Orange Blossom Trail #244 Orlando, Florida 32937

Name______________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________

City, State, Zip________________________________________


http://financialliteracynews.com/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.financialliteracynews.com/

Continued from Page 1.

I wanted a comprehensive program that included but yet went beyond basic consumer economics, one that in addition to teaching Kids/Teens about investments, would also over time train Kids/Teens on how to one day own a private or publicly traded company. I wanted the students to go from becoming Young Investors, to Young Financial Analyst and to eventually become Young Executives.

I wanted my own kids to get the best training on the planet and decided that all kids that showed interest in finance and business deserved the same.” I felt that a good financial training program would also give my kids the best chance to earn scholarships and grants to attend a College or University to study business and finance. After 2 years of searching and discovering the lack of a comprehensive financial training program, Mr. Parks decided to start what is now known as Future Investor Clubs of America (FICA). On June 21, 1997, FICA held what is now recognized as one of the nation’s best comprehensive Young Investors Wall St. Summer Camps.” That first financial training camp had a total of 20 student participants. In summer of 1998, 35 students attended a six-week FICA Financial Training Wall St. Summer Camp, which, at the time was believed to be the ” longest and most comprehensive financial training camp being held in the nation” wrote the Miami Herald. During the fall of that same year over 300 hundred students went on to enroll in the FICA Young Investors Club Program. It did not take long for the local Dade County Public School (DCPS) District to take notice. The local DCPS Academy of Finance and school Principals recognized that FICA students were being trained at a very high level.

During the fall of 1998, Mr. Parks was contacted by the DCPS and asked to be a guest speaker at the Academy of Finance conference. Hearing about the FICA program the Academy of Finance leadership enlisted the help of Mr. Parks to assist in training students at several academy schools. Mr. Parks was also appointed to the Academy of Finance Executive Committee to assist in coordinating programs and activities. Locally and nationwide other schools also enrolled their students in FICA Programs. Since 1997, thousands of students nationally have participated in FICA's Winning On Wall St. Kickoffs, Young Investors Summer Camps, Financial Leadership Training and Tours. Many organizations and schools are now enrolling students under their leadership in year round FICA's Special Training Programs

Top Quality & Professional Training

In order to provide superior business and financial intelligence training FICA draws on the leadership and experience of its CEO Mr. Parks. Mr. Parks has over 20+ years of professional training as an insurance agent, financial planner, investment advisor, entrepreneur and executive. Mr. Parks has enlisted the support of numerous major corporations and executives to serve as sponsors/advisors. Parents and Administrators can be assured that all FICA instructors are professionally trained individuals that share only the best financial and business intelligence information available today. This strategy has led to several professional educators and community leaders to refer to FICA students as the "best financially trained kids on the planet." Future Investor Clubs vary in size. FICA Clubs are 10-25 members, FICA Chapters are 26-100 members and FICA Centers 101-200 members. Youth ages 8-19 are encouraged to join.

FICA’s leadership believes that financial and business intelligence training helps students perform better in the classroom. All training sessions incorporate Department of Education Standards for Mathematics, Reading and Writing. Financially intelligent students are better equipped to make the connection between the classroom and the real life skills needed to succeed. Financial literacy helps make for better communities where the citizenry is financial literate. Each training session is presented in a challenging and fun environment that keeps young people excited about learning.

FICA program participants learn through the use of curriculum materials, computer software programs, online internet access, application of critical thinking skills and analytical techniques all designed to enhance the learning process. In addition, students visit local financial districts, major corporations and entertainment centers for fun! All local, national and international field trips are carefully planned to enhance classroom activities. FICA's training system also incorporates strategic planning sessions designed to improve the participant's ability to work together as a team. Now registering for our spring Winning On Wall Street Kickoff Programs and the Young Investor Wall Street Summer Camps. To learn more about Future Investor Clubs of America events and programs visit www.ficakids.com


New Tax Laws For 2011 By Jim Swanson With tax season complete, it is now time to look forward and implement some smart tax management strategies to reduce your mitigate your tax liability for the years ahead. This is particularly the case with a number of new provisions and expiring tax breaks in 2010 and 2011. Based on these and extrapolating from 2010 IRS Tax Brackets I have provided my preliminary view of the 2011 income tax brackets. Higher Tax Rates with Repeal of Bush Era Tax Cuts Beginning in 2011, tax rates that were in effect prior to 2001 and 2003 will be restored if President Obama does not extend the Bush Tax Cuts. These tax cuts included reductions in some individual income-tax rates, levies on capital gains and dividends, changes to the estate tax and relief from the so- called marriage penalty, in which a married couple may pay more in taxes than if they filed as separate individuals. The top income tax rate would go back to 39.6 percent, and the special low 10 percent bracket is eliminated. Whether this actually happens will be a major point of contention in Congress especially in the contradictory light of the recession and record federal deficits. In all likelihood and based on stated views, it is likely that the Obama administration and Democratic lawmakers will extend income-tax cuts that benefit American families earning less than $250,000 a year, while allowing tax rate reductions for high-income earners to lapse. This means boosts in the top marginal rates from 33% and 35% to 36% and 39.6% respectively. Some of the other key new and expiring tax provisions that you need

to be aware of and mange include: Increase in Capital Gains and Dividend Tax Rates – This is going to affect a number of Americans who saw their portfolio’s battered in 2008-2009. With the recovery in the last 6 months, it looks like Uncle Sam may come a calling for some of those stock market profits with tax rate reductions for long-term capital gains and dividends expiring this year. In 2011, the maximum long-term capital gains tax rate goes back up to 20 percent from 15 percent. A lower 10 percent tax rate is used by individuals who are in the 15 percent tax bracket. Their long-term capital gains had been tax-free since 2008. In 2011, dividend income (other than capital gain distributions from mutual funds) is taxed as ordinary income at your highest marginal tax rate. Estate Tax Revived – For individuals dying after 2010, the federal estate tax returns with a $1,000,000 exemption and a 50 percent maximum rate. Congress is likely to take some action on these rules during 2010 with a likely exemption of at least $3.5 million, and it could be set as high as $5 million if the Senate prevails. Estate tax legislation will include spousal transfers, making the exemption $7 million or more for couples. The estate tax rate will be capped at 45%, the same as it is now. While there are likely to be more easing for the alternative minimum tax, there will be no repeal. Child Tax Credit - The credit of $1,000 per eligible child reverts to $500 after 2010. After 2010, none of the child tax credit will be refundable to taxpayers unless their earned income is more than $12,550. This is one of the many Bush tax cuts currently scheduled to expire after 2010. Further temporary increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit for filers with three or more children and the higher income levels for the phase out of the credit are repealed.



http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2107599-10437596

What are Annuities? By Sandra Perkins Annuities are unique investment products, sold by insurance companies, that can help you save more for retirement, generate a guaranteed1 stream of income in retirement, or both. Annuities have helped millions of people prepare for retirement, but because there are different types with different purposes, they can be a bit confusing. Keep in mind, annuities generally fall into two distinct categories: tax-deferred & income. SAVING FOR RETIREMENT •Tax-Deferred Annuities let you save more for retirement—even after you have maxed out contributions to 401(k)s and IRAs. •Tax-deferred annuities are either variable or fixed Taxes on gains are deferred. •For variable annuities, tax-deferred growth potential may allow savings to accumulate faster than in a taxable account. •Contributions are virtually unlimited (IRS 401(k) and IRA contribution limits do not apply to annuities). •If funded with non-qualified money, there is no minimum required distribution at age 70 1/2. •A tax-deferred annuity can be converted to an income annuity in retirement .

INCOME IN RETIREMENT Income Annuities provide an immediate guaranteed1 stream of income in retirement in exchange for a lump sum of money. Income annuities are either variable or fixed •A fixed-income annuity payment provides a steady stream of income. Income is guaranteed never to go down, but it may not keep up with inflation. •A variable income annuity payment will vary depending on its underlying investments—it may adjust with the market.

What are Savings Bonds? Savings bonds are debt securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to pay for the U.S. government’s borrowing needs. Saving bonds are considered one of the safest investments because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

There are several types of U.S. savings bonds:

Series EE Bonds These savings bonds replaced the Series E bonds. They are purchased at a discount of half their face value. You cannot buy more than $5,000 (face value) during any calendar year. EE bonds increase in value as the interest accrues or accumulates and pay interest for 30 years. When EE bonds “mature,” or come due, you are paid your original investment plus all of the interest. Series HH Bonds You can purchase Series HH bonds, but only in exchange for Series EE or E bonds and Savings Notes, or with the proceeds from a matured Series HH bond. Unlike EE bonds, Series HH bonds are purchased at their face amount in $500 to $10,000 denominations., but there is no limit on the amount you can purchase. These bonds don’t increase in value and have a maturity of 20 years.

Series I Bonds These bonds are sold at face value and grow with inflation-indexed earnings for up to 30 years. You can buy up to $5,000 in any calendar year. U.S. savings bonds have tax advantages. You can defer federal taxes on the interest until you cash in the bond or stops paying interest at maturity. Savings bonds are also exempt from state and local taxes.



Future Investor Clubs of America Kids & Teens Ages 8-19

Since 1997 Thousands of Students Training!

For more Information visit www.ficaworld.com or Call 407-968-4108

What are the many different Types of Bank Accounts ? By Earnest Johnson Types of Bank Accounts

Savings and checking are the two basic types of bank accounts. Banks require certain minimum balances for these accounts, otherwise they lose money just on the record-keeping. Savings accounts will have a passbook on which your deposits and interest are entered. You'll receive interest every so often, perhaps every month or quarter. The interest rate at savings banks is slightly higher than the rate at commercial banks.

Checking accounts allow you to write checks against your account, up to the available balance. If you don't have enough money in your account for a check you write, the check will “bounce” and the bank will return it unpaid to the person you wrote it to. You both will be charged an extra transaction fee. To bounce a check in America is considered an embarrassment. If you bounce a check you write to a merchant, they will probably charge you an extra fee themselves.

Banking Fees

Checking accounts usually have fees per month and per check. In addition, you lose money because you do not earn interest on checking accounts. Many banks offer no-fee checking if you maintain a certain large balance in the account: $1,000 or so. This is a trick of sorts. The bank gets to use your $1,000 for free. If you had it in a savings account you'd earn interest on it. The checking, therefore, is anything but free.

Checking at Savings Banks

Savings banks also offer accounts which work like checking accounts, though they might be called something else, like a NOW (Negotiable Order of Withdrawal) account. Some savings banks offer these accounts with no fees, some pay interest, some do both. You'll have to shop around among the smaller banks to find these accounts.

To open a bank account, bring a few pieces of identification: driver's license, passport, social security card. You will have to wait to see a bank officer, who will be sitting at a desk, rather than waiting in line for the bank teller. If you don't understand any of the bank's procedures or rules, ask the officer to explain them to you. It is common sense to visit the bank when it is not crowded.

You'll use checks to pay for such items as rent, electric and telephone bills, insurance payments, mail-order goods, and so forth. You may also often pay by check when shopping in person. If the store doesn't know you, they will want identification, usually at least one major national credit card plus a driver's license.

Cash Back

It is not customary or polite to ask a merchant if you can write a check for more than the balance as a means to get ready cash, except, to a limited degree, in supermarkets. Supermarkets have special procedures for paying by check. You'll probably have to apply for a special check cashing card with the supermarket manager, and sometimes you'll have to get each check approved by the manager before you get in line with your purchases. The supermarket will have a limit ($25.00 or so) on how much cash you can get back above the amount of your purchase.


Why Buy an e-Reader? By Jim Swanson From the African jungles in Michael Crichton’s Congo to the farmlands of China in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth to right at home with the magazine Martha Stewart Living, books expand horizons. We’ve all heard since shows like Wishbone and Reading Rainbow that books have the power to take us anywhere. One library, so many possibilities. eBook readers take it one step further. One device holds about a library and gives you as many of your favorite book titles at your fingertips as you could ever really want. Plus, they make it easy to take notes, save clippings of quotations and highlight passages we want to be able to find again. e-Readers are about readability. They are designed to make your reading experience more enjoyable and less of a hassle. Nobody wants to take a stack of books with them on a business trip or long road trip. They’re convenient, portable and good for the environment. In fact, the only real downside we can see to an electronic book over a real paper book is that you’ll have a few more problems if you accidentally spill your coffee on. A summary of each e-reader's benefits:

New Amazon Kindle 3 International (US/Global) Newly released on August 27th, 2010 - Kindle will have both Wi-Fi + 3G and Wi-Fi only models. The Wi-Fi only model is priced a little lower at $139 which is an unbelievable steal for such a high quality e-reader. Obviously, the Kindle U.S & International version has global wireless accessibility whereas none of the other eBook readers do. The Barnes and Noble Nook is planning to go global sometime in 2010.

Most likely, Sony will also follow suit. Priced at $189, this Kindle is a great buy compared to the other e-readers based on its global access combined with all the above listed features. The New Kindle 3 model also has a slimmer design, weighs less, better screen contrast, battery life is longer and holds more books, now up to 3,500. Barnes Noble Nook

What stands out about the Nook compared to the others is the

sharing capability with others who also have a Nook e-reader or through an iPhone, or iPod Touch, select BlackBerry and Motorola smart phones, as well as Windows or Mac PCs. Kindle will also have similar lending capability by the end of the year. The new Nook Color, released November 19th, is new in the eBook reader world, priced at $249 with Wi-Fi only.

Sony Reader Daily

The Sony Reader Daily edition is a big improvement on their Sony Touch and Pocket editions which did not offer wireless connectivity. The only advantage we see the Sony Daily has over the Global Kindle and Nook is a slightly larger screen size at 7 inches (only 1 inch larger) and slightly longer battery life. It does offer memory expansion, a touch screen and Wi-Fi, as does the Nook, but again priced at $399 vs $189 for the Kindle International & $199 3G Nook e-readers.

Apple iPad Review

The Apple iPad has a lot of extra functions that the other e-readers lack like playing video games, storing and playing your music library, watching movies and a few others. We hope you are able to make a better informed decision based on our e-book reader comparison.



The Key Growth Factors In Selecting The Right Franchise By Rick Bisio There are many elements to analyze when selecting the right franchise opportunity. Not only do you need the franchise to be a good fit for you - you are also required to work with a franchisor that will be around for a long time. How can you learn if a franchise system is sound? In the franchise book, The Educated Franchisee we believe in sharing knowledge. A little franchise education can be helpful in this area. One important measure is the system's pace of franchise growth. Too Fast: Rapid franchise growth may seem like a good thing at first but it is possible for a system to grow too fast. It is important to make sure the franchisor has the people and systems in place to thoroughly address your training and on-going support. For example, if a system of 50 franchisees adds 30 additional franchisees in a year, the pace of franchise growth may be too speedy. Too Slow: If franchise growth is stagnant there could also be a problem. Why isn't the franchise attracting new people? Perhaps there are problems with the business model - problems that make it difficult for existing franchisees to succeed. When potential franchisees make ‘validation calls' they may hear about problems and decide to look elsewhere for a business. Or maybe the franchisor doesn't have the right staff and has to limit franchise development. Either way, a deficiency of new franchisees could be a sign of an unsound franchise organization.

Just Right: Steady franchise growth over time is an indicator of good management and a healthy system. One way to gauge steady franchise growth is to determine the rate at which the franchise grew each year both in absolute and percent terms. Rule of Thumb for Most Franchises As a rule of thumb for medium-sized franchisors, the number of franchisees added each year should be between 10% and 35% of the total number of franchisees. For instance, a company with 100 franchisees ought to own the infrastructure to bring up to 35 new franchisees in the next year. Rule of Thumb for Large and Small Franchises This formula doesn't work for very large or very small companies, however, so when looking at behemoth or boutique franchise systems consider the ratio of operational support personnel compared to new franchisees. A ratio of one support person for every 10-20 new franchisees assures you that new franchisees are likely getting the training and back up they need to succeed. Talk to Franchisees But don't assume! It is critical that you talk to existing franchisees. Find out about the training they received initially and what they receive in terms of on-going support. Do they find the staff to be knowledgeable? Responsive? Does the franchisee feel comfortable calling on them for help? Give careful attention to the information you find out from new franchisees. Your experience will most closely reflect theirs. Meet the Support Staff Typically, a serious franchise investigation ends with a visit to the franchisor's headquarters to get final questions answered and meet the staff face-to-face. Spend extra time with the staff. There are many things to think about when researching a franchise business that will meet your needs, but it doesn't matter how much you like the business if the franchisor isn't viable. Collect the franchise information you need and be convinced the system you select is growing and has a large number of fulfilled franchisees. Franchise development is a fundamental part of your due diligence. http://www.educatedfranchisee.com


Starting A Business Might Be the Right Thing To Get You Some Cash! By Ryan Parks

The Bureau of Labor's statistics show the US shifting towards becoming service-oriented economy, with nearly all job creation projected over the next decade coming in the service industry . For entrepreneurs looking to cash in on the future, the medical research, healthcare, wellness, business services and green/environmental services industries are expected to be among the fastest growing business sectors.

Economic forecasting isn't exactly a science; if it was, most investors would have sold off their stock holdings in 2007. But demographic data can be used to divine general trends about what Americans will be buying and selling in the years ahead. Small businesses that cater to those needs have a big advantage.

Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases employment projections for the coming decade, including a list of the fastest-growing occupations. While the listings are helpful for college students trying to decide on a marketable major or job-switchers trying to move into a more promising field, they can also serve as a road map for business opportunities. We've heard plenty about the country's shift to a service-based economy, and the most recent BLS numbers show that trend continuing. Of the jobs created in the next decade, the vast majority (96%) will be in the service industry. Occupations expected to add the most workers include restaurant servers and cooks, landscapers, administrative assistants, security guards, maintenance workers and child-care staff.

Most of those jobs are relatively low-skill and low-paid, which has added to the hand-wringing over the state of the American economy. But job growth is also expected to be steady for service professions requiring specialized training. As the U.S. population increases, so will its need for doctors, nurses and teachers. Bookkeepers, accountants and auditors are also expected to be in demand. The BLS also publishes a round-up of the fastest-growing occupations. These five industries are expected to see rapid job growth, and they're all fields where small companies can make a mark:

Medical Research

Facing the imminent loss of valuable patents on blockbuster drugs, large drug companies are scrambling to find their next big moneymakers. But Americans' quest for cures continues -- whether it's a magic pill that targets obesity or a specialized gene therapy for an obscure inherited disease. That leaves an opening for smaller research companies willing and able to take risks.

Green Jobs

Many "green jobs" projects are years away from reality. In the meantime, companies recognize sustainability isn't just a slogan it's something customers and business partners expect to see in action. Jobs for environmental engineers are expected to increase, & firms that specialize in environmental consulting & planning should benefit from the increasing pressure to go green.

Health Care

Yes, there will be increasing demand for physicians, nurses and veterinarians. But what's increasing even faster is the need for less highly trained assistants. Some of the fastest-growing jobs over the next decade will be home health and personal care aides, physical therapy assistants, veterinary technicians and pharmacy assistants. Companies supplying those workers will find themselves very much in demand.

Wellness

Over the next decade, there will be more job openings for athletic trainers and fitness instructors, partly as a result of an aging U.S. population that turns to exercise to stay healthy. Another growth industry catering to the boomer demographic? Skin care specialists. To keep the mind active, there's expected to be growing demand for self-enrichment education teachers: people who lead classes and seminars students take for personal reasons rather than to complete a degree. Got an idea for a business that appeals to retirees' quest for healthy living? Now's a great time to launch it.

Business Services

Layoffs have swept through all levels of corporate America, but certain office professions will still see strong growth. Financial examiners and compliance officers will be needed to stay on top of growing regulations, and network systems analysts are crucial to keeping companies' computer systems in shape. Staffing and consulting companies that address these specific needs should see steady opportunities for growth.



Technology Makes It Easy For You To Self-publish Your Story By Richard Goldstein The traditional seats of power in the publishing industry may be New York, London and Paris, but the real comers in the digital era are book houses based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Tucson, Arizona, and Bloomington, Indiana. Self-publishing a book rather than going through the traditional (and often heart-breaking) route of submitting to publishing houses has long suffered the stain of vanity: Why would some unpublished author have a better read of the public's book appetite than editors at the most respected publishing houses on the planet?

Now, it seems, the real hubris may lie with the literary elite: the self-publishing industry has skyrocketed in the past decade, with several breakout successes that have established book producers looking over their shoulder at the growing might of book houses based in places better known for agriculture than literature. "We published one out of every 30 books in the U.S. last year," says Bryan Smith, CEO of AuthorHouse, an Indiana-based self-publishing house founded in 1997 that has since published 40,000 titles.

The company was sold in January for an undisclosed sum to Bertram Capital, a California-based investment firm headed by Jeff Drazan, who consistently ranks as one of the top 100 tech deal makers in the world by Forbes Magazine's annual "Midas List" of venture capitalists. "While self-publishing has come a long way, there's still a degree of skepticism in the publishing world ... but that's changing, and will continue to change as they see the success we're having," says Smith, whose

company first published "Legally Blonde," a book that became a successful movie starring Reese Witherspoon, and "A Long March to Freedom," a book about Third World kidnapping that became the Russell Crowe movie, "Proof of Life.“

Other breakout successes that were originally self-funded by authors through similar publishing houses include "The Celestine Prophecy," by James Redfield and "The Christmas Box," by Richard Paul Evans. Teenage author Christopher Paolini self-published his fantasy book "Eragon" before it was picked up by a major publisher and made into a movie.

"We've experienced a steady 40 percent growth every year since 2000," says Sam G. Henrie, president of Tucson, Arizona-based self-publishing house Wheatmark. "The self-publishing industry has grown up as a sort of parallel to the (traditional book publishing industry) ... while that market has been flat, the book market for people selling online has grown dramatically, and we're the ones who feed that channel of sales.“

The self-publishing industry has exploded due to advances in print on demand technology. "In the past, an author would have to spend as much as $10,000 to do a complete book run to pay for the costs of production," Henrie says. Now that printing of individual books can be done as individual orders are placed online, the upfront cost to authors now "can be as low as a few hundred dollars.“

Self-publishing companies offer authors an a la carte menu to choose from: such as editing and illustration services, distribution and marketing assistance, and covering legalities such registering the books ISBN number. "For about $700, you can have your book up and on the market in less than 30 days," says Smith of AuthorHouse.

Need more info? Call us at 1-888-795-4274



Will Gold Prices To Rise in 2012? By Frank Parks Gold Prices: Expect a New Breakout

We expect to see a new breakout in gold prices once the dollar softens more decisively and once reflationary policies gain economic traction. The current gold price indicates that U.S. monetary and fiscal policy is finally getting ahead of the deflation curve. Liquidity conditions will be easier and easier as the year progresses – part of the fight to support the economy and reduce deflationary pressures. Such conditions are consistent with higher gold prices, and we expect to see gold prices continue to rise, with a breakout to $1,500 becoming a new floor.

5 Reasons Why Gold Will Rise

1. Economy

How many times have you heard the phrase “not since the Great Depression” applied to today's economic climate? It's fitting, given that the United States has endured the deepest and longest economic correction since the 1930s. The U.S. manufacturing base has been shipped overseas. The few jobs being created are in the service industry or government sector. The official unemployment rate hovers near 10%, and 1 out of every 8 Americans is on food stamps. Volatility plagues the stock market. The 2008 economic implosion gutted real-estate values, sent foreclosures skyrocketing and required a nearly $1 trillion bailout of the “too big to fail” investment banks. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are under U.S. conservatorship, along with General Motors. The U.S. government has fallen into a mammoth gulch of multi-trillion-dollar deficits and unfunded liabilities, and it's not going to emerge from that hole without higher taxes and painful austerity measures. Meanwhile, debt time bombs already are exploding in some of our biggest cities and states.

2. Fear

As the market does its daily job of balancing fear and greed, it becomes increasingly apparent that fear predominates. Investors are abandoning anything with the slightest hint of risk. The sovereign-debt crisis that started with Iceland and Greece is threatening to spread across the globe. Fearful investors are shifting assets from the euro and other weakening currencies into gold. Even the recently sagging U.S. dollar has benefited, but given that the debt-laden

federal government is about as bad off as Greece in every important economic metric, the world's reserve currency is living on borrowed time.

The stock market rebounded from its 2008-09 depths, but some analysts say it's overbought and due for painful correction. And the Dow's 1,000-point plunge on May 6, 2010, showed investors just how breathtakingly vulnerable paper assets can be. Meanwhile, the winds of war continue to howl across the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere, exacting huge costs in American blood and treasure.

3. Demand

The Federal Reserve has kept U.S. interest rates at virtually zero, with no sign of a hike on the horizon, thereby lowering the opportunity cost of buying gold. And investors have responded with astonishing eagerness, even forcing the U.S. Mint to ration popular bullion products in order to meet overwhelming demand. After all, gold's value does not arise from its industrial applications but from its worldwide acceptance as a safe store of value. As the public loses faith in debased paper currencies, the clamor for gold will increase exponentially.

Also fueling demand are the world's central banks, which in a major trend reversal have now become net buyers of gold instead of sellers. Expect central banks in China, India and Russia to fuel demand for gold. Beijing not only is stocking up on gold as it divests itself of its dollar holdings but also is encouraging its increasingly affluent billions of citizens to buy gold. And the creation of “paper gold” – the metal-based exchange-traded funds, which Blanchard and Company does not endorse because of their inherent risks – has increased investment demand and buttressed the price of gold.

4. Reflation

Gold benefits from the cure for deflation, rather than from deflation itself. At some point, the market is going to get over its concerns about deflation and become concerned about inflation – that will be the real inflection point for gold. The Federal Reserve, the European central banks, the Swiss national bank, and the Bank of England have drastically increased their balance sheets. Huge amounts of money supply growth will be sending so much money sloshing through the system that it will eventually generate a bad case of inflation. Though inflation isn’t apparent today, stimulus packages and bailouts mean much more money in the system, which is classically inflationary.

5. The Dollar

The dollar has benefited from the global flight from risky assets, as well as the unwinding of bets made with borrowed dollars. That has come as a surprise to many who expected that increased government spending and a collapsing U.S economy would cripple the dollar. In the longer term, the dollar’s health remains dependent upon foreigners’ appetite for U.S. assets, which will decline as the economy falters and the government continues to inject additional liquidity.

407-218-5958


How To Create A Debt Management Strategy To Help You Succeed By John Grace It may be time to look into a debt management program if your debt has become more than you can handle. These services are available to help people in financial difficulty lower credit card payments by lowering the interest rate and outstanding balance. The debt is still paid off but it is done at a lower amount than the customer initially owed.

If are serious about reducing or eliminating your debt, and fast, visit this website for an effective and popular debt management program.

Debt relief programs are designed specifically for people who can no longer afford their minimum monthly payments. The programs work to reduce the total amount of the debt and consolidate it into a single affordable monthly payment. Debt management services are not for people who can afford their monthly payments but want to reduce payoffs so the credit can be paid off more quickly. They are not for people who are already in the throes of bankruptcy.

Debt management programs are usually handled through the creditors. The bank that holds the credit card in question will set the rate and the payoff amount. The client does not have any say in the agreement. Each bank will offer its own terms for debt management service and the terms are usually not negotiable. If the client is unable to manage the new monthly payment, he will usually be dropped from the program. A debt relief program like this can be helpful for people who are no

longer able to make monthly payments due to high interest charges or late fees. It is important to talk to the company first to see what sort of program they can offer you. In some cases, this may be all that is necessary to dig out of a financial hole. In other cases, other types of debt management credit counseling may be required.

American Debt Enders is a company that provides assistance through debt settlement programs. This company will work with your lenders to lower your balances and consolidate your debt into a single affordable monthly payment. They will negotiate for you so you can get a better term and interest rate than you might on your own. They can also stop harassing phone calls in some situations so you can focus on the job of getting debt free.

Debt management companies help thousands every year get out of debt and regain financial help. If you feel as if you are drowning in monthly payments and interest and late charges, debt relief is available.

Constituents of a Debt Management Program

The essential criteria when making a choice is that one must know the constituents of a debt management program. Here's small list of what usually constitutes a debt management program.

Credit Counseling Debt management and credit counseling is a very primary constituent of debt management programs. It involves a 'face to face' counseling session between the credit counselor and the consumer. The credit counseling session basically involves a discussion where the credit counselor and the consumer, conclude upon a method or a sequence with the help of which the consumer can easily pay of his debts. The counseling sessions often include the calculation of pro-rata ratios.

Debt Settlement Debt settlement is a type of negotiation that the debt management company initiates with the lenders, on the behalf of the consumer. During debt settlement, the installments and interest of the loan is revised for a speedy repayment.

Debt Consolidation Debt consolidation is a process where the debt management companies provide the consumers with debt consolidation loans, in order to pay off all the debts.

Credit Repair Some debt management programs provide consumers with the facility of credit repair. The debt management company analyzes the credit report and initiates credit repair if required, if the credit history or report has errors.



Florida Asset Protection Statutory Exemptions For Florida Residents By Jonathan Alper-PLC

Much of the asset protection benefits for Florida residents is contained within the Florida Statutes. These exemptions are available only to people who permanently reside in Florida. Salary or Wages

Wages, earnings or compensation of the head of household which are due for personal labor or services, including wages deposited into a bank account (provided they are traceable and identified as such) are exempt from garnishment under Section 222.11 of the Florida Statutes. A debtor is head of household if he financially supports someone for whom he has a legal or moral support obligation, such as a spouse, child, or parent. The dependant does not have to reside in the debtor's primary residence. When a husband and wife have a joint judgment debtor only one of the spouses can be head of household.

Life Insurance Policies and Annuity Contracts

Cash value in insurance and all annuities are protected from creditors' claims by Florida Statutes. While a Florida resident is alive, the cash value of any insurance policy he owns on his life or on other Florida residents is exempt from creditors claims. The protection afforded to the cash surrender value of a life insurance policy is only for the benefit of the owner/insured. Death benefits are not protected from the creditors of the policy beneficiary.

Perhaps the most popular financial product for asset protection planning is annuities. Florida courts have liberally construed this statutory exemption to include the broadest range of annuity contracts and arrangements. Private annuities between family members are entitled to the exemption as are the proceeds of personal injury settlements structured as an annuity. Additional protection is available by purchasing international annuities. Particularly, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have laws which guard annuities from attack by creditors for outside countries including the United States. The protection of cash value insurance and annuities extends to proceeds of these assets after receipt. Florida courts have

held that funds withdrawn from a cash value insurance policy and annuity payments received by a debtor remain protected after they are deposited in a financial account as long as the funds can be accurately traced back to the exempt assets. The money does not have to be segregated in a separate account so long as it is traceable.

Pension and Profit Sharing Plans, IRAs

To prepare for retirement and to defer income taxation more and more individuals direct significant wealth into IRA accounts and other tax qualified retirement plans. In Florida, retirement money not only defers income taxation, but is protected from creditors as well. Florida Statute 222.21(2)(a) provides that any money or other assets payable to participant or beneficiary in a qualified retirement or profit sharing plan is exempt from all claims from creditors of the beneficiary or participant. Florida Statutes specifically include under the protection umbrella pension plans designated for teachers, county officers and employees, state officers and employees, police officers, and firefighters. The debtor's IRAs are exempt from creditors, but one Florida court has held that inherited IRAs are not exempt from creditors.

Disability Income

Disability income benefits under any disability insurance policy are exempt from legal process in Florida.

Automobile Exemption

Florida residents may protect up to $1,000 of equity in an automobile. The fact that a debtor need his automobile to go to work does not protect the vehicle from creditors to the extent that the debtor's equity exceeds $1,000.

Prepaid College Plans

Florida prepaid college tuition plans and Florida's 529 college saving plan are protected from creditors by Florida Statute 222.22.

Miscellaneous Exemptions

Florida Statutes include several narrow asset exemptions such as professionally prescribed health aids, qualified prepaid college tuition, hurricane savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and unemployment benefits.



markets such as; derivatives, foreign exchange, insurance and commodity markets. The purpose of all financial markets is to provide some form of fund raising. It is through these various financial markets that those in need of borrowing funds can find those that are willing to lend funds. These types of financial transaction take place in stock exchange. It is in stock exchange where investors can buy and sell shares of stock from other companies. The entire foundation of the various types of financial markets is based on a system to borrowing and lending. Those seeking funding can be individuals, corporations, the government and other institutions. There are many reasons these various types of borrowers seek funding. When companies sell shares of their stock, they may be in need of additional capital to meet their expansion needs. Various government entities utilize municipal bonds to raise funds for various projects including improving city infrastructure. There are many reasons for funding across all the different forms of borrowers. Lenders in the Financial Market are actually the investors. Investors will purchase various forms of financial products which will end up converting into capital for the borrower. There are many different ways these transactions occur. One typical way is when a company issues shares of stock from their company. This is a quick way for companies that are valued in the market place, to make quick cash. The different types of financial markets are in existence for the purpose of raising capital. As with any institution, there are advantages and disadvantages inherent in the system. It is important to be well informed about the various financial tools before you employ them for your use.

Understanding The Different Types Of Financial Markets In The USA By Jim Swanson There are several different types of financial markets. Financial markets are tools that allow people to buy and sell securities or commodities and other financial tools. Investors typically trade and sell the various forms of financial instruments through what is called the stock market. They also have the ability to trade between buyers and sellers. The trading can be done both domestically or internationally according to fair market pricing. Capital markets are different types of financial markets that deal with the trade of certain types of bonds and stocks. Capital markets can either relate to newly issued bonds and stocks. Or it may handle trades of pre-existing bonds and stocks. This market is typically referred to as either the bond or stock market. The bond market oversees financing regarding the issuance of various types of bonds. And the stock market does the same but for stock issues. Other vital markets include money markets. Money markets are components of the financial markets. This type of market concerns itself with short-term borrowing and lending practices of securities with a maturation date of one year or less. Various instruments are traded in money markets such as treasury bills, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and several other financial instruments. Money markets essentially facilitate short term debt and capital financing. There are many other types of financial


3. Leverage on the expertise of financial professional You might want to find a competent financial professional that you can put in your trust and most importantly is you are comfortable. Work out a financial plan with this financial professional to have a good glimpse of your Net worth, Assets and Liabilities. Set realistic goals to improve and maintain your Net worth. 4. Invest in your future Do not delay on planning for your retirement, you are never too young. If you start to invest young, you will have a longer investment horizon and thus has to set aside a lesser regular amount to reach the same target retirement goal as compared to someone much older. For those who procrastinate, they will tend to panic when reaching nearer to their retirement age and the most likely outcome is that they have to continue to work through their golden year. Do you want to be the earlier or later? The choice is yours. 5. Building up your emergency fund You should build up your contingency fund to a level you are comfortable with in case of any rainy days, which you will not be caught unaware. The recommended cushion will be ranged from 3 to 6 months of your salary. All of us can break free and enjoy a good financial life if you desire to. You just need to put in effort in developing and exercising good financial habits. Once you are in control over your finances, you will reap the rewards of financial freedom.

Establish Good Financial Habits To Help Get You Through Tough Times By Patricia Robinson Building good money and financial habits is a key step towards financial freedom. Moving forward you can still enjoy the American Dream, however you will need to manage your financial resources like never before. The beginning of any new year, start of a new job or business is always a good time to reflect on your good and especially poor, long lasting financial habits that can ruin the best financial strategies. Below is list of good financial habits to help you develop your strategy. 1. Paying Yourself First An associated habit to budgeting is to adopt a disciplined approach to saving. Every month after you have got your salary, you should allocate a certain percentage of your income to savings, insurance and investments to create or accumulate wealth, before paying for your other expenses (also known as "Guilt free shopping"). Increase this portion of slice when your income goes up upon pay increments or annual bonuses. In order to increase the slice of saving, you should learn how to cut and control on your daily spending, for example to avoid impulse buying, dine out less, looking out for the best deals and whatever you can think of. 2. Manage your debts It is always advisable to avoid using credit (especially installment plan, which 0% interest is quite tempting) to pay for your expenses because it can easily get out of hand if not properly managed. Use cash instead, you will discover that you tend to spend less if using cash because of the physiological mentality. Debt payments are the expenses that you need to pay on a monthly basis, such as your mortgage, car loans, personal loans or even credit card debts. You should always try to reduce on these debts and have a healthy debt servicing ratio (being derived from debt divided by income which should be 35% or less).



How to Get a $50,000.00 Personal or Business Loan With Collateral By Tom Highland If you want to learn how to get approved for $50000, read the following information. When looking for a large personal loan, you should automatically expect to post something of value as collateral. Finding a loan of $50000 without collateral will be especially tough. Do not expect to get a $50000 loan with bad credit, unless you have good credit, a long working relationship and history with the bank, and the financial reports to back up your wealth, do not bother. The lending market is very tight, and due to recent events surrounding the economy, lending guidelines are very strict. However, if you have something comparable in collateral value, you will be able to get a personal loan using that item as security. Which Collateral is Valuable? What makes an object valuable is its resale value. Many objects we consider valuable have little or no resale market value, even if they are collector’s items. Getting a personal loan through a bank in the amount of $50000 has this requirement. This is the best way to get a personal loan for $50000. Banks are looking for, and only accept, items that can be easily resold in the event that the loan enters default status. Generally, when considering large personal loans with collateral, the most common items used for collateral are a home or property that has that much equity available in it,

stocks and bonds valued at least 20% higher than the loan amount requested and on occasion, a title for a paid off high end automobile. Documented and appraised valuable artwork and jewelry sometimes are allowed as collateral, but that is up to the discretion of the bank. With jewelry, artwork and antiques as collateral, find a reputable dealer that has worked with the bank prior and get a certified statement of value from them. You can save the bank all the legwork of appraising and speed up how quickly you get personal loans. $50000 Personal Loan Documentation When you approach the bank for a personal loan of this nature you should have the evidence of collateral and all accompanying documentation to prove you are the owner of this item and can legally use it for collateral. This is how you get $50000 or any other similar amounts. With the proper $50000 personal loan documentation, you can demonstrate your ability to repay. You should also have available proof of current income, proof of residency and photo identification ready. The bank will want to know everything about you prior to making the loan. Make sure your credit history is in good shape before going to the bank. By cleaning up any negative marks or bad entries on your report, you will boost your credit scores and qualify for lower interest rates. Finally, when you apply for a collateralized loan, be prepared for it to take some time to process. You will not be approved for or receive a loan of this nature instantly. On average it will take about two days to get approved. If you are in great need of that money, payday loan might be a quick solution to your problems until you hear back from the banks on whether or not your $50000 personal loan was granted approval.


What Is Diversification? By Rachel Cohen Virtually every investment has some type of risk associated with it. The stock market rises and falls. An increase in interest rates can cause a decline in the bond market. No matter what you decide to invest in, risk is something you must consider. The key to successful investing is managing risk while maintaining the potential for adequate returns on your investments. One of the most effective ways to help manage your investment risk is to diversify. Diversification is an investment strategy aimed at managing risk by spreading your money across a variety of investments such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and cash alternatives. The main philosophy behind diversification is really quite simple: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading the risk among a number of different investment categories, as well as over several different industries, can help offset a loss in any one investment. Likewise, the power of diversification may help smooth your returns over time. As one investment increases, it may offset the decreases in another. This may allow your portfolio to ride out market fluctuations, providing a more steady performance under various economic conditions. By reducing the impact of market ups and downs, diversification can go far in enhancing your comfort level with investing. Diversification is one of the main reasons why mutual funds are so attractive for both experienced and novice investors. Many non-institutional investors have a limited investment

budget and may find it challenging to construct a portfolio that is sufficiently diversified. For a modest initial investment, you can purchase shares in a diversified portfolio of securities. You have “built-in” diversification. Depending on the objectives of the fund, it may contain a variety of stocks, bonds, and cash vehicles, or a combination of them. Whether you are investing in mutual funds or are putting together your own combination of stocks, bonds, and other investment vehicles, it is a good idea to keep in mind the importance of diversifying. Diversification does not eliminate or guarantee against the risk of investment loss; it is a method used to help manage investment risk. The value of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds fluctuate with market conditions. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. What Are Dividends? When considering the profit they make on stocks, many investors assess the gains they have obtained based on the appreciation of the stock on the open market or the gains they obtained after selling the stock for more than the original purchase price. However, it’s also wise to include the income acquired from stock dividends, if any. Dividends are taxable payments to shareholders from a company’s earnings. These payments generally come from retail profits and tend to be distributed in the form of cash or stock. They are usually paid quarterly, and the amount is determined by the company’s board of directors. Dividends are most often quoted by the dollar amount each share receives, put simply, the dividends per share.


What is a Financial Advisor? By Ashley Wright Financial Advisor Career Overview: Financial advisor (FA) and financial consultant (FC) are contemporary titles for stockbroker, broker, account executive or registered representative. A variant spelling, financial adviser, also is used sometimes. Traditionally, the job has involved buying and selling securities (such as stocks and bonds) on behalf of clients. The change in titles is supposed to reflect the fact that, rather than being focused primarily on facilitating transactions, Financial advisors really should be investment advisers and financial planners who take a holistic view of their clients' financial needs and goals. Other variations in title, such as wealth management advisor, also are used, sometimes to denote a financial advisor who has additional training, certifications and/or experience. Some financial advisors specialize in serving individual or retail clients and others concentrate on business or institutional clients. Some securities firms prefer that financial advisors specialize in this fashion, others leave it up to the individual advisors to choose whatever mix of clients they prefer. Business clients who require specialized advice and services (such as in working capital management or business loans) may prefer financial advisors with detailed knowledge in these areas. Education: A bachelor's degree is expected for a financial advisor. Coursework in finance, accounting and/or economics is helpful, though not required. Strong quantitative and analytic skills are vital. An MBA can give you a leg up in the hiring process, depending on the firm, but compensation (see below) is tied strictly to performance, not to academic credentials. Certification: Becoming a financial advisor requires passing the Series 7 exam offered by FINRA and meeting continuing education requirements. Major Wall Street firms used to run extensive training programs to prepare recent college graduates for careers as financial advisors, but many of these have been dismantled in a spate of cost cutting during the past several years. As a result, getting started in this field is becoming more difficult. Firms are increasingly raiding each other for experienced financial advisors, while shunning the investment necessary to train new ones.

In some firms, for certain more senior financial advisor positions, and in some states, one or more additional credentials may be required. Duties and Responsibilities: Financial advisors counsel clients on investment opportunities, consonant with the latter's needs, goals and tolerance for risk. The job requires keeping abreast of the financial markets, constantly monitoring the specific investments in clients' portfolios, and being on top of new investment strategies and investment vehicles. Financial advisors must be confident about decision-making under uncertainty and under extreme time pressure, have excellent people and communication skills, and know how to deal with failure and with dissatisfied clients. Success is highly dependent on sales ability, both in the acquisition of new clients and in the pitching of investment ideas to existing clients. Serving clients, compliance and practice management are closely-intertwined issues for financial advisors. Financial advisors can greatly enhance their productivity and their ability to serve a large book of business if they are supported by one or more sales assistants. However, in many financial services firms, financial advisors must fund the pay of their sales assistants, in whole or in part, out of their own compensation (see below). Typical Schedule: The time commitment can be heavy (60-80 hours per week or more), both for those starting out in the field and for established financial advisors committed to delivering excellent service and to growing their business. Compensation Range: Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual compensation was about $68,200 as of May 2009, with the top 10% earning over $166,400. Financial advisor compensation typically is commission-based.


Top Financial, Money Management & Planning Online Websites By Diane Suarez Best Site: Basic.esplanner.com

With the markets bouncing around so much, you may have checked some online calculators to see if you need to shovel in more cash. But many of those tools are flawed, argues Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff, the brain behind ESPlanner. For a start, they often ask you to guess how much of your pre-retirement income you'll want to live on. "Who knows what percentage you should choose? Is it 80%? 75%?" asks Kotlikoff. ESPlanner BASIC skips such imponderables. It asks what you earn, what you spend, and how your financial obligations will change over time. (For example, when will your youngest kid graduate?) It then assumes that you'll want your family to maintain the same living standard from today on, and figures out how much you can afford to spend, plus how much life insurance you'll need. Because ESPlanner asks such detailed questions, it will take at least 30 minutes to complete. But it's the most in-depth plan you can get for free. Best Site: Morningstar.com

The first, critical step is to be sure you have a complete picture of what you really own, and Morningstar's Instant X-Ray is the best tool we've ever found for that. Just type in the investments you hold, and you'll see how much of your total portfolio is in stocks, bonds, and cash, as well as how much you hold in each sector, world region, and stock category, such as large growth or small value.

You may be surprised at what you see. You are likely to have a lot more of your portfolio in equities than you did a year ago, when stock values were way down. Or the mutual funds you own may have changed their tactics. "You might want to have

just 20% in cash, but there are managers who might go 50% into cash," says Maryland financial planner J. Patrick Collins Jr. an expected return. As the site itself warns, such projections should be taken "with a grain of salt" -- we'd say a lump. But Portfolio Monkey's calculations are built on well-known research showing that factors like company size, valuation, and past volatility help predict a stock's performance. Use the site to supplement your usual stock analysis. For example, Microsoft and Dell may seem similar in that they are both blue-chip tech firms, but Portfolio Monkey says Dell is notably more volatile.

Best Site: Finance.Google.com

Plenty of free sites help you screen stocks by criteria like earnings growth or P/E ratios. But Google's Stock Screen tool makes the process intuitive. Want to see only stocks with P/Es at the low end of the range? A bar chart showing the current distribution of P/Es in the market is built right into the selection tool. Just move a pair of sliders along the chart to focus on the part of the market you want to see.

Best Site: Nerdwallet.com

Now that a new law makes it harder for card issuers to charge tricky fees, some are getting less generous with the rewards they dole out. This site, founded by a Stanford-educated hedge fund analyst, combs through 400 cards to find the best one for you. Enter the amount you generally charge each month, what kinds of things you buy, and your estimated credit score. Presto: a list of cards that will maximize your rewards. You can also search for the best low-rate or balance-transfer cards.

Best Site: Mint.com

With salaries stagnating, the pressure to create and stick to a real budget is on. Dozens of sites have cropped up lately to help you do just that. But Mint.com (recently purchased by tax-prep giant Intuit) is by far the easiest to use and most feature-packed. Sync your bank, credit card, and investment accounts with the site -- it takes only a couple of minutes -- and start following the money. Mint tracks every noncash expenditure ("I dropped how much at Whole Foods?") and summarizes your spending in categories, such as food or utilities.


http://www.mint.com/

New Legislative Health Insurance Rules & Amendment Changes

By James Roane

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), health insurance plans that existed on March 23, 2010 are generally considered “grandfathered plans.” Grandfathered plans are exempt from some of the health care reform requirements, including coverage of preventive care services with no cost-sharing and patient protections such as guaranteed access to OB-GYNs and pediatricians.

Regulations were issued on June 17, 2010 regarding grandfathered plans. These regulations provided that certain changes to an existing plan could cause the plan to lose its grandfathered status. For example, plans could lose grandfathered status by significantly increasing costs or reducing benefits under the plan. Under the initial rule, plans would also lose grandfathered status by changing insurance policies, even if no other prohibited changes were made to the plan.

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury (the Departments) have now amended the grandfathered plan regulations to permit insured group health plans to change insurance policies or carriers. Under the amended rule, group health plans will no longer automatically lose their grandfathered status merely because of a change in the plan’s insurance policy, certificate or contract of insurance.

However, making any other prohibited change will still cause a loss of grandfathered status.

Reasons for the Amendment

The Departments stated the following reasons for reversing their position on this rule: The initial rule treated insured group health plans differently than self-funded group health plans. Insured group health plans were not able to change issuers or policies without losing grandfathered status, while self-funded plans could change their third-party administrators (TPAs), as long as they did not make any other prohibited change. The amended rule allows all group health plans to keep their grandfathered status when changing insurance companies or TPAs.

A group health plan may not have a choice about changing its insurance issuer; for example, if the issuer withdraws from the market. Under the new rule, the plan sponsor can maintain grandfathered status if it has to contract with a new issuer. The initial rule unnecessarily restricted the ability of issuers to reissue policies to current plan sponsors for administrative reasons not related to the underlying terms of the plan. Issuers can now transition policies to a subsidiary or consolidate policies without losing grandfathered plan status. The initial rule potentially gave issuers undue and unfair leverage in negotiating the price of coverage renewals with grandfathered plan sponsors, which could interfere with competition and cost containment.

The New Rule Applies Only to Certain Plans

The amendment to the grandfathered plan regulations applies to insured group health plans only. For individual policies, a change in issuer is still considered a change in the health insurance coverage in which the individual was enrolled on March 23, 2010, and the new individual policy, certificate or contract of insurance would not be a grandfathered plan.

Also, whether the amended rule applies to your plan will depend on when the coverage under the new policy was effective. The amendment applies to changes to group health insurance coverage that are effective on or after November 15, 2010. The amendment does not apply retroactively to changes to group health insurance coverage that were effective before November 15, 2010. For purposes of determining when a change is effective, the date the new coverage becomes effective is the operative date, not the date a contract for a new policy, certificate or contract of insurance is entered into. For example, if a plan enters into an agreement with an issuer on September 28, 2010 for a new policy to be effective on January 1, 2011, then January 1, 2011 is the date the new policy is effective.


What is Financial Planning ? By Joseph Randall Financial planning a process where you plan your Investments in such a way which meets your financial goals over time. You must be very disciplined when you do this , you must know from where you the money is going to come to you and how are you going to save or invest it , and in future how are you going to achieve your goals. What are the Steps in Financial Planning ? 1. List down your Goals Prepare a list of financial goals. It can be any requirement like Buying Home, Car, Child Education, Child Marriage, Vacation, Retirement etc. Along with this there must be a very clear timeline associated with the Goal. Something like "I want to buy a Car after 3 years , which will cost 50,000 at that time" . 2. Write down Your Cash Flows and Cash Inflow Prepare the list of your cash flows , cash flow means , how money is coming and going ? Any money coming in is Cash inflow and Any Expenses is Cash outflow. It will help you in understanding how money is coming to you and how is utilized and how much is remaining for investing purpose. By Doing this , you can get very clear of how you are going to get money and how you are going to spend it, and how much you are left with to spend. 3. Understand and figure out your Risk-appetite This is a very important part of financial Planning, Risk appetite is the amount of risk a person can take while investing. How much money you can afford to loose in order to earn high returns defines your risk taking ability. For Example: if you are ready to loose 60% of your money , your risk appetite is high. If you are ready to loose 25% of your money , your risk appetite is moderate. If not at all ready to loose your money even 1% , you are not at all a risk taker. It depends on you which category you belong in. it depends on individuals

Psychology , Family Conditions , Attitude etc.. Generally people in there early age have more risk appetite as they have less responsibilities and more freedom to invest . Later when they get married and have responsibilities , they cant risk money to loose. 4. List down your Financial Goals At this point , you must be clear with your goals. Financial goals are the list of things for which you need money and you must have a predefined target time. Example: Bob earns $30,000 per year with $10,000 left for investment, he has moderate risk appetite. Goals: 1. Buy a Car within 2 years worth $15,000. 2. Vacations in the Caribbean worth $8,000 within 4 yrs. 3. Buy home worth $40,000 in 10 years. Here, Goals are not compatible with amount invested per year and with that kind of risk-appetite. Therefore , Goals must be realistic and achievable , it must not look totally irrelevant. 5. Make sure your Goals are realistic At this point you must make sure that your goals do not look unrealistic and unachievable . If they do , then you must either lower your goals or increase risk appetite or increase the investible amount per year. This gist of the matter is, Be Realistic. 6. Make the Plan

Once you are done with all these steps , Its the time for the planning. For each goal you must devise a systematic investment plan , by choosing the correct investment instrument. For example: For your child Education make sure you invest in something which is not very risky for the time period you are going to invest in that. You can invest in equities for that , as Equities are not risky in very long term and generate great return. But for a short term goal like vacation in 1-2 yrs , don't invest in equities, rather go for a debt fund or a fixed deposit. In this way , you have to be clear how you are going to invest for achieving your goals.



Highest Foreclosure Rates Remain in CA, FL, NV and AZ-RealtyTrac By Vivian Jesuit

RealtyTrac®, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ for July 2010, which shows that foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 325,229 properties in July, a nearly 4 percent increase from the previous month but a nearly 10 percent decrease from July 2009.

One in every 397 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month. “July marked the 17th consecutive month with a foreclosure activity total exceeding 300,000,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “Declines in new default notices, which were down on a year-over-year basis for the sixth straight month in July, have been offset by near-record levels of bank repossessions, which increased on a year-over-year basis for the eighth straight month.”

Foreclosure Activity by Type

A total of 97,123 U.S. properties received default notices (NOD, LIS) in July, a 1 percent increase from the previous month but a 28 percent decrease from July 2009. Default notices in July were down 32 percent from their peak of 142,064 in April 2009. Foreclosure auctions (NTS, NFS) were scheduled for the first time on a total of 135,248 U.S. properties in July, an increase of 2 percent from the previous month but a decrease of 2 percent from July 2009. Scheduled auctions in July were down 14 percent from their peak of 158,105 in March 2010. Lenders foreclosed on 92,858 U.S. properties in July, a 9%

increase from the previous month and a 6 percent increase from July 2009. July’s bank repossession (REO) total was the second highest monthly total since RealtyTrac began tracking REO activity in April 2005 and was 1 percent below the monthly REO activity peak of 93,777 in May 2010. Nevada, Arizona, Florida post top state foreclosure rates: With one in every 82 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in July, Nevada continued to document the nation’s highest foreclosure rate for the 43rd straight month. A total of 13,727 Nevada properties received a foreclosure filing in July, a nearly 7 percent increase from the previous month but a nearly 30 percent decrease from July 2009. July was the 10th straight month where overall Nevada foreclosure activity decreased on a year-over-year basis. Arizona foreclosure activity decreased on a year-over-year basis for the sixth straight month, but the state still posted the nation’s second highest state foreclosure rate. One in every 167 Arizona housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month — more than twice the national average. One in every 171 Florida housing units received a foreclosure filing in July, the nation’s third highest foreclosure rate, and one in every 200 California housing units received a foreclosure filing in July, the fourth highest state foreclosure rate. Foreclosure activity in Idaho increased nearly 19 percent from the previous month, boosting the state’s foreclosure rate to fifth highest among all the states. One in every 240 Idaho housing units received a foreclosure filing in July. Other states with foreclosure rates ranking among the top 10 in July were Michigan, Utah, Illinois, Georgia and Maryland.


A Step By Step Look How to Buy a Home in America Today By Joel Rich

The specific way you progress through a home buying transaction varies depending on the real estate laws and customs where you live, but there are many home buying steps that are standard, even though they might not be accomplished in the same order in every location.

You'll feel more confident about your home buying journey when you understand what is required of you and every other person who is involved in the transaction. This guide takes you through it, and shows you that you're only 11 steps away from buying a home.

Step 1. Get Your Finances in Order

Your credit reports are an ongoing look at how you manage your finances. You must know exactly what your credit reports say about your financial history before you apply for a mortgage, because the reports play an important role in the mortgage approval process and in determining the interest rate and other loan terms that a lender offers you. If you haven't looked at your credit reports, you might be surprised at their contents, because errors are common.

Step 2. Get Familiar with the Mortgage Industry

Finding the right loan and lender is crucial to your home buying success. It's up to you to determine which lender is best for your needs, and it's always a good idea to have at least a bit of background about the loan process before you talk to a lender.

Step 3, Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Do you know how much house you can afford? Probably not, unless you've talked with a lender. Pre-approval helps you in other ways. Consider this scenario. A home seller gets two similar offers. One is accompanied by a letter from the buyer's bank that states she is pre-approved for a mortgage in the

amount of the offer. The other has no supporting documents. Which offer do you think the seller will consider first?

Step 4. Determine Your Wants and Needs

Buying a home isn't as difficult as you might think, even if you're short on funds, but the process will go a lot smoother if you get familiar with your real estate market and narrow down your wants and needs before you start looking at houses.

Step 5. Learn to Work with Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents represent buyers, sellers, or both--and in some states they can work as neutral facilitators for either party. It's essential to understand agent duties and loyalties before you make that first phone call.

FHA Loans

FHA loans are fell out of grace for a few years, but since 2005 have rebounded! It's an institution that has been around for a long time, since June 27, 1934. The Department of Housing & Urban Development folded the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) under its umbrella in 1965. FHA loans began to lose favor in the late 1990s, when home values began to inch upwards, surpassing FHA mortgage limits, and sellers balked at FHA's stringent appraisal guidelines.

Now, FHA does not make loans or guarantee loans. It insures loans. The insurance removes or minimizes the default risk lenders face when buyers put down less than 20 percent. Without further approval from FHA, its approved lenders are authorized to:

-Take loan applications -Process loan applications -Underwrite and close the loan

FHA Mortgage Limits

FHA periodically changes its mortgage limits. As of January 1, 2009, the maximum mortgage limit in high-cost areas is 115% of local median prices, not to exceed $625,500. The maximum conforming loan limit is $417,000 for single-family residences nationwide. Your area could support a lower mortgage limit. Here is how to find your FHA mortgage limit.


Savings Bonds are an easy and safe way to save for your future By Jim Swanson EE Bonds are reliable, low-risk government-backed savings products that you can use toward financing education, supplemental retirement income, birthday and graduation gifts, and other special events. Series EE Bonds purchased on or after May 1, 2005, earn a fixed rate of return, letting you know what the bonds are worth at all times. See our press release for more information. EE Bonds purchased between May 1997 and April 30, 2005, are based on 5-year Treasury security yields and earn a variable market-based rate of return. Electronic EE Bonds You can purchase, manage, and redeem electronic EE Bonds safely through a personal Treasury Direct account. A new program called SmartExchangeSM allows Treasury Direct account owners to convert their Series E, EE and I paper savings bonds to electronic securities in a special Conversion Linked Account in their online account. NOTE: Paper EE Bonds are still available for purchase through most local financial institutions or participating employers' payroll deduction plans. Treasury is phasing out the issuance of paper savings bonds through traditional employer-sponsored payroll savings plans. As of September 30, 2010, federal employees will no longer be able to purchase paper savings bonds through payroll deduction. The end date for all other (non-federal) employees is January 1, 2011.

Buying Electronic EE Bonds

Sold at face value; i.e., you pay $50 for a $50 bond and it's worth its full value when it's available for redemption. Purchase in amounts of $25 or more, to the penny. $5,000 maximum purchase in one calendar year. Issued electronically to your designated account.

Buying Paper EE Bonds

Sold at half their face value; i.e., you pay $25 for a $50 bond but it's not worth its face value until it has matured. Purchase in denominations of $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, and $5,000, and $10,000. Maximum purchase in one calendar year $5,000. Issued as paper bond certificates.

If you redeem EE/E Bonds in the first 5 years, you'll forfeit the 3 most-recent months' interest. If you redeem them after 5 years, you won't be penalized.

Who Can Own Bonds

Individuals, corporations, associations, public or private organizations, and fiduciaries can own paper Series EE/E Bonds. Effective April 2009, individuals and various types of entities including trusts, estates, corporations, partnerships, etc. can have TreasuryDirect accounts and own electronic savings bonds. See Learn More about Entity Accounts for full information on the new registration types. You can own U.S. Savings Bonds if you have a Social Security Number and you're a; Resident of the United States; Citizen of the United States living abroad (must have U.S. address of record); Civilian employee of the United States regardless of residence; Minor. Unlike other securities, minors may own U.S. Savings Bonds.


How the Stock Market Works By Patrick Nimes What is Stock? Stock is part ownership in a company. For example if you wanted own part of NIKE you would buy shares of stock in the company giving you part or a percentage of ownership. The more you invest the more you own. The stock market works and is driven by supply & demand. The number of shares of stock dictates the supply and the number of shares that investors want to buy dictates the demand. It's important to understand the for every share that is purchased, there is someone on the other end selling that share (or vice versa). The stock market is really just a big, automated superstore where everyone goes to buy and sell their stock.

The main players in the stock market are the exchanges. Exchanges are where the sellers are matched with buyers to both facilitate trading and to help set the price of the shares. The primary exchanges are the Nasdaq, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), all of the ECNs (electronic communication networks) and a few other regional exchanges like the American Stock Exchange and the Pacific Stock Exchange. Years ago, all of the trading was done through the traditional exchanges (like the NYSE, American and Pacific Exchanges) but now almost all of the trading is done through the Nasdaq, which uses ECNs and thousands of other firms with access to the Nasdaq to facilitate trading.

Here's an example of one of the many ways that the stock market works:

You open an account with E*Trade. You send E*Trade a check for $1,000. E*Trade deposits the check into a trading account that is listed under your name. You log onto E*Trade and place an order to buy 100 shares of a stock in Company A, which is currently trading at $5. E*Trade uses it's network to tell the Nasdaq and all of it's related networks that there is demand for 100 shares of Company A's stock. The Nasdaq finds someone who is willing to sell 100 shares of Company A and, instantaneously, they execute the trading of

stock between you and the person selling the shares. The trade information is sent to a clearinghouse where the information is processed and the shares will now be registered to you. Basically, the clearinghouse will designate 100 shares of Company A to E*Trade and E*Trade will designate those 100 shares as yours. The actual stock certificates are typically held "in street name" and never really need to exchange hands (although you could request that the stock certificates be transferred to your name).

In a nutshell, that's how the stock market works. The stock market is really just like any other marketplace - it facilitates the exchange of goods between interested parties and works to reduce distribution costs and set prices. How stocks are valued.

Stocks have two types of valuations. One is a value created using some type of cash flow, sales or fundamental earnings analysis. The other value is dictated by how much an investor is willing to pay for a particular share of stock and by how much other investors are willing to sell a stock for (in other words, by supply and demand). Both of these values change over time as investors change the way they analyze stocks and as they become more or less confident in the future of stocks. Let me discuss both types of valuations.

First, the fundamental valuation. This is the valuation that people use to justify stock prices. The most common example of this type of valuation methodology is P/E ratio, which stands for Price to Earnings Ratio. This form of valuation is based on historic ratios and statistics and aims to assign value to a stock based on measurable attributes. This form of valuation is typically what drives long-term stock prices.


How To Invest In The World’s Largest Tourism Company By Judy Schwartz You can purchase Disney stock directly from the company. Make stock purchase without a broker, request stock certificates if desired, and receive dividend reinvestment.

Purchase Disney stock directly from the company. Make stock purchase without a broker, request stock certificates if desired, and receive dividend reinvestment. Through the Walt Disney Company Investment Plan, individuals can invest directly in Disney without a broker. The plan offers a convenient way for small individual investors to buy shares of Disney common stock and reinvest cash dividends in additional shares. The company allows investment even if an individual does not currently own any shares of company stock.

How to Buy Disney Stock: Enrollment and Investment Fees, Plan Highlights.

Disney's shareholder fees are very reasonable. The enrollment fee is only $10, and investment fees are $5 by check and $1 via automatic investment. Brokerage commissions are approximately $0.01 per share. The complete plan prospectus available on the Disney website gives full details on how to invest through the program. Here are some basic highlights from the prospectus dated November 20, 2008:

Citigroup acts as purchasing agent, subject to change. Investors through the plan will receive what all shareholders receive -- annual reports, proxy statements, and quarterly statements when the account has had activity in that quarter (sales, purchases, etc). Investors can access their account online at www.disneyshareholder.com. New investors who don't already own company stock may enroll in the program with a minimum investment of $250 or by electing automatic monthly investments of $50. Current investors who already own 5 or more shares of stock in their name are not required to make a minimum investment to enroll. Additional investments can be made in increments as little as $50 at a time, up to a maximum of $250,000 total per year.

Share are generally purchased on the open market, but may be occasionally purchased from Disney at the company's discretion (but not more than once every three months). Shares are accounted for in book entry form, which means that no actual stock certificates are issued unless specifically requested.

Disney Stock Purchase & Dividend Reinvestment: Where to Download the Prospectus

Under the Walt Disney Company Investment Plan, all dividends are automatically reinvested in additional whole and fractional shares of Disney stock within five business days of the dividend payment date. There is no fee for this service except for the per share brokerage commission noted above. This company's direct investment plan is a nice offering for small investors due to its low fees and investment minimums as well as the ability to purchase stock directly from the company without a broker. To get all the details about the plan, prospective shareholders may download the prospectus and enrollment form directly from Disney's corporate website.

Risk Versus Return on Investment

Cash or fund invested is designed to make a return on investment but also subject to element of risk. The balancing of risk versus return is explored. In any kind of investment, with return on investment (ROI) on one side, there is an element of risk on the other. One day it could be a win, and another day, a loss. Investing money is a serious exercise especially if that money is hard-earned. With proper planning and strategy investors can enjoy their hard-earned monies. Investors, whether they avail of financial advisers or not, go through a process to determine how much risk they are comfortable with, and how much they are prepared to put in to achieve a desired investment return. There are factors that affect a risk profile, including goals, the investor’s personality, age and timeframe, and experience and knowledge of investing.



games such as Civilization. Because of fan devotion, Take-Two is basically guaranteed $1 billion in sales every time it releases a Grand Theft Auto sequel.

This is what makes software publisher plays so difficult. Electronic Arts – publisher of premiere titles like Madden NFL, Medal of Honor and Need for Speed – was trading at $61.40 per share in October 2007. Today, it’s at $14.50. THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) – publisher of games like WWE: Smackdown and UFC: Undisputed – was trading at $36.16 in April 2007. Now, it’s under $4.25 as it watches profits bleed away. Take-Two was also hit hard, falling from $27.36 in June 2008 to around $9 per share today. Only Activision has remained fairly insulated, falling from a peak of $18.62 in July 2008 to around $10.50 today… Not so bad for an entertainment company during the worst recession in history.

The Next Level

Nintendo is staying ahead of the game with a new 3DS ready to hit stores later this year that cashes in on the 3-D blitz. In May, because of new packaged bundles, Nintendo’s hardware sales for its Wii were up 34% over April and up 28% year-over-year. But like Sony’s PSP, Nintendo’s DS is getting pummeled by Apple Inc.’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone and iPad. Sales of the PSP and DS were down 40% last month, while sales of iPhones, iTouches and iPads were up 49%.

Mobile devices are encroaching on the video game industry, which is why all video game publishers are focusing on mobile video game sales. As a whole, the industry is seeing hardware sales trail downward. Sales fell from $300 million in May 2009 to $241.5 million in May 2010. But software sales continue to get a shot in the arm, climbing from $450 million to $466 million. And a blossoming industry segment is peripherals and accessories. Last year, accessories accounted for $5 billion in sales. But to really survive in hard times, companies need to attack the family-unit segment.

So both Microsoft and Sony have jumped on Wii’s wildly successful bandwagon of motion-detection game play. It also allows the two console manufacturers to try and chip away at Nintendo’s family entertainment dominance. The combined sale of X-Box 360s and PS3s just barely tops Wii sales this year. Even in times of a recession, almost half of all Americans say they plan on buying at least one video game over the next year.

Make Money From Video Games Continued from Page 43. The Hit Parade Thanks to Miyamoto’s string of some of the industry’s most profitable franchises, Nintendo is approaching the 3.5 billion mark in total video games sold. Last year, the company’s Wii console sold 205 million games, along with 26 million consoles. That was a 71% increase in software sales over 2008 and a 40% increase in hardware sales. All that helped spur the company’s 10% increase in net sales to $18.7 billion. As an industry, software sales growth is on a tear. In 1996, video game sales were $2.6 billion. In 2008, that had increased five-fold to $11.7 billion. Nintendo remains the top dog, while publishers Electronic Arts Inc. (NYSE: ERTS) and Activision are left in the dust. But companies like Activision still benefit from envious cross-platform title sales. For example, one-in-four owners of Microsoft’s (Nasdaq: MSFT) X-Box 360 or Sony ADR’s (NYSE: SNE) Playstation 3 own Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The title has sold more than 15 million units combined on the two consoles. And Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops is one of the most anticipated games of the year, likely to bring another major payday for the publisher.

This kind of title loyalty is imperative in today’s industry. Despite sales being slightly lower in 2009 than in 2008, the number of titles released actually increased to a record 1,099. Over the past seven years, the number of video game titles released each year has steadily gone up, while the average unit sales per title have gone down. And actually, the average sales per title in 2009 were at their lowest level since 2005.

So, it’s very easy for a game to get lost in the crowd. And popular titles – like Modern Warfare 2 and Wii Sports - demand constant shelf space from retailers, meaning less room for new titles. That’s why franchises are everything. Nintendo was the first to prove that. Donkey Kong’s hero, a carpenter named “Jumpman,” became a plumber named “Mario.” And more than 230 video game titles followed under the Mario Bros. franchise, selling more than 220 million copies worldwide. It’s hands down the best-selling video game franchise in history. Other companies have to carve out their own niche segments. For example, Take-Two’s target audience is hard-core gamers that like violent titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Bioshock, Red Dead Redemption and Mafia, as well as turn-based strategy



http://www.t-mobile.com/

orlando area students to attend future investor clubs of ... literacy... · training company...

Documents