Special Speech

Hello Inflation, it has been awhile, I see you on your way back again. Inflation? What inflation? Oh things like; Energy, diesel fuel, Aviation Fuel, Gasoline, Natural Gas, Milk, Wheat, Corn, Beef, Poultry, Hogs, Soy Beans, Building materials, paper, housing, Auto Prices, Health Care, Insurance, etc. You know the basics. Also considering the wholesale inflation, which comes from fuel costs being passed on, government regulations infringing on productivity and additional fees and fines to replace the taxes and incentives. When wholesale prices go up, those are passed onto the consumer.

How do we know all this? This is not a guess by any means. We have studied these issues for quite a while. Here is why we think this. Well as far as agriculture, we know from the droughts in the major farming regions and we can tell by the commodities market. We have seen the high temperatures and lack of water with Wheat and Corn in ID, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS. In other markets floods have hurt some crops. Also drought hurting the growing of feed for Cattle, meaning beef prices will go up. Canada MAD COW now our Mad Cow problem, problems with Japan’s increased tariffs on beef. Hogs and Beef in KS cannot get the water they need. Also in farming we have seen areas where the Sierra Club is suing so many projects to stop or slow building of new reservoirs in NM, ID, CO, AZ, NV, OR, CA. Also the specialty crops are running low and not enough to meet demand, things like berries (see bear lake issues) and issues in Winnepeg and BC, grapes (2 buck chuck run supplies low), etc as well as issues with depleted soil in Central Valley CA, Desert Farmers along the AZ and CA border cannot use that amount of water since CA and AZ will need it for new housing areas, golf courses and other uses (see the Colorado river situation) Farmers VS Developers and housing in PHX, Tucson, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, many are predicting a bubble burst, we have seen issues in the REITs which was a little bit of a shake up.

Natural Gas from the lack of new wells being drilled, for instance off the coast of Maine and the Gulf. Lack of ability to gear up in infrastructure fast enough to supply this winter’s need even though it should be a relatively non-violent winter as far as that goes-however few Hurricanes on West Coast last year showed us a lowered Jet Stream and lower latitude airflows, La Nina comes next and that means drought continued and water prices will go up and many business which use water will be worried and charge more too for their services. I have also been studying the EU droughts and heat and the issues with their exports meaning supply will not equal demand. Humanitarian needs are at issue as well. Meanwhile the Super Crops are being blocked by EU and WTO and much of those crops may not be able to be used in all markets. Some really bad deals here for humanity. Fruit in FL and the everglades issues are getting to be a bigger deal.

Dairy Farmers in ID are up 12% but they want more money and the National Dairy Association is also pushing forward. Increased demand is putting the dairy farmers feeling that they can charge more and will soon need to upgrade. The fires in ID, MT are using up much water supplies very early and fire season has another 2.5 months left. Also CO, NM, WY not out of the season yet. What about the threat of Bird Flu?

With Building materials we are seeing increased government regulation, timber tariffs on imported from Canada. Paper industry is in trouble and the replanted forests and forest farms are usually fast growing trees good for paper, not building grade timber. Housing spikes caused this, many areas growing fast.

Oil prices up due to manipulations in supply, Middle East issues, China coming on strong with needs of her own, Military needs effecting supply and demand issues, International Terrorists screwing with infrastructures, South American trade war paybacks, oil pipelines too few, Nimby-ism slowing output and inflows while the demand has increased, Airline fuel down and therefore price has too increase to pay for the direct cost loads. Our growth and consumerism has outpaced our supply and infrastructures. With energy the Blackout of 2003, rolling CA issues, generation plants being shut down, slowness of building new Nuclear Power Plants, issues in OR along the major Columbia River with Bonneville Power, issues with CA and SMUD, issues with upgrades needed in Coal Plants to meet EPA upgrades also same problems in VA, NC, SC, and the Tennessee River Valley Authority. Pipeline break in AZ and Phoenix they were paying nearly $2.00 per gallon, but now in CA they are at $2.65 per gallon. Sabotage in Iraq screws up supply for worldwide market. We are seeing OPEC moving forward to keep prices high, China coming online with needs, world demand is going up, takes too long to ramp up our own production and few companies wish too, for fear of dropping of prices too quickly, meanwhile we are seeing $2.46 gasoline on West Coast and $1.90 in San Antonio, no one expects these prices to come down, recessions follow high fuel prices by 6 months? So these are all issues and everything we buy has these high costs figured in. Construction, farming, transportation. Some school districts complaining about cost of buses and kids hurting budgets and at the same time increased prices mean more monies to state coffers which charge percentages of fuel prices as tax.

This article is in no way a doom and gloom showing, because I do see increased economic sunshine in many markets, but not all, those which have the burdens of drought, fires, shortages and manufacturing are going to see some more tough times. When energy goes up, some businesses running redline on low margins with lots of competition will see harder times and layoffs in the near future, while other sectors will be continuing the recovery.

These companies must raise prices, nearly all airlines have announced even additional higher fares this week, 14 of the largest trucking companies; the ones which haul the food, building materials, cars to dealerships and everything on every shelf in America. Railroad is increasing rates too. And Independent truck drivers holding on by a thread with insurance costs up too. We are also not going to be able to release the Military reserves in such uncertain times. So Inflation, there she blows and meanwhile interest rates will increase and money flows continue offshore.

What is of concern is that without increased wages, higher percentages of consumer incomes will be spent on food, gas, energy and other artificially inflated or supply and demand driven goods and services, yes that includes many sectors.

Now is a very important time in our nations history and in the business cycles at hand. We will get through this as it also hits other nations who sell to us, the trick is to come out of this present period with after burners blazing and set a course to the future prosperity and into the annals of destiny. Which we may write thru our human spirit and will.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Remember this important online trading safety tip: The markets
will not keep your money safe. Though this is a well known fact,
many people find it quite hard to understand. They believe that,
no matter what, the market and GOOD FOREX will ALWAYS COME BACK,
as though this were a law.

But, there`s no such law. A good online trading safety tips is
to remember that forex don`t always come back, and neither do
markets. If you want to think about the market in terms of laws
of nature, the best one is the law of gravity, specifically:

++ What goes up must come down.

This is especially true for forex and sectors that have risen
extremely quickly. You can protect your capital and your profits
from this natural market law by setting stops.

A stop is an order you place to sell or buy a position you own
if it hits a specified price. It`s called a stop because it
stops you from losing any more money on the position. If you`ve
sold short, you can place a stop order to buy to cover if the
stock rises to a specified price. Stops are not complicated to
use, and they are an integral part of trading success.

When we use the word STOP, we`re referring to a stop loss order.
This is an order that directs your broker to sell a position you
hold if the stock drops to a specified price. If you`ve sold
short, you can place a stop loss buy to cover order to get out
of the position if it rises to a specified price. Once the stop
is triggered, it`s immediately executed as a market order.

Here`s an online trading safety example. Let`s say you buy a
stock at 50 dollars a share. You have reason to think it will
rise, but you also realize it`s a risky trade. You know that if
the stock drops below 48.50, it means there`s trouble with the
trade and you`ll want out. So, after buying the stock, you place
another order: a stop sell order at 48.40.

This tells the broker that if there is market action at 48.40,
or below, to sell your shares immediately in the form of a
market order. They`ll be sold at the current bid, whatever that
is. This will happen automatically, so you won`t have to watch
the stock closely. It also means you won`t be tempted to hold on
longer, hoping that the stock will go back up.

In general, there are two types of stop orders: stop loss and
stop limit. However, some brokers use slightly different names
for various order types, and may not offer all order types to
their clients. I`ve already described the stop loss order.

A stop limit order is an order to sell a position at a specific
price and no lower than that price, if the stock drops to that
price or to buy to cover a stock sold short at a specific price
and no higher than that price if it rises to that price. Once
the stop is triggered, the order is executed only if it can be
executed at the limit price or better, it becomes a limit order.
In my opinion, you shouldn`t use stop limit orders, it
needlessly increases your risk. If a stock`s price is dropping
fast, chances are good that a stop limit order won`t execute at
all.

Let`s say the stock from the earlier example does drop. It hits
48.40, and the stop is triggered. The stop order becomes a
market order to sell. This means that it will execute
immediately at the current bid price. The same principles apply
to stops on short positions. If you sell a stock short at 13
dollars, expecting it to go down, you should place a buy to
cover order at, say, 13.75. If the stock suddenly rises sharply,
you`re protected and you can always re short the stock at its
peak price later.

Let`s go back to the stock the trader bought for 50 dollars. If
the stock is falling slowly, the market order may execute at
48.40, slightly lower, or even, occasionally, slightly higher.
If it`s falling quickly, it could execute a little below 48.40.
If the stock is falling very quickly, it could execute well
below 48.40.

The possibility that they could be stopped out of a position far
below the trigger price is one reason traders may avoid using
stops. Although this could happen, it`s better than the
alternative, to keep holding the position while it goes even
lower. Besides, in most cases the position will be stopped out
quite near the trigger price. In addition to fearing a bad
execution price, some people are afraid that the position will
start to go back up immediately after their stop sell order`s
been executed.

A stock may occasionally bounce right at the point where you set
your stop, as a random occurrence. But, the smart trader weighs
this rare frustration against all the times he`ll save much more
money by using stops to get out of losing positions. Think of it
as the cost of insurance. Just don`t forget this last online
trading safety tip; using stops as insurance will occasionally
cost you a little, but it will save you many times more in the
long run, and you don`t often get a chance to insure against a
law of nature.

High-yield investment can turn out to be very rewarding for investors. Although there is a certain amount of risk involved in high-yield bonds investments, they can also be very profitable for investors if they are targeted towards companies that have the potential to recover from their financial instability.

A high-yield bond, also known as a junk bond or non-investment grade bond, refers to debt security that has a very low rating. High-yield bonds are usually rated below BBB (according to Standard & Poor’s) or Baa3 by Moody’s; therefore they have a rating lower than the investment grade. Investors have access to high-yield bonds either through mutual funds or through individual business investments. High-yield bonds investments through the means of mutual funds are considered to be a lot safer, as they considerably reduce the chances of investing in non-profitable business trusts or companies. High-yield investments can become very profitable, as they can sometimes produce returns higher than those of solid, above investment grade bonds.

Companies that experience a temporary regression, going through less favorable financial situations, usually offer high yields to investors, in order to gain their interest. The trick in high-yield investments is to choose the right companies! Target your high-yield investments towards companies that have the ability to recover from their financial difficulties. For instance, you should avoid high-yield bond investments in companies that are constantly having difficulties in maintaining their position on the market. It is advised to invest in more powerful companies that have the ability to overcome their financial crisis. By investing in such companies through mutual funds, the risk of failure is considerably reduced.

High-yield bonds are a great opportunity to increase investors’ profits and they are also a good way of expanding business portfolios. The interest rates of high-yield bonds are also a lot more stable than those of investment-grade bonds and therefore they can build a stable, predictable income. Although high-yield bonds are exposed to some risks, investors are the first ones to benefit from debt insurance, therefore minimizing possible financial losses in case of bankruptcy.

If they are carefully speculated, high-yield bonds can become very lucrative and can also expand the investors’ business portfolios. High-yield investments should be always closed through mutual funds, in order to minimize the risks of investing in financially irregular companies. If they are targeted towards the right companies, high-yield investments can be very rewarding in time!

High yield investments have become very popular this days. If you are looking for great information on different high yield subjects follow this links.

Retirement Planning the Offshore Way Why do so many of us constantly push the thought of retirement planning to the back of our minds? Reluctance…! 1 Reluctance to save for an event that seems so far off 2 Reluctance to tie in to an inflexible pension scheme 3 Reluctance to put a large portion of our current income out of reach for the long term But in terms of retirement planning, putting off until tomorrow that which you could get done today will end up costing you very dearly. Every month you delay your retirement savings planning, you significantly reduce the value of your future potential retirement fund.

Or put another way, every month you delay your retirement savings planning you significantly increase the amount that you will need to invest to achieve the same level of retirement income than if you’d started today. If a 25 year old and a 35 year old were to start saving for retirement at 55 and the 25 year old invested £300 a month towards retirement, the 35 year old would have to increase his contributions to £803 a month to achieve the same potential returns. At the state retirement age of 65 the average man will have some 19 more years to live and the average woman, 22 years. You will have to support yourself without work and, very likely, without state income.

This means that you will spend 25% to 30% of your life in retirement. You will need substantial sums of money to support yourself in retirement in the manner to which you will have become accustomed throughout your life to date. Recent figures show that individuals aged between 25 and 44 are saving 1/3rd of the amount they should be saving in order to support their current lifestyle in retirement. In most countries you are forced to make your own pension provision if you want to have any chance of a comfortable retirement. The value of the government pension that you could once rely on is diminishing every year.

Ready to Start Planning? If you’re an expatriate you are in a more privileged position than most - chances are you’re enjoying a higher salary and extra benefits as a result of working away from home. Furthermore expatriates have greater freedom when it comes to making investment decisions: they are not necessarily restricted by the same regulations that domestic investors experience. Decisions That Need To Be Made The most sensible solution would seem to be finding a safe harbour to anchor your retirement investments so that you can move from country to country as necessary without this having any negative impact on your assets. However, if you decide to do this you need to decide exactly where that safe harbour should be.

Offshore financial centres present a viable solution - especially if you are undecided as to your eventual retirement destination. Basing your pension investment offshore should mean that future movements of capital or income are not impeded. What To Be Aware Of Your own personal circumstances are unique. Be realistic about how much you should be contributing.

Consider the charges the bonuses and the flexibility of any investment plan

- generally the more flexible the plan the more charges will be. Know that a good offshore retirement plan should allow you to do the following without penalty:

-1 Reduce contributions without penalty (normally after an initial period of one to two years).

2 Switch investments between different funds to respond to changes in the market. Preferably including funds managed by other people outside of the institution zone.

3 Have the option of retiring when you want to without penalty.

4 Allow certain access to monies invested (again, after an initial period). How to Find the RIGHT Solution Finding out what each provider’s best products are currently, and then hand picking the best to suit your own personal needs and current circumstances is the best idea! But how impractical!

Do you have the time to do this? Would you consider yourself an expert in offshore investments and pension planning? Where would you start? Obviously professional advice will get you the right solution and save you time and money and reduce your cost of delay significantly! To find out more about what solutions are on offer in the market place and to learn more about offshore investing and saving for your future, visit http://www.offshoreinvestmentguide.com today. Discover how to build wealth, enjoy greater privacy, protect your assets and secure your financial future with the Offshore Investment Guide.

R L Williamson is an independent offshore financial specialist. She has worked in the fields of financial advice, specialising in retirement planning and she has worked in investment banking. Through her work she has travelled widely and lived in many different countries around the world. Meeting expatriates, international investors and being an expatriate herself, she is well versed in understanding the different financial needs of the individual, and she is an expert when it comes to finding the RIGHT offshore solutions.

Penny stocks lack an organized market and are mostly traded outside exchanges, unlike large and medium cap stocks. Further, not much information is publicly available on related companies’ financial performance and their management. Because of this information vacuum, penny stocks mostly languish in obscurity, without drawing much attention from investors. As a result, trading in penny stocks is also listless most of the time.

However, these stocks sometimes turn out to be big money-spinners for their buyers after their growth potential is discovered by investors and prices start soaring high in line with their fundamentals. Since these stocks are fairly undervalued, price increases are very sharp after investors start lapping them up. Identifying growth potential of a penny stock before the markets wake up to it is not difficult, though it requires effort.

Anyone planning to invest in penny stocks can collate market intelligence on penny stocks by alternatively monitoring pink sheets and over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB) reports, which are published on a daily basis. It used to be that companies listed on the pink sheets and OTCBB were not required to disclose details on financial performance and other key aspects of their business. However, subsequent rules framed by the National Association of Stock Dealers (NASD) have necessitated disclosure of key performance for listing on the pink sheets and OTCBB. Now, penny stocks listed on the OTCBB have to report to the government as well.

There are some penny stocks of which, although traded on the OTCBB, details are not shared by the corresponding companies. Details on buy and purchase quotes of such shares can, nevertheless, be found from NASDAQ. This is because NASD rules require reporting quotes to NASDAQ.

Penny Stocks provides detailed information on Penny Stock Investing, Penny Stock Research, Penny Stock Resources, Penny Stock Trading and more. Penny Stocks is affiliated with Wise Stock Trades.