The Important Role Of Brokers

Brokers are professionals who play an important role in mediating between a lender and a borrower. Brokers collect personal information about the client for the lender including employment and medical history. They also provide the clients' financial and credit information to the lender.

There are many different kinds of agents. Below are the more sought-after brokers:
Mortgage broker: mortgage brokers guide customers through the process of selecting a suitable mortgage package with competitive package offers. They also offer financial advice on mortgage and property. Their job is to get a mortgage package that meets the needs of the borrower meets, and to help the client process and complete their mortgage application form. In the United States, mortgage brokers negotiate over 80% of home loans issued. Banks go through brokers to outsource the job of finding and qualifying borrowers effectively.
Broker: real estate brokers finds buyers for those wanting to sell real estate and finds sellers for those who want to buy real estate. Real estate brokers help sellers market their property and sell it for the highest possible price, they also help buyers purchase property for the best possible price. Once the broker is successfully a buyer, the broker receives a commission for his or her service. In the U.S. a 6% commission is usually the case for residential real estate and is usually paid by the seller. This is generally 50/50 split between the listing agent and the selling agent.
Forex broker: forex brokers are firms or individuals, those persons or businesses to trade in the foreign exchange market to help. Forex brokers make money from pip or "spread." A spread is the minimum price increase in currency. For example, in Euro / U.S. Dollar, a shift from 0.9007 to 0, 9008 is a spread. In the U.S. Dollar / Japanese Yen, a shift from 127.40 to 127.41 is one spread.
Stockbroker: a stockbroker is a person or company who buys and sells stocks on behalf of another person or company, and tries to match up buyers and sellers. Many people seek the advice of and pay for the services of a broker to assist in making informed decisions about their finances with the knowledgeable and interactive guidance of a licensed stockbroker them.
Insurance: insurance brokers source contracts of insurance on behalf of their customers. Insurance will help you to choose the best to suit your needs.
An investor looking for an investment avenue will benefit greatly from the use of a broker, as brokers tend to be more up-to-date with trends and events are in the market. Also as per law the broker has to advise in the best interest of the customer. Fiduciary duty to the client

"Crash? What Crash?" ---Where To Invest When Shares Go South & Property Stalls

Looking at the investment landscape in recent years we have seen homes shoot up dramatically for about four or five years in a row. We have seen companies such as Woodside Petroleum and BHP double the value in just one or two years. The Australian share market has double digits for a few years is experienced, the Aussie dollar is strong, interest rates are still OK and life is good ...
Share markets rise in America and Japan, countries that were previously in negative territory stock. Even boring old bond yields have recently picked up. How long will the good news last? How long will it take until the next big stock market crash? What can we do to prevent the disaster Will there be a disaster at all, or the prospects are good and always sunny?
Remember that you first heard the warnings here.
I'm not one of those people who come along after the event and say "I told you so". Although it would take me to say a great deal of satisfaction in 2008: "I told you to invest in XYZ in 2006," it will probably make you want to hit me ... Please just remember that you heard it here first, so I do not need to remind you in two years ...
Let's take a look at some of the previous Boom & Bust Cycles to see how they compare.
Market ------ Period ------ Gain --- Duration ---- Market Crash
American NASDAQ - 1994-2000 year ----- 7 ----- 701% -------- YES
Japanese --- 1982-1989 ----- 7 year ----- 569% -------- YES
Australian -1982-1987 ----- 5 years ----- 521% -------- YES
Resources - 2002-2006 ----- 4 years ----- 289% -------- Not yet
Source: IRESS Challenger &
As you can see, previous "bull run" lasted from five to seven years and had revenues of 500% to 700% of the crashes. The Australian Resource Boom is not running for so long (yet) and the returns are not as high (yet) been. This seems to indicate that the Australian Resource Boom still will not crash (yet).
There are people who say "the crash will never come" and there are many who say "what goes up must come down". The arguments will not be refunded after the dust clears. On CNN in 2000, when the U.S. "tech stocks" were falls from dizzying heights down swinging, analysts were saying "they could bounce back" They have not yet.
There are people who are out buying houses now, thinking that will double in the next few years as in the last few years. The housing again If you think you can double after you just doubled your money, your money go to a casino, suspend disbelief and become an analyst ...
Become a "realist agent"
Ok, no one ever said that I am a broker. I've only ever owned a few slices of the ground, a few houses and fantastic real estate deals that I missed in countable if they are unforgettable. Ask me about the time I almost made 400% in two years. Yes, it was more than once. Made almost 400%, but not quite ...
Realistically, homes can not double in the next two years. There are restrictions on fair value, interest, redemption versus renting and affordability.
Realistically, the price of steel not double in the next two years. Neither can be copper, coal, oil, wheat, gas or any of the other products that us Aussies love so much, and the Chinese are so eager.
When rubber was scarce and expensive during the Second World War, the Australian Army replaced the rubber straps with brass springs. Brass is now more expensive than rubber and you can not imagine tying your hair or your socks with brass springs, but during the war, that's what they did. When building materials were short and wood was at a premium in the 1950s, our bevel board houses was fibro houses. Necessity is the mother of improvisation ...
If things are too expensive, we find a way around it. Be a realist. As our resources become too expensive for the Chinese, be sure that they will find another way. Ride Australia on the Chinese raw material consumption can not continue forever.
Where to invest when ownership is slow and shares may crash
Be alert and not alarmed. I'm not predicting that prices of coal, steel, oil and other exports will collapse. I'm not stating that BHP shares will drop like a rock. I'm just suggesting that prices simply can not continue to climb as sharp as they already have.
We can find that commodities simply plateau, and lead to a plateuing in share prices, as well as by some of the homes are now flattening. Like Mrs Bucket's Mercedes, the shares may not "crash" as such, they can just "not to go". (Does anyone else watch "Keeping Up Appearances"?)
Looking at the economic clock, one will see that when shares are flattening after their peak, the next thing to invest in a) shares, b) raw or c) property. (If you've never seen the Economic clock rather do a net search or call me! This 200-year-old instrument is as vital to investors as a compass to sailors.)
The "Classless" Asset
There is another area where you can invest. This investment is not in the regular four "asset classes" of shares, property, bonds and cash.
The investment is outside these traditional boundaries and outside the scope of the economic clock. Unlike property, stocks and bonds, it does not move in predictable and down cycles. There is neither a "perfect time" to buy nor a perfect time to sell. In fact, since 1960, this investment has outperformed the S & P500 without correlated volatility. That means more than 40 years, this investment better returns than the stock market has done and has not had the ups and downs of stocks.
In years when the stock market was massively negative, this investment made positive returns. During wars and recessions it was also positive. During ownership breakdowns and wild inflation made it also sharply with very little risk. You know what it is?
It is not gold bars: this investment brings an income. It is not time deposits: this investment capital. It's not gambling, cheat, steal or anything illegal, immoral or bad luck, touch wood. What if I told you that this investment is endorsed by a number of major banks, has full approval of the government and also contains excellent tax benefits for Australian investors? Are you ready to call me? Be a realist means. Invest safely. See you at the other side of the crash.
Jeremy Britton DipFA SA (Fin) Disclaimer The information in this document is of a general nature only, does not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation or needs. Accordingly, the information may not be used, relied on or treated as a substitute for specific financial advice. Whilst every care has been taken in preparing this material, no warranty regarding the information provided and accordingly neither Professional Investment Services nor its employees or agents therefore be put on any ground in relation to the acts and liable actions as a result of your actions on such information. Jeremy Britton is an Authorised Representative (# 298825) of Professional Investment Services, ABN 11,074,608,558,

Aiming For The Moon

We have all seen the various headlines, advertisements and marketing hype.
"Use Japanese Candlesticks to spot reversals!" "Learn the secrets of the pros." "Learn when to take profits." "Learn how to predict reversals before they occur!"
The problem is that you can not spot reversals or changes in trends until "after" they have occurred. No one can, although many claim to be able to do that.
Those who claim the ability to request changes and reversals in trends "in advance," also expect you to believe that they have to "predict" the future. Possibility
After more than 20 years of market timing experience, take our word for it ... No one can predict with certainty or consistency, what the market will do. Of course, with so many analysts predictions on a daily basis, someone will get a prediction. Well But doing it consistently is something else again.
No one can predict with any consistency, the future.
The only thing we can predict with certainty ... markets will constantly change.
So if there is no way to predict what the market will do, how the time of the markets?
By trading the long-term trends inherent in the free market and always will be. Based on hundreds of years of history, the markets usually in an up trend or a down trend for sustained periods. Look at the long-term chart, and it will be clear.
This is a fact. And that fact a winning strategy can be created.
The Question Of Time Frame
How do we get set a trend started?
Simply put, all we can depend on in the stock market is the price. Price will change either up or down. Change is constant. If the price moves higher for a longer period of time, we are in an up trend. If the price moves lower for a longer period of time, we are in a downward trend.
The issue of time is quickly fund timers can not, by definition, are day traders. So a change in the price at the top for a few hours, while an up trend to a very short-term oriented trader, it is useless for a fund timer.
The timetable for the fund timers in weeks and months, with the emphasis on "months." There is no way around it. If a timer fund trades more often, he or she will face a much higher percentage of losing trades as markets change so quickly from day to day the short-term trends are much harder to sell.
But remember what we said before ... History shows that trends occurring in the markets in recent months and even years. In fact, the exchange trending measurable long-term trends in about 80% of the time.
Think 2000 to 2002, a clear downward trend. Think March to December 2003, when the market rally non-stop. Long-term trends that are easy to see on historical charts. They can also be traded with high profitability, time, with trend trading strategies.
If Trend Traders We Aim For The Moon
Trend traders, as we are in Fibtimer, try not to catch exact tops. Also know we are trying to catch. Exact bottoms
We do not believe that anyone can.
Of course, with hundreds of different views available, anytime someone will always lucky and call an exact bottom or top. The financial news media is quick to deal with the hype.
But try and do it over and over and over.
So how do trend traders know when a trend and started?
The answer is ... "After" is started. Using the prices, which is the only measurement of the markets that can "always" be depended upon, we can define rules that when we create. In a trend
We could say that if the market rises a certain percent of a low, that we in an up trend. At that point, we can take. A long, bullish position
But when we leave? We left after we get a return of 10%? Or maybe a 20% target and cross our fingers?
No. .. trend timers as we strive for the moon. If a trend is 200% we want to be on board of our entry point, right at the 200% point. We want it all.
But, how do we know when to exit? The answer is simple ...
Going For The Home Run
We leave "after" the trend is over, and not until then. That means continuing to "after" reverses the trend.
When we begin to trade, we are looking for a home run. The sky is the limit.
We do not close until the market turns and the "prices" have moved far enough in the "reverse" direction to tell a "new" trend we probably started. Trading off
This means that we usually do not get on or off at any exact bottom. It also means that we do not usually get on or off at each vertex. It means that sometimes we take small losses when our requirement is for a new trend, but the trend fails (and they do ... think of the 20% of the time the markets are not a trend).
But more importantly, it means we never miss any significant trends, and we run every trend so far leads us! All identified trends are traded. All of them.
This is where the market timers make their big profits. They go through the occasional dull sideways markets, but if the market does trend, they are "always" on board for most of that trend.
By always go for the home run, trend traders, such as baseball players, you many strikeouts (small losses). But be obliterated by the home runs, we drive for all they are worth. Those strikeouts
In the aggressive strategies, we make money in both up trends and down trends. These are the strategies that big score during bear markets.
And important in all our timing strategies, we cut our losses when a trend not follow through.
Great fortunes are made trading trends. It takes a strategy. It takes discipline, because you have to stick to the strategy in all market knowing that no one knows when the next trend will start.
But by trading trends, you know that over time you will beat the market and be hugely profitable.

Can You Trust What HYIP Monitors Tell You?

It seems in online investment world today, it can be a bit of a lottery. The odds of making a profit can be fairly simple compared. With literally millions of HYIP programs available competition for your hard earned money is high, but there is no guarantee that if you invest you will reach the promised returns. Somewhere in the small print, everything will cite that there are risks and not more than you can afford to invest to lose (which good advice).
A short time ago seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel, the HYIP monitor born. So what is so bad wrong with this process? Quite simply, the HYIP sites are customers of HYIP monitors. Each service will monitor a small fee, although it needs to invest in the program fee includes loading. Therefore, the monitor has all the details of the HYIP program, but so does the investment system itself. Now it is not really rocket science, but ....
HYIP KNOW WHO THE PROGRAM they have to pay!
Call me skeptical if you want, but the word "PAY" next to a nice juicy banner ad means a lot for someone to invest. Sure, the site monitor bound to receive the programs stops paying 'emails but lost much hard earned dollars have gone in the meantime, and they really care if they are still paid yourself?
On my own site I will be providing some secret surveillance, investments carefully and profits will my members to finance payouts but the HYIP programs will not have requested, so that the results will my control I would be more realistic proposals. If they stop paying visitors certainly will not see paying a stamp of approval. Profits are necessary for my own members success and not only will I not use the system, but I will not encourage it either.
My own opinion is that many HYIP's are not around for long, so you fast is a good policy. Get in while they pay, and before they stop.
Billy Middleton is the creator of the new Safepay Verified pound pyramid system where you earn a fixed return of £ 25,000 per share, which includes the Pyramads banner promotions system

A Spiraling Market and Rising Penny Stock Opportunities

It was a wild and wooly couple of weeks on the international stock markets. But is the recent slide to a stop ... or just a breather before tumbling some more? And more importantly, what does it mean to astute penny stock investors?
Wall Street recently stumbled to its worst week of the year, and global stock markets fell on concerns about rising interest rates and slowing growth. After rising almost 9% in the first four months of the year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 6.5% of a six-year high, reached May 10, 2006.
Inventories are ailing because penny stock investors fear the Fed could be so focused on inflation that it ignores signs of an economic slowdown, raises interest rates too high and sends the economy into a recession.
Global stock markets were sent reeling last week after golden tongue U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke shocked penny stock investors in saying the Fed will continue raising interest rates to keep. Inflation in check
And that decision will have a direct impact on the penny stock market. Higher interest rates hurt penny stock prices because investors believe it will curb. Economic growth and corporate profits
But why is inflation heating up? Higher energy costs. Traders and penny stock investors are also concerned that under way, Gulf Coast refineries and oil production sites could be damaged again this summer and fall. Officially the hurricane season
And higher interest rates have the ability to influence. Across the economy Finance charges on credit cards will rise. So too will rates on mortgages and mortgage loans, causing additional pressure on homebuyers and a softening housing market. Ultimately, it will cost more to borrow for expansion.
But does this signal doom-and-gloom for the penny stock market? Au contraire. While the temptation to sell everything can be overwhelming, some see this as a great opportunity. "I would not sell. Would I tend to buy," said one New York analyst.
So how exactly is this a chance? It just so happens that many companies caught in the downward spiral of the market are cheaper than they were a few weeks ago. And as any seasoned penny stock investor will tell you, buying a good penny stock if it's already beaten is not a bad way to make money over the long haul money.
If you can stomach some of the volatility that is. While many blue chip investors have difficulty handling unpredictability of the market ... it's par for the course.
So, "snap," said another watcher. A month of dizzying selling has been marketed in an attractive offer. Is it possible the markets will fall more? Absolutely. After all, no penny stock is a sure thing. But one thing is certain: "Stocks are much cheaper than they were two months ago."
A seasoned investor with a strong interest in international business and current affairs, John Whitefoot worked with Peter Leeds for the last few years. With over ten years of experience in the investment community, Whitefoot is dedicated to uncovering the news, trends and ideas that shape penny stocks on a daily basis.

The Key to New Mexico Uranium: A State of the Art Mill

"The key to Grants, New Mexico is a state-of-the-art factory," said Laramide's Marc Henderson. All the politicians agreed. "It will be a real boon for New Mexico," said New Mexico legislator John A. Heaton. "Mining is one of our basic industries in New Mexico." And after the product is recovered, to be milled.
In an email, Strathmore Mineral David Miller told us, "We are now ready with independent scoping studies for the Roca Honda Project." A registered professional engineer completed an independent evaluation of the capital and operating costs of the mill. Although the name of the engineer was not disclosed, Miller said: "This gentleman has 40-plus years of experience and has designed many mills in the U.S. and the world." Miller told us, "Mill operating mills of different sizes and range from the low $ 20/ton of feed to the high $ 200/ton of feed. Roca Honda ore runs from five to six pounds per ton. Per tonne-to- pound milling costs $ 30/ton operating costs (20 percent higher than the lowest number in the evaluation) with a rate of 5 pounds per ton. "
Miller described capital of the mill at about $ 100 million, plus / minus $ 20 million, depending on the size of the mill building. Miller also said: "Environmental aspects of such a mill were also assessed by consulting specialists, and concluded that it will be a mine and mill in New Mexico far as possible." He explained that there is no my design work is not yet done. Operating mine cost would be. Similar to any large metal mines "They can range from a low of $ 30/ton of ore to a high of $ 80/ton of ore." Miller emphasized that milling costs could be. As low as $ 6/pound U3O8 The Roca Honda project, Strathmore controls from the purchase of the Kerr-McGee properties of Rio Algom (bought by BHP Billiton) in 2004, was one of the mines designed to feel the 6000 tons / day Ambrosia Lake Mill.
What impact would a uranium mill to Grants, New Mexico? We asked Miller to speculate about the consequences, for he is a third-term Wyoming legislator. He told us, "A new mine and mill complex on the size Strathmore should consider would be a minimum of 200 people will be employed, and double or higher could be the quality of jobs would be similar to other mining jobs:. Top pay , top benefits and health care summit. "However, In Situ Recovery (ISR) would be less labor intensive. Each ISR facility would be 50 to 100 people.
The proposed uranium enrichment facility scheduled for groundbreaking in August, eager to meet the state of the renaissance of nuclear energy to add a nuclear power plant in New Mexico legislators and any uranium mill is discussed, how long before uranium mining resumed in this state? It may be sooner than you think. A still-unpublished interview with Jon Indall, Executive Director of the Uranium Producers of America, he told us, "I would not be surprised if the domestic uranium industry were producing up to 20 million pounds per year." He expects it could happen within five years, maybe earlier. A large part of this production uranium can come from this state. Nuclear Renaissance New Mexico is clearly within reach.
COPYRIGHT © 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. All rights reserved.
James Finch contributes to and other publications. StockInterview's "Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market" has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors.

Part One: New Mexico Uranium: Who are the Serious Players By James Finch

Several uranium development companies have put their sights on New Mexico. Two are actively involved in permitting their properties for production. One was the first in about giving a drilling permit, a decade from another awaits a permit to drill. Goods of the company Another is an 800-pound gorilla in the nuclear fuel cycle. Three others have properties or continue to build a land package in New Mexico. The following is a brief overview of the projects of these uranium development or exploration companies, currently owns property or forward.
The leaders are Uranium Resources, Strathmore Minerals and General Atomics. Companies are ahead Laramide Resources and Western Uranium. Companies also look for include Energy Metals, Max Resource Corp and Powertech Uranium. Each has various plans to promote their projects and should be assessed on their merits.
Uranium Resources Inc.
Uranium Resources is the top leader in New Mexico. The company has a great deal of time and money to the Church Rock property allow dedicated. In an interview with Craig Bartels, president of HRI (a wholly owned subsidiary of Uranium Resources), he told us, "We hope that we can begin construction on the property in 2007." The company has authorized numerous obstacles posed by local environmentalists, successfully won every legal battle so far. Its parent company produces about 1 million pounds per year in Texas. Earlier this year, Uranium Resources announced a proposed joint venture company Church Rock property with Japanese conglomerate Itochu Corporation.
Phillips Petroleum made the Church Rock uranium discovery in the 1950s, and later sold the project to United Nuclear (UNC). UNC constructed a mill and mine to the northeast. One HRI property, at Crownpoint, was developed by Mobil Oil as an In Situ Recovery (ISR) project. Earlier work at Crownpoint was done by Westinghouse and Conoco. Phillips developed HRI uranium property at Nose Rock, Kerr-McGee did the original uranium drilling in Roca Honda. Uranium Resources holds about 185,000 acres in the southern San Juan Basin of New Mexico.
By the uranium depression, Uranium Resources was the "lonely man" in New Mexico. Now times have changed. "It's great to have other companies are coming in here," says Bartels. "There is so much uranium, and the national attitude has changed so dramatically in the past year, that there is a genuine excitement about what can be done now." Bartels looks forward to the success of the first uranium projects of the company in New Mexico, Belt on the western end of the Grants Uranium. He explained, "The use of a fairly typical recovery rate of 75 percent for ISR, recovery would be about £ 4.9 million to Chapter 8, and 6.3 million pounds recovered from Chapter 17." Bartels told us he already advertising for workers in the newspapers northwest New Mexico.

Strathmore Minerals Corp.
Strathmore Minerals Corp. controls a number of advanced uranium properties in New Mexico. Most advanced efforts of the company were proceeding with the authorization procedure at the stage Church Rock property. To date, the National Instrument 43-101 resource calculations on two properties, the Church Rock and Roca Honda deposits, totaling nearly 50 million pounds in measured indicated and inferred categories. Historical uranium calculations on other Strathmore properties in New Mexico that are non-compliant with National Instrument 43-101 standards, indicate a similar amount in addition to what has been reported. Strathmore Minerals President and Chief Operating Officer David Miller told us by e-mail, "It's Strathmore intends to be the main producer of uranium in New Mexico to be." The company has approximately C $ 40 million in the bank to promote its projects.
The company has followed the lead of Uranium Resources in the Church Rock area. Miller told us, "There are two ISR projects in various stages of permitting in the Church Rock area, which Strathmore started a year ago." The company has issued press releases updating investors on its permitting progress in New Mexico. In February the company announced that it is on schedule and within the budget allows in the Church Rock uranium property. A mid-April update announced Strathmore was developing its mandatory corporate programs in the permitting process and marched to the authorization phase of the In Situ Recovery process. Depending on when Uranium Resources to the nearby ISR project its final approval to start receiving, Strathmore Minerals should quickly follow with its project. See last part of this article about the company Roca Honda project.
General Atomics
Meet the 800-pound gorilla. Not only is General Atomics in the front-end of the fuel cycle with a uranium mining subsidiary, is a publicly traded company whose interests are widespread across the nuclear fuel cycle. GA is short, and the one used in this industry. Founded in 1955 as a division of General Dynamics, Georgia has more than 20 locations worldwide, manufacturing a variety of high-tech products for commercial and government applications. For example, aviation affiliate manufactures unmanned aircraft, surveillance and radar imaging systems.
GA covers a large part of the nuclear fuel cycle. In Australia, by Heath Gate Resources, the company owns and operates the Beverly ISL mine. His ConverDyn affiliate converts U3O8 to UF6 (uranium hexafluoride), which is the step before uranium enrichment. Another affiliate, the Cotter Corporation, has several uranium properties and a licensed mill near Canon City, Colorado.
General Atomics also owns the largest source of uranium in the United States through its subsidiary, Rio Grande Resources Corporation. The crown jewel of uranium holdings of the company can be found in the Mt. Taylor deposit. Before the project was placed on standby in 1989, more than 8 million pounds U3O8 produced. The transfer shall take place at 3000 meters below the surface with ore grades ranging between 0.15 percent and 2 percent U3O8. During the production of the mine, numbers, average 0.5 percent. Mt. Taylor reportedly contains an in-place resource of more than 100 million pounds of U3O8. GA is reportedly evaluating the deposit for an ISR operation.

Laramide Resources
Laramide Resources has made a strong presence in Australia, but also moving forward with its New Mexico uranium property. The company La Jara Mesa deposit is located about 12 miles outside of Grants, within the San Mateo Mountains, near Mt. Taylor. Homestake had previously operated a mill in the district. Work was first started in the La Jara Mesa area in the 1950s. Homestake drilled 86 holes between 1967 and 1971 and left the property after a few high-grade intersections. After the property changed hands in the 1970s and 1980s, a discovery hole was drilled in 1980. Power Resources (now Cameco Corp subsidiary) drilled more than 500 holes. Homestake again the project in 1983 and completed metallurgical testing on the drill core. Homestake also completed a mining plan and feasibility study on the Dena Rich deposit, but stopped all work after the uranium price crashed.
In an interview with Laramide Resources Chief Executive Marc Henderson, he told us, "The La Jara Mesa property can be the key piece of the puzzle to be," referring to the Ambrosia Lake district. "It's the easiest production scenario and the easiest access," said Henderson. Website of the company reports the project has a resource of approximately 7 million pounds U308 (not compatible with National Instrument 43-101). The U.S. Forest Service is now awaiting public comments on the proposal by Laramide to ten tests to drill holes about 600 meters deep, exploration to confirm the 1980 findings.
COPYRIGHT © 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. All rights reserved.
James Finch contributes to  and other publications. StockInterview's "Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market" has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors.

Oil Crude Moves Up, as Well as Flooding at Refineries in PA

Sweet oil oil prices are reaching their all-time high and we are very close to $ 75 a barrel now. The oil oil prices moved up sharply as a result of the floods in upstate New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In fact, flooded refineries in Pennsylvania and went off-line. Several plants were closed and the Delaware River cresting and then flows in many locations they will not be able to get. In oil supplies in state
There are other problems in the world right now with the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza. The Syrian army is helping Hamas leadership and hide them to defend themselves from the advancing Israeli army. This is not to move forward with air attacks on power plants and bridges and any military troop movements or military hardware. Stopping the Israelis
In addition, the Syrians have a Machiavellian deal with Iran, that if one of them gets into a war the other country will back them up. Iran is also under pressure from the United States and its allies to immediately stop enriching uranium and Iran has refused to do so and also said it will use as a weapon. Oil
Economically, the crude oil prices are up and that means that the traders in Chicago will consider the price and oil futures will spike again. Please consider all this in 2006 as oil oil prices move to new record highs.

Ten Investment Trends for the Future

The McKinsey Quarterly recently included a web-only article on ten trends for the coming years. You can subscribe for free to their online version if you are interested. I thought it would be worth mentioning these trends to help identify an investment. Implications
Trend 1: Centers of economic activity will shift deep, not only globally, but also regionally. Asia GDP (excluding Japan accounts for 13 percent of global GDP, while Western Europe for more than 30 percent good) will catch up with Western Europe in the next 20 years. As a result, we should look for consumer goods as the people in these countries have more disposable income. Growing demand
Investment idea: Consumer companies with a strong presence in Asia and transportation companies that have a strong presence in the region, and have a global reach.
Trend 2: Public-sector activities will balloon, making productivity gains essential. The unprecedented aging population in the developed world requires new levels of efficiency and creativity in the public sector. The demand for health care and retirement security, the ability of a country to support these services through taxes overwhelm. Proven private sector approaches will likely become ubiquitous in the provision of social services in both the developed and the developing worlds.
Investment idea: Companies that can deliver these services in a cost effective manner, companies can use technology to outsource these services to low-wage countries.
Trend 3: The consumer landscape will change and expand significantly. Almost a billion new consumers will enter the global market in the next decade, economic growth in emerging markets pushes them beyond the threshold of $ 5,000 in annual household income - a time when people generally begin to spend on discretionary goods . By 2015 consumer spending power in emerging economies will almost match the purchasing power of Western Europe. It is estimated that 100 million Chinese households European income levels will reach in 2020. Furthermore, the Hispanic population in the United States will have purchasing power equal to that of 60 percent of all Chinese consumers.
Investment ideas: Consumer & luxury goods companies with strong presence in Asia and other developing countries to achieve economic success. Companies are able to the consumer market niches that will continue to evolve identify and target. Transport companies that are able to provide raw materials and finished goods to move easily around the world.
Trend 4: Technological connectivity will transform the way people live and communicate transform. We are still in the early stages of this revolution. Geography is no longer the main obstacle to social and economic organization. As new developments in biotechnology and nanotechnology come forward, people all over the world find new ways to leverage their promise. More than transformational technology itself is the shift in behavior that enables. We work not only globally but also instantaneously. We are forming communities and relationships in new ways (in fact, 12 percent of U.S. newlyweds last year met online). More than two billion people now use mobile phones. We will send 9000000000000 emails per year. We do a billion Google searches per day, more than half in languages ​​other than English. Perhaps for the first time in history, geography is not the primary constraint on the limits of social and economic organization.
Investment ideas: Software companies with expertise in uniting various opportunities to create new products and services.
Trend 5. Continuous shifts in labor and talent will be much deeper than the widely observed migration of jobs to low-wage countries. The shift to knowledge-intensive industries highlights the importance and scarcity of skilled talent. The growing integration of the global labor market, however, the opening of vast new talent sources. The 33 million highly educated young professionals in developing countries is more than double the number in developed countries. For many companies and governments, global labor and talent strategies become as important as global sourcing and production strategies.
Investment ideas: Outsourcing of all types of professional talent, not just low-wage workers trained talent pools in India, China and other places and educated talent pool.
Trend 6. The role and behavior of big business will include close supervision. As companies expand their global reach, and as to intensify the economic demands on the environment the level of societal suspicion about big business is likely to increase. The teachings of the current global business ideology - for example, shareholder value, free trade, intellectual property rights, and the repatriation of profits - is not understood, let alone accepted, in many parts of the world. Scandals and environmental mishaps seem as inevitable as the likelihood that these incidents is then inflated, thereby fueling resentment and creating a political and regulatory backlash. This trend is not only the last 5 years but the last 250 years. The increasing pace and scale of global business, and the emergence of truly giant global corporations, the pressure will worsen in the next 10 years. Businesses, especially large companies, will never be loved. It may be more appreciated. Business leaders need to discuss and demonstrate the powerful intellectual, social and economic arguments for business in society and the massive contributions business makes to social welfare.
Investment ideas: Companies ways to make a good profit and find socially responsible.
Trend 7. Demand for natural resources will grow, as well as the pressure on the environment. As economic growth accelerates - especially in emerging markets - we are using natural resources at an unprecedented rate. Oil demand is expected to grow by 50 percent over the next two decades, and without major new discoveries or radical innovations supply is keeping. Unlikely We see similar spikes in demand across a wide range of raw materials. In China, for example, the demand for copper, steel and aluminum has almost tripled in the past decade. The world's resources are increasingly limited. Water shortages will be the main obstacle to growth in many countries. And one of our most valuable natural resources - the atmosphere - will require dramatic shifts in human behavior to avoid further depleted. Innovation in technology, regulation, and the use of resources will be crucial for creating a world that can both drive robust economic growth and support environmental requirements.
Investment ideas: Water filtration, pollution prevention and energy companies, new forms of clean energy to offer in particular.
Trend 8. New global industry structures are emerging. Even basic structural principles are upended: for example, the emergence of robust private equity financing changing corporate ownership, life cycles, and performance expectations. In many industries, it is a barbell-like structure that can be seen, with a couple of giants on the top, a narrow middle, and then a flourishing of smaller, fast-moving players at the bottom. Similarly, collective boundaries are increasingly blurred as interlinked "ecosystems" are suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Even basic structural principles are upended: for example, the emergence of robust private equity financing changing corporate ownership, life cycles, and performance expectations. Winning companies, with the aid of efficiency is achieved by novel structural features, will take advantage of these transformations.
Investment ideas: Companies that offer special opportunities in key process networks and supply chains that are able to offer significant improvements and capture premium profits.
Trend 9. Management will go from art to science. Today's business leaders are using highly sophisticated software to run their organizations. Larger, more complex companies demand new tools to run and manage. Indeed, improved technology and statistical-control tools given rise to new management approaches that deal. Even mega-institutions viable Long gone is the day of the "gut feeling" management style. Today's business leaders are adopting algorithmic decision-making techniques and using highly sophisticated software to run their organizations. Scientific management is a skill that creates competitive advantage to an ante that gives companies the right to play the game.
Investment ideas: methods and tools (software) that match the job skills and training. Business software and business consulting companies that offer special features that help manage the mega-corporations.
Trend 10. Ubiquitous access to information is changing the economics of knowledge. Knowledge becoming available and, at the same time, specialized companies. The clearest manifestation of this trend is the emergence of search engines (like Google), which immediately made available. An almost infinite amount of information Access to knowledge has become almost universal. Yet the transformation is much deeper than just wide access. New models of knowledge production, access, distribution, and ownership are emerging. We see the emergence of open-source approach to knowledge as communities, not individuals, are responsible for innovations. Knowledge production itself is growing: worldwide patent applications, for example, 1990-2004 increased at a rate of 20 percent per year. Companies will need to learn how to make use of this new knowledge universe - or risk drowning in a flood of too much information.
Investment ideas: Companies new ways to capture and distribute offer specialist knowledge. Even companies that specialized knowledge that can be used to reduce costs or to create innovative ways to differentiate products or services possess.