October starts on a negative note

Hello All,   October opened on a negative note as Greece said it likely will not meet its deficit reduction target for 2011.  The S&P will probably test the 1072 low basis Dec. over the next 12-24 hours, which will determine whether the subsequent fibonacci retracement levels will be realized before years end.  We have energy prices at their lowest levels in over a year, and all eyes are on Brent trading just above $100.  A psychological break of $100 will continue to price slower growth into the markets, and that may coincide with a break of 1.30 on the Euro.  Trading below 1.32 today, the Euro is at a 8 1/2 month low where I have decided to take profits and have a gut feeling that the trade is extended for the time being.  As bonds rally 3 handles on the day and Gold up about $40, we wonder if investors will continue to de-risk or actually step in and buy when things look the most bleak.  With Read more…

Tags: Negative Note, Note

Sunday, October 9th, 2011 Uncategorized No Comments

How Financial Planners Charge for their Services

When hiring a financial planner, you should make it a point that you understand how he or she would be charging for the services that he or she would be providing. Most financial planners today can charge based on a commission or based on a fee. There are also some who charge just a fee for their services.

Commission-based financial planners are those who receive compensation through the commissions they earn from the investment companies that they are working for. Although commission-based financial planners want to make sure that they would be able to sell some of the financial products that they are selling, they are usually able to provide sound advice and information for their clients. If you would be choosing to hire a planner who works on commission, make sure to check for any potential conflicts of interest which could arise so that you could be certain that the recommendations you are getting are truly some of your best investment options and not just products which the planner would make the most money on. Read more…

Tags: Financial Planners, Services

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 Financial Consultant No Comments

Benefits of Interest Free Credit Cards

Credit cards with 0% interest are some of the most popular cards around today and it isn’t hard to see why, as there are several benefits associated with using them. This article looks at exactly what credit cards with 0% interest are, who can benefit from them and some of their main benefits.

What are they?

Interest free cards are a simple concept. They allow you to make purchases on your credit card and then pay off the outstanding balance over an extended period, without accruing any interest as the majority of other credit cards would. This interest free period is normally time-limited and can last anywhere from 3 months up to around 18 months, depending on the specific card you choose.

Who should use them?

Interest free credit cards are useful for all credit card users, but they can be especially beneficial for people who are looking to make a large purchase (within their credit limit) and then pay it off over the course of several months. A Read more…

Tags: credit card companies, Credit Cards

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 Financial Consultant No Comments

Thomson Reuters Offers Sales and Use Tax Self-Study Courses

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has introduced a series of sales and use tax courses on its Checkpoint Learning system.

The new continuing professional education courses are written to help U.S. public and corporate tax professionals understand recent tax changes.

“U.S. state and local governments obtain approximately one-third of their revenue from sales and use tax,” said Ken Koskay, vice president of learning solutions at the Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters. “Th

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Tags: Courses, Thomson Reuters, Use Tax

Sunday, September 25th, 2011 Financial Consultant No Comments

Top Personal Finance Bloggers Answer: How do you save money on sports?

Who doesn’t like to save money at the big game? Or on their own sports hobby?

Our favorite personal finance bloggers are certainly no exception to this. They shared with us their best tips by responding to the questions:

Read on to get the expert tips. Batter up!

Saving at Sporting Events

One of the best ways to save money at a sporting event is to buy your tickets as cheap as possible such as scoring a great discount by waiting until the last minute to buy tickets on websites such as StubHub.

Hank Coleman

Money QA

Since I don’t attend a lot of sporting events, I save money by watching it on T.V! I usually watch boxing matches (go Pacquiao!), so I save money by splitting the pay-per-view cost with several friends, plus doing drinks and food potluck style. It’

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Tags: Finance Bloggers, Personal Finance, Personal Finance Bloggers, Sports

Sunday, September 25th, 2011 Financial Consultant No Comments