Sunday, February 24, 2008

How to Amass A Fortune - Money 101

Ask any experienced investor and the first thing you would hear from them is that high yield investment programs are scams. Do not utter the name of the company you are talking about, the reaction will be the same.



Just think about yourself; won't you warn your friends with the same word - scam!



Just think twice - how big is big enough and still realizable?



Look around and you will definitely find some real high yield investment program where the parameter of being high is determined within the limitations of reality.



Anyone who is willing continue the same lifestyle after retirement cannot count only on company sponsored retirement plans. They must invest their money wisely so that the invested amount works as hard as they do to yield a better figure after retirement.



Survey says the more than 50% of all Americans have an IRA. And most of them are making such high yield investments mainly to lead the same lifestyle or a secured life after retirement. They do not want to depend on the company sponsored pension plan and social security to lead their retired life.



People of America had always been conscious about their retired life and for last 10 or twelve years they are taking a few extra steps to invest their money. However, a lot of people still do not understand how to plan for retirement.



Here is a regular retirement guide that is used by some average people - those who do not know the potential of gradually saved amount.



It all depends on how many years do you have until you plan for a glorious retirement? If your present age is 25 and you want to retire at 65, you have 40 years to invest on your retirement plan.



Now find out the disposable amount you have every month - something that you can save. At the same time make an estimate of how much of liquid cash you want to have after retirement. Now use any retirement calculator to find out how much you need to save every month to get that amount.



This is good enough for those who are ready to live within a fixed income throughout their retired life. In this process you need to almost diminish your optional expenses. However, you are sure to run in this process, invest on creating some assets (for example real estate) other than pension amount so that you have something to rely on in future.



However, did you notice one thing! In this process you get almost the amount you have saved for 40 years as your retirement amount. They simply yielded some gross interest and did not work up to their full potential. There could be a huge difference if only you walked a few steps to talk to a financial planner or joined an investment club to find out a better way to use your savings.




Are you looking for a direct participation mortgage fund that is safe for you to invest in? Find out where are the private mortgage investors are heading to invest their time and cash for a safe return on investment.



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Is Playing the Lottery Worthwhile?

State/National lotteries have been described as taxes on fools. Most involve trying to pick a subset of numbers from a much larger master set with ludicrously long odds against success (In the UK game of trying to pick 6 from 49 the odds of winning are something like 14 million to one!) Week upon week we try, week upon week we fail; yet we keep coming back for more. Why?



Despite its ability to create millionaires overnight, the lottery is a terrible investment. If you're playing the probability game (and as a rational investor you ought to be) you're much better off sticking your cash into real estate, stocks, bonds, savings accounts or even keeping it in a tin box under the bed. The chance of winning is just too small.



But playing the lottery isn't about investment, probabilities or rationality - it's about buying a dream. Don't risk your shirt on the lottery, but spare a dollar or two each week and from the moment you get your ticket 'til the moment the draw is made (or when you check the result) you have that tiny hope that it might be your turn to win a life-changing sum; after all someone's gotta win it. That's gotta be worth a couple of dollars.



Most state/national lotteries donate a significant portion of their proceeds to various good causes. If you have a choice of which lottery to play, choose one that benefits charity rather than the pockets of the operator. If you still have more than one choice, select the one that benefits causes closest to your heart. At least that way, win or lose, you'll get a nice warm feeling knowing you've done a little good.



Given the numbers are chosen at random you might be surprised to learn that not all numbers are equally good choices. This is because in the event of more than one person getting the winning combination the prize fund is shared. Many people pick numbers based on family birthdays, so the more numbers you have above 31 the better. It's also best to avoid your culture's traditionally lucky numbers, eg 7, and to go for numbers generally considered unlucky, eg 13. These tips won't improve your odds of winning, but if you should strike it lucky your payout should bigger.



Finally, the age-old question of whether to stick to the same numbers or choose different ones every week. In terms of probability it makes no difference. Every entry in every game starts with exactly the same odds of success. But if you're just starting out, you might be wise to avoid sticking to the same numbers for two reasons. First, playing the lottery becomes obsessional - you get scared to miss a week; and second if you did miss, and if your numbers did come up, you might never get over the disappointment.



Good Luck!




Johnny Finnis is editor of personalmoneymanagement101.com, a simple and unbiased introduction to finance and investment for ordinary people to make the most of their money. Have your say on our blog



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