Market Update News: Home and Abroad

Investing Money for Capital Gain

2008-10-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Learn to Invest Money

Most people cannot make enough money just working their jobs. With higher food cost, education-fee, inflation, and cost of living in general, investing is becoming more and more important. They are afraid to outlive their retirement income and social security benefits do not help much either. However, if they learn to invest money, they can grow their savings many times to ensure that they do not outlive their retirement funds and have enough to send their children and grandchildren to college and achieve their other financial goals.

People did not use to learn to invest money in school but nowadays there are courses you can take to learn to invest money. Even children now learn the value of money and useful things they can do with the money they have. Soon they learn how to invest money in various investment vehicles such as stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, business ventures and real estate. Those who choose to major finance would learn more about different investment strategies to multiply money.

When you learn to invest money for the first time, you should start with the beginners guide to investing. There you will learn about different investment vehicles that will help you grow your money. Different investments have their own pros and cons. The beginners guide to investing explains the pros and cons of each investment such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Learn to invest money with different types of investments

There are many types of investments that an investor can choose. Stock market investing is supposedly more risky than bond investing. However, everything needs research. See common types of investments. Before you decide what investment you want to invest in, read about the pros and cons of different investments first. If you want to invest in the stock market, see stock market investing.

From time to time even the most advanced investors need advice and help with investing. There are many ways to get help and there is a vast number of resources available for all major types of investments.

Investment in Stock market

2008-10-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Stock investing can be fun, exciting and profitable. There's nothing like putting your money to work for you in the market and watching it grow. However, if you're just getting started or you're just not comfortable with it yet, stock investing can also be scary and potentially unprofitable. We've all heard the stories of friends who lost everything when the bubble burst in 2000 or when they put all of their money into one company's stock only, like Enron. But your stock investing experience doesn't have to be anything like that. With a little education you can be just a little bit more like Warren Buffett

We believe stock investing should be fun, exciting and profitable - of course, stock investing is going to be the most fun when you're making money. You should learn to answer the basic questions you ask yourself to become a successful stock investor. Questions like:

- What investments are right for me?

- What type of investment account is right for me?

- What investment broker is right for me?

- How does the stock market work?

- What are the benefits of investing in the stock market?

If you can answer these questions, you're becoming a 80 % successful stock investor. You don't have to make it any more complicated than that. Plus, we'll talk about the other 20 percent in the Finding Stocks and Managing a Stock Portfolio sections.

Investing Basics

What is a stock? In it's simplest terms, a stock is a certificate that designates ownership in a company. When you buy a share of stock, you literally become an owner of whatever company the stock you bought represents. If you buy a share of stock in General Electric, you become an owner of General Electric. If you buy a share of stock in Standard Chartered Bank, you become an owner of Standard Chartered Bank.

Stock Shareholder Rights

As a stock holder (i.e. owner of the company), you have certain rights.

1. You have the right to vote for members of the board of directors

2. You have the right to receive dividends if the company distributes them

3. You have the right to sell your stock

Why Companies Issue Stock?

Companies need money to operate, and they can raise that money in one of two ways: they can borrow the money (debt) or they can sell ownership in the company by issuing stocks (equity). Each method for raising money has its pros and cons, but when you boil it down to the basics, it looks like this. When a company borrows money, it has to pay that money back. When a company issues stock, it doesn't have to pay anything back. Why Would You Buy Stock? You should buy stock for one reason only: you hope it will make you money. When you buy a stock, you can make money in one of two ways: 1. You can receive dividend payments from the company 2. The stock can increase in value and you can sell it for a higher price Both methods of making money from owning a stock are beneficial to you as an investor. Of course, you need to always remember that you can also lose money when you buy a stock, but hopefully you can keep that to a minimum.

What you should know before you start investing.

2008-10-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of information out there about the markets, and before you ever place a trade, there are some basic things you should understand to avoid losing money right out of the gate.You CAN make profits managing your own market investments. It takes time and ongoing education - "minutes a day" is unlikelyDon't buy until you've practiced paper trading Short-term investing is very difficult to profit from.

You CAN make profits managing your own market investments
Despite your track record, or what you might have heard, you can make money in the markets as in individual investor. There really aren't any secrets, just a lot to learn. As a retail investor, you have some advantages over the large brokers and institutions. You can move your money quickly, give your portfolio personal attention and directly tailor your investing strategy to your goals.

The markets offer great potential for generating consistent returns and long term wealth. However, the markets aren't the "get rich quick" vehicle some make it out to be. It can be fun, fulfilling and profitable, but you need to spend the time it takes to learn what you need to know. Luckily, you can find those things on this site. It takes time and ongoing education – "Minutes a day" is unlikelyUnless you plan to strictly be a buy-and-hold investor, managing your investments is not something that can be done in a couple minutes a day; especially while you're getting started. There is a lifetime of learning in investing, and managing a portfolio that's profitable takes time as you learn to find trades, manage risk and diversify. There are thousands of personality types and tastes and there are investment styles to match each one. And there are varying amounts of time and energy commitments for each. Part of the process is determining how much time you want to put into your investment and developing a strategy to fit that level of commitment. If you don't have the time or desire, learn the basics in our Stocks Essentials Course and find a good broker to manage your investments for you. Don’t buy until you’ve practiced paper-trading If you were offered a chance to shoot a free-throw shot at half-time of a basketball game to win $50,000, would you practice? Of course you would. Why then would you risk your portfolio by investing immediately without practicing first? Hopefully you wouldn’t. There are many great paper/practice trading platforms out there offered by good brokers. Take advantage of them. Take the courses on this site and before you trade a single stock, make sure you’ve practiced – and profited in your practice.Short-term investing is very difficult to profit from. Think long-termShort term retail investors lose money. It’s that simple. There may be a few who fully immerse themselves in trading and sweat out a profit, but the numbers overwhelmingly indicate that individual traders whose focus is short-term will eventually lose their money.

We advocate your portfolio be primarily focused on long-term investments. Don’t confuse long-term with buy-and-hold. They are very different. Smart long-term investing is still an active process requiring good timing, risk management, diversification and analysis.

But long-term retail investors have proven that’s where the profits are. Smaller transaction costs, lower volatility and reduced time managing positions make long-term investing smarter – but not necessarily glamorous. Everyone wants to hit the home-run. Buy the stock that goes from $4 to $40 in 30 days. But those are very few and far-between, and traders looking for those usually strike out.

You must develop an overall strategy with guidelines you stick toRetail traders are notorious for jumping into the market head first as they focus all their attention on finding and buying stocks. What they fail to do is properly educate themselves and learn to build a strategy.

Investing is no different than any other part of life.

Sure, it’s clichéd, but if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A few years ago, the US basketball team was comprised of professional basketball players whose combined talent had never been matched. They subsequently went into the Olympics and lost to teams with inferior talent.Why? The planning was poor, and the pieces didn’t work right together. You may pick great stocks, but without proper entry points, exits, stop-losses and consistent position sizing those great stocks may yield a loss.

Part of educating yourself is learning what you need to know and building rules for an overall portfolio strategy that you stick to. Inside that overall strategy you may have allocations which require their own unique rules for more conservative or more aggressive trading strategies, and that’s a fine diversification model. And you may even have to modify your rules over time. But consistency is key and lack of it is catastrophic to a portfolio.

You should follow general economic news and learn econ basicsAs I mentioned before, investing requires time and effort. Part of the regular process should be reading economic news and following general trends. Not only will you find great insights which influence your trading strategies, but you’ll also learn to get a “feel” for the market and you’ll be able to spot trends that may help or hurt your investments.

There is a lot of news out there and sifting through it can be daunting. So do a little research and find a site or newspaper that you feel comfortable with and trust. On this site we’ll constantly add education-focused articles that also touch on the condition of the markets and the economy, so you’ll want to make sure you visit daily.
Learn, trade, profit and have fun!In the end, only you can determine whether you have the time and/or desire to manage your own investments. There are plenty of good brokers who, for a price, will do it for you.

But if you take the time to learn you’ll quickly find the market is wide open for the individual investor. Nobody will put more time and concern into your investments than you and with the right approach, you can make strong returns year after year. And you’ll have a lot of fun doing it!

Benefits of Investing in the Stock Market

2008-10-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN THE STOCK MARKET

You have a lot of choices when it comes to your money. You could buy something fun like a flat-screen TV or a boat, you could remodel your house or you could even take that dream vacation around the world you've been dreaming of. On the other hand, if you wanted to be a little more practical, you could put your money to work for you and invest it in the stock market. Let's face it. Spending your money is a lot more fun than saving your money. So why is it that you are here learning how to save and invest your money instead of out somewhere spending your money?

The answer: benefits.

Benefits of stock investment are numerous. Some of these benefits are realized in the short term while some are realized in the longer term. Some of the benefits include;
1. Dividends
2. Bonus shares
3. Capital appreciation
4. Voting right
5. Collateral
6. Protection against inflation
7. Semi-liquid investment
8. Right issue
9. Ease of transfer
10. Base asset
11. Good savings

DIVIDENDS:
At the end of a fiscal year, the company calculates the profit it made and pays you some money out of it (called dividends) depending on the number of shares you have in the company, don’t forget that you still own and keep your shares, you are just being paid part of the profits because you are a shareholder.

BONUS SHARES
Bonus shares are extra shares given to you in addition to the number of shares you already have in the company. This is a good way of increasing the number of shares one has in a
company and many companies do this a lot. In 2007,Zenith bank plc gave a bonus of 1 for 4 (1: 4), this means that if you have 10000 units, you are given extra 2500 units to make your total stock equal to 12500. Also in 2008 Julius Berger plc gave 3 for 1 (3: 1). That is if you have 10000 units, you are given extra 30000 to make your total holdings in Julius Berger equal to 40000 units. This is very good.

CAPITAL APPRECIATION:
This means increase in the value of your money/capital. Say you bought 10000 units of a stock at N2, if it gets to N12, you can sell and get N120000, but you initially spent N20000. Like in January 2007,bank PHB was selling at about N2.50 but by July 2007, it was selling at 25.if you had bought in January; you can sell in July and make 1000% gain. Imagine the profit. If you invested N100, 000, you will get N1, 000,000.So much money.

VOTING RIGHTS:
If you own shares in a company, you have the right to attend their annual general meetings (AGMs). At the meetings, you have the right to vote for or against a decision the directors want to make. You can also vote for people to be appointed as directors and you also have the right to submit yourself for election into administrative and executive positions in the company. Generally, you have a say in how the company is managed because you have shares in it. AGMs are also nice place to network with people of like minds and higher status in the society. I advise you to go for AGMs; you have a lot to gain from them.

COLLATERAL:
When you are in need of money for a project, you can use the stocks you have as collateral to borrow money from banks and other financial institutions. This serves a wonderful purpose because you will get money to carry out the project you want, make profit, and still retain your shares after settling the bank loan.

Preparing for a Trek in Nepal

2007-04-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Preparing for a Trek

Introduction
The following information will assist you to get ready for a trek in Nepal. Nepal treks allow you to experience the Himalayan countryside and to meet the people of the hills with a minimum of formality and preparation. If you follow the suggestions here, you will have all the equipment and permits you need to enjoy your trek. Read this information carefully so that you will know what to expect when you arrive in Nepal.

If you are not joining a group trek, you will not have a professional trek leader. If there are more than 3 or 4 people in your party, one of you should assume an informal leadership position to act as spokesman for the group both in Kathmandu and on the trail.

There are many preparations that you can make before you depart for Nepal. Most important are your clothing and trekking equipment, medical supplies, your passport and a visa for Nepal. While some of these projects can be postponed until the last minute (by getting a visa at the airport in Kathmandu or renting your trekking equipment in Nepal, for example), it is recommended that you make most preparations in advance so that you do not waste time during your holiday satisfying bureaucratic formalities or searching for some item of equipment that is temporarily unavailable for rent in Kathmandu.

Formalities
Visa for Nepal
You can obtain a visa before you come to Nepal or upon arrival in Kathmandu. You need only to fill in a form and pay a fee (in US dollars cash only), but it takes a bit of time at the airport after you arrive. To obtain a visa for Nepal in advance, write to one of the addresses below for instructions and a form. Fill in the form and return it with the appropriate fee, photos and your passport. If you are making a side trip to India or Tibet and then returning to Nepal, be sure to get a double entry visa. Your passport with a visa stamped in it should be returned to you by mail.

The visa regulations for Nepal are a bit complex. You need to decide what kind of visa to purchase depending on how long you plan to stay in Nepal. Visa fees are:
• 60-day single-entry: US$30
• 60-day double-entry: US$55 (useful if you are making a side trip to Bhutan or Tibet).
• 60-day triple-entry: US$70
• 60-day multiple-entry: US$90
If you have already visited Nepal within 150 days of the same visa year you must pay US$50 for 30 days.
Visa extensions cost US $1 for each day beyond the expiration date of the original entry visa.

Royal Nepalese Embassies and Consulates
• Royal Nepalese Embassy 2131 Leroy Place N.W. Washington DC 20008 USA Tel: (202)667-4550
• Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations 820 Second Avenue, Suite 202 New York NY 10017 USA Tel: (212)370-4188
• Royal Nepalese Embassy 12A Kensington Palace Gardens London W8 4QU England Tel: (01)229-1594/229-6231
• Royal Nepalese Embassy 14-9, Todoroki, 7-chome Setagaya-ku Tokyo 158, Japan Tel: (03)705-5558
• Royal Nepalese Embassy IM Hag 15 D-5300 Bonn 2 West Germany Tel: (0228)343-097
• Royal Nepalese Embassy 45 bis rue des Acacias 75017 Paris France Tel: 46224867
Honorary Royal Nepalese Consul Generals
• Dr. Linda Diane Griffith PO Box 1097 Toowang, Brisbane 4066 Australia Tel: (07)378-0124
• Mr. W.A. Johns Suite 23, 18-20 Bank Place Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia Tel: (03)602-1271
• Mrs. Lillian Roberts 4th Floor, Airways House 195 Adelaide Terrace Perth, W.A. 6004 Australia Tel: (09)221-1207

Other Documents
Some other items that you should carry are:
• Your passport and extra photographs
• A vaccination certificate and record of medical history
• Your insurance form (especially insure your camera)
• Travellers cheques (carry a minimum of cash)
• A US$100 bill to be used for emergencies while trekking
• A photocopy of your passport (in case of loss)

Trekking Permits
Trekking permits are no longer required for treks to the Everest region, Annapurna and Langtang.

A trekking permit is still required to visit restricted areas and far eastern and western Nepal. The permit specifies the places you may visit and the duration of your trek. It requires one full day to obtain a trekking permit and involves a lot of queuing and waiting in the Immigration Office unless your agent obtains the permit for you. The cost of the trekking permit is usually included in the trek cost. If you are going to a place where a permit is needed, your travel schedule should include two nights in Kathmandu or Pokhara before the trek so that your trekking permit may be processed. You should keep your passport and air ticket in your hotel safe in Kathmandu during your trek.

A normal trekking permit costs US$5 per week for the first four weeks of trekking and US$10 per week thereafter. Permits for Dolpo and Kanchenjunga treks cost US$10 per week for the first four weeks and US$20 per week thereafter. The exorbitant fees for restricted-area trekking permits are detailed in the section on restricted areas. You must have a valid visa extension for the full period of trekking before you can apply for a trekking permit.

National Park & Conservation Fees
If you trek in the Annapurna, Makalu or Kanchenjunga regions, you will enter a Conservation Area and must pay a conservation fee of Rs 1000 (Rs 2000 for Annapurna). This must be paid in advance in Kathmandu. A national park fee of Rs 1000 is also collected at the time you enter a national park.

Physical Conditioning
The better your physical condition, the more you will enjoy the trek. You do not have to undergo a rigorous training programme. Just do as much walking as you can up and down hills, up (and down) stairs in your office. Take weekend hikes in the mountains. Walk to work. Jogging and cycling are useful training for a trek. Whenever possible, make your hikes in the same shoes that you will use for the trek. You must remember that you are going on a hiking trip among the highest mountains on earth. The hills are steep and you may be travelling in hot weather, in snow or in rain. You will often be tired, and you must be prepared for this. However, anyone in good health can complete a trek if you hike slowly, and spend a little effort now to get into good physical condition.

Canada Green Card

2007-04-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Canada Green Card

Canada Green Card is a term that is used figuratively to describe Permanent Residency in Canada.

Officially however, a green card is uniquely American and is the popular name for a United States Permanent Resident Card. An American green card which, by the way, has not been printed on green paper since 1977, gives its holder permission to live and work in the United States.

Instead of a Canada green card, Permanent Residents of Canada have the right to a Canada Permanent Resident Card as proof of their Canada immigration status.

Though you may be thinking that the distinction is only a question of semantics, there is a significant difference in the philosophies behind the issuance of a United States green card and a Canada Permanent Resident Card. Here’s the distinction: An American green card grants the holder the permission to enter and live in the United States. In contrast, Canada Permanent Resident status grants an individual the right to enter and live in Canada.

In the context of immigration status, having permission and having the right are two very distinct claims. Permission is akin to a privilege and, in the case of a green card, the privilege is granted by the U.S. government, speaking for the American people. A right is something more - it is a legal entitlement. It is inherent to the holder. True, both privileges and rights have limits and both may be revoked under certain circumstances, but that is not to say that they confer equal status. A simple example demonstrates this point. Permanent Residents of the United States must be in possession of their U.S green cards at all times and must be prepared to show them to U.S. authorities upon request. Canada Permanent Residents have no such obligation. Not only do they not have to carry around their Canada Permanent Resident Card, they are not even required to apply for the card. Though useful to have, a Canada Permanent Resident Card is purely voluntary.

The difference between United States and Canada Permanent Residency is really about attitudes and conceptions - how residents are viewed by their fellow countrymen. More importantly, however, the distinction between having permission and having the right to live in the United States or Canada can shape personal perceptions - how one sees oneself in the mirror - as Permanent Residents contemplate their place in society. Canada Permanent Residency is much more than a Canada green card...it is a fundamental entitlement.

Fast-track your Canada Immigration Visa Application

How you can Obtain a Canada Immigration Visa Sooner with a Canadian Job Offer through either a Work permit, Arranged Employment or Provincial Nomination.
A genuine job offer from a Canadian employer is one way to speed-up your entry to Canada. You can shave years off your permanent resident application processing time by finding employment in Canada.

The starting point is a Canadian job offer. Once you have a job offer, you can consider the following options:

1. Work Permit
Work permits are issued only for employment that is temporary. In some circumstances, work permits can be extended from inside Canada.

Advantage
o The fastest way to come to Canada is on a temporary work permit. Usually you can be in Canada within weeks after you apply, if not sooner.

Disadvantage
o Before offering you a job, your potential Canadian employer may have to demonstrate that efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for your intended position, but that those efforts were unsuccessful.

2. Arranged Employment
Arranged Employment is based on a permanent Canadian job offer of indeterminate length. You do not begin to work in Canada until you receive your Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa.

Advantages
o Your potential Canadian employer does not have to demonstrate that Canadian residents could not be found for your intended position.
o Priority processing at all Canadian Immigration Visa Offices (except Buffalo) of your application for Permanent Residence in Canada. You will usually receive your visa in less than one year.
o You will receive up to 15 points under the Federal Skilled Worker category of Canada immigration.

Disadvantage
o None, really. It just won’t get you to Canada as quickly as a work permit.

3. Provincial Nomination
Provincial Nomination contains elements similar to Arranged Employment and to Work Permits. Most Canadian provinces and one territory offer nomination programs that lead to a Canada Immigration Visa. Most often, it involves a permanent job offer of indeterminate length from an employer in a particular province.

Advantages
o Once you have been nominated by a province you can usually immediately receive a work permit to come to Canada and begin work, even before your Canada Immigration Visa is issued.
o Your application for Permanent Residence in Canada will receive priority processing and you will usually receive your visa in less than one year.
o You may qualify for Provincial Nomination even in some occupations that are not considered “high-skilled”

Disadvantages
o Before offering you the position, your potential provincial employer will usually have to demonstrate that efforts were made to hire Canadian residents, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
o It will not get you to Canada as quickly as a work permit, but it’s still relatively fast.

Any way you look at it, a Canadian job offer will speed-up your arrival in Canada.

Start your Canadian job search now.

2007-03-31T04:35:00.000-07:00

Namaste !

I have put together this web site to introduce Nepal to the rest of the world.

Visitors to this site will be able to go through all the information in this site on Nepal

Enjoy the site and see you soon in Nepal.

Information
General, Flight, Diplomatic, Weather, World Heritage, Calling Nepal

Places To See
Kathmandu, Patan (Lalitpur), Bhaktapur, Pokahara, Lumbini, Patan Musuem, Tibetan Camp

Things To Do
Rafting, Mountaineering, Trekking, Golf

Hotels/Resorts

Crafts

Maps
General, Geographical, Political, Kathmandu

Nepal a Shangrila

2007-03-31T03:17:00.000-07:00

With its backdrop of tall white mountains (dominated by Everest - the world's third pole), Nepal has 2,500 years of culture in valleys and a myriad collection of 888 temples and palaces that bear silent testimony to the artists and craftsmen of three medieval cities with stunning, unforgettable monuments. You will have a walk through narrow winding streets, imposing pagoda shrines, and show you Hinduism and Buddhism fused together in stone, copper, brass, wood - works of perennial art.

Away from the press of cities, you will also trek to several places where there are swift Himalayan rivers, white-water rivers, and jungles aprowl with the one horned rhino, the rare Royal Bengal tiger, and other exotic species of flora and fauna being preserved against extinction. Elephant back safaris can also be managed to have you revel in the wonders of wilderness. And there are treks too, timeless trails to traverse the mountains where the air is clean, the view glorious, and the people friendly. Such treks take you to a step beyond your imaginings. Comfortable tents, modern conveniences and culinary delights. And a staff ready to anticipate needs.

Nepal is a world of its own, and one we know well. Let us unveil it for you. Here in Nepal, amid the grandeur of lofty peaks that are a wish away, is the valley of Kathmandu. Crowded with the memories of 2500 years of civilization.

Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur - three cities that glorify the lives of bygone dynasties. Culture that sweeps you from the clamour of festivals to the throng and crowd of bazaars filled with life. Swift rivers, where the excitement of rafting hurtling rapids overwhelm you. The adventure of discovery, as your heart pumps with adrenaline and you rush past some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world.

Then follow down into jungles aprowl with wildlife, where deer and rhinoceros and tiger are just some of the many glories that await you. Elephant safaris take you from many starred jungle resorts into the heart of the wild. Easy ones that have you perambulating past the lake Valley of Pokhara where the snows are eternally reflected in the still waters.

More difficult treks up in the Himalayas, where an unchanged way of life awaits your coming. Imagine an Incentive with the Himalayas to awe you, your base of excitement in the luxury of Hotels like the Soaltee, Hyatt, Yak & Yeti, and the Shangri-La who have had years of experience of looking after you and your needs.