ING Direct Lags the Competition

In its early years ING Direct was a pioneer in the high-interest savings accounts space offering an interest rate that was far and away better than any of the banks. But for many years now, the best rates can be obtained not at ING Direct but at one of its new competitors. Take high-interest savings [...]

ING Direct Lags the Competition is brought to you by Canadian Capitalist -- Helping you to invest & prosper.

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Obama and Environmentalists

Bill Moyers talks with two environmental activists who are disappointed in Obama's progress on climate change.

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Larry Light's Tips on Taming the Wall Street Beast

Filed under: Economy, Investing, Investing Basics

With the U.S. and European debt crises, concern about a double-dip recession and some lingering numbness from the market woes of a few short years ago, these are uncertain times. And investors are looking for investment strategies that will lead to wealth amid all the uncertainty.

Sponsored Links

But to be successful, you should forget the notion of getting rich quick. Fast and furious doesn't work on Wall Street, and neither does putting all your investing chips in one pot. If you want to be a successful investor, think long term and be ambidextrous. At least according to Larry Light, a former editor at The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek and author of the new book, Taming the Beast: Wall Street's Imperfect Answers to Making Money.

To "tame the beast" that is Wall Street, savvy investors must be nimble, understand a myriad of investment strategies and know when and how to use them, he writes. His book includes a primer of sorts on the power and pitfalls of value- and growth-investing strategies, as well as of investing in real estate, hedge funds, bonds, currencies, commodities and oversees investments.

It's All About Diversity

Taming the beast is about diversity, Light suggests, which isn't as easy to achieve as you might think. Many strategies must be explored to get to that blessed state where you can say, "I've got plenty of money to sustain me, thank God," he writes. The trick is to be sufficiently flexible to dip into any or all of them, but, by the same token, to know each strategy's limitations.

Light contends that successful investing doesn't require a fancy MBA from an expensive university, "It's not quantum physics," he says. But it does require intelligence and diligence. You have to put in some study time, read everything and watch for trends and opportunities. Figure out what investments appeal to you and under what conditions they thrive, he advises. Ask questions, talk to people and ponder, he says.

What could be the worst move for investors right now? Letting emotions rule. "Don't follow the herd," he says. "If everybody is doing something, it must be right? Wrong."

Check out this video to get more of Light's wisdom on taming the beast:

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/04/larry-lights-tips-on-taming-the-wall-street-beast/

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Robert Kuttner and Matt Taibbi

Amidst fading hopes for real reform on issues ranging from high finance to health care, economist Robert Kuttner and journalist Matt Taibbi join Bill Moyers to discuss Wall Street's power over the federal government.

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jpmorgan: @toddvernon You missed the speeches by Arthur Davis (co chair of Obama's '08 campaign) and Gov Nikki Haley (daughter of Indian Immigr.)

jpmorgan: @toddvernon You missed the speeches by Arthur Davis (co chair of Obama's '08 campaign) and Gov Nikki Haley (daughter of Indian Immigr.)

Source: http://twitter.com/jpmorgan/statuses/240666317856833536

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John Lithgow, Part I

He's played heroes, villains, saints, sinners, a ballet-dancing elephant, and a space alien, now actor and children's author John Lithgow - best known as Dick Solomon from NBC's hit show 3rd Rock from the Sun - reveals a new side of himself... poetry lover. The award-winning stage and screen star Lithgow shares his favorite poems, insights into acting, and thoughts on the enduring power of art. Lithgow currently stars in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons. He has penned several children's books, as well as compiled poems for The Poets' Corner: The One-And-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family.

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LBJ's Path to War, Part II

As President Obama prepares to announce how many more troops he will send to Afghanistan, Bill Moyers remembers the presidency of Lyndon Johnson and the agonizing decisions that escalated America's involvement in Vietnam. Through Johnson's secret tapes of phone calls and conversations, and his own reminiscences, Moyers recalls the events that plunged us ever deeper into war.

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ETFs in 2010: The Winners, the Losers and the Warnings

Filed under: Investing, ETFs, Investing Basics

The investment world's love affair with all things ETF did not wane in 2010, as their share of the market rose to $940 billion in assets, held in more than 1,000 exchange-traded funds.

There was plenty of excitement: Nearly 200 new distinct portfolio ETFs were introduced through Nov. 30, according to preliminary data from Morningstar (MORN). "ETF providers seemed ready to adapt Apple's (AAPL) marketing slogan, 'We have an app for that' and say 'We have an ETF for that,' " says Cameron Short, a certified investment management analyst with Stifel Nicolaus.

Then there was the flash crash drama. On May 6, about 20% of ETFs were temporarily snarled in the trading glitches that took place that day. At some point, about 210 of the then 980 ETFs changed hands at prices more than 50% below their ultimate closing price, according to Morningstar.

As for which funds have been hottest so far in 2010, preliminary data from Morningstar, Jan. 1 through Nov. 30, reveal winning categories: US ETF Commodities Precious Metals, up 118.38%; US ETF Equity Precious Metals, up 42.42%, US ETF Real Estate, up 23.75%; US ETF Small Growth, up 23.47% and US ETF Consumer Discretionary, up 23.46%. As for the laggards: US ETF Bear Market was down 29.55%; US ETF Commodities Energy, down 14.78%, US ETF Commodities Industrial Metals, down 5.42%; US ETF Europe Stock, down 3.81%, and US ETF Utilities down 1.12%.

There were a few lessons too. "Not all ETFs are the same," says John Bracket, a partner with BAR Financial. "Some of our MVP ETFs folded in 2010 because they did not have the asset base that would make them viable going forward. Some passive ETFs that we thought would be index trackers did not perform that way. We ran into illiquid ETFs that stunted our ability to get money out when we wanted it."

Tracking Commodities Is Trickier Than It Sounds

This year was all about commodities. "ETFs have become the vehicle of choice for exposure to the commodities market," says Short. But what concerns him is whether investors really get how a particular ETF, selected for exposure to a particular commodity, invests their money. ETFs gain exposure to a commodity by either investing directly in the futures market, or investing in publicly traded companies associated with a particular commodity. "Commodity ETFs rarely correlate exactly with the underlying commodity," Short explains.

"Investors need to determine if by purchasing ETFs they are acting as a trader (for the short term) or an investor (for the long-term)," he adds. Longer-term investors may not want to hold an ETF that invests directly in the futures market because the cost of rolling those futures contracts monthly and the possibility of contagion in future contract prices could hurt long term performance, he adds.

"ETFs that invest directly into the futures market are better suited for shorter-term investors who won't have to worry about the costs of rolling future contracts," says Short.

Beware of Leverage, Autopilot Investing, and Narrowness

Paul Brahim, executive vice president and managing director of BPU Investment Management, sites a couple of worrisome trends from 2010. "We are seeing growth in the number of ETFs being offered in three areas, and in each case, many investors are using ETFs in a way that can be dangerous to the health of their portfolio."

He points fingers at leveraged ETFs, which multiply the risks and rewards of the bets they make by investing on margin. Typically, a leveraged ETF will have as its goal shorting a universe of stocks, such as the S&P 500, and by leveraging, double their bet.

"These ETFs were designed for day-trading, but many small investors are buying them and holding them as a hedge, which is a mistake because when the bet goes wrong, the losses mount up quickly," says Brahim. Leveraged ETFs have caused some investors headaches by not delivering the expected result of double or triple performance versus their benchmark, adds Todd Millay, managing director of Choate Investment Advisors.

Second on Brahim's list are the suddenly popular target-date ETFs, which he says many people have started using in their self-directed 401(k)s, thinking that they are a "no-muss, no-fuss way of investing their money." Not so. "Target-date ETFs have all the disadvantages of target-date mutual funds, including the possibility of inappropriate allocation and the lack of control that the investor has over what's in the fund. Investors who use any target-date fund should remember that there should be no such thing as autopilot when it comes to an investment portfolio," he adds.

Next, he says narrow, narrow and more narrow is a trend is being misused by investors. "Financial companies continue to cut industry sectors into ever more narrow ETF slivers -- for example, ETFs that invest in water or corn, instead of ones that buy a basket of commodity companies. These ETFs are great for placing a bet on a narrow industry like solar energy or nanotechnology, but too many people buy a lot of 'slivered' ETFs and think they have achieved diversification, when in fact they have just placed a bunch of narrow bets," says Brahim.

Know Exactly What You're Investing In

While the proliferation of new launches ultimately should only benefit consumers, says W. Ross Singletary II, managing partner of Arcus Capital Partners, this trend does have the potential to create confusion. Eric Dunavant, president of Dunavant Wealth Group urges investors to be cautious about the type of ETFs they use. "Stick to traditional indexes like the S&P 500, Russell 2000, and MSCI EAFE," he advises. "If you want to diversify with other assets, stick to mutual funds with a longer track record of investing in those areas, especially commodities. These new ETFs may look fun and exciting, but if they are new, no one has any experience with what they will do. I wouldn't buy a mutual fund with less than 3 to 5 years of management experience, and I think the same goes for ETFs," he adds.

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Then too, not only is the overcrowded market confusing, it at times can be dangerous because it can lead to low liquidity on certain ETFs, adds Dunavant. Low volume often leads to wide spreads between bid prices and ask prices. That can mean that two investors purchasing the same low-volume ETF at roughly the same time, could pay dramatically different prices, points out Don Moulton, director of financial services at Retirement & Tax Planning Specialists. Worse, he says, when trying to sell the ETF, investors might find few buyers, and those buyers might only offer prices far below what most would consider fair market value, especially if you're selling during a market panic.

"The explosion in the last year has opened up the world of ETFs that can be as dangerous to investors as a loaded gun, especially to someone who has no idea how to handle one," says Dunavant. "Yet the marketplace wants to sell them as an easy way to invest. This overcrowding can also be confusing to financial advisers, many who don't have the time to research the nuances of all the new ETFs."

The first rule of investing, reminds Moulton, "is know what you're investing in. Just because an investment product says it tracks the price of a given commodity, it's very important to understand how it tracks that commodity's price."

As for 2011, the crystal ball gazers predict that ETFs will continue to take market share from traditional mutual funds. "They are cheaper, more liquid, allow access to strategies not possible through mutual funds, and within the equity and fixed income space, ETFs often have superior investment returns as compared to similar mutual funds," says David Roda, CEO of Roda Asset Management. ETF specialization will go further, carving out even smaller nooks and crannies in the investment world. ETFs are still one of the fastest growing investment vehicles, and right now, experts don't expect anything will slow them down.

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/04/etfs-2010-winners-losers-best-worst-warnings/

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Cleanup Boats Sent to Shore After More Workers Get Sick

Ryan Knutson

This post has been updated.

All 125 commercial vessels working to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have been ordered back to shore temporarily after four workers on three separate vessels became ill, according to a Deepwater Horizon Response press release.

It's unclear whether the crew members were working with chemical oil dispersants, which have been criticized for their toxicity. Our calls to officials in the region have not yet been returned.

The sick workers said they had headaches and chest pain, and were nauseated and dizzy. One was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Marrero, La., another was taken by boat and two were taken in an ambulance, according to the press release.

The current symptoms mirror those of other fishermen who were hired by BP to help clean up the spill, as we pointed out earlier this week. The dispersants BP is using to break up the oil have many health risks of their own. Earlier this month, the EPA told BP to stop using the chemicals and to switch to something else, but BP says there is no better alternative.

Update, 5/27:

According to Captain Meredith Austin, the Coast Guard deputy incident commander, controlled burns were being executed and aerial dispersants were being used in the vicinity of the affected workers, but no dispersants were being sprayed within 50 miles of the workers.

"It's important to keep in mind there are other factors which may potentially cause these symptoms," Austin told reporters on a conference call this evening. She named the smell of petroleum, heat and fatigue as possible causes for the symptoms.

Workers were not given respiratory protection equipment because according to Austin, prior air sampling performed in the area concluded that the level of chemical exposure was permissible.

Source: http://feeds.propublica.org/~r/propublica/energy-environment/~3/yldMx39xN7E/

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Labor Day Reflections

A Bill Moyers essay.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/3bf3l_U2d-A/watch.html

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The News is Going Mobile

Author(s): 

Donald Liebenson

The growing mobile landscape is producing a “multi-platform” news consumer no longer content to “read all about it.”

Half of U.S. adults—a dramatic increase over last year--are now connected to the Internet through a tablet computer or smartphone, according to a comprehensive new study conducted by Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism in collaboration with The Economist Group. And news is an important part of what these users do on their mobile devices. Almost two-thirds of tablet (64 percent) and smartphone (62 percent) owners say they use the devices for news at least weekly.

This brave new world of news consumption has been hastened by the rapid acceptance of tablet computers, the Pew report finds. Twenty-two percent—double the number from last year—are tablet owners, while another 3 percent of adults regularly use a tablet owned by someone else in their home (another 23 percent, who do not own a tablet, plan to jump on the bandwagon in the next six months). 

Almost half (44 percent) of U.S. adults own a smartphone, up from 35 percent in May 2011, the survey found.

This new generation of mobile news consumers is delving beyond checking the headlines on their devices, although nearly all use them to check for news updates, Pew reports. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents  said they read in-depth articles at least sometimes, including 19 percent who report doing so daily, Sixty-one percent of smartphone news consumers read longer stories sometimes, while 11 percent do so regularly.

The survey of 9,513 U.S. adults finds that most tablet and smartphone users are content with accessing the news on their browsers (60 percent) instead of news apps (23 percent). There is also resistance to paying for content on mobile devices. Only 24 percent of respondents are considering dropping their print subscriptions for a digital one. These users tend to be younger, who are traditionally more tech-savvy).  

 How does the “multi-platform” user get their news? Fifty-four percent of tablet news users also get news on a smartphone, while 77 percent get news on a desktop or laptop computer, half get their news in print, and one-quarter get news on all four platforms.  Among smartphone users, 47 percent also still get news in print while 75 percent get news on their laptop/desktop and 28 percent get the news on a tablet.

 

Related Content: 

American Voters Think Locally for Their News: Survey

Source: http://www.millionairecorner.com/article/news-going-mobile

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Spanish budget: what the economists say

Spain has said its 2013 budget will focus on spending cuts rather than tax rises, as its economy minister insisted that the plan exceeds EU expectations. Here's how economists reacted.

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America's economy reformed?

Just over a year after economic calamity brought promises of reform to Washington, many now say that the recession is nearing an end. But is it business as usual for Wall Street, and have future financial crises been averted? Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson and US Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) join Bill Moyers for a report card on the bailouts, an update on the state of the U.S. economy, and to find out whether efforts of reform have been derailed.

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Snowbirds: What You Need To Know

Canadians who head down south for a good part of the winter to enjoy sunnier skies and a milder climate – and the opportunity to golf in January – are known as snowbirds. Although there are other options, the Sunbelt of the U.S. is by far the most popular destination – it’s close by, has [...]

The post Snowbirds: What You Need To Know appeared first on Boomer & Echo.

Source: http://www.boomerandecho.com/snowbirds-what-you-need-to-know/

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The Impact of Social Security Cuts

Unless you've been living in the middle of nowhere, you're probably aware that the United States' federal deficit is quite large, to say the least.  The number is so big, in fact, that it's hard to wrap your head around.  Once you begin talking about trillions, it almost sounds as if it's made up.

Unfortunately, the situation is quite real.  What is also real is the attempt by lawmakers to shrink this number, and the proposals made to go about it.  Some of these proposals could affect your retirement.  More specifically, a few of them are targeting Social Security payments, both for people who are already retired and those who are approaching retirement.  Below, we will look at the proposals that have been made.

The Ironic Cuts

Despite the fact that Social Security payments are low for a great number of people, many retirees rely on the money they receive in order to make ends meet.  If their benefits were lowered, they could be financially ruined.  The irony here is that a big reason why cuts are being proposed is to to make up for the damage done to the deficit during the housing market crash.  But what some people don't even consider is the fact that this housing market crash harmed the same retirees that would be affected by such cuts.  For them, it's a double whammy.

Proposal #1:  Raise The Retirement Age to 70.

Currently, the normal retirement age stands at 66.  Beginning in 2017 and ending in 2022, there will be a two month increase to this age each year.  At that time, the normal retirement age will be 67.  This new proposal, however, would alter this quite a bit.  If successful, the increase would begin in 2013 and end in 2036, at which point the normal retirement age would reach 70.

Impact:  The current rules for collecting Social Security state that each month that a person retires early, he or she will receive a cut in benefits.  Since you are permitted to retire as soon as you reach 62, this new normal retirement age would increase the number of months that you could retire early, thus increasing your reduction.

Proposal #2:  Base The Social Security Formula on progressive price indexation (PPI).

By basing the Social Security formula on progressive price indexation, those who have annual earnings less than $22,300 would see a rise in benefits.  This increase would be equal to inflation for those who earn the maximum amount of $106,800. 

Impact:  The problem with this proposal is that it damages too many people.  While its design would help to lower the federal deficit and benefit the lower half of earners, middle-income workers would be negatively affected.  And since there are a great number of middle-income workers, this impact could be huge.

Proposal #3:  1% reduction in the cost of living adjustment (COLA).

This proposal isn't anything new.  It has been introduced in the past.  The reason it has never lost popularity is because many people claim that the consumer price index (CPI) used in this calculation does not accurately provide the needed cost of living adjustment.

Impact:  This proposal stands out from the rest because of the group that would be affected.  Rather than impacting those who were approaching retirement like the other two proposals, this would affect those who are already retired.  Another consideration is the fact that the older a retiree is, the greater he or she would be affected.

Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/179278/The-Impact-of-Social-Security-Cuts

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Patterson and Loury

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL examines racial inequality in America through the prisms of the legacy of slavery and the current socio-economic landscape with perspective from historical and cultural sociologist Orlando Patterson and Glenn C. Loury, an economist and expert on race and social division.

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U.S. Solar Installations Will Drop in 2013 (FSLR, SPWR, TSL, STP, LDK, JASO, YGE, CSIQ)

Filed under: Energy

The U.S. solar PV market rose sharply in the second quarter of 2012, compared both to the previous quarter and year-over-year. Total solar PV installations in the U.S. during the second quarter amounted to 741.7 megawatts, up from 512 megawatts in the first quarter and 343.2 megawatts in the same period a year ago.

The data comes from GTM Research's "U.S. Solar Market Insight Report" for the second quarter of 2012. The U.S. and China are the two remaining large growth markets for solar PV as both Germany and Italy have stalled. In the U.S., utility installations have more than doubled while commercial installations have fallen and residential installations have stalled.

The report notes a few trends:

• System prices continue to fall and the point is fast approaching where retail electricity prices will drive the market, not state-level incentives.
• The third-party financing model for residential installations continues to grow.
• Commercial installations remain captive to state incentives.
• Utility installations are booming now, but new procurement has slowed.

GTM Research thinks 3,200 megawatts of solar PV will be installed in 2012, down 100 megawatts from the firm's earlier estimate. That number represents a 71% increase over total 2011 installations.

The installed system price fell by 22% quarter over quarter, from $4.44 per watt to $3.45 per watt. The year-over-year-decline came to 33%.

Most important for solar PV module manufacturers is component pricing. And here's where things get tough for U.S. makers like First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Sunpower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) and Chinese firms Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL), Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), JA Solar Holding Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), and Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ).

Blended average module pricing fell from $1.56 per watt in the second quarter of 2011 to just $0.87 per watt this year, a decline of 58%. Chinese makers have not shown any significant impact from the anti-dumping tariffs imposed by the U.S. government earlier this year. GTM Research estimates that the tariffs add just $0.08 per watt to the cost of Chinese solar modules shipped through Taiwan under different tolling arrangements.

For 2013, the research firm expects market growth for solar PV to slide from 71% this year to 21%. The firm also thinks expansion in the years through 2016 will be about 25% to 30% - not bad, but far lower than the growth rates of the past few years.

An executive summary of the GTM Research report is available here.

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Alternative Energy, Green Biz, Research Tagged: CSIQ, FSLR, JASO, LDK, SPWR, STP, TSL, YGE

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/10/u-s-solar-installations-will-drop-in-2013-fslr-spwr-tsl-stp-ldk-jaso-yge-csiq/

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Ultra-Short-Pulse Laser for High Efficiency Cell Concepts

Coherent, Inc. introduces a new laser system – the TaliskerTM – optimized for next-generation high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing, and designed as a drop-in, turn-key tool for both production line equipment suppliers and cell manufacturers.
Traditionally, laser scribers for Edge Isolation, Laser Grooved Buried Contacts, and Wrap-Through hole drilling have had to rely upon lasers operating with [...]

Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/press/ultra-short-pulse-laser-high-efficiency-cell-concepts/

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Larry Light's Tips on Taming the Wall Street Beast

Filed under: Economy, Investing, Investing Basics

With the U.S. and European debt crises, concern about a double-dip recession and some lingering numbness from the market woes of a few short years ago, these are uncertain times. And investors are looking for investment strategies that will lead to wealth amid all the uncertainty.

Sponsored Links

But to be successful, you should forget the notion of getting rich quick. Fast and furious doesn't work on Wall Street, and neither does putting all your investing chips in one pot. If you want to be a successful investor, think long term and be ambidextrous. At least according to Larry Light, a former editor at The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek and author of the new book, Taming the Beast: Wall Street's Imperfect Answers to Making Money.

To "tame the beast" that is Wall Street, savvy investors must be nimble, understand a myriad of investment strategies and know when and how to use them, he writes. His book includes a primer of sorts on the power and pitfalls of value- and growth-investing strategies, as well as of investing in real estate, hedge funds, bonds, currencies, commodities and oversees investments.

It's All About Diversity

Taming the beast is about diversity, Light suggests, which isn't as easy to achieve as you might think. Many strategies must be explored to get to that blessed state where you can say, "I've got plenty of money to sustain me, thank God," he writes. The trick is to be sufficiently flexible to dip into any or all of them, but, by the same token, to know each strategy's limitations.

Light contends that successful investing doesn't require a fancy MBA from an expensive university, "It's not quantum physics," he says. But it does require intelligence and diligence. You have to put in some study time, read everything and watch for trends and opportunities. Figure out what investments appeal to you and under what conditions they thrive, he advises. Ask questions, talk to people and ponder, he says.

What could be the worst move for investors right now? Letting emotions rule. "Don't follow the herd," he says. "If everybody is doing something, it must be right? Wrong."

Check out this video to get more of Light's wisdom on taming the beast:

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/04/larry-lights-tips-on-taming-the-wall-street-beast/

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Bear Stearns Investors Settle Claims for $275 Million

A group of Bear Stearns shareholders who claimed to have been hurt by the investment bank's deteriorating health has agreed to settle its claims for $275 million, four years after the firm was sold to JPMorgan Chase.

Source: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/06/07/bear-stearns-investors-settle-claims-for-275-million/?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

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Statist solutions will only hamper growth

Telegraph View: Luckily, Mr Cable's proposals for a state lending bank look little more than a footling irrelevance

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/579300/s/2350f427/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Ccomment0Ctelegraph0Eview0C95356840CStatist0Esolutions0Ewill0Eonly0Ehamper0Egrowth0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Eco-friendly Inflatable Solar Panel for Domestic Use

As a leading sustainable product designer, Industrial Design Consultancy (IDC) is delighted to announce its latest product development; an inflatable solar collector called SolarStore. The SolarStore harnesses the sun’s natural energy to warm domestic water and can heat up to three full tanks of water per day at temperatures close to 80°C.
For consumers in [...]

Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/press/inflatable-solar-panels/

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jpmorgan: #Thingsyoudon'twanttohearattheoffice: We have called XYZ to let them know about the smell in the building.

jpmorgan: #Thingsyoudon'twanttohearattheoffice: We have called XYZ to let them know about the smell in the building.

Source: http://twitter.com/jpmorgan/statuses/247674362063355904

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Andrew J. Bacevich, Part II

Bill Moyers sits down with history and international relations expert and former US Army Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich who identifies three major problems facing our democracy: the crises of economy, government and militarism, and calls for a redefinition of the American way of life. "Because of this preoccupation with the presidency," says Bacevich, "the president has become what we have instead of genuine politics, instead of genuine democracy." Respected across the political spectrum, Bacevich has contributed to The Nation, The American Conservative, Foreign Affairs, among others, and his latest book is The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/fPs1InhV7L8/profile2.html

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Cisco CEO Replacement Plan For John Chambers Becomes More Evident

Filed under: Company News, Technology, Telecom

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is not getting a new Chief Executive Officer yet, but the timeline may finally be closer. CEO John Chambers told Bloomberg in an interview today that he and the company have identified some of the senior leaders at the company who could succeed him. His timeline was put in the two-year to four-year range. This is important because the 63-year old Chambers has been considered a possible retirement candidate in the not so distant future for a year or more now.

Chambers has been CEO since 1995 and there are as many as ten different potential candidates according to the interview. Three who were mentioned (beyond an immediate ';if-needed' replacement of COO Gary Moore) are Robert Lloyd, Chuck Robbins, and Edzard Overbeek. What is interesting is that Chambers indicated that if the board of directors and shareholders want him to that he would likely hold on to the Chairman title even after he retires from the role of Chief Executive Officer.

We would take this one of two ways. Either Chambers is starting his bowing-out process by finally talking about it, or he is simply going to retire in two to four years. He has already overhauled the operations a year ago and Chambers talked up giving his officers more and more responsibility.

Today's news shows is having little direct impact. Shares are down 0.3% at $18.74 against a 52-week range of $14.93 to $21.30.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Corporate Governance, Management Change, Technology, Technology Companies, Telecom & Wireless Tagged: CSCO

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/25/cisco-ceo-replacement-plan-for-john-chambers-becomes-more-evident/

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What's Next For Campaign Finance?

In the wake of a controversial Supreme Court decision giving corporations and unions more freedom to spend on elections, many federal and state lawmakers are hoping to curb Citizens United V. FEC's effect on elections. Find out how some legislators are fighting to curb Big Money spending even as the Court invalidates laws in 24 states aimed at keeping elections clean.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/ATYxG50pHlE/profile2.html

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September 22nd 2012 Favorite Blog Posts

Photo: B Rosen It’s looking like Sunday might be time for a road trip down to Seattle. It’s a great city and I always enjoy heading down there. If real estate prices down there weren’t so close to what it … Continue reading →

Source: http://www.modestmoney.com/september-22nd-2012-favorite-blog-posts/

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Are Stocks Starting to Peak? - VIDEO SOON

UPDATE SUNDAY: Video still due today…..in final edit now….
We will post a new video either late Saturday or relatively early on Sunday. Check back soon.

Source: http://ciovaccocapital.com/wordpress/index.php/stock-market-us/are-stocks-starting-to-peak-video-soon/

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Internal Problems In Spain Escalate

Below are some key points from a New York Times article on some worse than expected problems in Spain:
Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, already under pressure from his European counterparts to clean up Spain’s banks and public finances, failed on Thursday to ease what has recently turned into his biggest domestic political challenge — a [...]

Source: http://ciovaccocapital.com/wordpress/index.php/currencies/internal-problems-in-spain-escalate/

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Affluent Say 'Raise Social Security Age'

Earlier this year, Bank of America conducted a study entitled the Merrill Lynch Affluent Insights Survey.  This study, which began in 2009, focuses on a variety of subjects each year, with an overall goal to provide a bit of insight into the financial and retirement needs of the American public.  For 2012's survey, they asked questions regarding the current state of retirement and Social Security.  

Mark 2022 on Your Calendars

One focus of the survey conducted by Bank of America was regarding Social Security.  As you may have heard, the Social Security is currently being threatened.  This is because the gap separating the amounts being collected and the amounts being paid out is widening.  At some point, the collected amounts will overcome the checks being sent out.  According to estimates, this will happen in the year 2022.  Once that happens, it is possible that the amounts that people receive (which are already very low) will decrease.  This is why many people believe that changes must be made to the system.

An Older Workforce

Statistics from 1993 show that 29% of the United States' workforce was older than 55, according to the Labor Department.  Last year, their newest survey showed that the number had risen to 40%.  These results demonstrate that an increasing number are not retiring simply because they reach a certain birthday.  Yes, this is how things worked in the past, but the American sentiment has changed.  Now people are retiring not because of their age, but simply because they are ready and/or feel that it is the right time.

Survey Backs Up Older Workforce

Bank of America's survey backed up the above sentiment.  The results show that, of the individuals surveyed who were under 62 years of age and had not yet retired, 62% were not planning to retire early.  Instead, a number of them planned to put off their retirement for as long as possible, both for financial and personal reasons.  In addition to this, the survey also showed that not quite 15% of those over 50 stated that age would be a main reason concerning their decision of when to retire.  These results show that, for one reason or another, the average American worker is more than willing to keep working, and that number is likely to continue increasing.

Affluent People Say "Raise the Retirement Age"

The study from Bank of America shows that affluent individuals believe that the retirement age should be raised in order to affect change to the current Social Security outlook.  In fact, of those with at least $250,000 in assets, 59% felt this way.  If the retirement age was increased to match our increased life expectancy, it could fix the problem of the widening gap between the amount being collected and the amount being paid to retirees, at least for quite a number of years.  The only thing missing from the survey was a specific age that respondents would consider having the retirement age raised to, though adding on at least a few years would probably be acceptable. 

Different Study Shows Concern For the Deficit

Toward the end of last year, Wells Fargo had its own survey completed.  The results showed that 47% of respondents with assets totaling at least $100,000 believe that a cut in benefits, whether from Social Security or Medicare, would help lower the U.S. debt.  However, the study also indicated that only 23% of a person's retirement funds would come from Social Security.  This indicates that other sources of continuing income during retirement are necessary, despite concerns of the deficit.

Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/154640/Affluent-Say-Raise-Social-Security-Age

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