What Is Your Investment Style?

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles – and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive.

Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use.

If you are saving for retirement in your early twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing – but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style.

Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts.

An interest earning savings account is very common for conservative investors.
A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments. Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments.

An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns – either over time or in a short amount of time. Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market.

Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment. Never invest without having all of the facts!

READ MORE - What Is Your Investment Style?

Why You Should Invest

Investing has become increasingly important over the years, as the future of social security benefits becomes unknown.

People want to insure their futures, and they know that if they are depending on Social Security benefits, and in some cases retirement plans, that they may be in for a rude awakening when they no longer have the ability to earn a steady income. Investing is the answer to the unknowns of the future.

You may have been saving money in a low interest savings account over the years. Now, you want to see that money grow at a faster pace. Perhaps you’ve inherited money or realized some other type of windfall, and you need a way to make that money grow. Again, investing is the answer.

Investing is also a way of attaining the things that you want, such as a new home, a college education for your children, or expensive ‘toys.’ Of course, your financial goals will determine what type of investing you do.

If you want or need to make a lot of money fast, you would be more interested in higher risk investing, which will give you a larger return in a shorter amount of time. If you are saving for something in the far off future, such as retirement, you would want to make safer investments that grow over a longer period of time.

The overall purpose in investing is to create wealth and security, over a period of time. It is important to remember that you will not always be able to earn an income… you will eventually want to retire.

You also cannot count on the social security system to do what you expect it to do. As we have seen with Enron, you also cannot necessarily depend on your company’s retirement plan either. So, again, investing is the key to insuring your own financial future, but you must make smart investments!

READ MORE - Why You Should Invest

About E-LOAN

E-LOAN is a nationwide financial services company that is dedicated to providing consumers with a simple, easy and open way to obtain high yield savings accounts and CDs. Our web site also provides access to several preferred, nationally recognized lending partners that may be able to assist you in obtaining a loan that meets your financial needs. Since its launch in 1997, E-LOAN has drawn upon its pro consumer values to deliver our customers the best online experience possible. Loan Rate

READ MORE - About E-LOAN

Amy Victoria Beck

A 33-year Burbank middle school teacher accused of having sex with teenage male students over a period of six months last year accused of violating the law on Tuesday for sex with minors, MyFoxLA.com reported.

Amy Victoria Beck, a teacher at David Starr Jordan Middle School, appeared in Burbank Superior Court Wednesday. He did not enter pleas and the indictment is scheduled for March 25.

David Starr Jordan High School teacher Amy Victoria Beck is scheduled to be dragged in Burbank Superior Court on four counts today is not valid and one count of oral copulation sex with someone under the age of 16 years.

According to reports, Beck went to the Burbank police station Monday night told the officer he "had a sexual relationship with one of her students."

Police then interviewed the boy who confirmed the story the teacher told a meeting place between March and September 2009 when he was 14.

It is unclear whether Beck gave himself up for arrest warrants have been issued or if the guilt rose.

READ MORE - Amy Victoria Beck

Home Loan Rate

There are many factors that determine the home loan rate that you will be charged on a new or refinancing mortgage loan. Knowing and understanding how each of the variables affect the interest rate will help you to make the best choice of loan.

Type of loan

The type of loan that you select has a significant impact on the home loan rate. A variable rate loan may start out at a low rate and quickly escalate to a much higher rate. In fact, this is one of the major reasons why homeowners find themselves in trouble when they purchase a home with monthly payments that are at the limit of their personal affordability and then the payments increase because the interest rates increase. A fixed interest rate may cost slightly more than a variable loan to begin with, but you know what the rate will be in two years.

Economy

The economy of the nation has an impact on the home loan rate, particularly if the loan as a variable rate loan. Often the loan rate is tied to the prime interest rate plus a certain number of points. Of course, when the economy is slowing down, loans are somewhat harder to get and the qualifying process may be more stringent. When the economy is booming and loans are easy, more people can qualify to get a mortgage loan because the restrictions are less onerous. People are more willing to take a chance on a larger loan when they feel positive about the state of the economy.

Credit score

When applying for a new loan, the loan broker will almost always check the credit score before deciding what the home loan rate will be. The higher the credit score of the potential borrower, the better deal can be put together with the broker. Conversely, if the credit score is low or if there is little credit history, the loan is likely to cost more or require a higher percentage of the total as a cash down payment. Careful attention to making mortgage payments in full and on time will allow the borrower to create a new a better credit history so that a refinance later will have a better rate.

Loan Term

Theoretically a loan can be for any length of time, and this factor is one that many potential borrowers don’t think about. They just assume the best home loan rate will be at a 30 year mortgage term. Even conventional loans can be taken for 15 years, 20 years or 25 years. Shorter term loans cost much less in interest over the term of the loan, so even at a higher monthly payment and the same interest rate, the shorter term loan is a better deal, with significantly less money paid in interest.

Balloon payment

Another common way to structure a mortgage loan that will affect the home loan rate is whether or not there is a balloon payment attached to the payment of the loan. Often a mortgage will be structured to run for two or three years with a very low interest rate at the end of which there is a balloon payment that is the balance of the loan. At the end of the initial period, often the rate will increase, or the monthly payment will jump. Sometimes the entire loan is refinanced at that point.

READ MORE - Home Loan Rate

Investing for College Students

Investing for College Students

For a number of college graduates who have just entered the career or job markets, many of them are already strapped with debt from their 4 years they spent earning their degree. The average college graduate today launch their careers with literally no cash flow. This is due to a number of circumstances including the following:

* credit card debt
* no money saved while in college
* school loans which become due once you have graduated

Not only is this a widespread problem, it is a growing one. Additionally, during economic downturns like the current one we have been experiencing since the beginning of the 4th quarter in 2008, this makes finding a job and launching your career even more difficult.

Changing the current mentality is critical

It should be obvious that changing the above involves changing the overall mentality of those students who are entering college so that this process can be reversed. Although it is easier said than done, the only way to correct this is to save money while you are in college rather than spending your way through your education. Additionally, and if you do things right, you might be able to do some investing towards your own future in the process.

Flexibility is the key when you are starting out

What you want to remember where investing for a college student is concerned is that you need to be flexible with the different investments you decide to make. It’s a given that most college students today like flexibility where saving any money is concerned. This is especially the case because of the extreme cost levels of an education that currently exist. Fortunately, banks and other financial institutions have recognized the necessity of offering financial products that are flexible enough to accommodate a college student.

4 essential investment strategies for the college student

The following is a list of the 4 primary recommendations that we advise where college students and investing towards, their future is concerned:

Open a FREE interest-bearing checking account – this is by far the most flexible type of account you can open if you can qualify for one. It allows you to deposit or withdraw your funds any time you want so your account is readily accessible.

Open a savings account – despite the fact that most standard savings accounts today are only paying 1% to 3% interest, this is still a smart and very safe idea for what to do with your money. There is virtually no risk of losing your money and if you keep depositing money without ever withdrawing any, you will be surprised at how that small interest rate has increased the value of your investments.

Consider either a CD or a Money-Market account – although not every entry level college student has the financial means to do this, those who do have the means to do so should consider this. Just like with a standard savings account, if you can discipline yourself well enough so that you never touch these while you are pursuing your degree, you will be amazed at the rewards that will be waiting for you when you finish college.

READ MORE - Investing for College Students

Investment Portfolio Software

Investment Portfolio Software

Manage Invest is the investment portfolio management software of choice for sophisticated investors, helping you achieve goals, control risk and get the most out of your investments.

Manage Invest can do it all, from tracking purchases, sales, revenue and expenses through to processing dividends, distributions (including tax deferred income), mergers, spin-offs, depreciation of physical assets and much more.

Investors using Manage Invest gain unprecedented insight into the performance of their portfolios using elaborate charts and detailed financial, investor and asset reports.

EOD data is included in the purchase price so your Manage Invest portfolio management software will always stay up to date and keep you informed.

The inclusion of automated asset revaluations (including FX conversions), a wide range of reports, attachment functionality and benchmarking capabilities make Manage Invest the portfolio management software of choice for investors. source

READ MORE - Investment Portfolio Software