Daily Investment Tips

When borrowers run into financial distress and they can’t keep up with mortgage payment they make the mistake of using the services of Foreclosure prevention companies.

Avoid Foreclosure Prevention Companies

You don’t need to pay foreclosure prevention companies fees for foreclosure prevention help–use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender. While these may be legitimate businesses, they will charge you a hefty fee (often two or three month’s mortgage payment) for information and services your lender or a HUD-approved housing counselor will provide free if you contact them.

Worse still some of these companies purporting to stop your foreclosure immediately have been outed as scams.

It is a risky option to seek the services of a foreclosure prevention company.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Avoid Foreclosure, Borrowers, Contact, Counselor, Financial Distress, Foreclosure Help, Foreclosure Prevention, Hefty Fee, Hud, Legitimate Businesses, Mistake, Money, Mortgage Payment, Prevention Company, Profit Companies, Scams

Long time ago if you wanted free cash for college you just needed to apply for a scholarship, if you were lucky to get it, you were set for college. Another free source for free college cash was cash from parents and relatives.

Thanks to declining economy this sources of free college cash have dried up. Other sources of free college cash have come up.

Free College Cash Websites.

Websites such as Babymint.com, Littlegrad.com, Futuretrust.com and Upromise.com, allow registered users to earn points that go towards a a college saving account.

Credit Cards

Fidelity offers an American Express card that will rebate 2 percent of all purchases to a Fidelity 529. The money will be withdrawn to finance college education. Upromise also have a credit card where registered users can earn back upto 1% of every amount spent using the upromise credit card.

Another fabulous article on the subject is at USNEWS

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: American Express, American Express Card, College Education, College Websites, Credit Card, Credit Cards, Declining Economy, Fabulous Article, Fidelity 529, Finance Education, Free Source, Free Websites, Futuretrust, Littlegrad, Long Time, Money, Parents, Relatives, Scholarship, Upromise, Upto

In their annual ranking of Top financial advisors. The editors of Barron online ranked Ron Carson of Carson Wealth Management Group as the top independent financial advisor in Omaha, Nebraska.

This is how Carson wealth management group on their website.

Carson Wealth Management Group was founded on traditional values; hard work, loyalty, uncompromising quality, and personal services. When we manage your money, you get all this and more. We call it True Wealth…all that money can’t buy and death can’t take away. Our goal is to help our clients find True Wealth by uncovering what is truly important in their lives. We are dedicated to taking you on this journey.

They even go further and politely ask for your business. Please consider Carson Wealth Management Group and Experience the Difference for yourself.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Barron, Editors, Financial Advisors, Independent Financial Advisor, Journey, Loyalty, Management Group, Money, Omaha Nebraska, Personal Services, Ron Carson, Top Financial Advisor, Traditional Values, True Wealth, Uncompromising Quality, Wealth Management

I was over at Jim Cramers website and had a look at some of Jim’s stock picks for October 2010.

Jim Cramers Buy Recommendation For October 2010

The following companies stocks are predicted to rise by Jim Cramer. Cramer has given them a buy recommendation.

DuPont (DD)

Yum! Brands (YUM)

Costco (COST)

Caterpillar (CAT)

Disclaimer. Like Cramers warns, don’t follow him blindly, do your own homework these are recommendations and he makes no guarantees. No one cares about your money more than you do

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Caterpillar Cat, Costco, Dupont, Dupont Dd, Guarantees, Homework, Jim Cramer, Jim Cramers, Money, Stock Picks, Stock Predictions, Stocks, Yum Brands

If you are a follower of Ken Fisher you must be interested to listen to his latest forecast on what will happen in the next decade.

The next decade will be as good for investors as the 1990s, said Ken Fisher, the billionaire chief executive officer of Fisher Investments Inc.From Bloomberg

Fisher made this forecast at the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Sydney.

Don’t follow Fisher’s forecast blindly, the man might have made a ton of money from stocks before but keep in mind the man is human and he makes mistakes just like us mere mortals.Like in the case below:-

Fisher said in October 2008 that U.S. stocks were close to the bottom. The S&P 500 fell about 30 percent from October 2008 to a 12-year low in March 2009.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 1990s, Amp, Billionaire, Bloomberg, Ceo Conference, Chief Executive Officer, Fisher Investments Inc, Follower, Forbes Global, Global Ceo, Investors, Ken Fisher, Mere Mortals, Money, Next Decade, Stocks, Sydney

Warren Buffet once said, We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.

Businessweek has an article of how investors this years are frustrated by stock returns and are now running away from stocks.

Americans continue to be wary of stocks. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index is almost unchanged since the end of 2009, and mutual fund investors have yanked money from equities for four straight months. Activity in the options market shows that concern has never been higher that stocks will plunge. At the same time, other indicators, including cash flow and dividend yields, suggest equities are attractively valued.

The article continues to make an argument as to why investors should jump back into stocks. Read the rest of the article at Businessweek

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Amp, Businessweek, Buying Stock, Cash Flow, Dividend Yields, Money, Mutual Fund Investors, Options Market, S 500, Stock Index, Stock Returns, Stocks, Warren Buffet

Novagold resources is a Vancouver based mining company. The interesting thing about this mining company is the heavy hitters who have bet their money in it.

According to an article in businessweek. Some of the famous billionaire commodity investors who have invested their money in it are, George Soros, John Paulson and  Thomas Kaplan.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Billionaire, Businessweek, Commodity, George Soros, Heavy Hitters, Investors, John Paulson, Mining Company, Money, Novagold Resources, Stock Analysis, Stock Tips, Thomas Kaplan, Vancouver

James C. Boogle is the founder of The Vanguard group,  a mutual fund that allows retail investors invest in the movement of S & P 500. The fund owns 500 stocks — all the companies that are included in the index.

James C. Boogle is a champion of investing in index funds. He believes index funds have three advantages over the traditional mutual funds.

The Advantages of Investing in Index fund.

Low Cost fees – Vanguard funds don’t charge commission fees to buy into the fund

Higher return to investor – Vanguard funds don’t hire expensive stock analysts, don’t rapidly move in and out of position. This saves on operational cost. The money saved is moved that is distributed to investors as gains.

Stable Return. Vanguard fund never claims to beat the index. The returns are average but stable.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Amp, Boogle, Champion, Index Fund, Index Funds, Investment Tips, Investor, James C, Money, Mutual Fund, Operational Cost, Retail Investors, Stock Analysts, Stocks, Traditional Mutual Funds, Vanguard Fund, Vanguard Funds, Vanguard Group

The Vanguard group is a mutual fund that allows retail investors invest in the movement of S & P 500.The fund owns 500 stocks — all the companies that are included in the index.

If you are interested in investing in Vanguard fund and you may be interested to know its advantages.

The Advantage of Investing in Index fund.

Low Cost fees – Vanguard funds don’t charge commission fees to buy into the fund

Higher return to investor – Vanguard funds don’t hire expensive stock analysts, don’t rapidly move in and out of position. This saves on operational cost. The money saved is moved that is distributed to investors as gains.

Stable Return. Vanguard fund never claims to beat the index. The returns are average but stable.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Amp, Fund Investment, Index Fund, Investing, Investment Group, Investment Tips, Investor, Money, Mutual Fund, Operational Cost, Retail Investors, Stock Analysts, Stocks, Vanguard Fund, Vanguard Funds, Vanguard Group, Vanguard Investment

One of the biggest monthly expense for a US household is the cost of cable bill. Most subscribers never think of negotiating their fees down they just pay what the bill says. After all we all assume the small guy has no chance against a corporate giant!

As I was reading across the internet I came across two subscribers of Comcast who explained how they managed to cut their comcast bills. Guy No 1 cut his Comcast bill by 33%. Guy No. 2 cut his Comcast bill by by 44%. All done without losing their service.

The two guys posted a detailed chat transcript with Comcast customer representatives on their blogs. The transcripts gave an insight on how to negotiate for lower cable fees.

This is what learnt from the two guys On How to Negotiate for Lower Comcast Bill

1. Negotiate one on one, don’t send an email, call the company directly or use a live chat.

2. Make it clear from the start that you want a lower cable bill.

3. During the conversation mention the rates of competitors.

4. Be nice, dont threaten to live directly, mentioning the rates of competitors is enough to keep them on notice.

5. Know the promotions that are being run for new and exisiting customers. Their is a chance they could be running a promotion and you are not aware.

The beauty of negotiating for lower monthly cable bills is that the money saved can be used to boost your savings which means more money available for investing.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Blogs, Cable Bill, Cable Bills, Comcast, Comcast Cable, Corporate Giant, Customer Representatives, Email, Exisiting Customers, Household, Insight, Live Chat, Money, Monthly Expense, One Don, Promotions, Subscribers, Transcripts, Two Guys