DIY Superannuation - How Much Control Do You Want?

By Gnifrus Urquart

The retirement industry in Australia is second to none in the world. It forces us to save money in a very comfortable way, a way that doesn't impact our disposable income, so we all have a big pool of money to live off in retirement.

One of the pitfalls of superannuation for me though is the way you lose control of your money. It is your money, yet often someone (such as your employer and usually due to your own inaction) decides where your money is invested. For this reason, I set up my own Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF).

All a DIY Super fund is, is a legal structure you can use to manage your own superannuation money. There are a number of responsibilities you must take care of, ensuring the fund meets its obligations in as much as superannuation laws go. Once set up though, you can be as involved as you want and outsource the parts you are not interested in managing. The things that need to be taken care of include:

Firstly, someone needs to be the trustee. The trustee takes legal ownership of and responsibility for the fund, and all the assets there within. Time wise, it is not onerous, its more of a legal responsibility.

b) All the housekeeping. Someone needs to do all the book keeping and accounting work. This includes preparing all the annual tax statements, balancing the books and lodging tax returns.

c) Audit. Each year your superannuation fund should be audited to ensure it complies with the superannuation regulations. A successful audit will ensure you maintain your "complying" superannuation fund status and can continue to enjoy superannuation tax concessions.

4. Investments - The investment manager makes all the investment decisions, buying and selling investments to ensure the long term financial success of the fund, for the benefit of its beneficiaries. The investment manager must ensure that the investments made, comply with the superannuation laws, regulations and guidelines of the day. Failure to do so could result in a bad audit and the loss of taxation concessions.

Myself, well all I wanted was to make my own investment decisions, live and die by my own sword so to speak. I have always thought this was really important as retirement savings are one part of my entire investment strategy and estate, they are not an isolated pool of funds. The decisions I make here need to be responsible to the big picture and work in harmony with the non-retirement savings investment decisions I make.

I find all the other responsibilities to be very time consuming so I've outsourced them. This leaves me more time to analyse my investments properly and make better investment decisions. - 23196

About the Author:

Gnifrus Urquart enjoys taking responsibility for his retirement savings, as well as the leisure time outsourcing his DIY Superannuation Administration affords him.

Growth Stocks Investment

By Ahmad Hassam

Capitalization or cap refers to the combined value of all the share of a company's stocks. The division between large cap, mid cap and small cap are often blurry and not sharp. When you start looking for good stocks, you often come across these terms like large cap, mid cap, small cap, growth and value. Let's discuss these terms for a moment.

Mid caps are companies with $1 to $5 Billion in capitalization and small caps are companies with $250 million to $1 Billion in capitalization. Anything below $250 million can be considered as micro cap. However the following divisions are generally accepted: Large caps are companies with over $5 Billion in capitalization.

Perhaps the most important ratio is the Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E). Now the most important term that you come across is growth stocks and value stocks. How do you determine this is a growth stock or a value stock? Suppose, company ABC stock is presently selling for $50. Now suppose that last year company ABC earned $5 for every share of the stock outstanding. This means stock ABC P/E ratio is 50/5=10. So the higher the P/E ratio, the more investors are willing to pay for the stock. What is the P/E ratio? The P/E ratio divides the price of the stock by the earnings per share.

Let's make this clear with an example. Do you know how to read the balance sheet of a company? One of the most important things in doing research on a stock is the balance sheet of the company. Suppose, company ABC stock is presently selling for $50. Now suppose that last year company ABC earned $5 for every share of the stock outstanding. This means stock ABC P/E ratio is 50/5=10. So the higher the P/E ratio, the more investors are willing to pay for the stock. So what is the P/E ratio? The P/E ratio divides the price of the stock by the earnings per share. Over the years, studies have shown that the P/E ratio is somehow related with the growth of a company. Now the higher the P/E ratio, the more growth the company is supposed to have. So it can be either the company is growing real fast of the investor have high hopes of its growth. Now these hopes can be realistic or foolish, you never know!

The lower the P/E ratio, the more value the company has. Low P/E ratio companies are not considered to be the movers and shakers in the market. Now, if you follow financial news than you must know that the large growth companies always grab the headlines. But do the growth stocks really make best investment? According to Fama and French, two famous researchers who did ground breaking research on stocks, over the last 77 years, large growth stocks have only seen 9.9% annualized rate of return as compared to 11.5% for the large value stocks.

Now intuitively you might have thought that growth stocks are better. What can be the reason for their lower performance over the years? The most probable cause seems to be their immense popularity. Since most of the headlines are captures by high growth companies, investors seem to think that they are the best investments.

Think about Google, how its stock price shot up within a matter of weeks after it hit the market. Weeks after that it began to cool off. So large growth stocks tend to get overpriced before you are able to buy them! - 23196

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. Try these cash printing Forex Signals from heaven. Discover a revolutionary Forex Robot System!

Annuities Can Still Work For You

By Glenda Goodwich

Are you struggling from month to month. Perhaps you have heard the phrase, more month left at the end of the money. It means simply you have more expenses than you have money to pay them at the end of the month.

Now apply that same thought to your retirement years. You may have a goal to retire at 59 years old. Assuming you are reasonably healthy, you might live to be 75.

Unfortunately, this is a real issue retires or soon to be retirees face each day. However, what if your retirement income runs out before the end of your life?

This reason alone forces many people to work longer than they has planned and what should be your glory years turn out to be working overtime. Is there a solution?

The simple solution would be to retire with enough money so it would not be a concern. With todays economy and the constant threat of inflation, how do you know when enough is enough?

Consider immediate annuities to protect your assets and provide a steady income for your retirement years. What is an Immediate Annuity?

The basic definition is a contract between you and an insurance company that guarantees a rate of return for your investment. You pay a one-time premium and receive payouts based on a pre-determined interest rate and your own life expectancy.

Essentially the larger your payment the larger your monthly income. You cannot outlive the benefits of your payout and your payout is guaranteed.

The most obvious factor for most people is obtaining the highest interest rate available, but there are other important factors to consider.

Other tax deferred for example variable annuities are backed by stock market investments. Conversely fixed annuities are issued by and secured by the insurance company where the purchase is made.

Researching the various insurance companies and their credit ratings can help you make a wise selection when shopping for an immediate annuity. The priority in you selection should be the credit worthiness of the company itself.

Ultimately, financial decisions, should be made by the individuals investing the money. There are a number of retirement instruments to choose from.

Certainly there are more than enough agents promoting retirement products. Fixed annuities provide security and stability in a time when the economy is uncertain at best. Research annuities and you will be able to make an informed decision based on your own evaluations. Investing in annuities just might work for you

Security and stability make fixed annuities a wise choice. Investing for retirement offers many options. Todays economy makes the decisions very difficult. If you are looking for stability and guaranteed income, consider immediate annuities. - 23196

About the Author:

To read more Questions and Answers about Investing in Annuities visit Investing In Annuities for more articles and information.

Do you Know What Is Commercial Properties Investing

By Billy Chen

We have some of the best commercial real estate for your investment dollar.If you are looking for a real estate investment, then look into our commercial real estate. There are many different commercial properties that await investment.We have more commercial real estate per capita than most places on earth.

Our real estate agents work for you to find a property that will be pleasing to invest in.We have a variety of properties available that will suit everyone's taste and budget. However, there are several factors that you will need to take into consideration before you do invest in real estate.We have many different types of commercial properties, everything from hotels and resort areas to malls and doctors offices.

Each of our properties is available for you to look at and invest in.With so many to choose from, we will be certain to have something that will suit. We have many commercial real estate properties for you to invest in here in Singapore.All investments must be approved by the HDB and Residential Property Act.

There is also the matter of location, type and size, and amenities.There are things such as bankruptcy, eligibility a competent real estate agent and one that works only for you.These will all need to be decided before you can make a purchase as far as commercial real estate investment property.A seller must be eligible to sell any property in Singapore.One other consideration to consider is the situation of bankruptcy.There are certain rules to investing in Singapore commercial real estate.Eligibility requirements must be met before a purchase can be made.

Once these factors are taken into account, then you have enough time for the selection to choose from will have. These factors must always be considered before purchasing any type of commercial property in Singapore factors.

All the factors will then fall into place for you to buy the commercial real estate investment that you wish to purchase. By having a real estate agent that works for you and is only interested in your best interests, you will have a great chance of getting the commercial real estate investment property of your dreams.

Factors are for you to find out what types of commercial real estate we have available to you in the beautiful Singapore. These properties will be resolved according to your specific needs and constraints that Singapore places on foreigners who want to purchase property.

With all the investment property that is available in Singapore, we are certain that you will be able to find what you want. So get in touch with a local Singapore real estate agent and let us help you to choose the correct investment property that is for you.We offer quality properties to you for investment purposes.We are waiting for your call and are standing by to help you make that commercial investment property dream a reality. - 23196

About the Author:

Learn more about Singapore Property For Sale. Stop by our site where you can find out all about Singapore Property For Rent and what it can do for you.

How to Minimize Forex Trading Losses

By Gregor Anton

by Forex currency Day Trader Gregor Anton - http://www.ForexCurrencyDayTrader.com

Last week I had some very good trades. I wish they all would be , but lets face it, this isn't a get rich quick scheme. You will have losses. How you manage your money and minimize risk, and minimize losses will play a key role in becoming a successful Forex Trader.

Rather than looking at how to get the most pips and make successful trades, lets focus on minimizing your Forex Trading Losses:

* No Trade is a Good Trade - Patience is key. If the market doesn't make sense, stay out. Create a demo account and practice first. Only trade when you're 100% sure all your trading conditions are met.

* Don't Babysit Your Trade - Follow your trading plan, system, and strategy. Know your entry and exit condition. Don't stress yourself out and watch your pips fluctuate or worse, go into negative red numbers. Follow your plan, set your stop losses and take profits. Walk away or do something else. Let your trading system and plan take care of the trade.

* Don't Get Greedy - Fear and Greed will get you every time. Greed is an emotion and you want to keep your cool and stay focused on practical trading. Emotional and impulse Trading is Gambling.

* Save Your Emotions - Relax and you'll trade better. Even with the best of trading plans, systems, and strategies. And in my experience, especially with Forex Robots, Signals, and Alerts. Let your profits run, cut your losses, and be sure to stick to your system and strategy. Save the emotions for when you celebrate a good week!

* Measure Profit in Pips - Focusing on pips rather than profit in dollars is far better. $'s make it emotional, pips keep it strategic. If you're not comfortable trading bigger lot sizes, don't.

* The Trend is Your Fairweather Friend - And you thought it was your friend... It will change and according to some the Forex Market is Trending only 20% of the time.

* Set Goals - Know exactly how many pips you are targeting. How many good or bad trades you're going to stop at. Everyone has bad days... I go for a walk, eat some Ritter Sport chocolate, grab a Mocha at Waves Coffee, or change my scenery in some way that gets me away from Forex. Bottom line, have a plan! ...and follow it.

* Set Conditions - When are you going to enter a trade? Exit? What is your Stop Loss and Take Profit? What are the market conditions? Market hours? Will you carry over? Trade around news times?

* Economic Calendar - The Forex Market tends to become volatile around important economic news. This "noise" can really throw off your trades. Or it can help your trading. Either way, you need to stay on top of Forex News by checking the Economic Calendar at least daily.

* Manage Your Money - Only Risk 5% at most. If you have multiple trades, the sum should be 5% or less. Some people like 3%.

* Know Your Risk / Reward - How many pips are you willing to risk? Are you going to risk 200 pips to make 20? You want to risk less than you are bound to make.

* Practice Practice Practice - Open a demo account, thoroughly test your system, plan, and strategy. Your demo account balance after 1 month of trading will give you a good indicator of how well you've done.

* Practice Practice Practice - Open a demo account, thoroughly test your system, plan, and strategy. And please don't change it every day or hour and stop looking for that holy grail. Your demo account balance after 1 month of trading will give you a good indicator of how well you've done.

* Walking Away is the most important part of your day - We've all been there, a great trading day, week, or hour. x amount of successful trades, you've met your target and you're excited. Do yourself a favour. Walk away and end on a high note. The markets are quick to turn and in our over-excitement the simplest mistake can cost you all your profits. Just walk away and continue on another day! - 23196

About the Author:

Want to find out more about Forex Day Trading, then visit Gregor Anton's site on how to Minimize Your Forex Trading Losses.