Buy Premium Savings Bonds

<body bgcolor="#ffffff"> <p>How to Buy Premium Savings Bonds.<br /> <br /> Title: I'm Investing - Now What?<br /> Author: The Leading Edge Publishing<br /> Article:<br /> The good news is that there are nearly an unlimited number of<br /> ways and strategies to be successful in investing and managing<br /> your money. The bad news is that there is an unlimited number of<br /> people, businesses, advertisements, magazines, radio experts,<br /> and television shows all ready to tell you what they think you<br /> should do. But don't despair. Among the many successful ways are<br /> some common denominators that all seem to revolve around common<br /> sense. Here are my top ten common sense tips for asset<br /> management: </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #1: Don't fall in love with a stock.</b></p> <br /> <br /> Don't let emotions get involved with your stock - it could cost<br /> you dearly. Regardless of any sentimental meaning you may attach<br /> to it, it represents a commodity of value only. </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #2: Don't buy or sell from a broker on the last two days<br /> of a calendar month.</b></p><br /> <br /> If you don't know your commission-based broker well, put a<br /> moratorium on any business during the last few days of any<br /> month, when such brokers typically end their production period<br /> that determines their paycheck for the following month. Don't<br /> risk getting recommendations based more on your broker's need to<br /> earn a commission than on your need to make money. </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #3: Seek a financial advisor through friends or your<br /> company's benefits office.</b></p> <br /> <br /> Brokerage companies often have rookie brokers simply take turns<br /> accepting unsolicited calls for advice. This is far too risky.<br /> You need to protect your money. If your friends can't recommend<br /> one, utilize the due diligence that your company's benefits<br /> office has done on the company's behalf and ask them for a<br /> referral. <br /> <br /> </p><br /> <br /> <b>Tip #4: Don't pay for advice you don't need.</b></p> <br /> <br /> There will always be a need for high quality, full-service<br /> stockbrokers. However, for the common investor, cost savings are<br /> enormous and personal control is greatly improved if you can<br /> invest a few hours per week into the powerful research tools and<br /> portfolio management applications afforded by free Internet<br /> sites. <br /> <br /> </p><br /> <br /> <b>Tip #5: Fee-based managers can gouge, too.</b></p> <br /> <br /> <font size="2" face="Arial">If you're paying a professional<br /> manager a flat fee based on the size of your portfolio, make<br /> sure you aren't paying ongoing management fees on the cash<br /> portion of your account. It makes sense to pay management fees<br /> on the portion that is in stocks and bonds, but never pay<br /> additional management fees on the portion invested in money<br /> market funds. </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #6: Take the best of both worlds.</b></p> <br /> <br /> If you have a complex portfolio and estate, consider paying a<br /> professional financial advisor for a specific plan that can be<br /> executed and evaluated on your own at a discounted or online<br /> broker. This keeps you in control and free to measure<br /> performance without any conflict of interest as well as saving<br /> significantly on needless fees and commissions. </p><br /> <br /> <b>Tip #7: That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.</b></p><br /> <br /> Do your research, get outside advice if necessary, and find a<br /> core strategy that you can live with long-term. It is the fees,<br /> tax liability, and needless short-term losses that can destroy<br /> the multiplying momentum of your portfolio over time if you<br /> allow yourself to be whipsawed with every new fad.<br /> <br /> </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #8: Life insurance is not an investment. Investments are<br /> not life insurance.</b></p> <br /> <br /> Insurance salespeople may try to convince you that life<br /> insurance can be used as an effective investment. Stockbrokers<br /> may try to convince you that your life insurance premiums are<br /> better spent by investing in their investment recommendations.<br /> Common sense and good advice will tell you that there is a need<br /> for both at some level in every family. </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #9: Don't overlook invisible losses.</b></p> <br /> <br /> Invisible losses are those you are taking and not even knowing<br /> it. For example, if you are afraid of taking some risk by<br /> investing and instead place your money in a bank savings<br /> account, you will have had invisible losses by not earning more<br /> than you could have. Manage your money, and consider the cost of<br /> doing nothing when you make financial decisions. </p> <br /> <br /> <b>Tip #10: Keep your perspective.</b></p> <br /> <br /> You own your money - do not let it own you. Always remember<br /> where your portfolio ranks in your own personal priorities of<br /> life. </p><br /> <br /> About the author:<br /> For more professional advice from a variety of reputable authors<br /> on getting out of debt and making, saving, managing, and<br /> investing money, order How to Manage One Million Dollars. or<br /> Less today, available at<br /> <br /> <br /> http://www.theleadingedgepublishing.com.</p> </body>