Alternative Investments: Are They Even Available to the Average Investor?

By Jennifer Gilbert

The definition of an alternative investment according to Wikipedia is an investment product other than the traditional investments of stocks, bonds, cash, or property. You know...the traditional investments that we have been spoon fed for most of our life and the traditional investments that many of us lost our shirts on during the crash of 2008/2009.

The first type of alternative investment that comes to mind are precious metals and if you read anything that I post on my blogs you know I give you example after example after example from the experts in the field of why you should at least consider owning precious metals. Especially since they are still are relatively cheap; even when trading at the most recent high's of close to $42.00 for silver and $1476.00 for gold.

While not too long ago it was hard to purchase smaller units of these commodities, today you can find reputable companies where you can buy smaller amounts of both silver and gold. And yes, there are plenty of reputable companies out there that will allow you to purchase precious metals with your retirement funds without penalties for that conversion.

The mystique of alternative investing is starting to be put to bed by investing experts such as Kip Herriage and trends forecaster Gerald Celente. If you follow their publication closely there is little mystique on alternative investments and wealth strategies. They make investing fun, easy, educational and best of all they leave you with the peace of mind that the experts are standing closely by watching the cycles and trends and more importantly reporting on those cycles and trends on a timely basis...allowing you to reposition your portfolio in an effective and very timely manner.

The economic tipping point for the United States is no longer theoretical. It is a reality today and sadly most people are not even aware of it. Over the next 3 years we will be witnessing the largest transfer of wealth we have ever seen in history (a 50 Trillion dollar transfer of wealth), and those that follow the "old paradigm" ("traditional investments") will be left in poverty, while those that learn the "secrets of the new paradigm" ("alternative investments") will become the wealthy of the future.

Continue to do your due diligence and education not only in the alternative investments of precious metals but other investment opportunities as well. Together we can and will weather this perfect economic storm.

Jen Gilbert is a former medical sales consultant. When the market crashed in 2008-2009 and like so many other people lost over 50% of her savings, she became a student of wealth strategies, wealth tactics and wealth accumulation. Jen took it upon herself to get the financial education that she could rely on, no matter what was happening with the economy, the market or world trends. Now she educates individuals on how they can do exactly the same...create lasting financial independence so they are less reliant on the vagaries of the government and the economy.

Become wealthy in the age of risk starting today:

http://www.Crash-Proof-Prosperity.co
http://www.JenniferLGilbert.com

What are you waiting for? It's only a bit of education. The more you know the better life gets.

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Investing in the Stock Market

By: Kieran Waldron
Had you invested in real estate (or property as it is known in the UK) over the past 30 years or so you would have done very well.However, prices have now reached such a level that it may not be such a good investment especially in the short-term. Over the long-term,prices are sure to appreciate once again. Outside of bricks and mortar, the stock market still
provides the skilled individual with one of the best opportunities at capital appreciation.

With the globalization of markets now having been accomplished enabling an individual to trade in almost any market across the globe from anywhere, we will concentrate on the American market which is still the biggest and most liquid market. Having  decided to concentrate on the American market, you now must decide on what sort of companies offer the best opportunities for making a profit.Small technology or biotechnology companies can sometimes offer spectacular gains in the short-term. However, your chance of picking them out of the bunch in advance of the significant move in their share price, unless you are equipped with insider knowledge, is pretty slim. Therefore concentrating on large established companies is a much safer route to profits.Concentrating on the constituent members of the S&P 500 index provides the investor with ample scope for investment in established companies. I will therefore solely turn my attention to the latter to provide the necessary fodder.

When viewing companies in an index such as the S&P 500, you have got to be aware of the different sectors within it. In order to reduce your risk, it is inadvisable to invest in more than one company in any one sector at a given time. Picking on a sector that is currently advancing, or about to advance, and then looking for the most eligible company within that sector likely to profit from the favorable tide can be very rewarding. The company chosen needn't be the market leader in that particular sector. If Xxon Mobil, for
instance, dominates the Oil and Gas sector, a second or third line company in that sector such as Occidental Petroleum may give you a much better opportunity to profit from rising oil prices for example.

Ideally you are looking for an established company in a sector that is advancing, or likely to advance, that is paying increasing dividends from rising profits, and with a p/e ratio ( that is payment/earnings) less onerous than its peers.P/e ratios are only relevant when comparing companies within the same sector. Another approach to picking a company whose share price is likely to advance is to pick a large company with good prospects when it is temporarily out of favor with the market. Both AIG Group and Pfizer have been in the doghouse over the last couple of years enabling astute investors to profit from their short-term
unpopularity.With the latter strategy timing is of crucial importance.

If you segregate, say, $20,000 as starting capital for investment purposes from other funds required to live from month to month, the best place to initially put it is into a high-interest bank account until such time as you are ready to invest. This account should pay 4% or better interest per year.You would then limit your investment in any one share to 15% of the total, or $3,000 including dealing expenses per investment. It is inadvisable,especially in jittery markets, to have more than 70% of the total invested at any one time.The market has moods and when everything looks black on the horizon good shares will fall back with the mediocre and bad ones giving you a chance to buy a good share at cheap prices for recovery.

If you do your own research, it is best to use and execution- only broker who are cheaper than those offering investment advice. Pick a large broker with many years service in the market. If you want a broker offering investment advice, go for one who has a proven record of offering impartial advice in the market as recommended by a friend or acquaintance.

Author Bio
About the author: Kieran Waldron is a researcher on many subjects who has recently become an internet publisher. More articles on investment can be viewed at the following website: www.investingaim.com

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5 Easy Guidelines for Beginner Investing

5 Easy Guidelines for Beginner Investing

Author: Kewal Wason

Would you like to set up an investment portfolio, but are not sure where to begin? Beginner investing is not as hard as you might think. With the internet, researching strategies to save money is fairly easy and beginner investing is no different. There are number of websites and experts available, just waiting to counsel you on your next best financial move.

Investing is necessary to safeguard your financial future. You will need to have investments for retirement, especially in today's economy where purchasing power of the US dollar is decreasing and inflation rising. Plus, investing can be fun and exciting if you know what you are doing. But whether you find investing interesting or not, there is something for everybody. There are savings that are low risk and almost considered a sure win (ie. US savings bonds). You may not make as much money from them, but you do not have to fret that you will lose everything. And if you are a risk taker or a trend watcher, the best way to invest money for you is high risk investments that will excite you.

If you are just starting out, you will want to follow some easy steps. Investing can be quite complicated depending on what you are investing in:

1 - Set a budget plan and do not go beyond it. This is pretty much like everything else in life. It is best if you start small until you get your feet wet.

2 - Start out with a single kind of investment, (ie. drip investing) until you become familiar with how that investment medium works and then widen your horizons and begin to expand your portfolio.

3 - Diversify, diversify, and diversify! Become familiar with the many kinds of investments that are accessible these days. With a diversified portfolio you reduce your risk. You are better able to handle what the economy dishes out.

4 - Find out what the experts are doing. There are various publications available with a vast amount of information on building a portfolio.

5 - Get started. Many people put off starting something that is strange to them. You will be a beginner until you get some experience and skill and you cannot do that until you get started.

Nowadays, learning to invest is important. Unless you win the lottery, your investments will be what you are living on after you retire. Learning to invest is integral to your future happiness and there is no time like the present to get started. Start building for tomorrow, today. You are never too young to start investing and a person never gets too old to make changes to their investment portfolio.

 About Author:

Kewal Wason is an independent advisor. You can find information on save money strategies, how to set up a SEP IRA, mutual funds online investing, drip investing, beginner investing, us savings bonds and more at http://www.save252.com.


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