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GIC says global recession, crisis likely
2008-04-21 07:48:00
SINGAPORE - A SINGAPORE state investment fund that bought multi-billion dollar stakes in beleaguered banks Citigroup and UBS said a global financial crisis and recession was increasingly likely but that its investments in western banks were long-term in nature. 'The financial contagion has now spread beyond US shores, increasing the likelihood of a global financial crisis and recession,' Government of Singapore Investment Corp deputy chairman Tony Tan told a staff meeting on Monday. 'We could be facing a recession which is longer, deeper and wider than any recession we have encountered in the last 30 years.' 'We regard our investments in UBS and Citigroup as long term investments which will give us good returns when markets stabilise and economic conditions return to more normal levels,' he said. GIC is the larger of Singapore's two sovereign wealth funds and bought 11 billion Swiss francs (S$15 billion) worth of mandatory convertible notes in UBS last December. In January, G...
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Where to put your money now
2008-04-20 18:29:00
Even some great investing minds are confused. But don't run scared. We found a few intriguing opportunities including steel, Microsoft - and cattle futures. By Jon Birger, senior writer(Fortune Magazine) -- How treacherous are the financial markets these days? So treacherous that you can get blind-sided even if you're one the world's great investors, even if years ago you anticipated the credit crisis now roiling Wall Street - even if you're George Soros. After posting big gains in 2007, Soros's $17 billion Quantum Endowment hedge fund has been flat in 2008. The profits Soros earned shorting the dollar have been wiped out by big positions in free-falling Chinese and Indian stocks. Yet Soros seems unperturbed. "We are in a period of acute financial wealth destruction," the 77-year-old superstar speculator tells Fortune. "If you can preserve your capital in a period of wealth destruction, you're doing pretty well." Soros isn't the only investor struggling for answers. Fortune i...
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Earnings Growth
2008-04-20 18:16:00
by Thomas KostigenMaking money, not inheriting it, creates more financial securityMost wealthy people earn their money, and because they earned it they feel more secure about keeping it. That's what a new survey reveals about wealth and values.PNC Wealth Management conducted the survey of people with more than $500,000 of investable assets. The Wealth and Values Survey showed that 69% of "wealthy" Americans accumulated most of their money through work, business ownership or investments; 6% percent received money through inheritance; and 25% gained wealth through a combination of inheritance and earnings."An overwhelming number of affluent Americans earned their wealth and are more likely to feel secure during challenging economic times compared to peers who inherited their money," according to PNC.These findings mirror most other studies of the wealthy and how they got rich. Indeed, take a look at the Forbes list of the world's richest people and you won't find many at the top sp...
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US business leader warns of 'double dip' recession
2008-04-18 07:53:00
The head of a US business executives group warned Thursday that the world's largest economy could endure a "double dip" recession if efforts by the authorities fail to spur growth."If, after the economic stimulus package takes effect and we get into (20)09, and the ... lower interest rates do not kick in, there is a probability of (a) double-dip recession," said Harold McGraw, chairman of Business Roundtable, which represents chief executive officers of leading US companies."That could have serious effects on the other developed countries," said McGraw, who is also head of publishing giant McGraw-Hill.US economic growth has slowed dramatically in recent months and a growing number of economists fear the world's largest economy will experience a recession during the first half of 2008 amid a housing slump and related credit crunch.There is also growing nervousness that the economy might slip back into recession again after a brief recovery in a W-shaped "double dip recession".McGra...
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Trading Without Emotion
2008-04-16 18:01:00
By Trading Markets Research Peter Forth is president of 4th Systems Inc. and creator of the StockReflex stock market replay simulator (stockreflex.net). Part video game, part learning tool, StockReflex helps you refine your technical analysis skills and amass trading experience without financial risk.According to Cal Berkley University research, more than eight out of ten people who trade the stock market on a regular basis lose money. However, the people who do make money at trading tend to do so consistently and repetitively. What do these successful traders have that the others don't? A key factor is their ability to make their decisions to buy and sell without being influenced by extremes of fear and greed. Indeed, inappropriate emotional influence on trading decisions is one of the key reasons that most traders fail to make a profit.FearThere's a martial-arts maxim that you should never get into the ring until you have mastered the basic forms. If you do, your fear of getting ...
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Lehman Brothers CEO joins other bankers in saying worst of credit crisis ov
2008-04-16 03:24:00
NEW YORK - LEHMAN Brothers Holdings Chief Executive Richard Fuld joined a growing chorus of investment bank executives in saying on Tuesday that the worst of the credit crisis is behind Wall Street. Mr Fuld, speaking at the investment bank's annual shareholder meeting, said that credit markets have begun to ease but still believes the environment 'will remain challenging.' Steep losses tied to mortgage-backed securities has cost the world's biggest banks and brokerage about US$200 billion (S$271 billion) since last year. Similar comments came last week from two other investment bank CEOs - Goldman Sachs Group's Lloyd Blankfein and Morgan Stanley's John Mack. Both said during shareholder meetings that Wall Street is closer to the end of the crisis, and that it might last a few more quarters. Lehman Brothers , the nation's fourth-largest investment bank, raised about US$4 billion from a stock sale earlier this month to help boost capital levels. The securities firm also ann...
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German boy, 13, corrects Nasa's asteroid figures
2008-04-16 03:21:00
BERLIN - A 13-year-old German schoolboy corrected Nasa's estimates on the chances of an asteroid colliding with Earth, a German newspaper reported on Tuesday, after spotting the boffins had miscalculated. Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported. Nasa had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right. The schoolboy took into consideration the risk of Apophis running into one or more of the 40,000 satellites orbiting Earth during its path close to the planet on April 13 2029. Those satellites travel at 3.07km a second, at up to 35,880km above earth - and the Apophis asteroid will pass by earth at a distance of 32,500km. If the asteroid strikes a satellite in 2029, that will c...
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UBS staff spooked in Singapore, but staying put
2008-04-14 18:56:00
Simon Mortlock Staff at UBS in Singapore are sprucing up their CVs as job-cut rumours start to spread. One recruiter, who asked not to be named, says a few UBS bankers have already been in touch to discuss their careers. “I’ve definitely seen more résumés coming across my desk this month. There are certainly interesting things going on at UBS. People there seem to be spooked,” he adds. The job-loss jitters follow UBS’s announcement earlier this month of US$19bn of new asset writedowns, and the departure of chairman Marcel Ospel. But at this stage employees are only talking to recruiters, not walking out to join rival banks. “I haven’t seen any actual hirings of UBS people yet. It’s all rumour and speculation at the moment. They want to keep their options open,” says the recruiter. Another Singapore-based search consultant, who also preferred to remain anonymous, agrees UBS workers are nervous: “From people I know there, there’s a lot of talk about w...

Crisis to affect markets for a decade: JP Morgan
2008-04-14 18:48:00
By Richard Barley LONDON (Reuters) - The financial crisis will affect market structure and pricing for at least a decade and lead to greater regulatory powers for central banks in areas at the centre of the turmoil, analysts at JP Morgan said."Market participants and regulators will focus intensely on controlling the risks that were at the core of the crisis," analysts led by Jan Loeys and Margaret Cannella wrote in a note on Monday. These risks include lending standards in mortgages, leverage in the funding of securitized products, and the use of short-term financing for illiquid long-term assets outside of the regulated banking sector. This will change behavior for market participants "for at least a decade," they wrote, in line with fallout from previous crises. "We had the NASDAQ, we had LTCM, we had the various forms of emerging-market crises in the '90s, we had the real estate crisis of 20 years ago: In most of these the direct impact on the behavior of the part...
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A New Index for Financial Well-Being
2008-04-12 19:12:00
by Laura RowleyIn the 1880s, British economist Francis Edgeworth proposed creating an instrument called a "hedonimeter" that could measure, physiologically, how much pleasure a person derived from a specific choice. Edgeworth suggested that the hedonimeter would expand utility analysis from theoretical economics to the real world, helping individuals maximize their welfare and societies create better public policy.The Hedonimeter RebornA group of researchers is reviving the notion of the hedonimeter, at least philosophically. They've developed a method to measure, compare, and analyze how people spend and experience their time, across countries and over time. The idea is similar to Edgeworth's -- if we have a quantitative way to measure which activities bring pleasure to most people most of the time, we can make better decisions to enhance our well-being."We're really interested in describing people's lives as they experience them, as opposed to theories about their lives, and f...
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Goldman CEO says credit crisis in later stages
2008-04-11 12:37:00
NEW YORK - GOLDMAN Sachs Group Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said on Thursday markets are probably in the late stages of the global credit crisis that began last summer, but he would not predict when it will end.'We're closer to the end than the beginning,' Mr Blankfein said at the bank's annual shareholder meeting. 'I think we're getting to that point where people are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.' He estimated the markets are more than half way to recovery, but declined to forecast how long the crisis would persist.'Maybe we're at the end of the third quarter, beginning of the fourth quarter,' he said, though he cautioned that a recovery may still take a long time.'If you watch sports, sometimes there's a lot of timeouts in the fourth quarter. It takes longer to play than any of the other quarters, and sometimes it ends in a tie and goes into overtime.' That said, Mr Blankfein told shareholders that Goldman always prepares for the worst as it weighs pot...
More About: Credit , Crisis

Looking beyond the recession
2008-04-10 18:09:00
Despite a weak economy, railroad, trucking and homebuilding stocks are faring well, perhaps a sign that investors are banking on a recovery.By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writerNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Despite overwhelming signs that the economy is now in a recession, some investors are increasingly pondering another 'R' word: Recovery.Although a turnaround appears to be far off, there are some early signs that Wall Streeters may be already positioning themselves for a rebound. For example, a recent spate of bad corporate and economic news hasn't wreaked havoc on the markets, suggesting a floor has been put in place after months of heavy selling. Additionally, railroad, trucking and homebuilding stocks have been rallying - a surprising occurrence considering those sectors have been among the hardest hit by the credit crunch. "We're waiting for the economy to start showing it is recovering and that's keeping stocks stable right now," said Ron Kiddoo, chief investment o...
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The best ways to bulletproof your job
2008-04-09 18:40:00
7 ways to keep your name off the layoff list when the ax falls.By Donna Rosato, Money Magazine senior writerLast Updated: April 9, 2008: 6:32 AM EDT(Money Magazine) -- As surely as baseball heralds the spring, poor economic reports presage layoff season. According to Mercer Consulting, one in three midsize to large U.S. companies is pondering job freezes or downsizing. Besides the obvious no-no's - completing projects late, griping noisily about the boss - here are seven strategies for deflecting a pink slip.Add revenueA company's first layoffs are usually aimed at jobs that cost money (like public relations) rather than jobs that bring in money (like star salespeople). If you're in the first category, start thinking like someone in the second: Brainstorm ways to create new revenue streams and send them up the ladder. Even if they don't get adopted, your boss will think of you as part of the solution, not the problem.Practice conspicuous parsimonySuggest cost-cutting moves like ...
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IMF sees 'modest recession' in US, slow recovery in 2009
2008-04-09 18:14:00
WASHINGTON (AFP) - - The US economy is likely in a "modest recession" and will stagnate through much of 2009 as housing prices slide further and credit conditions remain difficult, the IMF said Wednesday.The International Monetary Fund said in its World Economic Outlook that the world's biggest economy would see growth overall for 2008 of just 0.5 percent, even with a massive tax rebate program designed to boost consumer spending.For 2009, improvement will be scant, with growth averaging a meager 0.6 precent.The IMF said even with the 168-billion-dollar stimulus and aggressive cutting of interest rates by the Federal Reserve, the US economy is still being hammered by the housing market crisis and a related credit squeeze."There are clear signs that housing weakness is now feeding through into labor markets and consumption," the semiannual IMF report said."Rapidly weakening consumer and corporate sentiment suggest that downward pressure on domestic spending and incomes will intensif...
More About: Recovery , Modest , Slow , Recession , Sees

OECD warns that subprime crisis is not over: report
2008-04-09 10:27:00
PARIS - THE subprime crisis is not over, the head of the OECD Angel Gurria said on Wednesday, describing it as a 'collective bankruptcy' and damning failures throughout the chain of financial risk and regulation.Mr Gurria was particularly critical of supervision of the financial sector, telling the French newspaper Liberation that the rules 'were not sufficiently respected or were not strict enough.'He said: 'The entire institutional chain, well oiled, all this sophistication, on Tuesday the pride of the authorities, has been put into question by this collective bankruptcy.'In this respect, he pointed his finger at 'the banks, the investment funds, intermediaries, the credit rating agencies, the insurers.'The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development works on behalf of 30 industrialised nations to study conditions in many areas of economic management and to advise on best practice.On Tuesday the International Monetary Fund estimated that what it termed the collec...
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With Blood on Wall Street, Is It Time to Buy?
2008-04-08 19:50:00
By Jeffrey Ptak, CFA, CPA As many of you know, we recently made some exciting changes to our ETF research. We've written at length about our approach to ETF research, what makes it different, and how investors can benefit from it. But sometimes a picture--or, in this case, a sample Analyst Report--is worth a thousand words.- Wall Street --that is, the nameplate banks, brokerage houses, exchanges, and specialists that comprise the financial world's nerve center--has gotten rocked recently. Bear Stearns (NYSE:BSC - News) imploded amid vanishing confidence in its ability to make markets. The big brokerages like Merrill Lynch & Company (NYSE:MER - News) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MSNews) have been laid low by massive write-offs. Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH - News) recently had to raise $4 billion in capital in order to allay fears that it was the next domino to fall. And that's to say nothing of E*Trade Financial Corporation (NasdaqGS:ETFC - News), which nearly collapsed, or the o...
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The best ways to protect your money today
2008-04-08 18:03:00
By George Mannes, Money Magazine senior writer Everywhere you look, bad news abounds. The falling stock market, the floundering economy, tumbling home values, vanishing jobs - it's enough to make you want to hide your money in a lockbox and throw away the key.Don't. "The last thing you want to do is panic on short-term economic news," says Houston financial planner Tom Jackson. "That could have dreadful long-term results." Still, it's not imprudent to tweak part of your portfolio to hedge against the four worst risks - let's call them the Four Horsemen of the Subprime Apocalypse.Such hedges may not come cheap, since everyone wants the same protection these days. But they can buy you the peace of mind you need to keep the bulk of your money in the game.Inflation Consumer prices are already rising 4% - more than double the rate in early 2004. As the Federal Reserve slashes interest rates to keep the financial system afloat, it could be building the base for more inflation in the f...
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IMF: Credit strains persist, losses could deepen
2008-04-08 17:58:00
WASHINGTON - THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday turmoil in credit markets could spread, meaning further losses for US banks, and cautioned that risks to global economic growth had increased. 'Financial markets remain under considerable strain, now compounded by a more worrisome macroeconomic environment, weakly capitalised institutions and broad-based deleveraging,' the IMF said in its assessment of global financial markets. It estimated that potential write-downs and losses to banks had reached US$945 billion (S$1.3 trillion) by March 2008. The IMF said threats to global financial stability had increased and potential for spillovers to emerging markets increased through funding channels and trade links. 'Downside macroeconomic risks that are concentrated in the US economy have a significant impact on systemically important financial institutions that may spill over to global markets,' it said. 'Our analysis indicated that a contracti...
More About: Credit , Losses

Financial Giants Split on Whether the Worst Is Over
2008-04-08 17:57:00
Is it time to jump back into beaten-down financial stocks--or is it still too early?Even the financial giants themselves can't agree.Goldman Sachs said Tuesday that it has selectively upgraded shares of financial services companies as well as the brokerage and asset manager sectors.But the firm remains cautious on stocks of regional banks, mortgage and specialty finance companies and real estate investment trusts. Meanwhile, Merrill Lynch chief investment strategist Richard Bernstein warns against the dangers of "bottom-finishing" in financial stocks."We continue to suggest underweighting financial stocks because of the myriad of risks facing the sector. This applies to financials in a global context, not simply to U.S. financials," Bernstein wrote in "The RIC Report." In upgrading the brokerage and asset manager sectors, Goldman said the recent fears have been exaggerated and are mostly reflected in the prices of the stocks. Both sectors were upgraded to attractive from neutral. "...
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IMF Says Credit Crisis Threatens Economy
2008-04-08 17:56:00
By Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Business Writer IMF Says Credit Crisis , Despite Some Recent Improvement, Remains Threat to Economic Growth WASHINGTON (AP) -- The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said the global credit crisis, despite some recent improvement, remains a significant threat to economic growth.Despite "unprecedented intervention" by central banks such as the Federal Reserve, "financial markets remain under considerable strain, now compounded" by a slowing economy, low levels of capital at financial companies and widespread efforts to unload debt, the fund said.The U.S. mortgage and credit crises could cause almost $1 trillion in financial losses, the IMF said in an update to its Global Financial Stability Report, with $565 billion of those losses stemming from the residential mortgage market and related securities, and the rest from the commercial real estate, consumer credit and corporate debt markets.That figure includes $200 billion in losses that banks have alre...
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High food prices likely to persist for several years: World Bank
2008-04-08 17:44:00
WASHINGTON - RISING food prices, which have caused social unrest in several countries, are not a temporary phenomenon but are likely to persist for several years, World Bank President Robert Zoellick says. He says strong demand, change in diet and the use of biofuels as an alternative source of energy have reduced world food stocks to a level bordering on an emergency. Speaking to reporters on Monday before the bank's spring meeting in the coming weekend, Mr Zoellick said the 185-member World Bank would work with other organisations to deal with the crisis by seeking ways to help farmers, especially in Africa, to increase productivity and improve access to food through schools or workplaces. 'This is not a this-year phenomenon,' he said, referring to the price spike. 'I think it is going to continue for some time.' Mr Zoellick said bank forecasters looking at food prices have concluded that a serious risk exists of a significant increase in poverty, which for some countries...
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Some Light at End of the Economic Tunnel
2008-04-07 18:19:00
by Suze OrmanI think it's quite possible that things are just a little better than they were a month or two ago.Justifiable PessimismI know that's not what many of you are thinking -- everything seems to be moving in the wrong direction. The price of oil and basic commodities like wheat are way up (any pizza fan knows this), while the value of the dollar, our homes, and our stock investments is falling.It's so bad that we're worrying whether our money is safe in our banks and brokerage accounts. No wonder a recent survey of consumer expectations about what's on the financial horizon registered a low confidence score not seen since 1973.I understand that many of you are pessimistic about the future. You have good reason to be. But I think some recent events qualify as at least a glimmer of hope in what has been a very dark start to 2008.Moving Away from Doom and GloomAt the start of March I was firmly in the doom-and-gloom camp. And when the S&P 500 lost more than 5 percent ...
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Broad-based rally not in sight yet: analysts
2008-04-07 07:44:00
Lynette Khoo875 words7 April 2008Business Times SingaporeEnglish(c) 2008 Singapore Press Holdings LimitedRecent rebound does not signal a V-shape recovery(SINGAPORE) In just a short span of three weeks, the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) has staged an impressive rebound, recovering over 360 points, or some 13 per cent, from its lows in March - a balm for investors' rattled nerves.Even so, analysts say that there are no signs of a bottoming-out in valuations, and a near-term market rally is still not in the bag.The continuing market weakness was reflected in a dip in the STI last Friday of 15.99 points or 0.5 per cent to 3,155.56, ahead of key jobs data from the US later that day.This left the STI still reeling, with a year-to-date loss of 310.07 points or 9 per cent, largely mimicking the Hang Seng Index. The HSI is also nursing a year-to-date loss of 12.8 per cent despite steep gains over the past three weeks.Technical chartists call the recent spike in the STI a 'rebound in...
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Who says money can't buy happiness?
2008-04-06 16:37:00
April 6, 2008, The Sunday Times Who says money can't buy happiness? New York - Money might not buy you love, but it now seems that it might be able to buy you happiness - at least according to two Wharton economists, who say that richer countries are happier than poorer ones and that as countries get richer their inhabitants become happier. Their finding challenges the conventional wisdom of the past three decades, according to which higher national gross domestic product often does not translate into a greater overall sense of well-being, the Financial Times said in a report.This established view is known as the Easterlin Paradox. It is based on a paper done by economist Richard Easterlin in 1974 and has inspired some calls for governments to shift their focus away from increasing GDP.Now, however, Wharton business school economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers argue in a paper that the Easterlin Paradox is not true.Based on their analysis of data spanning more than hal...
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7 signs of a property slowdown
2008-04-06 03:48:00
April 6, 2008, The Sunday Times PROPERTY7 signs of a property slowdown Buyers seem to be gaining ground again in the private homes market but consultants say it's far from crashing yet By Joyce Teo, Property Correspondent After rocketing to dizzying heights last year, the private homes market has stalled because of the global credit crunch - an external factor that took the market by surprise. The withdrawal of the deferred payment scheme last year has also dampened demand somewhat. Sales volumes and interest have fizzled out just as quickly as the market surged last year.While many players hang on to the notion that strong fundamentals - low interest rates, for instance - will support the market, sentiment has fast melted away. Is the property market slowing to a crawl? We examine the mounting evidence.(1) Growth in home prices weakens The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) early estimate of first-quarter data showed a 4.2 per cent rise in private home prices against 6...
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Recession-Proof Your Finances Before the Downturn
2007-12-09 06:20:00
Time to get defensive.As we head into the new year, a volatile cocktail of economic factors is raising concerns about inflation and a possible recession. They include turmoil in the housing and stock markets, a tightening credit outlook, higher fuel and food prices, a weak dollar, declining consumer sentiment, and a gloomy retail outlook. Here are some strategies to help position your finances ahead of a downturn.Secure Your IncomeRecession s tend to wreak havoc on workers: Overtime dries up, commissions are smaller, bonuses are nonexistent, and job cuts are more frequent. In the first 10 months of this year, for example, the financial services industry announced more than 140,000 job cuts -- surpassing the previous record of nearly 117,000 job cuts set for all of 2001, according to Chicago outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas."We are going to be moving toward a much riskier job market for everyone, especially people at top of the food chain," says Paul Bernard, preside...
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Gems of Wisdom from Warren Buffett
2007-12-07 19:14:00
Warren Buffett started with US$100 in 1956 and turned it to over US$40 billion fortune for himself. Amongst the world's Richest people, he stands out as the one who make it not by being an entrepreneur but by investing in businesses run by great entrepreneur.Below I share with you some gems of wisdom from Warren Buffett.Cheers!Surround yourself with people you trust and you’ll do fine.if you could only make 20 investing decisions you would think harder about those decisions and make more money.You need temperament and discipline not IQ. You need extraordinary discipline. That is the hard thing.Q: What do you look for in a business leader?Focus, Mission, and Projected confidence.Pick good heros (role model). Who your heros are determines who you will be. Your inner score card matters more than your outer score card.The time to do it is today. You may not be doing it in 30 years. Seize the day.Do not do something because you feel the need to do it. Do it because you want to do it.O...
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What to Consider to Invest in the year 2008?
2007-12-07 18:47:00
As I personally see US$ weakening and global economy slowing down, I would think investments that do well under such scenario are worth considering:1. Gold (invest some for "insurance" purpose), can invest in Gold ETF, Gold Fund. 2. UK Traded Endowment (smoothening of returns benefit, means the returns you get would not be much affected by volatility of the stock markets). Based on past record, annual returns of 6% to 8% are pretty attractive, also sterling pounds is possible to benefit if US$ weakens.3. Raise Cash Level. Personally think people should consider building up cash in Opportunity Fund. My current Opportunity Fund is 30% of my total investible fund/assets.4. Stock markets might be near end of bull market in year 2008 . I think one should reduce one's risk by investing less and less money into stocks as markets move higher. (not the other way round).5. With inflation going up, real assets, such as properties in Singapore should continue to stay firm in year 2008, barring ...
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Avoid Possible Scams in Land Banking...
2007-12-07 18:45:00
Land Banking can be a good alternative form of investing into Real Estate. I personally have invested into Land Banking after doing my homework and due diligence.However, before you invest, make sure you do your homework and avoid investing into possible Land Banking Scams . You need to acquire the Financial Literacy to differentiate a Real Deal from a Sham.Let me give you some examples.For instance, a foreigner CANNOT own land in India and/or China.Thus, if someone try to sell you some land in these 2 countries, make sure you don't invest, it is likely to be a scam. Canada allows foreigners to invest in land though. You can check and verify this yourself. Even Singapore does NOT allow a foreigner to invest in land.if someone approach you to invest in Land in UK, but the land is in "Green Belt" (land reserved for nature and NOT for any building or construction), please don't invest also for obvious reasons.However, what shocks me is that there are people in Singapore selling land i...
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Make Money in a Bear Market
2007-12-06 19:42:00
The economy looks ugly, and the stock market seems poised to fall off a cliff. My suggestion: Cheer up. For most of you, a bear market is a blessing, not a bane.I'm not kidding. If you're retired and you live off of your investments, a bear market is really bad news. That's why retirees should have enough in bonds and cash to support themselves through stock-market downturns. But most of us don't need to dip into our investments to pay the bills for years to come. And if you fit into that category -- someone who is still accumulating money for retirement, to pay for your kid's college education or for any other goal -- a bear market can work wonders for your wealth. Here's why: When the stock market craters, the money you invest buys more shares of stock. So you're actually building up more equity during a bear market than when the market is soaring. Take the 2000-2002 bear market. As measured by the broad-based Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 stock index, the market plunged a ha...
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