Archive for May, 2007

Penny Stock Exchanges OTCBB and Pink Sheets

Posted in Stocks and Bonds on May 22nd, 2007

Most people think of the major stock exchanges when trading stocks comes to mind. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ), and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) are among those that first come to mind. A penny stock is a low ticket security for companies that are valued at under five hundred million dollars and often trade in low volumes. These stocks also trade on ‘Over the Counter’ exchanges such as the OTCBB or Pink Sheets.

The very fact that small cap stocks trade at such low volumes increases the risks involved in investing in them. The Securities and Exchange Commission urges potential investors in penny stocks to be aware of the fact that the low trading volume of these stocks make it likely that in times of needs buyers will be rare if not impossible to find. Finding accurate quotes for pries is also difficult which increases the possibility of the investor losing his entire investment.

Despite the risks involved, penny stocks are often attractive investments to investors for various reasons. If you are new to investing and looking for the chance to return a high yield for a relatively low investment you are likely to come across some penny stocks. The attraction often lies in the fact that at such low prices any changes are often measured by the hundreds of percent this means that your investment can literally double in one or two days time.

On the other hand, the price of penny stocks can drop just as drastically and equally fast. Those who are inexperienced investors would do well to avoid penny stocks until they have a better understanding of how things work. It is also important to note that because of the relatively low ‘worth’ of the companies that are often listed on the OCTBB or Pink Sheets they are often considered questionable investments. Some of these companies have such a limited financial history that no accurate determination of their actual value can be made. Many of these companies are either very new or dangerously close to bankruptcy.

There is also a strong potential for fraud with some buyers artificially ‘enhancing’ or driving the costs by buying large amounts of stocks and raising the perceived value of essentially worthless stocks. Most investors who fall for this loose many when it comes time to sell.

It is important to remember when stock market investing that not all of these companies are frauds and many of them have a great deal of potential. Some are new businesses that are working hard towards their goal of earning a spot on the larger exchanges.

Do your research in order to decrease your risks of landing with a declining or dishonest company. Investors are often convinced that one good investment can make them a nice tidy profit. While this is true it is better to invest in a company that is showing slow and steady growth than one you are hoping will sky rocket over night. Take the time and do your research rather than gambling with your investment.

Obtaining an Unsecured Credit Card if You Have Bad Credit

Posted in Credit Cards on May 20th, 2007

If your credit is bad, getting an unsecured credit card can seem impossible. But, don’t be so certain.

Obtaining an unsecured credit card for bad credit is not easy, but often is surprisingly possible, depending on individual circumstances.

More and more people end up with bad credit due to large amounts of debt and making late payments. Having bad or no credit should not stop you from fixing your problem and, over time, getting your financial life back on track.

As long as you are ready to accept and deal with your bad financial condition there is no reason why you should not get a chance to do so.

An unsecured credit card for bad credit is offered now by a number of banks and organizations to help those with shakey or no credit. They are not easy to get as they already know you have been in financial problems before. The reason why you have been in a financial problem always helps you out to get a better deal, especially when you were paying for your studies or you are the only earner of the family and simply cannot make ends meet at times.

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Tips On Survival After Bankruptcy

Posted in Finances, Money Saving Tips, Bankruptcy on May 16th, 2007

More important than receiving a fresh start through bankruptcy is the need to change your spending habits. This is often the leading cause for people getting deep into debt and filing bankruptcy only reinforces these bad habits. Credit cards can be advantageous if you know how to use them responsibly. Unfortunately, all too often they get out of control until it is too late to fix the problem. Without proper counseling and education, bankruptcy is just a temporary fix that many people use to get them out of financial trouble.

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What Person With Debt Problems Ought to Know About Life After Bankruptcy

Posted in Finances, Bankruptcy on May 13th, 2007

Life after bankruptcy can have a great impact on your financial life. Unfortunately, bankruptcy are not so uncommon that people might think. For some, bankruptcy provides a fresh start and debtors receive numerous loan and credit offers before their debts are even fully discharged. For others, bankruptcy prevents them from getting a decent interest rate on a house or other major purchase. It is always important to consider all of the ramifications and other options before making the final decision to file bankruptcy.

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The Mechanics of Commodity Options

Posted in Finances on May 12th, 2007

Commodity options are raw materials, such as wheat, gold, silver, crude oil, and thousands of other products. The majority of players in this market buy and sell commodities in the cash market. Among brokers this market is known as the spot market, this is due to the fact the full cash value of the commodity is paid “on the spot”.

The prices of commodities are based on supply and demand. If a commodity is plentiful the price is going to be low, however if the commodity is hard to come by the price is going to be high. The supply and demand cycles for most commodities move in fairly predictable seasonal cycles. Take apples for instance, in the fall apples are going to be cheap because that is the time of year that they are plentiful, and during the summer when they are out of season and not so plentiful they are going to be more expensive.

Manufactures that make products out of apples will plan their production season to purchase the highest quality apples at the cheapest prices. It should be noted that this strategy doesn’t always work. Let say for instance that in a place where apples are grown a freeze occurs that wipes out most of the apple crops one year, this will cause the price of appleto rise because manufacture that use this commodity to make their products are going to be buying up all of the available apples that they can get their hands on to avoid a short-term crunch.

Because people can’t predict when acts of God are going to occur, they can’t plan for them. This is why futures contracts were invented, they help businesses minimize their risk. Buyer that have futures contracts allow buyer of commodities to purchase the commodity at a set price. this protects the buyer from paying a higher price for the commodity in instances where acts of God occur.

Farmers and other commodities producers can only estimate what the demand is going to be for their product and try to plan accordingly. This makes them very vulnerable because they because they can get stung by too much supply and too little demand, or the reverse. This goes for manufacturers as well because they have to take orders for future deliveries without knowing how much the raw materials are going to cost to manufacture their products. That is why they buy futures contracts for the products that they make or use, because they smooth out the unexpected price bumps.