Precious Metals Investing
Friday, July 16th, 2010
How to and how not to invest in precious metals
Posts Tagged ‘precious’
Get Personal: Are Your Investments Working For You?
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” has been forced ashore by a mutinous crew. We see him stranded on an island drinking rum with his lovely companion beside a fire. They are discussing his ship. “It’s not just a keel, a hull, and a deck and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is . . . is freedom.”
As an idealistic young investor in the ’80s I felt the same way about the investment of my retirement savings. Those investments represented financial freedom. With the passage of time life gets more complicated; deciphering financial statements and reviewing all the investment options available can leave us bewildered. We may have a sense the ship has run aground. We feel disconnected from the original meaning or purpose of our investments. We aren’t sure if our money is working for us and if it is working in a way that matters to us. How can we get back to basics and recover our sense of direction? What does investing really mean to us personally?
When we invest in stocks or bonds we are essentially investing in business. Let us consider an example of investment in a small local business. A sausage maker is trying to raise half a million dollars to start his business. You may know the chef personally or know of his reputation. You’ve enjoyed his product and respect his passion for and commitment to making a wonderful sausage using the best organic ingredients. A number of people come together to invest in this business. They might lend to the business (becoming bond holders) or provide equity (becoming stockholders.) The investors provide the capital that allows the business to be born.
Think about the importance of these collective investments and the value they bring. Providing all the capital himself could be a huge personal risk for the sausage maker. So the risk is shared among the investors, none of whom assumes a risk that he or she cannot afford. In fact each investor may benefit financially while serving the needs of the community in a delicious way. The act of investing serves an important and critical function in our economy.
On a personal level, you the investor have put your hard-earned money into this project for a variety of reasons, some of which may be pride in being involved with such a high quality product, a belief that people will love the sausage and the expectation that you will receive a good return on your investment. You appreciate the man’s commitment to sustainable practices. You believe in his ability to be a good manager and careful steward of the capital you have placed in his hands.
As with any investment there are risks, but you feel you can understand them. The business may fail after a few years or you might not get the return you had hoped for. You have invested with the sausage maker based on your priorities and values, some of which you share with him. You care about his success not only because you want a good return on your money but also because you love his products. Your life seems richer for having experienced them. The relationship between the business and you as an investor is very tangible and personal.
Investing for our retirement years now seems so far removed from this paradigm. How can investing in a 401k, an IRA or a mutual fund have that kind of meaning? Making choices here is not like investing with the sausage maker. You own stocks and mutual funds. Are the managers of these companies or funds people whom you know and trust? Do you have the same faith in them as you do in the sausage maker? Do you believe that they are making decisions that reflect your priorities and values?
Certainly we care about our investments and realize they are important. They may mean the difference between subsistence and being able to afford to do some of those things we’ve always dreamt about. However, this type of investing is not the same as putting our money with the local guy, whose success we are rooting for.
Investing can start to become more personal by checking in with yourself. Remind yourself why you are investing. What do your investments really mean to you? They may represent financial freedom. Perhaps they are your security or the potential to live your dreams. They may give your children the head start that you never had. Just as you would expect the sausage maker to be a careful steward of the investment you’ve entrusted to him, your first responsibility in investing is to yourself. Your investments are important assets in your life. By making investments more personal you will derive greater satisfaction from them and increase your chances of feeling successful in the process.
How do you create a sense of purpose and meaning in relation to your investments? The very act of investing demonstrates a belief in our country and in our way of life. Your capital is precious and important. How you invest it matters. Investing in promising medical research or a daycare center in a blighted urban area allows you to get a financial return on your money while reinforcing your belief in businesses you feel deserve support. Naturally, you need to balance these two objectives in order to protect and grow your nest egg. Examine each investment by asking, “Is this working for me, and in a way that supports my priorities and vision for the future?”
Investing can be as personal and meaningful as you choose to make it. You are the captain of your ship.
Jeff Stoffer CFA, CFP? is a principal at Stoffer Wealth Advisors, a financial planning and investment advisory firm in Marin County. His website is
Business Investment Opportunity – What is your Most Precious Commodity?
Friday, January 15th, 2010Business Investment Opportunity – What is your most precious commodity? This is a question that I get quite often in the internet marketing business world? I’m sure that you have been researching a business investment opportunity. You are probably frustrated with some aspect of your business life and you want to make a change for the better. Right? You want out of that “dead end” job or you are a victim of the economy? I understand I have been in your exact shoes before. You are ready to break out and take control of YOUR life and no longer would like for others to control it!
The one thing that many ask me is, “How much is the initial investment?” And these are people that are interested in my business investment opportunity. And my answer is a lot! Then it gets real quiet. I go on to explain to them that their most precious commodity in life and business is time not money. And then they breath a sigh of relief. Money is not the most important thing in business. Its your time! I have seen many people make millions of dollars with no money to start with. But they invested a lot of their time to do it.
Time is the key to business because they deposit 86,400 seconds every day in to your life. And everybody gets the same amount. But the difference in the rich and the poor is what they choose to do with there time. Did you know that time management is what human beings need the biggest help with. Very few of us can manage their time effectively every day. And it mostly stems back to that most of us are used to being told what to do. Someone has been managing our time from the time that we were born.
You must understand that time waits for no one. Today is a gift – that is why that it is called a present. Therefore you must make your time matter today. When looking at a business investment opportunity use time as your ally and maximize it. Make it a habit to get up early and use that time wisely. When you rise early you can accomplish more everyday because when you get what you need to get done then you can do want you want to do. Ask yourself is this activity that I am doing right now getting me closer to my goals or further away from them? If you ask yourself that for every activity that you do and you answer is “yes” more times than not then you will be on your way to bigger things in life.
Also use one hour time blocks filled with income producing activities with 10 minute breaks to divide up your days. Schedule your days like this and your time management will improve. And last make the decision in your mind now to MAKE TODAY MATTER! Today’s time and activities are shaping your tomorrow. Remember yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery so all you have is TODAY! Use this and live today like it is your last day here.
Now that you realize what the most important element of your business investment opportunity is go use your time wisely and Make Today Matter!
Lance Blackburn is a business coach and mentor that assists serious entrepreneurs in building a profitable online business with multiple incomes streams. Lance and his team have assisted hundreds of people in generating massive profits in their first year. For more information and to contact Lance, visit Or visit his blog at Article Source: