Archive for June, 2008

Has Psychology Stolen Your Investing Objectivity?

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

By Matthew Clement It has been said that the way to earn the most from your investments is to keep careful track of them. But be very cautious before accepting this advice at face value; it may very well create more problems than you realize. The more you pay attention to your own investments, the more you become psychologically vested in their performance. There is a proven tendency to keep an investment after a loss to avoid the pain associated with that loss, or to sell an investment after a gain to experience the feeling of a winning choice. This is known as the disposition effect. Either action would be an example of using the wrong criteria for an investment decision, and most often, it leads to lower overall performance. Perhaps youre saying, Not a chance! I dont sell my investments because theyve done well, I keep them because theyve done well! In that case, you have just brought up another psychological pitfallforming expectations of the future based on events of the recent past. This is one example of a concept known as herding, and its potentially hazardous. In the market, there is actually a reverse correlation between the recent past and the near future. In other words, if a segment of the market has done really well in the last three months, it is more likely to under-perform in the following three months, rather than continue its upward trend. This is known as reversion to the mean. Now youre saying, Wait, so holding an investment because of poor performance is irrational, but so is holding an investment because of excellent performance? The only answer is, It depends. Making investment decisions based on short-term past performance is generally plagued with irrational tendencies. However, making such decisions based upon long-term performance, relative to the investment objective being used, is far more appropriate, especially when in conjunction with other criteria, such as your time horizon, risk tolerance, and overall objective. So what can you do to prevent irrationality?Seek the help of a professional! 2005 Matthew S. Clement, All rights reserved. Matthew S. Clement is a financial planner and investment advisor representative with Financial Network Investment Corporation, member SIPC. He provides holistic wealth management and retirement planning to individuals and businesses. He can be reached in New York at (845) 942-8578, or by email: ClementM@FinancialNetwork.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Clement http://EzineArticles.com/?Has-Psychology-Stolen-Your-Investing-Objectivity?&id=15080 accounting for sba loans low interest rate personal loan bad credit lender cash loan places on austin peay in memphis

Marketing: Why Audience Is Everything

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

By Lisa Packer Not long ago I was summoned to Jury Duty. Rather than trying to get out of it, I decided to see what the trial attorneys (AKA “Professional Persuaders”) could teach me about persuasion. In a nutshell, it was a civil case a traffic accident allegedly resulting in an injury. We spent the entire first day of the trial selecting a jury. The lawyers on both sides asked us question after question to make sure they had “a fair and impartial jury.” (Translation: Twelve people they felt they could convince to agree with them.) I was among the first to be seated, which allowed me to observe the selection process undistracted (except by boredom.) The lawyers wanted to know if prospective jurors knew anyone involved. Plaintiff’s attorneys wanted to know if any had prior medical or legal training, or military service. As the defendant was military, those who had served had to promise not to let that experience color their judgment. The defense attorney wanted to know if we felt it was reasonable to judge whether or not an injury was likely to have occurred by the amount of damage the collision caused. (Read that sentence again if you have to: Several people made him repeat the question before they’d answer.) The one person who said “no” was dismissed. Not only did that question help the lawyer seat people likely to agree with his argument, it also used the principal of consistency. He knew that once we had publicly stated we agreed with that fact, we’d have an emotional need to stick with that opinion. Application: It seemed like a waste of time to take the entire day choosing the jury. Once we were chosen, (since we couldn’t talk about the case yet) it was one of the main things we the jury did discuss on breaks why it took so long, how boring it was to sit through those questions over and over. And did you see that even the judge seemed to be getting annoyed? But in reality, it was time well spent, and the attorneys knew it. Getting the right 12 people meant they didn’t have to waste their time trying to persuade someone who would never see things their way. Who you market to is just as important as what you’re marketing. It’s far more important than a great headline, or even an emotional appeal. If you’re using direct mail, spend the extra money to whittle down your list. Choose wisely when it comes to placing print or broadcast ads. It may cost more time and energy up front, but choosing your audience wisely will give you a much greater Return On Investment than just scattering your message to the wind. Does your marketing forge an emotional connection with your prospects? It can. Lisa Packer, author of “The Power Of Emotion: 6 Triggers That Turn Prospects Into Customers,” specializes in copy that does just that. Get your own FREE copy of this resource, and find out how Lisa can explode your response rates today at www.lisapacker.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Packer http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing:-Why-Audience-Is-Everything&id=352470 no faxing notelecheck cash advances quotation difficult paycheck depends upon it personal loans for military how much get taking out of my paycheck

Bonsai Plant Stands and Help Choosing The Right One!

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

By Stewart Alexander Bonsai plant stands have become more and more populaamongst gardening enthusiasts all over the world. This article will help you to identify the right themes,materials and types of bonsai plant stands you’ll need toget yourself started… What Materials Should You Choose? If you’ve been looking for specific information aboutbonsai plant stands, you’ve probably had problems findingsome. That’s solely because very little has been written onthis subject. One of the biggest challenges you’ll face before buyingyour bonsai plant stands is deciding on what type ofmaterials you want. Some bonsai plant stands are made out of marble, whileothers have been built out of pure porcelain. Look furtherand you’ll find more plant stands of less exotic materialssuch as wood, iron and wicker. Choosing The Right Bonsai Plant Stand Theme. You would be advised to have a drawn up plan of actionright from day one. This will prove to be invaluable whenit comes to choosing a theme to blend in with your choiceof garden decor. Try to envision how everything will look once it’s finishedand put it all down in your plan. Take a look around at gardening events, or at your localgardening center for great ideas to inspire your creativejuices. In our experience, every time anyone has put these tipsinto use, they have had great results. There’s no reasonwhy it can’t be the same for you too. All that’s left for you to do is to put these tips intopractice and reap in the benefits of having chose the rightbonsai plant stands. For more information and a Free 5 Day Multimedia e-Courseon the topic of “Growing Your Own Exotic Bonsai Trees”, visit… Bonsai Trees Explained Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stewart_Alexander http://EzineArticles.com/?Bonsai-Plant-Stands-and-Help-Choosing-The-Right-One!&id=309486 payday loans no direct deposit or faxing minority sba loan guarantees paycheck calculagtor bad credit car loan lake elsinore