The Money Men, Part 2
In last week’s essay, I showed you how, if you find the right real estate deal at the right price, you can get the financing. Now, let’s take that discussion a step further. Today, let’s look at how you can do profitable deals even if you’re not a typical “qualified”…
READ MORERomance and Business: A Safe and Profitable Mix
Did you ever hear of popular author Leigh Greenwood? You might be surprised to find out that “she” is really a man named Harold Lowry. How about another wildly successful writer, Jennifer Wilde? Turns out “her” real name is Tom E. Huff. But what’s most interesting isn’t that these writers…
READ MOREWhat You Can Learn About Marketing from the Vioxx Debacle
Merck, the company that sold the infamous painkiller Vioxx, will soon be fighting off thousands of class-action suits by Americans who feel they were harmed by the drug. Ever since the announcement that Vioxx could be linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, lawyers have been “trolling…
READ MOREThe Stocks That Show You the Money
Our continuing search for the “holy grail” of investing brings us face-to-face with dividend-paying stocks. I first ran into dividend-paying stocks quite unexpectedly, about a half-year ago, when I was informed by one of my mutual funds of a switch in strategy. Formerly a large-cap growth fund, it was now…
READ MOREWhat My Speech Coach Taught Me About Success
I love writing ETR. And the larger its readership gets (420,000 now and counting), the better I like it. A growing audience means more income opportunities for the staff and a bigger theater to air my thoughts. Writing for a large group is exciting — but speaking to one fills…
READ MOREThe Money Men, Part I
“Find the deal . . . and you’ll find the money.” So said Eddie Popkin at the ETR Wealth Building Conference this past October. Eddie is a real estate lawyer and investor. With his partner, he has developed over $500 million worth of residential property using this approach. On my…
READ MOREThe Role of Bonds in Your Portfolio
If our search for the “holy grail” of investing were only about safety and simplicity, bonds would win hands down. Bonds are basically IOUs. Let’s say you purchase a 5-year bond for $10,000, its face value. The bond pays you a dividend of maybe 4% a year. At the end…
READ MOREWhen Audacious Advertising Works Against You
An article in Inc. Magazine titled “Over the Edge” made the point that lots of businesses today, hoping to create a name for themselves or break into new markets, are relying on increasingly dramatic advertising campaigns. One example: a promotion for a hair-replacement product developed by Maverick Marketing that showed…
READ MOREBuy Real Estate With Your IRA…and Retire Rich, Part 2
Last week, in Part 1 of this article, I emphasized the fact that not all IRAs are created equal. Most people have a stockbroker, mutual fund salesperson, or financial planner set one up for them — and then sit back and allow these people to steer their retirement ship. You…
READ MOREWhy I Don’t Care About Unemployment Rates
The unemployment rate in December 2004 was 5.4%, the newspaper tells me. Then it goes on to compare that to unemployment rates in prior Decembers. Who cares? I don’t. And neither should you. It doesn’t matter how many millions of people are out of work in America. Or, for that…
READ MOREWhen Your Portfolio Cries For Help
Unless you make a point of staying on top of the latest business and investment trends, it’s a good idea to have a professional look over your portfolio every once in a while. (Kind of like bringing in your car for its annual check-up to get it purring again.) Your…
READ MORETo Discover Cutting-Edge Trends, Look for Signs of Unusual Activity
When you are taking a look at your competitors this year — and you should be doing this at least once a year — keep an eye out for signs of unusual activity. New marketing and product trends begin with little eruptions here and there. They are seldom widespread —…
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