Victory Investment

Archive for September, 2011

I guess the answer to the question above about a really depends on how much risk you like to take. Like any business, there’s always going to risk involved, but car wash franchises do offer a unique opportunity for a proven cash business.

However, you need to keep some things in mind before venturing into the car wash franchise industry. You must first decide what type of car wash business do you want to own. Do you want one that’s fully automated that does all the work or do you want one that is partially automated requiring employees to finish the job. At first glance the fully automated one seems like the most logical choice but having more running equipment can mean more expensive things that break down and need fixing. Also, if a machine goes down, you can’t wash cars.

One of the most important things you can do is choose the right location for your car wash franchise. I’m really talking more about cities than exact locatioins. For instance, Seattle rains about 300 days per year meaning people aren’t necessarily interested in clean cars there. On the contrary, the car capitol of the world, southern California, is home to some of the best weather and people enjoy having great looking cars.

In talking about cash flow for a car wash franchise, one immediate hurdle is the initial franchise start up fee which ranges anywhere from ,000 to 0,000. Typically they are in the ,000 – ,000 range. Some franchise fees are even non-refundable even if you decide to not buy the franchise. Make sure you find that out before you put any money down.

Another big cost of a car wash franchise is the royalty payments which range anywhere from 3% – 6% of gross sales, not net profits. Here’s the kicker… Some car wash franchises have minimum monthly royalty fees no matter what happens to the business. So if you have a horrible month where it rains every weekend and sales are dismal, you’ll still have to pay a minimum fee.

Don’t forget the other costs associated with a car wash franchise. You have things like heavy equipment, signage, working capital, advertising, fixed costs, variable costs, employee wages, etc. Don’t forget about inventory and all the stuff that goes along with holding chemicals. It all adds up.

Bottom line is owning a can be a great investment, especially for cash flow considerations, as long as you are 100% aware of all the good and bad stuff that comes along with running this type of operation.

If you want to have a lot of money when you retire then it is important that you start early.  To retire rich you need to have a plan of action so you know exactly how much you need to invests to reach your goals. Many people get involved in their 401(k) plan and they do not worry about making any other investments.  You want to make sure you talk with a financial adviser so that your investments meet your expectations once you reach retirement age.  Many people are not pro active when it comes to investing money and they might fall short of their retirement needs.

How to: Choose Retirement Investment

There are investment calculators that you can use that will help you figure out exactly how much to invest each month so you can reach a certain level when you retire.  It is always better to start early because this allows you to invest more money over a longer period of time.  This will give you a better return on your investment and your nest egg will grow so when you reach retirement age you can be rich. Once you talk to your advisor they will let you know what are the best investments for you to make to reach her retirement goal.

You Can: Get Rich Investing

Remember that it is important to get advice about investing for your retirement.  If you want to retire rich and you need to start early so that you can put away enough money into your nest egg so it has time to grow. You should use your 401(k) plan along with other investment to build a retirement that you will be pleased with.

Folks who function in banking and finance are compensated very well for the do the job that they do. 4 of the fields that quite a few specialists get into incorporate accountancy and tax, Insurance policies, investment banking and retail banking. Let’s chat about just about every of these.

For people today to do the job in accountancy and tax, you will need to graduate and get your CPA or certified public accountancy license. To study much more about what you will be performing, lots of have to comprehensive an on the job schooling with a authentic accountancy company.

The training interval is about a few several years and afterwards, you can keep on on staying with them, operating for yet another firm or heading into private practice.

Insurers just like accountants need to have to be licensed. This differs from state to state so you have to examine and then pass the examination. Once you do so, your vocation may possibly get you to sell house or casually insurance policy and existence or wellbeing insurance policies.

You will need to also consider more courses in the upcoming due to the fact even though you have your license previously, rules alter and you have to be mindful of them.

Most likely the most significant challenge selling insurance is deciding whether to get the job done for an insurance plan provider or undertaking this on your unique. There are rewards and shortcomings doing both. When you are employed, you get a essential wage when individuals who determine to function for by themselves can only make funds earning commissions when a sale is created. How perfectly you do is completely up to you.

Purchase banking is different from regular banking for the reason that you are there to elevate capital for a firm by issuing shares or bonds. Afterwards on, you may even do the job with a team that advises corporations about mergers and acquisitions.

Also beneath investment banking is capital markets. Right here, the expert is tasked with trading bonds stocks and other money products to enhance the portfolio of the customer.

But ahead of you get into that, most entry amounts personnel get started out performing investigation 1st about sure companies and who are their competition. Their details is then handed on to the account managers who will then suggestions the customer.

Lastly is retail banking which quite a few of us are mindful of simply because these are the folks we meet in the financial institution from the teller to the financial institution manager when we need to deposit or withdraw cash and apply for a mortgage.

Unlike accountancy or insurance policies, you don’t want to get a license to do this sort of function. You just have to be client oriented with strong interpersonal and communication competencies considering that you will be dealing with individuals.

Tax and accountancy, insurance coverage, financial commitment banking and retail banking are the four fundamental varieties of employment for anybody that would like to pursue a banking and finance vocation right after graduation from higher education. Vocation progression in any of them is superb and this can only happen with further training and at occasions a license.

This can be reached by component time review so all you have to do now is weigh your choices and then go for it.

BUSINESS

http://www.saracen-international.es/business.html

We are specialists in the sale and acquisition of businesses in Southern Spain. Our core sectors are primarily in the
retail, hospitality and leisure sectors: Shopping Centres, Hotels & Leisure / Bars & Restaurants / Nightclubs / Marinas.
Buying or selling a business is a unique transaction; no two businesses are the same and no two buyers are the same. Our thirst for success, unrivalled local knowledge and a detailed understanding of current legislation makes us the obvious choice.

We proactively market your business to maximize your return in the following way:

We perform a comprehensive business assessment and valuation

Work closely with you to understand the dynamics of your business and your market place

Draw up a profile of potential purchasers most likely to acquire the business

Research all European and Global markets for specific potential purchasers

Prepare professional and comprehensive sale documents

Carry out a structured marketing programme that may also include advertising,  and internet marketing as appropriate

Update you regularly through to completion

– We start by taking the time to understand your strategic objectives, and how you wish to go about them

For specific requirements, talk to our Consultancy Department

We can assist in arranging corporate finance through our Financial Services Department

If you are new to Spain, we can provide you with information and guidance, click on:

COMMERICIAL

http://www.saracen-international.es/commercial.html

Our aim is to provide our clients and buyers with a comprehensive and integrated suite of transaction and advisory services to meet all of their property needs. To this end, our commercial agency team has up to date, relevant knowledge of the retail, leisure, land, office and investment markets.

We provide advice to buyers, vendors, landlords and tenants on the acquisition and disposal of property throughout our geographical area of operation

Our clients range from lifestyle relocators, small private companies through to large multinational corporations

From the initial property brief, to the completion of the transaction, we co-ordinate all stages in the acquisition process to ensure a trouble free transaction

For specific requirements, talk to our Consultancy Department

We can assist in arranging corporate finance through our Financial Services Department

CONSULTANCY

http://www.saracen-international.es/consultancy.html

We have revolutionised how southern Spain’s commercial consultancy services
are provided in today’s marketplace. Sounds like a boast, right? Then consider the following:

We have eliminated the tiers of middlemen associated with deals in Spain.
Unlike what has been the norm up until now, we ensure all financial information is at hand before we offer you any propositions
We give concise and clear information and advice and offer a structured approach to business and property acquisitions.
We start by taking the time to understand your strategic objectives, and then review businesses operating in the target marketplace using our extensive local knowledge and contacts, leading to a qualified list of potential acquisition targets

The potential acquisition targets will then be approached on a confidential basis to determine levels of interest in the proposition

Saracen International can assist a potential purchaser by refining the search, screening potential targets, and coordinating advisors during the process

We gather information to understand the dynamics and structure of your proposed business and undertake a financial valuation of the business based upon the information available about its performance to date and its future prospects

Although there are several people who question the properness of conducting Background Check, this check is actually beneficial for both the employers who perform the check and the employees who are being checked. Therefore, although this check is considered contravening others’ privacy, there is actually nothing wrong with it and conducting this check can always be considered legal and ethical.

There are a number of benefits that are obtained by employers when they do Criminal Background Check. If you are an employer or a human resources manager, conducting this check means you have prevented your company from suffering any adverse effects of bad hires. Whenever you perform this check to all job applicants who apply for jobs available in your company, you can recognize those job applicants much more thoroughly. You can thus find out the personal characteristics of those job applicants. You can know whether they have ever involved in serious crimes or not and you can know whether they are capable in overcoming any financial problems that they have ever suffered in their life. Other benefits of conducting this check are that your company will be protected against bad reputation that is always possible to be induced by your employees with poor credibility, your company will be protected from lawsuits arising from criminal conducts done by your irresponsible employees, and all parties who invest on your business will also be protected against the aforementioned bad effects.

Your employees will also gain benefits if you carry out Criminal Check to them. If a number of job applicants are screened using background check, only people with good personal records will be eligible to receive the job. Therefore, their competition in obtaining the job will be much easier because people who have bad personal records will immediately be disqualified even before they are interviewed.

I recently came across an interesting academic research study called:

Information Diffusion Effects in Individual Investors’ Common Stock: Purchases Covet Thy Neighbors’ Investment Choices by researchers at the University of Illinois.

In spite of the dead boring name the study is very valuable as I have recognised the findings in my life and I am sure you will too.

The study found that the stock purchases by neighbours have a large impact on the stock bought by investors.
For example the researchers found a 10 percent increase in neighbors’ purchases of stock in a particular industry was associated with a 2 percent increase in stock purchases in the same industry by those living nearby. Other findings by the study were:

That investors were more likely to invest in a companies head quartered within 50 miles of where they live.
Also investors more readily followed the investment choices of their neighbours if they lived in large metropolitan areas.

I have seen the findings of the study play out in my life. You meet friends at a party or dinner and someone mentions an investment that has done well. Or someone mentions that at the company she works for, has so many orders that everyone is working day and night and she is buying as many shares as possible. I, and I am sure you, are immediately interested. Even though I avoid stock tips like the plague I still get sucked into them against my will sometimes. I think its an inborn human trait to fall under the spell of stories. It is easier to be swayed by a good story than an analytically look at the facts. Something like a moth to a flame. I had such a story stock in my portfolio recently and it was not a pleasant experience. This is what happened:

A bit more than a year ago I met the CEO of a small listed company at the birthday party of a friend.
I took a look at the company and saw that it was relatively undervalued and I asked the CEO about it the next time we had contact
He mentioned that all was going well, stating the information from the recent regulatory news filings (no insider stuff)
He told a great story and I was sucked in
I looked at the company again and invested
The shares fell with the market decline last year and continued falling this year against the market, getting cheaper and cheaper. Going down to a price to earnings ratio of less than two.
I remember the CEO’s words and ignored my normal hard stop loss at a 25% loss.
Then came the news that a subsidiary has been put into liquidation and an investigation has been launched
Now I was really kicking myself as my loss was at 78% after a sharp drop in price
I sold all the shares after a bounce off the all time low.

I am now even more allergic against stock tips from anyone. Even more so if there is a story attached to the idea. The only positive development, apart from learning this lesson again, is that previous experience has taught me to invest less than half of my normal position in story stocks.

Al least what I have learned before has paid some dividends, helping to limit my losses.

Learn from my mistakes and treat investment tips and story investment ideas like any normal investment that must go through your normal analysis routine. And do not forget stop losses should you use them.

Recently, there was an article on CNNMoney that spoke about the “secrets” of the elite rich in the United States. In turn, several articles were written about this article, including one that stated that the richest of Americans “built their wealth with diversification, wealth preservation and strategic growth.” That is a ridiculous statement in itself because two of those strategies, diversification and preservation don’t help build wealth. Perhaps the richest of Americans use these two strategies to maintain an even keel AFTER they have accumulated great wealth, but certainly they didn’t use them during the accumulation phase. According to this article, a survey of Northern Trust uncovered that the “richest Americans do not heavily rely on high-risk investment vehicles like hedge funds to make money, but are moderate risk takers who put more than half of their asset allocation into U.S. stocks and cash.”

Again, just as former hedge fund manager and multi-millionaire Jim Cramer said that he used certain financial journalists, including ones employed by the Wall Street Journal, as pawns to spread misinformation far and wide to benefit himself, again this is an example of investment institutions using the media as pawns to spread their myths to keep the masses of retail investors ignorant. The CNNMoney article made it appear that the richest of Americans built their wealth by being conservative and slowly growing their money over time. That’s an oxymoron right there. To state that the rich became rich by slowly growing their money over time. Well, if they are slowly growing their money and becoming even richer, then this implies that they were rich to begin with. So how did they accumulate wealth? Surely not by “slowly growing” their money.

Sure, some of the “richest Americans do not heavily rely on high-risk investments” because they ARE ALREADY EXTREMELY RICH. The majority of ultra-rich do NOT build their fortunes by speculating on high-risk investments as is commonly believed. Often they build fortunes utilizing volatile assets and investments but that does NOT mean they were engaging in risky behavior. Many times, investing in a hedge fund can be much riskier than investing in some of the assets that your investment firm will tell you is “risky”. But investment firms will gladly place a portion of your money in hedge funds because the fees they earn from hedge funds are so high even as they advise you not to put your money in a much less risky investment with much greater earning potential. And THIS IS THE SECRET that investment firms never tell you.

Volatile assets that often can be used to build great wealth are NOT RISKY if they are purchased at entry points that are extremely favorable and provide a low-risk point of entry. 99% of investors don’t understand what high-risk investments truly are because they have been misinformed by their advisors and their firms for the past half of a century. Purchasing volatile assets at low risk-high reward entry points greatly mitigates and neutralizes the great majority of risk of volatile assets. If you don’t understand this concept then you need to.

Many millionaires that are wealthy but that could be extremely wealthy fail to build enormous wealth because investment and financial institutions mislead them about certain investment opportunities and describe them as complex and risky and are able to convince their clients of this belief because they never properly explain risk-reward scenarios to their clients. However, those investors that are extremely wealthy are the rare breed that understand this concept. If investors had a choice between allocating ,000,000 in a historically volatile Investment A that has a 78% chance of returning a 250% gain versus an Investment B that has a 95% chance of earning 9%, most investors would choose Investment A.

However, because Investment A may exhibit 50% more volatility than Investment B, the great majority of advisors would steer their client away from the former investment into the latter one. In fact, this is exactly what even “prestigious” firms that cater to ultra high net-worth clients do because they allow misinformed, uneducated investors dictate the rules of engagement to them, and they would much rather appease such powerful, important people with slow,minimal gains rather than empower and enlighten them and boost their returns like never before. They would choose to steer them away because they present the investment opportunities incorrectly, merely telling their client that while they could earn 350% from Investment A there was also a very realistic probability that they could lose 0,000, and that shooting for the slow but steady ,000 a year is much better for them.

If you are thinking to yourself, “That makes absolutely no sense?” Why would firms not earn 20% a year for their clients if they could instead of 8% a year? The answer is because the overwhelming majority of investment firms, no matter how prestigious their brand, are merely highly glorified sales machines. They fail to convince clients to invest in phenomenal investment opportunities that sometimes arise like Investment A because in order for Investment A to be a moderate risk, very high reward investment, it must be entered at a low risk entry point so that the probability of being down 0,000 at any give time would be reduced from perhaps 50% to 20%.

And that even if their timing is not optimal, then a firm must educate the client that as long as they don’t panic when they are down, the odds are still extremely high that they will earn a 250% or better gain. However, the greatest factor that determines why firms will not seek this strategy is time. Engaging in much better strategies such as these for their clients would take massive amounts of time in client education and enough time in research that the amount of assets gathered would take a serious hit.

So because it is not in a firm’s interest to engage in activities that maximize portfolio returns (unless it is their own institutional portfolio), instead, we have Chief Investment Officers at top investment firms making statements like, “”Generally they [the richest of Americans] want to see prudently managed growth without a lot of surprises, which is why we emphasize diversification.”  Again, this is a sales & marketing campaign statement, not an aboveboard statement about how to make money for clients.

If clients are uncomfortable with strategies that would actually built great wealth for them instead of producing mediocre or subpar returns, their discomfort only originates from the fact that the largest investment firms have been deceiving their clients, just as Jim Cramer had deceived the thundering sheep herd for years, about the realities of building wealth. This discomfort originates solely from the fact that he or she has been kept in the dark for so long. Thus, we have a misinformation-driven cauldron of investors making bad investment decisions that exists today. In 2007, you’ll still find Chief Investment Officers of very well known firms making ridiculous statement that investors need to invest at least 50% of their stock portfolio in U.S. stocks if they wish to grow their portfolios exponentially.

How are they going to grow their portfolios exponentially with more than half of their stocks in a stock market (the U.S.) that has NEVER been the best performing market in the past 25 years (even among developed stock markets)? How will they grow their portfolios exponentially by buying stocks in market that trades in what is quite possibly the worst currency on earth among developed markets (the U.S. dollar)? Yes I know that when the U.S. dollar shows a brief spike in strength as is likely to happen soon (I’m writing this article in April, 2007), that many people will question what I am saying, but this is only again because they are victims to the mass deception mind-games of the investment industry. I suppose if planning to earn better than subpar returns in your stock portfolio is engaging in risky behavior as Chief Investment Officers of various firms claim, then yes, I whole-heartedly endorse engaging in risky behavior.
And because so many people, yes, even those considered quite wealthy, fall victim to the preaching of investment industry demagogues, there is a second mistake that many rich investors will soon make.

Another survey of wealthy U.S. investors uncovered that a large percentage of investors with investment assets of over a million do not employ any type of investment advisor but plan to do so soon giving the increasingly gloomy nature of the U.S. stock markets. To that, this is what I have to say. Making money in difficult markets is ten times more difficult than making money in bull markets. If investors believe that it will be increasingly more difficult to make money in U.S. stock markets, but yet top investment firms in the U.S. continue to preach that more than half of your portfolio should be in U.S. stocks (mostly to cover their respective firm’s inadequate coverage of emerging markets), how is the hiring one of these men possibly going to improve these investors’ future performance outlook?

But there is an EXTREMELY important distinction to be made here. What I’ve written above applies to the behavior and mindset of some of the richest people in America, but not THE very richest people in America. The very richest people in America, those you might categorize as the world’s ultra-rich, possess a very different mindset and behavior set than those that are just rich. The ultra-rich have positioned their portfolios extremely differently from how the rich people discussed above have positioned their portfolios. The reason why articles regarding their behavior and investment decisions are virtually non-existent is because they don’t grant interviews and they don’t want people to know what they are doing. But I’ve investigated what they are doing, and trust me, it is nothing remotely similar to the behavior of wealthy investors described by Northern Trust and other investment firms.

If you would like to find out why the ultra-rich always manage their own money or able to find the 1 in a million consultant truly capable of providing them the returns they desire, consult our resource of “101 Reasons Why Managing Your Own Money is the Only Way to Build Wealth.”  Even if the ultra-wealthy have someone managing their money for them, the only way they were capable of finding this 1 in a million financial consultant was due to the fact that if they had to, they could manage their own money successfully as well. Only be first fully understanding the most successful investment strategies themselves could they identify an advisor capable of employing such strategies. However, a great majority of ultra-wealthy continue to handle and make their own investment decisions.

If you’ve spent a lifetime of scrimping and scrapping to build a retirement nest egg, the last thing in the world you want to do is expose it to risk of loss. You don’t want to lose any of it, let alone most or all of it. But, sometimes we do things that are not good for us because we’re not fully aware of the dangers. This includes not faithfully getting medical checkups, driving too fast at night on rain-slick roads, and not considering all the options when we invest our money. The habits we have accumulated over a lifetime are hard to break quickly, and they may prevent us from keeping up with the “times”. Keeping pace with retirement requires that you give up the notion of “making loads of money in the market” and adopt the notion of “keeping what you’ve got”. Good advice but hard to follow.

Assuming you have prepared financially for your retirement, there are two potential hazards you face: losing part or all of your retirement money because of the risks you voluntarily took, and having an unexpected medical emergency that wipes out your savings. Before we focus on the first topic, most of you understand the importance of insurance coverage for your health but sometimes overlook the need for life, disability, and long-term care coverage. But, I’ll bet most of you have full coverage on your auto and house. This is not the time to discuss insurance, but you might want to reassess your priorities. Let’s close the book on insurance by saying there are only two things to remember: first, it is better to be years early rather than one day late, and second, insure everything you can’t afford to lose.

What About a Coach?

Even if you’re in retirement, and especially if you’re not, you can probably benefit from help in planning how to save for your retirement. I’m not sure the term has been coined, but you need a “Savings Coach” the way you need a fitness coach for your physical well-being. You should know that successful investment is about “time”, not “timing”, and that compound interest can deliver amazing results given enough time to work. A systematic savings plan of “paying yourself first”, conservatively choosing tax-advantaged investments, and avoiding speculative risks is the key to your successful retirement. You can start too late, but never too early. The best advice you can give a younger person is that they should always participate to the maximum in their employer’s pension plan PLUS set aside a certain percent of their “take home” pay every month. Then make sure they never invade it for something they’ve just got to have – this is for their retirement. Of course, saving is not “the American way”. At this time most young people are not receptive to advice about money and saving. They’ll learn later the consequences of not saving for retirement.

Speaking of savings, the average 65-year old American has less than ,000 in savings and investments. In a recent survey by a major insurance company, 40 percent of those asked admit they are not savings seriously for retirement. Overall, 38 percent say they expect their retirement to be “financially difficult”. The American theme is “why save for tomorrow when you can spend today”. This has resulted in a negative savings rate during the past several years: we are spending more than we are taking in by borrowing, refinancing homes and drawing down past savings. The average retiree is not prepared financially: not for lack of opportunity but due to procrastination, poor planning and bad financial choices. Just as bad, many retirees who think they are prepared for retirement now will outlive their money for exactly the same reasons. Most people severely underestimate the amount of money they’ll need in retirement – 30 years or more is a very long time to live on Social Security and your retirement nest egg.

Judging from the statistics it’s a fact that retirees need professional help with financial planning. Due to medical advances, the biggest risk you face, and a risk generally ignored, is that you may live in retirement for 30 years. The urge to speculate, knowingly or unknowingly, is ingrained in many of us as is the mindset to stay liquid by choosing only short term investments. These are the two most common mistakes retirees make with their lifetime savings. To safeguard your retirement, it is imperative that you avoid losses, assume only risks you can afford and make your money work as smart and hard as you did to earn it. These can be accomplished with an understanding of the options, outside professional help and planning. Your savings are what you plan to live on in retirement and if you lose all or some of them, where will you get the needed income?

If your looking for more details – read this eReport and watch a short video seminar free:

http://www.theretirementpros.com/eReport_BBS-1.php

For more on Retirement Planning go to http://www.theretirementpros.com and don’t forget to tune to our Retired Radio station while reading. Remember you’ve got one chance to get retirement right – make sure you know all your options!

Over the past few months we’ve seen the price of gold head higher. Just recently many investment analysts have predicted the price to continue its meteoric rise with ,500/oz sited by year end and ,000/oz within the next 18 months. Over the past decade gold has returned an average of over 25% a year. Yet, still only a small percentage of investors own physical gold, especially in the UK.

Total net investment in gold from start of 2010 through to July 31st was .7 billion. Yet, in the course of the same period, investors poured billion into emerging markets mutual funds and 5 billion into bond funds.  In comparison to these numbers, the total amount invested into gold is negligible.

So why are so many people ignoring the asset as part of their portfolio?

I certainly don’t think it’s due to a lack of awareness of gold. The press coverage over the past few years has been phenomenal. Most people are now aware that gold can be bought as an investment, and that it performs well as a safe haven asset. So surely that’s half the job done?

The main barrier preventing the average investor buying gold is mindset.  Many modest investors and savers still perceive gold as being elitist and out of their reach.  They don’t realise that you can buy a Sovereign coin for just over £200 or tiny gold bars for £50 or less!  Certainly the US retail market is at least 10 years ahead of the UK market in terms of the average person owning some gold as part of their portfolio. It’s only a matter of time before we catch up. Only a small fraction of UK investors have considered alternative assets at all. Most still stick to traditional paper assets such as stocks, bonds and cash. However, with huge losses from these assets over the past few years more people are now opening their eyes to the world of alternatives, including gold. More are now realising that a true balanced portfolio needs to include a wider range of assets.  Traditional currencies such as the Dollar, Sterling and the Euro are now threatened, so we are gradually seeing more savers using gold as a store of wealth rather than leaving all their liquid assets in a Sterling savings account.  But these are still in the minority, and most savers to still accept ISAs and savings accounts as the only options.  .

The next mental block is a lack of knowledge in what to buy, how to buy, and where from.  While gold has been around for centuries, it remains a ‘new’ asset class to many. The first question novice investors ask us is should they buy gold coins, bars or mining stocks? The options are endless and many feel they don’t know who to ask to get the answers.

While awareness of gold in general is high, many of the people we speak to aren’t aware that certain coins are totally tax free in the UK, or that you can get 40% discount off the price of gold bars as part of a UK pension.  That’s not a surprise when so few Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) discuss alternative assets with their clients. Many of the IFAs themselves weren’t aware that gold bullion could be bought with a pension.  This is part of the reason why we started the Gold Adviser’s Program.

When the pension parameters changed in the UK to allow some alternative investments into Self Invested Personal pensions (SIPPs), most of the press focus was on property. At the time buy-to-let properties were the thing to be in, with many modest investors becoming landlords. When residential property was widely touted to be included as permissible SIPP assets press coverage could talk of nothing else. This would mean investors could essentially buy a £100,000 flat at £60,000 once tax relief is factored in. At the last minute the Government performed a U-turn and only allowed commercial property with a SIPP. However by this stage gold had slipped under the press radar as the only commodity permitted into a SIPP. So pension gold really hasn’t been promoted in the UK. When our customers are made aware of the possibility they love the idea.

It’s also true that the average investor doesn’t know the buying process. How do I pay? Where do I store the gold? How do I know it’s real. These are some of the most common questions we receive. If you have the support and expertise of a good gold dealer then these sort of questions are easily overcome.  The buying process is as simple for gold as buying anything and once customers buy once they realise there is nothing radical about the investment process.  Finally, it’s human nature that investors want to buy at the lowest price and sell at the highest. This is the main investment strategy afterall. So many are put off that gold is at all time highs. They feel they have missed the boat and are unsure of the best timing to get in. As I mentioned at the beginning most experts feel gold has a long way to run yet and starting a relationship with a reputable gold dealer today will help you select the best buying opportunities and get the ball rolling with the new world of physical gold.

The world-wide credit crunch is doing little to encourage individuals to invest their funds. Future uncertainty makes people want to hold onto their money just that little bit tighter. Any investments made before the recession have since been reduced significantly and they are no longer robust enough to provide sufficient liquidity during these more demanding times.

Diversifying where you place your money is a sensible way to secure your profits. If you have diversity in where your money is invested then stronger investments can carry along any that are weaker.

Property is one area that is popular in terms of investment potential, with many people taking the view that property is one of the few investments that we actually need and use as a basic requirement.

Although falling house prices have been stealing the headlines recently, it should be remembered that property prices have systematically increased in value over the past several decades. It can be tough to muster the confidence to invest in property during a recession, but a good time to buy is when house prices are low – if you time it right you can secure yourself a sound investment.

Instead of branching out on your own to look for – and secure – investments you may want to use a financial services company to give you a helping hand through the process. As with other financial products, various companies will offer different investment plans; therefore, do a little research to find out which one is best for you.

Some flexible investment plans give you access to a wide range of various funds from leading UK fund managers. Flexible investment plans generally require a lump sum investment with the minimum sum often set at around £10,000. This type of plan is a good way to increase the value of your money over the medium to long term – with the added flexibility of being able to make additional investments at any time, or taking regular or one-off withdrawals from your plan.

A straightforward investment plan offers many of the same benefits with ‘multi-asset’ funds, where you invest in assets such as property, stocks and shares and bonds. This is another way to diversify your funds and help spread the risk.

Other investment funds offer flexible charging structures whereby you can choose from a range of charging options based on the commission you agree with your provider. Of course, investments come in all shapes and sizes; therefore, the best way to wisely secure future investments is by shopping around, conducting some research and choosing whichever option suits your circumstances the best.

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