Mutual Fund Investing 101: How You Make Money

How do you make money investing in mutual funds? There are basically two ways to make money and two ways to lose money investing in mutual funds. Let's get down to basics.

There are thousands of funds to choose from and the vast majority of them will fall into one of four categories based on where they invest money (your money). They are called: equity (stock), bond, money market, and balanced funds. In all of the above you open an account, invest money, and this buys you shares. You make money investing based on the number of shares you own. The same goes if you lose money investing.

Let's start with the most popular and the scandal category called EQUITY FUNDS, which invest money in stocks, which are also called "equities". Why invest money here? The primary objective is growth, with dividend income as a secondary objective. You make money investing here when the share price goes up, and from dividends. You lose money when the share price goes down. The disputes come from the stocks in the fund portfolio and are passed on to you. They (like all dividends) are yours to keep. The primary attraction of equity funds: the potential for high returns.

BOND FUNDS have one primary objective: higher income in the form of dividends. They are also called INCOME FUNDS, and are generally safer than the equity variety. You invest money here to earn higher dividends than you can get elsewhere. The disputes come from the interest earned in the fund's bond portfolio. You can also make money investing when the share price goes up; and lose money when the share price falls. Normally, there is probably less price fluctuation than you'll find in the equity or stock category.

BALANCED FUNDS are a happy medium between the two above, because they invest money in both stocks and bonds. Here you make money from both rising share prices and dividends, and lose money investing when share prices tumble. Here you have moderate risk.

MONEY MARKET FUNDS are the safe alternative and you make money investing in them in only one way: dividends. They invest money and earn interest in high quality, short-term IOUs (in the money market). This interest they pass on to you in the form of dividends. Share price is pegged at $ 1 and does not fluctuate. Very rarely do investors lose money investing here.

Most people invest money in mutual funds as a long term investment. So, in most cases they simply allow the fund company to reinvest all dividends (and other dividends) to buy more shares. Distributions (like capital gains from the sale of stock) are a bit technical. Do not worry - if you have them coming, you'll get your share. And you'll also receive periodic statements showing the activity in your account.

In the beginning we said that there are basically two ways to make money and two ways to lose money investing in mutual funds. What's the second way you can lose money? Let me give you an example, and as a former financial planner I've seen this time time and time again. Joe Blow decided to invest money in mutual funds through a "financial planner" (not me). He put $ 20,000 into a stock fund, and about a year later he looked at his latest statement and it showed a total value of $ 19,000.

The stock market in that year showed a modest gain. How did he lose money investing? Answer: $ 1000 came off the top to pay for sales charges called "loads". About $ 300 went to annual fund expenses, and another $ 300 to extra fees. Joe claims that he did not know anything about these charges and fees.

It is not necessary to pay big bucks when you invest money in mutual funds. Had Joe gone with NO-LOAD funds, he could have invested for a total cost of about $ 200 a year, for expenses. You can make money investing in mutual funds as a long term investment. Just do not work against yourself by losing money to high charges and fees.

How to Choose Do it Yourself Logo Design Software

Are you searching for the best way to have your company logo designed? There are two options available for you to choose from. Either hire a creative logo developer to do it for you or simply try and do it by yourself. Hiring professional company logo designers to do your company logo is good and guarantees that you will have logo with some bit of professionalism but there are software you can easily use to do the same professional logo design and at cheaper cost. You should be able to choose the proper software that will help you design logo that will match your company's image. Here are tips to help you choose 'do it yourself' logo design software.

A little creativity is required for you to be able to use this software to design your logo. It is easy if you take time to study these simple programs as most of them come with detailed guide on steps to take to quickly and effectively have your logo designed by you. Some people even use the Desktop Publishing program to design their company logos. Apart from that, there is other software you can easily lay your hands on to help you design your company logo. They may cost you some money but not as much as you will pay to hire creative logo designers.

Searching for software that can professionally deliver unique company logo can be confusing sometimes. You can over come this by looking at only those websites that have these logo design software reviewed. Reputable logo design software, just like most creative logo developers, will take time to ask or survey the nature of your business. This may be through answering some kind of questionnaire on their webpage. This will help them to ascertain the kind of interests your business or company has and tailor your logo design towards your interests.

You have options available to you, whether it is a do it your self logo design software or out rightly hiring creative logo designers but bear in mind that your company logo should be as simple as possible. Simple logos have proven to be more potent and effective in depicting the images of companies. What you desire is to carve out an identity for your company and this is achievable if great care is made at the point of designing your company logo. Also remember that the logo you choose today will remain with your company for years to come. So even if you are designing the logo by yourself, note that you have to consider the fact that the logo need to still be relevant to your business many years from now.

Wisconsin Contract Law - What Makes a Legally Binding Contract?

As a business owner, you probably enter into contractual relationships every day. Many of you deal with written contracts on a fairly regular basis. However, do you understand the basic concepts of contract law and what makes a legally binding contract? Do you know what to look for when reviewing contracts prepared by the other party, or your own attorney that make it a legally binding contract?

Under Wisconsin contract law, legally binding contracts, whether oral or written, require three basic components: offer, acceptance, and consideration. An "offer" requires that one party offers to provide something of value to another party, which is then "accepted" by that other party. "Consideration" is what the two parties are obliged to exchange with each other as part of the contract. Consideration must be something of value, and the consideration must be mutual, ie both sides must provide something of value under the contract. For example, an agreement wherey a party agreements to pay you $ 1,000.00, without receiving anything in exchange, is by definition not a contract.

Typically, consideration takes the form of money paid in exchange for the provision of goods or services. This holds true for multi-million dollar transactions between international conglomerates, and when you take your car in for repairs by a mechanic. One corporation agreements to pay millions of dollars for another corporation to develop specific software or some other product, and you pay your mechanic to replace your spark plugs. In either case, there is an offer, acceptance, and consideration, and therefore an enforceable and legally binding contract. Keep in mind, however, that legally binding contracts may require consideration other than money, for example when two parties agree to exchange parcels of real estate.

Under Wisconsin contract law, all contracts also come with an asserted duty of "good faith and fair dealing" on the part of both parties to the contract. While this is admittedly a rather broad phrase, in essence it means that, once an agreement has been reached, both parties have an obligation to make reasonable efforts to fulfill their respective obligations, and to avoid taking actions that would hinder the performance of the contract .

Parties to contracts have the right to enforce them in courts of law. Generally, the remedies for breach of contract take one of two forms, either specific performance or monetary damages. Specific performance is an equitable remedy most often awarded in cases involving real estate transactions, and consistors of the Court ordering the breaking party to fulfill its obligations, ie "specifically perform" the contract.

In most cases, the remedy for breach of contract is money damages, usually in the form of "consequential" damages. Consequential damages are those damages that flow naturally from one party's breach of a contract, and can include the cost to replace a product that was never delivered, the cost to repair a defective product, and any resulting lost profits. However, consequential damages must be "reasonably foreseeable" at the time the contract was created in order to be recoverable.

With certain exceptions, oral contracts may be just as valid and legally binding as a written contract. As an attorney, I recommend that whenever possible, contractual obligations be set forth in a written document signed by both parties. As a general rule, courts are required to look only at the written contract itself to interpret the parties' obligations, unless there is some ambiguity in the contract. In the absence of a written agreement, or when an ambiguity exists in a written contract, the court may look to extrinsic evidence, including the testimony of the parties, to determinate their intent. In other words, the judge or the jury will be determined the fate of the parties, as opposed to the parties themselves. Therefore, written contracts that clearly define the obligations of the parties are almost always preferable to oral contracts.

I will close with a suggestion. Never ignore the "boilerplate" language that you often find at the end of contracts. While these provisions may seem like an afterthought added by the attorneys to make the contract longer, they are often of vital importance, specifying among other things where written notices (for example, terminating the contract) must be sent under the contract, to where a lawsuit must be filed and what jurisdiction of laws will govern the contract. While it is important to review the detailed provisions of the contract, it can be just as important to understand the "standard" provisions at the end of the contract.

Comments: Computers and Older People

Online Chat Rooms - More Than Just Virtual Friendship

Online Chat Rooms- the best teacher Chat Rooms- newest form of pen friendship

Virtual friends, even in the past were fun- you could just be yourself with the person you wrote to without any inhibitions. The newest form of this pen friendship is of course net friendship and there is no better way to make friends that to log on to online chat rooms. With lifestyles becoming hectic, wee office hours and more net savvy people, online chat is here to stay. With new technological innovations everyday, the cyber space is rapidly changing from the virtual space it has been. These days, you can talk real time and see the person you are chatting with through a video chat.

Networking on Online Chat Rooms

Social networking sites are good to network your way in finding people with similar sets of interests and professional preferences. But online chat rooms are better by a notch- you can find the room for exactly what you are searching for. Topic based sites are definitely a lot quicker and hassle free for any one. Say if you are looking at setting up a charity group, you might find a room specifically aimed at this. Most of these rooms are adjusted so that you do not have to bother about the communication going out of context. In fact, some of the best online chat rooms are commonly visited by very knowledgeable people and you can easily look at improving your knowledge base.

Respecting the Age Requirement Norms in Chat Rooms

Many online chat rooms require a minimum age requirement of 18 years to enter the chat portal. This is not to be mistaken for the chat room being inclined to either adult content or violent. This in fact is a good idea because often kids find it difficult to attend to the chat room norms and end up messing with the topic of discussion. Privacy also becomes an issue if kids participating in an adult chat room do not know how to protect themselves. Tender souls may be surprised and shocked at very naïve and innocent acts of adults and may lead adults to be more conscious unnecessarily.

Especially user created rooms and private rooms may be a zone where kids should no way be allowed as it could be offensive to both the child and the adult. So, it is better to choose a chat site that monitors the age requirement norms well.

Live chat sessions in online chat rooms can be the best way to experience the cultural diversity in the world. We all have studied in social science in our school days about how the Indians or the Japanese lived but such knowledge is of no use if we do not get real time experience. Chat rooms are the best way where by we can know about cultures from across the globe without actually visiting the places. And all this socializing and knowledge is free with the free online chat !

Gaming Hardware Guide - Learn What It Takes To Make A Gaming Computer

So you're into gaming, and you're looking to turn that shabby computer into a gaming powerhouse? You do not need unnecessarily expensive gaming computer though, you just need some decent gaming hardware.

If you do not exactly know what gaming hardware is, I've put together a guide explaining what it takes to have a gaming computer. You do not needily need all of these components, so I've broken them down by level of importance.

3D Video Card

First and foremost, if you have to have a decent video card to play the latest 3D games. You can have the best computer around, but if it has a cheap video card, 3D games will appear to run as slow as if you had a slow computer. You do not necessarily need the latest video card, because at the rate they come out it will be outdated in a few months anyway .. unless of course you have $ 500 burning a hole in your pocket and you really want to.

CPU

Since your CPU is the heart of the computer, this one is kind of obvious. Like most things, you do not need the fastest CPU around, but if you want a real gaming computer, you'll want something at or around 3 gigahertz (or 3000+ for you AMD enthusiasts).

You'll also want something that has a fast front side bus. It's usually best to find a motherboard and cpu that have similar front side bus speeds, because they work together, and the overall speed of the front side bus will only be as fast as the one with the slowest speed on it. It's kind of like driving a sports car on a highway with a 55 mile per hour speed limit, the car might be able to go 155, but the highway will only let you go 55.

Memory

Also known as Ram, it's what applications and games use to store information, the more the better. It's good to have at least 512 Megabytes, but real gamers have 750 megabytes, to 1 Gigabyte or more. Memory is extremely cheap these days, it's one of the cheapest and simplest upgrades you can do.

It's not only the amount that matters though, they also come in different times. DDR2 is the fastest, cheapest memory you can get right now. If you have SDRam, you'll probably want to upgrade your motherboard and CPU so you can have faster memory. It's kind of drastic, but your games will most likely be sluggish if your equipment is that old. Regular DDR is good enough for gaming, it just does not have the throughput that DDR2 does.

Motherboards

Today's fastest motherboards have faster Front Side Bus. The Front Side Bus (or FSB) is essentially the highway that runs from the CPU to the Ram, the bigger the highway, the more traffic it can handle at once, making calculations faster. Another thing to watch out for is what kinds of hard drives it supports. If you want SATA or SCSI drives, either your motherboard needs to support them, or you need to purchase an expansion card to plug them into. You'll also want a motherboard that supports the fastest computer memory you can get, which is currently DDR2.

Hard Drives

Hard drive speed may not sound important, but it can be one of many bottle necks that your computer runs into if it's not up to par with the rest of your computer. If you purchase regular IDE hard drives, you'll want at least 7200 rpm (rpm = rotations per minute, the more rotations the faster the drive).

If you want real speed though, you'll want a Serial ATA hard drive (SATA), which is one of the fastest hard drives you can get without buying server grade hard drives (SCSI), which are pretty expensive. Your motherboard has to support SATA or SCSI though if you plan to purchase these kinds of hard drives, or you have to have a PCI expansion card to plug them into.

Sound Card

If you want gaming quality sound, then you definitely need to replace that stock or built in sound card for a decent gaming sound card. And if you want the full effect, go for a dolby 5.1 surround sound enabled sound card for that super crisp sound your games can produce. Mix that with some 5.1 enabled speakers, and your gaming experience just took a new turn.

Computer Cases

Ok, so computer cases are not that important for speed, but if you want your new gaming computer to look slick too, then you need a nice colored case. Your friends will be jealous, and you will finally be able to look at your computer and smile, because it looks so awesome.

Portable iPhone Charger: What Are The Options?

Nothing is worse than having an amazing smartphone with little or no battery power. Seeing the dreaded "20% battery remaining" pop up as soon as you leave for the day is something I never want to see. Having a portable iPhone charger handy can keep your iPhone charged when it matters most. There are many portable iPhone chargers which can keep your iPhone charged when you are away from the USB or wall outlet, but which is the best? Below are four general categories of portable iPhone chargers to help you make your decision easier.

Standard Car Charger
Car chargers have been around long before the iPhone and continue to be a popular choice. Often times accessory packages include a car charger, which means in most cases users have a car charger for their iPhone from the start. While the car charger is a staple in portable chargers, its functions are quite limited. It's most obvious restriction is the fact you have to be in or around your vehicle to power up.

Battery powered charger
Battery powered mobile device chargers simply transfer the power from standard batteries (such as 2 AA) to your iPhone. Usually they are relatively cheap to buy plus easy to keep charged. Simply pop in the 2 AA (or similar) batteries and you're ready to go. One tip for if you plan on using a battery-powered charger regularly is to use rechargeable batteries. This will save you countless trips to a store as well as save money over time.

iPhone charging case
Charging cases are easy to use and provide ongoing power to your iPhone. Charging cases are basically an iPhone case that has a battery inside. The case surrounds all or most of the iPhone, and it charges an iPhone by connecting to the charging outlet at the bottom of the device. The case can be charged by plugging its charging cord into your computer's USB port (typically a micro or mini USB). Along with an improved battery life, iPhone charging cases also protect your iPhone from being damaged.

iPhone solar charger
iPhone solar chargers are great for anyone who is regular outdoors or by a window. There are two main categories of iPhone solar chargers- solar charging cases (similar standard charging cases) and off device solar chargers (connect to the iPhone via a charging cord). Most solar chargers are also capable of charging up from a USB which is a great way to charge the device faster as well as if there is no sun. With solar chargers you can continue add power to your charger without the need for batteries or an outlet.