Most people I meet ask me why I wrote my first novel, "Stock Power". The answer is two-fold. I needed a means of telling a handful of investors how sorry I am for committing a crime that caused me to leave the industry and that I intend to reimburse them 100%. On the other hand, I wanted to give book lovers a story that shows what happens to an ambitious stockbroker when he ignores the rules when success goes to his head.
Bill Haydon, the story's central character, sets out for Wall Street's cornucopia of finance in order to make more money - a perfectly admirable and logical ambition. His basis for seeking an exclusive niche in the market was his acute analytical skills and his desire to outperform in his field. He achieves both of these goals. The reader can follow Haydon through this colorful drama as he struggles with conflicts about his values and beliefs while advising wealthy people on what to do with their money.
Successful investing on Wall Street and a workaholic's addictions to money are the two main themes of this novel. Readers will be rewarded with both a glance at how to think about investing and also what to do about their own destiny. This book is likely to create a sense of urgency about personal finances for readers across North America. I expect it will take me about a year to get the word out. In the meantime, I would like to see the press get a little bit more interested in this project.
Bill Hudley
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Friday, July 18, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Can You Double Your Money In The Next 6 Years?
It's definitely possible. Performance is key (on the part of an accredited investment professional, that is).
A woman asked me if it was possible for her to retire before she's 70. I asked her what her financial goal was. She told me she would feel comfortable with an income of $45,000 per year but that she wasn't sure about how long it would take her to reach that goal.
After a preliminary analysis of her current finances, I calculated that she would need twice the money she has now in order to retire. I told her about a simple, proven strategy that would help her grow her money in time for the 70th birthday, which happens to be six years from March 12, 2008.
The magic number for the average average return on the new strategy is 12% per year! Obviously, this is not your typical portfolio performance these days; but if the return is achieved, my client can change her employment status in 2014.
Hint: No Mutual Funds!
There isn't much chance of an employee getting satisfaction from mutual funds [found in 401(k) plans] over the next three to five years. The broad markets are too soft. In addition, fees charged on managed money absorb too much of the return on investment. If you ask the right professional - not your hair stylist or mail carrier - you can get good information on how to earn an average annual return of 10-12% on your money, starting today.
No kidding!
Bill Hudley
A woman asked me if it was possible for her to retire before she's 70. I asked her what her financial goal was. She told me she would feel comfortable with an income of $45,000 per year but that she wasn't sure about how long it would take her to reach that goal.
After a preliminary analysis of her current finances, I calculated that she would need twice the money she has now in order to retire. I told her about a simple, proven strategy that would help her grow her money in time for the 70th birthday, which happens to be six years from March 12, 2008.
The magic number for the average average return on the new strategy is 12% per year! Obviously, this is not your typical portfolio performance these days; but if the return is achieved, my client can change her employment status in 2014.
Hint: No Mutual Funds!
There isn't much chance of an employee getting satisfaction from mutual funds [found in 401(k) plans] over the next three to five years. The broad markets are too soft. In addition, fees charged on managed money absorb too much of the return on investment. If you ask the right professional - not your hair stylist or mail carrier - you can get good information on how to earn an average annual return of 10-12% on your money, starting today.
No kidding!
Bill Hudley
Friday, March 30, 2007
The name of the game is money. Hel-l-o-o-o-o!
We got into a discussion the other day (over at the Helium website) about the differences between money market funds and CDs. While we're at it, the discussion contained the key phrase money market funds - not money markets, a wide-spread misnomer.
Meanwhile, money market funds are actually mutual funds that are managed, and they invest in commercial paper and other short-term cash equivalents, typlically called "obligations". The only change that takes place in a money fund [of importance to investors] is its dividend yield, generally expressed in annualized terms but calculated over periods of 7 and 10 days (mutual funds, including money funds, don't pay interest). The yield will fluctuate, but not the principal.
The share price has always been one dollar. The shorter the term of certificate, which is most often between 90 and 180 days, the safer it is. That characteristic alone helps to make the decision a lot simpler when the choice might be based on the annualized yield.
To go a step further, the most compelling reason to "invest" in a money market fund is to have liquidity - which is to say, write checks, make frequent withdrawals and invest in other vehicles - and getting a better dividend rate (not interest rate) than a short-term CD.
Certificates of Deposit pay more interest when the date to maturity is further away. Their main attraction to knowledgeable customers is that they are guaranteed by way of insurance. Money market funds can never be insured.
Obviously, there is a wide-spread misconception about the nature of money market funds for a large population of investors. (I thought this platform was too good an opportunity to pass up.)
Over the years, including our recent interaction with Helium, we have identified a class of people that believes money market funds invest in the stock market. This is a gross misconception. For the sake of making the connection, go no further than the name of the fund(s). M-o-n-e-y. Money. For further clarification, please take a quick glance at the SEC's definition of the security.
In addition, they are not considered viable investments for long periods of time. Sure, they're as safe as can be. So is a Hummer! Why don't we all go out and buy one! There are thousands of people who put half their savings into these investments. It's wrong, with a capital 'R'. It's like driving from L.A. to San Diego with your foot on the break pedal. Don't do it.!
Whew! That felt good.
Hudster
Meanwhile, money market funds are actually mutual funds that are managed, and they invest in commercial paper and other short-term cash equivalents, typlically called "obligations". The only change that takes place in a money fund [of importance to investors] is its dividend yield, generally expressed in annualized terms but calculated over periods of 7 and 10 days (mutual funds, including money funds, don't pay interest). The yield will fluctuate, but not the principal.
The share price has always been one dollar. The shorter the term of certificate, which is most often between 90 and 180 days, the safer it is. That characteristic alone helps to make the decision a lot simpler when the choice might be based on the annualized yield.
To go a step further, the most compelling reason to "invest" in a money market fund is to have liquidity - which is to say, write checks, make frequent withdrawals and invest in other vehicles - and getting a better dividend rate (not interest rate) than a short-term CD.
Certificates of Deposit pay more interest when the date to maturity is further away. Their main attraction to knowledgeable customers is that they are guaranteed by way of insurance. Money market funds can never be insured.
Obviously, there is a wide-spread misconception about the nature of money market funds for a large population of investors. (I thought this platform was too good an opportunity to pass up.)
Over the years, including our recent interaction with Helium, we have identified a class of people that believes money market funds invest in the stock market. This is a gross misconception. For the sake of making the connection, go no further than the name of the fund(s). M-o-n-e-y. Money. For further clarification, please take a quick glance at the SEC's definition of the security.
In addition, they are not considered viable investments for long periods of time. Sure, they're as safe as can be. So is a Hummer! Why don't we all go out and buy one! There are thousands of people who put half their savings into these investments. It's wrong, with a capital 'R'. It's like driving from L.A. to San Diego with your foot on the break pedal. Don't do it.!
Whew! That felt good.
Hudster
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