KEETARO

Economic recovery faces serious hurdles

2010-01-18T17:30:00.002-06:00

As the U.S. economy rounds the midyear turn, most economists believe that growth will resume as early as the current quarter. They are trying not to let you see that they are saying this with their fingers crossed.

Several months ago, it looked as though the economy was in the process of bottoming out. A number of statistics had begun to point up, not the least of which was the stock market, considered by many to be a venerable leading indicator.

From the middle of March until the middle of June, stocks went on a tear, rising more than 30% -- the biggest jump in such a short period of time since the 1930s.

It is an open question why stocks rose as much as they did -- especially since they have gone nowhere over the past few weeks. Some believe that stocks fell too far, while others think the market was anticipating a turn in corporate profits as early as the third quarter.

Whatever the case, it should be pointed out that even with this big run-up, stocks, as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average, are still below their levels at the turn of this year -- much less a year ago, when the Dow was just below 12,000, and 21 months ago, when the Dow peaked at 14,165.

This has a direct bearing on the economic outlook and whether the market's expectations will come to fruition. Stocks at today's levels represent a tremendous loss in investors' net worth. This alone has been enough to put the kibosh on consumer spending, which represents 70% of the gross domestic product.

Another depressant holding back the urge to splurge is the drop in residential real-estate values. For many, a home is their biggest asset, and lower prices alone are enough to cause people to pull in their horns. Add in their inability to pull money out in the form of a home-equity loan, and the prospects for spending gains become even dimmer.

To add insult to injury, the price of oil and gasoline has been on the rise since the beginning of this year. Although well below levels a year ago, when prices peaked at more than $4.00 a gallon nationwide, gasoline still costs about 60% more today than it did six months ago, making it difficult for many households to buy other goods and services.

Spending is also being constrained by a decision on the part of many households to rebuild their depleted bank accounts. The savings rate has gone from zero to a 15-year high of nearly 6% -- and they are earning very little on their savings, due to today's record low interest rates.

On top of this, falling employment and rising unemployment are also exerting a drag on consumer spending. And if the past two recoveries are any guide, it could take a year or more after the economy turns before employers will resume hiring.

As for Washington's stimulus package, very little has hit the economy so far -- as I first pointed out in my column of May 26 and reiterated last week. Indeed, when you factor in cutbacks at the state and local level, you could almost say that fiscal policy has actually tightened over the past year.

Even the turnaround in business productivity is nothing to cheer about. What good is it to be more efficient if you don't have many customers coming through the door

8 Tax Strategies to Consider in 2010

2010-01-10T22:22:00.001-06:00

With minimal effort, you can still have a huge impact on your 2009 tax return by decreasing your realized income. If any of these strategies appeal to you, speak with a tax adviser, pronto.

Strategy #1: Fund your Retirement:

You may still be able to add more contributions for your 401k in 2009.

Additionally, you will be able to make tax deductible contributions to a traditional IRA up until the 2009 tax filing deadline (April 15, 2010) for the 2009 tax year. The IRS maximum allowed 401k limit is $16,500 in both 2009 and 2010. For those 50 and over, the catch-up contribution brings you up to $22,000 both years. For IRA’s, the limit is set at $5,000, while the catch-up is $1,000 for both years. Check with your employer ASAP to see if it’s not too late to kick up your contributions.

Strategy #2: Hold Off on the Roth IRA Conversion:

Owners of traditional IRAs can convert all or a part of their accounts to a Roth IRA if their 2009 modified adjusted gross income is under $100,000.

Any amount converted is taxable income, but is thereafter eligible for the potential tax-free distribution rules of Roth IRA’s. The big news is that starting in 2010, the $100,000 income threshold is removed – anyone can do a conversion. For 2010 only, you also have the option to spread the income from conversion over the following two years (2011 and 2012). Many have been waiting for this opportunity.

Strategy #3: Sell Losing Investments (and Big Winners):

The S&P 500 index went from the low 900’s to a low of 666 (funny number,right?) in March, back up to a 2009 high of 1,119. That’s one heck of a volatile year. All in all, the market is up over 22% for the year. Depending on when you’ve bought and sold, you might want to consider unloading big winners to offset your losers, or big losers to offset your winners. First, you must subtract your losses from any capital gains you’ve made. Next, additional losses can offset up to $3,000 of your 2009 ordinary income. Have larger net losses than $3,000? Losses above and beyond what you used to offset your capital gains and ordinary income can be carried over into future tax years. Before implementing investment loss strategy by selling mutual funds, make sure that you won’t incur any penalty for holding shares for too short of a period of time.

Strategy #4: Capital Gains Tax Cuts:

Under the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act (TIPRA) of 2005, US taxpayers in the two lowest tax brackets (10% and 15%) will pay no capital gains taxes on long-term investments sold in 2009 and 2010.
Long-term capital gains result from profit made via appreciation of a security (stock, fund, etc.) held for more than one year.

Strategy #5: When you Donate to a 501(c)(3), Everyone Wins:

Tax deductions for charitable donations can be claimed for the year in which the donation is made. Perhaps it’s time to rummage through your house to find valuables you no longer need or want that others can gain value from. You may obtain fair market value on these items. Or, simply open your checkbook or donate cash. Donations of $250 or more must come with a written receipt or letter from the 501(c)(3). When submitting your donation, ask for and keep all of the appropriate documentation and receipts associated with all donations so that you are safe in the event of a possible future tax audit. If you are donating goods, document a description of everything given.

Strategy #6: Prepay your January, 2010 Mortgage:

If you’re a homeowner, you may want to consider making your January mortgage payment in December, which will give you one more month of interest to deduct from your 2009 taxes. Check with your mortgage provider to see if an early payment is possible. It may be a great way to offset extra income windfalls in 2009.

Strategy #7: Get Healthy on your Medical Bills:

If you have have large and predictable medical and/or dental bills that need to be paid, consider making all the payments before the year is over. The IRS allows families to itemize and deduct medical and dental expenses that exceed 7.5% of their adjusted gross income, so if you’re close to going over that percentage it may be wise to pay the bills to be able to make the deduction.

It won’t affect your 2009 taxes (since it was already deducted), but don’t forget to use up the rest of your 2009 FSA funds if you are in danger of losing them in the new year.

Strategy #8: Prepare for 2010:

Using Mint.com to classify all of your deductible expenses in 2010, can allow you to tag anything as tax related. Download your transactions to a spreadsheet and send it to your accountant. If you’re doing your own taxes, this info will give you a big head start in using online tax software, such as TurboTax, which offers federal filing free. If you expect that you’re due a hefty refund, file asap, so that you can get back your return and re-invest it. Also, speak with your employer about your withholding taxes if you have found that you owe too much taxes or are getting a large refund.

Why should Fed raise the rate now ?

2010-01-03T19:13:00.002-06:00

On October 9, 2009, the Financial Times reported that the Fed was testing a key tool for draining liquidity from the financial system. Ten days later, the Fed confirmed that it had in fact been conducting reverse repos, but the tests were not an indication of a change in monetary policy.

That same day, a Barron's cover article appeared, sharply suggesting Fed chairman Ben Bernanke should already be raising rates and removing liquidity. The article cited that gold, oil and other commodities, as well as the stock market were are already rising, and that the dollar was falling. These are all signs of excess money in the system.

Clearly Fed is aware that it will need to remove the excess liquidity and raise rates in the future. But at this point, it's not exactly sure, or it isn't saying, when that will be, and it's staying the course despite the calls to do otherwise. This is the smart strategy, and here's why.

A Difficult Balancing Act
The mandate of the Federal Reserve is simple to understand, but complicated to accomplish. It desires stable prices and low unemployment, a difficult balancing act to say the least. The most important thing is stable prices, hopefully rising slowly at around 3% per year. This allows growth without excess inflation. Also, it is more important to fight inflation than high unemployment as inflation hurts everyone. Unemployment, even at today's high levels, impacts far fewer people. So first things first, stable prices, then low unemployment.

When inflation is low and unemployment is high, the focus is on increasing economic activity and reducing unemployment. This is the situation today. So, while the signs of potential inflation are taking shape, higher stock market and commodity prices along with a lower dollar, prices of goods and services haven't been rising very much, if any. Until this changes, it's likely the Fed will stay the course and not raise rates.

Differing Goals
The goals of the pundits can differ from this. They can call for a stronger dollar - making that their primary goal. The problem with that is the moves to increase the value of the dollar would likely slow the economy and increase unemployment. So it would be at odds with the Fed's goals. Other pundits may desire leaving the excess liquidity in the system to push the market rally even further. Again, that isn't the Fed's goal. The Fed decision making doesn't stray too far from its mandate of stable prices and high employment. To do so would risk not accomplishing one, or possible both, of those primary objectives. While others may suggest policy shifts to push their goals, it's unlikely the Fed will listen.

Another major difference in the Fed and the pundits is that the Fed typically needs to see evidence that something is happening before it acts. The pundits espouse a future that may or may not come to fruition. It's the difference between thinking we are going to have inflation, and actually having it. This lag can drive those that were correct crazy, but it's the only sensible course of action. The alternative would be to have the Fed try to anticipate economic activity before it occurs and act to offset it. The Fed correctly leaves the reading of the tea leaves to the tradder and pundits and acts based on evidence, not projections.

Careful Planning
Also, the Fed is keenly aware of the importance of the message it sends to the markets. It's crucial that confidence in its leadership be maintained and that it doesn't send mixed messages. A confused market creates panic. Typically, interest rate moves by the Fed have been in small, steady increments, and changes in direction were clearly telegraphed so as not to shock the markets. However, on the rare occasion when the Fed wants to get the market's attention, it has moved interest rates between meetings and in larger increments. That's very unlikely here.

Most firms don't hire people until demand for their products and a service exists, so employment is typically a lagging indicator of economic activity. In other words, firms need to sell more products and services before they hire more people. And, of course,selling more products and services can be inflationary. Therefore, the most likely course from here is that inflation will increase before unemployment totally subsides.

Future Fed Moves
Though the Fed is staying put right now, it's very likely that it will be raising rates and reducing liquidity before strong employment returns. But it won't take this action because of an article in a paper, or a pundit on television. It will need to see evidence of prices rising before it raises interest rate. But once the Fed does see that evidence, the pieces are being put in place already, and it will act.

Top 2010 Job-Hunting Tips

2009-12-29T18:24:00.001-06:00

Hunting for a job is like selling a product, except that YOU are the product. When a product doesn't sell, the main reason is that there isn't any demand for it, or the demand is elsewhere. If you are hunting for a job, then either change the demand for the product or look for demand elsewhere. Simply put, you can't sell a product that no one wants.

Change What You're Selling
If your dream job or your career of choice isn't hiring and you need a job, then change what you are selling to what people are buying. It's easy to slip into the mindset that you are looking for a specific job. Of course, start with your passion. But if there isn't any demand for it, wishing for demand won't work. Also, trying to stay in a closely related area probably won't work either. You need to find where demand is hot. For example, if you want to be a movie producer and they aren't hiring, then the obvious move is start looking to be a television producer. But it's highly likely that they aren't hiring either.

Change the focus entirely by looking for demand for a related job instead. If your offer was to sell your services as a movie producer, and there are no takers, then change your offer to sell your services as a project manager or an administrative assistant.

Then, once you have that, build the contacts and resume to get that dream job when there is an opening. Some might think of this as the strategy used by those that want to become paid actors, and so they take jobs waiting tables or tending bar. That's basically it, except the odds on you getting a job in your career of choice are substantially higher than the odds on an aspiring actor becoming the next Robert De Niro.

Hot Jobs for 2010
In 2010 things are going to be changing. Potentially hot areas would include the following:

Medical Records – The healthcare legislation notwithstanding, more hospitals are going digital and they will need help. And if legislation provides funds, it could boom.
Compliance or Regulatory Director – New rules for firms are making things more complex and that means they need to hire people that can learn, understand and apply them.
Census – The 2010 census won't be long-term employment, but they will be hiring hundreds of thousands of workers. It won't be your dream job, but the paychecks won't bounce.
Sales Reps – As the economy crashed and sales fell, sales reps were easily let go. But many companies won't be able to increase sales when demand picks up if they don't hire more sales reps. The pay may not be as good as it was if you were in the business at the peak, but someone has to take the order or there is no business.
Teach – While full-time tenure track positions require an act of Congress, part time adjunct positions are available. It's not great money, but it's money. Also, look for training, instructor, and other related positions as they will still be in demand as level of employment won't increase overnight. (Once you get a call back, there's still more work to be done.

Geographic Change
The recession has hit inconsistently across the country. This means localized economic strife. There are many areas in the world that are doing better than the U.S. If demand for your product isn't strong in the area your selling it, then you need to find another area. In other words, you need to fish where the fish are. Of course, this usually means you will have to move and that can be hard for some people. If so, then go back to the previous suggestion and change what you are offering.

To find demand elsewhere, obviously start with online job searches that have geographic information. Many of you are probably doing this already. But go beyond that and try to find out where opportunities are hottest. Where are all the jobs in your line of work? Then learn about that area. Who's the big player? Who's the best fit for you? Who can you contact to give you the inside scoop? The more information you have the better. If there isn't a hot area, then go back to changing the product, and use that information to go beyond the job boards. Get on the phone, network, use social media, and even go and knock on doors.

Bottom Line
Markets are about supply and demand. If there is no demand, supply isn't going to sell. To find a job or close the sale, you need to sell the customer what they want to buy at a price they are willing to pay. Think about it from the opposite side of the table. Who hires people they don't need? Nobody. So if you want a job, find a need and fill it. (For more tips on job hunting,

Most amazing facts.

2009-12-25T23:55:00.001-06:00

01 —MOPED is the short term for 'Motorized Pedaling'.

02. —POP MUSIC is 'Popular Music' shortened.

03. —BUS is the short term for 'Omnibus' that means everybody.

04. —FORTNIGHT comes from 'Fourteen Nights' (Two Weeks).

05. —DRAWING ROOM was actually a 'withdrawing room' where people withdrew after Dinner. Later the prefix 'with' was dropped..

06. —NEWS refers to information from Four directions N, E, W and S..

07. —AG-MARK, which some products bear, stems from 'Agricultural Marketing'.

08. —JOURNAL is a diary that tells about 'Journey for a day' during each Day's business.

09. —QUEUE comes from 'Queen's Quest'. Long back a long row of people as waiting to see the Queen. Someone made the comment Queen's Quest..

10. —TIPS come from 'To Insure Prompt Service'. In olden days to get Prompt service from servants in an inn, travelers used to drop coins in a Box on which was written 'To Insure Prompt Service'. This gave rise to the custom of Tips.

11. —JEEP is a vehicle with unique Gear system. It was invented during World War II (1939-1945). It was named 'General Purpose Vehicle (GP)'.GP was changed into JEEP later.

12. —Coca-Cola was originally green.

13. —The most common name in the world is Mohammed..

14. —The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.

15. —The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

16. —TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row ! of the keyboard.

17. —Women blink nearly twice as much as men!!

18. —You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.

19. —It is impossible to lick your elbow.

20. —People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.

21. —It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

22. —The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

23. —Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history.

—Spades - King David

—Clubs - Alexander the Great,

—Hearts – Charlemagne

—Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

24. —Horse Statue in a Park…

—If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

—If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle

—If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

25. —What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? Ans. - All invented by women.

26. —A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

27. —A snail can sleep for three years.

28. —All polar bears are left handed.

29. —Butterflies taste with their feet.

30. —Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

31. —In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

32. —On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.

33. —Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.

34. —Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

35. —The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

36. —The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

37. —The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.

38. —Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.

39. —Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

40. —The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

41. —Most lipstick contains fish scales.

The BEST deal for investors: Wine and Chocolate

2009-12-23T19:47:00.000-06:00

If there are two surefire ingredients to a happy holidays, they'd have to be chocolate and cocktails. But there's another way to indulge in these treats: in your portfolio. So this year, put your money where your mouth is to enjoy appetizing returns.

Sweet Returns
The U.S. may have been in a recession in 2008, but the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) reported that the average U.S. consumer spent 1.1% more on candy ($92.91). The increase appears to have been caused by escalating confection ingredient prices, because the actual amount of candy purchased decreased 4% to 23.8 pounds. According to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), candy makers reaped a 35% profit margin on retail sales. The industry thrives on holiday purchases, with most sales occurring around Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. What does this mean for investors? The cyclical candy sector may be a tasty portfolio treat.

The Industry
The returns may be tantalizing, but don't just grab at the first sweet opportunity; the $28 billion retail candy industry is very competitive. New and improved products keep consumers coming back, and many companies are working on offering more sugar-free and lower calorie choices. But the biggest seller is chocolate. The recent increased media hype around the health benefits of dark chocolate have given the industry a boost. According to recent research, chocolate containing 70% or more cacao is said to have high levels of antioxidants, which help fight heart disease. Now that's a sweet deal!

Merger and acquisition is a common growth strategy for the confection industry. There are more than 300 major American candy producers. Some of the biggest names are privately held, like Mars and Jelly Belly, but investors can buy shares in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY), which currently holds 42% of the U.S. market. The company's recent share price reflects operations struggles, but with a price-to-earnings ratio of 20 - compared to an industry average of 33 - it appears to be a good value. Earnings per share growth is actually down 11% over the last three years, and the company is currently in talks to buy European competitor Cadbury (NYSE:CBY).

American candy exports increased 20% last year, so investors who are looking to diversify may also consider European American depositary note (ADR) Nestle (OTC:NSRGY). Other companies also profit from candy sales. Discount retail giant Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), for example, is the leading American candy retailer, with 12.8% of the market according to NCA and DOC shipment reports.

Cheers!
What's the best beverage for washing down a fine piece of chocolate? A glass of wine, of course! In 2009, the Wine Institute reported data from Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, which indicates that U.S. consumption of sparkling wine or champagne bounced back to pre-recession numbers, with 8.2 million cases sold in 2008. Americans enjoyed 2.48 gallons of wine per person. Wine imports to the U.S. account for 25% of consumption, mostly from Europe, but wine is increasingly imported from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Argentina and Chile. U.S. wine exports are also increasing. (For background reading, see Parched For Profits? Try Beverage Stocks.)

The U.S. wine industry is highly fragmented. The Department of Commerce reported an 81% increase in the number of wineries since 1999 to about 5,000. The Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's November Wine Report documents that more than 400 million bottles of wine were produced from January to September, 2009.

New York based Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) is the largest wine company in the world, with numerous domestic and international holdings which include beer, wine and spirits. Constellation Brands holds 15% of the U.S. wine market with popular wine brands like Robert Mondavi and Arbor Mist. Competition has made it increasingly difficult to make a profit. The company has been selling off brands and paying down debt.

The U.S. government carefully controls the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. Ongoing regulation tweaks address concerns such as sales directly from manufacturers to consumers, internet purchases from retailers and widely differing state laws. Most wine distribution and wholesale companies are privately held, with companies like Costco (Nasdaq:COST) blurring the line between retail and wholesale. The $25 billion wine retail industry is flourishing, with new wine-tasting franchises increasing the availability of products to consumers. Retailers are also cutting out the middle man. Wal-Mart and E&J Gallo inked a deal s to offer "store-brand" bottles of wine to customers.

The Bottom Line
The wine and candy industries are complex and fluid, but worth tasting. Investors should consider the entire supply chain. When paired with a diverse portfolio, sugar and alcohol should satisfy a discriminating investor's palate.

5 Ways To Control Emotional Spending

2009-12-18T20:36:00.001-06:00

Has shopping become America's favorite pastime? Sometimes it seems that way, with advertising popping up everywhere from billboard trucks to flat-screen TVs in city buses. Advertisers spend billions of dollars annually convincing us that products can make us feel successful, prevent us from being bored, help us attract the opposite sex, and a myriad of other things. When ads are carefully designed to manipulate our spending habits, it's no wonder so many people have become emotional spenders.

Emotional spending occurs when you buy something you don't need and, in some cases, don't even really want, as a result of feeling stressed out, bored, under-appreciated, incompetent, unhappy, or any number of other emotions. In fact, we even spend emotionally when we're happy - what did you buy yourself the last time you got a raise? There's nothing wrong with buying yourself nice things from time to time as long as you can afford them and your finances are in order, but if you're spending more than you'd like to on non-necessities or are struggling to find the cash to pay the bills or pay down your credit card debt, learning to recognize and curb your emotional spending can be an important tool. While avoiding emotional spending completely is probably not a realistic goal for most people, there are some steps you can take to decrease the damage it does to your wallet. (When you do have to shop, shop smart. To learn how, see Five Money-Saving Shopping Tips.)

Impulse Buys
One way to cut down on emotional spending is to avoid making impulse purchases - and that doesn't just mean you should avoid buying gum in the checkout line at the grocery store. Whenever you're at a store - whether brick-and-mortar or online - and you find yourself wanting to buy something you didn't already want before you got there, don't buy it. Make yourself wait at least 24 hours, if not longer, before making a decision about whether to buy the item. You'll often forget about the item as soon as you leave the store. If, after 24 hours, you still really want it but a nagging voice in your head is telling you that you don't need it or can't afford it, try to postpone the purchase for a week or a month so you can think more clearly about the decision. If it helps, keep a wish list of the items you've refrained from buying so that you can ask for them when your birthday comes around or pick them up when you know you can afford them. (To read more about how waiting a day or two can save you big bucks, check out Patience Pays For Consumers.)

Keep the Ad Man At Bay
Take steps to intentionally limit your exposure to advertising. The less you are aware of what's available for you to buy, the less likely you are to develop a sudden "need" for that item. Unsubscribe to the product catalogs that arrive in your mailbox and the promotional emails your favorite stores are always sending you. To further avoid internet advertising, download a program that blocks ads and prevents them from appearing on your screen.

Prevent yourself from receiving unsolicited offers for credit and insurance by providing your name, address, date of birth and social security number to Opt-Out Prescreen. If you have a device that records television shows, skipping commercials is easy. To avoid hearing ads on the radio, switch to public radio, streaming internet radio, a CD player, or an MP3 player. If your spending problem is bad enough, consider unsubscribing from magazines, which are usually full of ads.

Limit Temptation
The next step is to limit your exposure to the situations that tempt you to spend. If it's the mall, plan to visit only a couple times a year, or try shopping online instead. If online shopping is the problem, find other, non-shopping websites to occupy your time, or replace some of your internet time with another activity. If you always find yourself spending more when a particular friend or relative is around, try to schedule free or inexpensive activities with that person, like getting coffee, cooking dinner, or going for a walk.

Make Yourself Accountable
Another helpful strategy is to find ways to hold yourself accountable for your spending. The people you live with or spend the most time with can be your best defense. Tell them that you're trying to spend less, and that you want them to give you a hard time when they see you making an unnecessary purchase. Also, make a list of your financial priorities and put it in a place where you'll see it often, like the refrigerator door or the bathroom mirror, and make a second copy for your wallet, where you'll see it each time you reach for your cash. If you want to take it a step further, put small sticky notes on your credit cards to remind yourself of what you're saving up for.

Find Alternative Activities

If you frequently use shopping as a form of entertainment or as a distraction, try to identify what you're feeling when you want to buy something and choose a more constructive behavior that will help you deal with that emotion. For example, if you've had a bad day at work and want to treat yourself to something nice, call a friend or two. If you're feeling stressed out, get some exercise. If you really just have to buy something, make it something simple and inexpensive, like a book or a small bouquet of flowers - but don't do this every time, because those small purchases really do add up!

Severe Overspending

The simple steps we've discussed may not be enough to address the most extreme cases of emotional spending. For some people, shopping is much more than a pastime - it's actually an addiction called oniomania. While it may not seem like a dangerous addiction, many of the psychological characteristics of compulsive shopping are identical to those of chemical dependency.

Compulsive shoppers tend to spend more than they can afford. They get a rush of endorphins from making purchases, but that rush is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and guilt over not being able to control the urge to shop or not knowing how the bills will get paid when the latest binge is over. The shame that results from these binges can result in a person hiding his or her purchases and straining relationships when the person feels compelled to lie about the time or money being funneled into the addiction. People with this problem may take a second job to try to accommodate their out-of-control spending habits, but until they address their impulse control problem and the underlying emotional issues that lead them to their destructive shopping sprees, no amount of money will stop the cycle. Due to the sheer number of purchases made and the shame surrounding the habit, many compulsive shoppers have loads of items that have never been used and still have their price tags attached.

If you think you or someone you know may have a shopping addiction, 4Therapy.com's compulsive shopping quiz might provide some answers. As with any other addiction, identifying the problem is the first step toward overcoming it.

Conclusion
The goal here isn't to stop buying anything fun - if we didn't occasionally buy enjoyable things with our money, it would be difficult to get up and go to work every day. However, by becoming more conscious of your shopping habits, you'll develop greater control over your finances and you'll be able to really enjoy the purchases you make without the dread and guilt of having spent too much.

Why the Apple phone will fail, and fail badly

2009-12-17T19:09:00.001-06:00

The hype is reaching fever-pitch, and the odds are still stacked that Apple will announce a device combining the functionality of an iPod and a mobile phone in January next year, but whether such a device will actually sell is another question.

There seems little question that an Apple phone product will be launched in 2007, and that it will work with the iTunes service and have a very pretty industrial design and a smooth interface. Strapping an iPod to a mobile phone is not a great technical challenge, which makes it all the more remarkable that Motorola did it so badly with their ROKR handset. Maintaining the features which made the iPod so popular in a mobile phone will be much more of a challenge.

The iPod brought with it amazing industrial design, a well designed interface, and a new usage paradigm. Portable music players already existed, but the iPod was better looking and easier to use. It also came with the promise that you didn't just carry music with you, you carried all your music with you. That factor alone changed the way portable music was perceived, and was central to the adoption of the iPod.

The iPod has moved away from that paradigm, with the Nano and Shuffle only able to store the most diminutive music collection, and recent rumours suggest that an Apple phone will have 8GB of flash-based storage; comparable with the Nano. But it was that function which sold the concept to many people, with the style and simplicity of use keeping them hooked.

It is important not to underestimate the importance of the iPod industrial design, or its scope. I recently had to sit in a pub as two iPod fans reminisced about feelings when opening their first iPod box, and their overwhelming admiration not for the product, but for the box in which it came. It was sickening, but demonstrated the loyalty iPod fans feel, and the expectations that will need to be met.

The clever design of the iPod stretched into the software - the clean and simple interface is indeed easy to use, and users seem very comfortable with iTunes on their PC. But creating a simple interface for a single function is one thing. Replicating that experience to manage all the functions of a mobile phone is another thing entirely.

Mobile phones are not complex to use because of bad interface design, they are complex to use because they are complex devices with a myriad of features. The fiercely competitive mobile phone business has driven interface development at an astounding rate: it has become de rigueur for every new handset to feature a revolutionary new interface mechanism.

Apple is extremely good at creating simple interfaces, and it is likely that the Apple phone will have a pleasing interface which is relatively easy to use and recognisably iPod branded, but it won't need to appeal to the iPod users, it will need to appeal to the network operators.

Who buys mobile phones?

When a manufacturer launches a new mobile phone handset they take the specification, or prototypes, round to the network operators and try to convince them that this phone will be the next big thing. In most markets mobile phones are sold to customers with an enormous subsidy provided by the network operator, who intends to make the money back through additional service use.

The operator will have a list of features they like and will compare that list to the newly-developed phone to calculate the subsidy: a camera might be worth a fiver, while a one-touch-to-send-MMS button could be worth £20. The idea is that easier access to more premium features leads to greater revenue, and thus pays off the subsidy.

In this way a phone that might cost hundreds of pounds can be given away for free, depending on the tariff, and the industry is sustained by customers paying off the cost of their handset over several years.

It's not just features which contribute to the negotiated subsidy. Big advertising by the manufacturers also contributes as networks want to offer popular handsets at low prices, particularly in markets where network choice is often decided by handset availability and price.

Exclusivity will also enhance the subsidy - as little as a month's exclusivity on a handset will massively increase the subsidy, and the amount the network operator will spend promoting deals involving the handset. Few manufacturers will agree to this, but some can be convinced.

Mobile phone manufacturers know this, and have copies of the network operators' features lists, as well as a clear idea of what kind of deals are available. The industry is competitive, but tightly organised and pretty incestuous as staff move between operator, manufacturer, and supplier while maintaining their contacts and golfing partners.

iPhone App for Credit Card Processing

2009-12-07T22:43:00.001-06:00

Apple had no idea when it launched its iPhone that it would be releasing about 5 million mobile credit card terminals into the hands of business owners. That’s exactly what Apple did. The sleek phone has been turned into a mobile credit card processing device, thanks to an impressive little application called ProcessAway.

The software is made for an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch and works over any available network connection. Transactions can be processed at places such as conventions, street fairs, antique shows, and by business owners performing mobile detailing, on-site consultation or construction. The list is endless on who could benefit by offering the convenience of accepting credit cards on the spot and the confidence of getting immediate authorization for a credit card payment.

Business owners can use their iPhone to conduct real business. The ProcessAway software utilizes the Authorize.netgateway. Authorize.net was one of the very first Internet payment gateways and today they have one of the largest customer bases. They are continually releasing new and innovative tools to make their payment gateway even more powerful. The Authorize.net API is what fueled the development of ProcessAway and allows the millions of iPhone (and iTouch) users to turn their device into a credit card terminal.

The business owner is not limited to mobile transactions through their device. The Authorize.net merchant account used with ProcessAway includes an option to download transactions into Quickbooks and also a comprehensive Virtual Terminal. This gives business owners the benefit of processing transactions out of the office with ProcessAway and in the office through the web-based Virtual Terminal, all with a single account. Even though the Virtual Terminal is available, ProcessAway was designed as a stand-alone comprehensive processing solution that can be used effectively in any environment.

The ProcessAway software will be sold through the iTunes AppStore for $19.99. A fully functional free version, called ProcessLite, is identical to ProcessAway except the charge amount is limited. Additional information, screenshots, and FAQs can be found at http://www.processaway.net/. Both ProcessAway and ProcessLite were submitted to Apple for review on January 26, 2008, and will appear in the AppStore according to Apple’s approval schedule.

Walmart Features $10 Deals on Top Fragrance Products

2009-12-03T21:04:00.007-06:00

SOURCE: Walmart

Saving money never smelled so sweet. Walmart's (NYSE: WMT) unbeatable prices* make it easy for customers to purchase best-selling fragrances this holiday shopping season. At Walmart, dozens of fragrance products start as low as $10**, providing shoppers young and old with the perfect gift-giving solution for 'tweens and teens, best friends, sisters and brothers, moms and dads, or a fellow fragrance fanatic.

"Fragrances as low as $10 each"

Curve for Men

-- A popular scent that blends lavender, clove, bergamot, lime and cedar.

-- By Liz Claiborne

-- .50-ounce cologne spray

Lucky You for Ladies

-- A crisp fragrance that blends grapefruit, hyacinth, jasmine, musk and

amber.

-- By Liz Claiborne

-- .50 oz

Curve Crush for Ladies

-- A modern scent that combines crushed citrus, chai latte and flower

nectar notes mingled with white orchid, lily of the valley, creamy

licorice and musk.

-- By Liz Claiborne

-- .50 oz

Wild Musk Cologne

-- This feminine scent possesses a blend of flowers, vanilla and musk.

-- By Coty

-- 1.50 oz

Curve Crush for Men

-- A clean herbal scent with backgrounds of warm musk and moss.

-- By Liz Claiborne

-- .50 oz

Stetson Cologne Spray

-- A rich masculine blend of rugged wood and spices.

-- By Stetson

-- .75 oz

Jovan Musk for Men

-- A blend of exotic spices and woods with the seductive power of musk.

-- By Jovan

-- 1.0 oz

Lucky You for Men

-- A crisp fragrance that blends the scents of musk, cotton flower, yellow

sweet clover and herbs.

-- By Liz Claiborne

-- .50 oz

Red Door for Ladies

-- This feminine scent possesses a blend of red rose, violet, jasmine, lily

of the valley, and orchid.

-- By Elizabeth Arden

-- .33 oz

Polo Sport for Men

-- This sporty fragrance contains seaweed, algae and mint and is accented

with nutmeg, oakmoss and sandalwood.

-- By Ralph Lauren

-- .375 oz

"Designer Fragrances**"

Select Walmart stores also offer high-end designer fragrances, all at unbeatable prices* ranging from $22 to $70. Popular brands include select Burberry, Trésor, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, D&G, L'Eau d'Issey and Acqua di Gio fragrances.

"Gift Sets"

Walmart is offering select fragrance gift sets for under $30. From traditional fragrances like White Diamonds and Drakkar to celebrity signature scents like Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson and Sean John, these fragrance gift sets are sure to please everyone with a passion for the perfect scent.

Many fragrances are also available at Walmart.com.

* Our stores will match the price of any local competitor's printed ad for an identical product. Not applicable to Walmart.com. Restrictions apply. See store for details.

** Availability may vary in certain stores and at Walmart.com.

Christmas Deals 2009

2009-12-02T12:37:00.003-06:00

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13:30 (EST)

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13:30 (EST)

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13:30 (EST)

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13:15 (EST)

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13:00 (EST)

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13:00 (EST)

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13:00 (EST)

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12:30 (EST)

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Upto 70% off on Riviera Maya Vacations at Funjet Vacations

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12:30 (EST)

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12:30 (EST)

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12:15 (EST)

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12:15 (EST)

Shop for The 12 Days of Giftmas Sale at BabyAge.com

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12:15 (EST)

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12:15 (EST)

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12:00 (EST)

$497.26

Panasonic TC-L32S1 32" Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV » only $497.26

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12:00 (EST)

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12:00 (EST)

$149.88

Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9 Digital Camcorder w/ 5x Optical Zoom, SDHC Memory Card Slot - Black » only $149.88

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12:00 (EST)

$1685.00

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12:00 (EST)

$49.99

iriver Lplayer 1LP8BLK 8GB Flash Portable Media Player » only $49.99

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This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $49.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: CompUSA.com ($56.98) | TigerDirect.com ($99.98)

12:00 (EST)

$799.00

Sony Handycam HDR-CX500V High Definition Digital Camcorder » only $799.00

Super Hot

J&R is carrying this Digital Camcorder for $799.00 (price shows in cart)
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $799.00 + Free Shipping

Compare: Abt Electronics ($848.00) | B&H Photo Video ($943.95) | Adorama.com ($944.99) | Abes of Maine ($1049.95)

11:45 (EST)

$189.99

Microsoft EHD-00001 Zune HD 16GB MP3 Player - Black » only $189.99

Gift Idea

Newegg.com is carrying this 16GB MP3 Player for $189.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $189.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: Buy.com ($198.00) | J&R ($205.54) | Walmart.com ($219.97) | Dell Home ($219.99)

11:45 (EST)

$993.99

Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 Intel Core 2 Duo Desktop PC,4GB RAM, 640GB, 21.50" LCD » only $993.99

Buy.com is carrying this All-in-One Desktop PC for $993.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $993.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: Computers4SURE.com ($1058.41) | CompUSA.com ($1087.71) | pcRUSH.com ($1113.21) | onSale.com ($1115.98)

11:45 (EST)

$79.98

Linksys NAS200 Network Storage System with 2 Bays » only $79.98

Super Hot

Amazon.com is carrying this Network Storage Enclosure for $79.98
Shipping is Free on $25 or more
Final Price: $79.98 + Free Shipping

Compare: J&R ($108.45) | TigerDirect.com ($124.99) | Walmart.com ($135.70) | B&H Photo Video ($140.19)

11:45 (EST)

$54.47

Curtis DVD6091 5.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System - Black » only $54.47

Electronics Expo is carrying this Home Theatre System for $54.47
Shipping Starts around $19.99
Final Price: $54.47 + Shipping Charges

Electronics Expo De...

Home Theater System Deals

Electronics Expo Cou...

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11:45 (EST)

$89.97

Kodak Easyshare CD82 12MP Digital Camera + 2GB Memory Card and Case - Blue » only $89.97

Gift Idea

Walmart.com is carrying this 12MP Digital Camera for $89.00
Shipping cost on this item is $0.97
Final Price: $89.00 + $0.97 = $89.97 Shipped

11:45 (EST)

$57.99

Farscape: The Complete Series - DVD set » only $57.99

Amazon.com is carrying this Farscape for $57.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $57.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: DeepDiscount.com ($74.38) | History Channel Store ($99.99)

11:30 (EST)

$3.99

Slingshot Parachute Flying Monkey With Screaming Sound » only $3.99

One Day Only

HandHelditems.com is carrying this Flying Monkey With Screaming Sound for $3.99
Shipping starts around $2.85
Final Price: $3.99 + Shipping Charges

HandHelditems.com De...

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11:30 (EST)

$14.99

Set of 6 Individual LED Christmas Candles - Cordless » only $14.99

One Day Only

Target.com is carrying this 6 Set Christmas Candles for $14.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $14.99 + Free Shipping

Target.com Deals

Furniture & Decor Deals

Target.com Coupons

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11:30 (EST)

$20.97

3 Piece Of Britney Spears Fantasy Gift Set for Women » only $20.97

Walmart.com is carrying this Womens Perfume for $20.00
Shipping cost on this item is $0.97
Final Price: $20.00 + $0.97 = $20.97 Shipped

11:15 (EST)

$132.99

Antique Gold 5-Light Chandelier 50q05 » only $132.99

GraveyardMall.com is carrying this 5-Light Chandelier for $189.99
Apply 30% off coupon code "cybermonday30" on it
Shipping starts around $15.98
Final Price: $189.99 - 30% = $132.99 + Shipping Charges

GraveyardMall.com De...

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GraveyardMall.com Cou...

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11:15 (EST)

$42.00

Dual Power Source Automatic Watch Winder » only $42.00

One Day Only

ChronoShark.com is carrying this Automatic Watch Winder for $39.00
Apply $2 off entire order coupon code "SAVE2" on it
Shipping cost on this item is $5.00
Final Price: $39.00 - $2 + $5.00 = $42.00 Shipped

ChronoShark.com Deals

Jewelry & Watches Deals

ChronoShark.com Cou...

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11:15 (EST)

$34.99

Zon 2067 Licht Magnifying Desk Lamp - White » only $34.99

One Day Only

NeweggMall.com is carrying this Desk Lamp for $34.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $34.99 + Free Shipping

NeweggMall.com Deals

Furniture & Decor Deals

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11:15 (EST)

$474.00

Dell Inspiron 15 Pentium Dual Core 15.6" Laptop w/3GB/250GB/Win 7/McAfee/1Yr LoJack » only $474.00

Super Hot

Dell Small Business is carrying this 15.6" Laptop for $708
There is a $259 instant discount on this item
Shipping cost on this item is $25
Final Price: $708 - $259 + $25 = $474.00 Shipped

Dell Small Business De...

Notebook PC Deals

Dell Small Business Cou...

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11:15 (EST)

$399.00

Dell Inspiron 14 Intel Pentium Dual Core 14" Laptop w/2GB RAM/160GB HDD/Vista » only $399.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this 14.0" Laptop for $399
This system receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $399.00 + Free Shipping

11:15 (EST)

$561.00

Dell Vostro 1520 Intel Core 2 Duo 15.4" Laptop with 4GB RAM/250GB HDD/Windows 7 » only $561.00

Super Hot

Dell Small Business is carrying this 15.4" Laptop for $821
There is a $272 instant discount on this item
Shipping cost on this item is $12.00
Final Price: $821 - $272 + $12.00 = $561.00 Shipped

Dell Small Business De...

Notebook PC Deals

Dell Small Business Cou...

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11:00 (EST)

$679.00

Dell Studio One 19 Dual Core Desktop, 3GB/320GB/Vista » only $679.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this Desktop PC for $699
Apply $20 off $225 coupon code "BQ?GSVLT3DNGVC" on it (Expires 01/02/2010)
Final Price: $699 - $20 = $679.00 + Free Shipping

11:00 (EST)

$699.00

Dell Studio Core 2 Quad Desktop, 6GB/640GB/Windows 7/McAfee/20" LCD » only $699.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this Desktop PC for $1006
There is a $307 instant discount on this item
Final Price: $1006 - $307 = $699.00 + Free Shipping

11:00 (EST)

10% off on Holiday Greeting Cards at Print Runner

Get 10% off on Holiday Greeting Cards via coupon code "DEC10GC" on it
Get 15% off on Matte Business Cards + Get your own FREE Website Design. via coupon code "DEC15BC" on it
Get 20% off on Brochures via coupon code "DEC15BC" on it
Get 20% off on Catalogs & Booklets via coupon code "DEC20CAT" on it
Get 20% off on Vinyl Banners via coupon code "DEC20BAN" on it
Get 25% off on Glossy Postcards of 10000 or more! via coupon code "PR25VPC" on it
Note: Deadline for the above Offers is 12/30/2009

Print Runner Deals

Office Supplies Deals

Print Runner Coupons

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11:00 (EST)

$90.60

Sunpak SF-150-42001SL 15" TFT LCD Digital Photo Frame » only $90.60

Super Hot

TigerDirect.com is carrying this 15" Digital Photo Frame for $81.97
Checkout using google checkout and receive $5 off $30 purchase
Shipping cost on this item is $13.63 (to our location)
Final Price: $81.97 - $5 + $13.63 = $90.60 Shipped

Compare: Computers4SURE.com ($142.55) | J&R ($149.99) | Buy.com ($359.99)

TigerDirect.com Deals

Digital Photo Frame Deals

TigerDirect.com Cou...

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10:45 (EST)

$804.60

Panasonic TC-P42S1 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV with DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player - Bundle » only $804.60

6ave.com is carrying this 42" Plasma HDTV Bundle for $855.96
Apply 6% off entire order coupon code "BONUSBUY" on it
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $855.96 - 6% = $804.60 + Free Shipping

10:45 (EST)

$874.99

Fujitsu fi-6130 24 bit CCD 600 dpi Duplex Scanner » only $874.99

Newegg.com is carrying this Duplex Scanner for $874.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $874.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: eCOST.com ($889.98) | Buy.com ($900.14) | pcRUSH.com ($908.23) | Computers4SURE.com ($950.38)

10:45 (EST)

$1.99

Mini TriPod Camera Light Weight Support Retractable » only $1.99

Meritline.com is carrying this Mini TriPod for $1.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $1.99 + Free Shipping

Meritline.com Deals

Camera Accessories Deals

Meritline.com Coupons

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10:45 (EST)

$129.99

OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD21VTX30G 2.5" 30GB SATA II Internal Solid State Disk » only $129.99

Newegg.com is carrying this 30GB Solid State Disk for $149.99
There is a $20 Exclusive Mail-In Rebate on it until 12/16/2009
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $149.99 - $20 = $129.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: TigerDirect.com ($139.99) | Buy.com ($167.99) | Mwave.com ($202.68) | Walmart.com ($199.97)

Newegg.com Deals

Internal Hard Drive Deals

Newegg.com Coupons

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10:30 (EST)

$79.99

HP Photosmart D7560 Color Inkjet Photo Printer » only $79.99

HP Home is carrying this Inkjet Photo Printer for $149.99
There is a $50 instant discount on this item
Apply $20 off $100 coupon code "SVMY478761" on it (Expires 01/31/2010)
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $149.99 - $50 - $20 = $79.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: J&R ($95.98) | BeachCamera.com ($97.98) | B&H Photo Video ($106.30) | Buy.com ($145.55)

10:30 (EST)

$1594.99

LG 47SL90 47" LED Seamless LCD HDTV » only $1594.99

TigerDirect.com is carrying this 47" LED HDTV for $1599.99
Check out using google checkout to save $5 off 30 purchase
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $1599.99 - $5 = $1594.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: OneCall.com ($1729.98) | Adorama.com ($2199.95) | Abt Electronics ($2199.95) | Vanns.com ($1749.98)

TigerDirect.com Deals

Television Set Deals

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10:30 (EST)

$19.99

Kaspersky KIS903121 Internet Security 2010 - 3 User » only $19.99

Super Hot

Newegg.com is carrying this Internet Security Software for $19.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $19.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: Buy.com ($35.67) | TheNerds.net ($56.98) | J&R ($72.94)

Newegg.com Deals

Computer Software Deals

Newegg.com Coupons

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10:30 (EST)

$697.99

Insignia NS-L47Q09-10A 47" 1080p LCD HDTV » only $697.99

Best Buy is carrying this 47" 1080p LCD HDTV for $697.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $697.99 + Free Shipping

10:15 (EST)

$579.99

HP Pavilion dv6t 15.6" Intel Core 2 Duo Laptop with 4GB/320GB/Win 7 » only $579.99

Super Hot

HP Home is carrying this 15.6" Laptop for $599.99
Click on "Customize & buy" for the "Base configuration"
Select Memory: 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) [+$0]"
Select Hard drive: FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM... [+$0]"
There is $150 Instant Discount on this system
Apply $20 off $100 Stackable coupon "SVMY478761" (Expires 01/31/2010)
Final Price: $749.99 - $150 - $20 = $579.99 + Free Shipping

10:15 (EST)

$498.99

HP G71t series Intel Pentium 17.3" Laptop w/3GB RAM/320GB HDD/ Windows 7 » only $498.99

Super Hot

HP Home is carrying this 17.3" Laptop for $479.99
Select Memory: 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) [+$0]"
Select Hard drive: 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive [+$0]"
There is a $100 instant discount on this item
Shipping cost on this item is $19
Final Price: $579.99 - $100 + $19 = $498.99 Shipped

10:15 (EST)

$899.99

HP Pavilion dv8t Quad Edition series 18.4" Laptop with 4GB /320GB/Win 7/1GB GC/Blu-Ray » only $899.99

Super Hot ~ Blu-Ray ~ Quad Core

HP Home is carrying this 18.4" Laptop for $1149.99
Click on "Customize & buy" for the "Base configuration"
Select Memory: 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)... [+$0]
Select Hard drive: 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive ... [+$0]
Apply $450 off coupon code "NBM7RTX" on it (Expires after 1500 Redemptions)
Final Price: $1349.99 - $450 = $899.99 + Free Shipping

10:15 (EST)

$70.72

Sennheiser HD-515 Open Air Circumaural Dynamic Stereo Headphones » only $70.72

Walmart.com is carrying this Stereo Headphones for $70.72
During checkout, opt for in-store pickup to save on shipping cost
Final Price: $70.72 + Free In-Store Pickup

Compare: TheNerds.net ($87.98) | pcRUSH.com ($88.20) | eCOST.com ($91.98) | J&R ($99.95)

Walmart.com Deals

Home Electronic Headp Deals

Walmart.com Coupons

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10:00 (EST)

$749.95

JVC Everio GZ-HM400 32GB High Definition Digital Camcorder - Black » only $749.95

Abes of Maine is carrying this 32GB HD Camcorder for $759.95
Apply $10 off $75 coupon code "FRIEND10" on it (Expires 12/31/2009)
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $759.95 - $10 = $749.95 + Free Shipping

Compare: Vanns.com ($799.97) | B&H Photo Video ($899.96) | MacMall.com ($944.55) | Adorama.com ($899.96)

Abes of Maine Deals

Camcorder Deals

Abes of Maine Coupons

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10:00 (EST)

$357.45

Brother HL-4040CDN Network Color Duplex Laser Printer » only $357.45

Adorama.com is carrying this Color Laser Printer for $289.95
Shipping cost on this item is $67.50 (to our location)
Final Price: $289.95 + $67.50 = $357.45 Shipped

Compare: pcRUSH.com ($389.55) | Buy.com ($390.41) | Walmart.com ($398.00) | B&H Photo Video ($402.24)

10:00 (EST)

$98.63

Olympus FE-4000 12MP Digital Camera, 4x Optical Zoom, 2.7" LCD - Pearl White » only $98.63

6ave.com is carrying this 12MP Digital Camera for $104.93
Apply 6% off coupon code "BONUSBUY" on it
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $104.93 - 6% = $98.63 + Free Shipping

Compare: BuyDig.com ($109.00) | PC Connection ($129.95) | Staples.com ($129.99) | Dell Home ($134.99)

10:00 (EST)

$299.99

Insignia NS-22E430A10 22" 1080p LED-LCD HDTV » only $299.99

Best Buy is carrying this 22" 1080p LED-LCD HDTV for $299.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $299.99 + Free Shipping

09:45 (EST)

$117.89

TomTom XL 340 Portable GPS Navigation System with 4.3" Touchscreen » only $117.89

Abes of Maine is carrying this GPS Navigation System for $119.99
Apply $10 off $75 coupon code "LOYALTY10" on it (Expires 12/31/2009)
Shipping cost on this item is $7.90
Final Price: $119.99 - $10 + $7.90 = $117.89 Shipped

Compare: Newegg.com ($129.99) | PC Connection ($199.95) | OfficeMax.com ($229.99) | RadioShack.com ($229.99)

Abes of Maine Deals

GPS & Navigation Deals

Abes of Maine Coupons

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09:45 (EST)

$69.99

Patagonia Mens Reversible Snap T » only $69.99

One Day Only

Altrec.com is carrying this Reversible Snap T for $69.99
Shipping is Free on $45 or more
Final Price: $69.99 + Free Shipping

09:45 (EST)

$75.00

Cosco 37-555BLKW 5-Piece Dining Set » only $75.00

Walmart.com is carrying this 5-Piece Dining Set for $75.00
During checkout, opt for in-store pickup to save on shipping cost
Final Price: $75.00 + Free In-Store Pickup

Walmart.com Deals

Furniture & Decor Deals

Walmart.com Coupons

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09:45 (EST)

$849.00

Body-Solid EXM1500S Selectorized Home Gym » only $849.00

Abes of Maine is carrying this Home Gym for $859.00
Apply $10 off coupon code "LOYALTY10" on it (Expires 12/31/2009)
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $859.00 - $10 = $849.00 + Free Shipping

Compare: Sams Club ($863.00) | eBay.com ($899.00)

Abes of Maine Deals

Fitness Deals

Abes of Maine Coupons

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09:30 (EST)

$41.94

Apt. 9 Argyle Cashmere Sweater for womens » only $41.94

One Day Only

Kohls is carrying this Cashmere Sweater for $34.99
Shipping cost on this item is $6.95
Final Price: $34.99 + $6.95 = $41.94 Shipped

09:30 (EST)

$3.99

Slingshot Flying Christmas Monkey With Scream Sound - Limited » only $3.99

One Day Only

HandHelditems.com is carrying this Monkey With Scream Sound for $3.99
Shipping starts around $2.85
Final Price: $3.99 + Shipping Charges

HandHelditems.com De...

Toys & Hobbies Deals

HandHelditems.com Cou...

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09:30 (EST)

$49.00

Skagen 433SSLB Stainless Steel Black Dial Leather Strap 30M Womens Watch » only $49.00

One Day Only

DiamondShark.com is carrying this Womens Watch for $49.00
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $49.00 + Free Shipping

DiamondShark.com De...

Jewelry & Watches Deals

DiamondShark.com Cou...

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09:30 (EST)

$28.21

BIJAN Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5 OZ Womens Perfume » only $28.21

Gift Idea

FragranceNet.com is carrying this Womens Perfume for $33.19
Apply 15% off entire order coupon code "LMH9" on it (Expires 12/31/2009)
Shipping Charges Starts around $5.95
Final Price: $33.19 - 15% = $28.21 + Shipping Charges!

FragranceNet.com De...

Fragrances Deals

FragranceNet.com Cou...

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09:15 (EST)

$6.99

15 PCS Ratchet Sockets Screwdriver Set » only $6.99

eBay.com (via vibecellular) is carrying this Screwdriver Set for $6.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $6.99 + Free Shipping

eBay.com Deals

Tools & Hardware Deals

eBay.com Coupons

More Info...

09:15 (EST)

$83.92

REI Venus Womens backpack - 74 Liters » only $83.92

REI-OUTLET.com is carrying this Womens backpack for $74.93
Shipping cost on this item is $8.99
Final Price: $74.93 + $8.99 = $83.92 Shipped

REI-OUTLET.com Deals

Luggage Deals

REI-OUTLET.com Cou...

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09:15 (EST)

$3.60

1 Yr (12 Issues) of Angels On Earth Subscription » only $3.60

Super Hot ~ One Day Only

Best Deal Magazines is carrying this Angels On Earth Magazine for $4.29
Apply 16% off coupon code "MPS16" on it
Shipping cost is included in the subscription offer
Final Price: $4.29 - 16% = $3.60 + Free Shipping

Compare: Amazon.com ($19.95) | Overstock.com ($19.95) | DeepDiscount.com ($19.95) | ValueMags.com ($19.95)

Best Deal Magazines De...

Magazine Subscription Deals

Best Deal Magazines Cou...

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09:15 (EST)

$84.90

ArcTeryx Trident Jacket - Soft Shell For Women » only $84.90

One Day Only

Sierra Trading Post is carrying this Womens Jacket for $74.95
Shipping cost on this item is $9.95
Final Price: $74.95 + $9.95 = $84.90 Shipped

Sierra Trading Post De...

Womens Apparel Deals

Sierra Trading Post Cou...

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09:00 (EST)

$499.00

Dell Inspiron 546 AMD Athlon Desktop,4GB/500GB/Windows 7/20" LCD » only $499.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this Desktop PC for $598
There is a $99 instant discount on this item
Final Price: $598 - $99 = $499.00 + Free Shipping

09:00 (EST)

$799.00

Dell Studio Slim Core 2 Quad Desktop, 8GB/750GB/23" LCD/Win 7/McAfee » only $799.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this Desktop PC for $1056.00
There is a $257 instant discount on this system
This system receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $1056 - $257 = $799.00 + Free Shipping

09:00 (EST)

$449.00

Dell Inspiron 537 ST Intel Quad Core Desktop, 4GB/640GB HDD/Windows 7/512MB Video » only $449.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this Desktop PC for $644
There is a $195 instant discount on this item
This system receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $644 - $195 = $449.00 + Free Shipping

09:00 (EST)

$699.00

Dell Studio 15 Intel Core 2 Duo 15.6"Laptop, 4GB RAM/500GB HDD/Windows 7/McAfee » only $699.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this 15.6" Laptop for $1072
There is a $373 instant discount on this item
Final Price: $1072 - $373 = $699.00 + Free Shipping

08:45 (EST)

$699.00

Dell Studio 15 Intel Core 2 Duo 15.6" Laptop,4GB RAM/320GB HDD/Windows 7 » only $699.00

Super Hot

Dell Home is carrying this 15.6" Laptop for $903
There is a $204 instant discount on this item
Final Price: $903 - $204 = $699.00 + Free Shipping

08:45 (EST)

$529.99

Power Acoustik HDVD-9GR Car Video Player » only $529.99

Super Hot

Buy.com is carrying this Car Video Player for $529.99
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $529.99 + Free Shipping

Compare: eCOST.com ($551.48) | Best Buy ($759.98) | Etronics.com ($762.27)

08:45 (EST)

$799.95

Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 12.2MP Digital SLR Camera - Body Only » only $799.95

B&H Photo Video is carrying this 12.2MP Digital SLR Camera for $799.95
This item receives Free Shipping
Final Price: $799.95 + Free Shipping
Hint: 6ave.com also has it for $799.99+ Free Shipping!

Compare: Butterfly Photo ($878.00) | dbuys.com ($899.00) | Vanns.com ($998.97) | Dell Home ($999.00)

B&H Photo Video Deals

Digital Camera Deals

B&H Photo Video Cou...

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08:45 (EST)

Target Holiday Sales

2009-11-30T21:26:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Coupon Ga for these Target deals, check out her site for even more deals.. These prices are based on stores in Southern CA Target prices vary by region, so check your store to confirm your prices. To view Targets official coupon policy check Target.com

Pepsi (12 pk.): $3.00

Use $1.00 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: $2.00

Buy 4 Steaz Organic Teaz: $$

Use 2 BOGO Printables HERE
Use 2 FREE Printables HERE
Final Price: ALL 4 FREE!!

Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals Crackers (5.9 oz.): $3.29

Use $2.00 coupon from 11/1 Smart Source
Use $1.00 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: $.29

Kellogg’s All-Bran Crackers: $1.99

Use $1.50 Printable HERE
Final Price: $.49

Argo Corn Starch (16 oz.): $1.19

Use $.40 coupon from 11/8 Smart Source
Use $.50 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: $.29

3M Command Hooks (8 pk.): $2.14

Use $1.00 Printable HERE
Use $1.00 Target Printable HERE
*Go to Household Coupons
Final Price: $.14

Oral-B Pulsonic Toothbrush: $49.99

Use $10.00 coupon from 11/15 Parade Magazine
Receive $10.00 Target Gift Card
Submit for $15.00 Rebate HERE
Final Price: $14.99

Apple 16 GB iPod Nano: $175.00

Use 10% off Target Printable HERE (-$17.50)
*Go to Electronics Coupons
Receive $15.00 Target Gift Card
Final Price: $142.50

Apple 8 GB iPod Touch: $195.00

Use 10% off Target Printable HERE (-$19.50)
*Go to Electronics Coupons
Receive $15.00 Target Gift Card
Final Price: $160.50

Five Little Monkeys Game: $13.00

Use $3.00 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: $10.00

.
*********************************************
These deals are still available too!
.
I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Tub or Spray: $1.87

Use $.75 Printable HERE (IE) or HERE (FF)
Use $.75 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: $.37

.Buy 2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pastas: $1.19 ea.

Use $1.00 Printable HERE
Final Price: $.69 ea.

.Up & Up Toddler Wipes (48 ct.): $.97

Use $1.00 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: FREE

.Up & Up Wipes Tub: $1.57

Use $1.00 Target Printable HERE
Final Price: $.57

.Mr. Potato Head Spud Buds Christmas: $5.99

Use $5.00 Printable HERE
Final Price: $.99

12 Future Apps For Your iPhone

2009-11-24T21:08:00.000-06:00

With the new iPhone SDK, it's just a matter of time before we see a wave of new applications. We expect a lot of popular web 2.0 apps to offer an iPhone version. Native Twitter, Facebook and Flickr clients for iPhone will run faster than their in-browser versions and will take advantage of the impressive Apple UI libraries. But there is an entirely new breed of applications also coming to iPhone. These apps simply would not be possible without a device like iPhone.

The major theme of this new wave of apps will be blending of the physical and digital worlds, using iPhone as the bridge. In this post we take a look at what's coming.

1. Reality Tagging

Tagging reality is not new, but will be much better done with iPhone. Here's how it will work. You take a picture of a landmark, then comment and add tags. The phone will automatically geo-tag it and send the picture to a photo sharing service on the Web. Now anyone in the world can find your picture by exact geo location, or by its tags. Reality tagging will be like a distributed Google Earth, but for pictures.

2. People Tagging

Even better than tagging landmarks, you will be able to use iPhone to tag people. You can already take a picture and assign it to a contact. It is just a matter of time before these pictures will available to a search engine. Doing it on the phone will be quick and fun. In a couple of years the problem that we described in this post will go away.

3. Reality Recognition

Reality recognition will be fueled by reality tagging and advanced image recognition. Imagine going on a hike and coming across a tree that you have not seen before. You will point iPhone at the tree and instantly a Wikipedia page about it will load. Or imagine that it's your first time in New York City. You point an iPhone at the Chrysler building (because you think that it is the Empire State Building) and again information about the landmark will be paged to your iPhone.

4. Physical Social Networks

Today's social networks exist on the internet, but mobile technology is going to bring it to the physical world. You will be able to walk into a restaurant, open up your iPhone and see a list of your friends who have been to the place. You can flip through their comments and ratings, share comments on the menu - all from the palm of your hand. Similarly, standing next to a painting in the Louvre, you will be able to instantly find out what your friends thought of it. Looking at this broadly, as we discussed in this post, advances in mobile computing enable us to overlay the digital on top of our physical world.

5. Personalized Travel Guides

Travel is one of the most fun things we do in life and one of the most innovative businesses. People love tours and tour guides who tell them about the landmarks and history of new places. Now imagine having personalized tours of any location of the world available. With the touch of a button, information about your current location will appear in your hand. Even better, the tours will be custom tailored to you, since software will know your tastes and travel preferences.

6. Digital and Physical Treasure Hunt

Travel is fun, but not as much fun as games. With the latest spike in social games, we are sure to see interesting activity in mobile games as well. And with the iPhone, we will be able to play games that take place in both the physical and digital worlds. The clues will be scattered over the Internet and cities such as NYC. With your iPhone you can navigate your way through this fun physical and mental challenge, showing off your knowledge of the web and NYC.

7. Distributed Mobile Games

Casual gaming is especially on the rise these days, fueled by social networks. Applying this model to mobile devices is particularly interesting since it enables people to tap into, not web-based, but fully-fledged 3D games - anywhere. The possibilities range from setting the mood of a game based on the surroundings, to connecting players based on geo location. And even without tying the games to the physical world, the fact that people can tap into the network at any time is game changing (pardon the pun).

8. Credit Card and Biometrics as Software

The business world is also going to benefit from mobile innovation. Soon credit cards will become software. You will walk into a store and to pay, you simply choose a credit card button. The iPhone will communicate securely with the cash register in the store, via Blue Tooth or Wi-Fi. The safety of the transaction will be ensured via biometrics. For example, a clerk in the store might ask you to place a randomly selected finger onto the screen of your iPhone to verify that the phone belongs to you (assuming that all phones are securely initiated in the store and may not be reset).

9. Paperless Receipts & Digital Business Cards

We wrote here last week about the coming demise of paper as a transport medium. Among the things we discussed was the end of receipts. Even today some companies are switching to email receipts, but devices like iPhone now make it possible to manage all receipts in a digital format. You will get a receipt of your purchase on your screen via Bluetooth or Wifi. It will also be emailed to you and backed up to remote store. The advantage to having it on the phone is that if you want to return it, you can simply bring it up and beam it back to the clerk's computer.

Another piece of paper that is coming to an end is the business card. More and more people connect via LinkedIn these days, but they still exchange business cards when they meet. Palm did a good job early on of solving this problem - the business card could be beamed between the two devices. iPhone is likely to bring the digital business card exchange back in fashion and even make it big. This generation of software will automatically add the cards to contacts and connect the two of you on LinkedIn.

10. Medical records as Software

The medical industry uses the most advanced software when it comes to diagnostics, but also uses the most outdated ones when it comes to record keeping. Having your medical history available on the mobile phone will be a great way to enable all of your doctors and pharmacies to better communicate around your health. Because medical records are still mostly in paper, often doctors are not aware of all the treatments and drugs that a patient is taking. Having a simple, portable way to move your medical history around would make things much simpler.

11. Physical Browsing & Digital Shopping

The last two applications have to do with shopping. The first one is browsing things in the physical world and instantly buying them online. The experience of browsing books on Barnes and Nobles is different; and for most of us is superior than browsing on Amazon. But prices are better online, so we typically end up taking notes and then buying online. With iPhone it will be possible to take a picture of a book in the store and have it immediately appear in your Amazon shopping cart. The same can apply to many things, including clothing, houseware, etc.

12. Location/time-based deals

If you were be open to it, stores would love to compete for your business. If you are about to buy a camera at BestBuy and there is a Circuit City near by, they would be willing to win your business by bidding a lower price. Imagine pointing the phone to a camera and getting instant bids from neighborhood stores. Sure you can do this now online, but a lot of people still buy the old fashioned way - by first holding the thing in their hands.

Conclusion

The applications that we have discussed are very exciting and will change the way we do things. If you look carefully at each of the 12 apps above, you can see bigger trends among them. The first group is applications that mesh together the physical and digital worlds. The main benefit is that it enhances the physical experience by overlaying digital smarts.

The second group is games - always part of our culture and games evolve, adapt and re-invent themselves with new technologies.

Then comes the group of applications that aims to improve things we carry around. Credit and business cards, receipts and even medical records are on track to become software.

The last group of applications is focused on innovation in shopping. Interesting opportunities will arise from combining the best of both physical and digital shopping experiences.

And now please think about the applications that you would love to see on your iPhone and share your ideas with us.

Advices and game plan for this ThanksGiving

2009-11-23T20:31:00.000-06:00

Make Your Shopping List

Once you know what items you want to make a shopping list that includes the stores that have the item and their advertised prices. This will help you map out a game plan for finding all of your items at the best prices. You should weigh price and location equally. Get as many things as you can in one trip, and try to focus on the store where you'll get the most savings overall.

Grab online deal

Remember you can buy items on 2009 Black Friday you don’t want just to sell it on EBay. Check online deals on amazon, ebay, buy.com and other online stores to see what the stuff will sell for.

Carry the right Card

Before going to store make sure you have credit card that store accept. Try to avoid a credit card from an company that has gone out of business due to the recent financial crisis. Nothing like shopping for hours on 2009 Black Friday and then being told at the checkout your card is not accepted. J

Grab the receipt and Rebate form

Make sure the store gives you your receipt plus an extra copy that you can send with your rebates after the checkout. Once you arrive at home jump on it and make the copies, fill out the forms, stamp it and send it out. If you wait few days you may get busy in other work and you may lose your rebate amount which Companies want you to. And make sure you copy all the info that you are putting in the envelope – rebate companies do lose your stuff and you want to be able to prove you sent it in.

Be sure and check the stores website for online rebate applications…some stores allow you to apply online. Many stores, even if they require paper rebate applications, will still allow you to check your status online.

A bit extra careful

Be careful during the rebate season. A lot of rebate checks look like cheap junk mailings. People have thrown away a lot of rebate money.

Have a wild idea if there is line

You go to store at 5 AM and you see the checkout line is 2 hours long. You’re thinking you need to get out of here and to the next store. If only you could keep my stuff and checkout later. Here is an deal buster idea. You are in a store that also sells appliances, you could put your stuff in a refrigerator or microwave that is on display. On 2009 Black Friday nobody looks at appliances. You may be able to hide your stuff and come back after the checkout line has gone down and checkout. In the meantime your stuff is hidden and you are on your way to the next store to shop.

Pick the correct store ad

Don’t go to a store with the 2009 Black Friday ads from all your stores. You don’t need all the 2009 Black Friday ads in that one store and, as your hands get full, you’ll be tempted to lay down that stack of ads while you examine merchandise. A few minutes later you notice your ads are gone, you go looking for them, they’re gone because someone else picked them up and your shopping trip is ruined.

Have a online deal and save your night

Many stores will place their 2009 Black Friday ads online before Black Friday and some of them will allow you to purchase online at the 2009 Black Friday ad prices and have the items shipped to your home. At today’s gas prices and figuring what your time is worth, online can be a great, even better, deal.

Hire a labor man

If the big screen TV and the laptop are only available at the store and in limited quantities. But man are they a great deal…hundreds of dollars of potential savings. But staying up all night, in the cold and rain, is not your idea of a good time. Not a problem. There is some kid in your church youth group or a college student who wants to make a $100. Hire them and let them freeze and then shop for you while you stay home and sleep in.

Comfort your Night

Here’s idea how to comfort your night. Bring a sleeping bag, umbrella, folding canvas chair, thermos with hot coffee, maybe another thermos with hot soup, a book to read, your IPod. Not only will you get a great deal, but you’ll be a whole lot happier about the wait.

Have a classic optimization

After you have decided which 2009 Black Friday stores to shop, punch all the store locations into your GPS and ask it to optimize the route. Your GPS will take you to one store after another in the most time efficient route. Remember, 5 minutes could make a difference in whether or not you get to the store in time to buy the last widget they have.

How to get your deal this ThanksGiving ?

2009-11-22T17:10:00.006-06:00

This Black Friday will remain special for the deals hunter than usual Black Friday. While there may be limited items per store It will be hard to find your deal.

If you’re planning on heading out the day after Thanksgiving, here are a few things to keep in mind that will help you save money and give you a better idea of when and where to buy.

Finding the best prices on HDTVs — Black Friday typically has the best prices of the year on TVs – even better than the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. But what few people realize is that the models on sale are specifically made for Black Friday. Manufacturers have found new efficiencies in models that cut their manufacturing costs. This allows retailers to offer the best prices of the year on this day. The downside is the sets aren’t exactly top-of-the-line.

“Black Friday is not a day about getting a good TV, it’s a day about getting a cheap TV,” says Dan de Grandpre, CEO of dealnews.com.

Finding the best prices on high-end HDTVs — If you want a top-end HD set, you’re better off skipping the Black Friday crowds and waiting until a couple of weeks before Christmas to find the best deal. That’s when retailers really begin slashing prices on the high-end equipment, in part because manufacturers are preparing to introduce new sets in January at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Saving through social networking — Recognizing that their Black Friday ads are inevitably going to leak online, many retailers are using social network sites like Facebook and Twitter to have some control over when customers learn about their big doorbusters. Staples, Sears and Toys R Us are just a few of the companies who have announced big sale items to their online fans and followers. (Staples, for example, tweeted that they would be cutting the price of a 21.5-inch monitor by 50 percent on Nov. 27.)

Thanksgiving is for eating, not shopping — In recent years, as retailers began to realize the threat of the Internet to their Black Friday gold rush, some began offering 'pre-Black Friday' sales on Thanksgiving itself. While there are a few deals to be had there, they’re usually not extraordinary and hardly worth interrupting your holiday to pin down. The prices offered during Thanksgiving Day sales will almost always be repeated later in the season — and often topped.

Think outside the box — It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that certain stores sell certain things, but as margins fall, many retailers are branching out beyond their core competencies. For example, need TV cables? You may find a better deal at Home Depot than Best Buy (You might even find a better deal on the TV itself at select locations.) If you’ve got questions about the product or want a wide selection to choose from, this strategy won’t work, but if you know specifically what you’re looking for, you could find a deal.

Don’t wait until Black Friday — Black Friday is no longer a 24-hour event. Retailers, hoping to pry money out of tight-fisted consumers’ hands have started offering doorbusters that are on par with the day after Thanksgiving deals much earlier this year. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can spot some very aggressive pricing.

“It’s really turned from just a single day event to almost a month long or four-to-six-week type phenomenon,” says Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis for the Consumer Electronics Association. Walmart and Sears have really upped the ante this year.”

The online advantage — Don’t want to stand out in the cold and fight for the limited selection of in-store items? While many doorbusters aren’t available online, some are, and shopping on your PC could earn you a few extra hours in bed. Better still, you can have them delivered directly to your house — or often to a store near you —for free, letting you pick them up when the crowds are a bit more manageable. Note, though, that you’ll still have to wake up early to buy the items, since you’ll still be battling others for a limited supply. You’ll just be doing it in your PJs.

Use your bargaining power — While many stores tout price-matching services, those low-price guarantees can get a little fuzzy when it comes to doorbusters. Store managers often have a certain amount of discretion, though, notes Mike Baker, an analyst with Deutsche Bank. Talk to them, show them the printed ads of competitors and try to consolidate your Black Friday shopping to a single location. It will get you home that much quicker.

Get Ready for Hi-Def Phone Calls

2009-11-22T10:01:00.004-06:00

Radio ads running in the former Soviet republic of Moldova feature a variety of emotional phone conversations, evidence of how the world's first high-definition cell phone system can carry not tinny-sounding speech but voices full of raw human feelings: love, fear, exhilaration. "You can feel emotions; it is completely different," says Liudmila Climoc, chief executive of wireless carrier Orange Moldova.

For 40 years the quality of cellular phone calls has changed very little. The shift in the 1990s from analog to digital phones held the promise of crisper quality, but that never panned out. Struggling to cope with 30% annual increases in traffic, cell phone companies used the improved technology to add capacity, not quality. Today demand for cellular minutes is nearing its peak, with growth of 3% in the last year. Now the relentless advances in digital technology can be used for purposes other than simply packing more calls into the cellular airwaves.

So far the big American carriers plan to use their growing capacity to add all sorts of data services. Eventually the U.S. will catch up to Moldova, as the cost of better-sounding voice calls becomes too cheap to ignore. Today's carriers convert calls into 6,000 digital bits per second, a tight squeeze and the major reason the calls sound so poor. In tiny Moldova, where capacity is relatively abundant, French wireless carrier Orange now uses double that number of bits. The highs and lows of the human voice are not so badly truncated.

In the U.S., chipmaker Broadcom is hard at work on gear that will allow even better-sounding calls. Nambi Seshadri, who oversees that work at Broadcom, says that with 32,000 bits per second he'll be able to produce voice quality that is virtually indistinguishable from face-to-face conversation. A demo of the technology shows a clearly audible improvement over not just ordinary cell phones but also landlines, which chop off high frequencies.

The other big problem with cellular quality is also about to disappear. Right now there's an annoying lag that occurs between the moment when one caller speaks and the time his voice reaches the other person's ear. Many people assume that's an inherent drawback of cell phones. It's not. Wireless signals fly through the air at the speed of light just as they do in optical fiber. The delays come from slow software and circuitous routing. The new Long Term Evolution gear set for deployment next year should cut that lag by at least 75%, so most human ears won't notice it.

The same quality advances are at work in wired phones as well. Orange already has 500,000 high-definition phones installed in Europe that use voice-over-Internet technology. When this style of phone connection hit the scene it was roundly criticized for its poor quality relative to traditional phone lines. Yet Orange has shown that better technology can close that gap and then some. Both cellular and Internet phone calls may soon sound so good it might even make you want to cry

I Can Hear You Now!

A quick look at how the problems with today's cell phones will soon be fixed.

1) PROBLEM: "Tinny" Sound.

To save capacity, today's phones drop high-pitched sounds. The letters "f" and "s" sound similar, and "p" is easily confused with a "t."

SOLUTION: More capacity, less compression. New networks that begin rolling out next year can triple the number of bits a call uses, leading to better-than-land-line sound.

2) PROBLEM: Pops and Clicks.

Cell phone calls are often interrupted by peculiar, and annoying, sounds caused by the connection briefly failing and tiny snippets of speech getting lost.

SOLUTION: New chips from Broadcom integrate "packet loss concealment," letting the phone fill in the small gaps with less grating sounds.

3) PROBLEM: Wind Noise.

SOLUTION: Clever software that identifies wind noise and suppresses it.

4) PROBLEM: Overlapping Speech.

Talk from one cell phone to another and you notice a big lag between when you speak and the other person hears you, often leading to overlapping conversations.

SOLUTION: The next generation of cell phones is designed to waste less time transmitting calls and to eliminate any noticeable latency.

Apple : The next "500 pounds GORILLA"

2009-11-21T18:42:00.001-06:00

The big, obvious take away fromApple's Q4 Earning earlier today was that it once again crushed the estimates. And not just its own forward-looking estimates, which are always laughably low, but even the estimates of the most optimistic analysts — by a lot. But some of the other numbers from today were just as impressive, and some of the information, even more interesting.
Apple now has $34 billion in cash in the bank. Apple watchers will also know that they have no debt. So what are they going to do with all this money? That’s $10 billion more than they had a year ago, and this past quarter alone, they added about $3 billion to the pile. Apple keeps saying that it will use the cash for “preservation of capital,” which is a fancy way of saying that they’ll be take little risk and keep it close.
That’s more cash than Microsoft has, and for some comparison, $34 billion is $10 billion more than the overall market cap of Yahoo. It’s also about $1.5 billion more than the market cap of eBay, and $4 billion more than the market cap of Dell. It’s almost exactly the same as the market cap of News Corp.
Apple’s stock could open tomorrow at or near its all-time high. Let me repeat that, all-time high. You probably haven’t heard that too often over the past year, but it’s true. Apple’s all-time high is $202.96 a share, which it reached on Dec. 27, 2007, nearly 2 years ago. Today, after earnings were released, the stock shot up over 7%, pushing it past $203 a share. It has since settled a bit lower, but it’s not out of the question that the stock could hit the mark again tomorrow during regular trading hours. Apple’s stock price has more than doubled over the past 7 months alone.
Sales of the iPod touch were up 100% year over year. This is especially impressive considering two things. First, overall iPod sales were down, once again. Second, despite indications that they would, Apple did not add a camera to the iPod touch during that line’s refresh a few months ago. Instead, the iPod nano got the camera, but it would seem that the iPod touch is still the hot sibling in the family.
OS X Snow Leopard came out of the gates twice as fast as OS X Leopard. This really shouldn’t be all that surprising, considering the upgrade costs just $30. Still, impressive.
Half billion apps downloaded in the last quarter alone. We already knew the big 2 billion app download milestone was hit, but Apple clearly stated that a full half billion of those came just in the past three months. That’s huge.
Portable sales were up 35% year over year. Apple didn’t want to seem to talk about its desktops at all when it came to the Mac business (which had its best quarter ever). Instead, it’s very clear that notebook sales are the driving force (nearly 3/4th of Mac sales now). Of course, some new iMacs, which may launch as soon as tomorrow, could help balance the sales a bit more.
China is getting the iPhone on October 30, but Korea should get it this quarter as well. Obviously China is a huge key to the Apple’s plan for international success, but getting the iPhone in Korea won’t hurt either. Apple COO Tim Cook made a quick reference to the unlocked iPhone issue in Asia, and noted that the company is excited to finally be able to meet a demand that is clearly there.
Apple has some new products coming that have relatively low margins and cost a lot on to ship in. The obvious guess here would be Apple’s tablet. But the latest rumors had the thing being announced in January, but not shipping until closer to mid 2010 — neither of which are fiscal year Q1 (which ends December 31). Instead, the lower margins could well be related to new iMacs and MacBooks that have been rumored to be cheaper.
But the more interesting bit comes from Cook’s wording about why Apple spending more on shipping: “In general, we spend more in freight in Q1, but this increase is larger than usual. I’m sorry, I can’t be specific on the product, but it’s an abnormal sequential increase.” That would seem to suggest a new type of product outside the ones it already offers, like the iMac and MacBook, which it has, of course, shipped in the past. Could the tablet come early? It seems unlikely, but something is causing Apple to worry about out-of-the-ordinary shipping costs.
Apple has until Q1 2011 to use the new accounting rules. The changes allow Apple to count money made of off its so-called “subscription” devices, the iPhone and the Apple TV, immediately, rather than spreading the money over a 2-year period. While they were approved in September, Apple is still debating on when to start using them, and will not for Q1 2010. Cook noted that Apple was “pleased” with this new rule.

Scottrade Referral Program Details - 5 Free Trades

2009-11-20T12:15:00.001-06:00

As mentioned in my Scottrade review, they offer 5 free online trades (currently 7 free trades until 03/31/2010) if you are referred by an existing customer. The referrer also gets 5 free trades. To get the required referral code, simply apply code YQYU4744.

The referral bonus applies to all accounts except IRAs or custodial accounts. You must open the account with at least $500 for cash accounts ($2,000 for margin accounts). The free trades should show up about one week after you open and fund your accounts, and expire after 6 months.

Here is a screenshot of what you should see when you login, after you get the 5 free trades:

Please don’t spam the comments with your own referral code.

APPLY THE CODE: YQYU4744 and get 5 free trades.

Thanks

Apple’s Black Friday deals leaked?

2009-11-19T19:48:00.003-06:00

One of our connects just hit us up with some intriguing Apple information.

According to them, what you see detailed above is a shot of Apple’s yearly Black Friday deals.

It’s reported to be something Apple will email out shortly.

This time around, it looks as if Apple will be offering up to 30% off on all iPods (Update: excluding iPhone and iPod shuffle, sorry), up to 25% off Macs, and up to 15% off all accessories as well as Apple software and hardware.

The deal is only good for the day of November 27th and if that’s not good enough, “select” Apple stores will open at 6AM. This is unconfirmed but it doesn’t seem too unrealistic. Thoughts?

The 70% Discount on Goldman's $500M Gift

2009-11-19T19:33:00.005-06:00

IT’S BEEN DUBBED the apology with a half-billion-dollar gift attached. In an attention-grabbing move this week, Goldman Sachs (GS: 172.83, -4.07, -2.30%) said it would launch a $500 million initiative to help small businesses with Warren Buffett as a key adviser, an announcement that coincided by hours with a public mea culpa from CEO Lloyd Blankfein for mistakes in the financial crisis. But it turns out Goldman’s program includes its own discount — the kind that only an investment banker could love.

According to a review of Goldman’s program by SmartMoney in consultation with corporate tax experts, the ultimate price tag of the initiative could be far less than the heavily publicized $500 million. A big chunk of the money is destined for charitable institutions, creating potentially sizable tax deductions for Goldman, while other portions are being made as loans that Goldman confirms it expects to be repaid with interest.

All in all, tax experts say, the ultimate cost to Goldman could total roughly $136 million to $150 million—70% or more below the half-billion figure that helped generate so much publicity for the firm this week. Interest income from the loans could lower the final bill even more. Asked about the estimates, a Goldman spokesman didn’t comment on the specific figures but defended the program as a boon to small businesses, while giving Goldman “a modest economic return.” Buffett didn’t return requests for comment.

The program, titled 10,000 Small Businesses, drew a wave of media attention. Its advisory board includes Buffett, a big Goldman investor who is well known for his philanthropy, as well as Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. While Goldman said explicitly that the small-business program was not designed as a public-relations move, many have interpreted it otherwise. Goldman has been the target of criticism for getting ready to pay out billions in bonuses to executives this year after benefitting from the U.S. government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, during the financial crisis—as well as for missteps that some say contributed to the meltdown.

On Tuesday, the same day Goldman announced 10,000 Small Businesses, Blankfein appeared before a room full of CEOs and journalists at an awards ceremony in which he was named CEO of the year by the Directorship Forum, and said Goldman had “participated in things that were clearly wrong and have reason to regret.” Those comments suggested a turnaround from earlier this month, when Blankfein drew notice for being quoted in an interview with The Times of London saying he is a banker doing "God's work."

Here’s why the cost of 10,000 Small Businesses is likely to be lower than the $500 million figure. Half of those funds will be charitable contributions to community colleges and other nonprofit institutions to sponsor business education. At an all-in tax rate of 40% for state, local and federal obligations, that could give Goldman a $100 million savings on its taxes over the next five years, says Robert Willens, an independent tax and accounting analyst in New York and a former managing director at Lehman Brothers.

The rest of the Goldman discount is even simpler: Goldman should get back most or all of the $250 million it is also providing for loans to small businesses that a Goldman spokesman says are to be repayed in three to five years at “market rates” for nonprofit institutions that lend to small businesses. Market rates for that type of loan would generally range around 7% to 8%, according to Mark Pinsky, who consulted with Goldman on the program. Pinsky is president and CEO of the Opportunity Finance Network, a Philadelphia-based association of Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, which are nonprofit institutions that lend to small businesses.

“They’re not paying $500 million,” says Benjamin Leff, a tax law professor at American University’s Law School in Washington, D.C. “They’re not even paying $250 million.”

The Goldman spokesman confirmed that the firm expected tax benefits from the charitable contributions and that it expected the funds being disbursed as loans would be repaid. “The program has a triple bottom line: We’re providing capital to underserved businesses, capacity building for CDFIs and a modest economic return to ourselves,” says the Goldman spokesman.

To be sure, at a time when the credit crunch has made it much more difficult for entrepreneurs to secure loans, Goldman’s money will no doubt be welcomed by beneficiaries regardless of how the investment bank’s accounting works out. Already, the program is drawing widespread praise in the small-business community. Says Bill Dunkelberg, the chairman of Liberty Bell Bank, a community bank in Cherry Hill, N.J.: “Even though it’s like 1% of the company’s bonuses, it is nice to fund these things and I’m sure community colleges will appreciate the money.” Adds Dunkelberg, “Small businesses can certainly use the money.”

Goldman is also taking an obvious risk that it won’t get repaid on the loans. The default rate for these types of loans has traditionally been low – less than 1% prior to the recession, says Pinsky. However, since the downturn, Pinsky expects the default rate to reach 1.5%.

To limit potential defaults, Goldman has tasked the program’s advisory board — including Buffett and Porter along with Blankfein — to select CDFIs that have track records of helping successful businesses. In addition, Goldman says it plans to lend only to companies that are at least two years old, have four employees ore more, and pull in revenue between $150,000 and $4 million in the most recent fiscal year.

An iPhone App That Could Change Medicine

2009-11-18T22:15:00.002-06:00

When Dr. Richard Levine needs quick access to his patient's electronic health records, he consults his iPhone.

As part of a pilot program at ColumbiaDoctors, Levine is testing an app called Allscripts Remote, created by Chicago, Ill.-based software maker Allscripts, which gives him access to real-time patient data, provides fast communication with emergency rooms and allows him to e-mail prescriptions to pharmacies.

"We are in test mode because we want to be absolutely certain that it meets all of our HIPAA rules and regulations," says Levine, president of ColumbiaDoctors, the faculty practice of Columbia University Medical Center in New York. "Once we get past that, I'm chomping at the bit, being the cheerleader for all these doctors."

ColumbiaDoctors has already licensed the electronic health records system. They launched the transition two years ago. Allscripts does not reveal exact prices, but the standard industry-wide cost for an EHR system would be $10,000 per physician.

If ColumbiaDoctors wants to use the iPhone app alongside the Allscripts system, they have to purchase it as well. The Allscripts Remote app will cost each doctor an additional $20 per month.

All told, more than 100 medical groups around the U.S. have started using Allscripts Remote since the app debuted last April.

How You Can Make $20 Billion

2009-11-18T18:46:00.002-06:00

Even as the financial system collapsed last year, and millions of investors lost billions of dollars, one unlikely investor was racking up historic profits: John Paulson, a hedge-fund manager in New York.

His firm made $20 billion between 2007 and early 2009 by betting against the housing market and big financial companies. Mr. Paulson's personal cut would amount to nearly $4 billion, or more than $10 million a day. That was more than the 2007 earnings of J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods combined.

Adapted from "The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History," by Gregory Zuckerman. Broadway Books. Copyright © 2009 by Gregory Zuckerman.

How did he do it? Believing that a housing-market collapse was coming, Mr. Paulson spent over $1 billion in 2006 to buy insurance on what he then saw as risky mortgage investments. When the housing market cracked and the mortgages tumbled, the value of Mr. Paulson's insurance soared. One of his funds rose more than 500% that year. Then in 2008, he shorted financial shares, or wagered that they would fall in price, profiting again when these companies collapsed.

And are there any investing skills that average investors can learn from his success? Yes. There are no guarantees, of course, but the success of Mr. Paulson and a few other underdog investors lends encouragement to individuals trying to compete with Wall Street's pros.

Here are eight investing lessons of Mr. Paulson's $20 billion gamble, the greatest trade in financial history:

1 Don't Rely on the Experts

Wesley Bedrosian
Many investors lost big in 2007 and 2008 as housing crumbled and the stock market tumbled. But no one lost more than commercial and investment banks caught with toxic mortgage-related securities. These bankers were the very same ones who created these investments, and Wall Street's top analysts had vouched for their safety, even as Mr. Paulson and others bet against the investments.

Lesson: When Wall Street is wheeling out its latest can't-miss product, be skeptical.

2 Bubble Trouble

Some academics argue that financial markets have become more efficient. But a rash of financial bubbles in recent years -- including housing, energy, technology and Asian currencies -- suggests that markets are becoming harder to navigate, and are more prone to overshooting. Today, investors of all sizes read the same articles, watch the same business-television programs and chase the same hot tips. They invariably head for the exits at the same time.

Lesson: Have an exit strategy -- and cash to cushion any tumble.

3 Focus on Debt Markets

Most investors track the ups and downs of the stock market but have only a vague sense of moves in debt markets. That's a mistake. Early signs of trouble were seen in sophisticated markets that don't get much limelight, like the subprime-mortgage bond market. These problems eventually felled the housing and stock markets, and the overall economy, a set of falling dominos that Mr. Paulson and his team correctly anticipated.

Lesson: Debt markets can do a better job predicting problems than stock markets.

4 Master New Investments

Mr. Paulson scored huge profits by buying credit-default swaps, a derivative investment that serves as insurance on debt. When risky mortgage bonds tumbled in value, Mr. Paulson's insurance soared. But many experts were flummoxed by CDS contracts or shied away from educating themselves about these relatively new investments.

Mr. Paulson and his team had no experience with CDS contracts. But they put the time into learning about them.

Lesson: Educate yourself about the range of exchange-traded funds being introduced, some of which can play a valuable role in a portfolio.

5 Insurance Pays

A number of investors worried about a bursting of the housing market, but few did much about it, even though insurance, such as CDS contracts, at the time were selling at dirt-cheap prices. Out-of-the-money put contracts -- options that pay off only if the market tumbles -- also were trading at reasonable levels. As cheap as this insurance was, many pros ignored it.

Lesson: Don't underestimate the value of a safety net, such as put options.

6 Experience Counts

Some of the biggest winners in the meltdown were middle-aged investors dismissed by some as past their prime. But they had experienced past market downturns, while some of the bankers and analysts caught flat-footed knew only good times.

Lesson: A historical perspective can be a valuable tool.

7 Don't Fall in Love With an Investment

In early 2009, Mr. Paulson became more bullish about the banks and financial companies that he had wagered against in 2008, after determining that these companies had improved their balance sheets. The moves resulted in profits this year.

Lesson: Even the greatest trade doesn't last forever.

8 Luck Helps

In early 2006, Mr. Paulson determined that housing was in trouble and set out to profit from the impending fall. But some housing experts already had determined that real estate was overpriced; others had wagered against housing but could no longer stomach their losses. Just months after Mr. Paulson placed his historic trade, U.S. housing prices began to fall.

Lesson: Don't risk too much in any one trade, even one that seems like a sure thing.

Top 5 Financial Gifts For The Holidays

2009-11-18T11:43:00.001-06:00

Financial-themed gifts will probably wane this holiday season as many struggle to forget a bad year economically. However, some laughs and utility can be gained from a financial gift this year. If not, you wouldn’t see people walking around in “At least my broker’s broke, too” T-shirts. We’ll look at the top five financial gift ideas for 2009.

A Share Certificate
Whether for a child, relative or friend, a printed share certificate can be a great gift. Stocks aren’t as cheap as they were earlier in the year or in 2008, but printed shares are more about the visual appeal than sales. If you want to go the extra mile, Lehman Brothers and other now-defunct stock certificates are for sale on auction and collector sites. (If you've discovered some old shares in bearer form, follow our tips and find out what they're worth in Old Stock Certificates: Lost Treasure Or Wallpaper?)

Lehman Brothers Memorabilia
In addition to stock certificates, financially inclined people may find joy in owning an authentic Lehman Brothers item. Ebay lists authentic items ranging from black lacquer pens to vintage Lehman Brothers serving trays. One of the more interesting pieces found was a 2008 third-place award won by Lehman Brothers in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. (Lehman Brothers survived many financial crises in the company's long history. Find out what finally drove it to bankruptcy in our Case Study: The Collapse Of Lehman Brothers.)

5,000 Yen
As the U.S. dollar continues to slip on worries about inflation and the deficit, the Japanese Yen continues to see an unwanted rise in its worth. Euros and even Canadian dollars would do, but there’s something impressive about a bill with "5,000" printed on it.

"The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money" (1936) by John Maynard Keynes
Who would have thought that John Maynard Keynes would make a comeback? Keynes' economic theory is in vogue with the Obama administration and thus has become important again. Keynes will be a must read for the foreseeable future. To balance out the Keynesian viewpoint, however, consider the much briefer Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. It's a book that has unfortunately been passed over by the White House reading club. (This rock star of economics advocated government intervention at a time of free-market thinking. Learn more in our article Giants Of Finance: John Maynard Keynes.)

An Audio Subscription
Subscriptions and books often go unread when given to busy people, but with the advent of iPods, many books and some financial papers can be downloaded in audio form. Many financial magazines, shows and papers have podcasts as well as paid subscriptions for more in-depth content. Right now, Amazon-owned Audible.com is the leader for all sorts of audio books. Hazlitt is available, as is The Wall Street Journal - though not Keynes' "General Theory".

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2009-11-16T20:11:00.000-06:00

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Will US Automakers survive ?

2009-11-15T23:16:00.001-06:00

Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE: TM) reported encouraging earnings of 7 cents a share (net income of $232 million) last week for its second quarter, which beat analyst estimates of a $275 million loss by a wide margin. This was an 84% dip in net profit from $1.49 billion, or 47 cents a share last year, with revenue down to $50 billion from $55 billion in last year's same quarter, but the company slashed its projected loss for the fiscal year to $2.2 billion from $5 billion. Despite the profit dip, the report showed signs of Toyota reversing its profit direction after a harsh year.

Ford's Surprise
Last week Ford (NYSE:F), which avoided the fate of bankruptcy unlike its American rivals Chrysler and General Motors, turned in a nearly $1 billion profit in its third quarter. The $997 million net income, despite an $800 million drop in revenue, came along with positive news by Ford of predicted profitability in 2011. New products and vigorous cost-cutting along with aggressive pursuit of market share as well as Cash For Clunkers were all contributing factors.

Nissan Motors (OTC:NSANY) recently posted a quarterly profit of $922 million, which was 25% lower than last year's July-September quarter, but the company changed its year-long forecast to project a profit of $1.3 billion instead of the $1.1 billion loss it had earlier projected.

Japan's other major automaker, Honda Motor Co. (NYSE:HMC), meanwhile reported U.S. October sales off by 0.4%, with U.S. car sales falling 3.7% but U.S. truck sales rising 4.5%. German automaker Daimler AG (NYSE:DAI), on the other hand, showed a 9% sales increase in the U.S. in October. So whether it was Cash For Clunkers or a more substantive move, many of the automakers are finding at least an easing of the horrendous sales climate of the past year.

What's Ahead
The question most observers are asking is whether the improvement in the auto industry's sales picture is a sustainable one. Have sales merely been boosted temporarily by Cash For Clunkers, which may have simply brought in future sales early? Time will tell as the economy continues to emerge from recession at its own speed, but there are at least encouraging signs in the auto industry.

Ford has re-tooled its product line and has aggressively developed new brands which the company sees as strong growth products long term. GM and even Chrysler have necessarily tightened their operations post-bankruptcy, and will continue, particularly in Chrysler's case, to implement major changes in operations. The Japanese automakers are also cutting costs and responding, albeit slowly, to the new market realities. Daimler seems to be sitting comfortably in its luxury market, an upscale niche that is rebounding if recent Mercedes-Benz sales are any indication.

Cautions
There are at least yellow lights ahead. While most of the companies feel their improvements are not solely due to Cash For Clunkers, they also are uneasy about the uncertainty of the consumer and the economic recovery. The sales improvements are, thus far, encouraging but have not yet proved lasting. Continued work on product lines, finances and operations will be crucial. No one is predicting a return of the overall global auto sales figures to pre-recession levels anytime in the near future. Added to this, the revived health of many of these companies, along with other solid competitors such as Hyundai and Volkswagen, make the battle for the tighter market that much tougher.

Long-term investors need to monitor the ongoing progress and performance of the auto stocks as potential investments very closely and carefully. The bright side is that at least the automakers are no longer going in reverse. They may not be in drive yet or first gear, but maybe they're out of reverse and have shifted into neutral. (To learn more, read Analyzing Auto Stocks.)