CITY GIRL, COUNTRY LIFE

"FAMILY ESTABLISHED WOOD SIGNS"

2012-01-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

We make Laser Cut wood signs.

Fine Grain Fir

8.5" x 11"

$60 CDN

Check out our store:

www.saltspringcnc.com

One stop for wood and metal signs

cnc carved, laser cut or plasma cut.

SEWING FOR MONEY AND PROFIT

2012-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Who sews anymore!
It is a fun and productive hobby.
But did you know that it can also make you a little dough.

I was at the dump a few months ago, and there were perfectly good sewing machines, like Singer and Bernina in beautiful wood cabinets, sitting in a tent free for the taking.

Yes in our Community ( Salt Spring Island) we don't throw things out we recycle as we have what we call the Blackburn Mall (named after the surrounding lake and dump).
This is an under covered area where people put items that might be of some use to someone else.
The Tented area, is full of tables with clothes, china, hardware, toys.
There is an area for furniture, exercise equipment, and gardening tools.
It is a fun place to go, because you never know what you'll find on any given day.
All who take leave a small donation of a few dollars that goes towards a scholarship for Graduating class of the year,

HAVING YOUR CAKE AND EATING IT TOO

2010-12-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

So the previous article Rural vs Urban life refers to the advantages of living in a urban city setting, and that this is preferred only because there is more opportunity for work.

But what if there was plenty of work in the country and with out building a concrete jungle.

I've noticed in the past ten years , a swing towards people working out of their homes.
First it was home based business, on the idea of why rent space in town to do business, when you have free space at home, this solved many problems , from daycare, commuting and saved a ton of money for new companies starting up.

The other shift has been in the program area. with the internet , remote access and cloud computing, it is not necessary to live in the main cities that house the Corporate giants like Microsoft, HP, Cisco etc you can program from your home office .

Other opportunities that have sprung up in the last few years are,

Etsy, selling things handmade online
Ebay,
Daytrading
Blogging
Programmer
Website (home based business)
Craigslist
Home Based business ( cookies, wine, chocolates, Lavender, photography, childrens clothing)

IDEAS FOR MAKING A LIVING IN PARADISE

2010-12-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Our Gardens includes, Banana, Palm, Fig, Lavender and Cardoon

When we first purchased our property, we registered it for Farm Status as we are in the Agricultural Land Reserve.
When our status was confirmed, we were given a list of some of the possible ways we could use our property to make money and also be approved by the Agricultural Land Commission as Farm Status.
Being 7.5 acres, we need to make $2500 per year to qualify.

THIS LIST COULD INCLUDE:

christmas trees,
Firewood
Horse breeding
Dog breeding
Cat Breeding
Fruit orchard
Vineyard
Chicken eggs
Quail eggs
Duck eggs
Mushrooms
Hot peppers
Kiwi's
Figs
Bamboo
Breeding birds, hey this could be Budgies, Canaries or Cockatiels
Palm trees ,Banana trees or Monkey trees, growing something Exotic for landscaping companies
Koi fish
Rosemary
Pond Plants

Does anyone still have these as pets?

We have 200 Field grown Chinese Fan Palm Trees, Shitake Mushrooms, Incubator for poultry, Duck and Chicken Eggs, Alpaca Fibre, Hot Peppers and Banana Trees.

I would love to breed another type of bird, like budgies or Cockatiels.
But I have enough on my plate at the moment.

GREAT AD ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, PEAK OIL AND ELECTRIC CARS

2010-12-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

MANAGING YOUR PORTFOLIO

2010-12-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Weeding out stocks that don't perform is like weeding the garden.

Here are some time proven methods to maximize results and minimize losses.

Managing your Stocks
It's like tending a garden.
If you don't keep at it, it will be overrun by weeds. If weeds appear reach for the shovel.
How do you tell weeds from flowers? Easy let the market tell you.
The stocks that are up the most from where you bought them are your flowers.
Those that are down the most or up the least, are your weeds.

Say you have 5 stocks
one is up 15%
another is up 7%
one is breaking even
one is down 5%
and another down 10%
You start at the bottom of the pile ....pull your weeds!
Your list of stocks should be checked every week, month.

Over time you will learn that only 1 or 2 out of every 10 stocks you buy will be truly outstanding and capable of doubling or tripling or more in value.
These 1 or 2 will make up for the losers, weird hey!
So it's important to know these when you see them. One way is by watching how a stock performs in its earliest stages. Big potential winners after breaking out of properly formed bases will shoot up 20% or more in a week.

2010-11-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Rural versus Urban what are your thoughts?

What's your experience?

Leave your comments.

MAKING MONEY IN THE COUNTRY

2010-11-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

Eggs I sell from a variety of Heritage Breed chickens

You know in this day and age just about anything is possible.

chick from incubator

I'm an optimist and if someone
says you can't;
I always ask ......WHY NOT???
What's stopping me...only me?
What do you love doing?
What have you always wanted to do.
What's new and exciting.
Me....well I like plants, animals and economics.
So my life is like an organic collage, of different pieces all fitting together as I go, no particular rules, nothing carved in stone, and not any one mentor, but a few hundred from here to India.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS I MAKE MONEY:

Wooden wedding signs

swing trade stocks daily online
sell plants from greenhouse
grow palm trees
chick and duck hatchings from incubator
sell items on roadside farm stand
make wedding signs

These satisfy my different interests for the time being.
This list is not complete, never stagnant but ever evolving as I evolve with it.

Living the life that many would like to be doing!

2010-11-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

This is a little duck I hatched out who's foot was bent back

I made a shoe and taped on, it worked!

Good Sunday morning to you Ron and Donna,

Talk about an enterprising couple, add in talent ( and it looks like
strength too ) and you guys are amazing!

Your creative endeavours as well as all the farm projects are amazing.
I think you are living the life that many would like to be doing!
The signs that you have made are so interesting, but my fav project is
the boot and leg for the ducky...........so cute.

I will pass on the website to your VB cousins,

ITS ABOUT BEING HAPPY AND LIBERATED, AND YES MAKING A GOOD LIVING FREE OF THE RAT RACE

2010-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Neighbors Vineyard and Winery

Yes it is possible to live in the country, have some property, some animals, a garden, maybe a look at the ocean or lake ; but at the same time carve out a livelihood pretty easy.
In this age of computer and internet it is all very possible.
The best of both worlds:

Quality of Life,
Organic vegetables and meat that you raised yourself, costing less than in the city
No more time wasted commuting to and from work 5 days a week.
Breathing clean air and drinking clean water.
Exercise without going to the gym...........exercise with purpose.
Entrepreneurial options abound.
A dog you can walk everyday.
A social life you never had time for.
A strong sense of community.
A great place to raise a family, where parents have time for their children.
Little to no violence and crime
Real estate you can afford.
A hospital where you don't wait in emergency for more than 5 minutes and they probably know your name.

Shitake mushrooms grown on property

Children growing up with Animals,
learning about Birth and Death.
Growing without fear.
its all good!

I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AND DREAMS.
ARE YOU READY TO ESCAPE OR HAVE YOU ALREADY ESCAPED THE RAT RACE?
HAVE YOU HAD AN AH HA MOMENT LATELY?
SHARE WITH ME!

www.saltspringcnc.com

2010-11-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Computerized carving of wood and metal signs, commercial sandwich boards, gates, letters, clocks, brackets and other architectural parts and industrial design components.
Great prices, workmanship, perception, transformation and expertise.

Bring your ideas and designs and we will turn it into reality.
Check out all the cool things we've made already.

Do you want income payed to you for the rest of your life?

2010-11-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Investing in Dividend paying equities.

STOCKS ,
REIT'S,
MLP'S
ETF'S.

Some pay as high as 10% and all are relatively safe.

Where can you get that kind of return on your money not including the capital gains that can also be made.

In the next few weeks I will go over the above by using a few different software screens that will pull out the best.

IPAD OR PLAYBOOK, AM I LOOKING FOR THE HOLY GRAIL?

2010-11-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

IPAD REVIEW

I have an IPAD, I bought it cause I just wanted a toy.
I don't own a cell phone at the moment as I don't have cell phone coverage at my home.... wow that statement is ridiculous, as why would I ever use it at home .

Well I must admit I do like all the apps, there is one for every imaginable thing, and the future prospects are exciting as who knows what they will come up with in the future.

As I'm an investment junky of sorts i have apps for that, tracking gold and silver, currencies, and Business magazines like Canadian Business and Wall Street and Forbes.
As a[tag] woman and a shopper[/tag] , I like the magazines, a couple games, an ambient alarm clock, Ted's video's and Facebook to name a few.
Do they have online catalogues,,,,, I'm going to have to look, maybe Victoria Secret or Eddie Bauer.... that would be cool.

What I don't like about the IPAD is no Skype as no camera, and no Adobe Flash so I can't view tutorials imbedded in Web pages.....and there are tons of them in the investment world, for example all online newspaper have imbedded newsreel.

You definitely need a case that doubles as a stand, as it is awkward to view otherwise.
The cases cost between $30 and $50 unless you shop on E bay where I bought a white leather case from Hong Kong for $12 Cdn. and free shipping....what a deal, even though I know they probably paid $1 or less for them wholesale over there....my Customs mentality coming out again sorry ....can't help it as that was my career for over 18 years.
I also don't like the keypad, as I was taught to type as a typist so I have no need to look at the keys, and with the IPAD keyboard you can't feel anything and you have to keep changing back and forth between alphabet and numbers. so my keying is terribly slow and painful.....

I do like the e-reader, and I've downloaded the[tag] KOBO[/tag] app which is a book store (owned by Indigo Books a Great Canadian success story ) which is way cheaper than Amazon, as they have many books in the $5 to $7 range.
The one other thing I wonder about with the IPAD is where is the plugin for the jack, say if you are somewhere that doesn't have WiFi , so that you can connect to the internet,
I 've already had a few occasions where I couldn't get online. Damm

And yes I'll wait for something to come out that has it all, could be Rim's playbook .
We'll see.

FINANCIAL REPORTS- CHEAT SHEET

2010-11-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

LET US LOOK AFTER YOUR PENSION FUND!
WE'RE THE WALL STREET BOYS!

If you are looking at a company, and contemplating investing in it , it is wise to read over their Financial Reports.....I know this is no fun, pretty dry, boring Blah but hey pat yourself on the back as 90 % of analysts.... Wall Street Guys , are not reading them (aren't they the ones looking after your money.... Remember your Mutual Funds ????? and you 're paying an astonishing 1-3% for some pimple face kid (full of testosterzone) to be looking after your Retirement money, let alone your company Pension Fund!!!! yes this is all true....

You know the sheep out there in the field....... cousins all working at Wall Street , Bay Street etc.
( Don't get me wrong, I like young men, happen to have 2 sons, but I wouldn't give anyone under 35 my money to look after)

LOOK UNDER THE SHEETS, YOUR PORTFOLIO'S THERE!

But mark my word this small exercise taking you no more than a half hour is 50% of the recipe to helping you select good companies and stocks, thereby making you successful, and with that comes money.
All publicly traded companies must file Annual Reports, Quarterly reports, and other financial reports.
All these can be found :
http://www.sedar.com (for Canadian Companies)
http://www.sec.gov (for American companies)

Reading a companies financial report is never the easiest thing to do, and annual reports can be especially daunting. You may be relieved to know that you don't actually need to scour every page. The following parts best serve to give you the big picture:

Auditor's report: Tells you whether the numbers are accurate and whether you should have any concerns about the future operation of the business.
Financial statements: The balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows,; where you find the actual financial results for the year
Notes to the financial statement: Details about potential problems with the numbers or how the numbers were derived
Management's discussion and analysis: the higher-ups breakdown of the financial results and other factors that impact the company's operations ( I like this part, its a read between the lines skill that will give you insight on where the companies going, listen to their voices, are they excited, passionate, optimistic and sincere.

If you make a habit of reading a financial reports, you will understand how they are organized and you will be able to weed through most of the chaff.

In the U.S. these are the terms for specific reports:

10K Annual report that provides a comprehensive overview of the corporation's business
10Q Quarterly report that describes key financial information about the prior three months.
8-K Shows any major events that could impact the financial position of the company.
Forms 3 to 5: Reflect changes in ownership of stock by directors, officers, and major stockholders, giving you an idea of the view from the inside.

Canadian Companies are easier to read, no codes if it is News , it says news, Annual Financial Statement is just that.

I personally also like the Conference call that comes out the day after the Quarterly reports, its another tidbit of information , some of it not seen or heard in annual reports, and again being the Customs and Immigration Officer that I was, I can get a sense of how they are feeling about the company.

Emotions whether good or bad come through.

Don't you feel better getting through all this....I know I do !!

TAX FREE SAVINGS ACCOUNT FACTS

2010-11-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Tax Free Savings Account came into effect Jan 1, 2009 for Canadians. The deal is a tax free haven for $5000 per year .
( HEY...NO MORE TAKING YOUR MONEY TO THE CAYMAN ISLANDS)
This money must go into a separate registered savings account or registered brokerage account and let the money grow with a income paying dividend stock or Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).

A good question : If I've contributed $10,000 in stock value to my TFSA in 2010 with a balance of $12,000, can I contribute another $5000 in 2011 for a balance of $17,000 or am I restricted to putting another $3000 in to keep the total value at $15,000 for the three years?

Answer: You can still contribute another $5000 in 2011.

Gains made in this account do not effect the top up of another $5000 the next year.

The best investments to park in your Tax Free Savings Account are Income Trusts as they are fully taxable elsewhere, but they are paying the highest interest as we speak. ( 9-10%)
So its a way to have the best of both worlds; a tax free component on the highest earning investments around.
The income Trusts that will still qualify after Jan 1, 2011 are REIT's (Real estate Income Trusts)

Bottom Line --my TFSA will be used for investments that are relatively low risk and tax inefficient to make the most of the TFSA tax implications.

More on all the different REIT's next week and the ones I believe will be trending higher.

Always do your own homework.

JOURNALING

2010-11-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in a past blog that I journal all my stock investment trades.
What I mean by this is , I keep a record of the stocks I buy or sell, by recording the date, the amount of shares bought or sold.
This journaling can be done on your computer or in a separate notebook.
I like the notebook as I can look at that at anytime, and I can customize the pages to meet my needs.
I also like to make notes of my rational behind the trade, was it news I heard, and what was my source ie: newspaper, blog, website, or was I just accumulating more shares.
I find this all very important, not now but later on when I look back and say what the hell was I thinking, or OMG I was so smart on that trade!
When you look back you can start to see a pattern and understand what triggers a good trade or bad one.
I remember reading so many times " don't let your emotions get in the way of being a successful trader".
Well that bit of advise is so hard, and you have to have these ongoing talks with yourself, when you get the urge to buy or sell something.......ask yourself, am I a bit frantic right now, am I excited am I angry or fearful.....and the all important am I shaking.
I know it is hard to be flat line while you are watching in realtime as your money is going up or down.
I make a habit of planning out my stock trades when the market is closed, say on Sunday night when you can relax write out the stocks you are watching to either buy and sell and at what percentage.

I know realistically things can really change in the morning, but at least you attempt to start out with a game plan.

This journal should show the price you pay for a trade including commissions.
When you sell the stock , work out the difference and write in your profit or loss.
Your marked successes will fuel your confidence to continue on and what needs work.

Remember do your homework.
Don't ever pick stocks blindly.
Never trade on tips. (Tips are a dime a dozen) meaning......worthless!
Verify all stock suggestions, write down why you are buying the stock (remember its a company)
If you can't write a whole page or more on all the particulars on the company, then you do not know enough to make an educated buy.

Setting up a Portfolio

2010-11-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Being a self directed investor provides me with a good deal of satisfaction and self reliance in addition to the pride I take in the knowledge I 've gained in Business, Investing and Economics .
I didn't come by this naturally. Its about incorporating this knowledge into your daily life, whether its the book you read before you go to bed, the newspaper you read on your coffee break, or the news you watch on television.
Besides you deal with business indirectly
everyday, in your real-estate dealings, your work, and merely being a consumer.

I suggest you invest in a reference library of books to get you started and to refer to often.
A few suggestions are:

Stock Investing for Dummies(don't laugh these books are great)
Stock Investing with Online Discount Brokers.
One up on Wall Street (Peter Lynch)
Warren Buffet Essentials (Timeless Principles for a New Economy, Warren Buffet)
Jim Cramer's Real Money.

Your Goal is to make between 8 and 15% per year
These are the the key points to look for ultimate profits.

Return on Equity (ROE) 15% per year for past 5 years or more
Profit Margin of 15% for past 5 years or more.
At least 25% potential profit margin to be gained ( stock is down by this much)
Brokerage fee in any one purchase should not be more that 2%

(example: a broker charges you $25 per transaction (trade) you should invest no less than $1250.

Think of buying stocks like going to a sale, you do not want to pay top price, you want a good deal, especially since you might sell later and hope to make some money.( This is Value Investing)
Read what people are saying about the company (stock) is it over priced? Is it trading at book value or just above that, Is there some new products on the horizon, is there any pending lawsuits, government contracts, FDA approval, all of these can drive the price up or Down ....
Are there good signs that you could potentially gain some profit in the not too distant future on this stock by buying and holding it for awhile.

Here are some common traits and lessons of Stock Market Superstars:

Own your own shop.
Don't ever get emotionally attached to a stock, if it's a dud, sell it and cut further losses
Discipline, continue to try to perfect your stock picking strategies
Don't be something your not .
Don't loose faith in your style
Think differently - seeing things others don't see.
See the big picture
Have confidence
Understand Market psychology - Behavioral Finance
Remember Fear and Greed Rule the Markets
The market is inefficient in the short run
Good management of companies is very important
Small Caps for growth
Dividend paying stocks for Income
Be flexible and adaptable
Portfolio concentration - stock pickers have a limited number of stocks; Get to know your companies.
Keep a trading journal and learn from past mistakes
Have patience
Be Humble
Learn from your mistakes
Take profits
Let winners Run
Trust your instincts.

HOW TO PROPERLY DESTROY A CREDIT CARD

2010-11-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

Do you know why credit cards have an expiration date? In the beginning, it was because a credit card had a limited useful lifespan. After a few years, the magnetic stripe on the back would either get demagnetized or damaged so much that it was unreadable.
It wasn’t until later that the expiration date was used as a security feature. For many years, you could continue to use expired credit cards because the stripe was fine and the expiration date wasn’t used for verification.
So what were you to do with an expired card? You’d have to destroy it of course. In our age of identity theft and fraud, only a fool would throw a credit card into the trash without cutting it up first. However, with the economy the way it is and the value of credit card numbers going up, it’s important to properly destroy a credit card.
There are two crucial parts of a credit card – information embossed on the front of the card and the information encoded in the magnetic strip on the back of the card. Not surprisingly, they contain the same information and are merely displayed differently to the typical “reader.” When you want to destroy a card, it’s important to destroy both sources.

Destruction

I recommend that you cut throug the name, magnetic strip on the back and most important , cut through the gold chip on the front of the card. The second best wat to destroy a credit card, though ecologically unfriendly, is to burn it. Credit cards are made primarily of plastic, polyvinyl chloride acetate and burning the stuff isn’t good for the environment or you. It also contains all manner of dyes, inks, holograms, metal, etc. Your choice..

ONLINE BROKERS OR PLATFORMS

2010-11-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

Detailed scores for Canada’s online brokerages

Written by ROB CARRICK

Here's an expanded look at the criteria used in this ranking. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a summary of important factors.

Scroll down the page to see a table of the results.
1) Cost (25/100)

Stock trading commissions, including the account asset thresholds at which charges are discounted
Applicability of ECN (electronic communication network) fees
Mutual fund trading commissions, including buy, sell and early redemption fees
Bond trading commissions, including the availability of discount bond pricing
Inactivity and low account balance fees
Annual administration fees for registered accounts, including account size needed to avoid fees

2) Trading (25/100)

The variety of orders that can be placed online, including trailing stops and short sales
Access to global stock markets
Availability of real-time updates of cash levels and buying power
Availability of U.S.-dollar RRSPs
Selection of investments available online, including GICs, high-yield bonds and guided portfolios.

3) Tools (20/100)

Breadth and utility of equity, fund and ETF research
Screening tools
Financial planning tools
Availability of an ETF centre
Features for newcomers to online investing, notably demo videos and practice accounts

4.) Account Information (15/100)

Availability of personalized, long-term data on account rates of return
Asset allocation analysis
Intra-day account updating
Availability of online account statements, trade confirmation slips

5.) Customer Satisfaction (10/100)

Our GlobeInvestor team handled this by distributing a short questionnaire to readers by e-mail. We ended up with 1,279 responses. Respondents were asked to identify the broker they used most often, then rank how happy they were and indicate whether they would recommend the firm.

6.) Website (5/100)

Is a security guarantee offered?
Utility of site for updating clients on new features

Breaking down the brokers

Rank	Broker	Costs (/25)	Trading (/25)	Tools (/20)	Account Info (/15)	Customer Satisfaction (/10)	Website (/5)	2010 Score	2009 Score
1	Qtrade Investor	20.5	20	14	13.5	9.6	3.5	81.1	77.4
2	RBC Direct Investing	17	16	17	14	8.3	3	75.3	70.8
3	BMO InvestorLine	14	16	13	15	8.5	4	70.5	74.1
4	TD Waterhouse	15	17	17	8	9.1	4	70.1	70
5	Credential Direct	18.5	14	11.5	13.5	8.5	4	70	74.8
6	Scotia iTrade	22	16	8.5	7	8	4.5	66	71.6
7	Questrade	22	15	8	4	9	1	59	58.6
8	CIBC Investor's Edge	19	14.5	11	4.5	6.8	3	58.8	60.3
9	Disnat (Classic)	13.5	14	12	7.5	9.2	2	58.2	66.1
10	National Bank Direct Brokerage	10	11	8	11	8.3	4	52.3	62.7
11	ScotiaMcLeod Direct Investing	11.5	10	12	5	8	2	48.5	58.6
12	HSBC InvestDirect	13	13	7	2.5	6.5	3	45	56.2
13	Virtual Brokers	21	11	5	5	n/a	3.5	Incomplete	n/a

FLEA MARKET

2010-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

I was at my local Flea Market on the island here and it is always a busy place, also a great place to socialize as all your neighbors congregate here to find a treasure but also to sit and chat with friends , have a coffee and other goodies.
To my surprise the busiest table this year was the guy selling gold and silver coins, and ingots, the table was 3 deep with buyers!!
In years past he was a lonely soul, trying to entice buyers to his table with bowls of polished rocks and semi precious gems.....not any more!!

A TRUE ECONOMIC INDICATOR

GOLD FORECAST

2010-11-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

Long Term Gold Forecast

The fundamentals behind a rising gold stays strong. With help of a falling dollar and Federal Reserve's second quantitative easing, the precious metal is predicted to hit 1,500 by the end of the year.

At the moment, Ireland's debt is getting attention of nervous investors. The winner of this war is the dollar-denominated gold and the surprising proposal of World Bank chief adds fuel to the burning dollar.

In the larger picture, the weekly chart is bullish for gold. The metal has a strong support at $1,320 an ounce.

Gold Price Forecast	US$/ounce
2010	1,500
2011	1,750

COPPER 30 MONTH HIGH

2010-11-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

Investing in Copper
Copper rose to a 30 month high in New York and London as reports showed higher factory output and stronger inflation in China, the world's biggest consumer of the metal.
Industrial production has advanced 13%in October form a year earlier and retail sales up 18%.
China also reported a drop in its copper output. The Chinese economy is suggesting continued strong growth in Metals demand.

Analyst at Barclays Capital in London

LOOKING FOR GOOD COMPANIES

2010-11-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

Equate investing in stocks to looking for a good company to buy.
You would probably buy a company in an industry that you knew something about Right??
You would certainly have your accountant look at their books to see if they were making any money, right. Who wants to buy a company thats not making money.......not me!
Well the same applies to stocks.
Pick companies that you know something about ( this is called having the edge).
Whether that be computers, grocery stores, pharmaceuticals, or car tires....whatever, could be someplace you worked or where your family works.
It could also be something you personally own, say a Ford Mustang , Apple computer, Columbia Sportswear, or your Starbucks Coffee everyday.
Owning something means you tend to know a little about them and their products.

Also pick companies that have good Fundamentals, meaning they have
revenue + profit (they are making money) and little or no debt.
All this information is available online, even without a calculator in hand, you can review a companies Balance sheets, or Income statements and read over the ratio's for Return on Equity and Profit Margins.
These are the FUNDAMENTALS
*VERY IMPORTANT*

I would start a journal, and just make a list of products you use or know something about and you are impressed with.

Not all will trade publicly.
If you Google, "does such and such trade publicly" , it will come up and will give you the web site.
All companies that are worth buying will have a Web site.
After I read "Peter Lynch's, BEATING THE STREET".... I was going through my fridge and cupboards , looking at all the products I used and who made them...... pretty interesting to realize how much of whats in your house is made by Proctor and Gamble or Kraft ...LOL .

Take a look and tell me what you use that is something you would consider buying into as shares of their company.
I look forward to hearing from you :)

2010-11-13T18:27:00.001-08:00

Beware of geeks bearing formulas.

WARREN BUFFET

STOCK INVESTING FOR BEGINNERS

2010-11-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

It is overwhelming the amount of information on Stock or Equity Investing.
There are thousands of books written on the subject, quite a few of them I've read....
So I'll try to summarize mountains of information that I think is key and crucial to becoming your own financial Advisor/Stock picker/trader.
I will assume that you know nothing.
I will talk to you like you're in kindergarten.

This could be your fun money, saving for real estate, a big holiday, a new car your Tax Free Savings Account (for Canadians Only) or your Registered Retirement Savings Account.

You will need the confidence to make decisions, and that is acquired by reading different forms of media,
ie: magazines, newspapers, books, online newsletters and doing your homework.
I do this by journaling what I've read and hear out there in this huge world of ours.
They say that you have to put in 10,000 hours at anything to excel at it, I believe it, I'm on my way, plus I'm having the time of my life so it doesn't seem like hard work.
There is no easy way to becoming wealthy other than luck .......and we are not going to sit back with lottery ticket in hand and wait for that to happen, because it just won't.

I am not a financial advisor, I did take the Canadian Securities Course but found it not to be for me , so I dropped out.

I'm a avid researcher that's my niche, plus I buy and sell stocks.

Well what I am actually is a researcher of companies and trends.
I like to think of it as buying and selling companies.....far more interesting!

Based on this I make my decisions.

So far it has paid off.