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Five tips for Investing

by Andrew Mills

One of the most common requests I receive is for investing help. In this article, I try to present just a few basic investing tips to remember when you plan for your future through investing. 1. Have a plan and know where you are going with your investments. If you don't have a plan, how will you know if you are on track? The process of creating a plan includes determining your current financial situation, how much money you want to save, and by when. 2. Diversify your investments. Create a balanced portfolio to help you stay on track and reach your goals. 3. Beware of get rich quick schemes. If an investment seems too good to be true, it probably is. Usually the higher the estimated return, the higher the risk to you. Stick with time-proven ways to grow your investments. 4. Feel comfortable with your investment decisions. If the risk in your investments keeps you from sleeping at night, they aren't worth it. Life is too short. 5. Keep good records and check your statements each time you receive them. Always question anything that doesn't look right or that you don't understand. Read the Prospectus thoroughly before investing, do your research and understand how the fund works and all applicable expenses. Investing, if done properly is a key to your future wealth. So don't forget to include these tips when you invest and watch your success.

An Introduction To Offshore Investing by Jeremy Pickles Once upon a time, offshore investment strategies were spoken of in hushed tones. They were conversations restricted to the plush offices of private Swiss bankers, or a dinner table topic in the expensive playgrounds of the multi-millionaires. Thanks to the information explosion of the 1990s, the internet has opened up many investment possibilities that were traditionally the exclusive preserve of the billionaire boys club. Many readers of Offshore News are new to this arena and probably confused by the barrage of information online. After all, these are shark infested waters and there are many out there who make a very good living ripping off the recent stream of naive new entrants to the offshore world. First, you need to consider your reasons for going offshore. You need to take very careful note (and sound legal advice) of your domestic tax liabilities first. Americans for example will still be tax liable to the IRS on their investments no matter what country they are in. Many investment funds are available only to entities located in 'tax haven' countries - IBCs (International Business Companies), Offshore Trusts, Offshore Foundations and the like. You will need to establish a suitable structure in a tax friendly country to gain access to some of the better opportunities available, which is reason enough to go offshore for some even ignoring the tax benefits. Again, residents of the USA in particular are not acceptable as clients in many offshore investment funds, but this can be worked around by establishing a suitable offshore company or trust. It is most important that you do not engage any professional advisors who are 'foreign' to the offshore investment field. If you are your accountant or lawyer's first client ever to enquire about offshore structuring, you need to change accountants. Whilst their consultancy is charged at a premium, the large multinationals are very experienced in the field - talk to the likes of HSBC or deVere and Partners. Be careful dealing with smaller consultant shops who may be pushing the latest 'schemes' like the recent 'Son of Boss' shelter for example. The legal expenses incurred from running afoul of the IRS or other government agencies will far outweigh the tax benefits of the latest gray area fad or tax dodge. Be aware that as an offshore investor you must take strong measures to protect your own interests. Domestic government agencies like the SEC have no jurisdiction outside your home country, you will need to do your own due diligence on the companies you deal with and invest in, and you will need to research what legal protection is available to you in the jurisdictions concerned. Again, this will differ from what you are used to in your home country and professional advice will be necessary. Avoid any internet based company that does not have real physical contact details - street address, phone/fax, contact names. Learn how to use DNS research tools like www.betterwhois.com to learn who it is hiding behind the web site. If you have determined that offshore investing is something you wish to pursue, Offshore News reports on the latest developments in the tax haven jurisdictions. As a general guide it is often more discrete to establish your offshore structure in a location far from your residential jurisdiction. Americans for example would be best to investigate South Pacific countries like Nauru, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands. Australians could look at Caribbean or European jurisdictions. Some tax havens have strong investor protection laws in place, others are unstable and politically volatile. It's a moving landscape best tracked by staying up to date with the latest Offshore News and via your offshore advisors. Always work directly with the banks and investment funds you are interested in, and be wary of any advisor who suggests you should transfer the money to them so that they may place the funds discretely. Once you are happy with the safety of your investment in a particular country you need to perform thorough due diligence on the particular funds, banks and brokers you are looking at placing your funds with. Many sound offshore advisors, banks and related companies are linked to from the Offshore News site at www.offshore-income.com - bookmark us and return often to stay up to date with the latest developments and resources on offshore investments and banking. About the Author: Offshore News blog posts all the latest news, articles and reports on the Offshore Banking world, including Offshore Finance, Offshore Credit Cards, Offshore Merchant Accounts, Tax Haven Companies and Offshore Investments. Visit us at http://www.offshore-income.com/ Source: www.isnare.com  Investing News Yahoo! News Search Results for investing Yahoo! News Search Results for investing How Value Investing Paid Off in the Meltdown (New York Times) 16 Mar 2010 at 2:15pm The value investing thesis, championed by the Columbia University professors Benjamin Graham and David Dodd in the 1930s was simple: find cheap stocks being sold below their intrinsic value, buy them, and then sell them when the market wakes up. Stocks the Investing Legends Are Buying (The Motley Fool) 16 Mar 2010 at 12:17pm The top names in value investing recently purchased these stocks. Video: Value Investing for the Next Decade (Market Watch) 16 Mar 2010 at 3:22pm Long-duration investing is about finding well-established companies to buy and hold for the next 10 years, according to fund manager Bill Smead, who favors pharmaceutical, housing and equity-fund plays. Matt Andrejczak reports. Is Value Investing Dead? (The Motley Fool) 15 Mar 2010 at 1:32pm Despite some setbacks, value investing is here to stay. Coca-Cola Investing $302M In Malaysia (Manufacturing.net) 16 Mar 2010 at 7:54am World's largest soft drink maker building new bottling plant in Malaysia and investing $302 million over next five years to boost growth in Southeast Asian market. What You Need to Know About Ethical Investing (Kiplinger.com) 16 Mar 2010 at 7:37pm Doing good with your investments -- and earning a good return, too -- can be a tricky proposition. Weekly Wisdom Roundup #69: Finance & Investing (Guru Focus) 15 Mar 2010 at 10:47am By Miguel Barbosa. (Editor Note: Each Week, Miguel Barbosa put together a collection of links to multi-disciplinary articles under the title Weekly Wisdom Roundup. These are the articles under Finance & Investing section.) Read more » » AfDB President Says Investing in Women Differently is Essential to Revitalizi... 16 Mar 2010 at 6:47pm African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President, Donald Kaberuka, and New Faces New Voices (NFNV) Founder, Graça Machel, have invited African and global leaders to Nairobi, Kenya, to the first African Women Economic Summit (AWES) which aims at integrating women in the brainstorming process on rebuilding the global financial system. No glitz or glamour, but research and patience when investing pay off in the ... 14 Mar 2010 at 6:35pm I am an investing dinosaur. I do a lot of research, spending my time getting to know companies. I look for market inefficiencies, buying stocks some people hate and selling stocks many people love. I am a plodding trader, turning over my portfolio more sl. Is ExxonMobil Still Best of Breed? (The Motley Fool via Yahoo! News) 16 Mar 2010 at 2:19pm It doesn't take a genius to recall that ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM - News) is the biggest of Big Oil. So with that fact out of the way, those with a yen for investing in energy are left to question whether the company is also the best of its group.