Jane says…..

If you are new to dressage and want to start showing, it is important to learn and follow the dress code. It is pretty specific and, in dressage shows, you don’t get points for being creative and standing out from the crowd. Some judges are very traditional, and they are distracted by anything not following the “Norm”. Use your creative outfits for schooling. The dress code is also detailed in the rules for Dressage from USEF, so if you have questions about this advice, refer to the rules. These suggestions are based on current experience at 3 star shows in Northern California (2003-2006).

The rider should wear a black or blue dressage coat or hunt coat. A dressage coat has four buttons and a single vent in the back. A hunt coat has three buttons and a double vent. Most riders invest in a dressage coat, but it is fine to start off in a hunt coat before spending lots of money on a name-brand dressage coat. Depending on your climate, consider very carefully before investing in a traditional wool coat. There are other man-made blends that can be much cooler in warm weather. At some very warm shows, the judge will wave the coat requirement. This means that you can remove your coat and neck tie, but you must still be in a shirt with a collar and long or short sleeves. Unless you are desperate, wear your coat anyways if you can. The test is only 5-6 minutes and some judges prefer the finished look. By the way, tailcoats are only for riders riding Prix St. George level and above.

The rider should also wear a white show shirt with mock collar, white stock tie, stock tie pin, and white breeches. Your shirt can be long or short sleeves. There are tons of show shirts for sale on the market, so find something you like. Beige breeches are also allowed, but you are better off wearing white. Gloves can be white or black, but you are better off wearing white if you can stand it. Hunt style hard helmet in black velvet is best for the lower levels, if possible. A safety helmet of any style is allowed for your safety. Put your hair in some kind of hair net unless it is very short. No loose hair or flopping pony tails should be seen. Wear tall boots, preferably “dress boots” with no laces. “Field boots” have laces at the ankle and are better for the hunter/jumper ring. Half chaps or leggings are absolutely not allowed in the show ring for dressage. You must have tall boots. You can save money by purchasing imitation leather boots if you don’t want to incur the cost of leather boots. Leather boots can cost $100-$500 easily. Some people invest in custom-made leather boots that cost even more. Spurs are allowed with restrictions on them. Most common blunt-end spurs with straight shanks are fine. One whip no longer than 43.3 inches (110 cm), including lash may be carried in all classes except for annual championship classes.

For the horse, use a white, square saddle pad and an English or Dressage style saddle. The bridle can have a decorative brow band as long as it is leather-based. A beaded string across the brow is not allowed. No boots or leg wraps are allowed in the show ring. The saddle color should match the stirrup leathers, girth, and bridle if possible. Make sure that your bridle and bit are to regulation. Most simple snaffle bits are fine, and most nosebands are allowed. Try to have everything as neat and clean and white as possible before your rides!

See the Dressage Rules at http://www.usef.org/documents/ruleBook/2006/07-DR.pdf Read section DR120 Dress for dress code rules and section DR121 Saddlery and Equipment for tack rules.

Jennifer Allbright writes for http://www.NewtoHorses.com which provides information to new-comers on caring for, riding, and showing horses. The site offers a wide range of information from safety around horses and resources for horse items to specifics about dressage training and showing.

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Like every parent, you too expect the best for your child- the best clothes, best house, best school and the best college. Expecting the best for your child does not mean that you will always be able to give him/her the best. There may be financial constraints that you can face. The big problem arises when you pay for your child’s higher education. 529 is an effective tool that will be useful for you in paying the education cost of college.

This is a known truth that the college costs go up each year. In order to provide your child with a good higher education you should start saving money now. 529 is an investment plan that helps you save money in a smarter way. 529 plan is the program, which takes away all your worries related to your ward’s future education. It is a plan that can really help you save money for the college fees. 529 plans offer two options, one is the college savings plan and the other is prepaid tuition plan.

Some of the advantages of 529 plan are:

* The money that you earn is income-tax free.

* You have complete control over the account proceedings. In other words, the parent who is investing money in the account has control over the assets within the program. The age of the beneficiary doesn’t matter; the control still remains in your hands and not your childs.

* You can change the beneficiary of the plan at any time.

* The money that you withdraw can be used for expenses such as college fees, books, boarding charges, lodging charges, computers etc.

* Your familys income level is not a constraint for saving in the 529 plans.

If you want to ensure quality education for your child in the future years, then you must start saving now. For example, suppose your child is 8 years old, then you have almost 10 years to save for his/her college education. A 529 plan will help you do so smoothly and with a lot of ease. Ten years of saving might seem a long time, but if you look at the increasing costs of college education, you will realize how crucial saving in these years will be. So, if you don’t start saving now then realize that you are putting your child’s future at stake.

Jay White is an author, copywriter, and marketer who’s trying to figure out how he’s going to put 2 kids through college. For more great tips, techniques, and strategies about how to save money with 529 plans, check out http://www.529-comparison.com 529 Comparison

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Anyone who travels regularly is aware of luggage and carry-on restrictions post 9-11. However, if you travel abroad, there are other considerations to keep in mind. No foreign country wants undesirable insects, rodents, or diseases to infiltrate their population via border crossings.

Before reading further, remember that if you have outstanding police warrants or a criminal record, you should probably forget about foreign travel. Period.

* What NOT to Take With You *

Regulations vary by country. The snacks you pack for a domestic flight may not pass customs inspection for an overseas destination. Start with a good dose of ‘common sense’ and you will quickly realize why most of the items on the following list are not permitted:

- Beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages that have been opened

- Pets without appropriate vaccination certificates

- Native wildlife

- Weapons - or toys and other items that look like weapons

- Big game bagged while on your safari or hunting trip

- Prescription drugs without an accompanying doctor’s prescription

- Drugs, vitamins, or nutritional supplements with unreadable labels

- Illegal drugs or paraphernalia - *DEATH PENALTY* in some countries

- Potted houseplants, seeds, soil, pebbles, or sand

- Natural products like seashells, pieces of coral reef, whalebone

- Uncooked pork, poultry, beef, and other meat or animal products

- Unprocessed or uncooked vegetables, fruits, tubers, roots, etc.

- Hay, straw, oats, and similar items

- Any other natural products that may harbor diseases or pests

- Fireworks and incendiary devices

- Clothing and souvenirs manufactured with any of the above products

Some prohibited articles may be allowed with appropriate permits or certification. If you don’t know for sure - don’t pack them or bring them back home with you.

* What you MUST Take With You *

Imagine your chagrin should you go through customs on your return trip and discover that you must pay duty on your laptop computer, digital camera, and jewelry - even though you purchased them in your own country prior to your trip. Yes, it can - and does - happen. Protect yourself!

Pack copies of documents such as sales receipts, credit card statements, insurance policies, and appraisals for all valuable items to prove ownership and purchase date - especially for anything that looks like new.

No receipts or paperwork? Take a picture of each item next to a newspaper that plainly displays a readable date. Note the serial number(s) with each photo. Keep all photos and paperwork in a safe place along with your passport and other important documents. They will be invaluable when you fill in customs declarations - both leaving and returning.

* Do Your Homework *

Spend some time doing research on the internet before you travel. You should be able to find a government or embassy website that provides the regulations online. Do searches such as:

- customs regulations France

- customs regulations Spain

- customs regulations Brazil

- customs regulations USA

Advance investigation may save you considerable time, money, and effort as you pass through each border crossing.

Be aware! The resulting peace of mind will make your holiday much more enjoyable.

Kathy Steinemann writes regularly for 111 Travel Directory: http://www.triple1.com/ - Adult Escapes: http://www.adultescapes.com/ - and 1000 Travel Tips: http://1000tips4trips.com/ - as well as several other websites.

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It may not pass scientific muster, but a leading private investigator has developed a theory linking financial hardship such as that experienced during a recessive economy, with an increase in marital infidelity.

Likening it to other actual, proven science, the recipe for Mark McAlpin’s adultero solatium (the Latin words for unfaithful marriage partner and compensation, or solace) theory combines raw numbers from his own investigative practice with a bit of arm-chair psychology and an unmeasured pour of biochemistry. Admittedly a scientific lay person, the PI says he has been rolling this theory around in his head for years, and the numbers have consistently evinced his hypothesis.

The theory basically builds on the well-known reliance of stressed or distressed people on the relief found in their indulgence in ‘comfort food.’

“The human body wants to feel good. When people face physical, emotional or even mental pain or stress, they normally engage in activities that will either remove the pain or counter it with pleasure. Chocolate, ice cream, booze, a hot bath or log massage, illegal drugs, pick your poison,” he said. “Diluted to it’s simplest explanation it’s all about brain chemistry. The serotonin effect is a pleasurable response to a situation. People naturally want to feel good. The worse they feel, the greater their desire to feel good. People who are stressed out, upset or worse, actively seek out pleasure to dull the pain. The worse the pain, the more powerful the trigger for pleasure. The most powerful triggers are associated with the greatest pleasures: food, drugs and sex. This theory is only different from the accepted psychological responses in that it rightly includes the sexual and/or emotional pleasure sought from people other than the afflicted’s significant other.”

McApin’s theory is based solely on data he’s culled from his skip tracing website http://Cellulartrace.com. The site, which offers reverse lookup phone number traces, has always counted infidelity investigations among its customer’s top reasons for ordering his services. But the investigator says search requests based on suspicions of a cheating spouse have greatly increased during periods of economic stress. He has also mapped increased search requests from geographical areas particularly effected by negative economic factors.

“The post 9/11 economy absolutely buried us with requests,” McAlpin recalls.

Although customers don’t always confess the reason for the investigations they request, McAlpin says trends are pretty easy to spot.

“When the vast majority of searches are suddenly women asking you to investigate other women, it is pretty clear what is happening. When investigations involving people seeking info on people of their same sex jumps from 70 to 90 percent in the weeks following 9/11 or a ton of new customers from the Palo Alto area spring up after the first round of HP lay offs, it’s pretty hard to dismiss the trends,” he said.

McAlpin said he has seen similar increases in cell phone lookup requests in other geographical areas following disasters and major layoffs or plant closings.

“There are obviously smaller examples of this, but I don’t look into every increase from every area. There are clearly layoffs, factory closings and fires and other disasters all over the country. I’m sure the theory is exemplified in those situations, as well,” said McAplin.

It has been statistically shown that in the vast majority of suspected infidelities, the suspected parties were in fact cheating. It stands to reason then, that the more suspicion of infidelity, as evinced by such requests for information for that stated purpose, the more actual cheating in that area. And with a spike in cheating following an economic or emotional blast, the benefit of whatever doubt is sure to come from professionals in the field of the human psyche should certainly be given to the adultero solatium theory.

The lack of definitive detail and corroborating outside evidence supporting the theory will surely lead some to dismiss the merits of the hypothesis. But McAlpin says this doesn’t bother him in the least.

“I have no plans to write a dissertation on this, I just find it interesting. If this theory helps someone discover a potential infidelity, or better yet avoid hanging a scarlet ‘A’ on themselves or seeing one on their spouse, great. If those in the behavioral field see some merit, maybe someone will conduct some research that will bear the seal of scientific approval. For me it is just an interesting footnote to the way I track business trends,” he said.

The investigator’s popular website http://Cellulartrace.com has helped thousands with infidelity advice including recognizing the signs of a cheating spouse, how to catch them, and the phone number tracing investigations he specializes in.

Elizabeth Knightly is a freelance journalist covering matters of psychological and sociological importance. She currently resides in Dallas, TX with her neurotic cat.

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1-Money Generates Money

There is no FREE lunch out there. If some one tells you that you do not need any money to make a profit, you better think twice. Any business is an investment, any investment cost money. Any business needs advertising, any advertising cost money. Advertisements generate leads, leads produce money. There are ways to promote the business without putting any advertising budget but it takes time. Time is MONEY. Any businesses out there need to have advertising budget to attract customers. There is no different in Internet MLM business.

2- Hard Work Generates Money

Internet marketing is not about overnight success. It is a real business that needs substantial degree of hard work to become successful. Anyone who has a job know that in order to get the pay check, you have to put in certain amount of time. The concept is the same in Internet MLM. The only difference is you are actually building your own business instead of building people’s business. That is the reason why the pay check is fixed on your pay job while the pay check has huge variability on your Internet MLM business.

3- Knowledge Generates Money

Everyone gets pay for their knowledge. You, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Pierre Omidyar, Sam Walton and Warren Buffet get paid because of the knowledge. What is the different between you, Bill Gates and those billionaires? You probably know the answer by now. The point that I really want to make here is challenge you to learn more in order to earn more. Please refer to the post “Blueprinting in Internet MLM” to get more ideas of what knowledge can bring you.

4- Quality Content Generates Money

It is all about quality in any business. If your business can provide quality to customer, the greater the return, right? There is no difference in Internet MLM business as well. We have to find company that can provide great quality or value to customer, once customers see those benefits (quality), they will in turn join the program and hence generate income for you. Is that simple! This is the reason why I love GDI (http://freedom.ws/soxloo) and Success University (http://lloo1.successuniversity.com) because both of them provide great values to me.

5- Internet Generates Money

There are about 6.5 billion people on the planet and about 1.1 billion of them use internet (Source from www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm) and the growth of internet user is growing exponentially over time. Imagine if you can share a piece of this pie, what is the return? That is the reason why we need to generate traffic into your website. Any traffic that visits you has a potential to generate income to you. 4 money generators that we discussed earlier lead to this. Prepare some budget, work hard to learn about the business and create quality content to attract traffic to your site.

A positive altitude causes a chain reaction of positive outcomes. It is a catalyst… a spark that creates extraordinary results!

Lickhau Loo is an Expert Internet Marketer. You can learn How to Make up to $2,000 a week wihout risking a penny in 3 easy steps http://www.unlimitedwealth.ws mailto: lloo@unlimitedwealth.ws

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Have you ever considered what it means to be an intentional parent? Have you thought about what hangs in the balance? Fourteen years of parenting, reading countless books and listening to the sage of advice of many who walked the parenting path before me has taught me much. Ironically, what stands out the most is how much there is left to learn about being an effective parent and how often I still miss the mark. Hitting the mark is tough even in the best of circumstances; with work, after-school activities, help with homework and other personal demands the bulls eye looks awfully small and so far away. Maybe you can relate. One thing is clear to me - effective parenting is not something that easily comes. It takes great effort and it takes intentionality. The effort part is for another discussion, but what about intentionality?

An intentional parent is not a perfect parent (none of us fall into that category); rather, it is a parent who has “mentally determined upon some action or result related to parenting.” The key is “mentally determined” since every good habit starts with a mental decision. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a single good habit I have that just happened. An intentional parent is an “on purpose” parent.

As parents, our greatest tendency is to react to our children rather than plan in advance. To complicate it even further, we acknowledge this tendency yet do little about it. What does this say about us as parents? The question we need to grapple with is why do we tend to continue down the same unintentional path? There are at least three practical reasons I have identified in my own life that make it difficult for me to be an intentional parent: vision, know-how and accountability. See if you can identify with any of them.

Our biggest obstacle starts in the mind - we simply don’t take the time to contemplate what hangs in the balance. To state it another way, we really have not taken the time to understand and embrace what is gained and what is lost by investing in our children as intentional parents. Most of us would agree, upon reflection, more is to be gained by taking an intentional approach to parenting our children. So, action step number one for becoming an intentional parent is to imagine what you want your relationship to be like with your child and what his or her relationships will be like with others once your child has reached adulthood. Add to that the legacy you want to leave and you start to catch a glimpse of what hangs in the balance.

I imagine my children growing up one day and investing their lives in their own family and those around them. Can that happen if I never invest time with them? Of course, but chances are they will be more apt to do it and more effective at it if I invest in them as young children. When Emily, our now 11 year old, was younger and wanted to play Old Maid when the football game was on, my first thought was “not during the game.” As I look back now, I can say some of my funniest and fondest memories were playing a simple card game like Old Maid with our girls. It is amazing what you can teach a child about life during a basic game of Old Maid.

Our next challenge is lack of know-how. We have very little idea of what an intentional parent looks or acts like. In short, we are missing a plan. It is a bit like driving in a foreign country without a map or directions of any sort. You may eventually reach the destination but the frustration and loss of time makes the journey miserable and it is rarely worth the price. The solution is easy but it takes time. Research, read, utilize resources like Focus on the Family and survey your friends, especially those with grown children. One good resource can launch your journey to becoming an intentional parent. For me, it was a book by Tim Kimmel entitled Legacy of Love.

Being an intentional parent requires changing your strategy and approach as your child changes. If you are like I was early in my parenting I wanted to discover the know-how or “program” that worked, implement it and expect everything to fall neatly into place. I soon discovered the “neatly into place” part was a hurdle. I remember one particular airplane ride before we had our first daughter, Nicole. I was stuck next to a screaming child; you know, the one who never stops screaming the entire flight. I still hear myself saying, “I can’t believe they are not able to control their child. My child will never act like that in public.” Famous last words, right? Fast forward to my first airplane ride with Nicole when she was about six months old. It was a piece of cake - not a peep out of her the entire time. Everyone was so complimentary and a proud Dad I was. I had the program figured out or so I thought until my second airplane ride with Nicole near her one year birthday. To say it was miserable and embarrassing would be an understatement. From the time the plane took off she started screaming and I was reduced to a helpless Dad - duped by a one year old. Some program on “how you should act in public” I had! My child had changed - it was time for a new strategy.

Once you have your vision and plan in place you are faced with implementation. Every parent understands the daily challenges of raising a child as life speeds by us like a NASCAR race. In my own life it is here in the daily battle that I have discovered the importance of accountability. My wife is the best intentional parent I know. She made a decision early in the lives of our children (Nicole is 14 and Emily is 11) to empower her friends to hold her accountable in her role as an intentional mother. As a result, when inertia begins to pull her away from intentional parenting her friends remind her of the vision, the plan and of what hangs in the balance. This accountability enables her to course correct and to escape falling “out of the habit” of intentional parenting. Who have you allowed into the center of your life to ask you the difficult questions and to challenge you to be an intentional parent?

Having a vision with know-how and even accountability means nothing unless and until we act. Actions require energy and time which, for busy people, always feels in short supply. If you are like me, fear and self-centeredness are oftentimes a big hindrance to being an intentional parent. A sense of scarcity and the lack of understanding of the consequences of inaction allow fear and self-centeredness to rule and block our otherwise good intentions. What will I need to give up in the way of time and energy to deliver in this area of my life? What will it cost me personally? It takes courage to be an intentional parent. So, what do you think - is it worth your child’s future and your legacy to become an intentional parent? Will you muster the courage it takes to impact a life?

I know what you are thinking - where are all of the action steps, the secrets, the plan? Well, right now Emily needs help with her homework so more on the know-how will need to wait. Keep your eye out for the next article at www.CourageTheMonkey.com. Intentional parenting calls.

Copyright © 2006, Mark T. Jordan. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article without alteration if you include the bio and copyright.

Mark Jordan is the author of several books including his most recent children’s book http://www.CourageTheMonkey.com. He holds an MBA from Baylor University and a BSBA from the University of Arkansas. He can be reached at mark@CourageTheMonkey.com.

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The rabbit had been able to elude the fox, hopping safely into the arms of a briar patch and out of the immediate reach of the hungry predator. Seeing that he would not be able to have the rabbit for a meal, he decided instead to show concern. “Are you alright, my friend?” he asked, trying to put on an expression of empathy.

“Quite well, thank you,” replied the rabbit, still panting from the close call and looking to and from with suspicion.

“Very well, then,” said the fox, who began to walk away. He paused, turned around, and added, “I promise not to try and harm you anymore.”

“Are you quite serious?” asked the rabbit, surprised at this sudden announcement.

“Quite serious,” the fox replied, then walked away. As he walked, he uttered under his breath, “At least — not for today.”

– From “More Fables, Ancient and New”

At least once a month, I receive a call from an individual who has been on total disability with Federal Worker’s Comp for several years. The individual has been separated from service from the Federal Government or the Postal Service for more than a year, and suddenly the Office of Workers Compensation Program sends the individual to a Second Opinion doctor, and thereafter issues a declaratory finding that he or she is no longer disabled, and can return to work.

– Not only has that individual lost his OWCP benefits, but he has also lost his right to file for disability retirement under FERS or CSRS.

This is because, under the rules and regulations for disability retirement, an individual must file with the Office of Personnel Management within one year from the date he or she is separated from Federal Service (See 5 C.F.R. Sec. 844.201(a)(1) , where it states that, “Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(3) and (a)(4) of this section, an application for disability retirement is timely only if it is filed with the employing agency before the employee or Member separates from service, or with the former employing agency or OPM within 1 year thereafter”).

Thus, a word of caution for those many individuals who receive the non-taxable payments from OWCP — continue to remain on OWCP for as long as possible, because it is certainly financially advantageous over the taxable annuity amount received from FERS/CSRS disability retirement — but always remember that OWCP is not a retirement system. If they don’t cut your payments off today, there is always tomorrow (refer to the fox in the fable, above).

I always advise my disability retirement clients who are receiving OWCP benefits to remain on OWCP for as long as they can stand it (i.e., the persistent harassment, the constant oversight by so-called “2nd opinion doctors”, etc.) — but to always have the FERS/CSRS disability retirement annuity approved as a back-up source of income. Individuals may file for disability retirement concurrently while on OWCP — but you simply cannot collect from both at the same time (See 5 C.F.R. Sec. 844.105, “Relationship to workers’ compensation. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an individual who is eligible for both an annuity under part 842 or 844 of this chapter and compensation for injury or disability under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code (other than a scheduled award under 5 U.S.C. 8107(c)), covering the same period of time must elect to receive either the annuity or compensation.”).

Thus, when OWCP terminates your payments (and there is a very good chance that this will happen at some point in the near future), it is a wise option to have your disability retirement benefits approved, but held in an inactive status. You have every right to elect one benefit over the other. Indeed, if you wanted to, you are allowed to go back and forth between OWCP and FERS/CSRS disability retirement.

As a secondary issue on this matter, take a close look at 5 U.S.C. Section 8106 on “partial disability”, and compare that definition with the definition for disability retirement. In Section 8106 (OWCP), the definition states in paragraph (c) (2) that “A partially disabled employee who refuses or, neglects to work after suitable work is offered to, procured by, or secured for him, is not entitled to compensation.” This means that if OWCP secures a job for you as a Walmart greeter (you know, those individuals who smile and say hello to you as you walk into the Walmart Superstore), and pay you the difference between your salary and what Walmart pays — and you decide to say “no”, OWCP has every right to cut off your payments.

On the other hand, under the laws concerning FERS & CSRS disability retirement, 5 C.F.R.Sec. 844.103 (a)(2) states that, in order to be eligible for disability retirement, the individual “must, while employed in a position subject to FERS, have become disabled because of a medical condition, resulting in a deficiency in performance, conduct, or attendance, or if there is no such deficiency, the disabling medical condition must be incompatible with either useful and efficient service or retention in the position.”

The difference here is that, under OWCP, if you are ‘partially disabled’, if you are offered any job that OWCP believes you can do, you must accept it. On the other hand, under FERS/CSRS disability retirement laws, if you are partially disabled — meaning that you simply cannot do at least one or more of the essential elements of your job — then you are entitled to disability retirement benefits, and your agency or the Postal Service cannot simply offer you any job; they must offer you a job in the same pay or grade, and one in which you are qualified or, if you are in the Postal Service, then it must an accommodation in the same craft.

Under the former (OWCP), you have no control over your future (OWCP determines your future); under the latter (disability retirement), you can obtain disability retirement benefits, and then take control of your future and work at another job of your choice, and make up to 80% of what your (former) position pays, and still continue to receive your disability annuity.

Experiencing a medical disability is a traumatic, life-changing event. Financial concerns are always part of this life-changing event, and it is important to secure one’s financial future to the greatest extent possible. Obtaining disability retirement — both the annuity as well as the health insurance benefits — is often the difference between a secure future and financial poverty. It is therefore extremely important to look upon disability retirement as a lifetime investment — one which must be obtained with an aggressive plan and approach.

I am an Attorney who represents Federal and Postal workers from all across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. I do not charge for telephone consultations. If you would like to contact me, you may call me at 1-800-990-7932, or email me at DisabilityAtty@msn.com. My ad also appears weekly in the Federal Times.

Robert R. McGill, Esquire DisabilityAtty@msn.com

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Hollywood loves the stock market. The chaos of the stock exchange floor, the tension of boiler room day-trading, devious power brokers making back room deals; it all makes for great drama. Then you have the true-to-life stock market stories in the news: insider trading, big money IPOs, the dot com bust. All of it is enough to make you steer clear of the market for good and travel down a safer investment path. But don’t be frightened, history shows that long-term, there’s no better place to put your money to watch it grow. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Stocks 101

Simply put, when you purchase stock in a company, you become part-owner of that company. Along with other shareholders, you all combine as investors in the business, and therefore reap its rewards, or suffer its losses. Stocks are most commonly divided into separate categories depending on the size and type of the company (e.g., mid-cap, small-cap, energy, tech, etc.).

While speculation can drive stock prices in the short term, it’s long-term company earnings that determine a stocks gains or losses. Speaking of short term, that’s when stocks are extremely volatile. Over a span of just a few months or years, stocks can climb to astronomic heights or drop to pitiful lows. But, since 1926, the average stock has returned over 10 percent per year. That’s better than any other investment vehicle out there, and that’s why stocks are your best bet for long-term investment.

Picking Stocks

Before you dive head-first into the market, there are a few things you should know about picking stocks. First, the market’s performance as a whole is not necessarily a reflection of its individual stocks. Good stocks can keep growing even in a down market, while bad stocks have the frustrating tendency to drop or remain stagnant in a strong market.

Also, remember that history is not indicative of a stock’s future performance. Even solid stocks can slip from time to time. Remember that stock prices are based on a company’s earnings outlook, not its past performance. If the future looks bright for a company, a $100 dollar stock is probably a good buy. If earnings look less than promising, even a $5 stock can be a waste. Finally, investors determine a stock’s value by measuring a handful of primary criteria, most notably cash flow, earnings, and revenue.

“Diversify”

It’s the rallying cry of all smart investors. When compiling an investment portfolio of stocks, it’s smart to own shares in companies from several different industries. Consider it a “hedge bet”. When one part of the economy experiences a downturn, you’ll have other stocks in your portfolio to put your faith in.

When building your portfolio, the safest bet is to pick from financially strong businesses with earnings growth above the average. Surprisingly, that limits the lot to choose from, as only around 200 stocks today fit that bill. A solid portfolio features somewhere in the ballpark of 20 stocks selected from seven or more industries. A general rule of thumb is to invest in stocks with an above-average rate of growth and reasonable valuations.

Buy and Hold

Day trading is a great way to lose your nest egg, but quick. As we noted before, stocks over the short term are highly volatile. Sure, brokers today are offering cheap trades, but beware. There are a ton of hidden fees and taxes involved with day trading, not to mention the amount of attention required by you to monitor the blow-by-blow proceedings of the market. Our recommendation: buy and hold. A ten percent return over the long term is nothing to sneer at.

Joseph Kenny writes for the Loans Store which offers more information on home loans, secured loans and other loan topics available on site.

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Today Panama has become the Switzerland of Latin America. There are 150 banks in Panama many of which have their name on a 40 story modern skyscraper. Panama is often touted as having the best banking secrecy laws in the world. This author believes this to be true and we will address the bank secrecy laws of Panama in depth.

The first important point to look at is the existence of any tax treaties that Panama may be in with any other countries. This is an easy topic since Panama has no tax treaties with any other countries. Tax treaties can be privacy invasive for a banking client. Under some treaties the bank must collect a certain percentage of taxes from interest income paid to the clients and this money is turned over to the client’s home country. Other treaties call for an exchange of information so if a requesting country wanted to gather certain facts about a bank account or if a certain constituent of theirs had a bank account the bank would be obligated to provide the information. The European Union Withholding Tax Treaty is a very relevant treaty.

The next type of treaty one must look at is called the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, or MLAT. This treaty allows countries to request information from other countries in the treaty. The general way this type of treaty operates is through diplomatic channels. Panama is in such treaties. The requesting country must have a criminal case on file in the national courts of their country. They would then cite this case already in their criminal courts when the request for information is made. The requesting country would a need to show that the requested information about the Panama bank account is absolutely required to successfully prosecute the case and that the requesting country has no other way to obtain such evidence. Then the request is considered by Panama. Panama may ask for more information. Panama could deny the request on whatever grounds they wish to use. Panama could also decide to conduct their own investigation because they feel that some Panama laws may have been broken and delay the MLAT request until after they have concluded their investigation which may be some years. The statue of limitations could expire before Panama completed their investigation. This is not to say that Panama is in the habit of thwarting requests for information but Panama does have a right to investigate crimes that took place in their jurisdiction. As a result of these investigations they could confiscate assets and prosecute individuals under their own laws.

For the MLAT to take effect the violation in question must be a crime in both the requesting country and the country the information is requested from. Various MLAT treaties have all sorts of details and exceptions and should be read individually if you are seriously interested in a particular treaty. Panama not only has no tax treaties with any other nation but all income tax related offenses in Panama are civil offenses only, not criminal offenses. So tax matters are not a crime in Panama. Thus Panama does not participate in requests for information in tax offenses. Panama does cooperate in certain areas freely. If one acts fraudulently while in the capacity of a fiduciary in a financial relationship Panama will cooperate. Panama also cooperates in cases of narcotics trafficking, money laundering, terrorism and child pornography.

The Panama Bank Secrecy laws are contained in a number of different legal statues. We will go through some of the relevant ones:

The Panama National Banking Commission was formed by Cabinet Decree 238 of July 2, 1970.

Article 74 of Decree 238 deals with protecting the privacy of Panama bank clients. It states that the Commission is prevented from conducting or requesting investigations concerning the banking affairs of any bank clients. Any data obtained by the Commission in the course of its normal regulatory functions may not be revealed to any person or authority, except if subpoenaed in accordance with the legal provisions in force (Panama Court Order required). If a violation of this occurred Article 101 of this Cabinet Decree contains provisions for the dealing of such a violation.

Article 101 of Cabinet Decree 238 states that:

“Any person who furnishes information in violation of this Cabinet Decree, or who violates any of the prohibitions established in it, for which no specific punishment is provided for, shall be subject to a monetary fine as determined by the Banking Commission, without prejudice to applicable criminal and civil liabilities.” This is fairly strong language.

Article 65 of Cabinet Decree 238 deals with how the National Banking Commission may gain access to documents relating to the bank’s operation, not individual records of banking clients. The Banking Commission needs to regulate the banks financially and thus inspect their books but this is mandated to be done on a collective basis, thus the books for the bank as a whole are inspected not the records for an individual account holder at the bank. The Banking Commission may not examine or inspect any type of individual deposit accounts, nor the securities held in custody by the bank for clients, nor the safe deposit boxes belonging to clients and their contents, nor the documents associated with receiving credit from the bank, unless there is a Panama Court Order in place that specifically authorizes such inspection or examination according to Article 89 of the Panama Commercial Code.

Panama statues specify that bank secrecy may be lifted by a Panamanian court through Article 89 of the Commercial Code. This is not a commonly invoked procedure but is possible concerning serious criminal activities.

Articles 168 and 170 of the Panamanian Criminal Code contain two sections which enables criminal prosecution for violation the privacy of Panama banking clients:

Article 168. Any person that is in legitimate possession of correspondence, records or documents which are not intended for public knowledge and notwithstanding discloses said correspondence, records or document without proper authorization, even in the event that they were addressed to him, shall be subject to prosecution, whenever such disclosure might inflict damage.

Article 170. Any person that in the course of his occupation, employment, profession or activity obtains knowledge of confidential information that in the event of being made public could inflict damages, and such person discloses that information without the consent of the concerned party; or in the case that disclosure of such information were not necessary to safeguard a higher interest, shall be punishable by imprisonment of 10 months to 2 years or a comparable fine, and the inability to practice his occupation, employment, profession or activity for not more than 2 years. One can readily discern that this would cover Panama Stock Brokers, and Panama Banks including all the employees and officers. This could also be construed to cover Directors of Panama Anonymous Bearer Share Corporations and Council Members of Anonymous Panama Private Interest Foundations.

Panama has done away with numbered bank accounts as have the rest of the offshore tax haven jurisdictions. This is due to pressure from FATF, the Financial Action Task Force. FATF is a private entity that unofficially dictates anti-money laundering statues to the banks worldwide. Numbered accounts are no longer allowed.

Panama through the use of anonymous Bearer Share Corporations accomplishes practically the same privacy as the old numbered bank account. The banks around the world including those in Panama must know who their customers are. This usually means getting identity documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, national identity cards, and letters of reference from banks and businesses. The Panama Bearer Share Corporation is anonymous in that there is no reporting or recording of any stock ownership records in any registry or database thus it is impossible to determine who the natural persons are behind the corporate veil. This means when international wire transfers are sent only the name of the anonymous corporation appears in the wire, the true owner of the account is not revealed for the world to see same as it was when numbered bank accounts were allowed. With regards to writing checks the same applies assuming the signatory signs the check in a hard to read manner. To provide for more privacy Panama only allows an attorney to form a corporation or foundation. This cloaks the formation of the corporation with Panama attorney client privilege further protecting the owners of the corporation or foundation with an additional layer of privacy. In most tax haven jurisdictions the formation of a corporation handled by a corporate agent which does not provide privileged communication to protect the identity of the person owning the corporation.

One can readily see why Panama has become the new Switzerland of Latin America.

Ronald Edwards is a researcher, with years of experience in finances and real estate.

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Alligators In California? Real Estate Investment Property Eating Away At Would-Be Profits?

How did we get Alligators in California? I’ll tell you how. Properties that won’t sell eating away at pure real estate investing profits. On the market for months and no deal yet. Monthly payments, taxes, utilities, insurance. Ouch!! What A Nightmare!

Robert Kiyosaki talked about alligators that just keep eating and eating away at would-be profits and he’s right. But is real estate investing dead in California? Not by a long shot. How about the rest of the country? The old “As California goes, so goes the country” right? The great thing about investing in real estate is that there is always an opportunity to be had right around the corner.

You might ask, “Will we invest the same way we did when these same properties were selling in hours or days, not weeks and months?” The answer is “A big fat NO!”

Another question to consider, “Will we be more cautious?” A resounding “Absolutely!”

The key to investing in a market with so many Alligators is to buy right and buy smart. Buy right and you won’t be so concerned about the sale. Buy right and you can move your property to another investor or just offer it well below market value to a homebuyer. The buyer is thrilled because they get a great deal and you have plenty of wiggle room and still come out ahead. Buy smart and consider the timing. You may find that Alligators in California, or anywhere else in the country for that matter, creates many motivated sellers. Find a way to solve their most pressing problems that will also make sense for you and you will create a stream of income that overfloweth.

Buy right and you control the deal instead of the deal controlling you. If you bought too high then the alligators are after you. If you have made this mistake then you know it because the tell-tale sign is that your profits are widdled away every month and there is no end in sight. Is your property cash-flowing or costing you every month? Do you have a viable exit strategy or are you fretting as the market ebbs and flows? If you answer the latter then you have Alligators wherever you are.

I have had my share of nightmares in the real estate investing business and some of them included alligators but I will tell you that when you buy right and buy smart, the nightmares go away and so do the Alligators.

Take Care and Invest Smart.

Michelle Rene Garcia is the Founder of http://www.AvoidRealEstateNightmares.com, an investment training company that provides monthly resources for real estate investors looking to protect their wealth and make wise investment decisions to build their fortune. Please visit Michelle at http://avoidrealestatenightmares.com/visit.

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