Don’t get caught up in the hype!  Those who do will live to surely regret it.  Just ask the bright-eyed investors that took the plunge when the tech bubble burts in the late 90′s.  Listen, unless you are savvy enough to know when a bubble is forming and know to get our before it busts, you should stay away from these stocks.  These are just some of the stocks that I really think is a bubble waiting to burst.

Gold – No Intrinsic Value, Okay, Very Little

The first one is gold.  Okay, it’s not necessarily a stock.  But there are a lot of stocks that are tied to gold, like mining companies for example.

You want to watch out for this one.  The only way that gold will continue to rise in value is if the world economic crashes, never to recover.  Again, this is kind of like an apocalyptic type scenario.  This is a world where currencies have lost all value.

Actually, even in this case, even gold would lose it’s value.  The only thing that would be valuable is pure commodities like food and fuel.

In any case, there is no real reason to believe that gold will continue to appreciate forever.  That means there is an end, and I believe you will see a gold bubble burst within the next 5 years.

Netflix – Good Idea, but Easy to Copy

This stock has been hot for a very long time.  That is because they disrupted the marketplace.  I’m going to give credit where credit is due.  In this case, it was Netflix that brought down the mighty video rental franchises like Blockbuster.

The bad part of it is that this business model is easy to copy.  There is nothing unique or innovative anymore about streaming content.  Pretty much all of the major internet companies like Google, Amazon and Apple have the ability to do that now.  They are just lurking, waiting for their time to pounce.  And when they do, I don’t really see Netflix being able to survive.

Groupon – Another Easy Model to Replicate

There is really low barrier to entry into the digital couponing business.  It’s so easy, Google just started their own, virtually overnight.  They haven’t caught on as fast as Groupon, but they will in time.

This is a super easy business model to copy.  That is why I don’t really thing Groupon or Living Social is anything special.  They may have rising revenues now as they create this new market space, but they can’t keep it for long.  There will be competitors and their margins will go down.  It’s just economics.  They don’t do anything special that will engender customer loyalty or have a competitive advantage for too much longer.

Google, Apple and Amazon

These are hot stocks that I don’t think will go away anytime soon.  In fact, before it is all said and done, they might just end up taking over the world.  I do not believe these stocks are in an asset bubble.

For more ideas on stocks to buy and sell, check out stockstobuy.tv.  They have streaming video of interviews and commentaries by today’s brightest minds.

Considering a lease to own home option? Here is an outline of how the process works as well as some of the main things you’ll need to know before you begin the process of looking for a rent to own home.

Rent to own lease contracts give potential homebuyers an option to purchase a property after a predetermined leasing period. The terms of the lease can extend for a period of one to three years, with three being the maximum number of years allowed. During this time, the buyer resides in the home as a renter paying the rent plus an option fee. This option fee is usually 1% to 5%; this fee goes directly towards the purchase price of the property.

The tenant must provide financial documentation verifying that they can afford the option fee plus the monthly rent. There are significant advantages for the prospective buyer, namely they are not required to pay a down payment upfront. The main advantage for a seller is that it allows them to collect rent as profit, while maintaining ownership of the property.

After accepting the rental terms and agreeing to the purchase the property, the prospective buyer begins building equity. The equity entitles them to purchase the property for an agreed upon lump sum. The seller cannot later decide to change the terms of the rent to own contract, if the renter has the financial ability, the price will remain as listed in the contract. As long as the seller does not violate any federal or state laws, the rent to own contract is legal and binding. The tenant must pay the rent and option fee on time, or they will lose one-month payment credit. The good news is that tenant can still purchase the home because an occasional late rent payment will not affect the lease option agreement. However, the consequences of missed payments are that eventually the contract will become void.

When it comes to making the home purchase, ideally seller financing would help those with credit problems to qualify for a mortgage. However, this is not always an option. Ownerwiz can help with the financing. Ownerwiz offers several services, which can assists renters with the buying process. A tight real estate market makes qualifying for a traditional mortgage difficult at best. Rent to own tenants can take advantage of Ownerwiz’ exchange investing program. The program matches pre-qualified buyers with motivated real estate investors. The other services that Ownerwiz provides include a listing service, home inspection and warranty, closing services and online bidding. The company has been in the business of helping buyers with rent to own purchases since 1997.

There are a few other reputable companies that can help home buyers during the rent to own process. Overall, if you’re hoping to own a home someday, seriously consider renting a home instead of taking on a mortgage. You’ll won’t be required to put as much money down and you will have more flexibility and less stress during the process. You may find that it’s by far the best option for you.

Sometimes trying to sell an old car can be a pain. No one wants to put a listing in the newspaper or on craigslist and wait for strangers to call and check out your vehicle. There are many places where your car can be donated which will provide you with a tax deduction.  Basically what you’re doing is transferring the ownership of your vehicle without accepting a compensation for doing so. The organization or charity will either sell the car on auction or to a readied buyer. Then you are given a tax deduction based on the sale price of the vehicle. If you don’t deliver the car yourself, you make incur a towing or travel fee for the vehicle. The best way to donate your car is find the best place to do it in your area, and drop the car off yourself.

There are many services that will help you donate your car, but there are sometimes fees and they will even take a cut if they are a for-profit organization. You will only get a deduction on the amount that the charity gets from your donated car, not the sale price. Since there are a lot of for-profit organizations that are the middleman for vehicle donations, you will run into companies that are greedy. Some companies will even take up to 90% of the vehicles sale price which only gives the charity around 10%. You are going to want to look for reputable organization that is approved by the IRS.

There are some charities that are prepared to take your donated car, and sell it on an auction or even on a sale lot. Sometimes places like Goodwill have car lots where they sell donated cars. For the most part, not every charity is prepared to sell a donated car for money so they rely on organizations that provide that service.  When choosing the organization, remember if they are taking more than 30% of the sale price of the car for themselves, they are not very trustworthy. You want to find a service that will only take a small percentage of the sale that is better for the organization and will give you a larger tax deduction.

When donation your car, you need to transfer the ownership to whomever the car is sold. It is better if you transfer the car directly from yourself to the buyer. It is less work for the charity and you can make sure the ownership gets transferred properly. Plus you won’t be out of the loop if the buyer falls through, which can negatively affect you in the future.

If the value of your car is less than $500 then typically a general pricing source like Kelly Blue Book can help you complete your tax return form. If the value of your car is over $500 then you will need to prove it to the IRS when completing your return. The charity will typically provide a receipt for the auction which will place a value on your car.

Donating your car can take a bit of effort but it is easier than selling your old car. As long as you keep track of some minor things you could end up with a pretty nice tax deduction.

It’s really a stock market game out there. I’m talking about the world of investment portfolio managers and their politicking through the market. This is a sad truth about this industry that you should be aware of.

It’s not just about finding good stocks to buy for the long term anymore. Money managers are looking for quick, massive short term returns. That is because of how the system is set up.

Investment fund managers are evaluated based on their yearly performance. Their benchmarks are reviewed by the year. That is why managers of large portfolios like pension funds are increasingly turning to riskier assets.

That is because they have this pressure to outperform their peers. In so doing, they may not be making the best investment decisions for their funds. A better long term investment strategy may be to invest in assets that are more conservative. But because of the pressure for annual performance, fund managers are investing in more risky but less advantageous assets for their organizations.

How Investment Money Managers are Paid

These mutual fund companies make a ton of money on management fees.  That is why they are so focused on the short term because many people just look at how the fund performed in the most pervious year.  They see this recent trend upward as a sign of great things to come and buy in.

Unfortunately, academic research has a different story to tell.  It shows that only 20% of the money managers out there beat the market returns in any given year.  They also found that those who are in the 20% change every year.

That means if you invest in a fund that was in the top 20% in any given year, the likelihood that they will beat the market that next year is very low.  Unfortunately, this is the reality of things in this business today.

How to Find a Good Stock Mutual Fund

The best way to find a good stock mutual fund is to look at the track record of the money manager.  Make sure that you are not looking at only the most recent year.  Try to find a money manager that has documented performance records that exceed 5 years.

If they have been able to consistently beat the market over a 5 year period, it might be a good investment.  If they were able to beat the market in terms of annualized returns in any 10 year period, this is even better.  There are mutual funds that have achieved likelihood this type of performance.  You just have to go to a service like Morningstar to get this information.

Alternatives to Money Managers

If you don’t even want to bother because the system is so messed up anyways, you can just skip it altogether.  Remember, the purpose of these money managers is to beat the market returns.  Instead of trying to beat the market, you can just try to match it’s return.

In fact, it turns out that this may be one of the best ways to invest money.  They are cheap and you are sure to get a solid return over time.

At the moment that you agreed to a structured settlement, which has a prearranged payment stream, it might have actually been a sound decision. But then again, as the saying goes – nothing is permanent but change. Perhaps you are faced with financial situations that you could not possibly predict or perhaps you have been laid out with an ideal opportunity that you could not resist. A lot of individuals getting monthly or yearly payout from a financial institution or insurance firm decide that they could truly benefit from a huge amount of instant cash rather than waiting for many years for their annuities from structured settlement. Although there are many reasons individuals have when choosing to sell the structured settlement that they have, a few of the very common goals that people have in terms of selling their annuities from structured settlement include:

Buying a House: 

Perhaps you have suddenly found your dream house. If this is the case, then converting your periodic payments into fast and cold cash is your best option. Purchasing the house that you have long been dreaming of is not only the case. What if you have failed to pay out your mortgage and now your bank is giving your letters of foreclosure. Although having a monthly stream of income from the structured settlement that you have is nice, keeping a roof above your family’s head is definitely more important.

Buying a Car:

Depending mainly on your family and friends and/or public transportation to get you where you want or need to be is hard and inconvenient. Many individuals choose to sell their structured settlement (or even just a fraction of it), so they would be able to have the money to buy themselves a car that they can use to go to work, attend medical checkups and so on and so forth. Indeed, with purchasing a car comes the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want.

Pay Medical Bills: 

When medical bills are already amassing and you and/or a member of your family needs more cash for treatment, then selling your structured settlement in exchange for a lump amount of cash may very well be your best, if not, only choice. But then again, just the same as with any important financial decisions, you should first explore all of your options prior to making the final decision to just sell your settlement payments.

Going to College: 

Investing in one’s education is perhaps the best route towards success someday. Selling your structured settlement to get some cash may grant you the opportunity to go schooling for full time and/or perhaps ease away your concerns regarding how you are going to be able to support yourself and/or your family as you go and attend school. Getting a college degree, but without incurring a huge insurance loan in the process is surely among the typical reasons as to why people choose to sell the structured settlement that they have been granted with.

The reasons for selling structured settlements are limitless and can vary from person to person. Determining whether converting your periodic payments into instant cash is a sound decision should begin with calling an expert and dependable firm and reviewing all your options.

Bio – Ruth Rogers is a freelance writer that specializes in various financial topics like selling your structured settlements, retirement planning and debt management.

The stock market is usually an effective way to save money and make it grow. Parents often teach their children to save money by keeping some in a jar, but in the real world this is not effective. For children whose economy consists of themselves, their parents and the occasional trip to the corner store, a jar of money is fine as a savings plan.

While many adults might stash some cash under a mattress or in a freezer, banks are more commonly the way to store money. Safety is a prominently obvious reason. If your house gets burglarized, hoarded money in a mattress could be gone. You might think you’ve come up with the perfect hiding spot, but burglars are people too, and read the same things you do. If you can buy a hidden outlet cover or book safe, burglars know about them too. What you think is the most bomb-proof hiding spot is probably the first place a thief will look.

Fire is another reason to keep money in the bank. In order to hoard any amount of money worth saving, it needs to be in cash, which is flammable. If a fire breaks out, that money is gone. A bank vault is much less likely to burn down, and even in the event that it does, money in a bank is usually insured up to $200,000 by the FDIC.

However, the primary reason to keep money in the bank is to combat inflation. It used to be that an American could get a savings account with a decent interest rate – at least as high as the rate of inflation. Keeping money anywhere that does not appreciate at least as high as the rate of inflation means taking a loss. If you put $100 under a mattress in 2000, you’ll still have the $100 when you dug it out in 2010, but you’d only be able to buy as much as if it were $78.

The problem with banks is that most modern savings accounts offer negligible interest, and those that do offer interest do so at a lower rate than that of inflation. The stock market is an option that many turn to in order to keep money from depreciating.

Unlike bank accounts, the stock market is not insured by the FDIC, and is much more risky. Money you put into a bank will almost certainly be there if you need it; money put into the stock market could very well be gone forever. But, the risk can be managed with proper research, and with the risk comes a much greater potential for earnings.

Penny stocks are a specific type of stock that tend to be an exaggeration of the characteristics that distinguish the stock market from savings accounts. If the stock market is risky, penny stocks are even more risky. If the stock market has potential for big gains, penny stocks have potential for huge gains. If the stock market can be a haven for scammers, penny stocks can be even more so. If research is important for an average stock, it’s doubly so for a penny stock.

There are many ways to make money with your money in the stock market. If you’re an active trader either trading high end stocks or penny stocks, you are aiming to buy low and sell high. However some people just want to put money in the stock market and let it grow while collecting dividends. For those people there are ways to get a monthly income from investments by following available stock plans. Most types of investments like CDs or savings accounts only have an interest payout once a year, and it typically isn’t more than 1%.

Many people can find themselves in a financial bind without means to come out on top. There are many ways to get yourself that little bit of money you need to get ahead but often times it will cost you. If you have nothing in savings, or something valuable to sell, your best option is a cash advance or a payday loan. You may have seen many commercials about how to get an extra $1000 dollars into your bank account quickly and easily, but what does a payday loan actually require?

Most payday loan options are fairly simple and can even come off as cut and dry. Some of the more common requirements are a checking account that has been open for at least a few months. This is to prevent someone from spontaneously opening a bank account to qualify for a payday loan. They require you to be at lease 18 years of age which is mandatory in most types of loans. Another common requirement is that you have an average monthly income of over $1000 dollars a month, and typically for a record of 12 months or more. You will find these requirements with almost every company that offers a cash advance or a payday loan, and it will be nearly impossible to get one if you don’t meet the requirements.

There are certain things that can prevent you from getting a payday loan even if you meet the requirements. If you have filed bankruptcy in the past 12 months you may be declined for a payday loan. Also people who have had multiple bankruptcies in the past are typically turned down when applying for a payday loan. You can be denied the loan if you have taken time off work, or don’t have a sufficient work history.

It can get confusing trying to get a payday loan because of the advertised information. The lending companies typically say all you need is: “To be 18 years or older, have a bank account, and earn more than $1000 a year, no credit check required.” Some of this information is contradicting because they tend to check your credit and have a bit of fine print around their basic requirements. The lenders also thoroughly check the application for bad information. Things like misinformation, incorrect work history, and falsified contacts can prevent you from qualifying for a payday loan. You can also be turned down for a number of other reasons, like if you collect a disability or a welfare check. Some places will approve you but you have incur a higher interest rate.

The most important thing to remember when applying for a payday loan is the time frame you have to repay. Typically you have between two or three weeks to repay your loan. The interest can be overwhelming if you don’t pay your loan back in time. The average interest rate is 25% and can add up to be a lot if you borrow a large sum of money. You may need that $1000 dollars, but can you pay it back in 2 weeks with a fee of $dollars? Be sure you have the means to pay your loan back on time including the lending fee or you could just dig your debt hole even deeper.

Debt consolidation loans are a fantastic option for people who are facing the unbearable burden of massive debts. If you are one of the thousands of people who are paying out huge amounts on their credit cards, store cards, or personal loans then debt consolidation loans may be able to help you.

Many people have found themselves in the situation of having unmanageable monthly bills. Modern life is expensive enough, and when you have a mountain of debt to clear it can become almost impossible. It’s all too easy to end up in a horrible situation where you are paying out so much money every month that it’s becoming impossible to live. Sometimes even just the huge interest rate payments are an impossible burden, even without clearing any debt.

A debt consolidation loan can help you reduce those interest rates, and start clearing off your debt. A debt consolidation loan company can lend you the money to pay off all your other obligations. All of the crippling debt you are facing from extortionate store cards, difficult to manage credit cards and vast personal loans can be wiped out in a single day.

All you’ll have to do is make a single, manageable monthly payment to your debt consolidation loan company. This monthly payment will be calculated to be well within your means, and will be at a much lower rate of interest than your expensive store card and credit card debt. That means you can get out of debt much faster, and you won’t have to face hassle from your creditors. You’ll also have a reasonable amount of money left over every month, increasing your quality of life immeasurably.

A debt consolidation loan can also help you avoid bankruptcy too. Many people who have been staring bankruptcy in the face have managed to come back from the edge by using a debt consolidation loan.

It also helps you avoid the constant phone calls and hassle from your creditors. Owing more money than you can afford to pay is an incredibly stressful experience, and the constant phone calls from your creditors and their collection agents don’t help. The phone calls are bad enough, but if you are really in trouble then you could find yourself with doorstep visits from intimidating collection agents.

You don’t have enough money to live, and you are incredibly scared. A debt consolidation loan can free you from that cycle of fear and intimidation. With just one easily manageable monthly repayment to worry about, your life will become so much simpler. You’ll also be taking real steps to becoming debt free. A debt consolidation loan puts you back in control of even the most chaotic, debt-ridden life.

If you are facing the world with a heavy and unmanageable debt weighing on your shoulders, then you should definitely consider a debt consolidation loan as on of many possible debt solutions. One simple phone call could be the first step towards an easier, happier, debt free life. You owe it to yourself, and your family.

For more information about debt consolidation, visit www.getdebtfree.com.au

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a type of personal bankruptcy that allows you to set up a structured plan to repay your debts over the course of three to five years. While Chapter 7 bankruptcy requires you to liquidate your assets to settle your debts, Chapter 13 allows you to keep all your property. This type of bankruptcy takes longer to resolve, and you have to give up some of your financial freedom–you must work with a bankruptcy trustee and cannot take out a new loan without his permission. However, this type of bankruptcy allows you to keep your property while settling your debts.

In order to be eligible for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, all you need is a steady source of income, such as a regular job or regular self-employment income. You can also qualify for Chapter 13 bankruptcy if you receive disability payments.

It is much easier to qualify for Chapter 13 bankruptcy than for Chapter 7; Chapter 7 has strict limits on income, and you can’t qualify if you make more than a certain amount. However, you must have enough disposable income after paying your bills to enter a structured repayment plan if you want to qualify for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

There are limits on the amount of debt you may carry in order to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. You cannot file if your secured debts are more than $1,081,400. Unsecured debts can’t be greater than $360,475. You also must be current on your tax filings. Before filing for Chapter 13 you need to have filed your taxes, and paid or made payment arrangements for the last four years.

In order to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must prove that you completed a credit counseling session at least 180 days prior to filing. At your credit counseling session, you’ll learn strategies for improving your financial situation and look at all of your options. If your credit counselor agrees that Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the best option, he or she will encourage you to file.

Filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy requires you to pay certain debts in full, while you may only partially repay other debts. You must pay all filing fees and administrative costs of filing in full. You also must pay mortgage debts and other priority debts, such as child support and alimony in full. Finally, you must pay secured debts in full if you want to keep the property. If you give up your car or other property, you don’t need to pay the debt in full.

Some unsecured debts may not have to be repaid in full. This depends on your income level and how much disposable income you have left over after you pay secured debts and current bills.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows you to take responsibility for your debts without becoming overwhelmed by them. Your repayment plan will allow you to repay your debts in a timely manner and wipe them out, and by the end of your bankruptcy you will feel more financially responsible. Just keep up the new, responsible habits you form during your bankruptcy so that you keep your credit record clean, and you won’t have to face bankruptcy again.

For more financial advice and insight, visit the Financial Makeover Guide.

During Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a bankruptcy is created from all of the non-exempt property held by the debtor. This is called a “bankruptcy estate”. The trustee of the bankruptcy is put in charge of the bankruptcy estate. The trustee liquidates the non-exempt property of the debtor. The trustee then distributes the money from the liquidation according to the priorities in the Bankruptcy Code. The highest priorities in a bankruptcy case are taxes, child support, spousal support and a set amount to cover the debtor’s basic living expenses. After these priorities are met, the remainder of the available monthly income or remaining money is used for debt repayment.

During Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the trustee reviews the debtor’s repayment plan. The bankruptcy trustee in Chapter 13 has the job of determining if the repayment plan is fair to both the debtor and creditors. The trustee also collects payments made by the debtor and distributes those funds to the lenders. If your payment plan needs to change, ask a Hawaii bankruptcy attorney for help in adjusting the repayment plan and presenting it to the bankruptcy trustee. For example, if your hours are cut at work, you cannot continue to pay the same amount to your debtors and have nothing left to eat on.

In both types of bankruptcy, a trustee can choose to dismiss the bankruptcy case if the debtor is hiding assets, not paying on time or appears to be filing the case in an effort to abuse the system. The trustee has an obligation to collect estate property from the debtor to deliver to the creditor or whoever else holds it, such as assisting with repossessions. The trustee has the right to sell non-exempt property and can collect it if it is not surrendered. However, trustees must give 20 days notice of their intent to sell property so that debtors have the opportunity to contest this action. Contact a Honolulu bankruptcy attorney immediately if you need to contest the sale of property by the trustee.

Trustees can sell assets for which the debtor has partial exemption. For example, the trustee can sell the family home if it is worth more than the $20,000 exemption for adults under 65 and over $30,000 for the head of the family. After the sale of the property, the trustee must hand over the exempt amount to the debtor. In Hawaii bankruptcy cases, the exemption for cars is $2,575. If the car is worth less than this, the trustee will allow the debtor to keep it. If the car is worth more, the trustee will sell the car and give the debtor $2,575. This money can be used for buying a small, cheap car.

Trustees can also stop financial transactions for the course of the bankruptcy. Trustees can stop contributions to your 401K during bankruptcy to maximize the amount of money available for debt repayment. Trustees can stop payments to vendors and uses outside the bankruptcy such as money debited from an account and sent to fitness clubs, savings accounts or a child’s college fund. Trustees should be informed of existing pay check with-holdings for current debt payment plans so that they can factor that into the debt payment plan or cancel it when going through the liquidation bankruptcy.