Help me to Retire

A friend just  found this article and sent it through to me.  It’s titled :

Stop Picking Stocks — Immediately! Why the world’s greatest stock picker stopped picking stocks, and why you should, too.

It is an interesting read and talks about how Benjamin Graham (known as one of the worlds greatest stock pickers) in the end believed that is was just too hard and not worth it. In his early days of the 1930′s and 40′s the stock market was a lot less sophisticated than it is now making inside and special information uncoverable if you searched hard enough. But these days insider trading is illegal and all information about all trading companies is released to everyone at the same time.

Anyway have a read of the full article for a different point of view and ask yourself how are you going picking stocks? Is it worth your time? Is it worth the money?

Following on from one of my earlier articles (10 new ways to make money online) this one gives you what are some of the current best online earners. And surprise surprise if good old eBay isn’t number one…
Ebay is a great place to start online. You can start by selling things around the house you don’t want anymore. Maybe you have some movies you don’t watch anymore, or a game you don’t play or a book that you have read. All of those items will sell on eBay. Once you have gotten the hang of things you can then move into getting your hands on some wholesale pricing and starting your eBay store selling new items. Give it a go, it really is very easy. The eBay site gives you step by step instructions.
Here’s the list:

1. Selling Ebay Items
2. Turnkey Sites/Basic Promotion
3. Tweaking tip #2 to make even more money
4. Write a blog
5. Pay Developers to code you a 100% original website
6. Learn SEO (Search Engine Opimisation)
7. Creating a directory
8. Start a paid service website
9. Create a content rich newsletter
10. 10 Do PPC to CPA

Check out the full article here.

The internet is a great teacher, so if you don’t understand anything above, use your friend Mr Google.

Hopefully you’ve all read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad. If not head on over to your favourite online book store and get it right now! This was the book that got myself and a lot of other people into financial education and investing. I just wish I read it about 5 years earlier.

The author Robert Kiyosaki is a great teacher of how the the financial world works. He is always alerting you to what the rich do and what the poor do to help you change your financial habits. His main emphasis is on becoming an investor and or business owner and not being an employee or self employed. That is what the rich do, and that is what he encourages and teaches you to do.

The Rich Dad website has a heap of audio and video podcasts available for download. In these podcasts Robert and friends go through a range of different information to help you on your way to financial freedom. Its all good information that’s well worth the download.

There’s nothing like getting free advice so head on over to the Rich Dad site and get yours now.

Robert, his wife and other associates have also written many other books that are well worth while.

I’ve previously alerted you to the free yahoo group ASX data that is delivered daily to your mail box.

Today I have another place to tell you about.

Float.com.au is a bit of a strange one actually. It has been around for years, but the site has remained unfinished for all this time. But, it is updated every single trading day at 5pm (EST) with free end of day data for the ASX in either text, csv or zip format. You can also pick what type of data you need for your individual charting program.

There is also an area where you can download previous months / years of data back until January 1997. Not bad at all for free. A lot of data places charge quite a bit for this information.

The only other page on the Float site that seems to be of any use (or finished) is the Glossary page under the help section. It explains a whole heap of different market terms.

So if your in need of a great free data service for the Australian Stock Exchange, look no further than here.

The E-Minis Market has only been around for about 8 years, but in that time has seen huge growth.
Basically with the e-minis you trade the stock index futures of the S&P 500, DOW and NASDAQ. E-minis Global have an education program that you can go through and learn to day trade this market. All of the learning happens online. The best part of the training I think is the live trading room you get to log into and watch their trader mark signals on live charts and tell you when to enter and exit.
Another advantage of just trading indexes is that you don’t have to worry yourself about company profits and reports. Those things can play havoc with company stocks. Also trading futures gives you some great leverage power!

Anyway E-minis Global offer a free DVD to explain all of the above and much much more to you. Head on over there now to grab yours (free postage to Australian and New Zealanders).  If you like what you see in the DVD, they offer a one day course to take you further (currently free, usually $495).

Check it out

It can be a tough ask finding cash flow positive property, especially in the bigger cities around Australia.
There is also the long running argument about Cash Flow Positive properties vs High Growth Properties. Usually cash flow properties don’t get anywhere near the growth of inner city and coastal properties. From the examples I’ve seen, high growth property usually wins in the long run and is recommended to most younger to middle age people who still have many years in the work force to help cover the short fall.
Cash Flow property is still a great option for everyone and especially the older soon to be retired people who need cash flow immediately. Cash flow property is also a great option for property investors who are at the point where they are struggling to get bank approval for any more houses.
If you know where to find cash flow property’s half your battle is won. Your only problem then is getting enough of them to beable to quit your day time jobs and live off them.
Outer city suburbs and regional centres (not small towns – too risky) are usually the best bet. Also make sure there is long term employment around these areas before you buy (no one to rent to and no buyers around = bad news for your cash flow and growth).
Rachel Barnes and the Reno Kings have got together with their top 10 tips for finding cash flow positive property’s:

1. Know what you’re looking for!
2. Debt funded Positive Cash Flow options
3. Check Statistics – eg Australian Property Investor Magazine
4. Trawl The Net
5. Use Google Earth / Google Maps
6. Talking to all Agents in the Area
7. Talk to the Property Managers
8. Network with other Investors
9. Make ‘Ridiculous’ offers
10. Look for ‘Unusual’ properties

To read more about the above top ten list click here to read the full article on the Reno Kings website.

Remember that if you purchase a ‘High Growth’ property that after 3 to 5 years it will most likely become cash flow neutral or cash flow positive anyway. That will then give you the best of both worlds!

Happy Investing and do what suits you and your investment style and goals!