This in no way reduces the possible returns in options trading especially considering the fact that you do not need to spend too much time setting up options trades. The fact that one can not only profit from the movement in the stock but also gain by receiving a consistent monthly income makes these strategies very attractive.

Using Covered Calls is among the most utilized options trading selling strategies. This is where you hold a long position in a stock as you sell or write call options on the same stock. You are basically hedging your trade especially when you doubt the likelihood of your stock rising.

The premium from your option may end up to be enough for you to profit from the trade. In this case, if the price of the stock goes up, you profit from the rise in the price. If it falls however, you profit from the premium you were paid.

If you are conservative in your trading, then selling Credit Spreads is an options trading strategy you should consider. With this strategy, it is possible to consistently earn a set profit rate each and every month. Many practitioners of this options trading strategy aim for between 10 and 15% monthly.

In a stock market that is trending up, selling naked puts is one of the most profitable options trading selling strategies. Though it has a fairly higher margin requirement than that of credit spreads, the risk profile is just as low. The important thing is that you earn your income upfront when setting up the options trade.

This makes it very attractive especially for those who would like to use options to earn a consistent income.

For those looking for swing options trading strategies, then selling deep in the money options is a good option. It enables you to in effect purchase stocks at approximately one-half their price, and possibly doubling your earnings. These trades are ordinarily between 3-10 days reducing your risks in holding on to the stock.   You will potentially profit since the price change of the options that you bought is precisely matched by the price change of the shares.

It is very easy to get caught up in the various types of options trades. For this reason it is important to be disciplined enough to the winning strategy. It has been shown that options trading is risky but these risks can be minimized by following well thought out options trading selling strategies and sticking to them. In short, you should have your own strategy, know it well, and use it consistently.

Sometimes, we think we can have so much money that we can never be broke. Greece has proved otherwise. If a country can go the way of having to deal with riots and poverty for the next generation, you know that your measly $50,000 a year is not something to brag about. You too can become very poor very soon if you don’t check your spending.

Credit card companies have for ages preyed upon those of us who like to spend. They never remind us that we are not as rich as we thought. We use credit to buy everything. From office supplies to a tooth pick. All you hear is, “can I charge that?”

If Greece can go down in flames, you too who is living beyond your means are headed the same way.

You will also notice that I complain quite a bit on this blog. It is easy to complain about other people but somehow we never do think about our own actions. On another blog, I have been complaining without end about an isp in another country that was giving me hell.

I even went ahead and visited their offices to let them have it.

I felt good after doing so but now….

I have the same problem in my office. It seems there are the same problems in my office I was complaining about others. My employees don’t seem to want to reply to any requests made to my company. In fact, it seems the only way to get them to say something is if you are talking about Corolla short sales

Well, that’s not good. I felt a bit humbled after a client complained about the whole issue. It seems that before I go around criticizing others, I should clean my house first.

I had taken the time to design my website to do the best I could and try and write information that was useful for anyone who visited my online business. Unfortunately, after a whole year, I never used to get anymore than 10 visitors to my website.

It was my kids who reminded me how much time and effort I put towards marketing my small business. I actually spend most of the time setting up mailing lists and sending out brochures than working on the business. That I leave for my wife. To be honest, it has worked very well.

As for the internet, I totally ignored good marketing practice and let my site die. Until this year that is and my efforts have been rewarded every day since I started doing that.

I will soon be listing the exact things that I did to start marketing my online business.

I have a special place in my heart for investing and taking care of one’s business. Even if you have moved out of your job, you still need to keep up with good credit practise and also look for investment opportunities in the world.

For me the global economic crisis has just been a good thing. Mind you, I am not rejoicing in people losing their jobs and homes. It’s just that I am discovering some serious investment opportunities are lying around the world. I am not much into US banks since I just don’t trust them and their financial returns. I am looking far and wide.

It’s much like using a box cutter to cut open a package and find what lies inside. For example, I realised that in Africa, there are some good companies that seem to be making good results even with these economic crisis. Can you believe that banks in Kenya are making profits of over 30% over the previous years? More shocking is the fact that they expect the profits to increase in subsequent years.

The stocks and shares especially in the South African Stock exchange and the Nairobi Stock exchange are rather cheap. I just bought a company at $2 that has a dividend yield of 15%. I don’t think I am going to get that in the USA.

Word of warning though, these capital markets are too young and when it comes to regulation and stability, you have to take that with a pinch of salt. However, so far, my investments are not doing so badly.

The Maddoff scandal has started producing more victims than I ever thought possible. A few weeks ago I thought that only the poor fall for ponzi schemes. Well not anymore.

I have always been of the view that social security is the largest ponzi scheme followed by the banking system but what Maddoff did is the work of genius. We have some very rich fellows who seem to think that just because they are rich, they do not need to do due diligence like the rest of us.

The problem is that now we have hundreds of charities falling because of their greed and negligence. If I were in their shoes I really would have considered investing in Pomegranate trees.

Everything went down and it seems if the ever wrong economic gurus are right this time, things will only get worse in 2009. When politicians start using words like ” the economy is in danger of collapsing” then you know that there is more they are not telling us.

Maybe its time to start looking for another career. I have considered nursing but that takes too long and who wants to stay around sick people anyway. i have considered going into basketball but I am too old and not that tall. Maybe I should think about bed frames. People have to sleep somewhere, don’t they?

Whatever I do, it will still be hard. At least I will be able to put some food on the table until all this mess is sorted out.

The question remains, is there a way to still profit even if the market is going through such a touch time? The simple answer is yes. However, the problem is that you can also lose quite a lot if you are not careful. This is not the time to start making hail mary investment decisions but look for good bargains after a lot of thinking.

The most important thing to do is to realize that cash is king in this economic downturn. Leave that credit card at home and take some cash with you when making a purchase. Since everyone is going through a bad time, do not be afraid of bargaining. In fact, bargain very hard with no mercy until you get the price you are willing to pay. You are probably the first customer that particular day.

Stay away from get rich quick schemes. They are probably a con game. There is no easy money to be made when the market is falling. Take your time before you invest in anything at this time. If you think the management of a company is good enough, then buy at this time.

If you have watched your credit and made sure you are not paying unnecessary bills, then you should be able to save some funds to buy stocks that are currently underperforming. Did you really think you would ever see GM at below 5 dollars per share?

It is obvious that using credit cards may not be the wisest thing to do during these tough economic times. The only thing that most of us are left with is a choice between giving up buying gifts for out loved ones or looking for some extra cash somewhere.

Walking around the mall, I could not avoid seeing adverts asking me to sell unwanted gold. Then I remembered a gold pendant I never used. I found it in the attic and walked to one of those gold shops. However, the price they gave was not to my liking.

Then I found arch enterprises online. Apparently, they are good if you are planning to Sell Gold Jewelry at a good rate. They have been around for over 15 years and seem to have a very good reputation.

They have an advantage over other possible gold buyers since they are not middlemen and operate their own facilities. Most used gold and jewelers are just middlemen and will probably give you a price that is 40-50% less than the value of your used gold. best of all they seem to be honest. I wonder if I can send them my gold pendant?

High Fees

Reverse mortgage fees can be high, although the fees are often rolled into the loan and not paid up front. A reverse mortgage can cost thousands more than a conventional mortgage. One has to decide whether the benefits of the reverse mortgage outweigh the costs.

However, in most cases, one is left with little or no choice but to choose a reverse mortgage. Personally, I do not see why anyone would like to live a miserable life in order to save a house.

One lower cost option is the FHA reverse mortgage program from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).

Mortgage Company owns your Home

After having the joy of owning your own home, there is nothing worse than to have someone else own it. Most people pay mortgages in order to feel comfortable in the knowledge that they own their own home.

It’s important to calculate the cost of a reverse mortgage against what you would gain, because once you enter a reverse mortgage agreement, the mortgage company essentially owns your home.

Poor Advice

Most financial advisors have no idea what a reverse mortgage is or how it works. It is very likely that you will get the wrong information.

Discuss your reverse mortgage plans with legal and financial advisors, and family members, before making a decision. If you trust your heirs, who does, involve them in the decision. Because home ownership is often a person’s most valuable asset, getting a reverse mortgage is essentially the same as spending the money you’d expect to leave to your heirs.

Poor Decisions

Be sure that you are thinking clearly when making this decision (no dementia or symptoms of Alzheimer’s), because having a sudden influx of cash can be a heady experience and it would be a shame to waste it or become the victim of a scam.

You will not be the first person to splash your windfall on new cars you cannot drive. I would advice on getting a fixed deposit account and paying yourself a monthly stipend which you can budget for the new car.

Reverse mortgages are often seen as a last resort if the homeowner needs cash and there are no other options.