 dBTechno | Health Buzz: Health Insurers Propose Overhaul and Other Health News U.S. News & World Report - Representatives of the insurance industry told Congress yesterday that they support an overhaul of the healthcare system that would call for them to accept any customer who applies for coverage, regardless of health status, the Associated Press reports ... Health Highlights: Nov. 20, 2008 What Do We Really Know About the Uninsured? |
 Voice of America | Dems turn defensive on auto bailout San Francisco Chronicle - Maybe it's all the other industries that don't pay their workers not to work, but Democrats just held a news conference announcing that they are temporarily pulling the plug on another $25 billion bailout of Detroit. Video: Senate Cancels Vote on Doomed Auto Bailout Democrats demand US Big 3 offer survival plan |
 OnlineSportsHandicapping.com | Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field SportingNews.com - - Miami's victory over Virginia Tech helped the Hurricanes stay in the hunt for the ACC title. Miami needs to win out and get a little bit of help to win the Coastal Division title. Miami aims to continue Thursday night success Hurricane Alums Hope for a Return to Glory |
UPDATE 1-Citi presses to bring back short selling ban Reuters - By John Porier and Dan Wilchins WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc (CN: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to bring back a ban on short-selling financial stocks, ... Regulators to discuss short selling rules Citigroup Urging SEC to Bring Back Short-Selling Ban (Update1) |
AP - Alarm in the aviation industry over a projected 10 percent drop in domestic flights this winter didn't derail plans to open multimillion-dollar runways at three U.S. airports Thursday.
AP - The bang-bang-bang emanating from the Capitol's historic Senate Appropriations Committee parlor Thursday was the sound of Robert C. Byrd turning 91.
AP - As far as Miguel Garcia is concerned, Chicago already has a gay high school. Jones College Prep, where the 16-year-old is a junior, has the city's largest Gay Straight Alliance, an organization of more than 100 students that he and other members say wields considerable influence at their downtown campus.
 New York Daily News | '24: Redemption': Is Kiefer Sutherland's show still relevant? Entertainment Weekly - It's been a long 18 months--one that featured a writers' strike, and a jail sentence for Kiefer Sutherland--since the clock last ticked on the critically derided sixth season of 24. Redemption begins countdown to new season of 24 African uprising triggers old plot & new thrills for '24' prequel |
Senators vow to fight carrier's move to Mayport Bizjournals.com - The Virginia Pilot newspaper's website is reporting that Virginia senators John Warner and Jim Webb are urging the Pentagon to delay the final decision to move a nuclear aircraft carrier to Mayport Naval Air Station. Virginia Fights Navy's Plan For Carrier At Mayport Virginia not Happy About Navy's Decision to Move Carrier to Mayport |
 Telegraph.co.uk | Teenager lives for four months without a heart Telegraph.co.uk - By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles A teenage girl has survived for nearly four months without a heart after being kept alive by a specially-made blood pumping device. US teen lives 118 days without heart Teen Girl Lives 118 Without Heart |
 Dividend.com | GMAC Applies for Status as Bank, Begins Debt Swap (Update4) Bloomberg - By Linda Shen and Caroline Salas Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- GMAC LLC, the largest lender to General Motors Corp. car dealers, has applied for status as a bank holding company so it can get access to the Treasury's $700 billion rescue fund for the financial ... GMAC's Inside-Out TARP GMAC applies to become bank holding company |
AP - Rep. Henry Waxman - a liberal ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi - has wrested the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee from veteran Rep. John Dingell when the new Congress convenes in January.
Reuters - Oil dropped more than 3 percent on Thursday, touching the lowest level since May 2005 as record U.S. job losses intensified concerns of a long and deep global recession and further crushed demand expectations.
AP - The opening date and Broadway theater have been set for the world premiere of "Impressionism," a play by Michael Jacobs starring Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen.
(Ideas to increase your wealth when the stock market is down)
Every optimist will tell you that there is always the opposite side of bad news... good news. There is always a silver lining. The needle is somewhere in the haystack , if you look hard enough for it.
So, the bad news is we have some issues with the economy. Stock market woes, rising oil costs, unemployment and job loss due to outsourcing are a few of the concerns. Let's concentrate on the stock market for now.
Does anyone think the reporters get commissions on how many bad things they can report on? The "mad currency guy on TV".. can he be any more negative? A skeptic may wonder if he recommends selling to everyone; then goes and buys up what he wants at reduced prices.
Newsflash: The stock market goes up and it goes down. Recently its been trending down. Not a reason to go sell off your whole portfolio.
Quite the contrary, some crazy aggressive people may say. Who are these brash, radical people?
Well, history tells us just how several of the wealthiest investors built their fortunes. They used a is a simple formula that most, if not all of us, are familiar with . Its called BL-SH ( BUY LOW and SELL HIGH).
Have you ever heard of investment gurus Peter Lynch, Warren Buffett, and Ben Graham (the pioneer of value investing)? What about real estate tycoons Steve Wynn (Mr. Las Vegas), Donald Trump and Conrad Hilton (you may know of his great granddaughter Paris, or you may have stayed in one of his hotels somewhere on the planet)?
What quality do all of these giants have in common? Other than putting their pants on the same way... they all subscribe to the BL-SH method.This is one way to gather great wealth. When the masses are selling scared (thanks to a ultra negative media), who do you think is gobbling up these companies at extremely reduced prices?
Here is a case history of 3 solid NYSE companies.
Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) in 2002 was at a high of $65 and crashed to a low of $41 in 2002. The proverbial sky was falling, people were very nervous and JNJ was in major trouble as the market was going "bad". Some bad periods last longer than others. Nonetheless, JNJ keeps doing what it does best, making baby shampoos and powders and other household items we've all used since we can remember. So did JNJ survive? In the last 3 years JNJ had traded between $59- 70 and today is at $64. Wish I bought in 2002 when everyone was seilling in the $40's.
Abbott Labs(ABT)is another rock solid company. Similarly, it was at $58 in 2002 and went all the way to $29 ( people lost 50% of their investment, IF THEY SOLD). The last three years its been between $37-61 and today its at $53. Another one I'd love to have bought, even in the high $30's.
Stryker(SYK) is another incredible cash cow. In 2002 investors of Stryker saw it go from $33 to 21.. a 34% decline for a rock soilid company. Cause for concern?? The people buying in the last three years have seen Stryker in a $39-77 range, and today at a tempting $62. Stryker has increased its earnings 10-20% per year, for as long as I can remember, and if management is correct, the future looks pretty bright too.
Enough math. The point is if you own solid companies, why get all nervous and sell because some so called "expert" on tv has told you all the scary reasons why our economy is doomed? As always, do your homework and buy good solid companies with track records that consistently churn out a profit. Sell, if you think there is a good , viable reason to sell. Look around. Have your adviser/ broker/ investment person find you 10-20 stocks that are rock solid. There are several hundred out there to choose from. And, they are "on sale".
Don't forget a few famous laws of physics. For every action there is a reaction. For every problem, there is an opportunity for those looking.
There is an old saying "Don t be afraid to go out on a limb, for that is where the fruit is". The great news is some of that "bargain fruit" may turn out quite tasty.
About the author:
TA Smith is the founder and creator of Smile-Therapy.com
A graduate of UMASS, Amherst.
A former Dale Carnegie graduate.
Smith loves to golf, ski, read, walk his chocolate labs, and listen to jazz and country music.
Smith's motto: Work hard, have fun, help others and make people SMILE.
creator@smile-therapy.com
http://www.smile-therapy.com
