Gold ring > Magnificent Kinkakuji

Magnificent Kinkakuji

by: Carl Delfeld

Last week during his tour of Kyoto Japan, President Bush visited the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and described it as ?magnificent?.
He was probably referring to the 1398 Japanese architecture but may just as well have been referring to gold prices which are at an 18-year high. Gold has been a magnificent investment and still has considerable upside.

It is a rare portfolio that I build for a client that does not have some allocation to gold and other precious metals. There are three basic reasons why investors should still consider adding it to their portfolio.

First, gold prices are not normally correlated to other asset class prices. It therefore serves as a buffer or shock absorber to the value of a portfolio when other assets classes are out of favor.

Secondly, there are supply and demand factors. Central banks have been net sellers of gold over the past twenty years. Gold accounts for about 9% of the $4.4 trillion in world central bank foreign exchange and gold reserves, down from 15% in early 2000.

But some central banks are now going the other way. For example, the Russian central bank wants to increase gold?s share of its reserves from 5% to 10%.

Jewelry demand for gold is also picking up especially in China and India. Global investors are also using gold as a hedge for a global recession and potential decline in value of the U.S. dollar or the Euro.

On the supply side, production of gold has been relatively flat for the last 5-7 years and does not appear to be turning around due to maturing mines and higher extraction costs.

The third reason to have some gold exposure in your portfolio is that it serves as disaster insurance from unforeseen but potentially devastating events such as widespread terrorism or severe economic or political upheaval.

Many gold bugs insist that the only true gold exposure is through gold coins. An easier way to gain instant gold exposure is through the iShares COMEX Gold Trust ETF ( IAU) that is up 15.3% so far this year. Another option is investing through the iShares South Africa ETF (EZA) which has considerable exposure to the gold and mining industry and is up 15.9% this year.

Don?t come down with gold fever. A 5-10% allocation to your core conservative portfolio should get the job done. Expect some lusterless years as well as some magnificent returns and restful nights knowing you have some gold under the pillow.

For more information go to http://www.chartwellasia.com or call 877-221-1496

About The Author

Carl Delfeld is head of the global advisory firm Chartwell Partners and editor of the the "Asia-Pacific Growth" newsletter and is the author of "The New Global Investor." For more information please visit http://www.chartwellasia.com.

Motivation: What Life is All About

Motivation: What Life is All About

by: Gene Castelli

Gene Castelli from Columbus, Ohio writes: We think of the word ?motivation? and its derivatives, and a picture comes to mind of the athlete being ?motivated? to win, or the actor finding his ?motivation? for the role he/she is playing, or being spell bound by a great ?motivational? speaker. What we often don't remember is that every single aspect of life is guided by motivation or the lack of (often quickly followed by another term ?failure?).

Motivation is not an overcoat we throw on when we feel we need it, it is a constant every day situation we practice from the most mundane task to the most specific life changing task we could ever imagine. It is quite possibly the most powerful force (other than love) that makes us what we are today. To motivate your children, you need to understand what motivation is.

Staying with the sports theme, we all have seen the movie scene: the coach and...

Motivation: What Life is All About

Gold ring > Motivation: What Life is All About

Career of the Future?

by: Paul Marsland

Multilevel Marketing, commonly called MLM, Network Marketing or direct sales is one of the highest potential income sources anywhere, but particularly on the Internet. It has been claimed that in the last 10 years more people have become millionaires through MLM's than in any other business or profession.

I don't know how true that is, but I do know a lot of people have made a lot of money through MLM's.

Multilevel Marketing is also known as Pyramid Schemes and a number of other less-than-complimentary names. This is unfortunate because MLM's do have a lot of potential.

There are some points you should consider first before you join an MLM though:

You need to be selling something. It can be selling a product or a service, but it must be selling. If all the MLM does is recruit new members, then it is what is called a "Ponzi Scheme" and it's illegal.
They have to...

Career of the Future?

Gold ring > Career of the Future?

How To Get Rich ONE Site At A Time!

How To Get Rich ONE Site At A Time!

by: Dan Lok

Are you fickle?
(Do you even know what "fickle" is?)
According to Merriam-Webster Online, "fickle" is defined as "given to erratic changeableness."

And when it comes to website success? If you're fickle, you're in a pickle!

One of the biggest problems that crops up with my clients is that they always to seem to be too focused on the *NEXT* "big thing"?long before they've perfected the science of their *CURRENT* big thing -- their existing website.

As an entrepreneur, you should always be on the lookout for the next new ideas, the next challenges, the next possibility for success?but don't be fickle!

Clients say to me, ?Dan, what am I doing wrong?
I've got 8 or 9 websites up right now and I am starting 3 more this month.
But I don?t know why am I not making much money with any ONE of them."

Wake up and smell the coffee, you Fickle...

How To Get Rich ONE Site At A Time!

Gold ring > How To Get Rich ONE Site At A Time!

The Real Gold Mine

The Real Gold Mine

by: Scott Bianchi

Financial security is something we all strive for, well most of us anyway. Some people are perfectly content living paycheck to paycheck and claiming their house is their savings. Part of me wishes I could be that relaxed to have such a laid back view of things.

For those of us that do want to have some level of financial security we try to save and invest our money at any opportunity. Some people do this on their own, while the majority of people have some sort of financial professional offering them advice. I personally have an account set up with a financial advisor. Most financial advisors will tell you to ?diversify? your money and investments. But, do they really mean it? Yes, they mean it as long as it makes them money.

I feel in order to truly be diversified in your investments you need to have your stocks, bonds, and savings. But, the real gold mine is in precious metals. Very few people invest...

The Real Gold Mine

Gold ring > The Real Gold Mine

How to Forecast and Budget Your Paid Search

How to Forecast and Budget Your Paid Search

by: Kevin Gold

I?d admit, for marketer, this headline is mundane.
Couldn?t I have come up with a more motivating one?
No and here?s why...forecasting and budgeting is essential and there is no reason to candy-coat the absolute importance of it for starting or maintaining a paid search campaign.

I contend that one of the most common questions asked of us from new clients is, ?What do you estimate our paid search budget will be??
As a business owner it?s crucial to know because it directly affects your financials and influences your bottom line.
Likewise, as a service provider it is essential because it guides the performance metrics used to manage a profitable paid search campaign.

Because is so important, let?s talk about how it?s done.

First, estimating a budget for a paid search campaign is not a perfect science.
There are number of universal...

How to Forecast and Budget Your Paid Search

Gold ring > How to Forecast and Budget Your Paid Search

Are You Content with Ryze? Leverage that Gold Membership & Make the Most of Your Online Networking

by: Dina Giolitto

So you joined Ryze thinking that there would be opportunities knocking around every corner? And yet every time you unleash your best sales pitch, someone slaps you in the mouth. Wasn't this supposed to be for business networking? Instead, everyone's just milling around and you're having no luck.

The problem is, you're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

First, Ryze is a horse of another color. Think about this - what if everyone just ran around Ryze posting spam ads? Would you have a reason to choose one of the five bazillion coffee distributors over the next? No. So it's clear that the straight-sell does NOT work on Ryze.

Second, you need to discipline yourself if you want to make solid Ryze contacts. Don't let yourself get sucked into a conversation that's going in circles, or worse, escalating into an argument....

Are You Content with Ryze? Leverage that Gold Membership & Make the Most of Your Online Networking

Gold ring > Are You Content with Ryze? Leverage that Gold Membership & Make the Most of Your Online Networking

The Role Of Gold Bullion Coins In Your Portfolio

The Role Of Gold Bullion Coins In Your Portfolio

by: Dean Brown

Are Gold Bullion Coins Worth It?

Today's world offers investors plenty of avenues for their money. Which ones are worth it and which ones just bring unnecessary risks with very low chances of profit?

Many people have turned to buying gold bullion in order to improve their financial situations. We know gold has been around ever since man first started living in a society. Gold has grown together with mankind, or vice-versa, depending on how you want to look at it. Let?s have a look at the process of investing in gold bullion coins and at some of the factors related to such a financial placement.

What Are Gold Bullion Coins?

A gold bullion coin contains one ounce of pure gold. The quality or origin of the gold may differ, however, so make sure to only acquire gold bullions from respected companies that have dozens of years of tradition and trust. Here are some of...

The Role Of Gold Bullion Coins In Your Portfolio

Gold ring > The Role Of Gold Bullion Coins In Your Portfolio

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Magnificent Kinkakuji glasses

Magnificent Kinkakuji Gold ring

Options Available for Automotive Financing

by: John Mussi

Buying a new car or truck can be a major undertaking? and a major expense. If you're like most people, you won't be able to pay for your new vehicle out-of-pocket; that's where automotive financing loans come into play.

With an auto financing loan you'll be able to borrow the amount that you need to pay for the car or other vehicle of your dreams, and the purchased vehicle will serve as collateral...

Options Available for Automotive Financing Magnificent Kinkakuji

Gold ring > Options Available for Automotive Financing