History of Baking
January 27, 2012 | 
Author Baking has been many cultures’ favorite technique for creating snacks, desserts, and accompaniments to meals for many years. Now, it is very well-known as the method for creating sweets and all sorts of wondrous mouthwatering pastries. In ancient history, the first evidence of baking occurred when humans took wild grass grains, soaked it in water, and mixed everything together, mashing it into a kind of broth-like paste. Then, the paste was cooked by pouring it onto a flat, hot rock, resulting in a bread-like substance. Later, this paste was roasted on hot embers, which made bread-making easier, as it could now be made anytime fire was created. Around 2500 B.C., records show that the Egyptians already had bread, and may have actually learned the process from the Babylonians. The Greek Aristophanes, around 400 B.C., also recorded information that showed that tortes with patterns and honey flans existed in Greek cuisine. Dispyrus was also created by the Greeks around that time and widely popular; was a donut-like bread made from flour and honey and shaped in a ring; soaked in wine, it was eaten when hot.
In the Roman Empire, baking flourished widely. In about 300 B.C., the pastry cook became an occupation for Romans (known as the pastillarium). This became a very highly respected profession because pastries were considered decadent, and Romans loved festivity and celebration. Thus, pastries were often cooked especially for large banquets, and any pastry cook who could invent new types of tasty treats, unseen at any other banquet, was highly prized. Around 1 A.D., there were more than three hundred pastry chefs in Rome alone, and Cato wrote about how they created all sorts of diverse foods, and flourished because of those foods. Cato speaks of an enormous amount of breads; included amongst these are the libum (sacrificial cakes made with flour), placenta (groats and cress), spira (our modern day flour pretzels), scibilata (tortes), savaillum (sweet cake), and globus apherica (fritters). A great selection of these, with many different variations, different ingredients, and varied patterns, were often found at banquets and dining halls. To bake bread, the Romans used an oven with its own chimney and had grain mills to grind grain into flour.
Eventually, because of Rome, the art of baking became widely known throughout Europe, and eventually spread to the eastern parts of Asia. Bakers often baked goods at home and then sold them in the streets-children loved their goods. In fact, this scene was so common that Rembrandt illustrated a work that depicted a pastry chef selling pancakes in the streets of Germany, and young children surrounding him, clamoring to get a sample. In London, pastry chef sold their goods in handcarts, which were very convenient shops on wheels. This way, they developed a system of “delivery” baked goods to people’s households, and the demand for baked goods increased greatly as a result. Finally, in Paris, the first open-air café of baked goods was developed, and baking became an established art throughout the entire world.
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The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Investing In Real Estate
There are many advantages and disadvantages of investing in real estate. One of the advantages of investing in real estate is; real estate is an investment that can give you income for the rest of your life. If you buy properties and rent the properties out it can give you life long income. Another advantage of investing in properties is you can use a lot of leverage to acquire them. There are many ways you can buy properties without using your own money. One way of doing this is seller financing. Seller financing is when you agree to pay the seller over time the down payment and the rest you get from the bank.
One last advantage of investing in real estate is real estate has intrinsic value to it. A stock that you buy can lose 99% of its value but it is almost impossible to buy a property and it loses 99% of its value. One disadvantage of investing in properties is if you buy a property and can’t make the mortgage payments you can lose the property and damage your credit. Another disadvantage of investing in properties is, as an investor you depend on a lot of people to do their part. If the people you are renting out to do not pay their rent you will have to use their security money and find new people quickly or it can eat up your profits.
One last disadvantage of investing in properties is the cost it takes to maintain or repair. Many times when you think you’re done with a property something can break or needs to be replaced. Investing in properties does have its advantages and disadvantages. If you use the information you read here you will have some idea of what the advantages and disadvantages are.
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Effective Seminar Marketing – Tips to Get Prospects to Show Up For Your Seminar
Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing. – John D. Rockefeller
With over 15 years of experience as a financial adviser, I know how difficult it can be to market and expand your business. This article provides tips on marketing your Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) practice through effective seminar marketing. The primary focus is on getting prospects into the room. Later articles in this series will help you to develop the content and other logistics for an effective seminar.
Seminar Marketing sets the stage for professional success and can serve as your first exposure to the clientele you are trying to attract. To be most effective in expanding your business, I recommend conducting your own seminar. If you are not comfortable doing all the speaking yourself consider partnering with a professional in a related industry or a wholesaler who is comfortable in front of an audience who can do it with you. The goal of a seminar is to schedule an appointment with as many qualified prospects as possible while telling the public you practice SRI.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO FILL THE ROOM?
Traditional ways of marketing a seminar can work well to get your name out, whether you are new to a community or a long-time member.
Radio advertisement: Local AM radio stations that focus on the financial market are the best approach for this type of media. Consider sponsoring an episode of a professional’s show in a related industry, or have your own commercial running between shows that are related to your field. I had my own radio show for over two years and this created significant credibility with my listeners. If your compliance department allows it, ask to be a guest speaker for a show or have your own.
Inserts in local newspaper: This can be done as a classified ad, or a brightly colored insert, similar to a flyer. Be specific about the audience you want to attract with your language. Relate to your target market so that when people see your ad they think, “That’s me!” Start the ad with a question so your prospect answers your question in their mind. Examples could include: “Are you retired or planning to retire soon?” “Are you ready to invest in alignment with your values?” “Do you want to make money AND make a difference?”
Be active in your community: Perhaps the best was to fill a seminar is to draw on your networking activities in the community. Be strategic about the clubs and organizations you join, with an eye toward meeting people that can be prospects, clients and referrals. Social events, recreational activities, and spiritual events can all be places where you will meet potential clients. Be ready with your business card or a flyer for your next seminar. Be sure to get as much contact information as possible and follow up shortly after meeting your new contact! This is a crucial step often skipped leading to a missed network opportunity.
Personal invitations: Don’t be afraid to invite people you know, especially the first time you do a seminar. Having familiar faces in the room can help you gain confidence in your ability to give a professional seminar. While your personal contacts may not be interested in your products, they now understand more of what you do and can refer you to friends and colleagues more easily.
Referrals: Some advisors are afraid to ask for referrals. Many others are great at asking but don’t have a system for converting them into an actual client. Clients tend to know people who share their values, so this is the best way to get qualified and hopefully enjoyable prospects to attend your seminar. Make this a social as well as educational event for your clients by inviting them to your seminar and recommending they bring some of their friends and colleagues.
* Be sure to ask the client for the referral’s name, address and phone number ahead of time so that you can send an invitation and also make a personal phone call. (Stay tuned for the upcoming system developed by Resources for Advisers that will teach in detail how to receive referrals and convert them easily to clients.)
Taking advantage of local web resources: Many communities have local websites for getting information out to members of the web community. This can be a quick way to get your name out and invite people to a seminar. I am on several social networks that are really helpful in disseminating my marketing materials.
TRY TEACHING!
Once you’ve had some experience presenting your seminar, try these methods to continue growing your prospects both locally and nationally:
Tele-classes: Contact related business to do tele-classes. These can be done with CPA firms, mortgage brokerage firms, and other related businesses. Doing a joint seminar with Mortgage Brokers, Estate Planning Attorneys and Accountants is a great win-win for both of you when you each invite your client list. Use a free service such as freeconferencing.com and send the phone number via email to invitees and leads. Make sure the tele-class is interactive and engage the audience. Leave plenty of time for questions. Many people like this concept because they can participate without having to leave their home or office and it leaves no carbon footprint!
Teaching classes: Teaching a course on SRI at a local community college, university, learning annex, or investment club can help you attract clients to your business. Contact your local educational resources to see about opportunities to teach in their adult education night/weekend courses. This can be a single class or can be a series depending on the extent of your content and the structure of the educational programs for your area.
Speaking for other peoples’ audiences: My favorite way to get my name out to the public is to be invited to speak for audiences that already have a scheduled event. You can ask to be an “expert” guest speaker at another professional’s seminar in a related industry. As an invited speaker at Rotary clubs, investment clubs, and other active-adult communities, you will gain immediate credibility with the audience.
“On call” Financial Planner: Be the “on call” financial planner for local businesses and offer your consulting services free of charge. Contact the Human Resources department of a local company and offer to conduct free seminars for their employees at their business location. Topics can include utilizing SRI within their 401K plans, 529 plans, IRAs and other investment accounts. Set up 15-20 minute appointment slots after the seminar to meet with each person to reallocate their retirement plan and set an appointment for a future date reviewing their whole portfolio, with their spouse present if possible.
Specialized markets–Mailers: The best way to target individuals based on your niche market is through mailers. Here are some examples of ways to attract the right people for your niche. If you specialize in IRA distributions focus on prospects over 59 and a half and mention IRA Distribution strategies in your mailer. Or, if you enjoy educating women on issues specific to women consider a list of women only and perhaps widows to narrow the niche even more. One way to include higher net worth recipients is to ask for the category of homeowners along with your other specifications. Narrowing by homeowner can eliminate some prospects that could be in your niche so consider what is important to you.
MAKING THE MOST OUT OF MAILERS!
Choosing the right type of mailers and smoothly and easily distributing them to the right prospects takes some advanced planning.
Distributing Mailers: Regardless of the mailer you chose, you will need a mail house to get them sent out. Build a relationship with a local mail house since repeat business usually leads to discounts. Local businesses can offer a full range of services including: providing mailing lists, creating a customized mailer, addressing, offering bulk postage and delivery to the post office. For smaller, more intimate seminars consider using real stamps instead of bulk postage and address the envelopes in ink. With any form of mailer always ask for discounts especially when placing large or repeat orders.
Compiling Mailing Lists: You may have a targeted mailing list from the contacts you have in your community. Some title companies will give them to you for free as an incentive to develop a networking relationship with the title officer. Otherwise, you may need to purchase a mailing list. The size and type of mailing list you choose directly affects your response rate and the qualified attendees you receive. Be sure to find a service that provides customizable mailing lists, including zip code selection, age targets, net worth targets, home ownership, etc. You can customize your mailing list based on a variety of demographic factors and target affluent zip codes in the surrounding area of your office location. A typical response rate is.5% – 2% if sent to completely cold prospects so be sure to send out enough mailers. Repetition lets the audience know that you are here to stay and increases these numbers. Of course, client referrals are substantially better prospects.
Invitations: Wedding-style invitations with an RSVP card are a professional, albeit more expensive, way to market. This is a very common approach among financial, real estate, mortgage and other professionals offering a seminar. You may want to take this concept and update it with your own touch to set yourself apart from the others. These do tend to get a higher response rate but they cost more too. I sprinkle these type of mailers occasionally for variety.
Postcards: Low-cost postcards can be designed and ordered online and shipped directly to your mailing list or sent to a local mail house. The postcards can be very stylish and professional but limit how much content you can include. These are great for reminders to your clients and hot prospects, such as referrals. Remember, your postcard does not have to be the smaller size. I often do half page postcards on nice cardstock. This is probably my favorite type of mailer because it is “naked mail”. Your prospect doesn’t have to open an envelope to see it.
Flyers: These can be folded and mailed without needing an envelope. This is a cost-effective approach, and allows a full page to market your seminar. Be sure to use a bright, pleasing color so it stands out in the mail and have extras for placement at other businesses. Choose professionals in a related industry (i.e. Estate Attorneys) and ask them to place these flyers in their lobbies or on their desk. It is especially important that tax preparers have plenty of flyers on their desk during tax time since clients often ask questions the tax preparer cannot legally answer.
Val-Paks, Penny Savers and other coupon mailers: This is usually cost-effective and can be done routinely if you plan to host seminars on a regular basis, but is less efficient at targeting a specialized market. We have a company that distributes high-end packets that are much classier than a Val-Pak and I recommend researching this option in your local area before choosing this option.
Bonus placement of any mailer: Whether you are marketing a seminar or simply getting your name out there for public recognition, placing flyers, postcards, business cards, etc… in the offices of related business can give you immediate credibility. Be sure to develop relationships with estate planning attorneys, CPA firms, real estate brokerages, and other professional service businesses in your area.
Article submitted by Jobie Summer and Resources for Advisors.
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Insurance Advertising – Discover How Independent Insurance Agents Generate Leads
Each day, more and more Insurance Agents are leaving the captive corporate world to venture into the realm of independent insurance agent. Rather than being locked into selling one major insurance carrier’s branded product line, they opt to offer a larger variety of policies, services and costs; coinciding with the demand of consumers wanting to have choices and options at competitive prices.
As we are well aware, this is no longer a “seller’s market”, but an “informed buyer’s”. People, in general, are armed with more information than ever before. So, how do you, the independent insurance agent, stand out from the other 100′s of agents in your city? What marketing avenues are available to you so that you capture the prospective buyer’s attention and convert them into a prospect and ultimately a long-term client? And which ones work?
Regardless of your target audience, whether you have niched your focus to be product specific, or if you are targeting a certain population segment; you need to investigate the various forms of advertising available to you, the costs of such programs and the pros and cons.
Below is a breakdown of the most commonly used forms of advertising for the independent insurance agency, and the pros and cons of each.
Television Advertising
As the average American spends more time in front of the television, it should be no surprise that this is one of the most sought after forms of marketing available.
Pros:
Ability to reach a larger and more diverse segment of the insurance seeking population
You can specify time of day and network, reaching your intended audience easier
Since most consumers are engaged by a combination of movement, color, what they see and what they hear, this gives most businesses a platform to achieve full sensory contact
Gives a business instant credibility and prestige
Cons:
Cost for the commercial air time and/or multiple runs
Cost for hiring a marketing agency to lay-out and film your insurance commercial
Consumer expectation – no longer are we impressed with someone reading off a teleprompt, they want to be entertained
Competition for the consumer’s attention
Popularity of digital recorders has increased, giving consumers the ability to fast-forward through commercials when watching their favorite shows
Many experts would agree that if you have the extra capital in your marketing budget to incorporate television into your advertising that you should. However, it is important that you research different advertising firms to help you explore your options with regards to creating your on-air advertisement, the best way to target your audience and keep within your planned budget.
Newspaper advertising and local weekly shoppers
With regards to print advertisements, some independent agents turn to local newspapers and weekly shoppers to advertise their agencies. Since many households either subscribe to at least one newspaper, or pick them up at their local newsstands, it is a fast and simple way to gain recognition by consumers.
Pros:
Ability to reach more than one target audience by placing various advertisements in the different sections of a newspaper
You have the choice of large or small circulation papers to advertise your insurance agency
Consumers who turn to the newspapers and weekly shoppers are looking for advertisers who offer deals or bargains
Multiple advertisement ad sizes to correspond with various budgets
Cons:
Newspapers and weekly shoppers are usually read once and discarded
Smaller advertisements have a more difficult time standing out when placed next to a larger ad
Quality of the print may distort images and photos in a way that can hurt your marketing rather than help
Ads, regardless of size, have to compete for the reader’s attention
Like television advertising, it would be prudent to consult with a professional marketing firm, preferably one that specializes in insurance marketing, to help you design an advertisement that best captures your targeted audience’s attention. The smaller the ad space the less detailed and complicated the ad should be.
Also keep in mind the days the most sought after papers and weekly shoppers are printed. The rates for a large advertisement over the weekend will be greater than the same sized ad featured all week long.
Billboards and Signs
While most forms of outdoor advertising are contained within billboards and large signage, some independent agencies have broadened the term to include park benches, posters and seat rails at public transit stops. This form of marketing has become a popular, less costly way, when compared with television and print advertising, to reach a larger audience in major metropolitan areas.
Pros:
Potential clients cannot simply discard or “turn off” outdoor advertising
Name recognition is higher with those consumers who walk or drive the same route each day
Billboards and signs vary in price due to size and location making it is easier to find one in your budget
Cons:
More often than not, outdoor advertisements do not fully engage a consumer’s attention for more than a few seconds
Advertisements have to be simple and interesting enough for the consumer to remember
Outdoor advertisements are usually contracted for a longer period of time than most independent agencies had anticipated securing them for
Posters and bench signs at public transit stops work well in major metropolitan areas where lower, middle and upper class alike share the same transportation systems, however, not as effective in areas where public transportation is not as common
If you feel various forms of outdoor advertising would be a compliment to your business and marketing plan, consider placement wisely. Consult many firms for input and advice on the best way to stretch your marketing dollar and how they can help you create eye-catching and simple designs for your sign.
Phone Book Directories
Since exposure to the advertisements in phone book directories is voluntary, meaning consumers actually turn to the phone book for its ads, this form of marketing for independent insurance agencies has become an industry standard.
Pros:
Certain targeted audiences utilize the phone book regularly to find businesses in their area
Many phone books also have an online directory giving agencies a more broad exposure
You can tailor your exposure to cover a large metropolitan area, or just the city you work in
Traditionally, consumers will keep a phone book versus discarding it like a newspaper
Cons:
Cost – as more consumers turn to the internet, the cost for print ads in the phone book has increased to cover profit loss
Marketing ineffectiveness – with so many insurance agencies buying ads, it becomes more difficult to capture the consumer’s attention, and once again, stand out from the 100′s of other agents in your market
There are so many phone books in which to advertise, which one do you choose to feature your agency
As with any form of advertising, be sure to read all the features and benefits that come with your paid advertisement. Does it include a featured ad online, or is that separate? What is the target area or audience of the phone book you are looking at? Is the cost monthly, quarterly or annual? Is there an automatic renewal clause or will you have the option of not renewing your contract? Where will your advertisement be placed in comparison to the other featured ads? Will someone employed by the phone book assist you with an eye catching advertisement, or do you have to hire a marketing agency to do that for you, and what is the cost?
Internet Advertising
Roughly 90% of all the households across the United States have access to the internet either at home, at work or at school; making advertising on the internet the fastest growing marketing medium for independent insurance agents. That household percentage goes even higher for those families with a combined income of $100k or more. However, internet advertising gaining its strength only in the last decade or so, there is still a lot an independent agent would need to research, as with any form of advertising, before making a financial commitment.
Pros:
Cost- you can spend much or as little as your budget allows
Levels the playing field – the internet gives the independent agent a chance to compete with the large insurance carriers with regards to search engine placement
Whether a web site, a PDF brochure, an affiliated network or a video; any and all forms of advertising can be featured and found on the internet
Advertisement exposure is voluntary. Only the websites relevant to a consumer’s online search will pull up for them to look at. Someone searching for insurance agents in their area are more often than not, looking for an agent to speak with
Cons:
People expect to be educated or informed by an agent’s personal website – having out-dated information or poor graphics can actually hurt your credibility
The ever changing internet – each of the major search engines change what they search for on websites constantly with regards to how well they rank. Staying on top of these changes can be very time consuming or expensive if you pay a firm to do this for you.
Fear of identity theft – consumers are becoming skeptical of entering their personal contact information online for fear they will have their personal information stolen or sold to telemarketing companies and be subject to unwanted emails or phone calls
There are so many options and services available to the independent insurance agent to effectively market themselves and attract more leads. The form of advertising you choose will depend largely on the audience you intend to target, the area in which you do business, and ultimately your budget. Be sure to ask questions. Know what you are getting and what you are not with whatever forms of marketing you decide to use.
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The Short Sale Process – Understanding the Short Sale Process
When housing prices in many parts of the country were booming a couple of years ago, there wasn’t much national attention given to short sales. But with the current subprime debacle and increasing mortgage delinquencies, many people are wondering if the short sale process is a way to avoid foreclosure.
Basically, the definition of the short sale process is when the lender of a property allows the property to be sold for less than the amount due on the mortgage loan.
The obvious benefit to the short sale process is that it allows the seller to avoid the credit report damage associated with a foreclosure. A foreclosure can stay on your credit report for up to 10 years and can take an emotional and financial toll on you and your family.
But the pitfalls of the short sale process should be considered as well. The I.R.S. may consider any debt forgiveness as taxable income, thus resulting in a tax liability. In addition, lenders can often pursue a borrower for the deficiency balance (the difference between the amount owed and the amount paid).
In some cases you may be able to avoid taxation if you can prove you are insolvent. But if insolvency is unsuccessful, and you are faced with a tax liability resulting from the deficiency amount, it may make more financial sense for you to let the lender foreclose.
The Short Sale Process
The short sale process can vary, but it will generally work as follows:
1) The lender is contacted to discuss the possibility of a short sale and to determine the lender’s process for completing the sale.
2) The seller issues a letter authorizing the release of personal information about the loan and the property to the buyer or escrow agency.
3) The lender will review a settlement statement, which will indicate the proposed selling price, remaining loan balances and itemize all expenses, including real estate commissions and other fees and expenses associated with the closing.
4) The seller will complete a “hardship letter,” which will detail and explain all financial difficulties. Lenders will usually want to validate the seller’s financial situation by looking at bank statements, investment accounts, along with examining paystubs and other financial records.
5) The lender will then look to the broker to provide a price opinion by examining the condition of the house and the market value of comparable properties.
6) The lender will then want to scrutinize the purchase agreement to determine if all amounts are reasonable and the real estate commission is acceptable.
Because of the documentation required, the short sale process can be lengthy. But if done correctly, it can work well for all parties involved. The lender avoids the uncertainty of the foreclosure process, the seller avoids a foreclosure on his or her credit report (along with potential bankruptcy), and the buyer hopefully got a good deal on a property.
Considering the complexity of the short sale process, you must be educated. If you are considering a short sale, make sure that you discuss your situation with a competent lawyer and accountant. The more educated you are on the process, the easier the transaction will be, and the better the impression you will make on the lender.
What is an Independent Oil and Gas Company?
The basic definition of an Independent Oil and Gas Company is a non-integrated company which receives nearly all of its revenues from production at the wellhead. They are exclusively in the exploration and production segment of the industry, with no downstream marketing or refining within their operations. The tax definition published by the IRS states that a firm is an Independent if its refining capacity is less than 50,000 barrels per day on any given day or their retail sales are less than $5 million for the year. Independents range in size from large publically held companies to small proprietorships.
Many independents are privately held small companies with less than 20 employees. The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) recorded in a 1998 survey that “a large percentage of independents are organized as C Corporations and S Corporations at 47.6% and 27.7%, respectively. A total of 91.4% of responding companies are classified as independent (versus integrated) for tax purposes. More than one fifth of responding companies reported their stock is publicly traded.”
Independent producers derive investment capital from a variety of sources. A 1998 IPAA survey reports that 36.2% of capital is generated through internal sources followed by banks 27.8 % and outside investors (oil & gas partners) at 20.3 %.
Supplying Future Energy Needs
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) states in their Annual Energy Outlook 2007, “Despite the rapid growth projected for biofuels and other non-hydroelectric renewable energy sources and the expectation that orders will be placed for new nuclear power plants for the first time in more than 25 years, oil, coal, and natural gas still are projected to provide roughly the same 86-percent share of the total U.S. primary energy supply in 2030 that they did in 2005.” In this report the EIA also predicts consistent growth in U.S. energy demand from 100.2 quadrillion Btu in 2005 to 131.2 quadrillion Btu in 2030.
Maturing production areas in the lower 48 states and the need to respond to shareholder expectations have resulted in major integrated petroleum companies shifting their exploration and production focus toward the offshore in the United States and in foreign countries. Independent oil and gas producers increasingly account for a larger percentage of domestic production in the near offshore and lower 48 states. Independent producers’ share of lower 48 states petroleum production increased form 45 percent in the 1980′s to more than 60 percent by 1995. Today the IPAA reports that independent producers develop 90 percent of domestic oil and gas wells, produce 68 percent of domestic oil and produce 82 percent of domestic gas. Clearly, they are vital to meeting our future energy needs.
Organized Crime
OPERATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The inherent common denominators THE STRUCTURE, SAFETY and FINANCING of the criminal organizations already allowed characterizing the organized criminality.
Still in relationship to a large part of the organized crime (except partly, the terrorist organizations), we can find another common element: the type of Operational Development.
The Operational Development of the activities of organized criminality settles down, usually, according to the following vectors:
a) Extent of national, international and transnational action;
b) Permanent Operational and stabilized, with concerns of tactics and of strategic order;
c) Conjugation of legal businesses and illicit businesses;
d) Chronological Interface and multiple accomplishments of crimes.
The operational development of the organized criminality has these factors.
a) – the reason of being of this criminality type is inside the enlarged extent of territorial activity and permanent organization and stabilized in the prosecution of the criminal activities;
b) – the reason of effectiveness of the organizations, for besides the execution of their objectives I (namely, the economical profits), is into in their flexibility face the deterrent circumstances, in dynamics of tactical and strategic articulation in the capacity of dissimulation of the illicit financing sources (illicit businesses), through the creation and maintenance of licit businesses (real or simulated) that, allow to justify and to “clean” the obtained global profits.
At the level of the businesses illicit/crimes, are strategies those that, best allows the “normal” prosecution of the activities of financing of the organization. The practices of the corruption, covering, a traffic of influences and control of the authorities are usual and typical.
The organization strategically to mislead difficulties and to avoid (larger) threats to the operational development of the activities chose as tactics for the organization to obtain profit, by e.g. traffic of drugs, the extortion and kidnappings, traffic of weapons (or, now, also, the one of nuclear products), smuggling, among others.
The legal businesses more “sought” by the criminal organizations are spread in several sectors, as: the finance market (e.g. detention and/or participation in credit institutions, leasing societies, brokers.) and the market of capitals – preferred by excellence for practices of bulky operations of money laundry -, the casinos a, hotels, the building societies and other businesslike import – export firms (often based in taxes paradises – off – shores).
Actually, the infiltration of the organized crime in legal businesses constitutes an additional tactic for effective reduction of the risk of detection of the net, for the covering and legitimating the incomes produced that, like this, less suspicions get up as for it’s ownership. Still, the insert in activities and legitimate commercial operations, namely at the international level, offers to the criminal organizations the possibility to use the legal circulation and transport of products for part of their illicit cargo.
c) – The criminological reason of the organized crime is partially, in the multiple accomplishment of illicit and, the criminal interaction.
The operational development of the nets of organized crime give priority to the practice of multiple illicit criminal, be in the optical of safety expressed in:
- crimes of corruption;
- traffic of you influence;
- threats;
- crimes of homicide, corporal offenses, coactions and threats;
- Drainage of incomes;
- crime of money laundry;
- falsifications ;
- Tax frauds.
Gann Ideas, Pivot Points and Fibonacci
Many articles and books have been written about WD Gann. I was fortunate enough to read some of his original writings back in the 1990s, a colleague of mine was part of a Gann Society that he paid a huge amount to join. I have studied Gann and have my own version of a Gann system. The most important statement that I read from Gann is “Time is the most important factor, when analyzing and forecasting market movements.” I could not agree more. In this article I will go over how I trade Pivot Points using Fibonacci levels and my version of Ganns principle of Time vs. Price.
The first points that you must find are what are known as swing points. A swing point is the most recent highest high, or lowest low. There has to be a minimum of 8 big figures between them to be considered moderate swing levels. You could use less point differences they are just not as significant. Once you identify one of these levels you move to the left on the chart (going Back in time) to find the other. I am going to use EUR/USD prices with the dates so you can find what I am doing and apply the analysis. Looking at the most recent price data(today’s date is 1/27/09) we have a solo top made on December 18th 2008 at 1.4720 level. We move to the left and find the lowest low at a double bottom made on October 27, and 28th 1.2330 level. Now we have the swing points to work with. We will find major levels of support and resistance to trade off of using Fibonacci ratios. Then find the daily pivot points to see if any over lapping occurs.
The formula to find the Fibonacci points are are follows. Take the highest high and subtract the lowest low to find the swing range. That would be 1.4720 – 1.2330 =.239 big figures. Fibonacci ratios are.382,.618,.8200(my ratio),1.382,1.618,2.236,2.618,3.618 We now take the range and multiply by the ratios..239 *.382=.091298 Now we would take the Highest High and subtract that Fibonacci factor. So first level of support would be 1.4720-.0913= 1.3807 Next level of support would be.239*.618=.147702 1.4720-.1478= 1.3242 Next level.239*.8200=.1964 1.4720-.1964= 1.2756 (just to pat myself on the back the low made on Jan 23 was 1.2765)
You can keep applying the other ratios if you like. They will be good until that top is taken out or a new low is made.
So once we have these levels calculated we will set up daily pivot points in order to see if any over lapping occurs (overlapping for me is 33points + or -), then I will give you my time verse price lesson. Keep in mind that these Fibonacci levels were past through on the way down, these same levels will now act as resistance on the way up. If they are breached they turn into support again. Lets go over the pivot point formula, and see how we apply it to the major Fibonacci levels.
The pivot point formula I am about to go over has been used for as long as I have been in the market(20+), and I was taught this formula by a guy who was in Forex since 1976. Like King Solomon said “There is nothing new under the sun” The pivot point formula takes on a new meaning when we have overlapping, with the Fibonacci levels. They become that much stronger, to take advantage of reaction points. Here is the Formula:
We must first calculate the base point. I calculate the pivot point on a daily bar because we are using daily data.(you can use this on any time frame, just keep the time sequence uniform, and I would not go less then 30 minute bars) Pivot Formula = High+Low+Close/3= x base pivot
2x-high=support 2x-low=resistance
I am going to pick today’s trading session.(yesterdays daily bar) to calculate. 1/26/09 Open 1.2974 High 1.3205 Low 1.2860 Close 1.3135
1.3205+1.2860+1.3135/3= base pivot 1.3066 2*1.3066-1.3205=1.2997 Support level 1 2*1.3066-1.2860=1.3272 Resistance level 1
Support Level 2 Base pivot -(R1-S1) 1.3066-(1.3272-1.2997)=1.3066-.0275=1.2791(Very Close to that Fib level) Support Level 3 Low-2x(high-Base pivot) 1.2860-2x(1.3205-1.3066)=1.2860-2x.0139=1.2860-.0278=1.2582
Resistance 2 Pivot + (R1-S1) 1.3066+(1.3272-1.2997)=1.3066+.0275=1.3341 Resistance level 3 High+2x(pivot-low) 1.3205+(1.3066-1.2860)=1.3205+.0206=1.3411
So these are our daily levels and we would plot them out on the charts with our old Fibonacci support levels that have become your resistance levels on the way up. So how do we trade these pivot points. Well the rule is to get long on a break above and short them on a break down. Easier said then done, because these are very reactionary points that can trade back and forth multiple times, cutting you up as they do. In order to prevent that from happening,you must give yourself a 35 pip stop loss(so if the market breaks up or down and holds above or below the pivot more than 12 minutes stay long or short with a 35 point stop. You need experience with Market Momentum.) This is where my version of Gann’s time verse price rules come into play. You can follow along using hourly charts, I am going to describe how I trade these points. This is what is know as discretionary trading, not a system per say. However, you now can work out your own rules to trade these points. My experience has proven to me that if the trades move quickly into the money,we are on the easy side of the market, and we will get out when the market momentum starts to slow.(I use a trailing Stop order.)
Let s get into it; The data points that came into play for me was the Fibonacci Point Of 1.3242 it does over lap with my daily pivot point of 1.3272. I would be looking to see how the market reacts to these levels. I am going to write what is in my trading journal of the day so you can see how I traded the market today. It is important to note that I have several primary systems that I trade. This is what I call a semi- trading system, because it is a bit discretionary.This is the environment that I am used to being in;Since I traded the interbank market for many years, It requires a lot of discretionary trading as you make markets. You should only attempt this if you have a good amount of trading experience. I still have hard and fast rules that I stick to when I trade discretionary.Here are my time rules. I will use today’s trading scenario. It would be the opposite if we were trading a support level. It s what I call the 15 minute rule. I break the 15 minutes of time into 3 five minute time frames. Your market attempts to break a resistance level and fails. You sell the level minus 7-9 pips. (our level is 1.3242-9 pips) So you would sell at 1.3233. You wait for a snap back (market retraces and attempts the resistance once again) You sell the snap back rally, for a smaller amount then your base position. (usually 1/3 less; this is a form of pyramiding. Always pyramid with a smaller amount.) Usually the snap back will go a bit higher (12-18 pips; its not a rule just what I have observed.) Monitor the market carefully. Wait another 5 minutes, if not in the money(your losing) close the trade and step back.
9:15 am EST Market attempts the Fib point of 1.3242 hitting a high of 1.3244 paid. It can’t sustain I sell 3 units of euros at 1.3231 price. I will pyramid on a snap back at the 1.3250 level. I have a over all S/L of 39 points.( just over the 1.3272 pivot level at 1.3281) Take profit 1.3130 level. Market closes on the five minute bar at 1.3239. 9:20 market attempts the 1.3244 high and can’t get over it I miss the bid at 1.3238. I will not add at this time. Market close at 1.3219.So far no snap back. 9:25 We are slightly in the money market in a tight range, I will sell small if I can see 1.3235 40 level. market closes on this bar at 1.3217 level. 9:30 Euro attempts the 1.32 figure and quickly gets paid up. It ends up closing at the 1.3215 level again. The market is choppy and at this point can go either way, if we can t get above 1.3258 I still think we can get back into the value zone of 1.3150. 9:35 Euro attempts to break the 1.32 35 level and is quickly rejected I sell small(1 unit) at 1.3224 price I am not to comfortable with that sale. I wanted to get them out higher.Its closing at the high 1.3227. I can’t add even if we break the 35 level I am all in at this point with my stop set. 9:40 Euro once again attempts the 30 level and fails that’s 3 times, we close at 1.3215 9:45 tight range trade 1.3215 1.3230 9:50 Still tight range trade 1.3211-1.3231 9:55 We finally break the figure and close at 1.3195.
10:00 We break down to 1.3140 level trailing stop in place.
10:15 Market takes me out at 1.3153.
So that s how I trade pivot points. As you can read from above I never did get that snap back, I was a bit on guard, because experience has shown me the longer the amount of time I stood higher, the more chance I had to test the next level of 1.3272.
My optimal trade would of been to sell the First resistance at 1.3240, have the market fall to the 1.3208 then snap back up to the 1.3260 level, where I would sell again. Then quickly crash down to the 1.3160 level. All within 20 minutes. Trades like that happen often, if you know what to look for (now you do). Today however the market made me work for my money. Cheers Tom
7 Tips to Real Estate Agents’ Success
With over 2 million real estate agents according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), becoming a successful real estate agent takes more than just a license and a knowledge of current laws and regulations.The first year drop out range estimated to be from 40% to 80% demonstrates that many real estate agents are not as successful as they could be and research suggests that 90% give up after 3 years. The following 7 tips may help you avoid becoming one of these statistics.
First and Foremost YOU are a business. Real estate agents work for a broker, but are independent, commissioned sales people. This means that you are a small business and must run your practice as a business. Again, remember you are a small business owner.
Embrace a Planning Attitude. If you don’t have a plan, then you are on some else’s plan – usually the successful real estate agent’s. During the last 10 years, what I have learned as a performance improvement consultant or coach is that most people place more value in planning a trip to the grocery store or a vacation than planning their lives either professionally or personally.
Research Your Market Plan. Since you, as the real estate agent, are responsible for your own expenses, do your research specific to your marketing plan within your strategic plan. Time spent in constructing your marketing plan is definitely well spent. NOTE: Remember a business plan usually is data driven, while a strategic plan identifies who does what by when.
Establish Sales Goals. Using your strategic action plan, establish sales goals. If you are new to this industry, it may take 6 months before the first sale. HINT: Use the W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. criteria for goal setting.
Create a Financial Budget. Budgeting is critical given the up and down of this volatile market place. Your financial budget should plan for your marketing costs, any additional costs such as education and your forecasted income.
Make Managing Yourself a Priority. Building a business is not easy. You must learn how to manage yourself especially in the area of time management, ongoing real estate business training coaching continuing education units, and personal life balance. Real estate is said to be a 24/7 business much like any small business. However, it is important not to lose sight of your personal life including family, friends, physical health, etc.
Find a Mentor or a Real Estate Coach. Going it alone is not easy. Take the time to find a mentor who can help you steer through some of the known obstacles and help you during the “peaks and valleys.” If you have the resources, you may wish to hire a real estate coach or an executive coach who specializes in small business help and sales.
Being an incredible sales person and entering the real estate market does not guarantee similar sales success. However, these 7 tips may help you avoid many of the pitfalls by not being one of the four real estate agents who quit within one year or one of the nine who give up after 3 years.
Buying A Home After Bankruptcy – Get A Mortgage Loan After Bankruptcy
If you have a recent bankruptcy on your credit and are looking to get financing for a home, there is hope. Buying a home with bad credit will just put more emphasis on the other two factors needed to get a mortgage loan, which are; income verification and a down payment.
After bankruptcy most lenders want you to wait at least 2 years from the time of the bankruptcy discharge before they will consider you for a mortgage loan. After the two year waiting period is over, you should be able to get financing easily. You should also be able to get 100% financing as well. You can usually achieve this as long as at least most of your payments have been reported to the credit bureau as having been paid on time since the discharge of your bankruptcy.
If you are looking to get a mortgage loan after bankruptcy sooner than the 2 years from the time of discharge, you will need to have almost flawless payment history since your bankruptcy discharge. Also, you may need to have a down payment. If you have even 3-5% to use as a down payment, that may be enough to help you get approved.
There are ways to get a down payment for your mortgage besides having the money saved in the bank. Here are some ideas of ways to do that:
1. Borrow or ask for a gift from relatives. After you have financed the house, you can usually go and take out a 2nd or 3rd mortgage up to the full value of your house, and then you could repay the relatives. Keep in mind that if you intend the money to be as a loan only from the relatives, you would need to disclose that to the lender before you close. Lenders usually have regulations about where the down payment is coming from and if you are not honest, it could be considered defrauding a lender.
2. There are down payment assistance programs like Neighborhood Gold or the Nehemiah program. These programs basically aid the seller in helping you with a down payment. Receiving a down payment from the seller of the property is illegal, but through these programs, it is legal. There are also other down payment assistance programs which are grants and do not need to be repaid or paid for by anyone. To find out about these, do a search on “down payment assistance” with your favorite search engine.
3. You could cash out a 401K or another investment and like in the first example, repay yourself with a 2nd or 3rd mortgage after the loan has closed.
Mortgage loans after bankruptcy are getting to be much easier to obtain these days. If you would like to see a list of our preferred bad credit mortgage lenders, visit this page: After
Bankruptcy Mortgage Lenders.