Equity Analyst Jobs

Since time immemorial, a system had already been in place to properly guide us on how we should conduct our daily lives. The system started as crude but with ingenuity, progress in this area has provided a way for human beings to enjoy the refinements of life. If we could only tap the full capacity of our intelligence, there is no way to measure what the human mind can possibly conceptualize and create.

Without technology, we wouldn't be where we are now. A tech company has been constantly on the move to invent products and services all designed for automation. You don't have to be an experienced analyst to think where all these is heading. Common sense will tell you, tech companies are in for the long haul and they are here to stay.

In 2009, the Japanese electronics maker Nintendo bagged the no. 1 spot for the top 50 companies in the world and the past 5 years have been witness to a 36% rise in sales annually. Games are really fascinating, huh...tell you something. A tech company, believe me, will consistently play a bigger role as the market demands continue to rise. It would be wise to consider putting in some of your money here. Well, there is a huge database of electronics companies for you to choose where to invest. Is it profitable? Yes. It can make you rich. Successful investors knew it when the tech company trend was just relatively small, to say the least, was unknown when it just started out..

For those whose interests lie in information technology, investing here would be the best move. Thousands upon thousands are turning to the internet everyday. Business opportunities in the internet are growing by leaps and bounds as people have discovered work from home jobs. If you have been skimming all along, it's time for you to take action. Thousands of low-key investors have become millionaires in the tech company feat doing their business from the comforts of home. I'd say, I'm one of these guys. Just don't forget, do your own research so you can make an intelligent decision.

The tech company niche has had its share of ups and downs, too. For as long as you are in the field of investing, expect times like these. But this should not stop you from making that critical move. Tech company fields have tightened their belts because they knew they'll ride it out. It is extremely valuable for you to make your own in-depth analysis.

You may not have heard of Carlos Sim but he is the stalwart behind America Movil, considered the fourth largest cellular carrier with more than 190 million subscribers. With the right management philosophies, business outlook and well-thought out strategies, such tech company does promise a bright future and ensure profitability many times over. These companies too, continue to expand in developing markets driven by a firm belief that consumers will always hunger for new, modern gadgets and ideas. So, do not stay in that warm cocoon. Make or break, you need to take action now. This sector does not promise substantial returns but awesome profitability, indeed.

The consensus is almost deafening. This is the time to invest in real estate (RE), there's no doubt about that. But there are four questions that you must be able to answer before choosing your strategy and plunging into the icy waters of today's real estate markets:

What to buy? Where to buy? What strategies are working best in today's markets? What role does real estate marketing play in growing profits and safeguarding by RE business?

Baby Boomers Dominate Free and Clear Markets

Right now, one of my favorite strategies is high-equity free and clear RE investing. These properties have little to no mortgage debt and, with the right real estate marketing and evidence-based decision-making, the sky is the limit for savvy real estate investors.

For those who want to get in on the action, ensure cash flow and protect their portfolios, investing in free and clear properties and becoming a landlord are promising strategies.

Understanding the demographics and psychology and trends that motivate free and clear sellers and drive rental markets illuminates what the "big picture" has in store for wise investors and is critical to safeguarding your business and your future.

Homeowners Seeking Stability, Cash Flow

It's no secret that Baby Boomers (or those born during the post-WWII baby boom that took place in the United States from the mid 1940s through the mid 1960s), not only make up one of the largest segments of the U.S. population, the also comprise a huge group of homeowners with high equity and relatively low mortgage debt.

In many cases, these folks also are grappling with job shortages, woefully under-funded Social Security and Medicare systems, soaring insurance costs and diminishing values on what's been for many their largest nest egg: the homes they've worked most of their lives to acquire, finally free and clear of mortgage debt but often suffering from years of deferred maintenance.

Asset Ownership vs. Liquidity

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 24 million free and clear homeowners in the United States. Forbes magazine reports that a growing number of these homeowners are feeling the pressure of tightening credit markets and a languishing economy.

While they may "have it all" many Baby Boomers are struggling to keep it. These folks are facing a dismal economy as they limp towards retirement with an uncertain future. Baby boomers are confronting rising costs of living and health care, diminished value of their investments, and social security payments that often fail to cover basic household expenses, a growing number of retirees looking for cash flow to achieve basic sustainability.

Demand for Affordable Rentals Set to Surge

The most pressing decision for many homeowners in this growing demographic is when to sell their single-family homes and move on to more modest accommodations.

Analysts already are predicting that the number homes listed for resale will skyrocket over the next decade. And once they're sold, fewer sellers are likely to reinvest in housing markets, even for downsized dwellings. A growing number of them will seek rental housing.

These shifting patterns in income and homeownership are likely to have a dramatic impact on the demand for rental housing, especially that which is deemed "affordable" in virtually any given RE market.

Trendspotting in Current Research

This trend also is likely to gain momentum based on the fact that during the RE boom, a huge proportion of rental housing disappeared from that market as more homes were sold as primary residences, many of which have gone into foreclosure.

According to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing, the latest trend to hit the U.S. housing market is the search for affordable rental units. In 2007, completions of multifamily dwellings for rent fell to 169,000 units-just two-thirds of the 2002 inventory and only one-third of the record high reported in 1986.

Real estate entrepreneurs who engage in the landlord game these days can jump ahead of the herd by snatching up great deals on rental housing. Doing so will ensure steady cash flow as markets stabilize and home prices begin to rebound from recent losses. But as with any of the best investment ideas ever conceived, the devil truly is in the details.

Guaranteed Cash Flow Carries Responsibilities, Risks

It is important to note, that even investing in free and clear properties to ensure rental income carries some risks and that many investors have been burned by bad (or neglected) real estate marketing, finance decisions and miscalculated market values. (Had they done their homework, many of them would have known that they could pull it off with no cash or credit.)

Though landlording is an enduring investment strategy, and can be a great way to buy and hold investment properties, it is not an effortless endeavor. In this arena, it's critical that investors carefully consider real estate marketing, costs, markets, local landlord tenant laws and potential administrative burdens associated with being a landlord.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that nearly 40 percent of U.S. foreclosures involve rental properties affecting more than 168,000 households. According to the same report, roughly half of the recent foreclosures in Illinois, Nevada, and New York involved rental properties.

Things to Think About Before you Invest

While investing in rental properties is an excellent way to buy and hold high-equity free and clear investment properties and ensure cash flow, it is important to research the full range of responsibilities you'll take on as a landlord. Top considerations include real estate marketing and your overall investment strategy: where you'll invest, going rates for rents and whether local economies support those prices and how to know when you're getting the best possible deals.

Don't Put the Cart Before the Horse

First and foremost in your strategy arsenal as a savvy Real Estate investor is the mission critical decisions you'll make about your real estate marketing. If real estate marketing doesn't top your agenda, your business may not survive these market changes and your spreadsheets are likely to choke on red ink. Seek professional guidance on all of your real estate marketing and investment decisions to protect yourself -- and your business from uncertainty and failure.

Many people think that investing in mutual funds is the way to go and the best method for getting rich. I think mutual funds are horrible investments. Here are 8 reasons why you should not invest in mutual funds.

1. Mutual funds don't beat the market.

72% of actively-managed large-cap mutual funds failed to beat the stock market over the past five years. Trying to beat the market is difficult, and you're better off putting your money in an index fund. An index fund attempts to mirror a particular index (such as the S&P 500 index). It mirrors that index as closely as it can by buying each of that index's stocks in amounts equal to the proportions within the index itself. For example, a fund that tracks the S&P 500 index buys each of the 500 stocks in that index in amounts proportional to the S&P 500 index. Thus, because an index fund matches the stock market (instead of trying to exceed it), it performs better than the average mutual fund that attempts (and often fails) to beat the market.

2. Mutual funds have high expenses.

The stocks in a particular index are not a mystery. They are a known quantity. A company that runs an index fund does not need to pay analysts to pick the stocks to be held in the fund. This process results in a lower expense ratio for index funds. Thus, if a mutual fund and an index fund both post a 10% return for the next year, once you deduct The expense ratio for the average large cap actively-managed mutual fund is 1.3% to 1.4% (and can be as high as 2.5%). By contrast, the expense ratio of an index fund can be as low as 0.15% for large company indexes. Index funds have smaller expenses than mutual funds because it costs less to run an index fund. expenses (1.3% for the mutual fund and 0.15% for the index fund), you are left with an after-expense return of 8.7% for the mutual fund and 9.85% for the index fund. Over a period of time (5 years, 10 years), that difference translates into thousands of dollars in savings for the investor.

3. Mutual funds have high turnover.

Turnover is a fund's selling and buying of stocks. When you sell stocks, you have to pay a tax on capital gains. This constant buying and selling produces a tax bill that someone has to pay. Mutual funds don't write off this cost. Instead, they pass it off to you, the investor. There is no escaping Uncle Sam. Contrast this problem with index funds, which have lower turnover. Because the stocks in a particular index are known, they are easy to identify. An index fund does not need to buy and sell different stocks constantly; rather, it holds its stocks for a longer period of time, which results in lower turnover costs.

4. The longer you invest, the richer they get.

According to a popular study by John Bogle (of The Vanguard Group), over a 15- or 16-year period, an investor gets to keep only 47% of a cumulative return from an average actively-managed mutual fund, but he or she gets to keep 87% of the returns in an index fund. This is due to the higher fees associated with a mutual fund. So, if you invest $10,000 in an index fund, that money would grow to $90,000 over that period of time. In an average mutual fund, however, that figure would only be $49,000. That is a 40% disadvantage by investing in a mutual fund. In dollars, that's $41,000 you lose by putting your money in a mutual fund. Why do you think these financial institutions tell you to invest for the "long term"? It means more money in their pocket, not yours.

5. Mutual funds put all the risk on the investor.

If a mutual fund makes money, both you and the mutual fund company make money. But if a mutual fund loses money, you lose money and the mutual fund company still makes money. What?? That's not fair!! Remember: the mutual fund company takes a bite out of your returns with that 1.3% expense ratio. But it takes that bite whether you make money or lose money. Think about that. The mutual fund company puts up 0% of the money to invest and assumes 0% of the risk. You put up 100% of the money and assume 100% of the risk. The mutual fund company makes a guaranteed return (from the fees it charges). You, the investor, not only are not guaranteed a return, but you can lose a lot of money. And you have to pay the mutual fund company for those losses. (Remember also that, even if you do make a return, over time the mutual fund company takes about half of that money from you.)

6. Mutual Funds are unpredictable.

The holdings of a mutual fund do not track the stock market exactly. If the market goes up, you might make a lot of money, or you might not. If the market goes down (the way it is now), you might lose a little bit of money . . . or you might lose A LOT. Because a mutual fund's benchmark isn't a particular market index, its performance can be rather unpredictable. Index funds, on the other hand, are more predictable because they TRACK the market. Thus, if the market goes up or down, you know where your money is going and how much you might make or lose. This transparency gives you more peace of mind instead of holding your breath with a mutual fund.

7. Mutual Funds are sales items.

Why don't all these money and financial magazines tell you about index funds? Why don't the covers of these magazines read "Index Funds: The Most Obvious And Rational Investment!" It's simple. That's a boring heading. Who would want to buy something that isn't exciting or that doesn't tickle one's imagination of immense riches? A magazine with that headline won't sell as many copies as a magazine that boasts "Our 100 Best Mutual Funds For 2008!" Remember: a magazine company is in the business of selling... magazines. It can't put a boring headline about index funds on its front cover, even if that headline is true. They need to put something on the cover that will attract buyers. Not surprisingly, a list of mutual funds that analysts predict will skyrocket will sell loads of magazines.

8. Warren Buffett does not recommend mutual funds.

If the above seven reasons for not investing in mutual funds don't convince you, then why not listen to the wisdom of the richest investor in the world? In several annual letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett has commented on the value of index funds. Here are a few quotes from those letters:

1997 Letter: "Most investors, both institutional and individual, will find that the best way to own common stocks is through an index fund that charges minimal fees. Those following this path are sure to beat the net results (after fees and expenses) delivered by the great majority of investment professionals."

2004 Letter: "American business has delivered terrific results. It should therefore have been easy for investors to earn juicy returns: All they had to do was piggyback corporate America in a diversified, low-expense way. An index fund that they never touched would have done the job. Instead many investors have had experiences ranging from mediocre to disastrous."

Bottom Line: If you want to make money, you need to copy what rich people do. So if Buffett doesn't like mutual funds, why would you? So, if not mutual funds, what should passive investors invest in? The answer by now is clear. Invest in index funds. Index funds have lower fees, and you keep more of your returns in the long term. They are also more predictable, and they give you peace of mind.