tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48630593639821176982024-02-19T01:25:46.331-08:00The Affordable PortfolioOfficial blog of AffordablePortfolio.comJustin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-91823828434565873292011-09-01T16:51:00.000-07:002011-09-01T16:51:11.535-07:00Will September be August Part II?It was definitely a wild and rocky August. Looking at the "Top 20" charts for all-time Dow point gains and losses shows us this much:<br />
<ul>
<li>August 4th was number eleven on the losses chart (-512.76) </li>
<li>August 8th was number six on the losses chart (-634.76)</li>
<li>August 9th was number ten on the gains chart (+429.92)</li>
<li>August 10th was number nine on the losses chart (-519.83)</li>
<li>August 11th was number eleven on the gains chart (+423.37)</li>
</ul>
August ninth also had the 20th largest intraday point swing of all time (639.94). The price of gold topped $1700, then $1800, and was briefly over $1900 before dropping back down. Let us also not forget Standard & Poor's decision to take away the coveted "AAA" from our government.<br />
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While August 2011 did end with some positive days for the markets, don't expect this to continue throughout September. Recent indicators already suggest the economy is back at 2009 levels. This will create more uncertainty for the markets, meaning more sideways movement. Those "Top 20" charts may have some new entries on them by the time this month ends. Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-7442491967525737672011-08-26T12:59:00.000-07:002011-08-26T13:54:29.010-07:00Change Is A-Comin'...Haven't posted anything in a while (except for the previous <i>Random Blathering</i>). Fact is, I've been working on expanding <i>The Affordable Portfolio</i>. It's been my dream to make <i>TAP</i> more than a blog. The blog just seemed to be a good jumping off point. I'll still post an article here and there, just not as often.Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-38605489553316870742011-08-26T12:29:00.000-07:002011-08-26T12:29:44.676-07:00"It's Not 2008," BUT...The talking heads at CNBC and Fox Business have developed a disturbing habit. Lately they want to bandy about the same phrase over and over again: "This is not 2008." True, last time I checked my calendar, it said "2011".<br />
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Of course they are referring to the year of the housing collapse, the debacle that really crippled our economy. Banks were lending money to people so they could buy houses they shouldn't have been buying to begin with. The banks weren't happy with just collecting payments on the resulting mortgages, so they bundled them up and sold them to each other. The payments slow to a crawl, pandemonium breaks out. The mortgage bundles are now worthless. They litter the financial landscape to this day after several long-standing institutions have disappeared from the face of the earth.<br />
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The recap above is over-simplified, but since this is a <i>Random Blathering</i>, I am trying to keep this post short. The point I am trying to make is this: Sure, it's not 2008 anymore, but we are <i>still</i> feeling its effects in 2011.Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-82816452528294191252011-08-11T15:52:00.000-07:002011-08-12T15:04:25.838-07:00ConocoPhillips Stock Purchase PlanThis next <i>Portfolio Pick</i> is a stock that can be bought from the company. Many companies today offer shares of their stock this way. Their fees can be cheaper than if you had bought from a broker. This is one of them. I introduce to you the <b>ConocoPhillips Stock Purchase Plan</b> (COP).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaYPCMwCKkBfJwRCiA3APRoJlQurWM5tbD77T7wDJOGRu_7Rac28MrIuwi1lMqrvX7hBFIpWX3y9Yk68CAOFDWQrsj5pUDlukjHJx_UNL9KBvJVJOxxNouCzh5uI7KgVkjKA_XUNJdcKx/s1600/cop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaYPCMwCKkBfJwRCiA3APRoJlQurWM5tbD77T7wDJOGRu_7Rac28MrIuwi1lMqrvX7hBFIpWX3y9Yk68CAOFDWQrsj5pUDlukjHJx_UNL9KBvJVJOxxNouCzh5uI7KgVkjKA_XUNJdcKx/s320/cop.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Station selling ConocoPhillips branded gas. Photo taken by the author.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a name='more'></a>ConocoPhillips is one of the three leading energy companies in the nation (ExxonMobil and Chevron are the other two). If you ever pumped your gas under a sign that says "Conoco", "Phillips 66", or "76", you did business with them. The dividends have been steadily going up for this company since its formation in 2002 (when Conoco and Phillips merged). It currently pays a dividend of 66 cents a share.<br />
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The minimum amount required to own ConocoPhillips through this method is $250. This amount can be waived if you agree to buy every month at $25 (at least ten consecutive months). Here's the best part: there are no fees ($15 if you sell). That's right, every penny goes toward buying this stock. The dividends may also be reinvested (also at no charge). This type of investment is meant to be long-term. It is not suitable for traders. <br />
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<b>How I Would Invest:</b> First I would make sure that my portfolio was diversified in a basket of funds and cash. Then I would wait for a possible price dip and do the $25/month (at no fees, why not?). I would reinvest the dividends at first. When each dividend payment reaches around $15 or so, I would then take the cash to put into something else.<br />
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I currently do not own any shares of ConocoPhillips.<br />
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<b>8/12 Edit:</b> <b>OOPS!</b> It seems I forgot to mention a few more things. That's one of the consequences of having roommates urging you to hurry up on the computer. Anyway, this account can be opened online through BNY Mellon's <a href="https://m1.melloninvestor.com/mellonone/index.jsp" target="_blank">website</a>. The plan materials are <a href="https://isd.bnymellon.com/planMaterial/conocophillips/index.html">here</a>. BNY Mellon also offers plans from other companies.<br />
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I <i>still</i> do not own any shares of ConocoPhillips.Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-65231049911604629262011-08-08T14:03:00.000-07:002011-08-08T14:03:50.697-07:00Ally Bank No Penalty CDCash is king. Every portfolio should have some portion of it dedicated to cash. That is why for my latest <i>Portfolio Pick</i> I'm going to highlight the <b>Ally Bank No Penalty CD</b>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/suBGbef5p3g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ally Bank advertisement featuring the No Penalty CD. Video embedded from Ally Bank's YouTube channel.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">It happens every now and then, you have a decent sum of cash in your savings account and you want a higher return. So you open a certificate of deposit to get that return. Suddenly a circumstance comes up that your savings can't cover. You have no choice but to tap into that CD and take a penalty for early withdrawal. If you close the account early in the CD's term, you end up with <i>less</i> money than when you opened it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Ally Bank No Penalty CD is one of those rare accounts that will let you "Have your cake and eat it too". As the name suggests, this CD will let you take out your cash without getting hit by that early withdrawal penalty (after the first six days of funding). It also pays a higher interest rate than most savings accounts, giving your cash reserve that extra boost while maintaining liquidity.<br />
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This CD is available in a single term of eleven months. The minimum balance to open an account is $0. The account may be opened <a href="http://www.ally.com/">online</a> or by calling 1-877-247-ALLY (2559).<br />
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<b>How I Would Invest:</b> I would open an account with an amount of cash I felt comfortable with sacrificing. Yeah, I know could it back without getting penalized, but I want that higher rate of return. I would let the interest compound.<br />
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This is not a recommendation to open an account. While I do have accounts with Ally Bank, none of them currently are CD's. That may change in the future.</div></div>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-38727821851337357342011-08-06T09:31:00.000-07:002011-08-06T09:40:19.376-07:00Blues In The Key Of AA+<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's official: the country is being run by Standard & Poor's. It's not being run by somebody in the Oval Office, nor 535 squabbling and bickering politcos, but some division of a major publishing company. Replacing the third "A" with a "plus" will definitely have an impact on this nation for years to come.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Will Moody's ally with the S&P and form a cartel?</span>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-91257161029663916512011-08-06T08:57:00.000-07:002011-08-06T08:57:59.188-07:00Following The Bouncing Dow<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It definitely was a bizarre end to a bizarre week. "Buyers vs. Sellers" was the theme for the day. When the dust settled, the Dow finished higher. I don't think the buyers won this round.</span>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-29901270389007825922011-08-05T17:42:00.000-07:002011-08-05T17:42:03.395-07:00Amana Growth Fund<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's time for <i>Portfolio Pick</i> number two. I present you with a growth fund that invests in large companies. This fund is not like the other large growth funds on the market, however. I am talking about the <b>Amana Growth Fund</b> (AMAGX).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU49nykgmdIx67oFTcsI-CQ5z0tgC0_skPBzWuKvAx0hSy0HcxSJahOj1qm03J_Z1J1x9NhdcIYdVN9xJz4TJDYQ-Tqh22AtgmJ1nLTY4WOgbAO2Lv_KA_ADSi79CEkpj6fvs3sZ3Jh-z/s1600/amagx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU49nykgmdIx67oFTcsI-CQ5z0tgC0_skPBzWuKvAx0hSy0HcxSJahOj1qm03J_Z1J1x9NhdcIYdVN9xJz4TJDYQ-Tqh22AtgmJ1nLTY4WOgbAO2Lv_KA_ADSi79CEkpj6fvs3sZ3Jh-z/s320/amagx.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Performance of the Amana Growth Fund (in blue) vs. the S&P 500 Index (in green) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (in red). Graph captured from Yahoo! Finance (8/5/2011).</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
<a name='more'></a>So how is this fund different? It takes an Islamic approach to investing: stocks are o.k., bonds are not. Any portion of AMAGX's assets not invested in stocks remains in non-interest bearing cash.<br />
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Not all stocks qualify, either. Any company that does not adhere to the principles of Sharia law are also excluded. Examples include:<br />
<ul><li>Banks - no JPMorgan Chase (JPM) here</li>
<li> Adult Entertainment - New Frontier Media (NOOF) not allowed</li>
<li>Liquor - forget Brown-Forman (BF.A/B) </li>
<li>Gambling - Ameristar Casinos (ASCA) is out</li>
<li>Pork Processing - sorry Hormel (HRL)</li>
</ul>Despite leaving these types of companies out, this fund does pretty darn well. Notice that graph above? AMAGX has been consistently beating the 500 and the Dow since around 2004. <a href="http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?t=AMAGX" target="_blank">Morningstar</a> gives the fund five stars.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Getting into this fund requires a minimum investment of $250 ($100 for IRA's). The minimum must be met head-on; there are no waivers for an automatic plan. Once enrolled, subsequent purchases may be made for $25/month. Although you can't open an account online, the necessary forms are available at <a href="http://www.amanafunds.com/" target="_blank">Amana's website</a> (the applications and prospectus can be found <a href="http://www.amanafunds.com/retail/how/howtoinvest.shtml" target="_blank">here)</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>How I Would Invest:</b> Not much to say here. If I didn't have the minimum funds required, I would sock away the money in a savings account until I did. I would then sign up for the automatic investment plan, and reinvest the dividends and capital gains.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is not a recommendation to buy. It's up to you whether you should own this </span><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Portfolio Pick</i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> or not. Consult a financial expert if you need to. I currently do not own any shares of this fund. I am also not a Muslim.</span></div>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-77347490505138497612011-08-04T13:41:00.000-07:002011-08-04T13:42:06.017-07:00Never Mind...<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>The Dow had a one-game winning streak. It's over now. It didn't just lose, it got spanked. There have been bigger point losses in the past (this loss ranks at number 9 on the list). Percentage wise, it pales in comparison to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Monday_%281987%29"target="_blank">Black Monday</a> (-4.31 vs. -22.61). What does makes this loss troublesome is the fact that it came the day after it bounced back after eight straight defeats.Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-67745451194935650432011-08-03T14:10:00.000-07:002011-08-03T14:38:19.979-07:00Out Of The Woods Yet?<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Dow managed to end its losing streak at eight straight sessions. If it had finished lower today, it would have marked the first nine-straight-day loss since 1978. Back then, Jimmy Carter was leader of our country (it would be about another year before the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Jimmy_Carter#.22Malaise.22_speech"target="_blank"><i>Malaise Speech</i></a>). The general public was introduced to unusual economic terms like <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stagflation" target="_blank">"stagflation"</a> and <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/misery+index" target="_blank">"misery index"</a>. Can the DJIA be starting a new streak?</div>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-52397538410922423002011-08-03T13:50:00.000-07:002011-08-03T22:09:23.519-07:00Homestead Small-Company Stock Fund<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here it is, my first <i>Portfolio Pick</i>. I must say I really thought about playing it safe. "Start off with an index fund" I thought to myself. So I went through my list of affordable investments looking for such a fund. This little gem caught my eye; I couldn't pass it up. So I decided to go another direction and kick off <i>Portfolio Picks</i> with the <b>Homestead Small-Company Stock Fund</b> (HSCSX).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9VQecJl1IzfHqTHhkMFWRalQdRXzxZt0bUE6tkLIbxAQzeNvyUL-Grmk-SWbNTyxTh6T-sCv-OSUBKDmFwQ3NAmSvdhuAESIpE03MAIw_setAbjJ3zI6t-6o7CuYdJccHetW7-kx7f9F/s1600/hscsx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9VQecJl1IzfHqTHhkMFWRalQdRXzxZt0bUE6tkLIbxAQzeNvyUL-Grmk-SWbNTyxTh6T-sCv-OSUBKDmFwQ3NAmSvdhuAESIpE03MAIw_setAbjJ3zI6t-6o7CuYdJccHetW7-kx7f9F/s320/hscsx.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Performance of the Homestead Small-Company Stock Fund (in blue) vs. the Russell 2000 Index (in green) and the S&P 500 Index (in red). Graph captured from Yahoo! Finance (8/3/2011).</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I like small company stocks. Many of them have potential to become the industry leaders of tomorrow. This, of course, results in huge gains for an <i>Affordable Portfolio</i>. Consider these following examples:</div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li>Walmart (WMT) was once a single five and dime store in a small town in Arkansas</li>
<li>McDonald's (MCD) originally operated as a hamburger stand run by two brothers</li>
<li>Microsoft (MSFT) was founded by two childhood friends to design software for a hobby kit computer</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now these companies are the behemoths of their respected industries. I personally know a lot of people who wish they could travel back in time to 1986 (when Microsoft went public).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Small companies as a whole are more volatile than their larger brethren. That's why it is best to jump into them through a fund. This particular fund does not disappoint. It carries a five-star rating from <a href="http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?t=HSCSX" target="_blank">Morningstar</a>; it gets a "1" (strong buy) from <a href="http://www.zacks.com/funds/mfrank/quotes.php?t=HSCSX&type=main" target="_blank">Zacks</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">HSCSX only requires a $500 minimum investment ($200 for IRA's). However, the minimum is waived if the prospective buyer agrees to sign up for an <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/automaticinvestmentplan.asp"target="_blank">automatic investment plan</a>. Interestingly, the minimum for such a plan is $0 ($25 sounds like a fair amount). The account can not be opened online, so you would have to go to the <a href="http://www.homesteadfunds.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, download an <a href="http://www.homesteadfunds.com/AccountServices/OpenNewAccount.htm" target="_blank">application</a> (don't forget the <a href="http://www.homesteadfunds.com/AccountServices/Documents/prospectus.pdf" target="_blank">prospectus</a> too), print it, fill it out, and mail it to the address listed on the form.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>How I Would Invest:</b> Instead of putting the full $500 up front, I would start off with at least $100, but no more than $250. I would then sign up for the plan at $25/month and let <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dollarcostaveraging.asp" target="_blank">dollar cost averaging</a> work its magic. Those dividends and capital gains would also be reinvested.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I have mentioned <a href="http://affordableportfolio.blogspot.com/2011/08/introducing-affordable-portfolio.html" target="_blank">before</a>, this is not a recommendation to buy. It's up to you whether you should own this <i>Portfolio Pick</i> or not. Consult a financial expert if you need to. I currently do not own any shares of this fund.</div>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-38644681876136584502011-08-02T14:47:00.000-07:002011-08-03T12:57:11.813-07:00Out Of The Frying Pan...<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So our government pulled its head out of the proverbial a** and finally got a deal in place. Now can it avoid a possible downgrade in its debt from the "scary" S&P and Moody's? S&P did downgrade Japan back in January, and frankly the earthquakes and tsunamis did more damage to that country than the agency ever could.</span>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-60331830101918558652011-08-02T09:57:00.000-07:002011-08-10T10:57:03.170-07:00Introducing The Affordable Portfolio - Investments Anyone Can Buy<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sometimes I think that those in the world of financial media live under a rock. They have this assumption that the general public has a sizeable wad of cash to plow into the market. They'll put out a magazine article advising you to ADD THESE FUNDS TO YOUR PORTFOLIO </span><b style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">NOW!!! </b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The problem is many of these investments require anywhere from 3 to 10 thousand dollars just to get in. Sorry, but not all of us make six figures a year.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From time to time, a personal finance writer will crawl out from under that rock. He will notice that there are those who don't have a lot of money, but would like to put it to work. So he writes an article about mutual funds that can be bought for a pittance, gets it published, then crawls back under to rave about the next batch of inaccessible investments. He's done us a huge favor, but he is only one voice out of thousands. Affordable investing shouldn't have to be restricted to just a single page in magazines like <i>Kiplinger's </i>or <i>Money</i>.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is where I come in. Just like the writer mentioned in the previous paragraph, I too, am just one voice. Unlike him, I don't live under a rock. I want to show you that there financial products out there that can be yours for $500 or less. They are <i>still</i> out there. The investments I will profile include:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mutual Funds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cash and CD's</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stocks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Alternative Investments</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURE UP FRONT: </b>Just because I write about these products doesn't mean I am recommending them. Many of them I don't own myself. This website is for information purposes only. You should carefully consider whether they are suitable investments for you or not. Consult with a financial professional if you need to.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anyway, I should finish now. I promise to return soon with some ideas for your <i>Affordable Portfolio. </i>Until then, MANY HAPPY RETURNS!</span>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863059363982117698.post-81925920188281555262011-08-01T15:58:00.000-07:002011-08-03T12:56:23.175-07:00Before I Begin...<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here it is, one day before our government could default on its debt, and I'm starting a personal finance blog? Is it bad timing? Am I nuts? However this game of "congressional chicken" plays out, I'll stick to my mission. I will return with my first full post explaining this site's purpose.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stay tuned...</span>Justin Casehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852953373994638821noreply@blogger.com0