Becoming rich is, undoubtedly, a universal wish. If you too fall in the millionaire-aspirants category, presented below are some important financial tenets that will surely help you achieve your dream.
1. If your friends determine your worth by what phone you own, it's time to get better friends, not better phones.
Smartphones have many features. But they also cost much more than a basic phone. It wouldn't be 'financially' wise to buy a smartphone, if you don't need to run advanced applications. When a simple phone serves your purpose, why waste money on the 'needless' features. (By the way, I have observed that, forget about using them, many people aren�� even aware of the various features in their phone.)
Instead, save this money and invest it wisely. Many, however, won�� think so. They are of the opinion that their prestige comes from the type of phone they own��nd hence needless outflow of money.
This is just one example of money pointlessly draining out from your pockets. What about the costly branded products with little or no additional utility excepting the 'tag'; the luxury cars or gadgets to flaunt; or the frequent dinners at expensive restaurants?
5 Best Defensive Stocks To Own Right Now: El Paso Electric Company (EE)
El Paso Electric Company, a public utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity primarily in west Texas and southern New Mexico. It principally operates nuclear, natural gas, and coal power plants, as well as wind turbines. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned 6 electrical generating facilities with a net generating capacity of approximately 1,643 megawatts. It serves approximately 370,000 residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, and wholesale customers. The company sells its products to electric utilities and power marketers, as well as to oil and copper refining, and steel production facilities, universities, and the United States military installations. El Paso Electric Company was founded in 1901 and is based in El Paso, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tyler Crowe]
If we were to pinpoint a company that�embodies�this�success�as of late, it's First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR ) . It just sold a 139 megawatt facility to�utility�giant -- and large coal consumer -- Southern (NYSE: SO ) , and recently signed a power purchase deal with El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE ) that will supply El Paso with electricity for half what it pays for power from coal. These deals also come with the announcement that the company upped guidance earlier in April which sent share prices up by 46% in one day.�
- [By Tyler Crowe]
It may have been a long time coming, but the technology for renewable fuels is very close to the point that they can can compete on the open market against traditional energy sources. First Solar just recently announced a deal with El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE ) that it will sell electricity to El Paso from its Macho Springs solar facility for 5.79 cents per kilowatt hour, less than half what El Paso pays for electricity from coal. Also, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission has stated that 83% of all additional energy generation in the U.S. for Q1 2013 came from either wind or solar facilities. Perhaps the route to developing better solutions wasn't the smoothest, but it's hard to deny the overall outcome.�
5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA (HRTPY.PK)
HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA, formerly BN 16 Participacoes Ltda, is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the oil and gas industry. The Company is primarily involved in the exploration and production (E&P) of oil and natural gas in Brazil and Namibia. Through its subsidiaries, it is active in the geophysical and geological research, exploration, development, production, import, export and sale of oil and natural gas, as well as in the provision of air logistics services in transporting people and equipment related to oil and gas activities in the exploratory campaign in the Solimoes Basin. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had seven subsidiaries, including Integrated Petroleum Expertise Company Servicos em Petroleo Ltda (IPEX), HRT O&G Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, HRT Netherlands BV, HRT America Inc, HRT Africa, HRT Canada Inc and Air Amazonia Servicos Aereos Ltda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By stanh30]
In 2010 Brazil�� HRT Participacoes em Petroleo S.A. (HRTPY.PK) raised $1.5 billion in an IPO to fund a highly touted and highly expensive oil & gas exploration campaign in both the Amazon and offshore Namibia. Management was very promotional and overpromised and underdelivered. The three exploration wells in Namibia were all failures and the Conclusion of Solimoes Gas Monetization Study leads the market (myself included) to conclude that there is little or no present value in the discoveries in the Solimoes basin. The stock has lost 85% in just the last year, and over 97% in the last three years. Early investors like Southeastern Asset Management have lost most of their money and have either given up or believe the market cap has become too small and insignificant to warrant further examination.
5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: Kemper Corp (KMPR)
Kemper Corporation (Kemper), formerly Unitrin, Inc., incorporated in 1990, is a diversified insurance holding company, with subsidiaries that provide life, health, automobile, homeowners and other insurance products to individuals and small businesses. The Company is engaged, through its subsidiaries, in the property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance and automobile finance businesses. The Company conducts its operations through four operating segments: Kemper Preferred (Preferred), Unitrin Specialty (Specialty), Unitrin Direct (Direct) and Life and Health Insurance. On September 14, 2011, its subsidiary, Fireside Bank sold its loan portfolio to a subsidiary of Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.
Property and Casualty Insurance Business
The Company's property and casualty insurance business operations are primarily conducted through the Preferred, Specialty and Direct segments. In addition, the Life and Health Insurance segment�� career agents also sell property insurance to its customers. Its insurance subsidiaries operating in the Preferred, Specialty and Direct segments provide automobile, homeowners, fire, and other types of property and casualty insurance to individuals and commercial automobile insurance to businesses. During the year ended December 31, 2011, automobile insurance in these segments accounted for 54% of its consolidated insurance premiums earned from continuing operations, and 47% of its consolidated revenues from continuing operations. During 2011, homeowners insurance in these segments accounted for 14% of its consolidated insurance premiums earned from continuing operations, and 11% of its consolidated revenues from continuing operations.
Preferred and Specialty segments distribute their products through independent agents who are paid commissions for their services. Direct segment distributes its products directly to consumers and through employer-sponsored voluntary benefit programs and other affinity relationships.! Preferred, based in Jacksonville, Florida, conducts business in 38 states and the District of Columbia. During 2011, the states, which provided over half of the premium revenues in Preferred segment included New York (19%), California (12%), North Carolina (13%) and Texas (10%). Preferred segment primarily sells preferred and standard risk automobile and homeowners insurance. During 2011, Preferred�� insurance products accounted for 53% of the aggregate insurance premium revenues of the Company�� property and casualty insurance business. Its products are marketed by approximately 2,700 independent insurance agents. Specialty, based in Dallas, Texas, conducts business in 21 states, principally in the southwest and western United States. During 2011, the states, which provided more than three-fourths of the premium revenues in Specialty segment included California (42%), Texas (18%), Washington (8%), Louisiana (4%) and Oregon (3%). Specialty provides personal and commercial automobile insurance. During 2011, Specialty�� insurance products accounted for 28% of the aggregate insurance premium revenues of the Company�� property and casualty insurance business. Specialty�� products are marketed through approximately 8,000 independent agents and brokers.
Direct, based in Chicago, Illinois, markets personal automobile, homeowners and renters insurance through a range of direct-to-consumer Websites, including its own Websites, marketing partners, employer and other affinity-sponsored relationships. The Direct segment�� automobile insurance products are available in 48 states and the District of Columbia. During 2011, the states, which provided approximately two-thirds of the premium revenues in Unitrin Direct segment included Florida (12%), New York (15%), California (10%), Texas (5%), Connecticut (5%), Michigan (8%), Pennsylvania (5%) and Georgia (5%). During 2011, Direct�� insurance products accounted for 14% of the aggregate insurance premium revenues of its property and casualty i! nsurance ! business.. Direct also offers homeowners and renters insurance across 47states and the District of Columbia, complementing its direct automobile insurance business. The Company manages its exposure to catastrophes and other natural disasters through a combination of geographical diversification, restrictions on the amount and location of new business production in certain regions, and reinsurance. To limit its exposures to catastrophic events, the Company maintains various primary catastrophe reinsurance programs for its property and casualty insurance businesses.
Life and Health Insurance Business
The Company�� Life and Health Insurance segment consists of Kemper�� wholly owned subsidiaries, United Insurance Company of America (United Insurance), The Reliable Life Insurance Company (Reliable), Union National Life Insurance Company (Union National Life), Mutual Savings Life Insurance Company (Mutual Savings Life), United Casualty Insurance Company of America (United Casualty), Union National Fire Insurance Company (Union National Fire), Mutual Savings Fire Insurance Company (Mutual Savings Fire) and Reserve National Insurance Company (Reserve National). As discussed below, United Insurance, Reliable, Union National Life, Mutual Savings Life, United Casualty, Union National Fire and Mutual Savings Fire (the Kemper Home Service Companies) distribute their products through a network of employee, or career, agents. Reserve National distributes its products through a network of exclusive independent agents. Both these career agents and independent agents are paid commissions for their services. During 2011, the states, which provided approximately two-thirds of the Life and Health Insurance segment�� premium revenues included Texas (21%), Louisiana (11%), Alabama (7%), Mississippi (6%), Illinois (4%), Florida (4%), Georgia (4%), Missouri (4%), and North Carolina (4%). During 2011, life insurance accounted for 18% of the Company�� consolidated insurance premiums earned from ! continuing! operations, and 16% of its consolidated revenues from continuing operations.
The Kemper Home Service Companies, based in St. Louis, Missouri, focus on providing individual life and health insurance products to customers of modest incomes who desire basic protection for themselves and their families. Their product is ordinary life insurance, including permanent and term insurance. Face amounts of these policies are lower than those of policies sold to higher income customers by other companies in the life insurance industry. Approximately 79% of the Life and Health Insurance segment�� premium revenues are generated by the Kemper Home Service Companies. The Life and Health Insurance segment�� career agents also distribute certain property insurance products. Reserve National, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is licensed in 35 states throughout the south, southwest and midwest, and specializes in the sale of Medicare Supplement insurance and limited health insurance coverages, such as fixed indemnity, dental and vision, and accident-only plans, primarily to individuals in rural areas where access to a multitude of health plan options is less prevalent.
The Company's life and health insurance companies utilize reinsurance arrangements. Included among the segment�� reinsurance arrangements is excess of loss reinsurance coverage specifically designed to protect against losses arising from catastrophic events under the property insurance policies distributed by the Kemper Home Service Companies��agents and written by Kemper�� subsidiaries, United Casualty, Union National Fire and Mutual Savings Fire, and reinsured by Kemper�� subsidiary, Trinity Universal Insurance Company (Trinity), or written by Capitol County Mutual Fire Insurance Company (Capitol), a mutual insurance company owned by its policyholders, and its subsidiary, Old Reliable Casualty Company (ORCC), and reinsured by Trinity.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
The property and casualty business of insurance company Kemper� (NYSE: KMPR ) has a new bean counter.
On Monday, the Chicago-based insurance company�announced�that Elizabeth "Libbie" Bock�will take on the role of CFO for the P&C division, where she would be�responsible for all aspects of operations, reporting, control, planning and analysis, financial management, and competitive analysis.
5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: IB Securities Joint Stock Co (VIX)
IB Securities Joint Stock Company, formerly XuanThanh Securities Joint Stock Company is a Vietnam-based company engaged in the provision of investment services. It provides securities brokerage services through multiple forms, such as VOpen, VSHM, VTrade, VPhone, VMobile and VSMS. The Company is also involved in securities trading, as well as the provision of investment advice, custody services and underwriting services. In addition, it provides financial services for corporate events, such as corporate restructurings, equitizations, stock listings, share auctions, mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings and bond offerings. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lu Wang]
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), the gauge of S&P 500 options prices known as the VIX, jumped 10 percent to 15.46. The measure has advanced 18 percent this week.
- [By Howard Gold]
Bullish sentiment is rampant, the CBOE Volatility index (VIX) is bumping along its recent lows, and price/earnings ratios for stocks are entering high, if not nosebleed, altitudes. That makes things ripe for a decent correction after a surprisingly strong summer rally.
- [By Lindsey Rupp]
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), which measures the cost of using options as insurance against declines in the S&P 500, fell 2.7 percent to 12.84 today. The gauge, known as the VIX, is down 29 percent this year and in March reached its lowest level since February 2007.
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