Happy Thanksgiving!

From MarketAmericaBlog

Below is a Thanksgiving message from JR Ridinger, CEO & President of Market America/Shop.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

on November 27, 2014

In today’s fast-paced world it’s rare for us to really pause and reflect on all the things we are grateful for – but that’s exactly what this special day is for. This Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for – a beautiful and brilliant wife who inspires me on a daily basis, two incredible daughters who’ve grown to become amazing young women, brothers and friends who are always there for me, my son Duane and my grandson Ayden – all of these things mean the world to me. I am beyond blessed and truly thankful for all the amazing people in my life, and all the opportunities I have to share the UnFranchise Business with the world.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow UnFranchise Owners! Together we have so much to be thankful for – but I’m thankful just to have the opportunity to work with each and every one of you – some directly and some indirectly – but we’re all on the same team, chasing the same goals. Your dreams are my dreams, and together we will make them all come true. I am truly thankful to have that opportunity with you.

I hope you all enjoy this very special day with your families and friends, and take time to reflect on what you are most thankful for too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-JR Ridinger

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! On this day, as we gather with family and friends to share a meal, let us remember all the Blessings bestowed upon us for which we all take for granted - such as our health, our loved ones and peace and happiness we all enjoy!

How to Make Money in Biotech Stocks, No M.D. Required

From DailyWealth

How to Make Money in Biotech Stocks, No M.D. Required
By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
Tuesday, November 25, 2014

"If you catch just one biotech bull market in your lifetime, you may never have to work again..."

I've written that many times in our research. Why? Because biotech booms are like nothing else in American investing...

The potential gains – without leverage – are extraordinary. As one example, biotech stocks gained over 600% in their three-year bull run ending in 2000.

That wasn't a one-off occurrence... Biotech stocks have delivered triple-digit returns (or near-triple-digit returns) in many calendar years (based on the Datastream U.S. Biotech Index). Take a look:

Year	Percent Return
1985	146%
1989	64%
1990	104%
1991	170%
1995	88%
1998	75%
1999	147%

It has been 15 years since we've seen a triple-digit year in biotech stocks. We're due for a great run in biotech. And right now, I believe we're in the middle of it...

 

Is there a way for you to make money here, even if you're not an M.D. or some other type of medical expert?

 

I think there is... and it's much simpler than you think. Let me explain...

 

Paul Tudor Jones is a billionaire... He became a billionaire through investing. In the latest book by Tony Robbins, he says:

 

"You don't need to go to business school; you've only got to remember two things. The first is, you always want to be with whatever the predominant trend is."

 

That's how Paul Tudor Jones made his fortune – by sticking with the trend. History shows that Paul Tudor Jones' philosophy is right on the money when it comes to biotech stocks (you just want to change "business school" in his quote to "medical school").

 

In short, you want to stick with the predominant trend when it is going up. And most importantly, you want to get OUT when it is going down.

 

Why? Paul Tudor Jones explains it:

 

"The whole trick in investing is, how do you keep from losing everything? If you use the 200-day moving-average rule, then you get out. You play defense, and you get out."

Read more from DailyWealth >>

Yogurt May Cut Type 2 Diabetes Risk

From Forbes


Yogurt May Cut Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Alice G. Walton | Contributor, I cover health, medicine, psychology and neuroscience.

Yogurt has approached wonder-food status in recent years, as studies have suggested that it may help everything from irritable bowel syndrome to depression to high blood pressure. Now, research out in BMC Medicine suggests it’s also linked to lower risk for type 2 diabetes, a disease that currently affects some 366 million people worldwide, and is expected to affect many millions more by the year 2030. In the new study, other forms of dairy like milk and cheese, did not offer the same kind of protection as yogurt for diabetes risk. Which sounds like good news for yogurt devotees — as long as you don’t mind the fact that no one quite understands how the relationship works.

The study culled data from 41,497 participants from the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study, which included male dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, osteopathic physicians and podiatrists; 67,138 from the Nurses’ Health Study; and 85,884 from Nurses’ Health Study II. Participants were queried every two years about their dietary habits and followed for up to 30 years to determine their health outcomes.

Over 15,000 of the three studies’ participants developed diabetes over the years. There was no correlation between dairy consumption and diabetes risk at all — with one exception: Yogurt was linked to a significantly lower risk of diabetes. And this was true even after controlling for factors linked to diabetes risk like body mass index (BMI) and diet. The team then pulled in data from previous studies to add to theirs, and calculated that 28 grams of yogurt per day was linked to an 18% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Other research has pointed to a similar connection between yogurt and diabetes. The problem is that no one quite understands why the link exists. But there are some theories: Frank Hu, the study’s lead author and researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, tells me that “The mechanisms are not well understood at this point. One hypothesis is that the probiotics in yogurt may help to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, but this hypothesis needs to be tested in randomized clinical trials.” He adds that other theories suggest that it’s simply the high protein content of yogurt that can increase satiety and reduce the sensation of hunger. “Several studies have found that higher yogurt consumption improves body weight.” But there seems to be more going on than just body weight: It could be the magnesium, calcium, or whey in yogurt that leads to improved metabolic health and therefore a reduced risk of diabetes.

Read more from Forbes >>

Do you have a taste for healthy foods?

From Mayo Clinic Nutrition and healthy eating


Do you have a taste for healthy foods?

By Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. August 24, 2011

You might not consider flavor as being a key player in prevention of disease or promotion of health. However, your perception of flavors contributes greatly to your acceptance and general liking of foods. For example, if you don't like the taste of vegetables, it's a good bet you avoid them. How then can you eat a healthy, balanced diet?

Instead of focusing on what you don't like, try focusing on what you do. Let's start with sweet — a flavor preference for most people. Did you know that some vegetables — sugar snap peas, red bell peppers and corn — have a sweet taste? Even onions can be sweet when you caramelize them. Another vegetable to try is winter squash. Cut in half or quarter and roast or microwave to have an easy meal of mildly sweet, slightly earthy flavors and soft texture that merits inclusion in the comfort food category. Not sweet enough for you? Peel, dice and roast the squash until slightly brown to experience a sweeter taste.

Maybe sweet isn't your first preference. The following options offer a mild sweetness that along with their other attributes might appeal to you. If you like foods that are crisp and crunchy, try jicama. You can cut it into thin strips and add it to a pita or wrap sandwich. In addition to flavor, you'll get fiber and vitamin C. Cucumbers are another good combination of cool and crisp. Mix them in vinegar for a stronger, pungent flavor.

But perhaps savory flavors are more to your liking. Mushrooms are a good bet. Try them sauteed. Or toss them in a stir fry, on a salad or in a sandwich.

Read more from Mayo Clinic Nutrition and healthy eating >>

Power Profile: Holly & Rick Howroyd

Power Profile: Holly & Rick Howroyd

"I was able to leave my corporate career at the age of 36 and all the stress that went along with
it and I  have been completely independent for the last 14 years...."

"We have a storefront 24 hours a day, we have 3500 plus merchants and partnerships...."

Why do we age? Surprising revelations from a worm

From Harvard School of Public Health


Why do we age? Surprising revelations from a worm

HSPH’s Will Mair hopes his work in worms will identify molecules that have an effect on aging-related diseases—and which could ultimately be tested as treatments for humans.

“How old you are is immutable—you can’t change how old an animal is,” says William Mair, assistant professor of genetics and complex diseases at HSPH. “But you can change how it ages.”

That observation points to a new way of thinking about aging: not as a preordained decline, but as a malleable function of the body. And viewed in this way, aging belongs at the center of public health research. Rather than just treating endpoints—such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, cancer, and neurodegeneration—could researchers improve population health by targeting the aging process itself?

Mair’s young lab, launched last November, is trying to answer that question.  “It’s not enough to say it’s inevitable that we get more frail,” says Mair. “There’s something that happens that makes an old animal more susceptible to getting these disease states. For example, if you look at cancer, one of the most common age-related diseases, it’s clearly not one pathology. Similar tumors can result from very different mutations in different individuals. Trying to find those specific mutations is one way to do research. But if you could make the environment more resistant to developing tumors in the first place, you can try to reduce the chances of getting cancer with age.”

Mair first became intrigued with aging as an evolutionary question: If infirmity isn’t just a product of wear and tear, why do we age at all? His research began with an observation known since the 1930s: A diet severely restricted in calories (about 30 percent below normal, but above starvation levels) can increase lifespan, lower rates of cancer, and slow declines in memory and movement. This effect, first seen in laboratory rats, has been replicated in species as diverse as yeast, fruit flies, worms, and even rhesus monkeys. Further research has uncovered genetic mutations in animals that can mimic the effects of dietary restriction, and some of these same mutations are found in people who live into their 90s.

But laboratory-manipulated longevity also comes with a price. Restricted-diet animals grow more slowly, reproduce less, and have dampened immune systems. More than just cutting calories, dietary restriction seems to switch the body into a survival mode in which growth and energy consumption are suppressed.

Read more from Harvard School of Public Health >>

GRANTHAM: The Stock Market Will Run Deep Into A Bubble Before It Crashes

Jeremy Grantham is one of the best in this business of forecasting.



From BusinessInsider

GRANTHAM: The Stock Market Will Run Deep Into A Bubble Before It Crashes

SAM RO

You could argue that Jeremy Grantham is bullish.

In a new quarterly letter to GMO clients, the gloomy veteran fund manager predicts the S&P 500 could see another 10% surge from the 2,041 level we're at today.

"My personal fond hope and expectation is still for a market that runs deep into bubble territory (which starts... at 2250 on the S&P 500 on our data) before crashing as it always does," he wrote.

We should remind you that exactly a year ago when the S&P 500 was at around 1,790, Grantham made a medium-term prediction that the market could see gains of 20% to 30% in one to two years. That call was actually more bullish than the typically bullish forecasts of Wall Street's sell-side strategists.

So far, the market is almost perfectly tracking Grantham's prediction, which only makes us more nervous about his calls for a crash.

Purgatory Of Low Returns

To be clear, don't mistake Grantham's near-term forecast as him being bullish. He and his GMO colleagues are rather bearish on stocks. GMO's James Montier described the firm's base-case scenario for the next seven years as a "purgatory of low returns."

"On our data, with U.S. large cap equities offering negative returns (-1.5%) except for high quality stocks (+2.2%), with foreign developed and emerging equities overpriced (+3.7%), and with bonds and cash also very unattractive, investors have to twist and turn to find even a semi-respectable portfolio," Grantham noted. "It is a particularly tough process today with nowhere to hide and no very good investments compared to, say, the time around the 2000 bubble when there were several."

Read more from BusinessInsider >>

Small Caps Are Issuing a Clear Warning

From InvestorPlace


Small Caps Are Issuing a Clear Warning
Multiple indicators are telling investors to take profits here

By Sam Collins, InvestorPlace Chief Technical Analyst  |  Nov 14, 2014

The S&P 500 and Dow industrials broke to new highs early Thursday, but fell back to close with only modest gains. The small-cap Russell 2000 underperformed, dropping nearly 1%.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) reported its first quarterly sales increase since 2012, and same-store sales rose 0.5%. Management reduced its full-year earnings forecast to $4.92 to $5.02 per share versus a prior estimate of $4.90 to $5.15. Despite this, shares rose 4.7% and contributed 24 points to the Dow’s gain.

J C Penney Company Inc (JCP) fell 8.5% after reporting lower-than-expected Q3 revenue.

Big technology stocks did well, with Apple Inc. (AAPL), Intel Corporation (INTC), and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) gaining. Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) led, up 2.3% after beating earnings estimates.

Initial jobless claims increased to 290,000 while analysts expected 280,000. Job openings decreased to 4.735 million in September from 4.853 million in August.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 41 points to 17,653, the S&P 500 gained 1 point at 2,039, the Nasdaq was up 5 points to 4,680, and the Russell 2000 fell 11 points to 1,175.

The NYSE’s primary market traded less than 7 million shares with total volume of 3.4 billion shares. The Nasdaq crossed 1.9 billion shares. On both exchanges, decliners outpaced advancers by about 2-to-1.




Read more from InvestorPlace >>

Market Singapore Launch: A Huge Success

From BeingJRRidinger


Market Singapore Launch: A Huge Success



This week’s grand opening of Market Singapore was a huge success! It was a tremendous launch event with a full house of over 600 UFO’s who are all excited to be a part of this movement.

Read more from BeingJRRidinger >>

Why Aren't Millennials Saving Money?

From YahooFinance

Why Aren't Millennials Saving Money?

The Atlantic By Bourree Lam | November 12, 2014

I remember one thing very clearly about the times I applied for an apartment with my friends, and eventually with my boyfriend—we always submitted our tax returns and bank statements individually to our broker to avoid addressing a sensitive issue: how much was in our bank accounts. Talking about how much savings one has is probably on par with comparing salaries in terms of social faux pas. That said, it might be motivating, if a bit embarrassing, when your peers have a bigger salary or savings account than you do.

But perhaps for Millennials, as compared to previous generations, this conversation is easy, because the common answer to that question is: zilch. Commiserating about how to work and live in an expensive city while traveling and trying to save money is practically a Millennial pastime.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that adults under 35 have a savings rate of -2 percent, according to Moody's Analytics. The report said that in 2009, the savings rate of those under 35 was 5.2 percent.

That Americans don't save enough is certainly true: the U.S. personal savings rate has been plummeting since the early 1980s. For Millennials, their debt makes it even harder to save. A Wells Fargo survey of Millennials reported that 47 percent spend at least half their paychecks relieving various kinds of debt (credit card, mortgage, student loan, etc.). With student loan debt in the U.S. hitting the $1 trillion mark, Pew reports that 37 percent of U.S. households have student debt, with the median debt standing at $13,000.

This is paired with the fact that Millennials are more skeptical than ever of banks—perhaps not surprising for a generation that came of age during the Great Recession and Occupy Wall Street. One study named the financial industry as one least liked by Millennials—with Bank of America and Citigroup being the most hated.

Read more from YahooFinance >>

43 Meals Everyone Should Eat In Their Lifetime

Came across this mouth watering article about food and could not resist to share it......enjoy.


From BusinessInsider


43 Meals Everyone Should Eat In Their Lifetime

JENNIFER POLLAND AND MELISSA STANGER
NOV. 10, 2014,

A memorable meal can define a destination and keep you salivating for years to come.

From unpretentious fried fish tacos in Baja, Mexico, to the foraged tasting menu at Copenhagen's Noma (the best restaurant in the world), we found 43 meals that are worth traversing the planet for.

Foodies will want to put these spots on their travel bucket list.


Lobster roll from Bar Harbor, Maine.




Slurp up a bowl of steaming hot Pho, a tangy beef noodle soup, in Hanoi, Vietnam.





Feast on a juicy, dry-aged steak from the famous Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn, New York.


Read more from BusinessInsider >>

To your wealth & health - to your whealth

Chris Hamilton: Is the Printing of the Japanese Yen the Poison Pill for Gold??? The More Yen Japan Prints, the Lower the Price of Gold…Until???

From Biderman's Money Blog


Chris Hamilton: Is the Printing of the Japanese Yen the Poison Pill for Gold??? The More Yen Japan Prints, the Lower the Price of Gold…Until???

Nov 05, 2014

Yen weakness is relative dollar strength is gold weakness…or said otherwise in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. If the correlation hasn’t become obvious by now…the carry trade around the Yen and the BOJ’s plan to depreciate or bust seems to have rather outsized impacts across the market spectrum. My interest is the relationship of gold and the Yen. Seems the weakening of the Yen is driving the price of gold…down. Of course the Yen’s weakness is conversely the dollar’s relative strength…but from ’09 and particularly since Japan’s December 2012 turn to “Abenomics”, Gold and the Yen have moved tick for tick. The more Yen Japan prints, the farther the price of gold falls…ahhhh the irony that gold, the finite measuring stick of infinite currencies, seems now only to be measuring the depths TPTB will go to hide currencies relative worth!

Note in the chart below the relatively mild dollar movement vs. the strong correlation of gold vs. the Yen…particularly gaining strength since the onset of “Abenomics” in late 2012.




Read more from 

3 Habits Highly Productive People Do Every Day, Even If They're 'Too Busy'

From HuffingtonPost


3 Habits Highly Productive People Do Every Day, Even If They're 'Too Busy'

Daniel DiPiazza | Founder of Rich20Something | 11/06/2014

"Productivity" is such a buzz word these days that hundreds of books, apps and systems have popped up hoping to teach us the magic formula.

But at the end of the day, really getting the most out of your life comes down to the fundamentals.

Successful people have known for years that to stay productive, it's essential to build habits that organize your day and help you get the most out of your time.

Here are 3 of the most powerful habits that highly productive people do every day -- even when they're pressed for time.

1.) They're early risers.
There was probably a period of time in your life where it was easy stay up late into the night (or early into the next morning) trying to get things done. If your anything like me, however, that period was over a long time ago.

Recently, I've come to realize that all eight-hour periods just aren't created equally.

Going to bed at 10 p.m. and waking up at 6 or 7 a.m. is exponentially better than going to bed at 3 a.m. and waking up at 10 or 11 a.m., even thought the time frame is the same. I've tested this over and over again and the evidence is pretty clear: I don't perform well if I stay up past 11 p.m.-ish.

Early risers really do have a distinct advantage when it comes to mental clarity, acuity and energy. Simply put: Waking up early works better than any other strategy for becoming more productive. But you have to make sure you get enough sleep to back it up. So get to bed!

I've had to give myself a bedtime and be my own parent by ruthlessly enforcing it -- which is harder than it seems, because I've been programmed to stay up late for so many years.

2.) They start every day with an intention, focus or meditation.
Starting your day with a clear idea of what you want to do changes everything.

Have you ever had a day where as soon as you woke up, there were already missed calls, text messages and emails screaming for your attention -- and you felt like you were struggling to stay afloat before breakfast? Oh, that sounds like every day, you say? That needs so stop.

If you like, you can meditate. You know, cross-legged, a candle, with some nice music playing in your ridiculously expensive Beats headphones.

But if that's too much, you can just "take 10."

Take 10 quick breaths, think about your main objectives for the day, and then get moving. This seems too simple to have an effect, but it's not. If you're used to getting up already in battle mode, then you've probably forgotten how it feels to have a moment to yourself.

Take a few of those minutes back and refocus yourself. It really helps.

You can also use that time to create a better to-do list. Here's how to create a to-do list that practically does itself.

3.) They train their bodies.
Working out is probably the highest leverage tool in your arsenal that can make you feel predictably better and keeps you both physically and emotionally healthy year round. If you want to have the mental energy to take on a large workload, and you have a full calendar of to-do's that people want from you -- you have to be in the gym.


Read more from HuffingtonPost >>

A 27-year-old millionaire reveals how he built his wealth

From YahooFinance


A 27-year-old millionaire reveals how he built his wealth

By Mandi Woodruff  |  Yahoo Finance


Anton Ivanov isn’t your average millionaire.

For starters, he’s barely 27 years old, he doesn’t work in Silicon Valley and he isn’t heir to a family fortune. He doesn’t live in a tiny house or get his food from a compost garden in his backyard, either.

Ivanov, who shares wealth-building tips on his blog, Financessful.com, made his million the old-fashioned way: He read books. He saved early and often. And he started planning his rise to millionaire status before most kids his age had their driver’s license.

“I’m a testament that if you want something bad enough and you keep working towards it ... you will get to where you want to go,” he says. "It was my habits and my principles that made me rich."

Here’s how he did it.

Starting young

A decade ago, Ivanov was like any other teenager in the U.S.. He went to high school, earned decent grades, and held down a minimum-wage job at Subway. His parents, who had moved his family from their native Russia in 2002, both worked full time — his mother as an attorney, his father as an accountant. They lived a moderately middle-class life in the suburbs of San Diego.

But Ivanov realized early on that there was something different about his new neighbors — they all seemed a lot wealthier than his family. His parents were heavy spenders and harbored a deep mistrust of financial services. He couldn’t quite blame them — they had moved to the U.S. just a few years after living through one of the worst depressions in Russian history. But at the same time, he felt like he was missing something.

“In high school, there was pretty much no financial education and my parents wouldn’t talk to me about money,” he says. “Everything I learned about money I had to learn myself.”

He devoured books on wealth building. An early favorite was “Think and Grow Rich,” the 1937 classic by Napoleon Hill, which details strategies that can be used to overcome psychological barriers to wealth.

“That book was extremely influential,” Ivanov says. “It wasn’t a ‘how to get rich’ book but it gave me a vision and a mental system that I could use to achieve pretty much anything I wanted.”

At age 16, he had one goal in mind: become a millionaire.

College or career?

Read more  from YahooFinance >>

Individual investor winning, not the pros: Gartman

Is it a surprise the pros got it all wrong?


From YahooFinance

Individual investor winning, not the pros: Gartman

By Michelle Fox, CNBC

With the U.S. stock market at all-time highs , just weeks after experiencing a selloff, closely followed Dennis Gartman told CNBC Friday every time he tries to move to the sidelines it proves to be the "absolutely wrong thing to do."

"It seems like all of the pros are the ones not doing well in the market," he said in an interview with " Closing Bell ."

"It seems like the public that sits tight and just allows monetary policy and stronger economic environs to carry share prices higher do quite well."

On Oct. 16., the founder and publisher of "The Gartman Letter" told CNBC that the selloff was the start of a bear market . He ate his words last week, admitting it was the wrong call.

On Friday, he reiterated his belief that it is still a bull market.

"It's the smart guys, the pros who keep trying to call tops and every time we try to do it, it makes us look sillier and sillier," Gartman said.

For those who want to get into the market, he said there is still time.

"If you haven't been involved probably getting dramatically involved at this point might not be the best of all worlds. But should you be involved? Absolutely," he said.

Read more from YahooFinance >>

Meat on the Side: Modern Menus Shift the Focus to Vegetables

From Off Duty WSJ


Meat on the Side: Modern Menus Shift the Focus to Vegetables

Anchoring a plate with a massive hunk of animal protein is so last century. But let’s face it: Vegetarianism isn’t for everyone. Increasingly, chefs like Jody Adams in Boston, Michael Solomonov in Philadelphia and Alain Ducasse in Paris are finding delicious ways to strike a balance between health and hedonism

By JANE BLACK  |  Oct. 31, 2014

MICHAEL SCELFO used to be the ultimate man’s cook. At the Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square, the 290-pound chef turned out all manner of charcuterie and innards, and enormous portions of everything else.

Before he opened his new restaurant, Alden & Harlow, also in Cambridge, Mass., in January, Mr. Scelfo put himself on a diet. He cut carbs and dairy, started eating a lot more vegetables and lost 95 pounds in a year. “It dramatically affected the way I cook,” he said. His menu still features a burger and a steak. But most of Mr. Scelfo’s dishes use meat as an accent, if at all. Among Alden & Harlow’s current offerings are smoked burrata crostini with fried kale, burnt honey and a thin slice of cured pork loin; crispy baby bok choy topped with a slow-cooked egg; and charred broccoli with squash hummus. “At the beginning, I’d have to send the broccoli out to people,” he said—free of charge. And they loved it. “When I see that feedback, my next question is: How do I up the ante?”

Chefs around the country, and the globe, are pushing meat from the center of the plate—and sometimes off it altogether. Trade, in Boston, serves polenta topped with fall squash, peppers, scallions and a scattering of pancetta, while at Zahav, in Philadelphia, roasted eggplant comes drizzled with lamb’s tongue vinaigrette. At New York’s Dovetail, a “vegetable-focused” menu features cured carrots with duck breast, cashews and black garlic. In September, Alain Ducasse, the godfather of French cuisine, announced that his flagship restaurant at the Plaza Athénée in Paris would remove most meat from the menu in favor of organic vegetables and seafood.

In short, an haute restaurant meal no longer has to deliver 8 ounces (or more) of meat plus a vegetable side. Increasingly, it is the opposite.

Several trends have converged in a perfect culinary storm. Awakened by the national obesity crisis, many Americans want to eat more healthfully—though perhaps not enough to leave the table hungry. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends eating red meat no more than twice a week. But chefs know that dividing the portions across many meals is a smarter strategy. Studies show that having even a little meat on the plate makes for more satisfied diners.

Read more from Off Duty WSJ >>

The Best Market for 100% Gains Right Now

From DailyWealth

The Best Market for 100% Gains Right Now

By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
Tuesday, November 4, 2014

"Chinese stocks have the potential to deliver triple-digit returns within 24 months," I explained on CNBC yesterday morning.

That was a bold thing to say on camera... but I believe it's absolutely possible... In fact, twice in the last decade, Chinese stocks have soared by triple digits within two years.

While on CNBC, I talked about the U.S. housing market and how I am putting my own money to work in real estate... I talked about how I believe the stock market could go much higher even in the face of higher interest rates... but the biggest opportunity that I talked about was China.

When China goes up, it can soar... In China's 2006-2007 bull market, Chinese stocks soared by 500%. It soared by more than 100% in its 2009 bull market as well. See for yourself:




Importantly, Chinese stocks today are just as cheap as they were when they started their last two triple-digit runs in 2006 and 2009. We are at the same starting point in value today as we were back then. You can see it clearly in this chart:



So China is cheap.

It is hated, too... Investors have been avoiding it in 2014. Ah... but that is what I like to see!

Read more from DailyWealth >>

Web sales are projected to grow 13% for November and December

Are you an observer of this growing worldwide internet commerce or are you an active participant, benefiting from explosive internet sales? If not, you ought to check out Market America / shop.com.



From InternetRetailer


Web sales are projected to grow 13% for November and December

BY ABBY CALLARD Associate Editor | November 3, 2014

Forrester Research projects consumers will buy $89 billion online in November and December, accounting for 14% of all retail spending. Among the factors driving growth are 3.4 million consumers shopping online for the first time.

Holiday web sales this year will grow 13% over last year, fueled by an influx of new web shoppers and increased mobile shopping, Forrester Research Inc. said today in an annual forecast of online retail sales during November and December. The research firm projects web sales during those two months will hit $89 billion and account for 14% of retail spending during those two months.

That’s a slower growth rate than last year, and there are reasons for that, says Forrester vice president and principal analyst Sucharita Mulpuru says. “While that figure represents 30% of all the e-commerce spend in 2014, it represents a deceleration in growth due to a shorter holiday selling season and capacity constraints in the package delivery network,” she writes in Forrester’s forecast on online holiday sales released today. For the past three years, the web sales growth rate has been steady at 15% after growing 16% in 2010.

Forrester’s holiday sales growth estimate is similar to that of Deloitte LLP, which projected online holiday retail sales and mail order purchases in the U.S. would increase between 13.5% and 14.0% this year compared with 2013.

During the 2014 holiday season, Forrester also expects to see 3.4 million new web shoppers. “The holiday season is a strong opportunity for new customer acquisition as web browsers are more likely to try e-commerce for the first time now than any other time of the year,” Mulpuru says.

Forrester also predicts each consumer will spend 10% more on average online than they have in the past. “As consumers become more tenured web shoppers, they buy more in other categories and shift spend away from traditional channels like stores and catalogs to the web.”

Read more from InternetRetailer >>

Pro: Attention investors, reallocate immediately

From YahooFinance

Pro: Attention investors, reallocate immediately

CNBC By Lee Brodie |  October 31, 2014

With the Dow Jones industrial average (Dow Jones Global Indexes: .DJI) at a record high and the S&P 500 (CME:Index and Options Market: .INX) within a stone's throw of its top mark, financial advisor Ric Edelman said Friday it's time to reallocate immediately.

"Rebalance now" with an increased weighting on stocks, the head of Edelman Financial Services said on CNBC's " Power Lunch ."


That is, rather than hold bonds or cash, Edelman believes long-term investors will be better served with equities.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean buy stocks today.

Edelman said rather than fear volatility, individual investors should hope for it-and leverage it.

Over the past several years, "when the market has dropped, it's been a buying opportunity," Edelman said.

Read More Markets are still addicted to money printing

And given all the tailwinds in the market, including the surprise move by the Bank of Japan to increase stimulus, Edelman sees every reason to embrace equities all the more.

Therefore, the next time shares sell off, don't panic. Instead, Edelman said, identify good companies and then buy on the decline.

Disclaimer

TheGrowthStockWire

From TheGrowthStockWire


Weekend Edition

TheGrowthStockWire
Saturday, November 1, 2014


 The dollar staged a strong rally following the Fed's announcement this week that it would end quantitative easing... And commodities, once again, got crushed.

The dollar and commodities have an inverse relationship... As the dollar goes up, commodity prices generally go down, and vice versa.

The main reason for this relationship is simple: Commodities are priced in dollars. A stronger dollar means it takes fewer dollars to a buy a given commodity. Likewise, when the dollar rises against a basket of foreign currencies, foreign buyers have less buying power.

 The dollar's recent parabolic move has crushed gold and silver. Gold and, to a lesser extent, silver are particularly vulnerable to dollar fluctuations. As we saw during the subprime crisis, gold prices soared as the world feared a collapse in the dollar.

Take a look at this chart of the dollar versus gold and silver over the past four months...



Even with the massive selloff in gold stocks, is it time to buy? We asked S&A Resource Report editor Matt Badiali for his thoughts...

Citing geology expert Brent Cook's presentation at the recent New Orleans Investment Conference, Matt noted that all-in gold production costs for major developers are more than $1,400 an ounce today. Meanwhile, the price of gold is less than $1,200 an ounce. Gold companies are selling every ounce of gold at a large loss... And miners are trying to stop the bleeding by cutting exploration and development costs. Think about that for a minute...

The only way these mining companies make money is by selling gold. Today, they're cutting spending on finding and building new gold deposits. Their shortsightedness today will ensure that when the market finally moves higher, they will have little gold to sell on the upswing. It's the classic commodities cycle.

Read more from TheGrowthStockWire >>

How Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg Conquer Fear to Succeed

From Inc.

How Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg Conquer Fear to Succeed

BY KEVIN DAUM  @KEVINJDAUM
Fear is the greatest obstacle to any entrepreneur. Success requires you to conquer it. Here is how the greats did it.

This country has a great admiration for entrepreneurs. Many people hold up leaders like Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg as heroes, maybe even gods. Some believe them to be invincible superheroes. But, every entrepreneur is human. And each has to battle their fears everyday in order to reach success. And for each fear they conquer, the better the entrepreneur they become.

1. Fear of Failure Failure is the most obvious fear for an entrepreneur. Successful entrepreneurs never lose this fear but rather harness its energy to drive harder, faster and better. And the best know that a bad failure means a great lesson.

2. Fear of Inadequacy Many wonder if they are good enough and smart enough to accomplish greatness. Successful entrepreneurs become great learners so they can fill gaps in their education. They also become masters of recruitment to fill gaps in their capabilities.

3. Fear of the Market Catching the market just right can be like surfing a giant wave all the way to the beach. But just like the ocean, if you miscalculate the wave's trajectory, it will slam you into the sand headfirst and crush you. Successful entrepreneurs show a healthy respect for market forces and study the dynamics so they can capitalize.

4. Fear of Fraud There are few who gain success without some sort of exaggeration of capability or connections. Successful entrepreneurs are careful not to stretch the truth far beyond reality. Even an inkling of legitimacy allows them to maintain credibility.

5. Fear of Selling Although the practice of sales is a necessary requirement for success, most people detest trying to push something on someone else. Successful entrepreneurs want their product or service to be the obvious choice. And they effectively use marketing to attract customers so fewer sales pitches are required.

6. Fear of Public Speaking Not every entrepreneur is a natural evangelist. Some have great ideas yet struggle to articulate them in front of a group of people. Successful entrepreneurs share their vision clearly, powerfully and succinctly. They know that they must be confident on the podium to inspire others to follow the vision.

7. Fear of Leadership Being a leader is a choice that weighs much heavier than just being a boss or starting a company. Successful entrepreneurs know that leadership is their number one priority. They study, listen and sacrifice to make sure the people that follow are continuously inspired, motivated and rewarded for their efforts.

8. Fear of Competition The bigger you get, the more likely someone will come gunning for you. So many people ignore or dismiss potential competitors only to be later surprised and sometimes killed in the battle. Successful entrepreneurs respect and study their competition. They create long-term strategies to differentiate in ways competitors can't follow easily.

Read more from Inc. >>