Independent Money & Investment Guide

© jeff_golden

A friend of ours was saying over dinner the other night that she is going to buy jewelry at www.goldsea24.com on the occasion of her wedding anniversary with her husband. He, tragically, passed away last year. She's going to get a pendant that she had told him she would've liked for their last anniversary. Unfortunately, he then took ill and their attention, of course, went elsewhere. We told her we think her idea is beautiful. It seems like a wonderful way to commemorate the anniversary of their tying the knot for the life they then enjoyed together. That got me to thinking, as I was about to make an investment in gold, that I'd like to take a portion of those funds and make another sort of investment in gold…that of giving a beautiful piece of gold jewelry to my wife. She knows I think she's golden in every way! I just want to give her something to symbolize this. Of course, I'm making this decision at a point where I already have a sound, diversified portfolio. So I'm in a position to make this change to one of the elements of our financial planning. With what happened to our friends, I don't see any reason to wait. I want to enjoy giving it to her and see her enjoy it for years to come!

© bisgovuk

Trading investment can be very risky. For many individuals, it is about learn and knowing what to do. Without proper knowledge, there can be many risks involved that could mean you lost a lot of money and savings. Finding professional expert advice and assistance can be an essential part of stock trading for many individuals. This can help provide the best support when engaging with the stock market.

The US broker Charles Schwab Corp is planning to buy equity options and futures trading company OptionsXpress Holdings in a $1 billion stock deal, designed to increase the brokerage's market share among active share trading clients. This move comes at a time when derivatives volume and profits remain strong relative to stocks.

Schwab has been known traditionally as a brokerage for longer-term investors, but CFO Joseph Matinetto said on a conference call that customers who trade options are their most economically valuable clients, as they average six times the trading activity of others. Executives predict that the company's average daily trade metrics will increase dramatically as a result of the acquisition, as the US options market continues to see strong growth. Retail trading in February options hit the highest level since October 2008.

© alancleaver_2000

Recently, I was there when my parents paid for the new flooring that they just had installed throughout most of their house. The satisfaction they felt was wonderful to see. They turned the moment into a lesson to show me the value of building sound investments, investments that would allow, for example, being able to accomplish things like the flooring renovation they had just done. They got beautiful Empire Carpet as well as some fabulous tiling from Empire Today. The new flooring completely transformed the house. As we walked around to admire the beautiful outcome, they pointed out that we were literally walking and standing on the fruits of their hard work and good investment strategies. I truly appreciated what they were conveying to me. Their message was indeed concretized by the very floors we were enjoying! My parents acknowledged that in these economic times, it can seem daunting, perhaps even too daunting, to venture into investments. However, they assured me that there are investments for every economy and it's a matter of sitting down and understanding what elements to consider, such as the type of investment, the timeframe and rate of the return you'd expect, and the risk level with which you are comfortable.