Many people view options as strictly a short term trading strategy. This is because the idea of a highly leveraged instrument with the potential to make big bucks quickly appeals to the gambler inside all of us. Just like a card counting black-jack player, options can be used to make significant short term gains, provided the user is careful, and knows what they’re doing. But while stock options are usually employed solely by that group of high-risk, high-reward traders, they actually have enormous benefits that tend to go unnoticed by many a long term investor.

The strategy I’m about to reveal is rarely used. In fact, I’ve only briefly heard mention of them on little known websites, and even then, not in enough detail to give an example. So here it is, what I believe may be the biggest secret kept from long term investors on main street. The stock option strategy for the long term investor.

Its the vertical option spread, using leap options. How this investment works is you buy one option, while simultaneously selling another option for the same month, but at a different strike price. While XYZ is typically my standard symbol, I will use a real company in this case. Keep in mind, this is NOT a recommendation. In fact, it would probably be a terrible idea to invest in the example I’m about to give. Its just an example. Yet to get realistic prices for this strategy, it may be helpful to use a actual stock.

note:I wrote this part of the article about a short time ago, prices may not be 100% current. So GE is currently at 10.41 per share. In this case, let us talk the January 2011 options, giving GE a large amount of time to go the way we believe it will. So if you thought GE was a good long term buy, it would be within reason to believe it is going to at least $20 per share by that point. By January 2011, many experts expect the recession to be over, and that single development alone should lead to a substantially higher stock price.

Buy one option to start the vertical spread, and sell a second option at a higher price to complete it. With our price target of at least $20, and given the current price, 10.41, I would buy the 12.50 strike call option, and sell the 17.50 strike call option. The 12.50 option can be bought for 2.71 at the moment, while the 17.50 can be sold for 1.40, giving us an overall cost basis of 1.31 per share for the vertical spread.

Now lets examine this trade for a second. If GE is trading below 12.50 on the January 2011 expiration, both options expire worthless, and the 1.31 per option spread invested is gone. On the other hand, if GE is trading above 17.50, then the 12.50 option will be worth exactly $5.00 more then the 17.50 option, and so the position has a value of $5.00 per share. If its between 12.50 and 17.50, the call we sold expires worthless, while the call we bought will have value equal to the difference between the stock price and the strike price; 12.50 in this case. How do you calculate the break even? Well we paid 1.31 for the vertical spread, so if its exactly 1.31 higher then 12.50 (13.81), then well be at break even if the stock is at that point.

That gives us an amazing return of 281% if GE is above 17.50, for an annualized return of 107% (holding period is 22 months). Due to the high potential for risk – a complete loss of investment if GE is below 12.50 in Jan 2011, you shouldn’t put more then you’re willing to risk in the trade. Definitely a speculative play. Yet given how much time there is, it’s a much safer bet then short term options, and significantly more profitable then just buying the shares.

So now that the basic idea is out of the way, what are some examples of vertical spreads I would consider? I’m a big believer in investing in emerging markets, so I am long term bullish on EEM (IShares MSCI Emerging Markets Investment Index). The January 2011 25-30 vertical on EEM is only going for about $1.88 at the moment, with EEM trading at 25.30 so I think that would be a wise investment. Above 30 it would be worth $5 at expiration, while below 25 it would be worthless. Unless the economy further deteriorates, I can not imagine that occurring.

Along the same lines, I expect FXI (iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index) to go up. The “China miracle” isn’t over, merely in a subdued state due to temporarily reduced demand. The 30-35 vertical Jan 11 vertical would be worth $5 at expiration if FXI is above 35, which from its current price of 28.51, isn’t much of a stretch. That vertical spread currently has a $2 price, so that would be an even 150% return from now until January 2011.

A much more controversial play would be Bank of America. While the trader in me screams to short the stock, I foresee it being far more valuable then it currently is a couple years from now. The simple reason is that yes; financial stocks have been hammered by the current collapse. Yes, some banking companies have gone bankrupt, or have been on the verge of bankruptcy. Is the financial system going to completely fail? No. Are out of control bank runs going to drive them out of business? No. Are banks going to be lending and making money again after this recession ends? YES! Is pent up demand in housing going to cause a rush to buy houses at prices not seen in a decade? YES! Are banks going to profit from this? Most DEFINITELY. If BAC is at or above 10 at the January 2011 expiration, the 7.50-10 vertical for Jan 2011 would be worth 2.50, while only costing about $0.65. That would give a 286% return, or 108% annualized. The risk of course, is that BAC goes bankrupt, or BAC flounders under the $7.50 per share mark past January 2011. In either case, you would lose your investment. Yet with prices as low as they are now, that isn’t very likely.

For many people, the financial markets are not the place to get rich quick. While some short term traders will have great success with these option strategies, long term investors can use these same strategies while focusing on the longer term, to achieve gains vastly exceeding those of the regular stock market, while limiting risk.

The real estate market has been suffering great losses in the United States due to bank foreclosures. Both bank foreclosures and pre-foreclosures are at all time highs and the homeowners and lenders are both suffering from it. Many honest, hard working American homeowners are suffering financial crisis due to the collapsing economy and are losing their homes at record highs. Some homeowners are forced to face bank foreclosure after getting behind on just a couple of payments. The ridiculously high interest rates and outrageous late fees are making things worse for both sides. How can the banks expect to get any extra money from the homeowners who are struggling just to pay the minimum payments?

If homeowners facing foreclosure can act quickly enough, they can go ahead and sell their home for low prices before the banks officially forecloses them. This is called “pre-foreclosure”. Pre-foreclosure is a grace period that is given to many homeowners who are close to foreclosure. During the pre-foreclosure period, the home still belongs to the borrowers and they have a right to sell it to interested buyers. The pre-foreclosure grace period can last anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months, varying from state to state.

The good news about the United States real estate crisis is that many low income Americans now have the opportunity to purchase good homes at affordable prices. Bank foreclosure homes are put up for sell for as low as 10% of the market value due to the lenders’ desires to regain some of their money quickly. This makes it easier for lower income families to afford a home for literally cents on the dollar. Houses that would normally be too expensive for many Americans to afford can now be sold to them for extremely low prices.

Investing in foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes and reselling them for much more is now an excellent way to earn a lot of money. For instance, you can buy foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes for 10% of their worth, and then resell them for 70% of their market value. Even if you’ve never had an interest in real estate before, the opportunities are abundant. But where will you find these opportunities?

There are many foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listing sites which will allow you electronic bids. Unfortunately though, many of them are only scams. Some so called “foreclosure” and “pre-foreclosure” listing sites will charge you a membership fee, but then neglect to give you access to promised listings! Many of these sites have no current listings at all and never update. They sure don’t mind taking your money though.

Fortunately there are plenty of honest foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings. Some can be found on real estate sites and some on government auction sites. So how can you tell the good from the bad? Well, you don’t have to! There are government auction review sites that will do the dirty work for you. Experts that oversee government auction reviews go digging into government auction offers and test their legitimacy based on certain criteria. They have tested and scored the top government auction membership sites that offer real government auction listings.

Many of these membership sites offer real, top deals on real estate, bank foreclosures, and contact information for the pre-foreclosure homes. Government auction review sites will let you know which ones are the best. Make sure you read government auction reviews before you begin bidding on foreclosure homes. You will receive the best advice and information about the real foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings!

I’m sure everyone knows by now about the real estate crisis going on all across the United States. Bank foreclosures and pre-foreclosures are at record highs and both the home owners and banks are in trouble because of it. It’s a material tragedy that many people, most with good intentions, could lose their houses. Some homeowners face bank foreclosure just after missing one or two payments. It’s the reverse side of the American Dream.

If homeowners facing foreclosure can act quickly enough, they can go ahead and sell their home for low prices before the banks officially forecloses them. This is called “pre-foreclosure”. Pre-foreclosure is a grace period that is given to many homeowners who are close to foreclosure. During the pre-foreclosure period, the home still belongs to the borrowers and they have a right to sell it to interested buyers. The pre-foreclosure grace period can last anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months, varying from state to state.

The good news about the United States real estate crisis is that many low income Americans now have the opportunity to purchase good homes at affordable prices. Bank foreclosure homes are put up for sell for as low as 10% of the market value due to the lenders’ desires to regain some of their money quickly. This makes it easier for lower income families to afford a home for literally cents on the dollar. Houses that would normally be too expensive for many Americans to afford can now be sold to them for extremely low prices.

Bank foreclosures and pre-foreclosures also provide an excellent opportunities to earn a lot of money. Even those Americans who have never been interested in the real estate market are learning that investing in bank foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes can bring them a lot of money. For instance, you can buy foreclosure homes for as low as 10% of their worth, and then resell them for much more! Imagine all the money you can profit from purchasing bank foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes! This is an excellent time to invest in foreclosure homes!

There are many foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listing sites which will allow you electronic bids. Unfortunately though, many of them are only scams. Some so called “foreclosure” and “pre-foreclosure” listing sites will charge you a membership fee, but then neglect to give you access to promised listings! Many of these sites have no current listings at all and never update. They sure don’t mind taking your money though.

Fortunately there are plenty of honest foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings. Some can be found on real estate sites and some on government auction sites. So how can you tell the good from the bad? Well, you don’t have to! There are government auction review sites that will do the dirty work for you. Experts that oversee government auction reviews go digging into government auction offers and test their legitimacy based on certain criteria. They have tested and scored the top government auction membership sites that offer real government auction listings.

Many of these membership sites offer real, top deals on real estate, bank foreclosures, and pre-foreclosures. Make sure you read the government auction reviews before you venture into foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings. You will be ahead of the foreclosure buying game and will be provided with the best real estate advice!

The Chinese Silver Zodiac Coins that are now highly sought after in online merchant sites are inspired by the traditional Chinese zodiac, which contains the 12 animals that make up the 12-year cycle. And due to the beauty and class of these coins, other states like Australia, Liberia, and Somalia have issued memorial coins that featured both the Chinese animal zodiac signs and the respective royalties of the partnering countries.

If you look for these coins online, you will discover that practically all of the silver and gold Chinese zodiac coins produced have the faces or emblems of Australia, Somalia, and even the Isle of Man on the other side. If you are interested in collecting this particular type of coins, this article will provide you with the basic information that you will need to make as you go about searching for these coins.

China as we all know is one of the oldest civilizations existing and has influenced most parts of Far East with its culture and history like no other. It’s also thought to be one of the best places to look for traditional and rare coins as it’s been manufacturing its own currency since 1889.

Collectors are constantly on the look-out for both rare Chinese currencies and brilliant uncirculated coins like the Chinese Silver Zodiac Coins that have either been made locally or through coinage with other countries abroad. If you’re on the lookout for any of these silver zodiac provoked coins, here is what you can do:

Take the time to search around the World Wide Web since this is the most up-to-date source of information with regards to these Chinese silver zodiac coins. The number of coin dealers that are available and willing to bargain with you might just surprise you.

Research on what factors are necessary to identify authentic Chinese Silver Zodiac Coins to avoid paying for fakes, particularly when bought online.

Just recently I have been introduced to a product called Real Estate Business Wealth (formerly called Turnkey Real Estate System) that is a game changing system for the enterprising real estate investors of the world. Having spent any time trying to figure out how to free up your time and develop a source of passive income from your business, then you know exactly how hard it is. The website for Real Estate Business Wealth states that using this product is so darn simple that a monkey can follow the steps to produce passive income. Now I’m not so sure you should go out and hire ten monkeys to work for you, but you get the idea. Okay, no more monkeying around. There’s no magic being claimed here. As a matter of fact, on his website he acknowledges that to get the passive income stream flowing in, an effort by you is essential. However, let’s first take a look at the product claims.

The creator, Otto, states his Real Estate Business Wealth system makes it totally feasible to establish thousands of dollars of passive income each and every month just by following the steps of the program. This will give you:

* Passive Income being deposited into your banking account every month.

* Vacations with Your Family where you please when you please.

* More Deals – You’ll have the systems in place to double or even triple the number of deals you do.

* 20+ Hours Extra/Week – You will recover at least 20 hours/week with these steps, guaranteed.

* No More Stress – No more constant second-guessing and worrying how things are going to go.

Well, I love the sound of that, but what precisely will I get from the system to help me achieve all this? Good question. Here is a list of the major components you will receive with Otto’s Real Estate Business Wealth home study.

* Quick Start Guide – “How to Get Started and Have Your Business Create Passive Income for You”.

* 10 Step by Step Instructional Audios – Develop passive income from any real estate investing business. These audios will tell you how.

* 3-Step Detailed Process that covers 230+ pages of manuals – Addresses subjects such as how to create systems, hire the best people that will run your business for you, monitor you success, etc.

* 10 Audio Interview Training Series – Tutorials and training interviews with leading investors, business growth experts, and strategists.

* Passive Income Generation Templates – Simply use the systems and templates already developed!

* Blueprints – Just like the blueprints of a home, these will give you the visual understanding and show you exactly how to automate your business. Simply plug your business into the blueprints.

* Bonus Information and Materials in addition to a personal phone call consultation with Otto.

One other thing definitely worth noting is his very convincing two part “Dummy-Proof” guarantee. The first part says you have 3 full months “to examine everything, use what you wish, and, if for any reason or even no reason, you want a refund, just return everything and Ill put your money back in your bank account”. The next part says “At Least Automate Your Business So You’re Able to Enjoy Passive Income, or return it for a full refund plus a $500.00 gift!”. Need I say more?

The launch for this product will happen around mid-May. And Otto has already stated that only a specific number of clients are going to be accepted into the program and then he will stop accepting orders.

Currently we are working to obtain a private discussion with Otto on his Real Estate Business Wealth system and then we will upload that interview to our review blog at RealEstateBusinessWealthReview.com. Come visit us and see what additional review information is available.

But let me say this to you. If this product provides the real estate business wealth it claims, then you have got to really think about this versus your present business model. Just one deal is worth thousands of dollars and luckily many real estate investors haven’t even heard of this opportunity yet!

Most people in the US are aware of the current real estate crisis and the unsettling fact that many people are losing their homes to foreclosure. Before a home is in the process of becoming foreclosed, it is in the pre-foreclosure stage. The pre-foreclosure period can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, and is considered by many real estate investors as the absolute best time in which to negotiate the purchase of a home.

Many of the ‘for sale by owner’ signs that you see are from owners that are in pre-foreclosure. The bank usually allows the homeowner time in which to try and sell their home before it is foreclosed. This is common because the bank is not in the real estate business and would prefer the current owner sell the home to cut their losses rather then having to seize the home themselves.

Here are some of the reasons many real estate professionals prefer purchasing a pre-foreclosed properties rather then waiting until they reach foreclosure:

- A pre-foreclosed home could actually be cheaper then foreclosure because you are dealing one-on-one with an owner who desperately wants to avoid foreclosure.

- You will be given good opportunities to ask the home owner questions concerning the home.

- There will probably be less competition for a pre-foreclosed home than a foreclosed home at an auction. You won?t have to worry about placing the highest bid.

- You won?t have to worry about becoming frustrated from losing a bid.

- You will be given more time to access and evaluate your finances before buying a pre-foreclosed home.

- You have more time to have a pre-foreclosed home inspected than you would at an auction. You will be aware of any potential problems the house may have.

- You don’t need all the cash up front like you would at an auction. You can pay a down payment for as low as a few hundred dollars!

Always check to make sure that the pre-foreclosed home you?re interested in has no liens or judgements against it. You should also bring along someone to inspect the home for you so you?ll know of any problems it may have. The risks in purchasing a pre-foreclosed home are similar to purchasing a home the traditional way, only a lot less expensive! You can even resell the pre-foreclosed home for more money than you purchased it for.

Seized and abandoned properties as well as government surpluses are offered to the public through government auctions. There are many government auctions being held across the country every single week. The deals you’ll find here are unprecedented and could be used for personal investing or to start a business.

Government surplus items sold at auctions come from all levels of government. Sometimes the government will purchase too much equipment and they will liquidate the excess at the auctions.

Quite often many of the government auction items come from businesses declaring bankruptcy. These items can be virtually anything from existing inventory to general assets including furniture, equipment, jewellery, antique items, fur coats, computers, etc.

Seized properties can consist of foreclosures, bankruptcies, criminal properties, etc. These properties can also be purchased at government auctions. Depending on the circumstances the police may seize property if the owner is sentenced to jail.

There are many causes as to why a property could be declared abandoned including the owner leaving the property (usually because of property taxes, mortgage default or simply because the property is valued at less then his current mortgage), or the owner dies but there isn’t any living family members on record.

You can find out where and when government auctions will be held in your state by searching the internet. There are many membership sites that will offer you details on the abandoned properties, seized properties, and government surplus items that will be offered at your local government auctions.

Make sure you read government auction reviews so you’ll know which membership sites are the best. You will become educated on the best opportunities that government auctions can provide.

There are many ways to select a mutual fund, each one has its own ups, downs, and risks. As you select your first mutual fund, consider these factors:

The fund manager: Often a fund is only as good as its management. If the fund manager has shown great performance in the past, future performance is likely to be above average. If the fund manager has been replaced, past performance becomes less meaningful and may even be worthless. A poor-performing fund that gets a new fund manager may turn around and become a top performer.

The stability of the funds philosophy: If the fund seems unclear about its financial goals and is switching investment methods, it may be in trouble. The financial goals of the fund is highly important, unstable goals can be a bad sign but also in a poor performing fund that just replaced the fund manager can be a good sign.

The size of the fund: Good fund candidates have at least $75 million under management and should be large enough to keep up with institutional investors. At the opposite end of the spectrum, funds with more than $40 billion tend to have problems with being too large.

The stability of the funds philosophy: If the fund seems unclear about its financial goals and is switching investment methods, it may be in trouble. The financial goals of the fund is highly important, unstable goals can be a bad sign but also in a poor performing fund that just replaced the fund manager can be a good sign.

The stability of the funds philosophy: If the fund seems unclear about its financial goals and is switching investment methods, it may be in trouble. The financial goals of the fund is highly important, unstable goals can be a bad sign but also in a poor performing fund that just replaced the fund manager can be a good sign.

Purchase constraints: Although some funds require a minimum initial investment of $5,000.00, many good funds dont have this requirement. If you enroll in a funds automatic investment program, the minimum initial investment amount is usually waived. Additionally, many fund minimums are waived or substantially reduced for IRA investments. If you are not starting out with a large sum to invest check out the ones that waive the minimum initial investment amount; I started out investing using an online stock account with a $100.00 minimum, it got me started and I learned a lot.

The United States real estate market is suffering great losses due to bank foreclosures. Both bank foreclosures and pre-foreclosures are at all time highs and the homeowners and lenders are in serious trouble. Many honest American homeowners are suffering financial crisis and could lose their homes. Some homeowners face bank foreclosure after getting behind on just a few payments. The banks are not going easy on these struggling homeowners, but of course they are suffering as well. The extremely high interest rates and late fees only seem to be making things worse on both sides.

If homeowners facing foreclosure can face reality quick enough, they can go ahead and sell their home for low prices before the banks officially forecloses them. Unfortunately, many homeowners have false hopes of catching up in time with their payments, but they usually never do. The lenders do not go easy on them. The homeowners who do act quickly enough can sell their home during the pre-foreclosure period. Pre-foreclosure is a grace period that is given to many homeowners facing foreclosure that can last anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months. The pre-closure period varies from state to state. During the pre-foreclosure period, the home still belongs to the borrowers and they have a right to sell it to interested buyers.

The homeowners have a chance to earn a little money as well when facing pre-foreclosure. Pre-foreclosure is a grace period after the time they made their last payment and before they’re officially facing foreclosure. The public is notified ahead of time that a home is facing foreclosure, which gives interested buyers time to make a deal with the homeowners before the bank officially takes the home back. Pre-foreclosures give homeowners enough time to sell the home at a very low price as well. They money they receive can help them in affording another place to live.

Bank foreclosures and pre-foreclosures also provide an excellent opportunities to earn a lot of money. Even those Americans who have never been interested in the real estate market are learning that investing in bank foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes can bring them a lot of money. For instance, you can buy foreclosure homes for as low as 10% of their worth, and then resell them for much more! Imagine all the money you can profit from purchasing bank foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes! This is an excellent time to invest in foreclosure homes!

You can always look through your local classified ads, but there are also state by state listings that can be found on the internet! There are many foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listing sites which will allow you to bid and purchase electronically. Unfortunately though, wherever there is money to be made, there are also scams. Some so called “foreclosure” and “pre-foreclosure” listing sites will charge you an outrageous membership fee, but then fail to give you the access to any real listings! They will only provide you with expired and out of date listings.

Fortunately there are plenty of legitimate foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings found on the internet from every state. Many government auction sites are geared toward the real estate market crisis. So how will you know which membership sites are for real and which ones are scams? Fortunately there are government auction review sites that have all the information you’ll need. Experts behind the government auction reviews go digging into government auction sites and test their legitimacy. They have the inside scoop on dozens of government auction sites and listings.

Many of these membership sites offer real, top deals on real estate, bank foreclosures, and contact information for the pre-foreclosure homes. Government auction review sites will let you know which ones are the best. Make sure you read government auction reviews before you begin bidding on foreclosure homes. You will receive the best advice and information about the real foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings!

Government surpluses and abandoned properties are sold at government auctions to the general population at discounted prices. There are government auctions held in every state many times a month. No matter where you live in US or Canada, you’ll be able to find great deals at these auctions. Consider the investment possibilities or even starting your own business.

Government surplus items sold at auctions come from all levels of government. Sometimes the government will purchase too much equipment and they will liquidate the excess at the auctions.

Items sold at government auctions can also include items from a bankrupt businesses. Items examples could include furniture, jewellery, electronics, miscellaneous equipment, and more. Government auctions may not be the first place that comes to mind when buying these items, however, it is definately where you can get that best value on both used and new items.

The seized properties offered at these auctions can include foreclosure homes, bankrupt commercial properties, properties owned by convicted criminals, and more. Police have the right to seize a property if the owner is convicted and has to serve time in prison. The most common reason for property being seized is because their owners have neglected to pay their mortgage and/or taxes.

There are many causes as to why a property could be declared abandoned including the owner leaving the property (usually because of property taxes, mortgage default or simply because the property is valued at less then his current mortgage), or the owner dies but there isn’t any living family members on record.

You can find out where government auctions are going to be held in your area, as well as the listings that will be available, through the Internet. There are many government auction websites (some are great and some are scams) that charge a membership fee to provide listings and information regarding abandoned/seized properties, and surplus items.

To determine which sites are legitimate it is highly recommended that you visit a government auction review site beforehand. This will educate you on which sites provide the most opportunities that government auctions can provide.