Over the course of history, people have flocked to the safety of gold during difficult economic times. There is something about an ounce of gold always having a certain intrinsic value and not being subject to the same devaluation possibilities of paper currency. In inflationary times, gold tends to rise along with everything else and in troubled times it also tends to rise as people believe it is more valuable than paper money which loses purchasing power when inflation occurs.

There are a number of ways to actually invest in gold. You can purchase physical gold and take possession of the commodity. All you have to do is go down to your local coin shop and buy a gold coin or two. Serious investors who want to buy gold can buy at a coin dealer or probably get a better deal through an online company that specializes in selling gold and other precious metals. You can buy in coin form or in gold bar form. Rare gold coins have a value above the spot gold price, while generic gold bars cost a few dollars over spot to buy and sell for spot or a few dollars under spot. Having gold in your possession allows you immediate liquidity and some people just like feeling the gold run through their fingers. On the other hand, holding more than a couple of ounces at home presents the risk of loss from theft or robbery. A solution is to simply open an account with a reputable dealer and have them hold the gold for safe storage. Your gold is available whenever you might want to take physical possession and you enjoy the added convenience of converting it to cash at anytime by simply making a phone call and requesting liquidation. You will receive statements periodically showing the amount of gold you own and its current market value.

Other ways of investing in gold include purchasing an ETF, which is a fund that mirrors the spot price of gold. The advantages of not having to take physical possession of the metal and the ability to buy or sell shares just like a stock, makes this a desirable type of investment for many gold enthusiasts. Purchasing gold stocks is yet another way many investors choose to play the gold angle. In addition to mining gold, these companies enjoy some additional earnings possibilities based on the fundamentals of the company. If they discover a new gold mine, acquire more assets or have great management, chances are good that the price will appreciate at a faster rate than the price of physical gold. On the other hand, bad management and a mine that is not producing as expected, can lead to a greater percentage drop in the stock price than actual gold.

Many so called market experts are predicting gold will rise to $2,000.00 per ounce or more in the next few years. If that comes true, it will represent slightly more than a 50% appreciation in the price from current market levels. That is an excellent return under any definition, but what are the chances of these “experts” being right. Well, with prices close to or at thir historic highs and signs that the economy is slowly recovering, it is more likely than not that gold, at least in in the short term, will stabilize or even drop down a bit.

This does not mean you should not have a portion of gold in your portfolio. It can still be a safe haven against the dollar. Just remember that you should buy gold as a long term investment and not as a speculative investment for short term price appreciation.

The loss to these homeowners does carry a potential advantage for the ambitious entrepreneur. Purchasing tax lien certificates or tax deeds can be a vehicle to fast-track you into a new home. They also can be used for buying and quick selling or for building a portfolio of investment properties with residual rental income.

A lien against real property can arise in one of two ways. Initially, any mortgage lender is going to hold right, title and interest to that property because they have a lien filed. The lien serves as a security interest and provides the home as collateral. Mortgage loans, refinance loans, equity credit lines and reverse mortgages all are generally secured with a lien.

Additionally, any creditor may file a lien against real property. In this case, the lien is a legal claim on the individual’s property for payment or satisfaction of a debt. Property may be encumbered by tax liens (federal and state), mechanics liens (filed by contractors for unpaid work done on the property), civil liens, and judicial liens placed by a court to collect payment on a claim.

In many of these cases, if the owner fails to make payment on the home, or does not satisfy the lien, the property may be foreclosed, or seized and sold at auction in order for the creditor to recoup the amount owed on the lien. The lien itself may also be sold.

This is where you come in.

These lenders and creditors are eager to regain their lost funds. They are not interested in profiting over and above the amount that is owed to them, nor are they able to do so under state and federal law. They care about satisfying the lien and extinguishing having to hold collateral. As a result, these properties may be available to you at a cost well under market value.

Forced-sale auctions are held by the IRS, the states and be specific counties. Because a lien filing is a public notice, you’ll want to research various online databases to see what properties have had liens filed, and also for the listings of public auctions.

Your county’s tax assessor or treasurer’s office can likely provide you with some useful information regarding upcoming auctions. Local newspapers generally list them as well. Even eBay lists tax lien sales.

Selling these debts to investors has advantages to all three parties involved. The debtor is extended additional time to attempt to bring themselves current, and the investor either purchases the lien under low-risk and a high rate of return, or can foreclose on and keep the property if the delinquent individual fails to pay off the lien. Either way, the creditor gets their money.

For the investor, the tax lien generally takes precedence over the mortgage lien in a foreclosure proceeding. This means that the mortgage is eliminated and the property title transfers outright to the new owner.

There are a few things that you will need to carefully research. In some cases, priority and secured creditors, like the IRS, will take right of way over the new tax lien holder if the original debtor lost the property in a bankruptcy. A careful title search on the lien will need to be done to ensure your new lien isn’t rendered worthless.

Additionally, an assessment of the property should be made. Buying property “as is” without a visual inspection may turn into you holding the lien to a parcel that has devalued or is in such disrepair that it is essentially valueless.

Done correctly, tax sale investing is thus an attractive opportunity to those who are qualified and who have sufficiently researched the pros and cons.

An annuity works kinda like life insurance, except in reverse. with life insurance, you pay small amounts over time, and when you die, the life insurance kicks in and the money is paid. But with an annuity fund, a large amount (or multiple amounts) of money is paid up front and you end up getting paid small amounts over time. Normally a company will give you what is called a “fixed annuity” which gives you the same amount of money month after month. If they promise you $850 a month, that’s all you’re going to get for life. But a great way to make money is with something called a variable annuity.

A variable annuity works entirely different, in that you may end up getting more money every year based on inflation or an increase of a certain percentage every year, which means you’ll earn more money over time. In most cases, an insurance company will have this annuity option where you not only can make money, but you can also withdraw, or “Cash out” a small amount every year. Usually this amount is 5 to 6 percent of the investment you put in. It’s called a “guaranteed withdrawal benefit” and it’s something you should ask for if you don’t feel like waiting around for years or decades to cash out.

The second way is by diversifying your portfolio. When a portfolio is diversified, it combines stocks and bonds to work harder for you. Don’t be afraid to ask your investor about the guaranteed withdrawal benefit. One drawback is that when you do ask about this, they’ll probably bring up what is known as a “variable annuity fee”. This is unavoidable, but you can always shop around to see who gives the best rates in that regard. In most cases, a variable annuity that has the guaranteed withdrawal benefit will allow you to withdraw 5 to 6 percent of the balance every year, regardless of how your investments perform in the markets. You can also take your annuity and cash out your entire balance investment, but the company will charge you a surrender fee for this.

The trick to making money with an annuity in the short term is to weigh the amount you can cash out every year and what’s happening with your investments versus what is being charged in fees. Generally speaking, the investment company will charge you a fee for guaranteed income and a fee called the “standard variable annuity fee”. But also remember that like with car insurance or electronic shops, you can take your investment elsewhere. Always weigh your options and go with what works best for you. Remember: it is your money, not the investment company’s money. The good news is: We live in the 21st century and in the information age, you can get all the information you need in a few minutes of browsing if you understand the jargon, or if worse comes to worse, talk with a financial planner. One you can trust and don’t be afraid to get another opinion if this one isn’t to your liking.

In conclusion, trying to get ahead in stocks, portfolios and investments is tough work, but in the words of Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street: “What’s worth doing is worth doing for money”. And in reality, that’s what you want out of this: You’re giving an insurance company your hard earned money in the hopes that they will give you small amounts of money and in the long run, create more money than you put into the annuity. The corporate world is a competitive market, but you can get ahead with the right information.

Why shouldn’t this be the same when dealing with a financial expert? I am not saying that all financial advisors are crooks by any means; I actually trust the advisor that I work with very much. However, I know that he is working on commission, and he has a family to feed the same way I do, so he will push a sale if he thinks the opportunity is there to make some money. In the end, we are all in it for ourselves, right?

This is why I cringed in my last meeting when my advisor used the term ‘smart investment’. For some reason that phrase just really ate at me. I didn’t like the fact that he had a smart investment that he was suggesting to all of his clients. Chances are that he truly believes that it was a smart investment; I don’t think he was lying about that, I just don’t think that any investment can be considered smart for just anybody. When considering a smart investment for you there are too many factors to take in to consideration. Age, risk tolerance, plans after retirement just to name a few.

In order to make smart retirement investment options you need to look at yourself and decide where you want to be and when you want to be there. From there you will have to decide if you are willing to take the risks that will get you there. Investing is just that, investing. It is not saving. It is called ‘playing’ the stock market for a reason…because you can lose.

Meet with your financial advisor and be clear about your goals. Make sure that you have done your own research, or comparison shopping, so you have an idea of what direction you want to go before he makes any suggestions. If your advisor is pushing you in a direction that you are either unclear about or you don’t want to go then you should schedule another appointment so you can have time to look in to what he is proposing. Just remember that there is no perfect investment option for everybody, make sure you do your own research so you make the smart investment decision!

The majority of mystery to stocks, is not being able to understand the terms, or jargon, used in the business. Once a potential investor can interpret the language they can begin to wade into the pool. Make a plan on how to start. Sounds funny, but it works. If the potential investor wants to use an online broker, to make inexpensive stock trades they must know the system. Do not try to learn everything possible. Concentrate specifically on the company the investor has chosen to make trades. Make a plan that includes the things the investor must do before they start trading. The plan should include things such as; have a complete understanding of the how the software works. The investor needs to complete the deposit and set up the account. Also, make contact with the company and get questions answered. Make the goals specific and check each one off when finished.

Be detailed. Make sure that all the various tasks and fees associated with a trade are understood. If the investor does not understand the process, it will not be successful. No one can start choosing stocks without this information. Once the consumer understands the trading platform they intend to use the next step is to pick a stock. Easier said than done, but not impossible. Start by thinking about, how to invest the money. Does the investor want to keep the money in the market for a short time or extended time? In order to purchase a stock, the buyer must do his or her due diligence. Closing the eyes and putting a finger on the list will not get it.

There is a plethora of information about picking stocks. Read about a potential company and the history of the stock. The online platform that the buyer is using will provide significant information regarding the various options. Ask family and friends who have experience in the market. They can be a significant source of information and keep the buyer from making costly mistakes. Be careful not to overload the table with too much information. Gather pieces of information that are pertinent to the way the investor plans to work and the time table they plan to use.

Set a budget for stock purchases. This needs to be a firm budget. If the consumer is successful and makes money on the first stocks, he or she can reinvest in more stocks. They could also move the profits to safer investments and reinvest the initial sum. Stocks can be immensely profitable, but even the best investors lose money. Never invest money that the consumer cannot afford to lose. To invest money that cannot be lost is the height of folly and is sure to lead to financial ruin of the investor. Stocks are fickle at best, and it is a gamble, treat it as such.

Consider basic strategies and write them down. Once the plan is made, see it through to the end. It can be tempting to move money and over invest. Stop the temptation by writing out the plan. Then whenever the investor considers straying, get it out and read through it. This will help the investor remember why this is the plan they choose, and reinforce to stay with it. The stock market can be exciting and even addictive. These attributes are impressive, but need to be approached with caution for the first-time investor.