Start making money with Stock Market

Making your first stock trade can be quite intimidating. There is new language and symbols that you don’t always understand. You can reduce your stress by following a few easy steps.

Step1. Learn the language of the trade. Find out about the types of orders you can place. A market order is one that you buy at whatever price the stock is at the moment you place the order. This type of purchase is not for the first time investor. Instead, use a buy/limit order. The buy/limit order limits the maximum price that you pay for the stock. If the stock is available for a lower price you get that price. The same concept is true for sell/limits, but it is the lowest price you want to sell your stock.

Step 2. Decide if you are long-term or short-term buying. In order to make money in the stock market you need to identify the plan you want to follow. A short-term buyer looks for the easy, but frequently small, movements of the stock and buys or sells accordingly. Long term buyers seek out stocks that they believe substantially appreciate over a period. Microsoft millionaires got the penny stock as a bonus, because it was worth so little many just held on to it and later were delighted they did.

Step 3. Choose an area you know something about. A stock club of women made fortunes by stopping at restaurant chains, visiting stores and consuming the products of the companies they bought. One of the best mutual fund managers in specialty stock used this practice to become the top manager in the nation. When you choose a stock for a long-term investment, know the business.

Step 4. Watch the price fluctuation. Each stock has a different rhythm. The short-term buyer watches that rhythm and works with it. If you find a stock that you like and notice it has an up and down, almost predictable price, use the information to make additional money. Put a buy/limit order in at the low end of the cycle.

You may miss an opportunity by pennies, but if it is truly a repeating cycle the opportunity comes back again. Wait until you purchase the stock and immediately place a sell/limit order for the higher end of the cycle. Make sure the spread between the two is enough to cover the cost of both trades and make a profit. If the cycle is continuous, do this repeatedly.

Step 5. Concentrate on one or two stocks. When you begin to trade, it’s easy to jump all over and buy a little of several stocks. That is diversification, but costs you more in trades in the end than you make on profit. Focus on one or two stocks to begin your trading.

Step 6. Buy stocks with higher volume. Some of the penny stocks are tempting but when you notice the volume, it is quite small. This means that when you want to sell, there aren’t many people buying. Unloading the stock becomes difficult.

Step 7. See who manages the company. Some CEO’s have wonderful track records. If you notice that the CEO managed three previous companies and they all went belly up, he may not be bad, he may be the man they call in to close a company down. Check the management carefully.

Step 8. Track your trades. List the dates, share price and number of shares on one side and if you sell list the date and price on the other. Track the profit to see what percentage you take. You need these records for the IRS. Aim for a 10% to 15% profit on your money. In a down market, 8% is still good.

Arkaitz Arteaga - MarketStock.net

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By Arkaitz Arteaga Published: 6/26/2008

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Flood Insurance for Your Home or Real Estate Investment

Given the recent hurricane and flooding disasters in the country, homeowners, real estate lenders, and insurers are giving flood insurance a lot of attention. There are some basic questions you should ask, and facts you should know about flood insurance, before making any real estate purchase. A great resource for any related questions is the government sponsored flood insurance website at www.floodsmart.gov .

First off- if you have a federally backed mortgage, you are required to have flood insurance in high-risk areas. Also, lenders may require flood insurance on real estate properties in high-risk areas. If it’s not required, but the responsible thing to do in your area, here are the basics.

What Do You Get From Real Estate Flood Insurance?

Basic homeowner’s insurance won’t cover flood damage for real estate structural loss, furnaces, water heaters, air conditioning units, carpeting and flooring. Flood insurance does that. You can purchase additional flood insurance for furniture and personal items. The coverage is fairly inexpensive- visit the government website for an estimate based on your real estate holdings.

Don’t think you’re at risk? The NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) reported that a third of the payments it made last year were to real estate properties in "low-risk" communities. In the course of a 30-year mortgage, your home has a 26% chance of being damaged by a flood (according to NFIP statistics). Your fire risk is only 9%. Having NFIP approved flood insurance guarantees your claim is backed by the government. Knowing that, what questions should you ask before making a real estate purchase?

Questions to Ask Before Buying Real Estate

In addition to the government sponsored website, your real estate agent and your insurance agent should be able to answer some basic questions regarding your chosen property.

What is the property’s flood risk?
Does the area participate in the NFIP?
Is flood insurance required on this property by the lender?
Is the property near a dam, or levee?
Does the current real estate owner have flood insurance?

You may also want to ask your insurance agent about a Community Rating System (CRS) discount on your real estate property. Find out exactly what the policy covers, and what additional coverage is available. Finally, ask about premiums for higher deductibles, and associated fees and expenses.

Congressional Issues Affecting Flood Insurance

In June the National Association of Realtors (NAR) testified before the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity to support H.R 1682, the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007. Vince Malta, vice-chair of the NAR’s Public Policy Coordinating Committee said, "To maintain the vitality of residential and commercial real estate, certain safeguards must be made available such as the federally backed flood insurance through the NFIP."

Reforms to the NFIP are expected to be ongoing as the real estate community, insurers, and government agents come to a consensus on the best ways to protect real estate investors and homeowners.

Author Bio:
John Harris is a researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more information please visit Oceanside Homes for Sale

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By John Harris Published: 7/8/2007

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We Are in the Worst Financial Crisis Since Depression, Says Imf

Governments will have to pay for more bailouts, says Fund as it slashes growth forecasts

The US mortgage crisis has spiraled into "the largest financial shock since the Great Depression" and there is a one-in-four chance that it will cause a full-blown global recession, the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday.

As finance ministers and central bankers arrived in Washington to discuss ways of tackling the crisis, the IMF warned, in its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, that governments might be forced to step in with more public bailouts of troubled banks and cash-strapped homeowners before the crisis was over.

"The financial market crisis that erupted in August 2007 has developed into the largest financial shock since the Great Depression, inflicting heavy damage on markets and institutions at the core of the financial system," it said.

After warning this week that the world’s financial firms could end up shouldering $1trn (500bn) of losses from the credit crunch, the IMF said it expected the US to experience a "mild recession", notching up GDP growth of 0.5% in 2008 and 0.6% in 2009. It expects house prices to fall by up to a further 10% before the downturn is over.

With the US sliding into such a recession, there is mounting pessimism about the ability of the rest of the world to escape unscathed. The IMF shaved its forecast for growth in the global economy by half a percentage point, to 3.7% for this year, and by 0.6% - to 3.8% - for 2009.

Although the Washington-based body expects most emerging economies to continue to grow strongly over the next two years, it admits that efforts to tackle the knock-on effects of the credit crunch could be hampered by fast-growing commodity prices. "Inflation has picked up around the globe, mainly reflecting sharp increases in food and energy prices," it said.

In the US, President Bush has already signed off a $150bn tax rebate package to kick-start the US economy, and the Federal Reserve last month backed an extraordinary emergency buyout of the investment bank Bear Stearns.

However, the IMF said more taxpayers’ cash may still need to be spent to unblock the markets. "Given the serious risks coming from sustained financial market dislocations, the recent legislation to provide additional fiscal support for an economy under stress is fully justified, and room may need to be found for some additional support for housing and financial markets."

Simon Johnson, IMF research director, presenting the report in Washington, described such bailouts as an essential "third line of defence", after interest rate and tax cuts, for governments struggling to prevent a deep recession.

He said the main risk to the global economy over the next year was the emergence of a vicious circle, as house prices continued to fall, dealing a fresh blow to the world’s banks, and creating a damaging feedback loop.

"Sentiment in financial markets has improved in recent weeks since the Federal Reserve’s strong actions with regard to investment banks. But we have seen how strains in markets can quickly become reinforcing, and the possibility of a negative spiral or ‘financial decelerator’ remains a possibility," he warned.

The IMF’s downbeat analysis creates a gloomy backdrop for policymakers arriving in Washington to discuss ways of easing the credit squeeze. Such is the concern about problems in the financial markets that a range of radical options is on the table. These include greater disclosure of losses on sub-prime assets by banks; firmer regulation of credit-rating agencies, and - more controversially - plans for taking some of the risky mortgage-backed assets at the heart of the crisis on to government balance sheets. Alistair Darling, the chancellor, is calling for a detailed plan to be agreed over the weekend.

The IMF backed more comprehensive disclosure by banks. "We fully support the move towards greater disclosure," Johnson said. "We think that marking to market [rating assets on current market values, not book values] and continuing to recognize losses is an important part of how the financial system operates."

The US Federal Reserve has cut US interest rates by a hefty 3 percentage points to 2.25% since the crisis began, in an attempt to restore confidence and turn the credit taps back on. The IMF welcomed the Fed’s approach but said it would not be enough to prevent recession.

"Adverse financial conditions are likely to have a continuing negative impact on activity in the United States, notwithstanding the Federal Reserve’s strong response," it said. "The United States remains plagued by profound errors in risk management."

The value of the dollar has plunged to record lows in the past year as the outlook for the US economy has darkened, but the IMF said the greenback still "remains somewhat on the strong side".

No bounce after the hard landing

Alistair Darling’s forecast that Britain will bounce back from the credit crunch by next year now looks hopelessly optimistic, according to an authoritative assessment by the International Monetary Fund.

Just a month ago, in the budget, the Treasury had penciled in 2% GDP growth this year and 2.5% in 2009 as the economy recovers, but yesterday the Washington-based IMF predicted far weaker growth of 1.6% both years.

The chancellor has said repeatedly that Britain is "better placed" to weather the storm because of its low unemployment and flexible labor market, but the IMF calculates that the housing market is overvalued by up to 30% and faces a damaging correction.

"The housing market is going to be a drag on the economy," said Charles Collyns, a senior IMF economist. "We do see house prices softening already, and we see potential that the housing correction will continue, with an impact on consumption. We also see the UK being affected by the tightening of the financial constraints related to the turmoil in the financial markets."

He added that the knock-on effects of weak growth in the US and the eurozone would also depress growth.

House prices fell 2.5% last month, Halifax said, and the IMF says the wider economy will be hit hard as overstretched banks repair balance sheets and borrowers face tighter loan conditions and higher interest rates. In January, when it last updated forecasts, the IMF was expecting expansion of 2.4% in 2009, but the longer the credit crunch continues, the more threatened the UK economy has become. Darling said yesterday that the downgrade was "not surprising" and the economy was "extremely strong". Heather Stewart

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© Guardian News & Media 2008 Published: 4/9/2008

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Trading Options: A Safe Way To Start Investing

Do you like to make investments? If the answer is yes, keep reading to find out about a kind of investment that can raise loads of cash quickly. It is referred to as trading options and could be the best step you’ve ever taken in your life. It is not really for a rookie trader, but you can obtain stock option education before deciding whether you want to deal in them.

Trading options is not something that you should completely write off until you know how it works and have a firm grasp on the concept. It is warned that you should first only use risk capital to invest in options, because you can lose just as much money as you stand to make, just as quickly.

Make sure that you think and choose very carefully when you are ready to get into options trading. This is one of the investments that will require lots of option strategy. Ask a professional for information if you really want to get into trading options. If you choose this investing as the perfect one for you, you should keep this in mind.

One variety of investment is options, which a person invests on something for the future. Since they are legal contracts, he need not worry about anyone following it up. It is not difficult to learn about the fundamentals of trading options. A person possesses a property and another wants to purchase it, but the procedure becomes a little complicated from this point.

Pretend I do not have enough cash to purchase this asset today. So instead, I will offer three thousand dollars which will buy me the option to purchase this asset sometime in the predetermined future. Now, they have three thousand dollars and I have the opportunity to decide on the price I want to buy this asset for. Now, option trading begins.

The bigger profits come when a decision is made to close an agreement. As an example, if I obtained an option on an old home, the deal is binding for the length of the agreement. If it is discovered the next day that "George Washington slept here", I can call in the option, and you are still obligated to sell it to me at the agreed upon dollar amount. I am then free to flip the property to a third party, and the additional profit is mine.

Ultimately, if the asset turns out to be slow moving, or even if its price "falls through the floor", then I am not bound to complete the transaction. I will lose whatever cash I put up to buy the option. However, that is all that I will lose from this deal. Moving the stock remains somebody else’s problem. This is the heart of trading options.

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By Tom Garimentis Published: 6/13/2008

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Safe and Secured Online Banking Services

Of all the questions that have been asked about online banking, the most frequently asked question would have to, "Is online banking safe?" what with all those computer hackers and deadly viruses doing their rounds every single day, and those cheesy movies that depict these scary unsafe online banking scenarios, you cant help but feel uneasy about giving out personal information on the Internet.

When you read the papers and watch the news and you see so many cases of banking frauds taking place out there, it is understandable why this question is raised so frequently. Online banking security is - and should be - the major concern for all consumers. Keeping this in mind, online banks will also focus on this issue too.

Every online bank will have a small portion of their website dedicated to explaining the security measures that they have taken in order to protect and maintain secure transactions. Most of these banking systems utilize the direct-modem connections, which are transactions that are not transmitted over the Internet. But, if you happen to be performing a transaction over the Internet, then it is advisable to make sure that the bank in question is using a high-end encryption. What is encryption? Encryption is that process, which was first developed by a couple of super genius computer whiz kids that helps scramble the data so that only the receiver who it is intended for will receive it.

For instance, a 128-bit standard encryption is so powerful that presently the US government will not allow it to go for sale overseas. Stealing personal information that is encrypted at such a high level is practically impossible - even though it may seem like a piece of cake when you watch it happening in movies about those whacko unemployed hackers that dwell in basements. Ignore these movies - they aren’t the real things.

The question is whether or not these security measures are operating perfectly well when you are performing transactions. Online banking services also feature PIN numbers and passwords that only you can select.

Tips for Safe Online Banking

• Never use public terminals like Internet cafes when you are making banking transactions online.
• The risk of interception when using a wireless connection is much higher - make sure you are aware of this. Make sure you do your Internet banking through a wireless connection only if you are absolutely certain of the security of the connection.
• Make sure that your spyware and anti-virus programs are updated and it is advisable to perform regular system scans.
• Never access a banking site through a link. Instead, type out the address into the browser bar or you could also save the address as one of your ‘favorites’.
• Never open any other sites when you are logged into an online banking site, make sure that there is only one window open.
• Choose your user ID and password carefully - it shouldn’t be easy for others to guess (like your name!) and make sure you change them on a regular basis.
• Update your computer software regularly.
• Check for the padlock (that is an indication of a secure website) on the lower right hand side of the browser window.
• Once you are done with your Internet banking, make sure you log out and close the browser window.
• Never give you password on the Internet (through emails) or over the phone to anyone (even if they are identifying themselves as banking authorities).
• Unless the bank in question verifies it, don’t ever trust a PDF payment proof, as these types of documents can easily be manipulated by frauds.

However, if you do run into any trouble with any of the online features of your account, you can go to the bank for help and will get an immediate response for it. Most banks completely separate their online services from their person-to-person customer servicing, ensuring that you will call their Internet-banking support team.

While there will always be concerns about the safety of online banking, you be rest assured that these online banks themselves have set a very high stake for themselves when it comes to making you, the customer, feel comfortable about the security levels being used. While it is indeed true that nothing is one hundred percent safe in the world, online banking is indeed as close to offline banking when it comes to providing safety for your financial transactions.

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By Natasha Bantwal Published: 12/6/2007

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New York City: Stock Exchange (NYSE) and New York University (NYU)

Read to find out more about New York Stock exchange (NYSE) and New York University (NYU).

New York has been a tourist destination for years now but then its not only about people coming from all parts of the world and looking at the wonderful city, all amazed and dazed. It has an economy and an academic background as well that makes the city as beautiful and tourist friendly as it is. There is more to New York than Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Central Park. Let me take you to a trip of Wall Street today.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

Located at 11 Wall Street this works as the backbone of New York’s economy. It is also called the "Big Board" and let me tell you, it is the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume and it has 2,764 listed securities and that is the second largest number of securities that a stock exchange holds in the world. The share volume of New York Stock Exchange was exceeded by that of NASDAQ during the 1990s, still New York stock Exchange comes up to be the largest and biggest financial hub of the world, definitely with London Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange to compete with. NYSE Euronext operates the New York Stock Exchange, which is a result of the merger of Archipelago Holdings and Euronext. This momentous place has only four rooms for deciding the fate of the world. There is another trading room located at 30 Broad Street but that was closed recently in February 2007.

The main building of NYSE was made a National Historic landmark in 1978, which is located at 18 Broad Street between the corners of Wall Street and Exchange Place. New York Stock exchange was established sometime around 1792 as a result of the Buttonwood Agreement that was signed by 24 stockbrokers outside 68 Wall Street under a Buttonwood tree which was the site of the stockade fence earlier. In March 1817, it became a proper organization that drafted a constitution and named itself New York Stock and Exchange Board. Anthony Stockholm became its first president. This is how New York Stock Exchange started with only 24 stockbrokers and now it is world’s largest stock exchange.

It provides efficient methods for people to sell and buy shares of stock of companies, which are registered for public trading. It provides the discovery of a price so that the fairest price can be chalked out for both the parties. Since January 24th, a new system of Hybrid market has come to the fore wherein the trading, routing of stocks and execution can be done electronically except for very high priced shares or deals but on the trading floor there is a lot of human interaction and it is a place where people are always busy since they are constantly making decisions, constantly executing expert judgments. There is not a specific place where a listed stock can be traded or a stockbroker can trade. Exchange members who are interested in buying or selling gather around a specific stockbroker who is not a direct employee of NYSE but is employed by an NYSE member firm. He auctions in an open outcry and gets the buyers and sellers together. So this is just little information that I could give about the historical New York Stock Exchange.

New York University

New York University is the much sought after University for the teachers as well as the students. It is the place to know more, experiment with ideas and give more flexibility to your thoughts. This is the place to be for all the academicians and intelligentsia and they are already there. Its campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan. It was founded in 1831 and is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university that was founded in the interest of those people who are interested in higher learning. It has a student count of around forty thousand who are a part of the fifteen schools, colleges and divisions occupying six centers across Manhattan. It facilitates its students to go out and study abroad in London, Paris, Prague, Berlin, Madrid, Accra, Shanghai, Florence and even Singapore now is added to the list. United Arab Emirates has also opened avenues for the students of New York University to come and study in Abu Dhabi that would be funded by the government of United Arab Emirates. It has been the Numero Uno dream school of America for four years consecutively now according to Princeton Review. It has been the alma mater and work place for 31 Nobel Prize winners, 9 national Medal Of Science winners, 2 Pulitzer Prize winners, 19 Academy award Winners and many more like Emmy, Grammy and Tony award winners. In spite of being a very urbanized campus it still has student bodies, in fact the very first student fraternities in the country were established in this University.

The mascot of the school is a "bobcat" and almost all the teams participate in the University athletic Association. The university was established when the residents of the city felt that the place needs an institution for their children to go and get education from, which would educate them without any class, caste or creed in mind; the admission to the university would be totally based on the merit of the student, that is when the New York university was established. The logo of the university is an upheld torch, which is derived from the Statue of Liberty and that was designed in 1965. The campus, cultural setting and environment of the University add to its appeal. It has a heritage that can be boasted of and it is on its way to create history.

This is the least I could write about New York Stock Exchange and New York University but I am hoping that those who were not interested and were not too keen to know about these two milestones in the history of New York would certainly want to know more about them, after reading the article.

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By Poushali Ganguly Published: 12/6/2007

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Taking Advantage of Online Stock Market Investment Tools

The stock market is a very risky place especially for the ill-informed or unprepared. The web wholes a great deal of informational sites and analysis tools that allow investors to make wise and informed trading decisions.

There are a number of stock market tools online that are available to help traders get a better and more accurate understanding of market. These tools are vital for making informed investment decisions and are a convenient way of retrieving information and increasing your rate of success in trading in the stock market.

Not too long ago before the widespread use of the internet the main sources of information for the stock market was print media which only gave the previous days figures. Those looking for real time figures had to communicate with their brokers.

Reports and information on other foreign markets were also limited and global trading was rare for most investors. Today however investors can get reports and information about listed companies form all over the world with the click of a button. Real time quotes are available throughout the trading day. Investors also have other material and tools like charting, announcements, financial figures, daily trading information, etc. The majority of which are available for free to users. Or for those who are looking for extra detail there are more specialised sites which will charge a small fee.

One of the major sites offering this kind of information is MSN.com. Users can log on to the stock market section and download various details on companies including trading activities, investments, financial data, etc. This information is perfect for equipping the user with the right information to make wise investment decisions. It is vital for anyone looking to do accurate fundamental and technical analysis.

Another valuable tool on the web is the Stock Scouter Rating. This stock gives forecast outcomes on listed securities. It works with a rating system giving the best stocks a 10 and the worst a 1. This however shouldn’t be the only research an investor does as it is not an accurate system.

Another tool that can help traders is the Expected Risk Return Indicator. The tool measure risk and return by studying the expected volatility of the stock’s prices. This usually looks at moving averages, period highs and lows and some other oscillators. It also estimates the returns that could be gotten from the stock. It is a very valuable tool as it covers the two main factors any investor makes when buying a stock. Risk and Return.

The above fundamental data is vital for any trader but there are also online tools that offer more. There are tools that help manage and collate all the data investors come across like indices and stock quotes. Software companies have also created tools that make customized charts and reports based on historical stock prices. Most of these are commercial software but can be very valuable for investors that follow technical analysis. A lot of these charting software in fact have technical analysis function embedded in them like Fibonacci Analysis, Extrapolation, etc.

For beginners it is still recommended that you read and research on a lot of these methods before using the tools. Understanding the meanings behind the values is far more important. It will let you analyze and act on results better and help you make wiser investments.

Stock Market - MarketStock.net
information about Stock Market

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By Arkaitz Arteaga Published: 7/17/2008

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However, your retirement like should be financially secure. Here are some tips as to how to invest your money with your retirement in mind.

Investments are necessary for people from all walks of life. Investments ensure a safe and financially secure future. One major factor that decides how one should invest is retirement. Planning a retirement is a complex task. One has to take many factors into consideration, one of them being financial security after retirement.

Retirement investing also has various goals depending on different factors. A person may retire at age 60 or age 80. If a person survives till the age of 90, and has retired at 60, they are looking forward to 30 years of non-full-time-employment, whereas if they retire at 80, it’s only ten years of non-full-time-employment years.

The best suggestion that comes to mind while planning a retirement investment is safe investments. The best way to have a care-free retirement life is by opening a account in a bank early in the professional life and depositing some money every month. This way, by the time the individual retires, they will have a lump sum amount in the bank, along with the interest earned on it through the years. Banks generally offer a 2 to 2.5 percent interest per month on the amount deposited. However, for this investment to make any good returns, you should start investing quite early in their professional life.

‘Certificate of Deposits’ are another way of investing for your after-retirement life. In this case, the investor lends money to a bank for a set amount of time,like six months to one year. The bank then repays the money to the investor at the end of the timespan, along with interest earned through the years. However, it entirely depends as to at what point of time the investor investor invests in Certificate of Deposits. One should try to bring the end of the timespan of the Certificate of Deposits at the time of their retiring from service.

Bank Bonds are another way of planning your retirement investments. You can invest your money in a bank for a set longer period of time, for example, four to six years. The bank will then pay you back the money with a interest at six to seven percentage per month.

Though these three ways of investing are safe, secure and flexible, they don’t give as much returns as one might want. For such long run investments, stocks are a good bet. Though stocks are known to be volatile and have fallen many times, a small amount put in safe stocks in the share market may give you more returns than bank accounts, certificate of deposits and bonds put together. Also, stocks and shares are known to be as trustworthy as a bond or a certificate of deposit. It all depends on which company you wish to invest in.

Investments, and particularly retirement investments are risky business. Therefore, it is always suggested to take the help and suggestions of a professional investor. There are companies which offer asset allocation systems for retirees. These asset allocation systems will recommend you how to allocate your assets after retirement.

There are many asset allocation companies in the market. You can find out more about them via the internet. Before going to a asset allocation company, you should make proper decisions about your financial needs after retirement. Before hiring any asset allocation company for your retirement investment needs, be sure to go through the credentials and expertise of the company. If you already have a company looking after your investments, you can ask them whether they have special plans for retirement investments. Many companies will have online calculator tools, which will tell you what to do with your money so that you get proper returns on your retirement.

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By Roy D’Silva Published: 4/2/2007

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Hedge Fund Billionaire Sued for Investing in Madoff Scheme

J Ezra Merkin faces fresh lawsuits from investors seeking compensation for lost funds

J Ezra Merkin, the fallen hedge fund billionaire with links to Bernard Madoff, faces fresh lawsuits seeking as much as $100m (66m) that investors claim he squandered on the $50bn Ponzi scheme.

Merkin, 55, was forced to close his $1.5bn Gabriel Capital hedge fund last month after disclosing massive losses from investing in Madoff’s business.

New York University (NYU) is already suing Merkin over $24m of losses from his Ariel fund. The university claims its investment was placed with Madoff without permission.

"Until 12 December 2008, we had no knowledge that NYU’s funds were instead being managed by Bernard Madoff," said an affidavit from NYU filed in New York state supreme court.

In the next week to 10 days, a further swath of lawsuits from investors who lost between $80m and $100m investing with Madoff are set to be filed by Jake Zamansky, a well-known New York securities lawyer.

Zamansky said the lawsuits would name Merkin personally as most of his clients trusted him to invest their cash wisely, not merely to hand the money over to his friend Bernie Madoff.

"Most of these people I am representing had never heard the name Bernie Madoff until the fraud was exposed,"

Zamansky said. "They thought they were investing with Ezra Merkin. The least they expected him to do was to look under the hood of the vehicles he invested their money in. He clearly did not do that."

Zamansky said he had about 10 clients, each of whom lost "north of $10m" investing with either Merkin or Madoff.

Merkin is the son of the late Hermann Merkin, a Jewish philanthropist who donated millions to help build Yeshiva University, the Fifth Avenue synagogue and Merkin Concert Hall in New York.

Andrew Levander, a lawyer representing Merkin, declined to return calls seeking comment.

Other big investors, including Yeshiva University, which lost $110m, and New York Law School, also blame Merkin for placing millions with Madoff without their knowledge.

Although Merkin vigorously denies any wrongdoing in all of the claims against him, he has resigned from most of his high-profile positions.

On Friday he stepped down as chairman of GM’s car loans arm, General Motors’ Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), while he walked away from his post as a trustee at Yeshiva in December and recently stepped down as chairman of the investment committee at the UJA Federation of New York.

GMAC pledged to replace its board as a condition of receiving billions of dollars of US government bail-out funds.

Merkin was chairman of GMAC while the firm reported five consecutive quarterly losses totaling $7.9bn as car sales slumped and foreclosures soared across the United States.

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© Guardian News & Media 2008 Published: 1/11/2009

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Different Ways of Investing Money

If you need to find the different ways to invest your money, keep reading. Here is a list of some of the excellent ways of investing money.

Successful investing requires you to understand your financial goals and the nature of your finances. Investments form an important part of financial planning. Someone has said that anyone can earn money, but it takes intelligence to invest it. True, it is the investments that matter, for they form the backbone of your finances. They are the means of saving money for that uncertain period of your life, your future. Am I sounding pessimistic? But don’t you think there is a lot of uncertainty involved in our future? Don’t you think life is unpredictable? Recession struck the world and thousands lost their jobs. Terrorism shuddered India and hundreds lost their lives. It is not about India or any other country. It is about the world; it is about the human race; it is about us. Future is not in our hands and we need to plan for it.

I know you are expecting a piece of information on the various types of investments or ways of investing money. Some of you might expect me to sound like an investment advisor and give you some words of wisdom on investing. Sure, I will try to do that but before turning to the different ways of investing money. Giving a background of the financial scenario was essential to explain to you the importance of investing money. Wasting no more time, let us take a look at some of the best ways of investing money

Different Ways of Investing Money
Investing in the stock market, real estate and business ventures is referred to as an aggressive investment. It involves a certain amount of risk. On the other hand, a conservative investment involves a lesser amount of risk and includes the investments made in cash.

Stocks: A share of the ownership of a corporation is termed as a share of stock. Investing in the stock market involves a considerable amount of risk. It requires a careful analysis of the share prices in order to invest in the right company at the right time. There are two types of stocks, common and preferred. While common stock holders carry voting rights along with a unit of ownership, preferred stock holders do not. Preferred stocks entitle the shareholders to receive payments in the form of dividends.

Mutual Funds: It refers to a collective investment scheme in which money pooled from investors is invested in stocks, bonds or other securities. A fund manager is responsible for trading with the pooled money. It is one of the lowest-risk investment ventures. Mutual funds rest on the idea of entrusting an investment expert with your money that he/she invests with intent to fetch you maximum profits.

Bonds: A bond is a debt security in which an issuer owes the bond holder a debt and is supposed to repay the principle and the interest at a later date. The bondholder functions as a lender while the issuer is the borrower. Certain companies offer bonds to invest in. You can also invest in the federal government bond programs. Bonds are a low-risk means to invest in.

Investing in gold, silver: Investing in gold is done through ownership or by the means of certificates and shares. One of the traditional ways of investing in gold is through the purchase of gold bars. Swiss banks provide their customers with gold accounts whereby transactions in gold can be done. Investing in mining companies is another option for investing in gold. Investments in silver are similar to those in gold.

Investment in Land and Real Estate: Real estate investments are done by means of investment in property. Investors purchase property with intent of leasing or holding. Those investing in commercial real estate prefer to purchase a large property and rent it out to big companies. Land investment is an investment activity wherein a piece of land is purchased for development. It can fetch you good and long-term returns if invested wisely.

These were some of the different types of investments, which can prove profitable. For any investment to fetch returns, it is necessary to analyze the world economy and individual finances so that you can go for the right option at the right time. Investment advise from a professional always helps. All the best for your future investment ventures. Wish me the same!

Check out my other guide on Thor Industries Stock Price

By Manali Oak Published: 12/25/2008

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