how do I motivate my broker to work harder for me.  His performance is based on increased value in my accts.?
923418
What do you want your broker to do?  Is there a % annual return you're expecting, and upon what information do you base your expectations?  I don't use a broker, because I find that they make about 2 - 3% more than a good mutual fund, but then take 1% of my assets away every year.  I'd rather buy MSTR (microstrategy) at $108 last month and sell it at $128 a month later (you can check the stats ) - that's real money...
1017224
Hopefully you've done plenty of reading...you can become your own best broker so to speak in time by spending a good deal of time reading books, investment strategies, newletters, etc.  I would higly recommend books such as The New Buffetology, Trade Like Warren Buffett, Confessions of a Street Addict by James Cramer, and Investment All-Stars to familiarize yourself with some of the lingo and rub shoulders with the best.  Always stay diversified and be content starting small, safe, and thinking more long term.  Holding over the long term requires patience, but will yield surprising results.
1008273
You can do a like-kind exchange, where you trade the property for another, and defer your gain until you sell the new property. The rules are complicated--you should talk to a CPA.
28586
Morningstar is a nice resource, but remember it is strictly backwards-looking analysis. Kiplingers is OK but is biased towards no loads. (There is a recent study out in the Journal of Financial Planning {October, 2005} that challenges the idea that index funds always outperform actively managed funds.\n\nHere's what I start with when looking for a fund to fill an asset category:\nPerformance relative to peers\nAsset size (Avoid the bloated funds)\nManager Tenure (Great 5 & 10 year numbers mean little if the manager has only been there for 2 years)\nFee structure\n\nThe important thing to remember is to allocate your assets in a manner in line with your time horizon and risk tolerance and DON'T CHASE PERFORMANCE. This years winners are not usually on the top of the heap next year.\n\nIt is never a bad idea to consult a financial planner, either.
113335
With your situation you're working with an investment property and will take a hit on rate because it's not your primary residence.  But the rates that are available to you depend on your credit score, how much equity you have, mortgage payment history, and how much debt compared to income that you have.  \n\nI work for a company called MYLOAN and our rates are very competitive and service is top notch.  If you'd like a free no obligation consultation you can fill out an application on my website, email me, or give me a call.  I wish you luck in your search for financing.
1065477
It appears that you have gotten some pretty good advice from the other folks that responded to your question. I've been a stockbroker for 15 years and I would strongly caution you against attempting to trade your way to the top. Over the years I have worked with thousands of clients. I work in the active trading division of Charles Schwab. We have clients that trade anywhere from 100 trades a year to, in some rare cases, folks who trade 40 to 50 trades per day. I'll bet that I can count on one hand the number of these "sophisticated" traders who were actually successful over time. In reference to your question about trading small amounts of money, it's pratically impossible to be successful doing this. The reason is that traders are getting in to a position and out of a position so quickly that they sometimes are happy just making a 1/4 to a 1/2 a point per trade. You will pay a commission on both the buy and sell side. In addition to this, you will pay taxes on your gain. The only way that you can achieve a profit is if you can gain enough to offset the commissions and taxes. If you are only buying a small number of shares (ie. anything under 100 shares) you will need your position to increase dramatically just to cover the fixed costs of doing the trades. The guy who responded who goes by wallstreeter gave you some ridiculous advice if you ask me. Don't think for a minute that some associate analyst is sitting around waiting for a call from you about hot stock tips. Those guys are working 80 - 100 hours a week as it is and they aren't paid to talk to you and I. Go to your local library and think of it as your job to get educated about the basics of investing. Yahoo finance has some great information that you could spend months learning about. Think long term and stay away from all get rich quick trading schemes. (None of them work) Good luck.
219721
Stop shopping so much.  Save the money you save in a diversified mutual fund.  You'll make money and exert less effort.
742413
In addition to Yada's reply I also suggest you contact your bank.  They may execute the trade a little cheaper than a full service broker.
563553
Chances are the broker is not being completely honest with you. He quoted you an initial rate of 8.5 and if he a good enough he will do what he can to get you that rate. Brokers tend to overstate the loan interest rate initially to make money on the "back end" of the transaction know as points or Yield Spread Premium. This is money they get from the lender to sell you the higher rate rather than giving you the lowest rate possible. Ask your broker if this is the case. If so explain that you are looking for the lowest rate possible and his job is to get that for you. \n\nIt sounds like a difficult situation in generally and if he was able to get you a loan in the first place it seems he did his job. Paying $3000 in fees is quite reasonable as I would charge you maximum Federal allowable fees if I knew that the situation is as hard as yours. People that are not in the lending industry tend to think that their broker just collects paperwork from you and sends it in to the lender. There is actually a long drawn out process to get things approved by lenders and with a situation like yours it tends to be more work as there are more conditions from the lender and you don't always get approved with the first lender your file gets sent to and could take many hours processing the loan.
519234
Be honest with your boss. Tell him that you enjoy your job, and you think you are an asset to the company. Hopefully your charts have examples of how you have helped the company to make more money. Because that's how you can convince him that you deserve a bigger piece of the pie.
627973
Be proactive. If you're acting as a broker then you should provide the best service between the provider and user. Make sure your information is up-to-date and organized. You will need to satisfy both sides..once you build up your customer relationship, they will refer you to other people as well. good luck!
700271
I've done that with what I call 'loose change'.  Sometimes I've got a few dollars sitting around, obviously not going to make a lot of interest and not large enough for something substantial.  If some risky thing has been going down but I still feel it worth holding onto (its kinda fun when you sweat over a $90 stock moving a couple of bucks while a stock selling for less than a dime now goes for a buck or two, and yes, I've had that happen), then making an extra small trade can average down the value of your position.  When the stock starts to tick up for whatever reasons, you now have a lower break-even or profit point.  Again, it is only if you've got a few bucks left not doing anything and at Scottrade for $7 plus a half-point, it doesn't hurt much.  Of course, I also got a couple that are cluttering up my list because it will cost more to sell than they are worth today but that is part of the risk, right?
852348
Not sure where these other clowns are getting their information, but allow me to clarify some information:\n1.  Check to see what types of investments you are being placed into.  If it is a managed stock and bond portfolio (not mutual funds, annuities or insurance anything), 1.9% is certainly a fair fee so long as it includes market trades, and expert manager (with a track record) another expert looking at the economics, and the ability to have tax flexibility.  While 1.9% sounds expensive, mutual funds (yes even vanguard), including transaction costs can run from 1.25%-3% no matter how much money you have invested with them not to mention some even carry added commissions! (see www.personalfund.com).  Annuities are mutual funds plus insurance so add another .75-1.5% to the underlying funds on personalfund.com and you will see that most people are paying about 3.5% to have their money managed through annuites.  Typically with fee based planners as your assets go up in value so does the dollar amount of their fee, but the actual percentage goes down, which is not the case with mutual funds, not even vanguard.\nManaged stock accounts do allow you to control taxes much better than mutual funds as well.  Don't forget that the financial planner wants to see your fee go up in dollars, if is based on a percentage, then as your account grows, so will his fee.  If it continues to grow the percentage will drop, but the fee will continue to grow.\nSee if your financial planner is actually a financial planner.  If he doesn't have the letters CFP somewhere after his/her name, he ain't a planner.  But being a CFP doesn't mean squat if they aren't adding value (reducing taxes and risk while increasing returns and goals).  He should be meeting or willing to meet with your CPA and attorney.\n1.9% is high if you are investing in bonds, money market, savings accounts, or something that is guaranteed to pay a certain amount. 1.9% doesn't mean squat to someone who has annualized returns net of fees of 15% for the past 10 years with less risk than the S&P500, that is powerful money making.  If they aren't getting the returns and you have time to do it yourself, then you can find cheaper, but not necessarily better.\nBe cautious.  I have heard of some "advisors/planners" who charge an annual wealth manager fee and say their products don't make them any money, but then put clients in "safe-guaranteed" investments that don't charge commission when in reality they are annuities that pay 10-14% to the broker and the client is told they are free.
775441
You are making the mistake that most amateurs make.  Okay, you lost Rs 35 per share or Rs 3500 for a single block.  Here is where you must begin to learn.  First, of all, losing money is part of the game.  The mistake you made is going into the trade without a plan.  Second, now that that trade is bad and you have no plan, you haven't the first clue on what to do.  Am I right?\n\nA professional never gets into his trade without a plan.  When you bought Patni, did you set a stop loss order?  I would guess "No".  A professional would have decided what the maximum loss they're willing to take is and then place a stop loss order.  For example, if you had planned out your trade, you might have said, "Okay, I'm going to buy Patni at 435, but the maximum loss I'm willing to take it Rs 2000", so you would have set a stop loss order at Rs 415 (Rs 20 times 100 shares = Rs 2000 loss, thus Rs 20 from Rs 435 would give you a stop loss price of Rs 415).\n\nWhen Patni reached Rs 415, the stop loss order would have taken effect and you'd be out.  Yes, you would have lost money, but that's the game.  You will win and you will lose.  The difference is that an amateur gets in without a plan on what to do if losses occur and what their maximum loss will be.  A pro knows all of that even before he picks up the phone to call his broker.\n\nRight now, you're scratching your head and want to know where to sell.  Why are you asking anyone one?  Do they have some magical crystal ball that will tell them when prices will bottom?  Just like you, they have no clue where to sell either.  They are making guesses just like you are.  The difference between, you, the others you're asking and a pro is that the pro realize he has no idea how low prices will drop, all he know is how much of a loss he's willing to take.\n\nSo, the question you need to answer is, "How much of a loss are you willing to take?".  You've lost Rs 3500, can you or are you willing to lose more?  If not, then you need to get out.\n\nA pro would have set a stop loss order and taken the loss.  He can always re-enter the trade when price action moves up again.  I mean, prices could go up from Rs 400, but just as likely than can continue to go down below Rs 400.  So, how much are you willing to lose?\n\nI answered a similar question by another poster and they voted my answer #1 and said that they would do that in the future and then proceeded to ask me "So, when should I get out".  He missed the whole point.  For example, let's say I tell you to get out at Rs 350.  You'd be an idiot to take that advice.  Why?  Because only YOU know how much money you're willing to lose.  If losing Rs 3500 is more than you can take, you should have been out a long time ago.\n\nYou must learn and stop thinking like the other 99% of the population.  You must have a plan, you must have limits that you are willing to take losses, etc.  I've traded for nearly 20 years and I see this all the time with new comers.  They get into a trade without laying out a plan of what they are going to do if the trade goes against them.  I never enter a trade without a stop loss order and I never second guess myself.  Discipline is the key ingredient of successful traders.  You don't have that.  You need to develop it.\n\nSo, to answer you question, you must answer this questions:  Are you willing to risk losing more than Rs 3500?  And if the Rs 3500 you've lost so far is more than you wanted to lose, then why haven't you gotten out already?
982160
Something seems to be missing in your problem.\n\nTheres gotta be more to it because that is jusy too easy!\n\n8M for the first three weeks\n6M for the next four weeks\n\n=14M in 7 weeks.  James needs to invest and retire before he looses it! - Or share as some of you have said ;]
573734
Before I tell you one possible trick I would like to forewarn you the danger in your approach. Your overenthusiasm instead of getting appreciation would result in more harm to you\nAny target is set with some in built challenge. Just like easy game to medium game to tough games, the targets is always upward revised. But the markets have constraints and limitations which only you know but not your BOSS.So Go Slow. LEARN TO WALK BEFORE YOU TRY TO RUN\nRemember always to keep something up your sleeves. Dont surpass 100. You have to retain your job your salary not thrown out. You need not be in the first or first few but what you should try to avoid is being in the last TEN.\nOnce you reach 100 then every time they would expect 100 from you. Your friends your colleahues your boss all will have veryv high expectaytions and your surpasing or reaching 100 wont be appreciated but any time you miss target by one you are marked for that failure. One who does 70 % 75% or 80% can get away with any variations whereas your 1% less would be highlighted and watched by every one.Only the tree whichb yields lots of fruits gets hit by more stones.\nYou become a jealously marked person by byour subordinates waiting for an opportunity to bring you down and trample on you. ALL WILL JOIN IN THIS THEY WOULD START TO HATE YOU\nSo Let Not Expectations be increased\nAlso will you be allowed to sit idle for the rest bof the three weeks. Will they not load you with some other dirty work.Will not somebodyb think you have an easy market or abundant market and you should be transferred elsewhere and some one, the blue eyed boy of the boss ,be given that covenented market segment.\n\nCan you ask your customers to hold on the last week orders of any month to be released on first.Can you keep two sets \nof order booking books and one you use on alternate months . The idea is you book orders in BOOK A for January in which you book orders in such a manner that till 31st you show booking so as to reach your target but then start using the BOOK B from 20th of January to book bulk orders but dating them as 1st February or undated or give the customer a simple acknowledgement or temperory receipt of booking or post dated even and assuring delivery in time assuming it is not for delivery in January itself,\nThis way by first week of February you will have ORDER BOOK \nB in full surpasing your quota.
607829
I suggest you to open a brokerage account in Scottrade (I asume you have less than $2,000)\n\nIf you have more than $2,000.00 you can drop me a line to suggest you a better broker for you.\n\nTop 10 Answerer in Business & Finance.