How to Get a Potential 600% Return on a US Government Backed Investment

There is a potential return of well over 600% on an investment with an extremely low minimum to participate. In addition, the investment is guaranteed by the United States Government. First, let me tell you that I am not referring to US EE Saving Bonds, although those used to have a lot of benefits before 2008. (The current yield on them is 0.1%.)

Before I tell you what this investment is, I want to give you a little background. You may have already seen it on the news recently but the former economic adviser to President Obama and ex-Treasury secretary Larry Summers has called for the elimination of the $100 bill and potentially take them all out of circulation, similar to what happened to the $500 and $1000 bill. He also hinted that the $50 bill should be looked at in the same way.

Reasons given were to reduce the drug trade and money laundering. Some pundits believe that the government wants all money to go electronic, so that they can track all transactions easier.

So what does all this have to do with investing you might ask? Well, recently, I sold an old car for $1500 and the woman who bought it went into her bank to get cash to pay for it and came out with a wad of money, folded over, about three inches thick. It was all twenties.

The first words out of my mouth were "They didn't have any hundreds?" No $100 bills!

Remembering the news about the hundred dollar bills, I tried an experiment. I went to three major banks to withdraw or cash a check for one or two hundred dollars, and asked for my money in hundreds. Two out of the three banks didn't have hundreds.

Now come on! No hundred dollar bills? These were not podunk banks. These were major banks with many branches in major cities across the United States.

So I thought maybe the elimination of the benjis has already started. (In case you haven't heard the term benji, it refers to Benjamin Franklin who appears on the hundred dollar bills.)

So I decided to do some research on high denomination currency. Prior to 1970, the $500 and $1000 bills used to be in regular circulation. (If you watched any of the old Perry Mason TV shows, you might have seen a couple of them in use.)

However, the US Government took them out of circulation, and they ended up becoming collectors items. If you check out some of the prices of uncirculated $1000 bills on eBay (EBAY), you would see prices of $7,799, $7,500, $5,250, $6,000, etc. These are returns over face value of 425% to 680%. Anyway, you get the picture.

Could the $100 bill become a collector's item? Certainly, if they are withdrawn from circulation. You would want to get uncirculated currency in mint condition.

If you ask you bank for a bundle of new $100 bills (a bundle is one hundred banknotes), your bank will file a CTR (currency transaction report) with the government, since the bundle will equal $10,000. In that case, you might be viewed as a suspicious character.

Could the $100 bills increase in value as much as the $1000 bills? That is a big uncertainty because there are far more hundreds in circulation than there were thousand dollar bills. But you never know. They could end up like the $100 trillion dollar Zimbabwe bills.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that the hundred dollar bill will never lose value (not counting the loss due to inflation).  If it never gains value as a collectible, you can always spend it.

So if you have a little spare change, why not put away a hundred dollar bill for each of your children and/or grandchildren, or even yourself. You never know what it could be worth in the future.

How to Get the Amazon Discount by Using the Amazon Smartphone App

Amazon (AMZN) wants to make sure that you make a purchase wherever you are, whenever you are thinking about it. So it has come out with a special offer. You can get a $5 credit for using the Amazon.com App.

Assuming you haven't downloaded the app yet, you can get a five dollar credit using the promotion code FRED6784N (if you are on your cell phone right now, you can click the link below and it will bring you to the right location to sign up and download the app). Once you download the app, you just need to verify your phone number with Amazon to get the $5 credit.

Use this referral link to get a $5 coupon at Amazon for signing into the Amazon App the first time: https://amazon.com/mpr?referralcode=FRED6784N&ref_=mpr_tr_ss

Do 'Bad' Stocks Do Better than 'Good' Stocks?

Investors who aren't concerned about what businesses their investments are in might want to consider investing in 'bad' stocks, often referred to as 'vice stocks' or 'sin stocks', and now are referred to as the supposedly politically correct term, 'barrier stocks.' They are now called that because the industries have a barrier to entry. The industries include tobacco, alcohol, gambling, defense, adult entertainment, and other businesses that have negative connotations by many investors.

As a matter of fact, there is a mutual fund that used to be called the Vice Fund, but is now called the USA Mutuals Barrier Investor

Fund. (VICEX). Over the last year, the fund has significantly outperformed the S&P 500, rising 3.26% versus a drop of 2.36% for the S&P. Even over five years and ten years, the fund has outperformed the stock market in general. Year-to-date, the fund is up 3.69% versus a loss in the S&P.

If you are wondering what sort of stocks are in the Barrier Fund portfolio, here are the top eight holding:

Philip Morris International Inc (PM)
Reynolds American Inc (RAI)
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS)
Altria Group, Inc. (MO)
MGM Resorts International (MGM)
Raytheon Company (RTN)
Wynn Resorts (WYNN)
General Dynamics Corp (GD)

Each of these stocks represent anywhere from 3% to 6% of the portfolio.

Rydex Leisure (RYLIX) is a fund that owns several stocks that are considered 'bad' or not so good, such as Philip Morris, Altria, and Reynolds American. It also owns McDonald's (MCD) as some investors consider fast food to be not-so-good.

Another fund that has occasionally been put in the vice fund category includes Fidelity Select Consumer Staples (FDFAX), which owns British American Tobacco, Reynolds American, and Altria. It also owns Pepsico (PEP) and Coca Cola (KO), which many consider not-so-good due to the sale of sugary drinks.

If you are not concerned about how your investment funds are used, buying the 'bad' stocks might be a 'good' strategy.

Disclosure: Author owns MCD, PEP, & KO. 

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of April

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Bank of Nova Scotia	BNS	1-Apr	6.0%
Brixmor Property Group Inc.	BRX	1-Apr	4.0%
City Office REIT Inc.	CIO	1-Apr	5.7%
Mack-Cali Realty Corp.	CLI	1-Apr	2.7%
Empire Resources Inc	ERS	1-Apr	3.0%
Kimco Realty Corp  REIT	KIM	1-Apr	3.6%
ClubCorp Holdings Inc	MYCC	1-Apr	3.9%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free. 
Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of March

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Black Box Corp	BBOX	3/29/2016	3.6%
B&G Foods	BGS	3/29/2016	3.6%
Brookfield Canada Office Properties	BOXC	3/29/2016	4.6%
Cameco Corp	CCJ	3/29/2016	3.3%
Camden Property Trust REIT	CPT	3/29/2016	4.0%
Chad Therapeutics Inc.	CTU	3/29/2016	7.4%
Centex Corp.  REIT	CTX	3/29/2016	6.9%
Dow Chemical	DOW	3/29/2016	3.9%
Nucor Corporation	NUE	3/29/2016	3.8%
Corporate Office Properties  REIT	OFC	3/29/2016	4.8%
PG&E Corp	PCG	3/29/2016	3.2%
Xerox	XRX	3/29/2016	3.3%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free. 
Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Proposed London Stock Exchange Group and Deutsche Bourse Merger

Guest article by John Colley 

of Warwick Business School, a Professor of Practice, a former MD of a FTSE 100 company and researcher of large mergers and takeovers

Stock exchange boards in Frankfurt and London have announced the awaited almost €30 Bn 'merger of equals' with Deutsche Borse shareholders taking 54% of the shares and paying a premium for control. The benefits are being aired as €450M of administration savings, mainly IT, and 'capital compression' of €9Bn for investors as the same capital requirement would satisfy both exchanges. The Head Office will be in London. The new exchanges powerhouse will have almost 10,000 employees and will list around 3200 companies with market capitalisation of €7.1 Trillion. In the context of these figures the savings do seem rather meagre in a merger which appears to be designed to avoid upsetting staff, directors and, indeed, competition authorities.

The real issue is achieving scale to compete on a global scale against already consolidated opponents. Europe needs a strong champion to compete against the US exchanges and Hong Kong. However competition authorities remain to be convinced of this argument. In the past European competition authorities have tended to see such mergers at a European level. The issue this time may also be the unwanted complications of a possible Brexit. Both businesses will have to convince their shareholders that the union will be effective in both scenarios of exit and remaining. 

Whilst promoted as a 'merger of equals', with top jobs respectively filled by a balance of directors from both businesses, in practice such arrangements rarely work. The Chairman and Finance Director are from the LSE whilst the deputy chairman and chief executive are from Deutsche Borse. The large board of 16 will consist of 8 directors from each business. Large boards are often unworkable particularly when difficult decisions are needed to implement substantial cost savings. Apparently redundancies are to be allocated equally between London and Frankfurt. Doubts are already gathering that the cost savings will be made as is frequently the case with acquisitions. Shareholders are predominantly US based and will want to see more decisive management. This increases the prospect of Intercontinental Finance Exchange making a successful bid.

'Mergers of equals' usually result in a lack of clarity in direction and leadership as both camps jockey for influence. A result is a confused structure and a failure to drive cost savings and revenue opportunities arising from the merger. This situation can often persist for some time before investor pressure results in one camp taking overall responsibility and addressing the necessary savings.  However this deal may well not be quite as the financial PR suggests as there are a number of interests to satisfy. In reality it may well be a German takeover which has to be framed as a 'merger of equals' to avoid reaction to any potential weakening of the UK in the global financial sector. The Government will be very sensitive to the transfer of activities to Frankfurt.

There is also the sensitivity of Staff based in both Frankfurt and London who will not want to hear of substantial savings which inevitably will be borne by personnel. A rapid exodus of the best talent could ensue before integration proceeds. 

Famous 'mergers of equals' include the Daimler - Chrysler acquisition which suffered from a lack of clarity in leadership and eventually resulted in the disposal of Chrysler for a fraction of the original price. Another more recent example is the merger of cement Heavyweights Lafarge with Holcim which was similarly billed and involved a sharing of the top jobs. Poor performance has resulted and a lack of merger benefits. The clash of strong German and French cultures has not helped. As the consequence of 'mergers of equals' the existing management teams continue to exist with no clear dominant force to drive benefits and direction.

The proposed all shares merger opens the way for bids from the USA. Clearly it is now or never for ambitious exchanges seeking growth. The industry is consolidating and exchanges will want the benefits of scale and scope relative to their competitors. Currently the intervention is likely to come from the US network of exchanges and clearing houses 'Intercontinental Exchange' led by founder and president Jeffrey Sprecher. However the current approach of the LSE and Deutsche Borse may not be aggressive enough to see off Sprecher's unwanted attention. The prospect undoubtedly exists for a more attractive bid with a cash element and this could be justified through higher cost savings. Intercontinental, based in Atlanta, was founded in 2000 compared to the illustrious history of LSE founded in 1571 and opened by Queen Elizabeth.

What if You Could Cash Out of Your Business and Maintain Ownership?

Guest article by Scott Ford, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Wealth Management Group

Is your business your largest asset? A 2014 CNBC study revealed that most small business owners have 70% of their wealth invested in their businesses, with 20% of owners having over 80% tied up in their firm. What if you could take considerable cash from your business to live your life the way you want to now, instead of waiting for retirement?

An E-Recap transaction may allow you to take significant resources without crippling your business or giving up management control. The process includes a third party investor providing cash to help facilitate an ownership restructuring. There are costs and risks associated with the transaction, which should be considered along with the benefits to the firm and its owners.

In my new book, The Sustainable Edge: Fifteen Minutes a Week to a Richer Entrepreneurial Life, Ron Carson and I study what it means for entrepreneurs to find true fulfillment. We’ve witnessed so many “successful” business leaders towards the end of their careers feeling empty and unfulfilled. Finding real balance means having the resources and time to live life on your terms throughout your career before your family and health suffer.

By cashing out of your business, you can take some chips off the table, diversify your family’s wealth, and find the time to pursue what is most important to you. This process doesn’t require selling your firm or compromising the future of your business and employees. It’s possible to step away from your firm and actually improve its long-term value.

Why Cash Out Now?

Many small business owners have achieved financial certainty, by earning enough to meet their needs or even financial independence. But a large majority are unable to achieve true financial freedom without taking assets from their businesses. Financial freedom allows entrepreneurs to find balance in their lives, with their families, and to contribute to the causes they care about most.

What’s more, cashing out of your business allows you to lower your overall financial risk by diversifying your wealth1. By removing assets from your business, you potentially lower your exposure to events such as economic downturns, industry changes, lawsuits, and tax changes. The proceeds can potentially compound free of business risk, however, investing does involve risk including loss of principal.

Many business owners who choose to cash out of their businesses do so because they are nearing retirement age and their appetite for risk has decreased. Often, they aim to spend less time running their firm and more time enjoying their families and passions. While many do not wish to fully retire, they seek to transfer management to younger partners and step aside from day-to-day operations.

Finding Liquidity for the Exit of One Partner

The E-Recap transaction can be an effective solution for a firm with one partner who wants to exit with cash and another who wants to continue running the firm. By introducing a new source of capital, the exiting owner can sell his share of the business, while allowing the remaining owner to continue running the firm without disruption.

Maintaining Operational Control and Ownership

The E-Recap program is designed to allow business owners to get cash out of their businesses while keeping majority ownership and operational control. Business owners who seek liquidity but also want to retain ownership of their firm may benefit from this transaction.

Who Should Consider an E-Recap Transaction?

Business owners who are considering selling their firm within five years should understand the unique benefits of an E-Recap, including the ability to:

•     Take significant cash out of a business
•     Maintain operational and ownership control
•     Step away from day-to-day operations
•     Accelerate growth

As entrepreneurs, we often lose sight of what true success means for us. In The Sustainable Edge, we review how being busy with balance can help you find real fulfillment. Being busy with balance allows us to find sustainable growth in both our business and personal endeavors. Having the resources to be truly financially free and the time to put towards our families and passions can unlock lasting satisfaction.

1 There is no guarantee that diversification will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified investment. Diversification does not protect against market risk.

About Scott Ford

Scott Ford, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Wealth Management Group and a Carson Institutional partner, serves on the investment committee as the technical strategist. He is a registered principal at LPL Financial and is a registered financial consultant. Scott is ranked in the top 1 percent of all LPL registered financial advisors based on annual production.

He was recognized as one of the 20 Rising Stars of Wealth Management by Private Asset Management Magazine in 2008. Scott is the author of two books: Financial Jiu-Jitsu: A Fighter’s Guide to Conquering Your Finances and The Widow’s Wealth Map: Six Steps to Beginning Again. 

4 Ways Technology Has Changed the Financial Services Sector

(Guest Article from Conjur)

The emergence of new technologies has most certainly had an effect on business. For many industries, new technology has drastically changed enterprise operation and structure. The financial services industry has been largely affected by the digital age. Although new technologies and the shift toward the cloud has made things easier, and has allowed these companies to operate on a scale that is otherwise unattainable, the shift does come with its own set of issues.

Here are 4 Ways Technology has Shaped the Financial Services Sector.

1. Virtual, Not Physical, Data 
Years ago, banks were concerned with securing their physical data… guarding servers and tangible files filled with personal and sensitive data. This worry has shifted, as data is largely virtual.  Of course, management at individual branches is worried about the occasional break in. But enterprises as a whole are more concerned about large scale attacks, as the dollar amount of a cyberattack on the entire institution is potentially devastating. Automation has changed almost every aspect of financial services. Banks have computerized tellers, digital records, electronic payments, etc. and all of this data can be sent across the world with the click of a button. Banks store and have access to a plethora of personal information- not only do they deal with people’s money, but they also hold onto a great deal of sensitive, identifiable information- so when a financial enterprise is hacked, a lot more than money is at stake.

2. It's Gone Global
Technology has changed the industry completely and has introduced some new key players. Now, banks can operate across the world, the cloud making it possible to share information anywhere and everywhere. In recent years, new financial hubs have emerged, as business can now be conducted globally. As more players enter the space, there is an increase in the size of infrastructures and IT teams, an increase in the amount of data that is shared, and an increase in the surface area that is vulnerable to attacks.

3. Security is Everyone's Problem 
Security has become an enterprise wide concern- Years ago, the only people truly worried about security were the people who worked in the server room. Things are different now. As the vast amount of data the financial services industry stores is highly sensitive, and can be easily shared internally and accessed by hackers, security needs to prevalent in every single aspect of the business. Now, financial service sector is concerned with both insider and outsider threats. As hackers have become increasingly more stealthy and resourceful, enterprises must make sure their security is robust enough to thwart their efforts.  

4. The Internal Hierarchy has Shifted 
The IT team has become just as important as financial experts in the financial services industry. This is especially true as more and more companies make the transition to the cloud. These enterprises need large IT teams to manage data and keep up with current trends. The digitization of the industry means that enterprises are able to move fast, innovate, and create new and exciting features. Having large, agile IT teams is crucial to a financial institution's success in this new, more competitive marketplace. 

Hackers have become smarter and more determined and if enterprises don’t take security seriously, they are at risk of a breach. The financial services industry has a lot more at stake than other types of businesses. Unlike retailers, a bank’s main job is to hold our most personal information and keep it safe. Thus, a breach would be devastating in this industry, as consumer trust  would likely decline drastically if their sensitive financial information was compromised. Keep in mind, we aren’t just talking about individuals who utilize these finance firms, but also large corporations. Losing these customers due to a cybersecurity issue would be overwhelming.  

These four changes reveal how important infrastructure security has become for financial services. Although the cloud has allowed these corporations to operate on a much larger scale, and these new capabilities have brought an increase in revenue, it does come with a price. Although enterprises can handle more data, they need to be able to effectively secure it and avoid the public nightmare that is a data breach.

Conjur (www.conjur.net) is a security software company that helps enterprises identify, authorize and audit all service and user identities. In addition to actively enforcing security policy and reducing vulnerability points, Conjur provides detailed activity reports for compliance and security audits.  With the cost and frequency of security breaches on the rise, Conjur provides a critical piece of infrastructure to adopt modern IT and maintain compliance.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of March

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

American Capital Senior Fltg	ACSF	3/21/2016	14.7%
Cincinnati Financial	CINF	3/21/2016	3.1%
Computer Task Group, Inc.	CTG	3/21/2016	4.8%
Highway Holdings Ltd.	HIHO	3/21/2016	10.8%
KAR Auction Services Inc	KAR	3/21/2016	3.4%
LTC Properties  REIT	LTC	3/21/2016	4.1%
Bluerock Residential Growth	BRG	3/22/2016	12.4%
Portland General Electric	POR	3/22/2016	3.1%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free. 
Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Zimbabwe 100 Trillion Dollar Bills are Worth More than the Paper They are Printed On

Zimbabwe $100 Trillion Dollar Bill

Does anyone remember when Zimbabwe had what many economists believe was the highest inflation rate of any country in history? In 2008, Zimbabwe came out with a $100 billion bill. Then in 2009; inflation in Zimbabwe was so bad, that the country finally issued a  $100 trillion dollar bill - that's 100,000,000,000,000 Zimbabwe dollars.

Zimbabwe banknotes worth
about US$1 at the time

This happened because the government reported in July 2008 that they were experiencing inflation of 231 million percent (231,000,000%). However, the Libertarian think tank, the Cato Institute, believed that the real inflation rate was 89.7 sextillion percent , which numerically would look like  89,700,000,000,000,000,000,000%. It is incredible to think that in April of 2008, the country had inflation of 'only' 100,000%.

Inflation was so bad that the best way to explain it, since a picture is worth a hundred trillion words, is through pictures of people in Zimbabwe trying to use this extremely high inflation currency.

Zimbabwe bundle of bills
worth about $100 at that time 

The first picture shows a boy on his way to the market with hundreds of bills worth about one US dollar. The second shows a man with bundles of Zimbabwe bills worth about $100 US.

100 billion Zimbabwe dollars for 3 eggs

The third picture shows the purchase of three eggs. Price: 100 billion Zimbabwe dollars.

The fourth picture shows the payment for a meal at a Zimbabwe restaurant.
Fortunately, Zimbabwe now has their inflation under control, now that the country is allowing the use of foreign currencies, including the US dollar, for commerce.

So are these 100 trillion dollar bills worthless? No! The country's former high denomination bills have now become collector's items, mementos of runaway inflation. Currently, they are selling for almost $100 each, and for quantities of these Zimbabwe notes, you can still pick them up for around $50 each.

Bricks of Zimbabwe bills to pay
for a meal at a restaurant

People are now buying these hundred trillion dollar bills as birthday and Christmas gifts, turning their friends and relatives into "trillionaires" (in old Zimbabwe currency).

Pictures courtesy of www.emailforwards.net

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of March

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Parkway Properties  REIT	PKY	3/14/2016	5.7%
T. Rowe Price	TROW	3/14/2016	3.2%
Mercury General	MCY	3/15/2016	4.7%
Methanex	MEOH	3/15/2016	3.8%
Medical Properties Trust REIT	MPW	3/15/2016	7.9%
Navios Maritime Acquisition	NNA	3/15/2016	10.5%
South Jersey Industries	SJI	3/15/2016	4.0%
Western Union	WU	3/15/2016	3.6%
American Railcar Industries	ARII	3/16/2016	4.3%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free. 
Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The Highest Priced Real Estate Investing Book Sells For $6,347.37

If you are considering or currently investing in real estate, there are numerous books to choose from. The top sellers on Amazon right now are:

The Book on Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth and Passive Income Through Intelligent Buy and Hold Real Estate Investing!

The Book on Flipping Houses: How to Buy, Rehab, and Resell Residential Properties

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

If you are looking for a top of the line book, and you consider the most expensive real estate book to be the top of the line, then you should consider the book The Hidden Secrets of a Real Estate Technician which sells for $6,347.37. It is currently only being offered as a used book, and interestingly, it is being sold by Goodwill Industries of San Diego through Amazon. Actually, there is one other of this book book being offered through Amazon which is also used, but the price on it is $8,871.91. (It amazes me how these booksellers come up with these prices.)

By the way,  The Hidden Secrets of a Real Estate Technician is spiral bound and has a total of two reviews, both giving the book a 5 star rating. One of the reviewers is a verified buyer.

The Investment Book that Sells for $1,600

If you want to get the best, most expensive investing advice, you might want to consider getting the book Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor by Seth Klarman, the value investor and money manager at The Baupost Group.

However, the book is out of print but it is available through Amazon (AMZN) at very high prices. There are two Amazon sellers are offering a new version of the book at prices ranging from $1,599.95 and $3,500. If those are too expensive for you, you can always pick up a used edition for only $1178.99. This book is considered to be one of the most-stolen books from libraries.

The reason the book is so expensive is that Klarman is an extremely successful money manager. Plus, the print run for the book was small. Also, the book has been out of print for many years. Because of these factors, the book has become a collector's item.

The book is about value investing, which is covered in extensive detail, along with the philosophy of maintaining a margin of safety. This hardback book is about 250 pages and is published by HarperCollins. Surprisingly, it ranks #85 in the category of Books - Business and Investing - Investing - Bonds.

You probably don't want to buy the book as a gift for someone (you would hate to find out it ended up in a charity book sale). But if you are interested in it for yourself, and price is no object for you, you should get Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of March

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Ameren Corp	AEE	3/7/2016	3.7%
Hewlett Packard	HPQ	3/7/2016	6.8%
Innophos Holdings	IPHS	3/7/2016	7.3%
Mobile Mini Inc	MINI	3/7/2016	3.0%
Reis Inc	REIS	3/7/2016	3.1%
Auburn National Bancorp	AUBN	3/8/2016	3.5%
Capella Education Company	CPLA	3/8/2016	3.4%
DDR Corp  REIT	DDR	3/8/2016	4.6%
MDU Resources Group	MDU	3/8/2016	4.1%
Occidental Petroleum	OXY	3/8/2016	4.4%
Public Service Enterprise Group	PEG	3/8/2016	3.8%
PPL Corporation	PPL	3/8/2016	4.2%
Reynolds American	RAI	3/8/2016	3.3%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free. 

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com