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Finance Articles
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The Shadow
By Al Thomas
Unsecured Loans Another large garage bill makes you wonder if it`s really worth spending any more money on the car. It has reached the time in its life when it`s started to cost you in upkeep and a newer model might prove to be less bothersome. With no savings to speak of you might be considering one of the Unsecured Loans that a price comparison site has pinpointed for your needs. You looked at the Unsecured Loans a few months ago but haven`t done anything about it since. Using the website that searches for low cost loans is easy as you simply enter the loan amount that you are interested in, the time period that you need it for and the purpose of the loan. The company will also need your employment status and some information about you. An initial assessment will take place for the best quote available and once the loan comparison sitee has found the best quote, they`ll be in touch with you. Think about the type of car that you could get with one of the Unsecured Loans and how much cheaper it would be to run. You could even combine a few of your other smaller loans into the new one to cut down on your monthly outgoings. Article01.html Many people in the UK, in fact as many as one in three UK taxpayers have paid too much tax! The Taxation People, are a forward thinking online accountancy service that specialise in helping people who might be eligible for a tax refund. They offer a online service, with a simple and easy to follow process that will get you the refund you are entitled to. I would urge you to check out The Taxation People, where if you have been or are currently employed The Taxation People can help you get a Tax Refund. The Taxation People are a trading name of Greer & Taylor LLP a respected and trusted accountancy service provider who offers a number of online services. Initially they are only offering the Tax Refund service that can be found at www.thetaxationpeople.com, but Greer & Taylor LLP are about to lauch a cost effective Self Assesment Service, keep an eye on www.greer-taylor.com for more information.
The stock market is kind of like the shadow. As you walk along with the sun at your back you cast a shadow. No matter which way you move the shadow stays ahead. Fast, slow, right, left. It doesn?t make any difference. An equity market is the shadow of the economy staying out in front following every twist and turn. Depending upon the height of the sun the shadow may be long or short. You can see it either as a long term or short term prediction of the passage. If you did not know what a shadow was you would not realize it is telling you something about where you are going. If you see the shadow fall across a hole you know you must step over or around it depending upon its width and depth. The path of our economy is predicted by the direction of the stock market. When things are good and everyone is making money the shadow seems to go up and when the economy slows (for whatever reason) the shadow darker and heads down. At this time (11/04) the sun is shining brightly and the shadow stretches out long and friendly before us. The stock market is going up and everyone is feeling good, but we also know that tomorrow storm clouds may appear making our shadow seem to be a monster black image that hides the potholes in our path. When that occurs we must be ready to put on our raincoat to protect what we carry through life. One of the most important is the money we have put aside for the time we wish to depart the path, sit by the road and contemplate all the beautiful things we have brought. That means we must guard against losing what we have created and not let the shadowy rain cloud wash them away. That raincoat for your investments is an exit strategy for your portfolio. Without a plan to protect your assets it will be too easy to seem them washed away. This does not mean diversification which is what brokers want you to do. It means a plan to exit (sell) stock and mutual funds that are going down. This can be done with a simple percentage stop-loss order for your stocks and a mental stop loss for funds. Brokers never want you to sell even though there may be a commission involved because once you money is in a money market neither they nor the brokerage company makes any money. You and only you care about your money so you must protect it. Think about an exit plan now and put it into place. Do not become a victim of the dark shadow. 
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