The Cervical Cancer Vaccine, Gardasil, Was Approved by the FDA In June.

by Jessica Mkitarian.

So Should You Give It To Your 11-Year Old Daughter? 

Jessica Mkitarian (on left) and her friend, Sima

6.29.06 Update: According to Anne Schuchat, Director, National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, Gardasil has been recommended to become a routine immunization for girls as young as nine and up to age 26, by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ÒThe vaccine, for 11 to 12 year-olds and women up to age 26, was considered effective on all three fronts - efficacy, safety and cost,Ó according to Ms. Schuchat. Merck has an ample supply of Gardasil, and the vaccine is currently being shipped to pediatricians.

The Problem:
¥ Human papillomavirus (HPV) is COMMON and WIDESPREAD: In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that at least 50% of sexually active people catch HPV during their lifetime. Although males and females can both contract the virus, in females it can lead to cervical cancer. And in 2005, the CDC estimated that 20 million people in the United States had the virus.
¥ Many people who have HPV show no signs or symptoms, meaning they can easily pass it on to others without even knowing.
¥ Cervical cancer is the world's second most common cancer found in women, and the leading death-causing cancer found in women in most developing countries.

The Solution: Gardasil
¥ Gardasil protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Although there are over 100 types of HPV, these four cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts.
¥ The Gardasil vaccine is available for women ages 9 to 26 and is given with 3 shots. After the first vaccination, you must wait 2 months for the second one, and the last is given 6 months after that.
¥ Gardasil protects against abnormal and precancerous cervical lesions, vaginal lesions, vulvar lesions, genital warts, and cervical cancer. HoweverÑthe vaccine will not protect you from HPV types to which you have already been exposed. Nor will it treat these diseases.
¥ The best time to get the vaccination is before you have had any exposure to HPV. Since HPV is so common, this may imply that girls should get the vaccination before they become sexually active. (This of course is controversial.)
¥ Since the cancer vaccine prevents only 70% of cervical cancers, it is important to continue to get a pap smear after you are vaccinated.

The Side Effects
¥ As with any injection, common side effects are pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site.
¥ Fever.
¥ Difficulty breathing (bronchospasm) has been reported very rarely.

One Doctor's Opinion: ÒI don't give any vaccines within the first year or two that they are out ever. The test was with 6000 people and now they are going to give it to six million? During the first year that the vaccine is available, we should approach it carefully. It's possible that this vaccine is a winner, but I need to watch what happens when the first million doses are given, to determine if the benefits outweigh the risks.Ó Dr. Jay Gordon, M.D., FAAP, IBCLC

The Benefits:
¥ Today, pap screening tests have cut down on a major percentage of cervical cancer cases in the United States. Just imagine the improvement in number of cervical cancer cases with a vaccine that prevents the disease almost entirely!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE IN AN EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CHAT WITH DR. AMY ROSENMAN! Get professional answers to your questions about the efficacy of the vaccine, the side effects, the trials upon which the FDA approval were based, and/or any other pressing issue you need to address.

Gardasil Chat Details:
Friday, July 21st, 2006
8:45AM through 9:30AM.

NataliePace.com hosts a Women's Health Chat with Dr. Amy Rosenman, discussing the new cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil, which was approved by the FDA and recommended as a routine immunization for girls ages 11-26 by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June. Pre-teen girls can now be vaccinated against cervical cancer! Ask your questions and pose your concerns one-on-one with one of the most respected gynecologists in the U.S. (Subscribers only.)

For More Information on the virus that causes cervical cancer and the cervical cancer vaccine, visit:

http://www.gardasil.com/ (owned by Merck)
http://www.nccc-online.org/ (National Cervical Cancer Coalition)
http://www.maketheconnection.org (Great cervical cancer information site)

Call It Your "Buy My Own Island" Plan, Not Your Retirement Plan.

by Natalie Pace.

Including 7 Easy Wealth Tips That Make Life More Enjoyable.

Photo Credit: www.mazell.com. Film and Video Production. Advertising Photography. 562-866-7662

Retirement plan. Who picked a name that sounds about as inviting as a root canal for your most important budget line item? How about my "win the lottery" plan or my "launch my dream business" plan or my "gone fishing" plan? Wouldn't you get a little more excited opening up one of those?

Did you know that most businesses are started with the founder's own money? Did you know that the stock markets, on average, have returned over 10% annually for the past 37 years, which is higher than real estate (6.7%), bonds (8%) and even gold (7%)? Yes, there is a correlation here. I'm not the first entrepreneur to use her investment gains to launch her dream business and become wealthier as a result. Your "retirement plan" (Ughhh) is really your ticket to financial freedom - whether you choose to use your nest egg to retire in 30 years, to retire early, to put a down payment on your own home, to get a higher education so that you earn more, as your health savings plan or even to start a new business that might bring you wealth untold. Your nest egg is your golden goose. You've captured her from the giant. Now give her a better name!

Your employer has likely given you a 401 (k) and given you complete freedom as to what the heck you're going to do with it. If the thought of managing your own retirement makes you suicidal, relax! Rather than jump in your face and nag you to subscribe to all of the money magazines, including mine, so that you can do this right, I'm going to strip the issue naked and tell you the most fundamental truth about money.

The most important first step to take is to switch your thinking about money, which is why I'm encouraging you to toss out the phrase "retirement plan" and select a sexier name for your personalized life "Freedom Plan." Why? Because you'll want to check the bottom line of your Freedom Plan, while, odds are, you're filing the retirement plan statements directly in the receipt drawer (without looking at them), that is, if you have even bothered to sign up for the 401 (k) in the first place.

A study done by Oppenheimer Funds in 2002 discovered that only 14% of women have $100,000 or more saved for retirement. Is this you? Another frightening statistic is that 41% of single moms live at or below the poverty level, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these moms were once in what they thought was a stable, happy marriage. (Single mothers are the largest group living in poverty; only 8% of married couples with kids under 18 are living in poverty.) So, whether you are married or single, a personal financial freedom plan is a good idea!

8 VERY SEXY aspects of your 401 (k) Freedom Plan

1. It could fund your dream business (via loan)
2. It could be an instant raise because many employers match at least a portion of your contribution
3. It's easier than you think
4. Over time, odds are in your favor that you win
5. No homeowner's dues, property taxes or plumbing to fix!
6. Works for you, while you sleep, adding more money to your bottom line!
7. Could fund a down payment on a new home (loans)
8. You can start here and now!

Why am I focusing so much on the name, rather than on all of the technical analysis and stock picking and asset allocation and risk tolerance surveys? Because, as seasoned financial professionals will tell you, most people don't rise, for long, above the income level that they were raised with. Athletes make millions early in their career, but most find themselves broke within five years of leaving their sport. The same is true of lottery winners who cash out all of their earnings. Somehow you find a way to fail or succeed based upon a pre-designed blueprint that you have for yourself, unless you start changing the way that you think about money, about your ability to earn and invest (yes you can do this!) and about how life works in the first place. (Are you always anticipating failure? Or do you invite in victory? Are you convinced that you can do this or that you are sure to fail?)

As you see, so it is
I'm always amazed at how women who think that all guys cheat always date guys who cheat. There's a saying, "As you see, so it is," and with regard to your Freedom Plan, it pays to see a sexy hunk, who doesn't cheat, who becomes more valuable every year and is there to support your wildest dreams, should you choose to turn your passion for ice cream into the next Cold Stone's Creamery! If you believe that you can do this and know that the system works in your favor over time (as it does), you are less likely to make the short-term mistakes that newbie investors fall prey to time and time again - the most common being: selling low in a panic.

So now that I've convinced you to sign up for (and rename) your Freedom Plan, below are a few tips to help you fill out the form. Sure, you'll want to know more about investing than the few tips I've outlined below, but don't let that stop you from signing up and getting started NOW. The tips below are gleaned from financial professionals and are designed to make sure that you don't lose everything, while you're learning. There is always a portion of your Freedom Plan that is risk-free (and consequently earns lower returns). Even the lowest return -- savings accounts -- yields more than not doing anything, and know that if you don't start now, the only thing you're losing is months of money that could be adding up to a better life for you.

Freedom Plan Starting Point:

1. Tithe to Yourself. If you don't have a financial planner to help you and/or you don't feel like doing the math, take 10% of your gross income and allocate that to your new Freedom Plan (401 (k), Roth IRA, etc.). If you are employed, be sure to ask your Human Resources person if the company will match a portion. That matching money is IN ADDITION TO your tithe. Imagine that you are saving for a down payment on some real estate. You can take out a loan on your 401 (k) for all kinds of things without penalty, provided that you pay it back. If you are self-employed, your tithe to your Freedom Plan should be the FIRST check you write each month. (You can set up your own 401K through any online or brick-and-mortar brokerage.) No matter how much or how little you make, be sure that you are putting aside 10%, even if you are living in poverty. Take a dollar, if that is all that you have, and put it in your Freedom Fund, and tithe 10% EVERY TIME you have another ten dollars come in. If you don't have a nest egg and you are nearing retirement, you obviously have to be more aggressive about tithing and/or willing to work a lot longer.
   
   
2. Play it Safe in the beginning: Take a percentage that is equal to your age and assign that to the Money Market account. Money Markets are very low risk, and are no risk at all, if they are backed by the FDIC. If you are ultra-nervous about investing, add 5-10% to the money market. 20-year-olds keep 20% safe because they still have another 45 years to get it right before retirement. 60-year-olds keep 60% or more safe because they are retiring in 5-10 years and need to be sure that they've got enough in their Freedom Fund to live the great life!
   
   
3. Diversify: Look at the assets listed above and diversify the remaining money into different mutual, index and/or Exchange-Traded Funds that represent each asset class. You can weight into higher-performing assets, like small cap stocks, and assign less into lower-performing asset classes, as you desire, but make sure that you are not over-concentrated in any one sector. Pick at least four different types of funds to choose from, so that you can watch for yourself how each one performs for your portfolio.
   
   
4. Bi-annual Beauty Treatments: Plan on looking at your Freedom Plan at least twice a year to make adjustments as needed. For instance, in October 2002, with savings accounts and money markets returning less than 2% and the stock markets at a 4-year low, it was a good time to think about shifting money into the stock market and out of the money market fund. (Buy low; sell high works every time.) There's no reason why you can't buy in when you think the markets are low, and take your profits and re-allocate when you see that an asset, sector or company has had its run-up. September, the historically worst-performing month of the year, and January, the strongest performing month, are good times to review your freedom plan - January to see where you might take some profits (or sell), and September for the Back to School stock sales (for good buys)! Also, note that REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) have been losing value all year and that REIT CEO Bruce Karatz has described the current environment as "difficult." As the difficult environment gets more strained with each interest rate hike, REITs might still be too high to buy, with more falling seasons in store.
   
   
5. Enron-proof your Freedom Plan: invest no more than 10-20% of your Freedom Plan in your own company stock. (ERISA guidelines force company-managed pension plans to limit investments in the company to 10% -- not a bad idea!) The biggest mistake employees at Enron made wasn't working for Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, it was investing (and losing) 57.3% of their nest eggs in the company! Be smart, even if you are working for the next Google! Investors can be finicky and whimsical. When Enron fell, it fell so hard and so fast that most employees didn't have time to pull their money out.
   
   
6. Choose Exchange Traded Funds or Index Funds over Mutual Funds. Check with your broker and/or brokerage, for a list of funds, or browse the offerings at the American Stock Exchange (www.amex.com) for the most comprehensive listing of ETFs. If your company's choices are too limited, check into the possibility of rolling over the company 401 (k) to an online discount brokerage (or a full-service brokerage) where the choices tend to be more flexible. There are qualifying events that enable you to rollover without any penalty at all. Check with your human resources person and/or call your broker. Click to access a list of online discount brokerages. These sites have become great at providing click-happy do-it-yourselfers with everything you need to succeed. If you'd rather just find a broker, be sure to read "Brokers and Lovers: It Pays to Pick a Good One" for great tips on how to interview for the 2^nd most important man (or woman) in your life.
   
   
7. BONUS TIP: Start a Freedom Plan now for your Children! If you want to start your children off right, have them tithe 10% of their allowance to their own Freedom Plan. Many brokers are savvy about allowing moms and dads to start a little something on the side for the kids, and online discount brokerages are not going to be too far behind in figuring out the appeal of giving stock gift cards instead of savings bonds or the latest toy!

You can do this. You have what it takes. You are starting right here and right now on a path to greater financial wisdom. As Ernest Holmes, the author of The Science of Mind and This Thing Called You says, "When thoughts of confusion persistÉ statements of peace will neutralize them. When thoughts of fear assail, statements of faith will counteract their action. When thoughts of unhappiness well upÉ thoughts of happiness and joy will transmute them."

Alright, before you have me arrested for new age rambling on the job, I'm signing offÉ to go enjoy the fruits of my own investing. Yes, having my own business is a lot of work and the challenges are as rigorous as the Tour de France. But the playing field is my own personal Cote d'Azur, and I've never had a better time - ever, personally, or as a single mother providing for a free-spirited teenager. May your freedom plan yield as luscious a future for you and your loved ones. It all starts with the first step and a new attitude of love and confidence instead of fear and loathing.

Natalie Pace is the CEO and founder of NataliePace.com. Currently, she is ranked as the #1 stock picker in the US, out of over 700 A-list pundits, by TipTtraders.com, with over 55% annualized gains on the companies featured in NataliePace.com™. NataliePace.com's monthly ezine is one of the best bargains on Wall Street, at just $4.50/month, which is less than one grande latte. Caffeine provides a fleeting zip to your life, but NataliePace.com's returns will make you want to dance on the ceiling all night. Join now at the link on the NataliePace.com home page.

Other articles of interest:
Affordable Health Care. by Dr. Gary Becker, Nobel Laureate, Economics.
Real Estate (REITs) Rules Wall Street, but For How Long? Market Update. By Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC.
From Flipping Burgers to Owning Your Own Island. By Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO and founder. How tithing 10% to Your Nest Egg will make you a millionaire, even if you're only bringing home $30,000.
Investing is Not Surgery. Brokers are Not Surgeons. Why wise, informed, personal, daily, healthy choices keep you fiscally fit. By Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO and founder.
Are GM, Delphi and Delta the Beginning of Japan-like Stagnation for the U.S.? Q&A with Nobel Laureate Economist Gary Becker. By Natalie Pace.
Want a Raise Now? It Could Be a Check Mark Away. by Maya Patel.
The Eastern European Renaissance. This Year's "It" Investment. Article and Stock Report Card by Natalie Pace.
Leave Your Job, Not Your 401(k) By Maya Patel. Discount Brokerages Make Rollover IRAs Easy.
NASD Investor Alert: Putting Too Much Stock in Your Company - A 401(k) Problem
What the Mutual Fund Salesman Forgot to Mention. by Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC.

Should You Dump Him (Your Broker)?

by Jessica Mkitarian.

Lately all you can notice is the way he taps his pen against your desk loud enough to wake the neighbors. He's always late, he never asks you what you want to do anymore, and he actually wears socks with sandals. The relationship is getting stale, and you're thinking it's time to cut it off Ñ with your broker.

Even if you are not married to your broker, your relationship with your broker Ñ and any person who handles the important aspects of your life, financial or not Ñ should be honest, smart and healthy. You wouldn't date someone you didn't trust, so why employ a broker whom you don't trust? When it comes to relationships, the ones you like and enjoy are the ones worth keeping. So if you leave a meeting with your broker feeling awful, it's time to consider whether he or she is the right person for you. Below are a few questions to help you determine if you and your broker are compatible, or if it's time to give him (or her) the boot.

1. Your styles clash. You want to lock in profits, but he always wants to wait until the prices rise some moreÉ and then fall. It's not a case of having a boyfriend who wears a tie over a t-shirt to the opera. This is your future you're banking on! (If he's been right about his strategy and you're the one in need of fashion and investing education, fire yourself as the whiner/complainer, start educating yourself on his winning strategy and become an ally!)

2. He doesn't do his homework. Have you ever met with your broker and known more about asset allocation, or interest rates or taxes or diversification than he did? Not a good sign.

3. Look into his past. Checking up on your broker might feel like the equivalent of asking your beloved for a pre-nup, but you need to know whether or not there are any complaints filed with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). Also, because there is such a big turnover in the brokerage business, find out how long your broker has worked in his current employment and what company/field/industry he was employed in prior to becoming a broker. It's not a crime (or a sin) to Google-stalk him, so don't keep yourself in the dark about his past offenses (or clean record).

4. Interview the Exes. Who were his clients in the past? If they left, maybe you should find out why. Many a marriage might be saved (or avoided) if lovers adopted this policy!

5. Rollercoaster Ride. Everyone loves the maverick É until he cracks your nest egg. Is he a risk-taker and are you risk-averse? Would you rather be investing in real estate than short-term stocks? If you and your broker can't work this out, it's definitely worth breaking up over. You'll have a lot more fun with someone whose idea of a good time is compatible with yours. And no amount of returns are worth a heart attack. (On the other hand, if you're the maverick and he's the voice of reason, you might want to try yoga and meditation, in order to nurture the relationship.)

6. Mr. Know-It-All. He doesn't let you get a word out, and he talks in a bunch of words and phrases that are designed to confuse rather than enlighten you. This dude is a salesperson, not a partner. A broker who doesn't let you voice your opinion is not working for you; he's just executing his own game plan (which is likely the one that puts the most money in his pocket - not yours). Remember, they are your investments and it's your money. Evaluate him as carefully as you would a husband candidate.

7. The Lazy Boy. A successful investor researches and plays an active role in his or her future. Your broker should be your partner in bettering your future and securing your assets. If your broker would rather sit with feet up and talk without acting - then maybe it's time to have the talk about what YOU want. If his idea of a date were beers and sitcoms, you'll probably dump him. Why give your broker any more slack than a potential partner?

8. Ever wonder why they call him a broke(r) instead of a rich(er)? Brokers are salesmen. If he only calls to sell you something, find out how much he makes if you buy investment X over investment Y. You want to be adding sound holdings to your portfolio, not just buying things to keep your broker remembering your name. (This goes for stocks, bonds & real estate!) As Joe Moglia, CEO of TD Ameritrade says, "In the full commission firms in this country, the typical financial consultant covers 400-500 accounts. They get paid on the ones that have the greatest assets. They realistically can't get to the majority of their client base." If your broker isn't meeting your needs, the cyber brokerages, like e*Trade, ScotTrade, TD Ameritrade and more, might be a better plan!

9. King Troglodyte. He talks with his mouth full, makes crude gestures about your dress and calls you "Little Lady." Don't underestimate manners and being polite. Rude behavior on a small scale could end in you getting screwed. If s/he talks down to you, deliberately uses big-sounding words and market vernacular to prove "who's boss," who needs it?

10. Certification by Kinko's. Does his financial certification look like it was printed at Kinko's? Does he claim he went to California University, like Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell? Also a bad sign. Recently, I spoke to an "instructor" from one of these investing schools. He was reading a script that was supplied by the company. I asked him what kind of qualifications a person needs to teach investing at that school. "None," he replied. In fact, I have a relative, who has very little experience in the markets and no college degree, who is making more money than he has ever made in his life. Not in the stock markets by trading, but as a "teacher" helping a company to hock software and training. None of these Yahoos have records that stand up over time. If you want to know the difference between the pros and the blowhards, just refer to TipsTraders.com and/or Hulbert's Financial Digest. These independent agencies track all of the performance of the guru - every company they mention - and give you the returns in black and white. Now if only they had a site like that for loversÉ

Or Maybe You Should Re-evaluate What YOU Bring to the RelationshipÉ.
¥ Are You Impossible to Talk To? Do you listen when your broker offers suggestions or new ideas, or do you stick with your ideas and what you already think you know? Don't be too fast to dump him, especially if this is a broker who has been in the family for decades and/or has managed the portfolio of a friend for the same period of time. There are some exceptionally talented Certified Financial Advisors out there. If you've got one, you could be in a great position to learn some of his/her tricks! Brokers get VERY frustrated when their clients want to run with the herd. Selling low and buying high is a sure-fire way to LOSE your nest egg, and is exactly what the inexperienced investor is inclined to do!

¥ To trust or not to trust. Do you resist taking your broker's advice when it could be profitable? Maybe the issue here is trust. If your broker is credible and knows what he's doing, you should start to trust him/her, instead of headlines, hot tips and/or analyst rankings. (Refer to the Top 10 Investment Mistakes.) A relationship that's not built on trust will crumble, even if the broker was a good one. Make sure that you have legit reasons to not trust your broker (like s/he's getting too distracted with other clients to give your portfolio time and/or has had prior complaints with the NASD), rather than just your own hang-ups.

Good investments can change your life. If your broker handles your investments right, it's possible s/he could be setting you up for more freedom and possibilities than you could ever imagine. It's ultimately your responsibility to pick the right partner who can make this dream come true! Be smart, and have a healthy, happy relationship!

Jessica Mkitarian is currently an undergraduate junior studying economics at Boston University. She enjoys writing and travel, and plans to continue her studies, and obtain her Masters in Economics.

The Beach Bum's Solution To Immigration:

by Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO and founder.

Surf, Sun and Mango Margaritas in Cabo San Lucas!

15 Reasons to Vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico This Year:

Infinite Pool at Las Ventanas al Paraiso. Photo Credit: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts

1. Best Solution to Immigration! It's pretty cool when drinking mango margaritas while checking out surfers tearing up the waves helps solve a political hot point! Vacation away from the heat of the immigration issue, South of the Border in beautiful San Jose Los Cabo, and you're providing a good reason for Mexicans to stay and work in Mexico! (The local economy in Cabo San Lucas is booming as a result of American travelers!)

2. Good enough for Goldie! Goldie Hawn's Number 1 son, Oliver Hudson (Kate Hudson's brother) married his beloved Erinn Barlett in Cabo at the swanky/cool One&Only Palmilla.

3. Mango Margaritas. Need I say more?

4. Pesos. Easy exchange rate, no matter how many shots of tequila you've had. Just lose a zero. 50 pesos equal 5 dollars, more or less.

5. Triple the room size. Someone forgot to tell the Cabo architects the correct size for hotel rooms. At the Grand Baja All Suite Resort and Spa, my two-bedroom suite was bigger than my first condominium. And the separate bedrooms work great for kids, whether your kids are toddlers or teenagers. Close enough to hear a cry; private enough to pretend you don't hear the party going on.

6. Free Sunset Cruises (from Time Share Salespeople). If you're willing to sit for two hours while someone blathers on trying to convince you to pay $25,000 to vacation at their hotel for the next 30 years, you can win a free sunset cruise! (Or you can just pay $25 for the sunset cruise and spend the two hours drinking mango margaritas.) Beware that those friendly people at the airport are all time-share salespeople. They are sucking you in with free information and free gifts to tie you into a morning of presentations and hard-sale negotiations. That's fine if your time is less valuable than your money.

7. No Montezuma's Revenge! Filtered water! Cabo has figured out that the bed-ridden Gringo is bad for tourism, and has learned to use filtered water for everything, including for ice and washing the fruit! During my week at the Cabo Grand Resort, I didn't see one person get sick, and I was no more regular than normal! Now that's progress! If you want to stay extra safe, especially in local restaurants that are not affiliated with a major hotel, drink bottled beer and drinks without ice, and avoid any food that has not been cooked - including fruit and salad.

8. Hot Spots! And I'm not just talking about Cabo Wabo. I wrote this report while lounging on the balcony of the Grand Baja, where I could roam around my suite and pick up a Wi-Fi signal in almost every room.

9. No vacation-disrupting phone calls! It's just not that easy calling Mexico. (Either that, or that is just what my bachelor-for-a-week boyfriend told me, when I had to fly to Cabo solo on business.) So, you can literally disappear off the planet (while staying plugged into life, if you choose, via the Internet).

11. 2 ý hour direct flight from Los Angeles on Mexicana. You don't have to spend all day in airports, catching connections from out of the way cities, but you probably do have to choose Mexicana Airlines, instead of the major U.S. carriers if you want to fly direct. My flight was on-time, and the experience was more pleasurable than I've had on many domestic airlines.

12. Awesome snorkeling and diving. Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez the "aquarium of the world." It's worth every peso to go out scuba diving, snorkeling or kayaking.

Resort-style Lounging Photo Credit: Esperanza Resort

13. Something for everyone. San Jose Los Cabo, where the Grand Cabo Resort is located, is great for kids: more quiet. There's a well-known surfer's point, where you can learn to surf, shred some decent tubes or just watch the action. Cabo San Lucas is definitely a party town! Resorts, like Esperanza, the One&Only Palmilla and Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood Resort, are well-known couples getaways, having hosted some of the most famous couples on the planet (including Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn and family for Oliver Hudson's wedding). Party you're a** off, nestle into your lover's arms, listen to the insects or take the family for a walk on the white sand beach. Your choice!

14. Surfing and windsurfing. Cabo regularly hosts windsurfing and surfing competitions. Whether you come to compete or to marvel at the beauty of water sport athleticism, Cabo can be as attractive to the water enthusiast as the better known Hawaii.

15. Bargain Priced Ñ relatively. While Cabo isn't as cheap as you'd hope, it is much more affordable than Los Angeles and Hawaii. The food and beverage bill will not require a pound of flesh.

16. Year-Round Sun! The average temperature in Cabo is 78 degrees Fahrenheit, with 72 degree water temperature in the Sea of Cortez! Travel during the summer off-season, and you're guaranteed a better rate, that is if you can take the heat Ñ up to 100 degrees during the day Ñ and don't mind a storm or two. Be willing to sit through a time-share presentation and, if you're a qualified credit card holder, you might get to go on the resort's dime. (More likely to occur at the Grand Baja Resort than the One&Only Palmilla.)

Cabo San Lucas Hotel Information
The Grand Baja Resort and Spa
1.888.GoBaja1

Esperanza
866.311.2226

The One&Only Palmilla
888.691.8081

Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood Resort
888.767.3966

Cabo Weather Information:

Your Biography Becomes Your Biology.

by Gary Kobat.

Let Love Relax You!

Gary "on the wheel" of 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong

"Some thoughts - like fear - are like depth charges causing a negative or dark or lower energy response, while love can relax your entire body."

- Gary Kobat

Everything that is alive pulsates with energy and this energy contains information. Your physical body is both an information center and a highly perceptual system. We are consistently "in-communication" with everything around us through this system.

Within YOUR energy field exists emotional energy, which is created by your internal and external experiences. These experiences can be both positive and negative, light and dark, fleeting or long-lasting: past relationships, traumatic experiences, belief patterns and attitudes, family culture. Your emotional experiences reside physically in your body and interact with your cells and tissues.

This emotional energy forms an energy language within the cells, which carries literal and symbolic information. In this way, your biography - the experiences that make up your life - becomes your biology. Your body contains your history - every chapter and verse. As your life unfolds, your health becomes a living, breathing statement that conveys your strengths, weaknesses, hopes and fears.

Every emotion travels through your biological system and activates a physical response. Some thoughts - like fear - are like depth charges causing a negative, dark or lower energy response, while love can relax your entire body and while some are meaningless and pass through the body like wind through a screen.

Learning the language of energy means to evaluate the dynamics in yourself, others and your experiences. Energy information is always truthful and your relationship, your labeling, your embracing, your surrendering, your letting go or holding on too tight influences your health. Managing your energy is an essential component to facilitating your growth, your health, your longevity or your healing.

Whether world class human or world class athlete, or both, "healing" is an active and internal process that includes investigating one's attitudes, beliefs, memories, and relationships to energy, experiences, identities and power. While "curing" is the abatement of a block or illness, it does not necessarily include alleviation of the emotional stress of the blockage or "healing."

Our desire is to "heal" and release all negative, dark, low patterns that prevent us from being whole, our true, highest, most awesome self - whether on the Tour de France or our own "Tour de France of Life."

"The body is a memory card. It stores every emotion and experience you have; from the traumatic to the profound. The untreated ones?  Well, they sit with you until they are toxic. Then it's too late."    - Bobby Julich, Team CSC 2006, 3rd place Tour de France 1998.

For an athlete, confidence is everything. Bobby Julich quickly recovered from the physical injuries sustained in a bad fall in 1999 the year after his 3rd place "tour" podium finish, but it was only last year that he got over the crash in it's entirety - yes the memory card of crash emotions was holding him back.

At 32, Julich was about to call it a career when Bjarne Riis called from Team CSC and offered him a contract. Julich said, "His confidence rubbed off on me. He treated me world class, like a leader, spoke to me like a leader, respected me like a leader... but I reminded him that I wasn't 27 anymore and that 1998 and third place was a long time ago." 

"Bobby," said Riis, "I was 32, when I won the Tour in 1996."

All that was left inside Julich when he joined Team CSC was a tiny little flame wanting to get better. What Riis did was like pouring gasoline on that tiny little flame; what Riis said gives goose bumps to Julich to this day. At the advanced, experienced, and wise age of 35, the fire is still burning in Julich and the 2006 Tour is about to start.

Good Luck Bobby.

ÉTake charge of your training  ...your emotions  ...your biology  ...and your life.

Train smart.  Live, race, and recover smarter, now.

Gary Kobat

 

A passionate life and fitness coach, world-class athlete, author, and keynote speaker, Gary Kobat works one-on-one with select individuals, customized mastermind groups, and larger goal oriented teams for lasting personal and professional change. If you are interested in joining a group or for a private consultation, email him directly at: gary@e-coach.com. Gary is currently leading his annual indoor Tour de France training at the Revolution Studios in Santa Monica, California. Click for more information.

Disrupting the Auto Industry.

by Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC.

Potential winners and losers as the cost of vehicle ownership increases.

Several decades ago, General Motors was making cars with quality standards that would have embarrassed the Russians. When GM's market research chief tried to inform Chairman Roger Smith of this, Smith is reported to have put his hands over his ears so he wouldn't hear the bad news. After all, who's going to buy a new car if the old one is still running!? The rest, as they say, is history.

There's little doubt that increasing gasoline prices will change the driving habits of some people. However, improving your gas mileage may not lead to spending less to drive a car. With some cars, being on a first name basis with your mechanic or watching your car lose value like an internet stock after the bubble can do a lot more damage to your pocketbook than $3.50 gasoline. All sides of the equation need to be considered and, in that regard, there have been some surprising changes in the auto industry in the last few years.

Reliability
The most comprehensive and objective measure of auto reliability comes from an annual survey done by Consumer Reports, in which subscribers reported reliability problems for all makes and models covering eight model years.  It will probably come as a surprise to some people that America no longer builds the world's least reliable cars. That dubious distinction now belongs to Europe whose automakers now produce some of the world's least reliable cars and the highest price tags. For what it's worth, of all the five year old cars in the 2005 survey, Mercedes Benz had the most problems reported while Lexus had the fewest.

One caveat here is that Korean cars are included in the Asian category, and reliability ratings for these are still below average. If these are excluded, the big 3 Japanese manufacturers (Toyota, Honda, & Nissan), averaged about 33 problems per 100 vehicles, which appears to be a quality gap that America and Europe may never be able to close. Another way of looking at this data is that eight year old Toyotas and Hondas are about as reliable as three year old Fords and Chryslers and two year old Volkswagens.

Depreciation
Of all the costs of car ownership, depreciation is the major expense for most people. This is the silent killer, and you won't notice it until you trade in your car. When you do, a five-year warranty on parts and service will probably seem relatively insignificant in comparison.

Depreciation should mirror reliability; just as used vehicles likely to need a lot of expensive repairs should be worth less than more reliable cars. What's puzzling here is that perception appears to be lagging reality when it comes to European cars. Okay, some of these are beautifully designed and fun to drive and are probably the car equivalent of supermodels. They're gorgeous and great for your image, but maintenance can be a killer.

Not that long ago, some European car makers ranked among the best in overall quality and relatively low depreciation rates were justified. Now that they're the worst, it's an open question on how long these companies will continue to live off past glories before depreciation rates become more realistic.

Because European car makers have the highest manufacturing costs and price their cars accordingly, 69% depreciation in a European car over 5 years will amount to a lot more dollars than 73% depreciation in an American car or 78% depreciation in a Korean car. In addition, when perception finally catches up with reality, we expect European cars to depreciate faster in the future. (For more information, visit the Automotive Lease Guide.)

Gas Mileage
The classic warning from the EPA is that your gas mileage may vary. It will, and the chances of it being higher than EPA estimates are zero. The best rule of thumb is to give the EPA estimates a 15-20% haircut when computing real world gas mileage. If you're considering a new car and drive about 15,000 miles per year, here's the annual cost of driving with gasoline at $3.50 per gallon:

As you can see, the difference between an MPG of 10 and 20 is over $200 per month. Although this isn't the biggest driving expense, it's the most visible. However, our guess is that, even with the recent spike, gasoline costs are just getting back to where they were a decade or two ago as a percentage of total household expenses. This will be enough to change the driving habits of some people, but it will probably take significantly higher prices to change the behavior of the majority.

Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC

If this country's solution to the supply/demand imbalance that created high gasoline prices is to blame oil companies for price gouging, we expect current gasoline prices to look cheap in a few years. Given that few in Washington seem to understand the source of this problem, we have low expectations of a successful solution being found. As a result, we're factoring increasing gasoline prices into our expectations for the future and expect a gradual shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles as a result.

It's been fascinating to watch the world's auto makers respond to high gasoline prices. Japanese car makers appear to have seen this coming a long time ago and came up with the most elegant solution, American manufacturers are offering various solutions, and Europeans aren't doing anything new and would rather just keep talking about their high performance sedans.

Living or Dying with SUVs
It's hard to turn on the TV without seeing commercials touting the big SUV that will go from zero to sixty in under 6 seconds, is big enough to carry a small village, and probably has annual gasoline costs that rival its depreciation. We don't think SUVs are going away, but expect to see a gradual switch to hybrid SUVs based on the Toyota technology.

Ford currently appears to be best positioned of an unimpressive group of domestic automakers. Their cars have the highest reliability ratings, and Ford is the only domestic offering multiple options for responding to rising energy prices. They've licensed the Toyota hybrid technology for some of their SUVs and also offer a variety of flexible fuel vehicles. GM and Chrysler, in contrast, offer only flexible fuel vehicles. Overall, we wouldn't be surprised to see American car makers lose more market share and can't help wondering how General Motors will continue to survive the cumulative effects of decades of mismanagement.

Europe the Unreliable
As builders of the least reliable cars, some European carmakers remind us of General Motors 20 years ago. These cars are also the world's most expensive and, to add insult to injury, many of these manufacturers believe that anyone willing to spend a lot on a car should also pay through the nose for repairs. As a result, repair costs border on the absurd for many of these models once warranties have expired. As far as responding to higher fuel costs, European manufacturers are ignoring hybrid technology completely, and only Mercedes offers a small selection of flexible fuel vehicles. Overall, for what you get, ownership costs are way too high and we expect significant losses in world market share for the Europeans in the future.

Still Doing it Right
It's hard to think of anything that's a worse investment than a new car, and the Japanese have been successful by minimizing that damage to your pocketbook. The larger question is why other manufacturers haven't been able to duplicate their formula. Japanese vehicles need the fewest repairs, hold their value better than anything else, and are the most fuel-efficient. As more people begin to pay attention to the cost of driving, the Japanese share of the auto market will continue to grow. In the next decade, we wouldn't be surprised if the Big 3 includes at least two Japanese automakers.

The Pick of the Litter
This is an easy one; it's Toyota. In the last quality survey from Consumer Reports, Lexus ranked #1 and their parent, Toyota, ranked #2. In addition to doing everything well, they had the vision to anticipate higher gasoline prices and come up with the most practical solution. Toyota's hybrid gas/electric vehicle technology can be used to increase gas mileage dramatically or provide better gas mileage AND more horsepower. Best of all, Americans won't have to change their driving habits and try to squeeze into little cars as Toyota's hybrid technology can be used in comfortable sedans and SUVs.

Although Honda has a competing hybrid technology, it's no contest. Honda's hybrid technology carries a shorter warranty and they can't even seem to get Acura, their semi-luxury car division, to adopt this technology. Meanwhile, Toyota's hybrid vehicle technology has been licensed by archrival Nissan as well as Ford and Mercury, and that may only be the start. We're even willing to predict that, when General Motors finally declares bankruptcy, Toyota will be the one picking up the pieces. For disclosure purposes, it should be mentioned that Odyssey Advisors LLC has invested in Toyota Motor (TM) for a select group of clients.

NataliePace.com note: To take a look at the price, debt, earnings, and other statistics of the major auto manufacturers, click on the NataliePace.com Auto Report Card.

Paul Woods is the President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC, an independent investment advisory firm specializing in equities and fixed income and a monthly contributor to NataliePace.com. He can be contacted at www.odysseyadvisors.com or 310.568.4700. Check NataliePace.com's archived ezines for other articles by Paul!

Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable however Odyssey Advisors LLC does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this material and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.

Other Articles of Interest:
Hybrids: Car of the Stars, But Should You Own the Stock? By Natalie Pace, CEO, NataliePace.com.

July 1st. , 2004 In July 2004, we warned: ÒIn 2005 and 2006, when rising interest rates and inflation are expected to be a problem, automakers will be hit by higher costs to finance cars and higher prices of the steel, aluminum, etc. used to produce cars. Metals' prices are up 30% or more this year over last, so an increased cost of goods has already begun impacting the bottom line of automakers. The result could be higher costs for consumers, fewer financing incentives and slowing demand in the not too distant future. Investing now in a car manufacturer's stock is a risky venture that requires, at minimum, a carefully planned buy-in and exit strategy.Ó Click on Hybrids to read the entire article.

Copyright © 2006 by Odyssey Advisors LLC

$72 Oil Will Sink Airlines:

by Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO & founder.

Don't Buy On Hot Headlines and Analyst Upgrades!

Article and Airline Stock Report Card.

David Neeleman, Chairman & CEO of JetBlue Airways

Wow. I don't think I've been this excited in awhile. On June 20^th, a Forbes headline read: "Airline Stocks Look Ready To Soar." In mid-June, UBS and Morgan Stanley analysts were upbeat about airlines charging higher fares, and getting some sorely needed revenue in the door. On June 22^nd, Jim Cramer crowed that Continental "is going to have a monster quarter" during his Mad Money Lightning Round. (Incidentally, his comments on General Motors are just plain wrong, as well.)

Am I the only one to notice that oil is topping $72/barrel, and that high gas prices, combined with pension liabilities, have crippled the legacy carriers, sending the majority of them to Chapter 11? In their most recent quarterly report, one of the last network carriers standing -- American Airlines -- warned that, "It will be very difficultÉ for the Company to continue to fund its obligations on an ongoing basis, or to become profitable, if the overall industry revenue environment does not continue to improve and fuel prices remain at historically high levels for an extended period."

In 2005, when oil was just in the $60/barrel range, we had three of the largest carriers in bankruptcy - United Airlines, U.S. Air and Delta. (U.S. Air has slid into bankruptcy twice over the last four years.) Even the lean, low-cost airline, JetBlue, lost money over the last two quarters, after boasting 19 prior, consecutive quarters of profitability. It doesn't take a doctor to diagnose that the entire airline industry will be crippled by $72/barrel oil, or that, with the monetary tightening policy of the Federal Reserve, the 20% increase in fuel prices cannot just be absorbed by U.S. consumers and corporations. The picture gets much worse if oil continues to go up, and many oil experts believe that is what is likely to happen.

Last year, on March 30 2005, Goldman Sachs analyst Arjun N. Murti shocked the world when he said he wouldn't be surprised to see $75/barrel oil in 2006 and $105/barrel in 2007. Whether Murti hits the number right next year or not remains to be seen, but the underlying premise is that the conditions in the marketplace continue to apply pressure for the price to go up. With China and India sucking up oil like teenagers as they bring their economies from the 1800s into 2006, the oil-producing countries are running full-throttle to keep up with demand.

So what had the airline analysts so excited in mid-June? Higher ticket prices. Morgan Stanley tracking shows that 21-day advanced fares are up 13%, and 7-day fares soared 33% over the last quarter. Morgan Stanley analyst William Greene predicted that higher ticket prices will lead to better-than-expected revenue over the rest of the year, and that JetBlue could beat their July quarterly earnings by twice the Wall Street consensus, and pull in ahead of the full-year consensus as well. While JetBlue might beat earnings for the near-term quarter in July, higher oil prices could spoil any possibility of earnings surprises in the future, and in fact, might put the airline back into negative earnings, even with their new Return to Profitability Plan.

I called the JetBlue executive suite, in hopes that their "revenue enhancements" might be as innovative as humans walking on Mars (which is about what the industry needs to become profitable). In an interview on June 27, 2006, Tim Claydon, JetBlue's Senior Vice President in charge of Sales & Marketing, confirmed that JetBlue is "undertaking several revenue-enhancing initiatives in an effort to return to profitability." Unfortunately, while all of the enhancements are related to the core business model and should help earnings, and while the cost savings could add up, a little, the plan is far from groundbreaking.

According to Claydon, JetBlue's primary focus is to increase their overall fares and reduce costs, while still providing flyers with the JetBlue experience they've come to know and love. New revenue streams -- like JetBlue's subsidiary LiveTV (which installs and operates DirecTV for JetBlue, Virgin Blue, Frontier and other airlines), the JetBlue/American Express card, and airline change fees -- provided an additional bump of $11 million to last quarter's earnings, and truly look poised to increase in value in the near future. LiveTV might really score if the FCC grants them a license to offer Internet Service, Blackberry, two-way paging, etc. in-flight - that is, if the other airlines were in a position to add the offering for their customers. Unfortunately, most airlines are cutting every non-essential cost in site, and will be forced to continue to do so as long as oil remains high! Further, the goods news of JetBlue's "other" revenue streams are drowned in fuel costs, which doubled from the first quarter 2005 to the first quarter 2006, from $87 million to $160 million respectively.

It's hard to imagine that a no frills carrier can cut costs further, but apparently if JetBlue can get you to bring your own headset, through their, "It's Universal, Jack" marketing campaign, they can save millions per year. (JetBlue's plug-in works with any headset, so it actually is a good idea to pack your own.) But again, that is millions saved, compared to hundreds of millions spent on fuel.

JetBlue is much healthier than other airlines, with only $2.154 billion owed in long-term debt and about $800 million in current liabilities. Delta Airlines, which is currently operating under bankruptcy protection, reported owing $18.695 billion in total liabilities subject to compromise. Of that $8.873 billion is owed to its pension plan and retirees, $5.768 billion in debt, $2.772 billion for aircraft leases, and $1.282 billion in accounts payable. Continental owes over $10 billion in current liabilities, long-term debt and pension funding. American Airlines' financial obligations surpass $26.6 billion, including $5.1 billion owed to pension plans, according to the earnings report filed with the SEC on April 20, 2006. Click to access the Airline Stock Report Card, to compare the earnings, debt, market cap, price and more of the airlines.

Being a frequent business traveler who has been forced to board other airlines for cities that are not yet served by my beloved JetBlue, I can attest firsthand that the JetBlue experience is vastly superior to ANY other commercial airline. I have never arrived late on JetBlue, whereas I was almost forced to spend an entire weekend in Omaha waiting for a hydraulic leak to be fixed on an old plane. Brand new planes with leather seats and a DirecTV monitor at each seat means that you arrive on time, feel safer during take-off and landing, and enjoy the flight, without craning your neck to try and see the in-flight movie you probably wouldn't even bother to rent. The snacks on JetBlue may not be much, but at least you get to have an extra one without any bother at all, if you are in the mood for chips, cookies, nuts or biscotti (and you get a choice!). Many of the other carriers' snacks look like they are purchased from El Cheapo Generic food center, and the portions are downright meager.

DirecTV at every seat on JetBlue

Because I enjoy the experience of JetBlue so much as a passenger, I really wanted to hear Mr. Claydon come up with a revenue-enhancing plan that could counter escalating fuel costs. But no amount of selling upgraded headsets, or even in-flight connectivity, can compare with the revenue-enhancing hedge that Southwest offers investors. While most airlines were late to the hedging game, and were locking in oil at above $60/barrel, Southwest was 75 percent hedged with prices capped at $36 per barrel for the 2^nd quarter in 2006. That means Southwest's fuel, which is the biggest line item for airlines next to labor, is drastically lower than most airlines (and the Southwest executive in charge of hedging deserves the Executive of the Year award). Southwest's second quarter 2006 fuel cost per gallon is expected to be in the $1.45 to $1.50 range, while JetBlue's fuel costs are running at and above $1.86 per gallon. According to Southwest's first quarter earnings report, the company has locked in prices under $40 a barrel through 2009, and remains "over 70 percent hedged for the remainder of 2006 at $36 per barrel; over 60 percent in 2007 at $39 per barrel; over 35 percent in 2008 at $38 per barrel; and about 30 percent in 2009 at $39 per barrel."

That doesn't mean that Southwest shares are any bargain either, with their 25.30 price to earnings ratio. All in all, oil prices, which have been inching upward this summer on the escalating tensions with Iran and the supply strain, continue to be the sinkhole of the airline industry. Even if July earnings do bring a positive surprise for JetBlue and/or Southwest, the overall outlook for the entire sector is grim, until someone invents solar-powered planes.

Flying JetBlue is a great experience; buying JetBlue could be a bumpy, unpleasant ride. And while Southwest's ride may not be as bumpy, the stock has been stuck in a trading rut for the past five years, and doesn't look to be breaking out anytime soon. If you're into bikinis and shorts this summer, American Airlines might be the destination of choice, although the fall might arrive well into winter.

Natalie Pace is the CEO and founder of NataliePace.com. Currently, she is ranked as the #1 stock picker in the US, out of over 700 A-list pundits, by TipTtraders.com, with over 55% annualized gains on the companies featured in NataliePace.com™. NataliePace.com's monthly ezine is one of the best bargains on Wall Street, at just $4.50/month, which is less than one grande latte. Caffeine provides a fleeting zip to your life, but NataliePace.com's returns could build your nest egg for life. Join now at the link on the NataliePace.com home page.

Full Disclosure: Natalie Pace has no positions on any of the publicly traded companies listed in this article.

5.25% on the Fed Funds is the Same Old Song From Bennie and the Jets.

by Kelley Wright, Managing Editor, Investment Quality Trends.

Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman

The markets wait with baited breath in the pre-dawn hours of June 14^th to learn "the number." The number is of course the Consumer Price Index; both the headline number and the "core" number that has the cost of rarely used items such as food and fuel removed.

It appears a great deal is riding on a tenth of a point. A reading of .03% would guarantee another rate hike by the Fed at the end of June. A reading of .02% would insure the status quo. A reading of .01% will surely ignite the discussion of just how much inflationary pressure in the economy there actually is and whether another rate hike is necessary.

Frankly, I don't believe the Fed gives a tinkers diddle what the number isÑas they intend to hike regardless. Casual observation of the Big Three central bankers from Europe, Japan and the U.S. suggests that they are acting in concert to drain the liquidity they injected into the global markets to ward off recession and possible deflation.

In addition to re-inflating the global equity and real estate markets, the bankers brought the moribund commodity markets to life and set off the wildest bull market in commodities in a generation.

$730 per ounce of gold was the straw that broke the camel's back, however, and so the collusion began. I haven't seen this much unity among bureaucrats since I don't know when. It appears that gold is a threat to those pieces of paper we call the currency.

Is it just me or is it ironic that a nation that is so fearful of anything faith-based is so willing to accept a faith based currency? But I digress.

Anyway, I think 5.25% on the Fed Funds is a lay up; the equity markets can go stick it in their ear. Bennie and the Jets have bought into the hype. What is completely perplexing to me is how a man as intelligent as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is believed to be can be sucked into the financial media's ridiculous game of establishing his "inflation fighting credentials."

With $2 trillion of equity wiped out worldwide in the last few weeks, the housing and retail indexes in freefall, and the two-year Treasury screaming "STOP" at the top of its lungs, why is the Fed looking at backward data and worrying about inflation? Because they always fight the last war and they have no way of gauging the effects of their policy until something breaks.

It isn't the best way to run the world's largest economy, but what the heck do I know? I'm just a stock picker trying to make lemonade out of lemons. That being said, I'll lay even odds that when the Fed meets in December they will be cutting the Fed Funds rate.

Well, we have our number. The fact that it topped economists' predictions should be a surprise to no one. .04% for the headline and .03% for the core has lead the futures market to price in 100% odds that the Fed will raise at the end of June. The same odds makers are pricing a 50/50 chance that the Fed will go to 5.50% in August.

Interestingly we aren't seeing a huge reaction in the yield curve. Nine basis points in the 10-year (a basis point is 1/100^th of a percent) from 4.96% to 5.05% is a much more sanguine reaction than I would have predicted.

The 2-year is at 5.09% as is the 30-year which leaves the inversion with the 3, 5 and 10-year bonds intact. I can only interpret this to mean that as of this moment the bond market isn't buying what is being sold.

Stocks are getting a bounce, which isn't unusual considering the beating they have been taking as of late; no market moves in a straight line for too long. The test will come in the last hour of trading when the buyers will attempt to withstand the inevitable push by the sellers to resume the downtrend.

The VIX (a snapshot of the fear level in the markets based on the level of put buying) has resurrected from the grave. Resembling the EKG of a patient at room temperature for quite some time, the VIX has moved from 10 to about 23 and seems poised to move into the 30's. For those of you who don't follow the minutia of the markets this would represent uber volatility.

Put another way, Chairman Bernanke has successfully injected the risk premium back into the markets. This is to further say that the free lunch is over and the asset allocation models of efficiently diversified portfolios with their accompanying pie charts will be exposed for what they are: flashy marketing and nothing more.

You don't have to be a genius in a rising market Ñ you just have to be in. Since this isn't a bull market it means it's a bear market, and if you don't know how to identify value and deploy some enlightened stock picking, then you've got a problem. Thankfully it isn't our problem.

I've caught a great deal of grief, particularly by the newsletter voyeurs that don't do what we do but write about what we do for the big media owned outlets of financial punditry, for maintaining that we are still in the bear market that began in March of 2000.

I probably brought some of this on myself by pointing out the sycophantic tendencies of some to embrace the bandwagon philosophy of applauding the hot hand of the moment. Now everyone loves a winner, but there is a tendency among non-professionals to try to capture yesterday's performance, and this is a wrong-headed instinct that one would think a seemingly respectful dispenser of market advice would try to discourage. However, it's all about hits and visits in this digital world of information. At the end of the day much hasn't changed from the magazine covers of old to the website headlines. Hype sells.

Closing Bell
Now for the good news: value is created as prices decline and dividend yields rise. Yes, the number of Select Blue Chips in Declining Trends is still the largest sector of our universe, but a significant number are accelerating toward their historic areas of Undervalue.

One company I find interesting is Connecticut Water (CTWS). It still has to move a few dollars lower and its payout and P/E ratio aren't optimum, but as commodities go, water falls pretty high up the food chain. I suspect we'll have an opportunity to look at this one closer relatively soon.

Teleflex (TFX) is well known to Trendphiles as a familiar member of the Lucky 13. We sold it out of our model portfolio at Private Client earlier this Spring for a healthy gain and it looks as if it will visit Undervalue again.

FirstMerit Corp (FMER) appears to be retreating from its Rising Trend back to Undervalue. With the preponderance of financials we have covered at length and considering FMER is at the lower scale of dividends and earnings quality with a B+ rating, subscribers may want to consider another opportunity.

In the Undervalued category I am mystified by some of the bargains, specifically Popular (BPOP). The shenanigans at some other Puerto Rican banks have not surfaced at BPOP and I don't believe they will. Like all businesses they are suffering through a transitory slump in their core business, but if there is a franchise with a growing demographic base, it is this one.

Claire's Stores (CLE) is still misunderstood by Wall Street. I know they are in the retail space but their primary customers are fairly indifferent to the economic cycle. As the father of two daughters I know better than anyone that a girl has to have her bling!

When Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) gets their bank charter it will be Katy-bar-the-door. You don't think they will move into car loans, home loans, credit cards and investments? Please.

The Hulbert Financial Digest ranks IQ Trends the number one investment newsletter out of the 165 letters surveyed for risk-adjusted returns for the previous twenty years. Investment Quality Trends also qualified for the Total Return Ranking for twenty years. What is important to note is that IQ Trends achieved its returns with about 24% less risk than the Wilshire 5000. Beyond the obvious that superior returns with less risk is desirable, less risk equates to less volatility and therefore generates higher compound rates of return over time. If you are interested in accessing Mr. Wright's newsletter, to post those kinds of gains yourself, go to www.IQTrends.com.

NASD Investor Alert: Think Twice Before Cashing Out Your 401(k).

If you do, you could lose half of your savings!

A recent study indicates that 45% of employees cash out their 401(k) plans when they change jobsÉ When all is said and done, you could end up with a little more than half of your original 401(k) savings! 

There are at least four better ideas! Read on for the NASD Investor Alert, which includes links to make all of your choices as easy as a click!

Photo Credit: www.mazell.com. Film and Video Production. Advertising Photography. 562-866-7662

If you are thinking about cashing out your 401(k) when you change jobs, think twice. Or maybe three times. You might be about to forsake a financially secure retirement. NASD is using this Alert to educate investors to the potentially devastating impact cashing even a modest amount of 401(k) assets can have on retirement savings.

When you switch jobs before retirement, you usually can choose among several things to do with your 401(k):

¥ Leave the money in your former employer's plan 
¥ Roll over the money to your new employer's plan, if the plan accepts transfers 
¥ Roll over the money into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or
¥ Take the cash value of your account

It may be tempting to choose the last option and use the money to buy a new television, take a cruise or even to pay off a debt. And you would not be alone in thinking that way: a recent study indicates that 45% of employees cash out their 401(k) plans when they change jobs. (Source: Hewitt Associates study of large-company 401(k) plans.)

But cashing out of a 401(k) before you are 59 1⁄2 can cost you dearly, both immediately and in the long run:

¥ If you do not transfer your money to an IRA or your new employer's plan within 60 days of receiving it, your current employer is required to withhold 20% of your account balance to prepay federal taxes. 
¥ If you keep the money, you must pay federal income tax on your entire withdrawal. In addition, you may also owe state tax on your distribution.  
¥ The IRS will consider your payout an early distribution, meaning you could owe a 10% early withdrawal penalty on top of combined federal, state, and local taxes.

When all is said and done, you could end up with a little more than half of your original 401(k) savings!  In addition, you will owe tax annually on any future earnings your lump sum generates. 

The High Cost of Cashing Out
The repercussions of cashing out your 401(k) could be enormous. For example, let's assume you are 30 years old, and have a 401(k) balance of $20,000. If you leave that money in a 401(k) or put it in an IRA, and your account averages a 6% rate of return over the next 32 years, your balance at retirement will be $129,068 Ñ even if you do not make any additional contributions during that time. Even if you have a shorter time horizon, you will forgo significant savings opportunities by cashing out your 401(k). For example, if you are 45, your $20,000 will grow to $53,855 in 17 years.

Keep in mind that even if you really need the money, you may be better off borrowing from your 401(k) than cashing it out.  Depending on your plan's terms, you may be able to borrow at a lower rate from your account than you could from a bank or other lender, especially if you have a low credit score. At the very least, you should check with your plan administrator to learn whether this option makes sense for you before you cash out. To learn more about 401(k) loans, read NASD's Smart 401(k) Investing.

When you change employers, carefully examine the short and long-term consequences before cashing out of your 401(k) account. After all, when talking about tax-deferred savings plans, time is money.

Safe, Balanced & Happy:

by The Wallet Doctor.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Bankruptcy by 87 Percent and Keep Your Love Life Healthy!

Photo Credit: www.mazell.com. Film and Video Production. Advertising Photography. 562-866-7662

My all time favorite financial quote is from the must read book Bull!: a history of the boom, 1982-1999: what drove the breakneck market -- and what every investor needs to know about financial cycles by former Yale English professor and financial journalist Maggie Mahar:

In this article I am going to dissect this quote so that you will understand why it offers sage advice you will rarely hear. The most important part of this quote is toward the end where you are advised to stay away from very risky situations, so let's start there. The main problem is that people don't really understand what risk is, but they definitely know the sinkpit, and that is bankruptcy.

The Harvard Bankruptcy Project is a Harvard University study spearheaded by the compassionate efforts of Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren. The study interviewed over 900 families that had filed for bankruptcy in 2001. 87% of all bankruptcies were attributed to just three causes: loss of job, medical problems, or divorce. All other reasons accounted for only 13% and these included bad investments, crime victimization, credit card overspending, and natural disasters.

When I read these statistics I thought to myself, "WOW, someone could nearly eliminate their risk of bankruptcy by controlling just three factors!" In other words, by marrying wisely, planning ahead for potential job loss and assuring medical coverage, we can all reduce our financial risks by a full 87%!

How can people marry wisely? It is not very likely with our weak conscious minds. Psychologists have shown that on average we can only consciously remember between 5 and 9 numbers. Our subconscious is much more powerful. As you read this, your mind is subconsciously recognizing hundreds or thousands of data Ñ or you would not be seeing! My point is that trying to use our conscious mind to find a mate is useless. If you can find a compatible mate-finding method to help you follow your "higher" guide and tap into your subconscious mind, I think you will do better.

I found my wife in a peculiar way. Years before I met my wife, my prior girlfriend had died in a car wreck. I was emotionally devastated by the experience. I swore off dating entirely and got drunk Ñ really drunk Ñ and ended up in a Reno, Nevada jail for a night. I had just graduated with a master's in international business and was really at a low point. I wracked my brain for a solution to finding stability in a long-term relationship with the right significant other Ñ and a cold night in jail is a real motivator. After apologizing to the judge for my drunken behavior, I took action; he did not press charges under the extenuating circumstance. I started with a pen and pad of paper. I wrote down all of the details of the exact woman I wanted to marry and then folded up the letter, stashed it away, and forgot about it.

Three years later I met my wife. Ironically, as a devout Catholic woman she had done something equally odd, but different. Two weeks before she met me, a friend in the church came over to visit and did some sort of ritual designed to have the Holy Spirit give her a sign of whom she should marry Ñ as she was uncertain if her current suitors were right for her. We met, married, and have been together for 14 years.

We are a tightly organized team in all of our finances. I am not a marriage counselor, but I have a solid and successful marriage. I believe I was able to find and marry the right person for me because I got my ego out of the process. Hopefully this will help you in considering a solution to the first of the big three bankruptcy reasons: divorce. Don't get all wrapped up in the dating scene and eventually the right person will appear Ñ as long as you become very clear on who the right person for you is, and then get your conscious ego out of the way.

What about the second big problem: job loss? I am going to propose a strategy here that is unconventional Ñ that in a marriage, one of the spouses stays at home and does not seek a nine to five job.

When there is only one wage earner and a spouse managing the home front, all family budgeting is based on one salary, NOT two. This means that instead of entering the bidding war for overpriced houses in the best school districts, other alternatives are worked out. (I come from a horrible school district in Northern California and yet I obtained the highest credential in finance Ñ a Ph.D.) This means that if the primary wage earner loses their job, the stay at home father or stay at home mother can get a job to cover Ñ kind of like an emergency income for the family. There are other benefits that come with a stay at home mother or father.

I myself am a stay at home spouse. I work at the university as a full-time finance professor, which only requires two days a week of my time (a benefit of my Ph.D. in finance) while my wife works as a programming supervisor at the largest bank in Puerto Rico. Her parents are elderly, so when they need help I can run down the avenue and help. This avoids a lot of expenses and reduces my wife's probability of job loss because she doesn't have to leave work in family emergencies. We are also successful stock investors because I am able to research our stock purchases and monitor the market for profit taking. This would not be possible if we both had nine to five jobs. If she got sick or lost her job, I could work a second job to compensate.

A dear friend of mine was a successful ophthalmologist in West Covina. He was a brilliant surgeon but did not have a lick of sense when it came to money. So how did he become extremely rich? I was surprised when I found out why. His wife was a stay at home mom. She got bored and began learning stock investing. Her astute saving and investing of his income made them spectacularly wealthy. I also know of another stay at home mom who had a beauty salon in the garage. Unbeknownst to her neighbors, she began dollar cost averaging her hair cutting money into no load mutual funds in the early eighties. They are now retired millionaires.

Dollar cost averaging is simply investing a set amount of money, at regular intervals, over a long period of time. The Roth IRA is an awesome vehicle to trade single stocks where you completely avoid capital gains taxes. Another major advantage to the Roth IRA is that since you pay income tax before you contribute, you can take the full contribution out completely penalty free if you run into financial trouble and need the money Ñ you just can't touch the profits. Right now the maximum contribution to a Roth IRA is $4,000. This means that a husband and wife could have $40,000 socked away in just five years and, unlike the 401(k) or standard IRA, you could get at that saved money in a pinch.

If selecting single stocks frightens you, then you can simply dollar cost average into an indexed mutual fund, like the Vanguard 500 fund (VFINX), whether you are trading in a tax deferred account like a 401(k) or a standard IRA, or if you are trading in the tax free Roth IRA. If you decide to invest money in mutual funds through a taxable account, then research the Schwab 1000 fund. Schwab does everything they can to reduce your short-term capital gains taxes. Indexed funds have the lowest expense ratio, and the two I mentioned are no load.

What about the third big reason for bankruptcy: medical problems? Make sure the wage-earning spouse also receives a good medical plan. The stay at home spouse can monitor the health plan and develop an emergency strategy in the case of job loss. In fact, you may be able to open a Health Savings Account that slows you to protect yourself against medical loss while building your nest egg at the same time. (Ed's Note: See the Health Savings Account Q&A this month with Nobel Laureate, Dr. Gary Becker, also in this month's NataliePace.com ezine.) The main thing is that if you plan ahead, you are far less likely to get caught in a medical emergency without coverage, or to be forced into bankruptcy if someone in the family gets sick.

Another benefit of developing a functioning family economy based on a single wage is that the family is in a position of establishing a fail-safe plan right from the start Ñ not after disaster happens. When you have a great plan and the time to make sound investments, you are far less likely to fall victim to con jobs. There are no free lunches, and quick buck strategies usually mean that someone takes your quick buck and runs before you can prosecute them. Notice that one of the reasons for bankruptcy was "bad investments," so stay away from anything that sounds too good to be true. More importantly, educate yourself thoroughly about the stock market before you invest so that you really know what you are doing.

There is no cookie cutter solution that works for everyone, but setting your family up from the start to live on one salary may be one of the smartest financial strategies that few financial planners will recommend to you!

Miller, G., "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information", The Psychological Review, 1956, vol. 63, pp. 81-97

Dr. Scott Brown a.k.a. "The Wallet Doctor" holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina and is a professor of finance at the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Brown can teach you how saving the daily price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks can make you a millionaire in the stock market through long term stock investing. Dr. Brown's website is: walletdoctor.com\

Rotten Rejections and Passionate Praise.

by Chellie Campbell, author of Zero to Zillionaire.

How to Survive a Bad Review from Your Peers.

Chellie Campbell, Author of Zero to Zillionaire Photo credit: Mary Ann Halpin

Eek! I just received a scathingly bad review of my new book, Zero to Zillionaire, from a reader on Amazon.com.

Has this ever happened to you? Perhaps someone has hated your work, criticized your looks, or ridiculed you in public. Does it make you feel bad, sad, or mad? Does it make you want to:
a.      Throw things
b.      Call up your friends and complain
c.      Crawl into bed, turn the electric blanket up to "mother," and cry
d.      All of the above

How many people will have to praise you passionately in order for you to forget the sting of one miserable criticism?
a.      One
b.      A dozen
c.      A zillion
d.      It isn't possible to forget EVER
 
Which of the following actions do you take?
a.      Write a letter to the perpetrator protesting their criticism
b.      Write an email to the world protesting the criticism
c.      Hire a hit man
d.      Never write anything or to anyone again
 
Are you laughing now? I hope your answer is "yes" because that's the bottom line answer for me these days. I used to be a person who checked answer "d," but now when people don't like me or what I do, I laugh. They're not right and I'm not wrongÑor vice versa. They just belong to the "Not My People" pod.
 
When you stand up to be counted, you can count on two thingsÑyou will be loved and you will be hated. Can you name one movie star, politician, or celebrity who has a fan base that has no detractors?
 
So gather your fan club, your "Soul Patrol," your peopleÑand cherish them. Remember that for every "Iron Jimmy" that writes a review saying "One of the worst books of its genre," there will be someone else like the American Library Association Booklist reviewer who said it was "A wonderful reaffirmation of what life should be."

To view the reviews of Zero to Zillionaire on Amazon, click here: Zero to Zillionaire.

And of course, I'd love for my Dolphins to post some good reviews, too! And you can comment on my Amazon BlogÑI'd love to hear from you.
 
Have a wonderful day, and may all your ships come in loaded with treasure!
 
Cheers,
Chellie
 
Chellie Campbell is the author of Zero to Zillionaire and The Wealthy Spirit. She created and teaches the Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops on which her book is based in the Los Angeles area and gives programs throughout the country. You can sign up for Chellie's Ezine at www.chellie.com.

Real Estate Slumped in June, but REITs CEOs Have Been Cashing Out Since 2005.

by Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO & Founder, and top-ranked stock picker.

Includes our popular Hot News on Cool Stocks listÉ

The Catania Mediterranean can be found at Madera at Mountain's Edge, a Toll Brothers community in Las Vegas, NV.

(This is a reprint of our mid-month report, but it includes updated quotes, charts and info!)

As we enter the summer doldrums for stocks, look at the following list with an eye to locking in any profits (by selling) that you have had a fantastic run on. You might also consider shopping around for companies that you like, with an eye for picking them up for a bargain (perhaps) in September. In general, however, it is probably a better idea to focus on your mint juleps than it is to worry too much about your stocks. That's what most of Wall Street will be doing during July and August.

Real estate, however, is in the hot, hot, hot season of moving, buying and leveraging. We've been warning for over a year not to get caught in the frenzy, and certainly not to over-leverage just when real estate is poised to cool off. Below is a list of a number of articles we've posted, which you need to read now! On June 15, 2006, KB Homes reported that net orders plunged during the quarter to 9,908, a decline of 19 percent compared to 12,290 orders in the same quarter last year. "After experiencing several years of accelerating demand for new homes, we are now operating in a more difficult market environment," Bruce Karatz, KB Home's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.

NataliePace.com warned that real estate was headed to be a "burn-out" sector in May of 2005. Since that time, KB Home and Toll Brothers have dropped by almost 50% off of their 52-week high, and the CEOs have been cashing in stock (at the high) like there is no tomorrow. Executive insiders at Toll Brothers, including Bruce and Robert Toll, have cashed out more than $229 million over the past year, near the high of $100 per share (source: MSN.com). Likewise, KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz sold $146 million over the last year, near the 52-week high of $85.

Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO & founder #1 stock picker in the US, per TipsTraders.com

In addition to making sure that your portfolio is trimmed of REITs (which were the darlings of years past, but are losing money for investors in 2006), you need to make sure that your personal position as a home or real estate owner is sound. Educate yourself!

1. Four Hot Markets and Five That Are Burned Out. By Natalie Pace
2. Real Estate Warning: Speculators Are Being Suckered In, While Insiders Are Cashing Out By the Millions. By Natalie Pace
3. Buying Real Estate in Today's Market: by Steve Dietrich, President, Financial Research Group, and a guest lecturer at the Anderson Graduate School of Business, UCLA.
4. Debt-Rich America. Americans are now spending more than they are earning, and personal savings is a negative number. Is that a temporary dip or are we courting disaster?
5. Real Estate Party Policy: Tempted to Crash the Real Estate Party? 5 Tips to Make Sure You Drive Home SafelyÉ By Natalie Pace, founder NataliePace.com
6. Buy Your Dream Home With No Money Down. Q&A with Kassie Welch, Mortgage Financial Consultant
7. Top 10 Signs of a Bubblicious Housing Market. By Steve Dietrich, guest lecturer at the Anderson Graduate School of Business, UCLA and Natalie Pace, CEO, NataliePace.com
8. You Don't Have To Be Donald Trump To Become a Real Estate Millionaire! You Just Have To Do Your Homework and Get in the Game. By Bobbi McKenna

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITES AND INFORMATION:

1. Higher Interest Rates. The Federal Open Market Committee meeting was June 28 and 29, 2006. Most everyone thinks the rates get raised. Click to review the FOMC Press Release from the May 10th, 2006 meeting. We'll keep you posted of the increase (or not) once the news is available. In the meantime, be aware that sellers tend to dominate the boards with each interest rate hike.
   
   
2. We'll look to add Citigroup in September. Waiting to see what the next Fed meetings and the summer doldrums do to the markets. Citigroup reports 2Q earnings on July 17^th. Rising interest rates and the current M&A mania are positive for Citigroup, but interest rate hikes, combined with high oil prices and the summer doldrums, are tough on the markets.
   
   
3. 20 BIG WINNERS, even given the mid-May sell off!, which keeps the companies featured in NataliePace.com at NUMBER ONE in Annualized Returns (according to TipsTraders.com).  This hot news article still has the proud honor of featuring twenty companies that have posted positive gains, versus just seven that have gone south. Of the seven that have gone south, we were most concerned with Krispy Kreme, but with the hiring of Kraft Foods veteran Daryl Brewster as president and chief executive that company seems to be sweetening up.  Turnarounds are difficult to stomach, even the turnaround of the most popular sweet on the planet. Lawsuits and challenges remain. It's a question of whether or not you believe in the donut and the brand, now that the executive suite is in better shape.  For RELM Wireless, Sirius Satellite Radio and Yahoo, we believe the company and the marketplace are ripe for more gains, and have highlighted all three as potentially attractive to buyers.  Check back in September for any Back to School Stock Sales. Still love Jet Blue as a consumer, but the sector is in trouble until they figure out how to fly solar-powered planes.  As we head into the summer doldrums, look for some stocks to trim back on and/or take your profits on, including Martha Stewart, Sony, Automated Data Processing, ImClone, and LifeCell.  

Companies in the News:
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) founder and chairman Warren Buffett announced that he will donate the majority of his $40 billion fortune, most of which is in Berkshire stock, to charitable foundations. The biggest recipient will be the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and his wife Melinda.

Bottom Line: NataliePace.com is providing you with news and important information, but you need to consult your financial planner to determine your best strategy for using the information. That will depend upon your age, your retirement plan, and your risk tolerance and portfolio diversification. The stock portion of your portfolio is a higher risk classification, where you ideally seek to gain higher returns. As the NASD said in a recent investor alert, don't bet the farm on the stock market. NataliePace.com is NOT a brokerage and doesn't operate or act like one. We are an online media service with a mission of providing the news and information you need to make better choices in business, investing and personal prosperity. Always consult a trusted financial professional before buying or selling any security.

Full disclosure: I have listed the companies that I own under the column "NP OWNS?"

Hot Stocks
Investors who "never pay retail," note that highlighted stocks are trading at their 52-week lows or near the price featured in NataliePace.com's article. This may be a good buying opportunity. The companies that are listed below which are not highlighted may not be in a good buying range, but they appear to be poised to continue performing well. There are never any guarantees in life, and all stocks are risk-based investments. Consult your certified financial planner before making any changes to your investment strategy. You'll note, in the interest of moving from stocks to liquidity, we've moved a lot of our featured companies from this Buy or Hold opportunity list to our Hold or Sell opportunity list (below).

Cooling Off Stocks (that may be in Profit-Taking Range).
Note: We may look to add some of these great companies to our Hot News list again, if the price point should become attractive (as we did NetGear in March). The companies listed in bold have recently been added to this cooling off list. Investors who have them in their portfolio should read the recent news and consider whether it is time to sell and take profits, dump losses, short the position and/or simply take a long-range view of weathering the storms, while keeping the company in their long-term portfolio.

Martha Stewart Omniliving, Sony and Sunoco were taken off of the Cooling Off Stocks list effective 5.12.06. MSO was slightly down. Sony and Sunoco had both had GREAT runs!

Please note: NataliePace.com does not act or operate like a broker. We are a media and information center. This article is intended to educate and inform individual investors, and, thus, to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. The publicly traded companies mentioned in this article are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and/or consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security.

Other articles of interest:
Affordable Health Care. by Dr. Gary Becker, Nobel Laureate, Economics.
Real Estate (REITs) Rules Wall Street, but For How Long? Market Update. By Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC.
From Flipping Burgers to Owning Your Own Island. By Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO and founder. How tithing 10% to Your Nest Egg will make you a millionaire, even if you're only bringing home $30,000.
Investing is Not Surgery. Brokers are Not Surgeons. Why wise, informed, personal, daily, healthy choices keep you fiscally fit. By Natalie Pace, NataliePace.com CEO and founder.
Are GM, Delphi and Delta the Beginning of Japan-like Stagnation for the U.S.? Q&A with Nobel Laureate Economist Gary Becker. By Natalie Pace.
Want a Raise Now? It Could Be a Check Mark Away. by Maya Patel.
The Eastern European Renaissance. This Year's "It" Investment. Article and Stock Report Card by Natalie Pace.
Leave Your Job, Not Your 401(k) By Maya Patel. Discount Brokerages Make Rollover IRAs Easy.
NASD Investor Alert: Putting Too Much Stock in Your Company - A 401(k) Problem
What the Mutual Fund Salesman Forgot to Mention. by Paul Woods, President & CEO of Odyssey Advisors, LLC.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable however NataliePace.com LLC does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.

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