The Evidence is Clear: TwinMed Direct Saves Customers Big Money - By: adultwetwipes
There is no way to deny that medical supply costs are on the rise, while wages are not. Supply purchases for everyday medical needs and ongoing care are purchases that many never thought twice about until the recession began. Buying those essential items now cause many customers anxiety, and tightly squeeze the budgets of those who have no choice but to purchase these items. Deceptive claims by companies offering the lowest prices possible can, and have been, debunked. To learn more about price comparisons on ongoing medical care supplies and common household items, please continue.
Ongoing purchases, such as wet wipes and protective undergarments for incontinence care often strain the budget of the elderly. At the nation's top pharmacy chain, Attends Briefs cost $59.99 per 88 count pack of protective undergarments. Assuming an incontinent patient changes their undergarment only six times per day, the cost of these briefs run the customer about $1489 per year. That's a major expense. When bought through TwinMed Direct, the same Attends Briefs cost $39.00 per package of 96. By changing their protective undergarments with the same consistency, the cost of the same briefs will be $897.90 per year. That makes a fairly large budgetary difference. Total savings: $591.10 per year.
adult washcloths , or wet wipes, are another fairly high priced item when purchased through retail pharmacy chain stores. Wet wipes are used to clean and soften skin during perineal care. For patients who are incontinent, the purchase of wet wipes is unavoidable. For a package of 40 wet wipes at the top two retail pharmacy chains, the price is $2.79. That equals about 7 cents per wipe. Assuming only two wipes are used per changing, that's a cost of $306.60 per year. Comparable moist wipes at TwinMed Direct cost $23.07 per case of 768. That is a cost of 3 cents per wipe. Wipe usage with the same consistency will cost the customer only $131.40 per year when purchased through TwinMed Direct. Total savings: $175.20 per year.
Nitrile gloves, used by caregivers to protect against disease and cross contamination, are also a nagging expense for patients. When bought at the same leading pharmacy chain store, Nitrile gloves cost $5.99 per box of 40. That is a cost of about 7 cents per glove. Those same Nitrile exam gloves purchased through TwinMed Direct cost $4.99 per box of 100. That's a cost of about 5 cents per glove. By changing two gloves six times per day, that's a cost of $306.60 per year versus a cost of $219 per year. Total savings: $87.60 per year.
The cost comparisons show you clear evidence that TwinMed Direct will save large amounts of money for customers. To learn more about other deals available through TwinMed Direct, please visit their website at http://www.twinmeddirect.com/index.html. Extra savings is available on bulk orders.
.....................................................................................
TwinMed Direct Helps Temper the Rising Costs of Medical Supplies - By: adultwetwipes
Common household medical supplies seem to be getting more expensive every time they are purchased. When shopping for items in high demand, even coupons can barely ease the pain of shelling out big bucks for small essential items. Leading pharmacy chain stores often try to tell customers that their prices are unbeatable. Online medical supply companies, like TwinMed Direct, have proven those chain stores wrong. During a price comparison, it was discovered that some items for sale at neighborhood retail chain stores are up to three times the price of those found at TwinMed Direct. To learn more about these comparisons, read on.
Earwax drops, or earwax remover, is used to soften, loosen and remove excess earwax. Local drugstore chains sell 1/2 ounce bottles for $7.99. TwinMed sells the comparable product, which is the same product used in doctors' offices and clinics, for $3.40 per 1/2 ounce bottle.
Nasal spray is used to clean and clear nasal passages and moisturize nasal membranes, which helps prevent infections and inflammation. The nation's number one retail is selling Ocean Nasal Spray in 1.5 ounce bottles for $4.79. The same brand nasal spray is sold by TwinMed Direct for $1.83 per 3 ounce bottle. That's about 1/5 the price of the nation's most popular pharmacy chain store.
Generic Visine is used to reduce redness and irritation. The chain store sells their version for $3.49 per .5 ounce bottle, while TwinMed Direct sells theirs for $1.52 per .5 ounce bottle. Other quick comparisons found that nitrile exam gloves
at the top two leading pharmacy chain stores run customers about 7 cents per glove, while TwinMed Direct's sells the same item for 5 cents per glove.
Wet wipes, also known as moist wipes or disposable adult washcloths, sell at local drugstore chains for approximately 7 cents each, while TwinMed Direct offers a comparable wipe for 3 cents each. Parents and healthcare professionals alike can take away great savings by shopping online.
The comparisons just keep going on and on. It is easy to see a pattern emerging. In this economic recession, as well as any other time, it makes no sense to not go with the best deal possible. To find the best deal, it often takes a little time and research, but the results are well worth it. Hundreds, even thousands of dollars per year can be saved for those with consistent medical supply demands.
To investigate further money saving deals, visit TwinMed Direct's website at http://www.twinmeddirect.com/index.html. Even deeper discounts are available to those who order in bulk.
.....................................................................................
TwinMed Direct offers Medical Supplies at as low as 1/3 the Price of Competitors - By: adultwetwipes
While looking for the best possible prices on common medical supplies, the local neighborhood pharmacy chain does not offer the best prices, no matter what they claim. Online medical supply companies, like TwinMed Direct, offer the same products found at local retailers for as low as one third of the price paid at leading drugstore chains. Price comparisons have been conducted and the results are in: the nation's leading pharmacy chain stores can not compete with the prices offered by TwinMed Direct. Keep reading to learn what was discovered.
Hydrocortisone cream, the most common and widely used anti-itch cream on the market, is used to calm skin irritated by insect bites and stings, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, skin allergies and rashes caused by common poisonous plants. Nearly every household medicine cabinet contains some form of hydrocortisone based cream. The least expensive cream sold at the leading pharmacy retailer sells for $3.99 per 1 ounce tube. TwinMed Direct sells the same item for $1.25.
Digital thermometers, also used in nearly every household, are a much faster, more accurate and easier to use alternative to the old style mercury filled thermometers of the past. Digital thermometers have flexible tips and LCD display screens. Temperatures can be taken axillary, rectally or orally. Digital thermometers are a must have item for family medicine cabinets. The least expensive pharmacy chain store version of the digital thermometer retails for $4.99. TwinMed Direct sells a nearly identical version for $2.50.
Triple antibiotic ointment, the generic version of Neosporin, is also an essential medicine chest item. TAO is used to treat minor cuts and scrapes and is very effective at preventing painful skin infections. The neighborhood drugstore chain will sell you their cheapest generic Neosporin in a 1 ounce tube, for $5.49. TwinMed Direct eases the pain of this purchase by offering the same product in 1 ounce tubes for $2.47.
Other quick comparisons found that nitrile exam gloves at local pharmacy chain stores cost 7 cents per glove, while TwinMed Direct's prices are 5 cents per glove. nitrile gloves are used to prevent cross contamination between patients and medical professionals. Many homes also use Nitrile gloves to protect the hands while cleaning.
Wet wipes, also called moist wipes or adult washcloths, sell at local pharmacy chain stores for 7 cents each, while TwinMed Direct offers them for 3 cents each. Mothers of babies and small children can save bundles of money by purchasing wet wipes through TwinMed Direct.
To learn more about saving money on medical supplies, visit TwinMed Direct at http://www.twinmeddirect.com/index.html. Additional savings are offered when ordering in bulk.
.....................................................................................
Comparison Shopping Results are in: TwinMed Direct Wins - By: adultwetwipes
While shopping for home healthcare supplies finding the best prices can be frustrating and overwhelming. It seems that no matter where we look in our neighborhoods, common household supplies and items for ongoing medical care are nearly unaffordable. Many savvy shoppers are abandoning their neighborhood stores because they are finding online medical supply retailers, like TwinMed Direct, offer much better prices. To prove this point, a comparison shopping experiment was conducted. Here are the results:
Hydrocortisone cream is used to calm itchy skin caused by rashes and minor skin irritations from eczema, insect bites, poison ivy, oak and sumac, skin allergies, psoriasis and dermatitis. The leading neighborhood retailer sells 1 ounce tubes of hydrocortisone cream with 1% active ingredient for $3.99. TwinMed Direct will sell you the same product for $1.25.
Digital thermometers are a common household item. They are quick, accurate and easy to use. All digital thermometers are easy to read, have flexible tips and can be used orally, rectally or axillary to take temperatures. After searching three of the top retailers, the least expensive thermometer found was $4.99. On TwinMed Direct's website, the comparable thermometer sells for $2.50.
nitrile exam gloves
are used in the home and by nearly every type of healthcare professional. nitrile gloves are used to protect both the patient and the provider from illness, cross contamination and various types of infections. At the neighborhood retailer, Nitrile exam gloves cost $5.99 per box of 40. TwinMed Direct will sell you the same gloves, in boxes of 100, for $4.99.
Adult washcloths, otherwise known as wet wipes or moist wipes, are another very common healthcare item. They are used to clean and soften the patient's skin. Every mom uses wet wipes on babies for diapering, as well as children to clean hands and faces while on the go. Wet wipes are an extremely convenient item to have in supply. The neighborhood retailer sells these wipes for $.07 each. TwinMed Direct sells them for $.03 each.
Another one of mother's and healthcare provider's essential items is triple antibiotic ointment (TAO.) TAO is used to treat minor cuts and scrapes and to prevent infections. It is an extremely effective product and is one of the nations top selling medical supplies. At your neighborhood drugstore, a 1 ounce tube of generic TAO will run you $5.49. At TwinMed Direct, it costs $2.47.
To see these great deals for yourself, visit TwinMed Direct's website at http://www.twinmeddirect.com/index.html.
......................................................................................
TwinMed Direct Saves Big Money on Medical Supplies - By: adultwetwipes
Healthcare workers across the country have all noticed how high the prices of medical supplies have risen. This is an especially worrisome problem for those working with the elderly. Benefits are being reduced for some. For those under the age of 65 who need ongoing medical care, insurance benefits have been denied. It seems that the problem just keeps getting worse. Where is the relief?
There doesn't seem to be a white knight on the horizon that, slashing prices with his sword from the back of his trusty stead, solves the problem of high priced medical supplies. But there is a way to get find medical supplies at prices that won't break the bank.
Through a little comparison shopping, an online retailer of medical supplies that beats the prices of all 30 top pharmacy chains in America has been found. The company is called TwinMed Direct, and they have been receiving quite a lot of buzz lately. The results of price comparisons were quite shocking. The neighborhood pharmacy's prices are not as good as you think. Here is what was discovered:
nitrile gloves
, possibly the most used medical supply in the healthcare industry, are sold just about everywhere. Everyone from adults taking care of their parents to doctors in the emergency room must wear Nitrile exam gloves for safety and sanitation purposes. At the number one leading pharmacy chain, Nitrile gloves cost $5.99 per box of 40. At TwinMed Direct, the same gloves cost $4.99 per box of 100.
Wet wipes, also known as adult washcloths, are used for perineal care in babies and the elderly. They clean and soften skin while preventing a myriad of skin problems. The price of moist wipes at the top two pharmacy retail chains was about $.07 per wipe. At TwinMed Direct, moist wipes cost about $.03 per wipe. That equates to a huge difference in the long run.
The last item compared was a digital blood pressure monitor. Keeping tabs on blood pressure is extremely important in healthcare. If blood pressure is too high or too low, something needs to be done about it as soon as possible. At TwinMed Direct, the digital blood pressure monitor cost $33.25. At the leading retailer, the nearly identical blood pressure monitor cost $74.99. Now that's a huge price difference!
To learn more about TwinMed and to do some price comparisons of your own, visit their website at http://www.twinmeddirect.com/index.html.
......................................................................................
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
PRODUCT AND BOOK REVIEWS:
Amazon Product and Book Reviews Are a Good Publicity Route for Introverts - By: Phyllis Zimbler Miller
Introverts who are worried about having to engage in "conversation" in order to get online exposure can utilize the opportunity of writing an Amazon product or book review.
You can choose any book or product on the site to write a review about. Obviously it's better to choose books and products that "fit" with your personality or your online brand.
Yet, if you love science fiction books but have an online clothing retail website, go ahead and write reviews of science fiction books. Those reviews make you a more interesting person than other online clothing retailers, and you get to share a "passion" of yours from the comfort of your own computer.
Here are the steps to start getting positive online exposure through Amazon even if you're an introvert:
Step 1: Sign into your account. (In order to have an account you must have at least once bought something on Amazon.)
Step 2: Click on the words YOUR PROFILE under the GO button at the top right-hand side of the screen.
Step 3: Click on the words EDIT YOUR PROFILE near the top right-hand side of the screen.
Step 4: Fill out your profile. (Note: If you are a book author, you may have to change the name used by your Amazon account based on your credit card to your author name.)
Note that what you fill in for your SIGNATURE is very important because that's what automatically appears every time you write a review on Amazon.
Step 5: Now search for a book or product on Amazon about which you want to write a review.
The point is to write short and well-written reviews that catch people's attention and get you noticed because of your automatic Amazon signature. (When someone clicks on your signature, it links back to your Amazon profile page, where you can include a URL of your website.)
Step 6: To write a review scroll down any book or product page until you reach: Create your own review
Click on this, follow the instructions, and voila! Your Amazon automatic signature is now visible on this book or product page.
Tip: A two-paragraph review is a good length. While one paragraph may seem too short for a review, there is no need to write paragraph after paragraph. Include the most important points in your review and don't put in everything plus the kitchen sink.
This is a win-win opportunity. You've shared something of value with others - a clearly written review. And, even though you're an introvert, people online are now beginning to know about you.
....................................................................................
IvyBot - A Truthful Review On IvyBot - By: Jamie Hanson
Software like Ivybot and technology have made significant strides over the years and is making it a whole lot easier for forex traders to play and analyze the market. Just the fact that people know there are things out there to help make it a lot easier for people to understand how to invest their money the right way.
Over the years as I have been trading, I have found quite a few different strategies that can give you a decent ROI. However, just by following a few tips that I have learned from very successful forex traders I have been able to get a much larger ROI.
Emotional trading is not a good way to trade. This is another thing that the Ivybot software has helped people do is to take the emotion out of their trades, so that there is not a biased opinion. This is a huge benefit for people who are new to the market and have problems controlling emotion trades.
One of the best advantages to currency trading software like Ivybot is the incontrovertible fact that it takes emotional trading just about completely out of the picture. Currency trading is a massive market but a large amount of folks have lost giant quantities of money based entirely on the indisputable fact that they were making emotional trades.
A great benefit to using automatic Foreign exchange software like Ivybot is the undeniable fact that it essentially can limit any losses that you will have. When you are trading by hand if you do not know what you are doing, all your funds may be lost from your account overnite. A pal of mine that sure is a Currency exchange trader claimed it better than I am able to say it. He announced that having the ability to use automated trading software like Ivybot let him to make moneymaking trades while not having to learn each single technical facet of currency trading.
.....................................................................................
Different genres of children’s books are chosen by children - By: Hsinray Jayadelson
children's books should be chosen before buying. The most restrictive definition of children's books are those books which should be probed by children, such as teachers, reviewers, scholars, parents, publishers, librarians, retailers, and the various book-award committees.
Sometimes children books can mislead the children a lot. Parents wishing to protect their children from the unhappier aspects of life often find the traditional fairy tales, nursery rhymes and other voyages of discovery problematic. Many regard this as necessary to the story; after all, in most cases the whole point of the story is the characters' transition into adulthood.
Children choose many books, such as comics, which can hardly be considered literature; however, with their complete lack of concern for stylistic fashion and literary tricks, children precisely sink toward stories of truth and power therefore, they enjoy stories which speak on multiple levels.
In addition, many classic books that were originally intended for adults are now commonly thought of as works for children. These children books can be used both for amusement and global thinking. For example we can say about some adventurous books which can give them extra pleasure. Actually it is very much needed for the children to broaden their mind. Today it is widely read as a part of children's school curriculum.
There are different genres of books which is chose by the children. Now we will discuss about different kinds of books. A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres can be determined by different techniques, tones, contents and by length. There are so many types of children books in the market. They are pictures books, board books, concept books, pattern books, and wordless books. The choosing of a book is totally dependent on the children.
There may so many genres of book. Actually it depends on the writer choice. Writer can choose different criterion and environment for writing children's books . It can be based traditional writings. Traditional writings are off many types. Genres can have different subgenres. children books can be related to myths, fables, ballads, folk music, legends, and fairy tales. It can also be related to fiction, fantasy, realistic fiction, school story, non fiction and biography related.
.....................................................................................
Book Review - A Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition - By: Mark E. Piscopo
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) is universally recognized as the standard for project management methodologies and practices. Project managers routinely use the PMBOK® as a reference for accepted tools, knowledge, and processes in order to ensure the successful completion of a wide range of projects. The PMBOK® is also the industry standard which candidates must study and possess a functional knowledge of when preparing for Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certifications. Since its creation the PMBOK® has undergone several revisions the most recent of which is the 4th edition. Although much of the content is the same as in the 3rd edition, there are some significant changes regarding clarity and improvement.
The 4th edition of the PMBOK® reflects a focused effort to provide more clarity in various aspects of project management practices while reducing ambiguity and redundancy. There are several areas where this is evident. First, in order to remain consistent, all processes are now annotated in a verb-noun format (i.e. Define Activities, Develop Schedule, Plan Quality, Verify Scope, etc). In such a dynamic discipline as project management it is imperative to maintain as high a level of consistency and simplicity as possible. Adding to its simplicity, the 4th edition has also grouped corrective action, preventive action, defect repair, and requested changes under the heading “change request”. The purpose of this is to provide visibility of these change requests while allowing an easier understanding of the project management processes.
It is important for a project manager to have a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved with successful project management. In order to help with this the 4th edition of the PMBOK® has focused more on clarifying process interactions. By more clearly explaining process inputs and outputs with aid from the PMBOK’s® new data flow diagrams—which replaced process flow diagrams—and the relationships between these processes, the project manager will have a better understanding of how to use these tools to his or her benefit.
Another important clarification is the distinction between the project management plan and the various project documents the project manager may utilize in helping manage the project. An example of this is that previously a change log may have been mistakenly grouped into a project management plan. The PMBOK® now makes it clear that while change management is an important part of a project management plan, a change log is a project document and should not be included in a formal project plan.
Additional clarification was made to the PMBOK® by more clearly differentiating what contents of the project charter and scope statement are required. Previously, these documents may have shared some commonalities as there was no clear distinction between required content. As projects progressively elaborate—or become more defined as they move forward—what is annotated in the charter will evolve and become evident in the project scope statement. This progressive elaboration is an important part of project management and the PMBOK® has done well by making this consideration while defining more clear boundaries between these two documents.
Perhaps the most significant difference between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK® is the addition, consolidation, and removal of several processes. The processes of Develop Preliminary Scope Statement (Project Integration Management Knowledge Area) and Plan Scope (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) were removed in the 4th edition. Processes which were added include Collect Requirements (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) and Identify Stakeholders (Project Communications Management Knowledge Area). Within the Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area the six processes were consolidated into four. These process revisions represent bold changes between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK®. However, by renaming the processes in verb-noun format, removing those which were redundant or unnecessary, adding where needed, and consolidating others, the 4th edition of the PMBOK® represents a significant improvement and another step in the right direction for project management.
Another improvement added to the 4th edition of the PMBOK® is Appendix G which contains a list and discussion of interpersonal skills needed to successfully manage projects. While it is arguable whether or not these skills can be learned through training and practice or whether one is born more adept at these soft skills, it is clear that they are necessary in effectively managing projects and project teams. Their inclusion in the PMBOK® is an improvement because they indicate areas in which project managers must maintain their focus while interacting with their project teams and stakeholders.
While the release of the 4th edition of the PMBOK® was a step in the right direction for project management it was also part of a larger picture and not the only book of standards PMI released. Concurrently with the PMBOK® fourth edition PMI released The Standard for Program Management 2nd Edition; The Standard for Portfolio Management 2nd Edition; and Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®) 2nd Edition. The release of these four standards represents an effort to relate methodologies between and among these various levels of project and program management in a clear, consistent, and comprehensive manner. These standards of basic project management, program and portfolio management, and organizational project management, along with consistent language, terminology, and practices provide an umbrella under which practitioners of the project management profession can operate with awareness, clarity, and confidence.
In addition to the professional content contained within the PMBOK® there are some other characteristics of the book worthy of discussion. First, the book maintains its quality of being easy to read and understand. The fonts and graphics used in the book are clearly visible and the reader will find them easy to follow. Additionally, the data flow diagrams at the beginning of each knowledge area chapter are much easier to follow and understand than the 3rd edition’s process flow diagrams. Another nice characteristic is the ability of the reader to take notes in the margins which provide very adequate space. One characteristic that should be improved is the soft cover of the PMBOK®. With the cost of the book at $65.95 through PMI (or $49.50 for PMI members), a soft cover is hardly adequate to protect such an investment and valuable reference tool. Some simple internet research also found that the book can be purchased for $41.55 through Amazon.com with free shipping. This is certainly the most affordable price found online though, perhaps, it can be purchased secondhand or from a used book store for less.
One reason for the explosive growth of the project management profession is the degree to which the practices and methodologies have evolved. The revisions in the 4th edition of the PMBOK® represent the efforts made by its governing body, PMI, to remain proactive in a cycle of continuous development and improvement. The utility of effective project management has been realized throughout every industry and market segment. By including feedback from its practitioners in this improvement cycle the project management industry will continue to effectively evolve through its refinement of standards, tools, and practices.
.....................................................................................
Review Of The Niche Annihilation Method - By: John Foley
The Niche Annihilation Method is the latest product from Rob Benwell, author of the best selling “Blogging To The Bank“. This eBook is a solid product aimed at those getting started with niche product marketing. Niche Annihilation Method details tactics he has used to successfully annihilate the competition in tests on a few small niche markets.
Niche Annihilation Method contains not just one, but six advanced methods to achieve niche domination and crush your competition. It is 49 pages long and also comes with around 30 video tutorials to give you a better understanding of some of the concepts covered.
The Niche Annihilation Method is full of straight forward, very specific niche marketing techniques that Rob has actually tested himself over the last six months. Niche Annihilation Method will teach you everything you need to know about dominating your niche market including maximizing your conversions, dominating the search engines, how to effectively use PPC advertising, getting a strong army of affiliates to promote for you, maximising back end profits and much more. This system includes techniques on increasing conversions, ranking on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN, time saving, building a strong affiliate program using Clickbank, Creating quick, high ticket backends for niche markets and a load of other cool stuff.
This Niche Annihilation Method ebook will be extremely essential to you and your business because unlike other ebooks, courses and advice that provide only theories and unproven techniques, the Niche Annihilation Method reveals only the real tactics that make a successful profitable niche website. Niche marketers will find these new techniques worth many times the price of Niche Annihilation Method.
I know this is a bold statement to make but I've wasted hours reading so called Guru's products and so called secrets to find out they offer less value than a single page of The Niche Annihilation Method. If you are already earning money from your own sites, you can still make even more with Rob Benwell’s Niche Annihilation Method. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised to learn that Niche Annihilation Method doesn’t cost as much as some ebooks that give you nowhere near this level of information.
Niche annihilation Method can be put into action by any affiliate marketer in any niche. If you want to know the easiest, quickest and most profitable ways to entering different niches and plundering each of them for big big money,get Niche Annihilation Method, and I’m really sure niche annihilation method will be extremely useful and beneficial to all marketers of all levels.
Go and grab your own Niche Annihilation Method today and learn how you can crush your competition, stay on top of search engines and start making money online with your niche sites now. All-in-all, I HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of Niche Annihilation Method so that you will be armed with a brand new arsenal of tools to take your niche marketing to a whole new level in 2008. To Get niche annihilation method right now "Click The Link" Below !
Article Written By J. Foley
.....................................................................................
'God's War', Christopher Tyerman. Book Review - By: C. Read
Yes those nasty Crusades. In the post-modern, Marx-droid universe of salivating moppets and eager to please relativists ['please daddy tell us again about how nice the Saracens were and evil the Christians?']; it is quite easy to lose sight of reality. Muslims and Arabs good, Christians bad. Arab, Muslim and Turkish imperialism good, European fascist. So it is refreshing to read a dense, intellectual and accurate piece of work which describes the Crusades as they were – a complex political, military, and very human response to pre-modern Arab and Turkish designs at world conquest. They might have in effect saved Europe.
Tyerman's overall conclusion is that, '..the internal, personal decision to follow the cross, to inflict harm on others at great personal risk, at the cost of enormous privations, at the service of a consuming cause, cannot be explained excused or dismissed either as a virtue or sin. Rather, its very contradictions spelt its humanity.' How true. The Crusades, erupting from Pope Urban II's call in 1095 to help the Eastern church against Turkish or Saracen depredation was full of cross purpose, material aims, personal vanity, spiritual earnestness, military valor, and political intrigue. That is what makes them such a great story.
The Crusades were in many ways, extraordinarily successful. Men, money, material, and complex logistics were stretched over a thousand miles from the European heartland to the Holy Land and the Eastern mediterranean. The crusaders were usually quite outnumbered. Each of the 5 major Crusades, lasting roughly from 1095 to 1299 could only muster some 30.000 – 40.000 men, many of whom would melt away after a few months of soldiering, confident that any work combatting the Turks would gain them access into heaven.
The Muslims, aided by their intimate knowledge of geography, millions of citizens from which to draw armies, proximate logistics, and supply, should easily have repulsed these infidels from any and all conquests. The fact that the crusaders were able to organise; embark; conquer; hold and build the incredible line of castle fortifications some of which, like the Krak de Chevaliers are still standing today, is one of the great achievements of pre-modern warfare.
Tyerman's book is valuable because it relates history as it most likely was. The Crusades were viewed in Western Europe as bellum justum – a just war – a war to reclaim once Christian lands from infidel Turks; a war to push the Muslims out of Europe; a war to help save the Eastern church and bring it under the control of the Western. The casus belli for the conflict was varied and justified by theologians and lay political leaders alike. Jerusalem, the home of Christ and the origins of the Church had a profound and special attraction for an extremely religious and devout population.
Tyerman rightly asserts that Muslim supremacism and war mongering made the Crusades a necessity. Large parts of Europe were under Muslim dominaton and, 'jihad was fundamental to the Faith, described by some as a sixth pillar of Islam. In theory fighting was incumbent on all Muslims until the whole world had been subdued, but it was a spiritual as well as military exercise from the start, and a corporate not individual obligation.'
You won't read such an honest assessment of jihadic Mohammedism in the New York Times. Without a response Western Europe might very well have suffered the fate of the Eastern Church. As Tyerman states, 'it is hard to argue that we are dealing with an age any more credulous or unthinkingly accepting of religious truth than our own.' Certainly so. Contrary to modern media and educational manipulation, the Europeans of the 11th century and of the Crusades were not simpleton mental midgets, scurrying around mud hovels, wearing hair shirts practicing witch craft or listening to papal sermons with rotted teeth falling out. Western Europe in the early medieval period was a bustling, thriving, urbanising scene of activity, invention, and dynamism – everything one would expect to find and see, in an era of change, which heralded the creation of the modern political-economy.
Tyerman's chapters are broken into outlining the 5 major crusades – all of them described in rather exhaustive fashion. Details on the military, political and church-oriented spiritual complexity are compelling and very human. The highly successful First Crusade, featuring many of France's and Germany's leading noblemen, families and Knights, is summarised by Tyerman as a dramatic episode, an event rarely told.
The First Crusade's conquests from the borders of the shrinking Greek state [some 100 odd miles outside of modern day Constantinople or Istanbul], through the rough terrain of Anatolia, down the Lebanese coast, and on through to the borders of modern Gaza and east to Jerusalem, north east to Edessa, were an astonishing feat, accomplished in just 2 short years of fighting. A force of roughly 40.000 men, from different states, under various leaders with political infighting and intrigue, and weakly supported by the Greeks of the Eastern empire, had landed, marched, fought and won numerous victories over far larger Turkish hosts.
From 1097 to 1099 when Jerusalem was taken, the Christian forces were always in demand and need of men, food, water, supplies, military weaponry, and the medieval tank or mounted Knight. Fully armed mounted knights were extremely expensive to maintain and only the rich could afford to pay their own way to the Holy Land, including horse, armor, servants and food. Of a force of 30.000 the crusaders might be lucky to count on 2.000 such men, their power often assuring a Christian victory over the lighter armed Turkish forces.
As Tyerman notes about the complexity and astonishing prowess of the First Crusade, 'Yet the political, material, and military pillars of victory fail adequately to describe the structure of the First Crusade or alone explain its success. Although it is misleading to assume that all recruits and followers shared a similar intensity of religious motivation and zeal, without the element of ideology and spiritual exhiliration, there would have been no march to Jerusalem, let alone a successful conquest.'
Military superiority, good organisation, personal genius, luck, good planning and a rough hewn solidarity were the reasons why the First Crusade succeeded. These crusaders had faith, believed in their cause and went through amazing deprivations before finally, in 1099 attacking, sacking and controlling their objective – Jerusalem.
In spite of this success the Crusades were doomed to failure if and once the Muslims could unify their command and take advantage of Christian manpower weakness, internal political dissension and lack of Western European support. Importantly for the Muslims, the varied Christian states and sundry crusaders always had a hard time creating political and miltiary unity. Without a unified chain of military and political command, Christian conquests became difficult to defend.
Another issue was resource scarcity. During the 200 years of the Crusading wars only a small fraction of European power was involved in trying to wrest and protect the Holy Land from Muslim occupation. If the average Crusade had about 40.000 fighting men involved it represented a small fraction of European manpower and also value-added GDP. Logistically such a force would entail a further 400.000 people to support the Crusade including those involved in shipping, transport, supply manufacture, arms provisioning, food supply, various support work and aiding the army directly in engineering, food and siege work. At most about 500.000-700.000 people would have been occupied in some way with the Crusades. Europe's population at that time was about 30 million in 1100 doubling by 1300 to more than 60 million. This signals that Europe was a fast changing, very productive and extremely wealthy society. So in effect we can say that less than 2 % of Europeans were involved with the Crusades – a rather paltry amount.
The problem for the Christian East was getting money out of their fast growing home economies, and using such wealth to secure and deepen their hold on the Holy Land. Medieval Europe was still in the nascent phases of nation state creation. Its richest territory was Germany which was made up of many different and competing sub kingdoms. The German Emperor whilst powerful, did not have anything approaching the machinery of a modern state, nor the ability to extract monies to the level the later states would deem justifiable. France was not yet unified [and wouldn't be until after the Albigensian or Cathar crusades in southern France in the early 13th century]; Spain was bifurcated by Muslim conquest; Italy was split into many kingdoms; and the other parts of Europe were fragmented, small and preoccupied with internal matters. In short in about 1100, the European modern state and its ability to create wealth, tax it, and use it to fund centralised armies was not yet in existence.
Therein lies the major factor for the eventual collapse of the Crusading ideal. Without a strong nation state structure where GDP can be centrally taxed and armies centrally managed, the Crusades were left with wealthy Kings and Lords paying the costs, supported by European wide Church taxation or tithes so make up the short fall. Even this was not enough. Many crusaders paid their own way, supporting themselves as they went with plunder. In fact many states such as France went into financial ruin due to the Crusades with some states and their noblemen spending an entire year or more of revenue just to reach the Holy Land.
The Crusades were a very costly business indeed. Along the routes between Europe and the Holy Land, pillage and theft was common, and much of it directed against fellow Christians and where possible, the Jews. Attacks against Jews by crusaders along the path of their march, were legion. Tyerman relates that, 'Nothing in official Christian doctrine justified slaying Jews. Pope Alexander II had explicitly prohibited it when drawing a careful distinction between them and Muslims in 1063.' Without plunder or the promise of it, the Crusades never would have happened. This says nothing about the sack of Constantinople itself in 1204 and the looting of its wealth.
Along with plunder comes carnage and the Crusades if savage, were no more savage than any other pre-modern war. The myth that the Muslims were tolerant multi-cultists devoted to easing the pain of conquered Jews and Christians and never engaging in mass slaughter and savagery is junk and bunk. As Tyerman elucidates, 'The recent Turkish conquests in the Near East had been accompanied by carnage and enslavement on a grand scale.......Massacres as well as atrocity stories were – and are – an inescapable part of war. In the face of a Muslim counter-attack, letting the locals live may not have seemed a prudent option to the Christian victors, however obscene the alternative.'
How real that statement is. The Turks, and the Arabs before them, warred, raped, murdered and annihilated their way through Christian and Jewish territory. Submissive and cowed populations make convenient and easy to rule apartheid empires. So it was with the Muslim states of the Holy Land.
Tyerman's book is a great one volume piece on why the Crusades happened, how they occured and just how complicated a story it all is. But a couple of things stand out when reading it. The faith and confidence of 11-14th century Europe is one. Their logistical and sometimes military brilliance in campaigning far from home is a second. The engineering achievements in fortifying and bringing to economic life an uncompromisingly harsh land is a third.
And perhaps most importantly of all, is their clear headed appreciation of what Islam was all about – a cult of Mohammed, which desired to wipe out civilisation. It is a lesson that one thousand years later still resonates.
.....................................................................................
Site-Swiper.com: An Honest Review - By: Tonia Brigham
This is a review of Harris Fellman's new profit system from Site-Swiper.com. The strategies and formulas taught in this ebook will help many individuals develop some extra revenue online if they are applied correctly.
First, here are two primary reasons that Site Swiper is recommended:
1. It's one of the most efficient ways to earn profits online - without a doubt, the DUPLICATION model you are about to learn in this book really delivers *if you apply it*.
2. The course has a extremely low price and is OVER-delivering. there are tons of great bonuses and video tutorials. It's unbelievable what all is included at this price. This course is actually under-priced. The formulas and methods taught in this course will benefit both the beginners and experienced users. If you have been buying one product after another and are still lost, THEN you must stop buying and apply the Site Swiper's model.
So what is it all about?
You'll discover how to earn profits online by duplicating other sites that are already successful. In another words, you are going to learn how to "COPY FROM THE BEST". It's NOT what you think, the method is completely LEGAL! This happens day in and day out in the world of business... for instance Coca Cola and Pepsi, McDonalds and Burger King, Pizza Hut and other fast food chains. Everyone is copying the successful model from one another. Why reinvent the wheel?
With Site Swiper, you are going to discover how to adopt the same technique in your Internet Marketing business. It will walk you through 5 Levels of Site Swiping... Beginners can quickly use and apply level 1 and 2, there is a video walk through showing you step by step how to do it. Level 3-4 is for the Intermediate marketers and Level 5 is for the advanced marketers - this is where you become the boss and invite people to duplicate and swipe your model.
Let's take A Look Within the Site Swiper's System:
* How to locate successful sites - you are going to discover the proven technique of spotting those successful sites that you should duplicate and profit from.
* Get an updated list of which sites you should swipe and duplicate right away - you will appreciate this one as it saves you lot of time and get you started immediately.
* How to swipe the entire site - you are going to learn some UNDERGROUND techniques that have never been revealed before. Again, these formulas are 100% LEGAL. The gurus are using it day in and day out BUT they never tell.
* Easy-to-Understand Videos on How To Swipe Sites - Wow! I love this one as I prefer to watch rather than read.
* 17 Different Step by Step Video Tutorials - this one is for the total beginners. Experienced users can skip these if they want.
* A 30 Minute one-on-one call with a profit Creation Expert.
* And so much more... you will also get tons of bonuses.
Conclusion...
After reading through the Site Swiper book, I realize now how those experts earn profits online. The KEY is not to reinvent the wheel. The key is to SWIPE IT, MODIFY IT, and DUPLICATE IT! This is actually the most efficient way to earn profits online. You'll learn all the exact techniques in Site Swiper.
Another thing I like about this book is that there are many video links inside the chapters to show you exactly how to use and apply the formulas taught. So you know how to do it correctly. It really makes you feel that the author (Sal the Site Swiper/Harris Fellman) is walking the TALK.
If you can stop buying other products and begin applying the Site Swiper system, you will begin making profits very soon and get way ahead of the competition.
....................................................................................
.
Introverts who are worried about having to engage in "conversation" in order to get online exposure can utilize the opportunity of writing an Amazon product or book review.
You can choose any book or product on the site to write a review about. Obviously it's better to choose books and products that "fit" with your personality or your online brand.
Yet, if you love science fiction books but have an online clothing retail website, go ahead and write reviews of science fiction books. Those reviews make you a more interesting person than other online clothing retailers, and you get to share a "passion" of yours from the comfort of your own computer.
Here are the steps to start getting positive online exposure through Amazon even if you're an introvert:
Step 1: Sign into your account. (In order to have an account you must have at least once bought something on Amazon.)
Step 2: Click on the words YOUR PROFILE under the GO button at the top right-hand side of the screen.
Step 3: Click on the words EDIT YOUR PROFILE near the top right-hand side of the screen.
Step 4: Fill out your profile. (Note: If you are a book author, you may have to change the name used by your Amazon account based on your credit card to your author name.)
Note that what you fill in for your SIGNATURE is very important because that's what automatically appears every time you write a review on Amazon.
Step 5: Now search for a book or product on Amazon about which you want to write a review.
The point is to write short and well-written reviews that catch people's attention and get you noticed because of your automatic Amazon signature. (When someone clicks on your signature, it links back to your Amazon profile page, where you can include a URL of your website.)
Step 6: To write a review scroll down any book or product page until you reach: Create your own review
Click on this, follow the instructions, and voila! Your Amazon automatic signature is now visible on this book or product page.
Tip: A two-paragraph review is a good length. While one paragraph may seem too short for a review, there is no need to write paragraph after paragraph. Include the most important points in your review and don't put in everything plus the kitchen sink.
This is a win-win opportunity. You've shared something of value with others - a clearly written review. And, even though you're an introvert, people online are now beginning to know about you.
....................................................................................
IvyBot - A Truthful Review On IvyBot - By: Jamie Hanson
Software like Ivybot and technology have made significant strides over the years and is making it a whole lot easier for forex traders to play and analyze the market. Just the fact that people know there are things out there to help make it a lot easier for people to understand how to invest their money the right way.
Over the years as I have been trading, I have found quite a few different strategies that can give you a decent ROI. However, just by following a few tips that I have learned from very successful forex traders I have been able to get a much larger ROI.
Emotional trading is not a good way to trade. This is another thing that the Ivybot software has helped people do is to take the emotion out of their trades, so that there is not a biased opinion. This is a huge benefit for people who are new to the market and have problems controlling emotion trades.
One of the best advantages to currency trading software like Ivybot is the incontrovertible fact that it takes emotional trading just about completely out of the picture. Currency trading is a massive market but a large amount of folks have lost giant quantities of money based entirely on the indisputable fact that they were making emotional trades.
A great benefit to using automatic Foreign exchange software like Ivybot is the undeniable fact that it essentially can limit any losses that you will have. When you are trading by hand if you do not know what you are doing, all your funds may be lost from your account overnite. A pal of mine that sure is a Currency exchange trader claimed it better than I am able to say it. He announced that having the ability to use automated trading software like Ivybot let him to make moneymaking trades while not having to learn each single technical facet of currency trading.
.....................................................................................
Different genres of children’s books are chosen by children - By: Hsinray Jayadelson
children's books should be chosen before buying. The most restrictive definition of children's books are those books which should be probed by children, such as teachers, reviewers, scholars, parents, publishers, librarians, retailers, and the various book-award committees.
Sometimes children books can mislead the children a lot. Parents wishing to protect their children from the unhappier aspects of life often find the traditional fairy tales, nursery rhymes and other voyages of discovery problematic. Many regard this as necessary to the story; after all, in most cases the whole point of the story is the characters' transition into adulthood.
Children choose many books, such as comics, which can hardly be considered literature; however, with their complete lack of concern for stylistic fashion and literary tricks, children precisely sink toward stories of truth and power therefore, they enjoy stories which speak on multiple levels.
In addition, many classic books that were originally intended for adults are now commonly thought of as works for children. These children books can be used both for amusement and global thinking. For example we can say about some adventurous books which can give them extra pleasure. Actually it is very much needed for the children to broaden their mind. Today it is widely read as a part of children's school curriculum.
There are different genres of books which is chose by the children. Now we will discuss about different kinds of books. A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres can be determined by different techniques, tones, contents and by length. There are so many types of children books in the market. They are pictures books, board books, concept books, pattern books, and wordless books. The choosing of a book is totally dependent on the children.
There may so many genres of book. Actually it depends on the writer choice. Writer can choose different criterion and environment for writing children's books . It can be based traditional writings. Traditional writings are off many types. Genres can have different subgenres. children books can be related to myths, fables, ballads, folk music, legends, and fairy tales. It can also be related to fiction, fantasy, realistic fiction, school story, non fiction and biography related.
.....................................................................................
Book Review - A Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition - By: Mark E. Piscopo
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) is universally recognized as the standard for project management methodologies and practices. Project managers routinely use the PMBOK® as a reference for accepted tools, knowledge, and processes in order to ensure the successful completion of a wide range of projects. The PMBOK® is also the industry standard which candidates must study and possess a functional knowledge of when preparing for Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certifications. Since its creation the PMBOK® has undergone several revisions the most recent of which is the 4th edition. Although much of the content is the same as in the 3rd edition, there are some significant changes regarding clarity and improvement.
The 4th edition of the PMBOK® reflects a focused effort to provide more clarity in various aspects of project management practices while reducing ambiguity and redundancy. There are several areas where this is evident. First, in order to remain consistent, all processes are now annotated in a verb-noun format (i.e. Define Activities, Develop Schedule, Plan Quality, Verify Scope, etc). In such a dynamic discipline as project management it is imperative to maintain as high a level of consistency and simplicity as possible. Adding to its simplicity, the 4th edition has also grouped corrective action, preventive action, defect repair, and requested changes under the heading “change request”. The purpose of this is to provide visibility of these change requests while allowing an easier understanding of the project management processes.
It is important for a project manager to have a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved with successful project management. In order to help with this the 4th edition of the PMBOK® has focused more on clarifying process interactions. By more clearly explaining process inputs and outputs with aid from the PMBOK’s® new data flow diagrams—which replaced process flow diagrams—and the relationships between these processes, the project manager will have a better understanding of how to use these tools to his or her benefit.
Another important clarification is the distinction between the project management plan and the various project documents the project manager may utilize in helping manage the project. An example of this is that previously a change log may have been mistakenly grouped into a project management plan. The PMBOK® now makes it clear that while change management is an important part of a project management plan, a change log is a project document and should not be included in a formal project plan.
Additional clarification was made to the PMBOK® by more clearly differentiating what contents of the project charter and scope statement are required. Previously, these documents may have shared some commonalities as there was no clear distinction between required content. As projects progressively elaborate—or become more defined as they move forward—what is annotated in the charter will evolve and become evident in the project scope statement. This progressive elaboration is an important part of project management and the PMBOK® has done well by making this consideration while defining more clear boundaries between these two documents.
Perhaps the most significant difference between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK® is the addition, consolidation, and removal of several processes. The processes of Develop Preliminary Scope Statement (Project Integration Management Knowledge Area) and Plan Scope (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) were removed in the 4th edition. Processes which were added include Collect Requirements (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) and Identify Stakeholders (Project Communications Management Knowledge Area). Within the Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area the six processes were consolidated into four. These process revisions represent bold changes between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK®. However, by renaming the processes in verb-noun format, removing those which were redundant or unnecessary, adding where needed, and consolidating others, the 4th edition of the PMBOK® represents a significant improvement and another step in the right direction for project management.
Another improvement added to the 4th edition of the PMBOK® is Appendix G which contains a list and discussion of interpersonal skills needed to successfully manage projects. While it is arguable whether or not these skills can be learned through training and practice or whether one is born more adept at these soft skills, it is clear that they are necessary in effectively managing projects and project teams. Their inclusion in the PMBOK® is an improvement because they indicate areas in which project managers must maintain their focus while interacting with their project teams and stakeholders.
While the release of the 4th edition of the PMBOK® was a step in the right direction for project management it was also part of a larger picture and not the only book of standards PMI released. Concurrently with the PMBOK® fourth edition PMI released The Standard for Program Management 2nd Edition; The Standard for Portfolio Management 2nd Edition; and Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®) 2nd Edition. The release of these four standards represents an effort to relate methodologies between and among these various levels of project and program management in a clear, consistent, and comprehensive manner. These standards of basic project management, program and portfolio management, and organizational project management, along with consistent language, terminology, and practices provide an umbrella under which practitioners of the project management profession can operate with awareness, clarity, and confidence.
In addition to the professional content contained within the PMBOK® there are some other characteristics of the book worthy of discussion. First, the book maintains its quality of being easy to read and understand. The fonts and graphics used in the book are clearly visible and the reader will find them easy to follow. Additionally, the data flow diagrams at the beginning of each knowledge area chapter are much easier to follow and understand than the 3rd edition’s process flow diagrams. Another nice characteristic is the ability of the reader to take notes in the margins which provide very adequate space. One characteristic that should be improved is the soft cover of the PMBOK®. With the cost of the book at $65.95 through PMI (or $49.50 for PMI members), a soft cover is hardly adequate to protect such an investment and valuable reference tool. Some simple internet research also found that the book can be purchased for $41.55 through Amazon.com with free shipping. This is certainly the most affordable price found online though, perhaps, it can be purchased secondhand or from a used book store for less.
One reason for the explosive growth of the project management profession is the degree to which the practices and methodologies have evolved. The revisions in the 4th edition of the PMBOK® represent the efforts made by its governing body, PMI, to remain proactive in a cycle of continuous development and improvement. The utility of effective project management has been realized throughout every industry and market segment. By including feedback from its practitioners in this improvement cycle the project management industry will continue to effectively evolve through its refinement of standards, tools, and practices.
.....................................................................................
Review Of The Niche Annihilation Method - By: John Foley
The Niche Annihilation Method is the latest product from Rob Benwell, author of the best selling “Blogging To The Bank“. This eBook is a solid product aimed at those getting started with niche product marketing. Niche Annihilation Method details tactics he has used to successfully annihilate the competition in tests on a few small niche markets.
Niche Annihilation Method contains not just one, but six advanced methods to achieve niche domination and crush your competition. It is 49 pages long and also comes with around 30 video tutorials to give you a better understanding of some of the concepts covered.
The Niche Annihilation Method is full of straight forward, very specific niche marketing techniques that Rob has actually tested himself over the last six months. Niche Annihilation Method will teach you everything you need to know about dominating your niche market including maximizing your conversions, dominating the search engines, how to effectively use PPC advertising, getting a strong army of affiliates to promote for you, maximising back end profits and much more. This system includes techniques on increasing conversions, ranking on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN, time saving, building a strong affiliate program using Clickbank, Creating quick, high ticket backends for niche markets and a load of other cool stuff.
This Niche Annihilation Method ebook will be extremely essential to you and your business because unlike other ebooks, courses and advice that provide only theories and unproven techniques, the Niche Annihilation Method reveals only the real tactics that make a successful profitable niche website. Niche marketers will find these new techniques worth many times the price of Niche Annihilation Method.
I know this is a bold statement to make but I've wasted hours reading so called Guru's products and so called secrets to find out they offer less value than a single page of The Niche Annihilation Method. If you are already earning money from your own sites, you can still make even more with Rob Benwell’s Niche Annihilation Method. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised to learn that Niche Annihilation Method doesn’t cost as much as some ebooks that give you nowhere near this level of information.
Niche annihilation Method can be put into action by any affiliate marketer in any niche. If you want to know the easiest, quickest and most profitable ways to entering different niches and plundering each of them for big big money,get Niche Annihilation Method, and I’m really sure niche annihilation method will be extremely useful and beneficial to all marketers of all levels.
Go and grab your own Niche Annihilation Method today and learn how you can crush your competition, stay on top of search engines and start making money online with your niche sites now. All-in-all, I HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of Niche Annihilation Method so that you will be armed with a brand new arsenal of tools to take your niche marketing to a whole new level in 2008. To Get niche annihilation method right now "Click The Link" Below !
Article Written By J. Foley
.....................................................................................
'God's War', Christopher Tyerman. Book Review - By: C. Read
Yes those nasty Crusades. In the post-modern, Marx-droid universe of salivating moppets and eager to please relativists ['please daddy tell us again about how nice the Saracens were and evil the Christians?']; it is quite easy to lose sight of reality. Muslims and Arabs good, Christians bad. Arab, Muslim and Turkish imperialism good, European fascist. So it is refreshing to read a dense, intellectual and accurate piece of work which describes the Crusades as they were – a complex political, military, and very human response to pre-modern Arab and Turkish designs at world conquest. They might have in effect saved Europe.
Tyerman's overall conclusion is that, '..the internal, personal decision to follow the cross, to inflict harm on others at great personal risk, at the cost of enormous privations, at the service of a consuming cause, cannot be explained excused or dismissed either as a virtue or sin. Rather, its very contradictions spelt its humanity.' How true. The Crusades, erupting from Pope Urban II's call in 1095 to help the Eastern church against Turkish or Saracen depredation was full of cross purpose, material aims, personal vanity, spiritual earnestness, military valor, and political intrigue. That is what makes them such a great story.
The Crusades were in many ways, extraordinarily successful. Men, money, material, and complex logistics were stretched over a thousand miles from the European heartland to the Holy Land and the Eastern mediterranean. The crusaders were usually quite outnumbered. Each of the 5 major Crusades, lasting roughly from 1095 to 1299 could only muster some 30.000 – 40.000 men, many of whom would melt away after a few months of soldiering, confident that any work combatting the Turks would gain them access into heaven.
The Muslims, aided by their intimate knowledge of geography, millions of citizens from which to draw armies, proximate logistics, and supply, should easily have repulsed these infidels from any and all conquests. The fact that the crusaders were able to organise; embark; conquer; hold and build the incredible line of castle fortifications some of which, like the Krak de Chevaliers are still standing today, is one of the great achievements of pre-modern warfare.
Tyerman's book is valuable because it relates history as it most likely was. The Crusades were viewed in Western Europe as bellum justum – a just war – a war to reclaim once Christian lands from infidel Turks; a war to push the Muslims out of Europe; a war to help save the Eastern church and bring it under the control of the Western. The casus belli for the conflict was varied and justified by theologians and lay political leaders alike. Jerusalem, the home of Christ and the origins of the Church had a profound and special attraction for an extremely religious and devout population.
Tyerman rightly asserts that Muslim supremacism and war mongering made the Crusades a necessity. Large parts of Europe were under Muslim dominaton and, 'jihad was fundamental to the Faith, described by some as a sixth pillar of Islam. In theory fighting was incumbent on all Muslims until the whole world had been subdued, but it was a spiritual as well as military exercise from the start, and a corporate not individual obligation.'
You won't read such an honest assessment of jihadic Mohammedism in the New York Times. Without a response Western Europe might very well have suffered the fate of the Eastern Church. As Tyerman states, 'it is hard to argue that we are dealing with an age any more credulous or unthinkingly accepting of religious truth than our own.' Certainly so. Contrary to modern media and educational manipulation, the Europeans of the 11th century and of the Crusades were not simpleton mental midgets, scurrying around mud hovels, wearing hair shirts practicing witch craft or listening to papal sermons with rotted teeth falling out. Western Europe in the early medieval period was a bustling, thriving, urbanising scene of activity, invention, and dynamism – everything one would expect to find and see, in an era of change, which heralded the creation of the modern political-economy.
Tyerman's chapters are broken into outlining the 5 major crusades – all of them described in rather exhaustive fashion. Details on the military, political and church-oriented spiritual complexity are compelling and very human. The highly successful First Crusade, featuring many of France's and Germany's leading noblemen, families and Knights, is summarised by Tyerman as a dramatic episode, an event rarely told.
The First Crusade's conquests from the borders of the shrinking Greek state [some 100 odd miles outside of modern day Constantinople or Istanbul], through the rough terrain of Anatolia, down the Lebanese coast, and on through to the borders of modern Gaza and east to Jerusalem, north east to Edessa, were an astonishing feat, accomplished in just 2 short years of fighting. A force of roughly 40.000 men, from different states, under various leaders with political infighting and intrigue, and weakly supported by the Greeks of the Eastern empire, had landed, marched, fought and won numerous victories over far larger Turkish hosts.
From 1097 to 1099 when Jerusalem was taken, the Christian forces were always in demand and need of men, food, water, supplies, military weaponry, and the medieval tank or mounted Knight. Fully armed mounted knights were extremely expensive to maintain and only the rich could afford to pay their own way to the Holy Land, including horse, armor, servants and food. Of a force of 30.000 the crusaders might be lucky to count on 2.000 such men, their power often assuring a Christian victory over the lighter armed Turkish forces.
As Tyerman notes about the complexity and astonishing prowess of the First Crusade, 'Yet the political, material, and military pillars of victory fail adequately to describe the structure of the First Crusade or alone explain its success. Although it is misleading to assume that all recruits and followers shared a similar intensity of religious motivation and zeal, without the element of ideology and spiritual exhiliration, there would have been no march to Jerusalem, let alone a successful conquest.'
Military superiority, good organisation, personal genius, luck, good planning and a rough hewn solidarity were the reasons why the First Crusade succeeded. These crusaders had faith, believed in their cause and went through amazing deprivations before finally, in 1099 attacking, sacking and controlling their objective – Jerusalem.
In spite of this success the Crusades were doomed to failure if and once the Muslims could unify their command and take advantage of Christian manpower weakness, internal political dissension and lack of Western European support. Importantly for the Muslims, the varied Christian states and sundry crusaders always had a hard time creating political and miltiary unity. Without a unified chain of military and political command, Christian conquests became difficult to defend.
Another issue was resource scarcity. During the 200 years of the Crusading wars only a small fraction of European power was involved in trying to wrest and protect the Holy Land from Muslim occupation. If the average Crusade had about 40.000 fighting men involved it represented a small fraction of European manpower and also value-added GDP. Logistically such a force would entail a further 400.000 people to support the Crusade including those involved in shipping, transport, supply manufacture, arms provisioning, food supply, various support work and aiding the army directly in engineering, food and siege work. At most about 500.000-700.000 people would have been occupied in some way with the Crusades. Europe's population at that time was about 30 million in 1100 doubling by 1300 to more than 60 million. This signals that Europe was a fast changing, very productive and extremely wealthy society. So in effect we can say that less than 2 % of Europeans were involved with the Crusades – a rather paltry amount.
The problem for the Christian East was getting money out of their fast growing home economies, and using such wealth to secure and deepen their hold on the Holy Land. Medieval Europe was still in the nascent phases of nation state creation. Its richest territory was Germany which was made up of many different and competing sub kingdoms. The German Emperor whilst powerful, did not have anything approaching the machinery of a modern state, nor the ability to extract monies to the level the later states would deem justifiable. France was not yet unified [and wouldn't be until after the Albigensian or Cathar crusades in southern France in the early 13th century]; Spain was bifurcated by Muslim conquest; Italy was split into many kingdoms; and the other parts of Europe were fragmented, small and preoccupied with internal matters. In short in about 1100, the European modern state and its ability to create wealth, tax it, and use it to fund centralised armies was not yet in existence.
Therein lies the major factor for the eventual collapse of the Crusading ideal. Without a strong nation state structure where GDP can be centrally taxed and armies centrally managed, the Crusades were left with wealthy Kings and Lords paying the costs, supported by European wide Church taxation or tithes so make up the short fall. Even this was not enough. Many crusaders paid their own way, supporting themselves as they went with plunder. In fact many states such as France went into financial ruin due to the Crusades with some states and their noblemen spending an entire year or more of revenue just to reach the Holy Land.
The Crusades were a very costly business indeed. Along the routes between Europe and the Holy Land, pillage and theft was common, and much of it directed against fellow Christians and where possible, the Jews. Attacks against Jews by crusaders along the path of their march, were legion. Tyerman relates that, 'Nothing in official Christian doctrine justified slaying Jews. Pope Alexander II had explicitly prohibited it when drawing a careful distinction between them and Muslims in 1063.' Without plunder or the promise of it, the Crusades never would have happened. This says nothing about the sack of Constantinople itself in 1204 and the looting of its wealth.
Along with plunder comes carnage and the Crusades if savage, were no more savage than any other pre-modern war. The myth that the Muslims were tolerant multi-cultists devoted to easing the pain of conquered Jews and Christians and never engaging in mass slaughter and savagery is junk and bunk. As Tyerman elucidates, 'The recent Turkish conquests in the Near East had been accompanied by carnage and enslavement on a grand scale.......Massacres as well as atrocity stories were – and are – an inescapable part of war. In the face of a Muslim counter-attack, letting the locals live may not have seemed a prudent option to the Christian victors, however obscene the alternative.'
How real that statement is. The Turks, and the Arabs before them, warred, raped, murdered and annihilated their way through Christian and Jewish territory. Submissive and cowed populations make convenient and easy to rule apartheid empires. So it was with the Muslim states of the Holy Land.
Tyerman's book is a great one volume piece on why the Crusades happened, how they occured and just how complicated a story it all is. But a couple of things stand out when reading it. The faith and confidence of 11-14th century Europe is one. Their logistical and sometimes military brilliance in campaigning far from home is a second. The engineering achievements in fortifying and bringing to economic life an uncompromisingly harsh land is a third.
And perhaps most importantly of all, is their clear headed appreciation of what Islam was all about – a cult of Mohammed, which desired to wipe out civilisation. It is a lesson that one thousand years later still resonates.
.....................................................................................
Site-Swiper.com: An Honest Review - By: Tonia Brigham
This is a review of Harris Fellman's new profit system from Site-Swiper.com. The strategies and formulas taught in this ebook will help many individuals develop some extra revenue online if they are applied correctly.
First, here are two primary reasons that Site Swiper is recommended:
1. It's one of the most efficient ways to earn profits online - without a doubt, the DUPLICATION model you are about to learn in this book really delivers *if you apply it*.
2. The course has a extremely low price and is OVER-delivering. there are tons of great bonuses and video tutorials. It's unbelievable what all is included at this price. This course is actually under-priced. The formulas and methods taught in this course will benefit both the beginners and experienced users. If you have been buying one product after another and are still lost, THEN you must stop buying and apply the Site Swiper's model.
So what is it all about?
You'll discover how to earn profits online by duplicating other sites that are already successful. In another words, you are going to learn how to "COPY FROM THE BEST". It's NOT what you think, the method is completely LEGAL! This happens day in and day out in the world of business... for instance Coca Cola and Pepsi, McDonalds and Burger King, Pizza Hut and other fast food chains. Everyone is copying the successful model from one another. Why reinvent the wheel?
With Site Swiper, you are going to discover how to adopt the same technique in your Internet Marketing business. It will walk you through 5 Levels of Site Swiping... Beginners can quickly use and apply level 1 and 2, there is a video walk through showing you step by step how to do it. Level 3-4 is for the Intermediate marketers and Level 5 is for the advanced marketers - this is where you become the boss and invite people to duplicate and swipe your model.
Let's take A Look Within the Site Swiper's System:
* How to locate successful sites - you are going to discover the proven technique of spotting those successful sites that you should duplicate and profit from.
* Get an updated list of which sites you should swipe and duplicate right away - you will appreciate this one as it saves you lot of time and get you started immediately.
* How to swipe the entire site - you are going to learn some UNDERGROUND techniques that have never been revealed before. Again, these formulas are 100% LEGAL. The gurus are using it day in and day out BUT they never tell.
* Easy-to-Understand Videos on How To Swipe Sites - Wow! I love this one as I prefer to watch rather than read.
* 17 Different Step by Step Video Tutorials - this one is for the total beginners. Experienced users can skip these if they want.
* A 30 Minute one-on-one call with a profit Creation Expert.
* And so much more... you will also get tons of bonuses.
Conclusion...
After reading through the Site Swiper book, I realize now how those experts earn profits online. The KEY is not to reinvent the wheel. The key is to SWIPE IT, MODIFY IT, and DUPLICATE IT! This is actually the most efficient way to earn profits online. You'll learn all the exact techniques in Site Swiper.
Another thing I like about this book is that there are many video links inside the chapters to show you exactly how to use and apply the formulas taught. So you know how to do it correctly. It really makes you feel that the author (Sal the Site Swiper/Harris Fellman) is walking the TALK.
If you can stop buying other products and begin applying the Site Swiper system, you will begin making profits very soon and get way ahead of the competition.
....................................................................................
.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
GOLD IS A SOLID INVESTMENT:
Preserve And Build Wealth With Gold Bullion - By: Christina A. Goldman
You've heard it all before. Gold bullion is a horrible investment. It's real return is practically zero over the past 100 years. It's the investment "snuggie" of late night cable television.
I'm sure you've heard these statements before by popular investment gurus, who either don't understand or ignore the true value of investing in precious metals.
Laying aside the reality that gold has increased at double-digit rates on average this decade versus each of the world's currencies and tripled in monetary value over the past six years, let's consider the metal not as an investment instrument but as an insurance policy against loss of buying power.
Entertain this thought for just a minute.
You purchase an insurance policy for your home, not as an investment, but as protection against destruction. Gold bullion should be regarded in the same manner - not as an investment per se, but as a form of financial insurance. Insurance against destruction of paper currency.
Dollar convertibility into gold ended on August 15th 1971, when President Richard Nixon forever closed the gold window. No longer tied to the gold standard, the U.S. dollar could be printed in unlimited quantities or in other words just 'float.'
Today, after 38 years of being backed by absolutely nothing but the full faith and credit of our U.S. government, our beloved dollar is worth a fraction of what it used to be. If you compare the buying power of that one dollar bill in 1971 versus today, you would be able to buy only EIGHTEEN CENTS, after adjusting for inflation.
Why The Dollar Will Lose Even More Value
The government put its printing presses into turbo drive to counteract the financial crisis that struck last year. The United States monetary base ballooned from $800 billion in August of 2008 to $1.7 trillion as a result. That means that there are now more than two dollars in existence for every one dollar that existed a year ago. Never before in monetary history has the money supply increased at such a sharp rate.
In their attempt to get the economy going again and stablize the financial system, the government's out of control spending spree has caused our federal budget deficit to reach a new record level of $1.42 trillion dollars.
If that wasn't deplorable in itself, our national debt is at present over $11 trillion dollars. And unfunded liabilities like programs such as Medicare and Social Security stand at an astonishing $58 trillion.
In order to ante up for all of this, the government is either going to have to trim down spending (not likely), increase taxes (very likely) or crank up the printing presses a lot more and attempt to print their way out of this jam. And that deficit is calculated to climb to $9.1 trillion over the next ten years.
The dollar simply cannot maintain it's value when a country participates in the unrestrained printing of money. Inflation will climb higher the more the dollar is debased. It is for this reason that you must own gold. As an insurance policy to ensure the value of your savings is maintained.
The purchasing power of gold has not only endured and but increased since 1971, Examples of paper money whose value has been distroyed are played out over and over again in our history books. But that's not the case with gold. Through wars, inflation, hyperinflation, recession and depression, gold has endured.
Gold bullion is the ultimate store of value and protection of wealth. The value of gold has never been ZERO. Never. It could very well be the most important insurance policy you'll ever purchase.
.....................................................................................
NeedA Safe Haven For Your Investments? Try Gold. - By: Raymond Carr
Investing in gold bullion could be one of the wisest moves a small investor could make.
Gold has always held it's value and will continue to do so especially in the present economic climate,(that's a recession in our language).
Gold still holds an air of mystery, sure, we all know about gold, it's history, jewellery, gold coins, gold watches, but how many of us have really owned gold? I mean, a substantial amount, more than a few gramms?
How many of us have investigated gold investment, and where and how to buy it? It is simply a matter of knowing where to buy at the right price and from a secure licensed dealer. Providing you deal with the legitimate companies in the gold industry, your gold investment will provide you with the financial security you have dreamed about.
If these criteria can be met, then the answer to "should I invest in gold?" is always a definite yes.
Investors who purchase gold will find that they have a hedge against market crashes, political disasters, currency crises, economic turmoil, taxes and devaluation.
Gold has always been a steadying influence throughout history, with investors achieving financial security and stability, due to the steady rise in gold, a safe haven for their investments.
Most people would want to find an investment that is secure, that can't nosedive. With rapid fluctuations in forex and stock markets, investors want a safe place to put their money, and there are many reasons why gold ticks all the boxes.
Governments can print more and more paper money, which of course is devaluation, but they can't make more gold, which will always hold it's value. Gold has always been around and will be around for a long time yet, steadily, or rapidly rising in value.
Gold is the one perfect investment instrument which has the means to survive any financial catastrophe.
The Chinese and the Indians are starting to invest heavily in gold, they are increasing their gold reserves, and so is Russia. Investors in these countries are also looking for safe investments, and of course, realize the value of gold.
Many Governments have dropped restrictions on the purchase of gold and so it is now possible to store gold with very low overheads, making gold a very viable investment.
You now can take control of your investments and protect against inflation, and create wealth when others are seeing their finances deteriorate.
By printing more money, Governments can always temporarily bail themselves out of a difficult situation. The US and UK are printing more money now than at any time in history. This of course makes your cash worth less, but it also means that gold is worth more, gold always rises when confidence in Governments is at its lowest, with confidence in the economy at an all time low and markets sliding, what do you feel confident investing in?
In a turbulent time, if you have invested in gold, you have secured your assets, which means peace of mind for the future. Your risk is minimal against other investments because it tends to outperform others in times of turbulence.
Gold has quite rightly been called the 'crisis' commodity.
The US Dollar has fallen in value over 40% since 2001, and could soon lose much more of it's value.Gold, however will still be a solid haven for your hard earned cash, why?
Most people would agree that an increase of 150% in the price of gold since 2001 is difficult to beat.
Over the last eight years it has outperformed all markets, and unlike stocks which can quickly fall, gold remains valuable and stable. For gold to collapse in line with other markets, it would need to rocket to over $6,000 per ounce (I hope it does, but if it does, get out quick).
Gold remains stable, therefore, is a secure way to protect your money and assets.
As a more promising outlook for the economy emerges, the focus should then fall on the possibility of inflation, which will increase with time, therefore increasing the demand for gold. The demand for gold investment in 2008 increased by 10% over previous years, and is expected to rise year on year as supply dwindles.
Gold is still going strong despite many critics predicting a fall in gold prices during last year, of course this was not the case, the bubble did not burst, with gold investors making a steady profit, from $800 to $950 per ounce, and certainly not losing as predicted.
Gold is not subject to a bubble, unlike real estate or stocks; a sudden movement in the price of precious metals is much more rare than in most other investments.
No, there was no crash, indeed gold proved what a reliable investment it is, with its price during the first half of the year still producing a steady return, and should continue to do so.
Summing up, gold has, throughout history always been a strong, reliable, solid investment. Crashes in the economy, stocks and real estate we have all seen, but who can remember a serious crash in gold?
I the facts are there for anyone to see that gold is a solid investment. A good investment?
Make up your own mind.
.........................................................................................
Gold Fixing - By: Andrea Fox
Gold as an investment and how the market affects gold price.
Investing in Gold
Gold is the most popular precious metal in which people invest. It is a safe-haven agaainst any economic, political, social or currency-based crises, such as: investment market declines, currency failure, inflation, war and social unrest.
Influence on gold price:
The day price of gold is driven by supply and demand. Because most of the gold ever mined still exists and is potentially able to come on to the market for the right price, unlike most other commodities, the hoarding and disposal plays a much bigger role in affecting the price. At the end of 2006, it was estimated that all the gold ever mined totaled 158,000 tons.
Given the huge quantity of stored gold, compared to the annual production, the price of gold is mainly affected by changes in sentiment, rather than changes in annual production.
In times of national crisis, people fear that their assets may be seized and that the currency may become worthless. They see gold as a solid asset which will always buy food or transportation. Thus in times of great uncertainty, particularly when war is feared, the demand for gold rises.
When dollars were fully convertible into gold, both were regarded as money. However, most people preferred to carry around paper banknotes rather than the somewhat heavier and less divisible gold coins. If people feared their bank would fail, a bank run might have been the result. This is what happened in the USA during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leading President Roosevelt to impose a national emergency and to outlaw the ownership of gold by US citizens.
If the return on bonds, equities and real estate is not adequately compensating for risk and inflation then the demand for gold and other alternative investments such as commodities increases. An example of this is the period of Stagflation that occurred during the 1970s and which led to an economic bubble forming in precious metals.
The system held up until 1971 Nixon Shock, when the US stopped the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since 1968 the usual benchmark for the price of gold is known as the London Gold Fixing, a twice-daily (telephone) meeting of representatives from five bullion-trading firms. Furthermore, there is active gold trading based on the intra-day spot price derived from gold-trading markets around the world as they open and close throughout the day.
Throughout history gold has often been used as money and, instead of quoting the gold price , all other commodities were measured in gold. After World War II a gold standard was established following the 1946 Bretton Woods conference, fixing the gold price at $35 per troy ounce.
The Gold Fixing, or the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix, is the procedure by which the price of gold price of gold is set on the London market by the five members of the London Gold Pool. It is designed to fix a price for settling contracts between members of the London bullion market, but, informally, the Gold Fixing provides a recognized rate that is used as a benchmark for pricing the majority of gold products throughout the world's markets.
The gold price fix takes place twice daily at 10.30am and 3pm, London time.
The first fixing took place on September 12, 1919 amongst the five principal gold bullion traders and refiners of the day. The price of gold then was four pounds 18 shillings and ninepence per troy ounce.
Due to government controls and war emergencies, the London Gold Fixing was suspended between 1939 and 1954.
price of gold are fixed in United States dollars (USD), Pound sterling (GBP) and European Euros (EUR).
Historically, the Fixing took place twice daily at the City offices of N M Rothschild & Sons in St Swithin's Lane, but since May 5 2004 it takes place by telephone. In April 2004, N M Rothschild & Sons announced that it planned to withdraw from gold trading and from the London Gold Fixing. Barclays Bank took its place from 7 June 2004, and the chairmanship of the meeting, formerly held permanently by Rothschilds, now rotates annually.
On January 21 1980 the Gold Fixing reached the price of $850, a figure which was not overtaken until January 3 2008. This is when a new record of $865.35 per troy ounce was set in the morning Fixing. However, with inflation, the 1980 high would be equal to a price of $2398.21 in 2007 dollars. So, the 1980 record still holds in real terms.
While gold is traded in markets throughout the world, the market is essentially homogenous since the gold price is always in dollars and the gold traded is "loco London" (gold deliverable in London and meeting London trading standards). The London PM fix is normally considered the main reference price for the day and is the price most often used in contracts. The price of gold is quoted in USD per troy ounce.
Since May 2004 it has been conducted by telephone. The chairman begins with a 'trying' price. The five fixing members' representatives relay the price to their dealing rooms. And these are in contact with other dealers. The market members then declare how much gold they are prepared to buy or sell at that price. The dealers, who are in contact with their clients, may change their order or add to it or cancel it at any time; the position declared by the dealers is the net position outstanding among all their clients. (If one is buying two tonnes and another is selling one tonne, then he declares himself a buyer of one tonne.) If more gold is required than is offered, then the price will be adjusted upwards (and vice versa) until equilibrium is reached. At this point the gold price is fixed. On very rare occasions the price will be fixed when there is disequilibrium, at the discretion of the chairman of the fix.
A tradition of the London Gold Fixing was that participants could raise a small Union Flag on their desk to pause proceedings. Under the telephone fixing system, participants can register a pause by saying the word "flag", and the chair ends the meeting with the phrase "There are no flags, and we're fixed".
.....................................................................................
Fixing of Gold Price - By: Andrea Fox
The Gold Fixing, or the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix, is the procedure by which the price of gold price of gold is set on the London market by the five members of the London Gold Pool. It is designed to fix a price for settling contracts between members of the London bullion market, but, informally, the Gold Fixing provides a recognized rate that is used as a benchmark for pricing the majority of gold products throughout the world's markets.
The gold price fix takes place twice daily at 10.30am and 3pm, London time.
The first fixing took place on September 12, 1919 amongst the five principal gold bullion traders and refiners of the day. The price of gold then was four pounds 18 shillings and ninepence per troy ounce.
Due to government controls and war emergencies, the London Gold Fixing was suspended between 1939 and 1954.
price of gold are fixed in United States dollars (USD), Pound sterling (GBP) and European Euros (EUR).
Historically, the Fixing took place twice daily at the City offices of N M Rothschild & Sons in St Swithin's Lane, but since May 5 2004 it takes place by telephone. In April 2004, N M Rothschild & Sons announced that it planned to withdraw from gold trading and from the London Gold Fixing. Barclays Bank took its place from 7 June 2004, and the chairmanship of the meeting, formerly held permanently by Rothschilds, now rotates annually.
On January 21 1980 the Gold Fixing reached the price of $850, a figure which was not overtaken until January 3 2008. This is when a new record of $865.35 per troy ounce was set in the morning Fixing. However, with inflation, the 1980 high would be equal to a price of $2398.21 in 2007 dollars. So, the 1980 record still holds in real terms.
While gold is traded in markets throughout the world, the market is essentially homogenous since the gold price is always in dollars and the gold traded is "loco London" (gold deliverable in London and meeting London trading standards). The London PM fix is normally considered the main reference price for the day and is the price most often used in contracts. The price of gold is quoted in USD per troy ounce.
Since May 2004 it has been conducted by telephone. The chairman begins with a 'trying' price. The five fixing members' representatives relay the price to their dealing rooms. And these are in contact with other dealers. The market members then declare how much gold they are prepared to buy or sell at that price. The dealers, who are in contact with their clients, may change their order or add to it or cancel it at any time; the position declared by the dealers is the net position outstanding among all their clients. (If one is buying two tonnes and another is selling one tonne, then he declares himself a buyer of one tonne.) If more gold is required than is offered, then the price will be adjusted upwards (and vice versa) until equilibrium is reached. At this point the gold price is fixed. On very rare occasions the price will be fixed when there is disequilibrium, at the discretion of the chairman of the fix.
A tradition of the London Gold Fixing was that participants could raise a small Union Flag on their desk to pause proceedings. Under the telephone fixing system, participants can register a pause by saying the word "flag", and the chair ends the meeting with the phrase "There are no flags, and we're fixed".
.....................................................................................
Price of Gold - By: Andrea Fox
Gold as an investment and how the market affects gold price.
Influence on gold price:
The day price of gold is driven by supply and demand. Because most of the gold ever mined still exists and is potentially able to come on to the market for the right price, unlike most other commodities, the hoarding and disposal plays a much bigger role in affecting the price. At the end of 2006, it was estimated that all the gold ever mined totaled 158,000 tons.
Given the huge quantity of stored gold, compared to the annual production, the price of gold is mainly affected by changes in sentiment, rather than changes in annual production.
When dollars were fully convertible into gold, both were regarded as money. However, most people preferred to carry around paper banknotes rather than the somewhat heavier and less divisible gold coins. If people feared their bank would fail, a bank run might have been the result. This is what happened in the USA during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leading President Roosevelt to impose a national emergency and to outlaw the ownership of gold by US citizens.
If the return on bonds, equities and real estate is not adequately compensating for risk and inflation then the demand for gold and other alternative investments such as commodities increases. An example of this is the period of Stagflation that occurred during the 1970s and which led to an economic bubble forming in precious metals.
In times of national crisis, people fear that their assets may be seized and that the currency may become worthless. They see gold as a solid asset which will always buy food or transportation. Thus in times of great uncertainty, particularly when war is feared, the demand for gold rises.
Investing in Gold
Gold is the most popular precious metal in which people invest. It is a safe-haven agaainst any economic, political, social or currency-based crises, such as: investment market declines, currency failure, inflation, war and social unrest.
Throughout history gold has often been used as money and, instead of quoting the gold price , all other commodities were measured in gold. After World War II a gold standard was established following the 1946 Bretton Woods conference, fixing the gold price at $35 per troy ounce.
The system held up until 1971 Nixon Shock, when the US stopped the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since 1968 the usual benchmark for the price of gold is known as the London Gold Fixing, a twice-daily (telephone) meeting of representatives from five bullion-trading firms. Furthermore, there is active gold trading based on the intra-day spot price derived from gold-trading markets around the world as they open and close throughout the day.
European Central Banks renew sales pact and Boost Gold
Europe agreed to renew their pact to cap sales of gold for another five years causing gold prices to boost.
This reaffirmed gold's status as a key reserve asset. Also, the new Central Bank Gold Agreement reduced the maximum amount of gold that can be sold by the signatories.
Under a new deal to replace the current five-year pact, the limit for sales has gone down to 2,000 tons from 2,500 tons. Annual sales are now capped at 400 tons, down 25% from 500 tons - a quota that was not reached in recent years.
Gold sales were first capped by European in 1999 in an attempt to reduce market volatility. Their agreement to prevent markets being flooded with the gold has been an important factor in its rally over recent years.
Because of the recent economic plummet, gold's status as a safe-haven asset has also helped boost the price of gold.
The new deal and its tighter sales quotas help cement a view that the days are over of central banks' anti-gold stance and the kind of big sales announcements - notably by the Bank of England at the end of the 1990s - that led to wild swings in prices.
The World Gold Council welcomed the new deal. "The announcement is a clear endorsement of gold's role in today's global economic and financial architecture and a reflection of the success of the previous Central Bank Gold Agreements," said chief executive, Aram Shishmanian.
"The agreement to limit the sale of gold over the five-year period to 2,000 tons demonstrates that, at a time of continued market volatility and inflationary fears, gold's unique investment qualities provide the necessary hedge and protection that central banks are seeking.
"The reduction in the annual ceiling on sales ... reflects an acknowledgment of the fact that the central banks' appetite for sales is diminishing."
Investing in the US
In the worst financial crisis since the great depression, the U.S. government has responded with $13.5 trillion in pledged or potential outlays. Meanwhile, rising unemployment and slumping corporate profits are crimping the U. S. Treasury's tax revenue.
Because the credit worthiness of the U. S. government is raising concern, it's no surprise that the eagerness of foreign governments and investors for dollar-denominated investments has diminished.
The dollar's standing as the world's de facto reserve currency is impaired. Nations are looking to diversify their foreign exchange reserves away from the dollar and showing a liking for the price of gold. The combination of liquidity circulating through the U. S. economy and a tanking dollar stokes inflation. Gold is being sought out as a safe-haven by investors who sense the threat of inflation.
Gold Price Outlook
Gold is once again approaching the psychologically important $1,000 per ounce mark. Rallies in the price of gold have peaked in the $900-1,000 per ounce range three times since the start of 2008. I believe gold will crack the four-figure mark in 2009 and move on to exceed its 2008 highs. Given the state of the U. S. economy and the monumental challenges ahead, the $1,000 per ounce figure can well become a support or floor for a long time to come.
.....................................................................................
Why Investing in Gold Coins Now Will Help You Retire Secure - By: Mike Will
In our current times of economic and political instability, investing in gold becomes an attractive option for many people. While many investors simply buy gold bars, astute collectors have made fortunes by investing in certified gold coins. If you having been wanting to add gold to your investment portfolio and want to know more about gold coins then please consider my...
7 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Gold Coins Now
1. You can start with a small investment -- If you choose to, when you invest in gold coins you can dip your feet in the water before taking a plunge by buying small quantities of gold coins. Build up your collection gradually according to your capacity and interest in this form of investment. For as little as one thousand dollars you can start investing in gold coins right now and start building your future fortune.
2. Gold coins have historically been a good investment -- How well you will do with your investment in gold coins depends on your skill in selecting the right coins and on market forces. However, a study done by Collector's Universe showed that one thousand dollars invested in U.S rare gold coins in 1970 is now worth $57,977.00. The yield from this particular investment is greater than you would have achieved by investing in gold bullion or in the U.S. stock market.
3. Supply is limited -- This is the main reason why gold coins perform so well as an investment. This limited supply is being chased by a demand for gold coins that is continually growing. Collectors look for coins that are rare in mint condition or those that have never been circulated.
4. Gold coins are easy to sell -- Liquidity is an important factor in any investment, and gold coins are easier to sell than gold bars. There are no delays in the sale process whatsoever. You receive your payment immediately.
5. You can divide your sales more easily -- If you have large gold bars, then it is all or nothing when you are thinking of making a sale. However, if you have a good number of gold coins, you can easily take any amount that you want to sell and leave the balance untouched.
6. Gold Coins are safe and easy to store -- Gold coins can be stored in a bank safe-deposit box or any other location that is secure and easy to reach.
7. Gold coins can't devalue according to the whims of some government. Inflation, the cruelest tax of all, will only serve to increase the value of gold coins over time.
Now, that you know why you should invest in gold coins, are you read to start investing? Here's how to get started...
3 Gold Coin Investing Tips You Need to Know If You Want to Retire Secure:
1. Focus on higher graded coins. Most if not all of the higher graded coins (MS-62 and higher) are selling for a fraction of what they sold for at their historic record wholesale highs. When factoring in inflation, the pricing today is easily one of the best investments a person can make.
2. Invest in common date coins. Common dated coins are the least costly of the higher grades. The moment a specific date is involved, the price of the coin goes up dramatically thereby diminishing the potential returns. Dated coins are great for numismatists.
3. Stick to either NGC or PCGS certified coins. These two grading services are the industry standard and deviating away from them will make the liquidation process more difficult.
There are many options available in the gold coin world for an investor to consider using gold as a way to protect and preserve assets. The basic fact that gold retains its value over time has been true for thousands of years and is still true today.
So, if you have been thinking of investing in gold, why not put some of that investment in the form of gold coins?
.....................................................................................
Secure Your Wealth By Investing In Gold - By: Vincent.Russo
With the current stock market crisis, and U.S. economy on a slippery slope, what do you feel comfortable investing in? Warren Buffet suggests that you should “only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.” Why should you listen to Mr. Buffet? He’s one of the world’s most successful investors, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, and currently ranked by Forbes as the second richest person in the world with an estimated worth of more than $37 billion.
What would you be “perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down” for a decade? How about the medium that has proven itself to be an effective preserver of wealth and a safe haven for assets in times of economic and social crisis. If you want to protect yourself and your wealth against inflation, deflation, stock market weakness, and potential currency problems, or if you would simply like to invest in a bedrock medium, investing in gold is the venture for you.
Gold has been adequately nicknamed the "crisis commodity" because it tends to outperform all other investments during unsteady periods. Investing in gold has always been a wise venture for investors, because it lacks the risk of “conventional investments.” And, though the price of gold is on the rise because of the failing dollar, as Mr. Warren Buffet has pointed out, “Investing is laying out money today to receive more money tomorrow.” Investing in gold today means peace of mind for you tomorrow. You know that by investing in gold, you have secured your assets in a turbulent time of instability.
Since the 1970s, the investment world has seen hard-assets perform better in high-inflation environments. Investing in gold, a hard-intrinsic asset, will continue to out perform the fleeting investment opportunities the market offers. If you want to protect against financial uncertainties, there is only one medium that will serve you in all seasons. Investing in gold is the solid avenue that will steadily and securely serve your wealth.
Take control of your money, protect against inflation, and create a legacy of wealth with the investment opportunities of United States Gold Bureau. Whether you want to purchase large quantities or individual items, United States Gold Bureau can fulfill your needs. They specialize in certified PCGS and NGC pre-1933 gold, certified modern gold collector sets, as well as gold American Eagles in high mint state conditions.
The United States Gold Bureau is the leading authority on all things related to precious metals. They help clients worldwide secure their wealth. Their clients look to The United States Gold Bureau to fulfill their investment desires in rare and modern coins and currency. Their professionals have more than 100 years combined experience and are ready to assist you with all of your precious metals investing and coin collecting needs. Call (800)775-3504 anytime to speak with a representative or visit them online at www.usgoldbureau.com, and secure your wealth today.
.....................................................................................
Gold Offers Secure Investment In Down Economy - By: Vincent.Russo
In today’s soft economy, stocks are at a historic low and the dollar is on a rapid decline, but gold continues to be a solid investment for hard earned assets. The U.S. Dollar has fallen over 40% since 2001, while the value of gold has increased by over 150%. Additionally, for the past eight years, gold has outperformed the NASDAQ, Dow and the S&P 500. Unlike stocks, which can quickly change and go under, gold has remained a stable and universally valuable throughout human history. For gold to become unsustainable and collapse like the other markets, it would need to surge to over $6,000 per ounce. Currently, the price of gold per ounce is floating around $900 in U.S. currency. Due to its stability and growth, investment in gold is a secure way to protect and grow your money.
The financial crisis of the 1980’s created an environment that caused double digit inflation and will be repeated in 2009 to 2012. National debt is continuously and vivaciously growing and gross domestic product is shrinking. This means dollars won’t buy the same amount of goods and services a year from now as it does today. In fact, the dollar’s buying power may decrease by 25% by 2010. By moving money into gold, investors are preserving their purchasing power in a stable medium.
For collectors, prospectors and gold-lovers alike, there are considerations to make for ensuring your investment in the right type of gold that is safe and profitable. However, rather than focusing on what type of gold to purchase, you should consider why you are interested in buying gold. What you buy depends on your goals. So, you should have a good idea of what you would like to accomplish with your investment before you purchase anything. Once you have decided your goal, you can safely and wisely make your investment decision.
If you are a collector, your focus is simple. You want the rarest and therefore the most valuable coins out there. However, for those profit-seekers at-heart, your goal and focus are quite different. If you’re aiming to capitalize on price movement, then bullion coin will work wonders. If you are interested in long-term asset preservation, then you should consider adding pre-1933 and Modern American coins to your investment. This is just tip of the gold-investment iceberg. Today, gold’s popularity and demand are at an all-time high and investment options are endless. To develop a strategy customized for you, we recommend consulting a United States Gold Bureau representative.
Having a dealer that is dedicated to understanding the gold market is an invaluable asset to any gold investor. The specialists at United States Gold Bureau have studied the best techniques to help grow your investment. They specialize in certified PCGS and NGC pre-1933 and modern gold coins, as well as silver, gold and platinum American eagles in high mint conditions. Whether you want to purchase large quantities or individual items, U.S. Gold Bureau can fulfill all of your needs. Call them today toll free at (800) 775-3504 to speak with a specialist and secure your future in gold today.
.....................................................................................
Do You Want Gold jewelry,Gold Coins or Gold bullion? - By: Graham Andrew Taylor
In times of financial crisis and uncertainty Gold has for centuries been a haven for wealth, particularly where inflation eats away at the value of paper money. A graphic example of this is when gold was valued at $35 an ounce you could buy a really good suit for $35 today that good suit could cost you over $800 and where is the price of gold...........$850
As the current gloom gets worse, many people have started to buy gold coins to hold as an asset as it is obvious that governments around the world who a borrowing heavily to support the failing banking system are going to have to print masses more currency to pay those loans, of course printing more money just reduces the value of the money in circulation.
The average British household now owes nearly £9,000 of government debt (almost $18,000), and that's before you account for their mortgage debt! The US government has run up $9 trillion in debt, much of it owed to fast-growing Asian economies like China and all of it waiting for US taxpayers to make the repayments.
Gold supply is in a competition with demand. Currently the two main players are mined supply at 2600 tonnes and jewellery demand at 3200 tonnes. An important balance has been Central Bank sales, which provide about 800 tonnes a year
Gold Jewelry
There are three main ways to hold gold, the first is as jewelry, while it is very easy to buy gold in this way it has major drawbacks, they are
The cost, because jewelry is a manufactured item the work involved in creating the piece is added to the cost of the gold and then a profit margin for both the manufacturer, the wholesaler, and the retailer are all added to the make the price you pay.
When you want to sell the jewelry, unless it is a rare or special piece it is unusual to be offered more than scrap value, which will be the gold content value calculated by taking the weight and dividing by 24 then multiplying by the carat of the gold, usually 14, 18 and 22.
Keeping your gold at home can attract unwelcome visitors, so insurance costs are a burden, or if you use a bank safety deposit box the costs are even higher.
The upside of holding Jewelry is that asthetically it is pleasing.
There is a ready market in scrap gold, and you will be very popular with your significant other.
Gold Coin
Come July of last year – and driven by the sharp drop in prices from March's all-time dollar-highs above $1,000 an ounce – many of these existing gold owners, especially coin buyers, snapped up more gold as the world economy slowed and financial markets went into dive.
But the leading metals refineries weren't expecting a rush until the usual autumn-time spree. That caught the big gold-coin mints napping as well. So their clients – meaning your local coin shop – hit a genuine shortage of gold coins and bars thanks to this summer's frenzy.
Come August and Sept., the global meltdown in stocks sparked by the collapse of Lehman Bros. then sent in a flood of new buyers. And standing in long queues outside big-city coin shops, these new buyers proved a god-send for financial journalists needing bullish copy to file.
Gold was the only bull market running – and so a third wave of buyers cleared out what little inventory the coin-shops had left, sparking in turn a fresh wave of "Sold Out" signs worldwide.
First the US Mint and then even the Rand Refinery in South Africa – the world's biggest gold mint – were forced to suspend shipments, unable to keep up with demand. The big online gold dealers were all out emptied too, leaving would-be coin buyers stuck with nowhere to turn.
Even now, according to German-based giant Heraeus, furnaces worldwide are still booked solid to try and catch up. But with the stock market crash gathering pace yet again, demand from new buyers has only raced on again.
"Production [of one-ounce retail gold coins] has dramatically increased since the middle of the year," agrees Bernhard Schnellmann, director at fellow refinery Argor-Heraeus in Switzerland, but "we cannot cope with demand."
The result for prices? Still greater mark-ups and premiums than coin dealers usually charge. Even Krugerrand gold coins, typically the cheapest gold coins compared to the wholesale "spot" gold price, now carry a 10% or even 15% mark-up – two or three times the normal premium to their actual gold-content value – according to the Coin Dealer Newsletter.
On the other side of the trade, some gold-coin owners now looking to sell are being offered more than the spot price when they go back to their dealers...just so the dealer can secure new supplies, ready to sell on to new buyers for a still wider margin.
The disadvantages of buying Gold Coins are
Security, again if you keep the gold at home you are vunerable to theft, and high insurance costs, and if at a bank higher storage costs
The spread between the buying price and selling price although much lower than jewelry is still quite high.
Unless you are in a country like the UK or the US finding a reputable coin dealer is not alway easy.
The advantages of holding Gold Coins are.
Portable Wealth
Recognized quality worldwide.
Gold Bullion
There are two levels to the gold bullion market, the first is essentially the same as the gold coin market with the same advantages as the coins but with the added disadvantage of not being recognized as pure gold without testing, so it is relatively easy for the buyer to make a serious error in the quality of the gold purchased, although this is reduced where recognized hallmarking is present.
The other level of gold bullion is called "good delivery gold" that is cast in 400 oz bars and held in internationally recognized vaults under the highest security. It is called good delivery gold because once the quality, usually 99.5% or higher pure gold is stored in a vault its history is recorded and if moved physically from the vault it has to be done by certified security companies.
Accredited gold refiners produce large bar bullion for the professional market. It is stored continuously in accredited bullion vaults, and traded between member financial institutions. This market trades at what is known as the 'spot' price, which you see published widely in the financial press. But a condition of selling at the 'spot' price is that you must be able to make delivery in a large bar of gold with a complete history of professional vault storage.
If your bar has been in private hands it loses its integrity and will not be automatically accepted as a good delivery to the buyer.
This means private sellers do not benefit from either the highly competitive spot market price, or the depth of the professional market's liquidity. Firstly they usually lack the funds to buy large bars. Secondly they usually don't have access to professional vault storage.
So smaller bars tend to world of the professionals and be traded via small retail traders.
Sadly too many people go and buy a small bar without fully appreciating the difficulty of later selling it. But it's easy to see the problem. If someone you didn't know offered you a gold bar from their pocket would you buy it? I hope not - for your sake!
This is why the retail market extra costs cause private buyers to lose a minimum of 5% on each coin or small bar trade. This is more than 10 times the cost of dealing professionally.
To deter people from storing their gold in bank vaults which earns the banks small returns they invented a product called "unallocated gold" which lumps everyones gold together, and reduces the gold buyer from owner of the gold to creditor of the bank, and because the gold earns no interest you are effectively giving the bank an interest free unsecured loan that is not even covered but the banks deposit protection scheme because it is not currency.
Do Not Do This.
Fortunately There is a company that has the resources to buy gold on the international markets and who make it possible for the small investor to participate in quantities as small as 1 gram.
Bullionvault.com
at http://www.protrackerplus.com/1421/ga1.html
acts as a bridge for the individual into the professional gold market. they buy the several large bars at a time which makes gold dealing economic, and have them sent to Via Mat - a fully accredited bullion market vault operator. So the gold retains its professional market integrity and all its resale value. They then let people buy and sell this warranted gold, both to the company, and to each other, via their website. This means all the storage issues are taken care of and they can deal in smaller sums, without the loss of spot market integrity and pricing.
There are simple and transparent safeguards - like the Daily Audit - which give people the absolute confidence that their gold is safely stored, and insured, in one of the safest places on Earth.
Many of their customers take advantage of remote storage in Switzerland - Their most popular location the others being London and New York. I think they have worked out that there's not much point in storing gold at home if their national economy is stumbling into financial crisis. Switzerland of course runs healthy surpluses in both budget and trade
The company is set up to allow trading in Dollars, GB Pounds, and Euros, and the security of your investment is ensured by the way that any payment to you is sent back to the bank that origionally funded your account. This way even if the wrong person gained access to your account they could not get their hands on your money. Your privacy is also protected by the use of a user name, the daily audit lists the holding of each customer by user name.
....................................................................................
Hunting Down the Perfect Penny Stock Listing - By: Brent Crouch
When it comes to tracking down the perfect penny stock listing, there are two schools of thought that come into play. The first relies on hunches and the proverbial hot stock tip from someone we trust; the second relies on news and hard data to figure out which penny stock has the best chance of moving up the ladder. Needless to say, method two often out performs method one, but it relies on patience and the ability to withstand the occasional market hiccup. Here are a few long term investments that have been making penny stock news over the last few weeks.
The first penny stock on our list may have you scratching your head. McGuire Properties (NYSE: MPG) is a real estate company that almost exclusively deals with properties in Southern California. On the surface, warm weather climates like Arizona, Southern California and Florida appear to be the last places in the world you would want to invest in property, but the reality is that these places are simply too desirable to live and work in for people to stay away from for very long. Just like the stock market can only drop so far before the bargain hunters show up and start buying stock en masse, real estate prices in places like Southern California can only drop so far before investors start taking advantage of the current situation, and many in the Los Angeles area believe that prices have hit rock bottom and a buying frenzy is on the horizon. If that’s true, a share of McGuire Properties, currently priced at around $4 a share, might be making major penny stock news sooner rather than later.
TransGlobe Energy (NASDAQ: TGA) has been the little oil company that could over the past few years, and with possible expansion of drilling into various offshore regions, the future looks bright for this penny stock that is currently trading at under $2 a share. If TransGlobe wants to guarantee its attractiveness to investors, however, it needs to begin to put significant money towards green technologies, especially if the current administration lives up to its campaign promises and begins to really pour tax dollars towards research.
If you have been looking for a safe area in which to invest, technology companies like Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) are a great penny stock choice. They are one of the biggest manufacturers of chips for electronics all over the world and, like so many stocks in recent months, they have taken a beating that many analysts believe is unwarranted. Will the average businessman be able to tone down their electronics and technology purchases during a time of recession? Most are betting no, which is why this penny stock, currently trading at less than $7.50 a share is currently considered a smart choice.
Finally, there has been much debate in the world of finance about the eventual fate of investment giant AIG (NYSE: AIG). Stock prices have dipped to less than $2 a share, but some investors are buying up huge numbers of AIG stock, believing that once the government loans are paid back, AIG can once again be a force on the world stage. This is a risky investment, no doubt, but the upside here is monumental. As always, invest at your own risk!
.....................................................................................
The Enduring Value of Gold Bullion Bars - By: Christina A. Goldman
Gold has long been considered one of those most valuable and coveted forms of money. For thousands of years, owning gold has brought with it the reputation and prestige of wealth and power.
Gold bullion bars or gold bars have been used in transactions since the time of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Billions of dollars worth of gold bars lay on the ocean's floor around the world, spilled overboard by military attacks, the wrath of nature, and greed of pirates.
Gold bars are defined as any amount of gold that has been shaped into some sort of compact bar. There are dozens of different names for gold bars, including but not limited to:
1. Chi bars
2. Tael bars
3. Bank bars
4. Minted "brick" bars
5. "Bullion watch" bars
6. "Gold fillet" bars
These gold bars may weigh anywhere from 1 kilogram to 12.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces, to 1000 grams, known as the kilobar. These days, the kilobar is the most popular when it comes to trading, collecting, and investing. Gold bars and gold bullion bars are generally defined in terms of troy ounces. One troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams, 1 kilogram equals 1000 grams, and one tael equals 50 grams.
Gold bars may be classified into two different types: minted and cast, depending upon how it was manufactured. Cast gold bars are created through the process of pouring heated liquid gold into a mold. Minted gold bars are hand cut into specific dimensions.
Gold bullion bars are generally available in 10-ounce gold bars that contain .995. purity or 1 kilogram per gram bar, or gold bullion bars designed mainly for investing. One of the most popular is the 10- ounce gold bullion bars, known as a "four-nines" or pure .9999 finest.
Regardless of size or shape, investing or collecting in gold bullion bars is a solid investment decision that carries a legacy of power and wealth that dates back thousands of years.
....................................................................................
The Price of Gold Is Plunging: Should Gold Investors Be Worried? - By: Christina A. Goldman
In March of this year, the price of gold per ounce hit an all-time high of $1,030.80.
On August 15th, gold hit a nine-month low of $773.
That's a correction of 25%!
In just one month alone - from July 15th to August 19th - gold has fallen 20%.
Now, that's just downright scary! I know there's a lot of gold investors out there that are probably wondering if the gold bull market is over. At this point, you're probably fed up and are thinking seriously of dumping whatever hard assets you have.
I'm going to provide you with a little bit of historical gold trivia that I hope will reassure you.
So, take a deep breath. Relax. And keep reading.
It may be comforting to know that the last great gold bull market of the 1970's was also interrupted by similar corrections.
1. In November of 1978, gold had a 20% correction.
2. In October 1979, gold lost 13% in four days!
3. Gold had a horrendous correction in 1975, falling 50% from $200 per ounce to $100 in 1976.
At that time, everyone proclaimed that the bull market in gold was over. As gold investors well know, the price of gold continued its climb over the course of the next few years, not stopping until it hit $850 in 1980.
Okay, I know what you are thinking.
That was then. This is now.
Ah, but even in the current bull market, gold has had corrections similar to what we are experiencing now.
1. In the summer of 2006, gold fell 21%.
2. But by the end of 2007, gold had risen 45%.
The point I'm trying to make is that corrections, painful as they are, are normal in bull markets.
Now that we've taken a hard look at the statistics, we need to determine if the fundamentals for buying gold bullion are still intact.
Let's go back to March when gold had climbed over $1000 an ounce.
You were pretty excited, huh?
Now, ask yourself: what was causing the price of gold to rise?
1. Inflation was on the rise
2. The dollar had long-term problems
3. Banks were failing
4. Mortgage lenders were facing insolvency
5. Housing prices were falling
6. The economy was on the brink of recession
7. Oil faced a long-term supply shortage
Okay, now ask yourself: have any of the 7 elements listed above changed? Think about it. If the gold bull market were over, we'd have:
1. Low inflation
2. Healthy banks
3. Stable housing prices
4. A new, major oil discovery
5. Increasing job creation
6. A falling unemployment rate
7. A fiscally responsible government
8. A strong dollar due to a balanced budget and a shrinking deficit
I don't see any of the above happening anytime soon. Do you?
In conclusion, I would say it is safe to assume that the fundamental reasons for owning gold bullion, as a safe-haven investment, are still valid. I would further venture to say that gold - at $800 per ounce - is the buying opportunity of a lifetime!
....................................................................................
Investing in Gold - By: Keith
The gold bullion price is driven by supply and demand. Each year the world’s gold mines produce only 2,500 metric tonnes of gold. The best estimates indicate that the whole planet buys 4,000-5,000 metric tonnes of gold a year. Hence global demand exceeds supply by 60% to 100% annually creating structural shortage situation. Banks are no longer selling enough gold to make up for global demand above the amount of gold mined each year.
With this in mind gold is forecast to reach $1500 to $2000 dollars in the foreseeable future. Some analysts believe that this could be a soon as the next 12 to 18 months. Fund managers have identified 5 significant factors which will drive the price of gold bullion up even higher:
* The decline of the dollar
* More inflation in the future
* Investors will seek greater safety in gold
* Higher oil prices
* Boom in demand for commodities and precious metals
In March 2008 Bloomberg reported that “gold…may be the best performing financial asset this years as inflation and slow growth erode the value of the worlds major currencies, bond and stocks.” “ Gold ...may gain at least 24% this year as the Federal reserve Chairman Ben.S.Bernanke prioritizes cutting interest rates…”
Higher US interest rates would justify long-term dollar strength and with it, a falling long-term gold price. The US housing market has fallen by more than 12% in the last year alone. In reaction to this the FED is trying to soften the impact by allowing homeowners to extend their mortgages to longer periods at lower rates. The future of the dollar appears to be an index of lower highs and lower lows where as gold should see and opposite pattern with higher highs and higher lows.
Recently gold has dipped from March’s record $1,030 an ounce to around $850 as the dollar bounced off its record low against the euro; abating risk-aversion amid recovering stock markets has also hampered the yellow metals. Still, with the sub-prime crisis far from over, GFMS (independent researchers of the gold market) see scope for gold to rally to record levels once again. This current dip in the price may offer a buying opportunity.
....................................................................................
Maximizing Profits by Timing This One Investment - By: Maximilian Sparrowson
Here's a secret for gold investors and a tip for "wannabe" gold investors.
First the secret: While this spring most wildlife is coming out of hibernation from the winter, gold is moving into hibernation. You see, gold, believe it or not, is a seasonal commodity. Typically, gold bullion prices do not move much from the beginning of April until the start of September.
Some proof: Last year, gold bullion started April at about $650.00 U.S. per ounce. By September, gold was at $700.00 — five months, and gold went up an average of just $10.00 a month. Same thing in 2006, as gold was at $600.00 an ounce at the beginning of April and still at $600.00 at the start of September 2006.
In April 2005, gold traded at $420.00 an ounce. By September of the same year, it was up a mere $20.00 to $440.00. In 2004, the metal started April at $400.00 an ounce and was still at $400.00 at the beginning of September 2004.
Why the seasonality factor for gold bullion? I really don't know, as I see the metal becoming less important as an ingredient of jewelry and more important as an alternative store of wealth to the U.S. dollar.
What I do know is that I do not fight the tape or the trend. The reality is that, over the past five years, the biggest moves for gold bullion have been the period beginning in September and ending in March. Same with gold stocks... they are not big movers in the summer but can be quite volatile from the fall to spring.
And that brings me to my tip.
I'm a big believer that gold prices over the next couple of years will continue their long-term upward trend. So, if you have been reading my columns and are thinking of buying your first gold stock (or maybe accumulating a larger position in gold stocks), you may want to play the seasonality game and look at the metal more seriously in late August, early September of this year.
....................................................................................
Investing In Gold Bullion - By: G Smith
For thousands of years Gold has been used as currency and been a highly prized precious metal.Gold has always been a favoured investment to hedge your portfolio against inflation. Gold prices in the international gold market can remain fairly stable through times of instability, recession and currency fluctuations.
The ways of investing in gold can be via purchasing physical gold bullion in the form of gold bars or gold rounds, minted gold coins. Gold shares in gold mining companies are also available and various types of gold funds or mutuals that are managed by professional investors.
Holding at least a small percentage of your stock portfolio in gold bullion is always a good idea. The relatively stable price of gold can help insure your investment portfolio against economic instability. Gold bullion prices may fluctuate over the years but gold investments are highly unlikely to get devalued and have performed well over recent years.
Gold coins have a legal tender face value in the countries currency that they were minted, and can be easier to dispose of if you need to liquidate your gold assets. Many types of gold bullion rounds or gold coins are available, such as American Eagles, Krugerrands, Sovereigns, Canadian Maples, Australian Gold Nuggets, Chinese Gold Pandas and many more. Gold bullion bars are available in many different sizes upto 400 ounce size. The 400 oz bullion gold bar is the London Good Delivery bar size. Good delivery bars must meet certain specifications, they must weigh between 350oz - 430oz and be of a minimum purity of 99.5% pure Gold. These London Good Delivery bullion bars are normally held by central banks and not usually held by smaller private investors.
Mining shares can be lucrative but their performance depends on the success of the mine and the general standing of the mining company you are investing in. Therefore mining stocks may not follow the general trend of the gold fix market, but can outperform the market if the mining company is particularly successful.
A precious metals gold managed fund can provide a more diverse gold stocks portfolio. The funds manger may invest in various precious metals and gold shares spreading any risk between a selection of stocks. Precious metals mutuals are available that also invest in other metals such as Silver, Platinum and Palladium as well as gold stocks.
The most cost effective way to invest in physical gold is to buy larger bullion bars. Gold bullion in bar form offers the lowest gold dealers percentage over the gold market price, depending on the bars size the dealers premium over fix can be as low as 2% - 5%. Compared to the premium on various gold coins of between 7% - 20% or more gold bullion bars appear much more attractive financially. Although the fact that gold bullion rounds or coins are much more liquid than bars may sway your decision to purchase bars. Gold coins can be disposed of on the open market fairly easily and quickly in comparison to large gold bars. Coins are also much easier for the smaller investor or private individual to obtain and to store. There is also the collectable and historical value that gold coins have against gold bullion bars.
.....................................................................................
Investing In Gold Coins And Bullion - By: Davin Michaels
The first known coins were minted in the mid-seventh century B.C. Coins revolutionized the conduct of commerce.
Alexander the Great introduced a regulated and universal coinage throughout his empire. Coins were typically engraved with the likenesses of rulers and deities, providing a historical snapshot. Coin collecting started in Renaissance Europe. Wealthy
Europeans collected Greek and Roman coinage.
The United States minted its first gold coin in 1795. From then until 1933, U.S. mints produced hundreds of styles and denominations of gold, silver and other coins. Dazzling pieces of artistry and history, collectible rare coins and bullion are among the most prudent additions to any quality investment portfolio.
A collection of coins and bullion could add value and stability to a portfolio. Investing a percentage of a diversified portfolio in gold, silver and platinum could act as a hedge against inflation. Gold can be viewed as an alternative asset class. Tangible assets are usually not as susceptible to the same market pressures as stocks and bonds. Typically, gold is not correlated to either the stock or bond markets.
Gold often trades inversely to the U.S. dollar, making it a useful hedge in times of dollar depreciation. The gold supply is limited – all the gold ever mined would fit into a storage room about 55 feet long, 55 feet tall and 55 feet wide.
Bullion is a term for coins, ingots, private issue, and so on that trade below, at, or slightly above their intrinsic metal value. Only the precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium) are included as bullion. A bullion coin is a legal tender coin that trades at a slight premium to its melt value.
Examples of bullion: U.S. Gold, Platinum and Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, South African Krugerrands. A rare coin can be determined by several factors: mintage, grade, series. Values of coins are determined by both scarcity and grade.
Set building is the practice of collecting a complete series of coins representing all the different designs of a certain U.S. coin, for instance. It provides a systematic path for the collector.
Investors have frequently found that a carefully assembled set of coins is worth substantially more than the total of its individual pieces. Well-compiled sets have also tended to be more liquid than comparable accumulations of random coins. It can provide an exciting historical treasure hunt, as well as an investment instrument.
Set building provides the investor with the opportunity to define objectives and formulate strategy. Set building can be a life-long adventure. Sets can be collected by: type (which can be any particular design or denomination), series (all dates and mints struck of a denomination) or design type, commemorative issues, and more.
A key date coin is generally considered to be the most important coin in a particular series, usually the lowest-mintage and/or the most expensive. Rarity is based on the number of specimens extant of any particular numismatic item.
For protection, investors and collectors should only buy rare U.S. coins that have been graded and certified by the three leading independent coin-grading firms: professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), independent Coin Grading Company (ICG). These organizations are recognized industry-wide for their accuracy, objectivity and high standards.
These services help to make the market in numismatic coins safer and more liquid. When a coin is graded, it is immediately encased in a tamper-resistant slab and sealed with its certification number and grade displayed.
.....................................................................................
Why You Must Invest In Gold Today - By: Scott Michaels
Gold. Rare, beautiful, and unique. Treasured as a store of value for thousands of years, it is an important and secure asset. It has maintained its long term value, is not directly affected by the economic policies of individual countries and doesn't depend on a 'promise to pay'.
Completely free of credit risk, although it bears a market risk gold has always been a secure refuge in unsettled times. Its ‘safe haven’ attributes attract wise investors. Gold has proved itself to be an effective way to manage wealth.
For at least 200 years the price of gold has kept pace with inflation. Another important reason to invest in gold is its consistent delivery within a portfolio of assets. Its performance tends to move independently of other investments and of key economic indicators. Even a small weighting of gold in an investment portfolio can help reduce overall risk.
Most investment portfolios are invested primarily in traditional financial assets such as stocks and bonds. The reason for holding diverse investments is to protect the portfolio against fluctuations in the value of any single asset class.
Portfolios that contain gold are generally more robust and better able to cope with market ncertainties than those that don't. Adding gold to a portfolio introduces an entirely different class of asset.
Gold is unusual because it is both a commodity and a monetary asset. It is an 'effective diversifier' because its performance tends to move independently of other investments and key economic indicators.
Studies have shown that traditional diversifiers (such as bonds and alternative assets) often fail during times of market stress or instability. Even a small allocation of gold has been proven to significantly improve the consistency of portfolio performance during both stable and unstable financial periods.
Gold improves the stability and predictability of returns. It is not correlated with other assets because the gold price is not driven by the same factors that drive the performance of other assets. Gold is also significantly less volatile than practically all equity indices.
The value of gold, in terms of real goods and services that it can buy,has remained remarkably stable. In contrast, the purchasing power of many currencies has generally declined.
Traditionally, access to the gold market has been through: investment in physical gold, usually as gold coins or small bars,or, for larger quantities, by way of the over the counter market; gold futures and options; gold mining equities, often packaged in gold-oriented mutual funds.
.....................................................................................
You've heard it all before. Gold bullion is a horrible investment. It's real return is practically zero over the past 100 years. It's the investment "snuggie" of late night cable television.
I'm sure you've heard these statements before by popular investment gurus, who either don't understand or ignore the true value of investing in precious metals.
Laying aside the reality that gold has increased at double-digit rates on average this decade versus each of the world's currencies and tripled in monetary value over the past six years, let's consider the metal not as an investment instrument but as an insurance policy against loss of buying power.
Entertain this thought for just a minute.
You purchase an insurance policy for your home, not as an investment, but as protection against destruction. Gold bullion should be regarded in the same manner - not as an investment per se, but as a form of financial insurance. Insurance against destruction of paper currency.
Dollar convertibility into gold ended on August 15th 1971, when President Richard Nixon forever closed the gold window. No longer tied to the gold standard, the U.S. dollar could be printed in unlimited quantities or in other words just 'float.'
Today, after 38 years of being backed by absolutely nothing but the full faith and credit of our U.S. government, our beloved dollar is worth a fraction of what it used to be. If you compare the buying power of that one dollar bill in 1971 versus today, you would be able to buy only EIGHTEEN CENTS, after adjusting for inflation.
Why The Dollar Will Lose Even More Value
The government put its printing presses into turbo drive to counteract the financial crisis that struck last year. The United States monetary base ballooned from $800 billion in August of 2008 to $1.7 trillion as a result. That means that there are now more than two dollars in existence for every one dollar that existed a year ago. Never before in monetary history has the money supply increased at such a sharp rate.
In their attempt to get the economy going again and stablize the financial system, the government's out of control spending spree has caused our federal budget deficit to reach a new record level of $1.42 trillion dollars.
If that wasn't deplorable in itself, our national debt is at present over $11 trillion dollars. And unfunded liabilities like programs such as Medicare and Social Security stand at an astonishing $58 trillion.
In order to ante up for all of this, the government is either going to have to trim down spending (not likely), increase taxes (very likely) or crank up the printing presses a lot more and attempt to print their way out of this jam. And that deficit is calculated to climb to $9.1 trillion over the next ten years.
The dollar simply cannot maintain it's value when a country participates in the unrestrained printing of money. Inflation will climb higher the more the dollar is debased. It is for this reason that you must own gold. As an insurance policy to ensure the value of your savings is maintained.
The purchasing power of gold has not only endured and but increased since 1971, Examples of paper money whose value has been distroyed are played out over and over again in our history books. But that's not the case with gold. Through wars, inflation, hyperinflation, recession and depression, gold has endured.
Gold bullion is the ultimate store of value and protection of wealth. The value of gold has never been ZERO. Never. It could very well be the most important insurance policy you'll ever purchase.
.....................................................................................
NeedA Safe Haven For Your Investments? Try Gold. - By: Raymond Carr
Investing in gold bullion could be one of the wisest moves a small investor could make.
Gold has always held it's value and will continue to do so especially in the present economic climate,(that's a recession in our language).
Gold still holds an air of mystery, sure, we all know about gold, it's history, jewellery, gold coins, gold watches, but how many of us have really owned gold? I mean, a substantial amount, more than a few gramms?
How many of us have investigated gold investment, and where and how to buy it? It is simply a matter of knowing where to buy at the right price and from a secure licensed dealer. Providing you deal with the legitimate companies in the gold industry, your gold investment will provide you with the financial security you have dreamed about.
If these criteria can be met, then the answer to "should I invest in gold?" is always a definite yes.
Investors who purchase gold will find that they have a hedge against market crashes, political disasters, currency crises, economic turmoil, taxes and devaluation.
Gold has always been a steadying influence throughout history, with investors achieving financial security and stability, due to the steady rise in gold, a safe haven for their investments.
Most people would want to find an investment that is secure, that can't nosedive. With rapid fluctuations in forex and stock markets, investors want a safe place to put their money, and there are many reasons why gold ticks all the boxes.
Governments can print more and more paper money, which of course is devaluation, but they can't make more gold, which will always hold it's value. Gold has always been around and will be around for a long time yet, steadily, or rapidly rising in value.
Gold is the one perfect investment instrument which has the means to survive any financial catastrophe.
The Chinese and the Indians are starting to invest heavily in gold, they are increasing their gold reserves, and so is Russia. Investors in these countries are also looking for safe investments, and of course, realize the value of gold.
Many Governments have dropped restrictions on the purchase of gold and so it is now possible to store gold with very low overheads, making gold a very viable investment.
You now can take control of your investments and protect against inflation, and create wealth when others are seeing their finances deteriorate.
By printing more money, Governments can always temporarily bail themselves out of a difficult situation. The US and UK are printing more money now than at any time in history. This of course makes your cash worth less, but it also means that gold is worth more, gold always rises when confidence in Governments is at its lowest, with confidence in the economy at an all time low and markets sliding, what do you feel confident investing in?
In a turbulent time, if you have invested in gold, you have secured your assets, which means peace of mind for the future. Your risk is minimal against other investments because it tends to outperform others in times of turbulence.
Gold has quite rightly been called the 'crisis' commodity.
The US Dollar has fallen in value over 40% since 2001, and could soon lose much more of it's value.Gold, however will still be a solid haven for your hard earned cash, why?
Most people would agree that an increase of 150% in the price of gold since 2001 is difficult to beat.
Over the last eight years it has outperformed all markets, and unlike stocks which can quickly fall, gold remains valuable and stable. For gold to collapse in line with other markets, it would need to rocket to over $6,000 per ounce (I hope it does, but if it does, get out quick).
Gold remains stable, therefore, is a secure way to protect your money and assets.
As a more promising outlook for the economy emerges, the focus should then fall on the possibility of inflation, which will increase with time, therefore increasing the demand for gold. The demand for gold investment in 2008 increased by 10% over previous years, and is expected to rise year on year as supply dwindles.
Gold is still going strong despite many critics predicting a fall in gold prices during last year, of course this was not the case, the bubble did not burst, with gold investors making a steady profit, from $800 to $950 per ounce, and certainly not losing as predicted.
Gold is not subject to a bubble, unlike real estate or stocks; a sudden movement in the price of precious metals is much more rare than in most other investments.
No, there was no crash, indeed gold proved what a reliable investment it is, with its price during the first half of the year still producing a steady return, and should continue to do so.
Summing up, gold has, throughout history always been a strong, reliable, solid investment. Crashes in the economy, stocks and real estate we have all seen, but who can remember a serious crash in gold?
I the facts are there for anyone to see that gold is a solid investment. A good investment?
Make up your own mind.
.........................................................................................
Gold Fixing - By: Andrea Fox
Gold as an investment and how the market affects gold price.
Investing in Gold
Gold is the most popular precious metal in which people invest. It is a safe-haven agaainst any economic, political, social or currency-based crises, such as: investment market declines, currency failure, inflation, war and social unrest.
Influence on gold price:
The day price of gold is driven by supply and demand. Because most of the gold ever mined still exists and is potentially able to come on to the market for the right price, unlike most other commodities, the hoarding and disposal plays a much bigger role in affecting the price. At the end of 2006, it was estimated that all the gold ever mined totaled 158,000 tons.
Given the huge quantity of stored gold, compared to the annual production, the price of gold is mainly affected by changes in sentiment, rather than changes in annual production.
In times of national crisis, people fear that their assets may be seized and that the currency may become worthless. They see gold as a solid asset which will always buy food or transportation. Thus in times of great uncertainty, particularly when war is feared, the demand for gold rises.
When dollars were fully convertible into gold, both were regarded as money. However, most people preferred to carry around paper banknotes rather than the somewhat heavier and less divisible gold coins. If people feared their bank would fail, a bank run might have been the result. This is what happened in the USA during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leading President Roosevelt to impose a national emergency and to outlaw the ownership of gold by US citizens.
If the return on bonds, equities and real estate is not adequately compensating for risk and inflation then the demand for gold and other alternative investments such as commodities increases. An example of this is the period of Stagflation that occurred during the 1970s and which led to an economic bubble forming in precious metals.
The system held up until 1971 Nixon Shock, when the US stopped the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since 1968 the usual benchmark for the price of gold is known as the London Gold Fixing, a twice-daily (telephone) meeting of representatives from five bullion-trading firms. Furthermore, there is active gold trading based on the intra-day spot price derived from gold-trading markets around the world as they open and close throughout the day.
Throughout history gold has often been used as money and, instead of quoting the gold price , all other commodities were measured in gold. After World War II a gold standard was established following the 1946 Bretton Woods conference, fixing the gold price at $35 per troy ounce.
The Gold Fixing, or the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix, is the procedure by which the price of gold price of gold is set on the London market by the five members of the London Gold Pool. It is designed to fix a price for settling contracts between members of the London bullion market, but, informally, the Gold Fixing provides a recognized rate that is used as a benchmark for pricing the majority of gold products throughout the world's markets.
The gold price fix takes place twice daily at 10.30am and 3pm, London time.
The first fixing took place on September 12, 1919 amongst the five principal gold bullion traders and refiners of the day. The price of gold then was four pounds 18 shillings and ninepence per troy ounce.
Due to government controls and war emergencies, the London Gold Fixing was suspended between 1939 and 1954.
price of gold are fixed in United States dollars (USD), Pound sterling (GBP) and European Euros (EUR).
Historically, the Fixing took place twice daily at the City offices of N M Rothschild & Sons in St Swithin's Lane, but since May 5 2004 it takes place by telephone. In April 2004, N M Rothschild & Sons announced that it planned to withdraw from gold trading and from the London Gold Fixing. Barclays Bank took its place from 7 June 2004, and the chairmanship of the meeting, formerly held permanently by Rothschilds, now rotates annually.
On January 21 1980 the Gold Fixing reached the price of $850, a figure which was not overtaken until January 3 2008. This is when a new record of $865.35 per troy ounce was set in the morning Fixing. However, with inflation, the 1980 high would be equal to a price of $2398.21 in 2007 dollars. So, the 1980 record still holds in real terms.
While gold is traded in markets throughout the world, the market is essentially homogenous since the gold price is always in dollars and the gold traded is "loco London" (gold deliverable in London and meeting London trading standards). The London PM fix is normally considered the main reference price for the day and is the price most often used in contracts. The price of gold is quoted in USD per troy ounce.
Since May 2004 it has been conducted by telephone. The chairman begins with a 'trying' price. The five fixing members' representatives relay the price to their dealing rooms. And these are in contact with other dealers. The market members then declare how much gold they are prepared to buy or sell at that price. The dealers, who are in contact with their clients, may change their order or add to it or cancel it at any time; the position declared by the dealers is the net position outstanding among all their clients. (If one is buying two tonnes and another is selling one tonne, then he declares himself a buyer of one tonne.) If more gold is required than is offered, then the price will be adjusted upwards (and vice versa) until equilibrium is reached. At this point the gold price is fixed. On very rare occasions the price will be fixed when there is disequilibrium, at the discretion of the chairman of the fix.
A tradition of the London Gold Fixing was that participants could raise a small Union Flag on their desk to pause proceedings. Under the telephone fixing system, participants can register a pause by saying the word "flag", and the chair ends the meeting with the phrase "There are no flags, and we're fixed".
.....................................................................................
Fixing of Gold Price - By: Andrea Fox
The Gold Fixing, or the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix, is the procedure by which the price of gold price of gold is set on the London market by the five members of the London Gold Pool. It is designed to fix a price for settling contracts between members of the London bullion market, but, informally, the Gold Fixing provides a recognized rate that is used as a benchmark for pricing the majority of gold products throughout the world's markets.
The gold price fix takes place twice daily at 10.30am and 3pm, London time.
The first fixing took place on September 12, 1919 amongst the five principal gold bullion traders and refiners of the day. The price of gold then was four pounds 18 shillings and ninepence per troy ounce.
Due to government controls and war emergencies, the London Gold Fixing was suspended between 1939 and 1954.
price of gold are fixed in United States dollars (USD), Pound sterling (GBP) and European Euros (EUR).
Historically, the Fixing took place twice daily at the City offices of N M Rothschild & Sons in St Swithin's Lane, but since May 5 2004 it takes place by telephone. In April 2004, N M Rothschild & Sons announced that it planned to withdraw from gold trading and from the London Gold Fixing. Barclays Bank took its place from 7 June 2004, and the chairmanship of the meeting, formerly held permanently by Rothschilds, now rotates annually.
On January 21 1980 the Gold Fixing reached the price of $850, a figure which was not overtaken until January 3 2008. This is when a new record of $865.35 per troy ounce was set in the morning Fixing. However, with inflation, the 1980 high would be equal to a price of $2398.21 in 2007 dollars. So, the 1980 record still holds in real terms.
While gold is traded in markets throughout the world, the market is essentially homogenous since the gold price is always in dollars and the gold traded is "loco London" (gold deliverable in London and meeting London trading standards). The London PM fix is normally considered the main reference price for the day and is the price most often used in contracts. The price of gold is quoted in USD per troy ounce.
Since May 2004 it has been conducted by telephone. The chairman begins with a 'trying' price. The five fixing members' representatives relay the price to their dealing rooms. And these are in contact with other dealers. The market members then declare how much gold they are prepared to buy or sell at that price. The dealers, who are in contact with their clients, may change their order or add to it or cancel it at any time; the position declared by the dealers is the net position outstanding among all their clients. (If one is buying two tonnes and another is selling one tonne, then he declares himself a buyer of one tonne.) If more gold is required than is offered, then the price will be adjusted upwards (and vice versa) until equilibrium is reached. At this point the gold price is fixed. On very rare occasions the price will be fixed when there is disequilibrium, at the discretion of the chairman of the fix.
A tradition of the London Gold Fixing was that participants could raise a small Union Flag on their desk to pause proceedings. Under the telephone fixing system, participants can register a pause by saying the word "flag", and the chair ends the meeting with the phrase "There are no flags, and we're fixed".
.....................................................................................
Price of Gold - By: Andrea Fox
Gold as an investment and how the market affects gold price.
Influence on gold price:
The day price of gold is driven by supply and demand. Because most of the gold ever mined still exists and is potentially able to come on to the market for the right price, unlike most other commodities, the hoarding and disposal plays a much bigger role in affecting the price. At the end of 2006, it was estimated that all the gold ever mined totaled 158,000 tons.
Given the huge quantity of stored gold, compared to the annual production, the price of gold is mainly affected by changes in sentiment, rather than changes in annual production.
When dollars were fully convertible into gold, both were regarded as money. However, most people preferred to carry around paper banknotes rather than the somewhat heavier and less divisible gold coins. If people feared their bank would fail, a bank run might have been the result. This is what happened in the USA during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leading President Roosevelt to impose a national emergency and to outlaw the ownership of gold by US citizens.
If the return on bonds, equities and real estate is not adequately compensating for risk and inflation then the demand for gold and other alternative investments such as commodities increases. An example of this is the period of Stagflation that occurred during the 1970s and which led to an economic bubble forming in precious metals.
In times of national crisis, people fear that their assets may be seized and that the currency may become worthless. They see gold as a solid asset which will always buy food or transportation. Thus in times of great uncertainty, particularly when war is feared, the demand for gold rises.
Investing in Gold
Gold is the most popular precious metal in which people invest. It is a safe-haven agaainst any economic, political, social or currency-based crises, such as: investment market declines, currency failure, inflation, war and social unrest.
Throughout history gold has often been used as money and, instead of quoting the gold price , all other commodities were measured in gold. After World War II a gold standard was established following the 1946 Bretton Woods conference, fixing the gold price at $35 per troy ounce.
The system held up until 1971 Nixon Shock, when the US stopped the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since 1968 the usual benchmark for the price of gold is known as the London Gold Fixing, a twice-daily (telephone) meeting of representatives from five bullion-trading firms. Furthermore, there is active gold trading based on the intra-day spot price derived from gold-trading markets around the world as they open and close throughout the day.
European Central Banks renew sales pact and Boost Gold
Europe agreed to renew their pact to cap sales of gold for another five years causing gold prices to boost.
This reaffirmed gold's status as a key reserve asset. Also, the new Central Bank Gold Agreement reduced the maximum amount of gold that can be sold by the signatories.
Under a new deal to replace the current five-year pact, the limit for sales has gone down to 2,000 tons from 2,500 tons. Annual sales are now capped at 400 tons, down 25% from 500 tons - a quota that was not reached in recent years.
Gold sales were first capped by European in 1999 in an attempt to reduce market volatility. Their agreement to prevent markets being flooded with the gold has been an important factor in its rally over recent years.
Because of the recent economic plummet, gold's status as a safe-haven asset has also helped boost the price of gold.
The new deal and its tighter sales quotas help cement a view that the days are over of central banks' anti-gold stance and the kind of big sales announcements - notably by the Bank of England at the end of the 1990s - that led to wild swings in prices.
The World Gold Council welcomed the new deal. "The announcement is a clear endorsement of gold's role in today's global economic and financial architecture and a reflection of the success of the previous Central Bank Gold Agreements," said chief executive, Aram Shishmanian.
"The agreement to limit the sale of gold over the five-year period to 2,000 tons demonstrates that, at a time of continued market volatility and inflationary fears, gold's unique investment qualities provide the necessary hedge and protection that central banks are seeking.
"The reduction in the annual ceiling on sales ... reflects an acknowledgment of the fact that the central banks' appetite for sales is diminishing."
Investing in the US
In the worst financial crisis since the great depression, the U.S. government has responded with $13.5 trillion in pledged or potential outlays. Meanwhile, rising unemployment and slumping corporate profits are crimping the U. S. Treasury's tax revenue.
Because the credit worthiness of the U. S. government is raising concern, it's no surprise that the eagerness of foreign governments and investors for dollar-denominated investments has diminished.
The dollar's standing as the world's de facto reserve currency is impaired. Nations are looking to diversify their foreign exchange reserves away from the dollar and showing a liking for the price of gold. The combination of liquidity circulating through the U. S. economy and a tanking dollar stokes inflation. Gold is being sought out as a safe-haven by investors who sense the threat of inflation.
Gold Price Outlook
Gold is once again approaching the psychologically important $1,000 per ounce mark. Rallies in the price of gold have peaked in the $900-1,000 per ounce range three times since the start of 2008. I believe gold will crack the four-figure mark in 2009 and move on to exceed its 2008 highs. Given the state of the U. S. economy and the monumental challenges ahead, the $1,000 per ounce figure can well become a support or floor for a long time to come.
.....................................................................................
Why Investing in Gold Coins Now Will Help You Retire Secure - By: Mike Will
In our current times of economic and political instability, investing in gold becomes an attractive option for many people. While many investors simply buy gold bars, astute collectors have made fortunes by investing in certified gold coins. If you having been wanting to add gold to your investment portfolio and want to know more about gold coins then please consider my...
7 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Gold Coins Now
1. You can start with a small investment -- If you choose to, when you invest in gold coins you can dip your feet in the water before taking a plunge by buying small quantities of gold coins. Build up your collection gradually according to your capacity and interest in this form of investment. For as little as one thousand dollars you can start investing in gold coins right now and start building your future fortune.
2. Gold coins have historically been a good investment -- How well you will do with your investment in gold coins depends on your skill in selecting the right coins and on market forces. However, a study done by Collector's Universe showed that one thousand dollars invested in U.S rare gold coins in 1970 is now worth $57,977.00. The yield from this particular investment is greater than you would have achieved by investing in gold bullion or in the U.S. stock market.
3. Supply is limited -- This is the main reason why gold coins perform so well as an investment. This limited supply is being chased by a demand for gold coins that is continually growing. Collectors look for coins that are rare in mint condition or those that have never been circulated.
4. Gold coins are easy to sell -- Liquidity is an important factor in any investment, and gold coins are easier to sell than gold bars. There are no delays in the sale process whatsoever. You receive your payment immediately.
5. You can divide your sales more easily -- If you have large gold bars, then it is all or nothing when you are thinking of making a sale. However, if you have a good number of gold coins, you can easily take any amount that you want to sell and leave the balance untouched.
6. Gold Coins are safe and easy to store -- Gold coins can be stored in a bank safe-deposit box or any other location that is secure and easy to reach.
7. Gold coins can't devalue according to the whims of some government. Inflation, the cruelest tax of all, will only serve to increase the value of gold coins over time.
Now, that you know why you should invest in gold coins, are you read to start investing? Here's how to get started...
3 Gold Coin Investing Tips You Need to Know If You Want to Retire Secure:
1. Focus on higher graded coins. Most if not all of the higher graded coins (MS-62 and higher) are selling for a fraction of what they sold for at their historic record wholesale highs. When factoring in inflation, the pricing today is easily one of the best investments a person can make.
2. Invest in common date coins. Common dated coins are the least costly of the higher grades. The moment a specific date is involved, the price of the coin goes up dramatically thereby diminishing the potential returns. Dated coins are great for numismatists.
3. Stick to either NGC or PCGS certified coins. These two grading services are the industry standard and deviating away from them will make the liquidation process more difficult.
There are many options available in the gold coin world for an investor to consider using gold as a way to protect and preserve assets. The basic fact that gold retains its value over time has been true for thousands of years and is still true today.
So, if you have been thinking of investing in gold, why not put some of that investment in the form of gold coins?
.....................................................................................
Secure Your Wealth By Investing In Gold - By: Vincent.Russo
With the current stock market crisis, and U.S. economy on a slippery slope, what do you feel comfortable investing in? Warren Buffet suggests that you should “only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.” Why should you listen to Mr. Buffet? He’s one of the world’s most successful investors, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, and currently ranked by Forbes as the second richest person in the world with an estimated worth of more than $37 billion.
What would you be “perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down” for a decade? How about the medium that has proven itself to be an effective preserver of wealth and a safe haven for assets in times of economic and social crisis. If you want to protect yourself and your wealth against inflation, deflation, stock market weakness, and potential currency problems, or if you would simply like to invest in a bedrock medium, investing in gold is the venture for you.
Gold has been adequately nicknamed the "crisis commodity" because it tends to outperform all other investments during unsteady periods. Investing in gold has always been a wise venture for investors, because it lacks the risk of “conventional investments.” And, though the price of gold is on the rise because of the failing dollar, as Mr. Warren Buffet has pointed out, “Investing is laying out money today to receive more money tomorrow.” Investing in gold today means peace of mind for you tomorrow. You know that by investing in gold, you have secured your assets in a turbulent time of instability.
Since the 1970s, the investment world has seen hard-assets perform better in high-inflation environments. Investing in gold, a hard-intrinsic asset, will continue to out perform the fleeting investment opportunities the market offers. If you want to protect against financial uncertainties, there is only one medium that will serve you in all seasons. Investing in gold is the solid avenue that will steadily and securely serve your wealth.
Take control of your money, protect against inflation, and create a legacy of wealth with the investment opportunities of United States Gold Bureau. Whether you want to purchase large quantities or individual items, United States Gold Bureau can fulfill your needs. They specialize in certified PCGS and NGC pre-1933 gold, certified modern gold collector sets, as well as gold American Eagles in high mint state conditions.
The United States Gold Bureau is the leading authority on all things related to precious metals. They help clients worldwide secure their wealth. Their clients look to The United States Gold Bureau to fulfill their investment desires in rare and modern coins and currency. Their professionals have more than 100 years combined experience and are ready to assist you with all of your precious metals investing and coin collecting needs. Call (800)775-3504 anytime to speak with a representative or visit them online at www.usgoldbureau.com, and secure your wealth today.
.....................................................................................
Gold Offers Secure Investment In Down Economy - By: Vincent.Russo
In today’s soft economy, stocks are at a historic low and the dollar is on a rapid decline, but gold continues to be a solid investment for hard earned assets. The U.S. Dollar has fallen over 40% since 2001, while the value of gold has increased by over 150%. Additionally, for the past eight years, gold has outperformed the NASDAQ, Dow and the S&P 500. Unlike stocks, which can quickly change and go under, gold has remained a stable and universally valuable throughout human history. For gold to become unsustainable and collapse like the other markets, it would need to surge to over $6,000 per ounce. Currently, the price of gold per ounce is floating around $900 in U.S. currency. Due to its stability and growth, investment in gold is a secure way to protect and grow your money.
The financial crisis of the 1980’s created an environment that caused double digit inflation and will be repeated in 2009 to 2012. National debt is continuously and vivaciously growing and gross domestic product is shrinking. This means dollars won’t buy the same amount of goods and services a year from now as it does today. In fact, the dollar’s buying power may decrease by 25% by 2010. By moving money into gold, investors are preserving their purchasing power in a stable medium.
For collectors, prospectors and gold-lovers alike, there are considerations to make for ensuring your investment in the right type of gold that is safe and profitable. However, rather than focusing on what type of gold to purchase, you should consider why you are interested in buying gold. What you buy depends on your goals. So, you should have a good idea of what you would like to accomplish with your investment before you purchase anything. Once you have decided your goal, you can safely and wisely make your investment decision.
If you are a collector, your focus is simple. You want the rarest and therefore the most valuable coins out there. However, for those profit-seekers at-heart, your goal and focus are quite different. If you’re aiming to capitalize on price movement, then bullion coin will work wonders. If you are interested in long-term asset preservation, then you should consider adding pre-1933 and Modern American coins to your investment. This is just tip of the gold-investment iceberg. Today, gold’s popularity and demand are at an all-time high and investment options are endless. To develop a strategy customized for you, we recommend consulting a United States Gold Bureau representative.
Having a dealer that is dedicated to understanding the gold market is an invaluable asset to any gold investor. The specialists at United States Gold Bureau have studied the best techniques to help grow your investment. They specialize in certified PCGS and NGC pre-1933 and modern gold coins, as well as silver, gold and platinum American eagles in high mint conditions. Whether you want to purchase large quantities or individual items, U.S. Gold Bureau can fulfill all of your needs. Call them today toll free at (800) 775-3504 to speak with a specialist and secure your future in gold today.
.....................................................................................
Do You Want Gold jewelry,Gold Coins or Gold bullion? - By: Graham Andrew Taylor
In times of financial crisis and uncertainty Gold has for centuries been a haven for wealth, particularly where inflation eats away at the value of paper money. A graphic example of this is when gold was valued at $35 an ounce you could buy a really good suit for $35 today that good suit could cost you over $800 and where is the price of gold...........$850
As the current gloom gets worse, many people have started to buy gold coins to hold as an asset as it is obvious that governments around the world who a borrowing heavily to support the failing banking system are going to have to print masses more currency to pay those loans, of course printing more money just reduces the value of the money in circulation.
The average British household now owes nearly £9,000 of government debt (almost $18,000), and that's before you account for their mortgage debt! The US government has run up $9 trillion in debt, much of it owed to fast-growing Asian economies like China and all of it waiting for US taxpayers to make the repayments.
Gold supply is in a competition with demand. Currently the two main players are mined supply at 2600 tonnes and jewellery demand at 3200 tonnes. An important balance has been Central Bank sales, which provide about 800 tonnes a year
Gold Jewelry
There are three main ways to hold gold, the first is as jewelry, while it is very easy to buy gold in this way it has major drawbacks, they are
The cost, because jewelry is a manufactured item the work involved in creating the piece is added to the cost of the gold and then a profit margin for both the manufacturer, the wholesaler, and the retailer are all added to the make the price you pay.
When you want to sell the jewelry, unless it is a rare or special piece it is unusual to be offered more than scrap value, which will be the gold content value calculated by taking the weight and dividing by 24 then multiplying by the carat of the gold, usually 14, 18 and 22.
Keeping your gold at home can attract unwelcome visitors, so insurance costs are a burden, or if you use a bank safety deposit box the costs are even higher.
The upside of holding Jewelry is that asthetically it is pleasing.
There is a ready market in scrap gold, and you will be very popular with your significant other.
Gold Coin
Come July of last year – and driven by the sharp drop in prices from March's all-time dollar-highs above $1,000 an ounce – many of these existing gold owners, especially coin buyers, snapped up more gold as the world economy slowed and financial markets went into dive.
But the leading metals refineries weren't expecting a rush until the usual autumn-time spree. That caught the big gold-coin mints napping as well. So their clients – meaning your local coin shop – hit a genuine shortage of gold coins and bars thanks to this summer's frenzy.
Come August and Sept., the global meltdown in stocks sparked by the collapse of Lehman Bros. then sent in a flood of new buyers. And standing in long queues outside big-city coin shops, these new buyers proved a god-send for financial journalists needing bullish copy to file.
Gold was the only bull market running – and so a third wave of buyers cleared out what little inventory the coin-shops had left, sparking in turn a fresh wave of "Sold Out" signs worldwide.
First the US Mint and then even the Rand Refinery in South Africa – the world's biggest gold mint – were forced to suspend shipments, unable to keep up with demand. The big online gold dealers were all out emptied too, leaving would-be coin buyers stuck with nowhere to turn.
Even now, according to German-based giant Heraeus, furnaces worldwide are still booked solid to try and catch up. But with the stock market crash gathering pace yet again, demand from new buyers has only raced on again.
"Production [of one-ounce retail gold coins] has dramatically increased since the middle of the year," agrees Bernhard Schnellmann, director at fellow refinery Argor-Heraeus in Switzerland, but "we cannot cope with demand."
The result for prices? Still greater mark-ups and premiums than coin dealers usually charge. Even Krugerrand gold coins, typically the cheapest gold coins compared to the wholesale "spot" gold price, now carry a 10% or even 15% mark-up – two or three times the normal premium to their actual gold-content value – according to the Coin Dealer Newsletter.
On the other side of the trade, some gold-coin owners now looking to sell are being offered more than the spot price when they go back to their dealers...just so the dealer can secure new supplies, ready to sell on to new buyers for a still wider margin.
The disadvantages of buying Gold Coins are
Security, again if you keep the gold at home you are vunerable to theft, and high insurance costs, and if at a bank higher storage costs
The spread between the buying price and selling price although much lower than jewelry is still quite high.
Unless you are in a country like the UK or the US finding a reputable coin dealer is not alway easy.
The advantages of holding Gold Coins are.
Portable Wealth
Recognized quality worldwide.
Gold Bullion
There are two levels to the gold bullion market, the first is essentially the same as the gold coin market with the same advantages as the coins but with the added disadvantage of not being recognized as pure gold without testing, so it is relatively easy for the buyer to make a serious error in the quality of the gold purchased, although this is reduced where recognized hallmarking is present.
The other level of gold bullion is called "good delivery gold" that is cast in 400 oz bars and held in internationally recognized vaults under the highest security. It is called good delivery gold because once the quality, usually 99.5% or higher pure gold is stored in a vault its history is recorded and if moved physically from the vault it has to be done by certified security companies.
Accredited gold refiners produce large bar bullion for the professional market. It is stored continuously in accredited bullion vaults, and traded between member financial institutions. This market trades at what is known as the 'spot' price, which you see published widely in the financial press. But a condition of selling at the 'spot' price is that you must be able to make delivery in a large bar of gold with a complete history of professional vault storage.
If your bar has been in private hands it loses its integrity and will not be automatically accepted as a good delivery to the buyer.
This means private sellers do not benefit from either the highly competitive spot market price, or the depth of the professional market's liquidity. Firstly they usually lack the funds to buy large bars. Secondly they usually don't have access to professional vault storage.
So smaller bars tend to world of the professionals and be traded via small retail traders.
Sadly too many people go and buy a small bar without fully appreciating the difficulty of later selling it. But it's easy to see the problem. If someone you didn't know offered you a gold bar from their pocket would you buy it? I hope not - for your sake!
This is why the retail market extra costs cause private buyers to lose a minimum of 5% on each coin or small bar trade. This is more than 10 times the cost of dealing professionally.
To deter people from storing their gold in bank vaults which earns the banks small returns they invented a product called "unallocated gold" which lumps everyones gold together, and reduces the gold buyer from owner of the gold to creditor of the bank, and because the gold earns no interest you are effectively giving the bank an interest free unsecured loan that is not even covered but the banks deposit protection scheme because it is not currency.
Do Not Do This.
Fortunately There is a company that has the resources to buy gold on the international markets and who make it possible for the small investor to participate in quantities as small as 1 gram.
Bullionvault.com
at http://www.protrackerplus.com/1421/ga1.html
acts as a bridge for the individual into the professional gold market. they buy the several large bars at a time which makes gold dealing economic, and have them sent to Via Mat - a fully accredited bullion market vault operator. So the gold retains its professional market integrity and all its resale value. They then let people buy and sell this warranted gold, both to the company, and to each other, via their website. This means all the storage issues are taken care of and they can deal in smaller sums, without the loss of spot market integrity and pricing.
There are simple and transparent safeguards - like the Daily Audit - which give people the absolute confidence that their gold is safely stored, and insured, in one of the safest places on Earth.
Many of their customers take advantage of remote storage in Switzerland - Their most popular location the others being London and New York. I think they have worked out that there's not much point in storing gold at home if their national economy is stumbling into financial crisis. Switzerland of course runs healthy surpluses in both budget and trade
The company is set up to allow trading in Dollars, GB Pounds, and Euros, and the security of your investment is ensured by the way that any payment to you is sent back to the bank that origionally funded your account. This way even if the wrong person gained access to your account they could not get their hands on your money. Your privacy is also protected by the use of a user name, the daily audit lists the holding of each customer by user name.
....................................................................................
Hunting Down the Perfect Penny Stock Listing - By: Brent Crouch
When it comes to tracking down the perfect penny stock listing, there are two schools of thought that come into play. The first relies on hunches and the proverbial hot stock tip from someone we trust; the second relies on news and hard data to figure out which penny stock has the best chance of moving up the ladder. Needless to say, method two often out performs method one, but it relies on patience and the ability to withstand the occasional market hiccup. Here are a few long term investments that have been making penny stock news over the last few weeks.
The first penny stock on our list may have you scratching your head. McGuire Properties (NYSE: MPG) is a real estate company that almost exclusively deals with properties in Southern California. On the surface, warm weather climates like Arizona, Southern California and Florida appear to be the last places in the world you would want to invest in property, but the reality is that these places are simply too desirable to live and work in for people to stay away from for very long. Just like the stock market can only drop so far before the bargain hunters show up and start buying stock en masse, real estate prices in places like Southern California can only drop so far before investors start taking advantage of the current situation, and many in the Los Angeles area believe that prices have hit rock bottom and a buying frenzy is on the horizon. If that’s true, a share of McGuire Properties, currently priced at around $4 a share, might be making major penny stock news sooner rather than later.
TransGlobe Energy (NASDAQ: TGA) has been the little oil company that could over the past few years, and with possible expansion of drilling into various offshore regions, the future looks bright for this penny stock that is currently trading at under $2 a share. If TransGlobe wants to guarantee its attractiveness to investors, however, it needs to begin to put significant money towards green technologies, especially if the current administration lives up to its campaign promises and begins to really pour tax dollars towards research.
If you have been looking for a safe area in which to invest, technology companies like Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) are a great penny stock choice. They are one of the biggest manufacturers of chips for electronics all over the world and, like so many stocks in recent months, they have taken a beating that many analysts believe is unwarranted. Will the average businessman be able to tone down their electronics and technology purchases during a time of recession? Most are betting no, which is why this penny stock, currently trading at less than $7.50 a share is currently considered a smart choice.
Finally, there has been much debate in the world of finance about the eventual fate of investment giant AIG (NYSE: AIG). Stock prices have dipped to less than $2 a share, but some investors are buying up huge numbers of AIG stock, believing that once the government loans are paid back, AIG can once again be a force on the world stage. This is a risky investment, no doubt, but the upside here is monumental. As always, invest at your own risk!
.....................................................................................
The Enduring Value of Gold Bullion Bars - By: Christina A. Goldman
Gold has long been considered one of those most valuable and coveted forms of money. For thousands of years, owning gold has brought with it the reputation and prestige of wealth and power.
Gold bullion bars or gold bars have been used in transactions since the time of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Billions of dollars worth of gold bars lay on the ocean's floor around the world, spilled overboard by military attacks, the wrath of nature, and greed of pirates.
Gold bars are defined as any amount of gold that has been shaped into some sort of compact bar. There are dozens of different names for gold bars, including but not limited to:
1. Chi bars
2. Tael bars
3. Bank bars
4. Minted "brick" bars
5. "Bullion watch" bars
6. "Gold fillet" bars
These gold bars may weigh anywhere from 1 kilogram to 12.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces, to 1000 grams, known as the kilobar. These days, the kilobar is the most popular when it comes to trading, collecting, and investing. Gold bars and gold bullion bars are generally defined in terms of troy ounces. One troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams, 1 kilogram equals 1000 grams, and one tael equals 50 grams.
Gold bars may be classified into two different types: minted and cast, depending upon how it was manufactured. Cast gold bars are created through the process of pouring heated liquid gold into a mold. Minted gold bars are hand cut into specific dimensions.
Gold bullion bars are generally available in 10-ounce gold bars that contain .995. purity or 1 kilogram per gram bar, or gold bullion bars designed mainly for investing. One of the most popular is the 10- ounce gold bullion bars, known as a "four-nines" or pure .9999 finest.
Regardless of size or shape, investing or collecting in gold bullion bars is a solid investment decision that carries a legacy of power and wealth that dates back thousands of years.
....................................................................................
The Price of Gold Is Plunging: Should Gold Investors Be Worried? - By: Christina A. Goldman
In March of this year, the price of gold per ounce hit an all-time high of $1,030.80.
On August 15th, gold hit a nine-month low of $773.
That's a correction of 25%!
In just one month alone - from July 15th to August 19th - gold has fallen 20%.
Now, that's just downright scary! I know there's a lot of gold investors out there that are probably wondering if the gold bull market is over. At this point, you're probably fed up and are thinking seriously of dumping whatever hard assets you have.
I'm going to provide you with a little bit of historical gold trivia that I hope will reassure you.
So, take a deep breath. Relax. And keep reading.
It may be comforting to know that the last great gold bull market of the 1970's was also interrupted by similar corrections.
1. In November of 1978, gold had a 20% correction.
2. In October 1979, gold lost 13% in four days!
3. Gold had a horrendous correction in 1975, falling 50% from $200 per ounce to $100 in 1976.
At that time, everyone proclaimed that the bull market in gold was over. As gold investors well know, the price of gold continued its climb over the course of the next few years, not stopping until it hit $850 in 1980.
Okay, I know what you are thinking.
That was then. This is now.
Ah, but even in the current bull market, gold has had corrections similar to what we are experiencing now.
1. In the summer of 2006, gold fell 21%.
2. But by the end of 2007, gold had risen 45%.
The point I'm trying to make is that corrections, painful as they are, are normal in bull markets.
Now that we've taken a hard look at the statistics, we need to determine if the fundamentals for buying gold bullion are still intact.
Let's go back to March when gold had climbed over $1000 an ounce.
You were pretty excited, huh?
Now, ask yourself: what was causing the price of gold to rise?
1. Inflation was on the rise
2. The dollar had long-term problems
3. Banks were failing
4. Mortgage lenders were facing insolvency
5. Housing prices were falling
6. The economy was on the brink of recession
7. Oil faced a long-term supply shortage
Okay, now ask yourself: have any of the 7 elements listed above changed? Think about it. If the gold bull market were over, we'd have:
1. Low inflation
2. Healthy banks
3. Stable housing prices
4. A new, major oil discovery
5. Increasing job creation
6. A falling unemployment rate
7. A fiscally responsible government
8. A strong dollar due to a balanced budget and a shrinking deficit
I don't see any of the above happening anytime soon. Do you?
In conclusion, I would say it is safe to assume that the fundamental reasons for owning gold bullion, as a safe-haven investment, are still valid. I would further venture to say that gold - at $800 per ounce - is the buying opportunity of a lifetime!
....................................................................................
Investing in Gold - By: Keith
The gold bullion price is driven by supply and demand. Each year the world’s gold mines produce only 2,500 metric tonnes of gold. The best estimates indicate that the whole planet buys 4,000-5,000 metric tonnes of gold a year. Hence global demand exceeds supply by 60% to 100% annually creating structural shortage situation. Banks are no longer selling enough gold to make up for global demand above the amount of gold mined each year.
With this in mind gold is forecast to reach $1500 to $2000 dollars in the foreseeable future. Some analysts believe that this could be a soon as the next 12 to 18 months. Fund managers have identified 5 significant factors which will drive the price of gold bullion up even higher:
* The decline of the dollar
* More inflation in the future
* Investors will seek greater safety in gold
* Higher oil prices
* Boom in demand for commodities and precious metals
In March 2008 Bloomberg reported that “gold…may be the best performing financial asset this years as inflation and slow growth erode the value of the worlds major currencies, bond and stocks.” “ Gold ...may gain at least 24% this year as the Federal reserve Chairman Ben.S.Bernanke prioritizes cutting interest rates…”
Higher US interest rates would justify long-term dollar strength and with it, a falling long-term gold price. The US housing market has fallen by more than 12% in the last year alone. In reaction to this the FED is trying to soften the impact by allowing homeowners to extend their mortgages to longer periods at lower rates. The future of the dollar appears to be an index of lower highs and lower lows where as gold should see and opposite pattern with higher highs and higher lows.
Recently gold has dipped from March’s record $1,030 an ounce to around $850 as the dollar bounced off its record low against the euro; abating risk-aversion amid recovering stock markets has also hampered the yellow metals. Still, with the sub-prime crisis far from over, GFMS (independent researchers of the gold market) see scope for gold to rally to record levels once again. This current dip in the price may offer a buying opportunity.
....................................................................................
Maximizing Profits by Timing This One Investment - By: Maximilian Sparrowson
Here's a secret for gold investors and a tip for "wannabe" gold investors.
First the secret: While this spring most wildlife is coming out of hibernation from the winter, gold is moving into hibernation. You see, gold, believe it or not, is a seasonal commodity. Typically, gold bullion prices do not move much from the beginning of April until the start of September.
Some proof: Last year, gold bullion started April at about $650.00 U.S. per ounce. By September, gold was at $700.00 — five months, and gold went up an average of just $10.00 a month. Same thing in 2006, as gold was at $600.00 an ounce at the beginning of April and still at $600.00 at the start of September 2006.
In April 2005, gold traded at $420.00 an ounce. By September of the same year, it was up a mere $20.00 to $440.00. In 2004, the metal started April at $400.00 an ounce and was still at $400.00 at the beginning of September 2004.
Why the seasonality factor for gold bullion? I really don't know, as I see the metal becoming less important as an ingredient of jewelry and more important as an alternative store of wealth to the U.S. dollar.
What I do know is that I do not fight the tape or the trend. The reality is that, over the past five years, the biggest moves for gold bullion have been the period beginning in September and ending in March. Same with gold stocks... they are not big movers in the summer but can be quite volatile from the fall to spring.
And that brings me to my tip.
I'm a big believer that gold prices over the next couple of years will continue their long-term upward trend. So, if you have been reading my columns and are thinking of buying your first gold stock (or maybe accumulating a larger position in gold stocks), you may want to play the seasonality game and look at the metal more seriously in late August, early September of this year.
....................................................................................
Investing In Gold Bullion - By: G Smith
For thousands of years Gold has been used as currency and been a highly prized precious metal.Gold has always been a favoured investment to hedge your portfolio against inflation. Gold prices in the international gold market can remain fairly stable through times of instability, recession and currency fluctuations.
The ways of investing in gold can be via purchasing physical gold bullion in the form of gold bars or gold rounds, minted gold coins. Gold shares in gold mining companies are also available and various types of gold funds or mutuals that are managed by professional investors.
Holding at least a small percentage of your stock portfolio in gold bullion is always a good idea. The relatively stable price of gold can help insure your investment portfolio against economic instability. Gold bullion prices may fluctuate over the years but gold investments are highly unlikely to get devalued and have performed well over recent years.
Gold coins have a legal tender face value in the countries currency that they were minted, and can be easier to dispose of if you need to liquidate your gold assets. Many types of gold bullion rounds or gold coins are available, such as American Eagles, Krugerrands, Sovereigns, Canadian Maples, Australian Gold Nuggets, Chinese Gold Pandas and many more. Gold bullion bars are available in many different sizes upto 400 ounce size. The 400 oz bullion gold bar is the London Good Delivery bar size. Good delivery bars must meet certain specifications, they must weigh between 350oz - 430oz and be of a minimum purity of 99.5% pure Gold. These London Good Delivery bullion bars are normally held by central banks and not usually held by smaller private investors.
Mining shares can be lucrative but their performance depends on the success of the mine and the general standing of the mining company you are investing in. Therefore mining stocks may not follow the general trend of the gold fix market, but can outperform the market if the mining company is particularly successful.
A precious metals gold managed fund can provide a more diverse gold stocks portfolio. The funds manger may invest in various precious metals and gold shares spreading any risk between a selection of stocks. Precious metals mutuals are available that also invest in other metals such as Silver, Platinum and Palladium as well as gold stocks.
The most cost effective way to invest in physical gold is to buy larger bullion bars. Gold bullion in bar form offers the lowest gold dealers percentage over the gold market price, depending on the bars size the dealers premium over fix can be as low as 2% - 5%. Compared to the premium on various gold coins of between 7% - 20% or more gold bullion bars appear much more attractive financially. Although the fact that gold bullion rounds or coins are much more liquid than bars may sway your decision to purchase bars. Gold coins can be disposed of on the open market fairly easily and quickly in comparison to large gold bars. Coins are also much easier for the smaller investor or private individual to obtain and to store. There is also the collectable and historical value that gold coins have against gold bullion bars.
.....................................................................................
Investing In Gold Coins And Bullion - By: Davin Michaels
The first known coins were minted in the mid-seventh century B.C. Coins revolutionized the conduct of commerce.
Alexander the Great introduced a regulated and universal coinage throughout his empire. Coins were typically engraved with the likenesses of rulers and deities, providing a historical snapshot. Coin collecting started in Renaissance Europe. Wealthy
Europeans collected Greek and Roman coinage.
The United States minted its first gold coin in 1795. From then until 1933, U.S. mints produced hundreds of styles and denominations of gold, silver and other coins. Dazzling pieces of artistry and history, collectible rare coins and bullion are among the most prudent additions to any quality investment portfolio.
A collection of coins and bullion could add value and stability to a portfolio. Investing a percentage of a diversified portfolio in gold, silver and platinum could act as a hedge against inflation. Gold can be viewed as an alternative asset class. Tangible assets are usually not as susceptible to the same market pressures as stocks and bonds. Typically, gold is not correlated to either the stock or bond markets.
Gold often trades inversely to the U.S. dollar, making it a useful hedge in times of dollar depreciation. The gold supply is limited – all the gold ever mined would fit into a storage room about 55 feet long, 55 feet tall and 55 feet wide.
Bullion is a term for coins, ingots, private issue, and so on that trade below, at, or slightly above their intrinsic metal value. Only the precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium) are included as bullion. A bullion coin is a legal tender coin that trades at a slight premium to its melt value.
Examples of bullion: U.S. Gold, Platinum and Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, South African Krugerrands. A rare coin can be determined by several factors: mintage, grade, series. Values of coins are determined by both scarcity and grade.
Set building is the practice of collecting a complete series of coins representing all the different designs of a certain U.S. coin, for instance. It provides a systematic path for the collector.
Investors have frequently found that a carefully assembled set of coins is worth substantially more than the total of its individual pieces. Well-compiled sets have also tended to be more liquid than comparable accumulations of random coins. It can provide an exciting historical treasure hunt, as well as an investment instrument.
Set building provides the investor with the opportunity to define objectives and formulate strategy. Set building can be a life-long adventure. Sets can be collected by: type (which can be any particular design or denomination), series (all dates and mints struck of a denomination) or design type, commemorative issues, and more.
A key date coin is generally considered to be the most important coin in a particular series, usually the lowest-mintage and/or the most expensive. Rarity is based on the number of specimens extant of any particular numismatic item.
For protection, investors and collectors should only buy rare U.S. coins that have been graded and certified by the three leading independent coin-grading firms: professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), independent Coin Grading Company (ICG). These organizations are recognized industry-wide for their accuracy, objectivity and high standards.
These services help to make the market in numismatic coins safer and more liquid. When a coin is graded, it is immediately encased in a tamper-resistant slab and sealed with its certification number and grade displayed.
.....................................................................................
Why You Must Invest In Gold Today - By: Scott Michaels
Gold. Rare, beautiful, and unique. Treasured as a store of value for thousands of years, it is an important and secure asset. It has maintained its long term value, is not directly affected by the economic policies of individual countries and doesn't depend on a 'promise to pay'.
Completely free of credit risk, although it bears a market risk gold has always been a secure refuge in unsettled times. Its ‘safe haven’ attributes attract wise investors. Gold has proved itself to be an effective way to manage wealth.
For at least 200 years the price of gold has kept pace with inflation. Another important reason to invest in gold is its consistent delivery within a portfolio of assets. Its performance tends to move independently of other investments and of key economic indicators. Even a small weighting of gold in an investment portfolio can help reduce overall risk.
Most investment portfolios are invested primarily in traditional financial assets such as stocks and bonds. The reason for holding diverse investments is to protect the portfolio against fluctuations in the value of any single asset class.
Portfolios that contain gold are generally more robust and better able to cope with market ncertainties than those that don't. Adding gold to a portfolio introduces an entirely different class of asset.
Gold is unusual because it is both a commodity and a monetary asset. It is an 'effective diversifier' because its performance tends to move independently of other investments and key economic indicators.
Studies have shown that traditional diversifiers (such as bonds and alternative assets) often fail during times of market stress or instability. Even a small allocation of gold has been proven to significantly improve the consistency of portfolio performance during both stable and unstable financial periods.
Gold improves the stability and predictability of returns. It is not correlated with other assets because the gold price is not driven by the same factors that drive the performance of other assets. Gold is also significantly less volatile than practically all equity indices.
The value of gold, in terms of real goods and services that it can buy,has remained remarkably stable. In contrast, the purchasing power of many currencies has generally declined.
Traditionally, access to the gold market has been through: investment in physical gold, usually as gold coins or small bars,or, for larger quantities, by way of the over the counter market; gold futures and options; gold mining equities, often packaged in gold-oriented mutual funds.
.....................................................................................
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)