Tell the telemarketers to beat it.

I was having a good monday afternoon nap until 3 telemarketers called me. It really drove me through the wall, so i did some research.

If you are from canada, you can call these numbers to put your on the "no calling list":
1)
1800-462-4463, pick option 2, tell them you want to be in the no calling list.

register the "national do not call list" http://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/

2)
SQM (Service Quality Measurement Group)
To get off the calling list call 1-800-446-2095.
Remember to ask that you be put on the Do Not Call List for ALL companies that they are AFFILIATED with.

3) How To Stop Telemarketing Calls





Here is how one of us humor ourselves: http://www.snotr.com/video/1298

If you know anything to prevent them calling us, please let me know

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Opportunity knocks S&P 500

One of the sure bet is when a company to be added to S&P 500's index.

The reason is that, there are many institutions, mutual fund, passive indexers who are only allowed to buy stocks in the S&P500. So naturally, all these institutions, indexers and mutual funds will add this company to their portfolios, causing a short term demand for the company stocks, pushing the price higher.

Here are a few companies will be added to sp 500:
saleforce.com (announced date: 2008 09 11, price: $58, replace FMN)
Fastenal (announced date: 2008 09 11, price: 53.99, replace FRE)
Harris corp (announced date: 2008 09 16, price: 47.4, replace Leh)
kraft (announced date: 2008 09 18, price: $33.34, replace AIG)

I added the date they were announced, so we can check how they do a few week after the announcement.

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Retire as early as possible, but not earlier than possible

There is risk if invest in stock market. It also brings up your worry-ness level.

To be truly retired without worry, the best way to do that is make sure the post-retirement income is risk free.

I would suggest to use your projected annual income divided by 5%, that’s should be how much money you will need to retire without worry.

For example:
I need $30000 annually. so i need 30000/0.04=600k to retire comfortably with most of my money invested in 4% bond and a bit money in stock market. Even my stocks investment falls; I still get the money from the fixed income.

Here is a quick calculation for people who needs to know how much they need to retire:

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Shopping but forgot your coupons?

Have you ever purchase something and forgot that you could have saved 10-25% percent but you forgot to bring your coupons? What about forgetting to bring your Air Mile Card? Well, I certainly have forgotten many times.

Here is a good advice for the forgetful and busy ones, so next time when you go shopping you won't forget them:
1) Put your coupons in your car's cabinet.
2) Put your Point cards (air miles, petro point, department store point card, home depot, pc card ect...) in your car's cabinet.




3) for people who don't drive, you can keep some point cards/coupons in your wallet just in case, but try avoid overstuff the wallet, or you end up with a George Costanza Wallet.


Final Word:Keep your life simple, make things easily accessible.

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Don't Squeeze The Garlic: Garlic E Zee Dice and Garlic Twist

This is the tool I've been looking for ages. If you are like me who loves to cook; I bet you know how tedious to chop garlic into small pieces or how stupid the garlic press was designed. I have been trying invent a new way to chop garlic. Today I found two similar product: Garlic Twist or Garlic Pro E-Zee-Dice, they can quickly turn peeled garlic into a fine dice and easy to clean with a quick slosh of hot water and soap.

Life should be simple, the new garlic twist fits our core belief perfect. Throw away your garlic press and welcome the garlic twist.

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Decode the force that propel stock market.

There was an interesting article from Forbes about what makes stock market go up and down.

In short, the stock market and the herd investors only care about the expected cooperate earning because that's the only reason why market goes up. The market doesn't care about the economy as a whole.

Here are the clues you can pick up when cooperate earning are about to rise:

1. When the feb is starting increase interest. This usually means the feb has been making it cheap to borrow money from the banks; by pumping money into the economy businesses are expanding quickly and so is earning and inflation. The fed needs control inflation by hiking the interest.

2. When S&P 500 p/e falling. Which means the "e" the earning in the p/e formual is raising.

The chart illustrated similar pattern between s&p 500 and fed discount rate.
They go up together, down together.

This chart illustrated inverse relationship of S&P 500 p/e and S&P 500.

Final word: Interest rate will raise, and sp p/e is at the 2003 peak; evidence suggests bull market is coming soon.

Full story via Forbes

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How to lower the interest on loan and credit card debt?

We will tackle this issue head to head. There are Credit card loan, mortgage, student loan and what not. The interest rate ranging from 7% to 18 %; yeah, that’s gonna eat up a big chunk of your pay check.

What you want is lower the interest you pay so you can pay less interest and get out of debt quicker. Here is something you didn’t know that can actually lower your monthly interest:

- Call your credit card company and ask them to lower your interest rate.

- Get a line of credit with lower interest rate. Borrow the money from your line of credit and pay off the high interest credit card first.

- Last and the most effective way is to get a 0% interest credit card. Use the money borrowed from 0% interest credit card to pay off your other high interest debt. (note. 0% interest promotion usually last 12 to 15 months)

You can find all the 0% interest credit cards here.

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