Merry Christmas To All

It’s that time of year again where everyone is to have happy thoughts and share time together with their family and loved ones. Christmas is suppose to be a happy time, but with the way the economy is, it hard to stay positive and enjoy the season.
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I’m basically a positive and generally a happy person. I would like my readers to try to be the same way while these times are upon us. Yes, we lost money this year or at best didn’t make as much as usual, but most of us still have our health and all the read this are still alive. So try to think of happy thoughts and remain positive.
The stock market will turn around in 2009 and we will get past this financial crisis as well as all the other things that has happen.
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I want to wish all of my readers a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. I thank you for being a part of this blog for the last five months as I prepare to build on what foundation I’ve laid during that time. Without you this blog wouldn’t have come as far as it did. With your continued support this site will only get better.
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Thank you once again and have a save and happy holiday.

Tags: The Week Ahead

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Happy Thanksgivings

photo by mathew ingram
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What a week in the stock market. In the last four days the DOW and the S&P 500 have had gains. The DOW gained 15% while the S&P 500 gained 18%. I don’t know about you, but that’s something to be thankful for.
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We will have to see what happens after the holiday. I’m sure that there will be profit-taking going after the ride that we just experienced, but that’s OK. I look forward to seeing where my stock decisions will take me over the next week. I feel that I have myself in a good position and will take profits as I see fit.
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There are so many things that I’m grateful for in my life this year. I will get the chance to be with my family for some good times and some great memories. I have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow, so I hope that all my readers have a happy and healthy holiday. As for the readers that are not in the U.S. and don’t celebrate the holiday, I hope you enjoy whatever you do while the U.S. stock markets are closed. I know that the other markets around the world will be open so I wish you happy trading.

Tags: The Week Ahead

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General Motors And Ford Motor Company

General Motors And Ford Motor Co. as well as Chrysler are in Washington begging for money that they so desperately need. For more than a week we’ve been hearing them say that they will not last very long without the money.
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If the three auto makers go belly up and close their doors, it will cause about two million jobs within the United States. That would be the nail in the coffin in this country’ economy and send us closer to a depression.
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From where I sit, I see three companies that have been dragging their feet for the last three decades. We knew in the 1970’s that they needed to build a better fuel efficient vehicle and they along with the government’s protection, have been keeping the standards and the vehicles being as efficient as they were then.
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Yes, the Ford Expedition, the Hummer as well as the GMC Yukon look and drive great, but that is nowhere near being a wise choice to saving our dependence on foreign oil. None of these companies wanted to build the smaller cars in fear that no one would buy them. Guess what guys, no one is buy the one that you did build and that’s why you’re on your knees in Washington.
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The big three auto makers have the unions that are not helping the matter either. UAW (Union of Auto Workers) have been strong arming the companies for so long that it’s excepted has how it’s suppose to be. The union have been making more money of the workers than the auto maker are.
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BMW, Toyota and Honda all have plants here in America and employ Americans to build their vehicles. There are no unions in any of the facilities and their won’t ever be. They offer their employees great benefits as well as great pay. The average worker in these plants make $40-$48 per hour and don’t have to pay any union dues. They are not forced to work extended hours for the same amount of money per hour. They have the option to contribute to their 401K plan and make their own decision for the retirement.The days of slave labor in manufacturing plants in America are over,and these workers are protected from that type of employment.
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Let’s look at the big three, their average worker make $78 per hour and have to pay a ton of union dues to help them keep their jobs. They are also protected from slave labor, but there are labor laws in this country that do that already. What about their retirement? They are enrolled in the companies pension plan. which is covered with all the other dues they pay. The problem is that the three auto makers can’t even pay for the pensions that are out there already. Their pension payout keeps growing with no end in site.
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Giving the big three auto makers this money is more like throwing it away. These guys have been helped out in the past and will continue needing the assistance of the American tax payer to save their rear end. This is a capitalist country so let’s let capitalism work it way through.
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