Investors the world over are constantly evaluating the leverage, risk and potential rewards of their investment decisions. Whether you are an individual investor or an analyst for a large mutual fund, leverage, risk and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow are always factors to be considered.
We realize investors are currently concerned about whether the “Sell in May and go away” factor will occur again this year. Sure feels different this time, doesn’t it? We will leave this subject to others and of course the markets will be telling us soon as May is upon us. For us, as we continue to find values in the markets we add them to our portfolio and/or increase current positions. Our view is that we are ‘building inventory’, an inventory of shares and warrants to be sold at some point in the future. Will there be corrections along the way? Sure, but we will take the opportunities that the markets give us and do not believe in chasing anything.
Back to Basics:
With few exceptions, most of us writing and those reading the articles on these gold oriented websites are bullish on the precious metals, right? So, let’s look at a few very simple ideas on the use of leverage and risk. I’d like to first say, we do not personally use nor do we suggest that an investor use margin accounts. The markets can be quite volatile at times and we do not wish to be thrown off of this bull market by a margin call.
If an investors basic beliefs are that gold will say, double from current levels for a 100% gain, are there other ways to invest other than an outright purchase of gold bullion? Sure, gold coins and the gold ETF must mimic the price of gold.
But what if we wanted to utilize some leverage in an attempt to increase our investment gains? Below is a list of investment alternatives of which each takes on additional level of risk and leverage to the price of gold.
Gold Shares -- Producers
Gold Shares -- Junior Mining companies
Gold Shares -- Exploration companies
Investors interested in the precious metals but yet seeking greater safety will stick with the large producing mining companies. At the opposite end of the spectrum will be those investors looking to make a killing by investing in the shares of the exploration companies of which we seem to have an endless supply.
It is commonly known, that gold shares over time will outperform the increase in the price of gold, so investors as a general rule, are looking to own gold shares as their investment of choice. Each investor depending on their level of risk tolerance and their individual beliefs in the strength of this bull market must factor this into their investment philosophy.
Warrants & Leaps:
Investors looking for even more leverage may wish to consider the use long-term warrants and even Leaps in their investment decisions. If one or more of your favorite mining shares has Leaps or long-term warrants trading, why should you not consider them? There is absolutely no reason not to consider them.
Dudley Baker is the owner/editor of Precious Metals Warrants http://www.preciousmetalswarrants.com a market data service which provides you with the details on all mining & energy companies with warrants trading on the U. S. and Canadian Exchanges. As new warrants are listed for trading we alert you via an e-mail blast. You are provided with links to the companies' websites, links to quotes and charts, tips for placing orders.
expert: Dudley Baker
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Gold Uses in Industry
A knowledge of the commercial uses of gold enables a savvy investor to make a judgement on the future demand for the metal and in conjunction with other criteria such as the erosion of the purchasing power of a currency, political factors, gold hoarding or selling off by governments, the technical picture, etc.etc., can make the decision to be long, short or stay out of the market until a more favorable opportunity occurs.
Basic Information
Chemical Symbol: Au
Atomic Number: 79
Melting Point: 1947.97 Degrees Fahrenheit, 1064.43 Degrees Centigrade
Medicine
Gold is non toxic and biologically benign, an excellent conductor of electricity, virtually indestructible, easy to shape and flatten and can be drawn out into microscopically thin strands known as bonding wire.
The most well known use of gold in medicine is in dentistry. The metal is combined with other metals such as platinum, silver, copper zinc or palladium to produce non-toxic, chemically inert alloys that are easy for dentists to work with and are strong and lasting.
The current demand for gold in dentistry is about 60 tonnes annually having recovered from a decline to circa 48 tonnes in 1987.
Rapid and ongoing developments in the use of lasers incorporating gold coatings are making dramatic progress in the treatment of cancers, sealing battlefield wounds in the field, emergency injury treatments in hospitals and previously inoperable heart conditions and tumors.
Lasers reliant on gold are used in delicate eye and brain surgery where absolute accuracy is essential.
Another recent development is the use of gold-coated lasers in the rejuvenation of burnt or damaged skin tissue leaving adjacent healthy tissue unaffected.
Gold helps in the treatment of prostate cancer and some other cancers and is used in surgical instruments to clear clogged arteries.
It is used in an eye surgery procedure to correct a condition, known as Lagophthalmos, where eyelids cannot be fully closed. By surgically implanting gold into the upper lids the gravity effect of its weight allows the lids to close when the muscles relax.
Computerized wheelchairs enable the handicapped to have more control over their movements.
The controls and the computer are linked by gold wire (bonding wire) and gold-coated pads that are both resistant to corrosion and have high electrical conductivity.
As these power wheelchairs are used outdoors and often exposed to extremes of temperature and weather, the use of gold in essential components is necessary to minimize breakdowns and the possible life threatening consequences.
Hi-Tech Electronics
Gold plays an essential part in every one of the millions of computers and peripherals that are produced worldwide every year. Gold is refined to 99.999 % pure and is drawn out to a wire only one hundredth of a millimetre in diameter.
This bonding wire is used to connect the semi-conductors and circuits. It is used on circuit boards and to make the contacts when using the keyboard.
The printed circuit boards in computer games have gold circuitry and gold plated contacts are used in the plugs to ensure trouble free contacts. Washing machines, dishwashers and even the humble pocket calculator need gold to operate reliably and efficiently.
Telecommunications
In every telephone mouthpiece there is a transmitter that uses gold in its diaphragm. The metal is used for its dependability in the variety of conditions that are likely to be encountered.
Throughout the telephone systems of the world gold is used to plate billions of contacts for phone jacks and connecting cords because of its' signal reliability and that it will not corrode or otherwise deteriorate.
TVs, VCRs and DVD Players
The circuits are connected by fine lines of gold to the micro-electronic circuit chips that change the incoming signals into a TV picture and sound.
Space
As the exploration of space continues so more and more uses for gold are being developed. Silicon wafers containing gold wafers protect on board computers in spacecraft from bombardment by heavy ions in space and allows monitoring and adjustments of the computers by ground control.
State of the art sophisticated and intricate gold circuitry allowed color pictures and chemical analysis of the surface of Mars to be transmitted back to earth.
The tonnage of gold used annually in the electronics industry amounts to approximately 150 tonnes with Japan being the major electronics manufacturer and accounting for over 45% of gold consumption, followed by The US with circa 30%.
The ever increasing speed of advances in technology suggests that even more uses will be found for the unique properties of gold and the consequential increase in consumption by the industrial sector alone.
Gold as a store of value and gold in jewellery and other adornments are subjects that warrant their own special informative articles on this site.
When deciding whether or not to play the precious metals markets, gold has, without doubt, the most complex of considerations to evaluate but also can be by far the most rewarding to both the informed long term investor and the short term speculator.
http://preciousmetalinvestment.com is the brainchild of Jaks Lloyds' husband John. He has been involved in the financial sector for many years and has a great deal of investment knowledge to offer.
expert: Jaks Lloyd
Basic Information
Chemical Symbol: Au
Atomic Number: 79
Melting Point: 1947.97 Degrees Fahrenheit, 1064.43 Degrees Centigrade
Medicine
Gold is non toxic and biologically benign, an excellent conductor of electricity, virtually indestructible, easy to shape and flatten and can be drawn out into microscopically thin strands known as bonding wire.
The most well known use of gold in medicine is in dentistry. The metal is combined with other metals such as platinum, silver, copper zinc or palladium to produce non-toxic, chemically inert alloys that are easy for dentists to work with and are strong and lasting.
The current demand for gold in dentistry is about 60 tonnes annually having recovered from a decline to circa 48 tonnes in 1987.
Rapid and ongoing developments in the use of lasers incorporating gold coatings are making dramatic progress in the treatment of cancers, sealing battlefield wounds in the field, emergency injury treatments in hospitals and previously inoperable heart conditions and tumors.
Lasers reliant on gold are used in delicate eye and brain surgery where absolute accuracy is essential.
Another recent development is the use of gold-coated lasers in the rejuvenation of burnt or damaged skin tissue leaving adjacent healthy tissue unaffected.
Gold helps in the treatment of prostate cancer and some other cancers and is used in surgical instruments to clear clogged arteries.
It is used in an eye surgery procedure to correct a condition, known as Lagophthalmos, where eyelids cannot be fully closed. By surgically implanting gold into the upper lids the gravity effect of its weight allows the lids to close when the muscles relax.
Computerized wheelchairs enable the handicapped to have more control over their movements.
The controls and the computer are linked by gold wire (bonding wire) and gold-coated pads that are both resistant to corrosion and have high electrical conductivity.
As these power wheelchairs are used outdoors and often exposed to extremes of temperature and weather, the use of gold in essential components is necessary to minimize breakdowns and the possible life threatening consequences.
Hi-Tech Electronics
Gold plays an essential part in every one of the millions of computers and peripherals that are produced worldwide every year. Gold is refined to 99.999 % pure and is drawn out to a wire only one hundredth of a millimetre in diameter.
This bonding wire is used to connect the semi-conductors and circuits. It is used on circuit boards and to make the contacts when using the keyboard.
The printed circuit boards in computer games have gold circuitry and gold plated contacts are used in the plugs to ensure trouble free contacts. Washing machines, dishwashers and even the humble pocket calculator need gold to operate reliably and efficiently.
Telecommunications
In every telephone mouthpiece there is a transmitter that uses gold in its diaphragm. The metal is used for its dependability in the variety of conditions that are likely to be encountered.
Throughout the telephone systems of the world gold is used to plate billions of contacts for phone jacks and connecting cords because of its' signal reliability and that it will not corrode or otherwise deteriorate.
TVs, VCRs and DVD Players
The circuits are connected by fine lines of gold to the micro-electronic circuit chips that change the incoming signals into a TV picture and sound.
Space
As the exploration of space continues so more and more uses for gold are being developed. Silicon wafers containing gold wafers protect on board computers in spacecraft from bombardment by heavy ions in space and allows monitoring and adjustments of the computers by ground control.
State of the art sophisticated and intricate gold circuitry allowed color pictures and chemical analysis of the surface of Mars to be transmitted back to earth.
The tonnage of gold used annually in the electronics industry amounts to approximately 150 tonnes with Japan being the major electronics manufacturer and accounting for over 45% of gold consumption, followed by The US with circa 30%.
The ever increasing speed of advances in technology suggests that even more uses will be found for the unique properties of gold and the consequential increase in consumption by the industrial sector alone.
Gold as a store of value and gold in jewellery and other adornments are subjects that warrant their own special informative articles on this site.
When deciding whether or not to play the precious metals markets, gold has, without doubt, the most complex of considerations to evaluate but also can be by far the most rewarding to both the informed long term investor and the short term speculator.
http://preciousmetalinvestment.com is the brainchild of Jaks Lloyds' husband John. He has been involved in the financial sector for many years and has a great deal of investment knowledge to offer.
expert: Jaks Lloyd
Gold: A Hedge Against The Perils Of Interesting Times
John Christensen - While paper-based investments and real estate are vulnerable to effects of changing times, gold soars. A precious metals investment may save a portfolio when all else fails.
The old Chinese curse, “may you live in interesting times”, has particular relevance to the current epoch of U.S. history. There’s a lot going on right now, much of it scary. Major investors around the world are responding to the events of our perilous age by sinking their dollars, deutschmarks and yen into gold, silver and palladium; Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and billionaire speculator George Soros to name but a few. Big financial institutions like the Central Banks of Russia and China are also leaping onto the metals bandwagon driving the price of these precious commodities ever higher.
This is spurring a gold rush not witnessed since the Misery Index years of the 1970s. Many financial experts now view gold in particular as an island of stability in a paper-based investment market growing stormier all the time, a development that bodes well for everyday folks who want to shore up their retirement accounts with a precious metals hedge.
“People the world over are losing faith in politicians, and currencies,” says Marc Lubaszka, President/CEO, World Financial, a highly successful investment firm specializing in precious metals based in Studio City, Calif. “This has resulted in a flight to gold and other precious metals, a storehouse of value for more than five thousand years. Investors are taking their money out of paper assets, and putting it where it is likely to earn a better return in uncertain times.”
Old Reliables Unreliable Investments once considered as stable as granite are rapidly losing ground, Lubaszka explains. Real estate is but one example. Long praised as a slam-dunk by money gurus, home-buying is no longer viewed as a hurdle-free path to profit. Stratospheric pricing and higher interest rates are putting intolerable pressure on the current housing bubble, factors bound to bust the suds sooner or later and drive the overheated real estate market into deepfreeze.
“The housing bubble will burst rather than gradually deflate, following the rapid and violent pattern of decline of nearly every financial bubble throughout history,” Lubaszka says. “Higher interest rates negatively impact not only the health of the housing market but other economic segments as well. The stock market takes a hit because higher rates make it more costly for companies to pay for debt. Higher rates hurt corporate profit margins and reduce stock value, bad news given the deep debt situation so many companies are in today.”
Paper is Passé According to Lubaszka, the U.S. dollar has lost more than 80% of its original value since the early 70’s when we went to a floating currency, a situation not helped very much by the debut of the Euro in the late 1990s. Unlike American dollars, a portion of the Euro is gold-backed, a stability feature that has helped it outperform the dollar over the long haul. It is for this reason that many foreign investors have been taking money out of U.S. dollars and putting it into gold and oil instead, one explanation for why the price of both has continued to rise in recent months.
“Gold prices are climbing right now because the Federal Reserve is printing dollars in flood proportions to keep the real estate market afloat,” adds Richard Russell, editor Dow Theory Letters, a stock market trends and securities report published since 1946. “This is creating inflation, which erodes purchasing power. All the world’s central banks are inflating right now, reducing confidence in paper globally and encouraging gold-buying. India and China are spurring gold prices as well. India is the world’s largest gold-consumer, and the Chinese government is actively encouraging its citizens to buy gold.”
All are extremely encouraging signs for gold investors. Over the course of the past 35 years, gold has climbed in value from a modest $35 an ounce to nearly $600. Contrast that with the battered U.S. dollar, a currency currently worth only 20% of its value in 1970.
“When gold peaked-out in the 1970s, interest rates were at an all-time high,” Lubaszka says. “Right now we’re waiting to feel the effects of the last 9 interest rate increases which generally take 6-9 months to begin impacting the economy. Now’s the time to buy gold because when rates go up, downward pressure is exerted on real estate, stocks and bonds and commodities like gold tend to increase. The opposite occurs when rates travel from a high to a low. That’s the time to reduce gold assets and increase the paper part of a portfolio.”
Buy Without Getting Burned Michelle Henderson, a talent agency owner in Los Angeles, Calif. understands the stakes when it comes to investing. “As an agent I work in a commission-based world, and have to invest in both people and ideas all the time,” she says. “Though I’d had bad experiences with stock investments in the past, I knew I would eventually find something that would work for me. I invested in a diversified metals portfolio made up of palladium, silver and gold, and earned a profit of 38% with the palladium alone. Staying focused on making money, and following World Financials advice, I was able to earn an above-average return and greatly increase the overall value of my assets safely.”
Lubaszka explain, “It’s probably best for the first time investor to begin conservatively by purchasing physical metals instead of gold stocks, which can be very volatile”. According to Clearwater, Fla.-based talk show host and gold analyst, Tom O’Brien, when metals gain 20%, gold equities jump by fifty or sixty per cent. That’s great when it happens but the reverse can occur as well.
Buy gold bars or coins, and put them in a safety deposit box. If you chose to purchase coins from a coin shop, make certain you pay the lowest price possible and that they have a buy back policy. If you elect to go with a broker, fees will be inevitable because you are purchasing a tangible commodity.
There are brokers, and then there are brokers. The best of the breed will answer all questions, and make the process of first-time gold buying less nerve-wracking. Great brokers are also accessible when needed, and quick to call with any new information that affects the value of the investment.
Work with established companies, five years in business is good, ten even better. Don’t bother with firms that badger you with telemarketing offers or apply high-pressure sales tactics. Avoid paying high commissions too. Some brokers have layers of fees, through which they earn more money then they do investing on behalf of customers. There are also companies out there that will not buy metal back. Stay away from them as well.
“Check references and Better Business Bureau ratings”, Lubaszka adds. “Deal with a company that takes an active interest in doing business with you. World Financial, for example, offers a five-star customer satisfaction guarantee. If questions are not answered or we fail to respond to a prospect’s call or email within 24 hours, that person receives a one ounce silver American Eagle coin free of charge. A financial advisor’s job is to ease the investment process, and to insure that customers get the most for their money. Good advisers are merely good, but the best are worth their weight in gold.”
To contact World Financial directly call 818.264.4085. World Financial is the premiere provider of precious metals to investors nationwide. Aside from offering numerous incentive programs, World Financial offers clients the right type of precious metal strategy for every investor’s needs. They are located at 12198 Ventura Blvd Ste 200, Studio City http://worldfinancialdaily.com/
http://worldfinancialdaily.com
expert: Marc Lubaszka
The old Chinese curse, “may you live in interesting times”, has particular relevance to the current epoch of U.S. history. There’s a lot going on right now, much of it scary. Major investors around the world are responding to the events of our perilous age by sinking their dollars, deutschmarks and yen into gold, silver and palladium; Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and billionaire speculator George Soros to name but a few. Big financial institutions like the Central Banks of Russia and China are also leaping onto the metals bandwagon driving the price of these precious commodities ever higher.
This is spurring a gold rush not witnessed since the Misery Index years of the 1970s. Many financial experts now view gold in particular as an island of stability in a paper-based investment market growing stormier all the time, a development that bodes well for everyday folks who want to shore up their retirement accounts with a precious metals hedge.
“People the world over are losing faith in politicians, and currencies,” says Marc Lubaszka, President/CEO, World Financial, a highly successful investment firm specializing in precious metals based in Studio City, Calif. “This has resulted in a flight to gold and other precious metals, a storehouse of value for more than five thousand years. Investors are taking their money out of paper assets, and putting it where it is likely to earn a better return in uncertain times.”
Old Reliables Unreliable Investments once considered as stable as granite are rapidly losing ground, Lubaszka explains. Real estate is but one example. Long praised as a slam-dunk by money gurus, home-buying is no longer viewed as a hurdle-free path to profit. Stratospheric pricing and higher interest rates are putting intolerable pressure on the current housing bubble, factors bound to bust the suds sooner or later and drive the overheated real estate market into deepfreeze.
“The housing bubble will burst rather than gradually deflate, following the rapid and violent pattern of decline of nearly every financial bubble throughout history,” Lubaszka says. “Higher interest rates negatively impact not only the health of the housing market but other economic segments as well. The stock market takes a hit because higher rates make it more costly for companies to pay for debt. Higher rates hurt corporate profit margins and reduce stock value, bad news given the deep debt situation so many companies are in today.”
Paper is Passé According to Lubaszka, the U.S. dollar has lost more than 80% of its original value since the early 70’s when we went to a floating currency, a situation not helped very much by the debut of the Euro in the late 1990s. Unlike American dollars, a portion of the Euro is gold-backed, a stability feature that has helped it outperform the dollar over the long haul. It is for this reason that many foreign investors have been taking money out of U.S. dollars and putting it into gold and oil instead, one explanation for why the price of both has continued to rise in recent months.
“Gold prices are climbing right now because the Federal Reserve is printing dollars in flood proportions to keep the real estate market afloat,” adds Richard Russell, editor Dow Theory Letters, a stock market trends and securities report published since 1946. “This is creating inflation, which erodes purchasing power. All the world’s central banks are inflating right now, reducing confidence in paper globally and encouraging gold-buying. India and China are spurring gold prices as well. India is the world’s largest gold-consumer, and the Chinese government is actively encouraging its citizens to buy gold.”
All are extremely encouraging signs for gold investors. Over the course of the past 35 years, gold has climbed in value from a modest $35 an ounce to nearly $600. Contrast that with the battered U.S. dollar, a currency currently worth only 20% of its value in 1970.
“When gold peaked-out in the 1970s, interest rates were at an all-time high,” Lubaszka says. “Right now we’re waiting to feel the effects of the last 9 interest rate increases which generally take 6-9 months to begin impacting the economy. Now’s the time to buy gold because when rates go up, downward pressure is exerted on real estate, stocks and bonds and commodities like gold tend to increase. The opposite occurs when rates travel from a high to a low. That’s the time to reduce gold assets and increase the paper part of a portfolio.”
Buy Without Getting Burned Michelle Henderson, a talent agency owner in Los Angeles, Calif. understands the stakes when it comes to investing. “As an agent I work in a commission-based world, and have to invest in both people and ideas all the time,” she says. “Though I’d had bad experiences with stock investments in the past, I knew I would eventually find something that would work for me. I invested in a diversified metals portfolio made up of palladium, silver and gold, and earned a profit of 38% with the palladium alone. Staying focused on making money, and following World Financials advice, I was able to earn an above-average return and greatly increase the overall value of my assets safely.”
Lubaszka explain, “It’s probably best for the first time investor to begin conservatively by purchasing physical metals instead of gold stocks, which can be very volatile”. According to Clearwater, Fla.-based talk show host and gold analyst, Tom O’Brien, when metals gain 20%, gold equities jump by fifty or sixty per cent. That’s great when it happens but the reverse can occur as well.
Buy gold bars or coins, and put them in a safety deposit box. If you chose to purchase coins from a coin shop, make certain you pay the lowest price possible and that they have a buy back policy. If you elect to go with a broker, fees will be inevitable because you are purchasing a tangible commodity.
There are brokers, and then there are brokers. The best of the breed will answer all questions, and make the process of first-time gold buying less nerve-wracking. Great brokers are also accessible when needed, and quick to call with any new information that affects the value of the investment.
Work with established companies, five years in business is good, ten even better. Don’t bother with firms that badger you with telemarketing offers or apply high-pressure sales tactics. Avoid paying high commissions too. Some brokers have layers of fees, through which they earn more money then they do investing on behalf of customers. There are also companies out there that will not buy metal back. Stay away from them as well.
“Check references and Better Business Bureau ratings”, Lubaszka adds. “Deal with a company that takes an active interest in doing business with you. World Financial, for example, offers a five-star customer satisfaction guarantee. If questions are not answered or we fail to respond to a prospect’s call or email within 24 hours, that person receives a one ounce silver American Eagle coin free of charge. A financial advisor’s job is to ease the investment process, and to insure that customers get the most for their money. Good advisers are merely good, but the best are worth their weight in gold.”
To contact World Financial directly call 818.264.4085. World Financial is the premiere provider of precious metals to investors nationwide. Aside from offering numerous incentive programs, World Financial offers clients the right type of precious metal strategy for every investor’s needs. They are located at 12198 Ventura Blvd Ste 200, Studio City http://worldfinancialdaily.com/
http://worldfinancialdaily.com
expert: Marc Lubaszka
The Process of Precision Metal Stamping
Precision metal stamping is the process of making 3-dimensional metal parts, lettering and other embossing. This is a kind of metal stamping used mostly for decorative purposes. It is similar to normal metal stamping, which is the process of molding metal into different shapes and sizes. The products obtained through metal stamping are used as components for some larger products in other industries. The most common metals and alloys used for precision metal stamping are copper, aluminum, brass, beryllium, nickel, nickel silver, steel, stainless steel, phos bronze and titanium.
Precision metal stamping is applicable to many industries like computers, electronics, electrical, dental, aerospace, instrumentation, military specs, defense, telecom and automotives. There are many methods in precision metal stamping for producing stamped prototypes. Blank creation is one such method. Blank creation involves the creation of a flat state of the component. The flat blank sheet is then used to make the part’s features. In blank creation, there are many processes like nibbling, chemical etching, water jet cutting, wire EDM, punch and die.
There are also many methods for producing prototypes by precision stamping. The type of method used depends on the size and intricacy of the parts to be produced as well as the number of prototypes. Single part transfer is one such method in which single parts are transferred from one station to the next for blanking and metal forming. The main advantage with this method is the cost effectiveness. One single, standard system can be maintained for designing, manufacturing and holding tooling inserts. However, this system is slow because it needs individual prototype parts. The other method is the progressive strip prototyping which involves the automatic transfer of the metal from one stage to the next.
Precision metal stamping can be done at very high speeds and even up to 1,200 strokes per minute. Precision metal stamping gives several advantages like the ability to use any metal or alloy and creation of components with very precise dimensions and shapes. Plating can also be very precise which is helpful when working with precious metals like gold and palladium.
Metal Stamping Info provides detailed information about precision, custom, and sheet metal stamping, as well as metal stamping machines and metal stamping die. Metal Stamping Info is the sister site of Wire EDM Web.
expert: Josh Riverside
Precision metal stamping is applicable to many industries like computers, electronics, electrical, dental, aerospace, instrumentation, military specs, defense, telecom and automotives. There are many methods in precision metal stamping for producing stamped prototypes. Blank creation is one such method. Blank creation involves the creation of a flat state of the component. The flat blank sheet is then used to make the part’s features. In blank creation, there are many processes like nibbling, chemical etching, water jet cutting, wire EDM, punch and die.
There are also many methods for producing prototypes by precision stamping. The type of method used depends on the size and intricacy of the parts to be produced as well as the number of prototypes. Single part transfer is one such method in which single parts are transferred from one station to the next for blanking and metal forming. The main advantage with this method is the cost effectiveness. One single, standard system can be maintained for designing, manufacturing and holding tooling inserts. However, this system is slow because it needs individual prototype parts. The other method is the progressive strip prototyping which involves the automatic transfer of the metal from one stage to the next.
Precision metal stamping can be done at very high speeds and even up to 1,200 strokes per minute. Precision metal stamping gives several advantages like the ability to use any metal or alloy and creation of components with very precise dimensions and shapes. Plating can also be very precise which is helpful when working with precious metals like gold and palladium.
Metal Stamping Info provides detailed information about precision, custom, and sheet metal stamping, as well as metal stamping machines and metal stamping die. Metal Stamping Info is the sister site of Wire EDM Web.
expert: Josh Riverside
Global Economic Power Shifts From The U.S. And Europe To Asia
India just reported GDP growth of 9.4% for the fiscal year ended March 2007. This is way above the 8% predicted rate of growth and moving toward China’s stunning 10.4% growth rate.
India, like China is becoming an engine of global growth. The U.S. is clearly no longer the important engine of global growth that it once was. Let us face facts. The U.S. has lost much of its global political leadership, and now its global economic leadership is coming into question.
The U.S. is still the world’s biggest economy, but with a growth rate of less than 1% in the last quarter, and with close to double digit growth in India and China there is little doubt that the U.S. will lose its status as the world’s biggest economy within a decade if these trends persist.
We are American, and we are pro-America, but we are also realists. Let us invest in those areas where the money is to be made. Let us invest in the countries that are growing fast and in the commodities and precious metals which will benefit from these trends. Let us look at the transportation companies whose products and services are necessary to effectuate this growth and at the energy and base metals which are the building blocks of any economy. Let us also look at the global financial intermediaries that will provide the financing for this growth and at the precious metals stocks where many of the profits will be invested.
In our opinion, gold will play a major part as a vehicle that central banks will acquire to strengthen their balance sheets. Recently, Spain sold some gold. The buyers were the central banks of countries with growing economies-the buyers were Asian central banks.
As power shifts from the U.S. and Europe to Asia, so do the central bank gold holdings shift from U.S. and Europe to Asia.
For more information on global investment visit http://www.howtoinvestglobally.com For more information on Monty Guild's investment management visit http://www.guildinvestment.com
These articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a solicitation, offering or recommendation of any security. Guild Investment Management does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this web site are suitable or appropriate for all investors. Any market analysis constitutes an opinion that may not be correct. Readers must make their own independent investment decisions. The information in this article is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation, or which would subject Guild Investment Management to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country.
Any opinions expressed herein, are subject to change without notice. In addition, there are many market, currency, economic, political, business, technological and other risks that are beyond our control. We make reasonable efforts to provide accurate content in these articles; however, some content and some of the assumptions, formulas, algorithms and other data that impact the content may be inaccurate, outdated, or otherwise inappropriate. In addition, we may have conflicts of interest with respect to any investments mentioned. Our principals and our clients may hold positions in investments mentioned on the site or we may take positions contrary to investments mentioned.
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Monty Guild founded Guild Investment Management in 1971. Prior to founding the company he was an analyst at a bank and a hedge fund. Mr. Guild is a recognized expert in the areas of international investing and economics. He has been a writer and speaker on economic issues for 30 plus years and has been widely quoted in the world media. He holds a BA in economics and an MBA with highest honors.
expert: Monty Guild
India, like China is becoming an engine of global growth. The U.S. is clearly no longer the important engine of global growth that it once was. Let us face facts. The U.S. has lost much of its global political leadership, and now its global economic leadership is coming into question.
The U.S. is still the world’s biggest economy, but with a growth rate of less than 1% in the last quarter, and with close to double digit growth in India and China there is little doubt that the U.S. will lose its status as the world’s biggest economy within a decade if these trends persist.
We are American, and we are pro-America, but we are also realists. Let us invest in those areas where the money is to be made. Let us invest in the countries that are growing fast and in the commodities and precious metals which will benefit from these trends. Let us look at the transportation companies whose products and services are necessary to effectuate this growth and at the energy and base metals which are the building blocks of any economy. Let us also look at the global financial intermediaries that will provide the financing for this growth and at the precious metals stocks where many of the profits will be invested.
In our opinion, gold will play a major part as a vehicle that central banks will acquire to strengthen their balance sheets. Recently, Spain sold some gold. The buyers were the central banks of countries with growing economies-the buyers were Asian central banks.
As power shifts from the U.S. and Europe to Asia, so do the central bank gold holdings shift from U.S. and Europe to Asia.
For more information on global investment visit http://www.howtoinvestglobally.com For more information on Monty Guild's investment management visit http://www.guildinvestment.com
These articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a solicitation, offering or recommendation of any security. Guild Investment Management does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this web site are suitable or appropriate for all investors. Any market analysis constitutes an opinion that may not be correct. Readers must make their own independent investment decisions. The information in this article is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation, or which would subject Guild Investment Management to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country.
Any opinions expressed herein, are subject to change without notice. In addition, there are many market, currency, economic, political, business, technological and other risks that are beyond our control. We make reasonable efforts to provide accurate content in these articles; however, some content and some of the assumptions, formulas, algorithms and other data that impact the content may be inaccurate, outdated, or otherwise inappropriate. In addition, we may have conflicts of interest with respect to any investments mentioned. Our principals and our clients may hold positions in investments mentioned on the site or we may take positions contrary to investments mentioned.
Guild’s current and past market commentaries are protected by copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, you must not copy, frame, modify, transmit or distribute the market commentaries, without seeking the prior consent of Guild.
Monty Guild founded Guild Investment Management in 1971. Prior to founding the company he was an analyst at a bank and a hedge fund. Mr. Guild is a recognized expert in the areas of international investing and economics. He has been a writer and speaker on economic issues for 30 plus years and has been widely quoted in the world media. He holds a BA in economics and an MBA with highest honors.
expert: Monty Guild
Crying Baby Boomers
Social Security is BANKRUPT! The first segment of the Baby Boomers is about to help themselves to their share of Social Security. These are the people who were born in 1946 and are now 61 years of age. Shortly, an increasing number of these Baby Boomers will be taking early retirement. We are now seeing the front edge of a major Baby Boomer wave when those people who were born between 1946 and 1964, 80 million in all, will qualify for Social Security.
The Boomers tend to come from the age when you're told to go to school, get good grades, go to college, get a good job, work until retirement, retire, and enjoy the good life... with either your employer or government "entitlements" like Social Security taking care of you. The vast majority of Baby Boomers have been forced to take the latter Social Security since very few employers offer fully funded "Defined Benefit" retirement programs any more.
But unbeknownst to most people is the fact that the Social Security (SS) trust fund has no... funds. The cupboards are bare. You see, as the Social Security tax rolls come into the government, they go into the general treasury. Current SS recipients are paid from these funds, but there is no surplus... in fact, there's a deficit... more is paid out than comes in. So there really is no "trust" so to speak.
Brian Riedl of the conservative Heritage Foundation warns, "This is the single greatest economic challenge of our era."
If you believe, as do I, that the U.S. government's balance sheet is a tad bit tipped to the negative to the tune of almost $9 TRILLION, you've seen nothing yet. Over the next few decades the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare will rack up $50 trillion more in government obligations.
The US government has essentially two ways to address this situation. The first way will be to scale back on the benefits... there's just no other choice. The second way that the US government will address the situation will be through monetary inflation, the most subtle form of currency devaluation.
The government will have to print the money to cover the coming tidal wave of unfunded liabilities. Say what? Print money? If you or I printed money, what would happen to us? We'd be thrown in jail. Not so for the U.S. government... or more accurately, the Federal Reserve, which is neither federal nor are there actually any reserves of value. The gold backing of our "fiat" Federal Reserve Notes, the dollar, was completely removed back in 1971 by then President Nixon. The Federal Reserve prints money, so to speak, by creating the dollars out of thin air and then using them to buy U.S. treasuries (bills, notes, and bonds) in the "open market"... thus the name "Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)" that we hear so much about in the news.
This "printing" process will have a brutal impact on the dollar, a dollar that is already in decline and has broken major support at 80 on the dollar index. So what can you do to protect yourself from the further decline in the dollar? These and many more solutions you will find at our wealth-building web page.
The purchasing power of the dollar will continue to head down. Since 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created by an act of Congress, the dollar has lost 96 percent of its value. A dollar in 1913 is worth 4 cents today. We must wonder what the dollar will buy ten years from now -- fifteen years, twenty years. It's very sad, indeed.
This is the reason to own gold, silver, other precious metals, commodities, collectibles and just about anything that has inherent intrinsic value. The ultimate fate of the US dollar, and all fiat currencies for that matter, is for it to seek its ultimate intrinsic value... zero.
The third phase of the great commodities bull market lies ahead as the decline of the dollar and other fiat currencies is "discounted" in the market. Gold is destined to rise to "impossible" heights in terms of current US dollars. The reason the big move lies ahead is that the vast majority of investors remain clueless about what's happening to the US dollar and correspondingly, gold. The US public owns no gold. But when they wake up... look out!
"In every dark cloud there is a silver lining." Although there remains a preponderance of negative economic fundamentals in the United States, there is always a way to take advantage of such situations
Please see the Investors section of our web site at: http://www.dreamlifestylefound.com/investors/?CryingBabyBoomers
Jay Jolly has been creating wealth and investing since 1981. He has developed proprietary intellectual property that he shares with clients and institutions world wide. As an entrepreneur Jay empowers and inspires you to create the lifestyle of your dreams. Because of Jay's experience and reputation, he is a sought-after presenter for wealth and investing conferences across North America speaking on the global economy, geopolitics, markets, and investing. Jay's primary mission in life is to empower you with the knowledge, education, and experience in order for YOU to make your own decisions about money and investing. You CAN achieve the lifestyle of your dreams... and it is Jay's purpose and goal to assist you in every way he can. Your ultimate goal: freedom of choice ... your ability to choose whatever it is you wish to do with your precious time remaining on this mos
expert: Jay Jolly
The Boomers tend to come from the age when you're told to go to school, get good grades, go to college, get a good job, work until retirement, retire, and enjoy the good life... with either your employer or government "entitlements" like Social Security taking care of you. The vast majority of Baby Boomers have been forced to take the latter Social Security since very few employers offer fully funded "Defined Benefit" retirement programs any more.
But unbeknownst to most people is the fact that the Social Security (SS) trust fund has no... funds. The cupboards are bare. You see, as the Social Security tax rolls come into the government, they go into the general treasury. Current SS recipients are paid from these funds, but there is no surplus... in fact, there's a deficit... more is paid out than comes in. So there really is no "trust" so to speak.
Brian Riedl of the conservative Heritage Foundation warns, "This is the single greatest economic challenge of our era."
If you believe, as do I, that the U.S. government's balance sheet is a tad bit tipped to the negative to the tune of almost $9 TRILLION, you've seen nothing yet. Over the next few decades the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare will rack up $50 trillion more in government obligations.
The US government has essentially two ways to address this situation. The first way will be to scale back on the benefits... there's just no other choice. The second way that the US government will address the situation will be through monetary inflation, the most subtle form of currency devaluation.
The government will have to print the money to cover the coming tidal wave of unfunded liabilities. Say what? Print money? If you or I printed money, what would happen to us? We'd be thrown in jail. Not so for the U.S. government... or more accurately, the Federal Reserve, which is neither federal nor are there actually any reserves of value. The gold backing of our "fiat" Federal Reserve Notes, the dollar, was completely removed back in 1971 by then President Nixon. The Federal Reserve prints money, so to speak, by creating the dollars out of thin air and then using them to buy U.S. treasuries (bills, notes, and bonds) in the "open market"... thus the name "Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)" that we hear so much about in the news.
This "printing" process will have a brutal impact on the dollar, a dollar that is already in decline and has broken major support at 80 on the dollar index. So what can you do to protect yourself from the further decline in the dollar? These and many more solutions you will find at our wealth-building web page.
The purchasing power of the dollar will continue to head down. Since 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created by an act of Congress, the dollar has lost 96 percent of its value. A dollar in 1913 is worth 4 cents today. We must wonder what the dollar will buy ten years from now -- fifteen years, twenty years. It's very sad, indeed.
This is the reason to own gold, silver, other precious metals, commodities, collectibles and just about anything that has inherent intrinsic value. The ultimate fate of the US dollar, and all fiat currencies for that matter, is for it to seek its ultimate intrinsic value... zero.
The third phase of the great commodities bull market lies ahead as the decline of the dollar and other fiat currencies is "discounted" in the market. Gold is destined to rise to "impossible" heights in terms of current US dollars. The reason the big move lies ahead is that the vast majority of investors remain clueless about what's happening to the US dollar and correspondingly, gold. The US public owns no gold. But when they wake up... look out!
"In every dark cloud there is a silver lining." Although there remains a preponderance of negative economic fundamentals in the United States, there is always a way to take advantage of such situations
Please see the Investors section of our web site at: http://www.dreamlifestylefound.com/investors/?CryingBabyBoomers
Jay Jolly has been creating wealth and investing since 1981. He has developed proprietary intellectual property that he shares with clients and institutions world wide. As an entrepreneur Jay empowers and inspires you to create the lifestyle of your dreams. Because of Jay's experience and reputation, he is a sought-after presenter for wealth and investing conferences across North America speaking on the global economy, geopolitics, markets, and investing. Jay's primary mission in life is to empower you with the knowledge, education, and experience in order for YOU to make your own decisions about money and investing. You CAN achieve the lifestyle of your dreams... and it is Jay's purpose and goal to assist you in every way he can. Your ultimate goal: freedom of choice ... your ability to choose whatever it is you wish to do with your precious time remaining on this mos
expert: Jay Jolly
Phases of Financial Planning
Most people want to retire with some level of financial security. We all want the peace of mind and self-dignity that comes from knowing that we are not at risk of ever becoming a burden on our families, the government or the state.
Knowing and understanding the three different phases of financial planning can act as a road map and help us prepare a good solid financial plan to improve our chances of meeting our life goals.
There are three different phases of financial planning:
The Accumulation phase
The Distribution phase, and
The Preservation phase
As the name implies, the first phase, the accumulation phase is the period of accumulating assets that will contribute to your wealth. This phase include your working years. First you learn to earn money, and then you determine how best to manage your money to make it grow into wealth. You can effectively do this by investing in different asset classes that will form the foundation of your wealth.
This phase provides a certain level of financial stability and most people never leave this phase their entire lifetime. However, majority of the population do not even enter this phase to begin accumulating any assets. They continually live from paycheque to paycheque without giving much thought to their financial future.
If you find your self in this phase, if you have invested in your first property (not your residential home), if you have started or purchased your first business, or purchased some stocks and shares, congratulate yourself.
Examples of common asset classes to contribute to your wealth include:
Cash (Treasury Bills, Money Markets, CDs)
Bonds
Stocks and shares
Land and Property (real estate)
Precious metals
The best advice for those in the accumulation stage is to hold onto the assets you are acquiring, and allow time to work it’s magic. Set time-bound goals for how long you intend to accumulate your assets before moving on to the next phase. Work diligently on your plan and keep your focus.
Continually learn more about the different asset classes available and diversify by investing in several classes. Different assets have different qualities and strengths, as well as risk and rewards.
Investing in several asset classes is a sound investment strategy that can significantly increase your ability to reach your investment goals faster.
The distribution stage is the period when you get to enjoy the benefits of wealth, when you get to draw down income from your assets. It is the reason for accumulating assets in the first place. After years of planning, investing and accumulating assets by the time you reach this stage your wealth is generally assured. Often by this time, your income is on autopilot to recur almost without much effort on your part. Most people can only dream about this phase.
The last phase is the preservation stage. This is the period when you plan to preserve and protect your accumulated wealth and prepare to safely transfer it to your rightful heirs.
In all three phases, there are three factors that can significantly erode the net value of your wealth. These are easily identified by the acronym PIT for:
Procrastination
Inflation and
Taxes
Whatever phase you are at in your financial plan, give careful thought to these three elements to reduce their threat to your net worth.
The key to reducing their threat to your wealth is to address them as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more damaging their impact becomes. With the right investment strategy, you can enjoy your wealth, and simultaneously keep it intact.
The first most important step to financial planning is focussed asset accumulation. Start saving now to build and accumulate your wealth. Until you save, you cannot accumulate. The earlier you start planning, the sooner you will save, and the faster your assets will grow.
About the Author
Wealth and prosperity coach Margaret Ntifo specialises in helping empower people create ideal lives filled with more Money, Wealth and Prosperity.
For more information, and a free 7-Day e-course visit: Money, Wealth & Prosperity TIPS.
You may freely distribute this article in its entirety providing this copyright notice remains intact.
Further information contact: Margaret Ntifo
Copyright 2006: All Rights Reserved
expert: Margaret Ntifo
Knowing and understanding the three different phases of financial planning can act as a road map and help us prepare a good solid financial plan to improve our chances of meeting our life goals.
There are three different phases of financial planning:
The Accumulation phase
The Distribution phase, and
The Preservation phase
As the name implies, the first phase, the accumulation phase is the period of accumulating assets that will contribute to your wealth. This phase include your working years. First you learn to earn money, and then you determine how best to manage your money to make it grow into wealth. You can effectively do this by investing in different asset classes that will form the foundation of your wealth.
This phase provides a certain level of financial stability and most people never leave this phase their entire lifetime. However, majority of the population do not even enter this phase to begin accumulating any assets. They continually live from paycheque to paycheque without giving much thought to their financial future.
If you find your self in this phase, if you have invested in your first property (not your residential home), if you have started or purchased your first business, or purchased some stocks and shares, congratulate yourself.
Examples of common asset classes to contribute to your wealth include:
Cash (Treasury Bills, Money Markets, CDs)
Bonds
Stocks and shares
Land and Property (real estate)
Precious metals
The best advice for those in the accumulation stage is to hold onto the assets you are acquiring, and allow time to work it’s magic. Set time-bound goals for how long you intend to accumulate your assets before moving on to the next phase. Work diligently on your plan and keep your focus.
Continually learn more about the different asset classes available and diversify by investing in several classes. Different assets have different qualities and strengths, as well as risk and rewards.
Investing in several asset classes is a sound investment strategy that can significantly increase your ability to reach your investment goals faster.
The distribution stage is the period when you get to enjoy the benefits of wealth, when you get to draw down income from your assets. It is the reason for accumulating assets in the first place. After years of planning, investing and accumulating assets by the time you reach this stage your wealth is generally assured. Often by this time, your income is on autopilot to recur almost without much effort on your part. Most people can only dream about this phase.
The last phase is the preservation stage. This is the period when you plan to preserve and protect your accumulated wealth and prepare to safely transfer it to your rightful heirs.
In all three phases, there are three factors that can significantly erode the net value of your wealth. These are easily identified by the acronym PIT for:
Procrastination
Inflation and
Taxes
Whatever phase you are at in your financial plan, give careful thought to these three elements to reduce their threat to your net worth.
The key to reducing their threat to your wealth is to address them as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more damaging their impact becomes. With the right investment strategy, you can enjoy your wealth, and simultaneously keep it intact.
The first most important step to financial planning is focussed asset accumulation. Start saving now to build and accumulate your wealth. Until you save, you cannot accumulate. The earlier you start planning, the sooner you will save, and the faster your assets will grow.
About the Author
Wealth and prosperity coach Margaret Ntifo specialises in helping empower people create ideal lives filled with more Money, Wealth and Prosperity.
For more information, and a free 7-Day e-course visit: Money, Wealth & Prosperity TIPS.
You may freely distribute this article in its entirety providing this copyright notice remains intact.
Further information contact: Margaret Ntifo
Copyright 2006: All Rights Reserved
expert: Margaret Ntifo
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