|
Surf's Up!
by Susan Kyle
The holidays are upon us and the same question
I ask myself every year is on my mind again. What do I buy for the person
who has everything?
Food, snacks and treats!
One can never have enough snacks in the
cupboard and shopping on the internet is one of the things I love to do
most. It's easy, fun and convenient. Following are some of my favorite
sites for locating those edible gifts.
www.harryanddavids.com. Harry and
David's offers a large variety of gifts including gift baskets, gift towers,
fresh fruits and vegetables, gourmet foods, fruit of the month club, florals
and much more. If you can't decide, you can purchase a gift certificate
that can be used at a later date. In addition to shipping within the U.S.,
they also offer international shipping. Many Harry and David's gifts can
be shipped APO/FPO, so men and women in the armed services can enjoy tasty
treats to remind them of home - and your thoughtfulness.
www.wolfermans.com. If it's specialty
breads, exquisite desserts and English muffins you desire, here's your
next stop. Wolfermans offers a large selection of Christmas and Hanukkah
gifts. English muffins, crumpets, scones, breads, tea breads, and may
other edibles including fruits, meats and nuts are just a few of the gift
ideas you will find here. Select a ready-made gift basket or choose items
individually and make your own. Holiday shipping guarantees that your
order will arrive on or before the selected holiday.
www.popcornfactory.com. This site
offers gifts for every occasion. Aside from all flavors and varieties
of popped corn (white cheddar, cheddar cheese, jalapeno, caramel, etc.)
they also offer chocolates, cookies and cakes. One of the things I like
about this site is that you can order "refill" bags for almost any item.
You can purchase your own tins and make your own gifts. Of course you
will then have to package the item and ship it yourself.
www.figis.com. If you are looking
for something in a hurry, in a certain price range, here is the site for
you. Figi's has a food gift assortment for any budget. You can enter a
"category," (nuts and snacks, chocolate and sweets, etc.) an "occasion"
(Christmas, New Year's, birthday, etc.) and a "price range" ($0 - $19.99,
$20 - $29.99, etc.), and items that fit your criteria will be shown. There
is also a large selection of gifts for pets and many sugar-free treats.
Your bound to find something at Figi's.
www.greenmountaincoffee.com. If
you know a coffee lover, this site will lead to you to a company that
is devoted to selling quality fresh roasted coffee and equipment. With
an endless list of blends, including decaf and flavored coffees, you're
sure to find something for the coffee lover in your life.
|
|
Talk of the
Trade
by Marc T. Reiser
Attracted by the extended bull market of
the last few years, people everywhere are scrambling to put their money
in stocks. However, many are confused by the foreign vocabulary used in
the investment world. Although an exhaustive study of the Wall Street
lexicon is not possible for everyone, new investors should certainly learn
basic terms that will allow them to accomplish the fundamental tasks of
investing.
How to Place an Order
The first aspect of buying or selling stocks
to know is how to place an order. Investors usually use three types —-
market, limit and stop.
A Market Order is an order to buy or sell
stock immediately at whatever price is available when it reaches the floor.
The order will always be executed; however, in a volatile market a stock
may be bought at a price considerably different from that on the ticker
at the time of the order.
A Limit Order, on the other hand, sets
a maximum price an investor is willing to pay when buying a stock, or
a minimum price at which he or she is willing to sell a stock. This order
can be useful in volatile markets because it allows investors to cap how
much they will actually pay for a stock at the time of the order, which
guards against the expense of a sudden upward spike in share cost. Investors
can also take advantage of the periodic downward spikes of a volatile
market by placing a Limit Order to buy at a predetermined share price
they believe is undervalued.
A Stop Order is also an order to buy or
sell when a stock's price reaches a preset level; however, it is the inverse
of a Limit Order. A Buy-Stop capitalizes on the upward momentum of a particular
stock by triggering a Market Order to buy once a stock's price increases
to a certain level, in the hope that the price will increase even further.
A Sell-Stop, or Stop-Loss Order, cuts a loss or preserves a profit by
triggering a Market Order to sell once a stock drops below a predetermined
price. Stop Orders are especially useful during times when you cannot
monitor your investments regularly.
Limit and Stop Orders are typically placed
either as Good-Until-Canceled, which stand until executed or canceled,
or as Day Orders, which expire at the end of the trading day. Orders can
also be mixed - a Stop-Limit will become a Limit Order, rather than a
Market Order, once a certain price is reached. However, these modifications
do not change the original type of order placed.
Although this knowledge can help you better
negotiate the stock market, success depends heavily on making informed
decisions. Your Financial Consultant is your best resource for information
and can help you develop a strategy that can best help you realize your
financial goals.
|
|
