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• Learning Life Skills with the Stock Market Game™ - 18 August 2011

As the only stock market simulation program endorsed by the New York Stock Exchange, the Stock Market Game ™ is an education tool aimed at teaching essential life skills such as decision making, critical thinking, independent research, cooperation, communication, saving and investing, with the latter being especially appropriate in the current economic climate. Launched in 1977 the program has been used in thousands of classrooms across the United States, not only to encourage the life-skills already mentioned, but also to add an exciting dimension to other critical academic subjects such as social studies, mathematics and language arts. It is estimated that more than ten million students have played the Stock Market Game ™ since its inception.

• Publicly Traded Utilities Increase M&A Activity - 20 June 2011

While utilities are generally considered to be essential services for which demand should increase as the population grows, making publicly traded utilities a reasonably safe option in an investment portfolio, recent reports have revealed that this is not the case with the demand for electricity. It seems that alternative power sources such as rooftop solar panels, and technology such as low-power processors and manufacturing businesses, has caused electricity demand to all but level off. The annual increase in electricity usage during the 1990s was around 2.4 percent, whereas during the current decade the annual increase in usage has been approximately 0.5 percent. Moreover, a recent study by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions revealed nine out of ten businesses and up to 70 percent of consumers polled have set reachable goals to decrease their electricity costs.

• Investor Demand High for GM IPO - 18 November 2010

Since General Motors put word out that it was planning an initial public offering (IPO) the response from eager investors has resulted in a revision of the original IPO figure and, starting Thursday November 18, GM will be offering $4.6 billion worth of preferred shares, as well as 478 million common shares which should fetch between $32 and $33 per share. This move will go down in US stock market history as the largest IPO on record, even if preferred shares are taken out of the equation.

• Stock Market Simulators - 6 September 2010

Few would disagree that being a stock market player must be one of the most stressful, but also the most exciting, career paths to follow – especially in light of the global financial turmoil over the past two years or so. Have you ever wondered what it must feel like to win, or lose, a fortune as a result of a single decision? Or if slow and steady is your way, how would you best go about building up a comfy nest-egg by investing in the stock market? Before you leap into the world of high finance, you can test your aptitude for stock market trading, without any of the financial risk, by means of a stock market simulator.

• Passive vs. Active Investing Management - 31 December 2009

With many situations in life where there are two directly opposing opinions, each side believes their way to be the best, and this is certainly true of passive and active management in stock market investing. Proponents of passive management, also referred to as index investing, generally believe that the market can’t be beaten and therefore portfolio managers don’t make the decision as to which securities to buy or sell. Instead they copy an index by buying the same securities that are included in a particular bond or stock market index. Active managers, on the other hand, attempt to beat the market as measured by a chosen index or benchmark, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500 or the Russell 1000, that gauge the performance of blue chip stocks. The ultimate goal of active management is to outperform the index for a particular fund by taking into account prevailing market trends, political and other current events, the economy and factors such as earnings growth relating to individual companies.

• Dividend-Paying Stocks May Balance Out Investor Portfolios in Volatile Market - 8 September 2008

At one time considered to be an integral aspect of an investor’s portfolio, stock dividends have taken a back seat in recent years as investors turned to shares that offered greater capital appreciation. The current volatile market, however, has highlighted the value of including dividend-paying stocks in a balanced portfolio. This is especially true in light of the fact that the benchmark for the U.S. market, Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, has in effect delivered flat returns since 2000.

• Brokerage Accounts – Which is Right for You? - 8 July 2008

If you are considering investing in the stock market, opening a brokerage account is the first step toward building a healthy investment portfolio. A brokerage account makes it possible for a professional broker to buy or sell stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments on your instruction – all for a fee. The commission collected by your broker differs based on whether your account is with a discount brokerage or a traditional brokerage.