Category: Investment

A whole life insurance investment is a relatively simple concept. You will be presented with a product that has a set premium and you will be paid the agreed upon amount of the death benefit at the end of the policy holders life. You will also have an investment component included in the policy. All money you contribute over and above the premium will be placed into a cash value account which is then invested on your behalf by the insurer.

Apart from providing you with cash value account and a guaranteed death benefit to leave to your heirs a whole life investment has some other features as well. You have the option to borrow against the cash value your policy or fully withdraw an amount if you have an emergency need for the funds available during the life of the policy.

The theory behind a whole life policy is that it will pay out set death benefit and a cash value to your beneficiaries all while you are guaranteed a set, unchanging premium for the life of the policy. It does more than this, though, when you consider the fact that all the money is tax free and/or tax deferred.

Because of this tax free feature you will have the ability to make a portfolio that can achieve a number of goals that you otherwise may not be able to. You can actually use the whole life policy to secure a smooth succession in the case of a family owned business or to protect your other assets.

You may be met with derision about your interest in a whole life insurance investment by detractors who say that it isnt a real investment because it isnt run like ones stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. While it may not grow that fast, it has the potential to a much safer long term investment since it is done in a safer manner that is designed to ensure your money keeps growing despite market ups and downs.

A whole life insurance investment policy is generally seen as a “savings asset” as opposed to an “investment asset” because your money is saved and grown in a much less aggressive fashion than regular stocks and bonds. With a whole life insurance policy your additional money will be placed into a savings account where it will accrue interest. You dont have to invest the money within this savings account, but you can do so if you wish to. The savings account on its own, though, will become a huge asset over time.

This year, investment in the stock market is making many downright jittery. Though overall the stock market does seem to be hovering around the 10,000 mark, many investors are plagued with uncertainty about short and long term investments in the stock market. Will stocks go up or down this week? Is now to time to keep money in the market? Or take money out of the stock market?

As a real estate professional, I always advise people to continue to invest in property. With so many bank owned properties flooding many different markets, real estate investors are actively purchasing homes and investment properties and obtaining some great deals right now.

John Starke, an Investment Advisor and Financial Principle with American Beacon Partners, says that many investors have grown tired of the risk involved in purchasing equities, mutual funds, and other types of investments. Prior to the sharp downturn in the market in 2008, investors goals were to accrue money through appreciation. “Rather than nervously watch their portfolios go up and down, investors want a more stable income,” noted Starke. He sees a rise in interest in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Tax Free and Corporate Bonds, and even some Corporate CDs. “Many investors are pulling their money from equities and mutual funds and opting for investments that pay a decent, regular return on their money,” said Starke.

In my everyday real estate transactions, I see investors pulling large sums of money from the stock market and putting it into the purchase of homes and properties in Virginia. I have taken the time to ask real estate investors their opinion about stock market investments. Many have decided that the stock market is not for them right now. One investor, J. D., purchased a property in King William County, Virginia that was in foreclosure for $90,000. She will spend approximately $4,000 to prepare the property for the rental market and be able to collect a monthly income of $1,000 from her investment. J.D. told me “I feel the time is right to start investing in real estate again. I stopped four years ago when property prices got out of hand. I intend to do even more real estate investment now.”

Another client, who plans to retire in a few years, is selling one commercial property investment in order to purchase a strip mall in the Western Virginia town where he plans to retire. He will pay the purchase price and invest approximately $40,000 into the strip mall to prepare it for the commercial rental market. He told me, “I am tired of having a business that I have to work at everyday. I want to have an investment that will work for me as I am planning to retire in about two years.” His upcoming shift in lifestyle is motivation for his new commercial property investment. Note that hes not selling one business and putting the money into the market. This may have been the trend for a retiree five years ago but not in the new economy.

Finally, H.G. in Hampton, Virginia made a wise move with money he once had in the stock market. He purchased a condominium for $50,000, invested $2,500 in the property renovations, and is now receiving $850 per month in rental income for the unit. HG said, “I am making more of a return from my property investment than I would in the stock market, and I also receive a tax deduction to boot.”

There are of course risks in real estate investments. A tenant could default on the rental agreement, or a property could remain vacant for months on end. That is why it is imperative that real estate investors hire experienced and knowledgeable property managers to maximize their investment. All of the property investors mentioned in this article are using my property management services for their real estate investments. Other risks include unforeseen maintenance and repair issues. This is why it is important for property investors to put a portion of their profits aside to reinvest in the home, condominium or townhouse they purchase.

Where property investment is concerned, even these risks, when anticipated and well-planned for, are small compared to the uncertainty of stock investments.

Shawn Tully, Senior Editor at Large for Fortune magazine, published “2010’s Coming Stock Market Crash: 1987 all Over Again” in May 2010. He states that stocks are still overpriced. He predicts a low return on investment (or a loss) as an inevitable outcome of this scenario. Tully bolsters his opinion with these astute observations: “Here’s how I see the odds. The chances are about one in three that we suffer a huge, wrenching correction in the next year or two similar to the one in 1987. That possibility is so high because stocks are so startlingly expensive. Another high probability event is that markets go on a long sideways grind, with smaller drops along the way. What’s extremely unlikely is that the market rises substantially from current levels and stays there for any extended period.”

Experts within the financial industry may be reluctant to put forth the strong opinion that Tully articulates. Still, there is no denying that investors have undergone a major shift in perspective since the financial crisis of late 2008 culminated in a recession, took hold of the United States and spread to other countries.

People will always need a place to live. With more and more families sadly experiencing foreclosure and dislocation, renting will be their most likely option. More rental properties will be necessary to fulfill housing demands. Investors need to take a serious look at property investment in their areas, and take steps to purchase viable homes even if they are in need of some repair or upgrades.

Visit http://VonCannonRealEstate.com to view potential investment property listings in Virginia in Williamsburg, Hampton, Newport News, Yorktown, Richmond and Northern Neck areas such as Matthews, Northumberland and King and Queen Counties.

In the domain of real estate business there is no need to be apprehensive as yet for the Americans, are still recovering from the fear of debts which had controlled their finances until recently and it is only with the help of such resources as a low interest consolidation or the best debt management programs that the citizens could finally get respite from the trap of debts. But now when the economy has started to look up from the financial void, it is time for the citizens to change their views about some of the businesses which are capable of providing better returns in the long run. Gone are those days when businesses were looked with greater awe. Though there are persistent risks which are involved with this business, it is of more worth to calculate the advantages of being involved in this business.
Let us have an overview of the same in the next few lines:
If you have been comparing an array of business opportunities lately, you will be glad to know that a real estate investment is less risky than other businesses and they are in fact quite stable provided that you have actually been able to encompass the pettiest of aspects that are related to this business, and you have taken this opportunity seriously. However the lesser risks are associated with such factors as stability in the rate of mortgage followed by the appreciating value of the land and various other socio economic issues.
There is no need to have a huge capital at least initially to start off with the business. The property can be secured by negotiating a lower amount, and some money should be kept for holding the property as a security.
A real estate investment will not tale up a hell of all your time but only if you are calculating and clear sighted about the prevailing marketing conditions at that point of time.
As far as investing in real estate is concerned leveraging still remains as the best option wherein you can invest a portion of your money and the rest can be borrowed from a bank or any other financial institution.
If you are able to select the correct geographical location, you are likely to get a high value of appreciation over a period of time.
Along with paying your mortgage debts you will be creating a home line of equity which is to imply that you will be able to approach the original price of the property without any debt.
Unlike other investments where you may lose a lot of your money for paying the tax amounts, the tax exemptions on a real estate investment is much more than any other business.
Therefore a real estate investment is the best bet for the value of a property is almost always on the rise which provides a good impetus for the growth of this business, but you have got to treat it with the necessary vigilance and the required acumen.

All savvy investors take time to ponder over their investments. If you are an accredited investor, you have more to think about simply because there are investment options available to you that the general public does not have access to.

For clarity of thought, it is always a good idea to make a list of the pros and cons of each type of investment instrument. As an example, we will briefly discuss the pros and cons of hedge funds investments.

CONS

1) Hedge funds come with high management and performance fees. This may not necessarily be a con, as you shall see later.

2) Hedge funds do not require full disclosure like public funds. As a result, it may sometimes be hard to obtain precise information on trading strategies.

3) Hedge funds are usually not available to the general public. They are more commonly for certain qualified accredited investors. For this reason, access is often restricted.

4) Hedge funds may use proprietary trading strategies. Such strategies may be complex and difficult to understand.

PROS

1) Diversification: The proper hedge funds use a multiple manager/multiple strategy approach to insulate their funds from weaknesses or drops in the markets.

2) Hedge funds, when used appropriately, can be used to reduce investment risks (E.g. short selling). Funds can perform well in up and down markets worldwide.

3) As hedge funds are exempted from stringent disclosure requirements, they allow fund managers more freedom to buy and sell assets, or to employ any trading strategies that they deem fit. This allows the fund managers to respond quickly to market changes.

4) Due to the growth of the hedge funds industry as a whole, there are more options available to the accredited investor.

5) When a hedge fund trading strategy works in your favor, the returns can be much greater than traditional public funds.

Ultimately, as an investor, your challenge will be to find the right mix of funds that will achieve the highest possible return in the shortest amount of time. To achieve this, it is always a good idea to speak with a qualified advisor, as hedge funds are notorious for being secretive.

Speaking to a qualified advisor will help you to:

1) Learn more about the different types of hedge funds available in the market, and determine whether you are qualified to invest in these funds.

2) Understand more about the different trading strategies used by each hedge fund to invest in a variety of assets.

3) Make wiser hedge funds investment decisions.

To ensure that you make wiser investment choices, get as many opinions as you can – either from investment forums or blogs (one of the largest isnvestment forums is stock market forum and stock market news at StockMarketsReview.com). Ultimately, the more knowledge you gain, the less mistakes you will make and the more profitable your investments will be.

Indore is a central Indian state that can best be described as the commercial capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It’s also the largest city in Madhya Pradesh.
Economic State

Indore has a diverse population that makes it a favored region when it comes to products which are tested as a fresh concept. It is one of the fastest growing tier-II cities in India and is considered as a center for commerce in the central parts of the country. Indore is also becoming an IT hub with many IT industries flourishing in the state.

The immense growth of Indore has made it the highest contributor of tax revenues in the state. To efficiently harness the potential that is held by the exports in software industry, the government is setting up many Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects in Indore.

Indore is also characterized by more conventional production and manufacturing industries. The textile industry is a major industry of Indore. Modern shopping and trading areas have come up as a result of the economic growth of the city and many shopping centers and malls are popping up across the city.

Investment

With numerous land development projects on the way, Indore is rapidly becoming the real estate hub of the country. Quite obviously, Indore has the highest real estate values in the state of Madhya Pradesh and after the completion of some major development projects; the real estate value is expected to soar further.

To encourage the participation of IT companies, the state government is planning to set up technology parks and SEZs to accommodate the IT industry in a dedicated zone within Indore. Urban development project is also underway to meet the requirements of individuals moving into the city for work purposes.

In recent years, the state government has also introduced many policies to encourage the development of Indore. The MP State Industrial Policy, 2004, provides specialized packages for loss making units. It also offers many efficient incentive schemes and aims at developing industries in Indore through a ‘cluster’ approach. The state government has acknowledged Textile, Pharmaceutical, IT, Auto Components and Food Processing as the priority sectors for the city.

With the constitution of industrial clusters around Indore, its economic geography has expanded rapidly in the recent years. The major economic clusters around Indore are located in Kheda, Sanwer, Pithampur and Dewas.

Due to all these reasons, Indore has become a hot destination for the investors.