Fortune Watch

A Rate Cut appears to be the only way Wall Street may put the brakes on a steep decline next week, is anticipated from the Fed, and Friday’s monthly jobs data may trigger a comeback for stocks after their January dump. Even after this week’s two-day rally, stocks finished on Friday in the red and remain down sharply for the year so far.

The Federal Reserve’s meeting is expected to result in a reduction of 50 basis points in the fed funds rate, now down to 3.5pc.The central bank’s announcement will come only eight days after the Fed took emergency action on Tuesday and cut rates by 75 basis points. The move was surprising – not only for its size – but also because it came outside of a scheduled policy meeting.

The Fed acted as stocks were falling almost worldwide and about an hour before the market opened on Tuesday after a three-day holiday. The Federal announcement is expected on Wednesday, at the conclusion of a two-day meeting. A blizzard of economic reports, including data that may show contraction in fourth-quarter gross domestic product, and quarterly earnings from several Dow components, as well as a major speech by the president, will compete with the Fed and the jobs data for investors’ attention.

Investors on Wall Street and Main Street are likely to pay more attention than usual to the president’s remarks on his views of economy following this week’s decision on a tax-rebate plan.

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A man goes into a bar and seats himself on a stool. The bartender looks at him and says, “What’ll it be buddy?”

The man says, “Set me up with seven whiskey shots and make them doubles.” The bartender does this and watches the man slug one down, then the next, then the next, and so on until all seven are gone almost as quickly as they were served. Staring in disbelief, the bartender asks why he’s doing all this drinking.

“You’d drink them this fast too if you had what I have.”

The bartender hastily asks, “What do you have pal?”

The man quickly replies, “I have a dollar.”

*** *** ***

A man in a bar sees a friend at a table, drinking by himself.

Approaching the friend he comments, “You look terrible. What’s the problem?”

“My mother died in August,” he said, “and left me $25,000.”

“Gee, that’s tough,” he replied.

“Then in September,” the friend continued, “My father died, leaving me $90,000.”

“Wow. Two parents gone in two months. No wonder you’re depressed.”

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India’s Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled its much anticipated $2,500 car, an ultra-cheap price tag that brings car ownership into the reach of tens of millions of people. But critics worry the car could overwhelm the country’s roads and create an environmental nightmare.

Company Chairman Ratan Tata, introducing the Nano during India’s main auto show, drove onto a stage in a white version of the tiny four-door subcompact, his head nearly touching the roof.With a snub nose and a sloping roof, the world’s cheapest car can fit five people — if they squeeze. And the basic version is spare: there’s no radio, no passenger-side mirror and only one windshield wiper. If you want air conditioning to cope with India’s brutal summers, you need to get the deluxe version.

While the price has created a buzz, critics say the Nano could lead to possibly millions more automobiles hitting already clogged Indian roads, adding to mounting air and noise pollution problems. Others have said Tata will have to sacrifice quality and safety standards to meet the target price.

The chairman, though, insists the car will meet safety standards and pollute even less than motorcycles, passing domestic and European emission standards and averaging about 50 miles per gallon (20 kilometers per liter).

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Wise men always said that words are like arrows on a bow. Once released, they never come back but hover around in the universe. I wonder, what would you say about the written word?

Writers and writing coaches like to rail against flabby writing. But what if this verbal clutter wasn’t just getting in the way of us writing with clarity and style – what if it was also draining the vital resources of the planet?

Those innumerable blogs, sms blitz on a million mobiles, reams of emails are probably lying in the hinterland of the universe somewhere, words that we need no more.

Even when we hit the trash icon on our computer screens and feel happy to clear the trash from our computers and servers, does it go away completely? Or does it just get released in the digital world to rot and fester away for years?

The eco experts have already expressed alarm over the piling junk in space with nearly half a century of our space exploration programmes.

There is junk from spent rocket stages, hatches blown off space shuttles, paint fragments chipped of shuttles travelling at incredible speeds and old, rusted satellites, floating around us hundreds of light years away.

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It is often a daunting task to manage your finances with all of the different and varying expenses that you can accrue today. From mortgages, credit card bills, car payments, there are many financial responsibilities to juggle. Sometimes these expenses creep up on us and make it very difficult for us to pay. That is where a cash advance can truly help.

A cash advance payment is the sum that is paid toward the advanced amount of money that was received by the individual. This amount should be paid in full to eliminate any new charges or fees to an account. If this is not a possibility, the consumer will need to budget money very strictly and come up with a plan where the cash advance payments will be paid off as quickly as possible. To ensure a high level of organization and self-esteem through this whole process there are some things to think about when budgeting this expense into the rest of an individuals financial plan.

While these loans are often useful to those in need of emergency cash for bills or other unexpected financial burdens, there are often fees and interest that you must pay for the convenience of these cash advances. If they are not paid in a timely manner, they can also accrue fees and can ultimately damage your credit.

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Flattery will get you everywhere. Giving praise is often neglected. When was the last time you took the time to call someone to thank them about a service they performed for you? Or, in this generation, emailed a nice testimonial?

It helps negotiate: Flattery is infantry on the march for negotiation. Actually it is the best, and oldest, trick in the book to bag the best deals while shopping.

It breaks the ice: Sometimes, a little flattery goes a long way in getting to know new people. Surprising how much nicer people can get when their ego is pampered.

It lifts spirits: When a friend has a bad hair day or is feeling down, a bit of flattery does the trick. Instantly,it makes him/her feel better.

The queue moves: In a supermarket on a Friday evening, a little flattery can help you jump the queue and stave off varicose veins.

Makes light of excess baggage: A minor compliment accompanied with a smile could help you save some precious dollars at the airport!

Gets help when the tyre goes flat: A damsel in distress plus a little flattery. Result? A good samaritan to help and the happy prospect of keeping freshly manicured nails in tip top condition.

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It’s easy to look back at everything that happened in recent history and say, “I saw that coming.” But how good are you really at predicting the future?

Wall Street’s top forecasters have some good news and bad news for 2008. Many think stocks will head higher but that unemployment will rise and the overall economy will slow.

In other words, 2008 is going to look an awful lot like 2007. Despite falling housing prices and the subprime mortgage meltdown igniting fears about a broader economic slowdown. Subprime mortgage meltdown? The worst is over.

The coming year will be challenging for stock investors and you don’t need a crystal ball to make that prediction. However, since investing is always about future results, what do you think 2008 will be like for the stock market?

Odds are it will be very much like the latter part of 2007, at least through the first four to six months.

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The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. And that might well be the best way to tackle 2008. This year is almost over and while it’s a time of festivities, a look back may be a good idea if you’re thinking of some forward financial planning for 2008’s bills.

But you don’t need to resort to blaming yourself for what you could have saved if you had handled your expenditure more wisely. Crying over spilled milk isn’t only a negative way to start a new year, but also it gives you no recourse to whatever has been spent, lent or accumulated on your credit card bills.

A better way is to assess the damage or where you stand on your finances, and think of how to move forward. Even if you’re dragging a heavy load from 2007, just be clear about how much and to whom.

But keeping a positive attitude doesn’t mean that you should sit back and relax. Remember like everyone else, your bills are meant to increase in 2008 because of inflation, rent increases, your own growing needs, etc. So try to have a rough assessment of such increases and possible extra income as well. Then grab a notepad and a pencil to draft a budget for at least six months.

When you set your liabilities, income and estimated expenses side by side you should be able to see on paper where and how you’ll settle the 2007 debts, pay your new bills and be able to put aside some savings. If you cannot detect such a point in the coming six months, now you need to be alarmed. So what may have gone wrong?

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Stocks fell in Thursday after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and after the Commerce Department reported a weak increase in durable goods orders. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 100 points.

Bhutto’s assassination raised the possibility of increasing political unrest abroad, always an unsettling prospect for investors. Oil and gold prices rose following the news.

Witnesses said a man fired at Bhutto from close range, quickly followed by an explosion that the government said was caused by a suicide attacker. At least a dozen more people were killed in the attack.

Meanwhile, the government said orders for durable goods — big-ticket items from commercial jetliners to home appliances — rose by just 0.1 percent last month. Economists had been looking for a rise of 2.2 percent. Still, November saw the first rise in durable goods orders in the last four months.

The notion that the economy is slowing was also unnerving for the market.

The Labor Department said the number of workers seeking unemployment benefits showed a surprise increase last week. Applications filed for unemployment insurance rose by a seasonally adjusted 1,000 to 349,000. Economists had expecting the figure would fall to around 340,000 for last week.

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From knowing the business you are getting into to having some “fun money” to invest with, here are some tips on getting into Stocks and Bonds.

The stock market is something we read about daily, the exchanges from New York, London, Paris, Tokyo as well as places like Bombay and Shanghai. For many investing in the stock market is an unfathomable move and it’s unclear how to begin.

Tons and tons have been written on the methods and strategies of investing in the stock market and websites to get you started in the right direction. A good stock broker can advise you on putting together a portfolio reflecting your needs whether for conservative investment or ready for a certain amount of risk.

People like billionaire Warren Buffet cautions against investing in businesses you don’t understand. If you wish to invest in individual stocks, make sure you thoroughly understand each company those stocks represent. Another option is to get into exchange-trade funds or mutual funds, letting the fund management worry about buying into or selling off a portfolio of stocks.

When putting your capital into one or more companies, you need to keep your expectations realistic in regards to the length, time and growth that each stock will encounter. Some investments require time to produce long term gains so a sort of panic buying and selling can be disastrous.

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