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One of the most important strategies of retirement planning is to participate in your employer’s 401(k) plan. Your company may match your contributions, increasing both principal and interest by adding to your account balance at no cost to you. 

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Everyone has heard of the main social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, but did you know there are also social networking tools for smaller, more niche groups such as investors? If you are interested in joining a social networking site and mixing it up with other investors and traders then these four sites are a good place to start:

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One of the most important steps in successful chemical acquisitions is coming to an accurate valuation of the target that leaves room for the buy-side firm to find the deal worthwhile and simultaneously puts the sell-side firm in a position where it wants to make a deal. Valuation is difficult in any industry, more so when it is for the purpose of chemical M&A activity, as there are pressures on those conducting the valuation to make a deal happen to the benefit of the senior partners and shareholders, as well as the company. Expert assistance from a team of chemicals M&A consultants can be invaluable in this situation, as such a team will have resources designated specifically for conducting the type of investigations necessary for an accurate valuation.

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The recent financial crunch left a number of investors out of the share market. Investors who were retired from any regular job received the deadliest of blows. Many of them invested their life savings only to lose everything with the fall. Thus the question of asset allocation is of vital importance.  What strategy is the right one to make the money last longer? Here comes some advice on your personal finance to make your money go a long way. It is not, however, for those who have amassed enough wealth to leave a legacy for their next few generations.

People tend to worry that the money they have saved might not last for long. You can’t really blame them, considering all the ups and downs we have experienced in just one decade. Even the most secure investment has some pitfalls. For example, Treasury bills have long been considered a risk-free tool to invest on. Still the proposal of the raising debt ceiling has already exposed investors to risk. Many investors started to buy precious metals instead.

Google is a popular internet search engine that was established in 1996. In 2004, Google began providing shares for trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange. It is a publicly traded company; therefore, trading with Google, which goes under the symbol GOOG, is exactly the same as investing in other stocks that are available in the stock exchange. Google named itself in 2015 and is now known as Alphabet Inc. The stock recently traded as high as $768 a share near its all time high.

Many people today wonder if investing in Google is a good idea. Google has become a part of everyday life for most people. If you need to search a particular subject on the internet, you probably will Google it. Most experts on investing say that it is a good idea to invest in a company that you are familiar with. Google certainly fits that description.

Many people perceive the difference between the Stock market and the Forex market in the wrong way. They think that both markets are similar in terms of operation and involve the same kind of knowledge. Apart from the fact that both markets are indeed financial marketplaces, these two share very few similarities in terms of operation and structure.

There are a number of differences between the Stock market and the Forex market. The stock market operates within the boundaries of a certain economy whereas the Forex has a global structure. It involves participants from all over the world as they deal with the trading of currencies. Anyone can participate in the Forex as the use of information technology and the internet has made it accessible for everybody with a computer and an internet connection.

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Stockbrokers are an interesting lot.  Not because they’re renaissance men or women or otherwise unique in the world of suits and ties (I know this because I’ve know a few), but because they sometimes put forth an image that is, well, misleading.  And thus, when they set out to live into that image, they are, in effect, leading a secret life.

The image is one of great status.  Prestige.  As if they are commingling with investment bankers and CEOs  and perhaps skirting SEC investigations while laughing it off on the patio of the country club.  As if they are removing tumors between trips to an antique car auction via private jet.  But the truth is sobering when you strip the job down to it’s essence: stockbrokers are commissioned sales professionals.  That’s it.  An honorable profession for the most part, but really no different than the guy who sold you your last car.

One of the best shows on television is Men of a Certain Age, depicting the lives of three middle aged guys confronting their morbidity.  One of them is the son of a successful car dealer who is, thanks to Dad’s early retirement, now running the business.  From his point of view we see his crew of nattily-dressed salesman (doesn’t seem to be a female on the premises) driving cool cars they don’t own (demos), fighting for leads and walk-ins while professing product expertise worthy of a engineer.  Truth is, it’s all just something they’ve read in the latest product bulletin.

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Software security stocks have taken a dive in the wake of the recent attacks on computer networks. Almost all stocks have been hurt by these developments. Companies such as Symantec Corp., Fortinet Inc., and Sourcefire Inc. have suffered losses. They are trading at all-time lows this fiscal year. All this goes to show that even though some investors associate turmoil and controversy with big investment opportunities, this is not always the case. Those selling these stocks short are now moving away from them, because they are starting to see them as overpriced. Security stock professionals warn that the sales potential of these stocks is somewhat limited.

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Years ago, women depended on their husbands to bring home the money, invest it, take care of it and save it. Times have changed, thank God, and women are controlling their own finances and investments with the money that they make. Women are choosing what to do with their money and how to protect their futures, their families and their careers.