Submitted by: John AL Brandy
So you have a $100 set aside, and you’re ready to enter the world of stock investing. But before you jump head first into the world of stocks and bonds, there are a few things you need to consider. One of the biggest considerations for investors with a minimal amount of funds is not only what to invest in but also how to go about investing. Not long into your investment journey you may find yourself bombarded with minimum deposit restrictions, commissions and the need for diversification, among a myriad of other considerations. In this article, we’ll walk you through getting started as an investor and show you how to maximize your returns by minimizing your costs.
What are the account minimums?
To the inexperienced investor, investing may seem simple enough – all you need to do is go to a brokerage firm and open up an account, right? What you may not know, however, is that all financial institutions have minimum deposit requirements. In other words, they won’t accept your account application unless you deposit a certain amount of money. With a sum as small as $100, some firms won’t allow you to open an account.
KARAMWAY online investment company offer a good opportunity regarding to your minimum amount, you can start your investment with only USD $100, and they offer up to 10% monthly profit without any work from your side, KARAMWAY is one of the safest Investment company in terms of investment conditions, the volumes of diversity and trading operations as well as volumes of current assets in management.
Stocks
Stock brokers come in two flavors: full-service and discount. As the name implies, a full-service broker provides much more in the way of service, but it only deals with higher net worth clients. It’s not unusual to see minimum account sizes of $50,000 and up at full-service brokerages.
This leaves the $1,000-investor with the option of a discount broker. Discount brokers have considerably lower fees, but don’t expect much in the way of hand-holding. Fees are low because you are in charge of all investment decisions you can’t call up and ask for investment advice. With $1,000, you are right on the cusp in terms of the minimum deposit. There will be some discount brokers that will take you and others that won’t. You’ll have to shop around.
You also could purchase shares directly from a company through direct stock purchase plans (DSPPs). But some of these plans have a minimum investment amount restriction, which ranges between $100 and $500.
With the advent of online trading, there are a number of discount brokers with no (or very low) minimum deposit restrictions. One of the most popular online trading sites is ShareBuilder. You will, however, be faced with other restrictions and see higher fees for certain types of trades. This is something an investor with a $1,000 starting balance should take into account if he or she wants to invest in stocks.
Mutual Funds and Bonds
If mutual funds or bonds are investments you would like to make, it is simpler in terms of minimum deposit amounts. Both of these can be purchased through brokerage firms, where similar deposit rules apply as stocks. Mutual funds also can be purchased through your local bank, often for less than $1,000 when you have an existing relationship with the bank.
If you want to purchase government bonds, this can be done straight from the government through TreasuryDirect. The only restriction here is the minimum purchase amount of a bond, which can range from $100 to $1,000.
Learn the Costs of Investing
Commissions
Before you open an investment account, you must also consider the costs that you will incur from purchasing investments once the account is open. In most cases, every time you purchase an investment, it will cost you money (through commissions). With a limited amount of funds, these transaction fees can really put a dent on your $1,000.
Investing in stocks can be very costly if you trade constantly, especially with a minimum amount of money available to invest. Every time that you trade stock, either buying or selling, you will incur a trading fee. Trading fees range from the low end of $10 per trade, but can be as high as $30 for some discount brokers. Remember, a trade is an order to purchase shares in one company – if you want to purchase five different stocks at the same time, this is seen as five separate trades and you will be charged for each one.
Now, imagine that you decide to buy the stocks of those five companies with your $1,000. To do this you will incur $50 in trading costs, which is equivalent to 5% of your $1,000. If you were to fully invest the $1,000, your account would be reduced to $950 after trading costs. This represents a 5% loss, before you investments even have a chance to earn a cent!
If you were to sell these five stocks, you would once again incur the costs of the trades, which would be another $50. To make the round trip (buying and selling) on these five stocks it would cost you $100, or 10% of your initial deposit amount of $1,000. If your investments don’t earn enough to cover this, you have lost money by just entering and exiting positions.
Mutual Fund Fees
There are many fees an investor will incur when investing in mutual funds. One of the most important fees to focus on is the management expense ratio (MER), which is charged by the management team each year based on the amount of assets in the fund. The higher the MER, the worse it is for the fund’s investors. It doesn’t end there: you’ll also see a number of sales charges called “loads” when you buy mutual funds.
In terms of the beginning investor, the mutual fund fees are actually an advantage relative to the commissions on stocks. The reason for this is that the fees are the same regardless of the amount you invest. So, as long as you have the minimum requirement to open an account, you can invest as little as $50 or $100 per month in a mutual fund. The term for this is called dollar cost averaging (DCA), and it can be a great way to start investing.
Reduce risk with Diversification
Diversification is considered to be the only free lunch in investing. (If you are new to this concept, check out Introduction To Diversification, The Importance Of Diversification and A Guide To Portfolio Construction.) In a nutshell, by investing in a range of assets, you reduce the risk of one investment’s performance severely hurting the return of your overall investment. You could think of it as financial jargon for “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket”.
In terms of diversification, the greatest amount of difficulty in doing this will come from investments in stocks. This was illustrated in the commissions section of the article, where we discussed how the costs of investing in a large number of stocks can be detrimental to the portfolio. With a $1,000 deposit, it is nearly impossible to have a well-diversified portfolio, so be aware that you may need to invest in one or two companies (at the most) to begin with. This will increase your risk.
This is where the major benefit of mutual funds comes into focus. Mutual funds tend to have a large number of stocks and other investments within the fund, which makes the fund more diversified than a single stock.
A Small Step Toward a Large Future
It is possible to invest if you are just starting out with a small amount of money. It’s more complicated than just selecting the right investment (a feat that is difficult enough in itself) and you have to be aware of the restrictions that you face as a new investor.
You’ll have to do your homework to find the minimum deposit requirements and then compare the commissions to other brokers. Chances are you won’t be able to cost-effectively buy individual stocks and still be diversified with a small amount of money. Given these restrictions, it’s probably worth starting out on your investment journey with mutual funds. However, like all aspects of investing, it’s up to you to do the research and figure out the strategy that suits you best.
About the Author: John Brandon
karamway.com
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=1942974&ca=Finances}
A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, March 7, 2007.
The European Union has banned the 35 planes in the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) 45 aircraft fleet from flying in EU airspace. The reason provided by EU was that these plans do not fulfill the safety requirement for international planes and thus were banned. PIA has redeployed its Boeing 777 jets from US to EU flights to facilitate passengers in Europe. Flights PK 782 and PK 790 are still running on time from Toronto in Canada.
Sources
The Oklahoma Senate approved a bill introduced by lawmaker Patrick Anderson of Enid that enables police to seize vehicles when drivers fail to produce proof of insurance. The bill was tacked onto a measure to prohibit inserting microchips into people without their permission. 91,000 drivers have been ticketed for lack of insurance in Oklahoma to date.
Sources
The New Orleans Saints have released All-Pro wide receiver Joe Horn because of money issues. The Saints hope to draft LSU (Louisiana State University) wide receiver DeWayne Bowe in the NFL Draft to fill Horn’s place.
Sources
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This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.
Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.
Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. |
Saturday, June 4, 2005
After an investigation of allegations that Islam’s holy book the Qu’ran was mishandled in front of inmates at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Bush administration has acknowledged the credibility of some of these reports. According to Robert Burns of the Associated Press, U.S. military officials acknowledged that, “a Muslim holy book was splashed with urine,” and “a detainee’s Quran was deliberately kicked and another’s was stepped on.” The US government first denied a specific report that the Qu’ran had been flushed down a toilet at the prison facility, but on Friday agreed that similar allegations were indeed true.
On May 16, Newsweek magazine apologized to the victims of deadly riots that ensued due to a Newsweek article stating that U.S. officials defiled the Qur’an. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan criticized Newsweek’s initial response to the incident, saying it was “puzzling.” Later that day, Newsweek retracted the story, which the White House said was a “good first step”.
On May 20, the International Red Cross (IRC) revealed in a rare public announcement that it had documented and reported to the United States credible information concerning desecration of the Qur’an by Guantanamo Bay personnel. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, acknowledged that allegations were made on “rare occasions” but were uncorroborated. Simon Schorno, a Red Cross spokesman, disputed the Pentagon’s denial saying, “All information we received were corroborated allegations.” He added that, “We certainly corroborated mentions of the events by detainees themselves,” and that “the ICRC considers such reports “very seriously, and very carefully, and [we] document everything.”
Scott McClellan explained in a press conference that the White House is not trying to tell Newsweek what to print. McClellan said, “Look, this report caused serious damage to the image of the United States abroad. And Newsweek has said that they got it wrong. I think Newsweek recognizes the responsibility they have. We appreciate the step that they took by retracting the story. Now we would encourage them to move forward and do all that they can to help repair the damage that has been done by this report. And that’s all I’m saying. But, no, you’re absolutely right, it’s not my position to get into telling people what they can and cannot report.”
On May 25, Amnesty International called for the shutdown on Guantanamo Bay due to numerous human rights violations, saying “The ‘war on terror’ appeared more effective in eroding international human rights principles than in countering international ‘terrorism’.” Amnesty International’s view was shared by both the International Red Cross (IRC) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The IRC has said it reported to the U.S. government detainee’s reports of desecration of the Qur’an. In the foreword of the report, written by Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan, Guantanamo was compared to a Soviet-era gulag in that it is “entrenching the practice of arbitrary and indefinite detention in violation of international law”.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan responded saying the report’s allegations were “ridiculous and unsupported by the facts. The United States is leading the way when it comes to protecting human rights and promoting human dignity. We have liberated 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have worked to advance freedom and democracy in the world so that people are governed under a rule of law and that there are… protections in place for minority rights, that women’s rights are advanced so that women can fully participate in societies where now they cannot”, as well as supporting the fight against AIDS in Africa.
About the allegations of abuse at Guantanamo, which McClellan has previously called isolated incidents, he said, “We hold people accountable when there is abuse. We take steps to prevent it from happening again, and we do so in a very public way for the world to see that we lead by example, and that we do have values that we hold very dearly and believe in.”
On May 31, U.S. President George W. Bush dismissed the human rights report as “absurd” for its harsh criticism of U.S. treatment of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying the allegations were made by prisoners “who hate America.” “It’s an absurd allegation. The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world,” Bush said of the Amnesty International report.
William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA, defended the report, saying, “What is ‘absurd’ is President Bush’s attempt to deny the deliberate policies of his administration.” and “What is ‘absurd’ and indeed outrageous is the Bush administration’s failure to undertake a full independent investigation”. Irene Khan also responded saying, “The administration’s response has been that our report is absurd, that our allegations have no basis, and our answer is very simple: if that is so, open up these detention centres, allow us and others to visit them.”
And, on Friday, the U.S. military released the results of their investigation and confirmed that in 5 separate incidents, American guards at the Guantánamo Bay prison “mishandled” the Islamic holy book. However, they stress that guards were usually “respectful” of the Qur’an. One incident involved splashing a Koran with urine by urinating near an air vent while others involved kicking, stepping on and writing in Qur’ans.
Brigadier-General Jay Hood, the commander of the jail, looked into the allegations, published and then retracted by Newsweek, that American personnel flushed a Qur’an down a toilet. He said that the inquiry did not find any evidence supporting this particular allegation. “The inquiry found no credible evidence that a member of the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay ever flushed a Qur’an down a toilet. This matter is considered closed.”
byAlma Abell
Orange County, California is a beautiful place to live, but its balmy climate is also popular with a range of pests. Bees, termites, ants, and even rodents can quickly overrun area homes, without the help of professional Extermination in Orange County. Companies such as Southern California Exterminators understand the unique problems of the area, and offer a variety of solutions that include:
* PROFESSIONAL INSPECTIONS: Experts offer professional inspections when customers need buy or sell property, or end a pest problem in their existing homes. They are trained to understand the living habits of dozens of species. This allows them to locate even hidden problems. They look for infestations in attics, crawl spaces, basements, and walls. Technicians can find nests in outbuildings or woodpiles on the property. Because they are familiar with animal habits, they are able to set baits and traps in areas where animals are the most likely to travel.
* TREATMENTS: Professionals who specialize in Extermination in Orange County will tailor treatments to the type of structure and pest that they find. Technicians can safely remove wasp and bee nests, and eliminate a wide variety of termites. They offer green treatment options, which can include the use of Bora Care, to provide protection against termites. Options may include Orange Oil, which is effective against wood termites. Natural options are eco-friendly and safer than chemicals. Exterminators also offer a range of effective treatments to eliminate bed bugs, which are extremely hard to remove without professional help.
* MAINTENANCE: Exterminators educate clients about the causes of pest infestations, and how to avoid future problems. They may suggest that clients Visit Socalexterminators.com, where they can learn more about the region’s pests. Technicians also advise customers about how to eliminate food and water sources that attract insects and wildlife. They can create a schedule for ongoing treatments that ensure pests are controlled and that insect eggs are destroyed before they can cause infestations. Experts offer custom options for a variety of structures, including manufactured and mobile homes, as well as tract housing.
Southern California’s balmy climate attracts a wide variety of pests that should be professionally controlled. Experts, such as Southern California Exterminators, provide professional inspection, treatments, and ongoing maintenance that solve the area’s pest problems.
byAlma Abell
Vermont buyers should consider the requirements for buying a condominium before venturing down this path. Purchasing a condo, while the process is similar to a traditional home buying transaction requires further details to complete. If you wish to review Condominiums For Sale in Milton today, you should Visit Signature Properties of Vermontimmediately.
Acquiring a Mortgage
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew6RxQzQy84[/youtube]
When you purchase a condominium, your lender must review the way in which the homeowner’s association that operates the community has managed the property. First, the lender must determine whether or not it is in proper living conditions. They will also determine the rate of occupancy for the complex. If the lender determines that it is not a viable investment, the mortgage could be denied.
Understanding the Insurance Requirements
Insurance is needed to cover the condominium in the same way that homeowner’s policies cover traditional properties. However, with the condo, the coverage is restricted to the allotted amount of space within the unit selected only. The condo management company is responsible for maintaining coverage for any commonly used areas in which all residents have access.
Approval by Condo Board
In most cases, potential buyers must be evaluated by the condo board or homeowner’s association. While there are laws that prohibit discrimination, it is possible for these associations to operate in a limited discriminatory manner. This implies that they can deny any buyers with poor credit scores or those who possess criminal records at their own discretion.
Affordability
Some buyers prefer condos over single-family properties due to their reduced costs. They considerably less costly than buying a traditional home and offer amenities that could increase mortgage payments if they were offered through non-condo-based homes. The fees for living within these communities are also lower than those required in other planned communities.
Prospective buyers could discover a wealth of benefits associated with buying condos over traditional single-family homes. They could acquire impressive amenities such as locations along the coastline or close proximity to popular tourist attractions. If you wish to review Condominiums For Sale in Milton today, contact a real estate agent and schedule an appointment.
byAlma Abell
One of the most challenging jobs in the world of medicine is being a Veterinarian Honolulu; having to diagnose and treat patients who are incapable of telling them what hurts, how they feel, or describe any symptoms calls for real dedication. And yet, they successfully treat our animal companions every day, no matter what kind of illness or injury they are suffering with, whether it requires setting bones, inserting stitches, or even surgery. Very often a Veterinarian Honolulu will treat a pet from its first vaccinations, through spaying or neutering, and on into their senior years, getting to know the animal almost as well as his or her owners. As with all jobs, it’s easier to do things right if you have the latest equipment and technology at your disposal, as well as helpful, reliable staff, and a pleasant work environment.
Part of keeping our special family members taken care of properly through the course of their lives is to include regular trips to the vet. This will not only help the doctor spot potential health issues before they get to be serious, it will help build the pet-doctor relationship, so that trips to the clinic become less and less stressful for both you and your animal companion. Toward this end, you may be able to take advantage of a wellness plan from your Veterinarian Honolulu, where you pay a small monthly fee and receive a number of benefits ranging from free office visits to several comprehensive physical examinations per year, as well as a large number of other services. This can not only help to keep your pet in excellent health, it can do so while saving you money.
Of course a Veterinarian Honolulu handles a lot more than illnesses and injuries to our pets; he can also deal with things like dental problems, dysplasia, blood disorders, and parasitic infestations. That’s a lot to ask from one doctor, but the medical professionals at Gentle Vets Hawaii have the skills and experience to successfully treat all of your animal companion’s health problems in a timely fashion and with the kind of care and respect that you would want. The range of services they offer covers Puppy Kindergarten to advanced medical care programs.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
On Sunday, day four of the 2018 FIFA football World Cup, Serbia defeated Costa Rica 1–0, Brazil drew 1–1 against Switzerland, and defending champions Germany lost 1–0 against Mexico.
In the first game of Group E, Costa Rica faced Serbia at the Samara Arena. Costa Rica’s Giancarlo González got an opportunity to score from a header in the 12th minute but the ball went over the crossbar. A minute later, on Serbia’s attack, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s chance to put Serbia in the lead was saved. The first half ended with 0–0 on the scoreboard.
In the second half, Serbia won a free kick in the 55th minute because of a foul by David Guzmán. Serbia’s captain Aleksandar Kolarov scored from the free kick in the top right corner, which proved to be the winning goal of the match. Nemanja Mati?’s attempt in the 77th minute to double the lead was blocked. Costa Rica had a few attempts as the match proceeded, but none were converted into a goal. The match ended 1–0 as the Serbian side climbed to the top spot in the group.
This was Branislav Ivanovic’s 104th international match, and he is now the most capped Serbian international. Aleksandar Kolarov won the Budweiser Man of the Match award. After the match, he said, “The free-kick came in a difficult moment in the match and I knew I could step up and change things, and that’s exactly what I did.”
The defending champions Germany took on Mexico in the first game of Group F in Moscow. Germany had greater ball possession in the match. Héctor Herrera’s 10th minute attempt from outside the goal was blocked by Manuel Neuer. Both sides had multiple attempts for opening the scoring. In the 35th minute, Hirving Lozano scored a goal from a right-footed shot, from Chicharito’s assist, putting the Mexicans in the lead. The first half ended with Mexico leading 1–0.
In the second half, multiple attempts by Joshua Kimmich, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos, and Timo Werner went wide or were blocked. Though with the greater all possession, Germany lost 1–0 to Mexico.
This was the fifth World Cup tournament for Rafael Márquez; only two other players have played five. In the last six World Cup tournaments, Mexico has never lost their first game, winning five of those. It was the first defeat for Germany since losing to France in the UEFA Euro 2016’s semi-finals.
After the match, Germany’s coach Joachim Löw said “In the first half, we played very badly. We were not able to impose our usual way of playing, attacking, and there were lots of counter-attacks against us and we were very vulnerable. In the second half, we were able to press more, but Mexico drew back and then carried the ball forward fast. We had a couple of [shots], but it seemed jinxed and the ball did not go into the goal. Everybody is really unhappy and crestfallen but we have to put this behind us. Our team has experience of losses.”
In the last match on the day, Brazil faced Switzerland at Rostov-on-Don. Brazil had greater ball possession and more attempts. In the 11th minute, Paulinho missed just in front of the goal to put Brazil in the lead. However, Brazil got a 1–0 lead in the 20th minute when Philippe Coutinho scored from outside the box. Switzerland’s Stephan Lichtsteiner was the only one to be booked in the first half as it ended 1–0 with Brazil leading.
Two minutes into the second half, Casemiro was shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Switzerland won a corner in the 50th minute. Steven Zuber scored a header from Xherdan Shaqiri and equalised for the Swiss side. Multiple attempts by Neymar, Thiago Silva, Casemiro, and Coutinho came through, but none succeeded. The match ended 1–1 as both countries won one point.
Valon Behrami became the first Switzerland player to feature in four different World Cups. After the match, Brazil’s coach Tite said, “We had too many balls off target, if we had been a bit more focused we could have made the goalkeeper work a bit more. My expectation of course was to get a victory and of course I’m not happy with the result.” Coutinho won the Budweiser Man of the Match award.
Group E standings as of June 17
| Country |
Played |
Won |
Draw |
Loss |
Goalsfor |
Goalsagainst |
Goaldifference |
Pts |
| ?? Serbia |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
| ?? Brazil |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| ?? Switzerland |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| ?? Costa Rica |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
-1 |
0 |
Group F standings as of June 17
| Country |
Played |
Won |
Draw |
Loss |
Goalsfor |
Goalsagainst |
Goaldifference |
Pts |
| ?? Mexico |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
| ?? Sweden |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| ?? South Korea |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| ?? Germany |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
-1 |
0 |
| June 17, 2018 1600 SAMT (UTC+0400) |
| Costa Rica ?? |
0–1 |
?? Serbia |
Samara Arena, Samara, Russia Attendance: 41,432 Referee: Malang Diedhiou (Senegal) |
| Francisco Calvo 22’David Guzmán 56′ |
(0–0) HT
|
Aleksandar Kolarov 56’Branislav Ivanovic 59’Aleksandar Prijovic 90+8′ |
| June 17, 2018 1800 MSK (UTC+0300) |
| Germany ?? |
0–1 |
?? Mexico |
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia Attendance: 78,011 Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran) |
| Thomas Müller 83’Mats Hummels 84′ |
(0–1) HT
|
Hirving Lozano 35’Héctor Moreno 40’Héctor Herrera 90′ |
| June 17, 2018 2100 MSK (UTC+0300) |
| Brazil ?? |
1–1 |
?? Switzerland |
Rostov Arena, Rostov-On-Don, Russia Attendance: 43,109 Referee: César Ramos (Mexico) |
| Philippe Coutinho 20’Casemiro 47′ |
(1–0) HT
|
Steven Zuber 50’Stephan Lichtsteiner 31’Fabian Schär 65’Valon Behrami 68′ |
byAlma Abell
While it is always nice to take care of home improvement projects without the help of a professional, some tasks really do need more than the typical homeowner can provide. The installation of new flooring in the kitchen is a prime example. Here are a few of the reasons why it pays to hire a Kitchen Flooring Service in Palatine when the time for a new look arises.
Less Waste
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgUIbPfhSuo[/youtube]
While there is bound to be some waste with any home improvement project, the fact is that the professionals with a Kitchen Flooring Service in Palatine will know how to manage the task and still keep the amount of waste to a minimum. Since they install flooring on a daily basis, they know all the ways to measure and cut, so that very little of the new flooring ends up in the trash. This is good news for the homeowner since less waste translates into fewer materials to buy. As a result, the new floor will likely end up costing less than if the owner had tried to manage the task alone.
Attractive Design
If the new flooring involves creating a design using tiles, rest assured a professional knows where to begin the first line and how to proceed from there. The result will be a pattern that is uniform and exactly what the homeowner had in mind. There are no worries about getting a little confused and choosing the wrong tile to set in place next.
The Project is Completed Faster
Professionals know how to prepare for the installation of new flooring and get the job done without delays. By contrast, a homeowner may have to rent or buy tools, figure out the best way to get started, and then learn a few tricks during the actual process. A professional already knows what must be done and how to do it properly. That saves a lot of time and will mean the floor is completed much sooner.
For homeowners who are ready to make some changes to the kitchen, visit Kitchenvillage.com today. With the help of a contractor, the right materials can be chosen and a date set for the work to get underway.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi peace activist who lives in the United States, was forced to change his T-Shirt, which bore an Arabic slogan, because it was found “offensive”.
The incident took place in JFK airport in New York. The activist Jarrar reported in his blog RaedInTheMiddle that he had checked-in his bags and was issued a boarding pass. After waiting near the gate to board his jetBlue airlines flight, and after having to gone through a secondary search, two officials approached him.
“People are feeling offended because of your t-shirt,” Raed reported that one of the men said to him. The writings on the T-Shirt said in both Arabic and English: “We will not be silent”.
Raed asked why this has offended anyone, and insisted his right to freedom of expression was violated.
According to Jarrar, one of the inspectors said, “You can’t wear a T-shirt with Arabic script and come to an airport. It is like wearing a t-shirt that reads ‘I am a robber’ and going to a bank”. The airport official, unable to read Arabic, was unyielding to protests by Jarrar that the English language version of the Arabic was accurate, and suggested he wear the shirt inside out.
“Many people called and complained about your t-shirt. Jetblue customers were calling before you reached the checkpoint, and customers called when you were waiting here in the boarding area”, Jarrar was told after he complained.
One employee from JetBlue offered to buy Jarrar a T-shirt to replace the one he was wearing, since the activist had none other after his bags were checked. Refusing at first, he agreed to wear one with “New York” written on it.
The officer on the scene commented that it need not have gone from one extreme to the other: wearing a T-Shirt with an Arabic peace slogan on it, to wearing one with ‘New York’. There is no reason to hate New York if you are an Arab speaking peace activist, according to Jarrar.
“I feel very sad that my personal freedom was taken away like this. I grew up under authoritarian governments in the Middle East, and one of the reasons I chose to move to the U.S. was that I don’t want an officer to make me change my t-shirt. I will pursue this incident today through a constitutional rights organization, and I am sure we will meet soon,” Raed said.
He was issued another boarding pass, with a different seat at the back of the plane.
JetBlue said it was investigating the incident but a spokeswoman said: “We’re not clear exactly what happened.” The spokeswoman also said the airline does not forbid Arabic T-shirts, but that it does take into account the concerns of its passengers.
The American-Arab Anti-discrimination Committee said the US Transportation Department and the Transportation Security Administration were also investigating the incident after the committee lodged complaints on behalf of Jarrar.
“We Will Not Be Silent” is a slogan adopted by opponents of the war in Iraq and other conflicts in the Middle East.
It is said to derive from the White Rose dissident group which opposed Nazi rule in Germany.
Investing: Keep Up Your Guard
by
Jeffrey VoudrieDo you like being taken advantage of? I sure don’t. In fact, I hate it! Worse, it seems like it is happening more and more. Now, more than ever, it is buyer-beware. Read on for some specific examples and to learn how you can protect yourself.Trust is involved when we buy a company’s products of services. Companies spend millions of dollars a year in advertising trying to gain our trust. Employees, especially salespeople, are trained in what to say to build our trust in them and their company.When I take the bait and find out that the product or service doesn’t meet my expectations, I feel my trust has been violated. I’ve been taken advantage of just so the company could make another dollar. It used to be rare. Now it’s common.Take AARP for example. Founded as the American Association for Retired Persons, it quickly became the largest defender of senior’s rights. It is still one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington. Its members trust it to act in their best interest.That’s why so many of them were surprised when AARP suddenly changed course and supported the Medicare Drug Bill. AARP even spent $7 million advertising their support! Members were stunned–only 18% of them supported it. What could have caused this trusted voice of seniors to stop acting on their behalf? I’m not going to judge motives, but isn’t it interesting that AARP stands to make millions of dollars selling its new prescription drug insurance called MedicareRX? Hmmm.AARP receives more money from licensing the AARP name to products and services then it does from membership dues. They’re becoming more of a marketing firm then a lobbying firm. Are their products truly in their member’s best interest? Not always.AARP mutual funds are a perfect example. Managed by Scudder, not a single one has performed in the top 20% of its category. Those who invested because of the AARP name have forgone thousands and thousands of dollars of growth due to low returns–while AARP has pocketed tens of millions of dollars.The key point is that you shouldn’t trust a product just because it has a familiar name associated with it. Do you homework and compare it to its competitors.We can be taken advantage of in other ways. I recently responded to an offer for a ‘free credit report’. It was provided by one of the largest credit reporting companies in the world. Surely it could be trusted.Nope. Buried in the fine print is that fact that anyone who receives the ‘free’ credit report is automatically signed up for their credit monitoring service. Until you call and cancel, your credit card is billed each month. Since I used my debit card, I didn’t notice the charge right away. The lesson? Be careful when signing up for ‘free’ offers, read all the fine print, and don’t use your debit card for online purchases. Lastly, I recently bought an electronic book online as part of some research I was doing on Equity-Indexed Annuities. The sales pitch explained that ‘shocking’ truths about annuities would be revealed. It’s easy to find people promoting annuities and I was looking for an opposing view. This seemed to be it.When I went to purchase it I learned that the information I was looking for wasn’t included in the ‘shocking truths’ and that I had to upgrade to learn those secrets. The entire package cost $97, double what was initially advertised.Worse, the material ended up being a sales pitch FOR annuities! I read the terms and conditions. They sell your information to list brokers and insurance agents. One of the ‘bonus’ services was the ability to talk with a live person about your situation. In reality, you would be connected to an insurance salesperson and received biased advice.It shouldn’t be this way. We shouldn’t have to constantly keep our guard up to protect ourselves. But we do. Be careful who you trust–especially a financial salesperson. The people and companies that provide the products and services you use should repeatedly earn your trust. If not, they don’t deserve your business.
Nationally-syndicated financial columnist and Certified Financial Planner Jeffrey Voudrie provides personal, in-depth money management services and advice to select private clients throughout the USA. He will answer your financial question FREE at http://www.guardingyourwealth.net/
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