Exterran Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ:EXLP) opened at $28.50 and with a decrease of 5.56% closed at $28.05. Company�s fifty days average price is $27.48 whereas it has a market capitalization $900.35 million.
The total of 2.55 million shares was transacted over last trading day.
Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARUN) opened at $30.50 and with a decrease of 5.45% closed at $28.79. Company�s fifty days average price is $24.17 whereas it has a market capitalization $2.88 billion.
The total of 2.80 million shares was transacted over last trading day.
Altra Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AIMC) opened at $20.92 and with a decrease of 5.13% closed at $20.52. Company�s fifty days average price is $20.97 whereas it has a market capitalization $549.11 million.
The total of 1.16 million shares was transacted over last trading day.
Ancestry.com Inc (NASDAQ:ACOM) opened at $32.88 and with a decrease of 4.66% closed at $31.33. Company�s fifty days average price is $33.61 whereas it has a market capitalization $1.43 billion.
The total of 1.90 million shares was transacted over last trading day.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Roku adds BBC iPlayer to bolster UK launch
(gigaom.com) -- When Roku said it would start shipping its media streaming boxes to the U.K. for the first time last month, there was a significant omission from the lineup of services it was offering — the BBC’s iPlayer.
The iPlayer is the dominant force in Britain’s streaming TV landscape, available everywhere from the PC to cable to mobile, and responsible for nearly two billion viewings in 2011 alone.
No surprise, then, that today Roku is announcing that it’s launching an iPlayer channel for its British customers, allowing them to access the service’s library of popular television programs through their devices.
The moves adds a real backbone to the service — which already boasts a lineup including UFC, Fox News, and Netflix, which launched last month in the U.K and Ireland.
“This is among the first of many significant content partnerships for Roku in Europe and we look forward to making additional announcements in the coming weeks,” said the company’s European boss, Clive Hudson.
Rumors continue to circulate that will soon add Netflix competitor Lovefilm, but the deal with ! the BBC makes a big difference for anyone purchasing a Roku box, which are priced locally at £49.99 and £99.99 ($79 and $158).
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
The iPlayer is the dominant force in Britain’s streaming TV landscape, available everywhere from the PC to cable to mobile, and responsible for nearly two billion viewings in 2011 alone.
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The moves adds a real backbone to the service — which already boasts a lineup including UFC, Fox News, and Netflix, which launched last month in the U.K and Ireland.
“This is among the first of many significant content partnerships for Roku in Europe and we look forward to making additional announcements in the coming weeks,” said the company’s European boss, Clive Hudson.
Rumors continue to circulate that will soon add Netflix competitor Lovefilm, but the deal with ! the BBC makes a big difference for anyone purchasing a Roku box, which are priced locally at £49.99 and £99.99 ($79 and $158).
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
- Connected Consumer Q2: Digital music meets the cloud; e-book growth explodes
- Q4 Wrap-up: SOPA and the future of digital content
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Forex Conquered: High Probability Systems and Strategies for Active Traders (Wiley Trading) Reviews
Forex Conquered: High Probability Systems and Strategies for Active Traders (Wiley Trading)
Praise for FOREX CONQUERED “In this amazing book, John covers it all. From trading systems to money management to emotions, he explains easily how to pull money consistently from the most complicated financial market in the world. John packs more new, innovative information into this book than I have ever seen in a trading book before.”�Rob Booker, independent currency trader “John Person is one of the few rare talents that are uniquely qualified to help traders understan
Rating: (out of 13 reviews)
List Price: $ 90.00
Price: $ 38.35
Find More Forex Products
Monday, April 2, 2012
Risk and return are joined at the head
BOSTON (MarketWatch) � Some people are afraid of making a mistake by taking on risk, while others take risks that lead to mistakes.
Such behaviors are the focus of the new book �Investment Mistakes Even Smart Investors Make � and How to Avoid Them,� by Larry Swedroe of Buckingham Asset Management in St. Louis, who is one of the most thoughtful financial advisers.
No matter your feelings about the market � if you think the current run will continue or you expect a downturn � the mistake comes when you let those feelings override long-term strategy.
That�s what investors need to guard against now. And anyone who avoids the bulk of the book�s 77 different errors is likely to reach the end of their investing lifetime pretty happy with the results.
That said, no blueprint will help an investor avoid all of the potential and theoretical booby-traps. Moreover, even the best investors make mistakes; the key is to avoid the giant ones from which there is no recovery, and to avoid being bled to death by an endless series of small errors.
Timing device
To see how it is impossible to embrace risk while trying to avoid mistakes, you have to look at the real differences between the two.
Click to Play
Think you're a smart investor? Check your DNA
WSJ's Jason Zweig stops by Mean Street to discuss new research suggesting that DNA determines one's ability to make smart or risky investment decisions. Photo: Getty Images.Risk is defined as �exposure to the chance of injury or loss,� while the dictionary de! finition for a mistake is �an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge� and the like.
�People who say you�re making a mistake if you put your money at risk � if you do something that exposes you to a potential loss � don�t understand how risk works,� Swedroe said in an interview. �They�re getting out of the market because they see it as too risky, but with interest rates near zero there is a very big chance that they can�t generate the returns they need from riskless investments.
�There�s a risk in everything, so the mistake doesn�t come from taking risks � it�s from taking the wrong risks or taking risks in the wrong amount,� he added.
Investors need to find some moderation in a market that seems to bounce them from end-to-end of the greed/fear spectrum. While the temptation is to jump into stocks when it feels like things are going well and to stay on the sidelines when pain appears imminent, most people lack the skill in timing the market to make that work.
They give it a try, however, because of what they see as past mistakes.
Swedroe noted that a lot of investors look to the recent past and feel, for example, that they made an error being invested in 2008, at a time when the financial crisis buckled the stock market.
�They�re deciding � based on what happened � that they made a mistake being in the market,� Swedroe said, �when there was no way to see just how bad the problems were, and they are trying to avoid making the same mistake again even if that kind of stock market event is likely to happen just once or twice in a lifetime.
�They�re confusing strategy with outcome,,� he added. �They may have! taken p rudent risks that were appropriate, but then those risks actually showed up.�
Feeling lucky?
In short, it�s like the people who talk with financial advisers and say �I can tolerate risk, I just don�t want to lose any money.� They have no problem with the risks when the investment strategy is working in their favor, but when the outcome is less than expected, they�re convinced they�ve made a mistake.
Most financial advisers, for example, say that the average investor should always have some exposure to the stock market, with long-term money that can ride out the bumps and grinds to capture the long-term trend.
�The mistake most people made in 2008 wasn�t that they were invested in the stock market, it�s that they had, say, 80% of their assets there when they should have had maybe half of their portfolio there,� Swedroe noted. �The mistake wasn�t exposing their money to the market at a time that turned out to be bad, it was exposing too much of their money to the market regardless of the situation, because the losses they suffered � while unusual � obviously were not out of the realm of possibility.�
Confusing strategy and outcome is a way many investors let the ends justify their means.
Sadly, it�s also what leads to the kind of thinking that spurs someone to abandon long-term strategies and go for what looks good today. It�s how someone avoids the chance of losing money in the stock market but assumes the risk that their money won�t keep pace with inflation. The risks are different, but the potential downside is the same � that your money won�t go as far you need.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Reverse Mortgages Return - SmartMoney.com
Converting home equity into cash has been a challenge for homeowners since the real-estate downturn, but a growing number of lenders are quietly reviving a loan for seniors that does just that: the reverse mortgage.
Reverse mortgages allow homeowners who are at least 62 years old to draw down on their home's equity in exchange for cash in several ways, including one lump sum, a line of credit or monthly payments.
Compared to a few years ago, the total number of reverse mortgages is small. But lending has been picking up. In 2011, MetLife Bank originated 10,512 reverse mortgages, up 171% from the previous year, according to data firm Reverse Market Insight. The firm tracks reverse mortgages insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or about 95% of total originations. Other lenders also had sharp increases. Quicken Loans' company One Reverse Mortgage doled out 4,619, up 43%, while Urban Financial Group and Genworth Financial Home Equity Access, a subsidiary of Genworth Financial, increased lending by 80% and 96%, respectively.
And in June, housing lenders US Mortgage Corporation, based in Melville, N.Y., and Irving, Calif.-based Greenlight Financial Services each launched reverse mortgage divisions.
This comes in spite of recent moves by HUD to lower the amount homeowners can borrow. The limit is now 62% of a home's value for a 62-year old; an 80-year-old can borrow up to 72% of the home's value.
With falling home values making it difficult for homeowners to refinance or sell -- and the stock market not delivering great gains -- the loans are understandably attractive to many Americans. Lenders say reverse mortgages can be a portfolio diversifier that provides retirees with extra income to supplement their 401(k).
But there are good reasons why advisers have historically recommended them only as a last-gasp way to raise cash.
For one, because borrowers are still responsible for property taxes and homeowner's insuran! ce, if t hey fall behind, lenders can foreclose on the property, says Karin Hill, director of single family program development at HUD.
Also, reverse mortgages carry hefty fees. Origination fees can be up to 2% of a home's value, capped at $6,000, says John Lunde, president of RMI. Closing costs vary but are often about 2% of the loan.
There are also mortgage-insurance fees charged by HUD. HUD charges an upfront mortgage insurance premium of 2% of the property's value plus another insurance fee of 1.25% annualized rate that accrues monthly on the loan's outstanding balance. HUD also offers a reverse mortgage option with a lower upfront mortgage insurance premium that's just 0.01% of the property's value for smaller loans; qualifying will vary based on several factors.
Most fees can be rolled into the mortgage, but the loan plus interest must be paid back to the lender when the homeowner passes away, sells the home or moves out. Interest rates on these loans currently average 5% for a fixed-rate reverse mortgage and around 2.5% for an adjustable rate. A 65-year-old with a home that's worth $500,000 who took an initial advance of $303,500 at a 5% fixed rate could owe $978,190 (including interest and fees) after 18 years, says Lunde. If a homeowner or his heirs can't sell the home for this amount, HUD will pay the difference between home's value and the outstanding balance to the lender; that money comes from the HUD insurance fees borrowers pay during the life of the loan.
Some advisers say a home-equity loan, which allows homeowners to borrow against some of their home equity in one lump sum, is often the safer bet. Closing costs tend to be smaller than on a typical reverse mortgage and in some cases lenders can waive them, says Buz Livingston, a certified financial planner in Santa Rosa Beach, ! Fla. The downside? Average interest rates on home-equity loans are currently higher.
There are situations where reverse mortgages make sense. Financial planner Mike McGervey of North Canton, Ohio, says he thinks they can be a good solution for people in their 80s, who are usually able to convert more home equity into cash than younger borrowers.
In some cases, homeowners sign up for a reverse mortgage as a lump sum to pay off their mortgage. That is what Joseph Rinaldi, 62, did when he signed up through US Mortgage Corp. three months ago. Now, rather than paying $2,200 per month in mortgage payments, Mr. Rinaldi, who lives in Mamaroneck, N.Y., says he and his wife use that money for everyday living expenses. "This saved mine and my wife's life," he says.
For homeowners who are convinced a reverse mortgage is right for them, advisers say there are reasons to sign up sooner rather than later, since qualifying may soon get more difficult. HUD is developing guidelines that will lead to more extensive underwriting, which could be announced as soon as this year. Details haven't been released yet, but industry experts say they could require lenders to check applicants' income and assets to make sure they can cover ongoing costs of the home, including taxes and insurance.
In November, MetLife was the first lender to implement additional requirements, such as providing income or asset documentation (like Social Security payments and dividends) and a list of monthly living expenses, and experts say more lenders could follow.
Reverse mortgages allow homeowners who are at least 62 years old to draw down on their home's equity in exchange for cash in several ways, including one lump sum, a line of credit or monthly payments.
Compared to a few years ago, the total number of reverse mortgages is small. But lending has been picking up. In 2011, MetLife Bank originated 10,512 reverse mortgages, up 171% from the previous year, according to data firm Reverse Market Insight. The firm tracks reverse mortgages insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or about 95% of total originations. Other lenders also had sharp increases. Quicken Loans' company One Reverse Mortgage doled out 4,619, up 43%, while Urban Financial Group and Genworth Financial Home Equity Access, a subsidiary of Genworth Financial, increased lending by 80% and 96%, respectively.
And in June, housing lenders US Mortgage Corporation, based in Melville, N.Y., and Irving, Calif.-based Greenlight Financial Services each launched reverse mortgage divisions.
This comes in spite of recent moves by HUD to lower the amount homeowners can borrow. The limit is now 62% of a home's value for a 62-year old; an 80-year-old can borrow up to 72% of the home's value.
With falling home values making it difficult for homeowners to refinance or sell -- and the stock market not delivering great gains -- the loans are understandably attractive to many Americans. Lenders say reverse mortgages can be a portfolio diversifier that provides retirees with extra income to supplement their 401(k).
But there are good reasons why advisers have historically recommended them only as a last-gasp way to raise cash.
For one, because borrowers are still responsible for property taxes and homeowner's insuran! ce, if t hey fall behind, lenders can foreclose on the property, says Karin Hill, director of single family program development at HUD.
Also, reverse mortgages carry hefty fees. Origination fees can be up to 2% of a home's value, capped at $6,000, says John Lunde, president of RMI. Closing costs vary but are often about 2% of the loan.
There are also mortgage-insurance fees charged by HUD. HUD charges an upfront mortgage insurance premium of 2% of the property's value plus another insurance fee of 1.25% annualized rate that accrues monthly on the loan's outstanding balance. HUD also offers a reverse mortgage option with a lower upfront mortgage insurance premium that's just 0.01% of the property's value for smaller loans; qualifying will vary based on several factors.
Most fees can be rolled into the mortgage, but the loan plus interest must be paid back to the lender when the homeowner passes away, sells the home or moves out. Interest rates on these loans currently average 5% for a fixed-rate reverse mortgage and around 2.5% for an adjustable rate. A 65-year-old with a home that's worth $500,000 who took an initial advance of $303,500 at a 5% fixed rate could owe $978,190 (including interest and fees) after 18 years, says Lunde. If a homeowner or his heirs can't sell the home for this amount, HUD will pay the difference between home's value and the outstanding balance to the lender; that money comes from the HUD insurance fees borrowers pay during the life of the loan.
Some advisers say a home-equity loan, which allows homeowners to borrow against some of their home equity in one lump sum, is often the safer bet. Closing costs tend to be smaller than on a typical reverse mortgage and in some cases lenders can waive them, says Buz Livingston, a certified financial planner in Santa Rosa Beach, ! Fla. The downside? Average interest rates on home-equity loans are currently higher.
There are situations where reverse mortgages make sense. Financial planner Mike McGervey of North Canton, Ohio, says he thinks they can be a good solution for people in their 80s, who are usually able to convert more home equity into cash than younger borrowers.
In some cases, homeowners sign up for a reverse mortgage as a lump sum to pay off their mortgage. That is what Joseph Rinaldi, 62, did when he signed up through US Mortgage Corp. three months ago. Now, rather than paying $2,200 per month in mortgage payments, Mr. Rinaldi, who lives in Mamaroneck, N.Y., says he and his wife use that money for everyday living expenses. "This saved mine and my wife's life," he says.
For homeowners who are convinced a reverse mortgage is right for them, advisers say there are reasons to sign up sooner rather than later, since qualifying may soon get more difficult. HUD is developing guidelines that will lead to more extensive underwriting, which could be announced as soon as this year. Details haven't been released yet, but industry experts say they could require lenders to check applicants' income and assets to make sure they can cover ongoing costs of the home, including taxes and insurance.
In November, MetLife was the first lender to implement additional requirements, such as providing income or asset documentation (like Social Security payments and dividends) and a list of monthly living expenses, and experts say more lenders could follow.
IRS 5 Tax Tips for Newlyweds, Divorcees
If you or a client has just gotten married or divorced, the last thing you want is for something to further complicate tax returns–or throw a snag into the processing of a refund.
Name changes can do just that, whether it’s a matter of taking a new name or resuming an old one. Connubial bliss can suffer if the refund doesn’t arrive in time to pay some of those hefty wedding bills–and freedom might not seem so free if finances are impaired when a long-anticipated refund check fails to show up. So here are five suggestions from the IRS that can help you stay out of trouble, whether you’re once again flying solo or have just tied the knot.
1. Calling a Spouse a Spouse
So you’ve taken the plunge and jumped the broom. The IRS’ computers won’t know, or care, unless you let the Social Security Administration know too–after all, a computer will look at your Social Security number and the name on your joint return and scream “Reject!”–even if you kept your old name and hyphenated it with that of your new spouse.
2. Back to the Future
Divorced? Same problem. If you went back to your old name, don’t forget to let SSA know so that the IRS computers don’t have a nervous breakdown trying to figure out where they know you from.
3. A Rose by Any Other Name
When you’re ready to notify Social Security, you will need to provide them with proof that you are (now) who you say you are. Make sure you have a recently issued document that identifies you as you wish to be known.
4. Gotta Do the Paperwork
Provide the Social Security Administration with that recently issued document, as well as a completed Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, either by mail or in person at your local SSA office. The form is available online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/, by phone–call 800-772-1213 to request it—or at those handy local offices. Your new card will arrive with your old number and your new name.
5. But What About the Kids?
Suppose you (or your spouse) adopted the kids, and their names changed too. Social Security needs to know about them as well, even if they don’t have SSNs yet. For adopted children without SSNs, the parents can apply for an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number–or ATIN–by filing Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions, with the IRS. The ATIN is a temporary number used in place of an SSN on the tax return. Form W-7A is available on the IRS.gov website or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
See AdvisorOne’s Special Report, 22 Days of Tax Planning Advice for 2012, throughout the month of March.
For more on the unique tax issues of women, please see Top Tips for Women at Tax Time.
Name changes can do just that, whether it’s a matter of taking a new name or resuming an old one. Connubial bliss can suffer if the refund doesn’t arrive in time to pay some of those hefty wedding bills–and freedom might not seem so free if finances are impaired when a long-anticipated refund check fails to show up. So here are five suggestions from the IRS that can help you stay out of trouble, whether you’re once again flying solo or have just tied the knot.
1. Calling a Spouse a Spouse
So you’ve taken the plunge and jumped the broom. The IRS’ computers won’t know, or care, unless you let the Social Security Administration know too–after all, a computer will look at your Social Security number and the name on your joint return and scream “Reject!”–even if you kept your old name and hyphenated it with that of your new spouse.
2. Back to the Future
Divorced? Same problem. If you went back to your old name, don’t forget to let SSA know so that the IRS computers don’t have a nervous breakdown trying to figure out where they know you from.
3. A Rose by Any Other Name
When you’re ready to notify Social Security, you will need to provide them with proof that you are (now) who you say you are. Make sure you have a recently issued document that identifies you as you wish to be known.
4. Gotta Do the Paperwork
Provide the Social Security Administration with that recently issued document, as well as a completed Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, either by mail or in person at your local SSA office. The form is available online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/, by phone–call 800-772-1213 to request it—or at those handy local offices. Your new card will arrive with your old number and your new name.
5. But What About the Kids?
Suppose you (or your spouse) adopted the kids, and their names changed too. Social Security needs to know about them as well, even if they don’t have SSNs yet. For adopted children without SSNs, the parents can apply for an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number–or ATIN–by filing Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions, with the IRS. The ATIN is a temporary number used in place of an SSN on the tax return. Form W-7A is available on the IRS.gov website or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
See AdvisorOne’s Special Report, 22 Days of Tax Planning Advice for 2012, throughout the month of March.
For more on the unique tax issues of women, please see Top Tips for Women at Tax Time.
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