Best iPhone Apps for College Students

By Keith Gilabert

As a college student, you need to have several things in order to keep your sanity.  For one, you have to have a good study schedule, next you need to be able to communicate with your friends and family, which is why so many students need a virtual assistant aka iPhone.  However, one of the most important aspects about having an iPhone and being a college student, is the fact that you can apply certain applications that will help you both in your academic life, as well as in your social life.  With the iPhone consistently coming out with new applications it difficult to gage which apps are the best for your needs.

One application that is definitely a social tool for a college student is the Ajax Bartender iPhone application.  This amazing application allows you to find and make over 40,000 various alcoholic drinks.  However, what really makes this application so unique is the fact that it allows you to choose your drinks based on what you want to put in them.  Have you ever been with friends, and someone says they want to drink Tequila, but they don't know how to make very many different types of drinks with it.

Now here are list of 5 great apps that are a far cry from the above one; however, it serves an equally important role in the life of a college student.  Whether you are majoring in physical science or criminal justice, you will have to take math courses.  

1. StudyBlue Flashcards: When college students are preparing for a big test, flashcards are one tool to help with memorization of key terms. While students have used paper flashcards for years to prepare for an exam, there are emerging digital options.

Enter StudyBlue Flashcards, which already has millions of flashcards created by other users. Using the mobile app, students can receive test score feedback so they can focus on material they haven't yet mastered. And, unlike paper flashcards, a student can set reminders on the app so he or she can maintain a study schedule before a big test. (Available for: iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Android; cost: free)

2. Evernote Peek: For students who use iPads in the classroom, Evernote, which is most known for its note-taking cloud service, provides a way for students to organize their notes into study materials. Using Evernote Peek, students' notes—whether text, audio, or image—are turned into study questions.

By using an iPad Smart Cover, students can lift the cover to see the question, and then lift more to see the answer. To move on to another question, a student simply closes the cover and restarts the process. For students who own an iPad but do not own a Smart Cover, the app produces a digital cover to hide answers. (Available for: iPad; cost: free)

[Explore five apps to use for networking in college.]

3. Graphing Calculator: Whether a student is majoring in a math field or needs to complete basic requirements, it's likely that a college student will need a graphing calculator. While many students may purchase a graphing calculator, these devices can cost upwards of $100.

Graphing Calculator, from Appcylon LLC, provides a scientific calculator that allows students to plot and trace multiple equations on the same graph at a fraction of the cost. The app also comes equipped with a custom keyboard and is set up for students to take screen shots and share the graphs via E-mail. (Available for: iPhone, iPod, and iPad; cost: $1.99)

4. School Helper: Managing a schedule in college can be difficult, but there are many apps that specialize in daily organization. School Helper focuses on helping students manage their academic schedules by tracking things such as grades, homework assignments, notes, and exams on the home screen. Students can add widgets to this main screen as reminders for assignments that need to get done.

Under "Marks," students can track grades in a particular course, and can adjust the percentage each assignment or exam counts toward the final grade to get a clear picture of their performance throughout the semester. (Available for: Android; cost: free)

[Learn about more apps for managing college life.]

5. Trello: A cornerstone of some college courses is classroom collaboration. While group projects can cut down on the work an individual is responsible for, it can be confusing to manage who completes what task. Trello can help organize an entire project, large or small, by assigning each person a label and filtering responsibilities to that individual through the app.

Students can create deadlines, assign tasks, and even collaborate in real time, as changes that are made in the app are instantly updated. And all members of the group will receive a notification when changes have been made. (Available for: iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android; cost: free)

Having a virtual assistant will make you more productive and give you better grades. 

Good Luck!

About Keith Gilabert
Keith Gilabert has worked side-by-side with equity and derivative specialist developing trading programs. In 1998 Keith  Gilabert developed a trading strategy to boost performance of managed portfolios.   The trading strategy returned a staggering 27% year over year return.  In 2002 while the market finished down over 30%, Gilabert’s strategy returned 15% net of all fees.  You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.

Keith Gilabert, "How to trade with Derivatiives" 04/20 by Hedge Fund Economics | Blog Talk Radio

Keith Gilabert, "How to trade with Derivatiives" 04/20 by Hedge Fund Economics | Blog Talk Radio

About Keith Gilabert
Keith Gilabert has worked side-by-side with equity and derivative specialist developing trading programs. In 1998 Keith  Gilabert developed a trading strategy to boost performance of managed portfolios.   The trading strategy returned a staggering 27% year over year return.  In 2002 while the market finished down over 30%, Gilabert’s strategy returned 15% net of all fees.  You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.

A Guide To Trading Derivative Futures

By Keith Gilabert

In the stock trading industry, I know a lot of traders that have made lot of money from the futures markets. In 1996, we had a 26 year-old trader make $600,000.00 in one month trading Dell futures with only $40,000.00 initial investment.  It is only in this arena where people who have limited capital can actually make substantial profits in a short period of time. But at the same time, this involves a lot of risks and may cost you significant losses.

Futures have often been associated with having a bad reputation.   However, many experts argue that futures trading is only as risky as you want to make it. And if you take on good strategies and give yourself the proper exposure, then this can hedge your portfolio and expose you to substantial upside.

Despite the bad reputation derivatives have gotten in the past, every major portfolio manager utilizes derivative futures to protect against losses.  Even the most successful investor in history Warren Buffett uses derivatives.

What Are Futures?

Futures are standardized and transferable contracts that require a buyer to purchase or sell a stock at a specific price and time. This contract gives the buyer the obligation of purchase, and the seller the obligation to deliver the specific asset traded.

The difference between futures and options is options give you the right where futures are an obligation.

How And Why Are Futures Traded?

Trading futures began with commodities such as coffee, cocoa and oil. These kinds of trades offer a wide variety of markets and it can be traded at a low cost and you do not have to take physical delivery of the goods.

Another advantage you have with futures is that it can be traded in both up and down markets. A traditional stock mutual fund will hold stocks even if the market is falling.  With futures you can protect your downside and the futures contract will sell the underlying security if it breaks below the contract price.  This is similar to a stop-loss but it does not sell your stock on a dip in the market.

With this system, traders are able to profit regardless of what direction the market trends are going. This is the main reason why most traders are only concerned if the market is moving at all, instead of which direction it is actually going.

In futures trading, a trader’s only concern is to follow the trend regardless of the direction. If prices move in the right direction, up or down then the trader will be able to profit. If the market stays flat, then a trader would experience some losses if not a complete loss of the premiums he paid.

Trading futures can be very promising, but it involves a lot of many risks as well. But even if you are well experienced in trading stocks and have a good understanding of the driving trends in the market and behaviors and strategies required to trade successfully, there is still no guarantee you will do well.

Now if you still want to engage in futures trading, make sure that you do your research and prepare yourself with the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully execute transactions.

Remember, you can make a ton of money but there is a substantial probability that you can lose your investment.

About Keith Gilabert

Keith Gilabert has worked side-by-side with equity and derivative specialist developing trading programs. In 1998 Keith  Gilabert developed a trading strategy to boost performance of managed portfolios.   The trading strategy returned a staggering 27% year over year return.  In 2002 while the market finished down over 30%, Gilabert’s strategy returned 15% net of all fees.  You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.

Keith Gilabert: Real Estate Will Find Bottom In 2013

Originally Posted on  (01/22/2012)

Keith Gilabert: Real Estate Will Find Bottom In 2013

About Keith Gilabert

Keith Gilabert was born in Hollywood, California. His mother has ancestry from Barcelona, Spain and his father is French-Italian.   When he was two years old, his parents moved from Hollywood, CA  where his father worked for General Motors and moved to Saugus, CA.  Gilabert was brought up as a Catholic and served as an Alter boy at Saint Clare’s Catholic Church.  He attended Saugus high school in Santa Clarita, CA.  He went on to attend San Diego State University as Political Science Major and later changed to Finance and Accounting.   Gilabert currently resides in Valencia, CA while making career-related visits to London and Zurich.
Gilabert speaks conversational Italian and Spanish, though he has stated that he needs to brush up a bit on his spoken Italian, as it was a bit rusty.   
He has also expressed interest in vintage Ferrari racing, most notably the Mille Miglia, which is 1,000 mile rally up the coast of California.

Keith Gilabert, "Is the economic crisis coming to an end?"

Is The Economic Crisis Coming to End?

 By Keith Gilabert,(originally posted 02/22/10)

When I was invited to speak at the prestigious PMRA Conference on Integrating Performance and Risk into the Investment Chain at the Waldorf Hotel in London, England, I sensed a lot of arrogance. I don't think anyone had any idea of how brutal the forthcoming economic crisis would be. I do recall that many large and well respected money managers were buying billions in mortgage backed bonds as a hedge. In 2007 the hedge fund industry had over $2 trillion in assets.

Today that number has been cut in half due to the implosion of these bonds that were designed in theory to protect value. The most recent S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index shows that home prices today are comparable to levels seen in 2003, down approximately 33.5% from the all-time highs of 2006 prior to the recession. I believe based on recent data that the economic crisis is not over and that we will see a further 10% decline in housing prices for 2010. Why do I say that? It's because the high-end housing market where home values are between $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 have not rolled over like the lower end markets. I find it suspicious that "Joe the plumber" loses work and then eventually his home to foreclosure but the plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills is still hanging on to all his toys.

Last time I looked around LA, I didn't see many soccer moms getting nose or boob jobs. These insecure souls are the bread and butter of the aesthetics industry and guess what... all these soccer moms are married to "Joe the plumber". According to the data I compiled, I expect to see the next leg fall over the next six months and the top end market that seems immune will start showing some cracks.


About Keith Gilabert
Keith Gilabert has worked side-by-side with equity and derivative specialist developing trading programs. In 1998 Keith  Gilabert developed a trading strategy to boost performance of managed portfolios.   The trading strategy returned a staggering 27% year over year return.  In 2002 while the market finished down over 30%, Gilabert’s strategy returned 15% net of all fees.  You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.

The Mindset associated with a Successful Stock Buyer and seller

Posted by Babar Saeed on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 Under: Business

If you need to be a successful market investor, it is essential that you develop the correct mindset. You can learn most of the strategies and techniques included in picking the correct stocks. However, investing in stocks is simply as emotional as it really is fact based and without the right mindset right from the start, the emotional associated with investing in stocks and shares will defeat you everytime. Here are some tips that will help you develop the mindset associated with a successful Director Keith G. Gilabert.

To be a valuable stock investor main mindsets you have to develop is the mindset associated with a professional baseball player. In baseball you may strike out 7 out from 10 times and still surf to the hall of reputation. The stock market is much like baseball in this particular regards. You can be wrong in your own stock picks quite often and still make unwanted expense. The key would be to recognize if you are wrong quickly, cut your mishaps and reinvest inside a new stock.

The Mindset associated with a Successful Stock Buyer and seller


About Keith Gilabert
Keith Gilabert has worked side-by-side with equity and derivative specialist developing trading programs. In 1998 Keith  Gilabert developed a trading strategy to boost performance of managed portfolios.   The trading strategy returned a staggering 27% year over year return.  In 2002 while the market finished down over 30%, Gilabert’s strategy returned 15% net of all fees.  You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.

Franchise Partnerships

By Keith Gilabert

Owning a franchise can be an endeavor that is only taken on by a few because there are so many responsibilities and the risk can be substantial. On the one hand the franchise owner is responsible for all aspects of the business franchise, which could be considered a good thing, but on the other hand he is also responsible for personally financing the whole franchise. There is definitely no way around the personal and financial commitments that a franchise owner must make, to start an established franchise in today's market can cost up to $5 million. For this reason there are plenty of entrepreneurs who actually decide not to own a franchise in the end, but they rely on another technique to acquire the franchise that they want:

The Franchise Partnership.





Read more:
Keith Gilabert, "Alternatives to Owning a Franchise" | SBA.gov