Keith Gilabert, "Hedge Fund Investors Have Another Bad Year"

Hedge fund investors have another bad year.  Hedge funds have become more direct investment vehicles in the last several years instead of a well diversified portfolio of investment opportunities.

The S&P 500 equity bond index has now outperformed it's hedge fund rivals for ten straight years, with the exception of 2008 where hedge funds did actually hedge.

As a professional investor it is important to recognize opportunity and be able to act quickly and effectively.  Right now is not a good time for the financial markets.  The stock market traders are watching governments and the governments are watching the markets. 

The way a successful investor makes money is by looking beyond traditional investments and making a niche for themselves.  One of the best performing sectors in 2012 and I expect it to do well for many years is private financing sector.  Blackrock one of the best performing hedge funds in the world have a multi-billion dollar fund committed to mezzanine financing.  Now that the banks can't offer specialized financing to companies private firms have stepped up and are making boat loads of money at it.

Keith Gilabert, "My Last Twinkie...."

This was the last Twinkie on the shelf at Albertson's.   I'm going to enjoy every last bite....

By the way, does anyone know where I can get a Snowball??

Keith Gilabert, "Is Aspartame really a poison?"

Aspartame is also known as as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure.  It is used in most diet sodas.

There has been enough studies to suggest adverse effects to the chemical Aspartame.  Here is interesting article from a compelling site.

According to Lendon Smith, M.D. there is an enormous population suffering from side effects associated with aspartame, yet have no idea why drugs, supplements and herbs don’t relieve their symptoms. Then, there are users who don’t ‘appear’ to suffer immediate reactions at all. Even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP.

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Keith Gilabert, "Find Your Family's Missing, Lost, and Unclaimed Property, Money and Assets"

Free Money Search is your free source for information on the tens of billions of unclaimed money and property being held today in state and federal unclaimed accounts. By clicking on the "Search Your State" link you can freely search your state data base for unclaimed funds.
Here are some search strategies to find Unclaimed Funds:
1. Search for everyone - family (living and non-living), friends, and the names of businesses.


2.  Search for maiden names and common misspellings of your name.


3. Aside from state data bases - there is over $16 billion sitting in federal coffers waiting to be found. Remember those savings bonds you got when you were young ? Do you know where they are?

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.


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Keith Gilabert, “Take Contol of Your Finances.”

Young people who want to take care of their future finances should discover how compound interest works. Save your money in an account where you will make money off of the interest that you earn as well as your initial investment.

Use your tax refund money to pay off any debts you may have. Most individuals use the money for frivolous things, instead of being reasonable with it. Those individuals will continue to carry their debt load once the cash has been spent.

Among all of the complex financial instruments you have at your disposal today, the humble savings account is the most important for your financial well-being. You can save money for buying large purchases like a new TV or a new car. Save money so you can retire and be comfortable. No matter the reasoning, putting money away in a savings account is one of the best ideas a person can have.

Don't start new debts, and pay your old debts down diligently. Although our instincts tell us to do one thing, it is really quite easy to train ourselves to do another. Decrease your debt slowly without adding on more! Working at it consistently will find you debt free and in a place of personal financial freedom.

Being able to successfully manage your money is key to your success. Protect your profits and invest your capital. Put some of the money you earn into more capital investments, and make sure to stay on top of the process to ensure that you continue to make money. Set aside a specific percentage of profits earned, and invest the rest in capital that can make you even more profit.

Debt doesn't have to be negative. Debt that can be considered beneficial or good most often involve real estate purchases and investments. Real estate is good because, for the most part, they increase in value over time and the loan interest is tax deductible. "Good debt" may come in the form of paying for college tuition. Student loans have relatively low interest rates, and they do not need to be paid off until after the student graduates.

If you are not ready to sell, don't. If you are getting money from one stock more than another, let that one stay. Take a look at stocks that are performing less well, and think about making some changes with them.

Sacrificing your home is a difficult decision that nobody wants to make. But, there are times when it may be the best strategic option for getting back on your feet financially, since it can free you to pursue cheaper housing and rethink your budget from the ground up. It would be worse to fail at repayment efforts and then be evicted. Sometimes it's a good idea be preemptive.

How to Help the Victims of Hurricane Sandy

 How to Help the Victims of Hurricane Sandy

Red Cross

All donations will provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by the storm. To donate, visit www.redcross.org, call 800-Red-Cross or text the word "Redcross" to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Feeding America 
While those in need wait for life to get back to normal, they'll need food, drinking water, and more. This organization was already prepared before the storm hit, and is continuing to provide supplies. You can donatehere. 

Salvation Army 
Though religious organizations aren't the right way to help for everyone, The Salvation Army has a powerful structure behind it that can do a lot of good — not to mention lots of active volunteers. You can donate here. 

KEITHGILABERT.NET: 3 Great Ways to Help the Victims of Hurricane Sandy

Fiscally Responsible Habits By Keith Gilabert

By Keith Gilabert,

Consider whether items you are removing from your home might have value to another person. You can have a yard sale or bring items into a consignment shop to see whether you can get some money for them. Personal finances can benefit when an old piece of valuable furniture is sold.

Do not incur substantial student loans unless there is a strong likelihood that you can repay them. Going to expensive private schools when you are unsure of what major to take could cause you a lot in the long run.

If you want to have truly sound finances, avoiding debt altogether is a very good thing to do. For larger purchases, like a house or a car, taking on debt is usually unavoidable. Do not use credit too much during your daily life.

Tax planning is an advantageous way of improving your overall individual financial picture. Do not neglect or pass over any employer-offered investment opportunities that let you invest dollars before taxes into qualified plans. Set aside pre-tax money for medical expenses. Utilize 401K matching programs your employer offers. Nobody can deny that responsible money management lays the foundation for lifelong financial freedom.

Planning for your children's college should begin as soon as possible. College can cost a lot of money, and if you only start saving when your child is a teen, you probably won't have enough for their tuition fees.

Save a bit day by day. Instead of shopping at a store because the location is convenient, compare prices at several stores before making a decision. Always look for food that is on sale.

Improve your finances by decreasing expenses. Saving with coupons should be more important to you than brand loyalty. As an example, while you may have always purchased brand X detergent, if you have a coupon that will give you $2 off brand Y, then buy it and save money.

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