Alternative Energy

Fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas, are a non-renewable source of energy.

Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels

The stock market has a worrying message for the future. It suggests we may run out of oil a century before we have an alternative fuel ready to replace it.

Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally replenished)

  

       Seven of the most promising renewable energy technologies:

·        advanced bio fuels,

·        electric vehicles (EVs),

·        concentrated solar power (CSP),

·        solar photovoltaic (PV - solar panels),

·        onshore wind power,

·        offshore wind, and so-called "clean coal" through carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) - and assesses their potential to make a market impact on cheaper, more conventional energy sources

Renewable energy sources like concentrated solar and photovoltaic solar systems are the most viable technologies likely to challenge the dominance of fossil fuel on the global energy scene, according to a report released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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  Power generation overall increased 8% during 2010 and wind and hydro accounted for 20% of total power generation in the first 9 months. Also, 9 months report for 2010 shows a 54% increase in revenue from wind and hydropower.

 Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can burned (oxidized to carbon dioxide and water) producing significant amount of energy per unit weight. Nevertheless, investors do not expect the replacement of oil-based fuels with renewable for another 100 years. Investors put far more money into the traditional oil companies than into alternative energy companies. Therefore; investors believe that in the near future the traditional oil business is going to do better and to occupy a considerably larger share of the energy market than alternative-energy companies

Diamonds is a sparkling investment

Most rare stones will in time increase in value.

 


When the stability of the economy is in danger, the investor wants to protect its investments from devaluation.

It is a secure investment: formed in millions of years, diamonds are inalterable. Their value is not linked to the value of money. An investment in diamonds does not bring in instant revenue but can add value to the amount of money that is invested.

Diamonds are unalterable
- Diamonds are discreet as they provide the means of keeping the strongest value in the smallest volume and weight (5 carats of diamonds, i.e. one gram, are equivalent to several kilograms of gold)
- Diamonds are likely to increase in value in time over long periods.
- Diamonds do not require any specific management. They are generally kept in a safe place.
- Diamonds are forever beautiful, unique and eternal.

It is therefore advice to buy, in terms of secured value, diamonds of superior quality categories. It is recommended to buy round diamonds, with colors D, E or F with IF or VVS quality and weighing 1 carat or more. For the other criteria (proportion, polish and degree of fluorescence) must of course also be good.
Approximately 20% of mined diamonds are used in jewelry and 80% for industrial uses (such as lasers, drill parts and surgical equipment).

The United States is the biggest consumer of diamonds in the world. It accounts for 35% of diamond sales, Hong Kong 26%, Belgium 15%, Japan 6%, and Israel 4% Israel and Belgium in particular are important diamond-trading hubs thus their consumption numbers are misleading.

Globalization of wine

  

Globalization is not new to the world’s wine markets, but its influence over the past decade or so has increased dramatically. More wine is flowing across international borders than ever before. As a result, consumers are seeing (and drinking) more and more wines from the US, France, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Italy, Canada and many other countries. A bigger wine selection at the local grocery store is great, but what's behind this globalization trend?

    There are basically three models for wine marketing in the world today that correspond to the three largest import markets for wine: the U.S., Germany and Great Britain.

   The U.S. model is built around brands owned by wine companies. Winemakers big and small seek to establish a brand or reputation that will help them sell their wines to consumers who need a trustworthy indicator of value and/or quality. Building reputation is complex and brands are part of the process, but not the whole story, of course. Americans typically look to brands for quality/value information when shopping in general and so it is natural that wine brands are so important here. Because there are lots of market segments for wine and many competing brands within each segment, American retailers stock a lot of wine.

   Then there is the German model, which is all about low prices. The average “bottle” of German wine is sold in a discount store, often with a house brand name, and costs about a Euro per liter. I put “bottle” in quotes because sometimes it comes in a juice-box type container. Decent quality for less is what the German market seeks and the discount chain’s reputation for value seals the deal.

   Finally there is the British model. Britain is by most accounts the most important wine import market in the world and the key players there are the supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Because this market is so important to wine exporters, you can find wine from every nook and cranny of the global market in British stores. But because this huge selection can be confusing to consumers (especially French wines) and discourage them from making a purchase, the stores themselves (not the wine producers) have launched their own brands, like the Tesco’s Finest Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon or, for example. Or the Sainsbury’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc shown here, which offer a limited range of global wines under the store’s own label. The Tesco brand gives consumer confidence to try an unfamiliar foreign wine (a Central Otago Pinot?) that they might otherwise avoid. Tesco and Sainsbury’s don’t make the wine, of course. They contract with local winemakers to supply the product. The stores add value to the bottle by lending it their reputation through the store brand label. And, of course, they use their efficient distribution system to get the bottles into consumer shopping baskets.

   This globalization also improved the consumption of wine as most of the people in different countries approach wine as a drink for the wealthy like US and can acquire high quality wine at reasonable prices.

Top 20 investment tips

1.   Pick a strategy and stick with it.
Different people use different methods to pick stocks and fulfill investing goals. There are many ways to be successful and no one strategy is inherently better than any other. However, once you find your style, stick with it. An investor who flounders between different stock-picking strategies will probably experience the worst, rather than the best, of each. Constantly switching strategies effectively makes you a market timer, and this is definitely territory most investors should avoid.
2.   If you are dealing with a wine fund or specialist wine investment company, look at their track record. How have their funds or portfolios performed historically. Also check what charges and commissions are involved.
3.  If you are buying independently for a capital return, stick to investment grade, red Bordeaux from the best vintages. Bordeaux makes up over 90% of the wine investment market. Bear in mind that generally, the back vintages offer greater investment potential than more recent vintages.
4.   When you are buying wine for investment (or drinking), always compare prices and shop around. A good way to do this is on www.winesearcher.com
5.   Rather than buy a large number of inexpensive cases, it makes more sense to buy a small number of high value wines. Otherwise, annual storage charges will significantly reduce your profits.
6.   Generally, wine does not attract capital gains tax as it is considered a wasting asset by the revenue.
7.    If you are buying wine, do not invest more than you can afford to lose. Wine has proved to be a resilient asset class over the long term, but recent events have shown that wine prices do go down as well as up. Wine should only represent a small part of your overall investment portfolio.
8.    Champagne has provided some very good returns to investors over the last two or three years. At times it has even outperformed top class claret. However, only stick to the top prestige cuvees such as Krug Vintage, Roederer’s Cristal and Dom Perignon. Also bear in mind that some consider Champagne to be a more risky investment compared to red Bordeaux.

9   Do not keep un-real expectations or expect abnormal returns on your investments. Do not make extra commitments in the greed to have extra and more returns. Do not overstrain yourself.
10   Make all calculations yourself, instead of depending on the seller. Try to make a benchmark of reasonable return and concentrate on the strategy.
11   Do not exit from any kind of investment because some other investment promises a better return. It’s best not to make a decision on others tips and suggestions. You have to make a difference on the basis of projects and products which are offered.
12   If you are making an investment in real estate, lay stress on the location. This is an important criterion which needs serious consideration.
13   Check out the value appreciation graph of your existing investments before you think about withdrawing from any kind of investments. Do not repeat any mistakes which you have done in the past.
14   You should know more about people who are involved with your investments. This may be your builder, realtor, banker, developer or consultant and try to find out more about them. This will help you to understand if you have made a correct decision.
15   Check out and know about any recent trends of the market and keep a track of all prevailing technological advances
16   If you are making an investment do not go for ‘value for money’ deals.      Instead you should take time to make evaluations on the basis you will invest your hard earned money.
17   Do not hesitate to ask and act. As a buyer it is natural to have many questions. Do not progress if you have doubts in your mind as you will make wrong decisions.

18   Don't overemphasize the P/E ratio.  Investors often place too much importance on the price-earnings ratio (P/E ratio). Because it is one key tool among many, using only this ratio to make buy or sell decisions is dangerous and ill-advised. The P/E ratio must be interpreted within a context, and it should be used in conjunction with other analytical processes. So, a low P/E ratio doesn't necessarily mean a security is undervalued, nor does a high P/E ratio necessarily mean a company is overvalued.

19    Focus on the future.
The tough part about investing is that we are trying to make informed decisions based on things that have yet to happen. It's important to keep in mind that even though we use past data as an indication of things to come, it's what happens in the future that matters most.

20    Be open-minded.
Many great companies are household names, but many good investments are not household names. Thousands of smaller companies have the potential to turn into the large blue chips of tomorrow. In fact, historically, small-caps have had greater returns than large-caps; over the decades from 1926-2001, small-cap stocks in the U.S. returned an average of 12.27% while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) returned 10.53%
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alternative investment

 Hello all,
 I am Jonathan Healy

I invest money to earn them. I would like to give independent opinion based on internet research about alternative investing.

They are alternatives to conventional investments that are essentially listed securities, cash and bank deposits and lending. Most alternative investment assets are held by institutional investors or accredited, high-net-worth individuals because of their complex nature, limited regulations and relative lack of liquidity.
Examples of alternative investments include:

• commodities,
• hedge funds
• private equity
• Collectibles (such as stamps, art, antiques, etc.),
• Wine.
• financial derivatives

Alternative investments are favored mainly because their returns have a low correlation with those of standard asset classes. Because of this, many large institutional funds such as pensions and private endowments have begun to allocate a small portion (typically less than 10%) of their portfolios to alternative investments such as hedge funds.  

While the small investor may be shut out of some alternative investment opportunities, real estate and commodities such as precious metals are widely available