Cheapinvestors

Want to buy a franchise opportunity? Great idea! Here is a high-level overview on what to look for:

Operating History – A long history of success is the #1 thing to look for. If many other franchisees have been successful over the years, your chances are probably pretty good that you will be successful too.

Location, location, location – Investigate the territory rights. Make sure that your site selection is a good one. Don’t settle for a second rate site.

Investigate – Don’t believe everything you hear or read from the franchisor! Investigate. Lean on those experts around you such as an attorney or an accountant. Visit some existing franchisees(choose to visit ones that the franchisor does not recommend, not just the ones that they feed you).

Labor pool – If your franchise is labor intensive (example: restaurant), what is the depth and quality of the available labor pool? Any business needs a strong qualified workforce in order to succeed.

Initial training – Make sure that you and all key employees are adequately prepared. Grand opening support is a must.

Ongoing support – A critical component for success. Make sure that all levels of support are included, and get it in writing upfront! Don’t rely on their statement, “Don’t worry, we will take care of you”.

Marketing programs – Franchise marketing is important. Make sure that any marketing pounds contributed to the franchisor are spent wisely.

Purchasing power – Can the franchisor pass on cost savings to you based on mass purchasing power?

Investment amount – While the upfront cost of the investment can seem expensive, in the long run it is probably not. A more significant expense can be the ongoing royalty and marketing fees.

Exit strategy – If the opportunity does not work, what is your exit strategy? Will the franchisor assist you in re-selling the franchise? Will they help market it for you? Many franchisors will actually provide a section on their web site for franchise re-sales. Beware if there are a lot of re-sales relative to the total number of franchises in existence.

US-based Pacifica Companies to build another five (5) star hotel in Gujarat, India

US-BASED Pacifica Companies India, founded a non-resident Indian, is set to build its second five-star hotel in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India even as construction for the first one is about to begin.

The second five hotel will be built with an estimated investment of Rs.1.5-2 billion along the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar High way on the western fringe of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The SG Highway, as it is better known, is the new corporate address of the city.

San Diego, California-based Pacifica companies was founded in 1978 by Ashok (Ash) Israni, Its new five-star hotel in Gujarat, India will be built on land formerly owned be the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd(TCGL), for which Pacifica companies successfully put up a bid of Rs.240 million, a source told IANS.

Under the sale guidelines it has been specifically laid down that the property can be used only for tourism related project though earlier there were indications that Pacifica may build a mall there.

Pacifica companies hotel portfolio currently contains over 30 properties located in Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Florida (FL), Texas (TX), and New York (NY). Most of the hotels have recognized brand names such as Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Best Western, Holiday Inn, DoubleTree, Clarion, Hilton and Radisson.

Pacificas first hotel project in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India is a five-star business class hotel in association with the Marriott International lodging company. With 160-plus rooms, it will be the largest five-star hotel in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, according to Pacifica.

It is coming up in a posh satellite area of western Ahmedabad adjacent to the SG Highway. The location is in close proximity to prime residential areas, retail outlet space and institutional space.

With the new sale, TCGL has disposed of eight of its properties in the states so far. The corporation is now focusing on the sale of another 12 properties across the state. These include the Chorwad beach resort in Junagadh district in Saurastra.

TCGL by this strategy will now focus only on development of tourism in the state, sources said.

Pacifica has nearly 2 billion in assets. Pacifica Hosts Inc., the hotel management arm of Pacifica Companies, currently manages over 30 hotels of various sizes, the largest being a 600-room hotel at the Los Angeles International Airport.

United Kingdom property investors are emerging as the biggest market for Philippine Condotels

Beth Collingz, of PLC International Marketing Networks, Lead Marketing Partner with Pacific Concord Properties Inc., whom have Condo Hotel or Condotel developments in the Philippine, and whom specializes in working with international clients in a recent conference with UK Investors held in Cebu, said: Since the pound value depreciated and UK Pound Sterling hit 92:1 on the Philippine Peso, my phone has been very busy with buyers from the UK interested in purchasing investment properties and holiday homes here in the Philippines.

A lot of this interest is being driven by relatively cheap market prices in the Philippines compared to Europe, especially UK Housing prices, and easy payment options available for our Condotel Developments, but there are other factors, too. Offshore Property Investors, Foreign baby boomers as well as overseas Filipinos, are looking for ways to maximize their return on investments as they approach retirement, and so are purchasing second homes, particularly Condotel Investments where they can use the Condo for vacations and rent it out through In-House Management when not using the unit thereby gaining rental incomes that on todays purchase prices, give a projected ROI on their investments of some 8-16% depending upon the mode of payment for the unit

Collingz, who also runs PLC Global Pinoy, an internet based marketing network specializing in Condotel Investments, indicated more than 85% of all sales in Metro Manila were to international clients. These international buyers know its a buyers market in the Philippines right now – there are a lot of properties available and fewer local buyers, Collingz said. Im working with clients who are purchasing their second property with me. We also have referrals from many of our prior customers and new clients who have found us through our Web sites, lancastersuites.com and plcglobalpinoy.com which include a special section for international buyers

Another major driving factor in overseas property investments from the United Kingdom is UK Tax Payers taking advantage of tax incentives and Investing their Self-Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] In Philippine Condotel Investment Real Estate for Rental Income and Retirement said Collingz.

A Self Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] is a personal pension plan but with one very significant difference: administration is separate from investment content, giving the plan holder freedom to choose for himself and change the investments within it. The long-awaited rules on what savers can include in their personal pension plans were unveiled in April 2006 by HM Revenue & Customs. The Guidance Notes confirm that the Chancellor is permitting Self Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] holders to invest in hotels such as the Lancaster Brand of Condo Hotels in the Philippines. The only stipulation is that SIPP holders may not stay in their rooms. With more nights available for paying guests, this not surprisingly increases the room owners’ returns. It is estimated there are now more than 70,000 plans holding over 14bn.

A year or so ago, few people in the UK realized that they could manage their Pension Plan portfolios themselves, and even fewer knew that they could invest their SIPP retirement money in homes in the sun which now prove to be among the most popular potential investments to include in a SIPP

If youre considering using your SIPP to invest in real estate, there are some excellent reasons that you should choose Philippine Condotel Investment real estate to drive your retirement portfolio into high profit margins. The Philippines is ideal for this type of investment because a SIPP can establish title to a property in a country whose legal framework recognizes trusts and a SIPP is simply another form of trust.

Investing in foreign real estate is neither as risky nor as tricky as a lot of people would have you believe. While land and housing prices in the U.K. have soared astronomically in the past decade, the world real estate market is a far different story. Its still possible to buy a preconstruction Condotel suite at Lancaster The Atrium located in Metro Manila, Philippines, for less than GBP 25,000.00

The beauty of holding property in the Philippines is the low cost of property taxes and maintenance. A GBP 25,000 Condotel suite will only set you back GBP 100 in property taxes per year, and maintenance costs are similarly low. When you add in the tax-protected status of investments made in your SIPP, annual off plan property appreciation and the 8-16% returns through rental income through the Condotel advantage, you have an incredible ROI on a purchase of Philippine Condotel investment real estate enthused Collingz.

With preconstruction property in the Philippines appreciating at some 20% per annum not only do real estate investments look good but the rental income return in the Country is in excess of what many Pension Plans offer for the same or similar investment.

Many new investors are looking to replace failed pension plans and other future saving schemes with a solid investment in Real Estate. Clients are looking for investments that will give them an income for retirement as an alternative to traditional private pension plans that have failed. Most company pension plans are insufficient as are Government Pensions. Bank rates for Savings accounts are at record lows. Savvy investors are now looking for a more solid investment with potential for monthly income. Condotels in the Philippines fit the bill

This potential, high rates of rental returns from Condo Hotel Investments, up to 16% per annum, opens up a huge market not traditionally looked at by Real Estate Agents and Brokers whom all so often run around looking for normal residential profile buyers without looking at the by far bigger picture of investments, investing and retirement. “Were here to help our clients and advise them of emerging investment opportunities in the Philippines. Self-Invested Pension Plans and Lancaster Condotels, fit this bill exactly; adds Collingz.

Pacific Concord Properties, Inc., Flagship Lancaster Condo Hotel [Manila] development located along Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, is currently one of the hottest Condotel Investments in the Philippines. Lancaster – The Atrium is accepting Reservations for Studio, One, Two & Three Bedroom Suites adopting International Standard Escrow Trust Account Buyer Safe Easy Secure Payment Plans with 6 year interest free payment terms or up to 12 year “In-House” financing available, full condo ownership and minimum monthly maintenance fees, you really should take a moment to look at this Philippine Condotel Investment Opportunity said Collingz.

Do you run out of money before you run out of month? Do you wonder where your money goes each month? Do you struggle to find money to invest for retirement, emergencies and other financial goals? Here are 10 tips to cut your spending and stretch your pound to the max:

1. Consider dropping your home telephone line. Your cell phone is probably all you really need, and most likely it has free long distance. You could save 30 or more per month by dropping your land line.

2. Cut back on trips to Starbucks or other premium coffee shops. Often called the latte factor, spending several pounds per day on luxuries like premium coffee can really add up. For example, if you spend 4 for a cappuccino five times a week for 50 weeks out of the year (youre on vacation the other two weeks), you would spend 1,000 in a year. Try treating your trip to Starbucks as a treat instead of a habit. Youll save money and probably lose weight too!

3. Pay your mortgage payment bi-weekly instead of monthly. Youll pay less interest and pay off your mortgage faster.

4. Carry cash instead of credit cards. Psychologically its harder to spend cash than it is to use the credit card. Youll spend less and save on interest charges.

5. Use the envelope system for groceries, dining out, entertainment, and other discretionary spending categories. This will help you track how much you spend in these categories as well as prioritizing your spending.

6. Raise the deductible on your homeowners and auto insurance policies. Its not wise to file claims for small losses anyway (insurance companies love to raise rates after you file a claim), so a higher deductible will save you money now and in the future.

7. Buy regular gas instead of premium. Most cars dont need premium gasoline. Also, take public transportation if its available in your area. Take advantage of park and ride and carpooling options.

8. Plan your purchases to avoid impulse buying. Take a list with you to the grocery store and stick with it. Studies show that impulse buying can add 10-50 to your grocery bill ouch!

9. Go to the library instead of the bookstore. If youre an avid reader, give yourself a book budget for books that you will want to keep, and go to the library for everything else.

10. Take a vacation at home. Check out all the local sites and happenings. Youll rediscover your hometown and save on travel and hotel costs.

These are just a handful of ways you can cut spending and stretch your pounds, but if you follow these tips youll discover you have more money at the end of each month to apply to other financial goals, such as saving for college, retirement or just for a rainy day.

In my position as an investment portflio manager, I often have to make phone calls to other departments in the financial organization I work for. Several months ago, I placed a phone call to our accounting department, which is located on an entirely different floor in our building. Instead of the usual voice I am used to hearing, I was pleasantly suprised by a sultry “Accounts receivable, this is Regina speaking”. After inquiring on what happened to Ralph, the accounts receivable manager I had grown to know and loathe, I was informed that Regina was taking over his old position. This was great news for me, not only because of her voice, but also because Ralph was the one person in the company I could never get along with.

I conducted the inquiry I needed to, said goodbye, and didn’t give it a second thought. A few days later, I had reason to call accounts receivable again. This time, in the process of conducting my business, I detected that I was being flirted with. Being a bachelor and hearing that incredible voice made me curious, but at the same time I realized that not having ever seen me, it was highly unlikely that this woman could be anywhere close to serious. I coughed it up to casual friendliness and again went back to my work. The third time I called after the changeover, Regina asked if I had been on the second floor with our mutual funds manager the previous week. I had been, so I surmised that she knew what I looked like and I answered affirmitavely.

This set in motion a conversation that wasn’t disguised friendliness but instead, overt flirting on her part. Now I was somehwat smitten. I said goodbye and tried to go back to my work but visions of a young buxom professional with a voice that could break a heart with a whisper had me in a frenzy. The next day, I decided it was high time I introduced myself to the new employee. I made my way down to the second floor, somewhat exited and nervous and all the while hoping to not be disappointed. I opened the door to the accounts receivable office and saw the most beautiful woman talking on her headset. She smiled at me and made a “hold on a minute” gesture. After her phone call ended, I reached out my hand and said, “Hi Regina, I’m Jim from upstairs”.

She answered, “Hi Jim, I’m Amy, Regina’s clerk…did you need to speak to Regina?”. My heart sank a little, and then the woman I would come to know as Regina came walking out, happy to finally meet me. As you might guess, she had the aesthetics of a water buffalo with a face that even a mother couldn’t love. I smiled, shook her hand and had a polite but short conversation before retreatring back to my office. I have since heard that as Ralph was retiring, he was able to hand pick his replacement. Why do I get the feeling that somewhere, he is laughing right now?

UK Tax Payers are taking advantage of tax incentives and Investing their Self-Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] In Philippine Condotel Investment Real Estate for Rental Income and
Retirement .

Beth Collingz, PLC International Marketing Director for Pacific Concord Properties Lancaster Brand of Condotels in the Philippines in a Press Conference with International Investors from the United Kingdom held recently at Shangri-La Mactan Resort Hotel in Cebu, reckoned – “Thousands of people in the UK are beginning to catch on”.

A Self Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] is a personal pension plan but with one very significant difference: administration is separate from investment content, giving the plan holder freedom to choose for himself and change the investments within it. The long-awaited rules on what savers can include in their personal pension plans were unveiled in April 2006 by HM Revenue & Customs. The Guidance Notes confirm that the Chancellor is permitting Self Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] holders to invest in hotels such as the Lancaster Brand of Condo Hotels in the Philippines. The only stipulation is that SIPP holders may not stay in their rooms. With more nights available for paying guests, this not surprisingly increases the room owners’ returns. It is estimated there are now more than 70,000 plans holding over 14bn.

A year or so ago, few people in the UK realized that they could manage their Pension Plan portfolios themselves, and even fewer knew that they could invest their SIPP retirement money in homes in the sun which now prove to be among the most popular potential investments to include in a SIPP.

If youre considering using your SIPP to invest in real estate, there are some excellent reasons that you should choose Philippine Condotel Investment real estate to drive your retirement portfolio into high profit margins. The Philippines is ideal for this type of investment because a SIPP can establish title to a property in a country whose legal framework recognizes trusts and a SIPP is simply another form of trust.

Investing in foreign real estate is neither as risky nor as tricky as a lot of people would have you believe. While land and housing prices in the U.K. have soared astronomically in the past decade, the world real estate market is a far different story.

Its still possible to buy a preconstruction Condotel suite at Lancaster The Atrium located in Metro Manila, Philippines, for less than GBP 25,000.00.
Lancaster Manila Atrium Tower A, Shaw Boulevard, Metro Manila, Philippines is a “Full Service” Condominium Hotel ["Condotel"] offering Studio, One, Two and Three Bedroom Suites for sale. To be completed and ready for turnover from
December 2010, the Lancaster Suites Manila Atrium Tower II will provide unit owners with premier residential condo units with the option of enrolling their units in the Lancaster Condotel Rental Pool and earn Rental Incomes [at current purchase levels] of some 12-16% ROI per annum as Owner Non-Residents when not using their units through Condotel Management.

This makes Lancaster Suites one of the Hottest Investment Opportunities in the Philippines. The beauty of holding property in the Philippines is the low cost of property taxes and maintenance. A GBP 25,000 Condotel suite may set you back GBP 100 in property taxes per year, and maintenance costs are similarly low. When you add in the tax-protected status of investments made in your IRA, and the 12-16% returns through rental income through the Condotel advantage, you have an incredible ROI on a purchase of Philippine Condotel investment real estate enthused Collingz.

Whats the downside about owning Philippine Condotel Investment real estate as an SIPP investment? You cannot reside at your investment property as long as the SIPP is titled as the owner of the property. The self directed pension plan rules about benefiting personally from your investments are strict – you are not allowed to make use of any property owned by your SIPP, or you risk losing its tax-protected status and worse yet you could face penalties from HM Customs & Excise. You can, however, rent out your SIPP investment for steady income – putting the profits and cash flow into your SIPP, or sell your Philippine Real Estate Investment for immediate profit, as long as those profits remain inside the SIPP.

If youre looking for an unusual and high earning investment for your SIPP, then take a serious look at owning Philippine Condotel investment real estate. It can help kick your SIPP earnings into high gear.

With the impending slowdown of the UK. housing market and failing pension plans, many investors are turning to using their SIPPs to invest in overseas properties and earn tax-free or tax-deferred income. This creates an outstanding
opportunity for by offering self-directed pension plan vehicle to invest in the Lancaster Suites Atrium Tower pre-construction units.

With preconstruction property appreciating at some 20-30% per annum not only does the Real Estate Appreciation look good but the rental income is in excess of what many Pension Plans offer for the same or similar investment.

Beth Collingz says that many new investors are looking to replace failed pension plans and other future saving schemes with a solid investment in Real Estate. Clients are looking for investments that will give them an income for retirement as an alternative to traditional private pension plans that have failed. Most company pension plans are insufficient as are Government Pensions. Bank rates for Savings accounts are at record lows. Savvy investors are now looking for a more solid investment with potential for monthly income. Condotels in the Philippines fit the bill.

This potential, high rates of rental returns from Condotel Investments, currently from 12% up to 16% per annum, opens up a huge market not traditionally looked at by Real Estate Agents and Brokers whom all so often run around looking for normal residential profile buyers without looking at the by far bigger picture of investments, investing and retirement. “Were here to help our clients, educating our clients and advising them of emerging investment opportunities. Self-Invested Pension Plans and the Lancaster Suites Atrium Condotels, fit this bill exactly; adds Collingz.

Further info regarding Lancaster Philippines Condo Hotel Investments using your UK SIPP [Self-Invested Pension Plan]can be found on the companies website.

Beth Collingz

Director – PLC International Marketing Networks

Everyone has a property investment story, and in Western Canada the stories often have a pretty strong Whistler element. Whistler has in the past offered spectacular payoffs for property investors. You could in 1980 have bought a prime waterfront property on the lake in Whistler for 10,000. Today the land alone would command 2m upwards, and other plots of land can sell for 3-4m. Add a house and you could be looking at up to 20m (the ludicrous – price being asked for The Couloir, a ski-in, ski-out location on Whistler Mountain). Prices have at least doubled in the last 5 years. Talk to realtors in Whistler and you will invariably be told that there is still considerable upside. Is there any mileage in buying in at these prices?

The quick answer is: probably not. Rental yields in Whistler are currently hovering around 1% net, with many people not even making enough to cover their taxes, let alone make a positive return. Add debt into the financing structure and you are looking at an asset which costs you significant money every month you own it. You are essentially speculating on either a continued decline towards 0% in the yield that other investors are willing to accept, or a dramatic turnaround in occupancy levels and rates to compensate. There is no reason to believe in either of these events.

The facts are that while the rest of the property market in British Columbia stagnated for years, Whistler grew like crazy, peaking at about the same time that the rest of the BC market bottomed out, circa 2002. The market is almost entirely divorced from the factors which drive prices in the rest of the province (interest rates, unemployment levels, wages, general optimism about the strength of the economy). Rather, the market is linked to demand for Whistler skiing from the international community which can afford the elevated prices that Whistler requires. And this demand has declined precipitously, made up for by demand from the local (Vancouver) market as well as the Seattle market. So while visitor numbers are up, the value to be extracted from these visitors by property owners is well down, since local visitors stay for less time and are way more price sensitive.

So the canny investor should continue to stay out of the market. Economic fundamentals suggest that this market will stagnate or decline for quite a few years to come. However, that is no reason to avoid visiting Whistler, which continues to offer fabulous skiing and excellent restaurants, as well as all its other attractions.

Lancaster Cebu Resort Residences [LCRR] in Mactan, Cebu, is a boutique Brand Name Condotel Investment of Pacific Concord Properties Inc, and now ready to accept guests in the Condo Hotel. Under the management of Lancaster Hotels, Land and Properties, Inc. [LHLPI] rental operations of LCRR were soft launched March 2007.

Beth Collingz, International Marketing Director of PLC Global an internet based sales and marketing company and lead marketing partners with Pacific Concord Properties, Inc., for the Lancaster Brand of Condotels in the Philippines, said the original or early bird Lancaster Cebu preconstruction investors whom purchased at our pre-launch purchase price are now earning upwards of 8% ROI on their investments in the first 3 months of operations and have seen a 45% appreciation in their real estate investment over the past 2 years.

These are not bad figures for a start up project enthused Collingz which is why the company is expanding its operations in Lancaster Cebu over the next 6 months with the acquisition and completion of another 30 suites immediately and 120 over 12 months to mid 2008.

This follows the recent announcement the company has acquired, by purchase, additional units in its Lancaster Cebu Condotel adding another 75M pesos to its project inventory and expansion program. This brings the number of properties held or under contract in the development and condotel rental pool to 75 suites with another 120 units to be added before year end for Condo Hotel rental operations.

Property is all about LOCATION said Collingz. Mactan and Lancaster Cebu, provides one with both the laid back pace of provincial living, as well as prerequisites of the urban dweller. Schools, hospitals, restaurants, shopping malls, and leisure are all found on the island itself with no doubt contribute to the success of the launch of rental operations.

Lancaster Cebu Resort Residences, located a mere 3 minutes from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, provides easy access to all the essentials of urban living. This ideal location will complement the Condotel operation since Lancaster Cebu will function as a condominium hotel a preferred accommodation choice of businessmen and holiday travelers alike. Clients can either purchase Condotel Suites for investment purposes or lease the units on weekly, monthly or yearly basis. We currently have Fully Furnished Executive Studio Suite and Two-Bedroom Suites available at Lancaster Cebu Resort Residences at Pre-Increase Prices that will be Ready For Occupancy from November 2007 at the current price said Collingz.

For the soft launch running through to December 2007, LHLPI has prepared special promotional room rates aimed at budget travelers. Guests can check-in to any of the executive studio suites for as low as 35 a night or to any of the two-bedroom loft rooms at 65 a night plus 13% Government Tax whilst longer term discounted rates for monthly and yearly lease rentals are also available said Collingz.

For those clients looking for investments in the Philippines, Lancaster Cebu also offers Studio Suites for sale.

US based investors at Lancaster Cebu can take advantage of their 401K or IRA allotments whilst UK clients can avail of retirement tax incentives for the purchase of condo units under their Self Invested Pension Program [SIPP].

With the expansion of the current rental operations we expect occupancy rates to increase to some 80% and rental returns to reach the 10-12% ROI level early 2008 based upon the current promo rates. Of course as rentals increase with inflation and the with the Holidays fast approaching, these figures could be significantly improved. Not only that, current real estate appreciation is also a factor running at some 15% per annum in Cebu said Collingz.

Whilst some renovation works are still ongoing within the complex, unit rentals are still available to guests at ‘Special Promo Rates’. Cebu City is the acknowledged gateway and Queen City of the South. Cebu is the most important trading and commercial hub outside of Metro Manila. Mactan Cebu International Airport assures the arrival of a steady stream of international flights from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kota Kinabalu, Seoul and Qatar. There are also chartered flights from Incheon, Taipei, Kansai, Nagoya and Kiaoshung that arrive on a weekly basis. Cebu is identified by Asiaweek and Conde Nast Traveller as one of Asias Best Cities

Investors and Financial Execs Agree: Dividends Are On the Rise

In a recent study released by Boston-based investment manager, Eaton Vance, senior finance executives at dividend-paying American corporations agreed that stocks that pay dividends are growing in appeal. The nationwide survey of executives from all major corporate sectors also projected long-term dividend growth.

The survey, conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, Inc., revealed that 47 percent of finance executives anticipate dividend growth to continue to outpace earnings growth in 2006. These projections dovetail with research by Standard & Poor’s, which found that dividends rose faster than corporate earnings over the past year. Duncan Richardson, executive vice president and chief equity investment officer of Eaton Vance remarked, “With strong balance sheets and cash flows, American companies have the means and motivation to continue to increase dividends.”

How long is this trend likely to continue? Of executives who believe dividends will continue to outpace earnings, a majority (60 percent) expect the trend to last for one to two years. An additional 25 percent anticipate the trend will last up to five years. However, the duration of this trend may depend on whether Congress extends the current reduced tax rate on dividends. According to Mr. Richardson, “Businesses may not continue increasing their dividends if the tax cut extensions fail to go through and dividends once again are taxed at a higher rate.”

Regardless of the possible extension to current tax act provisions, “the important takeaway is companies are increasingly returning more to investors in the form of dividends,” said Mr. Richardson. As many dividend-paying companies use excess cash to increase dividends, six out of seven finance executives polled said they consider a company’s track record of increasing annual dividends as a way of displaying shareholder friendly behavior. Furthermore, four out of five believe a firm’s dividend growth rate can give investors confidence in the company’s projected long-term growth potential.

Investors who were polled last year in Eaton Vance’s sixth annual investor survey agreed with these sentiments. A majority of investors polled held a very positive view of companies that pay dividends (78 percent), seeing them as predictable cash generators and viewing dividends as a sign of financial strength.

“There has been a significant shift in investor preference from an emphasis on growth investing towards a more value-oriented conservative investment style,” said Mr. Richardson. “In the 1990s, investors preferred companies that offered buybacks-which increase reported earnings per share-over dividends.” As the results of the Eaton Vance study reveal, a majority of polled individual investors (57 percent) now say they prefer regular quarterly dividends over stock buybacks (23 percent) or special dividends (8 percent).

According to Mr. Richardson, “Dividends have returned to popularity, and value investing has emerged from the doghouse.”

Eaton Vance Corp. is a Boston-based investment management firm whose stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EV. Eaton Vance and its affiliates managed over 113.3 billion in assets as of January 31, 2006, for more than 100 investment companies, as well as individual and institutional accounts, including those of corporations, hospitals, retirement plans, universities, foundations and trusts.

Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based full-service strategic polling and market research firm.

Before investing in any Eaton Vance Fund, prospective investors should consider carefully the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses. The Fund’s current prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and is available through your financial advisor. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

The mutual fund industry requires customers that buy their funds and never sell them. So naturally, they disseminate a lot of editorial decrying any trading, market-timing or re-allocating that includes selling their mutual funds. This non-selling concept gets more ridiculous and hypocritical every year as scandals continue to trickle into the news regarding brokerage firm and mutual fund behavior. It turns out that the professionals running the mutual funds do a lot of trading, market-timing and re-allocating everyday, but somehow if you do this on your own, youll ruin your portfolio.

Since an unfortunate vestige of mutual fund sales material is: you need to invest for the long-term. and That it is OK if your investments are going down because these are long-term investments. These phrases and beliefs destroy portfolios and compounded returns.

To me, investing is simply day-trading in slow motion. In my view, when people dont have an investing plan they use the excuse, Im investing for the long-term. But, I find that all the successful trading rules that apply to a professional currency trader with a leveraged $250 million position also apply to someone with $25 in a mutual fund. If the mutual fund owner calls it investing, he thinks he is immune from all the decision-making required of all ownership; ignoring the fact that every structure require maintenance.

Lets take a closer look at maintenance; look at a home everything but the dirt needs to be maintained. Time, weather, and events take their toll on the floors, appliances, roof, windows, landscaping, etc. The same rules apply to owning a rental home. And the same rules apply to owning a strip mall, or an airport or manufacturing plant. The same rules actually apply to every business; the building, the equipment, the employees, the vehicles, the marketing plan, the product design, and the websites. Now if investing or trading is a business (or you are trading or investing in businesses) what makes you think your portfolio doesnt need to be maintained just like everything else? I am here to tell you that it does need to be maintained. In spite of long-term investing theories and cautions from your stockbroker or magazine headlines, most of the time you spend on investing would be considered maintenance.

How I define maintenance is continued review, evaluation, and action in alignment with your investing goals. Now the maintenance that they need is continual review. Is it meeting your expectations? Maintenance means information review: changes to your market view, interest rates, inflation, recession, the industry, a new federal law, an inter-country trade dispute, etc. Maintenance also means portfolio review. For example, , if a run up in real estate has unbalanced your portfolio, you may want to sell off weaker real estate holdings or, instead, sell off the strongest real estate holdings if the market prices are starting to fall back. Maintenance is also the mechanics of setting up alerts if a stock has fallen too far and you want to place a stop-loss order to get out, or an alert for a profit target that is about to be reached. Maintenance could simply be a monthly review to evaluate whether the stock is still above its 200-day moving average price.

Whatever the manner you want to address investment and portfolio maintenance, you need to start building your own trading rules, checklists for what to do before you enter a trade, and what could possibly trigger your exit of a position. Keep a journal to see how your rules are growing your account to notice which of them needs to be changed, eliminated, or updated. All of this is the maintenance required for the $25 mutual fund investment so that it doesnt become a $0.25 investment from neglect.

To the axiom: A fool and his money are soon parted, I would add this corollary: An amateur investor and his long-term investments are soon parted. Amateur investors that are not willing to perform the ongoing duties required to grow their investments rarely perform well. While a professional trader who carefully analyzes and executes his trading rules can count on the continued successful growth of their portfolio.