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Thursday, May 17. 2007
I saw Mr. Dorsley and his son, Anthony, in the farmer's market downtown last Sunday. I saw them in the fish section since Mr. Dorsley is planning to cook a special crab dish for his wife and children. We chat for awhile regarding family life and jobs. He told me that Anthony is a
Finance major and wants to work in a bank someday. Mr. Dorsley asked about my job and its duties. I told him that I am a real estate agent and the nature of work is not difficult. I also told him that my salary is average. I informed him that I have plans of leaving my current job.
After he asked thousands of questions about me, I took the opportunity to turn the tables and ask questions. I asked about his work and job description. He told me that he is CSO or Chief Security Officer. This is the first time I've heard about this term and job. I asked him, "What's the job of a CSO?" He simply answered, "I'm the head of the security in our company."
Then his Finance major son butt in, "No dad. According to my financial dictionary, a CSO is the one who looks after the security of information assets and personnel. Some companies called this position as Director of Corporate Security," he said. His explanation left Mr. Dorsley and I in awe. After hearing this job description, I want to apply in this position.
Monday, May 14. 2007
 My father is a businessman. We owned a used car business near downtown. Our business started as a small garage shop with only four employees and a minimal capital. After a few years, my father was able to expand our business into car sales and marketing. He was always away from home since he had to go to different places in search of quality car deals. When he was at home, he wouldn't talk to any of us since he's very tired and exhausted. I can always hear his complaints and rantings about the economy, the employees, and a lof of stressful situations in the office whenever he's on the phone or talking to my mother.
Sunday, May 13. 2007
One day, I approached my father when he father was at home doing calls and paperwork. I asked him why he had problems at work. He said that his employees are not efficient and effective workers. They can't meet the demands of the job. When workers can't work properly, they can't do a good job. My father understands that the workers are pressured so much with work that's why the results of their tasks are not good. He is thinking of talking to his employees in order to get to the root of the problem. Hearing all this, I am concerned about my father's health because he has grave colorectal cancer. How I wish I could help him with his company problems.
Saturday, May 12. 2007
My father consulted a business expert regarding his problems in the company. The expert said that he should motivate his workers to always do their best. He can encourage them by giving them rewards for a job well done. As a leader in the company, he should know which department or area needs help and support. He also has to channel all their resources to projects that will gain them profit. Sometimes, workers feel frustrated about their job because they're underpaid and overworked. With these realizations, my father changed his approach and some policies so that his company will grow.
Friday, May 11. 2007
 Whenever I read the daily newspaper together with my hot coffee and oreo cookie cake, I always read first the entertainment section. News stuff bores me these days. There's nothing new in the daily papers. But one time, I don't start reading the entertainment section because in the business news I saw the article about the decrease in the sale of Starbucks. I couldn't believe that because every time I went to the coffee shop, I can see that they have lots of customers. According to the article, increase in food prices and gasoline is one of the causes of such event. Oh well, this doesn't surprise me at all. It's better to drink low cost coffee to save money.
Thursday, May 10. 2007
Having a warm weather could actually affect the sales of Starbucks. People, of course would want cold blended drinks to soothe their dry mouths. This is the reason why Starbucks' Banana Coconut Frappuccino, a cold drink is very popular in their shops today. But this increase of demand for this product has actually slow down the operations of Starbucks since they still need ample preparation and more equipment. In the news, Starbucks file their lowest monthly sale growth since 2002. Representatives of Starbucks admitted that the economy is a strong factor why the sales could be lower in the next few months.
Wednesday, May 9. 2007
As an answer to the growing demand for blended drinks during peak hours, Starbucks will hire more staff and put more machines for better service. The lack of machineries is also one known cause why their sales decreased. On the bright side, Starbucks will open stores in India and Russia in 2007. I think this is part of their world wide plan to conquer the coffee palates of the people around the globe. In China, Starbucks has already planted more than four hundred stores and they have plans to establish stores in Brazil. With these plans, Starbucks sales will never decrease again.
Tuesday, May 8. 2007
Before our winter vacation last December, our professor told us to write a paper about the Black Friday incident in history. As I was searching the internet, I thought that the black friday my professor wants us to do research on is the Black Friday of United States. In US, when people say black friday that means a day of shopping after thanksgiving day. Shopping is related to finance and business also that's why I thought I got the right materials for my paper. When the submission of our paper came, my professor got angry at me and reprimanded me for doing poor in research. He then explained that Black Friday in finance means the September 24, 1869 incident or the Fisk-Gould Scandal. This referred to the gold market cornering of two spectators.
Monday, May 7. 2007
If there's a Black Friday, there's also a Black Monday in the financial dictionary. Black Monday ocurred in October 19, 1987 when world's stock market falls down as a result of the fall of US share prices. A lot of countries' economies has been affected by this world phenomena in 1987. I've noticed that every time something bad or negative happens to the world market, they will named it as black day. Perhaps, they used it to commemorate what happened to the finance world during these dates. I wondered, if there's a black Tuesday or Wednesday as well.
Sunday, May 6. 2007
 Studying financial dictionary for four years, has lead me to discover that the finance's favorite color is black. They often attach this color to disaster events and downfalls in the finance world. For example, they use it to remember the Fisk-Gould Scandal or Black Friday. Then the October 19 incident came into being and became popularly known as Black Monday. Today, I've learned another financial term, Black market. This term is very popular as people used it convey an illegal market or business. Every time I hear this term, Johnny Depp's Pirates movie came into my mind. Maybe it's because of their ship named black pearl.
Saturday, May 5. 2007
Arbitrageurs feel a creeping sense of uncertainty upon hearing the news of the Israeli bombing in Lebanon. In the US, the echo of plummeting stock market prices resonate, but there's hardly a stir. The reason is that we've been to used to the Iraqi bombings for far too long now that if there's anything that the Wall Street traders fear, it's only the possibility the the other key Gulf countries such as Saudi would be involved in the "war".
Friday, May 4. 2007
But the thing is, stock market prices still plummet in the Gulf coast, and the promising insurance industry took the brunt. I was guessing it would be the real estate brokers who would suffer, but I was wrong. Lebanon is still confident it would get back from the ashes as soon as the Hezbollah raid is over. The Saudi government has promised $1.5 billion in support for reconstruction. That doesn't assure the country that it could take off and reach the goal of 5% growth in the industries this year.
Thursday, May 3. 2007
 Perhaps one of the most outstanding losses to spot is the number of people who died as well as those who were displaced who were holding regular jobs and contributing to the nation's economy. I had two friends who worked in some Lebanese hotels but took off as soon as the bombs began dropping near the airport. If they didn't leave for the US (one lived in Maine, and the other in California), soon enough, there would be no flight to take them back here anymore, as the Beirut International Airport had already been blasted.
Wednesday, May 2. 2007
I was astonished to find my five-year-old niece memorizing all the acronyms related to finance while playing exciting xbox games. When I asked her how on earth she knew about this stuff, she simply smiled at me and said that she wants to be in the Guiness Book of Records that's why she's memorizing every acronym she could find on the internet. She told me that a lot of kids her age know about all the countries and their capitals, but she wants to stand out from the rest that's why she chose to memorize these acronyms. One of the acronyms she said is ABM, which means Activity Based Management. When I asked her the meaning of the acronym, she said: "ABM is like a system for an organization improvement." We have a genius in our midst! How come i didn't get that gene?!
Tuesday, May 1. 2007
My financial dictionary is so poor even though I studied Finance and Commerce when I was in College. This is why I'm trying to study it all over again. As I was browsing on the internet, I came across the acronym AAGR, which means Average Annual Growth Rate. This term simply means growth or increase in value, as simple as that. I remembered this acronym not because it's acronym is also the meaning of the term but because my professor told us to say, Arrgghh! whenever we feel that somebody else's portfolio is increasing, which is very much the same as in the financial world.
Monday, April 30. 2007
One of the methods I used in studying for my exams is giving acronyms to the things I need to memorize. In this way, I can put it in my head without the hassle of memorizing everything including the position of the periods and commas. I guess this is also the way it is in the Financial world. One time when I did a research paper, I discovered a lot of financial acronyms which are really cool. One of the acronym I really liked is AFA which in layman's term is Afghanistan Afghani. AFA is the currency of Afghanistan. Not only does the internet have a shortcut, but finance, too.
Sunday, April 29. 2007
Whenever you're applying for a loan, there are two terms that you always encounter: the credit report and credit bureau. I was checking my papers one day when I saw my credit report. I was about to place it inside an envelope when my teenage sister who was holding a Da Vinci Code book came up to me and saw the document. She was very curious of the document that I was holding, so I explained to her what it was.
Saturday, April 28. 2007
 Based on the financial dictionary, a credit report is a detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's credit worthiness. This report includes personal data such as current and previous addresses, social security number, employment history, summary of credit history like the number and type of accounts that are past-due or in good standing, detailed account information, inquiries into applicant's credit history, number and type of inquiries into applicant's credit report, details of any accounts turned over to credit agency such as information about liens, wages garnishments via federal, state or county records, and information on how to dispute any of the above information. When a negative information appears on an individual's credit report, there is little he can do to clear it up if the information is certain and accurate.
Friday, April 27. 2007
On the other hand, while a credit report is a statement, a credit bureau is the agency that researches and collects individual credit information and sells it for a fee to creditors so they can make a decision on granting loans. Their typical clients include banks, mortgage lenders, credit card companies and other financing companies. This bureau is also referred to as consumer reporting agency or credit reporting agency. For instance, you did not qualify for a credit, do not get furious with the credit bureau. Again, they are just collecting the credit report. They are not the one who decides on your credit's faith.
Thursday, April 26. 2007
Ever heard of the word "arbitrage"? Now, if I tell you that people offering arbitrage trading services come poor and go rich everytime, will it make sense if you ambition to become an arbitrageur someday, too? A lot of people are looking at arbitrage askew. I see the posts on forums, and I hear the buzz about it in the financial investment industry. They often look at an arbitrage trading service as a get-rich-quick scheme. Although many people look at arbitrage trading as a dubious way to earn profits, lots of smart people have taken a step forward to pursue this engaging and wealth-creating endeavor.
Wednesday, April 25. 2007
Simply put, an arbitrageur buys from one inexpensive market and sells it to another market, which would be willing to purchase on just a little added cost. This is possible with almost all types of valuable goods, services, and currencies and the arbitrage trading could happen in seconds. Stock market arbitrageurs possess extremely powerful computer and software to calculate how much profit there will be in one stock exchange market if they buy the stocks and sell them to clients. Individuals won't see the small difference in value without these computers.
Tuesday, April 24. 2007
Arbitrage trading also happens in sportsbook betting, in merchandise bulk purchases, and in the currency exchange. Online sportsbooks create odds that allow the bettor to bet on possible wins while making profits on the bookie's side. If you're a merchandise trader, you simply acquire bulk products at a discounted price from the factory and sell them to clients who are willing to pay you if you give them a lower price than normal. If you're a currency trader, you would have to look for the exchange rates of currencies in several countries and have the dollar and the euro, for instance, exchanged for a profit.
Monday, April 23. 2007
 The term "effect" has come to mean gazillions of nuances when it comes to investment. I'm just on my way out to work when a sudden headache gripped me. Could've been one of those migraine that one gets when stock markets rise and fall, one that is coined the "Aspirin Count Theory". The explanation is simple: when stock prices rise, people take less aspirin. In other words, there is wealth behind the Wall Street index rise, and thus there is less cause for people to worry.
Sunday, April 22. 2007
The changing everyday weather causes all this commotion in stock market. Each has an effect on the buyer and the seller, and there's a term to define each effect. Lots of folks tend to get put off by the market jargon but don't fret. It's easy when you suddenly get violent financial advice due to sudden news on the tube. This is dubbed as the CNN effect. This was evident during the Depression era or the Iran-Iraq war in 1991, where the United States and Kuwait had caused major upheaval in stock market.
Saturday, April 21. 2007
Early in the year, stock prices usually rise and investors often dub this as the January effect. Later in the year though, stock prices tend to dip. Statisticians argue that this is mainly a superstitious cause, since just because markets crashed on October months doesn't mean it happens year after year. Investors fear this October effect. As if it hasn't affected me well enough, what investors call the Monday effect is killing me. Stock markets were way below the mark last Friday. The Monday effect says this trend will prevail throughout the weekend and even right on the first day of the business week.
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Personal Finance Service Comments
Wed, 25.10.2006 17:06
My dad is a Real estate agent. It's the best job.
Wed, 25.10.2006 17:06
My father's job is a Chief Security Officer. He's the over-all charge of security.
Sat, 21.10.2006 10:11
The owner should act as a good leader of his own company.
Sat, 21.10.2006 10:09
Problems within the company affect the growth of the business.
Wed, 18.10.2006 13:22
I prefer cold drinks than coffee in the morning.
Wed, 18.10.2006 13:21
I hate going to Starbucks every morning because there are many people.
Sun, 15.10.2006 14:24
Refinancing can come in many ways, and requires a lot of tasks. Your purpose is to rebuild solid credit score. A [...]
Sat, 14.10.2006 14:04
When we flunk a test, we automatically dawdle in despair. But how much more when it is a bad credit report? Tests can [...]
Fri, 13.10.2006 15:30
I had spent for the monthly repairs and it resulted in atrocious cash flow. The insurance was too costly and I couldn't [...]
Fri, 13.10.2006 08:04
I used to have businesses in the Middle East, now it's no more. I had everything based in the US.
Fri, 13.10.2006 08:04
Insurance agents or not, it's still going to be a bad one at Lebanon so we gotta flee or die, lol.
Sun, 08.10.2006 14:26
The independent health insurance agent knows better than anyone else when it comes to finding the cheapest quotes. They [...]
Wed, 04.10.2006 13:32
Of course, this is just seeing the tiny algae in a continent of coral reefs. I've collected and compared quotes because [...]
Wed, 04.10.2006 13:10
Franchise tax is a corporation's privilege. It allows you to do business in any state for as long as you are willing to [...]
Sat, 30.09.2006 16:25
Wall Street (my stocks especially) is always sunny when the Congressmen stay away from the market. I wonder if it means [...]