Don’t we all just love to be entertained? There is nothing nicer than looking forward to going to the opera or attending a musical performance. We live in exciting times, as there are so many functions for us to participate in, that it can be difficult choosing what to attend and it can certainly be hard containing our spending habits.A lot of entertainment can be quite expensive and most times we don’t realise how much a night out actually costs us. You not only have the cost of the event, but usually these sort of social outings cost us money in other ways such as taxis, drinks, clothes etc.The best way to control the money that you do spend on entertainment is to set yourself a quarterly / yearly entertainment allowance. Below are some clues to help you do this.1. Work out what you would like to do over the next quarter / year:
Visit galleries / exhibitions  
Attend concerts / musical performances  
Watch opera / ballet / dance  
Attend pantomimes / theatre / shows / plays / musicals  
Attend film festivals  
Participate in balls / charity events  
Go to circus shows / live performances / comedy shows  
2. Estimate how much the tickets / entrance fares are going to cost you.3. Spend time working out the ‘hidden extras’ so you know the full cost of the function / event. There are often costs to consider such as:
 Buying / hiring attire – formal / semi-formal outfits  
 Attending the hairdresser / make up artist  
 Paying for accommodation / flights  
 Hiring a car / paying for taxis / parking fees  
 Eating out / drinks  
4. Tally up the whole cost of your entertainment. Look at your budget and ensure your quarterly / yearly entertainment allowance will fit in with your overall budget. Remember entertainment is a “want” and not a “need”. You have other priorities and financial commitments in your budget to allow you to meet your “needs”. These must be met before deciding where else you “want” to spend your money.5. If your quarterly / yearly entertainment allowance is above what you have available in your budget, look for some alternatives:
Buy a cheaper class of ticket e.g. B reserve instead of A reserve
Go to a matinee showing instead of a night showing
Find an outfit in your existing wardrobe instead of buying / hiring an outfit
Get a friend / family member to do your hair / make up
Eat before going out
Drink water / juice / soft drinks instead of alcohol
Attend events locally to save on airfares / accommodation / car hire
Drive to avoid taxi fares
Cut the number of events you expect to attend
Find a cheaper option e.g. go to a local theatre to see a show, rather than a big performance centre
6. Find a way of monitoring what you do spend over the quarter / year. Use a software programme to record all of your costs for entertainment throughout the quarter / year. The programme should record how much you have spent and how much you still have left to spend. This will ensure you stay within your proposed budget.Entertainment need to be looked upon as a treat. We have mentioned earlier that entertainment is a “want” and not a “need”. The functions and events you attend should be looked upon as special times in your life that you can really look forward to. If you don’t consider them as a specialty / treat, then attending such events will become the normal. You will think of these activities as “must haves” instead of “nice to haves”. You will expect to go to them on a regular basis and you will find you spend lots and lots of money satisfying your wishes.Your money can only go so far. I am sure there are a lot of important things in your life that you are trying to achieve. This might be something on your wish list to buy, a holiday you want to go on, someone you wish to help financially etc. So, see if you can make a bit of a sacrifice with what you spend on your entertainment and start limiting what you spend over a quarter / year. You don’t need to cut entertainment out completely. You still need to have fun and look forward to special times, but ensure you do so whilst giving yourself an opportunity to meet your other goals and wishes.

The exponential growth of online business has created huge opportunities for millions of people who would love to work from the convenience of their own home as well as to compete globally.I used to be someone like many of you who is working for someone else to earn a living. I have been away for 23 years from my family working abroad and dreaming to quit my job someday to run my own business and be my own boss.Each of us has different priority lists in life. For me and to most of you, money is the number one priority on the lists as well as to have a work-life balance to enjoy life. People define success differently. To some, success is when you reach the highest position in the corporate world as the CEO of the company, to some success is when you get a passing mark in your examination or success is when you reach your target sales quota or it could be something that makes you feel happy from the inside when you do something for others. Success can be defined in so many ways.I used to be an expat executive until May 2 of 2012 when I started to divert my own belief to get engage with my own goal directly. I quit my job and started to find my own path in building my own business from home.Automation is not something new to online business entrepreneurs. Business online automation is a business operation necessity that you can’t afford to ignore.There are few good examples to bring your business with automation. You can simply take payments online, you can build your own business mailing list, you can create a sequential auto responder follow up messages for you to build the know, like and trust.Making money online or working from home is quite popular these days. You will see tons of opportunities, products or softwares that gives promises. And if you are desperately to make money fast, I am so sorry to tell you that there is no such thing to make you rich quickly. I’ve been there, spent thousands of dollars in different softwares or products and wasted my time trying product after product, but not seeing any sign of success.To be honest with you, making money from them was a lot tougher. Some days of sleepless nights and I even think to give up frustratingly with all my attempts to make my first dollar online were not showing at all. It was a tiring and vicious cycle of despair of trying products after products.Am I foolish Giving Up My Fixed Monthly Income From My Job?Everybody says you would be foolish to give up a steady monthly paycheck and a corporate job security to take a chance on something new.With Business Online Automation, the amount how much money you want to make, will be all up to you – from your hard work, consistency, marketing strategies, how much traffic you can generate (free or paid) to your own generating income website.To those who wants to build their online platform, branding or integrate their offline business to online campaign. Business online automation is something for you to explore.WHY CONSIDER BUSINESS ONLINE AUTOMATIONFirst of all, you’ll attract more customers without using your mouth to sell or pitching your product offline, spend less time in follow ups, building trust and credibility with your customers, automating your sales funnel activities to generate more revenue, generate different business campaigns and you can simplify business complexity to reduce both the time and the cost.

Personal loans are tailored to fulfill personal needs of all. It does not matter what you want to buy; it could be the latest car or a new well furnished house, personal loans are here to finance all your needs and that too in the best possible manner and with complete ease.Types of Personal LoansEnjoy the opportunity to choose between secured and an unsecured personal loan. There are different advantages and disadvantages attached to each one of them; you need to select the one that suits your needs to the best, thereby maximizing the benefits you will get out of it.If you are a homeowner, then put your home equity at work by taking a secured personal loan. However, car as well as other forms of assets can also work as collateral in case of secured loans. Under secured loans, rate of interest are generally lower and the loan term tends to be longer, thereby lowering the monthly installments.Unsecured personal loans are suitable for tenants who do not own a property as well as for homeowners who do not wish to keep their home away from the risk of repossession that exists in case the borrower fails to repay the loan money. Unsecured loan does not require a borrower to put any collateral against the loan, thus accounts for a higher of interest.Where to get the Personal Loan from?Invention of Internet has revolutionized the whole finance industry. A personal loan can now be accessed from the ease of your home or office with Internet. When you start searching for the loan you will find hundreds of online lenders offering you loan. The question now arise is how to find the best one.The first and the foremost you need to decide is how much funds do you need. Personal loans are generally available within a range of £7, 500 to £1, 00,000.Once you have decided the loan amount needed. Start searching for lenders who can offer you personal loan. In present, tech governed millennium, what can be a better option than online lenders. You just need to fill in the online loan application form available on the number of online loan websites. But, make sure that the website does not charge any money for applying for the loan and also check whether the form carries any obligation or not. Apply only if it’s free from any obligation.Things to keep in MindDon’t hurry; take some time in deciding which loan deal suits your needs to the best. As each loan accounts for monthly payments, that will depend on the rate of interest at which you borrow the loan. Do collect loan quotes from online lenders, it will help you in finding the appropriate loan, they are usually available for free or nominal charges. Don’t mind. A little time, money and efforts invested today will pay you in the future.Remember to read the terms and conditions of the website you decide to do business with, to ensure that there are no hidden cost and sharing of your personal as well as financial details with outsiders.
Needs vary from person to person that’s why needs are categorized as personal needs. Personal loans help in accommodating the personal needs of all by providing the desired funds. No need to let your desires die, fulfill them with personal loans.

Everyone knows auto loans can be hard to get if a person has bad credit or no credit. But do you know which car loans to consider in the first place? If not, you need to read this article!When you are looking to buy a car, whether it is used or new, you may find that it is just a little more costly than you can afford. This can be either a disappointment or an opportunity. Auto loans can allow you to get that car now instead of waiting until later. They can also provide you with the chance to improve the credit you do have.Examine Your OptionsOne of the most important steps you can take in order to find good auto loans is to take your time and examine all your options. Many banks will offer loans that you can get with minimum hassle. Used car dealerships and new car dealerships are also known for carrying different car loans. Don’t limit yourself to the auto loans offered by the dealership from which you are buying the car.You need to have a good idea of the shape your credit is in before you attempt to get an auto loan. If you have a poor credit score, you may have to do a little more negotiating. You may not be able to get the loans you need if they are very large. However, this is where it pays to keep on trying.Don’t Be DeceivedAuto loans are available for everyone, not only those with perfect credit. If you are one of the few people who have great credit, be encouraged! You have a chance to get the best auto loans available. However, even those with perfect credit scores need to be warned about a few things. For one, there may be clauses built into the loans that bring a heftier price tag than you expect. Read every word of every page so you don’t get ripped off or end up paying a lot of penalties. Just because your lender claims a loan is best for you doesn’t necessarily mean that is true.Interest RatesThe other important aspect that you must consider is the interest rate. Interest that shoots up after a certain period is a serious problem of which you should be aware. Don’t be pulled into auto loans that have fancy interest rate changes. They will hit you when you are unprepared for the price hike.Some auto loans have a low monthly payment, but will drag on far beyond the time when the car is valuable. This is a very big mistake. You should get a loan that has payments you can handle, but that will not last too long. The best loan is one that you can pay off with ease and speed. You might think about making payments that are a little higher than you would have originally considered. This can help you get through with your loan more quickly and can cut down on the interest you end up paying.If you find that you just cannot make the payments on your car loan, you do have the option of refinancing. Many lenders have made a business out of refinancing auto loans, and they usually do a very good job of it.Again, be sure to look around at all your choices. When you are working on getting auto loans, you should try to negotiate the costs and the interest rates with your lender. This can often get your payments knocked down quite a bit!

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

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Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 1.14%. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 0.98% and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up by 0.71 per cent

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US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. Source: Reuters
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 345.25 points or1.14 per cent. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 35.88 points or 0.98 per cent and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up 75.75 points or 0.71 per cent. A Reuters report said that today’s strength was on the back of a report which said the Federal Reserve will likely debate on signaling plans for a smaller interest rate hike in December, reversing declines set off by social media firms after Snap Inc’s ad warning.

Source: Comex

Nasdaq Top Gainers and Losers

Source: Nasdaq

Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. The BSE Sensex ended at 59,307.15, up by 104.25 points or 0.18 per cent from the Thursday closing level. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 index closed at 17,590.00, higher by 26.05 points or 0.15 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex, 13 stocks gained while the remaining 17 ended on the losing side. In the 50-stock Nifty50, 21 stocks advanced while 29 declined.

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?