Who's on Your Tax Lien Investing Team?

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Have you been wanting to start investing in tax lien certificates or tax deeds but don't know where to start. Every successful endeavor requires a support team. Tax lien investing gurus make it sound so easy, you just go to the tax sales and buy a lien or a deed. But it's a lot more complex than what you here about in those tax lien seminars. In fact, it takes a TEAM to be successful at tax lien or tax deed investing. So who is on your tax lien investing team?

You, the investor, are an important part of your investment team. You are the person who does the due diligence and purchases the tax lien certificates or tax deeds. You may be doing this all by yourself or you may hire someone to do the due diligence and bid at tax sales for you. You are the one who is making the decisions of what tax lien certificates or tax deeds to buy.

Your Title Searcher. This can be a title search company or an idividual who does your title searches for you. Their job, in the case of tax lien certificates is to check on the title of the property before you start foreclosure procedings. In the case of tax deeds, since you are actually buying the property, you may want them to do a title search before you bid on a property at the tax sale. You definitely need someone who can research property titles for you regardless of whether you are investing in tax lien certificates or tax deeds.

Once you've acquired a property, whether it be from a lien or a deed, and you've done the rehab, you'll need to sell it or rent it to make a profit on your investment.

If you are using a title search company, there are different levels of title searches for different prices. For tax liens, you may only need the simplest and cheapest search. If more detailed searches are needed during the foreclosure process, your lawyer can order them from the same title company. Sometimes you may want to use different title companies to do different types of searches on the same property.

Your Lawyer. Most tax deed states do not issue a "warranty deed". This means that you will have to clear the title of the property before you can sell it to someone else. I recommend that you have a lawyer for this purpose. Although it can be done without a lawyer, if you miss any deadline or notification, you could loose your right to the property. The same goes for the foreclosure process on tax deeds. Although there are a few states that make this process easy for you, in most states this is a prcess that you'll want to have a lawyer take care of for you. It's best to get a lawyer that specializes in tax lien foreclosures, otherwise the process could take longer and cost you more money that it should.

Your Rehabber. Properties bought at tax sales are often neglected. Typically if a property owner is not paying the taxes on their property they are not keeping up any maintenance on the property and it may be in bad condition. If you aquire a property through a tax lien it could have been neglected for a long time since you have to wait out the redemption period before you can foreclosure on the property. Unless you know how to do the fix up yourself, and you have the time to do it, you'll need to hire someone to do this for you. Your Realtor. If you don't have many properties and you have the time, you may want to do this yourself. However, if you are busy buying more tax liens and/or deeds, you may want to hire a realtor to do this for you. This will free up your time to spend on pursuing more profitable investments.

Other members of your successful tax lien/deed investing team may be your office manager - someone who can take care of all of your paperwork, such as recording liens or deeds with the county and paying subsequent taxes. Your bookkeeper and your accountant. These are things that you may want to do yourself or hire a professional to do depending on how many liens or deeds you purchase each year.

Regardless of whether or not you've ever outlined all of the activities that are involved in creating, and maintaining a profitable tax lien or tax deed portfolio, they do all exist. And if you've been wondering why your investments are not as profitable as you'd like them to be - it could be you've left out an important function and/or member of your tax lien investing team.

Joanne Musa is a tax lien investing coach who works with independent investors who want to learn how to make profitable investments in tax lien certificates and tax deeds. Ms. Musa is the author of Tax Lien Lady's e-books. Her e-books are available at http://www.taxlienlady.com/store2/sales.html. For more tips about tax lien investing send an e-mail to MoreTips@taxlienconsulting.com

Indispensable Information In Stock Investing

Stock market investments present one way for an individual to make money even with a minimum investment. However, several items have to be weighed thoroughly before one pursues such an investment.

There are several options a potential investor has to buy stock, or partial ownership in a company. Probably the most popular is the buy-and-hold approach. Under this strategy, an investor simply holds on to shares regardless of stock price. The shares are eventually sold only after the individual has earned enough to buy a house, secure his/her education, or retire. One benefit to this strategy is that it entails few transaction charges because of the limited stock activity. Buy-and-hold investors are also able to pay lower capital gains taxes on their investment. Other approaches include short-term trading and direct investment plans

Investors must identify where their target stock is listed and its stock symbol to ease any transaction. Microsoft is listed on the Nasdaq as MSFT, while General Electric and Hewlett-Packard are on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols GE and HWP respectively. For some non-US companies, UK mobile phone giant Vodafone is listed on the London Stock Exchange as VOD.L, game-maker Nintendo has a Tokyo listing as 7974, and Germany's Siemens AG appears on the Frankfurt market as 723610.F.

First-time market investors will quickly realize how business and economic news influence stock price movement. A sales increase, higher earnings, lawsuits, a management revamp, and a new product or service are among internal factors that can drive share prices. On the other hand, the emergence of new market rivals, a change in government policy and inflation and other economic news are among external factors that can affect stocks.

Today's information technology-driven "new economy" has made it possible for some companies or particular industries to better take advantage of the market than their counterparts. First-time investors would do well to identify these "niche" players and consider their stock. However, such selection should still be backed up by research, particularly on a target company's management structure, expansion plans, product development and financial results.

Since stock market investors buy shares in a company expecting to gain, it is imperative then that they review the financial reports of their target companies to determine earnings growth potential. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires these annual disclosures, which are made on different months, as businesses generally do not cover the same calendar or fiscal year. Investors should also note that some companies, such as Sears and other retailers, often have higher earnings in quarters immediately following the holidays.

Find out more about stocks and shares at http://stocksandshares.us

Investing Psychology - Know Thyself

America will continue to be the land of opportunity and regardless of what course our economy takes over the next few years, it's likely that investment opportunities will be numerous and attractive. Companies driven by the ever increasing advancements in technology will emerge, while older companies, out of necessity, will come forth with new products. One industry or another will enjoy a boom period relative to the rest. And, of course there will be casualties - there always is.

For the astute investor there's always opportunities to buy investments (stocks, bonds, commodities, mutual funds, etc.) before "the crowd" finds out and it's already over-valued or to buy a so-called "blue chip" temporarily out of favor, at a depressed price.

In many instances, the differences between great rewards and huge losses are subtle. However, before you can embark anew or jump back into the game you must ask yourself several questions wrapped into one.

They can be lonely questions because only you can answer them. It involves not only how much money you feel comfortable investing but it also takes into account the level of risk you are comfortable with.

First, does your financial condition permit you to invest; second, can you assume the current risk implicit in the markets; and third, is the market a safe place for you to be. Let's take them one at a time.

Your Financial Position One point should be made clear at the outset: you don't have to be wealthy to invest. In the past, insiders have trumped the belief that stock ownership is a rich man's game but with approximately 50% of american households currently in the market that is no longer the case.

The goals of the small investor is not of enlarging their fortune because clearly they currently don't have one but to make available some money, however small, for the purpose of growing it over time. Regardless of your income level, investment is possible if three conditions are met:

1. If you are relatively assured of a steady income. Of course, these days nothing is set in stone. 2. If you are meeting your current household expenses and obligations. 3. If you have cash reserves with which to meet unforeseen emergencies. You have to decide how much but I would suggest enough to cover 3 months of living expenses.

Of course, these conditions are simply safeguards due to the inescapable fact that stock prices fluctuate and that your judgment of when to buy, when to sell and how long to hold should never be dictated by outside circumstances. Investment should be undertaken only with funds you can honestly and legitimately earmarked as discretionary.

A reserve also enables you to pick and choose. Whether you have a few hundred or a few thousand lying around should not automatically mean that it's time to invest it. What's the hurry? As the professionals say, "The market is always there." If the trend isn't to your liking or price's are over-valued a reserve allows you the luxury of waiting for more favorable conditions.

Finally, a reserve permits investment over a period of time rather than all at once. Some "experts" feel you should back what seems to be a good situation with all the investment funds at your command. Others will warn against greed and advise partial investment to spread the risk.

This article is not the place to discuss the merits of either philosphy. The point is to give yourself the flexibility of moving whatever way "your" judgment dictates.

Your Personal Situation Your age, health, the number of dependents you support, the kind of job you have, or the type of goals you have set for yourself are just a few of the possible factors that will weigh into your investment decisions. Unfortunately, there is no rule, no prescription, no secret formula to follow.

The story is told of two salesmen who met at the airport. Their conversation went something like this: "How's business?" asked the first. "Oh, very good," said the second, "and yours?" "Fine, fine," said the first. "I got orders for a thousand gross last week. I sell buttons." "Really," said the second. "I've had one order in the last three years." "and you call that good?" said the first. "Actually yes," said the second, "I sell suspension bridges."

Like the salesmen, the investor must have a clear notion of his goals and expectations and they must realize what is normal and acceptable to someone else might not be what is normal or acceptable to them.

What Kind of Person You Are Consideration of your investment goals brings up the final point of personal evaluation - You. Very simply because your goals are a reflection of your temperament and personality.

You must go beyond your goals and pin down the traits and characteristics they stem from. Are your goals realistic? How do you regard money? How do you handle it? Are you easy-come, easy-go or do you count pennies? Are decisions involving money difficult for you to make? Are you on top of your budget or always running to keep up?

These are generalized questions and there are no absolute answers. Speculators should stay out of the market, but on the other hand, being a tight-wad is no virtue either. An overly cautious or conservative temperament may not be well-suited to react to the ever changing market conditions and thus miss out on opportunities to sell or buy.

The value in knowing thyself and how you will likely respond in a variety of financial situations is vital. Any personality type can count profits but it requires a certain rigor, a certain fortitude to face up to the adverse situations that investing unveils. If you have a character flaw, losing money will quickly expose it.

In a now famous pronouncement, the elder Morgan stared at a questioner who wanted to know what stock prices would do and he said, "They will fluctuate." The statement is as pertinent today as it was then. As a result, the question you must ask becomes, "How will I respond when they do?" If you "Know Thyself" you'll have the answer.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Kevin Erickson is an entrepreneur and writer. For other articles he has written visit: Forex Trading System | Trading Stocks | Options Trading

10 Smart Ways to Start Your Medical Billing Business Without Investing Too Much Money

1.Start with a good business plan (you don't have to hire a professional to do this for you, you are the entrepreneur, you have the ideas, so you can make your own business plan! You just perhaps need a guide on how you will present it. There are many free information available on the internet on how to do this!!) & proper registration, paper works for your business (you may contact your county's Small Business Administration Office, they provide free consultation, guidelines and information on how to register your business!)

2.By now, you should know what software to buy (at least, that would be the software you are experienced and familiar with) ---but DO NOT buy it yet!

3.You must market your medical billing service first before you purchase that software (it is safer to have a client first in hand before you make the purchase, this way, you're sure you have a client before investing on the software--- they're expensive!). I suggest, you contact your own doctor & specialists that you visit, and your friends who are in the medical field who trust you and knows what you do

4.Find your first client. How are you going to do this? In the yellow pages, insurance companies website (you can access many of insurance companies' doctors' database even if you are not a member of that insurance company) and your friends in the medical field. Looking at the job ad in the newspaper or on any internet job site who needs medical biller is also a good prospect!

5.How do you market it? Send out newsletters, pens, calendars or any give-aways to the doctor's office. But remember, it is best to convince the office manager about your service! Believe it or not, newsletter I think is most effective. Give them something they can read that shows them beneficial to their practice, especially on their cash-flow crisis!

6.Offer your prospect the most competitive rate (anyway, you are still starting and you need to prove your work-quality as a start-up business! - break even for the first 3 months is just logical)

7.Here's the most important thing (if you can do it) --- upon signing of "service contract", ask for a start-up fee (to set up their practice' database in your server) of at least $500.00. This will then be refunded to them on their 3rd and 4th invoice. If you send your invoice every two weeks, you will refund this start up fee on the 7th and 9th week (that's approximately after 2 months!), fair enough? Right?

8.You have now a cash-on-hand of $500. It's time to contact your billing software reseller and purchase the software. Let them guide you how to set up the software (this is easy to do!). If the software will cost you $1,000, you only had to pay $500 out-of-your pocket for that software because you have already collected $500 as a start-up fee from your 1st client.

9.Set up your client's database on your billing software (you can upload their database and download it on your system!---take note of compatibility of their software!). Or if not, set it up, manually.

10.Start processing claims immediately!, deliver results! collect their money and make your provider very pleased with your service!

The above 10 smart ways are just my ideas. Trust no one but yourself. You can not imagine you can be victimized by scams! Read more, get more information. Remember, knowledge is power! There are no shortcuts to success!

About the Author: Pinky Mcbanon is a Systems Engineer and a Medical Biller/Coder.

She shares her medical billing and coding expertise with http://www.medclaimsplus.com and her technical support expertise with http://www.fix-exchange.com.

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