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12 Days Winner: Robert KiyosakiINVESTMENT ACCOUNTS » Investing Money
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. While Elizabeth Barrett Browning was waxing poetically about her husband, how many of us could utter those words about chocolate? We could indeed count the ways: Dark, milk, white, Kisses, bars, boxed…
Sure, you could buy chocolate to give as a gift this Valentine’s Day, and perhaps your recipient(s) will wax poetically about you. However, you could also invest in chocolate–as in buy the stock of companies that produce those dark, milk, white, Kisses, bars and boxed chocolates. 
A slim majority–51 percent–of the Super Bowl’s audience enjoys the commercials more than the game, according to a Nielsen survey. Few, however, will consider the value of those companies behind the ads in terms of investment opportunities.
Photo: geetarchurchy
A Senate bill was passed on Thursday making it illegal for members of Congress, their staff and many executive-branch employees to trade stocks and other securities using inside information received on the job. The bill, which passed with overwhelming support, was created on the urging of President Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, a Facebook IPO was filed to raise $5 billion, due to the company’s significant earnings in 2011–in the ballpark of $1 billion on sales of $3.7 billion–and years of profits. If the company meets its fundraising target, it would be the largest internet initial public offering since Google Inc. raised $1.9 billion in 2004.
Facebook Stock Estimated Worth
**Update: Facebook plans to file to go public tomorrow morning. Find out if investing in this online company is a good idea:
Original publish date: December 7, 2011
Wall Street will likely soon be partying like it’s 1999 as social media giant Facebook is reportedly planning an initial public offering (IPO) in 2012, according to The Wall Street Journal. The hotly anticipated IPO could raise as much as $10 billion in an offering that would value Facebook at $100 billion.
“Follow the money!” might have become the now-iconic line from Jerry Maguire had Tom Cruise’s character been an investment advisor rather than a sports agent.
Insiders–those who possess non-public knowledge–have an edge when it comes to investing in the stock of public companies. Insiders typically include those working for a specific company, usually in higher-level positions, but can also include others, such as politicians.
As beginner investors gain experience and become more comfortable with the different types of investing options available, their needs may become more sophisticated. However, financial institutions, insurance companies and banks can only offer a limited number of investment options.
If you’re looking to diversify your portfolio, you may want to consider opening an investment account with a discount broker.
Target date funds have the been the flavor of the year–for the past few years-when it comes to 401(k) and other retirement plan investing. However, it’s important to remember that popularity and quality are often two different things, and investment products are no different.
The 2011 U.S. stock market was a roller coaster of a ride, but ended in nearly the same place as it started. The S&P 500 index ended 2011 down about 1.1% (or up 0.9%, when dividends are included).
Of course, the average masks the huge gulf between winning and losing stocks.
The S&P 500 index and U.S. stock market as a whole have experienced their share of ups and downs over the past year–and according to Wall Street experts, investors can expect more of the same in 2012. The only difference is, while 2011 ended flat, experts say that stocks should end on a high note this year.