Finance Reports

If many new graduates are like my niece, they are wondering how to come up with money for college. I remember when I was a high school grad wondering the same thing, some thirty years ago.

I never thought about not going to college. But it wasn’t obvious how I was going to afford it.

Even with loans, grants and work, it still appeared I would be short what would be required. With my mom’s help, I had enough money for the first semester, but would I be able to pay for the next?

Jesus might answer, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

My mom and I had witnessed the truth of those words many times. She and my dad divorced when I was ten years old. With no formal education or work experience, she managed to build a new life for both of us. She firmly trusted in God to provide whatever we needed. And along the way, she made a believer out of her daughter me.

Prayer to God had always brought solutions in the past, even in financial matters. Why should I doubt now? Could I believe there might be a situation or condition when God had no control where God was powerless?

The healings and teachings of Jesus recorded in the Bible had been a source of guidance to me all my childhood, and they still are. I read again about a man who was waiting at a pool called Bethesda. It was believed that, at a certain time, the water there was stirred by an angel. Tradition said that whoever got into the water right after the angel had visited the pool would be healed.

A crippled man had been waiting 38 years probably most of his life to enter the pool. But each year, he missed the perfect moment and others got to the water first. Still, he didn’t give up. And his hope was finally realized through Jesus. His healing came but in an unexpected way.

This account, in John’s Gospel, gave me a new perspective on my worries about college expenses. Was I limiting my options? The man at Bethesda had thought the only way he could be healed was if he got into the pool at exactly the right time. Yet that wasn’t the “only way.” When Jesus redirected his faith from a pool of water to the Christ-power that uplifts and heals, the man found the freedom he had longed for.

Where was my faith, I asked myself? Was it tied only to loans and grants? To finding ample employment? Getting a scholarship? What were my options? Did I face an uncertain future?

What I learned from thinking about Jesus’ encounter with the man at the pool of Bethesda was that God is continuously sending me and everyone infinite possibilities. I needed to open my thought to them. Not define or limit the ways my needs could be met.

I could replace fear and uncertainty with the knowledge that God was governing my life. Affirm that God makes all things possible. Including a college education!

So I headed off to college on what some would call a leap of faith. But it was more like a confident and expectant trust that solutions would come, even though I couldn’t see them immediately. I focused on one semester at a time and worried less about the future.

As it turned out, it was semester by semester prayer that led the way to my college degree. And expenses were paid each semester in countless sometimes unexpected ways.

One unexpected solution came in the form of a note in my school mailbox. An anonymous donor had paid the remainder of my tuition that year. There were many loans, grants, scholarships and awards. Plus a variety of jobs some of which gave me valuable experience that served me well in future endeavors.

My college years strengthened my trust in God, divine Love, who truly does meet every need. And I know this is true for my niece and other college-bound grads. Everyone. Maybe we just need to remind ourselves His ways are infinite and sometimes quite unexpected.

Annette Bridges is a freelance writer and lives on a north Texas ranch with her husband, John. For the past 25 years, she has been a student of Christian Science, the method of healing explained in Mary Baker Eddy’s book, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.” Visit her website at http://www.annettebridges.com and send her an email at annettebridges@gmail.com. © copyright 2006 by Annette Bridges

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While most folks today trust mutual funds and their professional managers with their investments, it’s still important to understand the basics of the stock market. Although investing in individual stocks may not be right for everyone, a basic understanding of the stock market is essential to understanding the workings of our economy and business sector.

A stock is a portion of ownership in a company. Commonly referred to as a share, it is a small percentage of the total ownership pool for the corporation. Shareholders are stock owners, or people who have an ownership interest in the corporation. Today, shares are usually tracked electronically, but in previous decades shareholders would actually receive a certificate stating their ownership.

Why own stocks? First, you are sharing in the company’s profits. When a corporation shows a profit, they will sometimes distribute these profits to each shareholder, based on how much stock they own. This distribution is called a dividend. Company’s can elect to pay out their profits or reinvest them in the company, but as a shareholder, each time a payout is made you will receive your proportionate share.

Also, the value of your stock will rise and fall based on the company’s perceived value in the stock market. If you buy a share at $10.00 and it rises to $11.00 a share, you’ve made a dollar for each share you own, and subsequently sell. However, with this opportunity comes risk as well. If the share price falls and you sell, you’ll lose money. The more volatile the stock, the more opportunity for risk or profit.

Most shareholders track their stocks using the stock table. These appear confusing and difficult to read, but they are actually easy to understand with a little practice.

Ticker symbol is listed first. This is the abbreviated symbol that the stock market uses to identify your company. For example, GE is General Electric, WMT is Walmart. Once you select a company, you’ll need to know it’s shorthand name to track its progress.

Second, the company’s name may be listed. Some tables omit the name to save space, others list it to make tracking stocks easier.

The third item is the number of sales in the last trading day. This is listed in the 100,000’s, so 256 means 256,000 shares were bought and sold on the last day that the market was open.

Next are the high and low price, in that order. The high price is the highest per share price that the stock sold for on the previous trading day. The low price is the lowest price for that day. Since the price of the shares moves all day long, this is a good reference to see how much the stock is changing in a day.

Next, the closing price is listed. This is the last price that the stock traded for as the market closed. This will also be the beginning price for the next trading day.

After the closing price, the table will list the change, or the amount that the stock changed when you compare yesterday’s closing price with the closing price for the day before. This will be listed as a positive number (the stock went up) or a negative number (the stock sold for less yesterday than the day before).

Stock tables are found in many places, but most people check their daily paper or the Wall Street Journal. There are many internet sites that track stocks as well.

Of course, you’ll have to select a stock. Choose carefully or consult a professional, and good luck!

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.investingreviews.info a website specialized on Investing, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Investing. For more info visit his site: Investing

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So now its time to take that big plunge and be your own boss. Where will I start? What do I look for? And for that matter what business will I buy? Will I relocate? Can I get finance? Who do I go to for the right advise?

These are just a few of the concerns when you decide on buying a business and believe me its not an easy road ahead, but with the right advise and the right business for you there are rewards unlimited to help you on the way to building a bank and a good quality of life. This article will help you all the way.

Important Points when Buying a Business

Every day I receive emails from purchasers and business owners needing assistance in selling or buying. I use my many years of experience in business sales and running a chain of shops to assist them in the right decision for them. It’s a bit like a psychologist really. Its just not a sale for me, it’s a dedication.

The first thing to remember is you must get it right the first time because the business you buy you should be in for at least 4 to 7 years. I advise my vendors and purchasers to give yourself a 4 year plan. You may love the business so much you want to stay longer but the majority of people are burnt out after 4 years and are looking for a change, especially if it’s a caf

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