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Friday, September 18, 2009

What Job Could You Be Doing?
It’s not always about what your degree is in, what the logical progression “should” be according to societal dictate, or how many words per minute you can type.
Friday, September 18, 2009

Experts: Consumers Should Stay on the Sidelines
A host of data showing consumers are angst ridden over their debt, planning to spend less and pulling their credit cards with far less frequency than in years past has some analysts questioning whether consumer spending can play a part in dragging the country out of the recession – and whether it should.
Thursday, September 17, 2009

100 Tips to Help You Save
With the economy heading for the doldrums, here are 100 tips to help you save money in all areas of your life.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Senate Panel Releases U.S. Health Care Reform Plan
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, released his version of a bill to restructure the U.S. health-insurance system on Wednesday, which doesn’t contain a government-run insurance option.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Parents, Kids and Outbursts
There are so many opportunities for us to decide who we’re going to be and how we’re going to live and behave. The idea is to get it right the majority of the time.

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Art & Entertainment : Artist's Studio: John Chamberlain
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 | 3:06 pm
Eat & Drink : Best Burger: Le Tub
Sat, 26 Jan 2008 | 5:28 pm
Ideas : Giving: Howard Buffett
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 | 2:52 pm
Real Estate : Esther's Island Green Build
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 | 3:11 pm
Social : Sundance Sunday
Thu, 18 Sep 2008 | 5:43 pm
Sport & Outdoors : Birds of Prey 2008
Thu, 15 Jan 2009 | 4:23 pm

More PlumTV in the News @PLUMTV.COM

Word of the Day

Margin Call

Think telemarketer. Except, it's much worse because you can't avoid this call. Instead, when you get one, it's time to pay up, because the bet you placed with borrowed money is eating itself.

Buying stocks on margin is risky because you're essentially "playing" with someone else's money. If the shares you purchased tank, your losses will likely be more than if you had bought the shares with your own cash. This is why the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq impose certain restrictions on the practice.

Initially, you¿re only allowed to borrow half of the money from your broker when buying on margin. You set up a margin account and from then on must keep a maintenance balance of at least 25% of the market value of your stocks.

If the market value of your investment falls below this minimum, you're required to make up the difference by either depositing money into your account or selling some of the stock. If your broker notifies you that you've dipped below this minimum, it's called a margin call.

If you fail to adjust your account accordingly, the broker is authorized to sell shares in your account to make up the difference. The broker can even sell other stock in your margin account to make up for the loss that selling the shares didn't cover.

As an example, say you buy $8,000 in stocks of any given company. You borrow the maximum $4,000 from your broker and pay the rest yourself. Now, if and when the total value of these shares changes, you must make sure you maintain at least $2,000 (25%) in equity. In other words, if the total value were to drop below $6,000, you¿d be in trouble since you only put in $4,000 of your own money to begin with.