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Investing Your Money Wisely

The Zacks investment newsletter began in in 1988. Since then, Zacks picks have tripled the S&P 500, turned a $10,000 investment into $2 million and beaten the market 19 years out of 21. Since 1988 Zacks #1 Picks Have Beaten the S&P 500 profits 32 TIMES OVER.
 

Len Zack, who holds a Ph.D in Mathematics from M.I.T., has created a simple and effective stock selection formula. Zack studied the market for years and realized that company earnings are the single most important factor in evaluating stock prices. Zacks looks at reports by over 3,000 analysts from 150 different brokerage firms and monitors over 200,000 earnings estimates to search for significant changes. Based on the findings, shares are then ranked in a simple system whose indicators dictate the investment decisions.

Shares are ranked into Strong Buy, Buy, Hold, Sell, and Strong Sell. To be rated a Zacks #1 “Strong Buy”, a company’s earnings estimates must adjust sharply upward. As for the bear market of 2000-2002, as the S&P 500 spiraled to 43.1, Zacks #1 Ranked stocks gained +39.8. Information about any of the 4,400 stocks on Zacks are accessible via e-mail by entering the stock symbol.

Zacks also offers a 30-day free trial to his investment newsletter. The trial includes all Premium content. You will have access to all of the tools you will need to start investing:  

Daily Zacks Rank Updates. This feature provides daily updates that will allow investors to identify and purchase the best of the 4,400 stocks that are being analyzed and also when to hold or sell them.

Zacks Recommendations. The Zacks Equity Research team is comprised of 50 impartial analysts that can direct investors towards choice long term options.  

Stock Screens. Powerful tools that help you identify which stocks will best fit your expectations.  

Zacks Industry Rank. Pinpoints industries that are prime for investment with the knowledge that 50% of stock success is linked to its industry.

In-Depth Reports. A vital starting point for building healthy portfolios, these reports come straight from Zacks Equity Research Daily Email Alerts and Portfolio Tracking. Get alerted when the status of your stocks is changing and be informed in a timely manner of the need to sell your stocks. Zacks has issued an open invitation to learn all of the secrets that are contained within Zacks.com. The Zacks Premium subscription is an ideal way for investors to benefit from the Zacks ranking information. By taking advantage of the 30-day free trial, you will be able to explore every benefit that Zacks Premium has to offer at no risk.

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Simmons First Visa Platinum Review - World's Best Credit Card?

by Joe Taylor Jr.

Although balance transfer offers have bounced back onto the market in recent months, consolidation among major lenders means you’ve got fewer banks willing to lure your business with low teaser rates. Credit card issuers reserve their very best deals for first-time customers. If you earned a high credit score by proving you’re capable of paying down a big balance, an everyday low rate from the Simmons First Visa Platinum with no balance transfer fees could be one of your best options for saving money on finance charges. This could be the world's best credit card. Incredibly low APR and no balance transfer fees.

Alternative credit cards for excellent credit
Surf many of the most popular personal finance blogs and forums, and you’ll find plenty of opinions about Simmons First’s approval process. By most accounts, you won’t even get considered for a Simmons First Visa Platinum at the bank unless your FICO score tops 800. Even then, some applicants and cardholders say, you’ll still need to provide copies of some recent pay stubs and receipts to prove your income.

Scrutinizing applications closely has paid off for Simmons First, which reported just a 1.14 percent “bad loan” rate during a period in which most major lenders chalked up charge-offs as high as 10 percent. That low risk factor lets Simmons First offer a variable APR spread that’s 4 to 5 percentage points lower than the lowest median rates tracked by the Pew Safe Credit Cards Project.

Authentic service for organized cardholders
Many smaller banks and credit unions outsource their credit card operations to bigger lenders, who slap private labels on their customer service and support systems. Instead of dealing with agents at a massive call center run by Bank of America or GE, Simmons First customers get to speak to specialists who work on Main Street, in the bank’s hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The bank’s website even cautions callers that it may take a little longer to get someone on the phone outside of the usual 9:30 to 4:30 office routine.

How Simmons First stacks up to other Visa Platinum credit cards
Don’t expect bells or whistles from the Simmons First Visa Platinum, just one of the country’s lowest APRs and no annual fee. Along with Visa’s normal cardholder protections, the Simmons First Platinum Visa only adds some enhanced travel insurance and car rental damage coverage. This card really only serves you well if you intend to pay down a large balance from another bank, or if you want to keep an open line of credit in case of unexpected expenses.

If you have the kind of credit score that would qualify you for a Simmons First Visa Platinum, you probably already have your pick of the best credit card offers from larger banks. This card should really appeal to you if you’re looking for an alternative to big lenders, or if you simply want to do business with a friendly group of folks from Arkansas who enjoy offering personal service to responsible borrowers.

About the author

Joe Taylor Jr. has covered personal finance and business for over two decades, and has written and researched for personal finance websites for over five years. His work has been featured on NPR, CNBC, Financial Times Television, Fox Business, and ABC News. Joe also serves as a business sales manager for a Fortune 500 technology company.  

Related articles on other sites:

• Why Your Credit Card Might Be Your Insurance Policy
• 3 Smart Ways To Use Your Credit Cards During The Holidays
• Credit Building Strategies: Three Easy Ways to Build or Rebuild Solid Credit Scores

Airline Miles Credit Cards

Airline Miles credit cards allow you to earn airline miles on a specific airline, or points toward any airline ticket purchase. Bonus points can help you earn a free ticket quickly. If you carry a balance on these cards, watch out for high interest rates and annual fees.


Tips and Advice
Selecting An Airline Card

Airline tickets are getting increasingly expensive all the time. Many credit card users turn to airline miles rewards credit cards and frequent flyer programs to make their travel plans more affordable.

Airline miles can add up quickly if you use your credit card regularly, since most cards reward you with 1-2 points per dollar you spend. Most credit card issuers offer additional ways to use your card to earn 5, 10, even 15 points per dollar, such as online shopping sites and seasonal or rotating bonus point deals. And make sure to look for sign-up bonus point offers.

Certain limitations may apply to your airline rewards program, ranging from blackout dates and seat restrictions to point expiration dates and rewards caps. So do your homework, read the fine print, compare credit cards, and select the best airline miles card that fits your lifestyle.

Article Link: Choosing Credit Card Rewards and Incentives