Issue #2493

• WEALTHY: Making sense of the bailout mess (Charles Delvalle)
• HEALTHY: Would you rather exercise once a day for 30 minutes … or three times a day for 10 minutes? (Craig Ballantyne)
• WISE: Arnold H. Glasow on expecting something for nothing

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Are your e-letter subscribers getting a raw deal? (Bob Bly) .
• There’s no need to BUY a fancy car (Suzanne Richardson)
• It’s Fun to Know … why Wint-O-Green Live Savers give off sparks in the dark
• Add “redoubtable” to your vocabulary

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Dear ETR: How Do Bailouts Affect Stock Prices?

“In his article entitled ‘Financial Word of the Week: Bailout,’ Charles Delvalle said that if a person holds stock in one of the companies that is being bailed out, it may be nearly worthless. He further suggested that ’selling is usually your best option.’ This does not make sense to me. He, himself, said that bailing out Chrysler helped them stay in business.

“So, with this in mind, wouldn’t it stand true that this bailout should help most (if not all) the bailed out banks to remain in business? If they can remain open for business, it might be wiser to hold those shares. Then, later, they could be once again worth at least what shareholders originally paid, if not more.

“I do hope Charles will comment in ETR for all to hear his thoughts on this matter.”

Steve

Dear Steve,

You are correct. When Chrysler was bailed out, it marked a great time to buy that company’s stock. But the bailouts happening today are very different.

Stockholders suffered the most when Bear Stearns was bailed out. That’s because the bailout was structured to protect ONLY bondholders (very unlike Chrysler’s bailout, which was really just a loan to them from the government).

In fact, practically every financial sector bailout that has occurred this year has been structured to protect bondholders, not stockholders. The only stockholders who might hope for some protection are holders of preferred shares. But even for them, the losses realized can be huge.

For instance, the bailout of Fannie and Freddie effectively killed the steady dividend payment that their preferred shareholders had been receiving. This helped drop share prices from over $20 to under $2. And while it is true that Fannie and Freddie’s preferred shareholders “may” eventually see their shares worth $20 again, it could take years.

The only recent bailout that was a plus for shareholders was the bailout of Ford, Chrysler, and GM. Under the government’s terms, the big three are eligible for $25 billion (split amongst the three), and they won’t have to begin to repay the loan for a few years. In this scenario, the bailout adds a layer of safety to their shares, since the companies are gaining access to cash during a credit crunch - allowing them to survive while the economy suffers.

The lesson here is to stay away from financial companies that are being bailed out. They are structured so that stockholders suffer while bondholders get all the benefits.

Makes you want to buy some bonds, right?

- Charles Delvalle

[Ed. Note: The economy may be in an uproar these days, but there are still ways for you to make money. The real secret to banking riches in today's market is to look in unconventional places. You can access one of these "hidden treasure troves" just by keeping an eye out for "Red Flag" alerts. Find out how to spot the Red Flags, and how they can help you prosper, right here.]
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“Expecting something for nothing is the most popular form of hope.”

Arnold H. Glasow

Should You Offer Your E-Zine Subscribers a “No-Advertising” Edition?

By Bob Bly

On more than one occasion, one of my readers has suggested to me that I publish two versions of my e-newsletter. The first would be the regular edition I offer now - a monthly online newsletter with pure content, supplemented by twice-weekly e-mails mixing content and product offers. The second would be an “advertising-free” edition. You’d get the monthly content e-newsletter, but none of the e-mail marketing messages between monthly issues.

Well, I’m never going to offer an option to get the e-zine only - advertising-free and without the supplemental e-mail marketing messages. And if you’re an Internet marketer, neither should you.

Why not?

Think of it this way …

As an online information marketer - a “micro publisher” - you spend time and energy creating your content. Your time, ideas, and information are valuable to others. Or at least they should be. If your content isn’t valuable, why would you bother creating it … and why would your subscribers read it?

As with everyone else who works for a living, you - a content creator - need to earn money by charging for what you produce. Electricians get paid to splice wires together. Plumbers bill you for fixing leaky pipes. Why does the world seem to think content creators and owners of intellectual property should give away their creations for free?

As for me, I charge for my e-zine. Not money, mind you. But I do charge a fee. And the “fee” I charge is that the subscribers agree to receive my e-mails. All my e-mails.

Usually, there are two e-mails a week - one sales message and one content message. But even the sales messages offer ideas, solutions, and resources that I believe my readers will benefit from.

No one is forced to buy the information products I am recommending. You can go years without spending a dime with me, and still get my e-zine at no cost.

No one is forced to open or read my e-mails. If you are a subscriber to my e-zine, you can simply delete any or all of them.

No one is forced to receive my e-mails. I am not abusing anyone by sending them against their will.

The right to send my subscribers e-mail marketing messages is simply the price I charge for my publication.

If you wish to stop paying that subscription fee, you can unsubscribe with a single mouse click in about three seconds. No need to make a phone call or waste a stamp on a letter.

When you unsubscribe, you will no longer receive my e-mails. But you won’t get my free e-zine, either. You take all or none. That’s the deal. Non-negotiable.

I recently signed up for the e-list of an entertainer I like. After I got three e-mails the first day, I decided his arrangement was not for me, and I opted out with a single click. But I did not send him an e-mail with obscenities in it. I did not petition him to put me on a special e-list … or change his publishing model. I simply unsubscribed.

Amazingly, online subscribers argue with us Internet marketers about this issue from time to time - something they rarely do with traditional publishers. After all, if you called Newsweek and told them, “Send me the magazine, but take out the ads first,” what do you think they would do?

Yes, I could offer an “advertising-free” edition of my e-newsletter, but what would be the point? Or, as we copywriters say, “What’s in it for me?”

It’s true that, as an Internet marketer, you can send too many e-mails … or have a disproportionately high ratio of sales to content. But your subscribers will tell you what they consider to be too much or just right.

How do you know when you are sending too many e-mail marketing messages to your e-list? Just pay attention to the opt-out rate - the percentage of subscribers who opt out after you distribute an e-mail message to them.

Each time you distribute your e-newsletter or an e-mail message to your subscriber list, a few will opt out. That’s okay. But if too many are unsubscribing per e-mail - say, more than two out of every 1,000 subscribers on the list - you may be selling to your list too much, too hard, and too often.

Solution: Cut back on frequency … make the content more educational, less hard-sell … add more content and do less selling … until the opt-out rate drops to about 0.2 percent or less.

[Ed. Note: Now's your chance to pick the brain of copywriting master and experienced info-marketer Bob Bly in person. Bob is coming out of his self-imposed speaking retirement to present at ETR's 2008 Info-Marketing Bootcamp. He - along with 11 other business-building and marketing experts - will reveal a proven technique that can help you make at least $100,000 in 2009. Learn the details here.

For expert insights into the world of direct marketing, be sure to sign up for Bob's free monthly newsletter, The Direct Response Letter. Do so today and get over $100 in free bonuses.]
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== Highly Recommended ==

Should Making Money Online Be This Easy?

I hear stories of budding Internet entrepreneurs jumping through hoops to make a buck. And sure, many times building a solid, long term business does take real effort. But you can also quietly pocket some decent dough online for much less work.

In this case, you can copy the exact steps one man used to make $187,296 in one day.  No, that’s not a misprint.

What’s stopping you from doing the same? The program is called Instant Internet Income and I guarantee it works exactly as it says.  Take a look and see just how easy making money online can be.

Billionaire Mentor Bob Cox on Changing the Channel: “Shave Years Off the Time It Would Take You to Achieve Your Own Success.”

“By learning from Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby’s marketing achievements in their book Changing the Channel, you can shave years off the time it would take you to achieve your own success.

“Are you ready to make more money? This book gives you the perspective and skills to market your ideas, services, and products across multiple channels for today, tomorrow, and beyond!”

- Bob Cox

Author, The Billionaire Way 

[Ed. Note: Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business is the brand-new book by MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson. The book doesn't come out until October 28 - but you can learn more about it and the power of multi-channel marketing at www.ChangingtheChannelBook.com. Keep reading ETR for details on when you can secure your copy.]
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Living Rich: Take Your Next Sunday Drive in a Ferrari

By Suzanne Richardson

Admit it. You’ve always fantasized about cruising down the freeway in a Lamborghini. Or a Ferrari. Or maybe a Hum-V.

Well, there’s no reason you CAN’T do it. And you don’t have to shell out six figures for the thrill.

Michael Masterson has never been an advocate of buying fancy new cars. He’s always recommended getting your cars slightly used. Since they depreciate so much the instant they leave the lot, buying used is a smart way to get an almost-new vehicle without losing a lot of money.

But there’s another option …

Rent.

According to Prince & Associates (reported in MSN), over half of millionaires surveyed plan to rent luxury goods over the coming year. That includes exotic cars.

Of course, renting a Ferrari every weekend is going to cost a pretty penny. (And there are better things to spend your money on.) But if you want to enjoy an occasional Sunday drive in a Lamborghini or Bentley, renting could be cost-effective.

Where to find your weekend driving machine? Typing “luxury car rentals” into Google yields millions of results. Or you could join an exotic sports car “time share.” Club Sportiva, one such program, offers “driving packages” that begin at $3,500 for 12 days a year.

[Ed. Note: These days, "living rich" is more important than ever. How do you live like a billionaire without spending a lot of money? What are the inexpensive luxuries you enjoy? Let us know right here.]
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The Anti-Aging Effects of Exercise

By Craig Ballantyne

Growth hormone is known as a “fountain of youth” in the anti-aging community because it helps build muscle and burn body fat. But research has shown that people who are overweight tend to have lower growth hormone levels.

Exercise is a proven way to boost those levels. However, most overweight individuals can’t do the 30 minutes of continuous exercise that it takes. So researchers from the University of Virginia wanted to see what would happen if they split their subjects’ workouts into shorter sessions.

The researchers had their subjects do either 30 minutes of continuous exercise or three 10-minute sessions, at the same intensity, spread out over the course of the day. Both groups achieved similar growth hormone levels, which led the researchers to conclude that the “split workout” would work just as well as continuous exercise.These results aren’t just good news for obese folks who can’t handle 30 minutes of exercise at a time. They also offer relief to busy men and women who have a better chance of finding time for three short exercise sessions instead of one long one.For maximum body-transformation results, I recommend one 10-minute session each of strength training, interval training, and bodyweight exercises. This will help you build muscle, burn fat, and improve your mobility.

[Ed. Note: Building muscle and burning fat doesn't have to take hours of work. Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne has put together a Turbulence Training program that can help you get fit in three 45-minute workouts a week. For simple ideas that can help you find more energy, better health, less pain, and a dramatic boost in overall vitality, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter.]
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It’s Fun to Know: Why Wint-O-Green Life Savers Give Off Sparks in the Dark

Next time you buy mints to freshen your breath, give yourself a fun little treat at the same time. When you bite into a Life Savers Wint-O-Green mint in the dark, sparks will fly. This happens because of the crystal structure of the sugar in the candy. Electrons fly from one side of the mint to the other. And when those electrons mix with nitrogen in the air, short-wave ultraviolet light is released.

The same thing occurs when you bite into other hard candies. But the flavoring in these Life Savers - wintergreen oil - happens to be fluorescent. And because of that, it absorbs the short-wave ultraviolet light and emits it as longer-wave visible blue light.

(Source: scienceline.org)
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== Highly Recommended ==

Success Is as Easy as Flipping on a Light Switch…

Suppose that there was an almost magical switch you could flip that would put all your dreams within reach.

And I’m talking ALL your dreams…

Adding a few thousand bucks to your paycheck each week. (And who doesn’t want a little extra cash?) Turning your passion for gardening into a small business… or becoming a black-belt martial artist… or writing a book of poems.

Whatever you want to do…

Here’s your chance to get everything you want out of life.

Word to the Wise: Redoubtable

Something or someone that’s “redoubtable” (rih-DOW-tuh-bul) - from the French for “to dread” - is formidable, arousing fear or worthy of respect.

Example (as used by Nicholas Delbanco in The Lost Suitcase): “At the head of the table, as committee chair, sat the redoubtable Howard Mumford Jones - a teacher famed even at Harvard for his fierce authority, his wide-ranging erudition, and his intolerant exacting preciseness.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]

Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008

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