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WEALTH
What
About Asset Allocation Funds?
More
than 65% of the money that went into investments last year went
into asset allocation funds, according to Newsweek. Asset allocation
funds are essentially balanced funds (a range of stocks and
bonds) that aim to do as well as, or perhaps a bit better than,
the stock market index, but with limited downside risk.
Investors
are rushing into these funds, perhaps, because they are tired
of being clobbered by buying and selling individual stocks.
Stock picking gives you the fun of "beating" the market,
but it's the rare investor who can do so. Countless studies
have shown that it's nearly impossible to get a higher-then-average
R.O.I. over the long run - even for full-time professionals.
Nobody
paid any attention to those studies during the nineties, when
the stock market was booming and everyone's mother's uncle was
making money trading high-tech shares. But the last five or
so years have been hard on stock pickers. So they are now thinking
they'd be better off with a simpler and more "balanced"
approach to wealth creation.
Asset
allocation funds are the answer. Or so the thinking goes.
The
problem with this thinking is that there are no rules governing
asset allocation funds. How a fund is diversified - how its
assets are allocated - is entirely up to the fund manager and
can be different in every case. Not all asset allocation funds
are safe. Some, in fact, are very risky. And not all such funds
are likely to offer reliable, positive gains.
You
can't even judge by the fund's name whether it is moderate,
safe, or aggressive. Like terms governing food choices, the
law allows for a great deal of room when it comes to naming
funds.
Investors
who have given up the goal of beating the unbeatable stock market
and are happy with joining it (I count myself among this group)
- and who don't have the time or expertise to analyze how mutual
funds are composed (as opposed to labeled) - should invest in
index funds. If you want the fun (if fun it is) of picking things,
pick muni-bonds. There are, in fact, good and better deals when
it comes to bonds, but it doesn't take a crystal ball to figure
out what those are.
I'm
not saying that bonds are good investments in terms of current
R.O.I.s. And I'm not in favor of trading them for yields. I'm
advocating that a good chunk of your safe money will be reasonably
safe in quality municipal bonds, laddered out over the period
of time you expect to be using them.
-
Michael Masterson
HEALTH
How Does Sugar Harm Your Health? Let me Count the Ways...
The
average American consumes more than 130 pounds of sugar and
related products (like corn syrup) every year. As unbelievable
as that sounds, it's not surprising when you consider that there
are roughly 10 teaspoons of sugar in one can of Coke.
Refined
sugar may be intoxicating and addictive, but there's little
room for it in a healthy diet. While high in calories, it has
zero nutritional value, no fiber, and it's clearly implicated
in tooth decay, obesity, and diabetes. But this is by no means
a complete list of the ways refined sugar can damage your health.
For openers...
- Sugar
weakens your immune system, and can even cause autoimmune
diseases such as arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.
- Sugar
interferes with your body's ability to absorb certain important
minerals. This contributes to osteoporosis and other ailments.
- As
I have suggested in previous articles, sugar feeds cancer
cells and has been associated with breast, ovarian, prostate,
pancreatic, lung, gallbladder, and stomach cancers.
- Sugar
can also cause premature aging, increased oxidative stress
from free radicals, a greater chance of Alzheimer's disease,
and the deterioration of eyesight.
Tomorrow,
a few more reasons to say "no" to sugar.
WISDOM
9
Scorpions in a Bottle
"[J.
Robert Oppenheimer and Niels Bohr, two scientists who were instrumental
in developing the atomic bomb] understood at the beginning of
the nuclear age what the nations of the world, the United States
pointedly included, have not yet been willing to act on: that
nuclear weapons are not weapons of war but embodiments of a
new knowledge of nature, one that in the long run - before or,
horribly, after they are used again - must inevitably force
nations to find some other way to settle their disputes. 'Two
scorpions in a bottle,' Oppenheimer characterized the superpowers
sardonically (see "Word to the Wise," below) in 1953,
'each capable of killing the other, but only at the risk of
his own life.' Today nine scorpions crowd the bottle."
(Source:
Richard Rhodes, author of "The
Making of the Atomic Bomb", writing in
The New York Times Book Review)
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TODAY'S
MESSAGE
Buzz
Marketing
by
Ilise Benun
9:30
p.m., Friday night, I'm walking down Washington Street in suddenly
hip Hoboken, New Jersey.
A huge line snakes around Lola's, the new tapas restaurant uptown,
even though it just opened last week and no reviews have yet
appeared.
I
ask a young man in a black fedora what's going on.
"Haven't you heard? The word's already out. This place
is great... and cheap too."
Buzz.
I
keep walking and I come across another line - this time in front
of the new Ben and Jerry's. I see a friend in the crowd and
wave to her. She yells back, "Hey, come on over. They're
giving out free cones."
I
didn't see any advertising. How did all these people know about
it? Turns out, "free cone day" was all over the Web.
Buzz,
again - "word-of-mouth" advertising that can make
you or break you, whether you are in retail, in the business
of providing a service, or in direct marketing.
In
"The
Anatomy of Buzz", Emanuel Rosen cites
some staggering statistics about the power of word-of-mouth.
For example, a full 70% of Americans rely on the advice of others
when selecting a new doctor. And according to the Travel Industry
Association, friends and relatives are the number-one source
for information about places to visit or about flights, hotels,
or rental cars.
What
makes buzz marketing so effective?
It's
trust - lack of trust, actually.
Because
of our growing skepticism, we just don't believe what most companies
say about themselves anymore. Meanwhile, we do believe what
others say about those same companies. Those "others"
include the media, our favorite experts and celebrities, and
especially friends and family - in other words, other consumers.
How
can you generate positive word-of-mouth about your business?
To
get the buzz started, focus your attention on the "opinion
leaders" or "hubs" in your market. Rosen identifies
four kinds of hubs that are reminiscent of the Connectors, Mavens,
and Salespeople identified by Malcolm Gladwell in his best-seller
The
Tipping Point. (If you haven't read it
yet, I highly recommend that you do it now.)
-
Regular Hubs: These are folks who serve as sources
of information and influence in a particular sphere or market.
For example, besides writing articles for ETR, I publish
a free e-mail newsletter, Quick Tips from Marketing
Mentor, that is read by thousands of small-business
owners and independent professionals. In my newsletter,
I make recommendations about resources that will help my
readers market their services and products. That makes me
a regular hub.
Who
do you know who does this?
-
Expert Hubs: These are folks who go beyond making
recommendations. They are specialists in a particular industry,
and people listen to them because of their credentials.
If, for example, Walter Mossberg, the technology columnist
for The Wall Street Journal, gives your product a thumbs-up,
you're golden.
Which
expert hub could spread the word for you?
-
Social Hubs. These people are charismatic, socially
active, and trusted by their peers. A great example is
Lois Weisberg, who was profiled by Malcolm
Gladwell in The New Yorker.
Who
do you know with a network that wide?
-
Mega Hubs: The media, celebrities, politicians,
etc. These people stand out because they are connected to
millions of people. Obvious examples include Oprah and Dr.
Phil. Of course, getting their attention isn't easy. But
if you can, the buzz will keep on coming.
Using
your six degrees of separation, how can you get to one of
these mega hubs?
Beyond
finding and reaching the opinion leaders in your industry, here
are four buzz-building techniques you can implement right now:
1.
Get to know your prospects and customers. This is
almost effortless. When visitors to your website sign up for
your e-mail newsletter, add this line to your "thank
you" or confirmation message: "Please take a moment
now to introduce yourself to me and let me know your biggest
challenge. That way, we can tailor our newsletter to your
needs." You'll be surprised at how much valuable information
they'll provide. Don't pass up that opportunity to initiate
the all-important two-way dialogue that will convert browsers
to buyers - satisfied buyers who will tell their friends about
you.
2.
Give them a taste. You can get a tremendous amount
of marketing mileage from a generous sampling program, even
from samplers who don't purchase. Allowing people to experience
your product makes it easier for them to spread the word.
If you're marketing a service, this works too. In that case,
your "sample" could be a free presentation where
they can actually receive the type of information or solutions
you provide.
3.
Gather and use testimonials. When happy customers
start thanking you, capture what they say and then ask, "Do
you mind if I use this as a testimonial?" Also, make
asking for testimonials a standard part of your evaluation
process. Then plaster that "buzz" everywhere: on
every page of your website, in your sales letters, on the
back of your business card... anywhere you can.
4.
Encourage viral marketing by adding a "Tell
a friend" link to every e-mail message and copy of your
e-zine that you send, on your website, and any other place
where you provide useful information that someone might want
to pass along. Keep in mind that providing "actionable
tips" will increase the pass-along rate.
So
you see, there is a lot you can do besides sitting around waiting
for the referrals to roll in. If you know how to spread the
word about your product or service, the customers you attract
will already be convinced that they need what you're offering.
And all you will need to do is close the sale.
[Ed.
Note: Ilise Benun heads up ETR's Board of Advisors for the American
Consultants League (ACL) - and she is the managing
editor of ACL's "Consulting
Tips" newsletter. She is also the author
of "Self Promotion Online" and "Designing Websites
For Every Audience," and is the founder of Marketing Mentor,
a 6-month one-on-one coaching program through which small-business
owners learn how to promote their talents and services. Sign
up for her free e-mail newsletter at www.marketing-mentor.com.]
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TODAY'S
ACTION PLAN
How
can you take advantage of "buzz marketing" to sell
your product or service? How many of Ilise's tips can you start
to put into action today?
MOTIVATION
Capitalizing
on Lonely Times
by
Zig Ziglar
Somebody
once said that success without adversity is not only empty,
it is not possible. One of my favorite observations is that
the only way to the mountaintop is through the valley - and
in most cases, a series of valleys.
For
example:
- One
of the greatest books ever written, "Pilgrim's
Progress", was written by John Bunyan
during his imprisonment in Bedford Jail.
- Daniel
Defoe wrote "Robinson
Crusoe" in prison.
- Sir
Walter Raleigh, after he fell from favor with the queen,
wrote his "History of the World" during a 13-year
prison sentence.
- The
great poet Dante worked and died in exile, but his contributions
to humankind during that time were immeasurable.
- Cervantes,
who wrote "Don
Quixote" in a Madrid jail, was so
poor that he couldn't even buy paper for his writing. Instead,
he used scraps of leather.
- Milton
did his best writing while blind, sick, and poor. And Beethoven
composed his greatest music after he went deaf.
Instead
of complaining about their cruel fates, these people took advantage
of the opportunities they had. I have little doubt that they
were lonely during these difficult times in their lives, but
the works they produced in their loneliness enabled millions
of people to never feel alone. Their writings inspired others
to live more fulfilled lives.
[Source:
Zig Ziglar's best-selling book, "Success
For Dummies." Want to read more articles
from Zig Ziglar? Visit www.ziglartraining.com
. This article was adapted from Zig's best-selling book, SUCCESS
FOR DUMMIES.]
WORD
TO THE WISE
"Sardonic"
(sar-DON-ik) means scornfully or cynically mocking. It is derived
from the Greek word "sardonios."
Example
(as used in today's Wisdom brief): "'Two scorpions in a
bottle,' [J. Robert] Oppenheimer characterized the superpowers
sardonically in 1953, 'each capable of killing the other, but
only at the risk of his own life.'"
