Quotes of the Day

If you're fortunate enough to have a seven-figure portfolio, there will be no shortage of salespeople ready to flatter you by offering access to exclusive opportunities available only to "accredited investors." These include hedge funds, private equity, peer-to-peer lending, real estate partnerships and on and on. It's possible that some of these opportunities will go on to deliver outsized returns without undue risk, but you'll likely have to accept high expense, illiquidity and a lack of transparency. You're not sacrificing anything by taking a pass and just sticking to index ETFs. And you're not missing out on anything except disappointment. [2021] - Dan Bortolotti

In nearly every instance, you can say one thing for certain about an REO: The lender wants to sell the property as quickly as possible. Buying an REO directly from a lender typically presents no more risk than buying directly from any other property owner. Normally, you can buy an REO much more safely than you could have bought the same property at its foreclosure sale. You might even be able to buy at a lower than market value price. You can find REOs in three different ways: follow up after a foreclosure sale; cold call lender REO personnel; locate Realtors who typically get REO listings. Rather than ask for a complete list of REOs, narrow your focus. Tell lenders what you're specifically looking for in terms of location, size, price range, floor plan, condition, or other features. In that way, a lender can answer your request without disclosing the full number of REOs within its inventory. [2003] - Gary W. Eldred

Fear is always associated with concern over a future outcome before it even occurs. Fears are based on imagined scenarios that may or may not happen. Most imagined fears never happen. The only way to successfully overcome fear is to stay in the present. Focus on what you can do in the present moment and let the outcome take care of itself - win or lose. [2006] - Michael Anthony

So often, people sacrifice hope because they fear being let down. The truth is, we can't avoid disappointment or being hurt; it's part of life. It's important to recognize that the sweet spots in life, the truly meaningful moments, may include some disappointments as well as hope. Allowing yourself to face the possibility of disappointment and even embrace the idea of being uncomfortable is a freeing way to live. It stretches your limits and increases your capacity to experience joy and meaning in life. If you allow both hope and disappointment, both fear and excitement, to exist within you, you can embrace the good that comes your way while knowing that you can deal with whatever difficulties arise. [2014] - Shannon Kolakowski

90 percent of daily trading volume is derived from speculation (meaning, commercial or investment-based FX trades account for less than 10 percent of daily global volume). [2007] - Mark Galant