MLPs (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

Many analysts are of the opinion that commodity investing maybe the best investments in the early part of the 21st century. Take the name of oil, oil is the most heavily traded commodity in the world right now. Gold is another commodity that is reaching record price levels. Gold prices for the first time have breached the unheard of $1000 per ounce barrier. Investing in commodities may be the something that investors thought of boring and dull only a few decades back but not anymore now. If you are interested in investing in companies that are involved in the production, transformation and distribution of commodities, than one of the best ways to do so is through investing in the Master Limited Partnership (MLP).

MLPs are public entities that trade on public exchanges. An MLP issues shares that trade on an exchange just like a company stocks that trades on an exchange. You can invest in an MLP by buying its shares on an exchange. The shares that an MLP issues are called Units and the investors who own them are known as Unit Holders.

Now most of the MLPs trade on the New York Stock Exchange. A few MLPs also trade on the NASDAQ and the AMEX. When you invest in an MLP, you are essentially investing in public partnership. There are tax advantages to investing in MLP. Unlike regular corporations, an MLP is only taxed once. Because of Congressional Legislation, any MLP that derives 90% or more of its income from the production, distribution and transformation of commodities qualifies for this tax exempt scheme. You must be curious how this tax advantage works out.

There is a tax exemption on MLPs. You must be curious how this tax advantage works out. Because of Congressional Legislation, any MLP that derives 90% or more of its income from the production, distribution and transformation of commodities qualifies for this tax exempt scheme.

This tax advantage gives an MLP competitive advantage as compared to other corporations when competing for assets. This means a huge advantage for an MLP. Now an MLP is run by a General Partner (GP). In most cases, the majority of these GPs in MLPs are other corporate entities setup with the specific purpose of running an MLP.

Now you must know as a limited partner in an MLP, you have limited voting rights. This means when you invest in an MLP, you are giving away the keys of ownership to the GP. This means you are out of the decision making in an MLP. However, most GPs do a good job of running the MLP as it is in their financial interests.

An MLP is obligated to distribute all available cash back to its unit holders on a quarterly basis, so you will be getting a quarterly income from your units. Secondly as the MLP expands and grows overtime, its units may give you capital gain as well. Investing in MLP units can give you quarterly cash flows as well as appreciation of the unit price. However, always do your due diligence when you want to invest in an MLP. - 23211

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. Trade Dow Futures . Learn Commodity Trading !

Easy Way of Conveyance!

By Dan Doe

The process of transferring the property from one individual to another is named as conveyance. Through the process of conveyance, ownership of a property is created, eliminated, shared or transferred.

The process of conveyance basically involves three steps. It involves putting the property up for sale, completing the legal documentation regarding the property, and then handing over the property to the other party. In the past, conveyance was a long process that involved seeking for solicitors and looking for recommendations, but the advent of internet has made this a lot easier. In the UK, conveyance is usually done by a solicitor.

There are many benefits of online conveyance. Firstly, the best thing is that it can be done while sitting at home. Most of us lead busy lives and do not have time to go out and look for a solicitor, or go to meetings. Conveyance is not a one or two day process; it takes much longer than that, which means you need to take out some time everyday, which is not possible for most of us. Thus, by doing it online, you can get in contact with your solicitor through email easily.

Another plus point of online conveyance is that you do not need the help of a solicitor which saves you from searching one with the help of your contacts or through yellow pages. Law firms nowadays have their websites which give you basic information about their reputation, fees and their experience. So you simple have to search for the conveyance lawyers on the Internet. Searching an online solicitor is far easier than going in person to every solicitor in the list and having meeting with them to select one of the best one. You just have to either make a call to your solicitor or e-mail by checking them online. This not only helps to make a better informed decision but also helps in saving your money and time.

Fourthly, online conveyance makes it easier for you to find the most price competitive firm and solicitor. It is easy for you to compare the prices online and select the one which is within your budget. Last but not the least, a major benefit of online conveyance is that you can even do it yourself. If you are not willing to spend money on the fee of the solicitor, you can just go through the whole process by yourself. If you have some legal know how and are aware of the basic details, you can save a lot of money by just doing it all yourself. You can get all the required information about the legal documents and procedures on the internet, and you can easily educate yourself.

The choice is up to which path to choose, but the best would be to get professional help regarding such matters. Expert will guide you through the process and tell you and advice you what is the best choice for you, more importantly, experts will make sure that you do not violate any of the legal procedures. Survey and research is very important regarding these matters, thus make a careful choice which is reliable, responsible and dependable. - 23211

About the Author:

For help and advice on buying a house, contact Online Conveyancing today.

Commodity Exchange Traded Funds

By Ahmad Hassam

If you are interested in investing in commodities than you can invest in a commodity mutual fund! Many people are not aware that commodities as an asset class has a lot of potential especially in the 21st century. It is being predicted that the 21st century belongs to the commodities.

Just buy the shares of the commodity mutual fund and let its NAV appreciate before you can sell for a capital gain. This is the simplest way for you to get involved in investing in commodities as the mutual fund portfolio management will be done by a professional manager and you have to do nothing.

There is another investment vehicle that is really hot right now with the public. ETFs started off some three decades back but became highly popular as investment vehicles in such a short time. Now, you must have heard about the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are really hot investments these days. There are a number of ETFs that invest in commodities.

Now the good thing about investing in ETFs is that they give you the diversification benefits of a mutual fund with very low fees something like 0.7% as compared to 2-4% of the mutual fund. Driven by the growing demand of commodities by the investors many financial institutions are now offering Commodity ETFs.

So how about investing in commodity ETFs? Unlike a mutual fund whose net asset value is calculated at the end of the day and the shares of mutual fund cannot be traded during the day, you can go both long or short on ETFs all the time. Something you cannot do with a mutual fund! ETFs have the added benefit of being able to trade like stocks giving you the powerful combination of diversification and liquidity. Trade your ETF shares just like you trade your stock shares. Anytime go long or short!

This diversification plus liquidity benefit makes an ETF a better investment tool as compared to the mutual fund and the stocks. Now, you can find thousands of ETFs in the market on different market sectors, stock indexes, currencies, commodities and so on.

The first Commodity ETF in US was launched by Deutsche Bank in the start of 2006. The Deutsche Bank Commodity Index Tracking Fund is listed on AMEX and tracks the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index. This index is based on a basket of six commodities: light sweet crude oil, heating oil, gold, aluminum, corn and wheat.

This ETF invests directly in the commodity futures contract. Now one of the downsides of investing in this Commodity ETFs is that it can be fairly volatile as it is based on commodity futures contracts that get rolled monthly. Another downside to this Commodity ETF is that it is based on a basket of six commodities only. Now, every month a new ETF gets launched. There are a number of Commodity ETFs that track individual commodities like crude oil, gold and silver. Do your research on Commodity ETFs, you may find a good investment. - 23211

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. Trade Dow Futures . Learn Commodity Trading !

What To Look For In Litigation Attorneys

By Izumi Yokemori

No matter how much you wish it were otherwise, sometimes you will have to go to court because of either something you did or something that someone did to you. When that happens, even if it is just a problem with your landlord or your insurance company, they can often turn your life upside down.

A lot of times, people try to do things by themselves, without the help of a lawyer. This can get you into hot water, because a litigation attorney will improve your chances of winning your case.

The reason that litigation attorneys are so successful is because they have seen it all before. They know what to expect, and they can avoid all the common problems and tricks of the trade. Whoever you are facing in court will most likely have a lawyer of their own, and if you don't then you will be at a disadvantage. However, you might be wondering how to pick a litigation attorney when there are so many to choose from.

One of the first and most important things to look for in a good attorney is the amount of experience he or she has. Find out how much the attorney has worked with cases similar to your own. Find out how frequently they are successful. And make sure that they are successful.

Another thing to look at is how much attention they pay to you and what you have to say. Do they listen intently and make sure they understand your case fully? Do they ask good questions? Do they offer solutions?

Rather than making you feel bad about your case, a good attorney should help you feel better about your situation and your chances for success.

In order to help the attorney help you, you need to be sure to provide them with every piece of information that they may find useful. If they ask you a question, then you should be sure to answer it clearly and concisely.

If you are hunting around for a good litigation attorney, these are just some of the things you should consider before settling on one. Litigation attorneys can be the difference between a successful case and one that leaves you in the dust. - 23211

About the Author:

Izumi Yokemori is a professional author who specializes in insurance claim attorney and long term care insurance claims.

Michigan Health Plan: Agent Expectations Defined

By Holly Bentz

As the Michigan Health plan guidelines are in constant flux, consumers find it challenging to obtain the best policy.

Which offers the best results for Michigan Health plan quotes: an insurance agent or shopping different policies? A licensed agent solves three ultimate benefits: experience, advice, and diverse health plan options. Given the significant changes of the health insurance, the professional advice of a licensed broker is paramount than ever.

Overall, insurance agents tend to represent several insurance providers, saving the arduous work of shopping around for a policy. Given their knowledge and experience, they can steer consumers toward the most cost saving health insurance alternatives. Essentially, legitimate agents hope to nurture the client relationship, steering the consumer toward a suitable health plan is in the agent's best interest.

What service standards should I anticipate from a licensed insurance agent? The main objective is for the agent to simplify the intricacies for selecting the most appropriate Michigan health insurance. Specific service guidelines distinguish a credible, insurance representative, including:

-Tailors Michigan health insurance quotes to accommodate your specifications

- Evaluates the pros and cons of various health insurance plans

- Provides advice regarding your specific requirements

-Does not try to force clients into finalizing their decision

-Extends service on behalf of the client (regarding the insurance agencies, hospital, physician, claims, benefits, and guidelines)

Is there a typical span of time for Michigan health insurance enrollment? The approval status hinges on the applicant's current health status. For younger healthier applicants, various Michigan health insurance companies will authorize coverage within three days. In the case of less healthy and aging applicants, the wait can taker up to a month's wait. Every situation varies. An agent, who represents three to five Michigan health plans, should be able to offer a plethora of information. - 23211

About the Author:

For additional consumer information regarding medical insurance in Michigan, one of the best resources, featuring Michigan health insurance and free medical quotes is MichiganHealthandLife.com.