Is Now a Good Time to Invest?

Is Now a Good Time to Invest? by Nicholas Swezey

The right time to get back in the market may be just around the corner. With global economies sinking, sometimes dramatically, it can be a scary thought to put your hard-earned money on the line. However, a smart investor will realize that golden opportunities are appearing if proper research is done.

If you look at a long-term chart of the Dow Jones average, you will see that it is currently at some of the 2002-2003 levels. It has dropped dramatically since the financial collapse of 2008-2009, but it is still in familiar territory. It may take another two years or more for a large upswing in the markets, but at least we hope that the Dow will not drop below 7,000 points. That may bring hope and some peace of mind about starting to invest again.

Dollar Cost Averaging
The concept of Dollar Cost Averaging comes to mind in the current market situation. It is the process of buying stocks or similar investments on a regular basis, such as once a month, using a fixed amount of money. When prices are low, you are able to buy more shares. When prices are high, you buy fewer. In this way, you are able to take advantage of temporary low prices. This is especially helpful for long-term investments, such as retirement accounts. It may go against human nature to buy stocks when everything is falling and red but in fact it can lead to a bigger payoff if done correctly.

Don't Wait Too Long
As soon as you believe the markets will not drop much more, that is the time to start investing. When an upswing begins, it may happen so fast that you will miss a good portion of it. There are literally billions of dollars of cash on the sidelines, just waiting to go back into the market when the time is right. You can imagine what impact that might have on prices because of a surging demand but limited supply of stocks and mutual funds. Don't wait too long!

Which Companies to Buy
There are a lot of low-priced stocks right now. Don't jump into any old stock just because the price is low. There may be good reasons for it, such as the company being dangerously close to bankruptcy. One popular example is GM. Their stock price has dropped incredibly far. Is it a good deal? The government will probably not allow them to go into bankruptcy because that could have catastrophic affects on the country. Even if they survive, though, they may not thrive, and the stock price might hold its value or drop even more. Nobody can predict the future of GM. This is just an example of how difficult it can be to make a trading decision at the present time.

You also need to consider how the company is adapting to the economy. Are they offering low-price items to their customers? Are they reducing expenses significantly, such as layoffs, to stay in business? Do they have access to enough credit to stay operational? These are very important questions to consider before making a trade.

Will the Economy Get Worse?
This is probably the single most important factor that traders are considering right now. Why put your money into investments if they are just going to drop again? The government is trying hard to stabilize the economy, but there are many experts who believe there is more doom and gloom in the future, with more foreclosures, bank failures, and lost jobs on the way. A lot of this depends on how the government handles the situation and how the public perceives their actions. If the public believes things are stabilized, they will begin to spend and invest again, businesses will have more money and they can hire more people, and the economy can begin to thrive again. When this will happen, nobody knows for sure. Hopefully in 2009 it will, but it may be 2010 or later.



Nicholas Swezey is the creator of the day trading game at HowTheMarketWorks.com.

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How To Find The True Rhythm And Pulse Of A Song

How To Find The True Rhythm And Pulse Of A Song by Jeremy Fisher

Making the music swing isn't about volume or high notes - it's all in the beat. Recently I helped one singer in Stockholm find a cooler, more powerful performance by experimenting with the beat using the Rhythm and Pulse exercise

During a musical theatre class, one singer arrived with the piece "What's the Buzz" from Jesus Christ Superstar, the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical. He was performing it well, but his whole body was involved with the (very fast) pulse inherent in the song. He was bouncing with every eighth note and was displaying a highly tensioned body which was detracting from his performance, both vocally and as an actor.

In the song, the ensemble sings "what's the buzz, tell me what's a happenin'" repeatedly, with high energy. The singer then has to cut them off, stop their chant and calm them down very quickly. The character needs to silence them with his first three quarter notes (crotchets), starting on a high F. Because he was using the same frenetic pulse as the ensemble, his entry was having little impact, and the feel of his performance was not strong enough. Rather than getting him to sing stronger or higher, I took him through the following exercise for finding a different pulse.

1. This involves using your body, so standing is best. Sing two or three phrases of an up-tempo piece, like "What's the Buzz". Find the fast energy of the piece and move to it, using your foot, leg, body or clicking your fingers. "What's the Buzz" contains four quarter notes in each bar, but for now I'd like you to indicate the eighth notes (quavers). So for example your foot taps on the beat and your fingers click on the offbeat. The important thing is to have some part of your body moving on every eighth note.

2. Now we're going to change the pulse while keeping the "speed" the same. Begin to show only the quarter notes - you are now moving in "half time". Keep the energy high, but move only on the quarter notes. Again, you can either move your body to each quarter note, or divide the quarter notes between foot and hand. The speed of the piece stays the same, but the pulse has now changed to a less frantic one.

3. Now begin to show only the half notes (minims). Once again, maintain the speed of the piece, keeping the energy high. Now you are only marking two pulses per measure instead of the four or eight previously. The speed of the piece has stayed the same, but the feel is now different, with a bigger scope, somehow funkier.

Continue with this exercise, by indicating only one pulse per measure, or even extending to one pulse per two measures.

In the case of the singer in the masterclass, the use of a different pulse was electrifying. Using the different, slow pulse (the halfnote or minim beat) he was able to differentiate himself from the ensemble (who were using the eighth note or quaver beat), and stop their singing in its tracks. This easily marked out his character (Jesus) as a man to be listened to, who did not march to the beat of the people around him. By following this exercise, the singer was able to convey that effortlessly.

I have used this exercise in many different genres of music, including opera arias (O Zittre Nicht, Questa O Quella), German lieder (Gretchen am Spinnrade), music by contemporary singers such as Duffy or Christina Aguilera, and of course musical theatre pieces from West Side Story to Spring Awakening. Try it for yourself!



Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He's the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk


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