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An exchange traded fund (ETF) is a communal vehicle for investment, as is an exchange traded note (ETN). This primer profiles the duo of instruments and compares them to mutual funds. The relative merits of the securities are explained, along with the grave risks both blatant and subtle. The serious investor has to juggle the crucial factors in order to thrash out a robust program of investment....

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As a supple tool for investment, the exchange traded fund (ETF) has enjoyed explosive growth since its debut on the stock market. To a lesser extent, the story is similar for the exchange traded note (ETN). The popularity of these vehicles stems from the ease of investing in a diversity of assets at low cost. An ETF is an investment pool whose shares are listed on a bourse. For this reason, the securities can be bought and sold just like any other stock by way of an equity account at a brokerage firm. From a historical stance, the traditional form of communal investing lies in the mutual fund: a commercial trust whose shares are offered for sale directly to the general public. In other words, an investor deals with the operator of the collective pool in procuring and unloading the units. By contrast, the shares of an ETF are traded amongst the actors within the stock market. This primer begins by profiling the exchange traded fund. One topic deals with the similarities and differences between an ETF and a mutual fund. Another issue involves the contrast between active and passive modes of investment in tending a portfolio o...

Table of Contents Details
Climb and Slide of Mutual Funds Active versus Passive Ploys Hidden Dangers Travails of Index Funds Physical versus Synthetic Assets Exchange Traded Note Madness of the Mob Bane of Leverage Additional Forms of Risk Wrapup of the ETF and ETN Further Information References...

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The markets of the world continue to merge into a single ball of complexity. The ties that bind stretch across national borders as well as asset classes. Amid the ferment, the opportunities in the marketplace can crop up in diverse forms in distant countries as well as nearby locales. The same is true of the threats, whether blatant or subtle, that lie in wait for the rash investor in a hurry. As an example, a crash of the stock market in the U.S. is sure to whomp the currencies in Asia as well as the commodities in Africa. Given the host of linkages amongst disparate markets, the shrewd investor keeps track of a welter of asset classes as well as geographic locales. Another hallmark of the millennium is the wealth of resources available on the global infobahn. The Web is a boundless source of information on diverse markets round the planet. The purpose of this review is to present a selection of vital resources for the earnest investor bent on sound growth in a global marketplace. The nuggets in the lineup run the gamut from tutorial articles and market reviews to news portals and forecasting hubs....

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American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Brokerage Firms Business Incubator Data Mining Depositary Receipt (DR) Economic Trends Forecast of Real and Financial Markets Global Depositary Receipt (GDR) Leading Indicators News: Business News: Commentary News: Technology Real Estate Risk Venture Capital...

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Integrating concepts from philosophical, anthropological, and astrobiological disciplines, Cosmos and Culture begins to explore the interdisciplinary questions of cosmic evolution....

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This document contains an overview of the issues surrounding UFO/ ETI topics including background information and implications, summaries of military and government witness testimony of experiences with UFO/ETI, and recommendations for action....

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-Implications A Brief Summary Environment Society and World Poverty World Peace and Security -Understanding UFO Secrecy Introduction In The Beginning A Current Estimate The Webs We Weave -Testimony that Explains the Secrecy Merle Shane McDow: US Navy Atlantic Command Lt. Col. Charles Brown: US Air Force (Ret.) "Dr. B" Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt: US Marine Corps Maj. George A. Filer, III: US Air Force (Ret.) Nick Pope: British Ministry of Defense Official Larry Warren: US Air Force, Security Officer Sgt. Clifford Stone: US Army Master Sgt. Dan Morris: US Air Force, NRO Operative A.H.: Boeing Aerospace Employee Officer Alan Godfrey: British Police Sgt. Karl Wolf: US Air Force Ms. Donna Hare: NASA Employee Mr. John Maynard: DIA Official Dr. Robert Wood: McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Engineer Glen Dennis: NM UFO Crash Witness Sgt. Leonard Pretko: US Air Force Dr. Roberto Pinotti: Italian UFO expert Dr. Paul Czysz: McDonnell Douglas Career Engineer Astronaut Edgar Mitchell John Ca...

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In this thesis, we propose a new manner of targeting economies—a holistic approach that accounts for the linkages between infrastructure elements and their resultant synergies. We first establish a theoretical foundation for targeting based on complexity science. This discipline examines the nature of complex, interconnected systems such as economies. Next, we demonstrate that economies are indeed highly interconnected systems. These linkages cannot be ignored in the targeting process. Finally, we tentatively propose a computer algorithm capable of targeting multiple, interacting infrastructure elements. The technique employs a genetic algorithm coupled to standard industrial analysis programs. When implemented, this computer technique should dramatically improve the effectiveness of economic targeting....

Table of Contents Details
1 LOOKING BEYOND THE WEB . . . . . 1 Objectives and Scope . . . . . 2 A Convergence of Technologies . . . . 3 Thesis Organization . . . . . 4 Notes . . . . . 5 2 COMPLEXITY THEORY AND ECONOMIC TARGETING . . . . 7 Complex Systems Defined . . . . 7 Characteristics of Complex Systems . . . . . 10 Summary . . . . . 18 Notes . . . . . 19 3 SYNERGIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS . . . . 25 Targeting Issues . . . . . 25 Dissecting an Economy . . . . 27 Summary . . . . . 31 Notes . . . . . 32 4 MODELING AND SIMULATION TECHNIQUES . . . . 35 Targeting Philosophies . . . . 36 Numerical Techniques . . . . 39 Targeting Economic Sectors—A Proposed Numerical Simulation . . . . . 49 Philosophical Aspects of Computer-based Targeting . . . . 57 Summary . . . . . 58 Notes . . . . . 58 5 SYNERGY TABLES . . . . 65 Notes . . . . . 71 6 CONCLUSIONS . . . . . 73 Recommendations . . . . 74 Final Remarks . . . . 74 Notes . . . . . 75...