Nike or Under Armour?

 Although Nike is the bigger brand with a far bigger market share, the question is which stock is the better buy.

In terms of growth, Under Armour inches above Nike by a few dollars or so. Nike offers a dividend while Under Armour does not. However if UA continues to grow, will the dividends make up for the growth difference? Also, how much more will Nike grow compared to Under Armor? In my opinion Under Armour has the higher ceiling. With highest growth and revenue in the business recently, I still think there's some bullish life left in Under Armour.

I like Nike, but I'd personally go with Under Armour for more growth opportunities. 

Growth Stocks Over Dividends?

I know some people will look at the title and think I'm crazy. But when stock prices are as high as they are, I don't think it's wrong to say that sometimes going for growth rather then dividends is a better move to make. If you plan to truly hold a stock, then yes you go for dividends. That way the long time you need to make your big return from strictly dividends is there. But  when holding a stock for anything less then year I find growth stocks to be better.

 If played correctly you can protect yourself along the way to making a big profit. Say you buy stock X at 49.50. By the time it goes to 52.50 on the path to your target of 55.00, you sell some shares to protect your profits. You will probably get this sooner then you would get it from dividends. Lets face it, unless you're rich or you find a true bargain, you're waiting a long time to build up off just dividends. Not only that but a bad week in the market can annihilate a year of strong dividends. To me, it's almost not close in most cases.

I think growth stocks are risky but if played correctly they're a lot better for the smaller investor to build up. If you think day trading is risking your money, good luck putting $15,000 in a stock that barely moves up but takes a big move down. Unless you've collected dividends for years chances are you wont have built up enough protection. So please note, I'm not saying dividend stocks are bad. Growth dividend stocks are the best you can buy. But I think growth stocks can be a better play at the right time then dividend stocks for a lot of the smaller investors that don't have 6 or more digits to put aside.

Just something to consider if you're looking for growth without having to put down half of your life savings. Good luck in the Markets everyone!

Evaluation of Dividend Stocks

Any good investor should have their eyes on Dividend stocks at all times. These are a few I've been watching, for better or worse.

YUM! - Normally a powerhouse in the stock market, YUM! has had a tough year to say the least. Fast food is getting a touch reputation, and not just here but across the globe. Due to the difficulties in China and Russia the company has lowered growth expectations in 2015 to 10%. However, that's still not promised. If YUM! suffers more bad publicity, or things don't go well in Africa this company could be in for some issues.

AAPL - With the release of a new computer, Iphone, and wearables about to hit the scene Apple is a good stock to buy. Not only is this company ridiculously profitable, they're items sell, they will cotinue to sell and they have more things coming out. This stock will not only pay you dividends, but grow as well. These are the dividend stocks I like.

HIG - The only thing that derailed this company's climb was the crash of 2008. Since it has been steadily growing back. Dividends are good investments because you don't have to depends on the stock price to make a return on your investment. But dividend stocks that grow are the best, because you get better growth and protection along the way (assuming you play it right)

Happy Investing!

Bullish Stocks

Alibba BABA - Alibaba is a juggernaut in the making. They absolutely killed it on singles day this week. But Alibaba is not just a good retail stock this company supplies god knows how many business's with their goods. That means big numbers constantly. I could see it going above 120 by the end of this week, easily.

Keep your eye on JD as well. this stock could be in for a pop on earnings day. (the 17th)

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Reducing Costs

"Sometimes it's not the Money you make but the Money you Save"

 One of truest quotes I've ever come across. Often I used to find myself caught in the rush of always trying to figure out different ways to make money. Meanwhile I was doing little to reduce unnecessary costs.

One day after coming across this quote I sat down and went over multiple monthly expenses both personal and Business. I literally added up to thousands in yearly wasted expenses. This was money I would normally sit around spending hours figuring out how to make that I was pretty much throwing away!

 So take some time out of your hectic day and go over current expenses. I promise you will come across at least one thing that's wasting a couple hundred a year. That's enough for a weekend getaway that you could be wasting, think about it.

 If you work at home or not Energy is one of the easiest things to waste. Look into lighting, cooling, water and air temperature adjustments. It's the little things like this that add up to big things. 

I'll be posting more detailed ways that you can save yourself some money. For my Bulls and Entrepreneurs worry not, I'll be posting plenty of ways to make some money as well. 

The Green Movement is vital to America's future

 I know, I know. Another "Living Green" article.

But before you run away, hear me out. I'm not just talking Green Living here, I'm talking Economics. I'll elaborate...
 We hear every single day how the Economy is simply not coming back. Inflation is going up, wages staying the same or going down. No opportunity, etc. But I think we're not doing the right things, or looking in the right places. This is where the Green Movement comes into play. People need to embrace it because it will save us money and make us money. First, lets talk saving money.

  The cost of living in this country is absurd. It costs an 18 year old kid no less then $750 to live on their own just in rent, yet they're living on 1200 a month. So how do we change this? We reduce costs. The number one culprit is the living space. We need to downsize. If your young, go for a Studio apartment, or 1 bedroom. When I moved out I had an online Business, even thought I was still turning a profit paying for 2 bedrooms (using my office as the 2nd) I was wasting hundreds of dollars a month for space I could use in my room. I realize this setup I'm explaining doesn't exactly sound ideal but remember, beggars can't be choosers. When you're coming up or saving there's sacrifices that need to be made.

 Consider housing alternatives. Have you ever looked into shipping container homes? They're perfect for putting your own individual stamp on the home's style, and they're much cheaper then building the traditional home. As a bonus for mother earth you're using shipping containers that would otherwise sit there and do nothing. It's a win-win for everyone. Think they're ugly? Think again.

Utilities are also a major culprit for wasting money. There's a lot of different ways people save..Lets go over a few. Water can be collected by setting up a water barrel to collect rain water. Usually people setup a gutter system right from the roof into the barrel. I've seen some people use rain water to flush their toilets as well. Energy is probably the trickiest one due to figuring out how to avoid a costly system. You can produce energy via Solar, Biomass Fuels, and plenty but even more costlier ways. If one could figure out how to construct their own solar panels I'd imagine they'd save a significant chunk of change on their system. Solar could be a beautiful thing, if it's more cost effective.

•  Home Living tips have been around for awhile now but here they are in case you needed a few:
• Clean your air ducts. Cooling/Heating is probably the most expensive cost in your electricity. Dirty Ducts will cost you a fortune (believe me, I know)
• Energy efficient Curtains. These really do help with reducing cooling costs in warm places.
• Program your thermostat
• Unplug your unused appliances

Want more Eco Living ideas? Sign up for my newsletter and I'll be posting them along with my other topics regularly.