Jennifer Grassman offers music industry internships Spring Observer News Houston Community Newspapers Online – News Around Town
Jennifer Grassman in the News! Recording artist offers music industry internships Spring Observer News Houston Community Newspapers Online – News Around Town.
Portfolio Rebalancing: A Powerful Risk-Control Strategy
By Ken Faulkenberry
Rebalancing is one if the most under utilized and under appreciated aspects of investing. An active asset allocation strategy, which requires frequent rebalancing based on current opportunities and risk, is the most successful strategy in today’s investment environment.
The purpose of diversification is to reduce risk by holding investments that will behave differently at different times. Over time, as a portfolio’s assets change in price it can easily move the portfolio to a position that risk and return become inconsistent with an investor’s goals and risk preferences. (Read the article in its entirety)
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Many investors who want to manage their own portfolio need an outside investment management service such as the www.ArborInvestmentPlanner.com to assist them in their investment choices. The AIP provides subscribers with the Arbor Asset Allocation Model Portfolio (AAAMP) with specific buy and sell instructions. The 10 year performance record for the AAAMP can be viewed here: www.blog.ArborInvestmentPlanner.com/?page_id=141.
If you would like to stay current of investment trends, please feel free to connect with Ken Faulkenberry on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.
www.twitter.com/arborinvestment
Five Essential Themes for Your Portfolio in 2010
By Ken Faulkenberry
Here are five themes with strategic advantages driven by supply and demand. Each of these themes has the potential to provide a superior return on investment that transforms your portfolio from average to extraordinary:
ENERGY – Whether we are talking about oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, or new green energy, we will probably need it all. We already use all the energy we produce worldwide. The tremendous growth expected in the standard of living of the emerging markets, in addition to worldwide increase in population, will force us to find more ways to produce and deliver energy to an energy starved world.
INFRASTRUCTURE – No state or nation is able to thrive without the infrastructure to support growing economies and populations. Airports, railroads, highways, communications, etc. are all needed to move people, products, and information efficiently. Developed countries have old and neglected infrastructure needs. Emerging markets have unending needs for new infrastructure.
FOOD/NUTRITION- As third world nations develop they require more and higher quality food. This process is already under way. Add world population growth and you have ever increasing demand for good nutrition and quality food for decades to come.
DEFENSE/TERRORISM/WAR – We live in a dangerous world. Trends that include an increasing number of fanatics willing to kill innocent people will require technology and diligence to defeat. Add to the fact that as we have become more global and mobile we have needed more resources to keep the peace, not less.
HEALTH/ENVIRONMENT – This might be the most rewarding and riskiest investment of the five. Due to population growth in the developing markets, higher standards of living being demanded by emerging countries, and the aging of the developed nations (particularly the U.S. and Japan); the demand for health care and need for environmental services are expanding rapidly and possibly outstripping any other area. The growing risk is the trend toward government which socializes the industry and creates rationing instead of a free market that innovates and grows to meet expanding needs. Therefore, one must be extra careful when investing in this area.
Each of these five themes have the potential to provide extraordinary investment returns because the demand created by the global market place will require these needs be met. If you have demand that outstrips supply; the return on investing in that product or service will have to be higher than average to attract investors into investing and meeting that need.
Choosing individual investments that take advantage of global trends and placing them in a properly diversified portfolio takes knowledge and many hours of research. Many investors want to stay in control of their money and manage their own investment but choose to hire an outside service such as www.ArborInvestmentPlanner.com to follow a model portfolio and specific buy and sell instructions. This allows an investor to maintain a properly asset allocated portfolio and make their own decisions, but have the research done for them.
CD-18 Candidate Brenda Page’s Priority Issues
CD-18 Candidate Brenda Page’s Priority Issues.
I met Brenda Page and was extremely impressed with her views on Small Business, the Economy and Education. Refreshing to see her genuine concern for her district. She is running for US Congress in Texas District 18 – currently held by Shelia Jackson Lee. To learn more about Brenda Page, visit www.pageforcongress.com.
How to Profit Investing in Water
By Ken Faulkenberry
The past two years prove that passive equity index investing is risky to an investor’s portfolio. An investor needs to employ an active asset allocation strategy that is flexible enough to avoid overvalued assets and invest more aggressively when assets are undervalued. One of the benefits of an active strategy is the ability to look for investments with strategic advantages, and include them within a properly diversified portfolio.
Return on investment is driven by supply and demand. If demand outstrips supply; the return on that product or service will have to be higher than average to attract investors into investing and meeting that need. Therefore, everything being equal, investing where demand is high and growing will yield higher than average rates of return on investment. Industries or companies that meet these criteria have a long term strategic advantage.
The lack of pure water is one of the greatest challenges in the world today. While there is no shortage of water, there is a serious shortage of clean, potable water. In the developing nations, 80% of all diseases are a result of unsafe water. Contaminated water kills more people worldwide than any single disease, including AIDS or cancer.
World population growth is only a small part of the growing demand for water. As nations become more developed they consume more goods and services, particularly agricultural products. Two-thirds of all water consumed goes to irrigate crops. As nations like China and India increase their standard of living, water consumption can rise two or three times the population growth.
Water has some unique properties. Water is not a commodity, but a necessity. For example, unlike oil or most commodities, water cannot be replaced by another product. There is no substitute for water. No technological innovation can replace water. Demand is not affected by changing tastes, interest rates, recession, inflation, or deflation.
In order to meet the need for water in this century trillions of dollars of investment capital are going to be required. This means a higher than average rate of return will be required to attract investment capital to companies that focus on technology and services that purify, filter, transport, store, and bottle water.
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of good choices for individual investors to invest in water today. Water is too small a percentage of revenues and profits to make a difference in the large companies like General Electric (GE) that are investing in water. There are many smaller and more risky opportunities, but to be prudent, diversification would require investors to buy a portfolio of these stocks. The advantages of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are extraordinary because they are a basket of stocks that trade like a single stock. ETF’s provide investors an inexpensive way to diversify small portions of a portfolio in targeted sectors.
ETF PowerShares Water Resources (PHO) enables an investor to own approximately 30 different stocks that focus on the provision of potable water. PHO gives an investor who wants to invest in water instant diversification and the ability to increase or decrease that position efficiently because it trades just like a stock.
Like all investment opportunities, investments in water should be a small part of a well diversified asset allocated portfolio. Both over-diversification and under-diversification are major reasons for poor investment portfolio performance. Much thought, planning and research should be put into how each investment fits into a portfolio.
Investors who want useful research, sound conservative asset allocation advice, and wise investment strategies should consider the online investment newsletter from ArborInvestmentPlanner.com. The Arbor Asset Allocation Model Portfolio (AAAMP), along with trade alerts, updates, reminders, and special reports gives the individual investor all the powerful tools needed to manage their own portfolio.
More information available at: www.ArborInvestmentPlanner.com
Houston Recording Artist Interviewed by ABC’s 20/20 Regarding the 2003 Quadruple Murders of Clear Lake Teenagers
Jennifer Grassman Recognized by 20/20 for her 2003 Crime Stoppers Benefit Concerts
Houston, TX – September 18, 2009 – At the request of the parents of Rachael Koloroutis, a victim of a quadruple homicide in a Clear Lake, Texas, suburban home on July 18, 2003, Houston-based recording artist Jennifer Grassman spoke with ABC’s 20/20 regarding the six year old murder case. In addition to Grassman’s high school friend, Rachael, 18, three others victims, Tiffany Rowell, 18, Adelbert Sanchez, 21, and Marcus Precella, 19, were also found bludgeoned and shot on that fateful afternoon.
“I remember my Mom calling me up at work,” said Grassman, now 24. “She said, ‘Honey, I’ve got some horrible news. Rachael’s dead. She’s been murdered.’ At first I couldn’t process the idea that she was talking about Rachael Koloroutis. I got numb all over. It was a feeling of profound shock, disbelief, and horror.”
Determined to bring comfort to the bereaved family and help the Houston Police Department apprehend the culprits, Grassman organized several memorial concerts to raise money for Rachael’s Crime Stoppers Reward Fund. With Grassman’s help, the Koloroutis family and Houston Crime Stoppers raised $100,000 for the reward fund, which at the time, was the largest reward in Crime Stoppers history.
After four torturous years of minimal leads and no answers, friends and family of the deceased were finally given some closure, when Christopher Snider and Christine Paolilla were charged with capital murder. Snider committed suicide before he was captured. Paolilla was apprehended and sentenced to life in prison on Monday, October 18, 2008 in the court room of Judge Mark Kent Ellis.
“I remember sitting in court not ten feet away from Christine Paolilla,” stated Grassman, “and wondering how someone who looked so small and miserable could have committed such a maliciously violent act. There can be no complete closure for anyone who knew Rachael, because nothing can fill the void that she left behind. Our only peace is in knowing that she is in Heaven, and God will avenge her death.”
The episode of 20/20 featuring the Koloroutis case and Grassman’s interview is set to air on September 25, 2009, at 10/9 CT on ABC. An online memorial for Rachael Koloroutis will be posted on the front page of www.JenniferGrassman.com, along with a download of the song which Grassman wrote for Rachael, entitled White Roses. 100% of proceeds will be donated to Crime Stoppers in memory of Koloroutis.
“I wanted to immortalize Rachael,” said Grassman. “She never got to attend college, get married, have kids, or do all the great things she dreamed of doing. I want everyone to know that Rachael is not just a statistic. Any parent would have been proud to have a girl like Rachael as a daughter, and she should still be with us today.”
About Jennifer Grassman
Jennifer Grassman is a vocalist, pianist, composer and recording artist. Grassman’s music effortlessly fuses diverse elements of classical, Celtic, gothic and rock styles into a beautiful, moving genre all her own. She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and two cats. To learn more, please visit www.JenniferGrassman.com or www.rainnoverhouston.org.
About 20/20
ABC’s second longest running prime-time series, 20/20 is a newsmagazine that mixes investigative pieces with human-interest and celebrity features. Hosted by John Stossel and Elizabeth Vargas, 20/20 airs in Houston every Friday at 9:00 PM on KTRK, ABC Channel 13, after SuperNanny.
DIVERSIFICATION The Critical Element of Portfolio Management
By Ken Faulkenberry
Diversification is the single most important element of investment planning. Diversification is a portfolio strategy that reduces risk by combining different investments that are not correlated. The volatility (risk) of the portfolio is reduced because not all asset groups, industries, or stocks move together. The goal of diversification is to reduce risk.
Lack of diversification and over diversification are two common mistakes made by investors. Lack of diversification (putting all your eggs in one basket) is the most dangerous and ruinous mistake possible. Over diversification can result in a portfolio performing like the market. Many investors have experienced the bad results of over diversification during the current decade. Most institutional vehicles (i.e. diversified mutual funds, pension funds, etc.) are over diversified and simultaneously lack an asset allocation needed for success in today’s challenging environment.
Proper Diversification can reduce many kinds of risk including company specific risk, poor fund management risk, industry risk, and market risk!
Company specific risk is risk that is specific… [ read more at http://blog.arborinvestmentplanner.com ]
More information available at: www.ArborInvestmentPlanner.com.
Runaas Resources Wins Business of the Year Award
Houston Area PR Agency Honored by the Spring-Klein Chamber of Commerce
July 25, 2009 – SPRING, TX – Runaas Resources LLC announced today that the independent public relations agency received the Spring-Klein Chamber of Commerce’s (SKCC) Toni Award for 2009 Business of the Year.
Candace Runaas (c) accepts the SKCC Toni Award for Business of the Year 2009 from Toni Richard and Assad Shorrosh.
“I am so surprised and honored to receive this…,” said Candace Runaas, president of Runaas Resources, whose company focuses primarily on representing women-owned businesses. She has earned a reputation for her active support of the local business community and her altruistic involvement with non-profit organizations and anti-abuse causes.
The SKCC Toni Award recognizes area businesses that contribute to the economic growth of the Spring-Klein area through active support of the Chamber and its member businesses.
Namesake of the award, Toni Richard, chamber president and co-founder, and Assad Shorrosh, executive board member, presented the award to a tearful Runaas, during the chamber’s 2nd Annual Christmas in July Gala on Friday, July 24, 2009.
The annual fundraiser also serves as a celebration of the one year anniversary of the young chamber. The first Christmas in July Gala was held only two months after the chamber’s inaugural luncheon in May 2008. This year’s event featured Commissioner Jerry Eversole as the guest of honor.
“No one could have deserved this award more,” stated Jennifer Grassman, a Runaas Resources client. “I enjoy working with Runaas Resources because they are a creative, strategic and effective PR agency. Candace has such a big heart. She is a fierce advocate for small business owners and community causes. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does and I am honored to say that I work with her.”
About Runaas Resources LLC
Established in 2005, Runaas Resources LLC is a virtual public relations agency located in Spring, Texas. Candace Runaas, company president, receives much recognition for her innovative PR methods and her involvement in the community. For more information, please contact Candace Runaas at info@www.runaasresources.com or visit www.runaasresources.com.
The SKCC 2nd Annual Christmas in July Gala Receives Strong Support from Area Representatives and Local Businesses
Commissioner Eversole encourages businesses during the 2009 SKCC Christmas in July Gala. (Credit: Ava Ray)
Commissioner Jerry Eversole Speaks to Banquet Guests; Local PR agency wins SKCC Toni Award for Business of the Year
July 26, 2009 – SPRING, TX – The Spring-Klein Chamber of Commerce (SKCC) celebrated their 2nd Annual Christmas in July Gala on Friday, July 24, 2009. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole spoke as the special guest during the banquet.
“The unique challenge for this chamber is that the area you represent cannot easily be mapped out,” said Commissioner Eversole at the event. He was referring to the fact that Spring and Klein are unincorporated and extra-territorial jurisdictions of Houston. “But the businesses of this area need to support this chamber in order for it to continue to grow.”
His comments were spoken with the Commissioner’s candid and outspoken sense of humor to an audience that included a table hosted by Senator Dan Patrick. Court Koenning, chief of staff for Senator Patrick, and his wife, Dawn, were also at the event.
Event auctioneer, Mark Moore TAL #15019, purchased and donated a Texas Flag donated by Representative Debbie Riddle to be flown over the state capital and a VIP Capitol Tour for the live auction in honor of the day of their choosing.
“We are so appreciative of all the support that we have received from our representatives and the community,” said Toni Richard, president and co-founder of the SKCC. “The membership continues to grow at a steady pace and our mission to connect the community to create a thriving economy in Spring is really making an impact.”
“We thank all of the businesses that supported us through donations to our auction,” added Elle Carnes, chair of the Christmas in July Committee. “We also give special thanks to the generous sponsors who made this event possible.” Sponsors of the event included Shorco Inc., Century 21 – Robert Harris, Houston WAHMS (Work-at-Home Moms) and the Tomball-Spring Times.
The event also featured the first annual SKCC Toni Awards ceremony. Candace Runaas, president of Runaas Resources, tearfully accepted the honor for her company as the 2009 Business of the Year. The award recognizes businesses that make outstanding service contributions to the chamber and its member businesses.
“I was chamber president of the Humble Chamber of Commerce for 18 years,” shared Eversole, “and I enjoyed ever minute of it. This chamber can be a very successful one as long as the area businesses and members are willing to support the work that they are doing.”
Commissioner Eversole is currently serving his fifth four-year term as commissioner of Precinct 4, the largest Harris County precinct, encompassing 587.1 square miles with over 904,000 residents. Spring Texas is located in Harris County Precinct 4.
ABOUT THE SPRING KLEIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Founded in May 2008, the Spring Klein Chamber of Commerce (SKCC) is the business and community support organization dedicated to being the primary resource for area economic development, business expansion and overall quality of life in Spring-Klein. For more information, visit www.springkleinchamber.org or call 281-257-4431.
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