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October 1, 2008 -

In This Issue:

Free Online Webinar: Introduction to Toolkit 6

Please join ICLUBcentral's president, Douglas Gerlach, for an introduction to Toolkit 6, the world's most popular investment software. Doug will walk you through the program and demonstrate how to use the new features that Toolkit 6 has to offer. Stay after the webinar for a brief, interactive question and answer session with Doug.

The class will be presented twice, so those on the East Coast and West Coast (and everyone in between!) will have an opportunity to attend. Space is limited, so sign up quickly! We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us October 1, 2008 at 7pm ET/4 pm PT

Join us October 1, 2008 at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT

Haven't upgraded yet? Purchase your copy today! Current users of Investor's Toolkit 5 are eligible to upgrade to Toolkit 6 at a special discount price of just $109.99 ($99.99 for StockCentral members). You can purchase the download version and start using the program immediately---you can import your Investor's Toolkit 5 database seemlessly into Toolkit 6. Investment clubs with 10 or more members: Call ICLUBcentral by phone at 1-877-33-ICLUB to learn about bulk order discounts. This product is not available for purchase from BetterInvesting, so order today directly from the ICLUBcentral web site!


Join the Club!

By Amy Rauch Neilson

Dan Vitez echoes a saying that's long been a part of my mantra: No one cares as much about your money as you do. That became crystal clear to him about two years ago, when he wanted to take the money he had saved for retirement and invest it. "I dealt with several investment advisers, but I felt that they didn't have my best interests in mind," he says. "They were driven by commissions, and that frustrated me."

Then, while meeting with a client for the landscape design company he owns, the subject of investment clubs came up. His curiosity piqued, Dan went online that evening and Googled the topic. The Crow River Investment Club came up on the search engine. "I couldn't believe it - the club was located just five miles from my house," Dan recalls.

The rest, as they say, is history. Dan contacted the club and, in March 2007, became a member of the Crow River Investment Club in Minneapolis, Minn. "I am so lucky to have been able to join a club with a member as knowledgeable as Lynn Ostrem," he says of the club's vice president.

Stroke of Luck
Club members think they're pretty lucky, too. "Dan is a great addition to our club," Lynn says. "Though he's been challenged by the learning experience, he is advancing fairly quickly and, just as importantly, he's very positive and optimistic."

Dan, who attributes much of his success as a member of the club to its active mentoring program and Lynn's willingness to make herself available to answer his questions any day, any time, offers these tips for clubs who want to successfully mentor new club members:

  1. Match Veterans with Newbies - and Get Started
    "This is huge," Dan says. "A lot of the tools that investment clubs use are, at first, overwhelming to new members. It's important for the club to pair veterans with newbies so that they can sit down together and start with the basics.

    Read more...


    How to Invest in Today's Stock Market

    By Doug Gerlach,
    President, ICLUBcentral Inc.

    With all of the uncertainty in today's markets, it can be a confusing time to be an investor. On Monday, investors saw the largest point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in its 102-year history. On Tuesday, more than half of that loss was recovered. On Wednesday, who knows what could happen? But looking back at the stock market over time, it's clear that it's seen worse and has always recovered. There's no reason to believe that the market won't come back around given time.

    Those investors who put their confidence in the resiliency of the U.S. stock markets will be rewarded, as long as they maintain the proper perspective. In five years, investments made at today's bargain basement stock prices will quite possibly be seen as smart moves.

    Here are a few points to consider as you plan your moves in the weeks and months ahead:

    1. Remember that the market always operates in cycles, expanding and contracting over time. Investing regularly throughout the peaks and valleys is key to a successful long-term investing approach. In fact, wealth is often created in greater scale as the result of investing during down markets. Of course, this requires courage and the conviction that the markets and your holdings will rebound.
    2. Most certainly don't stop investing in the stock market. Many stocks that you study will be offered at or near historically low valuations, and if you try to wait for the market to reach its absolute low, or if you wait for a "clear sign" that the market is rebounding, you'll miss plenty of opportunities. I've been increasing the monthly contributions that I make to both of my investment clubs, and expect to reap the rewards from the regular investments that my clubs will continue to make in the coming months.
    3. Focus on quality companies, now more than ever. It's likely that the interest rates will rise and access to debt will tighten, so companies that are highly dependent on borrowed capital to finance growth or operations may struggle. Companies with low credit ratings should be avoided. Consider the trend of a company's debt-to-equity ratio over the past few years, as in Section 2C of Toolkit 6's Stock Study form. Look to the Complete Roster of Quality Companies on StockCentral for ideas to study.
    4. Consider carefully before investing or continuing to hold financial companies. There's no doubt that the regulatory climate will change in the coming months and years, with big changes in government oversight of financial markets and the structure of financial companies. I expect there to be continuing consolidation of financial companies, with mega-firms swallowing up smaller concerns, leading to a general state of uncertainty about the financial sector. With so much stirred up at present, it may be some time before the dust settles and the winners become apparent.
    5. Re-evaluate existing holdings in light of their exposure to the credit markets, the housing market, and their levels of debt. Companies that don't pass muster are prime candidates for replacement. With the high number of bargains available now in the market, chances are good that you can find stocks with higher quality and higher total return prospects than your questionable current holdings.

    As you invest in your personal or investment club portfolio in the next few months, always remember your long-term focus. ICLUBcentral's tools are designed to help you build wealth in the stock market over a five-year and longer horizon. Patience and confidence go hand in hand with successful investing.

October 1, 2008


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From our World Headquarters in the historic College House building in the heart of Cambridge's Harvard Square, we develop high-quality software products and web services for individual fundamental investors, and powerful accounting tools used by the majority of US investment clubs.


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Events Calendar:
10/03-10/04: New England BI Regional Convention, Framingham, MA; ICLUBcentral, Exhibitor.

10/25: StockCentral User Group, Denver, CO; Doug Gerlach, Speaker.

11/21-11/22: Puget Sound Investor's Fair, Bellevue, WA; ICLUBcentral, Exhibitor.

12/6: Club Accounting Workshop, Philadelphia Area, PA; Doug Gerlach, Instructor.

Submit Your Event!



Like 7-Eleven, we're not always doing business, but we're always open -- visit the ICLUB Store and outfit yourself with the simple, yet powerful tools and services that smart investors have been using to grow their portfolios since 1989.

Got a Problem?
Support is here to help. You can reach them M-F, 9:30 AM--6:00 PM at 877-33-ICLUB (877-334-2582), or use the email web form at ICLUB Support.

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