# data[].attributes.headline
Investing Guide at
Deep Blue Group Publications LLC Tokyo: Aktiemarknaden översyn av 2014

# data[].attributes.subject
Investing Guide at
Deep Blue Group Publications LLC Tokyo: Aktiemarknaden översyn av 2014

# data[].attributes.body
Vad hände med våra stora marknader och vilka aktier sköt i höjden och bomed i år?

Det har varit en mycket blandad 2014 för investerare, särskilt de med aktier i några av våra större blue chip företag som Tesco och Rolls Royce.

Som året kommer att avslutas FTSE 100 står lite över 6.500, var nästan 3% nedan där det i slutet av 2013.

Men i början av December det satt på 6,722.60, bara nio poäng under sin utgångspunkt för året. Den sjunkande oljepris kombinerat med farhågor om hur Ryssland kommer att klara den olja nedgången har tyvärr orsakat faller över indexen.

UK index

Det har varit ett särskilt dåligt år för målet investerare med index stadigt förlorar nästan 20% av sitt värde under de senaste 12 månaderna.

Indexet målet in officiellt björnen marknaden status i oktober tack vare nedgångar inom olje- och gruvsektorerna. Med mindre företag ofta agerar som en barometer för den bredare ekonomin som de reagerar på underliggande marknadsvillkor snabbare, kunde denna nedgång Stava dåliga tider för investerare i 2015.

Tech investeringar buck trenden

Ett index som har återvänt till investerare en vinst 2014 är FTSE Techmark, som är 8.62% från dess öppning pris i början av året. Indexet sjönk under hösten men en stark återhämtning är att se det avsluta året på en hög.

Tech indexet har stötts av den starka individuella prestation av vissa bestånd. Till exempel medicinsk utrustning fast Smith & brorson har haft ett starkt år med aktier upp 27 procent.

Det har sett sin andel pris skjuta i höjden under de sista veckorna av året på grund av förnyade rykten om ett övertagande.

En annan medlem av indexet, Betfair, har också haft en imponerande år. Spelande utbyte har genomgått en förvandling uttag från oreglerade marknader och föra in nya kunder med ett mer traditionellt sätt.

Som ett resultat aktier steg med 37.69% 2014, och tidigare denna månad meddelade en £200 miljoner kontant tillbaka till investerare med en 50% ökning i interimsutdelningen. Fortsätta läsa här.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's been a very mixed 2014 for investors, particularly those with shares in some of our bigger blue chip companies such as Tesco and Rolls Royce.

As the year comes to a close the FTSE 100 stands a little over 6,500, almost 3% below where it was at the end of 2013.

But, at the start of December it sat at 6,722.60, just nine points below its starting point for the year. Unfortunately, the plummeting oil price combined with fears about how Russia will cope with the oil slump has caused falls across the indices.

UK indices

Here's a look at how the UK market indices have faired in 2014.

It has been a particularly bad year for AIM investors with that index steadily losing almost 20% of its value over the past 12 months.

The AIM index officially entered bear market status in October thanks to the slumps in the oil and mining sectors. With smaller companies often acting as a barometer for the wider economy as they react to underlying market conditions quicker, this slump could spell bad times for investors in 2015.

Tech investments buck the trend

The one index that has returned a profit to investors in 2014 is the FTSE Techmark, which is up 8.62% from its opening price at the start of the year. The index slumped in the autumn but a strong recovery is seeing it end the year on a high.

The tech index has been supported by the strong individual performance of certain stocks. For example, medical equipment firm Smith & Nephew has had a strong year with shares up 27%.

It has seen its share price soar in the closing weeks of the year due to renewed rumours of a takeover.

Another member of the index, Betfair, has also had an impressive year. The gambling exchange has undergone a transformation withdrawing from unregulated markets and bringing in new customers with a more traditional approach.

As a result its shares rose by 37.69% in 2014, and earlier this month it announced a £200 million cash return to investors with a 50% increase in the interim dividend.
[Related story: High fees hitting hundreds of thousands of pensions]
Dogs of the FTSE

Every year some stocks have a remarkably bad years while others dazzle. The ones that do particularly badly and markedly underperform the FTSE 100 are known as the FTSE dogs.

Here are the shares that have given investors a particularly tough year in 2014.

Given the woeful oil price it is no great surprise to see a few oil firms have had a rotten 2014. Anyone invested in Tullow Oil will have seen their stock value halve over the year.

Perhaps more surprising is the fact that three of the big four supermarkets are among the worst stock market performers of 2014, having been hit by everything from accounting errors to competition from the likes of Aldi and Lidl.

Analysts are not predicting a quick recovery for the nation's best known supermarkets with many saying it will take years for Tesco to turn around its fortunes.

The star stocks of 2014

Here are the stocks that have left their investors with smiles on their faces this year.

Top of the pops is Shire with a share price rise of 67.51% over the past 12 months. The pharmaceutical firm has seen its share price rocket over speculation it is about to embark upon a spending spree of acquisitions which could significantly add to the firm's value.

The recovery in the construction industry has helped to lift Ashtead Group's share price - the firm rents out building equipment - and that of housebuilder Persimmon. Investors have seen these firm's share prices soar by 50.85% and 29.86% respectively.

So, while the indices show 2014 to have been a pretty poor year there are stocks that have beaten the herd and delivered impressive returns to their investors. Time will tell whether 2015 delivers better results for the markets as a whole though.
Keep track of how your investments are performing with lovemoney.com's Plans service

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's been a very mixed 2014 for investors, particularly those with shares in some of our bigger blue chip companies such as Tesco and Rolls Royce. As the year comes to a close the FTSE 100 stands a little over 6,500, almost 3% below where it was at the end of 2013.

# data[].attributes.headline
Deep Blue Publications Group LLC: How Retirement Funds Could Turn On You

# data[].attributes.subject
Deep Blue Publications Group LLC: How Retirement Funds Could Turn On You

# data[].attributes.body
One of the biggest dilemmas people face today is what financial experts like to call the "variation of outcomes". In a more practical sense, it would mean the difference between those students who were on the top 10 during your high school, for example: 5 made it into Ivy League schools, 3 got into other universities, one went to work and the other took a break. In short, even in a supposed set of people, you can never predict what will happen in the future.
And when it comes to retirement investments, people tend to have similar strategies on withdrawal that consequently points to various outcomes. Case in point: how investors could have survived the peak of the 90s bull market which was viewed as one of the worst times to start withdrawing.
For example, you had 1 million USD invested by the end of 1999 and then decided to withdraw a fix rate of 5% (50,000 USD) every year. Five percent turns out to be a sustainable enough withdrawal rate, even with the inflation taken into account according to Deep Blue Publications Group LLCplanners. (Note:  There really is no recommended sustainable percentage of withdrawals as brokers themselves admit they get antsy when clients begin to take more than 6% annually.)
Naturally, the outcome will be widely different depending on one's timing and specific investment. Then what's the lesson learned from that period of 2 consecutive bear markets?
* Do not withdraw from stock funds during a bear market for this will significantly increase your losses. Besides, once the fund rebounded, your withdrawals will decrease in value.
* Most popular funds of the month are not always recommended. They could have been overpriced and overstuffed which is perhaps why it had a supposed 'good' performance during previous quarters.
* Don't bet all your shares during retirement especially if you retire at the start of a multi-year bear market.
It does make a great difference if your investments are not that closely related with stocks as a safeguard for any unexpected outcome. The usual choice in making a diverse portfolio today is bonds but this could also mean you'll get hit once the interest rates increase. Consider foreign bonds instead, or get into real estate and gold, all of which are not that related with stocks.

In the end, the amount you withdraw at a given year is still based on a number of factors such as life expectancy, existing loans and lifestyle. Just make sure you avoid a wide "variation of outcomes" from your investments.

# data[].attributes.headline
Investing
Guide at Deep Blue Group Publications LLC Tokyo: Investing in You - How to hunt
bargains like a pro

# data[].attributes.subject
Investing
Guide at Deep Blue Group Publications LLC Tokyo: Investing in You - How to hunt
bargains like a pro

# data[].attributes.body
There are savvy shoppers. Then there are holiday crazies - expert, rabid consumers who combine coupons, compare online vs. in-store bargains via smartphone, and put us all to shame.

Edgar Dworsky, proprietor of nonprofit consumer advocate Consumer World.org, is among the latter.

Here's what he does before buying anything, most especially during this season of shopping insanity, along with tips from some other parties

Chart price history. Start by visiting sites like Shopping. com, Shop.pricespider. com, Pricegrabber. com, and TheFind. com, as well as Google Shopping, Amazon. com , and eBay. This year, the Wall Street Journal has launched a "Christmas Sale Tracker" on 10 popular items that updates constantly. WorthIt.co alerts shoppers when prices drop.

"Sometimes, what seems like a good deal today really isn't a good deal vs. six months ago," Dworsky says. "Also, read negative reviews and horror stories. There are lemons out there, so do your homework online."

Reviews can be found at sites such as BizRate. com, ResellerRatings. com, Consumer Reports, or PCMag. com.

Combine savings. Let store credit cards, coupons, loyalty programs, and promo codes work for you. Try CouponCabin. com and RetailMeNot. com, coupon apps you download on a phone.

Assuming you're not creeped out by the Minority Report overtones, RetailMeNot's app tracks your physical location to send relevant deals. Walking by Old Navy or Macy's? The app senses your location and sends you a coupon.

"There's no clipping, no carrying paper coupons around, and you can also save these coupons on your phone. RetailMeNot will alert you when the coupons expire," says Trae Bodge, a RetailMeNot blogger in Montclair, N.J.

ShopYourWay.  com is a loyalty program for Sears and Kmart that Dworsky uses to buy appliances. "If you're renovating a house, you can rack up a lot of points buying all your appliances from Sears," he says, "and maybe get 2 percent back if you use a Sears credit card."

Check for rebates. Just prior to buying, Dworsky checks with Ebates.  com or Fatwallet . com  to see whether those sites will pay cash back for purchases at major retailers such as Sears.

"Prices on Kenmore appliances, for instance, are typically inflated," he explains, "so it's a great way to get extra savings."

Take credit. For the love of money (say, fraud, security, and repair costs), don't shop with a debit card or cash. You have everything to lose by using debit cards, and cash payment doesn't offer warranty extension or returns protection.

"Unless you are someone for whom credit is like booze and you can't control yourself using it, avoid paying cash or debit," Dworsky says.

Some credit cards double warranties on refurbished items. (DealNews. com compares extended warranties.)

Dworsky uses a Fidelity Investments credit card with 2 percent cash back and price-protection coverage, and a Chase Freedom Visa card. Both offer warranty extensions.