The Online Investing AI Blog

PBA World Championship

Last Christmas, Tom Smallwood found himself in a position that millions of Americans are now facing.

After years of loyalty and hard work, he was laid off from the General Motors plant. That was bad enough, but the layoffs timing–right before Christmas–was just salt in the wound. He quickly applied for conventional jobs, but never heard back from the companies.

Tom, his wife, and his young daughter faced an uncertain future.

But Tom had a  secret weapon: bowling.

Tom believed he was a good bowler; he even won a few local tournaments. With his wife’s blessing, he tried out for the Pro Bowler’s tour. And made it!

Then he won a major tournament. Tom pocketed $50,000 during a championship match–making more in a single event than he ever earned in a year working at a conventional job.

So, if you’re laid-off, or worried that you will be laid-off, just remember: you can always bowl. At least in the allegorical sense. Maybe you can’t bowl, but, like Tom, you have talents and knowledge that can generate new careers and new sources of income.

You can even follow Tom’s method:

Read more…

Dreams Come True, Money, Online Investing AI, Success, US Economy bowling, dreams, financial freedom, hobbies, job, jobless, part-time, unemployment

Amazing photo by Zara @ Flickr

Despite the prodding of Tim Ferriss and Jonathan Fields, some folks don’t feel comfortable about quitting their day jobs, starting their own businesses, and traveling to Thailand to learn Thai stick fighting techniques.

We even talk about escaping the cubicle life.

That’s cool.

But the one thing that is true in the Wealth Singularity and the thing that drives us to create advanced Automated Trading technology is that lifestyle design is lifestyle design. You don’t have to shed your job. You don’t have to travel to exotic locales. You don’t have to become an Internet marketer.

You approach life on your terms and no one else’s.

If you’re ready to move toward lifestyle design, but aren’t prepared to dive in head-first, here’s a way to test your lifestyle design skills without a lot of risk.

I call it the 10 percent self-employment solution. Here’s how it works:

Read more…

Accelerating Technology, Online Investing AI employment, financial, Investing, job, jobless, Money, personal freedom, saving, unemployment, wealth singularity

Y @ Flickr

In order to free yourself from the domination of arbitrary standards and discover the true standards by which you should behave, you need to find the courage to do what you must without regard to what others may think.
–Chin-Ning Chu

Can you imagine an animal gets caught in a trap, frees itself, and then steps right back in the trap again?

It happens every morning.

People are hypnotized to believe that holding a job means they are secure and that this job is source of wealth and freedom.

Sadly, as many people are finding out, it is neither.

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Automated Trading, Business Strategy, Investing, Online Investing AI employment, financial, Investing, job, jobless, Money, personal freedom, saving, unemployment

Job prospects look bleak.

Just how bleak? Check out The Great Recession Transforms Workplace, Work Force. It’s one of those methodical stories the mainstream media loves to release that makes you feel like your in a car crash and everything is moving in slow motion.

But, to speed it up: people aren’t retiring and young people aren’t finding jobs. The jobs that they do find tend to be part-time.

As the writer puts it:

“The work force is graying as college graduates can’t find jobs, young workers get laid off and older workers delay retirement. People in white-collar jobs are feeling increasingly vulnerable to economic downturns, an insecurity that blue-collar workers have known for years.”

What this means: Job Insecurity.

What the article–and so many doom and gloom tales in the media today–are short on are solutions. I think there are some.

Read more…

Accelerating Technology, Business Strategy, Dreams Come True, Internet, Investing, Money, Online Investing AI, Success, US Economy job, job security, jobless, jobs, unemployment

We had some good news on the employment front this week. Sorta.

It looks like the rate of people losing their jobs has slowed. It’s only sorta bad because, if you’re one of those people who lost a job–no matter how slow the rate is–it’s still a scary time. But, once the shock has worn off, the newly jobless often say the moment they lost their position was the best moment of their lives.

They learned to stand on their own. They learned to trust themselves. They opened up the window to new skills and new ways to make money.

If you’re one of those people, here’s a week’s worth of articles and posts to help you through this transition period.

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Business Strategy, Dreams Come True, Internet, Money, Online Investing AI, US Economy articles, blog, blogs, jobless, jobs, posts, surviving, thriving, unemployment, weekly wisdom

The head talkers of Washington D.C. and talking heads of Wall Street are in a frenzy about job creation numbers.

What is the meaning of job creation?

How is a job created?

Is a job saved the same as a job created?

With the unemployment rate soaring into double digits, the so-called experts offer a range of theories and programs that are designed to create jobs and/or save jobs.They believe the twist of a pen could create a million jobs–or save a million jobs, whatever.

Still another rash of programs, taxes, and penalties are promising to help build the “green economy.”

Bunk.

Read more…

Money, Online Investing AI, US Economy economy, government, jobless, jobs, unemployment

To ride out any economic downturns or to prepare your own personal bailout, you’ll need income. Money coming in at a reliable pace will not only show up on your personal balance sheet, but it’s going to do loads of good for your self-confidence.

Confidence is key to thriving in an economic mess.

If you’re in a pretty stable job, keep at it. But keep your eye on other opportunities, as well. Can you do odd jobs? Do you want to freelance or consult? Do you have skills that are in demand outside of your current work demands?

I knew a friend who had a job, but ran an eBay business and had some stock trading acumen. When he was laid-off from his full-time job, he had these back-up businesses to supplement his income while he found another job.

If you don’t have a job, consider doing some things to bring in income–any type of income–while you seek a permanent source of money.

No matter what, avoid the “wage-slave” mentality. Unless you love what you are doing, a job is a means to an end. Keep your entrepreneurial antennae up at all times while you look for innovative ways to make money and enjoy your life. Life is about being first… and doing second.

Business Strategy, Dreams Come True, Investing, Money, Success economy, employment, job, jobless, unemployment