I have been a successful eBay seller since 1999 and made a full-time living on eBay since 2006.  But that is changing.  About 6 years ago we started selling on Amazon in addition to eBay, but our Amazon business was just a fraction of our eBay sales.  But all that changed in 2010.  In late 2010 we moved our inventory into Amazon’s FBA program.  FBA stands for Fulfillment By Amazon.

Amazon FBA works this way:

1. You box up your merchandise and send it all to Amazon
2. Each item is labeled with a unique bar code that identifies the products as belonging to you
3. When one of your products is purchased, Amazon collects the money, ships the product to the customer and handles all the customer service and returns if any
4. Every two weeks Amazon sends you a check for the amount of your sales minus the Amazon fees

This is a super way for all of us seniors to sell.  No more wrapping and packaging individual items and taking them to the post office.  Amazon does all the work for you.  And –even better, you can also sell the items in Amazon’s warehouse to your eBay customers.  When something sells on eBay, all you do is log into Amazon and tell Amazon to ship it to your eBay customer.  Even better, Amazon gets incredibly low shipping rates from UPS because of their volume.  And they pass those rates on to you.  This makes you more competitive on eBay because you can charge lower shipping rates.

Now what sells on Amazon?

With the exception of books and media items, most goods sold on Amazon are new merchandise.  If you are selling used, vintage, antique or collectible goods – then eBay is still the best place to sell.  But if you sell used books, records, DVDs, etc., or new merchandise, then Amazon is the place to sell.

Since moving into Amazon’s FBA program, our sales on Amazon are now running ten to one over eBay for the same products.  Amazon’s fees for this are higher than on eBay, but we get higher prices on Amazon and our goods sell so much faster that overall we make a lot more money.

If you want to learn how to sell on Amazon’s FBA program, I got together with Jim Cockrum, Chris Green and Suzanne Wells (all Amazon experts) and created the Proven Amazon Course.  This course takes you step by step through setting up your Amazon account, finding wholesale products to sell and shipping your products to Amazon.  So check out the Proven Amazon Course and you will be up and running within one week.

Today’s post is a guest post from Marty Weiss – Weiss Ratings.  Marty is an expert on Medicare and has some really interesting information to share with you.

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If you or a loved one signed up for Medicare Advantage during the recent open enrollment period, and are now regretting the decision, we have good news … you have until February 14 to reverse your decision!

That’s right: You can get out of your Medicare Advantage plan and switch back to Original Medicare.

Of course, if you’re considering doing this you might also want to add a supplemental “Medigap” insurance policy, too.

By using this combination, you can get solid overall coverage ANDstick with the doctors and other caregivers that you already know and trust.

And we can certainly help you learn more about all the various options available to you right now — including the cheapest (and best) Medigap plans for your particular circumstances.

Just read this article from our company’s founder, Dr. Martin D. Weiss to learn more right now.

Best wishes,

The Weiss Ratings Team

That well-known quote is usually attributed to Baron Rothschild,  member of the famous banking family, who reportedly made a fortune buying bonds that fell in a panic following the Battle of Waterloo.

In today’s parlance it refers to buying stocks when the market is crashing.  After the crash of 2008, you could have bought into the best of the Dow stocks when the Dow was at 6600 and today you would be sitting pretty.  Today’s meltdown is probably just a precursor of worse things to come.  The debt crisis in Europe is far from over and the Stupid Committee was not able to come to an agreement to reduce the rate of debt growth by $1.2 Trillion. This could lead to further downgrade by the rating agencies.

So the blood in the streets right now is really just a few drops.  Real arterial bleeding will come soon and that will be a major buying opportunity.  The next leg of the financial crises will be INFLATION. And, where you get high inflation the dollar drops and stock prices surge until the Fed moves in and raises interest rates.  Since this Fed has said many times they are not worried about inflation, it could go on for a while until the Fed moves in.

So now is not the time to buy –but it will come soon.  Keep your powder dry and get out of stocks and into cash.  There will be rallies along the way but this market is headed down –perhaps as much as another 2000 points.  And that will be the time to buy.

This is also not the time to buy Gold and Silver.  Those will be hit hard as investors move into cash which is happening now. And with the foreign credit crisis money flows into the dollar which always drops the price of gold and silver.  I think you will be able to buy back into gold at the $1620 level and silver as low as $21.

Today’s post is a guest post by Jack Crooks from Money and Markets

How to Avoid The 6 Traits of Market Fools
by Jack Crooks

In my Money and Markets column each week I tell a story, or give a prediction about the future. Hopefully it makes for interesting reading. And maybe some of it is even helpful and plays out in the real world to make you some money.

But forecasting is a mug’s game when it comes to making money in the market. The reality is you don’t have to forecast to make money, but you do need to control your risk.

Traits we all exhibit at times are what swiftly separates us from our money — traits of an “acute successful randomness fool,” as defined by Nassim Taleb, author of the excellent book, Fooled by Randomness.

Today, I’d like to examine these common traits. Because if you can identify and recognize the traits of fool, and apply some simple principles, you’ll have your own built-in risk management system in place.

Keep in mind, though, that even some of the best traders in the world are prone to these mistakes, as we see so often in the blow up of funds and firms. So if it can happen to the pros, it can happen to you.

After each of the traits of market fools I provide an example that perhaps you can all relate to, and a reality bite to show the proper perspective and simple ways to avoid these mistakes.

Trait #1 — An overestimation of the accuracy of their beliefs in some measure, either economic or statistical

Example: The U.S. dollar MUST fall because the current U.S. account deficit is rising. Reality: No it doesn’t have to fall. If money pours into the United States from international investors for whatever reason (stocks, high yield deposits, real property, etc.) the dollar will rise regardless of what the current account deficit does. Develop reasons, but don’t be dogmatic.

Trait #2 — A tendency to get married to positions

Example: The dollar sold off even though the jobs report said employment is strong. I’m right, the market is wrong. Reality: It’s always about price action. There is much going on in the market, and a lot we will never know about. Price action tells us that our reasons may be wrong, no matter how much evidence we gather. Listen to the market. It’s your only master.

Trait #3 — The tendency to change their story

Example: You are a short-term trader and the market just moved against you on a key daily report. You rationalize that it’s okay, because “I’m in this trade for the long haul, and sooner or later I will be right.” Reality: If you develop reasons and time frames, stick with them. If the market gives you information that says your view is wrong, get out! You can always re-enter. Getting out will at least give you an opportunity to more objectively evaluate new information.

Trait #4 — No precise game plan ahead of time as to what to do in the event of losses

Example: You enter the trade thinking you’re going to make big money — all you think about is your reward. Reality: You should always think of your risk before you enter a position — that’s what professional traders and speculators do. You must consider your risk beforehand because if you wait until you have already taken a position, you tend to lose your objectivity.

Trait #5 — Absence of critical thinking expressed in absence of a “stop loss”

Example: You liked owning the euro when it was at $1.40 against the dollar, you will love it at $1.35 — the average down mentality. Reality: This goes to point number 4 above; set your risk parameters ahead of time by establishing a stop-loss level to exit a trade and stick with it — don’t rationalize. The euro at $1.35 may indeed prove to be a bargain. But it may also be the start of a major decline that can significantly damage your capital or wipe you out if you are trading with high leverage.

Trait #6 — Denial

Example: Well, I really got hosed on that trade — it was bad luck. Reality: There is usually a very good reason why you lose money. Take the time to try to understand it. You learn more by objectively analyzing your investment mistakes than you do by studying your winners.

The bottom line of all this is that you can never keep from being fooled by the market. But you can control your risk. And if you can control your risk and stay in the game to fight another day, your chances of winning will increase dramatically.

Its that time of year again — we have until December 7th to find or change our Medigap policy.

Consider this:

Right now, for example, a 71-year-old woman living in Dayton, Ohio will have to pay an exorbitant $3,372 per year with Humana Insurance Company for a Medigap Plan C. But if she goes with Gerber Life Insurance Company, she’ll pay only $1,585 for the exact same policy.

Can you believe that? With Humana, she’ll wind up paying more than DOUBLE the premiums she needs to pay. In contrast, with Gerber Life, she’ll save a whopping $1,787 per year, and still get the same benefits!

Her 82-year-old husband can save even more — $2,927 per year, for a total of $4,714 in savings between them.

That’s just for one year! Over the next 10 years, the couple could save $47,140 with Gerber Life. And at 3% interest, those savings alone would pile up to $61,997!

THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY !!!

Like you I have been to those websites that allow you to compare policy coverage and costs –and I still ended up paying over $900 to much last year for exactly the same coverage I have elected this year.  When my wife turns 65 that will double.

Not exactly penny change!

This is just one case. So don’t take this as a recommendation for Gerber Life — because in YOUR particular case, they could be the MORE expensive option.

But also consider the case of a 76-year-old male smoker living in Flagstaff, Arizona.

With Standard Life & Accident he’d pay $4,580 for a Plan C Medigap Policy. But simply by switching to Government Personnel Mutual Life Insurance Company of Omaha, he can get the same policy for just $2,280.

That’s not just a 15% savings like some auto insurers rave and rant about all the time on TV. It’s a savings of 50.2%!

How to save money on Medigap Insurance

One of the people I respect and follow is is Marty Weiss who runs Money and Markets.  Marty is a financial guru and adviser.  I have subscribed to his advice for about 4 years now and he has both made and saved me a ton of money.  Marty has just come out with a new report and service that can help you save hundreds –or even thousands of dollars a year on your Medigap plan.  And the best news of all. If he can’t save you money he will give you a free refund –good for one full year.

Go here to read about Marty’s report and his own family’s experience with insurance plans.  You won’t regret it.  Remember, Marty’s report comes with a 100% guarantee.  And while you are there, be sure and sign up for his free Money & Markets Newsletter.  You won’t regret that either.

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The folks at Wealthy Affiliate University have come out with an excellent and FREE – Internet Wealth Guide.   This is a really great little book.  Yes they want to sell you something –but the book is not a sales piece. Rather its a way to introduce you to the training and their product.

Click here to get your free Internet Wealth Guide

Here is a little from the introduction to give you a feel for whats in there:

Today I am going to be completely, 100% honest with you. This whole online business thing can be difficult to understand and very frustrating and there have been some crazy changes that have taken place over the last year.
First FTC changed the affiliate laws in the US. Then Google hammered over 1 Million Adwords accounts with a suspension. Then Google updated their search algorithm with their latest “Panda” update and has been updating their search rankings every 4-7 weeks since.

Then we have apps, mobile, smartphones, iPads…

So I can understand the confusion and frustration. Carson and I are here to give you some clarity in the whole situation and give you a “path” in which you can follow to attain traffic and earn money in today’s Internet environment, along with tomorrows!
Cool?

I recently sat down with Carson for an entire day. We typically meet once per week to talk about business, but this day was a little different.

We spent it talking about where we think the Internet is headed. We have 1,000’s of people within Wealthy Affiliate that are our personal responsibility to inform and educate on the latest marketing techniques and strategies that work today.
This discussion got a little off topic. We ended up spending the whole day outlining a plan that would help people who aren’t even members of ours get traffic, SEO pages into Google, back- linking strategies, learn the latest techniques, and ultimately earn money.

They publish this book every year or so. This is the brand new 2011/2012 edition just released this week.

Click here to get your free Internet Wealth Guide

Will Social Security be there when we need it?

This morning I read a report on new Social Security Statistics.  The Department of Labor and the Social Security Trust Administration released figures that show that there are now only 1.75 people working full time for each person receiving Social Security

This is from Nilus Mattive at Weiss Research:

Fact #1. As recently as 2009, the Social Security Administration was predicting that the program would begin taking in less than it paid out in 2017.

Fact #2. Then, just one year later in 2010, the Social Security program took in less money than it paid out. (The first time since the 1980s.)

Fact #3. This annual shortfall was blamed on the poor economy — i.e. fewer employed people paying in and others choosing to retire early, thus increasing the amount of money being paid in benefits.

Fact #4. At the time, the Social Security Administration said it would only be a temporary slip and that a permanent state of deficits would actually begin in 2016. (Note revision from previous estimate.)

Fact #5. In 2011, the Congressional Budget Office came out and said that the Social Security program had already entered a permanent state of annual deficits. (Woops again.)

Source – Link to full story:  http://www.moneyandmarkets.com at Money and Markets

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The politicians keep telling us that people on social security don’t have to worry that coming reforms will only affect the young.  But with facts like these I am not so sure.

One of the neatest programs on the web for total beginners who need to make extra money is called Wealthy Affiliate University   (WAU).   WAU is a highly legitimate program aimed at total beginners.  So if you are quite experienced at online business and have pretty good computer skills then this may NOT be for you.  But if you are a total rookie, then WAU will literally take you by the hand and show you how to make money online.

This isn’t some internet fast money scheme. These guys have been around since 2002 and they have trained thousands of satisfied clients.

Since 2005 WAU has created the top training facility for “building an online business” and they have been in the Internet Marketing business since 2002.  No, Wealthy Affiliate is not a “get rich quick” scheme, and no, they will not guarantee that you will be driving a Ferrari within the next six months.

Who Exactly Will Wealthy Affiliate Work For?

You need to understand that anyone can succeed online. This is because you have a storefront available to you where you can connect with over a billion people, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  Anyone who takes action and works hard can earn money online.  We know this because we have worked with all types of people from the unemployed, to successful doctors, to work at home moms and dads.

Since 2005 (the inception of Wealthy Affiliate) they have helped tens of thousands of people build an income online.  The people who have succeeded are:

• People that are not fulfilled with their job
• People that hate their boss
• Individuals simply looking for extra income
• Work at Home Moms and Dads
• People that want to change their life path
• Unemployed (or people who were hit hard by the global recession)
• Retired Veterans
• Grandparents
• Affiliate Marketers
• Online Business Owners
• Online Merchants Looking to Expand Business
• College and University Students (even high school students on occasion)
• Bankers, Lawyers, Doctors, and Dentists
• Offline Business Owners

If you fit into one or more of these categories, THEY CAN HELP!

Wealthy Affiliate university has the most advanced Internet marketing training facility online and they cater to anyone looking to start an Internet business, improve their existing business, or stop the endless loop of failing to succeed in earning profits online.

No high pressure sales pitch – just click here to learn more about Wealthy Affiliate University

If you are like me you probably get a ton of email stories and letters sent to you. Most of it is pure junk and much of it is just untrue. I tend to delete about 99% of the stuff that floods my inbox every day.  But once in a while, one reaches me.

Here is one I received today from a good friend, who is himself an airline pilot, and I wanted to share it with you.  It is admittedly a bit longish but well worth reading to the end.  And, I don’t care how hard your heart is, you may want to grab a Kleenex before you start reading:

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He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, “We have an H.R. on this flight.” (H.R. stands for human remains.) “Are they military?” I asked.

‘Yes’, she said.

‘Is there an escort?’ I asked.

‘Yes, I already assigned him a seat’.

‘Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early,” I said.

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier.  He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

‘My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,’ he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said “no sir.” I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. ‘I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board’, she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home.  The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.. ‘I’m on it’, I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

“Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans.  Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.”

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, ‘You have no idea how much this will mean to them.’

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

‘There is a team in place to meet the aircraft’, we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane.

As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, ‘Take your time.’

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, ‘Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking. I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.’

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of ‘God Bless You’, I’m sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.

GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE AND WHO HAVE SERVED THIS GREAT COUNTRY !

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Learn How To Sell on Amazon

According to Comscore Amazon is now the number one shopping destination on the web with over 20-million visitors a month.  eBay is a distant second with 15-million. If you are not selling on Amazon you are missing a huge market.  But Amazon works differently than eBay and some training is in order. The Proven Amazon Course is your ticket to that training –and the price has just been reduced by $100.

This is a very temporary price cut.

The Proven Amazon Course has easily been our most successful training course to date.  Its called the “proven” course because it really works.  And, it comes with a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied for any reason.

Why is Amazon FBA the Perfect Online Business Opportunity for Seniors?

The trouble with a normal online business whether it be selling on eBay, or from a website or from Amazon is all the hassle of packing and shipping.  Well Amazon FBA fixes that. FBA stands for Fulfillment By Amazon. With FBA you send your merchandise to Amazon.  Amazon sells it for you, collects the money and ships it for you.  Then they send you a check.

I recently attended the annual Amazon sellers conference in Seattle and I have to tell you that about 35% of the sellers who were there were fellow seniors.  One fellow was 72 and in a wheelchair.  He has a $10,000 a month Amazon business using FBA.

Here are some great reasons to learn how to sell on Amazon:

o  Mashable.com recently reported that one in five people were on Amazon.com in the month of June 2011. Amazon is the MOST shopped website ever.

o  You can send virtually ANY item with a barcode on it to Amazon and they’ll list, sell and ship it for you…and send you a check every two weeks. You can even put barcodes on your own stuff and send it to them.

o  You can visit the “discount” aisle (or closeout section of a website) of virtually any chain store (Wal-mart, Target, Big Lots, Meijer, Toys-R-Us etc.)  and find profitable (200-300% is easy) inventory. Box it all up in one box, and send it to Amazon. They do the rest.
For example:  Just last week I found Rachel Ray Cooler Totes at Costco for $11.95 each.  No one had them on Amazon.  I bought a dozen and sold all of them for $39 each.  I also found Cars2 Sticker sets for kids for $9.90 at Costco and am getting $24.95 for them on Amazon –and Amazon is doing all the work.

Why is our training so good?

o  We include videos, eBooks to read and tons of step by step screenshots to show you how it all works.  And there is a forum where you can get help from experts:  A handful of world class experts monitor the forum to assist students as they build an Amazon biz and make it as hands free as possible.

These incredible experts are people like Chris Green, Bob Willey, Suzanne Wells, Skip McGrath (me), Julie Anna Schultz, Nathan Holmquist, Steve Lindhorst, JB Malik, and Stephanie Inge.  These are THE Amazon selling POWER PLAYERS and they are hanging out with hundreds of excited Amazon sellers on the discussion forums of the  Proven Amazon Course.

o  The training we’ve put together is by far the best you’ll find on the subject and has been endorsed and promoted by nearly EVERY major expert in the Amazon selling arena.

Proven Amazon Course

This highly discounted price will not last long. So don’t wait.

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We also have a UK Version of the Proven Amazon Course.  Click here for the UK Version