Discount Health Supplements
With health supplements taking the medical industry by storm, there has been an unprecedented hike in the demand for these supplements. Offering highly effective treatment options for innumerable health problems, these supplements have now become a force to reckon with. These previously unknown supplements are now becoming an integral part of everyday life due to their extremely user-friendly features.
With increased demand, the competition in the market is very stiff, with thousands of pharmaceutical companies engaged in developing newer health supplements which are even more effective. As a result of this, similar health supplements are now available under various brand names. To keep abreast of this cutthroat competition, it has become imperative for manufacturing companies to adopt aggressive marketing strategies to promote their products.
To lure customers, the health supplements are now being promoted with extensive discount schemes and free trial options. These products are not only being sold online at discounted rates, but are also being extensively promoted on the Internet. There are many websites that not only inform the visitors about the advantages of these supplements, but also offer free samples. Moreover, these products are available online with heavy discounts, free shipment schemes, free trial options and information guides.
Filled with natural ingredients, health supplements offer the opportunity to cure ailments in a very simplified manner. Whether it is losing extra pounds, anti-aging therapy or treating memory loss or stress, these supplements have become popular due to their user-friendly approach. Popping a pill to lose weight or to keep blood pressure at bay is an extremely easy way out for those who do not have time to indulge in elaborate therapies.
Health Supplements provides detailed information on Health Supplements, Natural Health Supplements, Discount Health Supplements, Alternative Health Supplements and more. Health Supplements is affiliated with Discount Nutritional Supplements.
[tags]Health Supplements, Natural Health Supplements, Discount Health Supplements, Alternative Health Supp[/tags]
solve-your-financial-dilemmas
Solve Your Financial Dilemmas
Writen by Jeff Lakie
No one likes to budget. It’s a lot of work for little reward. But the secret of budgeting and personal financial management is simply to ensure that there’s just enough money left over each month to pay your bills and maybe have a little fun. Many people do not budget but it should be done to really help you get ahead.
If you have made poor financial decisions over time - and it happens to the best of us - you may have allowed your bills (your loans) to get out of control. This could come back to haunt you if you want a loan for a car or a house or anything else you need to get a loan to buy.
Here’s what you need to make sure that you have control over your financial situation. Here are some valuable budgeting techniques to guide you in your expenses and income.
The first thing you want to do is make sure that you pay for your utilities on time and in full every month. Don’t wait until it’s too late to pay them. The second thing you need to do is make sure that you don’t have too many credit cards. Only a few credit cards are necessary to get by in life. You should consider cutting up the rest of them. And the third thing you should do you, if your bills have gotten the best of you, is to consolidate them into a single loan. This will enable you to pay them off over time without getting slammed with high interest rates.
Finally, establish a budget for yourself. This seems difficult and that’s why most people don’t do it. And because people don’t have a budget they find themselves in financial straits.
The easiest way to establish a budget is to take a draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. On the left, write down your after tax household income. Be sure to write down the after tax amount as you want to measure available income only. After all, you don’t get to spend the before tax amount, right?
In the right column, list an average of each monthly bill. But you should also include your typical spending habits as well, like eating out, or impulse shopping. Don’t forget to include paying off your credit card as part of the bills!
Now that you have a list of income and expenses, see if there’s a way to increase your income, or reduce your expenses. Usually you’ll find a way to do a little to both.
While it seems so simplistic, so few people do it. And yet, creating a budget and sticking to it often separates the successful people from everyone else. What’s stopping you from doing it right now?
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Jeff Lakie is a contributing author at our website where You can get a free Secured Loans Quote right now. Take a moment and see for yourself. |
9-ways-to-outsmart-an-identity-thief
9 Ways To Outsmart An Identity Thief
Writen by Andrew Obremski
Identity theft statistics are shocking, to say the least. And it’s not going to get better any time soon. But there is no need for you to become a statistic. Here is what you can do to avoid identity theft.
1. If your mail box doesn’t have a lock yet, put one on.
If you had any official letters missing recently from your mail box, the chances are somebody has stolen them to find out things about you, and possibly assume your identity. If it didn’t happen to you yet, count yourself lucky and put the lock on the mail box anyway.
2. Consider renting a PO Box at your local post office. Use it as a postal address for most or all mail. This will be particularly useful when you go away for a few days, or if there is no one home for most of the day.
3. Invest in a good paper shredder, preferably a cross-cut type.
You should never just tear up important documents. But what may not be so obvious is that the pre-filled offers you get from banks, credit card companies, insurance companies and the like, also contain sensitive details about you that would be of interest to identity thieves. Shred all of these before throwing them out.
4. Never give any financial details over the phone, unless you initiated the call.
The most common scenario: Someone calls you pretending to be from a local charity. You agree to donate a small amount to a “good cause”. Not suspecting anything, you give them the credit card details over the phone and the rest, as they say, is history. Next time you get your credit card statement, it will be full of unauthorized transactions.
Do you give them credit card numbers over the phone? Never! Either ask them to send you some leaflets in the mail, or get their phone number so you can verify they are who they say they are, before donating any money.
Another scenario: Someone calls you “from a local bank”. All they want to do is verify your financial details. Again, I don’t care what they tell you, don’t do it. Ask them to leave their name and contact number so you can call them back. Next, get your local bank’s phone number from a phone book and give the bank a call (don’t use the number they gave you, as the thieves maybe just waiting on the other end). Ask people at the bank if someone was trying to contact you. You may find out they know nothing about it! The fact is, your bank already has all the details they need about you, in the vast majority of cases.
5. A fake “charity worker” knocking on your door? He or she may even have an authentic-looking id. What do you do? Well, if you give them some small change, then this is all you’ve lost. But if you donate the money using your credit card, you just became a victim of identity fraud.
Of course, many times a real charity worker will be knocking on your door. What do you do if you really want to help? Ask them to leave a leaflet with you, so you may read it when the time is a bit more convenient. Or ask them for a phone number and the charity name so you can call them. If it turns out to be genuine, you can always send them the money later.
6. Consider changing your phone number to a silent number. This will considerably minimise the number of calls you get from both tele marketers and identity thieves. There are other advantages to having a silent number as well. Generally a silent number tends to increase your privacy.
7. Never store you PIN numbers or passwords near you plastic cards or account details.
Yes, I know. You want to keep your PIN number close to your plastic card, just in case you forget it. You may even disguise it as another number. Guess what. If a thief gets hold of your wallet, they will try any numbers they can find in it, to steal the money from your plastic card account. It’s true, after a few unsuccessful attempts the account is usually locked. But even that would inconvenience you, to say the least. And why risk losing your hard-earned money?
8. Don’t use credit cards in restaurants or other places where your credit card can be taken away from your sight for even a minute. Before you know it, your card could be scanned and used by thieves to buy all sorts of goods, particularly via telephone shopping, mail order, and online shopping.
9. And finally, there is a huge and growing subject of Internet identity theft. You can read our article on Internet identity theft at www.credit-report-a-z.com/internet-identity-theft.html.
We obviously didn’t cover everything here. But hopefully this article opened your eyes to some easy, common-sense, ways to prevent someone from stealing your identity and/or your money.
Will it guarantee that you never fall a victim? No, but it will go a long way towards making a life of a thief very difficult. Usually, if you make life difficult for them they will move on to an easier target.
There is one more thing you should seriously consider. Checking your credit report regularly. It’s not uncommon for an identity thief to apply for a loan, or a credit card, under your name. Of course, they have no intention of ever paying it back. All other issues aside, this will affect your credit rating and borrowing capacity for years, unless you clean it up quickly.
There are inexpensive services available that will monitor your credit files all year round and notify you the minute anything in your credit file changes. Or you may prefer to check your credit report yourself every few months.
Oh, and those shocking statistics I mentioned earlier? According to recent studies, up to 7,000,000 people became a victim of identity theft in the past 12 months. That’s more than 19,000 people a day. Don’t become a statistic! Do something about it today.
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Andrew Obremski is the owner of www.credit-report-a-z.com, a web site devoted to information about credit reports, identity theft, debt, and other personal finance topics. Webmasters: Author’s permission is granted to reprint this article, provided that: |
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UK Finance for Business
Writen by Jeff Lakie
Running a business and becoming successful in that venture requires a lot finance and financial assistance. In UK finance for business can be got from different sources. Business related financial services are provided by many organizations in that field. UK finance for leasing a company or organization, UK finance for debt collection, UK finance for Venture Capital can also be arranged.
There are companies that help a business in hire purchasing and arranging for leasing. You can approach such dedicated companies for such services. UK Finance for hardware funding for the information technology business is also available in companies. Leasing services for small businesses, agricultural and industrial funding operations are available in companies dedicated to that service. A company called Richard Mares Asset Finance in UK finances for agricultural and industrial setups. If you need information on UK finance for equipment leasing, mortgages and commercial finance then you can approach companies like 1st Leasing Company and 1pm.co.uk. Many options for UK finance are available with them. Just check out their website for more details on the different types of finance available with them. For UK finance from
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Free Mortgage Quote Online - Why You Need One
Writen by Ben Ehinger
Why should you get a free mortgage quote online? What can it do for you and why would you want to get a free mortgage quote online? There are a few benefits of getting an online mortgage quote.
Benefit #1 - It is a fast way to compare many different companies at once
When you apply for an online mortgage quote you can compare multiple lenders at one time and have them contacting you. This is a fast way to shop around and find out what type of loan you can get.
Benefit #2 - It will be better for your credit because they will only pull one credit report
When you apply for an online mortgage quote to compare lenders they will pull one credit report, some don’t even pull a credit report, and deliver it to all the companies. This protects your credit from being hurt from too many inquiries.
Benefit #3 - Online quotes come faster than having to call multiple companies
You will save time and money when you get an online mortgage quote. You will be able to get quotes from 5-10 companies within a few days from one application. To do that without an online quote you would spend hours on the phone and more time faxing documents. Save time and money by getting an online quote
There are three good reasons to start your mortgage search with an online quote. You will save time, compare more lenders, and save precious credit points. Get your online quote today and you will thank me later.
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To get an online mortgage quote and compare lenders go to: |
benefits-and-requirements-of-the-thrift-savings-plan
Benefits and Requirements of the Thrift Savings Plan
Writen by Tara Crooks
We’ve all been hearing about it, TSP, so what is it? The TSP, or Thrift Savings Plan, is a retirement savings plan for civilians who are employed by the United States Government and members of the uniformed services. This plan is similar to a 401(k) retirement plan used by the private sector.
So why would you choose to invest in TSP? There are several reasons to choose the TSP for your retirement savings. Some of those include but are not limited to:
You save money on income taxes.
You have a choice of 5 investment funds.
All of the money you have deducted from your pay goes into your investment account, and no income tax is deducted.
You don’t pay the tax until you withdraw money, usually during retirement.
Contributions of your tax-exempt combat or hazardous-duty pay retain their tax-exempt status, so you won’t pay tax on this money, even when you withdraw it.
If you need access to your money, you can borrow from your TSP at a low rate of interest.
Personal loans can be for up to five years.
Loans to purchase your residence can be for up to 15 years.
Your loan is repaid through payroll deductions; it’s like borrowing from yourself.
TSP offers in-service withdrawals for financial hardship, or after age 59.
You are given a choice of post-separation withdrawal options.
You are given the ability to transfer money from other eligible retirement savings plans into your TSP account.
So how do I start investing in a TSP now? Investing in TSP is fairly simple. If you have access to your MYPAY account you can do this online at www.mypay.gov. You may also elect to do this with your Unit Finance Office by filling out a TSP-U-1 form. To calculate your contribution (per paycheck) to the TSP, multiply your paycheck by the percentage you wish to contribute. For example, if you wish to contribute 1% of 1000.00 you would be contributing 10.00 per month to the TSP. You might consider investing all of the following to produce a nice nest egg for your future - bonus pay, special duty pay, extra pay from non-taxation etc. You can earmark a portion (up to 100 percent) of these extra pays to go directly to the TSP. It’s a smart use of extra money. If you can’t put it all in, consider putting in half. Remember, you cannot participate with your extra pay unless you also have some contribution coming out of your base pay, so consider starting small, if need be.
There are a few things to remember, should you need to withdraw from your TSP. Any time you take money from your fund, you are taking money out of your retirement. So really think about it before you withdraw and consider any and all other options. Before you take out money, you might consider taking a loan from the plan. You would be paying yourself back through payroll deductions, and essentially borrowing from yourself. Remember should you have to make a withdrawal; you must pay taxes and possible penalties.
If you have specific questions regarding the Thrift Savings Plan or your TSP account, you can find all your answers on the TSP.gov home page. Their number is (504)255-8777. Another great source of information is located here: http://www.tsptalk.com/.
Sources used for this article: www.opm.gov, www.tsp.gov, and www.tsptalk.com.
© 2006 Army Wife Talk Radio
Publishing Guidelines: Thank you for publishing this article in its entirety including the resource box. Please make all links clickable within the text. Please notify me of publication by sending either a website link or a copy of the syndication upon publication via email info@armywifetalkradio.com.
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Tara Crooks, or “Household 6″ in the Crooks’ family, is best known for her ability to motivate and empower others. Tara’s journey with the military began in 1998 when she and her husband PCS’d to their first duty station, Ft Hood. She currently owns and operates two highly successful websites, http://www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com and http://www.AdvertisingMoms.com. Featured in Military Spouse Magazine, Stars & Stripes Newspaper, Military.com, Army.com and more, Army Wife Talk Radio is the original internet talk radio program for military wives. The tagline, Our Life, Our Family, Our Soldier, says it all. Tara does a weekly internet talk radio broadcast from the website that features up to date information, tips, and empowerment for spouses. Advertising Moms is a network of work from home business owners that Tara mentors and coaches on a daily basis. |
compare-lenders-what-do-you-have-to-gain
Compare Lenders - What Do You Have To Gain
Writen by Ben Ehinger
Comparing lenders can be one of the most important parts of getting a mortgage or any loan. When you compare lenders you are able to find the best deal, play lenders against each other, and get to know the loan officers you are working with. What do you have to gain by comparing lenders? Here are the top 4 benefits of comparing lenders.
Benefit #1 - You will end up with the best possible loan out there for you
When you compare 3-7 lenders at a time you will be able to play each against the other. If one of them offers you a better rate than the other, use it to get the other rate lowered. If one of them is trying to charge you a fee that one of the others isn’t charging, use that to get the fee lowered or waived. It is amazing what lenders will do for your business.
Benefit #2 - You will learn more about your mortgage or loan than you would ever imagine
By comparing lenders you are actually educating yourself on many companies, programs, and parts of the lending business at one time. This is a great thing because as you gain knowledge you will be able to figure out who is trying to help you and who is trying to sell you.
Benefit #3 - You will get great customer service
When you compare lenders and you let them know that they have competition, the good ones will compete. They will find you the deal you want and they will find you the deal that does the most for you. This is a trick that I used to actually recommend to customers of mine when I knew they could not find a better deal. I wanted them to have confidence in the deal I was giving them and know it was the best out there.
Benefit #4 - You will save more money than the lady or guy that just picks a company and goes with the deal the give you
The person that just calls one company and goes with what is offered ends up spending more money than the person that compares lenders. This can make a huge difference in the long run. It can mean thousands of dollars in savings from getting a lower rate and lower fees.
Now you have four benefits to comparing lenders. This should be enough for you to understand why it is so important to shop around. You wouldn’t buy the first car you see so why should you take the first loan that is offered to you? Go ahead and start you comparison by getting an online comparison quote.
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Get your online mortgage or loan quote today and start your search the right way. Go to the following website and follow the path to a better loan and saving more money. |
is-the-new-millennium-method-really-1204000-better-then-a-biweekly-mortgage
Is the New Millennium Method Really $1.204,000 Better then a Bi-Weekly Mortgage
Writen by Mike Makler
This Article will compare and Contrast the Old-School Bi-Weekly Mortgage Method with the New Millennium Invest the Difference Method. Can The New Millennium Method really result in over $1,200,000 more money in your Retirement Account.
A Bi-Weekly Mortgage is a Craze that has been Sweeping the Mortgage Trade since those 18% and Higher Mortgage Rates of the late 70’s and early 80’s. The basic premise behind a Bi-Weekly Mortgage is that instead of making 12 Monthly Payments a year you make 26 Bi-Weekly Payments a year. Each Bi_Weekly Payment is 1/2 of the Monthly Payment. You pay off your Mortgage Faster and Save Lot’s and Lot’s of money because you are making 13 Payments a Year instead of 12. That Extra Monthly payment has the effect of Dramatically reducing your Payoff schedule.
Here are the results of a calculation done recently using an Online Calculator from a Popular Bi-Weekly Mortgage Program. The Example used a 30 year Fixed rate loan with a 5.5% Interest rate and an $$1,135.58 Monthly payment or a 567.79 Bi-Weekly Payment.
- Current Balance: $200,000.00
- Interest Remaining (Current): $208,806.90
- Interest Remaining on Bi-Weekly: $168,980.52
- Estimated Interest Savings on Bi-Weekly:39,826.38
- Term Remaining (Current): 360 Months
- Term Remaining on Bi-Weekly: 301 Months
- Estimated Term Saved if on Bi-Weekly:59 Months
Looking over the above numbers A Bi-Weekly Mortgage seems very Promising and it is. You Save almost $40,000 in Payments and Reduce your Loan Term by 4 Years and 11 Months. So By Making 25 Extra Payments of 1,135.58 you pay $39,826 less interest over the life of the loan.
With the New millennium comes a new and better almost $600,000 More Money in your pocket over the initial 30 Year Loan Schedule. (Over $1,200,000 if the $600,000 is allowed to grow for your retirement nest egg.) Here is the plan in a Nutshell. You get a 30 Year loan with a Payments for the first 5 Years Fixed at an Interest rate of 1.95%. You then take the Money you save and Invest it in an Annuity with an Assumed 8% return.
Your Payments on a 30 Year Mortgage at 1.95% = 734.25 You Invest $495.96 a Month for 30 Years at an 8% Return
- At the end of 5 Years you have Over $34,900
- At the end of 15 Years you have over $161,500
- At the end of 25 Years you have Over $435,000
- At the end of 30 Years you have Over $674,000
With The Above Bi_weekly Mortgage all your money $1230 on average monthly is going to pay your mortgage so
- At the end of 5 Years you have $0
- At the end of 15 Years you have over $0
- At the end of 25 Years you have Over $0
- At the end of 30 Years you have Over $86,500 (Since your Mortgae is Payed off 5 Years Early you now save 1230 a Month invested at a Return of 8% for 5 Years)
With the Old Bi-Weekly Method you have $86,500 in your Investment account. With the New Millennium Method you have over $674,000 in your Investment account. Almost $600,000 more.
Going one Step Further, Let’s assume each home-Owner is 25 when they get the initial Loan and they let the Money sit in the Investment Account for 10 More Years (until they are 65) at an 8% return.
- 674,000 at 8% will grow to $1,400,000 in 10 Years
- 86,500 at 8% will grow to $ 186,900 in 10 Years
This Equals a 1.2 Million Dollar Difference in your Investment (Retirement) Account at age 65.
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About the Author Get Mike’s Newsletter Here http://ewguru.com/fin-news Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler |
the-rich-look-like-beggars-and-the-beggars-look-like-kings
The Rich Look like Beggars, and the Beggars Look like Kings
Writen by Jon Morrow
If you saw my father on a normal day, you’d feel sorry for him. His clothes are worn and coated with a mosaic of dirt, paint, and other unidentifiables. His boots are solid blocks of mud. His head is covered with a worn-out baseball cap, usually soaked in sweat.
You’d think he was a beggar. But he’s not. He’s one of the wealthiest and fastest growing landowners in northern Mississippi.
Movies and television have created a stereotype of the millionaire, and like most stereotypes, it’s completely false. Rich people don’t drive fancy cars, live in mansions, or cart around entourages of sexy playthings.
They know better. As one of my most successful mentors told me, “Getting rich is not about how much money spend, but about how much money you keep.”
To illustrate, here are some comments from my investors:
A car payment? Why, I can’t remember the last time I made one.
About a year ago, my father invited all of our investors to a private conference in his home near Memphis, TN. You’ve never seen so many rich people. If you tallied up the net worth of everyone in the room, I’m sure you’d go well over $100 million.
When I drove up to the house though, all I could do was laugh. Looking at all of the cars in the driveway, you’d think you were at a retirement home. The newest car in the driveway was from 1998. The majority of them were models from the 80s… and older. None of them were freshly detailed or flashy. You would have never guessed that all of them were owned by millionaires.
Talking to the investors about them was also interesting. I didn’t ask everyone about their car, but the few I talked with told me they’d paid for the car in full a long time ago. They were also focused on regularly maintaining the car. Performance was just as important as price.
Buy a mansion? God no. Who needs all that space?
Knowing how to leverage their money and tax benefits, you’d think millionaire real estate investors would live in huge houses. But you’d be fooled, once again. Most of the millionaires I know live in modest houses in good neighborhoods. The average value is probably around $300,000.
They also own the houses debt free. Usually, they bought their house years ago for a steal in a good area, and then they lived there while it appreciated. To properly leverage their equity, they keep credit lines open, so they can take advantage of short-term opportunities.
Wear a suit? No, I prefer to work in my underwear
Through a series of coincidences over the years, I’ve learned that nearly all of my investors work in their underwear or pajamas. When they’re forced to leave the house, they usually wear sweats or khakis. During the past five years, I’ve never seen one of them wearing a suit.
They have three reasons:
* Cost. Dry cleaning is expensive. You save money by dressing down.
* Practicality. Investors deal with a wide range of less fortunate people that distrust people in suits.
* Comfort. Suits are uncomfortable, so unless you have to impress your banker, stay comfortable.
The Moral of the Story: Live like a Millionaire and You’ll Become One
Not surprisingly, the most successful real estate investors I know are the most frugal people I know. I’m not talking about being miserly either. They live exceptionally well, but they do it with less money and more attention to practicality than pizzazz. If you want to get rich, act like them. Start living below your means and you’ll see your wealth grow much faster.
Also, I’ve learned to be suspicious of people driving fancy cars and living in huge houses. While some are genuinely wealthy, most are in debt up to their eyeballs. They’re usually insecure people, trying desperately to convince everyone they’re rich. To use a metaphor:
You can judge a book by it’s cover, but remember, the classics are rarely new and shiny. Their faded covers are evidence of their survival and their tattered pages were created by the hands of countless loving fans.
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Jon Morrow is the owner of Real Estate… Answered, a web site that answers dozens of questions about real estate investment for free. He also manages over $20 million of real estate investments in three states, focusing on luxury homes and multimillion dollar transactions. |
speculators-could-drive-uranium-to-55pound-or-higher
Speculators Could Drive Uranium to $55/Pound - or Higher
Writen by James Finch
SUMMARY: TradeTech LLC Chief Executive Gene Clark talked with StockInterview about the uranium bull market, where his price models show uranium prices heading and when to expect the peak of the current upward cycle of the bull market. When will “hard” times again hit the uranium market, and how long will the trough last? And what does the future hold for the uranium price? An industry insider gives us his insights.
StockInterview: When the uranium bull market began, did you foresee $40/pound uranium, now that the spot price has risen above this level?
Gene Clark: I don’t think any of us saw $40 per pound coming. We had price projections at the time that indicated probably $25 per pound, which would be a long term equilibrium price in constant dollar terms. But, I think it was a surprise the price went up so high. I think what’s going, the biggest factor right now, is the advent of the so called hedge funds or speculator funds and other such groups. The price started to go up, and they came into the market with the express purpose of buying for holding and then selling into the market later to realize the trading profit. In 2005, the hedge funds were responsible for purchasing about 10 million pounds of the 29 million pounds purchased. I think the market is now finally adjusting to the realities of primary supply and demand. It’s been a depressed market for 20 or 30 years, primarily from the draw down of excess inventories, and what we call secondary supply.
StockInterview: Will the speculators remain active in driving the spot uranium price higher?
Gene Clark: I think there is still some room for further speculation activity. Uranium Participation Corporation, for example, is rumored to be about to come to the equities market again to raise funds for another purchase. They’re asking for authority to buy UF6, as well as U308, and different forms of uranium than they were locked into before. Whether it be at the 10 million pound level (size of purchase), I think it kind of depends on where the market goes. If it tends to flatten out, then I think there’s going to be obviously less interest on their part. When they were active in the market, they, of course, wanted the price to go up. Therefore, they weren’t too careful about what they paid for uranium. I think that’s a part of it. In the long run, it was due for a readjustment to reflect prices of the cost of new production facilities. But, the hedge funds came in and overdrove the market. Eventually, what it’s going to wind up doing is, if they sell off, it could have the impact of driving prices back down below where they would otherwise have gone.
StockInterview: Did the speculators interfere with the trading efficiency of the uranium market?
Gene Clark: In theory, speculators come in, tend to take the risk and smooth out market prices. But, it never really works out that way. They always come in and only take the risk, if there’s an opportunity to make money. So some people make a lot of money. It does tend to upset the market. If you get away from the primary users of uranium and primary producers of uranium as your market participants, then you tend to introduce more noise than you would like.
StockInterview: With that in mind, in which direction are your price projections going?
Gene Clark: We’re actually updating our uranium price forecast right now. We haven’t decided on a reference case yet. The reference cases we’re looking at will peak at about $50 to $55 per pound in about three years, and will then drop off pretty drastically. It has to do with a selling of the speculator reserves, the uranium that’s being held (for speculative purposes). I can see it coming back down to $30, maybe below $30 per pound. Then, in the long run - out through 2020 - getting easily back up over $40 per pound.
StockInterview: Are you predicting a down cycle during the course of the uranium bull market?
Gene Clark: Yes. It’s pretty consistent with everything we’re doing with the changes in requirements, in different cases of high, low, and medium demand. Our modeling system is projecting this. It has to do with the supply and demand balance and the cost on the margin. The way to describe it is that prices have come to a point now of higher than we would have projected them to be, such that over-supply is going to evolve. The large low cost projects will reach a point where supply then overshoots demand for a few years, which causes the price to come back down. Then demand growth, in the long run, picks up and puts a lot of pressure on the supply market to be able to meet the demand. So you wind up with pressure toward the end of the period.
StockInterview: But the markets are finicky, filled with variables, and can frequently trick price models.
Gene Clark: Here’s what it would take to shoot that down: We have a problem with small numbers, and there are some very large projects - Cigar Lake, for example. The expansion of Olympic Dam in Australia would be going from about 12 million pounds of production to over 30 million pounds, if they finish. If you shift that out by four or five years, or if the owner decides, “No, we’re not going to expand at all,” you have a drastic effect. Then you would wind up with $100 per pound uranium, I think.
StockInterview: What are your estimates on the peak price years and the bottom years?
Gene Clark: A lot of things could change, but here is what we’re looking at. In one case scenario, the speculators are really going to stay out of the market and holding onto their stuff for a long time. If so, then we’re going to be at the peak by the end of this year. If they stay active in the market and buying, then that stretches it out further. Depending on the scenario, we see the peak possibly at 2008 or so. I would say we’re looking at a trough around the timeframe of 2011 to 2013. Then back up after that.
StockInterview: How do you arrive at your weekly numbers for the spot uranium price?
Gene Clark: We get our data from all of the key sources: the utility fuel managers, sales staff and management of uranium producers and processors, and uranium traders, brokers and asset managers. Some are, of course, more cooperative than others, and whom we call depends on the type of information we are seeking. Since our price indicators are a judgment call, we often focus on the losers in particular recent transactions, as those will be the next to make offers in the market.
StockInterview: Let’s back up a bit. Why has uranium gone up past the levels of the “cost of production,” which would place the spot price between $25 and $35/pound?
Gene Clark: The biggest factor, in signaling the market, was when utilities went out for long term bid requests. They found they reached a period in which producers would have to build new facilities. Producers building those facilities felt, “I have to make at least enough profit to cover a return on the construction costs for these facilities.” That was much higher than the market at the time. Basically, you reached a point where the cheap stuff has been sold. Now, we have to actually spend some money, some capital, to build new facilities, new mines and new mills. That was, I think, the earliest signal of the price needing to adjust.
StockInterview: Isn’t there a ton of hype across all media channels about the “nuclear renaissance” and the demand for more nuclear energy?
Gene Clark: First of all, all the hype about nuclear renaissance is really in the United States. The Chinese have had plans to expand for a long time. The Japanese have been steadily adding new capacity. Koreans have been adding new capacity. Indians have been adding new capacity all along, all the way through this, even before we started this discussion on nuclear renaissance. I think that phrase is really focused more in the United States, which really hasn’t ordered a plant since 1976 or something like that. There is a boom. Maybe it’s the uranium renaissance.
StockInterview: Is all of what we’ve been reading just plain hype?
Gene Clark: There is some hype, but there is also some substance. A part of it is certainly a change in public attitude about nuclear power. If I was riding on an airplane, ten years ago, and someone asked me what I did for a living, I was guaranteed to have a lousy trip, arguing about nuclear power. When I mention it now, I get a positive response. There’s been a marked shift in public attitude about nuclear power. From the standpoint of the utilities that would be ordering nuclear plants. To the extent that they need new capacity, looking at nuclear now is not off the drawing boards, partly because of public attitude. The industry has been moving through this trough period, preparing itself for a new era. It remains to be seen when the first order comes. But when the first actual order of a nuclear power plant, along with the license application does come, I think you’ll see several U.S. utilities following, probably five utilities very actively involved.
StockInterview: When will that actually happen?
Gene Clark: I think it will come within the next five years, the ordering process. Of course it will be probably another eight years before we actually see the first power plant from that process. We’re talking probably about 13 years. That’s how long it takes. You can actually construct one in 48 months, but you have to have been through the licensing. If you don’t believe the anti-nuclear people are going to be psyched up to fight the first plant coming through, then you’d be very na
