In society, money seems to be considered a necessary “evil” and religions have often used the phrase that “the love of money is the root of all evil”. But why would something inanimate like money be the root of all evil?

It's got to do with how we as people, transfer our power to this medium of exchange. We're born with no real understanding of the abundant nature we are and so from the moment we arrive, we gather data to work out how we fit in with this world. 

How can anyone possibly think about economics without thinking of the ageless concept of supply and demand? Supply and demand can be simply stated as the relationship between what’s available (the supply) and what people want and are willing to pay for (the demand).

Author: Anthony Green

Economics. Double ugh! No, you aren’t required to understand “the inelasticity of demand aggregates” or “marginal utility”. But a working knowledge of basic economics is crucial to your success and proficiency as a stock investor. The stock market and the economy are joined at the hip. The good (or bad) things that happen to one have a direct effect on the other.

Getting the hang of the basic concepts

Alas, many investors get lost on basic economic concepts (as do some so called experts that you see on television). I owe my personal investing success to my status as a student of economics. Understanding basic economics helped me (and will help you) filter the financial news to separate relevant information from the irrelevant in order to make better investment decisions.

In this day and age we all seem to have a bad habit or two, but did you know that your bad habits could very well be bringing down the appraisal of your largest investment? That investment being your home. If you’re worried about receiving top dollar when it concerns selling / displaying your home, think of these following 5 bad habits that will lower a homes value and leave behind a spoiled taste in a possible purchasers mouth.

Home Value - 5 Lowering Habits

Clutter

Clutter will make your home feel smaller. I am a steadfast believer that a home ought to be displayed with minimum “stuff” to get between the purchaser and their visual sensation of what your home may personify for them. I recognize that you enjoy your stuffed toy collection, but in truth you should really consider whether they all belong in the living room. This awful habit can do some hurt to the purchaser’s vision; as such we are placing it near the top of our list. Remember, each of these bad habits will lower a homes value gradually but they all amount to a large lump.

Most people recognize that the most practical way for middle class America to make a fortune is either in real estate or stock market trading. Unfortunately, while most people understand how to make money in real estate few have the money, and likewise while most have the money to make a fortune in stock market trading few understand how it works.

This article is geared towards those who really don’t know anything about the market, so please excuse me if you’re an experienced trader and I over simplify things. Let’s start with the basics. What is stock and how do you trade it? "Stock" is actually a partial ownership in a company. What you actually buy is a share of that ownership. Let's say a company divides its assets into 100 equal shares. If you buy 1 share you technically own 1% of the company.