*Note: this post isn’t finished.

Is it time to invest? It depends. Let me explain what I mean by that statement. Historically, stocks will go up after the recent carnage that has wiped out over $8 trillion in stock market value. We might even see an up tick in the range of 18% – 22% but don’t be fooled.

The hurricane isn’t over; this is the calm before the storm. So, what should you do? Well that depends on where you are in your investment cycle. If you are close to retirement and you didn’t heed the age-old advice to move more money to cash the closer you get to retirement, then you might need to push retirement off a bit, but this also depends on how much you have lost and many other factors. If you fall into this category, then I suggest you talk to your financial advisor.

For those of you who are not close to retirement, then you have several options to explore. If you are investing for the long-term and want to reduce the variance in your portfolio, the easiest and simplest investment philosophy is called ‘Dollar Cost Averaging’ (DCA). Dollar Cost Averaging is investing regularly scheduled amounts into a fund(s) and/or stock(s). The idea is to spread the risk consistently over time, but most research into this form of investing has debunked this philosophy. The problem with DCA is that the market is on an upswing more often than on a downturn. So in actuality an investor will be paying more for a stock over time than someone who places a lump sum in the market during a downturn. If you have been using this method, I recommend that you stop and choose another method and/or contact a financial advisor.

Nokia is the latest to announce a potential iTunes killer concept. What Nokia is proposing is unlimited music downloads for a year with a purchase of one of their phones bungled with their “Comes With Music” service — an extra $20.  If the service takes off, this could potentially match or exceed the music industry’s business according to Tero Ojanpera, head of entertainment and communities business at Nokia. This is an interesting and potentially huge win for the music industry and Nokia.

This is one of the best swings at Apples venerable iTunes service and the consumer only wins. So sit back and enjoy the music.

When you have too much money you make bad decisions. This is a bad idea. I’ll provide more details as to why in a later post.
MSFT

Qualcomm is one of those stocks that is ready to break out of its trading range — you can see and smell it. Though the markets haven’t quite caught on to the upside potential, there are several ways to play Qualcomm’s continued bounce: short, long, or trade often (buy when it’s low, sell when it’s high).

When should you invest in Qualcomm? For those who want to play Qualcomm long or ‘trade often,’ I suggest buying anytime the price hits $37 and under. If you want to short, first I suggest that you do your research into this art. Remember this, all things that go up eventually go down. So there is money to be made, but shorting isn’t for everyone.

When will Qualcomm break out of its trading range? As legal issues hold Qualcomm’s stock in this perpetual trading range, it will continue to be at play. But as world demand begins to realize the potential, possiblities, and functionality of smaller devices, there will be a need for higher bandwidth to play games, watch and download video. And Qualcomm’s patented 3G technologies will enable many of these devices. As this demand increases world wide, so should demand for Qualcomm stock. Happy Bouncing!
QCOM

Why, because the fundamentals are strong. Even as the competition is chasing after their jewels – namely the iPhone and the iPod, they still haven’t been able to capture the current magic of the Apple brand. The combination of great design, more than competent products, and the crown jewel (the Brand itself) leaves the company with a significant lead. Will the competitors one day catch up? Possibly, but it will take time and a combination of the cachet that Apple has been able to garner.

One brand that comes to mind is Sony’s Walkman. If Sony could start firing on all cylanders they could make a run at Apple, but that would take a gargantuan revamp of the company – possible an American style breakup.

*Note:  The  author does own  stock in Apple.