Gearing is where you borrow money to invest. As already mentioned, it is best to clear all your debt before looking at investment. However, there will arise situations where the investment is a good one and it is necessary to borrow a small amount to make the deal work. The borrowing may be for property or shares.
Gearing allows you to increase your investment and potentially obtain a higher return. On the downside, however, if the investment does not pay off you stand to lose a lot more. Negative gearing comes about when the interest you are paying on your borrowing is greater than the income from your investment (for example, from a rental property). You can claim the loss or difference against your taxation and write it off as a deduction against other income.
Negative gearing is not necessarily the best investment strategy. Even though you get a tax break it is still costing you money. That is, you may be saving yourself 25 cents in the dollar, but you have to spend one dollar to achieve that.
People look at negative gearing because they calculate that they will be able to sell the investment for more than they bought it and in the meantime their losses are deductible off other income they earn. They conclude that the Commissioner of Inland Revenue is in reality helping them fund the growth of the value of their property.
If it can be avoided, don't borrow against your home for investment. This applies particularly when the investment is speculative. Things do go wrong and you wouldn't want to find yourself (and your family) out on the street without a roof over your head.
If you borrow money to invest, this is known as margin lending. The extra funds raised allow you to invest more, increasing the potential returns, compared to what you would get from your standard savings. It allows you to use other people's money so you can get a significant increase in your wealth from a small deposit.
The negative side is when share prices fall below a level and a margin call is made. When this happens you will have 24 hours to respond in one of three ways. You have to come up with the cash, you have to sell assets, or you have to provide additional assets to top up the equity.
If you have a margin loan, make sure you fully understand the terms of your loan and also put in place survival strategies in case things don't work out.
Copyright 2005 StartRunGrow
http://www.startrungrow.com
StartRunGrow (http://www.startrungrow.com) is a global online information organization that specializes in creating, developing and marketing business help information specifically with the aim of "making business easier" for entrepreneurs around the world. The StartRunGrow objective is to become a dominant player in the business help arena providing end to end solutions for the millions of small and medium businesses worldwide who continue to struggle daily with the difficulties of starting, running and growing a successful business.





In the past most people never retired. They died. The... Read More
So you have learned how to trade the markets by... Read More
There is an area in Brazil that has lower crime... Read More
An Ira is one of the greatest ways to save... Read More
There is a tremendous amount of software, complicated high priced... Read More
All this talk about Investing is encouraging lately. Over the... Read More
As a followup to a previous column, "Irreconcilable Differences," I... Read More
Throughout the discussion of speculation and stability, we emphasized that... Read More
My paternal grandparents were born near Lake Como, Italy. My... Read More
1. How to Treat Gap Openings A gap up or... Read More
You've probably heard about people who keep their money offshore.... Read More
This column has often focused on intangible investments like stocks... Read More
For many investors, and even some tax professionals, sorting through... Read More
The Federal Reserve recently raised its target federal funds rate... Read More
It is important to note that every smart investor wants... Read More
The word 'investments' is one that most of us are... Read More
The Light Crude Continuous Contract closed at $66.13 a barrel... Read More
For instance, if the market moves up in the first... Read More
The world of trading can get very complex because the... Read More
Some time ago I attended a seminar where participants were... Read More
If it seems... Read More
For a successful retirement investment plan to work in the... Read More
This column has previously discussed "picturing the future that we... Read More
Tropical Storm Arlene formed as a tropical depression on June... Read More
Do you ever wonder exactly what's going on in the... Read More
What really controls the economy? Forget interest rates, forget deficits,... Read More
One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced investors... Read More
The Federal Reserve recently raised its target federal funds rate... Read More
Are you as good an investor as you think? Do... Read More
The word 'investments' is one that most of us are... Read More
Have you ever noticed how some words in the English... Read More
If you are looking for a safe investment and you... Read More
Gearing is where you borrow money to invest. As already... Read More
Shorts. Let's see. If there are shorts there must be... Read More
Let's see, he had some oats, fresh alfalfa and his... Read More
A Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees plan, better known... Read More
Location ? Once the holy grail only for real estate... Read More
Suggesting the use of a franchise business as a vehicle... Read More
Q: What have been the most successful approaches to attracting... Read More
"Hey Joe! I need help finding a broker. I notice... Read More
If Johannes Kepler, the renowned 17th century astronomer and discoverer... Read More
"To drift is to be in hell, to be in... Read More
The best way to avoid being hit hard by a... Read More
This article was originally featured in Daryl Guppy's 'Tutorials in... Read More
It use to be said that once a company was... Read More
Most People just don't understand the power of using their... Read More
If it seems... Read More
Upper Saddle River, N.J. - May 11, 2005 - Now... Read More
Everyone knows T Rex was the most fearsome of all... Read More
Discipline can be simply defined as your ability to follow... Read More
|
|