1. Steelpath
Author: Jim Knight
How to Find MLP and REIT Values in Exchange Listings?
A MLP is a limited partnership that is publicly traded on a securities exchange such as the
NYSE, Alerian Exchange, and NASDAQ. MLPs combine the tax benefits of a limited
partnership with the liquidity of publicly traded securities because it is listed on a stock
exchange.
On the other hand, REITs are unit trust funds that may be unlisted or listed on the stock
exchange. These trust funds invest primarily in income-producing real estate and
companies whose principal assets comprise of real estates. Dividends are given out to
the unit holders from the income generated from the real estate and companies. Due to
the trading activity of REIT on stock exchanges, unit holders benefit from capital
appreciation caused by the price changes.
For investors who have a fear of partnerships in general, it is important to know that
MLPs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and must comply
with Sarbanes-Oxley. This feature is very much similar to publicly traded companies.
MLPs have to file annual and quarterly statements, notify investors of any material
changes that affect the business, and are mandated to utilize enhanced accounting rules
as enacted by Congress which in turn is a very attractive proposition for investors.

2. Companies that receive 90% or more of their income from interest, dividends, real estate
rents, gain from the sale or disposition of real property, income and gain from
commodities or commodity futures, and income and gain from mineral or natural
resources activities are included in the MLP structure according to the National
Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships.
Leaving out a few exceptions, lion's share of the MLPs operates in the energy industry.
MLPs operate in segments that are mostly involved in usage of natural resources. This
focus on a particular industry derives from a certain section of the US tax code.
In order to find out about the best MLPs around, one must try screening. Stock screeners
are programs available on financial sites. This program allows an individual to search the
entire market for stocks to meet their particular requirements.
REITs are mostly in possession of rental properties. Therefore, a major portion of the
income generated by REITs comes from rents. REITs invest in shopping malls, office
buildings, apartments, warehouses and hotels. Some REITs are willing to invest
specifically in one area of real estate, for example, shopping malls. These are the
properties from which the REITs obtain their rental income.
REITs make it possible for people who are interested in investing to pour funds in bigger
property with small capital and less time commitment. Due to tax incentives and
regulations, REIT usually pays out at least 90% of its taxable profit to its unit holders.
With the basic understanding of structure and format of REITs, anyone one can analyze
how they work and how individual REITs operate better.
To find out the most preferable REITs, one must also try stock screeners. After putting
down the desired parameters such as trading volume, growth, dividend growth etc in the
screeners program, one might be able to locate the right REIT. This process saves a lot of
time, which can be wasted in the tedious data mining process of the entire market.
The Best Periodicals for Investment News and Advice
"October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The
others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December,
August and February."
- Mark
Twain (1835-1910), legendary American novelist and humorist.
As is quite clear from the quote above, investment is a risky business. However, with the
proper guidance, it can be extremely rewarding. After all, with inflation, money kept
unused is money wasted - one year from now, a dollar will buy you less than what it
would buy today. In other words, investing is a necessity, not a luxury.
The first thing you need to determine is your investment objective. As a successful
investor once said, "An investor without investment objectives is like a traveler without a

3. destination." Unless you know where you want to be, and when, you will never know how
to get there. For example, if you are investing money for the short term, say your
daughter's marriage in three years, it may be risky investing in stocks. On the other
hand, if you have a long investment horizon, equity investing makes the most sense.
The second thing to remember is not to be swayed by temporary trends. That is what led
to the dotcom boom, that is what led to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Invest in
something you truly believe in. As legendary investor and one of the richest men in the
world Warren Buffet says, "Only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if
the market shut down for ten years."
That being said, you need the right information to make the right decisions. Here are
some of the best periodicals for investment news and advice:
1. Investment Advisor - This is a monthly magazine not really meant for the layman
investor. It is a business-to-business publication targeted at independent financial
advisors, registered investment advisors as well as insurance based broker-dealers.
2. FDI Magazine - This is a bi-monthly news and foreign direct investment publication
owned by The Financial Times Business Group and edited in London. As its name
suggests, it is targeted at people looking to invest overseas, which, looking at the annual
growth rates of the developing nations, may not be a bad idea.
3. Wholesale Investor - Relatively new on the scene, this Australian-based publication
has already garnered a loyal readership through its unconventional views. It often
features private companies which are high-growth, own innovative technology, are award
winning or seeking international expansion. Areas typically covered are the Internet,
Health Care, Mining, Green Technology, Finance, Consumer Goods, Telecommunications,
Agriculture, and Property.
4. Forbes - One of the most famour names in the corporate world, this biweekly
magazine with a subscription of 900,000. It is part of the Forbes Media group which has
a considerable online presence with websites like Forbes.com, Investopedia.com,
RealClearPolitics.com, RealClearMarkets.com and RealClearSports.com. Forbes Asia,
ForbesLife and Forbes Woman are sister magazines. There are also has 10 local-language
licensee editions in China, Croatia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Poland, Romania,
Russia and Turkey.
5. Businessweek - Now officially known as Bloomberg Businessweek, this biweekly
magazine was born just before the onset of the Great Depression. It pioneered the action
of covering national political issues that directly impacted the business world. It carries
widely-followed executive pay and business school rankings.
6. Fortune - The venerable Fortune concludes this list. Besides compiling the list of the
top companies as the Fortune 500, this biweekly magazine, launched during the Great
Depression, has a current circulation of over 850,000. Along with Forbes and
Businessweek, Fortune forms the Holy Trinity of investment periodicals.

4. What Should You Look For in a Mutual Fund?
A mutual fund is a collection of stocks or bonds. One can think of a mutual fund
as a company that brings together a group of people and invests their money in
stocks, bonds, and other forms of investment. Each investor owns shares which
represent a portion of the holdings of the fund.
Mutual funds have become extremely popular over the last two decades. What
was once just another obscure financial instrument is now a part of our everyday
lives. More than one half of the households in America invest in mutual funds.
Trillions of dollars are spent on mutual funds alone in the US.
Investing in mutual funds is better than simply letting your cash waste away due
to inflation in a savings account. But, for most investors, that's where the
understanding of mutual funds ends.
Originally, mutual funds were constructed for the average small investor. It was
the way for the little guy to participate in the market. Mutual funds have been
regarded as an excellent idea in theory, but, in real world, they haven't always
delivered. Not all mutual funds are equal in every aspect. Making investments in
mutual funds isn't as easy as throwing money at the first salesperson who solicits
one's business.
For the individual who wants to get in the stock market by investing, there are
various mutual funds that are worth looking into. When conducting research, it is
best to choose different genres of mutual funds. Various benchmarks should be
kept in sight in order to compare the mutual funds.
The performance of the chosen mutual companies should be properly evaluated.
One has to see how the company has weathered the ups and downs of the stock
market over a previous period of years. Although, this is not an absolute
indication of future success, it lets us know, whether the company is capable of
performing well, even if there is no clear indication of volatility in the stock.
Expense ratios of different fund houses and their schemes should also be properly
reviewed. These costs include administrative costs, advertising costs, buying and
selling of stocks and bonds and load costs. Thorough research should be done by
the prospective investors themselves, because these expenses are also borne by
them alone.
Detailed information about the different fund houses and the schemes therein can
be found in newspapers, brochures and on financial websites. However, one
should make sure that they fully understand all of the information that is given,
as this makes investing in a mutual fund easier.

5. After properly analyzing all of the information, one can make a well-informed decision
about mutual funds. This research work helps the average investor to select a mutual
fund to invest in, according to their individual financial goals. One must ensure that they
go through all of these details when they are ready to start investing. The knowledge
gained from comparing different mutual funds gives the average person confidence to
invest in the risky, yet rewarding, world of mutual funds.
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