The ability to stay ahead of the market is a rare skill, which is why many investors' ideas don't pan out. The ones who have a history of executing on their winning calls become renowned stock market gurus, and of course, very rich. There are people who have a knack for the analysis and devote their lives to it, and then there are those who are lucky enough to be the first to know when the news hits the tapes– those people can make out big too.
I've tried keeping on top of the finance publications for the latest market events, but by the time the news reaches my screen, the market is already back at equilibrium. I knew there were people who reaped the benefits of true inefficiencies like post-earnings announcement drift, but as an individual investor, how could I be one of the first to get my hands on such information to gain a competitive edge against the broader market?
So I asked a close friend how he and his team pinpoint and capitalize on market inefficiencies with the money he's been successfully investing for one of the largest hedge funds in New York for over a decade. Of course, hedge funds provide very little visibility, but my friend told me one of his personal sources of information,
Real Money, a membership-based website run by some of the most successful hedge fund managers, and financial advisors in Wall Street history. It's where my friend looks for breaking market news stories that impact the market, and to discover winning calls made by the site contributors, and investment strategy advice before the news hits the public outlets.
The team at Real Money is not made up of just journalists, but of professional chartists, analysts, day traders, money managers and financial advisors handpicked by Jim Cramer through his connections in the business. They've got day jobs and skin in the game, and many share the same ideas with members as they professionally execute or advise their clients on.
You'll get actionable trading advice, and stock ideas from Bruce Kamich, an accomplished chartist for many bulge bracket firms, and HUGE portfolio managers like Chris Versace, David Katz, and of course Jim Cramer, one of the most successful hedge fund managers in Wall Street history, delivered exclusively to members in real-time. You can communicate directly with the site contributors and professional money managers on the site to gain stock market knowledge and investment advice from professionals, and they'll respond inline. It's a forum of in-depth market analysis, actionable stock leads, and original, market-moving stories written by financial professionals handpicked by Cramer himself. Real Money provides exclusive information, real-time stock advice, and a look into how investment decisions are made by professionals. You can subscribe here free for 14 days with no obligations.
The site contributors don't just report the market news, but rather the stories that the market isn't seeing – clues that investors should know about, and ideas they're professionally making hay with. Cramer's "Fill or Kill" team, named for Fill or Kill orders (orders placed to buy or sell a large volume of stock that must be executed immediately, or not at all), doesn't just report the market news, but rather research and analyze the stories that the market isn't seeing—clues that give investors additional information to help them stay ahead. They create market-moving content reporting on the information they receive from Cramer, board members, management teams, and TheStreet like Doug Kass, Jack Mohr, Bruce Kamich, other team members and site contributors. This content often gets picked up by the public finance publications after-the-fact.
As a recent example, the Fill or Kill team launched an investigation about the qualifications of Lululemon's longest-standing board member, Rhoda Pitcher. Those qualifications could never be verified and after the team broke story, Pitcher stepped down, and later the news hit the public outlets, Lululemon's stock price dropped. Real Money members had this information first. Likewise, shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) dropped 7% in one day after Real Money short seller Andrew Left revealed his short position. Real Money members that follow Andrew, and acted on this idea were able to stay ahead of the curve.
The sheer volume of actionable ideas are displayed in the Real Money Ideas section, which you can follow to see whose ideas panned out—including buy price, strike price and the contributors' returns on each, and the ideas link out to the articles written on them which provide the analysis behind each decision. With this knowledge, you can decide who you want follow.
Real Money provides you with access to information that the average investor doesn't see as quickly, and a real-time market education from the best pros in the business for just $3/week. Some misjudge the amount of depth in the service, but if you take the trial you'll see how much valuable info and dialogue there is, and how many strategies it will cover. The content goes beyond market news and public knowledge.
Update: The folks at TheStreet are extending a special offer for our readers! Follow this link to get a Free 14 day trial to Real Money with no obligations! (And it's only $3/week if you choose to continue with membership!)
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.