Oil prices fall to six-month low. Gas to follow.

Oil prices fall below $99 a barrel on weak jobs report. At $3.80 a gallon, gasoline prices should follow oil prices down.?

The?price?of?oil?plunged to its lowest level in nearly six months Friday, falling below $100 per barrel for the first time since February. A drop in gasoline?prices?can't be far behind.

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It's a welcome trend for motorists, with the summer driving season just around the corner. And it eases some pressure on the U.S. economy, which has shown only agonizingly slow growth in the nearly three years since the Great Recession ended.

Oil?fell $4.05, or 4 percent, to $98.49, after a weak U.S. jobs report offered the latest evidence that the global economy is weakening, possibly reducing demand for?oil. At the same time, there is mounting evidence that world?oil?supplies are growing.

"The jobs report was the coup de grace," said Judith Dwarkin, chief energy economist at ITG Investment Research. "But it's hard to see how?prices?could have stayed on the boil given ample supplies and continued economic uncertainty."

For the week,?oil?fell more than $6 and is now about $12 below its February high. U.S. gasoline?prices?have fallen to $3.80 per gallon from a peak of $3.94 in early April.

Now they could go as low as $3.50 per gallon by July 4, according to Tom Kloza, Chief?Oil?Analyst at theOil?Price?Information Service.

Tony Wei, a mechanical engineer from Piscataway, NJ., will welcome lower?prices. He travels 100 miles every day to and from his job in Morris County, N.J. He's also planning a 500-mile trip to Canada and a 400-mile trip to southwest Virginia this summer in his Honda Accord.

"Definitely, I'm going to notice it," he said. "I buy so much gas."

The picture of the?oil?market is the reverse of just a few months ago. Then, world?oil?demand looked to be rising quickly at the same time that world supplies were threatened by a host of small production outages and the potential for drastically reduced production from Iran, the world's third-biggest exporter.

Those developments raised the prospect that world supplies would be at their most tenuous just as the summer driving season arrived in the developed world. The?price?of U.S. benchmark?oil?rose to about $110. The?price?for international?oil?used to make most of the gasoline in the U.S. spiked even higher, to $128 per barrel.

Gasoline?prices?in the U.S. appeared to be on track to soar past $4 per gallon nationwide, another burden for U.S. consumers already suffering from high unemployment and pitiful wage growth.

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Miami sees uptick in foreclosure filings | Miami Area Real Estate ...

As any regular reader of this blog is likely aware, for some time now there has been a lull in the number of foreclosures being filed in the Miami area and throughout the country. The drastic reduction in the number of foreclosures being completed was due to the robo-signing scandal that first made the news in 2010.

The robo-signing scandal, in which certain lenders used questionable methods to complete foreclosure paperwork quickly, was uncovered in October 2010. After it was exposed, banks throughout the nation were forced to stop foreclosures while new procedures were developed to ensure that the process was being completed properly.

It appears that the lull is now ending. This assertion is supported by a report issued by RealtyTrac, which surveyed 212 metropolitan areas including some located in South Florida.

To provide some perspective on the situation, the quarter preceding the robo-signing scandal coming to light, Miami reported around 58,000 foreclosure filings. In the first three months of 2011, that number decreased dramatically to 19,000. Currently, the number is on the incline, with Miami reporting around 26,000 in the first quarter of 2012.

As expected, Miami's increase in the number of foreclosure filings in the first quarter of 2012, arrived after the $26 billion robo-signing settlement was approved. In the first three months of this year, the number of foreclosure filings increase 37 percent compared to the previous year. Though only time will tell, the trend is one that will likely continue. We will continue to provide updates on the foreclosure situation in South Florida as it becomes available.

Source: Collections & Credit Risk, "Foreclosure Filings On An Upswing," April 27, 2012

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Stock Market Investing ? Where Do You Start?

I?ve been on the investment recreation for some time now and I?ve reached the stage the place I prefer to invest in the stock market by way of individual stocks reasonably than collective investment autos like unit or investment trusts. The primary cause for this is that I might favor not to pay different folks to do one thing that I know I can do higher myself.

Of course, it wasn?t always this way. It?s taken me 1 / 4 of a century of expertise enjoying the markets to evolve my very own worthwhile funding strategy. When I first started out although, like most individuals, I did not have the arrogance to take my own decisions. More necessary than that, I didn?t have a large lump sum to play with to be able to diversify my holdings sufficiently and build in a measure of safety. I suspect that?s the place that most newcomers to the world of stock market investing find themselves in.

So I am not ashamed to admit that my first foray into the markets all these years in the past was by way of one of many common financial savings schemes run by the large investment trusts. Twenty-5 years on I?d need to say that if I were simply starting out on my investment journey now, I might do precisely the identical thing.

Why Funding Trusts?

Observe that I selected funding trusts, not unit trusts. Although these two investment vehicles both permit buyers to access a diversified portfolio of stocks with relatively small quantities of money, in my view, funding trusts have three clear benefits over their unit trust rivals:

1. Their management costs are lower.

2. Their long run performance is mostly far better.

3. They can usually be bought at a discount to their web asset value.

So should you?re now scratching your head and questioning why, regardless of all these advantages, you have by no means heard of funding trusts, you are in very good company. Although issues are slowly changing, funding trusts stay a closed e book to most buyers because, not like their unit belief cousins, they don?t pay commission to financial advisors. Consequently, they?re nearly ignored by the financial press. Let?s face it, excessive commissions equal excessive advertising budgets and because the Sunday papers depend on promoting to spice up sales, they?re going to happily present beneficial coverage in their cash dietary supplements to merchandise promoted by high-spending advertisers. That feels like a pleasant cosy relationship between the massive funding homes and the monetary media, but it leaves the small investor out in the chilly as traditional ? deprived of information about considered one of in the present day?s best-kept funding secrets. Hopefully, I am about to assist change all that.

If I?ve satisfied you that funding trusts are value investigating further, and you?re able to put your foot on that first rung of the investment ladder, then I?ve dug out just a few choices below which I believe would make perfect options for first-time investors like you. I?ve chosen a variety of vintage trusts with impeccable pedigrees from the broad world progress sector. These trusts offer a really low-cost strategy to access a broad, globally diversified portfolio. Rest assured that all of them provide a regular monthly financial savings option for investors of more modest means:

Foreign & Colonial Investment Belief

1. First up is a trust that was my first selection once I started investing a quarter of a century ago and it is nonetheless going strong. It?s the Foreign and Colonial Funding Trust, it allows minimum monthly savings of ?50 per month and it is presently trading at a discount of 9.6% to web assets ? which implies that for every ?90.forty invested, you are getting ?100 price of shares. Now these reductions can fluctuate a bit. It may be that subsequent month the discount widens to eleven% or 12% ? which simply means that in the event you?re an everyday monthly investor, you get even more discounted shares on your money. Alternatively, the low cost might slim or even slip over right into a premium as sometimes occurs if a belief is particularly fashionable with traders ? thus giving your investments a lift in case you purchased at a discount. Over the long term, nevertheless, whether or not you are a lump sum investor or a regular saver, it might be onerous to go mistaken with this trust as, during the last three years, your funding would have increased by 52.7% ? not bad, although past returns are not any assure of a similar performance in future.

Witan

2. A substitute for the Foreign and Colonial Belief, however one which does nearly the same job, is a belief referred to as Witan. It is carried out even higher than the Foreign and Colonial Belief with a return of 64.2% to investors during the last three years. It is also barely cheaper, trading at a 10.14% low cost to NAV (Internet Asset Value). On paper then, a barely better bet. Once more, you can begin saving from simply ?50 per month.

SAINTS

3. Finally, you can check out another outdated and properly established stalwart, this time from the worldwide development and income category, and that is SAINTS, or the Scottish American Funding Trust. This too permits minimum month-to-month investments of ?50 monthly by way of its mum or dad company, Baillie Gifford, and has carried out outstandingly during the last 3 years, returning 107.6% to its lucky investors. The draw back is that this efficiency did not go unnoticed and the belief now stands at a premium to web assets of 4.1%. Should you?re looking for earnings although, this trust presently yields over four%, so not a foul alternative to a constructing society offered you?re ready to threat your capital.

Whichever option you choose, offered you are in the markets for the long term, as you need to be if you want to make first rate returns, I believe it might be very tough to lose cash with any of those trusts. That is doubly true when you?re making regular month-to-month investments as you get the advantage of pound value averaging, which implies you purchase extra shares when prices dip, thus growing your returns when shares subsequently rise. A number of years down the road, once you are feeling you have gathered enough in these effectively-diversified, low price trusts, you can begin dabbling in individual shares like I did.

So for those who have been pondering of dipping a toe in as we speak?s somewhat choppy funding waters, however either do not yet have a large sufficient lump sum, or are too scared to dive in and commit it proper now, then I don?t suppose you can do worse than observe my instance: play it protected and set up an funding belief month-to-month financial savings scheme.

Until Subsequent Time, Completely satisfied Investing

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Another weekend at Quail Hollow without Woods

Fans and officials help Tiger Woods, center back, look for his lost golf ball on the fifth hole during the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, May 4, 2012. Woods was given a free drop after it was determined the ball was picked up by a fan. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Fans and officials help Tiger Woods, center back, look for his lost golf ball on the fifth hole during the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, May 4, 2012. Woods was given a free drop after it was determined the ball was picked up by a fan. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Webb Simpson hits from the rough on the 10th hole during the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Nick Watney and his caddy line up a putt on the 16th green during the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club, Friday, May 4, 2012, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Stewart Cink hits from the 18th fairway during the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? It's becoming a tradition like no other experienced by Tiger Woods ? a weekend at Quail Hollow without him.

He missed the cut two years ago in the Wells Fargo Championship with the highest 36-hole score of his career, a surprise but not entirely unexpected because it was only his second tournament since his return from the downfall in his personal life. Friday was more stunning, not only because he missed a 4-foot birdie putt on his 17th hole that would have allowed him to make the cut, but it came just more than a month after he won at Bay Hill.

Woods, though, reminded that it was all part of the process.

He didn't use those words ? he has said them enough during his swing changes ? but that's what he meant.

Even as Nick Watney rediscovered his game with a 64 to take a one-shot lead going into the weekend, Woods was explaining that swing changes take time, even if he has a trophy to show for it.

When he revamped his swing under Butch Harmon after a record-setting win at the 1997 Masters, it took nearly two years for him to get it right. He switched to Hank Haney, and it was close to two years before he was out with old and fully understood a new way of playing golf.

"So it takes time to get rid of old patterns," Woods said after a 1-over 73 to miss the cut by one shot. "It takes hundreds of thousands ? if not millions ? of golf balls, but eventually it comes around. I've had my share of successes, and I know it's coming."

It just won't be coming this weekend.

Woods turned the show over to Watney, whose 12-under 132 was a surprise for different reasons. Watney, a two-time winner a year ago who started this season at No. 12 in the world ranking, had failed to record a top 10 in his nine stroke-play events this year. He had not finished among the top 30 when playing against a full field. And he had failed to break 70 in the previous nine rounds before he arrived at Quail Hollow.

Worse yet, he missed the cut for the first time since last July at New Orleans a week ago.

"I think last week was a wake-up call for me," Watney said. "And I've worked really hard these five days leading into this event. I think it just shows I'm making progress. Who knows what's going to happen this weekend, but I'm really excited for it. More hard work, and hopefully I'll be in this position a lot more."

With such low scoring in hot, steamy conditions, it was the first time in the 10-year history of this tournament that the cut was under par. It was reflected in a bunched leaderboard, too, so very little has been settled except that Woods won't be part of the rest of the action.

Webb Simpson, who invited Watney to stay in his home about a mile away this week, was the star in Woods' group as he posted a tidy 68 and was just one shot out of the lead.

Right behind were Stewart Cink (69), Ben Crane (64), D.A. Points (68) and John Senden (68), who looked like he might catch Watney for the lead until he turned a birdie into a bogey on the par-5 seventh late in his round by hitting over the green and under a tree.

Ryan Moore, penalized one shot when his golf ball moved ever so slightly on a 10-inch par putt, had a 70 and was another shot behind. Not to be forgotten is Rory McIlroy, who turned 23 on Friday and ended his round with a birdie on the tough par-4 ninth hole for a 68. He was six shots behind, which was far better than his spot when he won in 2010 after making the cut on the number.

"So being only six back should be easy," McIlroy said with a laugh, knowing it will be anything but that.

The cut became a talking point Friday, and while Woods captured most of the attention, he wasn't alone. Vijay Singh and Joe Ogilvie each made triple bogey on their last holes to miss the cut. Rory Sabbatini finished 6-6 ? triple bogey, double bogey ? to miss the cut.

Phil Mickelson was on the cut line and facing the dangerous 17th and 18th holes. He played them flawlessly for pars for a 72, although he was 11 shots behind. Lee Westwood was outside the cut line until he holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and finished with a par and a 72.

Woods missing the cut, however, is always news.

It was only the eighth time in 267 events on the PGA Tour when he missed the cut, and it was the first time he had missed the cut twice in one tournament. Woods didn't make it to the weekend last year at Quail Hollow because he didn't play. He was nursing what was described as minor injuries to his left leg that turned out to be a lot more.

That makes three straight years at the Wells Fargo Championship without golf's star attraction. In his previous five trips to Quail Hollow, he won once and never finished worse than 11th.

"This is one of my favorite tour stops, and unfortunately, I'm just not going to be around for the last two days," Woods said.

For the second straight day, Woods was done in by sloppy mistakes ? a pulled tee shot on the 12th, a three-putt on the 13th, a poor chip on the 18th, and a wedge from 105 yards on the par-5 seventh that nearly went into the water. He made an 18-foot par putt to keep alive his hopes of making the cut, but that ended when he missed the 4-foot birdie putt on the next hole.

"I think he's playing pretty well," said Geoff Ogilvy, in the group with Woods and Simpson. "He hit four or five pretty loose shots of the tee, and one into 5. If he'd holed putts, he'd be in contention. He wouldn't be out of the tournament. I think he's actually getting there. I think he's doing a lot of good stuff. If he tells you he's close, I think it's actually right. But he has to putt better."

Next up is The Player Championship, where Woods has finished out of the top 10 more than any other tournament. He has failed to finish the tournament at Sawgrass the last two years, withdrawing on Sunday in 2010 with a neck injury, and after a 42 on the front nine last year with a left Achilles tendon injury.

Associated Press

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 review roundup: (usually) worth the one grand

Now that NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 690 is shipping through some vendors, gamers have been wondering if it's worth the wallet-busting $999 to get those higher frame rates. Surprisingly, the answer is "yes." As AnandTech notes, the GTX 690 is often almost as fast or faster than a pair of GTX 680s working together in SLI mode, only using less power and running at cooler and quieter power levels through those two 28-nanometer Kepler chips. Across multiple reviewers, though, the GTX 690 was sometimes slower than two Radeon HD 7970 boards using CrossFire. HotHardware and others found that it's definitely the graphics card of choice for Batman: Arkham City enthusiasts: problems with AMD's CrossFire mode leave a dual Radeon HD 7970 setup running at just half the frame rate of its NVIDIA-made challenger.

Caveats? There are still some worries beyond the price tag, as the twin Radeon cards are as much as three times faster at general-purpose computing tasks than the latest and greatest GeForce. PC Perspective likewise warns that fans of joining three displays together for some 3D Vision Surround action will still take a big frame rate hit when they put the 3D glasses on. Still, the GTX 690 looks to be tops if you're looking to get the fastest single-card gaming on Earth, and as Legit Reviews adds, that trivalent chromium-plated aluminum makes it one of the "better looking" cards, to boot.

Read - AnandTech
Read - HotHardware
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - PC Perspective

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 review roundup: (usually) worth the one grand originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some Guys Have All The Luck: HTC One X Hitting Doorsteps Ahead Of Schedule

Sure, AT&T's One X will officially hit store shelves this Sunday, but you may be in for an early weekend treat if you've taken it upon yourself to pre-order the thing. According to a handful of reports from AndroidCentral's and Phandroid's forums, some lucky HTC fans have already received their new Android handsets well in advance of the device's official launch.

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US Rep. Louise Slaughter of NY is released from hospital; the 82-year-old broke leg on April 2 (Star Tribune)

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