Why the Coronavirus May Not Be Bad for Your Investments or Business - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

During the last 30 days, the DJIA reached it's record high of almost 30,000. It has also lost over 20% in value during some violent swings down because of all the concerns around the Coronavirus. Some claim that the recent volatility has erased over $7 trillion in wealth in the last 30 days.

Why the Coronavirus May Not Be Bad for Investments

If you look at history, epidemics are typically good for investments. The markets actually recover much quicker than you would think.

Take SARS for example. SARS resulted in a total of about 8,100 people being sickened during the 2003 outbreak, with 774 people dying, according to data from WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Separately, the S&P 500 rose 11.66% in the roughly six months following reports of the 2006 Avian flu virus — a fast-moving pathogen also known as H5N1. The market gained 18.36% in the following 12-month period.

Data are similar for equity performance across the globe based on data from Charles Schwab, tracking the MSCI All Countries World Index 892400, -3.64%. The index has gained an average 0.4% in the month after an epidemic, 3.1% in the ensuing six-month period and 8.5% a year later (see graphic below):


SARS, Avian Flu, Swine Flu, and Measels all produced significant market gains as quickly as 3 months after the initial outbreak.

My comments:

- $7 trillion in wealth in the last 30 days was erased? Nothing was erased, the stock market is a zero-sum game. Wealth is neither created nor destroyed, it is transferred.
- Punctuated by recent events, I would argue that angel investing is actually less risky than investing in publicly traded stocks. I would also argue that entrepreneurship is less risky than working for someone else. I will be hitting both of these topics hard in future videos.

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.  

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com. 

Click here if you would like me to personally consider investing in your business. If I do not personally invest, I will give you specific tips for finding funding. Unlimited follow-up meetings. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/25/820759545/read-2-trillion-coronavirus-relief-bill
https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/online-stimulus-calculator
https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-stimulus-package-questions-answers.html
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/congress-passes-trump-signs-2-2t-coronavirus-stimulus-package
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-what-the-historic-2-trillion-coronavirus-stimulus-package-will-do-to-help-small-businesses-2020-03-26
https://www.fastcompany.com/90482750/applying-for-a-small-business-disaster-loan-what-to-know-about-the-covid-19-stimulus-package
https://www.fastcompany.com/90483112/here-are-the-most-infuriating-details-and-corporate-giveaways-in-the-covid-19-stimulus-bill

https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/pandemics-timeline

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/10/dow-futures-point-to-a-loss-of-more-than-400-points-after-tuesdays-surge.html
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-how-the-stock-market-has-performed-during-past-viral-outbreaks-as-chinas-coronavirus-spreads-2020-01-22

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Is SEO Dead? Search Engine Optimization – Fact or Fiction, Protecting Entrepreneurs From Wasting Money

Is SEO dead?  SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine. SEO refers to the improvement of unpaid results and excludes direct traffic/visitors and the purchase of paid placement. Wikipedia

My google search of the term SEO this week shows 728 million results, so obviously it is a thing? But does it actually still work? I said still works because I know it worked in the past let me tell you a story

Before I wrote my book I had a radio show called the business reality network

On this show I discussed the realities of operating a successful business as opposed to the myths

Well one of my earlier listeners reached out to me and said he wanted to meet me

This kid comes out to my office, stereotypical programmer, and we start talking

He tells me that his dad is the head of marketing at one of the big four accounting firms and offers to show me how SEO works

I take him up on the offer, within a couple of weeks I am at least number 1 on google for some fairly-competitive keywords. Fairly competitive meaning there were over a million available search results and other companies were paying for ads targeting the keyword.

 I say at least number one because often I would  rank multiple times on the first page of a google search. Imagine googling a term like accounting services and see the same business ranked first, third, 4, 7! That was us! It cost me next to nothing!

That was over 10 years ago, today, I have not been able to come anywhere near those type of results using a SEO vendors. I believe most of it has to do with the updates to the Google algorithm. This type of results may not be possible anymore.

However, I know it worked in the past and I want to see if it will work again in the future. That is why I am putting out this challenge. Anyone that thinks they can show any type of measurable traction using SCO are welcome to participate in our SCO challenge. If you would like to participate in the seo challenge,

Please message me if you or your company would like to participate, just message me on any of my digital platforms to receive more information. The top performing participants will receive a ton of free promotion for me.

If none of the companies produce meaningful, measurable results, we will declare SEO dead and move on

Anyone that thinks they can show any type of measurable traction using SEO are welcome to participate in our SEO challenge. If you would like to participate in the SEO challenge, email me, info@OmegaAccelerator.com

Are you looking for investors for your business? Contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com

Click here if you would like me to personally consider investing in your business. If I do not personally invest, I will give you specific tips for finding funding for your business. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.  https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Sources and Links:
www.Wikipedia.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html



Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Stranded in the Desert – The Biggest Challenge to Finding Your First Investor or Lead Investor

Previously, I talked about where to find your lead investor.

What works for me and what doesn't.

Today I’m talking about the biggest challenge you must overcome to find a lead investor
Picture this,
You have been stranded in a dessert for three days with a group of 100 people.
You are out of water and everyone is thirsty.
You finally come across a tent. In the tent there is a guy with water.
Unfortunately, this guy only has one glass of water.
He is willing to give this glass of water to one person.

Here is the challenge...
How are you going to get that glass of water?

This is the challenge you must overcome to find your lead investor.

The odds are tough. Less than 1% of business ever raise any outside capital.

There are specific tactics that I use to level the playing field offset this huge disadvantage. We will discuss some of those tactics in later videos.

Click here to learn how I found the first investor for one of my startups.

If you like this content, please share this content and video with your network and smash that like button.

Thank you for joining me, I will talk to you soon!

Are you looking for investors for your business? Contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com

Click here if you would like me to personally consider investing in your business. If I do not personally invest, I will give you specific tips for finding funding for your business. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.  https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Sources and Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html



Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

What is a Tagline? Win $100 plus an invitation to our exclusive pre-launch party for the Omega Destiny Accelerator - Happy Friday Funday!

Every good entrepreneur know the importance of market testing.

Next week we are market testing taglines for the new Omega Destiny Accelerator and we want your ideas. We will be selecting our three favorite ideas for taglines on Monday. If your tagline is selected and outperforms the other taglines in our market testing, you win $100. The winner will also receive an invitation to our exclusive pre-launch party on Thursday, March 5!

Ideas will be accepted via email or direct messaging until 3 PM on Monday, March 2, 2020, Eastern Standard Time. Email your ideas to info@omegaaccelerator.com or direct message Ren Carlton on social media.

If two people submit the same idea, the first person that messaged me their idea wins.

Send your ideas early and often, enter as many times as you wish.

What is a Tagline?

A Tagline describe the company in 50 characters or less
Simple English, no marketing jargon. It should provide a compelling sense of what we are doing and make people want to ask "How are you going to do that’.

The tagline should focus on a pain point of our customer, not necessarily the solution we are providing. The tagline needs to focus on something people will want.

Tips:

Keep it simple! “Press a button and a car comes to you in minutes.” That was 49 characters with the period and very few people will come away from that with radically different ideas. They may differ on its ultimate potential or possibilities but they will understand what your product does from day one. You need to survive day one to get to day two.

Another example, marketplace to hire professional service providers.

Omega Destiny Accelerator

Omega Destiny Accelerator developed a new model of Startup funding. We enroll a large number of Startups, groom them for funding, then market them to sponsors using a draft. The Startups that are drafted by Sponsors receive a small amount of direct funding. Majority of the sponsor dollars are used to aggressively market the drafted Startups for additional funding. But Omega does not end when the Startups are funded. We continue to help the Startups for the life of the company.

What

Sponsors earn equity and fees by supporting their favorite Business Startups. During draft week, Sponsors receive information about that month’s cohort of Business Startups. Sponsors will select their favorite Business Startups. We use our Draft Algorithm to award Business Startups to Sponsors. 

Why

-Angel Investing has massive return potential

-All of our companies are pre-screened, monitored, and advised by our team 

Who 

Omega Accelerator Collective, led by Ren Carlton 

How

-Purchase a sponsorship package

-Choose the Startups you like during a draft week

-You are awarded a Startup through our Draft Algorithm 

-As your Startup meets funding targets, you receive fees and equity 

-You also receive matching equity in Omega Destiny Accelerator, so if your business fails you still have equity in all the other Startups

Where
Virtual, you can participate anywhere remotely

When
Sponsorship packages are now available, please message us for additional information, info@omegaaccelerator.com

Investor Status Privileges

-Draft Priority

-Higher Equity Match Multiplier

-Advisory position preference

Equity Kicker Multiplier: Please request additional information

Why - 3 more reasons to sponsor startups

-$250,000 invested in Google in 1998 = $1.6 billion in 2019

-$10,000 investment in Uber in 2010 = $127 million in 2015

-$100 investment in Bitcoin in 2010 = $28 million in 2017

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.  

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com. 

Sources
https://medium.com/@zreitano/the-yc-application-broken-down-and-translated-e4c0f5235081
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.



All offers will be contingent upon passing our due diligence process.

Live Pitch Event - Up Close and Personal - Royal Oak, Michigan - Money for a Startup - Find up to $5 Million of Funding from Angel Investors - Ren Carlton

Pitch Your Business to Angel Investors!

Location

Royal Oak, Michigan
The exact location will be disclosed to our guests.

Date and Time
Thursday, March 5, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time

Format
Casual, private networking event


Our Up Close and Personal pitch events are small, focused networking events designed to quickly build relationships between angel investors and entrepreneurs. There are no formal presentations. Meet, mingle, and watch magic happen.


Note: This is a private event. Space is extremely limited. The exact location will be disclosed to our guests.

Attendees Will Include

\

Join Us!

Investors - Email, info@OmegaAccelerator.com, subject: Investor - Royal Oak Pitch Event

Entrepreneurs - send us your 1-page executive summary today - Email funding@omegaaccelerator.com, Subject: Looking for Funding - Royal Oak Pitch Event

Sponsors - are you interested in supporting some of our red-hot business startups? - Email, info@OmegaAccelerator.com, Subject: Sponsor - Royal Oak Pitch Event

Sources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

All offers will be contingent upon passing our due diligence process.

Are you an entrepreneur? Take Ren Carlton’s test and find out!

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt, Citizenship In a Republic

Are you an entrepreneur? 

The term entrepreneur gets thrown around pretty freely these days. At the time of writing this article, there are 2,262,442 individuals that consider themselves an entrepreneur according to their Linkedin profile. But how do you know? How do you earn this title? Does working from home twice a week for a Fortune 500 Company make you the next Travis Kalanick? Let’s find out. Time to separate the wanntrepreneurs from those in the arena…

Quick Test

First, a quick test, since real entrepreneurs don’t have time to take the full test. If you answer any one of these questions correctly, congratulations, you are an entrepreneur. By the way, skip this section if you are being paid by your employer while taking this test… and subtract 5 points...
-You responded to a spam email, trying to sell the sender something
-You knew who Travis Kalanick was without googling him
-You started a business knowing you were 99% likely to lose money and fail, but did it anyways
-You have been threatened by someone that invested in one of your businesses
-You have been visited by an IRS agent at your office
-You signed a forbearance agreement from a bank
-You are familiar with the three comma club and you are working towards being a member

Note, if you were offended by any of those questions, you automatically failed the test. You may want to look into some MLM opportunities to get a taste of entrepreneurship.

Full Test

Now for the long-form test. Give yourself 1 point for every yes answer:

-Doing cools stuff and creating things is more important than making money
-Your fear of boredom outweighs your fear of economic loss
-You expect to invest time and MONEY when starting a business or joining a team of founders
-You have worked more than 30 days without getting paid
-You believe there is more risk in working for a single employer then relying on yourself for your income
-You have worked for 100% commission for at least 30 days as your single source of income
-You prefer to work on a 1099 basis
-You expect to be paid based on results, not based on how much time you spend
-You own any form of cryptocurrency
-You cannot imagine working without huge upside potential
-You don’t remember what it feels like to receive a steady paycheck or employee benefits
-You sold someone something while practicing your pitch
-You understand why blockchain, AI, and AR are exciting

How did you do?

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.  

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com. 

https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegaaccelerator.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html


Disclaimer:  This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service.  We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice.  Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties.  All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Superbowl 2020 - Making Money as an Angel Investor, Valuing Angel Investment Opportunities, and the San Francisco 49ers

Superbowl 2020 brought us Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers, Hummer EV vs. Genesis SUV, Jennifer Lopez with Shakira, and Tom Brady vs. potential retirement. It also brought us some interesting facts for angel investors and valuing angel investment opportunities.  

Angel Investors, Valuing Angel Investment Opportunities, and the San Francisco 49ers 

The York family bought the San Francisco 49ers in 1977 for $17 million. Forbes estimates the 49ers’ value at $3.5 billion, making it one of the 10 most valuable sports teams in the world. The San Francisco 49ers have not won a Super Bowl since 1995.

Why is this business so valuable? 

The NFL has 32 teams. Every team gets an equal cut of the national revenue that includes money from TV rights, sponsorship, licensing, and merchandise sales. It doesn’t matter how many games each team wins or loses. National revenue is estimated to be more than $8 billion, with each team receiving more than $250 million. This is on top of local revenues, including ticket sales.

These teams obviously have expenses. Player salaries are probably the biggest expense. For the 2019 season, there was a salary cap of $188 million per team, and owners have to spend at least $167.5 million. 

How do we get to a $3.5 billion value?

Calculating a reasonable price, or valuation, for a business can be a challenge for angel investors. Notice I stated that the angel investor should be determining the price. This is the opposite of how most angel investment transactions are taking place. Early-stage businesses typically establish the value and sales price. Some avoid the valuation discussion by delaying the conversation until later using a SAFE note. 

However, angel investors are the ones in control. I estimated there are approximately 30 million angel investment opportunities, but less than 1 million active angel investors. The 21st Century version of the Golden Rule applies here… He (or she) who has the gold, rules…. 

There is no “one size fits all” approach to determining the value of a startup. However, there is a wealth of ideas on how to accomplish this, thanks to a wide array of methodologies created by experienced entrepreneurs and angel investors. It makes sense to consider the most credible methods and define your own approach to valuation. Here are the methods I consider.

Scorecard Valuation Method

The Scorecard Valuation method, created by Bill Payne, is one of the most popular methodologies used by angels. This method compares the startup seeking funding to other funded startups by creating an average valuation based on factors that include region, market, and stage. 

The purpose of Scorecard Valuation is to compare the startup to the perception of other startups within the same region. Payne recommends using these factors:

Strength of the Founder(s) (0–30%)

Size of the Opportunity (0–25%)

Product/Technology (0–15%)

Competitive Environment (0–10%)

Marketing/Sales Channels/Partnerships (0–10%)

Need for Additional Investment (0–5%)

Other (0–5%)

Berkus Method

The Berkus Method was developed by super angel investor David Berkus. His approach assigns a number, a financial valuation, to each major element of risk faced by all young companies and credits the entrepreneur some basic value for the quality and potential of their business idea.

The Berkus Method uses five qualitative and quantitative factors to calculate valuation: 

Sound Idea (basic value)

Prototype (reduces technology risk)

Quality Management Team (reduces execution risk)

Strategic Relationships (reduces market risk)

Product Rollout or Sales (reduces production risk)

The Berkus Method also assigns a monetary value to each factor. The maximum value that can be assigned to each factor is $500K, meaning that the pre-money valuation can total up to $2.5M. Berkus sets the “hurdle” number at $25M, achieved in the fifth year in business, to allow the investment to achieve a ten-times increase in value over its life.

Market Multiple 

This approach is popular with venture capitalists because it gives them a good indication of what the market is willing to pay for a company. The market multiple approach values the company against recent acquisitions of similar companies in the market.

While most established corporations are valued based on earnings, the value of startups is commonly determined based on revenue multiples. Placing a value on young companies requires extensive forecasting to assess what the sales or earnings of the business will be once it reaches maturity. 

The intent of the market multiple approach is to deliver value estimates that come close to what investors are willing to pay. The challenge is that comparable market transactions can be difficult to find, especially in the startup market. Companies that often represent the closest comparisons are early stage, unlisted companies. 

Development Stage Valuation 

The development stage valuation approach is often used by angel investors and venture capital firms to generate a rough range of company value. Investors set these values based on their experience and values vary depending on the company’s stage of development. The further the company has progressed along the development pathway, the lower the company's risk and the higher its value. Here’s an example of a valuation-by-stage model: 

Estimated Company Value Stage of Development

$250,000 - $500,000 The business idea or business plan exists

$500,000 - $1 million The management team is in place to execute the plan

$1 million – $2 million A final product or technology prototype has been developed

$2 million – $5 million Strategic alliances, partners or customers are in place

$5 million and up Revenue growth and a pathway to profitability is imminent

Oftentimes, private equity firms will create milestones for providing additional funding. For example, the first round of financing may be dedicated to employee wages while a subsequent round of funding is designated to mass produce and market the product or service. 

Conclusion

The startup valuation process is as much art as it is science. Determining the value of a young company is challenging because the factors contributing to success are uncertain. The good news is that the startup community offers many talented and well-established investors who have accumulated very valuable experience and are willing to share their knowledge. New angel investors will benefit from doing their research and listening to the more experienced investors they meet along the journey. 

Contact Info@omegaaccelerator.com if you are interested in making angel investments.

Are you looking for investors for your business? Contact us at funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Sources:

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/sports-ep-2-update/

https://medium.com/humble-ventures/3-ways-angel-investors-value-pre-revenue-startups-ee05c81c6d80

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/11/valuing-startup-ventures.asp

http://blog.gust.com/valuations-101-scorecard-valuation-methodology/

https://rencarlton.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/RenCarlton

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ

https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/

https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/

https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html




Disclaimer:  This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service.  We are not offering any legal, investment, or tax advice.  All stories are based on true events, but are significantly altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.