Interest rates are coming down. What does that mean for you? Use our mortgage calculator to work with your numbers. If you want to celebrate...why not send yourself (or your spouse) one of our housewarming real estate gift baskets to celebrate!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Power of PR and Marketing Re:Bernard Madoff
Wow. It's funny. I just googled Madoff to read the latest updates (December 17), and google presented this marketing statement. I hurried and copied it, but when I went back to get the source.........it was nowhere to be found. I'm going to go back and search some more.
Bottom line, however. READ this press release. It is amazing what the power of what words can do. Look what they say about the company...about how good it is.....little did ANYONE know that it was a shame....a house of cards.....
Moral of the story: MARKETING WORKS!!!!
Madoff Securities: Quality Executions and Service
Through Innovative Technology
Jump to specific categories:
A Global Leader in Trading U.S. Equities
Providing a Complete Dealing Capability for US Securities in Europe
Advanced Technology and Sophisticated Traders
Clearing and Settlement are Rooted in Advanced Technology
Disaster Recovery Facility Reflects the Attention to Every Detail
The Owner's Name is on the Door
A Global Leader in Trading US Equities
Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC is a leading international market maker. The firm has been providing quality executions for broker-dealers, banks, and financial institutions since its inception in 1960. During this time, Madoff has compiled an uninterrupted record of growth, which has enabled us to continually build our financial resources. With more than $700 million in firm capital, Madoff currently ranks among the top 1% of US Securities firms. Our sophisticated proprietary automation and unparalleled client service delivers an enhanced execution that is virtually unmatched in our industry.
Madoff Securities' clients include scores of leading securities firms, banks and financial institutions from across the United States and around the world. The firm is a leading market-maker in all of the S&P 500 stocks as well as over 350 NASDAQ issues. The firm is known for its fine pricing as well as its ability to execute most orders in seconds.
Madoff Securities' superior service is made possible by a sophisticated dealing staff backed by the securities industry's most advanced technology. It is underpinned by the personal commitment of founder Bernard L. Madoff and his brother Peter B. Madoff, who is the senior managing director. Their dedication to providing quality executions has enabled the firm to become a leader in the US "third market," which trades US listed equities away from the exchange floor. Madoff Securities is a registered US broker/dealer regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
Return to Table of Contents...
An Intricate Interweaving of Advanced Technology and Sophisticated Traders
One of the critical ingredients in creating the added value which Madoff Securities offers its clients is the firm's intricate interweaving of advanced technology and experienced traders. The firm's position at the forefront of computerized trading is widely acknowledged in the US financial community.
Madoff Securities' leading edge information processing technology means clients can choose to communicate their buy and sell orders to the firm's trading room by electronically inputting them or by making a telephone call. In either case, once an order is received, Madoff's systems scan prevailing prices in all markets to establish an execution price. Because this process may take only seconds, clients can receive immediate confirmation of their transactions.
Sophisticated computers are integral to every aspect of the firm's activities, from executing trades to clearing and settling them, from monitoring prices to identifying trading opportunities around the world.
Madoff Securities also utilizes its computers to seek out opportunities for hedging its inventory of securities. The firm uses a variety of futures, options, and other instruments to hedge its positions and limit its risks. While these hedging strategies are an important tool in protecting the firm's financial position, ultimately, these highly prudent risk management policies protect the interests of clients as well.
Return to Table of Contents...
At Madoff Securities, Clearing and Settlement are Rooted in Advanced Technology
The combination of quality and value that is inherent in every Madoff Securities transaction continues beyond execution. At Madoff , the clearing and settlement process is also rooted in advanced technology, which minimizes errors and maximizes efficient processing and rapid communications.
Madoff Securities is a full clearing firm and a member of all US clearing corporations and depositories. The firm's highly automated clearing and settlement systems interface with the Depository Trust Company, the Options Clearing Corporation, and the National Securities Clearing Corporation, of which Bernard Madoff is a past chairman. The firm's systems also interface fully with the systems of all major global custodians and clearing & Settlement systems.
Madoff Securities' extensive network of relationships with other broker/dealers enables the firm to ensure timely delivery and settlement of all client transactions.
Moreover, Madoff Securities' computerized transaction processing means that the firm can customize client reports and deliver them electronically in whatever format best meets the needs of clients.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents.
Return to Table of Contents...
Sophisticated Disaster Recovery Facilities, Reflects the Attention to Every Detail
Madoff Securities has one of the most sophisticated disaster recovery facilities found anywhere in the securities industry. In addition to its offices in Manhattan, Madoff Securities maintains a fully equipped and staffed facility located near LaGuardia Airport. This office duplicates all of the features of the primary Madoff Securities offices. Madoff Securities' disaster recovery facility is not just an alternative trading room, but rather a full-fledged office which is equipped to receive and transact orders and to handle the clearing and settlement process as well.
Under the supervision of a facilities manager, this unique on-line facility is tested continuously to ensure that it is prepared to take over the firm's operations if any kind of disaster were to affect the Manhattan office. Members of the firm's staff are rotated through the facility and regularly perform their work from it. Thus, there is always staff on hand in case disaster strikes at the firm's main office.
The disaster recovery facility is on a different electric power grid than the main office, and it is served by a different telephone central office. The facility also has its own electrical generator.
Since this facility was created in 1992, it has been used as an adjunct to Madoff Securities' main office, and it has not been confronted with a major emergency. But the existence of this facility testifies to the high priority the firm places on being available to meet the needs of its clients under all conditions.
Return to Table of Contents...
The Owner's Name is on the Door
In an era of faceless organizations owned by other equally faceless organizations, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC harks back to an earlier era in the financial world: The owner's name is on the door. Clients know that Bernard Madoff has a personal interest in maintaining the unblemished record of value, fair-dealing, and high ethical standards that has always been the firm's hallmark.
Bernard L. Madoff founded the investment firm that bears his name in 1960, soon after leaving law school. His brother, Peter B. Madoff, graduated from law school and joined the firm in 1970. While building the firm into a significant force in the securities industry, they have both been deeply involved in leading the dramatic transformation that has been underway in US securities trading.
Bernard L. Madoff has been a major figure in the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the major self-regulatory organization for US broker/dealer firms. The firm was one of the five broker/dealers most closely involved in developing the NASDAQ Stock Market. He has been chairman of the board of directors of the NASDAQ Stock Market as well as a member of the board of governors of the NASD and a member of numerous NASD committees.
One major US financial publication lauded Bernard Madoff for his role in "helping to make NASDAQ a faster, fairer, more efficient and more international system." He has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Securities Industry Association.
Reflecting the growing international involvement of the firm, when Madoff Securities opened a London office in 1983, it would become one of the first US members of the London Stock Exchange. Bernard Madoff was also a founding member of the board of directors of the International Securities Clearing Corporation in London.
Peter B. Madoff has also been deeply involved in the NASD and other financial services regulatory organizations. He has served as vice chairman of the NASD, a member of its board of governors, and chairman of its New York region. He also has been actively involved in the NASDAQ Stock Market as a member of its board of governors and its executive committee and as chairman of its trading committee. He also has been president of the Security Traders Association of New York. He is a member of the board of directors of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. He is a member of the board of the Securities Industry Association.
Bernard and Peter Madoff have both played instrumental roles in the development of the fully computerized National Stock Exchange. Peter Madoff has been a member of its board of governors and has served on its executive committee. They have helped make the National Exchange the fastest growing regional stock exchange in the United States.
These positions of leadership not only indicate the deep interest Madoff Securities has shown in its industry, they also reflect the respect the firm and its management have achieved in the financial community.
Bottom line, however. READ this press release. It is amazing what the power of what words can do. Look what they say about the company...about how good it is.....little did ANYONE know that it was a shame....a house of cards.....
Moral of the story: MARKETING WORKS!!!!
Madoff Securities: Quality Executions and Service
Through Innovative Technology
Jump to specific categories:
A Global Leader in Trading U.S. Equities
Providing a Complete Dealing Capability for US Securities in Europe
Advanced Technology and Sophisticated Traders
Clearing and Settlement are Rooted in Advanced Technology
Disaster Recovery Facility Reflects the Attention to Every Detail
The Owner's Name is on the Door
A Global Leader in Trading US Equities
Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC is a leading international market maker. The firm has been providing quality executions for broker-dealers, banks, and financial institutions since its inception in 1960. During this time, Madoff has compiled an uninterrupted record of growth, which has enabled us to continually build our financial resources. With more than $700 million in firm capital, Madoff currently ranks among the top 1% of US Securities firms. Our sophisticated proprietary automation and unparalleled client service delivers an enhanced execution that is virtually unmatched in our industry.
Madoff Securities' clients include scores of leading securities firms, banks and financial institutions from across the United States and around the world. The firm is a leading market-maker in all of the S&P 500 stocks as well as over 350 NASDAQ issues. The firm is known for its fine pricing as well as its ability to execute most orders in seconds.
Madoff Securities' superior service is made possible by a sophisticated dealing staff backed by the securities industry's most advanced technology. It is underpinned by the personal commitment of founder Bernard L. Madoff and his brother Peter B. Madoff, who is the senior managing director. Their dedication to providing quality executions has enabled the firm to become a leader in the US "third market," which trades US listed equities away from the exchange floor. Madoff Securities is a registered US broker/dealer regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
Return to Table of Contents...
An Intricate Interweaving of Advanced Technology and Sophisticated Traders
One of the critical ingredients in creating the added value which Madoff Securities offers its clients is the firm's intricate interweaving of advanced technology and experienced traders. The firm's position at the forefront of computerized trading is widely acknowledged in the US financial community.
Madoff Securities' leading edge information processing technology means clients can choose to communicate their buy and sell orders to the firm's trading room by electronically inputting them or by making a telephone call. In either case, once an order is received, Madoff's systems scan prevailing prices in all markets to establish an execution price. Because this process may take only seconds, clients can receive immediate confirmation of their transactions.
Sophisticated computers are integral to every aspect of the firm's activities, from executing trades to clearing and settling them, from monitoring prices to identifying trading opportunities around the world.
Madoff Securities also utilizes its computers to seek out opportunities for hedging its inventory of securities. The firm uses a variety of futures, options, and other instruments to hedge its positions and limit its risks. While these hedging strategies are an important tool in protecting the firm's financial position, ultimately, these highly prudent risk management policies protect the interests of clients as well.
Return to Table of Contents...
At Madoff Securities, Clearing and Settlement are Rooted in Advanced Technology
The combination of quality and value that is inherent in every Madoff Securities transaction continues beyond execution. At Madoff , the clearing and settlement process is also rooted in advanced technology, which minimizes errors and maximizes efficient processing and rapid communications.
Madoff Securities is a full clearing firm and a member of all US clearing corporations and depositories. The firm's highly automated clearing and settlement systems interface with the Depository Trust Company, the Options Clearing Corporation, and the National Securities Clearing Corporation, of which Bernard Madoff is a past chairman. The firm's systems also interface fully with the systems of all major global custodians and clearing & Settlement systems.
Madoff Securities' extensive network of relationships with other broker/dealers enables the firm to ensure timely delivery and settlement of all client transactions.
Moreover, Madoff Securities' computerized transaction processing means that the firm can customize client reports and deliver them electronically in whatever format best meets the needs of clients.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents.
Return to Table of Contents...
Sophisticated Disaster Recovery Facilities, Reflects the Attention to Every Detail
Madoff Securities has one of the most sophisticated disaster recovery facilities found anywhere in the securities industry. In addition to its offices in Manhattan, Madoff Securities maintains a fully equipped and staffed facility located near LaGuardia Airport. This office duplicates all of the features of the primary Madoff Securities offices. Madoff Securities' disaster recovery facility is not just an alternative trading room, but rather a full-fledged office which is equipped to receive and transact orders and to handle the clearing and settlement process as well.
Under the supervision of a facilities manager, this unique on-line facility is tested continuously to ensure that it is prepared to take over the firm's operations if any kind of disaster were to affect the Manhattan office. Members of the firm's staff are rotated through the facility and regularly perform their work from it. Thus, there is always staff on hand in case disaster strikes at the firm's main office.
The disaster recovery facility is on a different electric power grid than the main office, and it is served by a different telephone central office. The facility also has its own electrical generator.
Since this facility was created in 1992, it has been used as an adjunct to Madoff Securities' main office, and it has not been confronted with a major emergency. But the existence of this facility testifies to the high priority the firm places on being available to meet the needs of its clients under all conditions.
Return to Table of Contents...
The Owner's Name is on the Door
In an era of faceless organizations owned by other equally faceless organizations, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC harks back to an earlier era in the financial world: The owner's name is on the door. Clients know that Bernard Madoff has a personal interest in maintaining the unblemished record of value, fair-dealing, and high ethical standards that has always been the firm's hallmark.
Bernard L. Madoff founded the investment firm that bears his name in 1960, soon after leaving law school. His brother, Peter B. Madoff, graduated from law school and joined the firm in 1970. While building the firm into a significant force in the securities industry, they have both been deeply involved in leading the dramatic transformation that has been underway in US securities trading.
Bernard L. Madoff has been a major figure in the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the major self-regulatory organization for US broker/dealer firms. The firm was one of the five broker/dealers most closely involved in developing the NASDAQ Stock Market. He has been chairman of the board of directors of the NASDAQ Stock Market as well as a member of the board of governors of the NASD and a member of numerous NASD committees.
One major US financial publication lauded Bernard Madoff for his role in "helping to make NASDAQ a faster, fairer, more efficient and more international system." He has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Securities Industry Association.
Reflecting the growing international involvement of the firm, when Madoff Securities opened a London office in 1983, it would become one of the first US members of the London Stock Exchange. Bernard Madoff was also a founding member of the board of directors of the International Securities Clearing Corporation in London.
Peter B. Madoff has also been deeply involved in the NASD and other financial services regulatory organizations. He has served as vice chairman of the NASD, a member of its board of governors, and chairman of its New York region. He also has been actively involved in the NASDAQ Stock Market as a member of its board of governors and its executive committee and as chairman of its trading committee. He also has been president of the Security Traders Association of New York. He is a member of the board of directors of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. He is a member of the board of the Securities Industry Association.
Bernard and Peter Madoff have both played instrumental roles in the development of the fully computerized National Stock Exchange. Peter Madoff has been a member of its board of governors and has served on its executive committee. They have helped make the National Exchange the fastest growing regional stock exchange in the United States.
These positions of leadership not only indicate the deep interest Madoff Securities has shown in its industry, they also reflect the respect the firm and its management have achieved in the financial community.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Having a baby? Don't forget the baby shower!
Early Symptoms of Pregnancy
Are you pregnant? One way to tell is to look for signs — like tender breasts, fatigue, and nausea — all of which can show up a few short weeks after conception. Here's a look at the most common early symptoms of pregnancy.
Many will be similar to the feeling you get right before your period (bloating, fatigue, breast tenderness…) so it may be hard to tell whether they signal your period or motherhood. Still, if you've been TTC and you've got some (or all) of these symptoms, it may be time to pull out an HPT.
Tender, swollen breasts: That tingly, sore, and/or full feeling in your breasts is a first sign. The dazzling hormonal duo — estrogen and progesterone — deserves most of the credit (or the blame) for this breast (and nipple) tenderness. It's pain with a gain, though, since they're preparing your body for the milk-making mania to come.
Fatigue: Imagine running a daily marathon (without training) or climbing a mountain (ditto) while carrying a backpack that weighs a little more every day. That's pregnancy in a nutshell. In other words, it's hard work! During early pregnancy, a huge amount of energy goes into building a life-support system for your baby (aka the placenta). And all that baby building can zap you of your usual get-up-and-go right from the get-go.
Bleeding and cramping: Light spotting or implantation bleeding before you'd expect your period (around five to ten days after conception) is sometimes a sign that an embryo has implanted itself into the uterine wall. Some women also experience abdominal cramping in the first few weeks of pregnancy, similar to menstrual cramps. Only a small percentage of women experience implantation bleeding or cramping, however, so you can miss these symptoms and still be pregnant.
Nausea and heightened sense of smell: That tell-tale queasy feeling in your stomach, also known as morning sickness, can hit you anytime of day beginning just a few short weeks into your pregnancy. Hormones — mainly increased levels of progesterone, which causes the stomach to empty more slowly — are, again, largely to blame (though estrogen and hCG can also take some credit for your nausea). You may also develop a heightened sense of smell, making previously mild odors strong and unappealing.
Food aversions and cravings: Almost all expectant mothers experience cravings, and most experience at least one aversion as well (thanks, again, to hormones). And that's not a bad thing: Many cravings and aversions have an uncanny way of keeping you away from the bad stuff (coffee and alcohol, for example) and drawing you to the good stuff .
Frequent urination: Two to three weeks after conception you may notice an increased need to pee. This new gotta-go feeling is due to the pregnancy hormone hCG, which increases blood flow to your kidneys, helping them to more efficiently rid your body (and eventually, your baby's body) of waste. Your growing uterus (yes, it's starting to grow already!) is also beginning to put some pressure on your bladder, leaving less storage space for urine and making you head for the toilet more frequently.
Bloating: Having trouble buttoning your jeans? Early pregnancy bloating is hard to distinguish from pre-period bloat, but it's definitely something you'll feel early on (for most women, that is). You can't blame that puffy ate-too-much feeling on your baby yet, but you can blame it on the hormone progesterone, which helps slow down digestion, giving the nutrients from foods you eat more time to enter your bloodstream and reach your baby.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Don't Delay! Order Your Gift Baskets Today!
It's not too late. You can still send holiday gift baskets to Aunt Sue, Uncle Bill and Grandma and Pop-Pop. We have over 1000 gifts and gift baskets. From chocolate pretzels, to cookie bouquets, to spiral hams, gourmet food gifts, wine cases and more....we have it all at Shop the Gift Basket Store.
Don't just send a gift, send a memory. Make a happy holiday memory today with one of our Holiday or Christmas Gift Baskets or cookie bouquets.
You can still order ground shipping and get it there in time!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
So, You Want To Have Twins? Chances for Multiple Births
So, you want to have twins?
Interested in knowing what your chances are for multiple births. Currently in the U.S., there are 31 pairs of twins for every 1,000 babies born. That's up 65 percent in the past 20 years!
Why such a huge increase? Much of it's due to advances in assisted reproduction, of course, but there are also other factors at play, at least when it comes to fraternal twins (identical twins occur at random, so they're even more of an exciting surprise!). Your chances of seeing double (or more) go up if:
You have twins in your family. Heredity plays a role — but only on the mom's side. Even if your partner's family tree is loaded with dynamic duos, that won't increase your own odds of conceiving twins.
You're African-American. Black women are a bit more likely than Caucasians to have twins;
if you're Asian or Hispanic, then you're a bit less likely to get two-for-one.
You're an older mom-to-be. As you age, your chances of conceiving twins multiply.
You've been pregnant before. With each pregnancy, the odds that you'll have twins go up.
You've had twins before. Lightning can and does strike twice! If you've already borne a set of twins, look out — you're twice as likely to do so again.
You're undergoing fertility treatment. About 20 to 25 percent of women taking ovary-stimulating drugs or undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) will conceive twins or higher-order multiples.
You're overweight. Recent studies have shown that obese women are twice as likely to give birth to fraternal twins as those who aren't obese.
You're tall. The same studies found that taller women tend to face higher odds of having fraternal twins.
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