How a Lousy Economy Can Make You Sick

As the stock market hovers around all-time highs and fears over some kind of reversal intensify, financial advisors who hedge against potential losses may be protecting their clients’ health as well as their wealth.

That is one conclusion that could be drawn from a rash of new studies linking recession, stock market crashes and volatility to an increase in anxiety, migraines and ulcers, and even hospital admissions.

One of the studies, conducted by a team at San Diego State University led by epidemiologist John Ayers and published in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, took a novel, big-data approach to identifying health changes during the Great Recession.

Instead of relying on after-the-fact health surveys, the researchers looked at Internet search queries, seen as offering immediate and precise descriptions of symptoms.

The researchers compared the cumulative difference between queries (e.g., “stomach ulcer symptoms” or “back pain relief”) observed and expected based on trends prior to the study period of December 2008 through 2011.

For the 100 most frequently queried symptoms, the Great Recession produced 205 million health concern queries beyond prerecession trend expectations.

The top maladies, thematically, involved headache, hernia, chest pain and arrhythmia, which generated, respectively, 41%, 37%, 35% and 32% more queries than expected.

More specifically, however, stomach ulcer symptoms and headache symptoms saw recession-era increases of 228% and 193%.

Overall, the study tentatively associates the Great Recession with “worsening population health.”

A closely related, though entirely independent study by finance professors Joseph Engelberg and Christopher Parsons, both of U.C. San Diego, shows that sharp stock market drops are positively linked to immediate spikes in hospital admissions.

Interestingly, mental health maladies such as anxiety, panic disorder and depression were the most pervasive conditions leading to hospitalization. (As for physical ill effects, the researchers found they were most prevalent amidst stock reversals of local companies, suggesting concerns related to jobs and income.)

Top 10 Undervalued Companies To Watch For 2015

“Virtually the entire effect shows up the first day (as with the October 1987 crash), with a magnitude roughly twice that observed for non-psychological disorders,” which may result in hospital admission the following day, the authors find. “A daily return in the bottom quintile increases hospital admissions by 0.63% over the next two days,” they estimate.

Most people suffering from anxiety, of course, don’t end up in a hospital. But looking at these most severe cases and applying back-of-the-envelope calculations, the authors extrapolate from their California-centered 30-year study that — nationally — stock market declines increase health care costs by roughly $650 million annually, looking at hospitalization costs and population data.

The researchers suggest further study of the financial media’s effect on the health of the population, noting the “widespread dissemination of financial information, on an almost minute-to-minute basis” may heighten the distress of those experiencing market losses because of anticipatory emotions.

Anticipatory emotions involving stock market anxiety were, coincidentally, the subject of a survey of 128 advisors by Hartford Funds, which found that client anxiety about investment losses results in their prioritizing low risk over the potential for greater return.

The survey lends further support to the classic equity premium puzzle, which explains investors’ allegiance to lower-return bonds as a result of inordinate fear of stock losses.

A majority of advisors, 57%, say client anxiety of this nature has adversely affected their investment decisions.

Emerging-market funds especially induce anxiety, say 90% of surveyed advisors, with 65% citing international bond funds.

In contrast, equity value funds and corporate bond funds produced the least amount of stress, advisors say of their clients.

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Check out Greed, Sex and Drugs on Wall St.: Therapist to Financial Pros Tells All on ThinkAdvisor.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now

Congressional negotiators selling a budget accord won Republican endorsements for the plan to ease automatic U.S. spending cuts for two years, remove the risk of a government shutdown and cut the deficit by $23 billion.

“I believe it'll get a majority of the majority” of House Republicans and a large number of Democratic votes, Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, said Wednesday after a Capitol Hill briefing. The House may vote as early as tomorrow on the plan.

Chief architects Senator Patty Murray and Representative Paul Ryan in announcing the deal said that while imperfect, the plan would provide economic certainty by establishing a bipartisan budget for the first time in four years.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.O)

Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), incorporated in 1984, is a mobile communications company operating across the globe providing a range of communications services. The Company offers a range of products and services, including voice, messaging, data and fixed-line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their total communications needs. Vodafone has a global presence, with equity interests in over 30 countries and over 40 partner markets worldwide. It operates in three geographic regions: Europe, Africa and Central Europe; Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has an investment in Verizon Wireless in the United States. In October 2010, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the business within Vodafone, announced the acquisition of two telecom expense management (TEM) companies, Quickcomm and TnT Expense Management. In November 2011, the Company sold 24.4% interest in Polkomtel in Poland. In March 2012, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communication s Inc. and Vodafone, purchased the operating assets of Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania from the Company. In April 2012, its Netherlands-based division, Vodafone Libertel BV, acquired Telespectrum-DJ. On October 31, 2012, the Company acquired TelstraClear Limited. In May 2013, Vodafone Group Plc announced launch of its carrier services business unit.

In Europe, the Company�� mobile subsidiaries and joint venture operate under the brand name Vodafone. Its associate in France operates as SFR and Neuf Cegetel, and its fixed-line communication businesses operate as Vodafone, Arcor, Tele2 and TeleTu. Vodafone�� subsidiaries in Africa and Central Europe operate under the Vodafone brand, or in the case of Vodacom and its mobile subsidiaries, the Vodacom and Gateway brands. Its joint venture in Poland operates as Polkomtel and its associate in Kenya operates as Safaricom. The Company�� subsidiaries and joint venture in Fiji operate under the Vodafone brand, and its joint venture in Australia operates under the bran! d! s Vodafone and 3. The Company�� associate in the United States operates under the brand Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone has an international customer base with 370 million mobile customers across the world as of March 31, 2011. Vodafone also caters to all business segments ranging from small-office-home-office (SoHo) and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporates and multinational corporations. Through its subsidiaries, Vodafone directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores around the world. The Company also has around 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores run through franchise and exclusive dealer arrangements.

The Company�� range of handsets covers all its customer segments and price points, and is available in a variety of designs. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), 14 new handsets were released under its own brand and it shipped 5.8 million. In addition to handsets, it supplies a range of connected smart devices. It su pplies the iPhone in 19 markets. During fiscal 2011, the Company launched its USB stick based on 4G/LTE technology in Germany and Verizon Wireless launched in the United States.; Vodafone WebBox; a smartphone roaming data plan that allows the European customers to use their home data plan abroad for only 2 a day to access the Internet, emails and applications; the Android-powered Vodafone 845 and 945 devices; Vodafone TV services; Vodafone 252, which comes pre-loaded with Vodafone M-Pesa for mobile payment services and a prepaid balance indicator that helps customers to keep track of their phone credit to avoid overspending; Vodafone M-Pesa in South Africa, Qatar and Fiji; 3G services in India, and LTE services by acquiring LTE spectrum in Germany.

The Company is a carrier of mobile voice traffic in the world providing domestic, international and roaming voice services to more than 370 million customers. Its networks sent and received over 292 billion text, pic ture, music and video messages during fiscal 2011. The ! Compa! ny! serves! more than 75 million customers with data services, which allow access to the Internet, email and applications on their phones, tablets, laptops and netbooks. The Company provides a range of data products, including Machine-to-machine (��2M�� connections, which allow devices to communicate with one another via built-in mobile SIM cards; Third party billing; Financial services; Near field communication (��FC��, and Mobile advertising. The Company, as of March 31, 2011, served 5.3 million M2M connections around the world. NFC allows communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. The Company has mobile advertising business in 18 countries with a range of capabilities. Over six million customers use its fixed broadband services in 13 markets to meet their total communications needs. In addition, through Gateway, it provides wholesale carrier services to more than 40 African countries. Other service revenue includes business managed services, such as secure remote network access, and revenue from mobile virtual network operators generated from selling access to its network at the wholesale level. The Company�� enterprise customers range from small-office-home-office (��oHo�� businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises (��MEs��, through to domestic and multinational companies. The Company has 34 million enterprise customers accounting for around 9% of all customers and around 23% of service revenue. The Company focuses on SoHos and SMEs to provide customers with integrated fixed and mobile communications solutions. Vodafone Global Enterprise manages the communication needs of over 560 of the multinational corporate customers. It provides a range of managed services, such as Central Ordering, Device Manager, Spend Manager Solutions, Invoice Manager, Vodafone Neverfail and Telecoms management. The Company offers a range of total communications applications, as well as services for enterprise and consumer customers. V! odafone !! Always Be! st Connected software enables customers to stay connected to the Internet on the available connection wherever they are by automatically managing the switching between connection types including mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and LAN. Vodafone PC Backup is an online back-up and restores service that enables users to remotely store data securely and automatically via their Internet connection.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Sprint Nextel Corp (S.C)

Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint), incorporated on November 15, 1938, is a holding company, with its operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries. The Company operates in two segments: Wireless and Wireline. Sprint is a communications company offering a range of wireless and wireline communications products and services that are designed to meet the needs of individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. Its operations are organized to meet the needs of its targeted subscriber groups through focused communications solutions that incorporate the capabilities of its wireless and wireline services. Its services are provided through its ownership of extensive wireless networks, an all-digital global long distance network. The Company offers wireless and wireline voice and data transmission services to subscribers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands under the Sprint corporate brand, which includes its retail brands of Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Assurance Wireless on networks that utilize third generation (3G) code division multiple access (CDMA), integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), or Internet protocol (IP) technologies. The Company also offers fourth generation (4G) services utilizing Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology through its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wholesale relationship with Clearwire Corporation and its subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC (together Clearwire) and, in October 2011, it announced its focus to deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology as part of its network modernization plan, Network Vision. As of October 19, 2012, the Company controls 50.8% interest in Clearwire Corp.

Wireless

The Company offers wireless services on a postpaid and prepaid payment basis to retail subscribers and also on a wholesale and affiliate basis, which includes the sale of wireless services that utilize the Sprint network but are sold under! the wholesaler's brand. The Company supports the open development of applications, content, and devices on its network platforms through products and services, such as Google Voice, which allows for functionality, such as one phone number for all devices (home, wireless and office), routing calls between devices, and in-call options to switch between devices during a call and Google Wallet, which provides the ability to store loyalty, gift and credit cards, and to tap and pay while the customer shop using their wireless device. The Company has also launched multiple Sprint ID packs that download applications, widgets and other content related to a person's interest at the push of a button. In addition, it enables a variety of business and consumer third-party relationships, through its portfolio of machine-to-machine solutions, which it offers on a retail postpaid and wholesale basis. Its machine-to-machine solutions portfolio provides a secure, real-time and reliable wireless two-way data connection across a range of connected devices, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices and after-market in-vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle charging stations, point-of-sale systems, kiosks and vending machines, asset tracking, digital signage, security, smartgrid utilities, medical equipment and a variety of other consumer electronics and appliances.

The Company offers price plans tailored to business subscribers, such as Business Advantage, which allows for the mix and match plans that include voice, voice and messaging, or voice, messaging and data to meet individual business needs and which also includes its Any Mobile Anytime feature with certain plans. Its prepaid portfolio includes multiple brands, each designed to appeal to specific subscriber segments. Virgin Mobile serves subscribers who are device and data-oriented with Beyond Talk plans and its broadband plan, Broadband2Go, that offer subscribers control and connectivity through various communication vehicles. Assuran! ce Wirele! ss provides eligible subscribers, who meet income requirements or are receiving government assistance, with a free wireless phone and 250 free minutes of local and long distance monthly service. Wireless data communications services include mobile productivity applications, such as Internet access, messaging and email services; wireless photo and video offerings; location-based capabilities, including asset and fleet management, dispatch services and navigation tools, and mobile entertainment applications, including the ability to view live television, listen to satellite radio, download and listen to music, and game play with full-color graphics and polyphonic and real-music sounds from a wireless handset.

Wireless voice communications services include basic local and long distance wireless voice services throughout the United States, as well as voicemail, call waiting, three-way calling, caller identification, directory assistance and call forwarding. It also provides voice and data services to areas in numerous countries outside of the United States through roaming arrangements. It offers customized design, development, implementation and support for wireless services provided to companies and government agencies. Its services are provided using a variety of multi-functional devices, including smartphones, mobile broadband devices, such as air cards and hotspots, and embedded tablets and laptops manufactured by various suppliers for use with its voice and data services. It sells accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, batteries, battery chargers and other items to subscribers, and it sells devices and accessories to agents and other third-party distributors for resale.

The Company delivers wireless services to subscribers primarily through its existing networks or as a reseller of 4G services through its MVNO wholesale relationship with Clearwire. Its Sprint platform, an all-digital wireless network with spectrum licenses that allows the Company to provide! service ! in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, uses a single frequency band and a digital spread-spectrum wireless technology, code division multiple access (CDMA), that allows a number of users to access the band by assigning a code to all voice and data bits, sending a scrambled transmission of the encoded bits over the air and reassembling the voice and data into its original format. It provides nationwide service through a combination of operating its own digital network in United States metropolitan areas and rural connecting routes, affiliations under commercial arrangements with third-party affiliates (Affiliates) and roaming on other providers' networks.

The Company markets its postpaid services under the Sprint and Nextel brands. It offers these services on a contract basis typically for one or two-year periods, with services billed on a monthly basis according to the applicable pricing plan. As it deploy Network Vision, it will continue to focus on the Sprint platform postpaid subscriber base, including the migration of existing Nextel platform subscribers to other offerings on its Sprint platform, which includes future offerings on its multi-mode network, such as Sprint Direct Connect. It markets its prepaid services under the Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Assurance Wireless brands as a means to provide value-driven prepaid service plans to particular markets. Its wholesale customers are resellers of its wireless services rather than end-use subscribers and market their products and services using their brands.

The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Wireless (Verizon), T-Mobile, Metro PCS Communications, Inc., Leap Wireless International, Inc. and TracFone Wireless.

Wireline

The Company provides a suite of wireline voice and data communications services to other communications companies and targeted business and consumer subscribers. In addition, it provides voice, data and IP communication services to its Wireles! s segment! , and IP and other services to cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs). Cable MSOs resell its local and long distance services and use its back office systems and network assets in support of their telephone service provided over cable facilities primarily to residential end-user subscribers. The Company is a provider of long distance services and operate all-digital global long distance and Tier 1 IP networks.

The Company�� services and products include domestic and international data communications using various protocols such as multiprotocol label switching technologies (MPLS), IP, managed network services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) and traditional voice services. Its IP services can also be combined with wireless services. Such services include its Sprint Mobile Integration service, which enables a wireless handset to operate as part of a subscriber's wireline voice network, and its DataLinkSM service, which uses its wireless networks to connect a subscriber location into their primarily wireline wide-area IP/MPLS data network.

The Company also provides wholesale voice local and long distance services to cable MSOs, which they offer as part of their bundled service offerings, as well as traditional voice and data services for their enterprise use. The Company also continues to provide voice services to residential consumers. Its Wireline segment markets and sells its services primarily through direct sales representatives. It offers VoIP-based services to business subscribers and transport VoIP-originated traffic for various cable companies.

The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Communications, CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications, Inc.

10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP.O)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

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Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personne l or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Util! it! ies, oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enter prises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV ) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold prim! arily ! t! o EchoSt! ar, an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Moko Social Media Ltd (MKB)

Moko Social Media Ltd , formerly MOKO.mobi Limited, is an Australia-based integrated global social media company. The Company was engaged in delivering mobile social networking services to global consumers within the youth and young adult demographic. The Company operates in four segments: mobile social networks, mobile advertising, mobile content & gaming, and mobile commerce. The Company operates in five geographical segments: Australia, Europe, Asia, United States and Africa. On July 26, 2011, the Company acquired the mBuzzy assets from SendMe Inc (mBuzzy). On December 16, 2011, the Company acquired 100% interest in the Paper Tree Limited group of entities (PTL Group). The Company�� subsidiaries include MOKO.mobi Inc, Paper Tree Limited and Southern Breeze Trading 3 Pty Ltd.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Vodafone Group PLC (VOD)

Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), incorporated in 1984, is a mobile communications company operating across the globe providing a range of communications services. The Company offers a range of products and services, including voice, messaging, data and fixed-line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their total communications needs. Vodafone has a global presence, with equity interests in over 30 countries and over 40 partner markets worldwide. It operates in three geographic regions: Europe, Africa and Central Europe; Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has an investment in Verizon Wireless in the United States. In October 2010, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the business within Vodafone, announced the acquisition of two telecom expense management (TEM) companies, Quickcomm and TnT Expense Management. In November 2011, the Company sold 24.4% interest in Polkomtel in Poland. In March 2012, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone, purchased the operating assets of Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania from the Company. In April 2012, its Netherlands-based division, Vodafone Libertel BV, acquired Telespectrum-DJ. On October 31, 2012, the Company acquired TelstraClear Limited. In May 2013, Vodafone Group Plc announced launch of its carrier services business unit.

In Europe, the Company�� mobile subsidiaries and joint venture operate under the brand name Vodafone. Its associate in France operates as SFR and Neuf Cegetel, and its fixed-line communication businesses operate as Vodafone, Arcor, Tele2 and TeleTu. Vodafone�� subsidiaries in Africa and Central Europe operate under the Vodafone brand, or in the case of Vodacom and its mobile subsidiaries, the Vodacom and Gateway brands. Its joint venture in Poland operates as Polkomtel and its associate in Kenya operates as Safaricom. The Company�� subsidiaries and joint venture in Fiji operate under the Vodafone brand, and its joint venture in Australia operates under the brands V! odafone and 3. The Company�� associate in the United States operates under the brand Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone has an international customer base with 370 million mobile customers across the world as of March 31, 2011. Vodafone also caters to all business segments ranging from small-office-home-office (SoHo) and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporates and multinational corporations. Through its subsidiaries, Vodafone directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores around the world. The Company also has around 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores run through franchise and exclusive dealer arrangements.

The Company�� range of handsets covers all its customer segments and price points, and is available in a variety of designs. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), 14 new handsets were released under its own brand and it shipped 5.8 million. In addition to handsets, it supplies a range of connected smart devices. It supplies the iPhone in 19 markets. During fiscal 2011, the Company launched its USB stick based on 4G/LTE technology in Germany and Verizon Wireless launched in the United States.; Vodafone WebBox; a smartphone roaming data plan that allows the European customers to use their home data plan abroad for only 2 a day to access the Internet, emails and applications; the Android-powered Vodafone 845 and 945 devices; Vodafone TV services; Vodafone 252, which comes pre-loaded with Vodafone M-Pesa for mobile payment services and a prepaid balance indicator that helps customers to keep track of their phone credit to avoid overspending; Vodafone M-Pesa in South Africa, Qatar and Fiji; 3G services in India, and LTE services by acquiring LTE spectrum in Germany.

The Company is a carrier of mobile voice traffic in the world providing domestic, international and roaming voice services to more than 370 million customers. Its networks sent and received over 292 billion text, picture, music and video messages during fiscal 2011. The Company ! serves mo! re than 75 million customers with data services, which allow access to the Internet, email and applications on their phones, tablets, laptops and netbooks. The Company provides a range of data products, including Machine-to-machine (��2M�� connections, which allow devices to communicate with one another via built-in mobile SIM cards; Third party billing; Financial services; Near field communication (��FC��, and Mobile advertising. The Company, as of March 31, 2011, served 5.3 million M2M connections around the world. NFC allows communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. The Company has mobile advertising business in 18 countries with a range of capabilities. Over six million customers use its fixed broadband services in 13 markets to meet their total communications needs. In addition, through Gateway, it provides wholesale carrier services to more than 40 African countries. Other service revenue includes business managed services, such as secure remote network access, and revenue from mobile virtual network operators generated from selling access to its network at the wholesale level. The Company�� enterprise customers range from small-office-home-office (��oHo�� businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises (��MEs��, through to domestic and multinational companies. The Company has 34 million enterprise customers accounting for around 9% of all customers and around 23% of service revenue. The Company focuses on SoHos and SMEs to provide customers with integrated fixed and mobile communications solutions. Vodafone Global Enterprise manages the communication needs of over 560 of the multinational corporate customers. It provides a range of managed services, such as Central Ordering, Device Manager, Spend Manager Solutions, Invoice Manager, Vodafone Neverfail and Telecoms management. The Company offers a range of total communications applications, as well as services for enterprise and consumer customers. Vodafone Alw! ays Best ! Connected software enables customers to stay connected to the Internet on the available connection wherever they are by automatically managing the switching between connection types including mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and LAN. Vodafone PC Backup is an online back-up and restores service that enables users to remotely store data securely and automatically via their Internet connection.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  Vodafone Group (VOD) has a market capitalization of $168.43 billion. The company employs 91,272 people, generates revenue of $71.130 billion and has a net income of $1.077 billion. Vodafone Group�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $21.994 billion. The EBITDA margin is 30.92 percent (the operating margin is 10.64 percent and the net profit margin 1.51 percent).

• [By Sam Robson]

  LONDON -- Vodafone (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) has drawn first blood in the ongoing saga with Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ  ) over the ownership of Verizon Wireless, after the U.S. telecoms Goliath relented after claiming initially that Wireless's dividend payout was not assured this year.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Intelsat SA (I)

Intelsat S.A., incorporated on July 18, 2011, is a satellite services business, providing a layer in the global communications infrastructure. The Company operates satellite capacity, holds orbital location rights, contract backlog, serve commercial customers and deliver services. It provides diversified communications services to the world�� media companies, fixed and wireless telecommunications operators, data networking service providers for enterprise and mobile applications, multinational corporations and Internet service providers (ISPs). It is also the provider of commercial satellite capacity to the United States government and other select military organizations and their contractors.

The Company has a satellite fleet comprised of more than 50 satellites, covering 99% of the Earth�� populated regions. Its fleet, combined with the IntelsatOne terrestrial fiber network and a collection of teleports, form a singular unmatched global infrastructure to meet any communications requirement. As the provider of satellite services, the Company provides mission critical communication services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Satellite services provider�Intelsat (NYSE: I  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.799 per share on its 5.75% Series A mandatory convertible junior non-voting preferred stock, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol I.PRA.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  My guess is that few traders are at their desks this morning–there’s almost no one at Barron’s office either–and stocks reflect that. Some, like Tesla�(TSLA) and CalAmp (CAMP), are seeing sizable� news-related moves.

Stock Bargains Not Hard to Find, JPMorgan Says

In the 60s, we might have asked, “Where have all the flowers gone?” In 2014, however, we’re asking, “Where have all the cheap stocks gone?”

Reuters

Sure, after the S&P 500′s big gain, the median stock in the benchmark trades at 16.5 times forward earnings, says JPMorgan’s Thomas Lee, but that doesn’t mean that cheap stocks are extinct–or hard to find.

Lee notes that by simply dividing the S&P 500 into equal groups leaves 125 stocks that have an average P/E of 11.8 times forward earnings, with a range of 8x to 13x. Not only are these stocks cheaper than the market, they’re not lacking for growth either, Lee says. The average member of this group should grow by about 11%, far lower than the most expensive stocks’ 20% growth rate, but at less than half the valuation.

“In other words,” Lee writes, “there remains a substantial portion of the market offering double-digit growth for a mere 11.8x P/E.”

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Lee screened for stocks with low P/Es, positive net income growth, that had Overweight ratings by JPMorgan analysts and upside to analyst target prices. He found 19, including insurers MetLife (MET) and Aetna (AET), banking behemoth Wells Fargo (WFC), Meritage Homes (MTH) and hospital operator Community Health Systems (CYH).

Shares of Metlife have dropped 0.8% today to $54.10 at 3:38 p.m., while Aetna has fallen 0.5% to $71.36, Wells Fargo has dipped 0.5% to $45.93, Meritage Homes has declined 2.6% to $46.06 and Community Health Systems is off 1.4% at $41.26.

Barclays cuts 12,000 jobs, ups bonuses 10%

A previous version of this story misstated the number of people employed by Barclays.

LONDON — Britain's second-largest bank by assets Barclays is to cut 12,000 jobs, the firm's chief executive said on a conference call Tuesday.

Antony Jenkins confirmed the job losses as the bank said it had increased bonus payments by 10% in 2013 to $3.9 billion.

The job losses and bump in payments came on a day when Barclays announced that annual operating profit for 2013 at its key investment banking unit slumped 37% to $4.1 billion.

"We pay for performance and we pay competitively," Jenkins, 52, said in an interview with BBC radio. "It goes back to having the best talent across the world to serve our clients and customers."

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Around half of the job losses, which are aimed at cutting costs as the bank continues to reshape its business, will be in Britain.

The company employs about 140,000 people around the world from Singapore to San Francisco.

Shares in Barclays declined around 2% in London-listed trading following the announcement.

The Best Times to Begin Collecting Social Security

The typical American views Social Security as an entitlement – there for the taking at the first opportunity. But retirement planners know that isn’t often the best move. Financial advisor Karla McAvoy, of HC Financial Advisors, discusses the best ways to educate a client on when the time is right for Social Security, no matter what their circumstances.

Q. Please tell us a little about your firm, the clients that you represent and what you specialize in with regard to retirement planning.

Karla McAvoy: Our firm is 30 years old now. We’re a fee-only financial planning firm, covering both financial planning and asset management. We have eight people in the firm right now; about 210 clients; and about $260 million under management. The majority of our clients come to us a little bit before retirement or right into retirement. This change in how they are going to receive income is often a trigger for them to seek out financial advice. We do tend to get people in that 50-65 range, but really our clients run anywhere from a few in their 30s to a couple over 100 right now.

Q. Over 100?

Karla McAvoy: Yes, we have two clients that are over 100-years-old.

Q. And they’re still doing retirement planning?

Karla McAvoy: Well, they don’t so much financial planning, but they still need asset management.

Q. The unfortunate part of what I hear in your response is that most of your clients wait until they are nearly at retirement age before they come seek you out.

Karla McAvoy: I would say that is mostly true. Certainly we get clients at all times. It might be somebody that is going through a job change. It tends to be a major life event that triggers somebody. For example, there are a lot of widows that we work with, divorcees … Anytime that they are suddenly finding themselves in a different economic situation it can lead them to come to us. The other big one is an inheritance of some sort.

Q. Are there any trends or events in 2014 that will have an impact on how retirement planners should advise clients on Social Security?

Karla McAvoy: I don’t know that there is anything specific in 2014 that could cause me to change my advice to planners. I think that my advice tends to be fairly consistent, which is that people are living so much longer … and we just talked about the fact that we have a couple of clients that are over 100 years old … and they tend to be very healthy into their 70s and 80s. One of the strongest pieces of advice that a retirement planner can give to somebody that is near retirement is to work a little bit longer if they like their job and they can continue to do it. Because by working they can increase the amount of Social Security benefits that they get. They’ll get a larger benefit than they would normally be entitled to if they can wait all the way until age 72.

Q. When a typical client or would-be client comes to see a retirement planner, when do they usually intend to file for Social Security and what should a planner advise them based on what you just said?

Karla McAvoy: At first blush, I think that many people want to take Social Security the minute that they’ll eligible for it, which is usually at 62. Even if they’re still working -- especially if they’re still working -- I encourage planners to tell their client to wait. I sense that many people worry about the government; the funding; is Social Security going to be there. Many clients come in thinking, ‘oh, I should take it right away to make sure I get some.’ But planners should tell their clients -- especially from the Baby Boomer generation – that it is not going to be fundamentally different than it is right now.  There is basically just a math problem going on – we’ve got more people collecting, and collecting more than is going into the system. There are small changes that we can make in the way that Social Security is collected that can make it viable. Hopefully after a retirement planner educates them on the benefits of waiting, almost all of them are going to do that.

Q. How about younger clients, the clients that are in their 30s. Do they assume that Social Security will be there for them as well?

Karla McAvoy: No, I would say that they’re definitely more cynical about whether Social Security will be there, at least the ones that we’ve worked with. We have a fairly high minimum [in personal assets], which is $1 million. So these tend to be pretty well established professionals, or younger couples that have received money, perhaps from an inheritance. But they tend to feel they may not have Social Security available. So they have a much stronger desire to save what they need for retirement. I can’t say that’s true across the entire generation, but I definitely see that among our clients.

Q. Obviously not everyone in their 30s thinks, ‘oh no, there’s not going to be anything left for me.’ And there are certainly people in their 40s and 50s who may have a very cynical attitude about how much they’re going to be able to collect. How should a planner’s advice differ for somebody who doesn’t expect that they’re going to be able to tap into Social Security?

Karla McAvoy: Typically, we do comprehensive financial planning, and we’ll run models and we’ll show -- based on this rate of savings and expenses and so on -- this is how we would expect your retirement to go. For those younger people especially who ask us to eliminate the Social Security benefit, we can do that and just show them that if you had a Social Security benefit this is what your retirement could look like. And if you do not, this is what it could look like. I would say most of them are pretty strongly in favor of saving anyway, so it just gives them a level of comfort that if can see if Social Security were there it would just give them a little boost in income in retirement.

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Q. What is your advice to another retirement planner who is perhaps new in the game -- they haven’t been doing this long, and they haven’t seen Social Security from a historical perspective to know how to best ease the concerns and fears of a consumer who is worried about it?

Karla McAvoy: From a planner’s perspective I think it is very important to stay educated on what’s going on with legislation. There is plenty that you can read about the various reforms that are being proposed that could make Social Security viable for quite a long time. There is a web site called www.acquariary.org that has a fair amount of information about the various reforms that could be enacted that would continue to make Social Security viable. Education for us is probably one of the most important parts of our profession, so I think just going out and looking at some of these Congressional reforms that are out there.

Q. Is that how you keep yourself informed and up to speed on what is going on, or what other resources do you tap into?

Karla McAvoy: I’m a big reader. I read the Journal of Financial Planning. I have been very involved with numerous conferences for the profession. At almost every conference you will find information or sessions on Social Security. I may not attend one at every conference but certainly once a year or so I just go and catch up on it. I also subscribe to a web site called www.savvysocialsecurity.com. It is put out by a group called Horse’s Mouth. We rely on information there quite extensively. There are a whole variety of tools that you can use to model a particular client’s Social Security: what it would look like as a couple; what it would look like if one person dies quite early; what would happen if you wait and receive your Social Security at age 70. We use those models quite a bit to help clients as well.

Q. Getting back to the 100-year-olds, do you use them as examples when you talk to clients about their experiences in saving for retirement, and what their experiences were going through the various years in retirement? Do you point to them in any way as examples and if so, what do you have to say about them?

Karla McAvoy: We do all the time. One of the arguments that people always come in with on why they want to get Social Security at one of the earlier ages is, ‘I don’t think I’m going to live another 10 years,’ or some other argument like that. But the reality is that if you look at longevity statistics, if somebody has made it to 65 they’ve very likely to make it another 15 or 20 years. So I use the statistics. I also will be more than happy to say, ‘and you know what, we have clients that are over 100-years-old.’

Q. Are many clients surprised at the advice that they receive when they come in for a consultation versus what they would have anticipated?

Karla McAvoy: Some yes and some I think -- especially if we’ve been working with them for a while -- they kind of know where we’re headed with this. A lot of people will come in and have had that conversation with a friend or over a golf match or ‘so-and-so said I ought to be taking it right away, and you’re saying I shouldn’t,’ that’s where I start to lean on the numbers.

Q. What is your best advice for a retirement planner working with a married couple when it comes to Social Security? What should the strategy be?

Karla McAvoy: There are so many interesting strategies that you can employ for a couple. This is definitely a case where I would want to model various scenarios. There’s the strategy of each of them waiting [to collect0. If both of them have worked, especially if they have quite a large difference in their salaries, does it make sense for the one who’s making less to claim on their own benefit, or to claim the spousal benefit. There are various – they’re not really tricks but there are things out there that would allow the higher earner to “file and suspend” – so they could essentially say, I’d like to file for Social Security but I’m not going to collect on it. That allows their spouse to collect on it. This one I find much more difficult. I don’t think there is one simple answer. It is very personal, based on the couple, what they’re earning, if there is an age difference, if there are any health problems. I will find myself often running quite a number of scenarios to try to figure out what the best one is for them.

Q. What should planners recommend as the best alternatives to collecting Social Security at an early retirement age – that is, other assets or benefits that someone can tap into so that they don’t have to start collecting Social Security right away?

Karla McAvoy: The best asset that somebody can have is there job. So I think if you’re still working that allows you to push off collecting Social Security. In the absence of that – and this is becoming less likely -- if somebody can draw on a pension that can be helpful. In our client base, most have some other invested assets that they can begin to draw on to delay their Social Security for a few years.

Q. What is the advice that you think planners most want their clients to follow with regard to Social Security benefits?

Karla McAvoy: Don’t retire too early. This is advice that someone has to consider given their health, their energy, their interest in their job. But if all of those things are OK, it really helps to continue working. I think some people want to retire at 55 and 60 – and that may force them into a situation where they have to take Social Security earlier than would be advisable. Once somebody truly is retires and needs to draw income from somewhere I would say work with somebody or run the numbers yourself and see what a remarkable difference it makes to just push off collecting Social Security for even a few years. It continues to accumulate throughout your lifetime, and you probably are going to live longer than you think you are. Being able to collect that larger benefit can really help you.

Q. Finally, what would your parting advice be to retirement planners on how to best advise their clients?

Karla McAvoy:  For retirement planners, keeping up on the legislation on what’s going on with Social Security so you can have answers to client concerns. And then, secondarily, becoming really familiar with the different strategies that are available with Social Security, especially in the way that couple can claim their benefits and even switch their benefits throughout the years to maximize the amount they receive.

These Funds March to Their Own Drummers

Here's a look at two mutual funds added to the model portfolio at MoneyLetter; fund experts Walter Frank and Cynthia Andrade explain, each of these funds marches to its own drummer and do not "hug" any specific index.

Baron Partners (US:BPTRX), headed up by firm founder Ron Baron, is a non-diversified fund, focusing on the best ideas generated within the fund family. It has about 80% of assets in mid-cap stocks and only 26 holdings.

The fund targets businesses that can double in size within four or five years, have competitive advantages that create barriers to entry, have stable demand for their products and services, and are well managed.

The fund's heaviest sector weightings are in consumer discretionary, industrials, financials, and healthcare. Its top holdings are specialty insurance firm Arch Capital Group, electric transmission firm ITC Holdings, and Hyatt Hotels.

The annual portfolio turnover rate of 15.75% implies an average holding period of about six years. In 2012 and 2013, the fund landed in the top quarter and 98% of its category, respectively, last year sporting a 47.6% gain.

Fidelity Focused Stock (US:FTQGX), another concentrated fund, typically invests in 30 to 80 stocks (currently 50), and has 43% of assets in the top ten holdings.

This is a decidedly large-cap fund, with nearly 90% of assets so invested. Manager Stephen DuFour is free to invest in both value and growth stocks, but really seeks out stocks that offer growth at a reasonable price—companies that will grow earnings materially faster than the market.

DuFour's investment process is driven by bottom-up fundamental research. He looks for quality—strong balance sheet with high cash and little debt, low stock price volatility, high return on invested capital and strong free cash flow.

He further emphasizes firms that have maintained strong earnings during difficult economic times.

Information technology was recently the top portfolio sector at 23% of assets, followed by healthcare and financials. In 2012 and 2013, the fund outperformed 66% and 85% of the large growth category, respectively.

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U.S. Jobs: What's Hot and What's Not

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- A week after President Obama said he would work with CEOs to return the long-term unemployed to the work force, the January jobs report on Friday failed to boost optimism in the U.S. economy.

And despite the president's plan to reward companies for hiring those who have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer -- which he discussed at a roundtable with successful chief executives -- it remains a long-shot initiative to fundamentally shift the sluggish labor recovery.

"Jobs are hard to create. I think people don't understand that," said Lee Munson, chief investment officer at Portfolio LLC, in a telephone interview. "Over the last 10 to 15 years companies are more interested in hiring the right people. There's a reason why companies don't hire long-term unemployed: They lack skills and the motivation."

But like most top-line data, these headline-grabbing numbers failed to communicate the full complexity of this latest report. There were in fact unexpected bright spots in the employment situation: Some sectors are adding jobs, in significant numbers, even as others are still shedding them. Here are three areas where the labor market is picking up steam, and three in which it continues to sputter.

Deal hunters flock to stores for end-of-year…

The day after Christmas is for more than returning gifts this year. Retailers are ratcheting up the sales in an attempt to lure customers and make up for a slow shopping season.

Four big 75% off signs cover the windows of Old Navy. More 75% off signs at H&M and Forever 21. 50% off Armani Exchange and Abercrombie and Fitch. 60% off at Gap.

There is hardly a spot in Tysons Corner Center, a mall in Virginia, where you can stand without seeing a sale sign.

Sales growth this holiday season is likely to be the weakest since 2009: 3.2%, says Chris Christopher, director of consumer economics at IHS Global Insight.

December numbers still aren't in but, Christopher says, "They're not looking good."

The state of the economy held consumers back before Christmas, and now retailers are trying to compensate.

"The real economy spoke this holiday season," says Brian Sozzi, CEO of Belus Capital Advisors, a stock market research firm. "Consumers are not financially strong enough to go out there and spend willy-nilly," Sozzi says. "The holiday season was very much an extension of what we saw all of 2013. If the customer didn't need to shop, they didn't go out and shop."

But discounts of 70% and 80% may be high enough to interest even the most frugal shoppers.

Rachel Licklider, 24, Centreville, Va., is browsing the racks at Ann Taylor Loft. The store is advertising 50% off the entire purchase. "A good deal," Licklider says.

She has been collecting coupons for after-Christmas sales and has a long list of stores on her list. Crazy traffic and near-impossible parking didn't stand in her way.

"Macy's, Nordstrom's, Dick's," she says, ticking off where she's headed. "I am just looking around for clothes for myself."

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A big change this year: coupons that are valid only on sale and clearance items.

"With some of these d! iscounts, we are seeing the lowest prices of the year," says Brad Wilson, editor in chief of BradsDeals.com. "It's very different. Usually sale items are excluded from coupons."

ShopperTrak, which analyzes retail shopping trends, predicted that post-Christmas markdowns would drive store traffic on the day after Christmas and Saturday.

"Many people who have the day after Christmas off of work will be out shopping for end-of-season deals," said ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin.

Michelle Polito, 48, of Arlington, Va., is shopping with her husband, Bobby, 47, at Macy's. Bobby's arms are full of clothing as Michelle holds up a pair of pants.

"We are actually Christmas shopping, because we haven't celebrated yet," Polito says. Their daughter and son-in-law dance with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and won't arrive until Monday. "We waited to shop because we thought it would be less stressful and more sales."

So far, "nothing remarkable, but we just started," she says, looking at her husband as he shifts his weight under his armload of clothes.

Polito had Macy's coupons. "We are going to use a $25-off-a-$100-purchase coupon. That plus the markdowns? It's a good deal."

Nichole Fox, 25, and Stephanie Snow, 34, of Lakeridge, Va., are disappointed in Target's sale. "It was mostly just Christmas stuff," Snow says.

The two have already hit Kohl's and Gap and are now digging through piles of clothes at Old Navy.

"The sales actually aren't great," Snow says, "but it got us in the door."

Busting a credit card hacker

Maksym Yastremsky was one of the world's most prolific credit card hackers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) In 2007, Ukrainian Maksym Yastremsky was the most prolific credit card hacker in the world. He'd stolen over 40 million cards from mostly U.S.-based retailers. He'd cost credit card companies over $11 million.

In 2008 he was arrested in Turkey after the U.S. Secret Service infiltrated his network. Here's how they did it:

Flashback to 2004, when the Secret Service -- which handles currency crimes -- got wind of a criminal ring using stolen credit cards to buy high end electronics in the Los Angeles area.

Rather than bust the ring outright, they struck a deal. The ring leader would introduce an undercover Secret Service agent to the source of his stolen credit cards under the guise that the agent was a new partner in the criminal ring. Naturally, the idea was to move up the food chain, and ultimately nab the cyber criminals at the heart of the hacking underworld.

"So what I ended up doing was communicating via instant message and I started talking to people in South East Asia," said the undercover agent, in an exclusive interview with CNN.

  Tracking a cyber criminal

As part of the ruse, the agent explained that he needed all the tools to start a new ring that used phony cards to make purchases -- the machines to make the cards, the special plastic to make them out of and, most importantly, the stolen card numbers. For those, he was connected with Yastremsky.

"He had the most recent, the largest credit card data," said the agent. "Often times I knew about the breaches before they were ! being reported. These people were my friends online and they were selling me their new databases as they were getting them straight from the breach."

Yastremsky worked with a variety of hackers to steal the data -- sometimes placing malware directly on the networks at major retailers. As soon as you'd swipe your card, the criminals would have your info.

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To solidify the burgeoning relationship -- and to help build the criminal case -- it was decided that the agent would meet with Yastremsky in person. Up until then their meetings had only been online, and Yastremsky was known only by his internet handle -- Maksic.

"We met numerous times in South East Asia, and several times in the Middle East," said the agent, who still works for the Secret Service. "It was business and a mixture of just, of being a friend. We wore towels, beachwear, hung out at the beach, rode wave-runners, went parasailing."

When the Secret Service decided it had enough information, a plan was hatched to make the arrest. It would take place in Turkey, with the help of Turkish police. The Secret Service agent and Yastremsky were there together staying at a resort, and the plan was to go out clubbing that night.

"We just came back home and when we came back to the hotel, the police were in place and they arrested us as we walked back onto the resort," said the agent, who was also arrested to maintain cover. "I did the first thing that came natural -- I just started lying to the police."

During his whole time undercover, the agent said he never really felt threatened.

"They just seemed like regular individuals, people that you would see on the street, people that you would see on the subway," he said. "None of them came off as looking like a mafia figure or the next big criminal."

Yastremsky is now servin! g 30 year! s in a Turkish prison on charges related to the credit card thefts.

Since 2008 there have been many new instances of credit card theft -- most recently the 40 million credit cars that were compromised through a breach at Target.

While it seems like such cases are on the rise, the Secret Service says that's not necessarily the case.

"It's probably a bias to say they are coming fast and furious," said Ed Lowery, head of the criminal investigative division at the Secret Service. "It just so happens we have three that have all come to light in recent history."

-- With reporting from CNN's Drew Griffin, Patricia DiCarlo and Elizabeth Nunez.

-- Send tips to CNN Investigations

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now

Having to deal with paying both federal and state income taxes is bad enough. But when you're retired and living on a fixed income, having to pay taxes on your Social Security and pension benefits is almost an insult.

The vast majority of states give retirees a break when it comes to their taxes, exempting much or all of their Social Security and pension income. But according to figures from Wolters Kluwer and CCH as well as the Retirement Living Information Center, a small number of states give retirees much more limited tax breaks on their retirement income, generally taxing both Social Security and pension income. Let's look at six states that hit retirees hard at tax time.

6. North Dakota
North Dakota has generally low tax rates, ranging from 1.51% at the lowest bracket to a maximum of 3.99%. With relatively low sales tax rates of 5% and an average property tax liability of about $1,025 per person, North Dakota's taxation of retirement income adds only marginally to a reasonable tax burden for retirees. Retirees may also be eligible for a homestead credit against property taxes. Moreover, with energy companies Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR  ) , Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) , and Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL  ) cashing in on Bakken riches, they'll be sending more tax revenue into state coffers, potentially allowing the government to give retirees further breaks in the future.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Amorfix Life Scien Com Npv (AMF.TO)

Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. develops therapeutics and diagnostic devices for misfolded protein diseases. It develops antibodies and vaccines that recognize misfolded protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as in various CJD and cancer. The company's diagnostic programs include EP-AD CSF Diagnostic Test, an assay for the detection of the aggregated form of A� in human cerebrospinal fluid and mild cognitive impairment; A4, an ultra-sensitive assay for detecting aggregated A� in animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD); blood test for use as a diagnostic tool for ALS; and liver cancer screening assay. It also offers custom assay development services. The company also has strategic alliances with Epitomics Inc. to develop immunotherapeutics to various proteins; and license agreement with Biogen Idec for developing therapeutics to treat ALS. Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Loon Energy Corporation(LNE.V)

Loon Energy Corporation engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties. It holds interests in properties located in Colombia and Peru. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is based Calgary, Canada. Loon Energy Corporation operates independently of Kulczyk Oil Ventures Inc. as of December 19, 2008.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cattolica Ass(CASS.MI)

Societa Cattolica di Assicurazione, through its subsidiaries, provides various life and non-life insurance products for individuals, families, and small and medium-sized productive activities in Italy. It offers vehicle insurance; home and family insurance; travel and leisure insurance; pension coverage; and health care insurance, including accident and sickness insurance products, as well as index-linked policies and unit-linked bonds. The company offers its products through various agencies, branches of partner banks, and brokerage firms. It also engages in the development and improvement/valuation of real estate assets, as well as the provision of real estate services. Societa Cattolica di Assicurazione was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Verona, Italy.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Inspiration Mining Com Npv (ISM.TO)

Inspiration Mining Corporation, a junior mining company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada and the United States. The company explores primarily for nickel, gold, copper, molybdenum, and rare earth elements. It holds interests in Langmuir Property that consists of 28 unpatented and 2 patented contiguous claims covering 1,130 hectares located southeast of Timmins, Ontario; and owns rights in Barton Syndicate Property, which includes 31 contiguous lode claims covering 246 hectares located southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. The company also owns Douglas Property consisting of 5 mining claims in the Douglas Township, Porcupine Mining Division, Ontario; Cleaver Property that comprises 13 mining claims located in the northeastern Cleaver Township, Ontario; and Desrosiers Property, which covers approximately 4,184 hectares in southwest of Timmins, Ontario. In addition, it has an undi vided 100% interest in certain mining claims located in Chibougamau in the Province of Quebec. Inspiration Mining Corporation is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Eldorado Gold Corp(EGO)

Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the discovery, exploration, development, production, and reclamation of gold properties in Brazil, the People?s Republic of China, Greece, and Turkey. It operates the Kisladag gold mine in Turkey; the Jinfeng, Tanjianshan, and White Mountain gold mines in the People?s Republic of China; and the Vila Nova iron ore mine in Brazil. The company?s development projects include the Efemcukuru gold mine in Turkey, the Eastern Dragon gold mine in the People?s Republic of China, the Perama Hill gold project in Greece, and the Tocantinzinho gold project in Brazil. As of December 31, 2010, Eldorado Gold Corporation had 18.7 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves. The company was formerly known as Eldorado Corporation Ltd. and changed its name to Eldorado Gold Corporation in April 1996. Eldorado Gold Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Itinerant]

  Goldcorp, Newmont (NEM) or Agnico-Eagle use similar definitions. The important element here is the so-called 'sustaining capital expenditure', which is the capital required to sustain existing production levels. The table below is taken from the Agnico-Eagle presentation referenced above and provides a comparison of company-wide AISC for some of the major gold miners, including Goldcorp, Barrick Gold, Newmont Mining, Yamana Gold (AUY), Randgold (GOLD), Kinross (KGC), Agnico-Eagle Mines, Eldorado Gold (EGO), Goldfields and Centerra (CAGDF.PK). The difference between cash costs and AISC is significant. It is also important to note that these AISC are still noticeably below the present spot price for gold.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

  Note, however, that these recommendations are all qualified in one way or another. Investors should keep that in mind before going all in on the gold miners.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Newmont has dropped 2.2% to $25.73 at 3:02 p.m. While that’s in-line with the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF’s (GDX) 2.2% fall to 23.03, it’s better than the most heavily traded gold-mining stocks. Shares of Barrick Gold (ABX), for instance, have dropped 3.6% to $17.20, Gold Corp (GG) is down 3.1% at $23.54 and Eldorado Gold (EGO) has declined 3.9% to $5.82.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Food Technology Service Inc.(VIFL)

Food Technology Service, Inc. owns and operates an irradiation facility in Mulberry, Florida. The company?s irradiation facility uses gamma radiation to provide contract sterilization services to the surgical, pharmaceutical, medical device, food, and consumer goods industries. It also irradiates packaging, spices, cosmetic ingredients, horticultural items, and consumer goods; and disinfects fruits, vegetables, oysters, and meat products to enhance safety or eliminate insect pests. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in Mulberry, Florida.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Capstone Turbine Corporation(CPST)

Capstone Turbine Corporation develops, manufactures, markets, and services turbine generator sets and related parts for use in stationary distributed power generation applications. Its stationary distributed power generation applications include cogeneration combined heat and power (CHP), integrated (CHP), resource recovery, and secure power, as well as combined cooling, heat, and power; and its products are used as battery charging generators for hybrid electric vehicle applications. The company primarily offers microturbine units, subassemblies, and components. It also provides various accessories, including rotary gas compressors with digital controls, heat recovery modules for CHP applications, dual mode controllers that allow automatic transition between grid connect and stand-alone modes, batteries with digital controls for stand-alone/dual-mode operations, power servers for multipacked installations, and protocol converters for Internet access, as well as frames, ex haust ducting, and installation hardware. Further, it remanufactures microturbine engines; and provides after-market parts and services, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, and factory and on-site training services. The company?s microturbines can be fueled by various sources, including natural gas, propane, sour gas, landfill or digester gas, kerosene, diesel, and biodiesel. It primarily sells its products directly to end users, as well as through distributors in North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Russian Federation, and South America. Capstone Turbine Corporation was founded in 1988 and is based in Chatsworth, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST  ) -- $1.30
  Things are finally starting to happen for the microturbine maker. Revenue is growing at a healthy clip, and analysts see Capstone finally turning a quarterly profit later this year.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  But to focus simply on renewables for distributed power would do some other parts of the industry a disservice, because companies such as Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST  ) are proving that localized generation of natural gas can be just as efficient as a big centralized utility plant. This one-two punch of renewable power as the primary energy source with localized natural gas generation as a backup for when solar or wind can't generate power could be a big threat to the utilities sector.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Thursday, Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST  ) will release its latest quarterly results. But lately, investors have already anticipated some huge results from the company, having bid the shares up by about 50% in just the past several weeks. Can Capstone deliver on what investors want to see?

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  What:�Shares of Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST  ) skyrocketed 13.59% as the company announced that it had signed a major supplier deal with private real estate and investment firm Related Companies. Shares of Capstone haven't been this high in over a year.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Tata Motors Ltd(TTM)

Tata Motors Limited, an automobile company, engages in the manufacture and sale of commercial and passenger vehicles primarily in India. The company offers cars, utility vehicles, trucks, buses and coaches, and defense vehicles, as well as develops electric and hybrid vehicles for personal and public transportation. It also involves in distributing and marketing cars; and financing the vehicles sold by the company. In addition, the company engages in the provision of engineering and automotive solutions, as well as machine tools and factory automation solutions; construction equipment manufacturing; automotive vehicle components manufacturing and supply chain activities; tooling and plastic and electronic components for automotive and computer applications; and automotive retailing and service operations. It offers its products and services through its dealership, sales, services, and spare parts network. The company also markets its commercial and passenger vehicles in Eu rope, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, South Asia, and South America. The company was formerly known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Limited and changed its name to Tata Motors Limited in July 2003. Tata Motors Limited was founded in 1945 and is based in Mumbai, India.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Rosevear]

  Ever since India's Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM  ) bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford (NYSE: F  ) in 2008, one big question has been asked: Would Tata be willing (and able) to make the big investments needed to make Jaguar a competitive global luxury brand?

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Cloud Security Corp (CLDS)

Cloud Security Corporation, formerly Cloud Star Corporation , incorporated on December 20, 2010, is an information technology services and software company that delivers access to computer desktops and other consumer electron devices from remote locations. Its flagship product, MyComputerKey is a patent-pending technology that provides a secure multi-factor validation system for cloud-based infrastructures and protects data accessed from remote locations worldwide. As of February 29, 2012, it had no revenues. On May 22, 2012, the Company acquired Accend, which is a Nevada corporation.

The product is a custom-designed universal serial bus (USB) keycard programmed to connect via the Internet to users' desktop or server, which provides the user access to files, personalized environments, data, programs and applications. MyComputerKey allows a user to access his or her base computer from different locations utilizing the Internet cloud through a separate computer (the remote computer). MyComputerKey also includes the Company�� own connection software that provides the actual connection between the user�� desktop and the host computer the user is using to connect. This software is supports in all Microsoft-based computers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Eyes on The Go Inc (OTCMKTS: AXCG), Quadrant 4 Systems Corp (OTCMKTS: QFOR) and Cloud Security Corp (OTCMKTS: CLDS) were getting attention last week, but all three stocks trended downward on Monday. It should be mentioned that none of these stocks have been overly or heavily paid promotions. So what will these three small cap stocks do on the last trading day of the year and for the rest of this week? Here is a closer look:

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ares Capital Corp (ARCC.O)

Ares Capital Corporation (Ares Capital), incorporated on April 16, 2004, is a specialty finance company, which is a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries and vehicles managed or sub-managed by its wholly owned portfolio company, Ivy Hill Asset Management, L.P. (IHAM). It is externally managed by its investment adviser, Ares Capital Management LLC (Ares Capital Management or its investment adviser), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ares Management LLC (Ares Management), a global alternative asset manager. Ares Operations LLC (Ares Operations or administrator), its administrator, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ares Management, provides the administrative services. It invests in United States middle-market companies. It invests in first and second lien senior loans and mezzanine debt, which in some cases includes an equity component. It also makes preferred and/or common equity investments.

The Company

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Trex Company Inc.(TREX)

Trex Company, Inc. manufactures and distributes wood/plastic composite products, and related accessories primarily for the residential and commercial decking and railing applications in the United States. The company offers decking products, including Trex Transcend and Trex Enhance protective shells for protection against fading, staining, and scratching; Trex Accents that provides a smooth surface on one side and subtle wood grain on the other; Trex Escapes, a cellular PVC deck board; and Trex Hideaway, a hidden fastening system for specially grooved boards. It also provides railing products comprising Trex Designer Series Railing, which consists of a decorative top and bottom rail, refined balusters, and post caps and skirts; and Trex Transcend Railing for use with Trex decking products, as well as other decking materials. In addition, the company offers Trex Transcend Porch Flooring and Railing System, an integrated system of porch components and accessories; and fenci ng products, such as Trex Seclusions fencing product that uses interlocking pickets for privacy, and Trex Surroundings fencing that uses traditional pickets. Further, it provides TrexTrim product, a cellular PVC residential exterior trim product; steel deck framing systems under Trex Elevations name; and Trex DeckLighting, a line of energy-efficient LED dimmable deck lighting, which is designed for use on posts, floors, and steps. Additionally, the company acts as a licensor in various licensing agreements with third parties to manufacture and sell various products, including Trex Outdoor Furniture; Trex RainEscape, an above joist deck drainage system; Trex CustomCurve, an on-site system that allows contractors to heat and bend Trex products; and Trex Pergolas, a cellular PVC trim product. The company sells its products through wholesale distributors, retail lumber dealers, and Home Depot and Lowe?s stores. Trex Company, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Winc hester, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Then we have Trex (NYSE: TREX  ) and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) , the wood-alternative decking and hardwood-flooring retailers that posted double-digit revenue growth in their most recent quarters. Yes, those stocks trade at slightly higher multiples, but in this video longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz explains why they are worth it and why it might be time to trade in the orange aprons for a better alternative to both Lowe's and Home Depot stock.

Top Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Signature Bank (SBNY.O)

Signature Bank (the Bank) is a full-service commercial bank with 25 private client offices located in the New York metropolitan area serving the needs of privately owned business clients and their owners and senior managers. The Bank offers a variety of business and personal banking products and services through the Bank, as well as investment, brokerage, asset management and insurance products and services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Signature Securities Group Corporation (Signature Securities), a licensed broker-dealer and investment adviser. Through Signature Securities, it also purchases, securitizes and sells the guaranteed portions of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. The Bank offers a variety of deposit, escrow deposit, credit, cash management, investment and insurance products and services to its clients. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank maintained approximately 78,000 deposit accounts, 6,900 investment accounts, 8,600 loan a ccounts and 14,300 client relationships. In April 2012, it formed a new subsidiary, Signature Financial, LLC.

The Bank offers a range of products and services oriented to the needs of its business clients, including deposit products, such as non-interest-bearing checking accounts, money market accounts and time deposits; escrow deposit services; cash management services; commercial loans and lines of credit for working capital and to finance internal growth, acquisitions and leveraged buyouts; permanent real estate loans; letters of credit; investment products to help better manage idle cash balances, including money market mutual funds and short-term money market instruments; business retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans, and business insurance products, including group health and group life products. It offers a range of products and services oriented to the needs of its high net worth personal clients, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, with optional features, such as debit/ a! u! tomated teller machine (ATM) cards and overdraft protection and, for its clients, rebates of certain charges, including ATM fees; money market accounts and money market mutual funds; time deposits; personal loans, both secured and unsecured; mortgages, home equity loans and credit card accounts; investment and asset management services, and personal insurance products, including health, life and disability.

Lending Activities

The Bank�� commercial and industrial (C&I) loan portfolio is consisted of lines of credit for working capital and term loans to finance equipment, company owned real estate and other business assets, along with commercial overdrafts. Its lines of credit for working capital are generally renewed on an annual basis and its term loans generally have terms of 2 to 5 years. The Bank�� lines of credit and term loans typically have floating interest rates, and as of December 31, 2011, approximately 61% of its outstanding C&I loan s were variable rate loans. As of December 31, 2011, funded C&I loans totaled approximately 15% of its total funded loans. The Bank�� real estate loan portfolio includes loans secured by commercial and residential properties. It also provides temporary financing for commercial and residential property. As of December 31, 2011, funded real estate loans totaled approximately $5.74 billion, representing approximately 80% of its total funded loans. It issues standby or performance letters of credit, and can service the international needs of its clients through correspondent banks. As of December 31, 2011, its commitments under letters of credit totaled approximately $235.7 million. Its personal loan portfolio consists of personal lines of credit and loans to acquire personal assets. As of December 31, 2011, its consumer loans totaled $11.8 million, representing less than 1% of its total funded loans.

Investment and Asset Management Products and Services

Investment and asset management products and servi! ces a! re! provid! ed through the Bank�� subsidiary, Signature Securities. Signature Securities is a licensed broker-dealer. Signature Securities is an introducing firm and, as such, clears its trades through National Financial Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelity Investments. Signature Securities is also registered as an investment adviser in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. It offers an array of asset management and investment products, including the ability to purchase and sell all types of individual securities, such as equities, options, fixed income securities, mutual funds and annuities. The Bank offers transactional, cash management type brokerage accounts with check writing and daily sweep capabilities. It also offers retirement products, such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and administrative services for retirement vehicles, such as pension, profit sharing, and 401(k) plans to its clients. Signature Securities offers wealth management servi ces to its high net worth personal clients. Together with its client and their other professional advisors, including attorneys and certified public accountants, it develops a financial plan that can include estate planning, business succession planning, asset protection, investment management, family office advisory services, bill payment, art and collectible advisory services and concentrated stock services.

Sources of Funds

The Bank offers a variety of deposit products to its clients. Its business deposit products include commercial checking accounts, money market accounts, escrow deposit accounts, lockbox accounts, cash concentration accounts and other cash management products. Its personal deposit products include checking accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit. The Bank also allows its personal and business deposit clients to access their accounts, transfer funds, pay bills and perform other account functions over the Inte rnet and through ATM machines. As of December 31,! 2011, it! m! aintained! approximately 78,000 deposit accounts representing $11.70 billion in client deposits, excluding brokered deposits.

Insurance Services

The Bank offers its business and private clients an array of individual and group insurance products, including health, life, disability and long-term care insurance products through its subsidiary, Signature Securities. The Bank does not underwrite insurance policies. It only acts as an agent in offering insurance products and services underwritten by insurers.

Better Alternatives to the MyRA Plan

Can you provide more information about the MyRA retirement-savings plan that the President talked about in his State of the Union speech? Should I invest in one?

SEE ALSO: Why You Need a Roth IRA

The MyRA plan is designed to be an easy way for people who have never saved to get started. The Treasury Department will begin a pilot program at the end of 2014 with a few employers and hopes to expand to more companies after that. But if you have any tolerance at all for risk, you can do better on your own -- even if you don't have much money.

If your employer offers a MyRA, you'll be able to open an account with as little as $25 and contribute as little as $5 every payday through payroll deductions (there is no employer match). There are no fees and only one investment choice: The money will earn interest at the same rate as the Government Securities Investment Fund in the federal employees' Thrift Savings Plan. (The G Fund, as it is known, earned between 1.47% and 2.97% per year over the past five years.) It's an easy way for employers that don't have a retirement plan to give their employees a risk-free opportunity to save.

The MyRA is a Roth IRA in a different wrapper, and it's subject to the Roth income and contribution limits. You can invest up to $5,500 per year (or $6,500 if you're 50 or older), you can withdraw the contributions without taxes or penalties at any age, and you can tap the earnings tax-free after age 59½. To qualify, your income must be below $191,000 if married filing jointly or $129,000 if single (see Income Limits for Roth Contributions in 2014 for the phase-out limits).

The MyRA is designed to be a starter account: When your balance reaches $15,000 -- or after 30 years -- you must roll the MyRA into a regular Roth IRA with a brokerage firm, fund company, bank or other financial-services firm. You can also roll over the account to a regular Roth at any time, or you can continue to keep it as a MyRA with your new employer if you switch jobs.

"More than half of the civilian labor force is not covered at any time by a retirement plan at work, and any plan that focuses a spotlight on that is a good proposal," says Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "Using the payroll system and keeping people's investments safe is clever." It addresses a lot of the issues that prevent people from saving, especially if they don't have a 401(k) at work and don't know how to open an IRA, don't know which investments to choose and are afraid of losing money. "Let them get used to the idea that if they put money aside, they can see their pile grow," she says. "As they get used to that, they can take on a little more risk and maybe get a higher return."

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now

But these accounts are not a good long-term solution to the retirement-savings problem. "This is a bad option except for someone who is so terrified of investing in the market that they are afraid to start," says Catherine Censullo, a CPA and personal financial specialist in White Plains, N.Y. "You're trying to get a decent return over the long term, and this is such a low return that it probably won't keep up with inflation."

Mari Adam, a certified financial planner in Boca Raton, Fla., compares the returns on the Thrift Savings Plan's G Fund with the TSP's Lifecycle 2020 fund, a fairly conservative target-date fund designed for people who are retiring in the year 2020. If you had invested $100 per month in the G Fund -- a total of $6,000 over five years -- you'd have earned $387 in interest, bringing your total balance to $6,387. If you had invested the same $100 per month in the Lifecycle 2020 fund, you'd have received $2,215 in gains, bringing your total balance to $8,215.

Interest rates were lower than the historical average and stocks gained more than average over those five years, but the difference between the two types of accounts can become even more pronounced over the longer term. "If you're getting about $60 a year in interest, people will say it's not worth it," says Adam.

One group that may be interested in the MyRA investing option is people who are about to retire and are looking to keep a portion of their money in a guaranteed account, says Norman Stein, a Drexel University law professor who specializes in pension and tax law and employee benefits. "This could be useful for older people who would like a better rate of return than a CD, want to have access to their money and don't want to be concerned with the loss of principal," he says. "I think this could be a very interesting investing option inside a traditional retirement plan."

Better alternatives. You have plenty of other ways to save for retirement -- with more investing choices -- even if you don't have a 401(k) at work. And you don't need much money to get started. You can open an IRA as long as you or your spouse has earned some income during the year (see Often Overlooked Opportunities to Save in a Roth IRA for ways to save if you're a nonworking spouse, a recent retiree, a freelancer or a kid). You still have until April 15, 2014, to contribute to an IRA for 2013.

Several IRA administrators have low investment minimums, charge no annual fees, and let you invest in hundreds of fee-free mutual funds and commission-free exchange-traded funds. (TD Ameritrade has no investment minimum or annual IRA fees.) You can sign up to have your contributions automatically deducted from your bank account every month. And there's a simple way to match your investments to your time frame: You can invest in a target-date fund, which is a ready-made portfolio that is tied to the date you plan you retire. The fund starts out with more money invested in stock funds when you have many years before retirement, and it automatically becomes more conservative, shifting more money to bond funds and cash, as you get closer to needing the money. You don't need to make any changes yourself. See Pick the Best Target-Date Fund for You for more about selecting a target-date fund and other alternatives. Also see Open Your First IRA for more information about getting started.

Lower-income savers may also qualify for the retirement savers' tax credit, which can reduce their tax bill by up to $1,000 (or $2,000 for married couples) if they contribute to an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457 or other retirement-savings plan. This tax credit is in addition to any tax benefits they already get from contributing to the plan. To qualify in 2014, your adjusted gross income must be less than $60,000 for married couples filing jointly, less than $45,000 for heads of household, and less than $30,000 for singles or married individuals filing separately. See Take Advantage of the Retirement Savers' Tax Credit for more information.

Got a question? Ask Kim at askkim@kiplinger.com.