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ATK and NASA Sign Space Act Agreement for Liberty Launch System 

New Steps -- A First Time Investor Steps Out

Saab AB

SARAS RAFFINERIE SARDE by Saras Raffinerie Sarde Spa

Saras SpA

SARAS RAFFINERIE UNSP/ADR by Saras Raffinerie Sarde Spa

Shanta Gold Ltd

NOUVEAU VENTURES INC. by Nouveau Ventures Inc.

Saipem SpA

ATK (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/atk#NYSE">ATK</a>) and NASA announced a partnership today to work together during the development of ATK's commercial Liberty™ Launch System, an agreement that also supports the 2010 National Space Policy by furthering international partnerships.

The team signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/saa#">SAA</a>) that enables NASA and the Liberty program office to provide technical interaction for the launch system during the Preliminary Design Review phase of the program.

<a href="http://askingfordirection.com/new-steps/">New Steps</a>
Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:38 PM PDT
OK, let's cut to the chase this week.  Last week I invested my $5,000 online.  Here's what I did to kick off the process.
I began by using the website of a company called MyPlanIQ, which is run by the longtime friend I mentioned in my last post.  I wanted to find an investment plan, and I wanted to do that before I approached an online brokerage firm and, as I saw it, got sucked into a terrifying morass of complicated questions.  MyPlanIQ helped me take the first steps.  This is how it works:
First I determined my risk profile.  There are two questions that you have to answer in order to do this: how many more years do you wish to work before you retire, and how much risk are you willing to take (ranging from very conservative to very aggressive).  Based on my answers, my risk profile number was 30.
But what does that mean? I hear my former self ask nervously.   Well, my new self says condescendingly, obviously it translates as “fixed income allocation = 30%, risky asset allocation = 70%.”
Perhaps, says New more kindly, noticing my heart palpitations, we should take a short detour.  Let's go down to the corner and back, and while we're walking I can quickly explain that ‘fixed income allocation' means loaning my money to people like the government who (one hopes) can be reasonably guaranteed to pay it back with interest but who won't give me a piece of their pie; while ‘risky asset allocation' refers to buying actual slices (or crumbs) of companies that may or may not be successful enough to grow my money.  OK, Former, let's head back. (Wait, now you're hungry?)
Of course, New says, since the risk profile default number for a standard investment plan is 40, my 30 means that I will have to customize my own portfolio.  But-but-but Former mutters feebly, trying to stave off the dawning sense that she's too old already, it's all too late, may as well give up -  but, seriously?
Yes! says New, a trifle too emphatically.  Because, she adds, all you have to do is look at the numbers.
And she's right. On the front page of MyPlanIQ is a section called Brokerage Investment Plans.  I clicked on that, which takes you to two lists, one of ETF funds, the other of Mutual Funds. I already knew that I didn't want to worry about ETFs, so I took a closer look at the Mutual Funds list, which turns out to be extremely long.  A few names I recognized, many more I didn't.  Many of the names I knew offered multiple plans.  How on earth do I choose?
Actually, the really good thing about MyPlanIQ is that while it gives you the choice of virtually every plan out there (unlike a broker), all the plans are rated by an impersonal piece of software which mathematically analyzes each fund's track record and the number of asset classes it offers.  (Wait… an asset class is a group of assets that are similar in behaviour and subject to the same laws and regulations.  The three main classes are equities i.e. stock, fixed-income i.e. bonds, and cash. The more asset classes a fund offers, the more diverse your portfolio is going to be.  And that's a good thing, Former.)
The highest possible rating for each plan is 5 stars.  So I bypassed anything that didn't have 5 (because really, why go for less?) and then picked out a name I knew: Schwab.  Specifically: Schwab OneSource Select List Funds. I selected it.  At once I found myself looking at a page which told me that this plan consists of 137 funds and covers US Equity, Foreign Equity, Fixed Income, Emerging Market Equity, REITs and Commodity.
Crossing the fingers of my left hand behind my back in the hope that no one would ask me any more about that, I turned to the information on the right.  It seemed that I now had to choose between a Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) fund or a Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA) fund.  Help, Former began to mutter, her right hand reaching for the phone, her brain beginning to tie itself into knots. Stay calm, said New. Tentatively, I clicked on the explanations for each and discovered that the strategic method is for long-term investments and based on the theory that markets ultimately balance themselves out; the tactical takes a more dynamic approach with more short-term tweaking.  (Self-explanatory, really.) Each still only deals with asset classes; it isn't necessary for the investor to have a more detailed understanding of the market to take advantage of the TAA.
The accompanying numbers made it clear that the tactical approach for this particular plan was superior.  Over a 5-year period, the percentage return was 15%; the SAA only showed 8%.  Since my friend was already recommending the TAA route, I chose that.  Customizing the plan to my needs, it turned out, simply meant changing the default risk profile number from 40 to 30 (phew!)   Now I knew the plan for me.
What next?  Well, this is when, temporarily at least, I had to go it alone.  Armed with this information, my next task was to go to Schwab and buy the plan.  I'll tell you how that went next week.  But in case you are wondering, that's not the end of MyPlanIQ's involvement, as you'll find out.
Which is frankly a relief, because even my new self would be nervous at the thought of taking all of the next steps on her own.
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TSX Venture Exchange Daily Bulletins for August 18, 2009

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Aug. 14, 2009) - Solara Exploration Ltd. ("Solara" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:SAA.A) (TSX VENTURE:SAA.B) announces that it has completed the drilling of its first test well with its partner, Marwayne Production Limited Partnership, in the Dewberry area of eastern Alberta. The well was cased and is awaiting completion operations within the next week. The Company plans to drill two additional wells with its partner on the oil project in the next 60 days. The Company also advises that the Company's Board of Directors approved the granting of 1,090,000 stock options to officers, directors, employees and consultants of the Company on August 6, 2009, subject to regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange approval. The options were issued with an exercise price of $0.10 per share and have a five year term with standard vesting provisions.
About Solara Exploration
Solara Exploration is a publicly traded junior oil and gas company focused on the exploration, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas in Western Canada.
READER ADVISORY
This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements, including management's assessment of future plans and operations, and capital expenditures and the timing thereof, that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks associated with oil and gas exploration, development, exploitation, production, marketing and transportation, loss of markets, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates, environmental risks, competition from other producers, inability to retain drilling rigs and other services, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, the impact of general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and overseas, industry conditions, changes in laws and regulations (including the adoption of new environmental laws and regulations) and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced, increased competition, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, fluctuations in foreign exchange or interest rates, stock market volatility and market valuations of companies with respect to announced transactions and the final valuations thereof, and obtaining required approvals of regulatory authorities. The Company's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits, including the amount of proceeds, that the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.
34,710,937 Class A Shares
986,700 Class B Shares