The first and biggest mistake while attempting to speed read is reading the text word by word. You can never achieve speed reading if you try to read the content word wise. The information processing time tends to get a 10 times more in your brain and you attempt to slow your brain down instead of sharpening it. Remember your brain is able to process at a much faster speed.

The second mistake while speed reading occurs when you don’t concentrate enough while reading. As a result you don’t grasp the meaning of the content and have to go back and read again. This way you waste time as well as your brains processing ability is slowed.

The third mistake occurs when you deliberately try to read slowly in order to get comprehension. I am repeating this thing for the third time in this particular article. Doing so you will only slow down your mind’s processing power. Don’t underestimate your brain. It can make wonders work.

The next common mistake is to try to repeat the words back to yourself along reading in order to ensure that you understand them well. Frankly speaking there is no need to do so. It’s only your way of assuring yourself that you understand the text and is of no practical use.

The next mistake is to try to understand the text fully right away. Understanding the text fully at the first instant is not always possible. Give yourself time. Start with understanding selective portions. Take in whatever settles in your mind and move on to the next if it doesn’t. Don’t flood yourself with paragraphs and words. Too much at once will only exhaust you.

The mistake I am going to point the last is the one that can easily be committed by an expert reader as well. This is easily being distracted. Sadly I myself can’t seem to overcome this fault of mine while speed reading. I will talk about tips in avoiding this mistake in the coming article. Maybe we’ll all learn how to act on it tomorrow. Until then, try using these tips. Your reading speed will improve greatly.

These days, EVE Online remains a staple in my gaming diet. Part of this is due to the corporation I fly under, Agony Unleashed. They are strong and create a wonderful atmosphere to battle and socialize in. One of their core beliefs is to conduct an after action review after each engagement. Pilots are encouraged to discuss the fight, their mistakes, their successes, and encouraged to improve. In the spirit of this, an encounter not too long ago brings a valuable lesson to us all.

I was dual boxing, using my laptop to mine away while my main ratted. Isk making was the goal and I was so broke at the time that I was flying a loaner, named Captain Wonder Pants (it was part of the deal). It had been a successful day as both pirate and ore fell to my mighty blows. On my main screen, my ship was heading back to station and on my laptop, my cargo hold had just filled up. I made a jump into the next system on my main, knowing I had enough time to remain cloaked to drop off my ore and get back to mining. At the time, it seemed like a nice plan.

Clicking away, the mining ship sat there, starring me in the face, unwilling to venture further. I clicked, I moved the mouse, was it dead? What happened? Suddenly, a flash. My ship had moved all right, but unfortunately, it was on the other screen attached to the mouse I was clicking wildly on. I frantically tried to disengage my decloaked ship and warp, run to the gate and jump, hide, anything! It was too late and a dreadful explosion expanded across my screen. Loaner ship, loot, and isk were all gone. My ventrilo server erupted with a word not repeatable in print, and sighs filled the room as I explained my blunder.

For those of you who multitask as a way of life, take heed. 0.0 is not the place to dual box, cook pasta, talk to your kids, pet your dog, or do anything other than flying. Even a distraction for a nanosecond means death in this twitch reaction world. Focus on getting home safe, then go mine to your hearts content. As for Captain Wonder Pants, rest in peace, you were a fine vessel.

Vocalizing in both ways is a harm to speed reading.  It will abruptly slow down your speed while reading. If you have a habit of vocalizing then you probably can’t imagine the speed you can really achieve if come over vocalizing. Always remember that reading is a process which involves the eyes and the brain only. Involving any third part would break the tie and automatically affect your reading speed.

You can imagine reading as if doing something creative, like probably looking at a landscape. What if you are distracting with someone talking insider your head? You obviously won’t like it, or would you? I won’t. So don’t talk while reading.

Next try to read in phrases instead of words. I have explained that in quiet detail in my previous articles. While reading, don’t make it a habit to read a phrase over and over again. It will only waste your time. Read a phrase, understand and move ahead. Don’t keep on repeating it. With sufficient practice you will be able to understand the phrases fast.

 Vary your reading speed with the difficulty of the text in front of you. Reed it fast over even skim if the text is easy for you. But there is no shame in slowing down to read the difficult part of the text. Never be overconfident that you can digest everything at the same speed. Poor readers always fall to this misconception and end up wasting lots and lots of their time.

Lastly, keep in mind that there is no age bar when learning how to speed read. If you start applying the techniques I mentioned, you can almost double your speed of reading at almost every age. After all knowledge is for everyone! Isn’t it? A simple example can be that if your reading speeding is merely 100 wpm and you learn to have control over your vocalization habit you can increase your speed to almost double, i.e. something between 150-200 words.

Give it a try, and you’ll see the difference.

The first and biggest mistake while attempting to speed read is reading the text word by word. You can never achieve speed reading if you try to read the content word wise. The information processing time tends to get a 10 times more in your brain and you attempt to slow your brain down instead of sharpening it. Remember your brain is able to process at a much faster speed.

The second mistake while speed reading occurs when you don’t concentrate enough while reading. As a result you don’t grasp the meaning of the content and have to go back and read again. This way you waste time as well as your brains processing ability is slowed.

The third mistake occurs when you deliberately try to read slowly in order to get comprehension. I am repeating this thing for the third time in this particular article. Doing so you will only slow down your mind’s processing power. Don’t underestimate your brain. It can make wonders work.

The next common mistake is to try to repeat the words back to yourself along reading in order to ensure that you understand them well. Frankly speaking there is no need to do so. It’s only your way of assuring yourself that you understand the text and is of no practical use.

The next mistake is to try to understand the text fully right away. Understanding the text fully at the first instant is not always possible. Give yourself time. Start with understanding selective portions. Take in whatever settles in your mind and move on to the next if it doesn’t. Don’t flood yourself with paragraphs and words. Too much at once will only exhaust you.

The mistake I am going to point the last is the one that can easily be committed by an expert reader as well. This is easily being distracted. Sadly I myself can’t seem to overcome this fault of mine while speed reading. I will talk about tips in avoiding this mistake in the coming article. Maybe we’ll all learn how to act on it tomorrow. Until then, try using these tips. Your reading speed will improve greatly.

10.  Using your children as pawns

9.  Thinking romance first, divorce second (bringing a new relationship into the mix)

8.  Allowing your spouse to convince you not to hire an attorney

7.  Using verbal abuse

6.  Rubbing salt into the wound

5.  Using a difficult attorney

4.  Becoming passive

3.  Arguing about who gets what

2.  Serving your spouse with divorce papers in embarrassing places

1.  Responding to an impending divorce with anger.

Read more at askmen.com.

If you are a note holder in San Mateo and want to sell your real estate note, paper or mortgage, you should be aware of the 5 deadly mistakes to avoid when trying to sell your San Mateo note, paper or real estate mortgage.

Here they are:

1. Contracting With An Intermediary - Be sure your buyer is really the buyer and note just a note broker looking for a commission
2. Failure To Get Proof of Funds - Due your due diligence on your buyer by requiring a written proof of funds from a third party to ensure that you
3. Failure To Get References - If your note buyer is the real deal they should be able to give you at least two references of business people you can contact.
4. Selling Too Cheap - Be sure to get a third party valuation of your note so you know what it’s worth before you sell it.
5. Not Documenting the Deal Properly - Get a contract when you sell your note that lays out all the terms concerning recourse, what happens if payments stop, and other important terms.

Avoid these deadly mistakes and consult someone who knows notes, like Kari Banse, who buys notes in San Mateo California as well as other paper and mortgages

Is this simply another predictable, even healthy, correction in a long-term bull market? Or are we poised for an investor meltdown?

No one knows for sure, of course. Even a modern-day Nostradamus couldn't tell us what's going to happen tomorrow. But no matter what, avoiding these six costly investment mistakes will help you to keep your head above today's troubled waters.

Mistake No. 1: Panicking over market fluctuations
"Fluctuations in the market are a natural part of our economic cycle," says Stacy Francis, Certified Financial Planner and founder of Francis Financial in New York. "When the market is in a downturn, it may seem logical to cash out and go home, but before you do that you may want to think about your long-term goals for that money."

Market downturns, even recessions, are relatively common occurrences in a free economy. A recession is defined as a decline in Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, for at least two consecutive quarters, making it rather easy for us to slip into one. But they have become shorter duration and less severe than they were in the past.

According to studies by Ned Davis Research, since World War II, the average expansion in our economy has lasted 57 months, while the average recession has lasted 10 months. In the past 20 years, according to the study, we haven't had a recession last longer than eight months.

All of this suggests the rules of the game of profitable investing remain pretty much the same. During the current bumpy ride, investor concerns are focused on such things as the effects of the subprime mortgage crisis, the price of oil and the threat of a recession. While any of these may seem of formidable proportion, they are probably no worse than the concerns that bothered investors in the 1960s or the 1980s, or any other period.

"Many people sell low and buy high because emotion drives their investment decisions," says Lisa Featherngill, CPA/PFS, member American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. "Remember, you haven't lost money until you actually sell the security.

"If you decide to sell, buy something else right away. Studies have shown that your investment returns will suffer dramatically if you miss the best days of the market. Nobody knows when the best days will occur, so stay invested."

In short, investing for a financially healthy retirement still calls for the same kind of common-sense approach that has worked so well in the past. Most experts predict that the long-term future will most likely mirror the long-term past. That is, a steady pattern of economic growth with periods of expansions, recessions and downturns in the market.

Mistake No. 2: Reacting to daily economic reports
"In an effort to sell newspapers and air time, the media trains investors to look out for the next economic number of the day," says Jordan Kimmel, managing director at Magnet Investment Group in Randolph, N.J. "Whether it's employment numbers, capacity utilization or inflation statistics, there is always a number of the day to tempt investors into overreacting. In reality it is nonsensical to react to daily economic reports. No investment strategy is better than identifying superior companies and holding them while letting your money compound over time."

Mistake No. 3: Turning off your buying during a downturn
Some of the world's most successful investors made their fortunes by buying when everyone else was selling. But that's not easy to do. Investing steadily during market downturns may be too much of a psychological adventure for most of us, but there is a system that enables almost anyone to take advantage of those tempting buying opportunities. It's called dollar-cost averaging.

"Dollar-cost averaging calls for spending a fixed dollar amount each month or quarter on a specific investment or part of a portfolio, regardless of the ups and downs of the share prices," says Francis. "By following this pattern consistently, you will purchase more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when prices are high."

For example, if you decide to spend $500 each month on purchasing shares, you will be able to buy only a few shares if the price is $100 per share. However, if the price goes down to $50 the next month, the same dollar investment will buy twice as many shares.

"By making regular and consistent purchases over a longer period of time, your cost basis -- the total amount you pay for a security -- is spread out. That provides a cushion against normal market price fluctuations," says Francis.

"Dollar-cost averaging is a time-proven and effective way to minimize the effects of emotion in financial management," says Kimmel.

Mistake No. 4: Trying to time the market
"It's better to invest regularly, without regard for the general condition of the economy or the direction of the stock market," says Darrell J. Canby, CPA/CFP and president of Canby Financial Advisors, in Natick, Mass.

"Timing the market, trying to determine the best time to buy specific stocks, rarely works," he says. "You might get lucky once in a while, but your luck isn't likely to last."

Rick Willeford, M.B.A. and CPA/CFP, in Atlanta, says simply, "Market timing and day trading are for suckers. The financial press makes money from advertising, and they do that by keeping you breathlessly chasing the latest tip or fad. They make money whether you win or lose."

Waiting for stocks to hit the "bottom" before you buy or hit the "top" before you sell has long since proven to be a loser's game for investors. Select the stocks or mutual funds that you buy only on the basis of sound fundamentals.

Mistake No. 5: Not maintaining an appropriate asset allocation
If there is one point that virtually all financial advisers agree on, it's the critical need for you to maintain an asset allocation suitable to your personal circumstances. Asset allocation refers to the process of dividing your investable assets among stocks, bonds and cash.

The diversification mix that is right for you at a given point in your life will depend on such things as your age and your tolerance for risk.

If your retirement is years away, most experts recommend relatively heavy investments in equities, 60% or more of your total portfolio. "However, if your time horizon is less than three years," says Certified Financial Planner Greg Womack from Edmond, Okla., "stay in fixed investments like CDs, short-term bonds and money markets."

Once you allocate your assets in the manner right for your circumstances, it's important to rebalance at least once a year. As the price of equities goes up or down, the ratio you have established will change. If the value of your equities has risen, you may want to sell off some of them to restore your original ratios. If their value has dropped, moving more cash into equities may be appropriate.

"If your portfolio is largely within an IRA or other retirement plan, consider rebalancing every quarter," says Womack. "If it is regular, taxable money, consider at least annually, perhaps more during extremely volatile periods. For a rebalancing strategy to work, you must own assets that don't react the same way over differing market conditions."

Mistake No. 6: Abandoning your investment strategy
"Creating a plan such as dollar-cost averaging and sticking with it under all market conditions is the way to maximize your returns," says Kimmel. "Human nature makes it difficult for the average investor to stick to an investment strategy unaffected by emotion. Sometimes it's fear; sometimes it's pure greed. Either way, allowing emotions to affect your investing decisions is certain to damage your financial future."

Womack agrees.

"It's human nature to chase hot sectors that have already made a significant move," he says. "It's also natural to panic and sell-out when everyone else is doing the same."

While it may be the natural thing to do, it's not the smart thing, according to Womack. "It's important to have an investment strategy and stick to it. Remember: If the headlines are full of it and everyone else is doing it, you're probably too late."

There is, of course, much more to the maintenance of an investment portfolio that may well help you sleep during these scary investment times. However, sticking with these common-sense fundamentals will go a long way toward achieving that end.