Kerkorian seems driven by automakers
Dear Mr. Berko: I have been looking up the preferred stocks that you recommended and can't locate them on Yahoo, which is my main search engine for stocks and finance. Can you tell me how to input the preferred stock symbols so I can price them? And I'm also thinking of buying 2,000 shares of Ford because Kirk Kerkorian has taken a big equity position in the company. It seems everything he owns does well. What do you think of an investment in Ford now that Kerkorian has a large position as well as a voice on the board of directors? And how high do you think Kerkorian thinks the stock will go?

Lending money to family always relatively risky
Dear Mr. Berko: In March of 2003, I lent $8,000 to my very close first cousin of 43 years. I have his personal note stipulating that the loan is to be paid back in three years at an interest of 8 percent. I'm holding as collateral 85,000 shares of Sanchez Laboratories, which he bought at 50 cents a share in July of 2001, which he said is worth at least $1.25 a share. I've asked him for my money many times, but he just ignores me, changes the subject and I'm embarrassed to push harder. So I sent him nice letters that he doesn't answer and even asked his wife (she also signed the note), who gets angry at me for "talking business." He's been bragging about this investment since he bought it and said he doesn't want to sell it because as he says, "Any day, I expect to wake up and discover Sanchez is worth $50 a share." He's certain this stock will make him a multimillionaire. I have two questions: Is Sanchez worth $1.25 a share, and can I deduct this personal loan as an expense on my 2008 tax return? Two of my work friends tell me I can't and two tell me that I can. So we thought to write you because you seem to have answers to so many questions.

Perils of Merrill Lynch may be overstated
Dear Mr. Berko: I've been a customer with Merrill Lynch for a long time. My broker tells me he's going to leave for another firm because the firm is suffering from a management and credit crisis. He even thinks my stocks may not be safe and has asked me to join him when he leaves. I own a few shares of Merrill stock and I wonder if I should continue to hold them. Another Merrill broker (same office) tells me the same thing, but he's going to remain because he will retire soon. I know the brokers are not making as much money at Merrill as they have in the past few years and that their business is way down. So is it safe to keep my stock portfolio at Merrill? And what do you think is going on at that company?

Oil-sensing technology company a slick buy?
Dear Mr. Berko: What do you know about "SFD technology" that is supposed to be the new standard for finding oil deposits? My broker knows nothing about SFD, nor does a friend I've talked to in the oil business. But I heard from a good source that the technology works and this source told me that the company with the SFD technology is called External Energy Exploration. I can't find it anywhere and I thought you might have better sources than I have. The stock is supposed to trade at $3 a share and I'd like to invest $9,000 in it and buy 3,000 shares. So what can you tell me about this stock? Does it exist?

'Gold' dollars not making any sense
Dear Mr. Berko: I've enclosed an advertisement from USA Today describing an offer of presidential gold dollars "never circulated" in ballistic wrap for $124. If you believe they will increase in value (like the 1,200 percent increase in Eisenhower dollars), I'd buy 100 of these ballistic rolls with a net 425 grams of pure weight. I've tried calling you on the phone (no luck) and I didn't know how long it would take you to respond to my e-mail, so I Federal Expressed this letter because I only have 72 hours to call their national order hot line and buy these presidential gold dollars. The World Reserve Monetary Exchange apparently is handling the sale of these coins for the U.S. Mint and the U.S. Mint will never make these coins again, so they will probably become worth a lot more over the coming few years. I've sent you a copy of the World Monetary Reserve Exchange's full-page advertisement so you can see firsthand what I am writing to you about. I also saved this page for office files and may frame it for good luck. The World Reserve Monetary Exchange will even give me a 90-day guarantee of my price back, so this makes their offer even more attractive. My wife, who is always suspicious, has asked me to contact you before I invest in this venture.

Bank's not broken -- good time to buy
Dear Mr. Berko: I'm recently retired and thinking about taking a small gamble with about $4,000 and buying 700 shares of National City Corp. What do you think of the stock and my idea? I believe the stock will turn around in four to six years and I might be able to triple my money. And if I triple my money in six years while the stock goes from $6 to $18, that's a 20 percent annual return.

Teachers' fund far from head of class
D ear Mr. Berko: I work for a private school that does not contribute to a 403(b). The TIAA-CREF people have spoken with us about investing in their mutual funds and variable annuities. My broker told me in no uncertain terms that I would be making a huge mistake, because their products are not competitive with other providers and that the company has serious service problems. One of his accounts has been trying to get his money out of an annuity for six months and they won't give it to him. So he's complained to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the state of New York. Instead, he wants me to invest my money in an AIG annuity, which he says is the best around.

Apple of his eye isn't Dell
Dear Mr. Berko: I'm considering the purchase of 200 shares of Dell computer or 25 shares of Apple and I can't make a decision. I even thought about buying 12 shares of Apple and 100 shares of Dell and still can't make up my mind. They're both excellent companies with excellent balance sheets and make an excellent product, though Dell is quite a much larger company -- about twice the size of Apple in revenues. What do you think?

They can't have a sucker without 'u'
Dear Mr. Berko: I know that you don't like most stock market services that claim subscribers earned much better returns than the Dow Jones. In fact, I invested in one of those services, which cost me over $4,000, and lost my shirt. I just wish I had read your column on that one prior to wasting several months' time plus $4,300. The name of this stock market service is called iDayo and the cost is only $3,000 a year. But their record is the most impressive I've ever seen. In 1999, iDayo returned 100 percent, in 2000, iDayo returned 84 percent, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, iDayo returned 16 percent, 18 percent, 55 percent, 13 percent, 17 percent, 53 percent and 32 percent, respectively. That's an average annual return of over 43 percent and only requires 15 minutes of time a week, in which they give me three to five stocks. These people are magicians and you can verify all these claims on the Internet by going to www.idayo.com. Please tell me if you can find a hole in their work because if you can't find fault with iDayo, I'm going to subscribe to their program and hopefully begin to make some decent money.