Sunday, September 21, 2008

Investing Stock Market ABC’s

Investing Stock Market ABC’s
by: Jay Moncliff
While most folks today trust mutual funds and their professional managers with their investments, it’s still important to understand the basics of the stock market. Although investing in individual stocks may not be right for everyone, a basic understanding of the stock market is essential to understanding the workings of our economy and business sector.

A stock is a portion of ownership in a company. Commonly referred to as a share, it is a small percentage of the total ownership pool for the corporation. Shareholders are stock owners, or people who have an ownership interest in the corporation. Today, shares are usually tracked electronically, but in previous decades shareholders would actually receive a certificate stating their ownership.

Why own stocks? First, you are sharing in the company’s profits. When a corporation shows a profit, they will sometimes distribute these profits to each shareholder, based on how much stock they own. This distribution is called a dividend. Company’s can elect to pay out their profits or reinvest them in the company, but as a shareholder, each time a payout is made you will receive your proportionate share.

Also, the value of your stock will rise and fall based on the company’s perceived value in the stock market. If you buy a share at $10.00 and it rises to $11.00 a share, you’ve made a dollar for each share you own, and subsequently sell. However, with this opportunity comes risk as well. If the share price falls and you sell, you’ll lose money. The more volatile the stock, the more opportunity for risk or profit.

Most shareholders track their stocks using the stock table. These appear confusing and difficult to read, but they are actually easy to understand with a little practice.

Ticker symbol is listed first. This is the abbreviated symbol that the stock market uses to identify your company. For example, GE is General Electric, WMT is Walmart. Once you select a company, you’ll need to know it’s shorthand name to track its progress.

Second, the company’s name may be listed. Some tables omit the name to save space, others list it to make tracking stocks easier.

The third item is the number of sales in the last trading day. This is listed in the 100,000’s, so 256 means 256,000 shares were bought and sold on the last day that the market was open.

Next are the high and low price, in that order. The high price is the highest per share price that the stock sold for on the previous trading day. The low price is the lowest price for that day. Since the price of the shares moves all day long, this is a good reference to see how much the stock is changing in a day.

Next, the closing price is listed. This is the last price that the stock traded for as the market closed. This will also be the beginning price for the next trading day.

After the closing price, the table will list the change, or the amount that the stock changed when you compare yesterday’s closing price with the closing price for the day before. This will be listed as a positive number (the stock went up) or a negative number (the stock sold for less yesterday than the day before).

Stock tables are found in many places, but most people check their daily paper or the Wall Street Journal. There are many internet sites that track stocks as well.

Of course, you’ll have to select a stock. Choose carefully or consult a professional, and good luck!

About the author:
Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.investingreviews.infoa website specialized on Investing, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Investing. For more info on Investing visit: http://www.investingreviews.info

Saturday, September 20, 2008

How To Win In Futures Trading With This Simple Tactic

How To Win In Futures Trading With This Simple Tactic
by: David Jenyns
Surprisingly, many profitable speculators have success rates between 30% and 50%. Futures traders are not successful because they predict prices well. They`re winning because their profitable trades far exceed their losses. The truth of the matter is all Futures systems win and lose.

Psychologically, this can make following a system difficult. Futures market professionals achieve success in this environment by controlling risk with money management rules. But, controlling risk goes against our natural tendencies. Most Futures traders don`t want to manage risk, they want to be right. Despite the proven fact that money management is so important, when Futures traders first come to me, many of my clients focus their time looking for the perfect entry. It`s their search for the Holy Grail. They want a perfect Futures indicator.

Not only is this Futures indicator going to get them in right at the bottom of the trend, but it`s also going to tell them at the exact point at the top of the trend when to get out. Here`s the best part and about this indicator: apparently, it can guarantee success and it`s never, ever wrong.

Unfortunately, though I don`t like to disappoint my clients, I need to let them know the hard truth. It does not matter whether you are trading in the Futures or any other market, the simple fact is this; there is no perfect indicator. Instead, there are carefully set money management rules that will place you in control. With this control, you`ll be able to follow the two cardinal rules in your Futures trading – you`ll be able to let your profits run and cut your losses short.

Once these money management rules are in place your system can be set on autopilot. You won`t need to worry…

"Should I be holding this stock?"

OR

"Shouldn`t I be holding that type of stock?"

This uncertainty is what people are confronted with when they don`t have their rules set for the Futures market. The end result is that small losses end up being big losses.

To make matters worse, a few of these big losses strung together can have a detrimental effect on your Futures trading capital. Unfortunately, it`s much more difficult to trade to gain back money you have lost then it is to trade with profits that you already have in hand. If things go to the absolute extreme, you run the risk of wiping out your entire Futures trading float, as many traders do when they first get started. But, with your money management rules in place, you can ride out the ups and downs of every Futures trading system and succeed where many fail.



About the author:
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
David Jenyns is recognized as the leading expert when it
comes to designing profitable Future trading systems.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Forex Broker Commissions

Forex Broker Commissions -
by: Eddie Tobey
Most forex brokers do not charge commissions. GFT Forex Brokers, like other forex brokers, are compensated by revenues from their activities as currency dealers, including proceeds from buying, selling, converting and holding currencies, interest on deposited funds, and rollover fees.

Many may wonder how brokers work without commissions. The forex dealer is like a middleman. Let's consider the case of a bread middleman. He buys bread at a “wholesale” price and he sells it at a “retail” price. So if one is a baker, he can ask the middleman how much he would buy his bread for. Let's say the middleman quotes $1, so he's willing to pay $1 per loaf.

On the other side of the equation, let's say you just finished his last slice of bread, and you needs a new loaf. So you call up the local middleman, and ask him how much he's willing to sell you (a customer) a loaf of bread for. And he quotes the baker $1.25. That sounds reasonable, so you tell him to drop one off for you.

In this example, the bread middleman didn't charge you a commission to either the baker or you, the customer. Instead he bought at one price and sold at another. He will let you buy from him at $1.25, and let you sell to him at $1. So every time the baker has bread to sell, he checks the middleman's sell price. And when you want to buy a loaf of bread, you check the buy price.
In trading, this is known as the “bid” and “ask”. The bid is the price you can sell at, and the ask is the price you can buy at.

Considering forex broker commissions, the forex dealer will let the trader buy from him at 1.1971 and will let the trader sell to him at 1.1967. The difference 0.0004 is known as the spread. And this spread is where the forex “middleman” makes his money.

If the trader were to buy at 1.1971, then the instant the trader buys, he is “down” 0.0004, because if the trader wanted out of the trade, the best price he could sell it for is 1.1967. So as the forex dealer takes varying trades from people, each buying or selling, he can make money from this price gap. Each minimum increment, 0.0001 is referred to as a “pip”. So the spread in this example is 4 pips. In terms of dollars, for a forex contract of $100,000, this transaction would cost you $40 ($100,000 x 0.0004) or 4 pips. So the trader will find that some companies will advertise a spread of 3 pips on some currencies, usually ranging up to five on others. In forex trading, the tighter the spread is, the better.

About the author:
Forex Broker Info provides detailed information on forex brokers, forex trading and market makers, and other forex-related topics. Forex Broker Info is the sister site of Incorporating in Florida Web.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Goodbye Multi-Level Marketing and Hello E-currency Exhcange

Goodbye Multi-Level Marketing and Hello E-currency Exhcange
by: Chris Rohrer
If you are reading this article you are one of many people who have spent many hours trying to find a work at home business that really does work. Searching for unique ways to make money on the internet. Very few people go on to succeed working from home, and most have failed many of times trying different things.

So how are some people succeeding? The answer is quite simple; they are finding a business that works with their specific strengths and needs. The majority of people today trying to get into the home-based business industry are not salesmen and genius marketers. People fiddle around looking in all the wrong places wasting loads of money on advertising that isn’t working and E-books that promise wealth.

It took me five years to find a business that did not involving selling, building a down-line or that required me to recruit more people. That is when I stumbled across e-currency exchange, the fastest growing online opportunity today.

So what is it then? E-currency exchange allows everyday people just like you and I to build a financial portfolio through a complex system of thousands of people exchanging funds from dollars to electronic currency. There are two sides to the trading system, the portfolio side and the console side.

Initially you create a portfolio that receives 1.5% to 4.0% gains per day on the amount of money in the portfolio. For example, if you put in $1,000 and received gains at a rate of .35%, your profits for one day would be $3.50. This money is compounded daily and grows continuously over time. It is not uncommon for people who initially invest $100 to grow their portfolio value to $1000 in 1 month. It is easy to see that over the course of time you can make substantial gains.

Once you have been in e-currency exchange program for 90 days and your portfolio has grown to a value of $5000, you are able to apply for a console. With a console you can now process requests from people that wish to take their money from e-currency and convert it back to the dollar. As a console holder you receive a percentage of the amount being exchanged as profit. There are literally people lined up in a queue that need these exchanges processed daily. There is such a high demand right now for exchangers that it is a very profitable business for those who are able to console.

The only down-side is learning how to navigate through this e-currency network which is extremely difficult without assistance. Most people try it out for a few days, become frustrated and quit because they simply do not know what they are doing. That is why we have developed a guide that will walk you through everything you need to know! We have everything from personal phone support, to forums, to live chat rooms. There is no selling or recruiting and that is what makes this the perfect business!

About the author:
Learn how I turned a $400 investment into $4,000 over the course of 60 days. For more information and resources check out E-currency Online

Monday, September 1, 2008

Forex Trading: Great Opportunity or Scam?

Forex Trading: Great Opportunity or Scam?
by: Steve Pickering
A lot of interest has been generated recently in FOREX trading, hailed by some as the great new investment opportunity. There are even companies running TV infomercials, offering sure fire systems that will bring massive profits in an easy fashion.


So what is forex? Is it something new? The exchange of currencies is said by some to be the world's second oldest profession and as long as there have been two sovereign states that have issued their own currencies, there has been foreign exchange as a facilitator for trade.


Forex, as foreign exchange has been abbreviated to, has been conducted for centuries and has become a global market with a daily turnover according to a recent Bank for International Settlements survey of $1.9 trillion (billion, billion) per day. Essentially it is a global market place with no physical exchange building where all claims on foreign currencies are settled - between governments, corporations, investors and speculators among others. Banks have traditionally been the middlemen who provide the liquidity to this gigantic market, which incidentally is traded on an almost continuous 24-hour basis.


Then came the Internet and suddenly it became possible for everyone to get a piece of the speculative action. Brokers sprouted up with their electronic trading platforms and high 'leverage'. Essentially the brokers lend clients funds to speculate with, 100:1 or in some cases up to 400:1 ratio, or leverage. This means that $10,000 can 'control' up to $4,000,000 in the market. This is far higher than is possible in the stock market.


Many people have been attracted to the possibilities of earning fast profits from forex. There are often sharp movements that can turn your $10,000 to $20,000 in a matter of minutes. You can also get wiped out, but the lure of a fast buck has turned would-be speculators into out-and-out gamblers.
The Internet has also made it possible for the individual to obtain so-called 'charts', that allow them to do 'technical analysis' on their own PCs. The theory is that price movement patterns repeat themselves, so if you have a system of analysis, you can predict a future move in the market.


This may well be the case, but it does not address the problems of the psychology of trading - the fear and greed that drives many to irrational behaviour. People are often taken in by the seller of a system, often paying $5,000 for a piece of software that shows a green light to buy and a red light to sell. However, they don't tell you how to manage your money.


So speculators lose. It has been estimated that 90% of new investors in forex lose their capital in the first year - an appalling figure. What can one do to avoid being a victim? Well, forex is a business like any other business and planning is required. It is also a profession and as such, adequate training is necessary so that you understand fully what forex trading is all about.


Many are prepared to invest thousands in forex trading without really knowing what it is all about. Just think if franchises were offered in a major hamburger chain without the franchisees having a clue how to run a restaurant or even make the burgers. The failure rate would also probably be 90%!
As with all investing, it is all a matter of risk and reward. Investing in Government securities is considered low risk, therefore they carry the lowest return. Increase the risk (the probability of loss on the investment), the higher an investor is rewarded in terms of return. An individual trading forex decides his own level of risk, which should dictate the level of reward. However, in the hands of an inexperienced trader, the two factors are impossible to reconcile, meaning in stark terms that traders cannot control the risk or the reward levels.


People attracted to forex trading often have an unrealistic expectation of what can be earned. To start with an investment of $5,000 and expect to be making $100,000 a year after the first year is unrealistic. It is not impossible; then again, neither is winning the lottery.
If the parameters for trading are laid down and adhered to combined with knowledge of forex trading, success is possible. It does not take much in the way of 'enhanced' returns to be able to double an investment. 26% per annum is required to double your investment within 3 years.


Who is going to teach you? There are some very good courses available, but these will only give you the theory, in itself very important. The ideal way is to have a mentor, or guide to show you the way.
Getting mentored is a wise move because it makes it possible to draw on the experience of a veteran expert and avoid making the common mistakes that cause the unwary to suffer catastrophic losses. After a while under guidance, a forex trader will gain the experience


The bottom line is that forex is not in itself a scam. There are for sure scam artists who prey on individuals' greed as there are in any other business. If it is approached in a sensible and realistic manner and the trader is prepared to work hard, forex can provide a good living both financially and materially.




About the author:
Steve Pickering is founder and owner of Forex Trader Mentor and has been engaged in the forex markets since 1971.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Forex Trading

Forex Trading
by: Chris Rohrer
The foreign exchange market, also knows as FOREX, originated in 1973 has become the largest e-currency trade market in the world today. FOREX trading occurs 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. The FOREX market offers a unique trading opportunity to those seeking a substantial profit in a market that trades over 1.2 trillion dollars each day.

FOREX market is primarily traded between central banks, commercial banks, non-banking International Corporation, hedge funds, private investors and speculators. Previously small investors were unable to trade in the FOREX market due to the large deposit required. However until recent years, with the continuing growth of the internet and competition, Forex trading has made it so small investors can now open a FOREX trading account with as little as $250.

There are a few factors as to why FOREX investing is starting to attract more small investors. For one, FOREX can be traded 24 hours a day 5 days a week. Previously trades were placed by phone, the internet has made it possible for traders to monitor their FOREX trading accounts from home and execute trades in real time with the click of a mouse button.

In order to start trading in the FOREX market, one must first open an account with a broker. It is recommended to obtain a list of brokers and do some research before deciding on which broker to deal with. Each broker offers different policies and different spreads on each currency that is traded.

Before trading in FOREX, one must first understand the risk and reward behind

margin trading in FOREX. A margined account can be leveraged, which means trading in FOREX can be done with solely cash or a combination of cash and collateral such as a security deposit. The main risk involved in margin trading is that margin trading tends to inflate loss. In addition the rate of loss and leverage makes FOREX a high risk investment. However, regardless of the downside in margin trading, FOREX is still very profitable as huge gains can be made.

There are plenty of resources on the internet that will discuss trading strategies, emotions and what it takes to become a successful trader. Most of these web sites are going to tell you that emotions play the largest roll in your success as a trader.

About the author:
To learn more about the Forex Trading program visit Forex Investing

Friday, August 1, 2008

How Many Forex Order Types There Are and How to Use Them In Your Favor

How Many Forex Order Types There Are and How to Use Them In Your Favor.
by: Adrian Pablo
Once you have decided to enter the Forex trading world, one of the first things you will have to do is downloading the trading station provided by your chosen forex broker for free. When you open your trading station software, you will find there are two main ways to enter a market or, said in another way, there are two ways to place an initial order to buy or sell any currency pair.

“Market order”; this is an order to buy or sell a currency pair at the market price the instant that the order is received and processed (within seconds of hitting the "OK" button on your screen). When a market order is placed, you are simply saying "I'll buy or sell the currency pair at whatever price it is at when my order gets processed."

“Entry order”; this is an order to buy or sell a currency pair when it reaches a certain price target. This can be any price in theory. You could set an entry order for the low price of a time period, or the high price of a time period. As an example, one usual recommendation is that you must always set an entry order to be the same price as the ‘open price” of the time period. When you place an “entry order” to buy, for example, you are simply saying "I want to buy this currency pair at a certain price, if it never reaches that price, I don't want to purchase the pair."

After your “entry order” is placed, you can set a stop and/or limit order if you desire, and for your own security. Stop and Limit orders are two different ways to exit a trade, automatically (i.e., without closing out your position via the click of your mouse - manually), after the trade is entered.

A “stop order” (something I will always recommend you) is used to stop losses. A “limit order” (recommended if you can't monitor your open trade) is used to redeem profits. Where these orders are placed, in relation to your open trade, depends on the direction of the entry order.

Remember; a “stop order” is always placed below the current market value of that currency pair when you are in a long (buy) trade. And a “limit order” is always placed above the current market value of that currency pair when you are in a long (buy) trade.

About the author:
Adrian Pablo; Forex trader and freelance writer

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Forex And Daytrading

Forex And Daytrading
by: Frank Hague
Online trading is great way for serious investors to make money, but inexperienced traders often wind up with big losses. A good set of instructions can minimize the risks and save months of expensive trial-and-error learning.

Day Trading

Day Trading had its heyday during the bull market of the 1990's. All the amateurs have since dropped out, but day trading is still being practiced by professionals. There are fewer opportunities in the current market, but skilled investors can still find them if they know what to look for.

FOREX Trading

The Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX), the world's largest financial exchange market, originated in 1973. It has a daily turnover of currency worth more than $1.2 trillion dollars.

Unlike many other securities, FOREX does not trade on a fixed exchange rate; instead, currencies are traded primarily between central banks, commercial banks, various non-banking international corporations, hedge funds, personal investors and not to forget, speculators. Previously, smaller investors were excluded from FOREX due to the huge amount of deposit involved. This was changed in 1995, and now smaller investors can trade alongside the multi-nationals. As a result, the number of traders within the FOREX market has grown rapidly, and many FOREX courses are appearing to help individual traders increase their skills.

As a matter of fact, it's advisable to take FOREX training even before opening a trading account.
It is vital to know the market mechanics of FOREX, leveraging in FOREX, rollovers and the analysis of the FOREX market. Due to this fact, potential FOREX traders would do well to either enroll in a FOREX training courses or even purchase some books regarding FOREX trading.

There are pros and cons to enrolling into a FOREX course. For beginners a FOREX course is a rapid method of learning the basics of FOREX trading. Not much time is spent on history of the market or arcane economic theories. Often, on-line or phone support from a skilled FOREX trader is available to answer any questions. Also, the information is condensed and practical, often with graphs and charts.

The disadvantage is the price, as courses are more expensive than a paperback from the bookstore. Also,
the course may just teach the approach of the trader who wrote it, and individuals have different trading strategies. The student may grow accustomed to the logic and focus of the teacher without coming to realise that nothing is predictable in the FOREX market, and many different strategies will bring profits in varying market circumstances. Also, knowledge of practical applications may not be enough, as the FOREX is highly unpredictable and there are many external factors, such as political issues, affecting the flow of finances in the market.

The best advice would be to do some background research on the FOREX market first, and then enroll in a course.

About the author:
Frank Hague has always been interested in the Stock Market.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Financial Trading – so many markets, so little time

Financial Trading – so many markets, so little time
by: Amin Sadak
Would you like to make money from trading but don't know how to trade?
Have you heard of others making a killing on the markets and wished yourself in their position?


Trading covers a multitude of sins, or at least a multitude of markets. Mention “trading” to a non-trader and they’ll probably think of stock and shares but there are many other markets you can trade in. These include commodities, futures, indices, CFDs and options. They all have their pros and cons and some require specialized knowledge.

The most popular markets used by traders are stocks, commodities, futures, indices and forex. Some traders switch between markets, others stick to just one. Let’s highlight some of the similarities and differences between them.


Shares

In the USA there are over 40,000 shares so you have a lot of markets to choose from. You can’t deal in all of them so you need to home in on those that offer good trading opportunities using whatever trading methods you decide to use.

When buying shares you usually have to put up all the money at the time of sale. That might seem obvious but it’s not so with all markets. Some brokers offer a 50% margin with shares which means you can trade to the value of twice the amount in your account. This seems like a good deal but if your shares start to go down you’ll get a “margin call” and will either have to put more money in your account or sell the shares at a loss.

Shares are normally traded in lots of 100. If you want to trade an expensive share – and some shares are very expensive, particularly in the US markets – you need a considerable amount of money in your account.

It’s not easy to sell shares short. Selling short is a strange concept to many people who think of buying shares at a low price and selling then at a higher price. But it’s often easier to predict that a share will fall rather than rise so what you’d like to do is to sell it at a high price and then buy it back later at a low price. The net result is the same whatever the order of the deals – buy low, sell high.

However, you can’t sell something you don’t own so in order to sell shares short you must “borrow” them from your broker. This is not quite as straightforward as buying and not all shares are available for selling short.

Finally, share dealing takes place during market hours so if you don’t live in the country where they are being traded you must adjust your trading hours to suit.


Futures, commodities and indices

Commodities are goods such as corn, copper, crude oil, orange juice, oats, gold and wheat.

Technically, a futures contract is an agreement to make or accept delivery of a commodity on a certain day at a certain price. In practice this rarely happens unless you’re a manufacturer who actually wants the goods. The vast majority of futures traders are simply speculating on whether the price will go up or down and never take delivery of an item.

Futures contacts include commodities and also stock market indices such as the S&P 500, Dow Jones and the Russell. Indices are simply a composite of securities that provide an overall reading of the market or some section of it.

The S&P 500 (Standard & Poor’s 500) tracks 500 of the largest companies in the US market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tracks only 30 of the largest and longest-established companies while the Russell 2000 is an index of smaller stocks.

Essentially, commodities and indices are futures and traded in much the same way although traders may use the terms interchangeably.

Unlike shares, futures can be sold short just as easily as they can be bought. Each futures contract has its own fluctuating price and many traders deal in just one lot contracts.

Brokers usually charge a flat fee commission per contract, often expressed as a “round turn” which is one buy and one sell transaction. This may be a few dollars, often less than the value of a point or two on the contract. If you’re trading a long time frame the commission is negligible but if you’re day trading and scalping for a few points here and there it becomes a considerable part of the cost.

Futures brokers usually offer a margin of around 20% of the value of the underlying instrument so you can control $10,000’s worth of a contract for maybe $2,000. However, the same rules apply – if you over-leverage your account you’ll receive a margin call or your positions will be closed at a loss. Margin and leverage are a two-edged sword.

Many brokers offer a demo account so you can get used to the trading platform and test your trading strategies before you put real money on the line.


Forex Currency Trading

Currency trading, foreign exchange or forex as it’s more commonly known, has fast become one of the most popular markets for private traders in recent years.

As its name suggests, it involves buying and selling foreign currency. The most commonly traded currencies are referenced against the US Dollar and are sometimes referred to as a “currency pair” even though you are only trading one instrument. For example, the GBPUSD is the UK Pound/US Dollar pair. A value of 1.7625 would mean that the one Pound is worth 1.7625 Dollars. Other popular pairs include the Euro (EURUSD), the Swiss Franc (USDCHF) and the Japanese Yen (USDJPY) although there are others.

So unlike shares and futures, you don’t have a mass of markets to choose from, but there is variety within forex currency trading to give you a range of markets to trade.

The value of each pair differs slightly but the minimum movement – called a “pip” – is worth approximately $10. The GBPUSD has been averaging 100-150 pips per day which would be $1000-1500. Many brokers let you trade half or even quarter-size lots which are useful when you’re starting out. Also, many brokers offer a demo account so you can practice before risking real money.

The total value of the forex market is worth trillions of dollars per day, far larger than shares or futures. It is also a truly international market with dealing taking place all around the globe 24 hours per day from Monday to Friday. You can, therefore, trade at any time of the day or night at times to suit you. It’s worth noting, however, that the bigger moves generally occur during the US and European trading sessions.

You can sell short forex just as easily as you can buy and brokers offer highly-leveraged accounts too – but the same warning regarding margins apply here as well.

Brokers tend not to charge a commission for trading forex and you will often see adverts for “commission free” trading. However, they make their money on the spread which is the difference between the buying price and the selling price. The spread is usually between 3 and 5 pips although some brokers may offer a 2 pip spread on some pairs, and some less-popular pairs may have a larger spread.

Paying on the spread is particularly useful when trading mini lots. A 3-pip spread on a quarter lot will be about $7.50 whereas on a full-size lot it would be $30. Again, the spread is more important when trading short time frames where you’re only aiming to make a few pips per trade. You need to build the spread into your trading system so you don’t overestimate the amount you might make per trade.

One interesting aspect of forex currency trading is that there is no central clearing house where absolute prices are quoted, unlike shares and futures. So it’s quite possible to see different brokers quoting slightly different prices for the same pair. As the market has become more efficient, this difference has reduced, in most cases, to a few pips but it highlights the importance of checking that the data you are using for analysis is the same – or close to – that used by your broker for placing your orders.


The market you decide to trade will depend on many things, not least of all, your budget, but also how many markets you want to look at and what hours you want to trade. There are trading vehicles to suit all preferences and pockets.

About the author:
Amin's new teaching manual "The Affluent Desktop Currency Trader" provides an alternative for people looking for online business opportunities.

Amin teaches the method he uses to download $1000+ every week.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Emotions: A Trader's Worst Enemy; Get Rid of Fear and Greed - You'll be Glad You Did by: Jonathan van Clute

Emotions: A Trader's Worst Enemy; Get Rid of Fear and Greed - You'll be Glad You Did
by: Jonathan van Clute
Copyright 2005 Jonathan van Clute

You hear it over and over and over in books, forums, and chatrooms. Fear and greed, fear and greed, fear and greed. Emotions are a trader’s worst enemy. What are we supposed to do about it? We are human after all. Human beings have emotions. We can’t just throw a switch and suddenly behave like “Data” on Star Trek the Next Generation.

So what’s the answer for the aspiring trader?

It all boils down to 2 main components:

1. Having a plan

2. Having an appropriate trading style

You hear the first point often. Obnoxious little phrases like “Plan your trade, Trade your plan” are thrown around like it was really just that simple. But without the second part, the first part is useless. What good is a plan if you don’t know what type of plan is appropriate?

For example, you could plan your commute to work expecting to make the 30 mile trip in 20 minutes, but if you’re on foot that plan isn’t going to work very well is it? The plan was simply not appropriate for you in that situation.

There are an unlimited number of possible trading methods and styles, from chart reading to fundamental analysis, cycles to Fibonacci retracements, intra-day, Dogs of the DOW, Options, Futures, FOREX, Pork Bellies, Arbitrage – it can make you feel like your head will explode! But what you trade does not matter nearly as much as how, or perhaps why you trade.

Why do you trade?

Are you the sort who likes to play video games, loves fast action, and has no problem being glued to a screen all day? Then maybe intra-day trading 1 and 5 minute charts of high volatility equity options is for you.

Rather check your trades maybe every few days, or maybe once a week? Then perhaps swing trading currency pairs is more your style.

Prefer sleeping easy at all times, never worrying in the least about your trades because you knew up front that they would profit? Then my friend, arbitrage trading is calling your name.

Every style has its advantages and disadvantages, its risks and rewards, but most important is that the style must match the trader. If you jump into trading believing that just because someone else can do it this way, then so can you – you may be in for a very painful surprise.

Never trade someone else’s plan. Never trade someone else’s style. You absolutely must know your own temperament well enough to determine what you will trade, and exactly how you will trade it. Your money management rules, your tolerance for losses, i.e. costs, , your willingness to change the trade if your market opinion is proven wrong – these are the true secrets to trading that separate the novice from the veteran. With these in place, emotions can be reduced if not eliminated.

After all, which would put you most at ease? Driving through an unfamiliar city alone with no guidance, driving with a map, or driving with a full color street-level-detail GPS navigation system?

I’ll take the GPS, thank you.

So before you place your first, or next, trade, consider the following:

a. Do you understand what you are trading and why?

b. Do you know what you will do given any of the possible outcomes?

c. Are you ready and willing to admit you were wrong about the trade, and if so what will you do about it and when?

d. Are you comfortable with the thought of losing the money you are putting into the trade, and will your trading account survive to trade another day if you do?

These are all part of what you need to have in your plan. I urge you to have considered them thoroughly before risking the slightest amount of money in a real trade.

Emotions – “You can’t trade with ‘em, and you must trade without ‘em.”


About the author:
Jonathan van Clute is a full time investor, educator, speaker, and online options and sports arbitrage trader. In addition to his business activities, he is also a musician, video editor/animator, and one of the world's greatest Segway Polo athletes. He can be reached via email at jonathan@PMLinvestments.com and is speaking at an upcoming teleseminar, visit http://www.snurl.com/vcbiofor details.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Identity theft: Safeguarding Can't Hurt

Identity theft: Safeguarding Can't Hurt
by: Daryl Campbell
Will we ever get a break? Not right now .In San Diego, police arrested a postal worker for stealing mail and trading it to identity thieves to support his drug habit.

Another arrest involved the hacking of wireless carrier T-MobileUSA's network. According to Fox News, the attacker gained access to a database of 16 million customers including the personel information of the Secret Service agent investigating the break in.

Then there's Choicepoint. When last we left the information giant, criminals broke into their 19 billion records database. Choicepoint now acknowledges previous attacks that date back to the year 2000.

The number of identity theft victims as well as the methods of getting personal information continue to increase sharply. Yet while no 100% guarantees exist online or off, safeguarding can't hurt and one of the best ways for fighting identity theft exist in your own home.

Check your trash.

Going thru your garbage has turned into an exact science and a major goldmine for the identity thieves. The Department of Justice refers to this as "dumpster diving" Check everything you throw away then check it again.

Mark any information including financial statements, driver's license, address and especially your social security # "Sensitive" then shred it. I recommend a crosscut shredder. Throw it away in different garbage cans on different days.

Shred junk mail credit card offers and get taken off the major credit agencies' marketing lists.

If you're not doing it already, get into the habit of taking your mail particulary any bill payments directly to the Post Office. Identity thieves also target mailboxes. They frequently stake out the area and wait for the optimum time. Getting a locked mailbox doesn't hurt either.

Use anti spyware, a firewall and antivirus programs on your computer system. If performing a transaction online make sure the company provides a secure server. They should tell you but if not look for the yellow lock at the bottom of your screen.

Guard your plastic. Examine your credit card statements and request a copy of your credit report. Agencies will send you one free copy per year. If you request more than one, you get charged a fee anywhere from 9 to 20 dollars depending on the credit bureau.

Handle this with care. Eventhough you're doing the right thing in trying to protect yourself, too many inquiries are frowned upon by these agencies and could impact your credit negatively. Joining a credit monitoring company can remove that obstacle.

One caveat.You should exercise vigilance in protecting your credit cards but it's not the total solution that some experts claim. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 60% of all identity theft cases do NOT involve any existing accounts. Guard your plastic but make guarding your Social security number the top priority.

These methods of protection take on a special significance
due to the identity of the criminals. According to the Better Business Bureau's 2005 Fraud Survey Report, family freinds and neighbors account for half of all identity thieves. You don't want to turn someone you know and love over to the authorities so do your best to eliminate the temptation.

Again, no 100% guarantees exists. You make transactions at the restaurant, corner store, gas station and a host of other places. We all need to deal in this world so there's always a risk factor. Stay vigilant on the things you control and the chances of identity theft can decrease.

Because at all costs you want to avoid what many victims rank as the worst part of identity theft. The nightmare of recovery.

About the author:
Daryl Campbell is a writer and home business owner.Banks say you should check your credit once a year. No problem right? Except it leaves identity thieves the other 364 days to steal it. Get the professionals on your side to watch your back 24/7. How? Go now to => http://digbig.com/4dwsx

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

E-currency Exchange Trading

E-currency Exchange Trading
by: Tim Rohrer
I have searched high and low and tried MLM's such as Market America, Quixstar, Trek Alliance and Amway. The business idea works, however people need to sell products and build their downline to be successful. I hated the idea of trying to convince people that Market America, Quixstar and all the other MLM's worked. In fact, that was the hardest thing to do was to convince somebody that these MLM's worked!

I have finally found a system that involves no selling, no downline and and garunteed profits with a little learning involved. I thought this couldn't be true, I actually don't have to sell something and didn't have to build a downline!

Let me explain how it works. There are hundreds of companies on the internet that deal with electronnic funds, such as Netpay, PayPal and INTgold. Currency exchanging is relatively unknown but incredibly lucrative business opportunity. While Currencies are traded all over the world (like with Forex), there are both US-based and offshore trading houses that need your flow of dollars to facilitate their business operations.

This is where you,"The Merchant" comes in. By making funds temporarily avaliable to the Global Exchange Network creates float. The company we work with is able to borrow against this dollar amount and the commissions come back to us. The funds you lend to the network are typically returned in a 24 to 36 hour time frame. For example, by pushing $100 in INTGold to another person in exchange you recieve a fee of $3.50. This process takes about 30 seconds. When the funds come back into your account you make another $1. $4.50 isn't bad for something that takes 15 seconds to do. There are other ways to cycle this money back through the system and reinvest profits to your bottom line. On top of building float, your investment is compounded daily and you easily make gains of .35% off of your investment per day. How much is that? Well if you invested $100 that would be 35 cents per day profits. Now imagine when your investment grows to $1000 and $5000.... even $10,000 your daily profits are easily $35 per day. Remember the best part about this is that is compounded daily!

How much can you start with? You can start with as little as $25.00 I recommend a few hundred dollars until you get to know the system and become more comfortable with the exchange network.

I learned the e-currency exchange network through a group of friends online. It is extremely difficult trying to learn how to do this sitting in chat rooms and reading posts. I finally gave in and purchased a guide that literally enabled me to double my investment in under a month. I am very pleased with my results and I can now kiss those MLM's that require downline building and selling goodbye forever!



About the author:
If you would like to inquire more information about e-currency exchange visit our website at wwww.mazumoney.net

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

How to Quit Your Job

How to Quit Your Job
by: Debra Thorsen
Do you to know without ending up on the street? In a nutshell, you need to avoid the self-employment trap, think like a business, and create multiple passive revenue streams.

Avoid the Self-Employment Trap

If you quit your job and hang up your own shingle, you might work harder for less money. You may enjoy working from home or choosing your own clients, but you might end up living from client to client without building any real wealth.

Many self-employed people I know suffer from feast or famine. They spend lots of time and money marketing their services and get lots of clients. They get really busy doing the work and stop marketing and then their prospective client pool dries up.

If you set up your business so that you do everything - marketing, sales, bookkeeping, operations, and fulfillment, then you are limiting your success potential from day one. You will spend lots of time on non-income generating activities and may get frustrated and burned-out in a short time.

The real key to successfully creating wealth outside of a job is to avoid the mistake of trading one boss for another boss. You need to stop trading your time for dollars. Stop thinking like a wage slave. Look beyond earned income.

Think Like a Business

There are many problems with earned income. The biggest one is that you are trading your time for money. If you stop trading your time, the dollars stop coming. This is a huge problem if you decide to have a baby, get sick, want to take an extended vacation, or are ready to retire.

The IRS penalizes self-employed people who operate as a sole proprietorship with a hefty self-employment tax. How can you avoid this? Well, I am not an accountant or CPA, so I am not giving legal or accounting advice, but I have learned to think like a business. Before you quit your job, interview local tax advisors to educate yourself on different business entities and tax strategies. Start thinking big.

Build a Company with Multiple Passive Income Streams

You need to build a company that works for you. My best advice on how to quit your job is to build a business that offers multiple streams of passive income in addition to your earned income. There are so many exciting ways to design your income portfolio. It requires imagination, courage and planning.

Structure your business so that your daily activities are fun and challenging. Identify the things that you don’t enjoy or are not good at and find other people to do these activities – outside partners, independent contractors, or employees.

How to Quit Your Job

My advice for how to quit your job is to avoid thinking that you have to do everything yourself to make your new enterprise run. Think big! Set up systems and structures that work for you so you don’t have to work so hard. Incorporate and make the tax system work for you. Design your work around multiple passive income streams to support your active work. And finally, have fun!

About the author:
Find out how to break free from the corporate world. Debra Thorsen is a happy corporate escapee who helps individuals create real wealth and happiness without 9 to 5 jobs. Visit for free tips on career change, wealth building, and living without fear.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

ECOMMERCE SOLUTIONS…THE CALL OF THE TIME

ECOMMERCE SOLUTIONS…THE CALL OF THE TIME
by: Jinky C. Mesias
There really is no doubting the impact of Information Technology on our lives. And a significant example of this is the application of ecommerce in business. Conducting business transactions has been changed to a great extent. Just what are ecommerce or e-commerce solutions? Ecommerce or e-commerce is the purchasing or selling of goods or services as well as the transfer of funds in any way by means of electronic communications in inter-company and intra-company business dealings. Moreover, ecommerce solution is also a key to conduct business by means of technology through the internet. There are actually four types of ecommerce existing today and these are the following: business to consumer ecommerce, business to business ecommerce, consumer to business ecommerce and the consumer to consumer ecommerce.

The business to consumer ecommerce involves businesses selling products and services to various individual customers. This kind of ecommerce is also known as online trading and auctions. On the other hand, the business to business ecommerce involves the transactions commencing between companies in which they sell to other businesses. This type of ecommerce also includes a transfer of well thought-out messages with other business partners over private networks or internet in order to create and transform business processes. Moreover, the business to business ecommerce is deemed toward the improvement as well as the simplification of the various business processes inside a company. This type of ecommerce is also geared toward the maximization of the efficiency when it comes to the many transactions that a company engages into. Likewise, the business to business ecommerce is designed to achieve a quicker and flawless transaction that is controlled. Aside from that, business to business ecommerce is also effective in maintaining limited inventory as well as efficient enough to perform product refill and many more.

The consumer to business ecommerce is actually considered an unusual internet trend. Examples for this type of ecommerce are those individuals who for example are looking for hotels but have limited budget. What they do is that they place an ad on the internet saying that they are looking for a hotel at a rate that are just within their budget and then they also place there their contact numbers or email addresses if ever some hotels are interested. This example simply shows the marvelous capability of the internet to bring people together and create a cyber market wherein various people can transact their business.

On the other hand, the consumer to consumer ecommerce is considered to be the internet’s equivalent of an advertising market. This is where individual web users are allowed to put their ad for other consumers to react to. The advantage of this type of ecommerce is that people are able to save on advertising and then their ads are much faster and are easily reached by an unlimited number of customers like themselves.



About the author:
Jinky C. Mesias is a lover of simple things and of nature. She spends most of her time reading and writing poetry.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

How To Buy a Product or Service With No Money

How To Buy a Product or Service With No Money
by: Edward Green IICRC inst
.

By Edward Green

I have been involved in an age old system of swapping goods and services for no money. The system is called "Barter". The dictionary definition of this is "To trade goods or services without the exchange of money".

I am an Affiliate Marketing Manager and my business is to develop online sales for companies that are either already trading online but need more sales or want to implement an affiliate program and don't know how to or indeed have the time that is required in looking after a huge online sales force.

My story is I wanted to buy a hot tub for the garden and after research found the best one at £2300.00. My wife hit the roof so I went to the firm with my idea. I wrote a simple email offering them the opportunity of me implementing an affiliate program for them for their top of the range hot tub. I didn't really expect a reply but 3 days after the initial email I had the company owner email me to ask for more details.

We chatted extensively on the phone and struck a deal. I would install the affiliate program software, place the affiliate program on the affiliate directories that counted and find super affiliates to start generating sales as quickly as possible. We agreed that I would receive my hot tub when the goals and objectives were met. I achieved them within a month which worked out to around 40 hours work, not a bad deal I thought.

I have since Bartered for a Plasma TV, an MP3 player, 2 Digital Cameras and am now looking for a car.

I have started a online community forum that is specifically for people want to start Bartering or even for people who Barter already view the site here http://www.barterwise.com.

The Barter system is a fantastic opportunity for people to gain what they want by offering what is some surplus stock or some time.

About the author:

Edward Green
http://www.barterwise.com
Barterwise is bringing people together that have something to offer for products or services. Why not join today.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

DEALING in NOTEBOOKS Is Like A Dream Come True

DEALING in NOTEBOOKS Is Like A Dream Come True
by: Harry S Richards
The huge advantages of starting a business dealing in laptops are not always appreciated but consider the following points . . .

Laptops/Notebooks are easy to store. It is possible to operate the business from a single room. In fact we know a guy who stores a number of them under his bed. He says he can store up to twenty laptops with hardly any loss of room space.

Laptops/Notebooks are always available from liquidation merchants and other specialist trade sources at prices which allow good reseller profit margins. It is a cash-doubler business for those we know who are quietly operating this business from a home base.

For a completely free list of notebook wholesalers and liquidation merchants go to http://www.liquidations-uk.net for Europe. In USA go to http://www.liquidations-uk.net/usa

Laptops/Notebooks are easy to pack to sell by Mail Order. Take up to four under your arm to your local Post Office and using standard parcel rates and insurance the cost to fulfil orders will be a pittance compared to the profit potential.

However, unless working from a cramped room, be professional and send the order by Courier Service, after all, the profit margin is HUGE enough to allow for a "Free Delivery Service".

Recently sourced laptops/notebooks from a repo-liquidation reseller allowed for a mark-up ratio of 150 percent and it doesn't stretch the imagination to calculate how much could be made each week from just a couple of re-sales that allows you to double your investment on each transaction.

There are of course warranties to be considered and how to deal with any faulty returns.

Those were concerns I had myself in the beginning. However, I found an easy way to resolve those issues to everyone's satisfaction. It was so simple, just make a complete replacement and send the faulty one back to the supplier. Within the past year I have only needed to do that three times which equates to a very small percentage of total sales volume.

Here's hoping you'll give it a try and if so I would love to get some feedback from you - please let me know what you think of the business anyway, your thoughts are always welcome.

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site as long as you leave the author's copyright in place and the links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below.

About the author:
Article by Harry S Richards. Founder of Beauforts PC Trading. Training others for business based upon his own successful methods: http://www.beauforts.bizHarry also edits a unique Trading MART at http://www.themartuk.com

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Generate Traffic And Make Money

Generate Traffic And Make Money
by: Lil Waldner
A quite new wave sweeps over the internet. Websites with rotating ads offer their members to surf on their websites. The members can gain free credits in order to generate traffic to their websites. They also can earn money for surfing on these membership websites. Everybody can sign up for free there.

What is behind the wave?

Few pioneers of these websites that offer to gain advertisement credits as well as cash for surfing have occurred in 2003. It seems that most of this kind of venture has started 2005 and that the boom has begun flourishing during the recent months.

These websites offer to earn between about 1% to 20% earnings daily. The members can pay a membership fee and earn such percentages on their fees. A membership cycle can last between seven and 365 days. It depends on the website offer.

Most of the banks or bonds offer yearly interests between about 1% to 15% yearly on deposits or bonds. It depends on the currency and country. How can a website offer hundreds or even thousands of percents yearly? They claim to make money with people who pay for advertisements. They tell that they invest in currency trading or commodity trading. Some of the websites run an online shopping mall or an online casino. They deny to pay these percentages to their members from freshly acquired membership fees.

Some of the websites seem to sustain and they pay out their members reliably, some are scam and disappear after a while. High yield means also high risks.

What is possible?

It seems to be possible to make money as long as the party goes on. It seems to be still in an early stage and people can generate an extra income as long as they act in a deliberate way. This means to limit the expenses on membership fees and to diversify these kind of activities on different websites. Never put all your eggs in one basket! It’s recommendable to surf on these websites for a while by running a free account and observing matters before a membership fee is paid. It is not necessary to have an own websites in order to make cash for surfing.

There are better means to gain traffic for a website than have it rotated as ads on these websites. The best way to gain traffic for a website is by achieving a high Page Rank by using search engine optimization or by writing and submitting articles.

Conclusion

It is possible to make some quick money without real work by surfing on these websites that offer percentages on membership fees. There is no warranty of earnings.

Generating valuable and sustainable traffic for a website, however, means acquiring some skills and working in a dedicated way.

About the author:
Lil Waldner is a business economist. She is experienced in project management and marketing. She has worked as editor of newspapers and she has written booklets and essays with economic and public issues.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Forex Training: What to Look for in a Forex Training Program

Forex Training: What to Look for in a Forex Training Program
by: Raul Lopez
Should new Forex traders take Forex trading courses or join a Forex training program? Definitely yes; by now you have probably heard that only 5% of traders achieve consistent profitable results when trading the Forex market. The main reason for this is the lack of education. Don’t get me wrong here, taking a Forex training program or a Forex trading course won’t guarantee profitable results, nothing can, but choosing the right Forex training program or Forex trading course will definitely put the odds in your favor.

Before spending any amount of money on any Forex trading course or Forex training program there are some important aspects you need to take in consideration. There are many training programs available, but not every one of them suits the needs of every trader.

The first thing you should be looking in a Forex training program is the content of the material. Unfortunately, most courses or training programs focus or spend most of the time on basic concepts. Though these basic concepts are important, spending most of the course on them won’t help the trader to make consistent results.

The following subjects are what I consider the most important aspects of trading and every training program or trading course should address:

Forex trading basics.
Review basic concepts such as: margin, type of orders, a little background, bid/ask, rollover, etc. You need to make sure you understand every single concept to perfection.

Main drawbacks of Forex traders.
Being aware of the common mistakes made by Forex traders and knowing how to handle them will prevent new traders from making those mistakes.

Technical and fundamental analysis.
These are the two main approaches adopted by Forex traders. Knowing how to properly apply each concept will definitely put the odds in your favor.

The three pillars of Forex trading. I consider that these three subjects have the most impact on every trader trading account.

Forex trading system development.
Having the right system is a must if you want to have consistent profitable results. Having a system that doesn’t fit you will cause a series of problems that will make your trading account vanish away (second guessing the system, not following your system, etc.)

Money management.
This is considered by many successful traders to be the most important single aspect of trading. Money management helps to increase your profits geometrically and at the same time limit your losses (i.e. a good risk reward ratio of about 2:1 will make you money in a Forex trading system that is right only 38% of the time.)

Trading psychology.
Being aware and knowing hot to handle the psychological barriers that affect every trader decision will put the odds in your favor.

Other important aspects every training program should include are:
Developing habits for success (such as discipline patience, taking responsibility of every action, commitment, etc.,) understanding and taking our trading as a business, risk and trade management.

Another important aspect you should take into consideration when choosing a Forex training program is the mechanics of it, getting to know how the training program works.

A good course will have the following:

A live conference room, where you can apply everything learned under live market conditions.

One-on-one feedback, every trader has different needs and requires special attention. For instance a trader wanting to improve the system and requires individual feedback from the instructor about it.

Online trading course, a course that could be accessible through internet. A plus is a course where you are able to access the course at the convenient time for you, so you don’t have to change your lifestyle.

A forum, where members can talk just about everything related to the Forex market and the Forex training program.

Trading the Forex market is no easy task. It requires a lot of hard work. Making the right decision will definitely put the odds in your favor. Take your time when doing your diligence because it is a big and important step in a trader’s trading career.

About the author:
Raul Lopez is a full time Forex trader and founder of http://www.straightforex.coma high quality Forex training company.