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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Low Interest Rates Make Saving Money Difficult

By Pete Veslick

Anyone who has money to invest is hurt by low interest rates. If you want to buy things on credit such as a car you might like the interest rates where they are now but people who have money sitting around are not happy. Right now the saying time is money does not really apply to bank cds and other investments where you make money by lending it to banks.

The people that are hurt by low interest rates are those people that like to invest in bank certificate of deposits (CDs) and other investment that are guaranteed by the government. Government bonds would also fall into that category. Seniors often have their money in this type of safe investment vehicle because they need to be guaranteed that they will not lose the money. In exchange for the low risk, they are willing to make less that they might be able to in the stock market. However, with rates so low right now, they are making practically nothing on their money.

If you are looking for the best CD interest rates, you need to look in different places than your local bank. Right now many people are trying to find the absolute best rates they can find and they will have to search on the Internet to find them. No longer can you just look in your city and expect to find the best rate. A nationwide search is necessary to find the best CD and money market rates and luckily the computer and Internet allows you to do that.

Now though, you first step might be to hop online and start searching. You will have access to hundreds of banks and financial institutions any of which might be offering the highest yields. You can transfer the money electronically to any bank and so it matters not where the bank is physically located. Some people will not feel comfortable with doing this and remain with their local banks and that is understandable. However, to truly find the best CD rates, you need to be looking online.

One thing to be careful about is that if you have a certificate of deposit that is about to mature, you should try to open up a new one instead of letting it roll over. Many banks will not automatically give you the highest rates available when they roll over your maturing CDs and the only way you can get the best rates is to open up an entirely new CD. This is an inconvenience but it is one you have to live with if you want to continue to get the best rates that are offered. - 23212

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A Forex Tutorial on Opening a Forex Account

By Bart Icles

Before you can start trading in the foreign exchange market, you must first be able to open and setup an account. Any forex tutorial will tell you that having a forex account is a prerequisite to trading. Very much like in trading in the equity market, currency trading will require you to open a trading account.

Each forex account, as well as the services that come with it, is different. Therefore, it is important that you are able to determine which one would best suit you. One of the things that will tell you more about the account you are about to open is leverage. Leverage is simply the ability to manage and influence large sums of capital using a relatively small amount of your own capital. One has to remember that the higher leverage means higher levels of risk.

Nevertheless, many forex investors see leverage as a major currency trading benefit because it can allow you to reap large gains even with just minor investments. On the other hand, leverage can also make you lose more than what you have invested if trading moves against you. Although there are firms that have protective stops to keep an account from going negative, it still helps to exercise extra caution. It also helps to remember these two contradicting scenarios when you try to determine your desired leverage when opening a forex account.

Commissions and fees also make trading accounts different. Major forex accounts normally allow you to trade without having to pay a commission fee to the broker. This is possible because in forex trading, you are dealing directly with market makers and you do not need to go through brokers. However, this does not mean that market makers do not earn money each time you engage in trading. When a trade is made, market makers gain the difference between the bid and ask prices.

There are many ways in which forex firms and the accounts that they offer can differ from one another. It is therefore recommended that you carefully evaluate each firm that you potentially would want to deal with before you commit to them. If you look back to your forex tutorial, it will remind you that each firm will deliver different programs, levels of services, and fees that can be above and beyond the actual trading costs. What is important is that you are able to review them well before making a decision, and when you do, see to it that you are dealing with a reputable firm. - 23212

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Know These Trading Secrets

By Ahmad Hassam

Trading is speculating. It is not investing. It is not the buy and hold strategy that was taught to you. Trading can be challenging. Trading is a risky business and requires active participation. Speculation is done in the hope of profiting from market fluctuations by taking a business risk. It also requires putting your money on the side of the trade on which you think the market is going to go up or down. Successful speculation requires predicting outcomes and analyzing different market situations.

If you are a trader, you should appreciate the fact that if you apply the correct techniques for analyzing trades, manage your money and protect your trading account, you can be wrong 70 percent of the time and still be a successful trader. How is that possible? It is only possible by entering a trade where the risk/reward ratio is les than1/3.

Right now forex and gold markets are really hot while the stock market is down. Stock market was a great investment opportunity a few years back. Over time, opportunity keeps on shifting from one market to another. Gold prices are going up. Those investors who entered this trend in the gold market by investing at the right time if they are going to ride the trend till it lasts in the gold market will make a lot of money. At the moment almost everyone is investing in gold as a hedge against likely USD depreciation. Everyone includes countries like China, Russia, India, hedge funds, institutional investors like big corporation and big banks, and retail investors.

Last year in 2008, oil prices had reached almost $140 per barrel in a matter of few months. Many hedge funds had made a lot of money by investing in crude oil futures in the year 2008. Then the bubble burst and oil prices came tumbling down to almost close to $35 per barrel. This situation may continue for some months or some years but suddenly you will find that crude oil futures have become a great investment opportunity again. Right now oil prices are down due to the reduced demand in the global markets.

Oil prices will again go up in a few years time as the global economy recovers and demand for oil increases. In trading it is the timing that is of essence. Timing for entering the market and the timing for exiting the market!

Successful trading requires mastering a strategy that enables you to trade multiple markets and multiple time frames. A lot of people make the mistake of focusing only on one market. In reality all the markets are interlinked. If something happens in one market, you will find the repercussions in the other markets. Many people end up spending time on only one market.

They do testing, development, put on a million indicators, go and trade live. They do everything they can while spending all kinds of time trying to figure out one market and one timeframe. But then what almost happens is that market starts to go sideways or the opportunity shifts to another market.

You really have to have the ability to be able to adopt the market conditions and not waste your time to really master one market which is critical. There were so many stocks just a few years ago that were incredible to trade that either dont exist anymore or would not trade successfully today.

Many gurus will teach you that you really need to learn the ins and outs of one market. They will tell you to focus only on one market and then stick with it. But the problem with that philosophy is that opportunity keeps on shifting from one market to another. Mastering different markets is counterintuitive. Always remember a good trader always follows where the money goes. In other words, follow where the opportunity goes. - 23212

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Taxation, Money And Banking, With The Infinite Banking Concept By Becoming Your Own Banker

By Tomas McFie

Money is an asset! Try living a week to 10 days without it and you will appreciate just what an asset it really is. But most people do not treat money like an asset and therefore they destroy moneys best quality. You see money treated as an asset multiplies exponentially.

It has been said that, "The value of an asset increases exponentially while the value of your labor only increases incrementally."

The return of your money is more important than the rate of return on your money. Those that fail to grasp this concept lose the real value of money by losing the control of their money.

What about this:

Your paycheck. Where do you deposit it?

Into a Bank owned by someone else?

Do you or someone else profit the most from this way of doing business?

It has been written that "you can't multiply wealth by dividing it." Habitually letting others have first right to your money by depositing your paycheck into their bank, gives them control over your money and not you. This will wind up costing you thousands of dollars, if not more, over time. Each time you give up management of your money to someone else you lose wealth. When you allow others to manage your money your money now can be subject to account charges, service fees and management fees. Plus the managers of your money will make money off your money and pay you very little in comparison to what they are making.

Nobody is financially independent until they have mastered the concept as taught in the book Becoming Your Own Banker, by R. Nelson Nash. Nash teaches a concept called Infinite Banking which will teach you how to control and benefit from the financing equation which is as follows:

You lose money whenever you buy anything. You lose money that you could have earned in interest when you pay cash, or you lose the interest you have to pay someone else to use their money to make your purchase.

But when you practice the Infinite Banking Concept, you can pay cash for your purchases and earn the interest that banks or finance companies would have otherwise earned off you. This is because you are now using your money as an asset and the growth becomes exponential when compared with what happens when you put your money in a bank owned by someone else, or with an investment firm. - 23212

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Getting the Right Forex Trading Broker

By Jane MacRae

Finding a good forex trading broker can be tough, not because there are too few of them, but because there are so many of them. With all of the choices out there, trying to find the right one can be overwhelming. But, when searching for a forex broker, here are some tips to keep in mind.

* Does The Broker Offers a Free Demo Account?

Many online forex brokers now offer free demo accounts to their new customers. You should not only take advantage of them but also make the most out of them.

Not only are demo accounts a great introduction for those new to forex trading, it will also let you take a look at the trading platform used by that broker. You want an interface that is easy to learn and understand, and that you will be comfortable to use.

* Ask for References

Yes, you should ask for references! In fact, a good broker may often offer you his references. You need to be able to talk to other people who have used his services, and find out whether or not they are happy with their experiences.

If a broker refuses to give you references, you should probably screen him out.

* Examine the Minimum Deposit Requirement to Open an Account

With different forex brokers, there is a minimum amount you must deposit into your account when you start doing business with them.

In case one broker asks for a larger deposit than you are willing to start with, search for one that requires a lower minimum. There are options out there for every investor, no matter how much or how little they have to invest.

* Learn About the Broker's Credentials

Although there is no centralised, governing body to regulate the whole forex market over the world, the business practices of each forex broker is regulated by institutions in the countries where they are located.

A broker located in the US should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (or FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or CFTC). They should also be registered with the National Futures Association (or NFA).

* Be Clear About All Charges

You should be aware that cheaper is not always better.

Brokers who seem to charge small fees than their competition might make up for the difference with hidden fees that you are not even aware you are being charged.

So, before you engage any broker, be sure to ask about possible hidden fees, read the fine print, and learn as much about them as you can.

To find a good forex trading broker is probably an inevitable experience for almost all players in the forex field. With what has been discussed in this article, you should at least know what to look at. But, don't get frustrated if you still make a mistake. Sometimes, we just grow out of try and error. - 23212

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