Saturday, July 31, 2010

Blue chip stocks - not a poker game

Blue chip stocks - not a poker game

Investing in conservative blue chip stocks may not have the allure of a hot high-tech investment, but it can be highly rewarding nonetheless, as good quality stocks have outperformed other investment classes over the long term.

Historically, investing in stocks has generated a return, over time, of between 11 and 15 percent annually depending how aggressive you are. Stocks outperform other investments since they incur more risk. Stock investors are at the bottom of the corporate "food chain." First, companies have to pay their employees and suppliers.

Then they pay their bondholders. After this come the preferred shareholders. Companies have an obligation to pay all these stakeholders first, and if there is money leftover it is paid to the stockholders through dividends or retained earnings.

Sometimes there is a lot of money left over for stockholders, and in other cases there isn't.

Thus, investing in stocks is risky because investors never know exactly what they are going to receive for their investment.

What are the attractions of blue chip stocks?

1. Great long-term rates of return.

2. Unlike mutual funds, another relatively safe, long term investment category, there are no ongoing fees.

3. You become a owner of a company.

So much for the benefits - what about the risks?

1. Some investors can't tolerate both the risk associated with investing in the stock market and the risk associated with investing in one company. Not all blue chips are created equal.

2. If you don't have the time and skill to identify a good quality company at a fair price don't invest directly. Rather, you should consider a good mutual fund.

Selecting a blue chip company is only part of the battle - determining the appropriate price is the other. Theoretically, the value of a stock is the present value of all future cash flows discounted at the appropriate discount rate. However, like most theoretical answers, this doesn't fully explain reality. In reality supply and demand for a stock sets the stock's daily price, and demand for a stock will increase or decrease depending of the outlook for a company. Thus, stock prices are driven by investor expectations for a company, the more favorable the expectations the better the stock price. In short, the stock market is a voting machine and much of the time it is voting based on investors' fear or greed, not on their rational assessments of value. Stock prices can swing widely in the short-term but they eventually converge to their intrinsic value over the long-term.

Investors should look at good companies with great expectations that are not yet imbedded in the price of a stock.

Make Money And Minimize Your Losses in Forex Trading

Make Money And Minimize Your Losses in Forex Trading

If you are interested in trading on the Forex one of the first things you will need to do is find a broker. All Forex trading is conducted through a broker who will provide the trading platform and cover the leverage you choose.

Your Forex broker will collect a small commission on your trades but you trade the currency anyway you want. Choosing a broker is an important decision; you will be trading your money through this broker so you need to make sure they are legitimate. The broker you choose should understand your needs as a trader and do their best to help you make money.

Ultimately how you trade is your choice so it is good to set up some trading rules to minimize your losses and maximize your profits. First of all setting up a stop loss is very important. The stop loss is a point where you will get out no matter what.

For beginners to Forex trading, this can be difficult because there is always the hope that the market will turn around at the last minute and lots of money will be made. This is an important rule to stick with though because it can save you from losing it all. This is where the discipline in Forex trading comes in; you should trade with your head not your emotions.

The next rule is to develop a clear point at which you will take your profits. Some Forex traders go by a straight percentage of profit and some use technical market analysis as their guide. You should set the profit you are going to take before claiming a position.

If you wait it is too easy to convince yourself to stay in waiting for another percentage point before getting out. This is also a difficult thing to do, but it must be done if you plan to increase your wealth consistently trading in the Forex market. Most experienced Forex traders agree that when you stick to your trading rules this will eventually yield a profitable currency trading system.

The Forex is a very liquid market; money is made in seconds and lost in just as little time. The Forex operates twenty four hours a day, five days a week. If you are wanting to buy or sell there is always someone to trade with. Different from other financial markets, the Forex market doesn't have a physical location or a central exchange.

The Forex operates through a worldwide network of banks, individuals, and corporations trading one country's currency for another. Currencies which are widely traded include the US Dollar, the Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollar, and the Australian Dollar. Four currency pairs of this group are normally traded for investment purposes: US dollar against Swiss franc, Euro against US dollar, US dollar against Japanese yen, and the British pound against the US dollar.

There is money to be made on the Forex but it is also easy to lose money. Before you begin trading, you should do your research and learn about how currency trading on the Forex works. It is also important to take a good look at your finances so that you can use good judgment when choosing how much money you can afford to invest in Forex trading.

FOREX CHART

How to read forex chart
in Forex trading

If you are planning to delve into the industry of Forex trading, then you definitely have to learn how to read Forex charts. This is one of the basic skills you have to master, if you want to make it big as a Forex trader. Once you learn this skill, it becomes relatively easier for you to handle all the quirks in the Forex trading system.

Remember that each currency pair is to be quoted in the same manner always. For instance, when you have the EURO and the US dollar as your currency pair, then you will quote this as EURUSD. The EUR is your base currency while the USD is your terms currency. You cannot have the pair quoted the other way around. If you see a Forex chart showing that the EURUSD’s current price is pegged at 1.2065, this indicates that 1 EURO can purchase roughly 1.2065 US dollars.

Another thing you have to remember is your trade size, which is also your face value. This is actually the amount of the base currency that you are willing to trade. Continuing the scenario above, let us say you want to purchase 100,000 EURUSD. Thus, you are purchasing 100,000 EUROs.

If you are buying the currency pair, you should look for the chart that has the base currency stronger against the terms currency. This ensures higher chances of profit. But if you are selling, you should look for the chart that has the currency pair going down. The base should be weak against the terms.

Make sure to check the timeframe displayed so that you would be using the correct time when analyzing your data. The best thing you can do here is set up your own charts with accurate timeframes. Make sure to save these so that you can reuse them later.

Mostly, Forex charts would have the BID price, not the ASK price. For instance, the EURUSD’s current bid price is at 1.2065 and its ask price is at 1.2068. When buying, you use the ask price; while when selling, you use the bid price.

The time zone you see at the bottom of the chart is actually set to the time zone of your Forex provider. Thus, make sure to have a world clock on your computer so that you can convert the various time zones easily. This is a must when major trading announcements are being made. Convert the time of the announcement to that of your own time so that you’ll know when this announcement is due to happen, thereby knowing when you need to make your trade.

Lastly, make your Forex charts’ time is in sync with the time candle opens and closes. The charting software you’re using just might be different in this aspect.

These are just some of the basics on how to read Forex charts. Go ahead and do more research to better prepare yourself as a Forex trader.

Forex Trading Basics

Forex Trading Basics

The global foreign exchange market is the biggest market in the world. The 3.2 trillion USD daily turnover dwarfs the combined turnover of all the world's stock and bond markets.

There are many reasons for the popularity of foreign exchange trading, but among the most important are the leverage available, the high liquidity 24 hours a day and the very low dealing costs associated with trading.

Of course many commercial organisations participate purely due to the currency exposures created by their import and export activities, but the main part of the turnover is accounted for by financial institutions. Investing in foreign exchange remains predominantly the domain of the big professional players in the market - funds, banks and brokers. Nevertheless, any investor with the necessary knowledge of the market's functions can benefit from the advantages stated above.

In the following article, we would like to introduce you to some of the basic concepts of foreign exchange trading. If you would like any further information, we suggest that you sign up for a FREE Membership on this website, where you will be able to exchange views with other Forex traders and get answers to any questions you might have.

Margin Trading

Foreign exchange is normally traded on margin. A relatively small deposit can control much larger positions in the market. For trading the main currencies, Saxo Bank requires a 1% margin deposit. This means that in order to trade one million dollars, you need to place just USD 10,000 by way of security.

In other words, you will have obtained a gearing of up to 100 times. This means that a change of, say 2%, in the underlying value of your trade will result in a 200% profit or loss on your deposit. See below for specific examples. As you can see, this calls for a very disciplined approach to trading as both profit opportunities and potential risks are very large indeed. Please refer to our page Forex Rates & Conditions for current Spreads, Margins and Conditions.

Base Currency and Variable Currency

When you trade, you will always trade a combination of two currencies. For example, you will buy US dollars and sell euro. Or buy euro and sell Japanese yen, or any other combination of dozens of widely traded currencies. But there is always a long (bought) and a short (sold) side to a trade, which means that you are speculating on the prospect of one of the currencies strengthening in relation to the other.

The trade currency is normally, but not always, the currency with the highest value. When trading US dollars against Singapore dollars, the normal way to trade is buying or selling a fixed amount of US dollars, i.e. USD 1,000,000. When closing the position, the opposite trade is done, again USD 1,000,000. The profit or loss will be apparent in the change of the amount of SGD credited and debited for the two transactions. In other words, your profit or loss will be denominated in SGD, which is known as the price currency. As part of our service, Saxo Bank will automatically exchange your profits and losses into your base currency if you require this.

Dealing Spread, but No Commissions

When trading foreign exchange, you are quoted a dealing spread offering you a buying and a selling level for your trade. Once you accept the offered price and receive confirmation from our dealers, the trade is done. There is no need to call an exchange floor. There are no other time-consuming delays. This is possible due to live streaming prices, which are also a great advantage in times of fast-moving markets: You can see where the market is trading and you know whether your orders are filled or not.

The dealing spread is typically 3-5 points in normal market conditions. This means that you can sell US dollars against the euro at 1.7780 and buy at 1.7785. There are no further costs, commissions or exchange fees.

This ensures that you can get in and out of your trades at very low slippage and many traders are therefore active intra-day traders, given that a typical day in USDEUR presents price swings of 150-200 points.

Spot and forward trading

When you trade foreign exchange you are normally quoted a spot price. This means that if you take no further steps, your trade will be settled after two business days. This ensures that your trades are undertaken subject to supervision by regulatory authorities for your own protection and security. If you are a commercial customer, you may need to convert the currencies for international payments. If you are an investor, you will normally want to swap your trade forward to a later date. This can be undertaken on a daily basis or for a longer period at a time. Often investors will swap their trades forward anywhere from a week or two up to several months depending on the time frame of the investment.

Although a forward trade is for a future date, the position can be closed out at any time - the closing part of the position is then swapped forward to the same future value date.

Interest Rate Differentials

Different currencies pay different interest rates. This is one of the main driving forces behind foreign exchange trends. It is inherently attractive to be a buyer of a currency that pays a high interest rate while being short a currency that has a low interest rate.

Although such interest rate differentials may not appear very large, they are of great significance in a highly leveraged position. For example, the interest rate differential between the US dollar and the Japanese yen has been approximately 5% for several years. In a position that can be supported by a 5% margin deposit, this results in a 100% profit on capital per annum when you buy the US dollar. Of course, an even more important factor normally is the relative value of the currencies, which changed 15% from low to high during 2005 – disregarding the interest rate differential. From a pure interest rate differential viewpoint, you have an advantage of 100% per annum in your favour by being long US dollar and an initial disadvantage of the same size by being short.
Please refer to our page Forex Rates & Conditions for current Spreads, Margins and Conditions!

Such a situation clearly benefits the high interest rate currency and as result, the US dollar was in a strong bull market all through 2005. But it is by no means a certainty that the currency with the higher interest rate will be strongest. If the reason for the high interest rate is runaway inflation, this may undermine confidence in the currency even more than the benefits perceived from the high interest rate.

Stop-loss discipline

As you can see from the description above, there are significant opportunities and risks in foreign exchange markets. Aggressive traders might experience profit/loss swings of 20-30% daily. This calls for strict stop-loss policies in positions that are moving against you.

Fortunately, there are no daily limits on foreign exchange trading and no restrictions on trading hours other than the weekend. This means that there will nearly always be an opportunity to react to moves in the main currency markets and a low risk of getting caught without the opportunity of getting out. Of course, the market can move very fast and a stop-loss order is by no means a guarantee of getting out at the desired level.

But the main risk is really an event over the weekend, where all markets are closed. This happens from time to time as many important political events, such as G7 meetings, are normally scheduled for weekends.

For speculative trading, we always recommend the placement of protective stop-lossorders. With Saxo Bank Internet Trading you can easily place and change such orders while watching market development graphically on your computer screen.

forex trading with an automated trading

forex trading with an automated trading

Enhance your forex trading with an automated trading application

One of the differences between the stock market and the forex market is the vast trading that occurs on the forex market. The foreign exchange market
(currency, forex, or FX) is where currency trading takes place. It is where banks and other official institutions facilitate the buying and selling of foreign currencies. The forex trading market is a volatile industry. It is also a very lucrative market. However, to be a successful FX trader you need to educate yourself and have a long term plan. The lack of a forex trading strategy will guarantee failure. When starting out as a forex trader it is easy to abandon your plan or lack of a plan. A good forex trading education is a must.

Being well verse in the stock market will assist you with your forex trading. However, to enter into the foreign exchange market it is not necessary to have any prior trading experience. Some basic forex strategy systems are the fundamental analysis and the technical analysis.

Fundamental analysis
The fundamental analysis is performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecast. The data used in this analysis is; money policy, government policy and economic indicators. Some examples are GDP, exports and imports. The analysis of this data is for a specific business cycle.

Technical analysis
Forex technical analysis is a security analysis technique that claims the ability to forecast the future direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. In its purest form, technical analysis considers only the actual price and volume behavior of the market or instrument. Technical analysts, sometimes called "chartists", may employ models and trading rules based on price and volume transformations.

Before you dive head first into the forex market open up a demo account. A forex demo account is a simulated account where you get virtual money of $25,000 to $1, 00,000. You get live quotes and bids that are part of real forex trade. Once you have master that are ready to take the plunge into the real thing open up a mini account.

A mini account is a great stepping-stone to the big leagues of FX. It allows you to open up an account where the leverage is higher in comparison to standard accounts. With a mini account you are dealing with mini contracts. You can open up a mini account with $250. When you are ready you can move onto a standard account

The forex market welcomes traders 24 hours a day. Forex market opens on Sunday 5 pm EST (10:00 pm GMT), closes on Friday 5 pm EST (10:00 pm GMT). No matter what region of the world you live in you can trade on the forex. As one market is opening, another countries market is closing. This is the continual method of how the forex market trading occurs. An example of forex trades in the western region of the world is USD/EUR and USD/GBP. An example of a forex trade in the Asian Economic regions or the world is JPY/USD and JPY/GBP.

Technology is a beautiful thing. To be involved in these markets you don't have to be awake for every different time zone. Automated analytical forex software applications allow you trade during the middle of the night while you sleep. There are many, different type of automated forex software applications on the market. Some of the most commonly used applications are forex killer, auto- pilot and forex-funnel to mention a few. These applications are used by; professionals and beginners alike with no experience whatsoever. These applications can assist you with a forex trading strategies

Essential Elements of a Successful Trader

Essential Elements of a Successful Trader

Courage Under Stressful Conditions When the Outcome is Uncertain
All the foreign exchange trading knowledge in the world is not going to help, unless you have the nerve to buy and sell currencies and put your money at risk. As with the lottery “You gotta be in it to win it”. Trust me when I say that the simple task of hitting the buy or sell key is extremely difficult to do when your own real money is put at risk.

You will feel anxiety, even fear. Here lies the moment of truth. Do you have the courage to be afraid and act anyway? When a fireman runs into a burning building I assume he is afraid but he does it anyway and achieves the desired result. Unless you can overcome or accept your fear and do it anyway, you will not be a successful trader.

However, once you learn to control your fear, it gets easier and easier and in time there is no fear. The opposite reaction can become an issue – you’re overconfident and not focused enough on the risk you're taking.

Both the inability to initiate a trade, or close a losing trade can create serious psychological issues for a trader going forward. By calling attention to these potential stumbling blocks beforehand, you can properly prepare prior to your first real trade and develop good trading habits from day one.

Start by analyzing yourself. Are you the type of person that can control their emotions and flawlessly execute trades, oftentimes under extremely stressful conditions? Are you the type of person who’s overconfident and prone to take more risk than they should? Before your first real trade you need to look inside yourself and get the answers. We can correct any deficiencies before they result in paralysis (not pulling the trigger) or a huge loss (overconfidence). A huge loss can prematurely end your trading career, or prolong your success until you can raise additional capital.

The difficulty doesn’t end with “pulling the trigger”. In fact what comes next is equally or perhaps more difficult. Once you are in the trade the next hurdle is staying in the trade. When trading foreign exchange you exit the trade as soon as possible after entry when it is not working. Most people who have been successful in non-trading ventures find this concept difficult to implement.

For example, real estate tycoons make their fortune riding out the bad times and selling during the boom periods. The problem with trying to adapt a 'hold on until it comes back' strategy in foreign exchange is that most of the time the currencies are in long-term persistent, directional trends and your equity will be wiped out before the currency comes back.

The other side of the coin is staying in a trade that is working. The most common pitfall is closing out a winning position without a valid reason. Once again, fear is the culprit. Your subconscious demons will be scaring you non-stop with questions like “what if news comes out and you wind up with a loss”. The reality is if news comes out in a currency that is going up, the news has a higher probability of being positive than negative (more on why that is so in a later article).

So your fear is just a baseless annoyance. Don’t try and fight the fear. Accept it. Have a laugh about it and then move on to the task at hand, which is determining an exit strategy based on actual price movement. As Garth says in Waynesworld “Live in the now man”. Worrying about what could be is irrational. Studying your chart and determining an objective exit point is reality based and rational.

Another common pitfall is closing a winning position because you are bored with it; its not moving. In Football, after a star running back breaks free for a 50-yard gain, he comes out of the game temporarily for a breather. When he reenters the game he is a serious threat to gain more yards – this is indisputable. So when your position takes a breather after a winning move, the next likely event is further gains – so why close it?

If you can be courageous under fire and strategically patient, foreign exchange trading may be for you. If you’re a natural gunslinger and reckless you will need to tone your act down a notch or two and we can help you make the necessary adjustments. If putting your money at risk makes you a nervous wreck its because you lack the knowledge base to be confident in your decision making.

Patience to Gain Knowledge through Study and Focus

Many new traders believe all you need to profitably trade foreign currencies are charts, technical indicators and a small bankroll. Most of them blow up (lose all their money) within a few weeks or months; some are initially successful and it takes as long as a year before they blow up. A tiny minority with good money management skills, patience, and a market niche go on to be successful traders. Armed with charts, technical indicators, and a small bankroll, the chance of succeeding is probably 500 to 1.

To increase your chances of success to near certainty requires knowledge; acquiring knowledge takes hard work, study, dedication and focus. Compile your knowledge base without taking any shortcuts, thereby assuring a solid foundation to build upon.

Friday, July 30, 2010

RISK FACTORS

Acknowledgement of Risks

By continuing to use the Collective2 Web site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this document.

In addition, when you register for an account with Collective2, you will be asked to read and acknowledge this document again before your account becomes fully active.

Collective2 does not offer its own trading advice

Collective2 LLC does not offer its own trading advice. Instead, we provide a Web site where users may search for trading advice, and where vendors of trading systems or trading advice may offer it to the public.

There are many risks associated with trading. We want to warn you about these risks.
A warning about hypothetical trading results

Collective2 attempts to verify all trading signals entered by system vendors on a go-forward basis. We do not accept or publish "backtested" results. When a system vendor creates a new piece of trading advice, our computer software attempts to simulate how that advice would perform in the real world. We do this by tracking real-time quote information provided by our data vendors, and - for those systems that have real-life subscribers AutoTrading the system - we use the volume-weighted-average fill prices achieved in AutoTrading brokerage accounts.

Although this is a useful service, it is not the same as real trading. Our measurements of system performance must be treated as hypothetical performance.

(To read technical information about how we determine hypothetical fill prices, click here.)

Please keep in mind, then, that:
Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain inherent limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not actually been executed, the results may have under- or over-compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown.


Specific Commodity (Futures) Risks

While Collective2 is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA) and is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA), it does not exercise trading authority over any accounts. Instead, it is a Web site where third-party trading system developers may offer their services. Thus, our model is similar to that of a magazine's. We are paid (indirectly) by advertisers to make consumers aware of advertisers' services.

However, some of the system vendors that offer their services on the Collective2 Web site are Commodity Trading Advisors, either registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or exempt from registration. Therefore, we think it is important to warn you about the risks of trading commodities (futures), and also to alert you to some of the regulations that Commodity Trading Advisors are required to follow.

THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT PASSED UPON THE MERITS OF PARTICIPATING IN ANY TRADING PROGRAM OFFERED ON THIS WEB SITE.

Risk Disclosure Statement

THE RISK OF LOSS IN TRADING COMMODITIES CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL. YOU SHOULD THEREFORE CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER SUCH TRADING IS SUITABLE FOR YOU IN LIGHT OF YOUR FINANCIAL CONDITION. IN CONSIDERING WHETHER TO TRADE OR TO AUTHORIZE SOMEONE ELSE TO TRADE FOR YOU, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING: IF YOU PURCHASE A COMMODITY OPTION YOU MAY SUSTAIN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE PREMIUM AND OF ALL TRANSACTION COSTS. IF YOU PURCHASE OR SELL A COMMODITY FUTURE OR SELL A COMMODITY OPTION YOU MAY SUSTAIN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE INITIAL MARGIN FUNDS AND ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT YOU DEPOSIT WITH YOUR BROKER TO ESTABLISH OR MAINTAIN YOUR POSITION. IF THE MARKET MOVES AGAINST YOUR POSITION, YOU MAY BE CALLED UPON BY YOUR BROKER TO DEPOSIT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL MARGIN FUNDS, ON SHORT NOTICE, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN YOUR POSITION. IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE THE REQUESTED FUNDS WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME, YOUR POSITION MAY BE LIQUIDATED AT A LOSS, AND YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY RESULTING DEFICIT IN YOUR ACCOUNT. UNDER CERTAIN MARKET CONDITIONS, YOU MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO LIQUIDATE A POSITION. THIS CAN OCCUR, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE MARKET MAKES A ``LIMIT MOVE.'' THE PLACEMENT OF CONTINGENT ORDERS BY YOU OR YOUR TRADING ADVISOR, SUCH AS A ``STOP-LOSS'' OR ``STOP-LIMIT'' ORDER, WILL NOT NECESSARILY LIMIT YOUR LOSSES TO THE INTENDED AMOUNTS, SINCE MARKET CONDITIONS MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EXECUTE SUCH ORDERS. A ``SPREAD'' POSITION MAY NOT BE LESS RISKY THAN A SIMPLE ``LONG'' OR ``SHORT'' POSITION. THE HIGH DEGREE OF LEVERAGE THAT IS OFTEN OBTAINABLE IN COMMODITY TRADING CAN WORK AGAINST YOU AS WELL AS FOR YOU. THE USE OF LEVERAGE CAN LEAD TO LARGE LOSSES AS WELL AS GAINS.

THIS BRIEF STATEMENT CANNOT DISCLOSE ALL THE RISKS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS OF THE COMMODITY MARKETS. YOU SHOULD THEREFORE CAREFULLY STUDY COMMODITY TRADING BEFORE YOU TRADE, AND DETERMINE IF COMMODITY TRADING IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOU.

Foreign Currency Risks

YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE THAT CERTAIN COMMODITY TRADING ADVISORS MAY ENGAGE IN TRADING FOREIGN FUTURES OR OPTIONS CONTRACTS. TRANSACTIONS ON MARKETS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING MARKETS FORMALLY LINKED TO A UNITED STATES MARKET MAY BE SUBJECT TO REGULATIONS WHICH OFFER DIFFERENT OR DIMINISHED PROTECTION. FURTHER, UNITED STATES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES MAY BE UNABLE TO COMPEL THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES OF REGULATORY AUTHORITIES OR MARKETS IN NON-UNITED STATES JURISDICTIONS WHERE YOUR TRANSACTIONS MAY BE EFFECTED. BEFORE YOU TRADE YOU SHOULD INQUIRE ABOUT ANY RULES RELEVANT TO YOUR PARTICULAR CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTIONS AND ASK THE FIRM WITH WHICH YOU INTEND TO TRADE FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE TYPES OF REDRESS AVAILABLE IN BOTH YOUR LOCAL AND OTHER RELEVANT JURISDICTIONS.

Not a registered futures commission merchant

COMMODITY TRADING ADVISORS ARE PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM ACCEPTING FUNDS IN THE TRADING ADVISOR'S NAME FROM A CLIENT FOR TRADING COMMODITY INTERESTS. YOU MUST PLACE ALL FUNDS FOR TRADING IN THIS TRADING PROGRAM DIRECTLY WITH A FUTURES COMMISSION MERCHANT.

Trading in The World’s Largest Market Online

Trading in The World’s Largest Market Online

The Internet is one of the most useful tools that you can take advantage of today. With the advancement of communications technology, you can send and receive data to and from the Internet for free or at a very cheap price.

Since the development of the Internet and introduction to the public, people have been using it to communicate with family and friends. With the Internet, you can chat for free even though the person you are talking to is half way around the world.

Today, because of the advancement of the Internet, and the availability of a cheap broadband Internet connection, it is now possible for people to start an online business, work online, and even trade in the financial market.

Trading in the financial market online has a lot of advantages. You no longer need to be inside the market floor to trade. All you need is a computer with a high-speed Internet connection, and trading software and you’re ready. If you are thinking of trading in the financial market, you might want to consider trading in Forex.

In the past, because the Internet was still in its infancy and the Forex market have strict sanctions and policies, regular people, such as yourself were not allowed to trade in the Forex market. Only multinational companies and financial institutions were allowed and it also required huge amounts of investment capital to start trading in this financial market.

The Forex market is the largest and the most liquid financial market in the world. It operates 24 hours a day and generates currency exchanges that amount up to 2 trillion dollars each day. With this kind of feature, people would really want to trade in the Forex market.

With the advancement in the Internet technology, it is now possible for people to trade in the Forex market. The Forex market also opened up its doors to individual traders and brokers.

Forex trading is considered to be a great money making tool that you can take advantage of. With the right skills and knowledge, you can really be successful in the Forex market and earn that money you have always wanted.

It is also a fact that many people who have traded in the Forex market have earned quite a lot of profits. Some even considered it to be a great full time career and decided to leave their regular jobs to trade fulltime in the Forex market.

However, the Forex market also carries an equal risk to traders. There is also a chance for you to lose money when you trade in Forex. It is also a fact that Forex took people in the brink of financial collapse. However, with the right skills, knowledge and strategy, you can minimize the risk and maximize your earning potential when you trade in this very liquid market.

If you are looking for a great fulltime career that you can do in your own home, you can consider the Forex market as one of the best career choices.

The first thing you need to have in order to start trading in the Forex market online is by having a fast computer with a fast internet connection. Fast Internet connection is very necessary in order to let you have access to real time information on what is happening in the market. This will also prevent slippage.

The next thing you need to do is hire a firm that is available online that specializes on Forex trading. The online Forex trading firm will give you access on using their online software that is necessary for you to start trading. For inexperienced Forex traders, it is recommended that you hire a firm in order to have first-hand knowledge on how to trade currency, and also help guide you on your trades.

If you don’t want to hire a firm, there are a lot of software programs in the market that you can use to start trading in the Forex market. The most important thing you have to consider in a trading software program is that it should allow you to gain access to the Forex market instantly. It should also give you the tools you need, such as charts and other indicators that are necessary for you to trade effectively.

Software programs are recommended for experienced traders who don’t want to spend money on Forex trading firms.

These are some of the things you should consider when trading in the world’s largest financial market online. Always remember that there are no guarantees in Forex. You should be prepared to lose money during your first few months of trading. Once you completely understand how Forex works, you can be sure that you can earn a lot of money in no time at all.

How to Succeed in Online Forex Day Trading?

How to Succeed in Online Forex Day Trading?

Forex trading is the largest known financial market. Day or night, it doesn’t really matter; the trade goes on even as half of the world is asleep. It offers a lot of opportunities for many organizations and individuals to make profit. There are many day traders in the market, and if you think you can do it, why not join the day traders.

Once you decide to start to day trading, don’t expect to learn everything about it in an instant. You will surely need to learn for some time, and you need to exert a lot of effort. Practice makes perfect, and forex trading requires a lot of it.

Before using real money, you can practice through simulated trading and do a paper trade. Here you can incorporate all your trading techniques and see if they actually work.

Don’t be a scared to lose a certain amount of money, because any trade involves a lot of it. But it doesn’t mean that you should not limit your losses, you can make use of stop orders. And most importantly, you should learn from your past losses.

A good trader by day should be disciplined. Make discipline a habit in order to make sound decisions, and act in accord with trading systems/strategies. This way, you can do your trade in a consistent and reliable manner. Certain situations require an individual to make decisions based on their pre-set criteria and parameters.

You should make it a point to habitually follow your trading system/plan; this way you can effectively evaluate the results of your plan. If your expectations are not met, perhaps its time that you make certain adjustments and fine tuning, so that your plan will still be of good use in the future.

Don’t let your emotions rule you, especially when you’re making trading decisions. A day trader should always be disciplined, and once you attain your objective, leave the market first. Oftentimes people plunge in deeper because they are influenced by greed and fear.

There are also day traders who are quite reluctant to lose money. For instance your stock goes down, and you’re still hoping that after some time it will rise again. And to your surprise, the share price goes further down. If only you were not reluctant to lose money, you could have sold it the first time its price went down, and prevent further loss.

A day trader should leave no room for fear and greed to take over; otherwise, this will be the key to your losses.

If you’re serious with your day trading, you can also do it at home. You would need hardware and software requirements to put a sufficient platform at home for online trading.

For your hardware requirement, you would need a computer with a Windows XP operating system or the like. The monitor should not be less than nineteen inches.

You must have a fast internet connection because day traders need to make fast executions and confirmations of the trade. They also need to receive and deliver quotes, news, and other pertinent market data. A fast internet connection allows you to make your day trading in a timely fashion.

Execution services are available online, and it comes in two types: the internet-based discount brokers and the online systems or the EDAT. The first type varies on how customer orders are executed, reviewed, and confirmed. This causes delay in completing a trade. On the other hand, the EDAT enables the trader to contact specialists directly. This results to a much quicker execution and confirmation of the orders.

Software platforms that are especially designed for day traders are often used by the more serious ones because real time data are usually provided like stock ticker and quotes, market indices and averages, charting, market stories, and price alerts. However, you would need to make monthly payments because this type of software usually charges fees.

Becoming a day trader is easy, but only if you are quite serious with this kind of endeavors. Like any type of trade, it requires dedication, time and effort. If you are able to put all of these things together, then you will reap profits that you’ve never imagined

Online Commodity Trading?

Online Commodity Trading?

Online commodity trading is quite an easy procedure to start with. Although the process to start is easy, no one should take the trading business lightly. Although it has been the practice to do commodity trading through commodity brokers with a couple of telephone calls, this practice is coming to an end nowadays. This is mainly due to the popularity of commodity online trading with the help of the Internet and other relevant technologies.

When it comes to starting an online commodity trading, finding the perfect commodity broker is the first step. At present, almost all brokers offer you the facility of online commodities trading, but some brokers offer more features and facilities than the others. Majorly, selection of the broker should be based on a number of factors such as information provided to the users, usability of the online commodity trading platform, commission rate, and types of analysis reports offered.

There are formalities involved in opening an account with a commodity broker. Since commodities market is a highly leveraged market, the broker may need to know your financial background. Sometimes, in commodities trading, you may lose more money than you invest. If you have a good income and experience, then you stand a good chance of getting your account approved.

Once you are done with the initial paperwork with the selected broker, it is time for you to fund your account. There are many ways of funding your account but payment through credit card is the most used and easy way of doing this. In addition to credit cards, your broker may support direct bank transfers and online money transfers such as PayPal. When it comes to funding your account, there are many theories involved. These theories and tips give you an idea about the initial account size based on many factors. You can use some of the calculators offered for this purpose, so the account size can be calculated easily. But the bottom-line is that the account size should be your own decision based on your comfort level and tolerance of risk.

Before you start online commodity trading with real money, you need to come up with a trading plan for you. If you are new to the business, you may not be knowledgeable enough to come up with your own trading plan. In this case, you can seek the help of someone who is experienced or any other resource such as a book. When you make your trading plan, make sure you do enough research, as less research will put your money in danger.

As same as in currency trading, most online commodity trading brokers offer demo or trial accounts for you to tryout their platform before risking any real money. These simulated platforms take you through the entire trading cycle and give you a better picture about the world that you are about to enter. This training will save you from making some critical errors in placing commodities orders. Use the simulation platform as much as you can until you feel that you are ready for real trading.

Overtrading is one of the most common mistakes made by many traders. This is mostly supported by emotions, as we all like to get the maximum profit out of our investments. Since in online commodity trading placing orders is just a click away, traders do not get enough time to think about what they are doing. Therefore, a significant amount of traders end up losing their investments due to bad judgment and by being emotionally driven. The golden rule in online commodity trading therefore is to follow factual data when making a decision.

Most of top forex trading brokers allows trading in commodity trading using you same account and same platform. You are not required to download any additional software or create another account to trade online in commodities like gold, silver, oil etc.

How to Trade Gold?

How to Trade Gold?

As scandalous as it may sound, gold and silver trading is one of the leading means by which people make money online. While you may doubt that you can make a living out of gold commodity trading, will it be of any consolation to you if we disclose that there are hundreds of people out there who have succeeded in online gold trading?

If you are new to this concept and If you’d like some direction, you should start from the scratch. Read as many user reviews as possible and gather as much personal experiences and case studies in the field as possible. After all, nothing speaks better than experience in fields such as gold and silver trading.

So first things first:

Quite obviously, you will first need to find a reputed, trust worthy broker to work with. Once you have found your jack pot, you will need to open an account. You may want to educate yourself on the different types of accounts and different plans that each account have on offer when it comes to online gold trading. One of the common account types is the margin account in which the trader is expected to deposit at least $2000 to begin with. The other type of account at the disposal of a trader is the ‘cash account’ which requires the trader to be on hold for three days for each trade settlement. Therefore, if you are seriously looking in to making online gold trading a stable income to you, it may be best to go ahead with a margin account.

The second step is to research stocks:

Quite interestingly, investing in gold opens up many options for its’ traders. You can invest your money in several areas such as, gold commodity trading, exchange traded funds, gold mine stocks, gold stocks or through mutual bonds or funds.

The most important thing to do in gold and silver trading is to invest wisely. It is not a deal in which you can give in to impulses or emotions. Rather you need to take actions based on a rational. Therefore, researching on the investments and possible return of investments is a must do in gold trading.

If you know people who are already in the field of trading gold you can quite easily get information from them on how to trade gold. Individuals master certain unique techniques over years of experience and as a beginner; you may find it intriguing and essential to follow some expert advice. However the rule of the thumb is that you should never make any blind investments.

You will need to thoroughly research every trade, no matter how many individuals may recommend it for you. Sometimes, such recommendations coming from strangers may not be totally genuine therefore, it is always essential that you act with caution.

Gold commodity trading is another interesting aspect that many investors look at. Commodity trading will allow you to buy gold futures from commodity exchanges and patiently wait until the gold prices rise up. This way, you end up increasing your profit and what is more interesting is that you can sell your gold future any time you wish before the period of expiration.

Whatever trading aspect that interests you, there is an essential third step for succeeding at gold trading and that is to ask for assistance.

You will find many websites that are openly sharing ideas, tips and tricks but what is most important are the websites that share factual information such as forecasts and graphs. So take all these information in to account before you trade in and don’t forget to follow a solid plan along the way!

SPOT METALS TRADING

Spot Metals

Spot Gold and Silver could be ideal for both long and short-term speculative trading. Similar to Forex Trading, spot metals trade in a 24-hour market from 18:00 Eastern Time (US) Sunday to 16:30 Eastern Time (US) Friday. Take advantage of small minimum trade sizes with low margin requirements and tight spreads with FX Solutions’ GTS multi asset trading platform. Access these two popular precious metals and benefit from:


  • Gold and Silver are spot tradable commodities

    Potentially ideal for both long and short-term speculative trading.
  • Commission Free Trading **

    FX Solutions is compensated through a portion of the fixed bid/ask spread.
  • Flexible Leverage

    Take a larger position than you would take if you funded your trade in full.
    FX Solutions offers leverage up to 200:1 on Gold and 100:1 on Silver †
  • Potential Portfolio Hedge

    Consider Gold or Silver to hedge against market volatility caused by economic,
    political or social turbulence.
  • Flexible Contract Size

    Trade the number of units that you choose, as low as 1 oz for Gold and 100 oz for Silver.

Spot Metals Market Information

Instrument Underlying Spread Min Trade Max Leverage Trading Hours
Gold Gold Variable 1 oz 200:1 24 hours *
Silver Silver Variable 100 oz 100:1 24 hours *
* Market is closed from 17:15 Eastern Time (US) to 18:00 Eastern Time (US)
Normal market hours for Spot Metal is 18:00 Eastern Time (US) Sunday to 16:30 Eastern Time (US) Friday.

†FX Solutions asks that you consider the risks associated with increasing your leverage. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionally large impact on the funds you have deposited or will have to deposit; this may work against you as well as for you. You may sustain a total loss of initial margin and you may be required to deposit additional funds to cover a short margin position.

**Financing Charges
Rollover or overnight finance charges will be applied to Spot Metal positions that are held open at 17:00 Eastern Time (US). If the trader is "short" on the position, it will be credited finance of -3%. Similarly, if the trader is "long" on the position, it will be debited a financing charge of +3%.


What is Forex Trading Online?

What is Forex Trading Online?

The foreign exchange market or currency market, known informally as Forex, is an over-the-counter trading instrument where one currency is traded for another. It is the most traded market in the world, with an average turnover of $3.2 trillion per day.
(Source: Bank for International Settlements, September 2007)
Simply put, Forex is the trading of currencies against one another. Each currency pair is traditionally noted XXX/YYY - for example, USD/JPY is the US Dollar paired with the Japanese Yen. Unlike stocks and futures exchanges, the Forex market operates 24 hours a day from Sunday 17:15 to Friday 16:30 Eastern Time (US). This allows traders to react to news when it breaks, rather than hav

Opening Position:


Closing Position:

After two days the USD/JPY buy price decreases 100 pips to $108.47/108.50, at which point you decide to buy the currency pair back. If the buy price moves in the opposite direction, you will realize a gross loss.





Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Techniques for Advanced Forex Trading

Techniques for Advanced Forex Trading

Forex is a potential platform for earning substantial profit. In fact it is one of the largest trading markets of the world. Featuring an average daily trade of US$ 2 trillion and above, this market is best known for its high scale trading volume and intense liquidity. Adding to this, today with the advancement of technology it can be done from anywhere of the world. Backed up by world-wide web, you can easily trade in the forex market at the comfort of your own home. However, it is important to understand that fx trading is based hugely on speculation. You must be smart enough to guess exactly when the rate of a certain currency pair will rise and go down, and then buy or sell based on that. Indeed it is said that if you learn to study the speculation of this market, you will have a better chance of getting profit.

Today, it is more advanced and turned into an active investment arena, where only a factual understanding of the intricacies and complexities can make your capital grow every day. Moreover, like any other business, it also involves some amount of risks. There is no shot fx trading technique for success in the currency trading market, but there are some well-known techniques that can assist you formulate a good advanced foreign exchange trading strategy. Here are few essential techniques that can help you cut your losses and increases profits:

Forex Scalping: It is a latest technique of trading where profits are taken after relatively small moves in the forex market. It is a technique where trading is done over small time frames, and smaller profits are taken more frequently. As the position exposed to the market is shorter, it automatically reduces the risk of adverse market events causing the price to go against the trade. It is a different approach to most other forex strategies, but still requires you to analyze the market to ensure that the set up for a trade is present. This type of trading greatly appeals to day traders and those who look to reduce the risk involved in trading currencies.

Forex Hedging: It is a technique that helps in reducing some of the risk involved in holding an open forex position. It decreases the risk by taking both sides of a trade at once. If your broker allows it, a simple way to hedge is just to initiate a long and a short position on the same pair. Advanced traders sometimes use two different pairs to make one hedge, but that can get very complicated.

It is important to understand that much of the risk involved in holding any forex position is market risk; i.e. if the market falls sharply, your losses may escalate dramatically. So if you have an open Forex position with fine projection but you think the currency pair may reverse against you, it is advised to hedge your position.

Forex Position Trading: Forex position trading approach is yet another trouble-free technique to boost your position size without increasing your risk. This trading tactic is very effective with mini lots. The major highlight with this technique is that - with forex position trading your exposure to the market is less and so therefore is no need to monitor the market continuously. Moreover, you may even earn profit with negligible loss that can further boost your trading confidence. For Example- you might make a short trade on EUR/USD at 1.40. If the pair is ultimately trending lower, but happens to retrace up, and you take another short at say 1.42, your average position would be 1.41. Once the EUR/USD drops back below 1.41, you will be back in overall profit.

Today forex trading is all about watching your options when you make a trade. Aside from using effective risk management and extreme vigilance, advanced trading can be an alternate way to make profits and control losses. Nevertheless, these above mentioned advanced trading techniques are more about using the market behavior to your advantage. Utilizing these advanced techniques can give you the edge from other average trader.

forex trading and its applications

forex trading with an automated trading application
Enhance your forex trading with an automated trading application

One of the differences between the stock market and the forex market is the vast trading that occurs on the forex market. The foreign exchange market
(currency, forex, or FX) is where currency trading takes place. It is where banks and other official institutions facilitate the buying and selling of foreign currencies. The forex trading market is a volatile industry. It is also a very lucrative market. However, to be a successful FX trader you need to educate yourself and have a long term plan. The lack of a forex trading strategy will guarantee failure. When starting out as a forex trader it is easy to abandon your plan or lack of a plan. A good forex trading education is a must.

Being well verse in the stock market will assist you with your forex trading. However, to enter into the foreign exchange market it is not necessary to have any prior trading experience. Some basic forex strategy systems are the fundamental analysis and the technical analysis.

Fundamental analysis
The fundamental analysis is performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecast. The data used in this analysis is; money policy, government policy and economic indicators. Some examples are GDP, exports and imports. The analysis of this data is for a specific business cycle.

Technical analysis
Forex technical analysis is a security analysis technique that claims the ability to forecast the future direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. In its purest form, technical analysis considers only the actual price and volume behavior of the market or instrument. Technical analysts, sometimes called "chartists", may employ models and trading rules based on price and volume transformations.

Before you dive head first into the forex market open up a demo account. A forex demo account is a simulated account where you get virtual money of $25,000 to $1, 00,000. You get live quotes and bids that are part of real forex trade. Once you have master that are ready to take the plunge into the real thing open up a mini account.

A mini account is a great stepping-stone to the big leagues of FX. It allows you to open up an account where the leverage is higher in comparison to standard accounts. With a mini account you are dealing with mini contracts. You can open up a mini account with $250. When you are ready you can move onto a standard account

The forex market welcomes traders 24 hours a day. Forex market opens on Sunday 5 pm EST (10:00 pm GMT), closes on Friday 5 pm EST (10:00 pm GMT). No matter what region of the world you live in you can trade on the forex. As one market is opening, another countries market is closing. This is the continual method of how the forex market trading occurs. An example of forex trades in the western region of the world is USD/EUR and USD/GBP. An example of a forex trade in the Asian Economic regions or the world is JPY/USD and JPY/GBP.

Technology is a beautiful thing. To be involved in these markets you don't have to be awake for every different time zone. Automated analytical forex software applications allow you trade during the middle of the night while you sleep. There are many, different type of automated forex software applications on the market. Some of the most commonly used applications are forex killer, auto- pilot and forex-funnel to mention a few. These applications are used by; professionals and beginners alike with no experience whatsoever. These applications can assist you with a forex trading strategies

Basics of Forex Fundamental Analysis

Basics of Forex Fundamental Analysis


In order to make Forex trading strategy, most Forex traders rely on analysis such as fundamental analysis. Forex Fundamental Analysis is a type of market analysis that uses market trends to determine the future value of a particular currency in the FX market. Fundamental analysis gives us an overview of currency movements based on economic, political, environmental, other relevant factors and statistics that will affect the basic supply and demand of whatever underlies the financial instrument. Forex fundamental analysis strategies require a basic understanding of supply and demand since it provides information how political and economical events influence the currency market. It is about looking at the intrinsic value of an investment. In other words, its application entails looking at the economic conditions that affect the valuation of a nation's currency.

The basis of fundamental analysis is mainly on the political and economic changes as these can frequently affect currency prices. Thus, traders are most likely to gather information from news sources to determine unemployment forecasts, political ideologies, economic policies, inflation, and growth rates. Traders keep an eye on the figures and statements given in speeches by important politicians and economists, as well as announcements related to United States economy and politics. Speeches from prominent people like the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of USA, Secretary of Treasury, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and so on.

It is known that if there is a decrease in supply but the level of demand remains the same, there will be an increase in market prices. On the other hand, if there is an increase in supply, it produces the opposite effect. Thus, fundamental analysts study the supply and demand for the country's currency, products or services, quality management, government policies, past and forecast of performance, future plans and all the economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), industrial production, interest rates, international trade, CPI, durable goods orders, PPI, PMI and retail orders. When all data is gathered from these studies, the analysts will construct a model that will check the current and estimated value of a currency against another. Analyst will then decide whether the currency ought to rise or fall after estimating the intrinsic value and comparing it to the current exchange rate.

In summary, Forex fundamental analysis focuses on what ought to happen in a market. Factors involved in price analysis include supply and demand, seasonal cycles, weather, and government policy. Thus, the fundamentalist studies that cause of market movement. Fundamental analyst needs to know a particular market intimately. In practice, traders use fundamental analysis in conjunction with technical analysis to determine a Forex trading strategy, fundamental analysis is considered to be the opposite of technical analysis.

What Are Forex Charts ?

What Are Forex Charts and How to Read Them?

Forex charts are important technical tools for traders to study if they want to have a success trading transaction. This chart is the primary tool for technical analysts as practitioners to watch for patterns or noticeable abnormalities in legendary price action. This could help them in order to predict what possible move they should take in the future. If you want to become a successful Forex trader and gain more profit you should be aware of how to read the charts which is very important and quite essential factor for any trader. These charts could show a single period of time and such period could range from one minute to one month to several years.

This chart is an exact illustration and representation of the price history of a currency. With the crammed scope of monitoring and trading global currencies, the importance of Forex charts for best investor cannot be estimated over. After glancing in a few Forex Trading Charts, you may recognize that there are few or little price gaps or there are also times where there are not especially on the charts having longer terms such as 3-hour, 4-hour or daily charts. Trading cannot be considered to be as easy as we think it is. It has been done with a lot of work, discipline, patience and education. Luckily there are also sites which give new set of tools to monitor and administer your Forex Trading.

One good thing about the Forex charts which others before are using, taken in hand in stocks day trading is their easiness for interpreting and understanding. These forex charts can give an in depth look when it comes to the relation of the movements of a certain economy of a country. This may show slow faction with day to day condition which concerns with company reports, and analysts from Wall Street and the demands of shareholders. Charts can be customized depending on your choice. Charting package may also be manipulated in order to view in several different ways.

There are kinds of Forex charts that show actions in prices. These are:

* • Line Chart – this is graph which is a representation of the chronological exchange rate of a certain currency pair in a given period of time.
* • Bar Chart – this is a currency chart that corresponds to the currency price, which forms vertical bars in a day like ever 60 minutes or others.
* • Candlestick Chart – this chart is used to predict the present market which represents opening, closing, highness and lowness of prices as candlesticks with a wick at each end.
* • Point & Figure Chart – this models are essentially the same prototype found in bar charts but Xs and Os are used to market changes in price direction.

Foreign currency charts are easy to understand, especially if you are a previous stock , future trader and investors. To view the history of a price of a stock in chart form, a stock trader has to settle on the ticker symbol of the stock, the chart period (1 day, 1 hour, 15 minutes, etc.). In the forex trading market, this process of using charts is no different, with the exclusion that instead of specifying a ticker symbol, the currency trader states the currency pair he wants to trade.

There are also such types of charts as:

* • Equivolume charts
* • Renko charts
* • Three-Line Break
* • Kagi charts