Real Estate or Stocks? Choosing the Best Investment for You

By Bill Len

Is real estate a good investment or are stocks better? This is a question that has puzzled investors for many years. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. At the same time each of these investments has their own unique qualities. In order to decide which one is right for you, you must understand all of the pros and cons of each.

Real estate is a more tangible type of an investment. You can physically see it and touch it and perhaps even live in it. The two primary types of real estate are residential and commercial. Residential being those structures that people will actually live in. Commercial real estate is where people operate and maintain their businesses. Typically a down payment is made on a real estate investment that is usually a percentage of the total price of the property. The owners can then utilize their new property to generate an income for themselves.

There are downsides to investing in real estate. The major one is that it is an illiquid type of investment. This means you usually will not see an income generated from it right away. It may take a few years or longer to see a profit, if you do see one at all. Another disadvantage is that the real estate market tends to fluctuate. This means that; by the time you are ready to sell your property, its value (or demand in the market itself) may go down.

Now we shall take a look at investing in the stock market. Stocks in general are a much more volatile type of investment; however they can yield a much higher return on investment. With stocks the investor gets partial ownership in a company. When the market is doing well, you will do well. However; when the market is doing poorly, you will lose money on the company you invested in. Typically most investors in the stock market own a variety of different stocks in different companies at the same time. Most of the time an expert stock broker is hired to make strategic decisions for the investor.

Some positive aspects of investing in stocks is that they are extremely liquid. This means a person will be likely to see positive results from his investments relatively quickly. They are fairly easy to buy and to sell. Negative points about stocks are directly linked to the current economy. When the economy is doing badly, stock investments will usually mirror this and do badly themselves. A person can lose a lot of money in the stock market if they are not careful. It is best to use a broker rather than do it on your own, as they are highly trained in how to maneuver money in the market.

Please contact us at Tazar If you looking for a Back Bay real estate or if you're looking for a Boston apartments.

Thank you for reading.

P.S. If you like this article please give us a tweet!

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Helpful Tips For Individuals Getting Into The Business Of Property Investments For The First Time

By William Head

Everyone knows that many millionaires (and even billionaires) got their money in real estate and property investments. With their knowledge, skills, perseverance and hard work, they struck gold in the field of real estate or property investment. As such, a lot of people today really want to start getting into business of property investments so that they can get their hands on some fortune as well.

Getting into property investments, however, can still be one of the riskiest moves for first time investors. But certainly, there is nothing wrong with delving into this field. And if you are looking for a way to diversify your current income or if you want to enhance your portfolio through property and real estate investments, below are some helpful tips you can follow:

• Keep in mind the property investment is primarily a business. One of the important concepts prospective property investors must first understand and bear in mind is that investing in real estate is similar to owning and running a business. As such, you have to fully comprehend the concepts at play and you have to invest time, money and effort in order to reap your target financial goals.

• Always have a plan. As a first time property investor, to achieve success in this industry, you need to have a well thought out plan. This plan will permit you to remain faithful to the path you have laid out in order to reach your goal no matter what new fad comes along. This plan will also allow you to effectively cope with unforeseen circumstances which may drastically negatively your target goals.

• You always have to remain steadfast and dedicated. As a newbie to property investment, it can be quite difficult for you become immune to negative news surrounding your investment vehicle of choice. But it is important to understand that while political, economic and social turmoil may pose negative effects on the property market, these should not put a dent in your plan and goals if you look well ahead and know that what truly matters is the future.

• Consider getting help from seasoned real estate and property investment experts. Aside from real estate agents, you can also get help from a reputable buyer's agent. Most business experts today recommend hiring the services of a buyer's agent instead of a realtor since the former will put your interests over his or hers. This is because a buyer's agent won't be working for the seller of a property but solely for you. As such, the buyer's agent will focus on finding the right property that you can invest in that is within your target budget and not above it.

Read more helpful articles and tips regarding property investments and getting help with this endeavor on http://gooddeeds.com.au/.

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Why Online Forex Training Is Very Important

By Sylvester Madxen

Anyone can trade in the Forex market, but if you are looking forward towards being successful in it, you will need to take your time to learn about it first. You can find important Forex trading tips online that will help you trade in this market with ease and successfully. You will learn about the best trading platform and trading strategies that will help you to become successful. This is very important since it will help you to know how your money is being handled. You do not want to be out of the loop because that could cause you to lose a lot of money.

With online Forex training, you will be able to get help from professional advisers that have been in this business for quite long. The best thing about dealing with experts especially if you still a novice trader is that you can watch and learn what is going and then perfect your skills. In the event that there is an important market change, the adviser can alert you. A professional adviser will also educate you on how to analyze trends so that you can determine the best time to place your trades.

Just like any other investment vehicle, there is a chance that you can make a mistake when trading in the Forex market. But with online Forex training, you can get important tips that will help you minimize or avoid costly mistakes that might cause you to lose money when you are trading in this market. With the help you will get from expert Forex professionals, you will know how to plan you strategies as well as signals instead of using strategies and signals from other traders.

Online Forex training will also help you understand the true nature of the Forex market. There are some things that you will need to do or avoid doing if you want to trade successfully in this market. For instance, going against the market in regards to highs and lows is something that you will need to avoid. You will also need to study and follow the market trends carefully if you want to be successful. Be sure to focus on selecting the best entry and exit points when trading. Going against the market can be very stressful especially if you are new to the market.

When you are just starting to trade in the Forex market, it can be very challenging. But you should not be too quick to quit. Just like any other investment, Forex trading has its ups and downs, and sometimes the ups may outnumber the downs especially if you are still a novice trader. You will need to be patient, diligent and work hard if you want be an outstanding Forex trader. Do not be discouraged even when in the darkest situations, since they can turn around. When trading, you will not only need to consider the facts that you might have learned from online Forex training, but also your instincts.

Check out my website for related articles that will help you sharpen your trading skills in Online Forex Training in Malaysia.

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The Best Market for Apartment Investing

By Christopher Urso

I love NY. I live here and even though I get my heart broken by the Jets, I am a proud New Yorker. Do you know how many apartment buildings I own in NY? None. Not one. I use a phrase that I heard a long time ago:

"Love where you live, invest where it makes sense"

Many new apartment investors often want to invest close to home. Being able to drive over to your investment property should not appear on your list of criteria when determining if an investment is worthwhile. It's no longer wise to just play in your backyard; you have to find the multifamily markets that offer the biggest upside. This is what we teach our apartment coaching clients to look for:

The Market Look for apartment markets that have positive long-term outlooks for employment and economic growth, rent trends, and appreciation (both forced and market appreciation). You want to make sure that you stay away from markets where job growth is significantly declining, and where corporations that are in a long-term downward cycle affect the local industry.

How to find the right Apartment Market

It's critical that the markets you choose fit your investment criteria. We don't recommend that anyone pick a market first and force a strategy into that market.

Strategy always should push the markets that you go into. It's no surprise that in the NY Metro area markets where we are located, deals that can support double-digit cash flow returns are few and far between and most times you will find a better market for your strategy other than where you live. That's just how we started.

It wasn't until we went out-of-state and started doing in-depth research on market demographics that our business really took off.

There are a few key areas you need to research to determine if a market is right for your given strategies. This is the information we use and the exact same process we take ourselves through to pick our successful markets.

A few key points to remember:

• It does not have to be the "hottest" market to invest in

• Look where you live, invest where it makes sense!

• Not everyone can invest in their own backyard

• Any market you decide on needs to have positive fundamentals

Your key research areas will be:

• Population Trends

• Demographic Profile

• Employment

• Comparative Advantages

• Local Governments

• Market Fundamentals

• Vacancy and Rent Growth

Population Trends

We dial in from a "top down" approach analyzing data in the following way:

• State Level

• Metropolitan Statistical Area level (MSA)

• MSA's larger than 200,000 - County level

• City level

• 10 Year Historical - 5 Year Forecast

• http://www.census.gov is a wonderful resource for population data

Be sure to check out historical trends and the projections for the area over the next 5+ years.

Demographics

When reviewing demographics you want to look for cities and towns with strong sustainable forces behind them. You will quickly discover that finding really good deals is not the hard part of this business; it's finding the right markets and building a strong team.

How we help investors: Elite Apartment Coaching helps beginner, intermediate and sophisticated real estate investors actively acquire apartment buildings, creating income-producing properties.

We host exclusive training events for private real estate investors to get them to the next level in their investing business. Whether you are just beginning, have done some deals, or are a sophisticated investor, we are here to drive results so you can play an even bigger game.

To see how we can help you visit -> http://eliteapartmentcoaching.com, and grab your Market Research Guidebook - This free guide offers a step-by-step approach needed to evaluate trends and understand key factors when determining where to invest.

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What Can Traders Learn From Footballers?

By Alwin Ng

The month of June/July was when the world had their attention on Brazil, the hosting nation of the F�d�ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2014. This is a quadrennial event hosted in different countries and it's a tournament for the association football world championship. This is also an event that nearly all football enthusiasts eagerly await as they would either throw themselves to the game (by travelling to the host nation), or they would glue themselves to the screen as the live matches are broadcast.

While I'm not here to comment on the technical performance of the footballers, I believe that there are many of things that traders can learn from a major event like this. I'm pretty certain of this because, like trading, footballers have emotions too and in order to win a major event like the FIFA World Cup, having the right focus, attitude and mindset is crucial.

With that, here are some of the lessons that we can learn from the nature of football and how traders can incorporate those lessons in our trading.

Note: I hope to share some personal views and to learn as a trader. By doing so, my views are not meant to be criticism to football fans or to anyone.

1. Expect the Unexpected

I'm going to begin with this not so uncommon quote about the world cup because this seems like a reasonable fact. In case you don't know, the truth is that the FIFA world cup is one of the most unpredictable events - this happened in history and will probably continue in the future. While I'm not saying that the teams are totally unpredictable (as many pundits did predict that Germany would be the champion), we can only predict the outcome of the matches only to a degree of certainty and nothing more.

You see, like trading, the statistics and historical results can only show you past results and never the future. Your analysis can have the sophistication of a rocket scientist but that only shows you the probabilities of the next game. Remember that a probability is not the outcome but only a bias of the outcome?

So what can you do? Do you still follow your analysis?

My answer to that is a DEFINITE YES. Always trust your analysis and follow your own bias. Nonetheless, no matter how good your analysis can be, always expect nothing from it. Follow your rules and belief in it but believe that your system only give a probability based on a big sample size especially when placing a trade.

2. Remaining at the Top of Your Performance

As mentioned, this is a once in four year event and, for many top footballers, this is their time to shine. Without a doubt, this is where all the crème de la crème players would meet to demonstrate their skills. This is where they would gather and show the world what they can do.

In case you're not aware, footballers train and work hard in the 4 years prior to the world cup so that they can be in it. As you can imagine, missing the world cup is a big deal for these players. However, to represent their respective country, they need to show consistency as well. The team manager is not going to pick you just because you were performing well in the 6 months prior to the tournament (even though they have every right to). In fact, the managers keep a close eye on the players' performance at an on going basis.

Hence, in order to get picked, footballers constantly train themselves - physically and mentally so that they are at the top of their performance. You can see why it is crucial that players should maintain at the top of their performance at all cost, can't you?

Bringing this core lesson back to the trading world, traders need to understand that, if you want to be the champion in your own little way, you too must remain at the top of your performance at all cost. Because trading is not about being a champion 6 months before you reach your goal but it's about constantly training yourself, both mentally and emotionally, so that your reward can remain a life time. It is a big deal, isn't it?

3. Learning to Stand Up Again

Brazil started the first match in the Group stages with an own goal (by Marcelo). While that's a minor issue, their 7-1 lost to Germany probably shocked the world and brought the nation to tears. They then ended the tournament with a 0-3 lost to Netherlands. Some would argue that their defeat was due to the lost of their start player Neymar. Nonetheless, a lost is a lost what ever the reasons may be.

Even though the Brazilians finished the world cup in 4th place, the intangible damage is much bigger. Because, according to First Post (an online news portal), they lost part of their "legacy of Brazilian football which was built over the years by generation after generation of brilliant footballers."

One of the biggest lessons I've gained from watching sports, be it in running or golf, is the mindset and attitude of the sportsman is extremely important. In the case of the Brazilians, I believe what they really need to learn to stand up again after a defeat.

I believe Brazil's lost is nothing because they have had losses in the past. However, their legacy is at stake and some would even argue that your legacy is more important than winning. And the crucial part of protecting their legacy now is the ability to recover in the next 4 years.

In many ways, this is an important lesson to traders too. Traders forget that they are normal human beings and you can fall once in awhile. Like football, losing is nothing compared to having the ability to stand up again. Traders need to understand and accept that losing is part of the game. Instead of grieving over the lost, you should learn to stay positive and to stand up again as quickly as you can.

Conclusion

The FIFA World Cup 2014 just ended but the glory of the Germans and the Loses of the Brazilians are now historical facts. In fact, they are nothing more than facts especially when the 2018 World Cup kicks off in Russia.

Trading is similar to sports, your losses today become historical facts tomorrow. More importantly, can you treat them as facts and learn to stand up again after a fall? Of course you can, you just need to learn how.

If you like what you read, do visit us at TradeYourEdge.com

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Are You Trading in Circles?

By Alwin Ng

If you have been reading my articles, you would have realised that when I first learned to trade the financial market, it took me a few months to realise that Trading was more than just Technical knowledge. My gut feeling was that technical knowledge was going to be the easier step towards trading success.

However, it would be something else that would stop people from becoming successful. Mind you, back then, I was new to trading but I could not stop analysing why only 10% of traders turn pro. Why was it only 10% (as opposed to a larger proportion like 50%)? What happened to the rest of the traders? What is going on to the trader between learning and blowing their trading account?

Those were the questions that I had... And I'm sure some of you reading this now are thinking of the same thing. Or some of you might already build your own assumptions but want to hear a new perspective of the same problem. Would you not?

So, instead of drowning myself with technical questions, I started to analyse the entire development of a trader. I began to study the process and experience of a Learner. I took a few steps back and began to break down the learning process and tried to find where, what and how a trader could go wrong (or right).

In the process, the common theme that I noticed with struggling traders was that they tend to go in circles. And this is how I got the idea of trading circles. Just like the Gorilla Experiment, human beings tend to look at the same thing over, and over, and over again - this is especially true when trapped and facing a problem. I'm sure some of you can relate to it as I continue to share my thoughts.

1. Self Circle

The first and biggest problem is that traders tend to go in a Self Circle. By that, I mean that people are going in circles within their INNER self. This could represent their inner environment, their mental programs or even their thought processes. What ever you call it, this is about YOU.

You see, more often than now, traders don't evaluate at themselves at all. Many of you don't know much about yourselves and you don't seem to take time to find out too. Some of you might find this slightly silly but this is true - especially when traders are desperate to succeed in an industry full of noises (like news, brokers, marketers and scams). And when things don't go your way, trading becomes a problem. But then, you are so focused on the problems that you can't seem to see that most problems are only symptoms of bigger problems.

For example, trader Jeff (a fictitious name) once came to me for help and he was trying to remove an emotional issue relating to frustration. Every time Jeff made a profitable trade, he would feel frustrated as soon as he close in profit. Sadly, this usually follows with a few losing trades where Jeff would release his frustration and would only be satisfied after he has a negative balance in his account - a classic example of self-sabotage.

Cutting the story short, it turns out that Jeff had, not just one but, on a few occasions been cheated by his business partners. It is most significant especially after he closes big profitable business deals for his company. As weird as it may seem, Jeff started associating his business to trading and, to him, they are the same thing. Thus, his past causes him to sabotage his profits.

Can you see how his frustration (an emotional issue) was just a symptom of his past problems? While this is just a simple example, you can see how other problems that can cause other issues, can you not? And that's because the trader is going in circles within him/her self.

2. Lifestyle Circles

Lifestyle Circles is about your trading priorities on a day-to-day basis. Traders need to realise that they need to have a trading edge and your edge can determine (1) when you need to be at your charts, (2) how long you need to be at your charts and, more importantly, (3) when you should NOT be at your charts.

You see, traders struggle because they cannot differentiate their trading priorities and their personal priorities. In the end, they blame their day job for standing in the way of them trading, they blame the lack of time for their poor trading results and the list goes on.

While some of you might think that this is a time management issue (which you are correct to a certain extend), it's more than that. Because, it's not just about balancing your personal and trading time, but it's also about leveraging on your strengths and weaknesses too, and you want to have personality bias when trading the market.

Have you heard of the quote "Playing to your Strengths"? That's exactly my point.

3. Wealth Circles

Some of you might find this a little bit of a shocker but that's OK (because I was shocked too when I learnt about this). This relates to the fact that some traders are not comfortable being wealthy. T. Harv Eker calls this the Wealth Blueprint and I think this is not uncommon amongst traders.

Remember that trading is a vehicle to new wealth. However, if you can't accept new wealth in your life, that becomes a real issue in trading.

Using the example of Jeff from above, the issues that he had (from business) was already blocking him to from mentally becoming wealthy. When that happens, it's nearly impossible for him to be physically/financially wealthy too.

Of course, the example of Jeff is just one of many stories relating to negative wealth blueprints. For some traders, they were brought up in a poor environment and they never knew how to think and live like a wealthy person. Their mental programs are such that wealth does not exist. Their money relationship has not been established and, as such, there will be constant confusion within your mental environment.

4. Strategy Circles

Here's another typical problem that traders encounter. Going in Strategy Circles is to experience confusion when finding suitable Trading Strategies (see note below). Traders go in circles because, without knowing themselves (Self Circle), their trading lifestyle (Lifestyle Circles) and the market, they don't know which strategies to trade.

What happens if they lack any of the above? My guess is, these traders end up (1) jumping around strategies, (2) they become jack of all trades and master of nothing and (3) they don't have enough time to fully embrace each strategy (hence, they cannot fully appreciate it).

When traders struggle with this circle, they tend to forget that most strategies (if tested correctly) are profitable. However, without having fully understood the strategy, it's difficult to pick one that suits you. Right? And without fully understanding each strategy, how can the trader find one that resonates with their personality?

Note: A Trading strategy is not your trading system. When I refer to a strategy, I'm referring to the Market beliefs that you are applying when taking a trade - as opposed to the specific rules that you apply. Examples of strategies are breakout strategies, trend continuation strategies or reversal strategies.

5. System Circles

Trading becomes more interesting as we continue to drill down into the various trading issues that traders face. It's even more fascinating because you start to see how everything (from the points above) relates to each other.

Because traders don't know which strategy suits them, it becomes difficult for them to truly build a trading system. Should the system have a higher Reward: Risk ratio? Or would it be better to have high probability but low reward? Again, this can be confusing.

The knock-on effect of that is that you end up breaking your trading rules constantly. Why? It's simple, that's because the rules that you are using does not fit your trading lifestyle, it does not fit your personality or your wealth blueprint contradicts with your trading plan.

Honestly, at this stage, the examples of how they relate to each other are endless. However, I think you got the message.

6. Trading Circles

Because you are reading this now, you already have a rough idea of the various types of circles that I have introduced. While these are only my own description of the problems, you can probably see or understand how one issue can impact the next?

Think about it, if you did not read this article, some of you might not be able to narrow down the problems you are facing now, and you might not know which circle of problems you are facing today. Hence, I called the last problem, Trading in Circles, because you can be circling between any of the 5 circles above.

Disclosure:

Please note that the above are only terms that I use to describe problems that traders might have and I am not implying that any of them relate to you. However, if you think you can relate to it, make sure to spend some time analysing yourself and your trading. Make sure to make every effort to find a solution.

If you like what you read, do visit us at TradeYourEdge.com

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Can EVERYONE Become a Profitable Trader?

By Alwin Ng

As a trader and coach, I've met with many types of people who aspire to become full time traders. The truth is, many of them are still searching for the tool (or information) that can make them a better trader. On occasions where they struggle or when they go off track, doubt seems to grow inside them very quickly. These traders lose their confidence and their trading gets shaky.

On the other extreme, people who are unfamiliar to the trading world find that trading the Forex market seems like an impossible mission. In fact, they assume that most people in the industry only make a living through referrals or introductory fees. Hence, when new traders start to learn trading, many of them only ever get noises from the pessimists. While getting noises is normal, you should to learn to filter them accordingly, should you not?

Examples include: Is trading for a living a myth? Can I make money by trading the market? Can everyone become a profitable trader? These are the commons questions that you might hear. Today, I thought I should share some of my views on this.

Can EVERYONE Become a Swimmer?

In order to get straight to the core of my article today, I thought I would rephrase the question a little bit, and I'll do that by asking you this instead, Can everyone become a swimmer?

Of course, some of you would ask in reply: "Is the person physically healthy and capable?", which I think is a fair question. So let's assume that the person is physically healthy, has all four limbs attached and is capable. Now, do you think that if everyone who meets those criteria can become a swimmer?

The chances are that you would say "YES THEY CAN." And this makes absolute sense, right? Because anyone who is physically healthy (etc etc) has the potential to become a swimmer. Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking that person to jump into the pool today and hope that they can complete 50m lap, neither am I asking them to be swimming champions. The chances are, many of them will likely need a coach or a mentor to teach and guide them before it becomes a reality. A part from that, they are absolutely able to become a swimmer.

You would agree with me on this, would you not?

I honestly hope you would.

On the other hand, some people might have a phobia for water, some might fear they would run out of breath and others might just be too afraid to try. If you are one of them, then there is also the option of seeking counselling or even meeting a therapist.

You see, there are plenty of resources out there get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, if you happen to be part of the last group of people (the fearful ones), and if you have decided not to seek help, then you'll never know if you can or if you cannot. Because, without even having the courage to TRY, you have already made a decision that you will never be able to swim.

Think about this for a moment, it is your decision, right? So is to blame when you fail to turn things around?

How can there be Paralympics Swimmers?

Let's bring this another notch up. If there are people who are struggling or scared to swim, even though they are healthy with all four limbs, how can it be possible that there are Paralympics swimmers?

In fact, Izhak Mamistvalov (above) who was born with cerebral palsy, and uses his right hand only when swimming, completed the 50m freestyle event in 1 minute and 10 seconds (Source: Wikipedia).

That is an amazing achievement, isn't it? Yea, sure, he is after all a Paralympics gold medallist, but the truth is, there are many people who cannot even complete a 50m lap swim.

The real question is how did Mamistvalov (or any of the other Paralympics swimmers) do it? Just like Sir Roger Bannister, I'm sure there has been a great amount of effort, time and energy invested before they were awarded their medals. However, I think, above and beyond that, they have the right attitude to get the job done.

Unfortunately, those of you who dare not even try to swim (or what ever activity that you have been avoiding) will probably remain where you are for a long time. Isn't that sad? Don't you think you might regret NOT doing what you want to do now, in the hope achieving what you want in the future?

Breaking Down the Challenge

Can everyone become a swimmer?

As we have established, even Paralympics can swim really fast. That means, YES, everyone can be a swimmer. And in the same way, everyone can become a profitable trader as well.

You see, before any of these people could swim, I'm sure they had their struggles and I'm sure they had moments where they wanted to give up. However, not only did they overcame the negativity inside them, they also remained positive after their losses.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be a judge here and neither am I hear from comment about your swimming (or trading) ability. However, the fact that you are reading this now, I would like to invite you to take a step back and think about what you CAN do, if you had the attitude and mind set of these Paralympians.

I'm sure boundaries would be much further, you can achieve a lot and the results will be much more rewarding, right?

But if you truly want to make trading successful, why not start by breaking down the challenge ahead? Ask yourself:

"If I was in their (the paralympians) shoes, how can I make my situations better?

How can I become a better trader?

What do I need to do (or know), so that by doing (or knowing) that, I can reach my trading goals?"

Note: PAUSE for a moment and really think about the questions.

Change Your Mindset

Begin your change by first understanding the Power of the Mind, know that your mind is the most powerful asset that you have and this applies to traders, swimmers or even any other activity that you might pursue.

OF COURSE this is going to be challenging, no one said it was EASY. However, you know deep insider yourself that the key here is that everyone CAN be a profitable trader and that includes YOU, right?

Another point to remember is this, learn to stop listening to your negative self-talk and FOCUS on breaking down those challenges. Learn to ask winning questions, and until you find answers that can help you become a swimmer or trader, keep doing it.

And when you realise that you are moving forward, don't forget why you started your journey.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this article, I hope you see the relationship between a swimmer and a trader. While there are not many things in common, the one thing that stands out clearly is that some swimmers (especially the Paralympians) have the right attitude and mindset and they do not fear what is ahead of them. Instead, focus on what is important.

The law of auto-suggest rightly emphasises how one can rise their altitudes, and I genuinely believe that if you think you can, you have decided that you definitely can.

If you like what you read, do visit us at TradeYourEdge.com

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Why Do You Need a Forex Signal Mentor?

Why Do You Need a Forex Signal Mentor?
By Joel Obonyo

A Forex signal is a suggestion for entering a trade on a currency pair, usually at a specific price and time. The signal is generated either by a human analyst or an automated forex robot supplied to a subscriber of the service. Due to the timely nature of signals, they are usually communicated via email, website, SMS, RSS, tweet or other relatively immediate method.

A forex signal is not like a road sign that is easy to read. It is not displayed at eye level to catch your attention. Rather these are bits and pieces of information that may be considered public, but are mixed in with so much raw data that it is more akin to finding a needle in a haystack. A Forex signal mentor can help you in many ways. This includes but is not limited to:

• Signal Identification which allows you to sift through a veritable mountain of information to identify the choice bits and pieces(Unpaid/free signals).
• Signal Analysis (Technical/Fundamental). Paid signals from one provider whether by personal analysis or algorithmic analysis.
• Paid signals aggregated from multiple signal sources or 'systems'.
• Signal grouping which means prioritizing the information to verify first, second, third, etc.
• Signals supplied by trading software located on the trader's computer, also known as a forex robot or EA (expert advisor)

These are some of the advantages of a forex signal mentor;

• Exact or approximate entry, exit and stop loss figures for trades on one or more currency pairs.
• Supporting graphs and/or analysis for the signals.
• A trading history showing the number of pips profit/loss per month and/or the risk/reward ratio and actual trades. Sometimes (especially in the case of forex robots) this may be shown as back-tested results.
• One-on-one coaching, or additional interaction with the signal provider such as comments, forum, etc.
• Account management whereby a subscriber's account can be traded by the signal provider
• Educational resources either via the internet or phone.
• A trial period for a lesser price.

Although these are the advantages, not all of them offer the complete list of services. Inaccurate signals: there are a number of services that supply signals of debatable quality, which do not answer the users' expectations for profits.

The Bottom-line:
Working hard is a necessity. Reading forex related literature will help you learn about the basics. Given enough time and a lot of effort you will be able to grasp the full import of specific events i.e. current events, news of the day, local vs. global economic news, etc.

But working smart is better! This means: Getting explanations that you would normally not be able to get from books; being guided through interconnecting concepts to understand the bigger picture of the global economy; looking out for eventual newbie mistakes that will cost you; pointing out specific areas you are weak in; and giving you information on useful new concepts or strategies.

[http://www.forex-signal-mentor.info]

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Trading in Commodity Futures: Be Armed to Steer Clear of Downsides!

Trading in Commodity Futures: Be Armed to Steer Clear of Downsides!
By Lakshmanan S

The risk-reward dilemma

It is often said that any form of trading can become dangerously addictive and is a potential threat of serious erosion of your assets unless you are aware of the inherent risks involved. There is nothing like being aware of possible downside in Futures Trading too; it certainly promises to give handsome returns but the flip side must never be ignored. Every investor has an inherent ability to absorb risk and the degree or capability depends upon a combination of many factors. Established Dubai Stock Brokers will not hesitate to tell you that one cannot expect to earn stupendous returns without being able to take equivalent risks. The trick lies in being able to determine ones threshold and this in not particularly easy as most humans by nature are averse to taking risk.

Bare facts

Commodity trading in Dubai first saw the light of the day in 2005 with commencement of trading at the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange. Proud to be the first derivative exchange in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region the platform is highly lucrative as Dubai, on account of its location, permits longer trading hours by integrating the functioning of regional and international trading. Within a short span since inception, traders have a great avenue for meeting varying requirements of instruments like online CFD trading, trading Forex online and commodity trading in Dubai besides others.

Don't get scared: Be aware

If one maintains a disciplined approach, there is not much to be scared about as there are numerous advantages of trading in futures. The biggest advantage of course is the availability of leverage that requires a trader to maintain only a fraction of the total trade value, in his trading account. On the flip side, leverages can work against you too as it could encourage a higher risk taking than what one is capable of absorbing. Yes, here profits do get enhanced but losses too could strike a heavy blow. Another positive is relatively lower commission costs as it is more affordable to buy/ sell a futures contract compared to dealing in the underlying instrument itself. By design, all futures contracts have considerable liquidity; the extent of liquidity available being dependent upon whether the contract is electronically traded or the pit traded variety which comparatively take up more in terms of commissions and spread.

A great feature is the facility to go short on contracts which has the potential to give handsome returns even when markets are headed downwards. What makes futures contracts more lucrative than options is that they do not get affected by a factor called 'time decay'. Commodities futures do not get affected by approaching expiry dates as they are free from a specified strike price at expiry. Did you know that a majority of futures contracts are not deliverable and are settled in cash at the time of expiry? It is also good to know that some are not and if you do not act in time to settle your contract, you might be facing the real prospect of the traded quantity physically being delivered to your door step!

For a great experience in commodities trading, Dubai has to be the pivotal point!

Get the latest information on Commodity trading in Dubai at fcimarkets.com. Contact us today for safe and efficient trading.

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How to Trade the ZUP Indicator

How to Trade the ZUP Indicator
By Dana DeCecco

When the ZUP pattern is properly identified, the trader can enter a high probability trade. The main advantage of this trade is the ability to set tight stop loss orders in case of pattern failure. As with any trading system, this pattern is best used in conjunction with other reinforcing indicators. Support, resistance, and pivot points would be an example of this.

This style of trading is sometimes referred to as Harmonic Trading. No trading systems work all of the time. A 70% win rate with a controlled risk makes this pattern based system an excellent trading system for many types of traders.This is a universal trading indicator and can be applied to any market. Stocks, Forex and futures are examples of these markets. This indicator is published and available to the MT-4 Forex trading platform.

This technical trading system is used by banks, trading syndicates, hedge funds, and nearly every trader at a professional level. Anyone with modest intelligence and a little discipline can trade this system. This indicator can be applied to various markets such as stocks and currencies.

I am not a software engineer. The signal software was developed by others. I am an experienced trader. There are no secret "holy grail" trading methods. Think about it. The more traders that use a system, the better it works! Of course the Central Banks will set a currency price at will. We can't second guess the Central Banks but we do know when they trade and we can choose not to trade at that time. The Forex markets are open 24/5 so we can select our trading times.

No trading method is easy and I'm not saying this is easy. The problem with most novice traders is that they are lazy! That's why they get into this business,looking for easy money. There is no easy money but there are profits if you are willing to do the simple tasks that are required in a well managed trading system. Well are you willing?

You can read all about Leonardo Fibonacci on the internet. The bottom line is that he developed a sequence of numbers found throughout nature. These ratios have been applied successfully to trading charts. Every charting program out there provides Fibonacci tools.The markets tend to obey these ratios for reasons unknown. I don't much care about why it works. I do care about if it works. Traders must realize, if you find something that is working, then go with it. You do not need to analyze the WHY.

The "powers that be" are able and willing to manipulate the markets at will. They have very deep pockets and can bury us at will. If you can't beat them join them. Most of the trading in all markets is program trading. Computers are programmed to make the trades. What does a computer need? RULES! The rules they follow are whatever they are instructed to follow. That is why your favorite indicator will work fine one day and not the next. Big money rules!

But there are certain rules that are universally followed (most of the time). These rules are SUPPORT, RESISTANCE, and FIBONACCI. Trend lines also get a piece of the act. When you combine the effect of these universal indicators to price action you end up with a high probability trading system. Trading is all about probabilities. There is no such thing as a 100% accurate system.

The ZUP indicator provides us with a valuable tool to build a successful trading system. This indicator may be a major part of the equation but the successful trader must also consider money management and many other important factors.

To watch trading videos visit my blog.
http://tradezup.blogspot.com/

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The Precious Metals Guarantee

The Precious Metals Guarantee
By Jeffrey Lewis

A friend recently sent me a picture of a 1957 $1 silver certificate he found in his change while buying a cup of coffee. He'd been a coin collector as a kid and learned that his father carried nearly the same note in his wallet.

When I brought up Gresham's law and the recent news that U.S. public and private debt had just breached the $18 trillion mark, it made very little impression, other than a brief pause in thought, though barely recognition.

Gresham's law is still in effect, but as some sort of novelty.

Can you imagine taking risk that makes no rational sense, even after observing and repeatedly confirming that your bank (or your country's financial system) has run amuck?

Say you've accumulated some of those notes. Can you imagine redeeming them for silver or gold?

Of course you can. Most of you reading this are actually doing that, quietly and unofficially.

But for brief moments of pure control, clipping, or price manipulation, the precious metals have nearly always been a key signaling mechanism - acting as the most efficient economic and financial communicator.

Gold and silver have always been money, only they have not served as legal tender currency.

The masters of finance will always seek to silence the canary; especially in an age where currency is unredeemable promise where expansion occurs by decree.

Smother it in a politico-financial policy-induced mountain of babble as the ultimate anchor on credit expansion. It is much harder to hide or lock away than electronic representations that stand in for money today.

The final clearance mechanism. The end of the line when expansion goes too far. When the risk is palpable and unbearable.

Equity margin debt is at record highs and irrationalizes exuberance for hollow technology companies which dominate the investment imagination.

The U.S. oil complex seems ripe for bubble bursting as supply and financial liquidity dry up. Real estate prices relative to rent have stretched out to beyond pre-subprime crisis.

Currently, the U.S. median income is $28K. The median home price is $300,000. But the danger is in the participation. Work participation and debt participation are at polar opposites.

This puts us on the razor's edge of collapse, where a flood of defaults will need to be cleared as more and more fall out of the system. Most people in the wealthiest nation on earth do not have enough resources to sustain them after 1 or 2 missed paychecks.

And people realize this on a certain level - maybe not always on the surface. But it is reflected in their decisions and what they choose to learn about the consequences.

As a result, every aspect of life is at risk of terminal exploitation - from healthcare to agriculture. It creates an epidemic blindness in which even the most sophisticated and wealthy are not immune. Few see any risk beyond the next paycheck or quarterly earnings report.

It may be difficult to verify the origin, but the myth that a Roman engineer was recently forced to sleep under a bridge evolved for good reason. It doesn't mean that it will fail later - so all risk is not removed.

As time goes on, the engineer may lapse on maintenance or fail to communicate new developments regarding the structure of the bridge. The engineer could be lying. Unfortunate and unforeseen outcomes may occur, regardless of intent, even regarding the dividend producing, rational, meaningful financial fund with honest directors who are tethered to performance and are legally liable.

They are still cogs in the wheel of a system that has long gone off the rails. We used to hear a lot about "moral hazard". The euphemism seems to have faded along with most investors' memory of just 5 or 6 years ago.

But risk is rewarded, and lavished upon in the climax of too big to fail. There will always be cycles in finance - occurring alongside culture and society. History repeats, rhymes.

We are here again.

Financial Actuary

It all boils down to counter-party risk. When the counterparty cannot demonstrate that they can be trusted... we have problem.

A prudent actuarial look at the entire world would force the insurance premiums to skyrocket. Just as the skies open and the system collapses.

In the end: Yes. There will be investment returns realized. The cycle will continue.

Yet at the end the road, when the storm is over, the insurance policy written in physical precious metals will be left standing.

The metal itself intact for another 7000 years. The metal you control and no one else.

The policy written in silver.

For more articles like this, including thoughtful precious metals analysis beyond the mainstream propaganda and basically everything you need to know about silver, short of outlandish fiat price predictions, check out http://www.silver-coin-investor.com

With silver, most people either don't know how to get started or live in constant fear of the volatility. Check out our Free Silver Investing Guide and E-Course to find out if silver is right for you.

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How To Trade Currencies Part-Time Successfully

How To Trade Currencies Part-Time Successfully
By Patrick Sekhoto

In as much as Forex trade involves many risks, it is a potentially profitable business that can generate you a lot of revenue. Even if you work full-time, you can find the time to trade in this lucrative business to supplement your income no matter what your schedule is like. As long as you have a small amount of capital, all it takes to succeed in this trade is a deep understanding of Forex trading market psychology, self-discipline and smartness.

Forex trading market psychology is about understanding the way you respond psychologically to the stresses and pressures of the trade. By learning how to control your emotions, you get to have a clear mind which is essential to make rational decisions. Also, you need to limit yourself to currency pairs which trade when you are available for trading and adopt strategies that do not need portfolio monitoring. Here are a few tips and hints which can help you to become a discipline Forex trader;

1) Select the Right Pairs to Trade

Even though Forex trading takes place day and night seven days a week, it is advisable to operate during peak volume hours to secure liquid. Liquidity is the ability to sell stock in the market without affecting its price and this is easier done during peak hours when the market is most active. For instance, if you work an 8 am to 4 pm job, you will be available for trading either early or late in the day. High volume may crop up either in the early hours or late hours of the day depending on the currency pairs you have selected. As a beginner, always trade the dollar against other types of currency as it has a wider liquidity.

2) Set Up an Automated Trading System

You can choose to trade on your own or to go for an automated trading program to do the work for you. A wide variety of these programs with an assortment of functions are available on the market. There are those that can monitor currency performance in real live market time, place market orders, be aware of profitable spreads as well as automatically order the trade. The "Set and Forget" program is recommended for beginning intraday traders who would want an opportunity to get familiar with the trade first before investing serious amounts.

3) Be Dispassionate and Disciplined

If you choose to make your own decisions instead of relying on an automated system, discipline and dispassion are essential to your success. You are advised to take profits when they are gained rather than expecting bigger profits and wider spreads. This needs some level of self-discipline in fast trending markets in which beneficial spreads are widening. Take profits when you can as a trend might change suddenly and be affected by certain external factors which as a part-time trader you may be unaware of.

4) Start with Small Amounts

As a beginning part-time trader, you are advised to start with small amounts of currency to avoid massive losses in the event that you make a mistake. You could open a mini Forex account with as little as $2000 and control 10,000 currency units.

With the Forex trading leverage available for traders, you could make massive profits or losses. Due to this, you need to be very careful when it comes to borrowing money from lending institutions in order to purchase currency lots on margin. You are advised to consult a professional before proceeding.

If you decide to start trading Forex full-time or part-time,instead of using trading robots, discipline, leverage and money management are very much important to your success. With Forex trading although it involves risks, it is a very profitable business that can generate a lot of money for you. Please visit my Blog to learn more by Clicking the link below: http://www.bannaga.com/forex-undress-forex-signal-system-review-does-marc-abramsky-smart-money-signal-service-really-work/

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Day Trading Strategies and Intraday Trading Tips For Success

By Justin Fillion

Sometimes day trading strategies and intraday trading tips are more about avoiding mistakes so you can have the success you want versus learning about what to do. Unfortunately, history has always shown there are some common sense errors made when trading in the stock market. To avoid these mistakes, learning about them is often helpful.

Not Learning Enough

Yes it sounds a little silly right? Some don't take the time to learn the trading day before they start investing. Actually rule number one for day trading strategies is to learn the market, understand how it reacts, what it reacts to, and assessing what technical trends you might wish to use as a way to make money investing. However, plenty of individuals feel after reading a couple of books or learning about stock market trading in high school that they can be successful.

So whatever you do, make sure you learn the trading day particularly the intraday if you want to be a day trader versus a long term investor.

Short Term vs. Long Term

Day trading means you hold nothing in the market overnight, but there are many who are not actually doing this and call themselves day traders. They look at intraday trading tips but then hold the stock overnight due to emotions and falling in "love" with the stock. This is not what day trading is all about. Often you are going to trade for a few hours, maybe even minutes. In a matter of minutes, the stock you buy into and sell will make an upward or downward move. Holding on to a stock that you've analyzed as a short term technical play is only going to create losses in most instances. At most an hour or two is all it will take to make a profit. But the savviest of day traders hold stocks for exactly how long the charts predict an opposite movement, and then liquidate their positions for a profit.

More Strategies

You might be unaware that many investors go with the Seasonal Stock Market Cycle. They try to make the most money between November and December when retail sales are at their highest. It is a pretty good idea particularly because this is also when some of the highest dividends are paid out. The economics don't matter to day traders, as they only pay attention to the uptrend and downtrend in stocks and being able to correctly ride the waves for a profit.

It is an advantage and one to be used for day trading strategies versus trying to look at stock indexes and overall performance of the entire market. You want to look at and understand the psychology of the market as a day trader.

I am a stock market expert having experience of over 10 years. Being a part of this amazing field of work I actively try and provide assistance to individuals who seek it the most. Working as a full time trader, I write for some of the most reputed websites and provide consultancy services as well.

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The Top Mutual Fund and Your Best Investment for 2015

The Top Mutual Fund and Your Best Investment for 2015
By James Leitz

I remember when the top mutual fund, and the best investment some investors ever made, returned 144% in one year. That same fund won't be the top mutual fund for 2015 because it doesn't exist today, although similar ones do. And none of them will likely be your best investment for 2015, either. Here's what you need to know.

The top mutual fund in any given year is also likely to be the average investor's best investment, because most investors don't actively play the markets. Funds are the domain of the average investor, and justifiably so. They are designed for people who don't have the time, experience or desire to sift through the thousands and thousands of alternatives available to them in the investment universe. At the same time, there are things you must be aware of when you place your money in the hands of these professional money managers.

When the economy, as well as corporate sales and profits, are healthy and growing the top mutual fund (the one with the highest total return for the year) is more than likely one that invests in stocks (also called equities). How did the one I refer to get a return of 144% in just one year? First, it was a good year for the market. Second, they invested in aggressive growth stocks. Third, they employed financial leverage. Why did I suggest that a similar one is not likely to be your best investment for 2015 and what is financial leverage?

Financial leverage was a catalyst for the great depression as well as for the financial crisis of 2008. Financial leverage: you increase your return by borrowing money so you have more to invest with. Example: If you have $100,000 you can buy $200,000 worth of stock "on margin", and will owe your broker $100,000. This 2 to 1 leverage doubles your return because you can buy twice as much stock. The bad news: you can also lose twice as much, plus interest. In other words, this top mutual fund from the past may have been the best investment, but it involved a lot of risk for the investor.

The real bad news is that MUCH HIGHER leverage can and has been employed by the big players. When the markets make a big move against them, their house of cards (debt that must be covered) comes crashing down. Taken to extremes this can create a financial crisis.

Now let's look at the other two factors I mentioned in respect to the top mutual fund for 2015: the stock market and growth stocks. In a good (up) market growth stocks and funds that invest in them tend to outperform, but in a bad market (down market) they tend to get hit harder. Hence, one of them could be your best investment for 2015, especially if it uses financial leverage. Or it could be one of the biggest losers - like the one I originally referred to turned out to be the following year.

The economic outlook and the stock market's general trend have a heavy influence on what will be the top mutual fund for 2015 in terms of performance and total return. For example, the stock market has been going up since the end of the financial crisis of 2008. Where might you find the best investment for 2015 in the world of mutual funds IF the market tanks?

Actually, you have more choices than you might think you do. Some funds specialize in areas or sectors like energy and oil stocks or gold stocks. In a bad market these sectors can swim against the tide. For example, as I write this the stock market is near its all-time high. Gold is down several hundred dollars from its all-time high, and oil prices are falling like a rock. One of these sector funds could be an opportunity and the top mutual fund for 2015 and beyond.

Taking it a step further, what if we truly have a real bad stock market in 2015 and beyond? Some funds actually "short" the market, betting that stock prices will fall. And some (called inverse ETFs, or exchange traded funds) do it with financial leverage of 2 or 3 to 1. Obviously these are risky, are not for everyone. But if things really unravel, one of them could be the best investment for 2015, in terms of performance and total return.

Many of today's investors don't understand that the past few years have been unusual, to say the least. The stock market has continued to go up with little volatility for almost six years, while interest rates have fallen to record lows. Trends don't last forever. When the above trends change last year's top mutual fund and best investment will not be repeat performers. And remember, your best investment for 2015 and beyond is one that fits your comfort level for risk.

A retired financial planner, author James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and over 40 years of investing experience. His complete investor guide for beginners, Invest Informed, teaches everything you need to know to put your money to work. Review his book, INVEST INFORMED at http://www.Amazon.com.

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Using the Commitment of a Traders Report to Trade the Stock Indices

Using the Commitment of a Traders Report to Trade the Stock Indices
By Andy Waldock

This has been a tumultuous week in the equity markets as news events and political leveraging have sent markets in China and Greece down by more than 5% and 11%, respectively. Here in the US, Wednesday's action attempted to mimic the global markets but was met by a solid bid in the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Index around the Thanksgiving lows. Meanwhile, the Russell 2000 found support near the critical 1150 level that has propped it up since late October. We published a short take in Equities.com earlier in the week projecting expected weakness in the equity markets due to the shift in the commercial traders' position over the last couple of weeks. This has led many to ask exactly how we use these reports to forecast trading opportunities in the commodity markets. We'll use this week's piece to explain our approach in detail within the context of today's equity markets.

The discretionary portion of COT Signals advisory service is typically described as having a three step process. First of all, we only trade in line with the momentum of the commercial traders. It has long been our belief, three generations worth, that no one knows the commodity markets like those who whose livelihood's rest upon the proper forecasting of their respective market. This includes the actual commodity producers like farmers, miners and drillers along with the professional equity portfolio managers using the stock index futures to hedge and leverage their cash portfolios. Tracking the commercial traders' net position provides quantitative evidence of both the long and short hedgers' actions within an individual market. The importance of their net position lies in the collective wisdom of this trading group. Their combined access to the best information and models is summed up by their collective actions. The final part of the commercial equation lies in tracking the momentum of their position. Their eagerness to buy or, sell at a given price level is equally important as the net position. We only trade in the direction of commercial momentum.

The second step of this process is how we translate the weekly commitment of traders data into a day by day trading method. Commercial traders have two primary advantages over the retail trader. First of all, they have much deeper pockets and they have the ability to make or, take delivery of the underlying commodity as needed. Secondly, they have a much longer time horizon. Think, entire growing season or their fiscal year on a quarter by quarter basis. Therefore, we have to find a way to minimize risk and preserve our capital. We do this by using a proprietary short-term momentum indicator on daily data. The setup involves finding markets that are momentarily at odds with the commercial traders' momentum. If commercial momentum is bearish, we are waiting for our indicator to return a short-term overbought situation. Conversely, if commercial traders are bullish, we wait for a market to become oversold in the short-term. The short-term momentum indicator is labeled in the second graph.

Once we have a short-term overbought or, oversold condition opposite of commercial momentum, an active setup is created. The trigger is pulled when the short-term market momentum indicator moves back across the overbought/oversold threshold. Waiting for the reversal provides two key elements to successful trading. First of all, it keeps us out of runaway markets. Markets are prone to fits of irrationality that catch even the most seasoned of commercial traders off guard. News events, weather issues and government reports can all wreak havoc unexpectedly. Waiting for the reversal also provides us with the swing high or low that is necessary to determine the protective stop point that will be used to protect the position. Everywhere there is a circle, red or blue, was a trading opportunity in the S&P 500 this year. Within each circle, the highest or lowest value was the protective stop point. It is imperative to know the protective stop prior to placing any trade. This allows the trader to determine the proper number of contracts to trade relative to their portfolio equity. Risk is always the number on concern of successful trading. Currently, the protective stop levels are 17980 in the Dow, 1189 in the Russell 2000 and 2079 in the S&P 500.

Currently, the Dow, S&P 500 and Russell 2000 all contain this same set of circumstances. Given the lofty valuations, the speed of the recent rally and recent global economic developments it seems prudent to expect a retreat from these highs. Clearly, that is what the commercial traders, who were MAJOR buyers at the October lows believe is about to happen. We'll heed their collective wisdom as they've successfully called every major move in the stock market for 2014.

Andy Waldock
http://www.commodityandderivativeadv.com

866-990-0777

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Is There One E-Mini Trading Set-Up That I Trade Without Fail?

Is There One E-Mini Trading Set-Up That I Trade Without Fail?
By David S. Adams

I chart all of my trades on an Excel spreadsheet, which gives me an approximate success rate on all the e-mini trading set-ups I initiate. Of course, you might counter with "Well, no two trade set-ups are exactly the same" and you would be right. So I have to classify trade set-ups into reasonably narrow classifications to extract any meaning from the data. In short, it is an inexact science but one that can give you meaningful insight to which general categories of trade set-up work the best under given situations.

Having said that, there is one trade I depend upon and arises several times a day. It is a reversion to the mean trade with the trend or when the market is neutral. I should caution that trading reversion to the mean against the trend is a 50-50 proposition best, at best. However, when the market is trending and flat you can rack up some dough with this trade.

The trading methodology for this trade is fairly simple; you basically set up a channel around a median moving average. For example, I use a 225 period simple moving average and chart a 2 standard deviation line and 3 standard deviation off the moving average. For clarification purposes, I fill in the channel between 2 and 3 standard deviations in yellow opaque color. The color doesn't really matter, I happen to like yellow.

On most occasions, the market will venture beyond the 2 standard deviation line and into the channel. When the price is in the channel I wait for the order flow to give me a clear indication of a reversal of movement. I do not wait a whole bar to make my trade because you end up leaving a good number of ticks on the table; I just want to see an increase of trades hitting the bid or ask side of the order flow chart. When that turn occurs, I initiate a trade back toward the simple moving average.

For me this trade has an 86% winning average. Again, remember that I referenced this trade earlier as being a trade that you should take with the trend or in a bracketed market. The market is loath to venture 3 standard deviations from that centerline simple moving average. I prefer to use a channel of this nature in my e-mini trading as oppose to Bollinger bands or a Keltner channel because I get a better smoothing effect with both the standard deviation bands and the Simple Moving Average.

In summary, I have described a high probability trade that is so simple that any beginning trader can use it to bolster their e-mini trading arsenal of set-ups. It's been a good one for me, as I have well over 1,000 trades recorded using this methodology.

Would you like to start earning 300% every week? So would I... yet you see this type of hype on many sites these days. I don't promise astronomical returns, but 25 years of Wall Street trading experience has helped churn out solid e-mini traders for 5 years. Come see me trade. Real trading doesn't lie. Click here for a free visit to my trading room and see for yourself.

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The Number One Reason Why Only 10% of Traders Ever Succeed

The Number One Reason Why Only 10% of Traders Ever Succeed
By Matthew Teuschel

When you hear that only 10% of everyone who attempts to become a professional trader, ever actually become successful, it can immediately bring upon a sense of doubt and discouragement. You start to consider the dreadfully low probability of you yourself reaching that 10% group and the amount of difficulty the journey of trading must entail if so few ever achieve success with it.

But what stops most potentially very good and future successful traders in their tracks and succumbs them to becoming yet another statistic in the 90% group, has nothing to do with trading itself. It has everything to do with quitting before they learn how to be successful at it! Simple concept right? Let's dive deeper though to fully understand why there is such a huge discrepancy between successful and unsuccessful traders.

Professional trading is a skill set like any other, and the more it is practiced, the better one becomes. It's difficulty can even be likened to that of building a traditional business. It often takes years of perseverance, education, and trial and error before true and consistent profitability is achieved. The problem with many traders though, is they come into the market with dreams of striking gold and becoming millionaires in their first six months of trading.

Unfortunately, they learn the hard way that this notion is merely a pipe dream and doesn't happen nearly as often as some gurus say, if at all. After many months of losing thousands of dollars trying to make their quick millions, they realize that trading is not as easy as they thought and they quit with a negative attitude about the market. To make themselves feel better about their losses, they attempt to justify their negative experience in a variety of different ways: trading is just gambling, none of the trading systems worked, or it's not in the trader's astrological chart to be successful in trading. These rationalizations only serve to further develop the unsuccessful mindset the trader now has and decreases the likelihood that the trader will ever succeed at trading.

Now of course, with the right mentor, a trader can shed years off of his or her learning curve and achieve consistent profitability faster than traders without a good mentor. However, the type of mentor who can provide such results often doesn't promote the glamour of fast riches because he or she is rooted in a much more realistic approach to trading. This doesn't appeal to many people, as they are drawn to the quick and easy solution, which doesn't exist in the real world, so the mentor is often overlooked.

But what people miss about trading, is that even though slow and steady wins the race, that doesn't mean you can't make exceptional returns consistently and with high probability. Once the principles of professional trading are adopted, like discipline, non-emotional decision-making, and developing a winning trading plan, the trader then has the capacity to achieve his or her financial goals much faster than many other forms of wealth-building.

Like anything else worthy of achievement, it takes dedication, patience, and hard work to obtain the status of a professional trader. Trading is a fascinating intellectual pursuit and will challenge everything that defines you as a person.

Once you realize that it is you who controls your consistency and success, and not a trading system, or anything else outside of you for that matter, you are well on your way to achieving the fortune you seek. Keep learning, do not quit, and the light at the end of the tunnel will begin to emerge.

To learn the principles of professional trading and to discover a simple yet very consistent and profitable trading strategy, click on the link in the article and sign up for the free MacdMastery Weekly Report.

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Binary Options?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Binary Options?
By Gilla H Parkson

More and more individuals these days are looking for ways to improve their finances. This is needed to help individuals accommodate their needs and to make their future better. With this said, individuals make decisions from creating their own business, investing in real estate or other option or perhaps, trading.

No doubt, creating a business is one of the best options. However, you need to deal with numerous issues from searching for the ideal product or service to offer, building business establishment, advertising strategies and even hiring employees. In addition, the competition in the business industry is very high which can surely be very hard for start-up business owners. Thus, there are instances that your business may collapse in an instant. Investing your finances in other items like real estate is also a good option. However, you need vast knowledge about this niche in order to gain better finances. So, the ideal option if you really wish to improve your finances is to trade.

As of now, there are lots of trading options to choose from. And, you only need yo opt for the ideal trading option that can cater to your needs like binary options. To help you learn what are binary options, listed below are some pros and cons of this trading option.

Advantages

Fast profits - Binary options can provide you fast profits. This is possible since you can choose the time when you wish to trade.

Simplicity - Unlike other trading options, binary options is much simpler. You only need to pick your asset, choose the expiration point and amount of money you wish to invest. After which, you need to decide the right trajectory of the market in order to gain profits.

Disadvantages

High risks - Of course, in every investment and decision there are certain risks that may occur. Therefore, when it comes to binary options, prediction is harder since market movements are unstable that can affect your finances.

Finding the right tools - There are lots of binary options providers online. However, these experts only provide information, strategies and techniques. Some providers also offer tools that can help you predict the market. But, there are cases that you need to choose a reliable tool that can provide you this benefit since some tools cannot cater to your needs.

By knowing the pros and cons of binary options, you can be sure that you can improve your lifestyle and your future. For more, click here.

Binaryoptionsexperts is a reliable company that offer amazing binary options services. The company also has seasoned traders who can guide you make better decisions. To know more, check this site.

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Binary Option Trading

Binary Option Trading
By Dana DeCecco

Binary options are the latest addition to the asset trading game. The assets include stocks, futures, and Forex. The trading process is simple but the process of trading is not.

Many options traders approach it as a gambling venture. That's OK if that is your goal. You will have a 50/50 chance of winning 80%. As far as I'm concerned, those odds stink. You will lose all of your money.

A little education goes a long way, notably with binary options, since the results are quick to come. You can get rich or poor very quickly. If you must guess, at least take an educated guess.

Before you trade, at least take the time to understand the game. The markets in general are subject to time tested laws, similar to the law of gravity. What goes up must come down. OK, it's a little more complicated than that, but simple rules indicate much of binary market movement.

Please take the time to learn and understand the simple concepts on this page. Binary option trading is the most simple form of trading market price action. If you learn about support, resistance and trends you will be way ahead of the pack. The best binary systems and binary signals are based on price action.

Binary options trading is purely speculative. Although brokers refer to as investing, the primary purpose of these options is to speculate on the price movement of certain assets. Select stocks, commodities, and Forex pairs are the assets traded on the various platforms.

Binary brokers earn money by creating a payout that is less than your original stake. Most brokers pay out 75 to 80% but some may pay up to 90%. The difference could be considered the spread.

Gambling on these options is a losing proposition. A 75% return on your 50/50 chance is not a good return. You can get better odds at the casino.

trading binary options is a different story. Using the proper techniques, you can actually get the odds in your favor. But only if you learn how to trade options. You must improve your charting skills.

Binary options are a plain and simple way to trade based on your opinion of where a market is headed over a certain period of time. They are contracts that pay out a predetermined amount or nothing at all at expiration. The payout amount for your option is determined before you place the trade.

These options are based on an underlying security, commodity, or currency that have various strike prices to choose from as well as various expirations. Both call and put options are available for trading. If, at expiration, the price of the underlying security closes at or above the selected strike price, the buyer of a call option receives the payoff. If the underlying security closes at a price that is below the strike price on the expiration date, the buyer receives nothing.

In the case of put options, the put buyer receives the payoff per contract if the underlying security closes below the strike price at expiration, and nothing if the underlying security closes at or above the strike price at expiration.

The price of an option usually reflects the perceived probability that the underlying security price will reach or exceed (for call options) or fail to reach or exceed (for put options) the selected strike price at expiration. The cost of options will normally be quoted at a price per contract. The trader can buy multiple contracts. Buyers of options pay for the contract at the time of purchase. Binary options are easy to trade but not easy to win.

To learn professional trading techniques visit my blog. Start winning trades.
http://howtobinary.blogspot.com/

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Understanding Investment Terminology

Understanding Investment Terminology
By Steve Ong

Investment is the use of money to earn income or profit. This term also refers to the expenditure of funds for capital goods such as livestock, machinery, agricultural equipment and this according to Alan Gart's book which is titled "The Insider's Guide to the Financial Services Revolution".

It promotes economic growth and contributes to a nation's wealth. When people deposit money in a savings account in a bank, take for an example, the bank may invest by loaning the funds to various business companies or to the borrower.

This experience is in line with the often observed diversity of expert opinion and has led the author of this article to discount much of the so called research that investment experts boasts about.

It is much of the statistical and field research that there are times that they will convinced clients very hard to deal in which, it does not lead to good results and it is very clear that thinking in essentials and broad mindedness appear to be more practical investment tools.

They must expect the companies in which they have invested the money to stay in business; enjoy a trend of profits at least a bit better than average; employ any additional capital with adequate profit; they must continue in order to attract favorable investment attention, to which should be added, they must pay more than a fair price for the stock.

It is possible for the earnings per share of common stock even to grow and it also hides an underlying unfavorable trend. There are several things that could happen when it talks about investment.

Any earnings, no matter how small, that arise from the investment of retained funds will be added to the earnings on the prior capital, and thus a rise in earnings will be reported.

Investors are likely to look with a jaundiced eye at ventures which must retain a large part of their earnings not to expand the business although merely to stay in business or to maintain competitive ability.

In this connection, the leverage factor which is the quality of earnings is also involved.

It will cause anxiety instead of allaying it. They will look upon the determination of the productivity of additional capital for the investors, as the owner, as a way of unpleasant surprises and an assurance that they are aware of the basic facts of life of their respective companies.

This is their nature that they should satisfy the facts and figures that will urge them to invest. For most investors, however the types of statistical data outlined in this part of article will be sufficient. At least they exemplify the fundamental statistical concepts which are required for choosing individual issues whether they are alone in decision-making or a participant.

Gart, Alan The Insider's Guide to the Financial Services Revolution. Mc Graw, 1984.

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Know More About Forex

Know More About Forex
By Urvi Tandon

Foreign exchange or Forex is the world's most traded market with an average turnover of more than US $4 trillion per day. It is the place where currencies are exchanged to facilitate foreign trade and business. For instance, if you are living in India and want to buy cheese from France, then you have to exchange Indian currency (Indian rupee, INR) for euros (EUR). This applies to traveling too. A French tourist in India cannot pay in euros to see the Tajmahal in Delhi because it is not the local currency in India. The tourist has to get euros converted to Indian rupee at the current exchange rate. The need to exchange currency makes Forex the largest financial market in the world. Forex trading happens electronically over the counter and not on one centralized exchange. Forex is open 24 hours a day and five and a half days a week and trading happens across most time zones.

Forex trading happens in three ways: the spot market, the forwards market and the futures market. In the spot market, currencies are sold and bought at the current price. This price is determined by current interest rates, economic status, etc. The forwards market trading happens over the counter, and contracts are bought and sold over the counter between two parties. The terms and conditions are determined by the parties themselves. In the futures market, traders buy and sell future contracts based on a specified future date. Trading is conducted through yelling and hand signals.

To become a successful Forex trader, you need patience, practice and discipline. Here are a few tips to help you hone your trading skills.

• Identify your goals and choose a trading style that is in sync with your goals
Before you start trading, you should have your goals clearly defined. Then see if your trading method will help you achieve your goals. Consider becoming a position trader if you have funds that you think will benefit from appreciation of trade over a period of a few months. If you are someone who cannot sleep with an open position in the market, then you should consider day trading.

• Choose a broker who matches your style of trading

It is crucial to choose a broker with whom you feel at ease. Ensure that your broker offers you a trading platform wherein you can do your analysis. Get acquainted with each broker's policies and then choose somebody of repute.

• Adhere to a methodology and be consistent

Remember to be consistent with whichever methodology you choose to trade. It is important to adapt your methodology too with the changing dynamics in the market. Some traders use charts to time a trade. Others may study the underlying fundamentals of a company.

To know more about Innovation in the Forex Industry, please check our website.

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