Investment Basics

• How to tell a difference if Your Broker is a dealing desk (D.D) or non-dealing desk (N-DD), especially when all dealing desk brokers claim that they are non-dealing desk?

Most Traders are not realizing that their success in trading currency markets is depending on their sponsoring broker. There is an "artificial market" that has been creating and fully controlled by most of very well branded brokers that claim that are Non-Dealing. Many of us that trade through for example FXCM, IBFX, FXDD, FXSol, Gain Capital, Investtechfx, Alpari and many many more, are trading in Artificial Market. Due to broker's full control over every traded transaction the "Artificial Market", the odds are stacked against us more then playing black jack in casino. Imagine, the dealer/broker can not only see his hand bat also yours and if he doesn't like his cards he can sneak another one from time to time. Find broker who is offering "low leverage", brokers that offer 300:1 or 500:1 leverage have very "unique business model" - transferring money from clients accounts to their own pockets, they are not there to look after your interest, you need to remember Dealing Desk is there to take trades against you, they sell you when you are buying and buying when you are selling, they make an impression that you are transacting with "interbank" but in reality orders ends up on a Dealing Desk of a Broker. Dealing Desk Brokers DO NOT like or even ALLOW for scalping the trading.

The D.D Brokers spike rates to take out trades when it suits their purposes.

Now listen to this very carefully -

D.D Brokers "SPIKE THE RATE" of up to 10-20 pips on routine bases to fill "unbalanced" trades, leverage their own account or to meet immediate liquidity requirements. I hope one day NFA or FSA will start indicting those "branded" brokers for manipulating rates to their own advantage and ripping their trader's accounts.

Red Flags Dealing Desk A

1. "Scalpers" are not welcome, or charged a FEE for Scalping

2. Offering FIX SPREAD and/or LOW SPREAD (0.5pip, 1pip...)

3. Delayed Execution of your ORDER

4. Offering Leverage 300:1, 400:1 even 500:1

5. Slippage at closing positive trade

6. Limiting Stop Loss at 10 or 15 pips

ADVANTAGES OF THE NON-DEALING DESK

1. No Inherent Conflict of Interest. N.D. D. brokerage firms do not trade against their clients. As facilitators of trading, they do not take positions that may from time-to-time conflict with the interests of individual traders.

2. Market Access. STP (straight through processing) N.D.D. brokers offer every trader, no matter of a size, equal access to the interbank market. The rates (bid and ask prices) are not set by an individual broker but those derived from active trading between participating banks, institutional investors, FCM's and individual traders. The process itself makes every trader regardless of size an independent market maker.

3. Anonymity: Trading is done in total anonymity - the N.D.D. broker does not know or have a need to know your positions so stop loss orders are not/cannot be targeted for takeout when a broker has a need to meet liquidity requirements.

Pricing Intervention (Bias). N.D.D. broker rates as well as bid/ask prices come directly from the interbank system. They are not filtered or otherwise manipulated to maintain established (undisclosed) profit margins or spiked by the broker to gain a trading advantage.

Transparency. No games No gimmicks. What you see is what you get, dollar in dollar out - Straight Through Processing (STP)

Spreads are Variable, Not Fixed. The Forex is an extremely liquid market. Spreads are in a constant state of flux and when traders trade through a STP non-dealing desk their tickets are cleared through BBO model Best Bank Offer.

During peak trading hours, spreads can drop to zero, a fact most traders using a dealing desk are not aware of. During off-peak hours, spreads can be considerably higher.

Straight Through Processing /Non-dealing desk brokers don't offer or execute trades based on fixed spreads. They charge a nominal transaction fee. Such is not the case with the dealing desk broker. Whether interbank spreads are high or low, they just boost their rates to guarantee the profits they have imputed in their fixed spreads. They also generate an undisclosed amount of income trading against their trader clients.

If you want to trade with THE NON-DEALING DESK. broker visit http://www.vertifx.com/.

Share means part. It means partial ownership. The term share in terms of investment also means the same. A company is issuing ownerships to the public in return of an investment in its company. The investment is exactly the price you pay to purchase a share. Thus by purchasing a share, you are investing money in the company and becoming a partial owner of it. If you sell the share, you are selling your ownership and it goes to another person. The dividends you get from a share is actually a return on your investment. The company in this way is giving you a part of its profit to you.

The sale and purchase of shares happen in a platform that you call the stock market. It is also called the secondary market. Once you place an order to buy or sell a stock, the market takes the order and buys or sells the stock from or to a person who is ready to fetch the price as quoted by you. If you don't give any price, the transaction gets executed at the current market value of the share.

Prices of share fluctuates every moment. It happens due to demand supply formula. If the demand is more, the price rises and opposite. Demand may increase due to several factors like government policy, performance of the company, good news related to the company etc. Demand may decrease also due to negative performance or negative news flows. At present time, physical shares are not held but they are converted and kept in non physical form.Thus this is the basic information related to shares.

Suddhadeb Chakraborti.

Like the world and the cost of living, nothing stands still. Investment portfolios can't stand still either. They must generate an income stream that, over time, grows at a rate that at least equals inflation.

If you are in the workforce, inflation-protection comes from those hard-earned wage raises. But once you have retired from the workforce you're on your own; there is no boss to turn too.

Retirement means that you are now fully reliant upon your investment portfolio, not only for your current income, but also for your future income. In order to maintain your spending power over time, your portfolio must generate growth in your income stream, at a rate that at least matches inflation. Hence, the importance we place on the concept of 'yield inflation', or 'income growth'.

While fixed income is terrific for lots of things, 'income growth' isn't one of them. Fixed income is unbeatable if you are looking for security of income and capital. It also does an excellent job of providing an investment portfolio with a buffer against instability. But, fixed income is not the place to be if you are looking for 'yield inflation'.

Analysing the income stream from fixed income depends on changes in interest rates, and as we know these move up and down in cycles. They do not continually increase over time.

Incorporating a few growth assets like real estate and shares can provide some protection from inflation. Shares provide returns in two ways, capital growth and dividends. Capital growth comes from a rising share price, while dividends are an income stream that is paid by the company to shareholders out of profits.

Reputable companies endeavour to not only pay a solid dividend but also increase this dividend over time. It is these dividend increases that provide investors with inflation protection.

Numerous NZ companies have long track records of providing growing dividends for shareholders.

Of cause it is not just NZ companies that grow dividends. In fact, Australian and international companies tend to have more scope to grow profits and dividends because they have more growth opportunities. Because of this they tend to pay out a lower portion of their profits as dividends, leaving them more cash to reinvest in their companies.

While it may seem like investing in shares for 'income growth' sounds simple - buy a range of shares that have grown their dividend and have the potential to continue this in future and we don't ever again have to worry about inflation.

Sadly, reality gets in the way of a great theory such as this. Sometimes companies that have had a track record of growing their dividend hit problems, with their dividend and share prices falling as a result.

When adding shares to your investment portfolio for income growth, looking for shares that have a solid track record of dividend growth is an important place to start, but diversification and judgment remain equally as important.

This is a modified article from Mark Lister. To read the complete article visit www.craigsip.com. Craigs Investment Partners Limited (formerly ABN Amro Craigs.) is an NZX Firm that was established in 1984. It is one of New Zealand's largest and most established investment advisory firms. Craigs Investment Partners Limited (formerly ABN Amro Craigs.) is an NZX Firm that was established in 1984. It is one of New Zealand's largest and most established investment advisory firms. Craigs Investment Partners is 100% owned by certain staff and close business associates. Services offered include: Sharebroking, Investment Portfolio Strategy and Management, Retirement Planning and Superannuation, Investment Advisory, Custodial Services, Foreign Exchange, Asset Allocation, Cash Management, Portfolio Lending, Research and such other services as introduced from time to time by Craigs.

Slowly but inevitably, the year 2010 has passed! Although the economic situation last year was much better than the banged recession years passed earlier, but still the corporate world was seen struggling throughout. The trend of spending in green market was seen to be continued throughout the year 2010 as was seen in the earlier two years as well. Talking about this matter, it would definitely be interesting to know some of the best investment strategies for 2011. Keep reading to figure out more for yourself if you are interested in earning big bucks through wise investments this year.

Without wanting to beat around the bush, be informed that a diversified stock asset is one of the good options for the year which has just started. Although it has always been safe to invest in big companies, the truth has it that investing in the medium-sized entities have also proved to be safe for an endowment.

Apart from that, though the trend of savings in bonds continued last year too, however it is currently the opinion of the experts that bonds will probably not be a safe investment in the future. The reason for this is that the market has already been crowded too much and it is widely expected that governments will increase the interest rates sooner or later.

As mentioned earlier, Green market was a wise choice and it is again a good place for spending money. This industry is perceived to be among the safest reserves for the near future. Besides that, technology sector has good prospects too. The reason is that these markets have relatively lower risks of being defaulted as the industry is quite strong and profitable. On a separate note, when it comes to real estate, it is no longer seemed to be as healthy as it was earlier, but still the property prices are rising and those who took the chance and invested in it, have actually gained during the last year. Although the market is quite risky, still it is a good place to earn a big profit.

Although the impacts of recession are not yet fully gone away but an ideal investment portfolio for the year which has just started is to maintain a portfolio of both short term as well as long term outlay. Besides that, the internet businesses and online markets are also perceived to be a good place for you to invest for the year 2011.

The author has been a content publisher for several years until now. Besides writing online, he like setting up websites and one of his latest websites is about door hanger advertising. Besides, it has a lot of information on door hanger bags too.

It is said that the only sure things in life are taxes and death, it is almost guaranteed that if we miss one there is no way we can miss the other. Royal Bank Direct Investing has made it possible for one to miss taxation by a mile though their innovative tax free accounts. They do this by advising their clients who have attained the age of the majority with a Social Insurance Number to save for their future in this special account, and by doing so their investment or income interest or generally all the monies they put in those accounts will not be susceptible to tax, and yes, this is actually legal.

Moreover, the beauty of it all is that individuals who save in the tax free accounts will not be limited in placing their investments in particular portfolios, the account holders can use the savings therewith for building homes, starting businesses or even strengthening their retirement reserves. Interestingly, the perks do not just stop at tax liberation, they actually go further to exclude entirely annual administration fees, minimum balance requirements are done away with, and also there is no charge upon withdrawing any amount from your tax free account.

This seemingly heaven-tapered product levies lower commissions than a host of other accounts. The same assistance that one is offered in the practice account docket is extended to the tax free account enabling the consumer to access the latest research and hands-on advice that can be remitted to an individual. Furthermore, one can also create diversified portfolios from which one can access to a wide variety of investments. This account is the dream account holders have been waiting to be realized.

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If you're considering alternative ways to invest your money, then putting it into antiques that hold their value, such as old maps, is an excellent idea. Many people have lost faith in stocks and shares and have been let down by so-called 'high return' investment funds. Now is the time to look at the investment potential of old maps - many of them beautiful and historically significant works of art.

Like any other form of collecting, the purchase of rare old maps must be seen as a long term investment. The enjoyment gained from having them in your home, learning about their history and sharing them with others is all part of the appeal. As a bonus, some of the most collectible old maps have proved to be rewarding investments for their canny owners as values have risen dramatically over recent decades.

If you are new to this subject, it is definitely worth researching at length and talking to dealers and collectors alike. Buying old maps requires skill, expertise and knowledge. You have to be able to spot the fakes and to be sure that you are paying the right price. If you are considering an old map in a frame, for example, you should ask the seller to take it out for a closer inspection. Understanding the market, knowing which types of old maps are the rarest and why - it's all part of the thrill of collecting.

The history attached to each old map can be utterly fascinating and a reward in itself. Sometimes it's just good to know that you have an historically significant old map in your possession. Imagine owning a map of Captain Cook's epic voyage, showing the newly-discovered Hawaii; an exquisitely decorated 17th century celestial chart; or a complete atlas charting the global political landscape.

To have significance, an antique map doesn't necessarily have to be very old. Maps which have an interesting mistake or quirk can make them unique and therefore add to their value. Some old maps are sought after because they are curiosities -they might show a country in the guise of an animal, or depict an island that doesn't actually exist.

Anyone thinking of investing in antique charts and maps needs to know which types of old maps are proving particularly popular among collectors. Those which chart the discovery of the Americas, for example, are very collectible. For example, one of the earliest maps to include the 'New World', printed in 1507 on one of the first printing presses, fetched #7 million at auction in 2001.

The more you look into the world of old maps, the more you realise how broad it is and how exciting and fascinating too. Most of the people who collect these 'living histories' tend to focus on a particular area of interest, whether it is a period of history, a geographical area or sea charts, for example. One thing is for certain, if you choose your old maps cleverly you will have an excellent financial asset which is both visually and intellectually rewarding too.

For more information on old maps visit the Altea Gallery website.

While stock options are usually thought of as an investment vehicle appropriate for taking risky, leveraged positions on underlying stocks, there are also conservative options trading strategies that many sophisticated investors use to improve their portfolio performance. There is a lot more to stock options than simply going long, or buying them, in the hopes of making a quick killing.

For every option contract that is bought, there is a party on the other side of the transaction who has sold the contract. Perhaps you've wondered exactly from whom you are purchasing an option; it's frequently an individual who has completely different motives for entering the transaction first place than you do if you are the buyer.

The call option seller will normally have 100 shares of stock already in his account for every option contract that he sells on a given underlying stock (Apple, IBM, etc.). He can choose to offer the right, i.e. the option, to purchase the shares by a given date in the future, at a certain price--the "strike price"--that will normally be higher than where the stock is currently trading. In return, the option buyer pays the seller a "premium", an amount of money that the option seller gets to keep no matter what happens.

The idea here is that if the stock rises by the expiration date so that it is trading above the strike price, the option buyer has the right to purchase the shares at the strike price then either hold them or sell them for an immediate profit. While the option seller is obligated to sell his shares at a price that is lower than the current market value, he still will have benefited from the run-up in share price from the time the trade was initiated until the stock reached the strike price.

If by the expiration date the stock price is below the strike price, the option will expire "out of the money", worthless, as the right to purchase something at a price that is higher than the current market price is worthless if there is no time remaining on the right. In this case the option buyer will lose 100% of the amount that he invested in the position. The option seller on the other hand not only gets to keep the premium paid by the buyer, he also keeps his shares. Keeping the premium means that in effect his cost basis for buying shares in the first place is lowered, and he is better off for this reason than if he hadn't sold the option.

There are many ways that one can invest in stock options, using both buying and selling strategies, often at the same time. In addition to these conventional "vanilla" options there are more esoteric types of contracts such as binary options, about what you might be interested in learning. There is no shortage of information on the Internet to get stock options explained to you in detail.

There is a lot that a new investor can learn about trading options, both from the buy side and the sell side, as well as different types of opportunities offered by more esoteric options contracts such as binary options contracts. Do yourself a favor and research stock options software to get the help you need to improve your chances of trading success.

Mutual funds are a very popular investment vehicle and have a long history worldwide. In fact this investing concept has been around for over 230 years. They are also known variously as managed funds and unit trusts. In an attempt to learn a bit about them let us look at some facts about mutual funds.

Mutual funds are Pooled Investments.

Your money is pooled with other investors so that you can access markets with small sums of money and access areas of investment that are usually only the domain of larger investors. Rather than buying shares you buy a number of units. These units are invested in a number of assets which can be shares, bonds, property, cash, as well as international markets, depending on the type of fund you are investing in. Investors with only limited funds are able to invest in mutual funds because of the pooling of their funds with other investors and it is this that makes them so popular.

Diversification

Diversification is possible with small amounts of money and is one of the main appeals of managed funds. The very fact that your money is spread through different asset classes, or in the case of say a share fund you are invested in a number of shares within that one investment, you achieve diversification.

Professionally Managed

The advantage of mutual fund investing is that you have a professional manager looking after the investing. They use their skills and many resources to make decisions on your behalf. This is their area of expertise and what they have trained for. This is great for people new to investing as they can leave it to the professionals while they learn about investing.

The Returns

Returns in mutual funds come from dividends on shares, interest on bonds and fixed interest. There is also a growth component. This is the increase in value of the units. The increase in value of the units is not actually a return unless the units are sold as they can also drop in value wiping out a previous 'return'. Selling the units locks in the returns. This can be likened to the ups and downs of the share market.

The Prospectus

A prospectus is available for mutual funds and this has certain information to enable investors to make informed decisions before investing. Among other details it includes fees, where the managers are allowed to invest in terms of the mandate of the fund and what returns the fund has made. It is a legal requirement for investors to be provided with the prospectus.

Lyn Bell has been in the finance industry for more than 30 years and is a Certified Financial Planner. She has helped many clients achieve their financial goals. Sign up to get Lyn's free newsletter SoundFinance News and receive a free gift.

Please note this article does not contain specific advice and is for information/education purposes.

A disclosure statement is available free on request.

Safekeeping receipts (SKRs) are a great way to protect investments, assets, privacy, and the valuable items that you don't want to store in your home and risk losing. You can store these items in an offsite storage facility or bank vault to protect them. In exchange, you are given a receipt that proves that you have such an item, what its face value is, and other details so that you know exactly what you have and how much it is worth.

In the event that you need funding for any type of investment, you can lease safekeeping receipts and receive cash funding that is usually 40-70 percent of the face value of the items that you have in storage somewhere. These receipts allow you to monetize your investments and get the funding that you need for various types of projects that you might have going on. Typically, while these receipts are protecting your assets, you can lease them out so that you can get money and then repay them when you have the means so that you get your property back. Of course, there is always an agreement in place and always a need for you to understand the terms and conditions of that agreement when leasing safekeeping receipts.

Leasing safekeeping receipts allows you to cash in your fur, collectible art, gold, antiques, valuable documents, precious gems or metals, and other SKRs that you have on hand so that you can get the money that you need. To make things easy, fees are typically deducted from the funding on the spot so that you have one less thing to worry about. Plus, the funding for this type of program is done on a case-by-case basis, which allows you to have a better chance of getting the funds that you need than other types of lending solutions.

Safekeeping receipts make it easier for everyone to protect their valuable items. It is going to be up to you to take the time to check out all of the different options that you have and the companies that you can work with to get the most from your investments. Leasing safekeeping receipts is a useful way to get funding when you need it and especially if you don't want to deal with the hassles of other types of financing. You should learn about this type of investment and determine whether or not it can help you with your funding needs.For more information on investing in investment opportunities usually or normally not found in the marketplace, click here!

Sean Johnson is an Investment Advisor for http://www.inquest.biz an Investment Referral Service for investors requesting information on specific investments.

As I heard my wife open our front door one morning over the weekend I heeded her emotional outburst. You never know what kind of havoc or mischief people choose to inflict on your property in the middle of the night. Surprises have run from being "toilet papered" to much less innocent pranks. The last thing I wanted to do in the middle of NFL playoff weekend was clean up some pranksters mess. To her surprise, (and mine) we had a flock of beautiful plastic pink flamingos sticking out of our lawn.

After the initial astonishment wore down we found a gift package nearby. We had been "Flocked" by our local private school and were recipients of a very creative fundraising campaign. The gift bag provided instructions on how to proceed with our contribution and when the flock could be picked up. We had the opportunity to provide the location of someone else who might appreciate waking up to the Flamingo Campaign.

In today's economy I am sure paying for private education is a serious budget concern for many households. I am pretty sure the costs of private elementary or high school have risen along with college tuition in spite of the financial meltdown the country recently experienced. It is obviously also more difficult for today's private schools to fund extracurricular activities. This creates the need for potentially seeking more in the way of donations or contributions and fosters the creativity involved in this process. Needless to say, this "flocking" made an impression on both of us and trumped the normal fundraising campaigns I have either witnessed or been actively involved in.

Continuing on the need of revenue themes, the financial media is continually mentioning the municipal bond market lately. Analyst's expectations range from a municipal meltdown initiating another credit crisis to others indicating the great buying potential. It seems most city, county, and state organizations are in need of more revenue and finding it extremely difficult to raise taxes causing further strain on pocketbooks. Any hint of a backstop bailout for the states by the Federal Reserve would seriously negatively impact the dollar and definitely create some type of asset market chaos. Just the fact everybody is weighing in on the potential problem makes me wonder if the meltdown will come, as it just seems too obvious. Remember, when everybody is pounding the table on one particular theme in the investment world it usually forecasts the opposite, (sooner or later). We have to grow our way out of our debt problem and if pro growth agendas are not being emphasized or implemented than we will not receive a large boost from tax revenues. I believe the Federal Reserve has backed themselves into a very precarious, (if not outright dangerous) corner.

As I write this on Wednesday Jan. 19th the market appears very tired. Recent earnings from tech giants IBM and Apple beat estimates and yet currently the NASDAQ is down approximately 1%. This might be the start of the correction I have been worried about. Of course, with the Federal Reserve continuing to act as a liquidity backstop it will be interesting to see if institutions continue "to buy the dips" as we have seen throughout this cyclical bull rally. Maybe the Federal Reserve and our Political Leaders need to start thinking outside the box, just like the creative fundraising campaign alluded to earlier. Temporary Pink Flamingos on your lawn will be much better received than something postmarked from the Internal Revenue Service, unless you might be expecting a refund.

Written By: Daniel Petrey, CFO, MBA

Finding sound financial investment advice may not be as difficult as following it. Not only should one know how to save money, but he or she must also know how to accumulate wealth in order to plan for a secure financial future. One has to determine where it is best to make investments and how to get the most out of savings accounts. With a little patience and homework, one can find a financial plan to accommodate his or her needs.





Those who decide to go with investments would do well to create a disciplined system. Although it is difficult to tell how stocks will rise and fall one can learn to use timing to his or her advantage. Knowing when to get in and out of a stock is key to making a smart investment. Studying the market's history and patterns may also help one learn where it is best to invest.



Another piece of financial investment advice is to be wary of predictions. Predictions are just as much of a gamble, if not more so, than following no set system. In fact, one may actually buy at a higher price when relying upon predictions. Instead, it is important to stay with the rules set out in a disciplined system. Choosing companies that look to have the best chances of surviving in the long term should be the goal.



Stock investments are not the only way to help plan for the future. Learning where and how to save money is also a very crucial aspect of financial planning. One must keep track of spending habits and learn to cut out any unnecessary expenses or substitute lower cost items for needed purchases. Writing down all monthly expenses is one way to begin discovering where one's money goes and what can be cut from the budget.



Putting away a set amount of money in an interest bearing savings account is a small but important step in financial planning. However, using short-term savings accounts may be a better risk than using a long-term bank savings account. When choosing an account, one has to consider the rate of interest, current rate of inflation and tax rates to decide where it is best to keep his or her money.



There are many other pieces of financial investment advice one can follow, but learning about stocks and savings is a way to start. It may also be a good idea to seek out professional help in order to make sound and objective financial decisions. Having a third party involved can take away some of the burden and pressure of financial planning. The important thing is to get started on a plan and to have the commitment to follow it.

By: Jeremy C. Winters

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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No one goes into an investment opportunity for the purpose of offering anyone a charity. People invest in these companies to make money. If you do not have a life insurance policy, you probably have only heard of term life insurance. However, the policy you will be looking for in order to take advantage of an investment opportunity is called whole life insurance. The other name that this policy goes by is called cash value insurance. With this kind of policy, the premiums are higher at the beginning, but they drop off in price and eventually even out with term life. The money you pay builds up in cash value which is why investing in life insurance companies can be a great decision.

You can use your investment gains in several different ways. First, you might choose to raise the death benefit value on your policy. When you pass on, your family will be even more taken care of. You can also borrow against the gains on your efforts of investing in these companies to make expensive purchases. You might also choose to keep the money in place so if you discontinue the payment of the premiums monthly, the policy does not become cancelled due to lack of payment.

There are tax benefits of investing in insurance companies. This is one of the main advantages of whole life policies. The earnings you experience in the investment portion of your policy are not taxed. Your insurance policy may even offer other opportunities to further invest your money. You might choose to put your money into stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or money market accounts. This way, you can achieve an ever greater investment without risking a higher amount of money in the process.

Before you decide that investing in this type of insurance companies is for you, there are some drawbacks you must be aware of. Critics of this investing method say that the fees you pay eat away at the tax benefits and investment rate that you experience. You must understand everything you will be expected to pay before you sign up for your whole life policy. There is also something called a "surrender" charge that may apply if your policy is cashed out before holding the policy for a particular number of years. Consider the ups and downs of investing in these companies to decide if it is right for you.For more information on investing in investment opportunities usually or normally not found in the marketplace, click here!

Sean Johnson is an Investment Advisor for http://www.inquest.biz an Investment Referral Service for investors requesting information on specific investments.

If you are an investor under the age of 40, you have one big advantage over everyone else: you have an incredibly long investment time horizon during which to grow your investment dollars.

The power of compounding is one of the great wonders of investing. The benefit of an extra decade or two can make a huge difference to your ending wealth. To capture this benefit, you have to start investing early and intelligently, and with consistency and discipline. After all, it is only with regular, long-term success that financial goals are realized.

For most investors, staying focused over the long run is challenging. The temptation to speculate can be high, and there is plenty of noise and distraction vying for your attention, making it easy to get sidetracked. Some of the confusion is caused by Wall Street hoping to get your business by playing to your hopes or fears. Some of it is the financial press trying to get catch your attention to sell advertising. Other noise is generated by the very nature of financial markets themselves, and the vast amount of information all around us. Now, more than ever, it is difficult to keep disciplined and stay the course.

The bottom line: it is not the day-to-day fluctuations of markets that should concern you. The primary risk you face as a young investor is the constant threat of inflation eating away at the purchasing power of your assets. For example, at just 3% per year, inflation will reduce the purchasing power of a portfolio by one-third after 14 years, and one-half after only 23 years. Your most important task is to invest your assets to protect yourself from this erosion.

A successful, long-term investor knows the difference between comfortable portfolio and a safe one. A comfortable portfolio does not fluctuate much in value. It might be invested in stable things like bank CDs with an expected return not much more than the rate of inflation. Alternatively, a safe portfolio has expected returns well above inflation. It is invested predominately in stocks and highly diversified. This equity oriented portfolio fluctuates with market movements and can be uncomfortable - especially during stock market declines - but it provides for long-run inflation protection.

As a young investor, you may not have made a lot of investment mistakes. That can be good and bad - good because you haven't lost money; bad because you haven't learned any lessons the hard way. As one of my colleagues likes to say: the market is a great teacher, but it charges a steep tuition. You can skip the tuition payment by learning how to invest prudently early on.

Remember that the stock market is not a zero-sum game. There are not winners and losers in these markets, with the winners taking all the spoils and the losers going broke. Capitalism generates positive returns overall, and, although some win more than others, everyone can succeed. The elegant truth of economics is that the return on capital is exactly equal to the cost of capital. In other words, in the aggregate, the return to investors is equal to the payment required of those entities - such as governments and corporations - seeking to attract investment capital.

Wealth is created when natural resources, labor, intellectual capital, and financial capital combine to produce economic growth. As an investor, you are entitled to a share of that economic growth when your financial assets are invested in and used by the global economy. This is not a free lunch. It is your fair share of profits as compensation for putting your money to work.

One of your main goals should be to capture as much of the global return on capital as you can. Cut your investment costs, make sure you have a widely diversified portfolio, and stay disciplined. Investing this way, you can have a successful investment experience!

Dan Goldie is a financial advisor and financial planner working with high net worth individuals and families. He is the co-author of the new book, The Investment Answer: Learn to Manage Your Money & Protect Your Financial Future. Investment advice provided through Dan Goldie Financial Services LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.

Have you stumbled upon websites that offer subliminal CDs that contain audio files used to send subliminal messages to help you with your goals? You may be wondering whether these CDs are worth buying. Are they really effective? And even so, will they really help you deal with the problems that plague your life? Are their benefits applicable in your life?





Well, here are the top 3 most convincing, most applicable reasons why you should invest in subliminal CDs.



1. They can make you a better person. Are you frustrated about your personality flaws? Do you find yourself throwing tantrums? Are people turned off by your temper? Do you sometimes succumb to your mean streak? If there are problematic aspects in your attitude, a subliminal CD can effectively smooth them out. These subliminal CDs can work against your bad behavioral traits regardless of what their roots are.



So even if your temper is caused by a severe case of spoiling in your childhood or your tendency to be mean to others is caused by a traumatic experience with other mean persons, you can get over these past experiences and keep them from affecting your current personality. Only subliminal CDs can help you get rid of these personality problems, even ones that you?ve had since your childhood, by getting to the bottom of them.



2. They can help you achieve your desired state of mind. Subliminal CDs can also help you attain the state of mind that you desire to have. Whatever it is that you are currently going through may be direct results of the current state of your mind. If these CDs are powerful enough to get rid of problems that date back to your past, they are also effective in straightening out any problems that cause you problems in the present.



By listening to subliminal CDs, you can change the way you think about your present situation in life. This way, you will find peace of mind, contentment, and be able to consider yourself happy in your current life.



3. They can develop a more positive outlook in life. Subliminal CDs can also help you look forward to a positive and promising future. If they can help you get through your past and smoothen out your present, they can also help you create a wonderful future for yourself. They can fill you with motivation and encouragement, influencing you to grab more opportunities in life. They can give you the much-needed boost in life.



Your future will be the result of your current actions and ideas. If you have a negative outlook in life, all you will think about is that you will not get anywhere good in life. This won?t motivate you to try hard and strive towards a realistic goal. Thus, you really won?t get anywhere at all.



But if you can think positively about the future, you can come up with ideas and do proactive and useful things to work towards your future goals. Thus, you will indeed have a positive future ahead of you.

By: Nelson Berry

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Nelson Berry is the Pioneer of Subliminal Messages Videos and Subliminal MP3s Audio Subliminal Messages online. Valued at $160, click for 4 Free Subliminal Messages Video!

Knowing where to invest your money is never an easy thing to figure out. However, as most investors will tell you, some periods in the economic cycle are better for some sectors while not so good for others. In fact, during the latest recession period, investors saw how discount retailers like Wal Mart and TJ Maxx not only performed well and continued to pay dividends, but they actually saw same-store sales growth! Although not all retailers fared as well, these two in particular did. And while they are still popular among dividend-seeking investors or investors with low risk tolerance, those investors seeking growth are looking elsewhere for the next "thing" to invest in.

Another area that performs particularly well during periods of economic contraction and periods of recession are the Utilities, which normally experience steady growth and pay handsome dividends throughout every economic period. This is because the services and products that Utilities sell to the rest of us are necessary -- it is rare that someone will choose to not heat their house or to voluntarily cut off their electricity. But like those discount retailers, Utilities firms are not the "next thing," the type of security that is expected to reward investors with big growth during the recovery stages of the economy.

The two sectors that benefit most during periods of economic recovery will normally be the Financial Services and the Manufacturing sectors. However, since this recent recession was financially driven (e.g. credit crisis, mortgage melt down, etc.) the Financial Services will take a little longer to recover. And while the rest of the world waits for the Financials to regain health, they will order manufactured goods.

Now, it may seem that manufacturing is the last thing that will recover given how many people in the manufacturing business remain out of work. However, the fact is that a lot of heavy equipment upgrades, aging aircraft fleets and other durable goods need replacing on a regular basis. And since many companies, unsure about the depth and scope of the recession, delayed placing those orders, those orders are now coming in strong and heavy in many cases.

Companies like Boeing are seeing aggressive orders out of China and the rest of the world as aircraft fleets need to be replaced. This is further supported by the latest Institute for Supply Management (ISM) numbers that show aircraft orders nearly doubling, great news for companies like Boeing. But of course, the orders are not specific to a simple aircraft manufacturer - engine manufacturers like Rolls Royce and General Electric are also seeing demand increase for their products.

Outside of the airline industry, other durable goods manufacturers are also poised to benefit from a recovery in the economy. All it takes is an aging fleet, outdated equipment that impacts productivity and before long, these manufacturing companies will have no choice but to start taking orders.

For Manufacturing opportunities within your portfolio, be sure to speak with your financial planning partner.

--> See what Growth Funds hold Industrial Materials as their top sector holdings at MutualFundSite.org.

Chris has more than 17 years of financial services experience. He currently writes for the Mutual Fund Site, a website that looks at all types of mutual funds including American Funds, one of the largest fund companies in the world.

Spread betting is where investors don't really invest in equities. Rather they would only bet or speculate on the prices of the equities. The company would make a bid price for a particular stock and investors would only have to speculate if the price in the coming days would go up or down and then bet a particular amount per every dollar or drop or rise that the investor is predicting. Spread has some pros and cons.

Tax benefits

In traditional stock trading, there are taxes like Capital Gains tax that you need to pay. In fact there is stamp duty of about 0.5% on all the share purchases as well. However, spread betting on the other hand is free of tax because it is just a contract between the betting company and the investor and there isn't an actual exchange of shares taking place. The only time there is a tax is the 3% tax on the gross profits of the spread betting company which is eventually absorbed in the spread.

Comprehending

Some of the financial instruments are very hard to understand before you can make an intelligent guess and invest money trying to make money. However, spread betting doesn't involve complications and you only have to know about the stocks to be able to speculate whether the prices are going up or not.

Win and loss could be quick

This could be a great advantage as well as a disadvantage of spread betting. There are some dangers in being careless and betting large amounts of money. This is because just like you can win 10 times your investment very quickly you can lose large amounts as well, if you are not really careful. In stock trading you can only lose as much money as you have invested. However, there are no limits on betting. That means just like your wins are magnified a few times, your losses too would be magnified a few times. You can even lose your initial deposit and all your capital.

The cost of funding

Sometimes the cost of funding for huge speculations is more than what you would have gained by avoiding the stamp duty. If you are holding long positions that will last more than a few weeks, the funding costs will become quite high.

No special benefits

In spread betting you are only speculating on the costs of the stock of a particular company. However, you don't own the shares or any other financial instruments for that matter. As a result you don't get any special privileges like dividends or voting rights which are provided to the stock owners.

Gambling activity

One of the reasons why spread betting isn't taxable is because it is considered by the FSA as a gambling activity. That means that unlike an investment,betting in the longer run would lead to more people losing rather than winning. So, you have to be smart and careful when you choose to go for compare spread betting.

For more information on Spread betting and compare spread betting tips you could visit spreadcompare.co.uk

My first ee Series Bonds Value was a special gift given to me by my parents on my wedding day. They bought them directly from the US Treasury Department website called Treasury direct. Other ways that can be used to buy them is through banks or even through a payroll savings plan. These bonds are also a smart way to invest for the future because unlike the local banks, their interest rates are quite high. They are also guaranteed because as long as the government is in business you will get paid.

To calculate the value of my bond I went to the Treasury Direct Savings Bond Calculator. The website is found by a simple search of Google. I then entered the denomination of my bond, followed by the bond's serial number and the date that it was issued. The format for inputting the date is starting with the month, followed by the year it was issued. I then pressed the calculate button on the website to see the value of my bond. I was even able to calculate the future values of my bond by changing the date.

I am able to invest in these savings bonds for as little as $25. The face value of these bonds range from as little as $50 to $10000. They cost one half of their face value. For example my investment in $10000 EE Series bonds will cost me $5000. Even my children can own them as part of their investment for the future even though they are still minors. I am also exempt from paying any income tax from this investment.

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If you are an investor you may be familiar with CFDs which are derivative that is quite popular amongst traders within many countries. The abbreviations stand for Contracts for Difference; two parties enter into an agreement which states that payment will be made by one of the parties on a future date. At that time the 'payment' amount will be the difference between current market prices of the decided upon asset and the market price of the asset at a future date multiplied by the amount of the asset agreed upon.

Most investors are familiar with Over the Counter (OTC) cfds; however another form is called the 'Listed CFD'. Listed CFDs are conducted via a financial exchange such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE) or Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). This form is said to be more cost effective offer lower risk as well as more transparent prices.

Listed cfds are listed on the public market, and are available to be traded by the public via means of primary and a secondary basis. Because of this the listed CFD is totally different than that of the broker traded unlisted cfds. Prices are negotiated via the financial exchange and are being provided by the actual broker as opposed to being traded with the investors and the actual provider.

Another key factor which makes trading listed CFDs very popular is the fact that this derivative is listed on a financial exchange (LSE, ASX, etc), which means that the investor will not need to create specialized trading accounts.

Unlike unlisted contracts for difference trading the listed CFDs are ordered and purchased the exact way as that of shares, whereas with the unlisted product the trader will have to fill their account for any and all positions that become negative. Since these are traded like shares there are free guaranteed stop loss orders. This is a loss management factor that is crucial for many investors, as their liability is limited. There is also no actual margin calls with listed as opposed to that of the unlisted cfd.

Like any form of investing there is potential for severe capital loss. Although listed CFDs offer less risk because of lesser downside exposure than that of the unlisted contracts for difference, they still make use of leverage, and any derivative which makes use of margined trading is involved is highly risky and should not be undertaken by the beginner.

To learn more about Listed CFD Trading visit independentinvestor.co.uk where you can learn about the various types of CFD Trading Brokers.

Any financial magazine or TV show you look at these days, there are headlines everywhere that bring up how deeply in debt states and cities are everywhere and how risky this is for the municipal bond market. Add to this the fact that the federal government is neck-deep in financial trouble of its own, and there is plenty of fodder to fuel the obsessions of the bears who believe that muni bonds have nowhere to head but down. Industry observers, really respected ones, are beginning to sound the alarm that in the market for muni bonds that is worth $3 trillion, there are all kinds of issuers who are going to default any time. The news is sending bond owners into a panic.

Is all the panic really justified? Are muni bonds on the brink of disaster? Perhaps not. It appears upon closer inspection that muni bonds are as safe a way to invest your money tax protected as they ever were. They may be a slower way in which to make your fortune; but they are dependable as nothing else. If there's anything we've learned from the financial meltdown from three years ago, it is that there is nothing, but absolutely nothing, that you can completely rely on as dependable. Even the best funds had their reputations swallowed up by the debacle. Is there something here that we need to know about as far as muni bonds are concerned?

Why exactly do we believe that muni bonds are ironclad? It's because they get investment grade ratings. Any state that has its rating slashed to something below investment grade, that certainly can be a warning. Well-informed muni bond investors always keep in mind that just as with real estate, there is no one rule for the whole market. If muni bonds take a dive in one area, there will always be opportunities that come up in other areas or regions. Have Muni bonds ever actually been defaulted on? Have municipalities or states actually refused to repay their obligations? These kinds of things have happened from time to time; but since the government stands behind its bond issues, ultimately, bondholders are made whole again from one source or another. That's what happened when Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was unable to pay its bondholders in 2010. The state though came in and made good on the city's word. This is what you need about the different kinds of Muni bonds there are and how to pick the safest ones.

General obligation bonds are the safest ones. They have the government's complete backing. The government promises to pay you back no matter what happens. They can raise taxes to do it, for instance. Assessment bonds are backed by taxes as well - property taxes, specifically. And these are very safe too. When it comes to revenue bonds though, there certainly is a certain amount of risk at play. Revenue bonds for the government count on certain streams of revenue coming in the future to pay you back. If the government issues bonds to build a bridge and hopes to pay it back out of the tolls it collects, it can be in trouble if the building of the bridge takes longer than it expects or if there isn't enough traffic to make the kind of income planned for. You'll need to do a certain amount of research to make sure that the specific government body behind the issue of those bonds makes promises that it can keep.

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Saving is a nice practice every one should practice. Most of us can have the capability to save money if we have regular salary from our work or business. After you accumulated enough money, the excess money can be used to put in several investments to make it increase.

Acquiring knowledge on how to save is the initial step to make money increase. After you saved enough money, you can invest it in different ways in order to make your money work for you. As you save and invest continuously, you are little by little establishing your wealth.

Theses days there are many schemes to grow your money. You just need knowledge on how to invest prudently by cautious study using the accessible resources such as the Internet, seminars and trainings. There are no other means to make your money grow, it is only through proper investing strategy.

There are greater investments kinds accessible today than in the past years. Most people in the recent years are investing in real estate, mutual funds, bonds, stock market and traditional business.

A mutual fund is a pool of funds from private individuals. The fund is supervised by a fund manager with long years of knowledge in investing. Usually, mutual fund companies invest in stocks, bonds and fixed-income instruments.

Investing in stocks is buying shares of a public listed company. When you buy stocks, you become a shareholder of that corporation and you will get dividends. Bonds are money borrowed by the government from private persons to have adequate funds for their program. Meanwhile, investing in real estate like rental apartment is one best way to invest your money because it will give you a passive earnings.

Investing is the only course to make your money grow. There are several ways to invest your money include investing in mutual funds, stocks, business, bonds and real estate. As you invest money, you are increasing wealth bit by bit, preparing your money grow.

Gil Tenorio is a personal investment blogger who loves writing on financial management, saving, investing, stocks, mutual funds and make money online. For more information on Philippine Mutual Funds, you may go Financial Management blog for helpful articles on financial planning, saving, investments and online money making.

You work hard for your money. That's why you don't want to waste in with bad investing mistakes. There is an old adage that says, "It's not how much you make, but how much you keep." Actually, I don't know if that is old, but I like it. That's because it's true. Let's look at 3 crucial, yet very common mistakes investors make and how you can avoid them.

The first mistake is rampant. It's the mistake of thinking that someone else cares about your money more than you do. This simply isn't true. Yes, they may a little more than you or be able to talk about investing more fluently, but that shouldn't make you abdicate your role with your money. No one, and I mean no one, cares about your money more than you do.

The second mistake is closely related to the first one. Most people seem to think that they can't learn what it takes to make good investing decisions. Wrong! Don't be fooled by the slick advertising of investing houses. You would be shocked at the typical lack of depth in them. Make it your goal to learn everything you can about how the markets work. Trust me, you can do it.

The third devastating mistake that investors make is investing against the primary trend. You can have the sweetest company in the world making the most magnificent products, but if the primary trend is against them, they will either stay stagnant or lose ground. The primary trend is like the current in the river or the tides of the ocean. You don't want to fight them because you will lose. Learning to spot the primary trend takes a little time. Once you start understanding how the markets systemically affect one another, you are well on your way.

Investing can be confusing. Investing houses can sound slick and make you feel dumb. But, if you take the time, you will gain tremendous confidence in your own investing ability. Then you can steer your own ship while utilizing tremendous resources around you. And, lastly, you will invest with primary trends and create tremendous wealth.

Paul has been writing informative articles like this for 6 years. Come and take a look at his newest site which discusses discount faux wood blinds and faux wood blinds to help consumers make an informed choice about them.

This article is targeted toward people who have the plan of delving into the murky waters of online investing but don't know how to navigate their way through.

The concept of investing online should not be seen as a complicated one, it can be very simple if the person concerned takes the pains to research the subject before starting it. And like any life endeavor, any aspiring online investor should start cautiously- venture out with a small amount of money and go after non risky investments.

Even if you have more to invest, you should never violate this rule if you are a starter in online investing. This move ensures that you will be able to keep track and manage your investments easily during this early stage.

When you start gaining confidence in your judgments, it is time to move on to the next rung of the ladder-begin to diversify your investments. Your investments should not be restricted to only stocks, it pays to mix stocks with bonds, and mutual funds in order to reduce your overall risk.

Experience brokers will readily testify to the efficacy of this rule, because no one knows better than them the importance of not staying with a single form of online investing. The only way to maximize profits and avoid the failure of once investments is to mix it up.

You should also keep a keen eye on capital gain taxes. Ensure that you know exactly the kind of tax bill you will be getting as you invest. This will help you prevent ugly surprises later.

At this stage, you should gradually learn how to invest more and work with larger sums of money, and as you are doing this, never stop to educate yourself on the business. You can find educative articles from many online trading websites; these articles are written and updated regularly by experts in the business. So it is good to read such articles in order to keep abreast of things in the stock market.

It is extremely important that you drive yourself to learn more. Never relent in your pursuit of knowledge about the business, remember that even the acknowledge leaders in the business also read daily to keep pace with the ever changing stock market.

Though you will not like this but the truth need to be told- you should always be prepared for the worst. Thus, never put all your eggs in one basket by investing every penny you have; make it a policy to have backups for emergency situations.

Such situations can be in form failure of the network making it impossible for you to login into your account. When faced with this kind of problem, you can call the attention of a live broker to it or call the phone numbers given to you when situations like this rear its head.

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Savings accounts are important on many different levels. While savings accounts are mostly used for everyday banking, the reality is that these accounts will probably cost you more than they make you. A lot of people complain about the fees on everyday banking but in truth its a service that you pay for. The bank handles your money and allows you a lot of different services and conveniences. After all, you cannot put your money under your bed, right?

When it comes to investing, savings accounts are slightly different. It allows you to earn "pretty good" interest while having the safety and security of a savings account. The ability to have instant access to your money is something that most long term investments won;t allow you which is why this is a great option. Regardless of your investment plan, this should be a portion of your plan.

So, what are the most important aspects of an investment savings account? Here are 3 important things to look out for.

1. Low Fees
Obviously fees will eat into your interest. Your goal is to keep your fees as low as possible. Its important that you talk to someone as there are so many hidden fees and knowing exactly what you will pay for and when you will pay for it is critically important.

2. High Interest
It goes without saying that the higher the interest the higher your return. The problem is that high interest often lures people in and institutions often make up for this with high fees. Always compare the fees against the interest to make sure you get the best deal.

3. Customer Service
When it comes to investing your money you really need to have competent people behind you. Customer service is important and being able to pick up the phone to talk to someone is not a luxury. Its necessary and something that you need to look for. If things go wrong then you really need to be able to speak to someone who is competent and willing to help you sort things out properly.

Finding the best account for your needs will typically be one that is fair in all 3 these areas. No account is perfect and while many bankers will claim that they offer the best you need to do your own homework. Decide what's most important to you and tailor your investments accordingly.

Read more about ISA savings accounts and learn more about why you need an investment savings account ...

An investment advisor is either an individual or firm which provides advice about investment securities, such as advice on commodities (gold, silver, natural resources, etc); bonds, stocks, and more. The advisor receives compensation for giving advice on investing in the commodities. He or she may be registered or unregistered, and may manage portfolios of securities.

Difference between Financial Planners and Investment Advisors

While there are similarities between financial planners and investment advisors, there are many key differences. For example, a financial planner is mostly an investment advisor, but not all advisors are financial planners. That is, it may be one way but not the other. Financial planners may assess every aspect of your financial life and portfolio. Your financial portfolio may include estate planning, retirement, saving, taxes, and investments. The financial planner can help you create a detailed strategy or financial plan to meet all of your financial goals. The advisor only advises on your portfolio's investments.

Compensation
When choosing an investment advisor, it is important to ask each one key questions as well as to find out how compensation will be received for the advisor's work. Each compensation method has possible benefits and drawbacks, so make sure they are dependent on your individual needs. Generally, an advisor is paid either

• An hourly fee for the time spent working with you and your portfolio
• A percentage of the value of assets they manage for you
• A fixed fee
• A commission on the securities sold (if the advisor is a broker-dealer)

Or a combination of all. You may also ask if the fee is negotiable.

Key Questions to Ask
You should also your potential advisor questions before choosing them as the one who will manage your investment portfolio. Ask them what experience he or she has, what licenses do the advisor holds, are they registered with the SEC, state of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; how is he or she paid/compensated; of any disciplinary action recourse.

Make sure to meet your potential investment advisor so as to know that you get along. Know your financial goals, have a plan, and check their backgrounds.

Registration with the SEC
Not all investment advisors have to register with either the SEC or the state securities agency where they have their principal place of business. An advisor that manages less than $25 million in client assets must register with the state securities agency in the state where the advisor conducts the principal place of business. Advisors who manage $25 million or more in client assets must register with the SEC.

Advisors come with many different backgrounds, both educational and professional. Before you hire the advisor, make sure to ask about the background, if they have credentials, and whether he or she is in good standing - ie, no broken laws, no suspicious activity.

Remember, asking questions is a good thing, especially if the advisor or firm will be managing your portfolio and investment assets.

Daniel B. Stern has been an active member of the Chicago Board of Trade since 1975 along with being a 'seat holder' at the Chicago Board Options Exchange from 1988-2009. He is founder and head of Stern Investment Advisors, LLC, a financial investment advisor company based in Chicago. His experience as a futures and options trader, (along with investing his own funds and managing money for his clients) has given him the necessary background to provide clients with the tools for the potential to succeed with their financial goals.