Sunday, September 30, 2007

How to Reduce Negative Thoughts Relating to Trading

The thinking process of the brain relating to the psychology of trading involves:

-- Beliefs
-- Feelings
-- Values
-- Dispositions and
-- Faith

The positive or negative energy brings power to a person's actions, which ultimately determines whether a person is a winner or a loser. You can change for the better or for the worst. The old saying goes: For as a man thinks in his heart so he is.

-- Trading is the most difficult money making skill to master, because the market represents the aspects of people and life.

It is necessary to scratch the surface and explain what psychology means and how it relates to trading. Without doing so, you will not understand why this element is important to your trading plan.

The psychology aspects of people are separated into two categories:

1. Believers (the first category) who support the belief that something in the realms of other dimensions in the universe exist and
2. Non-believers (the second category) who are convinced that reality is the only dimension of life.

It is (the first category) that usually uses both sides of the brain to think and has access to a third component of the brain (faith) that is dead when the person is born. (The second category) only uses a small portion of the brains power. While (the second category) may or may not use both side of the brain to function, the third part of the brain (faith) is completely dead and non-active.

See, the psychology of the brain is separated into three separate parts:

1. Faith
2. The thinking factor and
3. The emotional part.

If the thought, (focusing on the power of positive thinking), division of the brain controls the emotions, the individual maintains and develops discipline. If the emotions run the thinking part of the brain, the human being lives in a pure state of extreme confusion and disorder.

This is why the answer to success is understanding how the correct forms of discipline work - without it you will lose your shirt in the market.

Discipline in the following three areas of trading will ultimately determine your trading success.

* Training --- The successful trader never rests on past successes, or believes that his trading ability has peaked. He is always learning and practicing his decision-making skills, honing them until they become second nature. Then he can react faster than a speeding bullet, but with the benefit of superior human judgment.

* Trading Rules --- The successful trader develops set of trading rules - a plan - that he follows faithfully. This guides his decision-making at all times. If a trader's plan dictates that it is time to exit a stock, the trader will exit that trade and not wait a minute longer.

* Self-Control --- Successful traders display an extraordinary amount of self-control. Keeping emotions constantly in check, the disciplined trader is immune to the highs and lows that attend large market swings - whether panic, in a downturn, or of euphoria. I will show you how to learn the secrets of discipline.

Can You Learn Discipline?

The big question here is whether you can develop the discipline you do not have naturally. I believe the answer is "yes, you can," but you must have the necessary commitment to do so.

Ultimately, undisciplined behavior is going to be punished by the market.

Private traders who persevere and master self discipline, have external stimuli that will help the process. However, the market does not help as much as it might, because of the principle of random reinforcement. It is the market's tendency to reward bad behavior from time to time.

This crucial fact is one of the reasons why it takes so long to learn how to trade. You need to realize this: there is no point in having a system if you are not going to follow it. Follow and develop a routine of self-discipline and you will be successful in your trading ventures.

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Forex System Addiction, Don't Let This Happen To You!

It is a process many new traders in forex go through. Find a system that people seem to be making money with and start trading it. At fist you make some pips but inevitably you experience some losses and then move onto the next system. We have all fallen victim to this process, it's what kills many new traders. At the first sign of a loss you move onto the next best thing and this process repeats its self over and over. Some traders can be trapped in this circle for many years.

It is the quest for the perfect system, let me assure you there is no perfect system, you will not find a system that never looses. However you can find a system that wins more than it looses, this is all you need in order to make money in the forex market. All we are looking for is an edge, an edge that over 10-20 trades will bring you out on top with a profit. Once you have this edge all you need to do is keep trading it, trade it like a machine.

Trading for a living can be very boring at times, we all enjoy experimenting with the latest indicators and systems but try to keep them separate from you main bread and butter trading system. Don't let new systems distract you from your trading routine, it is imperative in this business to find a system you like and stick to it. Focus on your solid edge that will pay you over time.

If you are wondering which profitable edges you should trade I recommend you study some price patterns, find one that appeals to you and back test it manually. You could then add this edge to your favourite system as a filter or trade it with discretion. You will be surprised how much price action can improve a system's results. Record your back testing results over a large period of time so you can know what to expect in your live trading.

Let's take a simple system and add price action to demonstrate this. For my example I will use a simple 10ema 21ema moving average cross. Everyone knows if you just trade every cross of moving averages you will end up losing your account, however this is not what we are going to do.

The cross of the moving averages is our signal to look at price action. I will only use one candle stick pattern in this example the 'engulfing candle'. Once you have a cross of the moving averages look for a small retrace with an engulfing candle in the direction of the cross, take the trade on the close of the candle with your stop behind it. I can guarantee you will be surprised with the results of this simple system, go ahead and test it out, try shooting stars also as they can be a great formation to trade on with the trend.

Although you may think that this is far too simple to work, I assure you this is why 95% of forex traders fail, they try to complicate trading too much. Keep it simple and you will succeed.

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Myths And Mortgages

When looking into reverse mortgage options, it can be hard to decipher between fact and myth. It is important to understand the aspects of the program to make sure that it is right for you and your situation.

Some of the mortgage companies today, sell their mortgage packages with every kind of mythical benefit known to man, from the belief that interest only is a real mortgage that will eventually payout (slight of words, there) to the belief that an interest only mortgage carries a lower interest rate (which is does, but only for the short term). When talking about Myths and Mortgages, let us start with some of the more traditional loans, and move into the weird and unusual.

There has been a tremendous jump in the available interest only mortgage packages in the last three to five years, so maybe we should take a minute to break down some of these mortgages into a language everyone can understand.

Theres a 3/1 ARM: A 3 year ARM, means that the interest rate is locked in for 3 years. For the first month, the interest payment is only 1%, for the next 3 years following only the interest is due as the monthly payment. After the 3 year term, and for the remainder of the life of the loan, normally thirty years, the interest rate will change, and the payments will begin to include principal and interest.

Theres a 5/1 ARM: A 5 year ARM, means that the interest rate is locked in for 5 years. For the first month, the interest payment is only 1%, for the next 5 years following only the interest is due for the monthly payment. After the 5 year term, and for the remainder of the life of the mortgage, normally thirty years, the interest rate may change, and the payments will begin to include principal and interest.

These mortgages also come in 7/1 and 10/1 ARMs, but analysts really dont recommend extending the interest only option out that far, since too many things can change before the 7 or 10 years is up.

The 10/30 interest only mortgage works in the following way: you borrow money in the form of a 30 year mortgage, with a fixed interest rate. The first 10 years are interest only payments, with the full amount of the principal being amortized (interest payments included) over the last 20 years of the loan.

The 15/30 interest only mortgage works in the following way: you borrow money in the form of a 30 year mortgage, with a fixed interest rate. The first 15 years are interest only payments, with the full amount of the principal being amortized (interest payments included) over the last 15 years of the loan.

These mortgages are really appealing to the consumer with any sort of investment knowledge. If I were going to borrower with the interest only mortgage option, it would be one of these two, the 10 or 15 of 30.

Now what other myths and mortgages can we find ? Theres the belief that the home mortgage income tax deduction is a substantial benefit to the taxpayer, and that 1% interest only loans are for the life of the loan! Ha! Theres also the balloon note myth, that proliferates the belief you can automatically refinance through your current lender when the note matures, or that adjustable rate mortgages are a better deal than fixed rate!

Another thing about myths and mortgages is that the real estate market cant go bust. An exploding growth rate in the mortgage loan industry, and the continued surge in real estate prices, has put the interest only mortgages in a huge category all their own. Up from the first part of the century, the interest only mortgage loans are now garnering nearly one-fourth of the mortgage loan market. That kind of growth is almost frightening, to even the most experienced lender. Can you imagine the possibilities, say four to five years from now, when many of these loans come due to pay the interest and the principal; what happens if our economy is not still a thriving bustling place ?

The benefit of the interest only loan is that the consumer is eligible to buy much more house, than with a standard mortgage. Thats great if youre certain in a given period of time, youll be able to afford a higher mortgage payment. But is anything guaranteed and given in this day and time ? What if you cant afford the payment when the interest only term expires ?

We have only to look at the disastrous consequences of the crash of the stock market during the 1920s to appreciate where this may be leading us today. Many people had financed their homes with an interest only mortgage, and when the stock market crashed and there was no work, they lost everything, including their homes.

So, we not only promote mythical nursery rhymes, we promote myths and mortgages, too!

About The Author

Morten Hansen has been focused on the Mortgages area for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that make it easier for people to understand the different issues about Mortgages. For more details about Mortgages Loans visit our website www.MortgagesTips4you.com

Forex Trading Systems

The foreign exchange currency market is the largest market in the world because it trades up to $1.9 trillion daily. There is an enormous scope of trade in Forex because it is global, and is open twenty-four hours a day, making the presence of buyers and sellers constant, and the fluidity of the market, grand. The market is ever present because it does not have a central venue like Wall Street or Tokyo. It is a series of internet and telephone communications between buyers and sellers and it is not overseen by any one main authority like the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Forex is made available to traders through platforms.

Traders of Forex commonly favor Forex trading systems. Forex trading systems are methods of trading currency based on ideas that have rules associated with them. Forex trading systems are a merging of theory and practice that have been tried and tested over and over, and the results of the tests have been documented.

Some Forex trading systems are based on the idea of going against trends. Other Forex trading systems are based on the idea of going with trends. Some Forex trading systems are based on the idea of tracking breakouts of a particular currency and these Forex trading systems rely heavily on the averages of a currencys highs and lows, and utilize Bollinger bands that track the average highs, the average lows and the moving average of the two.

Traders utilize Forex trading systems in order to work against human characteristics that can hamper trading, like greed, addiction, impulsivity, compulsivity and fear.

Kevin Anderson is the owner and operator of http://www.forextradingcenter.info a site developed to give users the most updated information, articles, and news related to the Forex Market.

Portfolio Caffeine

The effects of caffeine on the central nervous system were first discovered in the 6th century in the Ethiopian highlands by a sheepherder called Kaldi. After his sheep ate red berries from a coffee tree, they seemed a bit jumpy and had difficulty sleeping.

The berries next made their way to a local monastery where the Abbott made a drink by mixing the beans with water into a concoction that kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer.

Coffee most likely made its way to Asia in the latter half of the 17th century when a Dutch trader brought a seedling from Yemen to Java where the soil proved hospitable leading to a thriving and profitable industry to this day. Vietnam is now the worlds second largest coffee producer while India and Indonesia are in the top ten.

Despite substantial coffee production in Asia, much of the growth in the popularity of coffee in this predominantly tea drinking region can be attributed to instant coffee and the marketing efforts of Nestle. It rolled out the first commercially viable instant coffee in 1938 and it spread to Asia becoming a prestigious alternative to tea.

As incomes rose in Japan, coffee consumption grew as well making it the third largest consumer in the world. This is a trend that could continue in countries with rising disposable incomes such as China.

Coffee is now big business and as a world commodity is second to only oil. This size and growth potential for a habit forming product like coffee sure sounds like an investment opportunity to me. But how should you play the rise of coffee in Asia.

Since it takes about 4-5 years for a coffee tree to bear cherries, investing on the production side is not for the faint of heart due to hard to predict coffee price fluctuations. As one of the largest coffee plantation companies in Asia, Tata Coffee Ltd. of India, is worth a good look especially since it is an integrated coffee company with roasting, exporting and retail operations.

Nestle is also a possibility since it is the leader in instant coffee in China and many parts of Asia. A drawback is that the coffee business represents only roughly 10% of the sales of this diversified food powerhouse.

The most attractive option is to invest in the retail coffee market which is highly fragmented. Starbucks (SBUX) is the global leader with 10,500 retail outlets of which 3,500 are outside North America. Starbucks began in Asia with its first store in Japan in 1996 and now has 165 stores in mainland China, 221 in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, 595 in Japan, 64 in Australia and 34 in Singapore.

Starbucks is a classic growth story. It added over 1,000 stores last year and plans 1,800 more in the fiscal year ending September 2006. 35 million people visit a Starbucks store each week and it has operations in 37 countries.

Its global goal is to reach 30,000 outlets with half of them located overseas. China could perhaps become its second largest market after America.

The core of Starbucks is its premium branded coffee but it offers much more. It has become a second gathering place outside of work and home. Starbucks Entertainment produces CDs and is considering providing music download facilities in its stores.

I am one of the millions around the globe that use Starbucks as a second office. During my last visit, I got behind a gentleman who added several pricey pastries, and a CD to his coffee for a whopping bill of $27.

One caveat for investors is that sales growth expectations are high and any significant disappointment would likely hit the stock rather hard. Another is that its China expansion may run into some difficulties though I have been impressed with its incremental strategy since its first store in Beijing opened in 1999.

With its financial strength, knowledge of markets and attention to detail, Starbucks seems to have the recipe for success in the fragmented retail coffee business. Since it is opening 4-5 stores a week, competitors will need to scale up rather quickly to pose a threat to its growth. Copycats are a problem though. Starbucks recently gained a key judicial victory when it won a court case against a Chinese company that infringed on its copyright.

Meanwhile, back in Ethiopia, another Starbucks knock-off called Kaldis does a brisk business. While Starbucks is not amused, it cannot help but be flattered by the imitation in the very birthplace of coffee.

Carl Delfeld is head of the global advisory firm Chartwell Partners and editor of the the "Chartwell Advisor" newsletter. He served on the executive board of the Asian Development Bank and is the author of "The New Global Investor." For more information go to http://www.chartwelladvisor.com or call 877-221-1496.

Alternatives to Direct Property Investment

Residential property investment

UK residential property has been the best performing asset class in the last 50 years according to the Barclays Capital Equity Guilt Study & ODPM housing statistics. These figures showed that in real terms (after inflation) 100 invested in a portfolio of shares in 1930 would have grown to a little over 363 by the end of 2004 compared with 767 if that same amount had been invested in residential property.

Despite this, it has been very difficult to invest indirectly in the residential property market.

Why have investment funds not invested in residential property if the returns are so good?

There are a number of reasons why professional investment funds have stayed away from direct investment in residential property. Firstly, the whole area of private landlordism has been a real political hot potato up until the last 10 years. Housing was seen by some members of the political classes as something not to be profited from, like the NHS. The very idea of private investors making money out of peoples need for housing was seen as morally wrong. As a consequence the Labour Party for years had introduced a whole series of restrictive Rent Acts, which prevented landlords charging market rent as well as obtaining vacant possession. An investment in an asset that the investor was prevented from selling at its true market value (with vacant possession) was obviously not something the institutions wanted to get involved in.

The other factor that put them off was the relative intensiveness of the management process. An investment fund can invest 5+ million in a single commercial building, with one tenant who remains for 25 years. A comparable sum invested in a residential property could involve having to buy and set up say 50 individual properties at 100,000 each. Then each of these properties & tenancies would have to be managed, all this is time consuming and expensive.

As a result of this ambivalence to the sector, very little effort has been put into research that compares residential investment performance against other asset classes. Further details on how investment in residential property compares against other investment classes can be found in the Landlords Bible.

Why not invest all my money in residential property if it performs so well?

There are a number of reasons why it always good to have a range of investments. If you already have a large buy-to-let portfolio of residential property without much of your assets invested elsewhere, you may wish to consider diversifying your investments. The classic phrase is dont carry all your eggs in one basket. Investing is much the same. Whilst over the years I have always held most of my assets in residential property; I have also held a proportion in alternatives such as shares and deposit accounts. As an active investor I am always looking for new and innovative methods for diversifying my portfolio. The theory is that if one investment isnt doing so well, as was the case for shares for a number of years. Then some of the other investments are doing a lot better. The result you hope is that overall your capital keeps on growing.

You may still be keen to invest more funds in residential property but feel that you dont have the time or skill to do it yourself. What then?

Alternative to direct property investment

There are a number of drawbacks with direct property investment that those already in the sector are all too aware of. This isnt to say that these are not compensated by the huge benefits of successful residential investing. However, its always good to be aware of them so that at least you can make informed decisions about what to do with your capital.

The investment drawbacks of holding residential property directly are:

* The costs of acquisition can be high, typically 2000+

* The minimum capital required is large, with a minimum amount for a deposit, acquisition fees, set up costs of probably 20,000+

* The timescales for buying and selling property is long and the timing uncertain i.e. it takes many weeks and you rely on finding a willing buyer or a property that you want at the right price

* Management time is far greater than non-direct investment

* Generally timescales are long. Residential property is a long-term investment where your capital is tied up and cannot be accessed unless you remortgage

Therefore, as well as considering direct investment are there alternatives and what are their advantages?

There are a number of ways that it is possible to invest indirectly in the residential property market but first, what are the advantages of indirect investment?

1. the size of the investment can be much smaller than direct property investments, rather than thousands it can be hundreds of pounds
2. the investments are much more liquid so its easier to put money in and easier to take funds out 3. there are little or no management involvement in the investments
4. the entry and exit costs from the investment are also a lot smaller

Current Opportunities

The strong performance in residential property has led to a number of innovative schemes looking at ways that investors can invest in residential property without having to do it directly.

Stock market

The most obvious way to invest indirectly in residential property is through the stock market. There are a variety of companies whose performance depends to a greater or lesser degree on the residential property market. For instance, there are the numerous quoted house builders which as well as carrying out development, also hold large land banks. The asset value of these companies often varies in line with the underlying value of residential property as land costs generally rise and fall in sympathy with house prices. Another company to consider is Grainger Trust www.graingertrust.co.uk . This company is the UKs largest quoted residential property owner, with over 12,000 homes. As well as owning property they are also active in other related areas such as equity release, asset management and house building. Opening a share dealing account is a lot easier than you might imagine.

Residential trading exchange OPROMARK

A new initiative which may offer an alternative to direct property ownership is a company called Opromark. This company is described as the worlds first exchange for trading fully securitised properties. The way the exchange works is that a residential property is owned by a Single Property Company (SPC). This is then owned by Opromark members. Each SPC is managed by a property professional who acts as the managing director responsible for the management of agents who let the property on the shareholders behalf. Properties are let and the rent is then distributed to the shareholders in the form of a monthly dividend.

The individual shareholders are free to buy and sell shares in each SPC at any time. This scheme looks as if it could be an interesting alternative to direct property ownership. One of the obvious problems could be the liquidity of the shares, which means that they can only be transacted on a matched bargain basis. This effectively means you can only buy and sell if you can find other shareholders to either buy or sell stock. It is early days and its probably worth seeing how the project progresses before committing too many resources to it.

Funds

The Diverse Fund launched by Cordea Savills, the investment arm of the property company Savills Plc offers the opportunity to invest in student halls of residents, residential homes for doctors nurses & housing association properties on long leases. It is a Jersey quoted Oeic (Open ended investment company). It can borrow up to 70% of the value of its assets and has a current value of 10 million. Minimum investment is 10,000. The fund aims to capitalise on the growing popularity of student accommodation as an investment asset. The fund has a 5% yield and the projected capital growth in the fund is in excess of 10% per annum between 2006 and 2010.

Sipp (Self Invested Personal Pension)

Great things were promised by the Government for personal pension holders as a result of A-Day at the start of the 2006 tax year. This catchy expression was meant to herald in a raft of new ways of investing for your retirement through a SIPP, including the ability to hold residential property in it. Not for the first time the Government failed to deliver. In a dramatic last minute U turn; it removed residential property from the list of qualifying investments. This dashed the hopes of many existing and potential residential investors. However, in the latest twist to the saga the regulations were tweaked by the budget to allow the direct holding of residential property in a SIPP but only through a syndicate. The qualifying criteria are quite restrictive in that the syndicate must comprise of 10 or more people and that the properties cannot be used by syndicate members. In addition, the SIPP must be worth 1 million or more and have 3 or more properties. No single property should be worth more than 40% of any individual SIPP.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)

REITs have been available in the US and Japan for a number of years and are very popular with investors as they provide a transparent way to invest in property but without the difficulties of direct ownership. The attractions of REITs to the investor and property company is that they pay no corporation tax on their rental income. From the 1st Jan 07 UK property companies are free to convert to a REIT. In returns the companies under the regulations have to distribute 90% of their income to investors. This means that yields on the shares are likely to be high compared to other equity investments quoted on the stock market. The other attraction to REITs, which ultimately can invest in residential property as well as commercial property; is that they will be able to be contained within a PEP or ISA. This allows any income and ultimate capital gains if the shares are sold to be received tax free.

In general, it is likely that the number and variety of schemes available for indirect residential investment will increase as institutions and companies continue to explore ways of allowing investors to access this popular and strongly performing asset class. If the US experience is anything to go by, one of the developments could be the emergence of specialist REITs that invest purely in residential property giving small investors a genuine opportunity to invest indirectly in UK residential property without the drawbacks of direct ownership. Watch this space for developments and keep up to date with the latest news through Property Hawks news service.

Commercial property funds

As I have already commented on the fact that institutional investment funds have traditionally avoided residential investment but at the same time have long been large investors in commercial property. Commercial property is yet another way of diversifying your investments. It has shown some strong returns in recent years. Investment funds come in a variety of forms including investment trusts, unit trusts and oeic. They provide a mechanism for individual investors to have a share in the capital appreciation and income derived from investing in a range of commercial property.

Financial Advice

If you find all the talk about investment returns and capital boring and confusing. Then, maybe it is time that you sought professional advice. To source a IFA(independant Financial Adviser) try www.unbiased.co.uk which is the website for IFA (Independent Financial Advisers).

IFAs are the only advisers that are able to advise and select from the whole range of investment products on the market. They are bound by the Financial Services Rules, which ensures that any product that they recommend should be suited to your personal circumstances.

Chris Horne has 20 years experience as a property professional having worked for companies such as English Partnerships and Drivers Jonas as a planning and surveying consultant.

He now works full time as a investor and property developer.

He also has developed the site Property Hawk targeted at UK Landlords it provides FREE Property Management Software.

Property Hawk also includes a mass of Buy to Let targeted information, FREE Tenancy agreements, Inventory Forms, financial and management tools. Its primary aim is to make managing property simpler for UK Landlords.

propertyhawk.co.uk is the Landlord's Homepage

The Investments Arena - Are You Getting YOUR Share Of This Industry?

New To The Stock Market? Looking For A Good Place To Start?

You can't pick up the business section of a newspaper without being inundated by the stock market buzz. Shares are up, it's a bullish market! Shares are down, it's a bearish market! Do you read these things and then think to yourself, What do bears and bulls have to do with trading stocks and what the heck is an option? If the thought of investing intrigues you, but you're hesitant because you are just now beginning to educate yourself about the investment world, then you will find this article very helpful. I've attempted to define some of the basic, lower-risk stock trading strategies for you.

What is a stock anyway?

Think of stock as assets that you own in a company. When you purchase a stock, you are given a certificate that tells you how much of that company you own. Each stock that you buy in a company represents an actual percentage of that company that you own. The benefit of owning stock in a company is that when that company benefits, you benefit as well. On the flip side, if a company begins to decline so does your stock. This is where a little research up front will go a long way towards your investment success.

What is a stock option?

When you buy a stock option, you are buying the right or privilege to buy or sell a particular stock withing a specific time frame at an agreed-upon price. People like stock options because they are safer. There is less risk involved because you put less money up front. There are two main ways that you purchase stock options:

Call Options

Okay, lets say that IBM stock is selling in the marketplace for $90.00 per share. According to your research, you believe that within a year that stock price will raise significantly. So you purchase a one year call contract on 100 option shares at $2.00 per share plus a fee with the agreed-upon price of $100.00 per share. So now, you have the right, but not obligation, to buy those 100 shares at $100.00 anytime within that one year period. So, let's say that 10 months down the road, IBM's market value is now $120.00. You can then buy those promised shares at the pre-agreed price of $100.00 and sell them at their market value of $120.00, or you can sell your options to someone else. You benefit financially on Call options when you believe a specific stock is going to increase in value.

Put Options

Let's use that same IBM Example. Let's say that its stock has a market value of $90.00 per share. You believe that IBM stock is going to significantly plummet within the year. So, you purchase a put option that allows you the right, but not the obligation to sell your promised shares at $100.00 per share at anytime within the contract period. So, let's say that 9 months later, IBM stock has plummeted to $70.00 per share. You then have the ability to sell the options you purchased at $100.00 per share to someone else. You only benefit from buying Put Options if you believe the stock value will go down during your contracted time.

The Bottom Line

In the end, if you are new to the world of stock trading, then options can be a nice way to go. They can be a nice option while you're learning. That way if you make any major mistakes, you have less up front capital to lose. I would suggest that you find a good stock broker that has a good reputation to help guide you towards smart investment. I hope this article helped. Good luck!

Alan King is a writer that concentrates on helping people better themselves, for cutting edge information you NEED to know about stock trading before you try to cash in on this multi change your life I strongly suggest that you check out my friend Alan Crisp's awesome free 9 page e-book at http://www.stressfreetrading.com

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Top Investments and Stock Picks for 2006

If you read the headlines today you will hear everything from recession, decline, slow start, etc... Everyone is commenting on losses or very marginal gains. Yet there are some investors like me that did really well in the last few years and are continuing to do well - and none of us fell for the late night TV investing scams (and they are ALL scams). Instead we were smart. This is how we did it and what we like (and you can verify the results or progress of these stocks by looking up their ticker symbols on the search engines Google and Yahoo):

1) Diversification is key - you need to have some percentage of your assets in mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETF's). I recommend IJR (iShares S&P SmallCap 600 IJR Style/Mkt Cap ETF) as it follows the market, doesnt have wild fluctuations and always, consistently grows and pays dividends at the same time. IJR will be a great bet for a 20-30% gain in 2006.

2) Oil, natural gas and energy are king and anyone that says otherwise is an idiot. They will continue to grow and produce record profits throughout 2006. I highly recommend XTO - Cross Timbers Oil Co. Through the last 3 years their stock has grown over 800% and split numerous times. They are a definite ace in the hole and a runaway favorite. Great, solid management and a definite winner. I also like PNY, Piedmont Natural Gas. They are very consistent and produce very solid yields that they are always increasing. It won't produce the high returns of XTO, but a solid performer. XTO can be a highly volatile stock and is a rollercoaster of a ride at times but will produce solid results over time. PNY is a safe, solid investment and natural gas prices are only going to go up.

3) Hotels and travel - One name says it all CHH - Choice Hotels, they own most of your local Comfort inns and such. They average 50-60% gains per year and pay a slight dividend on top of that. A solid performer that tends to buck the economy.

4) Banks and financial institutions - BPOP, Popular Inc. The main latino bank of Puerto Rico and expanding into the U.S. You can buy it cheap right now and they are prime for a takeover - $$$. Solid dividends also and low price for a bank. Good investment value.

5) Mortgage companies - we will always need houses and a solid, customer service oriented company with a great record is a good buy. AHM (American Home Mortgage)- high yield, solid company, will produce great returns for 2006. Enough said.

6) Ebay, Yahoo, Google, Intel - You need to have a piece of the internet pie, but with whom? Ebay is your best bet. There is no competition - Yahoo tried and can't get their auctions off the ground. The others have simple technology that is easily copied and the risk is great and the returns limited. Google is questionable as it has risen well, but others with big pockets are stepping in hard - Yahoo and MSN.

Search engines like Google rise fast out of nowhere, but then they usually fall back into oblivion. Google is smart, though and is trying to diversify into other fields - maps, online libraries, gmail, etc... so they will stay, but I would go for Ebay. Ebay is trying to do what Walmart did - Expand into China, Japan, Korea, etc... With billions of new customers and no competition the skys the limit. Ebay will be rock solid for 2006.

There you have it. A safe, diversified group of true, proven performers that will guarantee you a great 2006. Also, they are all available through low cost trading companies - I recommend Sharebuilder.com - you can't beat $4 trades and their easy to use site. There is no need for a commissioned investment advisor (all they do is charge you extra money and fees, lie, and they can't possibly even come close to the workhorses I listed above). Do yourself a favor and print this out. If you care about your friends give it to them. Put it in your email lists. If you believe in helping others and making the world a better place then pass it on to everyone you can. These stocks will provide you and everyone else with solid gains for years. And a greater chance at financial freedom and the best thing is it didn't cost you a penny.

Just do me a favor and visit and promote my sites listed below (www.mdwholesale.com and www.bestskinpeel.com).

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He holds numerous patents including his recently awarded patent for headlight cleaner and restorer. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.mdwholesale.com and at http://www.bestskinpeel.com

Do You Want To Know Dissimilarity Between A HYIP And A Ponzi?

$8289.68 is a reality in month without work. I made it in this month without HUGE efforts. In this article I will tell you difference between a ponzi and a HYIP.

All you know that you can made money from investing into HYIP. Online HYIPs rarely provide information to their investors of what is done with their money. This makes it easy for fraudulent programs to succeed. Dishonest organizers can set up a website to look like the other HYIPs available on the net, wait for investors to place their money in their hand and then stop the activity and walk away with the cash.

What exactly is a ponzi scheme

Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes has nothing to do with investments, business or sales. Simply because they do not trade your money or they do not sell you anything. The fact is that a ponzi scheme uses the money of new investors to pay out old investors. Some ponzi schemes are surviving a few weeks and some of them even a few months. But this is for sure they all go die after some time. Why? Because mathematically it is impossible to find new investors. Or sometimes the legal authorities find out the ponzi scheme and close it.

A true Ponzi scheme usually promotes what appears to be a real investment opportunity which investors may contribute to without actually being an affiliate, distributor etc. A pyramid scheme, on the other hand, usually requires that participants make a payment for the right to recruit other people into the scheme, at which point they will receive money.

There are a number of ways to spot a Ponzi scheme from a genuine HYIP opportunity. You can find many hyips on theHYIPs.net Firstly, be wary of schemes that offer a high daily percentage return. If a site offers you 40% a day on your investment, you should question where the funds will come from to make that level of payment. Secondly, although HYIPs often pay you for referring others to their schemes, these payments are often low. If you are offered 10% per referral it is worth considering if that may be because referrals are the only way for the system to keep going. Lastly, look closely at the site and its design and functionality. If you spot a lot of content that looks as though it has been simply copied from another website, or if the design and layout is particularly amateurish, it could well be that the organizers know that it will not be needed for long as the system is only a short term thing to make them money.

Be wary of anything that sounds too good to be true. It probably is if it sounds like it might be. Anyone that promises a guaranteed return in any amount of time is probably not legitimate. There is no such thing as a guaranteed return when it comes to investing money. And on any return there is no guaranteed amount that can be returned. So either promise is someone out to scam you. Common sense goes a long way when it comes to investing money anywhere.

David Vagner shows people how to find real HYIP. To read his lessons check his site best hyip or visit http://thehyips.net/lessons/

Mini Forex Trading What You Need To Know

Forex trading is the new way to make money through online currency trading. With a worldwide market and over 60 currencies for you to trade there has never been an easier way to make money online.

Forex trading until recently was reserved for banks and other large financial industries but thanks to the power of the internet and online currency trading, forex has now become feasible for everyday people. The forex market has become the largest trading market in the world and each day there is an estimated turnover of over $1.5 trillion dollars. Another added bonus is that forex trading is available 24 hours a day, 5 days a week unlike most other markets that operate on an 8 hour day. This means that people wishing to trade forex can do so at any given time.

Forex currency trading is done is pairs and these are known as crosses. These pairs are always against the US dollar and the main crosses you will find when trading forex are the USD/EUR and the USD/GDP. The most popular crosses are known as majors and these can make forex traders great profits. Currencies change on a regular basis and are based on the how the world financial markets see the value of the currencies. You can sell or buy these currencies and forex brokers do not charge commission fees.

There are two types of forex accounts; a mini forex account and a regular forex account. Mini forex trading is an excellent way for small investors to learn about and take part in forex trading and with the most forex brokers offering a leverage of 100:1, mini forex trading will allow you to control a $10,000 currency position with a deposit of only $100. Mini forex trading is a great way to get a feel for forex trading and learn the tricks and skills needed to succeed without having to go to great expense. Why not try mini forex trading now and see just how easy it is to profit with forex trading.

We have made the most comprehensive research on Forex trading. Check it out only on the Mini Forex Trading Best Source. All about Forex on http://www.leandernet.com

Major Advantages to Trading Forex

When most investors hear the word forex, the words that flash through their brain are risky, complicated, and tiny profit margins. This is because the information on currency trading isn't as available and easy to access as the stock market. A stock investor just needs to pick up the Wall Street Journal or turn on CNBC to instantly see what's new and exciting. When you're a stock investor, you can talk to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers about what you're buying, share tips, and brag about your profits. Everyone is familiar with the stock market. Forex is a different beast. To find information, you have to turn to the internet or privately run newsletters. You can't talk about forex with anyone in your everyday life because they won't understand the lingo and will have no idea what you're talking about. It's a shame, because our game has some major advantages over stock trading. Maybe if forex information was more public, the average investor would realize the following 5 things to be true.

One thing that most people doesn't realize is that there is no trading commission involved in currency trading. When you're trading stocks frequently, even if it's done online at $20 a pop, the fees start eating into your profits. If you're trading options, you're not only paying a commission on the trade, but you're also paying additional fees per contract. Fortunately for forex investors, the only retail transaction cost is the bid/ask spread which is usually less than 5 pips (0.05%).

Secondly, the currency market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days per week. Unlike the stock exchange, which is only active between the opening and closing bells, you can trade forex first thing in the morning or in the wee hours of the night. There are people all around the world trading at all hours, so a trader can take advantage of any market condition at any time.

Another big benefit to the foreign exchange is the huge leverage opportunity. Leverage, also called margin, is when you borrow your broker's money and add it to your own capital in order to make a larger investment. In the stock market, you have to pass your brokers strict guidelines to be approved for a margin account, and if you do, you'll get a maximum of 2:1 (which means if you invest $10,000, you can borrow $10,000). In forex, a ratio of up to 400 is considered normal. If you use that massive amount of leverage properly and hit some big winners, you can make substantial money in short periods of time. Of course, the opposite is true as well. You can lose substantial money very quickly also. But you can't get a better opportunity to use other people's money.

A fourth advantage to currency trading is it's size. Because the forex market is so huge and has so many traders active at all times, no single investor can corner the market. In the stock market, each equity issue has a finite amount of outstanding shares. For many small cap companies, a large investor could amass a large percentage of those outstanding shares, and because of the low liquidity, their choice to buy, sell, or hold will have drastic effects on the price of that particular stock. With currency, no single investor, not even a central bank, can accumulate a controlling amount of something like the dollar, pound, or franc.

The last great characteristic of the forex that we'll discuss in this article is the never ending bull market. Forex is a zero sum game. A gain is only made when one currency rises in value in relation to another currency. So this means that if one currency is going down, another is going up. In the stock market, when a bear market hits, the vast majority of stocks are all going down. If Microsoft drops 5 points, that certainly doesn't mean that GE went up 5 points. Sure, you can short stocks in a declining market, but the average investor isn't too keen on the unlimited downside risk and probably doesn't even have the margin to be able to make the trade. Just remember that something is always guaranteed to go up in the currency market.

There are dozens of other reasons why the forex is one of the best playing fields in the investment world. If you are an investor, do some research and see for yourself. Open up a demo trading account at one of the several online forex brokers and see how you do. You might just find that it blows the stock market out of the water.

This article is just a small piece of the free Forex Trading Course at forexgameplan.com Go learn about this incredible market and sign up today while the 30 day course is still free.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Finding the Best Broker for Forex Trading

When we talk of any money transactions like those pertaining to the stock exchange, one hears a lot about brokers. FOREX traders are known to use brokers to carry out their transactions for them. So how would one define a broker? In the true sense of the word, a broker is a person or a company that a prospective investor trusts to buy and sell as per his decisions. He then pays the broker a commission which is how the brokers earn their money. A fund for margin trading necessitates the FOREX broker to be connected with big financial institution like banks. As protection against fraud and abusive trade practices a broker should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant or FCM with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or CFTC.

An account would need to be set up with a FOREX broker before trading FOREX. There are a lot of brokers available on the Internet and one need to go through all that they are offering as part of their services before making an informed decision and ensure that you are apprised of the fees and other charges involved. As with all businesses the best way to advertise is the kind that goes by word of mouth and this applies to FOREX trading as well. Get information from friends and associates who have been dealing with brokers and find out the pitfalls in any that you need to be aware of and if they had any problems with their particular broker.

Everyone who has something to sell will have excellent pre-sales services and these may differ from the actual service they provide once you are registered with them. Look out for this aspect especially if you are looking at online FOREX brokers. Brokers need to be quick with buying and selling and ideally an online broker should ensure automatic execution with clearly stated policies on slippage and what percentage of slippage to expect in normal and fast moving markets. You would need to know what spread the broker is talking about, whether it is fixed or variable as per type of account, do mini accounts attract wider spreads and the charges for this, if any. More profit is accrued by the trader for smaller spreads but it may lead to a trade off between service and spread so go into the nitty gritty of the deal before signing up with any broker.

It is essential to understand the broker's margin terms before you take on a contract with any broker as the life blood of the FOREX trading is these margin accounts. You would need information on things like the calculation of margins, requirements of the margin, whether the margin changes are based on the currency that is being traded and whether the broker has different margins for different accounts like mini accounts and standard accounts.

Fast moving markets need that you have reliability and an ability to perform and since trading software is very essential for online FOREX traders, see that you pan the options available, maybe try a demo or two and then make your decision. Ideally the software should have auto trading, trailing stops and chart trading as some of its special features. They may be charged extra so check what you need and go through the charges with the broker as well. Minimum account balances, interest account balances, currency trading and if non-standard sized lots are traded as well as clients' funds insurance and to what extent are some things for which the broker would have certain policies and one must get all the information on them.

For more helpful information to Learn Forex Trading visit Fx-Trading-Guide.com at http://www.fx-trading-guide.com/.

What To Expect When You Place An Order For Promotional Products

The date of your trade show is quickly approaching, so how much time will be necessary to order that promotional product? Every manufacturer's lead time (production time) is different - some items can be produced in as little as 24 hours, and some items take up to 30 days. As soon as you make your decision on what product you would like to order, you need to get the process rolling, even if it's just to plan out the timing. If you are within 30 days of your "event," time will be of the essence.

Here's what will happen when you place your order. You and your promotional products professional will agree on a price (usually in writing via a contract or order form that you sign) that includes all applicable charges - cost of the item, imprint charges, setup charges, proof charges, shipping costs and any applicable taxes. You agree on the form of payment (we'll discuss this in more detail later), and the dealer accepts your order for production. You submit your artwork and you sit back and wait for the item to be delivered. Time covered so far - 24 to 48 hours.

Then, your dealer will submit the order to the appropriate factory or wholesale distributor. There are many methods of doing this - each factory has it's own preferable way - and they vary from good old snail mail to form completion on a website. Most will use the tried and true fax machine for order acceptance. And don't forget the artwork - most factories will accept artwork submitted by electronic methods (email or website submission), but there is the occasional factory that still accepts artwork only by mail (I ran into one of those last week). This process should also take 24 to 48 hours, or up to 5 days if art is submitted by mail. On average, the time it takes for your order to get to the factory is around 3 days.

OK, the factory has your order - what happens next? Since most promotional products are imprinted using a silkscreen methos, I'll describe the steps involved in that process (I'm not a silkscreen factory, so if I'm not 100% accurate in my descriptions, please forgive me). I won't get into the materials involved, since there are hundreds of options. I'll assume the artwork was submitted by email, and requires a one-color imprint.

The factory will open your art file, and check it to make sure it meets their requirements as "camera-ready." They will check the size to make sure it will fit properly on the item, and they will check the detail of the art to make sure it won't fill in or run together when the print is made. Next, they will print out the art on clear acetate, or "film." They will use this film to produce the screen. The screen is painted with a light sensitive emulsion, similar to what's on photographic film stock. The acetate print of your art is laid over the top of the screen, and then they expose the screen to light, which sensitizes the part of the emulsion that's not a part of your art, so that only that part that is your art washes away when the screen is rinsed. This leaves an opening where ink can be forced through the screen and onto the item that's being printed. That description is probably an over-simplification, but for our purposes, it will be sufficient. Anyway, from artwork opening to packing and boxing will take 7 to 10 days on average. Let's say 9 days, so our example order has taken 12 days so far.

Now the factory places your order in the hands of their favorite freight carrier. It leaves the dock, and is on the way to you. The most cost-effective method of shipment is via ground carrier, either UPS or Fedex, and those are the most common methods of shipment. Don't forget to take into consideration the location of the factory - if you're in California and the factory is in upstate New York, it's going to take at least five days for your shipment to arrive. Average ship time is about 3 days, so we've gone 15 days so far.

So it's the 8th of January, and my tradeshow starts on the 23rd, so there should be no problem, right? Wrong - the 15 days we've discussed so far are working days, Monday through Friday. Weekends don't count. So by 15 days, we're talking 3 weeks. If you placed your order on January 8th, your order (using our example above) probably won't be delivered until close to February.

All this is to get you to think about your order and the time involved to produce it. There are ways to speed up the process (factory rushes, expedited shipping), but it will cost you extra to utilize them. Other options such as production samples and additional colors/locations of your imprint will lengthen the process. Make sure you get started early enough to where you don't have to worry. 30 days in advance of your event date will usually be a comfortable lead time for all involved.

Payment Considerations

I'll keep this part short. If you're an established company with a good credit rating, a government agency, or an institution of higher learning, you can usually get Net 30 terms on promotional product purchases. Everybody else pays in advance, via credit card or check. As far as returns, unless the factory screwed up the imprint or sent the wrong item, it's not likely you'll be able to return them. Remember, you ain't buying a VCR at Best Buys. These items are custom produced - it's like buying a tailored suit, they just won't fit anybody else. However, if the factory agrees to ship the item prior to a specific date, and they miss it, you won't be held responsible for that.

One other item to cover, and you may have seen this in the "terms and conditions" section on websites or catalogs, is over-runs and under-runs. The imprinting business is not an exact science. Factories plan to screw up a certain percentage of the items that they imprint, so when they pull the blank items out for your order, they will start with a certain percentage over the amount you ordered (usually 5%), and then they'll turn the machine on and let 'em rip. They print the whole batch and then cull out the ones that are messed up, hoping they print exactly the right amount. Unfortunately, they don't usually come out right on the money, so you end up with an over-run or under-run on your order. You'll only pay for the amount you receive, so as long as you understand this process up front, you won't be startled when you're billed for 212 koozies (but I only ordered 200!).

I hope you understand the process of buying promotional products a little better now.

Phillip Baker, CAS, is a 29 year veteran of advertising and marketing and is an expert in promotional products, integrated marketing and advertising consulting. He can be reached at 850 995 9557. Visit http://www.bakercreativeadvertising.com to enter to win $1,000 in promotional products or subscribe to the free Marketing Magik newsletter and podcast.

Best Investment You'll Ever Make - And It Costs You Nothing

When you write for an investing site, you see them all the time. You hear from the subscribers who are looking for that one stock pick they can invest their $500 in that is going to make them rich. Or ones who say they have a foolproof investing system, only to find that their method only works when the market is bullish. Notice there aren't as many day trading or investing systems as there were back in the late 1990's?

What you never see enough of though are investors who have an investment plan. A clear set of rules dictating when they will buy, how long they will hold, and where their stop loss is. This is what separates the successful investors from the rest. The cost of this investment strategy? A few minutes!

Its not difficult to get caught up in the emotion of investing in the stock market. The joys of when our research pays off with a profit, and the anguish and despair when we have to go against our own logic, and place that sell order. We've all been there. Unfortunately, we've done that a lot.

Its key to remember that the best investing strategy is capital preservation. While it makes sense when you read it, how many times have you watched a $200 loss turn into a $500 loss just because you thought for sure it would move higher? How many times have you turned that $500 loss into something worse?

A 50% loss means you need to make a 100% gain just to break even. While the world of investing in penny stocks provides opportunities, not many of them will give you a 100%. In the world of medium to large caps, it takes a long time with a successful company to get that 100% return.

QUit turning your small losses into larger losses.

Lets look at what you should include in your investment plan:

a) Starting capital. Its key to know how much capital you are putting at risk today. Its possible that you may invest in a company, only to learn later on that day that its shares are being delisted. Just because you invest $10 000 at the start of the day, doesn't mean you will go home with that same amount. You need to set an amount that you are comfortable with. Capital preservation.

b) How much money are you prepared to lose per trade. Good traders ask themselves this question before they trade. If you are prepared to lose $500 today, establishing where to set your stop loss becomes easier.

c) Where is your stop loss? Are you basing your stop loss on share price? Are you basing your stop loss on the amount you are prepared to lose today? Are you basing your stop loss on a percentage of the trade or a percentage of your trading capital? What is your plan for a trailing stop loss?

d) Entry - where are you entering the trade? Is it based on a price? Are you trying to time the bottom? Are you placing a stop buy to take advantage of momentum? Was there news this morning?

d) How'd you sleep last night? If you are having one of those days where you wish you just stayed at home, then you should turn off the computer. Emotions will be running high, and you will make trading decisions based strictly on emotion, not your investment plan.

e) Duration of the trade. How long are you willing to stay in? If you are making a day trade, make it a day trade. Don't justify holding a position for the long term if the stock doesnt move in the direction you want it to.

There's the best investment advice that anyone can offer you. And it didnt cost you anything, but may save you thousands of dollars.

penny stocks - learn about the hottest penny stocks that will make the difference in your investment portfolio

Financial Security in an Unstable Economy

Few families pass on actual knowledge about wealth building to their children. Negative feelings of poverty and scarcity can last for generations.

Accountant and financial advisor, Dr. Joseph Simini says, "Most people are illiterate about finance. Finance isn't all that tough. If you want to become financially independent, you can't depend on someone else to do that for you. You have to do it yourself with knowledge."

Dr. Simini started out in life in a poor immigrant family and learned the basics of creating personal wealth from his father's teachings and the school of hard knocks. He manages family owned investments and advises people on the subject of financial independence.

He offers practical advice on how to become financially literate and financially independent:

1. Buy Your Own Home: It is important to buy your own home because with a small amount of money, and a lot of someone else's money, you can get started. Instead of paying rent and making your landlord wealthy, you will be paying into your own mortgage. Eventually, you are going to own the building, leading to tax benefits.

2. Deduct Property Taxes and Mortgage Interest: These items can be deducted from your regular income and that is a big savings. Most people just use their standard deduction, but by adding the property tax deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, you can increase your deduction by thousands of dollars.

3. Save 10 Percent of Your Income: Fill out a budget categorizing all your bills and when they should be paid. At the top of the list of bills to be paid, put your own name. Pay yourself first. Nobody can help you, but you.

4. Make a List of Necessities: Make a list of the necessities that you need to live: rent, mortgage, clothes, food, etc. After this, make a list of the discretionary things. Decide if you really need all the things you are spending your money on. Are they necessary? Can you cut back? These are the financial questions you need to answer.

5. Take Advantage of Compound Interest: One of the most important fundamentals of wealth building is compound interest. Instead of giving you a nice return, compound interest will give you a sensational return.

Compound interest is the interest added to the principle, and then the interest rate is on the new amount of money. Each year it becomes a little more. After years of compounding interest, it becomes a tremendously larger amount of money than if it were only simple interest.

All of these wealth building strategies require awareness and a change in habits. Change your attitude about money. Change your financial habits. Read financial magazines, the business section of the paper, and financial magazines. Know what money can do for you.

Look beyond just employment income. Put your skills and talents to work for you. Create additional streams of income teaching or selling the hobbies you are already interested in. This additional income will give more opportunities for saving and paying the bills. You have to go out and build income of your own.

Avoid putting your money into cash. That includes: a bank account, notes, and bonds. These will only give back a small amount of interest. They are the worst things to invest in.

The stock market has the potential for incredible wealth building if you learn the rules of the game. Do your homework, researching all the information available about investing in stocks. Become stock literate to protect your investment in the stock market. Find advisors and take responsibility for your own choices about your own money.

Do not get caught up in limited thinking. Expand a little bit and take some different actions to benefit yourself financially. This is the foundation of building financial independence. Get yourself started onto the road of financial success by becoming financially literate.

Once you learn the financial principles and practices pass them on to your children. Get your children involved in the basic skills of finances and building wealth. Knowing about money is as important as knowing the ABC's in today's world.

Financial literacy will lead you to additional wealth building techniques. You will be able to come up with a plan that will take you from paying someone else, to becoming the person who other people are paying.

Dr. Proactive, Randy Gilbert enjoys producing the "Inside Wealth Success Show". He presents his insightful interview with Joseph Simini based upon the tips from his book. Hear the entire interview for free by going to: http://www.insidesuccessradio.com/Guests/Joseph-Simini

What Next for Japan

After a strong performance in 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Japanese stock market was essentially flat during 2006 until a strong December rally brought the most widely traded Japan ETF (EWJ) up just over 5% for the year.

What lies ahead for Japan as the worlds second largest economy and stock market? Will the Japanese yen finally begin to appreciate and benefit foreign investors? Is Japan still an excellent play on the overall Asian growth story? When will the Japanese consumer begin spending again? Why is Japan one of the few countries in the world to have a trade surplus with China and why is Japan able to hold on to its industrial base so much better than America? Are Japanese large multinationals the place to invest or should investors target the smaller and more innovative companies?

In 2006, small and mid cap ETFs led the way in Japan and these ETFs could also do well in 2007. The best performing ETFs tracking Japanese markets were WisdomTrees Japan Small Cap ETF (DFJ) and its Japan High-Yielding Equity ETF (DNL). Both ETFs were introduced on June 16th. Other key questions for long-term ETF investors are how will the Japanese - America alliance evolve and could Japan be moving towards excessive nationalism? What is likely to be the impact of Japans demographics on investment opportunities and returns?

These are all important questions. Why dont you get to the bottom of these questions yourself by joining me in May 2007 as I lead a ten day investment tour of Japan http://japaninvestortour.wordpress.com/about/

This will be a trip of a lifetime and will be a fascinating immersion into Japans stock market, economics, politics, culture and history as well as provide you with the opportunity to learn more about specific Japanese companies. Join me to find out what place Japan should have in your global ETF portfolio.

Carl T. Delfeld President & Publisher Chartwell Partners http://www.chartwellETFadvisor.com

Carl has over twenty years of experience in the global investment business with a strong background in Asia.

Author of global investor primer "The New Global Investor"

President of the global investment advisory firm Chartwell Partners

Publisher of the Chartwell Advisor ETF Report and Asia-Pacific Growth

Columnist on global investing with Forbes Asia: "Global Gambits"

Former U.S. Representative to the Executive Board of Asian Development Bank

Chairman of the global economic strategy think tank ChartwellAmerica

Asian specialist with the U.S. Joint Economic Committee and the U.S. Treasury

Former member of the U.S. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Committee

Former investment executive with Robert Baird & Company and UBS

Graduate of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy with economics scholarship from U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission

Corporate Compliance

Corporate Compliance

With the globalization of integral business and corporation expansion, has come the increased focus on corporate compliance. Companies cannot do as they please; there are regulatory factors that balance ethics with rationality. For example, simply because a company can make a product cheaper by polluting the environment, does not give it the right to do so. Compliance simply means following the law. The law for corporations comes in many forms: federal laws, state laws, agency law, and industry standards. Breaking any of these regulations could have disastrous consequences for a company. According to Gentiva The initial purpose of compliance was to act as a mitigating factor to reduce liability under the law. Over the years, compliance has evolved into a more integral business component with its focus on maintaining the companys status as a good corporate citizen. This emphasis and new standard has caused many companies to create a corporate compliance officer position where the sole duty of this individual is to maintain and monitor the companys state of compliance. Some of the main concerns with corporate compliance are ethics, financial statements, equal opportunity / fair hiring practices, sexual harassment, and environmental preservation. Companys that maintain vigilance on these fronts are normally safe when it comes to compliance issues. Maintaining a good record of compliance is not only beneficial, but more times than not will make or destroy a company. The main point is that non-compliance can affect a companys bottom line. Sexual Harassment: Civil Rights Act of 1964

Sexual Harassment is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and applies to companies with 15 or more associates. It is defined as Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment (http://www.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html).The circumstances include but are not limited to:

The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome. (http://www.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html). Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Passed in 2002, Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) was enacted to help win back the public trust in companies after the disasters of such companies as Enron and WorldCom. The first part of the act was to create the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which is charged with overseeing, regulating, inspecting, and disciplining accounting firms in their roles as auditors of public companies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes-Oxley_Act).

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

The EPA comprises 18,000 people in headquarters program offices, 10 regional offices, and 17 laboratories across the country. The EPA employs a highly educated, technically trained staff, more than half of whom are engineers, scientists, and environmental protection specialists. A large number of employees are legal, public affairs, financial, and computer specialists. The EPA provides leadership in the nation's environmental science, research, education, and assessment efforts. The EPA works closely with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and Native American tribes to develop and enforce regulations under existing environmental laws. The EPA is responsible for researching and setting national standards for a variety of environmental programs and delegates to states and tribes responsibility for issuing permits, and monitoring and enforcing compliance. Where national standards are not met, the EPA can issue sanctions and take other steps to assist the states and tribes in reaching the desired levels of environmental quality. The Agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts. In July of 1970, the law that established the EPA was passed in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air and land, spurred by such scandals as the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire. Prior to the establishment of the EPA, the federal government was not structured to make a coordinated attack on the pollutants which harm human health and degrade the environment. The EPA was assigned the task of repairing the damage already done to the natural environment and to establish new criteria to guide Americans in making a cleaner environment a reality Compare Companys Researched

Toyota North America Inc and Dennys Inc.

Both companys, Toyota Motor North America Corporation and Dennys Inc. were cited in a lawsuit claiming sexual harassment against a female employee. Involvement by the EEOC helping both employees with their claim helped with changing the mindsets of both company and employees. The size of the company did not play a fact in the lawsuits but showed that any type of discrimination or sexual harassment will not be tolerated.

According to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, it states: Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA).

Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, and/or age. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit under these laws; or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.

Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. To be unlawful, the conduct must create a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.
(http://www.eeoc.gov/types/harassment.html)

Both companys tried to silence the acquisations by either terminating the employee as in the lawsuit against Dennys, Inc. or relocating the employee to a different department then termination as in the lawsuite against Toyota North America Corporation. In either lawsuit, the person in charge was in the wrong.

Apple Computers

The first company looked at in violation of the SOX was Apple Computers in which an internal investigation showed that there was backdating of stock options. The results for Apple Computers were developing a special committee to investigate the allegations. Though the investigation found no fault on the part of Apple Computers there were some serious concerns raised. The end results for Apple Computers would proactively report to the SEC as well as providing non-cash charges for compensation relating to past stock option grants.

Wind River Systems

Next were Wind River Systems the international software company was found itself non-compliance with the regulations of the Sarbanes-Oxley with managing financial risk. The problem was solved Wind River streamlining its fragmented accounting teams in to three regional teams as well as closing unnecessary bank accounts. This reduced the risk of fraud as well as saving Wind River Systems thousands of dollars in unnecessary banking fees.

MSN and AOL

Another phase of protection that the SOX offer corporations as well as their customers and investors is requiring internal security. With the age of computer the latest form of communication known as IM raises new security issues. A great deal of corporations in the corporate world is finding that they are more reliant on these sorts of technological advances. Two major providers MSN and AOL rely heavily on their corporate partners as well as staying compliant with the SOX. Therefore they partnered up with a software provider known as Akonix that provides the real-time requirements and internal controls required by the SOX for these IM services.

Conclusion

The importance of a compliance program in avoiding anti-competitive conduct under the Act, and in detecting and dealing with such behavior, should not be underestimated. The procedures put in place as the result of a compliance program serve not only to identify unlawful or questionable conduct, but also to promote awareness that will result in ethical standards of conduct. Implementing an effective compliance program which addresses both criminal behavior and civil reviewable conduct is good business. It can help a company avoid the adverse publicity and financial costs associated with contraventions of the Act. A compliance program will also enhance understanding of what is acceptable behavior so that legitimate competitive practices can be vigorously pursued without unwarranted concerns of contravening the Act.

Steven Brown, MBA is a loving husband and father of two boys. He enjoys his time with his family by providing a strong family foundation of Christian Faith. After completing his Bachelors degree, Steven wanted to further his ability to teach and share to others his mindset that they can do anything if they would believe in themselves.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Trading On The Online Forex Market

The online Forex market, as its name suggests, has no centralized physical address like the NYSE or the London Stock Exchange. It is in reality a global electronic network of currency dealers, who produce an incredibly high volume of monetary transactions in each twenty-four hour period.

A single day of online Forex trading will see the equivalent of nearly two trillion US dollars exchanging hands as traders buy and sell currencies. How much is that? Well, If you consider that the combined daily transactions of the US Bond and stock markets total about four hundred billion dollars, its impressive.

And with the arrival of home computers with Internet access, and the relaxation of certain monetary policies, the online Forex trading market is no longer the exclusive domain of movers and shakers who had the big bucks necessary to qualify as currency traders in prior years.

Currency trading is now available for all investors, and because of the generous leverage terms, or up to 100:1, many small investors are allowed to control significant sums of money without having a lot of their own capital in a trade. Someone who has only $1000, with that sort of leverage, can be trading currencies in $100,000 lots.

Understanding Online Forex Trading
There are many different trading platforms through which small investors can practice their online Forex trading; and, because the currency markets are conducting business around the clock three hundred and sixty-five days a year, there is no time of day during which online Forex trading is unavailable. Online Forex trading is open to banks, hedge funds, international conglomerates, and individual investors alike.

Online Forex trading may sound more complicated that it actually is. Currency trading is the simple process of using the national currency of one country to by the national currency of another. Buying Yen with Euros, or Canadian dollars with US dollars are both examples of currency trading; if youve ever gone to a foreign country as a tourist, youve probably engaged in some currency exchanges yourself.

The important thing about online Forex transactions is their sheer volume. Nearly two trillion in US dollars is exchanged on the Forex each day all year long. Online Forex trading is the largest financial market in the world. And even though small investors are now participating, the overwhelming bulk of money changing hands comes from banks, hedge funds, international corporations, and financial institutions.

Reasons For The Appeal Of Online Forex Trading
The reasons for the surge in Forex trading are fairly simple. The Forex market offers around the clock trading, exceedingly generous leverage terms and exceedingly relaxed margin requirements. The massive liquidity of the Forex market means most trades are constantly completed; and the volatility of the exchange rates offers a chance for quick profits. Those who educate themselves can adopt techniques proven to limit their risks, and finally, online Forex trading provides an opportunity to profit both in rising and dropping markets.

You can also find more info on Forex Brokers and Forex Education. e-forextradingsystem.com is a comprehensive resource to know about e-Forex Trading System.

Forex Trading The Six Major Reasons Traders Lose Money

In FOREX trading, there are six major reasons traders lose money. If you can avoid these pitfalls then you can join the minority of winners that pile up the big profits consistently.

Here are the trading traps that will cause you to lose money:

1. The Contrarians Disease

You should have a contrary opinion to the other Forex traders in the market most traders lose money, so you want to trade in opposition to the herd.

Most traders lose because they lack discipline and money management - but theyre very often right about market direction. Its the traders inability to maximise these opportunities when theyre trading the FOREX - and stay with the trend, that makes them lose money.

Many traders are looking to pick tops and bottoms, and never focus on trend following. Picking tops and bottoms is impossible. You cant predict the turning points in FOREX trading - so you need to change your focus to trend following, not prediction.

2. The Chartists Trap

In FOREX trading many traders fall into the trap of putting all their efforts into studying charts. Studying charts is important - but you must not be too subjective, or you will end up losing.

Avoid methods that need too much subjective analysis, such as Elliot Wave and cycles - and gravitate towards indicators that define trends - such as moving averages and momentum oscillators.

Be objective and not subjective in your FOREX trading.

3. Ego

FOREX trading attracts some of the cleverest people in the world, these traders are smart - but they also have big egos. An ego is a bad trait in FOREX trading - as it means you always want to see the market, as you want to see it - and not how it really is.

Traders need to ask themselves this question: Do you want to make money or feel smart? The market wont accommodate both of these desires if you want to make money, leave your ego behind.

The humble trader who has an objective and disciplined FOREX trading plan, realizes the market can make him (and everyone else) look stupid. However, hes only interested in making money, and hell generally out perform an ego filled trader, who wants to beat the market.

4. Guru Syndrome

When youre trading in the FOREX market, its tempting to follow someone whos made money - or says they have.

Its a fact that most traders want success given to them by someone else, and these traders cant take responsibility for their own actions.

In the game of FOREX trading, the only way to succeed is on your own - if you cant accept this, then do something else.

5. Chasing your Tail

Many traders get impatient when FOREX trading - they start trading using one method, get frustrated with it when its not performing - they then switch to a different method, and so on.

Bad periods are normally followed by good trading results (if youre using a soundly based system) - so patience and discipline are needed. By frequently chopping and changing systems, youll lose money.

If you have a trading plan that you believe in, then stick with it - and stop chasing your tail. Stay focused, and be patient with your system.

6. Using Options Incorrectly

When youre FOREX trading, using options gives you staying power - and limited risk, which makes options a great trading tool.

Many traders use options incorrectly - they focus on buying options with small time value, and that are way out of the money. This is a guaranteed way to lose money when options trading! What you need to do is focus on buying options, at or in the money - with lots of time value - also use spreads to increase your chances of success.

In conclusion - Dont try and be too smart - the above pitfalls are made by some of the brightest traders around. In most cases these mistakes come from thinking you have to be clever, or use complicated methods to succeed - however the reverse is true.

Keep your method simple, keep your focus, accept responsibility for your actions, and accept that the market will make you look stupid at times it does it to everyone!

If you watch out for the six pitfalls outlined above, youll be able to make big long-term profits - and thats the ONLY goal in FOREX trading.

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How To Earn Serious Money With Forex

The market

The currency trading (FOREX) market is the biggest and the fastest growing market on earth. Its daily turnover is more than 2.5 trillion dollars, which is 100 times greater than the NASDAQ daily turnover.

Markets are places to trade goods. The same goes with FOREX. The Forex goods (or merchandise) are the currencies of various countries. You buy Euro, paying with US dollars, or you sell Japanese Yens for Canadian dollars. That's all.

How does one profit in Forex?

Very simple and obvious: buy cheap and sell for more! The profit is generated from the fluctuations (changes) in the currency exchange market.

The nice thing about the FOREX market, is that regular daily fluctuations, say - around 1%, are multiplied by 100! (in general FOREX companies offer trading ratios from 1:50 to 1:200). If, for example, the exchange rate of "your" pair of currencies increased by 0.6% in the last 4 hours, your profit will be 60% on your investment! Such can happen in one business day, or in a few hours, even minutes.

Moreover, you cannot lose more than your "margin"! You may profit unlimited amounts, but you never lose more than what you initially risked and invested.

You can implement your choice (the pair of currencies, the volume amount) under any direction to which the market is moving, and yet make profit. It does not matter whether the exchange rate is going up or down: you can always decide to buy Euro and sell dollar, or vice versa - buy dollar and sell Euro. You don't have to physically possess certain currencies in order to perform "buy" or "sell" with them.

How do I trade Forex?

You select the pair of currencies with which you wish to make a Forex deal. You determine the volume (the amount of the deal). You deposit the "margin" (collateral needed to facilitate the deal. Usually - only a very small portion of the whole deal, say: 1% or 1:100).

Before you finally activate the deal, you can still "freeze" it for a few seconds. That enables you to either change the terms, or accept it as is, or altogether regret the whole idea. The "freeze" feature is a unique service.

When your Forex deal is running (you hold an "open position"), you can monitor its status and check scenarios online, whenever you wish. You may change some terms in the deal, or close it (and cash the profit, if any, or minimize the loss, if any). Moreover, some companies let you determine a "take-profit" rate, with which the deal will close automatically for you, when and if such rate occurs in the market. Meaning: you do not have to stay near your computer when you hold open positions.

Good luck!

Want to know more? Want to get on-line training? Click On The Link Below, we'll be glad to guide you, every step of the way. http://www.easy-forex.com/Gateway.aspx?gid=46603&bid=29

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Chevron Credit Card - A Fantastic Credit Card For Any Gas Guzzler

If you are in the market for gas credit cards, Chevron has some tempting offers that you may want to take a look at.

Do you want to earn 10c on the gallon from all you electronic gas purchases for the next 12 months?.... Yes?.... O.K, you're in luck. Just apply for the Chevron basic card and it's a done deal.

To help convince you even more, take a look at the other benefits:

No annual fee
Revolving credit terms so you can manage your money better
Itemized statements so you can track your expenses

I would love to add a very attractive APR to my tempt list, but the variable rate is 21.25%, which could be deemed as high depending on the APRs on your existing credit cards.

So let's look at the second offer in the Chevron range and see if I could bring you round.

This card is the Chevron Premium card and there is an annual membership fee of $25, but compared to the benefits you'd realise the fee is quite minimal.

Here's what you'll be entitled to:

50% lodging discounts
Airline and car rental cash backs
Travel insurance
5% - 50% travel savings

The APR for the Premium card is not found on the website, which is unfortunate because I believe in giving you full transparency so that a well informed decision can be made. For now we will hazard a guess that it will not be more than 21.25%

I have one more option to show you which is the Chevron Business Card. As the name suggests, this card is most beneficial to businesses and can be used to purchase most everything sold at Chevron outlets, from tires to snacks.

The benefits to the business owner are:

Enjoy more control over vehicle expenses
Lower your administrative costs
Simplify budgeting
Two different ways you can receive your monthly statements
Increase security

The benefits go on and on, if you want to see them all, you can visit http://www.chevrontexacocards.com.

If you are in a particularly giving mood, the Chevron gift cards would be useful. Purchase them for your friends, family, customers, employees or anyone else you can think of. The card designs are quite nice too; there is one of a race car and one that looks a lot like Lightening McQueen from the Pixar movie Cars. (Endorsements sure worked out well for him)

You can purchase your gift card online or at your local Chevron dealer.

And there you have it; all the cards offered by Chevron. Have I done enough to convince you? If not, there are many other gas credit cards on the market so I'm sure you will find something that is well suited to you.

This article was brought to you courtesy of Anthony Samuel, the webmaster of http://www.apply-for-a-credit-card-now.com

A credit card directory where you can search, compare and apply for credit card offers from leading credit card companies as well as find tools and credit card articles to help you choose the right credit card.

Was Your Ovarian Cancer Misdiagnosed?

As many as 30,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. In 2006, between 15,000 and 16,000 women are likely to die from this silent killer. Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of death among women, and it is responsible for about five percent of all cancer deaths. Chances are your doctor may have misdiagnosed you. That is often the case. A recent British study found 60 percent of all U.K. general practitioners had misdiagnosed their patients.

Three-quarters of British doctors surveyed incorrectly assumed that symptoms only occurred in the late stages of ovarian cancer. Based upon that information, it should be no surprise that Britain has one of the lowest survival rates for ovarian cancer in the Western World of 6,800 cases diagnosed each year, more than 4,600 die.

A similar discovery was made by University of California researchers, who announced last year, Four in 10 women with ovarian cancer have symptoms that they tell their doctors about at least four months and as long as one year before they are diagnosed. According to their study of nearly 2,000 women with ovarian cancer, the researchers discovered physicians:

First ordered abdominal imaging or performed gastrointestinal procedures instead of the more appropriate pelvic imaging and/or CA-125 (a blood test that can detect ovarian cancer).

Only 25 percent of patients, who reported ovarian cancer symptoms four or more months before diagnosis, were given pelvic imaging or had CA-125 blood tests.

Patients with early symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed. Abdominal imaging or diagnostic gastrointestinal studies are less likely to detect ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Societys website, The most common symptom is back pain, followed by fatigue, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain and urinary urgency. These symptoms tend to occur very frequently and become more severe with time. Most women with ovarian cancer have at least two of these symptoms.

By the time a woman reaches the fourth stage of ovarian cancer, her first-line treatment is often Carboplatin, Paclitaxel and Cisplatin as the specific chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. In the first stage, cancer is contained inside one or both ovaries. By stage two, the cancer has spread into the fallopian tubes or other pelvic tissues, such as the bladder or rectum. When the cancer has spread outside the pelvis area into the abdominal cavity, especially when tumor growths are larger than two centimeters on the lining of the abdomen, then ovarian cancer has reached stage three. The fourth and final stage of ovarian cancer is reached when the cancer has spread into other body organs, such as the liver or lungs.

If detected early, survival rates can be as high as 90 percent. Detected in the advanced stage, the survival rate falls to between 30 and 40 percent. Various imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and ultrasound studies can confirm whether a pelvic mass is present. A laparoscopy can help a doctor look at the ovaries and other pelvic tissue to in order to plan out a surgical procedure, or to determine the stage of the ovarian cancer. A biopsy, or tissue sampling, would confirm if there is cancer in your pelvic region, and would help determine how advanced it is. An elevated CA-125 blood test typically suggests the cancer has progressed to the advanced stage.

About 50 percent of ovarian cancer patients are already at an advanced stage by the time a correct diagnosis is made. Only 10 to 14 percent of women with advanced cancer are likely to survive more than five years.

Evaluation of Therapies

While research shows drinking black (or green) tea or taking the herbal supplement gingko biloba may be useful, as a preventative measure, or to reduce risk, a woman has few choices when her cancer has moved to the advanced stage. In the first stage, a woman faces surgical removal of the tumor, and possibly one or both ovaries, to increase her chances of survival. Beyond that, her choice is chemotherapy.

One major problem with chemotherapy is the side effects. The more advanced the cancer, the weaker one may be, reducing the survival rate potential. Survival rates have not changed very much over the past fifteen years. Chemotherapy can increase survival time by as much as 50 percent. But, quality of life suffers. The side effects and increased toxicity, accompanying chemotherapy, reduce how one spends the prolonged survival time.

Some of Paclitaxels minor side effects, as reported by Medline Plus, may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, change in taste, thinned or brittle hair, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, changes in the color of nails, and/or tingling in the hands or toes. More serious side effects may include mouth blistering or fatigue. Some alarming side effects could include unusual bleeding or bruising, dizziness, shortness of breath, severe exhaustion, chest pain, or difficulty swallowing. The most common side effect of Paclitaxel is a decrease of blood cells.

Carboplatin has its own list of side effects. It can reduce platelet production, which can interfere with your bloods ability to clot. You may become anemic, feeling tired or breathless. Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and a general feeling of weakness are common with this chemotherapeutic agent.

The latest breed of drugs, such as Eli Lillys Gemzar, are hardly getting praise. On March 10th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was skeptical of the benefits Eli Lillys Gemzar, which was being used with Carboplatin to treat ovarian cancer patients. The FDA felt the 2.8 months increased survival time, provided by the Gemzar/Carboplatin combination failed to offset the treatments increased toxicity.

In January, the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a remarkable new delivery system of chemotherapy, called the intra-abdominal, or intraperitoneal, chemotherapy. Those who received the belly bath as it is now being called by the media can survive 16 months longer than those receiving intravenous chemotherapy. The major drawback is that 60 percent of the women in the study were unable to complete all six cycles of this chemotherapy. Those who did survived longer, but only two in every five women were able to advance to the end phase of the therapy.

One novel approach, now in Phase III trials at more than 60 research centers across the United States, is OvaRex MAb, a murine monoclonal antibody, a type of biotech drug derived from mouse cells. It is being tested by highly regarded United Therapeutics, based in Silver Springs, Maryland. Their lead drug Remodulin, an injection which treats pulmonary arterial hypertension, is currently being marketed inside and outside the United States. More than $32 million has been spent researching, and on the development of, OvaRex and may have it available on the market by 2008.

OvaRex was developed in Canada by a company called ViRexx Medical Corp, and first tested in that country. According to Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, Chief Executive of ViRexx, The whole study has been set up with the FDA. This is a study where the drug has been given fast track approval and orphan drug status. Dr. Tyrrell is also on leave (until OvaRex become commercially available) as a Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta, and Director of the National Centre of Excellence for Viral Hepatitis Research.

OvaRex was tested in Canada, prior to the current Phase III trials in the U.S. There have been a number of patients that have received OvaRex, said Dr. Tyrrell, Weve had really no adverse effects from these patients. Dr. Tyrrell explained the procedure, After being injected intravenously, OvaRex binds to an antigen circulating in the blood. An antibodys general purpose is to neutralize an antigen. After an OvaRex injection, the murine monoclonal antibody binds to the CA-125 antigen.

In a way the body is tricked. But, the body is tricked in order to help save itself from the harmful antigen. When the OvaRex antibody is bound to the CA-125 antigen, the new combination is identified as a harmful unit. Before then, the antigen wanders through the body, without alerting the bodys defense systems, the dendritic cells, to attack and destroy the harmful antigen. Because the body is trained to identify and zero in on a foreign protein, in this case a mouse protein, it alerts the dendritic cells. Until then, the dendritic cells tolerate the cancerous cells. The tolerance is what permits the cancer to spread throughout the body. OvaRex seeks to break that tolerance. The murine monoclonal antibody is designed to target and bind exclusively to free floating CA-125 antigen.

The dendritic cells refuse to tolerate the foreign protein. When the antibody binds with the free-floating antigen, the dendritic cells recognize the complex (antibody plus antigen) as being foreign and engulf the new unit. The dendritic cells break down the key proteins of this unit, presenting all parts on the cells surface. At the point, the bodys killer T-Cells are alerted to fight the internal threat to the body. Once activated, the T-Cells will replicate and create more killer T-Cells. Any tumor cells expressing the CA-125 antigen is targeted for destruction. The army of T-Cells move to attack the ovarian cancer tumor.

The principle behind OvaRex is to re-program the immune system to harness the bodys defenses to prevent the growth and spread of the ovarian cancer. Will it cure ovarian cancer? In most cases, it will be a delay, explained Dr. Tyrrell. However, I think that, and everyone hopes that, often in some of these tumors, youre making incremental progress through careful clinical trials and adding new therapy. Each thing we do that improves the outcome when you start to look at the long term benefits of these, we hope that one day we will be able to cure this disease. We think this is a step. This has the potential to be an important step at helping to stimulate immune response to achieve a better outcome. Hopefully, one day we can improve that to where it is a cure.

COPYRIGHT 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterviews Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com