Tips for Online Currency Trading

Did you realize that currency trading is the world's largest business? Yes, it's true. Over three trillion dollars worth of transactions take place each and every day in the world's currency markets and online currency trading is now available to everyone.

The markets are extremely volatile and fortunes can be won and lost in mere minutes. But please understand that currency trading is anything but some sort of get rich quick scheme. It is like any other investment and can be compared to the stock market. Be warned, if you are interested in participating in currency trading you had better get a sound education or you will surely lose your money.

The currency market is an informal, unlike the formal stock exchange, market where dealers buy and sell currencies in order to make a profit. Currency trading is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because it is a global exercise. To borrow a phrase from the British Empire, the sun never sets on the currency markets.

To invest in online currency trading, you need to open an account with one of the many reliable firms that you will find on the Internet. You must deposit a minimum amount of money and fill out the requisite paperwork before paying allowed to trade such currencies as the French franc, German mark and Eurodollars. I would strongly recommend to the newcomer to take it very slowly as he embarks upon the world of online currency trading.

The market operates on a very high margin-trading basis. That means you can control a great deal of money by putting down only a fraction of it. It is called leverage and you are usually allowed approximately 10 times your cash position. That can be a big advantage for making profits. It can also cost you a lot if your trades go against you, so you have to be on top of the situation. This is not a game.

If you are going to venture into online currency trading, study the trading and the markets. Many of the larger online currency trading firms offer information and training materials that are extremely helpful. It would also be beneficial to learn about technical trading as that is what most short-term traders use to help make their buy and sell decisions. There are mountains and mountains of information available on the Internet.

Online currency trading is not gambling but you need to know what the investment is all about and how it works before you consider trading. Look for a company that has been established for a long time and has a solid track record. If you are not sure about something and by all means ask as many questions as you need.

Also, note that online currency trading is not for everyone but for the people that take the time to learn the business, it can be very profitable and rewarding. You should only use money that you can afford to lose and never trade with the mortgage or tuition money. If it's done right they can be quite exciting and lucrative. The market moves quickly and if you enjoy fast paced action, nothing beats online currency trading.

organ Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding online currency trading. You can get interesting and informative information here at Online Currency Trading

What your Financial Planner has not told you about a Self-Directed IRA

IRA investments do not just have to be about stocks, bonds and mutual funds. If you open a self directed IRA account with an appropriate self directed IRA trustee, as its owner you are entitled to make your own investment choices, including investing in business or real estate opportunities.

Why hasn't your financial planner told you about this? Financial planners will advise on opening self directed IRAs and other self direct retirement plans, but normally use banks and institutions that tend to limit clients to investing in their own product range. However, if you have experience in investing, or an entrepreneurial flare, you will realize how limiting this can be. A self directed IRA with an independent IRA trustee can open up a vast range of prospective investment opportunities to you.

For example, if you choose to self direct your IRA with a non-traditional IRA trustee, then you can buy a real estate investment property with your IRA funds. Not only can you purchase a real estate, but also you can also purchase a business. Using your funds to buy real estate or having IRA real estate holdings enables you to use the gains, both profits and capital, as part of your IRA and enjoy the tax advantages. It is important to get professional advice on how to set up your Real Estate IRA so that your funds can be legally invested through your IRA and used to build up your retirement funds, otherwise you could be found to have made early distributions from your IRA and be subject to severe IRS penalties. A self-directed IRA expert can show you how to run transactions through your IRA so that your retirement funds remain in compliance with IRS Regulations and so you can avoid prohibitive transactions.

Excerpt from the IRS flagship website www.irs.gov:

Are there any restrictions on the things I can invest my IRA in?

The law does not permit IRA funds to be invested in collectibles.

If your IRA invests in collectibles, the amount invested is considered distributed to you in the year invested. You may have to pay a 10% additional tax on early distributions.

Here are some examples of collectibles:

Artwork, Rugs, Antiques, Metals - there are exceptions for certain kinds of bullion, Gems, Stamps, Coins - there are exceptions for certain coins minted by the U.S. Treasury, Alcoholic beverages, and certain other tangible personal property.

Check Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), for more information on collectibles...

Finally, IRA trustees are permitted to impose additional restrictions on investments. For example, because of administrative burdens, many IRA trustees do not permit IRA owners to invest IRA funds in real estate. IRA law does not prohibit investing in real estate, but trustees are not required to offer real estate as an option.

(Excerpt taken from IRS website.)

There are many different kinds of real estate opportunities available nowadays to the prospective investor. Examples include -

Timberland
Commercial Real Estate
Foreclosures
Tax Certificates
Discounted Real Estate Paper
Other real estate like products

In all of these areas, a competent and experienced Self Directed IRA Specialist can show you how to set up an investment strategy to legally avoid the common pitfalls of investing in non-traditional assets with an IRA. Your investment future depends on it.

With 9 years of Internet marketing experience and owning 3 profitable online businesses, Joshua Geary is among the most read authors on the Net for self-directed iras. An avid writer, business strategist and online marketer, he brings his knowledge of the marketplace to anyone willing to surpass personal goals everyday! Visit Asset Exchange Strategies online at to learn more about the structure of Self Directed IRAs for non-traditional invesmtents.

Magic Bullet To Retirement

Everyone is looking for that magic bullet that will allow them to retire rich or at least comfortable. They want to be able to do what the TV ads show - vacationing in Fiji, fly fishing in Vermont, etc, etc. It seems so easy on TV.

A pretty financial analyst from some big company shows the prospect how it is done. The next part of the trick is getting it done and that aint easy. It usually means a change because the potential retiree must take part of the cash now being spent on present life style and put it away not to be spent until retirement becomes a reality. If the couple shown in the ad do it they will be glad they did. Sacrificing some current pleasantries will have been worth it. The $2,000, $3,000, $5,000 trip today could be worth twice that amount or more at age 65 if the worker now is lucky enough to have a good broker or planner one who will not allow loss of principal during subsequent bear markets.

Annuities sound good, but 99% are rip offs. If an annuity is appealing insist on a sample policy. Take it to an attorney and pay $250 or so to have it translated into English. The most important paragraph is the cancellation clause. Get a letter from him stating the major features. When the policy is delivered compare it line for line with the sample to be sure they are the same. Accept no substitutions or changes. The persons saving will want to have a financial planner who has an excellent exit strategy. There are very few of them. Ask to see their model portfolio results for the years 2000 to 2003.

If they lost 30, 40% or more find another advisor. Advisors like to show how they did in relation to the S&P500 Index which lost 40%. They show they did better. Better still means they would have lost the clients money. This is the road to disaster as there will be another serious bear market and customers money will go down the rat hole again. A smart investor will continue due diligence until such an advisor is found. Rarely will it be a stock broker. Occasionally a financial planner can be found. Search on the Internet. Make them prove (and be sure it can be verified) the results. Dont accept 10-year projections.

These are nonsense. Even during the bad 3 years there should be profits. When people come to the end of the road and may no longer be able to work for an income the money put away will be their blessing. The great Social Security farce may have blown up by then. People must take personal responsibility for their retirement. Few have done so and think the government will take care of them. Think again or enjoy those canned cat food sandwiches. Act now. Unless you are the Lone Ranger there will be no magic bullet.

Al Thomas' best selling book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter and receive his market letter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know. Copyright 2007 All rights reserved

Buying A New Or Used RV?

If a new or used RV is in your future... here are a few tips. Buying a new or used motor home, 5th wheel, travel trailer, or folding camper is always exciting as we anticipate places we will visit and the new friends we will meet in our new RV or camper... It is exciting and it should be as the RV industry is indeed "alive and well", sales continue to be strong, and the future looks bright as well. RV'ing is a tremendous form of recreation and is a great way for families to get away together.

As an RV technician, I have a unique perspective as I see these buyers six months to a year later when the euphoria of the buying process is long past and the reality has set in. By this time RV owners have a much better understanding of what they bought, mistakes which were made in the buying process, and the things they would do differently if they ever have the opportunity again.

Here are some of the major mistakes I have encountered so I am passing them on to interested RVers to help you avoid and some of the most common pitfalls motor home, 5th wheel, and travel trailer buyers encounter.

Buying the wrong RV heads up the list and explains why there are so many late model RVs on the market. When it comes to supply and demand there is no shortage of used RVs on the market. So why do people buy wrong? The answer is simple. The glitz and glamour of RV dealer showrooms and lots can easily sidetrack unsuspecting buyers away from their true needs when they see RVs which look better than their own homes. In short, emotion overtakes logic leading some to buy the wrong RV, usually one which is too large for ones true needs.

Another pitfall is going through the selection and buying process too quickly. Buying an RV is a major expenditure so taking ones time is only prudent both with the decision of RV type and size but also of delivery. Those who think they need their RV tomorrow and coerce their dealer into delivering it too quickly as making a big mistake which will result in down time(time in which your RV will not be available to you for your use) in the future. If you need it tomorrow it only means you did not begin your search process soon enough.

Another major pitfall is buyers conducting a poor inspection of their RV. It does not matter if you are buying a new or used RV, an in depth inspection is crucial. After all even if youre buying new do you want an RV assembled on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon? Trust me, you do not, and an in depth inspection will reveal both poor design and any lack of attention to detail in the final assembly process.

Last but certainly not least is the fallacy of placing too much stock in RV manufacturers warranties. Im not saying theyre not important because they are, but believe it or not , in some cases three years is not enough time to make some of the necessary repairs on some RVs. The truth of the matter is your new RV should not have to go back to the dealer more than twice in the first year to eighteen months. The reality is people get worn down dragging their RV back to the dealership repeatedly while also loosing the right to use their RV as it sits on the RV dealers lot. An in depth inspection and slowing down the buying process can alleviate much of these types of problems. I continue to be amazed at the number of people who buy RVs with things that simply are not working. Sometimes its naivet as many assume too much. My advice is when buying an RV NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING!

One last word about buying used. Some of the best deals out there are used RVs (the seller eats the depreciation, not you) and an in depth inspection goes a long way in reducing ones risk when buying used. You just have to know how to do it. If you feel you are not knowledgeable or experienced enough to be able to do this let me assure you there is a lot of good information available to help you. I encourage you to seek it out and do your homework because it is time and effort, which most assuredly will pay off. That is my wish for you that all of us will be "happy campers".

Ray Oberreuter is an RV technician who has worked in Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and Washington. He and his wife Sandy are "fulltimers" who live in their fifth wheel and also maintain an RV INFORMATION website at http://www.rv-motorhome-answers.com/salesletter.html