What is Fixed Odds Trading and How Does it Differ From Spread Betting?

May 21, 2010 by  
Filed under Forex Articles

Fixed Odds trading is essentially speculation on the outcome of an assets future price movement. You don’t actually own the physical asset but you place a trade to take advantage of its predicted price movement.

If for example you think that the FTSE Index of leading shares will fall over the next two weeks, you could place a trade to profit from this move. Or you might think that Sterling (vs the US Dollar) will not touch1.70 over the next 15 days, again you could place a trade on this outcome.

First, you check the odds (percentage return) that the broker is offering for your desired (price) level, bet type and selected time frame. Then if you are happy with the return being offered you place the trade. If your prediction proves to be right at the end of your selected time frame you receive your profits. Maybe you traded to make a 25% return from this movement, maybe 40%, 100%, 300% or even more!

On expiry, profits are instantly credited to your account and can be withdrawn or used for your next trading opportunity.

The configurable time frame for your trade means you can simply ‘dip’ into the markets as and when an opportunity arises. This allows you to profit from short term movements without being committed to holding an asset even if the market turns against you.

This differs from traditional forms of trading such as Spread betting and makes it better suited to most traders, especially in volatile markets.

With Spread betting, money is bet per point (per pip for currencies). The level of stake for each point of movement is set by the trader subject to the minimum limits of the broker. These limits will vary but are often 1 – 50 dollars per point depending on the market traded. For a buy trade, a profit is made for every point the market moves above the placing price and a loss is incurred for every point the market moves below the trading price. A sell trade simply operates in reverse. When the trade is closed the total number of points moved is multiplied by the stake placed. This determines the profit or loss from the trade.

For example an 80 pip movement in your favour on the GBP/USD exchange rate at 5 dollars per pip, would net a return of:

80 (number of pips moved in favour of trade) X 5 (stake per point) =+400

So if you had called the direction of the market correctly then this would be your profit.

However if you hadn’t and the market moved 80 pips in the opposite direction to your trade, then this would be your liability or loss.

80 (number of pips moved against trade) X 5 (stake per point) = -400

In fact you are liable for all losses incurred until the trade is closed! In a fast moving (or even gapping) market this can be a very dangerous strategy, even with a Stop loss in place! So while Spread betting offers the potential to make high profits, the flip side is that you could also be liable for unlimited losses!

Taking Out a Loan: The Best Approach

March 16, 2010 by  
Filed under Futures and Commodities

Loans can be very useful from time to time, especially when you know how to choose the right one as well as how to use them correctly.

That is why comparing loans is always the best approach whenever you are planning on getting a loan.

It is the only way you can be sure that you are taking out the most beneficial loan deal available on the market, plus you wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with shady lenders at all.

The first step to comparing loans properly is to find as much information as possible on available deals. The good news is, you can now find all the information you need online.

With sites such as the one you are reading right now offering top resources on how you can take out the best loan possible, you should have no trouble at all finding and engaging the best loan to help you with your situation.

There are also different types of loans available, so be sure to assess your own financial situation and pick the best one accordingly.

Certain loans can be used in certain situations perfectly while they may not be suitable in others. Take your time, and you will have the best loan in no time.

Iraqi Dinar Revaluation – Projections For the Future

March 5, 2010 by  
Filed under Iraqi Dinar

Financial experts and the economists are of the opinion that the economy of Iraq will bounce back and the Iraqi Dinar will revalue and reach a value of three Dinars per one U.S. dollar. They believe that the economy of Iraq is likely to reach good heights by 2013. Currently, the worth of one million Iraqi Dinars is less than thousand US Dollars. There was a time when the worth of one million Iraqi Dinars was equivalent to 3,000,000 US dollars.

Remember, Iraq was has vast reserves of crude oil and many areas Iraq has not been geologically explored using the latest and modern seismic techniques. Today, Iraq has minim of 115 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and this figure is as per old surveys. However, the government of Iraq has publicly stated that Iraq has large reserves of petroleum and its reserves could be the largest in the world.

Financial analysts are of the opinion that even if the worth of the Iraqi Dinar were valued at 0.26 U.S. Dollar (this is the lowest valued currency of the mainstream Middle Eastern Countries) then one million Dinars would be equivalent to 260,000 US Dollars. The studies show that since late 2003, the economy of Iraq has shown signs of recovering and there has been a steady increase in the conversion of natural resources. This in turn has steadily increased the value of currency.

One also needs to remember that there is a global oil shortage and the prices of crude oil are soaring. Today, currencies of the oil-rich Middle Eastern countries are much higher than the Iraqi Dinar. The economies of India and China are growing and will continue to grow. And there will be great demand for oil which will increase the value of the bank notes. Hence, there are strong indicators that the currency will continue to grow in value and be revalued to keep up with the growth of the Iraqi economy.

When Will the Iraqi Dinar Revalue?

March 5, 2010 by  
Filed under Iraqi Dinar

One needs to remember that Iraq is a strategically located Middle Eastern Country. A valued asset of Iraq is its numerous oil wells. Therefore it is in the best interest of the other Middle Eastern nations, as well as the Western nations, for Iraq to establish a stable economy. It is a political truth that no country whether it is Western or Middle Eastern is going to allow the natural wealth of Iraq to fall into the hands of corrupt government leaders or radical segments of the population.

Iraq has a very high quality crude oil which is extremely cheap. Since there are very few impurities or hindrances in drilling crude oil, the cost of production is very minimal compared with the other oil producing countries. That is the profit margin of oil production in Iraq is considered to be highest in comparison with the neighboring countries. Therefore, once the economy stabilizes, the potential GDP rate is going to be very high compared to the rest of the region.

It is also worth mentioning that financial entities such as WTO (World Trade Organization) and IMF (International Monetary Fund) along with other world banking organizations like the World Bank are working in conjunction with the government of Iraq to stabilize the financial system and also make it in par with other countries. Once this happens, the value of the Iraqi Dinar will increase in value. It is also believed that with an increase in the value of Iraqi Dinar, there will be more investors and currency traders in the financial market and this will create a free-flowing financial market. The combination of a better infrastructure, increased security, and more domestic and foreign investment will allow Iraq to continue to grow and prosper. With success of the people, government, and economy, the currency of the nation will increase in value.

Using Credit Cards to Pay Mortgages

February 23, 2010 by  
Filed under Retirement-Planning

A recent announcement by the Homeless Charity Shelter has government officials in alarm. The shelter announced that 6 percent of respondents to a recent survey stated they are using their credit cards to keep on top of their mortgages or rents.

It is mainly the working class who has been paying off their credit card debts using plastic. The poll also discovered about four percent of the middle and upper classes are also incurring more debt in order to pay it off. The charity is concerned that eventually the credit limits will be reached and these individuals will be suffering even more.

If one cannot pay off their credit card or they no longer have enough of a limit, not only will the credit card cut them off but home repossession will be a possibility. For those who are using credit cards its more about keeping a roof over their head as long as possible until nothing else can be done but to foreclose.

Unfortunately, increasing the credit card debt is the wrong way to go about this. Still, if you must use credit cards it is imperative to find the right one through credit card comparison to avoid further detriment.

When Will the Iraqi Dinar Finally Revalue?

December 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Futures and Commodities

Anyone trading currencies or involved in the Forex market by now has heard of the Iraqi Dinar. Many of you probably are already sitting on a nice little stack hoping this will eventually revalue and become millionaires. The new Iraqi Dinar was first introduced back in 2003 as the new currency was put in place after Saddam Hussein was overthrown.

The old currency with Saddam’s portrait was demonetized and the new introduced. Since then many speculators swooped in buying up billions of these new bills and began selling them to whoever believed in Iraq’s future. However many people scoffed at the idea simply due to the fact there was a war going on and the future for the people let alone the economy looked very bleak.

However many Dinar investors held on to their notes believing they will become millionaires overnight logging on to chat rooms and listening to all rumors.

For the past 6 years there’s been nothing but rumors and more rumors. There are so many people on these chat rooms claiming to have ‘contacts’ inside the banks and they know when the Dinar will revalue. It’s been like this for several years now with dates popping up all saying, “This is the day – confirmed”.

The truth is that no one knows when the Iraqi Dinar will revalue. I repeat no one knows the exact date. There are so many factors that can delay the RV there is no set date anyone can rely on.

It’s very discouraging for some people have to read these chat rooms posting with a date only to get disappointed. My suggestion: Stop visiting these ‘dinar rumor’ chat rooms! Most of them are worthless and many have ulterior motives. They are Dinar pumpers and try to get you to buy from their source.

For those of you that have invested stay patient and don’t get pumped up from an RV date. Just pay attention to what is going on and (hopefully) the day it does RV – run to the bank!

If you have been trading Forex for a while or thinking of trading Forex these trading systems will come a long way to help master Forex like a Pro!

How Can I Get May Hands on Iraqi Dinar?

December 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Futures and Commodities

The hottest investment sweeping the net today is the buying of Iraqi dinar. Buying the actual paper currency from the country of Iraq in the hopes the country will stabilize and the currency will revalue.

As of today’s date $1 USD is = 1153.55 dinars. Here is the basic idea you purchase 346,065 dinars for a mere $284 USD (typical price from a dinar dealer). Suppose $1 USD will = 1.49 Dinar – now you have made yourself a ton of money with a very small investment.

Because of the potential there are many dinar traders on the net all claiming this “investment” is a sure bet. Currently you purchase 1,000,000 Iraqi (IQD) dinars for $1,060 from anyone of these sites. However there are some dangers of buying them so let’s review the risks:

1) Buying the old dinars with Saddam Hussein’s portrait. Sorry but he was hanged for crimes against humanity. Those notes are worth nothing.

2) Buying counterfeit IQD notes. Although the new notes have several security features there was a case in Eastern Europe of a gang trying to sell counterfeit Iraqi money. The likelihood of buying counterfeit dinars is actually very low since there are least five security features.

3) Falling for the bogus selling points. There are several selling points these traders love to tout. The #1 selling point the Iraqi dinar was at 3.22 in the 1980′s therefore the RV will match the old value. Wrong! Saddam himself arbitrarily pegged the value at $3.22. That is basically any ruler of a nation all of the sudden declaring his currency is worth $20 to 1 USD. It’s also important to note that inflation at the time was above 25% so really that 3.22 value was much less.

4) Buying on eBay. I don’t need to say too much here but buying currency on eBay is risky. If you want dinars buy them from a respected dinar trader.

These are just some of the risks involved in buying dinars from any trader. Reading the websites of these dinar traders they make sound it’s a sure bet that the dinar will revalue “very soon” and you’ll become rich in no time. Buying dinars is a purely speculative investment and you must keep in mind what the facts are.

Understand when buying Dinars you are basically buying a lottery ticket. There is never a guarantee that it will revalue to your favor.

With that said I recommend the following sources for buying dinars:

1) Safe Dinar

2) Dinar Trade

These can be easily found on the net and are very professional. They send the dinars via FedEx COD. So you pay when you receive them. I myself have purchased my dinars in the fashion with no problems. I also recommend buying the dinar notes that have not been circulated already. They will arrive to you next day air in a sealed plastic envelope.

Before you rush out to buy Iraqi money with the hopes of getting rich make sure you understand the risks involved.

If you have been trading Forex for a while or thinking of trading Forex these trading systems will come a long way to help master Forex like a Pro!

Iraqi Dinar Investments May Be Your Best Retirement Option With Impending Revalue of Iraq Free Dinar

December 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Futures and Commodities

The Iraqi government has come a long way since the overthrow of Saddam back in 2003. Sadly, there si a long way to go before Iraq and the infrastructure is back to what it was before U.S. invasion. I have been following progress since 2003 and have been an investor in Iraq ever since. Given the current economic collapse worldwide, what has gotten the attention of the investment world is the stability of the Iraqi Dinar over the past six years.

As one of the main goals announced early on, Iraq has accomplished the stability of currency concerns, as well as they have managed to control inflation which was also a goal set by Iraqi leaders. We only hear about the negatives in Iraq, terrorist attacks, sectarian killing, no electricity or adequate fuel for vehicles or generators to power homes and businesses. It appears only the negative news was reported by the major media outlets given the liberal slant well known by everyone given the press loved attacking the Bush administration.

Politics as usual, both here in the U.S. as well as in Iraq. Politics is the same throughout the world, and given the U.S. is forcing democracy upon Iraq, it only reasons that the same dirty politics and party divisions would be adopted as well by the Iraqi Parliament. All the delays we have witnessed are all caused by the sectarian divide between Shiite’s, Sunni’s and Kurd’s which represent the main powers in Iraq. Given the hatred between the sectarian parties, similar to the hatred between the democrats and republicans, no wonder no one can agree on important issues in Iraq.

What we see now after six years is progress towards partial agreement between parties, not nearly what would be hoped given the wealth of Iraq, and the need to help its citizens which are mostly poor people who are desperate for change. If this sectarian divide did not exist, Iraq would be well on its way to being the wealthiest middle east country by now. Sadly, these parties have wasted years fighting over who gets what with regards to oil proceeds. Even after parties agreed to share equally, it was not enough for some.

With elections scheduled for January 2010, there was even a delay on the election law which was held up for months leading up to the second most important election in Iraq. Will it go off as planned, it finally looks like it is passed, and this is one of the last issues that needed to be resolved before any hope of a revaluation or restoration of the dinars value.

For those who have already invested in the Iraqi Dinar from the start, they have already seen over 50% return on investment, but if you are like most who follow this closely, 50% is a pittance to what the potential will be if you can just remain patient. With stock market collapse, markets rising and falling daily, housing collapse, banking collapse, we have seen it all over the past year, so considering the small amount needed for a potential retirement windfall, everyone should be researching the Iraqi Dinar for their retirement plan.

As we approach the end of the year with election law now passed, much of Iraq’s former debt forgiven, oil law passed and major companies lining up for oil contracts, I know from my contacts that Iraq has the largest oil reserves in the world. They have not been confirmed yet, but when they are, which will be early next year given the recent progress, there is no way the Iraqi Dinar will remain at these artificially low rates. With much of the infrastructure in oil and electricity still far from complete, Iraq will need to purchase billions from outside of Iraq, and it will not happen with an artificially depressed current value of the dinar. It must be revalued before these major expenditures begin, so I predict it will happen early next year, perhaps even before the elections given politics as usual of paying for votes. Maliki in not assured the election given so little has been done for the poor voters, so just like in U.S. politics, you can buy an election, so Maliki just may push an interim revaluation awaiting full revaluation when GCC is enacted in middle east with new universal currency. Either way, all it takes is patience.

With current Iraqi Dinar being stable at 1170 for over a year while all other currencies have been fluctuating up and down, mostly down, as with the U.S. dollar now at lowest exchange rates in decades, you cannot ignore the fact the Iraqi Dinar has been rock solid throughout the economic meltdown of banking in U.S. With major press on MSNBC and Erin Burnett and Jim Cramer talking about it for the first time, the secret is out, there are few other investments which could come close the the ultimate potential of the Iraqi Dinar. Of course, never invest what you cannot afford to lose, but if you do decide not to invest in the Iraqi Dinar, just never look back or you may regret it for the rest of your life.

Become a Forex Trader – How to Learn Quickly and Make a Triple Digit Income in 30 Minutes a Day!

December 7, 2009 by  
Filed under Forex Articles

Here we are going to look at getting the right Forex education to become a Forex trader from home. You will learn what you need to do, to start trading like a pro and making a great second income; simply follow the tips in this article and your all set to enjoy success.

First let me make one point clear – you have to make an effort and learn skills to win, there are no short cuts! If you think the route to success is to use a cheap Forex robot and make no effort, then you are going to lose so don’t trade Forex. You are trading in a market where 95% of all traders lose money, so you need to learn skills however the really great news is to learn the basics doesn’t take long and you only need a simple system.

A simple and robust trading system, can make you far more than a clever and complex one, because it has fewer parameters to break and it’s a fact that anyone can learn to trade; it’s a specifically learned skill and doesn’t require any college education or lots of effort, you can learn all you need to know in a few weeks.

Now you might be saying – it can’t be that easy, you just said 95% of traders lose!

Now the point I want to make next is that a good system which can make money won’t, unless you trade it correctly and we now come to the key to Forex trading success which is the one most traders can’t master and that’s trading their system with discipline.

Mental discipline is the key to success, because you have to have the confidence to trade through periods of losses, take them and keep them small and the reason this is so hard for most traders is they have egos. They hate being wrong and rather than take losses, they run them and they join the majority of losers.

Achieving Forex trading success is dependent on accepting you can’t win a lot of the time and taking your losses and staying on track until you hot profitable trends. The market is all powerful and it does what it wants, when it wants and its futile to argue with the price! – it can only be right and you can only be wrong but that doesn’t mean you can’t win.

To win at currency trading respect the market, take your losses and it will reward you with some big trends you can run for huge profits which will give an overall great second income, for around 30 minutes work a day.

As you can see, anyone can learn a system and anyone can win providing, you decide to get a disciplined mindset from the outset.

Forex Autopilot Review – How Will it Help You Make Money?

December 7, 2009 by  
Filed under Forex Articles

The forex auto pilot software also known as the FAP turbo was developed by Marcus Leary. It is automated software which was developed with the sole aim of helping the forex traders to ease out their trading practices. Right from its launch the autopilot has produced rave reviews in the trading circuit because of its efficiency. The forex autopilot helps you in managing your trading portfolio. This also helps to rule out much of the work that is based on the predictions. Though many a things are expected from this auto pilot has it lived up to its expectations?

The forex autopilot has proved itself to be user friendly software. Though this is a common feature among many robots the FAP turbo has customized settings to suit individual needs. Every trader has his own strategies and tolerance to risk. Compatibility with your system is very important since there is a threat that if you do not understand your system properly you are sure to lose a great deal of money.

You cannot expect 100% results if you have no compatibility with your system and is not willing to put that extra amount of work that is needed. One should be clear and know the basic functionality of the system in order to attain efficiency in trade. It is alright to lose money at some point of time in your trading practices. No trader has a 100% track record but it sis equally important for you to learn from those mistakes to make your career successful.

It is important to make your self comfortable and be confident with the robot that you trade with. If you are clear with what you are doing then in no time you will find a high in your charts. The important aspect of the forex auto pilot is that it can make quick decisions and act according to the needs of the situation. When your knowledge coupled with the technical advancements of the FAP turbo it is sure that you can see a better track record.

Although the facts claim a greater gain percentage when you are working with the forex auto pilot it only is achieved through commitment to your work with a better and deeper understanding that it is only a tool to guide you through the process and the rest should be done only by you.

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