Stock Splits - Going Beyond the Myth

Author: Paul Hegarty

I think when doing anything that has a desired end in mind it is crucial to gain as much information as you can so that you use you time effectively. There is a big myth out there in the stock market when it comes to stock splits. A stock split would imply that a given stock holder would get twice as many shares as he or she originally had.

The common mistake made by those who do not understand splits is the notion that the stocks hold the same value after the split. This is not the case. The actual value of the stock is split in two. In other words it is now only worth half of what it used to be. This is very important to understand. As a consequence the value of the stock is the same as it was before the split.

The question then is. Why do companies do this? Mainly it has to do with the psychology of the investor. When a stock is very expensive say $80 a share a lot of potential investors would not buy it because it is so expensive. When the stock is split now it is worth $40. As a result it is more attractive to buy because it is affordable.

Not all stock splits are split in half. There are a number of ratios to determine a split. Some of the ratios include 2- for-1, 3-for-2 and some even go to 3 to 1. Stock splits do not just go one way either. There is also what is known as a reverse split. In this case the amount of stock is reduced. This type of split is less common. The goal of the company here maybe to increase the value of the stock so that they can stave of de-listment.

Whatever the case just like anything else, understand the fundamentals of what you are getting involved in. Be informed and make some money.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/stock-splits-going-beyond-the-myth-223341.html

About the Author:
The Stock Market If you want to discover your pot of gold in the stock market, then you have to know it inside out. And for all the inside-out information on the stock market explained in simple, concise, layman terms, all you need to do is click on this link: Stock splits.

Essential Training For Forex Traders

Author: Gerald Mason

In the world's largest financial market where exchanges reach up to trillions of dollars each day, many people would really want to participate in this market. Aside from being the largest financial market in the world, Forex is also the most liquid market in the world where trades are done 24 hours a day.

A lot of traders have become very rich trading in the Forex market. And, many people who trade in the Forex market everyday have found a great way to replace their day jobs. Some even became millionaires almost overnight by just trading in this financial market.

Trading in the Forex market can be very attractive. However, you should also know that there have been people who suffered extreme financial losses in the Forex market. It is true that the Forex market offers a very good money-making opportunity to a lot of people, but it also has its risks.

It is a fact that people who didn't have the right knowledge and skills trading in the Forex market suffered huge financial losses and some even went into debt. So, before you enter the Forex market, it is essential that you should have the necessary knowledge and skills as a Forex trader in order to minimize the risk of losing money and maximize the potential of making money.

Many people who were successful in the Forex market have went through a Forex trading course to get the knowledge and skills needed to successfully trade in this very liquid and very large financial market.

In a Forex trading course, you will learn about when it is the right time to buy or sell, chart the movements, spot market trends and also know how to use the different trading platforms available in the Forex market.

You will also be familiarized with the terminologies used in the Forex market. Even the basic knowledge about trading in the Forex market can be a great help with your money-making venture in the world's largest market.

There are different Forex trading courses available, all you need to do is choose one that suits your needs as a trader. There are crash courses where all the basic things about Forex will be taught to you in a short period of time, full time online courses, where you will learn all about Forex through the internet and there are also full time real life classroom courses where you can learn the ropes about Forex in a real classroom with a live professor.

You can also become an apprentice. However, in order to learn a lot about Forex as an apprentice, you need to make sure that you have a seasoned Forex trader who can share a lot of things to you about the Forex market.

Here are some of the basic things you should look for in a Forex trading course in order for you to get the sufficient knowledge about Forex trading:

•Margins
•Leveraging
•Types of orders
•Major currencies

A good Forex trading course will also explain a lot about the fundamental and technical analysis of charts. As a trader, knowing how to analyze a chart is an essential skill that you should have. So, when you are looking for a Forex trading course, you should look for a course that offers fundamental and technical analysis instruction.

Stress plays a vital part in Forex traders. Knowing how to deal with stress is also a skill that you should develop. A good Forex trading course should teach you how to deal with stress and trade effectively and efficiently.

As much as possible, you should look for a Forex trading course that offer actual trading systems where students can trade real money on the Forex market or at least trade on dummy accounts in a simulated Forex market. This hands-on experience will greatly benefit you. Besides, the best way to learn about anything is by actually experiencing it. Live trading and simulations should be offered in a Forex trading course.

So, if you plan on getting involved in the Forex market, consider finding all these things in a Forex trading course। Developing the right knowledge and skills in trading in the world's largest and most liquid market in the world will definitely help you make it to the top and achieve your dreams as a Forex trader.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/essential-training-for-forex-traders-223442.html

A Forex Broker Is Your Best Friend

Author: Gerald Mason

If you traded in the Forex market before or if you're still trading now, you may have heard the term Forex broker a lot of times. However, as an individual trader, you may want to know what is a Forex broker and what they do.

Forex brokers are individuals or companies that assist individual traders and companies when they are trading in the Forex market. These individuals can really give you that extra edge you need in order to be successful in the Forex market. Although they will be trading your funded account, all the decisions are still yours to make if you want to.

Forex brokers are there to assist you with your trading needs in exchange for a small commission from what you earn. Here are some of the services that a Forex broker can give you:

•A Forex broker can give you advice regarding on real time quotes.
•A Forex broker can also give you advice on what to buy or sell by basing it on news feeds.
•A Forex broker can trade your funded account basing solely on his or her decision if you want them to.
•A Forex broker can also provide you with software data to help you with your trading decisions.

Searching for a good Forex broker can prove to be a very tedious task. Since there are a lot of advertising in the internet about Forex brokers, Forex traders get confused on which Forex broker they should hire. With all the Forex brokers out there that offers great Forex trading income and quotations, you will find it hard to choose a good and reputable Forex broker.

With a little research, you can find the right Forex broker who can be trusted. If you lack referrals for Forex brokers, you can try and do a little research of your own. The first thing you need to find out about a particular Forex broker with the amount of clients they serve. The more clients they serve the more chances that these brokers are trusted. You should also know the amount of trades these brokers are conducting.

Knowing the broker's experience in the Forex market is also a great way to determine if he or she is the right broker to hire. Experienced Forex brokers will increase your chances of earning money from the Forex market.

If you have questions or complaints, you should call or email the company and ask questions regarding their trading system. You should never be uncomfortable doing this. Besides, they will be the one who will manage your money. And, it is your right to know about what they are doing with your money.

When choosing a Forex broker, you should also consider their trading options. You should also know that Forex brokers are different from what they can offer you. They differ in platforms, spreads, or leverage. You have to know which of the trading options is very important to you in order to be comfortable when you trade in the Forex market.

Most online Forex brokers offer potential clients with a demo account. This will allow you to try out their trading platform without actually risking money. You should look for a demo platform that works just like the real thing and you should also determine if you are comfortable with the trading platform.

Look for the features you want in a trading platform in order for you to know what to expect if you trade with them. If you are comfortable with a trading platform, you should consider trading with them, and if you are not, scratch them off your list. This is a great way to test their trading platform and not risk your money.

If a Forex broker is not willing to share financial information about their company, you shouldn't trade with them because they are reluctant to share company information. They should answer your questions regarding on how they manage their client's money and how they trade that money.

Always remember that if you see an offer that's too good to be true by Forex traders, it probably is too good to be true. The Forex market is a very risky place to trade and Forex brokers must tell you that there are certain risks involved when trading in the Forex market. Avoid hiring a Forex broker who says that trading in Forex is easy and a very good money making market with very low risks.

These are the things you should consider when you look for a Forex broker। If you find that right broker, you can be sure that you can really earn money.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/a-forex-broker-is-your-best-friend-223436.html

Six Simplicites That Create Success

Author: Tom Jackson

This article is take from a an audio article that I posted on my blog as is one of my favorites. I took a look at the things that helped me in my home business and these six were the most valuable.

1) Always create and control your own products. Never rely on the products of others for your success. That's right, you must have your own products to be a large success. Anything else is much harder. And notice that I said products in the plural meaning you should have several.

2) There is no such thing as an internet business only a home based business. Now why am I saying that? Because there is an error out there that says "internet business only". The truth is that you are in home based business that does a lot of it's work on the internet. There are other methods of expanding your home based business that have nothing to do with the internet. Don't forget to try them as well.

3) There 3 systems that run all businesses. A Product creation system, a Sales creation system, and a Customer traffic creation system. Focusing on improving these 3 areas and ignoring most anything else will drastically improve your production.

4) Build your business on multiple products. It is hard to build a lasting business with one product. You should have a collection of related products in different forms. I teach people how to make multiple products easily on my blog.

5) You are in the business of collecting people who inquire about what you have, buy what you have, and who buy other items that you offer. This the basic flow of business or a fundamental of doing business. Inquiries, sales, & re-purchases are what we all do in business and they are done in that order.

6) All business must be reduced to a numbers game or it is not profitable. If you cannot make everything you do into a number that can be compared to a previous number you can get into trouble. Statistics run a business even if you do not keep them.

Using the six items can greatly increase home business success

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/six-simplicites-that-create-success-223673.ह्त्म्ल

About the Author:
This article is written by Thomas Jackson who produces the blog http://www.homebusinessdragon.com where you can get a $50,000 Website Business For Free!

Entrepreneurialism - The Right Formula

Author: Scott Lindsay

Kim Snider is the host of Financial Success Coaching on KRLD in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. In one of her wonderful blog entries (Kimmunications) she defines success in entrepreneurialism this way, "One is E + S + I = FS and the other is .2(S) + .8(M) = FS. For those of you who don't like math, I can picture your eyes starting to glaze over now, but stick with me. I am not about to get all nerdy on you.

"The first is a formulaic expression of something [I have said] before. Financial success comes from thinking like an entrepreneur (E), saving prodigiously (S), and investing wisely (I). Hence, E + S + I = FS.

"The second refers to my belief that financial success is only 20% skill-set (S) and 80% mindset (M). That is true at the broad level and it applies to each of the three areas of financial success."

Kim defines the potential success of an entrepreneur in very tangible terms. In many ways the key to your success has a lot to do with your belief in yourself.

It may be more interesting to think that a product will either sell itself or it won't, but at the end of the day your success may hinge on whether you really believe in what you are selling, your ability to sell it, and the long-term potential for business success.

It is a sense of personal investment that will allow you to take appropriate risks in business development. It is that mental toughness that will not allow you to play it safe.

Did you notice that Kim said that E + S + I = FS? How you think about your business is important, but so is the investment you can make in the business. A third element is also needed and that is the research needed to invest that hard-earned capital wisely.

Becoming an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. You have to find a balance where your thinking, available capital and investments combine to allow you to boldly step forward to locate a place where your dreams can connect with the needs of consumers.

If you struggle with saving or you aren't really sure if you should do it, you need to earnestly seek to save in a more disciplined way and refuse to take the next step until you can believe in that next step with every fiber of your being।
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/entrepreneurialism-the-right-formula-223804.html

About the Author:
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com

Forex Enterprise - A Full Review

A new marketing course to hit the internet by Nick Marks that advertises earnings of $1000 a day and $30,000 a month respectively. This turnkey system generating multiple streams of income is relatively new and so it is my pleasure to review it for you.

After purchasing you are given a login page where you are introduced to the system which is in website format. Everything is easy to access and well organized.

After Nick gives you a little pep talk about positive thinking and goal setting, you will be introduced to his first recommendation: join Coastal Vacations. While not a part of his main Forex system this is a recommendation I could've done without.

In the pay per click section you are given a large list of keywords that Nick found convert really well with his system. Some of the keywords in the list have bid prices already attached to them so you can get front page exposure.

The course also has $50 in free adwords credit that unfortunately only works with new accounts so I was out of luck. If you don't already have an account this is worth the price of the course alone.

The forex course shows you some inexpensive traffic methods and provides links to these sources. He also covers stuff like pop-over ads, e-mail lists and autoresponders. Not bad information by any means, and is an alternative to pay per click advertising if you have a smaller budget.

He has an ebook package that seemed like it was going to be really cool as there were dozens of bonus ebooks and software programs covering everything from creating ebooks and website templates, to getting top positions in the major search engines.

As I took a closer look at this package I realized there were some bargain bin informational products included. However, there were also alot of goodies in there as well that I found rather useful. You get so many ebooks and software in here that it really is worth far more than the price of the course.

There is a section on becoming an Ebay power seller in 90 days that goes into a fair amount of detail and wasn't bad. However, Ebay isn't something I have ever been particularly interested in doing. There is also a section on baccarat strategies that I had no interest in.

One of the last sections of his course introduces you to e-currency exchanging using the DXINONE system. It is a great way to acquaint yourself with this increasingly popular opportunity without having to buy standalone e-currency courses which can cost a couple hundred dollars.

The author has combined several effective ways to earn money online and rolled them all into one course. While I didn't jump up and down about all of his strategies, the free ebooks, software, and adwords credit make Forex Enterprise worth the money.

by Joey Merrick

http://www.internet-marketing-reviews.net

Advantages of the Forex Market

What are the advantages of the Forex Market over other types of investments?

When thinking about various investments, there is one investment vehicle that comes to mind. The Forex or Foreign Currency Market has many advantages over other types of investments. The Forex market is open 24 hrs a day, unlike the regular stock markets. Most investments require a substantial amount of capital before you can take advantage of an investment opportunity. To trade Forex, you only need a small amount of capital. Anyone can enter the market with as little as $300 USD to trade a "mini account", which allows you to trade lots of 10,000 units. One lot of 10,000 units of currency is equal to 1 contract. Each "pip" or move up or down in the currency pair is worth a $1 gain or loss, depending on which side of the market you are on. A standard account gives you control over 100,000 units of currency and a pip is worth $10.

The Forex market is also very liquid. When trading Forex you have full control of your capital.

Many other types of investments require holding your money up for long periods of time. This is a disadvantage because if you need to use the capital it can be difficult to access to it without taking a huge loss. Also, with a small amount of money, you can control

Forex traders can be profitable in bullish or bearish market conditions. Stock market traders need stock prices to rise in order to take a profit. Forex traders can make a profit during up trends and downtrends. Forex Trading can be risky, but with having the ability to have a good system to follow, good money management skills, and possessing self discipline, Forex trading can be a relatively low risk investment.

The Forex market can be traded anytime, anywhere. As long as you have access to a computer, you have the ability to trade the Forex market. An important thing to remember is before jumping into trading currencies, is it wise to practice with "paper money", or "fake money." Most brokers have demo accounts where you can download their trading station and practice real time with fake money. While this is no guarantee of your performance with real money, practicing can give you a huge advantage to become better prepared when you trade with your real, hard earned money. There are also many Forex courses on the internet, just be careful when choosing which ones to purchase.

by Heather Redmond

http://www.onlineprofitscoaching.com

5 EMAs FOREX SYSTEM, Exponential Moving Averages Full Potential

Among one of the important concepts a new forex trader should know is what a Moving Average means, how it's calculated and what its use as a trading indicator is.

Moving Average is defined as a technical indicator that shows the average value of a particular currency pair over a previously determined amount of time. This means, for example, that prices are averaged over 20 or 50 days, or 10 and 50 min depending on the time frame you are using at the moment of your trading activity.

As an averaged quantity, MA's can bee seen as a smoothed representation of the current market activity and an indicator of the major trend influencing the market behavior.

The basic mechanics of how Moving Averages can tell you where the forex market is moving (up or down), at the moment of your analysis is by considering two different time frame Moving Averages and plotting them on the forex chart. It is very important that one of these MA is over a shorter time period than the other one; let's say one will be over a 15 days period and the other over a 50 days period. Most trading station software available by a number of brokers will let you do this plotting and much more.

Recently there has been the realese of a new forex trading system called "The 5 EMAs FOREX SYSTEM". This system will allow you to identify both entry and exit points with incredible accuracy. He even claims you can convert $1000 into $1000 000 in just 24 months. He may be exaggerating a bit on this, but his plan of action and use of moving averages is quite outstanding and accurate.

Depending upon the exit strategy selected, the system generates monthly returns of between 30% and 55%. Which is more tha enough to make a living trading the forex markets with the 5 EMAs Forex System.

by Adrian Pablo

http://www.1-forex.com/5EMA-Forex-Trading

Forex Avenue: The Road to Riches

In my continuing quest to provide visitors of my site with a large amount of options to chose from when considering working from home I have done some research on Forex trading. I first learned of Forex trading while pursuing my MBA program. For those of you who have never heard of this, Forex trading is the exchange of foreign currency.

I know I would have never even know this was an option for making money had I not found out in class. Most of the really big corporations have departments of people that do this for a living because it can be very lucrative if done correctly. The best news I have learned about this process of exchanging currencies is that many of the websites that you can sign up with to do this offer free trial accounts to help you learn before you invest your money into trying it. You won't make any money in the trial accounts if you do well, it is just pretend money essentially but with the real market conditions. If you do well in the trial account you will know if this is something you want to try on your own.

Benefits to Forex trading are that is can be done 24/7 whereas the stock market is a business hours only exchange. It is 24/7 because it is done with countries around the world so clearly there are countries that are awake and working while we sleep. Another benefit is you are in control of the trading on your account. You do not need to hire a licensed broker to make your trades and charge you fees. Along those same lines, anyone who does any investing most likely knows that some funds require you to own then for a certain period of time or pay early withdrawal fees. You do not need to concern yourself with this either. One last benefit that I would like to point out is the fact that Forex is not really subject to the same kinds of swings in the market that stocks are subject to. Of course if you always buy and sell the same currencies then there will be market swings. But, because there are hundreds of currencies out there, there is always going to be something for you to make money on because while one currency is up in value another one is down and vice versa.

There are many resources available to someone interested in becoming involved in this type of training. The Federal Reserve Bank's website is just one example of the information available, http://www.ny.frb.org/markets/foreignex.html. Here is another article that you will find helpful in starting out in this field. http://www.forex.com/pdf/pro2.pdf . I have also included one of the sites that does offer a free lesson. http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=44910&u=155496&m=8912 .

While there are many benefits to this type of training, as I mentioned above, there are certainly risks involved as well. There are risks with exchange rates, central banks in foreign countries, and risks involving interest rates and credit. Forex is quickly becoming a popular way to help diversify your investment portfolio. If you are good with understanding investing concepts and enjoy doing it this may be the home business opportunity for you. Just do your research and try to find one of the sites offering the free trial account to practice with and you are well on your way down the Road to Riches.

by Scott Bianchi

www.best-internet-bargains.com

articles@bestinternetbargains.com

Forex The Future Investment

There are many many advantages over the various other ways of investing. First of all it is a 24 hr market, except for weekends of course. You have the US market then the european and then the Asian. One of the great times to trade is during the over lapping periods. The USA and european overlap between 5am & 9am eastern and the Euro & Asian between 11pm & 1am eastern. Usually the busiest time and best to trade.

The is also the risk factor for the accounts. With futures and options you can get margin calls that can wipe you out. If you get caught in a bad trade not only do you lose the money in the account but you may have to come up with alot more from your pocket. It can be very risking. But not in Forex. Worst case senerio you could lose whats in you account. But you would have to do something really stupid. Like making a big trade on a Fundamental day and leave it alone. If market takes a bad move and you weren't there. OOOPS. But That wouldn't happen with a smarth trader.

Then there are the demo accounts which is an account where you can trade using all the right things, platform,charts,and information. But you are using play money, or what we call paper trading too.

Plus with Forex you have a mini account. Instead of needing thousands of dollars to get into it. You can open an account with as little as $300.00. Now of course you will be trading at 1 tenth of a trade. IN other words you controling 10,000 instead of 100,000.00 These are call lots. Which also means you will only risk 1 tenth too!

So if you would love to learn to do investing and not have near the risk you really need to take a closer look at Forex trading.

by Mike Pachuta

http://www.SUCCESSFUL-FOREX.COM/

mpachuta@yahoo.com

Forex Trading Indicators and the Ever Changing Market Conditions

Once you enter the Forex trading world you will immediately notice the need of using technical analysis in order to find trends when looking at the forex charts and also the importance of being aware of when they first develop so you can ride the trend until it ends. The foreign exchange market is a very strong trending market, lots of ups and downs in short periods of time, and it's, therefore, a place where technical analysis can be very effective.

But you should always remember that the indicators are only giving you a high probability behavior the markets may show when you are trading, but will never tell you the behavior of the currency prices with total certainty.

If you want to become a profitable forex trader you will need to use as many technical indicators as you can, or create a personalized trading strategy based on a combination of these indicators, to recognize with the best accuracy possible the trend. In other words, a professional forex trader will try to identify the major trend, the intermediate trend, and the short-term trend and then construct his trades in that direction based on how long their rules allow him to hold a position.

The forex markets are always changing, that's why you should always have an open criterion when using your technical indicators. Markets will be changing and different combinations of indicators may be required with time in order to have the most accurate, highest probability, prediction of future currency price behaviors.

If the action of the market shows your judgment to be correct, then you must consider staying with the market' and look for the maximum profit on each trade, according to your risk-to-reward/equity management rules. If you happen to be in a bad day and the market goes against you, the smart trader will take profits and get out of that trade. In a narrow market, when prices are not going anywhere, but move within a narrow range, there is no sense in trying to anticipate when the next big movement is going to be.

So, you must always be alert and open to use as many and as different indicators in order to stay tuned with the market and become a profitable trader at the end of the day.

If you want to learn more about forex trading, I suggest you to take a look at this course: http://tinyurl.com/74pvo.

by Martin Redhead

Essential Elements of a Successful Trader

by Jimmy Young
EURUSDTrader

Courage Under Stressful Conditions When the Outcome is Uncertain

All the foreign exchange trading knowledge in the world is not going to help, unless you have the nerve to buy and sell currencies and put your money at risk. As with the lottery “You gotta be in it to win it”. Trust me when I say that the simple task of hitting the buy or sell key is extremely difficult to do when your own real money is put at risk.

You will feel anxiety, even fear. Here lies the moment of truth. Do you have the courage to be afraid and act anyway? When a fireman runs into a burning building I assume he is afraid but he does it anyway and achieves the desired result. Unless you can overcome or accept your fear and do it anyway, you will not be a successful trader.

However, once you learn to control your fear, it gets easier and easier and in time there is no fear. The opposite reaction can become an issue – you’re overconfident and not focused enough on the risk you're taking.

Both the inability to initiate a trade, or close a losing trade can create serious psychological issues for a trader going forward. By calling attention to these potential stumbling blocks beforehand, you can properly prepare prior to your first real trade and develop good trading habits from day one.

Start by analyzing yourself. Are you the type of person that can control their emotions and flawlessly execute trades, oftentimes under extremely stressful conditions? Are you the type of person who’s overconfident and prone to take more risk than they should? Before your first real trade you need to look inside yourself and get the answers. We can correct any deficiencies before they result in paralysis (not pulling the trigger) or a huge loss (overconfidence). A huge loss can prematurely end your trading career, or prolong your success until you can raise additional capital.

The difficulty doesn’t end with “pulling the trigger”. In fact what comes next is equally or perhaps more difficult. Once you are in the trade the next hurdle is staying in the trade. When trading foreign exchange you exit the trade as soon as possible after entry when it is not working. Most people who have been successful in non-trading ventures find this concept difficult to implement.

For example, real estate tycoons make their fortune riding out the bad times and selling during the boom periods. The problem with trying to adapt a 'hold on until it comes back' strategy in foreign exchange is that most of the time the currencies are in long-term persistent, directional trends and your equity will be wiped out before the currency comes back.

The other side of the coin is staying in a trade that is working. The most common pitfall is closing out a winning position without a valid reason. Once again, fear is the culprit. Your subconscious demons will be scaring you non-stop with questions like “what if news comes out and you wind up with a loss”. The reality is if news comes out in a currency that is going up, the news has a higher probability of being positive than negative (more on why that is so in a later article).

So your fear is just a baseless annoyance. Don’t try and fight the fear. Accept it. Have a laugh about it and then move on to the task at hand, which is determining an exit strategy based on actual price movement. As Garth says in Waynesworld “Live in the now man”. Worrying about what could be is irrational. Studying your chart and determining an objective exit point is reality based and rational.

Another common pitfall is closing a winning position because you are bored with it; its not moving. In Football, after a star running back breaks free for a 50-yard gain, he comes out of the game temporarily for a breather. When he reenters the game he is a serious threat to gain more yards – this is indisputable. So when your position takes a breather after a winning move, the next likely event is further gains – so why close it?

If you can be courageous under fire and strategically patient, foreign exchange trading may be for you. If you’re a natural gunslinger and reckless you will need to tone your act down a notch or two and we can help you make the necessary adjustments. If putting your money at risk makes you a nervous wreck its because you lack the knowledge base to be confident in your decision making.

Patience to Gain Knowledge through Study and Focus

Many new traders believe all you need to profitably trade foreign currencies are charts, technical indicators and a small bankroll. Most of them blow up (lose all their money) within a few weeks or months; some are initially successful and it takes as long as a year before they blow up. A tiny minority with good money management skills, patience, and a market niche go on to be successful traders. Armed with charts, technical indicators, and a small bankroll, the chance of succeeding is probably 500 to 1.

To increase your chances of success to near certainty requires knowledge; acquiring knowledge takes hard work, study, dedication and focus. Compile your knowledge base without taking any shortcuts, thereby assuring a solid foundation to build upon.

Jimmy Young

Automated Trading Systems for Financial Markets and Recommendations for Their Usage

1. Introductions

Today, using information and trading platforms has become a de facto requirement for successful trading in the financial markets. Their advantages as compared to conventional trading schemes include, for example, an unprecedented speed of processing and delivery of information to end users, the level of integration with data providers, and a wide array of built-in technical analysis instruments.

At the same time, an investor opening an account with a brokerage firm simply cannot simultaneously manage the real-time analysis and trade in more than 4-6 financial instruments in several markets 24 hours 7 days a week. This brings about the need to employ automatic trading systems in the form of runtime environment with client and server parts and the programs to control these systems (scripts).

2. Comparative Analysis of the Problem Area

Various software components embrace the entire target sector of the market-from analytics and forecasting to complex trade and administration. The components of a trading platform provide its clients-brokers, dealers, traders, financial analysts and advisors-just the service they need at the very moment they need it, from immediate round-the-clock access to information of concern by means of mobile devices, to multi-move trading operations in the major client terminal.

The software market offers a great many of information and trading platforms that differ, first of all, in the functionality of the client and server parts, and the list of services provided by the financial company once an account has been opened. However, only a relatively small number of software solutions include the components that automate trading.

2.1. MetaTrader4-based Solutions

One of the world's most widely used trade platform products is apparently MetaTrader4, developed by MetaQuotes Software Corporat?on for Forex market trading. The platform includes an integrated development environment (IDE) MetaEd?tor, intended for writing scripts in a programming language called MetaQuotes Language, or MQL4 for short. The language's syntax is based on the classic C language syntax, and the flow logic has not been significantly changed since the previous version of the platform that used MQL II as the programming language. The new automated trade framework is, undoubtedly, an evolution of the previous one. Both languages feature good functionality, with an optimum set of built-in trading and utility functions which is quite sufficient to implement the basic operations, and a facility to define custom functions to help implement non-standard ideas.

From the programming point of view, MQL4 is much more convenient that its predecessor; this language is more oriented at professional programmers, while MQL II, in my opinion, will rather suit financial experts wishing to build trading programs (or trading advisors, in the MetaQuotes terminology) of their own.

2.2. Omega Research-based Solutions

In the New World, the vast majority of companies use the Omega Research platform developed by TradeStation Securities, Inc. This platform has long ago proven its worth at the worldwide market, and to date experts consider it to be the best system for technical analysis. The provided IDE called Omega Research PowerEditor is intended to create control programs in EasyLanguage (EL).

The language's major advantage that strikes the eye is the easiness (hence is the name) of placing opening and closing orders. The corresponding program instructions can be written such as if we were formulating an order to our broker in the plain human language. In MQL4, for example, placing an order to open a position would involve specifying about a dozen of various parameters. In EasyLanguage, the same can be expressed in a short statement using a few words. Working with technical indicators is about that simple, too. But don't fall under an illusion: when creating these simple commands, language developers sacrificed the functionality and limited the possible ways of using a particular function, therefore effectively depriving the IDE users of the opportunity to accurately implement their own algorithms.

TradeStation decided not to create extensive libraries of built-in trading and utility functions but to limit to only an essential set. As the platform advanced, the number of functions written by both in-house and third-party developers grew, and TradeStation simply included them as user-defined functions into the repository of its scripts. As a result, the functionality offered to users is not in the least scarcer than that of MetaQuotes product.

PowerEditor provides a built-in dictionary that lets user search and get help on the available functions. Another handy tool worth mentioning is the strategy builder. Using the strategy builder, the user can easily create a basic algorithm for his or her trading program, and then modify and adjust it as necessary.

EasyLanguage is an old-timer and pioneer in the field of creating automated trading systems for the stock market. It was the basis for the development of MQL II. EasyLanguage will be a good choice for programmers, but still a better one for financial experts more oriented at analyzing the market than trading.

2.3. ProTrader-based Solutions

Professional financial experts can choose the ProTrader2 or ProTraderFX platform as their working tool, depending on the type of the financial market-stock or Forex, respectively. The two platforms are developed and supported by PFSoft LLC. While featuring the specially developed ProTrader Language (PTL), the provided IDE named PTL Builder offers also the opportunity to create scripts in MQLII, MQL4 and EasyLanguage. For this, the text of the program is translated to a language-independent code. Therefore, at runtime it does not matter in which language the script was written. This technology does not only enable creating new scripts, but makes it possible to use freely the entire accumulated collection of scripts that many experienced traders possess.

The main idea put into the new scripting language was to ensure maximum reliability and predictability of the scripts being run. The PTL language is built so as to minimize the possibility of making a mistake in the text of a user's script-the potentially dangerous points will be detected even before the script is tested or launched.

Regardless of the programming language chosen, the platform works with verified managed code while running the script. This Microsoft-developed technology enables proper handling of errors that cannot be detected before the script is run. This means the program will not fail and will not perform any unwanted operations that might be due to critical errors or damage caused by another program, for which the account holder would eventually have to pay.

The PTL Builder IDE will serve well both financial experts and programmers thanks to its support of different programming languages and provided tools such as tester and debugger.

2.4. Solution Comparison

The above IDEs have their specific feature sets. The table below provides a summary comparison of the capabilities offered by each.

3. Approaches for Creating Automated Trading Systems and Recommendations for Using Them

It hardly needs mentioning that choosing an information and trading platform should be taken with all seriousness. For those who plan to use an automated trading system in their business, below are some points I would recommend considering, based on my personal experience.

3.1. Choosing a Working Environment

First of all, define the type of tasks the automated trading system is to perform. These could be:

Actual trading: opening and closing positions in selected instrument(s).

Secondary support-type functions. These could include placing protective orders, creating and sending out reports of notifications.

Analyzing the market with different technical analysis tools using your own algorithm.

Now, after you have studied user comments on the Internet and perhaps consulted your broker, proceed to getting the feel of the products offered. I strongly encourage you not to just have a cursory look, but to test the system for a day of two, thankfully, most of the large companies will let you sign up for a demo account for testing. Pay attention to both the convenience of the IDE and the tools that go with it, and to reliability and security of the control programs created with the IDE.

3.2. Creating a Control Program

If you are planning to create your own scripts, take the time to study the documentation for the programming language and the IDE. Naturally, for an automated trading system to be expertly organized, the scripts should be written by qualified professionals in the field of programming and finance. In case you wish to use one of the classic programs, remember that most of them are of trial, demonstration nature. They are good for testing the automated trading system or to be used as a basis for your own programs, but as self-sustaining, ready-to-use solutions they are of little avail.

If you decide to use programs written by third-party developers, keep in mind that good solutions will have to be paid for. The cost of one innovative strategy varies between $300 and $500, but the price for fine-tuned strategies that use advanced mathematical and economic techniques and especially for winners and runners-up of automated trading championships may exceed $1,000.

3.3. Testing Scripts

When using an automated trading system, always test your scripts. The procedure can be as follows:

1. Test the program in a script tester (if such facility is available in your IDE) several times, varying the chart period, the instrument being traded, and the program settings. Try to model the conditions close to the actual state of the market.

2. Test the script in a demo account (if such an opportunity is available). At this stage, it is important to let the program run for a sufficiently long time (it is defined by the period of the chart). Do not stop the test if the program has at once produced a big gain or a big loss. The usefulness of the script can only be estimated after it has worked for a significant amount of time.

3. Run the script in the live account. At this stage, it is not advisable to interfere with the script-for example, close the positions it has opened or modify their settings-or you can upset the internal logic of the program.

3.4. How Not to Fall Prey to Tricks When Choosing a Script

Remember that there are no absolutely perfect advisers. So, do not let them sell you the Brooklyn Bridge-if you had a system that brings in fabulous profits, would you sell it? There is only one advice-a rigorous comprehensive testing will help you get the right impression about the script offered.

Usually, script vendors describe their products with the results of their own testing. In most cases, however, such results are very slanted. Remember that testing should always be performed on several histories, or you can simply adjust to one history fragment and show sky-high results. Based on the NFL theorem, it is fair to say that it is impossible to create a script that would the best of all those existing, in all instruments.

Some professional programmers use sophisticated mathematical tools to endow their programs with artificial intelligence-neural networks, forecasting and evolutionary algorithms are no longer surprising. I would not recommend overestimating such systems-complex forecasting algorithms are very sensitive to errors and parameter settings, while simple schemes are not of much help to the advisor when it comes to generating trade signals, and can only be used to raise the price of the script.

4. Conclusion

In this article, I neither discuss any programming rules for creating the advisors, nor the specifics of writing scripts in a particular language. On these subjects, there are whole books written as well as a number of articles. My aim was to present several points which I think to be quite important but which have not been sufficiently covered in existing publications.

So, are automated trading systems your ally or enemy? When used carefully and without hasty judgments, an automated trading system can facilitate the financial expert's work and bring in certain profits. But when used incorrectly, incompletely tested, or having settings changed frequently, the automated trading system can lose the money you entrust to it.

Remember that an automated trading system is not going to do your job for you without any effort on your part. Use it to solve your existing problems and not add new ones.

5. References

1. MetaQuotes - developer of MetaTrader, MQL2 and MQL4

2. TradeStation - developers of TradeStation and EasyLanguage

3. PFSoft - developers of ProTraderFX, ProTrader2 and ProTraderLanguage

by Nikita Laukhin

Automated Trading and Scripts Analyst of PFSoft Company.

100% Hedging Strategies

Hedging is defined as holding two or more positions at the same time, where the purpose is to offset the losses in the first position by the gains received from the other position.

Usual hedging is to open a position for a currency A, then opening a reverse for this position on the same currency A. This type of hedging protects the trader from getting a margin call, as the second position will gain if the first loses, and vice versa.

However, traders developed more hedging techniques in order to try to benefit form hedging and make profits instead of just to offset losses.

In this page, we will discuss, some of the hedging techniques.

1. 100% Hedging.

This technique is the safest ever, and the most profitable of all hedging techniques while keeping minimal risks. This technique uses the arbitrage of interest rates (roll over rates) between brokers. In this type of hedging you will need to use two brokers. One broker which pays or charges interest at end of day, and the other should not charge or pay interest. However, in such cases the trader should try to maximize your profits, or in other words to benefit the utmost of this type of hedging.

The main idea about this type of hedging is to open a position of currency X at a broker which will pay you a high interest for every night the position is carried, and to open a reverse of that position for the same currency X with the broker that does not charge interest for carrying the trade. This way you will gain the interest or rollover that is credited to your account.

However there are many factors that you should take into consideration.

a. The currency to use. The best pair to use is the GBPJPY, because at the time of writing this article, the interest credited to your account will be 24 usd for every 1 regular long lot you have. However you should check with your broker because each broker credits a different amount. The range can be from $10 to $26.

b. The interest free broker. This is the hardest part. Before you open your account with such a broker, you should check the following: i. Does the broker allow opening the position for an unlimited time? ii. Does the broker charge commissions?

Some brokers charge $5 flat every night for each lot held, this is a good thing, although it seems not. Because, when the broker charges you money for keeping your position, the your broker will likely let you hold your position indefinitely.

c. Equity of your account. Hedging requires lots of money. For example, if you want to use the GBPJPY, you will need 20,000USD in each account. This is very necessary because the max monthly range for GBPJPY in the last few years was 2000 pips. You do not want one of your accounts to get a margin call. Do not forget that when you open your 2 positions at the 2 brokers, you will pay the spread, which is around 16 pips together. If you are using 1 regular lot, then this is around 145 usd. So you will enter the trades, losing 145 usd. So you will need the first 6 days just to cover the spread cost. Thus if you get a margin call again, you will need to close your other position, and then transfer money to your other account, and then re-open the positions. Every time this happens, you will lose 145 usd!

It is very important not to get a margin call. This can be maintained by a large equity, or a fast efficient way to transfer money between brokers.

d. Money management. One of the best ways to manage such an account is to monthly withdraw profits and balancing your positions. This can be done by withdrawing the excess from one account, take out the profits, and depositing the excess into the losing account to balance them. However, this can be costly. You should also check with your broker if he allows withdrawals while your position is still open. One efficient way of doing this is using the brokerage service withdrawals which is provided by third party companies.

by Yannis Karamanakis

http://www.myfxreport.com

Forex Trading – to Win you Must Understand This Simple Equation!

Author: Kelly Price

If you are new to Forex trading if you don’t understand the simple equation we will outline in this article you will join the 95% of traders who lose. The equation is simple but its implications for your currency trading success are huge.

Here is the equation and below are some points you need to take into account when implementing your forex trading strategy.

The equation is

Fundamentals ( immediately discounted) + Investor Perception ( logic greed and fear) = Price Movement

Simple?

Yes - but these are the critical points you need to understand in relation to the above:

1. Trading News Will Not Help You

We live in a world of instant communications and the fundamentals are immediately discounted by the market so you cannot trade them for profit.

2. Prices Do Not Move Logically

If they did we would all make money prices move away from the fundamentals and the price direction can be the exact opposite of what logic tells you. Why?

Because traders all have the same facts to look at but draw their own conclusions about what they mean and when greed and fear come into play prices move in mysterious ways.

3. Markets Do Not Move Scientifically

Ever read about being able to predict markets in advance? You cant! You cannot predict what a broad mass of emotion will do to the markets in advance – trading is a game of odds not science.

If markets were scientific, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market!

The above points are true, yet most traders simply do not take them into account when developing a forex trading strategy - but unless you understand the above you will never win.

So How Do You Win?

The best way is to let the market tell you which way prices are going - this means simply following price action and using forex charts.

Forex charts take into account the fundamentals (they simply assume they are discounted instantly) but they do something more:

They give you the big picture i.e how the investors perceive them.

While human nature cannot be reduced to science, human nature is constant and price spikes away from the long term fundamentals NEVER last long and these are easy to spot and trade for profit.

Forex technical analysis simply postulates that you should act on the reality of price and the price is right - no matter what you or I think.

By trading the price as it is, you are trading the truth without imposing your opinion.

Most traders try and impose their opinions or try and predict in advance where prices may go - but this is doomed to failure and that’s why 95% of forex traders lose.

TRADE THE ODDS!

There are no certainties when you trade only probabilities and it is these you need to look at and trade when the odds are in your favour – you won’t win every trade just as a successful poker or blackjack player doesn’t win every hand - but by trading the odds, you will win more than you lose over time enjoy currency trading success.

Today, many traders buy rubbish courses and e-books that tell them they can win consistently, because markets move to a set pattern, so they can predict in advance what will happen – they don’t work.

If you want to win, you need to forget the idea that trading is easy, its not - that’s why the rewards are so high.

However, forex trading can be learned by anyone with the desire to get the right forex education and learn to trade the odds.

Currency trading success involves looking at price and calculating the odds of success and you can do this via forex charts - over time if you can spot and trade the high odds set ups and make a lot of money – it really is that simple.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/investing-articles/forex-trading-to-win-you-must-understand-this-simple-equation-219146.html

About the Author:
FREE! TRADER PDF'S HOW TO TRADE FOR BIGGER PROFITS !

Get some critical FREE FOREX Trading PDF's to give you the facts on how to become a professional trader and get more great forex info at:
http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com/index.html

On Line Forex Trading Tips

Author: Gerald Mason

If you are actively trading in the New York Stock Exchange, one of the most active exchanges in the world, you should be very thankful. Its total daily transactions are averaging approximately at U.S. $50 billion, making it the largest stock exchange in the United States in terms of dollar volume. There are many individuals who want to get their feet wet on the ground of this New York City-based stock exchange.

Yet, you are luckier if you are actively involved in trading foreign currencies, or commonly known as Forex trading, which is considered to be the largest market on the world. Its average daily trading turnover is approximately U.S. $2 trillion, exceeding the combined magnitude of all other equity markets, including the New York Stock Exchange. Thus, you are luckier since you have the opportunity of getting more profits out of that $2 trillion traded everyday.

If you are not yet involved in Forex trading, then you are currently missing the benefits of trading foreign currencies-24 hour trading time, transactions conducted in real time, extreme liquidity, and others. Thus, you should decide to get a Forex trading account and start trading right away.

However, just like other types of investment, you must be aware of what kind of ground you are stepping into. In other words, before getting a live Forex trading account, you must be properly educated first about the background of Forex trading. You must learn how you will maximize your earning potentials as well as decrease the risk that you are into through practicing with free demo accounts. Moreover, you must have a trading system to follow and the necessary tools that will help you analyze varying conditions of the Forex market to position yourself on the profiting aspect of a certain trade.

Once you know what you are getting into, you are now ready to get your live Forex trading account, web-based trading system and platform, and other tools that you will need in your Forex trading career. Most neophyte Forex traders obtain their trading accounts and platforms through a Forex brokerage company or agents. There are many brokerage firms out there and you need to be selective, or else you will suffer the adverse consequences.

If you are still uncertain which Forex trading company you will trust in the early start of your Forex trading career, why don't you try ACM Forex? They probably got what you need and at the same time the key towards the success of your Forex trading career.

ACM Forex stands for Advanced Currency Markets Forex, a Swiss-based online Forex trading company that is founded in the city of Geneva, Switzerland in 2002. Since it was founded on that year, ACM is now one of the major Forex institutions, particularly in online day trading, with an average monthly trade volume of U.S. $70 billion. They offer their clients quick access to the speculative Forex market through online dealing platforms that allows forward and stop trading of 27 pairs of foreign currencies as well as of several precious metals.

If you will open a live Forex trading account with ACM Forex, you will receive several benefits such as the following:

• WYCIWYG or "what you click is what you get" advantage. It means that the price you clicked on at the start of the deal will be the price you are executed at, thus no single movement on the foreign currency price.

• NRFQ or "no request for quote". You can click on any live streaming price list and there are no requisites even on fast markets. Expect that there will be no dealer intervention and timers.

• There will be no commission collected for every transaction that will be completed using the ACM Forex trading platform. All profits will go to your pockets and not to somebody else.

• You are allowed to have multiple online trading platforms for maximized trading flexibility.

• With ACM Forex, your risk is only limited to deposits or funds. Thus, you will never owe more than what you have invested in your Forex trading account. This means that there are no negative balances, whatsoever.

• You can open a live Forex trading account for as low as U.S. $5,000.

• There are 27 pairs of foreign currencies that you can trade within several clicks.

• You have access to 24-hour foreign currency trading and technical support services even on weekends.

• There are no confirmation delays-only instant and real time trade executions.

• Secured online trading platform.

• Technical analysis and real time charting tools for your market evaluation tasks.

With ACM Forex, the start of your Forex trading career is as good as a veteran trader. A good jump start and continuous success awaits you in ACM Forex.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/on-line-forex-trading-tips-219111.html

About the Author:
Free Forex Software

Insuring Your Whole Life

Author: Ajeet Khurana

These days, life insurance has become a must. It provides protection to us and to our loved ones. Even if something untoward does happen, we can rest assured that the benefits will go to the right persons. In the world of today, money is security, and a life insurance plan goes a long way in providing this security. For some people, life insurance also works as an investment option. Insurance plans that build cash value and offer tax benefits can be regarded as being decent options for investment. However, insurance plans are primarily meant to build security. If one is looking for solely an investment option, it is a better idea to invest elsewhere.

These days, we have a whole range of life insurance options. Looking at the very basics, we have a choice between term life insurance (which provides coverage for a specific number of years) and whole life insurance (which provides coverage for one's entire life). While both these come with their sets of pros and cons, I find myself in favor of the whole life insurance option. This possesses a number of positive aspects that is missing in the term life insurance option.

First of all, whole life insurance plans invest part of the money amount that serves as premium and help build cash value. After a period of time, it may so happen that the cash value itself manages to pay for the policy. This is a big plus that is absent in the term life option. Moreover, most whole life insurance plans require only a single medical examination. Thus, one can do away with the hassle of periodic medical check ups, unless one decides to alter one's current plan. The tax savings that are incurred also work up to quite a large amount of money.

In addition to these advantages, you could also choose from among three basic kinds of whole life insurance. The first of these is the traditional whole life insurance. This promises to pay the insurer a minimum rate of return on his/her cash value. A second kind is whole life insurance that is interest-sensitive. In this case, the policy offers a variable rate on one's cash value. The third type is one that involves a single premium. This is suitable for those who already have the cash to purchase an insurance policy. Thus, even after choosing between whole life and term life insurance, there are many other important decisions that have to be made.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/insuring-your-whole-life-220709.html

About the Author:
Get a free life insurance quote and compare car insurance at http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/.

Hitting Par: The Canadian Dollar vs The American Dollar

Author: Sam Smith

In over 30 years, since November 1976, the US dollar and Canadian dollar have not been par until now. As the Canadian economy has been progressing over the years, the US economy seems to have fallen behind with all its turmoil. The war in Iraq has not helped the US economic situation but rather offset the deficit, and in a move to avoid the forecasted economic recession due to the credit crunch, the feds cut interests rates by 0.5 points to 4.75 percent.

The move to cut interest rates to ease the mortgage industry has weakened the US dollar against foreign currency including the Euro, and giving the push for the Canadian dollar to hit parity with the US dollar. One US dollar now buys one Canadian dollar. But the Canadian dollar's gain isn't only linked to the US federal interest rate cut, but can also be seen as the Canadian economy has been booming in an upward gain from 2006 with a low inflation rate, and a red hot oil industry.

This rapid progression of the Canadian dollar against the US comes as a shock to some Canadians, who measured the Canadian dollar value at .62 USD only four years ago in 2002, and now hitting par seems too good to be true.

As Jeff Rubin, chief economist and strategist at CIBC World Markets, stated, "the Canadian economy that once used to be the sleepy little resource backwater of the North American economy is certainly turning the tables on its big brother in a hurry."

So what does all this have to do with Canadian and American dealings with each other? Well, for starts there will be an increase in American exports as buying from the American markets will become cheaper for Canadians. Although, vice versa Canadian exports to America will also decrease, as it will simply cost more for Americans to buy Canadian manufactured goods.

The Canadian tourism industry will also suffer, as more American visitors will decline as the dollar parity discourages Americans from shopping in Canada, since the one time savings of up to 40%, due to the dollar value, will no longer be available to Americans.

Although, Canadians will suffer in sales, they will gain in purchasing from American based businesses, and buying cars from the American side is becoming more attractive to some Canadians. As car prices in Canada are much higher than in America, a lot of Canadian shoppers will find drastic savings by traveling south of the border to buy a car. The difference in prices may not be the greatest for all cars, but gaps in some categories such as luxury sports cars, will save a Canadian buyer almost $14,000 on average.

But the high loony will put pressure on Canadian companies that are dependent on exporting to the US, who is also Canada's largest trading partner. Already, in 2006 there were almost 100,000 job losses in southeastern Ontario, due to the rising Canadian dollar against the US dollar.

Even with such a massive job loss, the Canadian economy is still doing well, as the manufacturing sector loss a total of 289, 000 jobs since 2002, the Canadian economy has created over one million jobs in resources, construction, services, health care, education and financial industries, leaving the national jobless rate at 30-year low.

In contrast the Canadian dollar seems to be stronger over the American for the time being, but only time will tell the future of the American dollar vs. the Canadian. If asked to predict, there is always uncertainty, but given factors such as future interest rate cuts by the Americans, could possibly even lower the US dollar compared to the Canadian, and this could become reality in the next 6-12 months.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/hitting-par-the-canadian-dollar-vs-the-american-dollar-220725.html

About the Author:
This article is provided courtesy of http://www.justwantaquote.com Find Free Mortgage Quotes, Rates and Mortgage Lending Information.

4 Ways to Earn Money Online

Author: Nikki Q

There are many ways to earn extra money on the internet. Read on to find out more about making money completing free trials, taking surveys, having discussions on forums and blogging.

Complete Free Trials
There are online companies that pay members to sign up for new internet programs or complete free trials. As a member you will be given access to a database of programs to try and you can earn from a $.25 to $25+ depending on how much personal information is required. These sites are usually more geared towards United States residents but non U.S. members can earn money by referring new members to the site. Paid-to-sign-up companies usually pay a percentage of referral earnings to referrals. You can earn up to $100+ extra a month by completing free trials.

Take Surveys
There are also online companies or market research companies that are willing to pay for your opinion on various things such as TV programs, commercials, food, cars and generally products you use. There seem to new paid survey scams popping up lately so here's what you should know. Real survey sites will not ask you to complete free trials in order to complete a survey. Questions will be pretty straight forward. It's always a good idea to research a company before participating. Type in the name of the company and 'scam' in you favorite search engine to see if there are any bad things being discussed about them.

Post on Forums
Forum posting companies help forum owners populate their new forums. They hire people on a regular basis and generally require that you know how to speak English and have decent writing skills. New members usually have to post on the company's own forum as part of the application process. Pay is usually 10 cents and up per post (of at least 20 words). There are also regular message boards where members earn points (which can be converted to cash) just for participating.

Earn By Blogging
You can earn a good amount of money by starting your own blog or joining a blog network. A blog is a journal of regularly updated informative content. If you want to start your own blog, you'll have to come up with an idea you know a lot about and decide if you'll get your own domain and hosting or use a free blog host. Once you get your blog together you'll have to promote it by submitting it to blog directories, social bookmarking sites and more. It takes work and time to get to the point of making a lot of money with your blog but there are various ways to monetize a blog. After your blog has been up for three months you can join a paid to blog company and earn money reviewing products and services on your blog. You can also make money with affiliate programs and text adverts.

If you're not ready for the responsibilities of having your own blog, you can join a blog network. They will be responsible for paying the domain and hosting fees for your blog as well as getting people to visit it. Your main responsibility would be to blog on your topic of expertise five to ten times a week. Blog networks usually pay a flat rate each month and/or pay bloggers a percentage of revenue earned by the blog. Blogging jobs can be found on the blog network's site or blogging job boards.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/4-ways-to-earn-money-online-218485.html

About the Author:
Nikki Que is the owner of PCMoneyMaker.Net, resource of ways to earn money online. Find work from home opportunities and various ways to make extra money on the internet. For free stuff, visit freesamplesblog.com.

The Who Why and How of Networking

Author: Elizabeth Gordon


As any business owner can tell you, networking events can range from being a goldmine to a complete and utter waste of time. Just as in any numbers game, every time you leave your office you do have the potential to randomly trip over someone who has a need for exactly what you sell. However, the chances of this happening are pretty slim. Networking can be highly effective, but unfortunately, people typically go to a networking event with overblown expectations and a lack of purpose. Networking events, especially generalized events put on by a business or organization, won’t provide a plethora of your potential prospects. That is an unrealistic expectation. Usually, if you can walk out of these events with three good contacts, you’ve done well. When your expectations for an event are not met, isn’t it true that you think networking isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be and that your valuable time would be spent better elsewhere? If so, my question for you is are you going to these events with a plan of action in order to use this time wisely? The buckshot method of running into prospects at random isn’t a focused strategy, and meandering through networking events and sprinkling your business cards around and collecting others will not yield consistent results. However, if you attend events regularly, with realistic expectations in mind and a plan of action, networking can eventually pay off in a big way. Here are three tips to make networking work for you.

1. Know the Who
Know who is likely to show up at the event you are considering going to. If possible, get a copy of the member list before going to the meeting. By examining such a list, you can get an idea of what type of people you can expect to meet. If there are a reasonable number of people and/or businesses who interests you, then plan on going to this event. If you cannot get this list, speak with the organizer and get them to talk to you about who commonly comes to these events, so you can determine if it’s worth attending. Tell the organizer what you do and ask if they have any suggestions of people that it would be good for you to meet. Once you decide to attend, have a strategy for how you are going to meet those of the most interest to you, and what you would the desired result of that interaction to be. Practice an elevator speech that will resonate with that type of person, and have a planned next step to propose to them to keep the ball rolling.

2. Know the Why
Know exactly why you are going to this meeting. Have you heard from others that it’s worthwhile? Is there a speaker with a topic that interests you or is relevant to a client of yours? Go to this event with a goal. It might be to learn something or to meet someone specific or to make a certain amount of contacts, or to try out a new elevator pitch. By establishing realistic goals for what you are trying to accomplish, who you are looking for and the number of contacts you want to make, you can easily determine whether the event was a success or not afterwards. Your goal of making three qualified contacts can also keep you from getting bogged down in a meaningless, but safe conversation with a non-contact.

3. Know the How
Knowing how you are going to work an event can be the most important step to your success. You need to have a process in mind. The limiting factor of networking for most people is using your time wisely. It’s best to arrive early to the event (at least fifteen minutes beforehand), wear an easy-to-read nametag, and bring lots of business cards. Make sure that you have your business cards in an easily accessible place. Then, station yourself near the entryway and greet new people as they enter the room. That way you can read nametags and see what company or organization other people are with so you can get an idea of who is a prospect.

When greeting new people, repeat their name immediately. A good memory trick is to mentally picture stamping their name on their forehead. As less and less people arrive, move in one direction around the room towards the first person or group of people you see. Have short conversations with them, about one to two minutes. Your goal is to introduce yourself and learn as much as possible about others in a short amount of time. If someone is hogging all the air in the room, simply excuse yourself from that person or group and move on in the same direction. Try not to get into personal details about yourself and keep your focus on the people that you’re talking to. Once you are a member of a group, you will have met some of these people before, although you probably won’t have their names committed to memory yet.

As you acquire business cards, separate them into a prospects and non-prospects pile and keep these piles separate; in the moment you could put them in different pockets in your suit or purse. If you meet someone, who you know you’d like to speak with further, ask them if you can call them or email them in the future before moving on to another person or group of people. Then, earmark that person’s card or make a note of the date and time of your meeting and something memorable about that person on their card if possible. Then, continue around the room in the same direction with the same plan of action.

During the last thirty minutes of an event, you should try to speak to the couple of people that you thought to be the best prospects. This could be the third time you speak with them. Try to have a more in-depth conversation this time and possibly ask them to meet you for coffee or lunch in the near future. After the networking event, decide a date and time in the next couple of days to call all of your potential prospects. This will keep you focused and give you a deadline to make calls. You should determine a system of networking that makes you most comfortable, your own personal how, and try to hone and perfect that method.

Keeping your expectations reasonable when networking and focusing your time on a specific process that works for you can mean reaping much more out of each networking event that you go to. For small businesses, networking is still the most effective way to attain new clients. When you know the who, why and how before your next networking event, I promise you will be more satisfied afterwards and feel less like it was a waste of your time. For more information about how you can grow your business, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/the-who-why-and-how-of-networking-219259.html

About the Author:
Elizabeth W. Gordon, founder and President of The Flourishing Business, LLC, is a visionary leader who has a passion for helping others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams and enjoy more of the best in life.

Create Websites and Make Money Online

Author: Alan Lim

Essentials for successful website creation
Today there are innumerable website design service providers. In fact they seem to be mushrooming every single day. If you wish to make money online by creating websites, you need to stand apart from the crowd. So how do you make your website creation a success?

a. Target segment: The website you create needs to cater to a particular target audience. Therefore if you wish to start to make money online you need to address the website to this target segment. To do this you need to analyze who your target audience is, what are their likes and dislikes and preferences. Then you need to create a website that will appeal to this segment. Only then can you think of starting to make money online. If your website is interesting and appeals to your target segment, you will receive more visitors and hence get more sales. This way it increases chances to make money online.

b. Design: You will find thousands of free website templates doing the rounds these days. However choosing one of these limits your chances to make money online. Why? Because you risk being one among the millions out there. If you wish to create a mark and stand out from the crowd, you need to create innovative websites that have professional designs. The design you choose for the site to make money online will depend on the type of client you’re working with. For a software company the design needs to be formal and professional looking, while for a children’s toy store it needs to be fun and interesting with a lot of Flash. By choosing the correct design, you increase your scope to make money online.

c. Uniqueness: The website you create needs to stand out from the crowd. In other words it needs to be very unique. This will guarantee more success to make money online. The website you create needs to have certain distinct features that make it different from the scores of other sites today.

d. User-friendly: While starting out with website creation to make money online you need to ensure your site has good navigability. It needs to be user-friendly and easy to use as well. In others words users need to find what they’re looking for easily. This way you will get more traffic and make money online.

e. SEO: Search engine optimization is another factor to consider in your website creation efforts. If you wish to make money online and attract more traffic, you need to optimize your website to get more sales.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/create-websites-and-make-money-online-219635.html

About the Author:
If technology comes easy to you then website creation can earn you a regular income. In today’s web world, everything runs on the Internet. This is where you can cash in. To make money online the easy way log in to Make Money Online now.

Where To Run Your Online Business

Author: Orkhan Ibadov

One of the main things that you want to think about when you start up a home business, and finding room for your business is a huge part of it. A home business is going to be just that - you are working at home. And unless you have a lot of money and can afford to have a place that is set aside for your home business, you want to think very carefully about how you can have your home business and your home at the same time.

It is not something that is impossible, no matter what you might think. In fact, having a home business in your home might be easier than going to work each day, as long as you do it right.

The first thing that you need is space. It is simply great if you can afford to have a room in your home that is only used for your home business, but if you can't, don't fret about it. There are still going to be lots of ways that you will be able to have a home business. First of all, you have to think about the needs of your business. Do you have a business where you simply do work at your computer - work that can be done with just a computer and some storage space for files? If this is the case, it is very easy to set aside some space in a room to have a computer. Remember though, it is going to benefit you if you are able to have a computer that is only for the business. This is especially important if you have children who are going to be using the family computer. It will always be better if you are able to have a separate place to store all of your files and your work items.

If you need more than just a computer for space, you are going to have to be a little bit creative. There are many things that you can do if this is the situation. First, remember that you are going to have to make decisions based on what you have to work with. If you have lots of product that you have to keep, you are going to have to make storage space so you can have enough room for your product. This can be anywhere, as long as it is safe and secure and you can keep it out of the way of the rest of your life.

The trick to maintaining a home business and your home at the same time is to make sure that there are distinctions. If you need to use a big table, try to set one up in an unobtrusive place - don't simply use your dining room table just because it is there.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/where-to-run-your-online--business-218690.html

About the Author:
Orkhan Ibadov is an owner of http://Market-Excellence.com and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about an online business Orkhan recommends you visit: http://www.Market-Excellence.com

Protecting Your Privacy When Working At Home

Author: Dock Murphy

Operating a business from home does not mean that your life is an open book for the world to read. You will have to set specific boundaries between your work life and your private life in order to insure that your family is not interrupted by your work. You will need to establish specific working hours for your home business and at the end of the day go home. If you let your business consume every waking moment of the day, you will quickly burn out as well as causing an interruption to your family's life.

If you can afford at the start of your business, have a separate phone line installed that is strictly for business. Use an answering machine for after hours calls and unless a client or customer leaves a message that it is an emergency, call them back the next business day. If possible, do not give out your home telephone number as a contact number. You never know if little Johnny or Susie will answer the phone leaving a bad impression on a potential customer.

There are many services that will cross boundaries between your work life and your private life and understanding where they meet will help you keep your sanity when working from home. When you first start the business, it may be easy for your spouse to ask you to get things done around the house while they are at work. You will need to remind them gently that you will be working and no, you don't have time to finish the dishes, or throw a load of laundry in the washing machine and you definitely don't have time to paint the bathroom.

Unless the business requires you to meet with clients and there is no way around it, do not entertain business associates at your home. In fact, clients probably should not even have your home address. Using email and the telephone for client contact is in the best interest for privacy, as you don't want an irate customer banging on your door while you eat supper with the family. A post office box is not overly expensive and can be used for most shipping and helps protect your family's privacy.

Remember, this is your business and you need to remember that your spouse and children are not employees. You may be working out of a home office, but it is still your family's home and you need to make sure you have definite boundaries established. Just as you do not want them crossing into your office space while you are working, you need to show the same respect to your family by not allowing work to cross into their private space.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/protecting-your-privacy-when-working-at-home-218952.html

About the Author:
Dock J. Murphy is owner of Plug in Profit http://Site.com and writes on a variety on a variety of subjects. To learn more about this topic Dock J. recommends you visit: Http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-17106