Friday, September 11, 2009

How to Have Someone Else Add Thousands to Your Retirement Fund

By Julie Broad

I have two younger brothers. And as their older sister, I cannot help but worry about them and their future. It's my job as the older sister. And lately, I have been worrying about my brother that is closest to me in age.

You see, he is a talented carpenter. Before that he worked as a chef " and was amazing. He is also extremely good at rebuilding and repairing cars. Anything that requires patience and attention to detail seems to be something he is exceptionally good at. That is, except when it comes to his finances.

As he is only in his early thirties, he's happy to keep working for the next 30 years, but I do worry about the fact that he's only saved a little bit for his retirement. None of us can rely on pensions or government funding to support our retirement anymore so we all should start thinking about our futures today!

I don't want to see my brother in financial trouble later, so I decided to help him with his finances. There was one part of his lifestyle that was glaringly obvious to me that needed to change- he owns three cars. I explained to him if he sold one and put that money into savings, not only would he have the money from the sale, he would be able to save an additional $500 a month.

He can also make extra money by taking on extra jobs. These don't need to be full time jobs- just little side jobs such as kitchen renovations or building fences. Even if he only works weekends, he can have enough saved to put 10% down on a $200,000 house that he can fix up and rent out.

If he lives in the house while he's fixing it up, he can save even more money. Once it's all fixed, he can rent it out for about $1,400 per month. It's at this point he would buy a primary residence where he will live.

Now, keeping this really simple, lets look at what my brother has when he retires in 25 years:

If he added $25,000 value to the house by fixing it up, and the property goes up every year at 4% appreciation, then in 25 years time the property will be worth almost $600,000. And the best part is that the tenants paid the mortgage for him! That's like having someone else contribute around $1,900 a month to his retirement savings ($576,000 divided by 25 years divided by 12 months).

"But wait", you may be thinking, "property doesn't always increase by 4% per year". While that might be true, historically the average appreciation of property has been 4% per year. Regardless, after 25 years the mortgage will be paid off by his tenants and the rent he continues to collect can go toward his retirement. Rents and expenses normally increase by 4% each year as well, so in 25 years he could see a positive cashflow from the property of around $2,350 each month.

Plus, he will also have his main residence paid off by then, giving him over $1 Million in property for his retirement. What an easy way to get someone else to pay for a big part of his retirement!

When I told my brother my plan, he got excited and sold one of his three cars. With the money he's making by helping us with one of our properties, he's been able to start saving for a down payment for a house. - 23309

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Why Forex Trading Is A Good Choice

By Mark Thomas

Trade on track is innovative software that lets you manage foreign exchange trading online. It has all you need and even some added features that would make you earn more profit with lessened risks.

The doubt amongst traders and within the realm of foreign exchange trading makes it difficult to engage in such a business. From the recall of history, only the experts and the big end companies can get involved in such a risky market. However, profitable forex trading breaks the barriers to make it as a business that can be available for everyone and anyone at that. As the foreign exchange market grew more popular, so are the traders and brokers who have joined in the circle of the economy game called forex trading.

The economy can never be predicted perfectly so as they say forex trading is a business of great challenges. In every step of the way we find these challenges ready to explode in front of us. But we can prepare for these challenges by learning the business inside out. You need to develop the skill and later become an expert but the road is long because there are many things you should first learn. But the sacrifice is worth it since the rewards can be as high as or even higher than your sacrifice. One must not forget that in every endeavor one could seek help therefore the need for a forex trading tool arises. This tool can inform you, advise you and ultimately guide you through the jungle of foreign exchange trading.

People have been asking, "What is all the commotion about trade on track?" You can use forex trading software and get the most recent of updates and the most reliable system to track trades, rates and even fluctuations all in an instant with a live price feed. Everybody knows how hard it is to analyze forex trading that is why not many join even if the fortune at stake is huge. Now, a revolutionary forex trading system can let you handle foreign exchange of different currencies in one or more accounts!

Perfect timing is important to make good choices and intelligent moves in forex trading because what you know and when you do things are what counts. Therefore you need an online system that without the hassle of downloading it every time to make that informed move. Trade on track lets you have these at your fingertips as you try your hand in this market. For those already engage, trade on track lets you enjoy more by letting you organize and simplify everything in a user-friendly interface. Your simple choice of a broker or that of what forex trading platform to use can be communicated it with a forex trade tracking.

What happens when you have the ability to control everything under your fingers and secure a forex trading log at all times? See, another simply irresistible feature that will make you want to join the biz with this techie online trade helper is that it is made to worry your forex risk management so that you no longer need to think about back downs or fluctuations. Since everything happens in real time and at the incredible speed of the internet.

Technological advancements paved the way for a market such as foreign exchange trading to be known to those who are looking for a new challenge. For those already in the game, they have a tool that could further their career by lessening the risks and increasing your profit. - 23309

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Tips for Choosing a Forex Software

By Bart Icles

When a trader acquires the services of a (certified) FOREX broker, it also means that he'll get accompanying Forex software for trade transactions functions and retrieval of market data. Online trading, is a very lucrative venture to go into, that's why many individuals and companies are taking advantage for the demand for the services of experienced brokers who have accumulated a vast knowledge and more than adequate comprehension of what trading software's are mostly appropriate to use for a particular trader. These software programs are classified into two types: web based and client/desktop based. So choose well and wisely according to your type of trading.

If you are able to take hold of a good FOREX software program that is able to deliver a fast and accurate data transfer of relevant market quotes without fail, then your reaction time to market markers will become much easier to do. The world of currency trading is very unpredictable, and anything may happen within a moment's time. But if you have a reliable Forex software system at hand, then you'll be able to manage its risk at an acceptable level. The catch is how to choose the right one from the many competing companies currently proliferating in the market today.

Before committing to any Forex software program, you should consider a few factors to avoid delays and problems in your trading. Security should be the at the forefront of your concerns, so you should look for a software that has an 126 bit SSL encryption to prevent uninvited guest accessing your personal data, including your financial history. The ideal software program should offer the most basic yet most security options, a non-stop or 24/7 service for technical concerns and trouble shooting and maintenance support for any hitches, regular backups for data storage and recovery.

To avoid losses, you should only get a Forex software program that is using the most current and up to date systems to help reduce or lessen the risks involved with online currency trading. If you know the right questions to ask about the nature of Forex software systems, finding the right software program may become easier than anticipated.

Finally, ask the Forex broker if the software system provides some additional future updates that are free, and some other important Forex programs that give extra information that may help you navigate your way through the market as easily as possible.

Forex currency with all its complications can be easily understood with the appropriate software system. Find one and you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful Forex trader in no time - 23309

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Easier Risk Management with Forex Trading Software

By Mark Thomas

The forex trading system has been flourishing due to the increase of internet users. The internet has enabled people from different countries to interact with each other. Along with this, business engagements have become even more convenient. Companies are more than willing to share information about their services through this wired network. By knowing which companies offer what, you can invest your money and make profit. Purchasing foreign currency and investing on a company is easier than a before.

The money required in investing on a forex trading system ranges from 5 dollars to as much as 500 dollars. Also, the rules of each forex trading system vary from one another. For example, each of them has different terms on how long you should invest on them. If you are going to invest your money, you must read the terms and conditions of each company. By having the right information, the right knowledge, and the right decisions, one can develop a strategy in order to create a profitable trading system which can double or triple your investments in no time.

On the other hand, a wrong move can lead to huge losses. Risk management is a skill that every successful trader has. Risking something means taking chances. A trader knows when a chance becomes an opportunity. He knows when and where to invest and when not to. A trader with the right tools and skills knows what is happening.

Forex trading software is also beneficial because trading is always accompanied by risks. You can invest in some companies for as low as 5 dollars and in some as high as 500 dollars. By keeping track of the performances of the company you have invested in, you can minimize risk. Trading is a delicate, one wrong move can mess things up. One right decision, however, accompanies with a huge reward. Risk management can easily be monitored through up to date information. The faster, and the more accurate the information, the better decisions can be made. This can easily be achieved with the use of forex trading software.

Having the right information at the right time, knowing the situation before it happens, making the right decisions and knowing when to pull out is a tedious task. Despite that, the rise of the internet means advancements in technology. The internet is full of forex trading software that is ready for download. This makes the hard task of juggling, logging and monitoring the trading performance of the companies that the trader has invested in more convenient.

There are many forex trading software that can be downloaded over the internet. Choosing the right software means managing risk, thus, maximizing profit. - 23309

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Dow Futures (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Stock-index futures are by far the largest category of futures contracts traded as a percentage of the total number of futures contracts traded. Stock index futures like the Dow Futures are traded for speculation as well as hedging purposes. The dominance of index futures clearly speaks of the major role that stock-index futures play in risk management for the entire stock market.

Stock index futures like the Dow futures are a better option than trading individual stocks. There are other advantages of trading stock index futures like the Dow Futures. Some of these advantages are gains in the futures markets are taxed at a lower rate than the stock market capital gains.

Globex is a 24 hour electronic trading system for a wide variety of futures contract. If something happens on the stock market overnight when it is closed and you want to hedge your risk, you can trade Dow Futures on Globex. Many futures brokerages offer lower commission rates as compared to stocks.

When you trade stock index futures like the Dow Futures, you are betting on the direction of the contract value, in this case DJIA and not on the individual stocks that make up the index.

You are blocking out a good deal of the noise that is often associated with the daily gyrations in the prices of the individual stocks in a sense by focusing on the value and the general trend of the stocks as a group when you trade stock index futures like the Dow Futures.

Stock indexes are basically moved by any information that relates to the sector represented by these indexes. Stock index futures like the Dow Futures are guaranteed to move in response to the release of periodical economic indicators. You can simply speculate with the futures contract like the Dow Futures just by using technical and fundamental analysis. You can setup positions with both futures and options as you wait for the news to hit the wire.

Any information that moves the stock indexes can be used to make profit by investing in stock index futures. Stock indexes move when economic news of fundamental nature is released. For the past many years, the monthly NFP employment report which is issued the first Friday of every month at 8:30 AM EST has been an excellent mover for stock index futures like the Dow Futures.

You just need to find one or two stock index futures with which you're comfortable -the ones that enable you to implement your strategies. You don't need to trade every major index futures contract in the world to be successful.

The more you know about a particular type of a contract, the better off you are. So the best way to trade futures contracts is to become a specialist in one type of the contract like the Dow Futures or the S&P 500 Futures or NASDAQ-100 Futures.

Figure out how many days the Dow Futures contract tends to spend rising or falling along a Bollinger Band. You can get an idea when the Dow Futures contract is likely to turn around. This way you can become a Dow Futures swing trader. Every time profiting from a turn in the DJIA! So by becoming a specialist in trading Dow Futures you can make a lot of profit daily from the daily movements in DJIA. - 23309

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