Simple Three Step Bollinger Band Strategy That Makes Money

Top professional traders all over the world use this system to trade. It works on any time frame but produces better results on the longer time frames such as daily, weekly and monthly. If used properly it can help you make money.

The first step in the system is identifying one of three specific candlestick patterns. There are over 80 Japanese candlestick patterns however, we are only interested in the strongest patterns. The strong patterns we are looking for are dark cloud cover, bearish engulfing patterns, bullish engulfing patterns and piercing lines. Each of these patterns need two candlesticks to form completely. The second candlestick is the most important and it must appear very strong.

The first thing we need is a strong candlestick pattern. A order should not be placed unless a strong candle stick pattern has formed.

The second step is the candlestick pattern must have a strong Bollinger band break out of the upper or lower bands. The first and second candle must break out of the upper or lower band strongly. If the rules are not met the trade set up should be ignored.

So the second thing we need is a very strong upper or lower Bollinger band breakout.

Rule one and two show a sign which indicates that the price wants to change. Either to collapse or advance. It only tells us that either the buyers (bulls) or the sellers (bears) are getting tired, giving up, or switching sides.

The rules also requires that the strong candle stick pattern should form were neither the bulls or the bears do not have full control over the price. This means one of the parties have become exhausted in the struggle to control the price movement.

So the third thing we need is a market showing signs of exhaustion where neither bulls or bears have full control over the price action.

If you do not have all three of these conditions it is too risky to place an order.

Using this Bollinger band system you can expect to trade five times in one month. You can set your take profit order up to ten times your stop-loss order. Your stop-loss order is best set at the previous candles high or low price.

I recommend that you practice in a demo account first. No strategy is one hundred percent right all the time. We are traders not fortune tellers. However, with proper risk management, and a solid exit plan it is possible to become consistently profitable trading currencies.

You are welcome to join our blog and community of experienced professional traders who love to mentor novice traders absolutely free of charge.To receive a free eBook explaining the system described here in full detail visit

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Is Bitcoin As Good As Gold?

Gold and Bitcoin have been used synonymously as safe havens and currencies. What is a safe haven? It is a place to park wealth or money when there is a high degree of uncertainty in the environment. It has to be something that everyone can believe in even if the current institutions, governments or players in the business game are not available. The wealth has to be kept safe in times of trouble. What are the risks to someone's wealth? There is theft by robbery if it is a physical asset. There is damage by fire, flood or other elements. There is the legal issue in not being able to determine if the asset is really yours or not. There is access risk in that you may own the asset but may not be able to get your hands on it. You may own the asset but may not be able to use it due to some restriction. Who else do you have to rely on to be able to use your wealth - spending it, investing it or converting it into different units of measure (currencies)?

In cases like cash or currencies, you may have the asset and can freely use it, but it does not have value due to a systemic issue. There may be too many units of the currency such that using them would not purchase very much (hyperinflation). There is also devaluation - where a currency is arbitrarily devalued due to some economic or institution issue. Most of these issues come from too much debt and not enough assets to pay for them. A currency devaluation is like a partial or slow motion bankruptcy for a government or issuer. In a foreclosure scenario, the creditors (or users of the currency) would be getting a fraction of what the asset (or currency) was originally worth.

No Liability

One key aspect for both bitcoin and gold is that in creating either of them, there is no liability involved. National currencies are issued with interest attached, which means there is a liability to the issuer of the currency. The currencies due to being centralized can also be "delisted" or have their value altered, devalued or swapped for other currencies. With Bitcoin, there would have to be consensus among the players for this to happen. Gold is nature's money, and since it was found, there is no one really in charge of how it works. Gold also has the history of being used as money for thousands of years in virtually every culture and society. Bitcoin does not have this reputation. The internet, technology and power grid are needed for Bitcoin to function, whereas gold just is. The value of gold is based on what it is being exchanged for. The value of Bitcoin is similar to buying a stock or a good: It is determined by what the buyer and seller agree it is worth.

Bitcoin Issues

Are there regulatory, institutional or systemic risks with Bitcoin? The answer is yes. What if a bunch of central banks or governments took over the Bitcoin issuance? Would this not lead to control issues that could either stop the Bitcoin transactions or impair them? What if the justification was to stop terrorism or illegal activities? There are also technology issues like who controls the internet, the electrical energy involved in mining Bitcoins, or other issues in infrastructure (the electrical grid, the nuclear grid, the internet servers, the telecom companies etc.) Regulatory risks can also run the gamut from restricting who buys Bitcoins, how many can trade each day or perhaps issuing trillions of units of fiat currency and buying and selling Bitcoins with them which would cause convulsions in the prices of the unit, leading to mistrust and lack of use? Gold does not have these shortcomings. Once it is mined, it cannot get destroyed. It is not reliant on technology, infrastructure or any institution to make it valid. Since it is small and portable, it can be taken anywhere and still be useful without any other mechanism needed. The prevailing institutions can be changed many times and gold will still be valuable.

Gold is a classic safe haven because it does not need institutions to exist, is very hard to forge, cannot be destroyed by the elements and does not have issues of access or restrictions. Physical theft and restriction may be factors, but gold fares better than currencies or digital currencies at this point in time.

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Trading Commodities Through Binary Options Platforms

The commodities market has been around for a long time allowing traders to exchange commodities (raw products) on a very large scale, and the trading has usually been done on a face-to-face basis among the buyers and sellers. In today's market, the trading style has evolved into a more speculative one whether traders are dealing in stocks, commodities or other entities of the market. Many traders nowadays trade in the commodities market through binary options platforms. This type of trading is one of the simplest for making money with commodities, but it is important that you have a good binary options broker before you start.

The way a trader makes money with binary options is by guessing the price of the commodity. When a trader guesses correctly they win and if they guess wrongly they lose. Having an online broker will provide convenience for those wanting to start trading, however, it is important to have a broker that is honest and reliable. It might also be wise to put your money into different brokerage accounts rather than all into one pot. Some small online trading companies may not be regulated and therefore not as stable as the traditional trading brokers so if you use them it would be wise to keep your money in a separate account that is held by a different company.

Trading in commodities with binary options is a very lucrative business but at the same time can be very risky for beginners. There are many brokers that are safe and reliable in this type of business but there are also many brokers who don't even have a license to conduct this type of business and your investment with them is not secured or protected. What a beginner can do is to try several different brokers to compare what each of them has to offer. That way one can decide at a later date which of their brokers are reliable and can be trusted.

As with other types of trading, binary options uses techniques and methods that are very effective in making the trader a nice profit, but the trader needs to follow sound money management rules and always be aware of the risk they are taking. A good rule of thumb with any investment is, never invest more than you are willing to lose. Trading on impulse because of a boon winning streak is very dangerous. Using logic and discipline at all times is imperative to your success.

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Essential Day Trading Rules To Improve Your Profitability

Traders often ask me to provide them with a guide; something that will allow them to improve their odds of making good money with the minimum amount of risk while day trading. They think that I have some secret information that enables me to take profits out of the markets in a consistent manner.

On the other hand, I tend to follow certain simple rules. Yes, day trading is simple if you are willing to look at the simplest possible explanations. Never try to complicate the scenario because the market itself is a complex entity.

Without much delay, here are the rules that I follow religiously.

1) Familiarize with the market that you wish to day trade. It is true that the price action keeps on varying for different markets. Some of the markets are extremely choppy while the others tend to trend. Before jumping in, take some time to familiarize yourself with the price action of the market.

2) Take some effort to prepare for the day. Just like any other business, day trading requires some preparation from your end. Do not think that this is a way to get easy money. Look at websites that feature business news articles to get a hang of the global events.

3) Stick with your day trading plan. This is very important if you are currently in a losing spree. When too many bad trades begin to accumulate, traders tend to stop following their original trading plan. Strange ideas might begin to flow through their minds - leading to more losses eventually.

4) It is not a good idea to be greedy while day trading. Greed can cloud your sane mind and it will force you to place bad trades. While in the green, just take what you can get and close the shop for the day!

5) Losses are essential to day trading. Some of the best day traders will go through phases of losses. That does not discourage them. Your trading plan should come with elements to control the losses on every trade. Think of it as writing a test. You need not have to get every answer correct. It is the final score that matters.

6) Chasing the market is not a good idea. Some days, you might miss a particularly appealing trade. Instead of jumping in late, it is better to look for price retractions. If it is meant to be, the price will come and touch your desired level!

7) Overtrading is a strict no-no. The brokers will ensure that a trader who overtrades will never remain in business for a very long time. Your day trading strategy should contain minimal entry points in a day. Else, you will end up paying a lot more on commissions to the broker.

8) Move with the flow. When the prices are surging, look for retracements to buy. Likewise, when the prices are falling, look for opportunities to sell. You can be a strong swimmer. However, you will never find success swimming against the tide.

9) Profits are essential; but take steps to protect your existing trading capital too. Think of it as the oxygen supply carried by the divers. When the oxygen in the tank depletes, they will die. Likewise, take steps to protect your trading capital by avoiding overtrading.

10) News announcements. Please be cautious while trading news announcements. Never remain in position before important news flow. The price will usually spike either ways (thanks to the high frequency trading programs).

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What Do You Need to Know About Call Options?

Call options are contracts in which the buyer has the right to buy a certain specified quantity of security at a predetermined price within a fixed period of time. You do need to remember that the right to buy is not an obligation.

If you are a seller of a call option, it means an obligation to sell the underlying security at the specified price when the option is exercised. The seller is paid a premium for taking the risk that is often accompanied with the obligation. Each contract may cover 100 shares for stock options.

Buying options

Call buying is the easiest way of trading options. Beginners often start trading options by buying calls. This is popular among novice traders not just because of its simplicity but also due to the increased ROI (Return on Investment) that can be generated from successful trades.

Simple example:

Suppose the stock of ABC company is trading at $50 and a contract with a strike price of $50 is placed expiring within a month's time priced at $3. It is strongly believed that the stock may rise sharply after the earnings report is presented in the coming weeks.

Based on this $300 is paid to buy a $50 ABC option of 100 shares. Suppose the option is spot on and the price of ABC rallies to $60 after strong earnings, you may be able to make a profit of $1000.

Selling options

Instead of purchasing options, you can also choose to sell them for a profit. The sellers can choose to sell, as they may expect that the call may expire worthless and they may be able to make a profit from the premium. Selling or short call is risky but profitable if it is done in a proper manner. You can choose to sell covered calls or uncovered (naked) calls.

Covered calls - In this the short call is covered if the seller owns the quantity (obligated) of the underlying security. It is a popular strategy that enables the seller to get additional income from the stock holdings by periodically selling the options.

Uncovered calls - The option seller writes calls without owning the owning the underlying security. This is known as shorting the calls naked. If you are a novice trader then such a risky strategy is not recommended as you may lose big.

Call spreads - In this an equal number of option contracts are bought and sold simultaneously. The buying and selling is done of the same underlying security but with varying strike prices and expiration dates. This helps in limiting the maximum loss of the trader but it can also cap the potential profit that can be made at the same time.

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I Still Haven't Started With Live Trading Yet, Because I Am Afraid to "Click"

Relatively often, I find myself in situations where beginning traders are telling me that they have done all the necessary work such as backtesting and profitable papertrading, but they still can't find the courage to click "live". Therefore I will try to summarize a few pieces of advice and tips in today's article.

First of all, I would like to repeat that this advice is only for those who really underwent the necessary preparation work, i.e. they have done backtests to verify functionality of their system and have done papertrading for some time and were able to trade profitably for a couple of months (alternatively they have done only papertrading, i.e. without backtests, but in that case for a longer period of time and more precisely). Without these basic steps, the beginner doesn't show a diligent and serious enough approach to trading and they absolutely shouldn't click "live", because they aren't ready enough!

As long as the beginner fulfills the requirements above, then, based on my experience, there are three types of fear to "click", which I will try to describe more closely.

Fear no.1: I am afraid to lose money

I think that in connection with trading, this is one of the most common and most natural types of fear. Nobody wants to lose money and, for the vast majority of beginners, the concept of occasional loss that is part of a long-term profitable trading, is difficult to take in. Up until now, we were used to getting some kind of reward for every activity - in trading, this type of thinking is failing and it is even getting worse because of the factor that after a few hours, days, or even months of activity the outcome can be loss. This is why the fear of loss of money is completely natural and not always wrong. This fear has its positive side, because it helps conscientious individuals and it is pushing them towards better preparation and to make an effort to not underestimate anything.

And thus, it is important to realize if this is the fear that is stopping us to "click". If the answer is 'yes', then it is important to openly confess to yourself if possible loss per trade represents a considerable amount (i.e. amount that we aren't willing to lose, because in our normal life it represents a lot of money) or if it is an amount that doesn't mean anything significant and a factual loss of such amount won't be a major problem.

If we are talking about the first option, i.e. situation when possible loss from trading is unbearably high and it represents a lot of money, the advice is rather simple: Either you are undercapitalized, or you risk per trade more than what we are willing to lose and bear. In such case it is necessary to increase the account or move to a cheaper market (with lower volatility), alternatively lower timeframe - to achieve decrease of our stop-loss to a level that won't be as painful. Or alternatively to do both (i.e. slightly increase the account and through a change of market or timeframe decrease the risk per trade).

If it is the second option, then the fear of loss of money probably isn't the real problem. Maybe you are just telling yourself that this is the main problem and that the fear of loss of money has the biggest influence on you - but it can be just a conscious belief, which is far from what is happening in your subconscious. Then the real cause can be one of the other types of fears.

Fear no.2: I am afraid to fail, I am afraid I am not good enough

This type of fear is more serious, because it is connected to subconscious models resulting from failures and lack of success in the past (which lead to lower self-confidence).

In the past if we suffered some substantial failure (even deeper, in our childhood) which could negatively influence us, or if we failed in something essential (effort to sustain a business, effort to make a significant change, etc.), our self-confidence can be considerably broken and our subconscious can slow us down from any other effort in order to protect us from another possible disappointment.

The advice here is substantially more difficult and if there is a deeper problem, it can be helpful to consult this with a professional psychologist who can help to find and eliminate such subconscious blocks and fears.

Personally, I have tried various types of meditation and other alternative ways for similar types of subconscious fears, but I respect that not everyone is willing to try them.

Yet I think that the best way is simply to click and live through the possible first loss in the market - to see that there is nothing horrible about it!

Broadly speaking, there are only two possibilities to "force" yourself into this first click.

The first one is to plan and prepare everything in advance. The better and more detailed planning of our first click, the higher the probability of its realization.

First of all, set yourself a target that for example next week (don't postpone it too much) at a particular day and time you do that first click. For example, you can say that it will be on Wednesday, which is for some reason the calmest day for you and that it will be between 4 and 6pm, the period you have done your training on. But, ideally, you will do that first click in the first 30 minutes after the market opens and you definitely take the first trade according to plan as soon as it occurs.

Afterwards, for the rest of the week, visualize that "Wednesday" (or you can choose any other day) before you go to sleep. Imagine that the day has come, imagine in detail how you sit in front of the computer and you patiently wait for a trade according to plan and when it comes, you click on the mouse without any hesitation. Experience and envision your feelings (it doesn't matter what feelings you have, don't think about them too much), imagine both possible scenarios - that the first trade will be both loss and gain. The day before your set date, stop thinking about anything and when that day comes, just calmly do what you have visualised a few days ago. You will see that it isn't as bad as it seemed - once this first experience is behind you, the other ones will surely be simpler and you will slowly get used to it!

The second option sounds a bit crazy, but it works as well. Now go to your computer (or at the earliest possible moment). Open the chart and click BUY or SELL (completely blindley, it is absolutely insignificant if you buy or sell), count calmly to 3 - and then close your position. And it is done. Your first trade is behind you; you clicked. Nothing terrible has happened, you are alive and healthy, you survived, and it wasn't difficult at all! So why so much fuss about it? It was a piece of cake! Done; now you just have to repeat it based on your signals according to your trading plan, and you are where you want to be. There is no need to make it complicated.

Fear no.3: I am afraid of change

The last type of fear may sound a bit strange, but it also has its own reason and explanation.

The human brain doesn't like change. The human brain prefers the past (which it likes to idealize), it declines to its deep-rooted stereotypes (this is why most of the people like to run on "autopilot") and it refuses any kind of change. Just try to imagine how you would react if your boss arrives to your workplace tomorrow and exchanges people amongst departments and also changes their job descriptions from last week.

Trading is a change - a significant change. It can mean anything (a successful future isn't guaranteed) and whatever outcome will be, it can sound terrifying. If we lose, it can be an unpleasant change to worse; if we succeed, at present we think that it will be great to start a new dream life - but in reality we can't really imagine actual steps towards such a considerable life change, because in that current moment such a big change is rather dramatic for our brain! And so, our brain can subconsciously sabotage us to keep us as long as possible in our current comfort of apparent certainty that at least we know what tomorrow will bring. The brain loves its certainties (even the bad ones and horrible ones - for many people unsuccessful and depressing relationships are still better than none at all, and rubbish and hated jobs are still a better solution than to take a risk, leave a job and search for a new one) and subconsciously it can block many of our efforts to change. For example, it can constantly block our efforts to click "live", which could be understood as a first step towards possible change.

So, what to do in such a case? Simply initiate in our life as many small changes as possible, which slightly "derail" our routine stereotypes and help us gain more self-confidence to click.

Choose a different, new route to work from tomorrow on.

Do something you have wanted to do for some time now, or do something crazy this weekend, like bungee jumping, go-carts, etc.

Try a meal you have never tried before and go to a restaurant you have never been to before.

Do something, anything, that changes your usual rhythm and stereotype for a couple of days or weeks. It is necessary to train your brain for changes, to teach it new flexibility. Then it should be considerably easier to click, because once your brain gets used to a repeated disruption of stereotypes, it will be much better prepared for a change - and so for your first click.

These are today's advices and tips. Don't be afraid to combine a few of them at the same time. I wish you good luck and courage!

Happy Trading!

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Trader's Guide to Become Professional at Trading

Principles are known to be moral guidelines in doing better and being better no matter what aspect of life it maybe, principles as a mother, as a teacher, a writer, an artist or whatever your daily pursuits are. We can consider it as our personalized manual for living in harmony and abundance. And, being an elite trader is no different. As traders, we need to establish principles that enable us to competently move in the trading business considering different kinds of market vehicles like equities, Forex, options, commodities and market futures. Here are 8 principles gathered through experiences and multiple readings that you'll need to be ahead of the game:

1. Trading needs mental preparation

Being mentally prepared is tricky. Before starting the day, a good whiff of how you want your day to go is helpful. Envision yourself trailing along with the market trends, liquidating daily profits and coping with losses at ease. Data collection, pattern recognition, risk management plan and noting reward opportunities through detailed research, are the essentials.

2. Price Discounts Everything

As a theory this will help you understand the essence of technical analysis. This assumes that the market price "factors in" all fundamental information of a market's value. Not just that but elements like politics, market behavior, the weather, or other external factors can and will be affecting the market price. Only by putting this theory to principle can you be superior in the trading system with the use of the gathered information on what makes markets move and the drivers of stock price performance.

3. Trade trending markets

To stay in an advantageous point in the Forex and stock market, it is favorable to only trade trending markets. This is the simplest way to identify strategy imperfections in order to come up with a close to foolproof trading plan. Following what has been rising steadily or falling can give you total confidence that you are investing your money in a trending market with an expectation that the trend will continue. Trading trends are definitely a vital building block of a well-made trading plan.

4. History repeats itself

Another principle that is well known to every effective trader is that patterns and reactions tend to repeat itself. As John Murphy has voiced "The key to understanding the future lies in a study of the past." A historical study of the stock market, catching sight of familiar patterns can provide profitable trading signals. Though technically history on repeat isn't absolute, trading is definitely a deterministic system whereby no randomness is involved.

5. Buy fundamentally sound companies

To aggressively ride the market rally, recognizing fundamentally sound companies is of importance. Solely basing your moves on technicalities with price trends is such a dangerous foundation. Fundamental and technical analysis can work in conformity in spotting the best possible money maker.

6. Losses are part of trading

They said there is a big difference in losing and being defeated. As with everything else in life losing will always be a part of trading but you should be in control on how you manage your risk. Conquering emotional and mental residue is the only way you can reflect and learn to turn this into a factor that would lead you to earning back the loss and then some.

7. Success in Trading is the by-product of consistency

Discipline is one of the clichés of trading that some might brush off, but this just might be the only thing that can lead you to the top of your game as a trader. Working with consistency despite gains and losses through the trading process provides you the keystone of veering you away from unimportant factors that might be detrimental to your progress.

8. Your primary objective is capital preservation

Capital preservation is the vital action plan for protecting your financial assets in insuring the return of principal. This is the conscious attempt to avoid significant loss of value through low risk investments and perfectly honed risk managing.

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Stock Market Basics For Beginners - All You Need To Know

Rookie stock market investors are those who only possess a relatively rudimentary knowledge and experience of the investing sphere. Most of these individuals usually commence by sticking to a 'buy and hold' trading strategy. As a beginner, your general experience in investment trading is very limited. This, for the most part, confines you to making no more than a couple of trades perhaps on a monthly basis from a cash account. However, this does not necessary signify that you have not placed high expectations on your stock market trading activities. You most likely are very interested in expanding your knowledge as well as investment experience in order to realize the objectives you may have set. This is all nice and good.

Nevertheless, most beginners are generally totally ignorant on the exact time investment and devotion required in investing and trading. This makes a large number of them to be extremely susceptible of initiating failed investments. The kind of stock market investments which are based purely on instincts and hearsay, rather than investments that are based on actual research.

Most rookies usually comprehend the notion of buying low and then selling high. Still, they are very prone to letting their emotions guide their actions, the moment a trade or investment has been made. As a result, many of them can desperately cling to securities with substantial losses. Mind you, even when the exact reasons that drove them to make the initial investment in a particular security become untenable. As such, most of them find themselves hoping or anticipating that a 'losing' stock will be able to recover for them to be in a good position of getting back even. In the event higher prices emerge, these beginners then opt to pull out way to soon. This normally prompts them to sell their stocks at break even or perhaps after they have only realized insignificant profits.

Generally speaking, it is always tough for rookies to discern a forest from just trees. Also, they find it hard to recognize if the future prospects of any particular security are auspicious, even if the short term trading trends are not volatile. Beginners are normally successful during strong 'bull' markets. But unfortunately find themselves clueless when on tougher occasions, especially when market volatility is higher and 'bears' happen to rule. Well, if you deeply feel you fit this description to the T, here then are some stock market basics for beginners, which could be useful.

Make it a point to set realistic trading objectives
Before you decide to make your very first investment, try to ask yourself the following questions. "At what point will you require the money you have invested?" "Will it be after 6 months, a year, 5 years or perhaps much longer?", "Are you trying to lay a nest egg for your sunset years?", "Are seeking to obtain the necessary funds to finance your college education or perhaps seeking money to buy a home?" "On the other hand, do wish to establish an estate that you want to leave for your beneficiaries upon your demise?"

Whichever the case, prior to making any stock market investment, you ought to fully determine your primary driving motivation. When you have ascertained this critical point, next consider the most likely time in the future you might stand in need of the funds you wish to invest. Should you require your investment back within just a couple of years, then it will be much better to consider another investment channel. It is very important for you to fully understand that the stock market with its volatility can offer no guarantee on just when your investment will be made available.

Accordingly, you should always make it a point to beforehand calculate how much cash you wish to invest and what kind of ROI you may deem suitable to realize your trading objectives. As a rule of thumb, always recall that the eventual growth of your stock market portfolio relies on 3 interdependent factors. These are the exact capital you decide to invest, the amount of yearly earnings on your investment. And lastly, the exact number of years you wish to invest your capital in the stock markets.

Take the necessary time to effectively determine your risk tolerance
Risk tolerance happens to be a psychological attribute, which is genetically oriented. Yet, it can still be significantly influenced by factors such as education, income or even wealth. The moment all these factors increase in value, risk tolerance also tends to rise. Basically, your exact level of risk tolerance can be accurately described as how you feel about any risk you make. As well as the exact level of anxiety you tend to experience whenever you decide to undertake risky ventures. Take your time to ask yourself, "Can I risk $100 to gain $1,000 or perhaps $1000 to gain $1,000?"

It is vital for you to fully understand that all people possess varying levels of risk tolerance. This certainly means that there is no such thing as 'right balance' in this given issue.

At the same time, risk tolerance can generally be influenced with the exact 'perception' of the risk an individual is contemplating to take. This given concept of risk tolerance is then the most accurate when it comes to stock market investing or trading. As you become well conversant with the basics of trading, you will find that the idea of the risks involved in such matters is generally lesser. This includes having an excellent understanding of how to buy and sell stocks, assessing market volatility (price changes). Along with the ease or difficulties of liquidating a stock market investment.

This usually leads to a lessening of the overall anxiety you are bound to experience when you trade or invest in the stock market, due to your 'perception' of the risks involved. So, by taking the necessary time to fully understand your exact risk tolerance, you will be able to avoid trading in investments you dread. Ideally, you should not invest in an asset which has the potential to cause you sleepless nights. Anxiety triggers fear that in its turn prompts an emotional response to the stressor. By always retaining a cool head during stock market uncertainty, you will be able to adhere to an 'unemotional' decision-making process in your stock market activities.

Make it a habit to keep off your emotions from your investments
By far the largest obstacle quite a large number of beginners have to routinely face is their inability to regulate their emotions and proceed to make logical decisions. In the short term, the prices of company stocks correspond with the combined emotions of the whole investment community. When most stock market investors happen to be anxious about a particular firm, its stock prices will be bound to take a plunge. Alternatively, when most traders possess a positive perspective to a firm, its stock prices will naturally rise.

Those individuals who retain a negative perspective about the stock market are known as 'bears'. While those that have positive outlooks to the same are known as 'bulls.' During market hours, the unceasing struggles between bulls and bears is usually reflected on the constantly fluctuating securities' prices. These short term fluctuations generally arise from rumors, speculations and in some cases even hope. All of these factors can be rightly labeled as been emotions. Effective stock market investment necessitates a logical and systematic analysis of a company's assets, management and future prospects.

At this juncture, it is important for you to remember that stock market prices can move in contrast to most expectations. For the inexperienced, this can fuel insecurity and tension. At such moments, you will find yourself faced with a dilemma - "Should you sell your position to prevent a loss?", "Or should you continue maintaining your position in the hope that the prices will ultimately rebound?" Even in the occasions that prices perform as you expected, you will still find yourself facing troubling questions. "Should you take a profit now prior to the prices falling?", "Or should you maintain your position as the prices could rise even higher?"

Dealing with all these perplexing thoughts can trigger a lot of worry, particularly if you constantly monitor the prices of the securities you trade in. This emotion can eventually prompt you take certain actions. As your emotions are the main motivation, it is mostly likely your action will be wrong. When you buy a stock, you should only do so with valid reasons. Also, you should have realistic expectations of exactly how the prices will perform if your guiding reasons prove to be accurate. Finally, before investing in any stock, always take time to determine the exact point you will liquidate your holdings, especially if your reasons are proven wrong. All in all, always have an appropriate 'exit' strategy prior to purchasing any stock, and make it a point to execute it unemotionally.

Make it your business to comprehensively learn about the basics of stock market investment
Prior to making your very first stock market investment or trade, make sure that you fully understand all the basics of stock markets together with the individual securities which make them up. Below are some of the most pertinent areas you will be obliged to be well conversant with before commencing any stock market activities.

To begin with, take time to understand the exact financial metrics as well as definition that are utilized in stock market trading. Some of the most notable of which are P/E ratio, earnings / share, return on equity and compound annual growth rate. Take you time to fully grasp how these metrics are usually calculated. It is important to state that been in a position of effectively contrasting just how companies use these metrics is essential in any successful stock market investment.

Next you should learn all about the most popular techniques of stock selection and timing. To this end, you should make it a point to understand how fundamental and technical analysis can be executed. More importantly, just how they vary and when it is appropriate to use them in a stock market trading strategy. You should also be well conversant with the different types of stock market orders. Take all the time you require to fully comprehend just how market orders, limit orders, stop market orders, stop limit orders and trailing stop loss orders vary from each other.

Finally, you should make it a point to learn all you can on the different kinds of stock market investment accounts which are made available. You perhaps are well conversant with cash accounts that are arguably the most prevalently used by stock market investors. Nevertheless, what are known as margin accounts are by regulations, required when you wish to make some specific types of stock market trades. So, make sure you fully understand how margin accounts can be calculated. You should also find out about the exact differences between initial and maintenance margin accounts prerequisites.

Make it your business to diversify your stock market investments
The moment you have performed all the necessary research that helps you determine and even quantify risk, making the decision to diversify your stock market portfolio can be a very shrewd step. The same is also the case, when you are totally 'comfortable' that you will be able to pinpoint any potential danger which might jeopardize your position in a stress-free manner. In both scenarios, you will be able to liquidate your stock market investments prior to sustaining any dangerous loss.

Therefore, the most prudent means of been able to effectually manage stock market investment risks is to diversify your exposure. You should know that most shrewd stock market investors, make it their business to own stocks from different firms, different sectors and even different nations. The primary driving force which motivates them to do so is the firm guarantee that a single inauspicious event can never influence all their holdings. What all this really boils down to is the undeniable fact that stock diversification can allow to comfortably recover from the loss of a single and even several of your investments.

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Questions First Time Investors Should Ask Before Investing

It is easy to find people's opinion on how to invest in the stock market as everyone has a different angle on what to expect in the stock market at every point in time, but most of the time people's opinion may be very confusing. The most common problem that new investors do have is how to determine good investments from the bad ones, what to invest on, what time to invest among others. Some of the questions that you need to answer so as to make a good decision when you want to invest are highlighted below.

Is This a Good Time to Invest in Stocks?

On the off chance that you are taking a gander at money markets amid a lofty decrease, you may think it is a terrible time to begin investing. On the off chance that you are taking a gander at it when stocks are reviving, you may think it is a decent time.

Neither one of the times is fundamentally great or terrible in the event that you are investing for the long haul (10 years or more). Nobody can anticipate with any level of assurance which way the share trading system will move at any given time; yet over the long haul, stock markets has constantly moved higher. Each bear advertises is trailed by a buyer market (when stock costs rise). Verifiably, positively trending markets have endured any longer than bear markets, and the additions of buyer markets have more than counterbalance the misfortunes in bear markets

How Much Risk Should I Take?

A standout amongst the most essential fundamentals of investing is the cozy relationship amongst risk and returns. Without risk, there can be no profits. You ought to will to accept more risk on the off chance that you are looking for more noteworthy returns. In that regard, risk can be something to be thankful for, yet just in the event that you take into consideration adequate time to let the inescapable market cycles happen. By and large, in the event that you have a more drawn out venture time skyline, you ought to will to expect a more noteworthy measure of risk, on the grounds that there will be more opportunity for the market to work through the here and there cycles. Generally, understanding financial specialists have been compensated with positive long haul returns.

New investors are regularly encouraged to put fundamentally in common money, which can give moment enhancement, offering the most ideal approach to lessen risk. By putting resources into a couple of various shared assets speaking to various resource classes, (for example, expansive development stocks, global stocks or bonds), you can lessen unpredictability significantly promote without yielding long haul returns.

On the off chance that you are beginning an investment program by investing incremental measures of cash on a month to month basis, you will profit by dollar cost averaging. When you invest an altered measure of cash on a month to month premise, you get some share costs at a higher cost and some at a lower cost because of market changes. At the point when the market decreases, your settled dollar sum will purchase more shares. After some time, the normal cost of your shares ought to be lower than the present market cost. By utilizing dollar cost averaging, your drawback risk will be alleviated after some time.

What Is My Investment Goal?

The most vital question to consider before making any invest is, "What Is My Investment Goal?" Your ventures will contrast boundlessly if, for instance, you are attempting to spare cash for retirement as opposed to attempting to spare cash for an up front installment on the house. Things being what they are, ask yourself, "Is this venture prone to help me meet my objective?"

What Is My Risk Tolerance?

If your investment objective is to profit as would be prudent and you can endure any hazard, then you ought to invest in the National Lottery. Putting resources into lotteries, be that as it may, practically promises you won't achieve your venture objective. There are speculations for each level of risk resilience. But if you are not a high-risk taker, investing in long-term investment is the key.

What Happens if This Investment Goes to Zero?

Among the 12 stocks in 1896 stock list, only General Electric is still in operation, the other eleven firms in the first record have either gone bankrupt or have been gobbled up. There is a genuine plausibility that any investment you make could go to zero while you claim it. Ask yourself, "Will I be monetarily crushed if this speculation goes to zero?" If the answer is yes, don't make that venture.

What Is My Investment Time Frame?

As a rule, the more extended your investment time allotment, the more risk you can take in your investment portfolio since you have more opportunity to recuperate from a mix-up. Likewise, in case you're putting something aside for retirement, and you're decades from resigning, putting resources into something illiquid (like an investment property) may bode well. "Does this venture bode well from a planning perspective?"

When and Why Will I Sell This Investment?

If you know why you are putting resources into something, you ought to have an entirely smart thought of when to sell it. On the off chance that you purchased a stock since you were expecting 20 percent income development for each year, you ought to anticipate offering the stock if income development doesn't live up to your desires. On the off chance that you purchased a stock since you enjoyed the dividend yield, offer the stock if the profit yield falls.

Who Am I Investing With?

It is extremely hard to judge the character and capacity of anybody in light of a two-passage portrayal accessible in an organization's yearly report or a common store outline. However, you ought to at any rate know with whom you are entrusting your money. What is their past record? Things to hope for are long fruitful track records and good dividend and turnover.

Do I Have Special Knowledge?

A celebrated investment expert feels that normal individuals have a tremendous favorable position over investment experts in fields where they work in light of the fact that no investment professional will ever know more around an industry than somebody who works in it. Ask yourself, "Am I putting resources into something I know something about, or am I putting resources into something that some specialist know something about?"

I couldn't care less how great something sounds. In the event that I don't totally see how it functions, I won't put resources into it.

In the event that an investment can't be clarified obviously, it implies one of two things:

The individual clarifying it doesn't comprehend it either, or there's something about the investment that the individual is attempting to stow away.

On top of that, one of the greatest keys to investing admirably is adhering to your arrangement through the good and bad times.

That is difficult. Indeed, even the best investment methodologies have enormous down periods that make you reconsider. Adhering to your arrangement in those extreme times requires a practically religious-like conviction that things will pivot.

Furthermore, the best way to have that sort of conviction is to comprehend why you're investing the way you are and what every bit of your arrangement is accomplishing for you. Without a solid comprehension, you'll more likely than not safeguard at the main indication of inconvenience.

Why Do I Still Own That Investment?

It is a smart thought to intermittently look through your investment portfolio to ensure regardless you need to claim your stock. Offering an investment for a misfortune or offering a major champ is exceptionally troublesome. Be that as it may, the greatest distinction amongst beginner and professional investors is that professional investors don't have passionate ensnarement with their investment and can strip themselves of their investment without kicking themselves if the investment keeps on picking up esteem.

Should I Be Managing My Own Investments?

It is extremely difficult for beginner investor to perform well than a professional investment expert. If you don't have sufficient energy or slant to deal with your investment, you ought to think about paying an expert to do it for you. Every investor wants to make profit, so there is no harm in trusting your investment in good hand.

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Increase Your Wealth With Stock Market Investment

Investing in the stock market is one of the fastest ways to maximize your returns. However, this form of investment also comes with a high level of risk. While it is common for investors to grow rich overnight with stock market investments, it is equally common to lose a lot of money in the stock market.

So then how can one leverage this investment choice without taking on too many risks? Here are a few guidelines that can help you to make the right stock market investments at the right time.

Background Research

For investors, doing background research on which companies to invest in is the key to building profits. It has been observed that first-time investors usually invest in big companies as it is considered a safer option. You can also look deeper and focus on the companies of tomorrow but you should know how to identify them. This is where background research comes in handy. You need to understand industry trends to make the most of your stock investments.

Company Health

To enjoy best returns it is advisable to invest in good companies. You can determine a company's quality by its financial health and track record with customers and investors alike. For you to keep earning returns the company should continue to perform well in the future too.

It's All About Timing

For success in the stock market, it is very important to invest at the right time. Making timely decisions to buy and sell stocks is the key to earning big returns.

Let Your Portfolio Evolve

Over a period of time, as companies change their strategies, you should also allow your portfolio to evolve. It is better to spread investments over a diversified portfolio to reduce risks. This is a common strategy investors use for long-term success. Never put all your eggs in one basket is indeed the golden rule for stock market investment.

Reinvest To Multiply Your Profits

One good strategy is to re-invest the profits earned from previous investments. This concept is called 'Compounding'. As you re-invest the base of your investment grows and thus returns are higher. If you are a proactive investor and you are reinvesting profits earned then there are good chances your returns will be very good in the long-term.

Avail The Services Of An Investment Manager

If you don't have enough know-how on stocks and trends then you can choose to hire the services of a good investment manager. If you have a good risk appetite, then you can give your investment manager some flexibility. Remember while losses are part of the investing process, a good investment advisor should be able to come up with a strategy to keep this at a minimum while maximizing your gains.

Today there is so much information available online and you can also use an online trading platform to buy and sell stocks thus making stock investments easier than ever before. Sign up with a reliable online provider and give it a shot!

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Forex Trading: The Largest Trading Platform

The Forex have advanced from the humblest of beginnings to the world's largest market by dollar volume. With many different entry points, hedgers and speculators can find what they are looking for. Whether they pursue a more complex strategy or simply want to hedge their everyday currency risk, the Foreign Exchange markets provide the liquidity and instruments for trading in currencies.

Hedging simply hedging implies controlling or reducing the risk. It is an investment position that is used to reduce any substantial losses or gains undergone by an individual or an organization. This is done by taking a position in the futures market for limiting risks associated with price changes.

In other words, the hedge is 100% inversely interrelated to the vulnerable asset. A hedge can be built up from different types of financial instruments such as stocks, exchange traded funds, forward contracts, insurance, future contracts and many types of derivative products.

The Power of Risk/Reward and Hedging
Since Forex trading is a risky one, understating the usage of Stop Loss and Take Profit orders is imperative in trading. Stop Loss (SL) and Take Profit (TP) are used for hedging the risk and rewards of the trader for realizing the profits and minimizing the losses.

There are several methods that traders/investors with a lot of money implement in order to reduce the risk of their trade. One of these techniques is called hedging. Hedging is basically making twofold investments, one investment which will make as the main investment and the other, less risky investment supposed to offset any potential losses incurred from the main investment. It involves reducing the risk that one faces while indulging a business deal. In short, hedging is fundamentally a method which secures the future income.

eToro is a social trading App that places an automatic Stop Loss order on all trades so as to prevent the trader from losing more than he has invested. If the rate of his open trade falls below what is covered by his investment, then the trade is closed by the automatic Stop Loss automatically.

By setting a Stop Loss order a trader makes sure that the value of his trade does not drop lower than a certain level. This way the trader control the maximum amount that he is willing to lose on a trade, without having to check each trade throughout the day.

Take Profit orders are also similar to stop loss orders which only meant to profits. TP orders make sure that once the trade reaches a certain level of profit it will be closed.

Effective Money Management in Forex.
In the Forex market, money management or Risk Management is the key factor which should be seen as a positive element. Money Management is a defensive concept which keeps the trader in funds so that he can trade another day and bears outs profitable performance. It is the key factor that is the difference between success and failure. With risk management the trader needs to manage his means to achieve his ends. Sometimes it is absolutely the right thing to do to get a loss so as to avoid making much larger and more catastrophic losses to his hard earned funds.

For a trader, the proper usage of trading plan is very important that lays out strategies for the trading activities. Helping traders to manage their money and the risk exposure are the practical uses of such plan. The plan should comprise details of what risk level the trader comfortable with, and the amount of capital he has to use.

A trader should really adhere to the levels of risk that he draws in his plan. If he desires to make low risk trades, then there is no reason why he should start exposing himself to higher levels of risk. It is often tempting to do this, probably because the he has made a few losses and he wants to try and fix them, or maybe he has done well with some low risk trades and want to start increasing his profits at a faster rate.

The risk management and the wealth management are to be exercised with a proper strategy, then most possibly there are high chances for getting good profit. A good quality money management strategy helps the trader to survive a losing streak. To do that, it needs to be flexible. A trader should not invest a fixed amount per trade, but a fixed percentage of his starting balance.

Remember, money management is very simple to exercise, but not as simple to carry on. Once the trader developed the money management system that works for his trade, make sure to stick with it and do not let his emotions get in the way of long term profit, although it means absorbing short-term losses.

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Real Time Forex Signals - 3 Ways to Benefit From Them

The concept of Forex trading is pinned to the rise and fall of markets. The very nature of trading demands that the trader take decisions swiftly. The biggest safeguard in Forex trading is undeniably, the stop loss limit. It helps to keep the trader exposed to lesser risk. However, it is also important that profits are maximized during the trades. This is possible only by swift decisions based on sound information. Unveiled below are three ways in which a trader can benefit from real time Forex signals, and make better margins.

Convenient methods of receiving tips - real time

Real time Forex signal providers offer tips through convenient modes such as SMS, email and pop ups on the screen. This makes it easy to take decisions without having to constantly check the markets or look for information. Receiving real time Forex signals is like having a hand on the pulse of the markets. The timely receipt of information can goad you to action that is immensely beneficial.

Tips on parity

The information on currency pairs is disseminated on same price purchase points to all subscribers. Therefore, this gives a level playing ground to everyone. The opportunity to strike it rich is equal to all, and traders who take a swift but prudent decision end up seeing success. The tips that are shared are as a result of careful evaluation of inputs. The very existence of the Forex signal provider hinges on the credibility of the tips. Therefore, you can expect the tips to be based on proper inputs.

Guidance on entry and exit points

New entrants to Forex trading who may not have much knowledge, receive guidance offered by Forex signal providers. This guidance in the form of entry and exit points are hugely beneficial. This phase helps traders to learn how to trade without having to take serious risks upfront. With advanced software, the automated Forex signals are very comprehensive and function more like a mini investment advisor. This efficient service helps to cut exposure to risks.

Real time Forex signals have vastly benefitted countless number of users. The benefits of relying on real time signals are manifold. This has helped to bring more number of small time investors into Forex trading. Though there are risks associated with Forex trading, as with all trading, it is possible to stay afar from risks by taking the right decisions. Our customers are mainly from the European Union, Asia, Arabian World, Australia, USA.

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Trading Or Investing - Which Is Suitable For You?

First, let us understand what is the difference between trading and investing? Both terms seem similar, as both are aimed towards generating profits. However, these are two very different methods in generating profits in the financial market.

In trading, the focus is on short-term gain, from buying and selling, deriving profits from price movement of, for example, a stock. Long term prospects or value of the stock is not a main concern here. We aim to reap profit within a short period of time, say within weeks, days, hours, or even minutes, depending on the types of trade.

Investing, on the other hand, focus on a longer term gain from the value of a stock. An investor usually takes a longer term view and look at the value of a stock or a business that can appreciate in value over time, and profit from its capital appreciation. The short-term fluctuation of the financial market is not as much a concern.

So which method is better, which method should you go for? These are common question I get. I have been doing both, and let me explain by sharing with you from my personal experience, to help you better understand and in making your decision.

In my early years, I was young then and time was my friend. I could afford to take more risk, as I had a longer time horizon to recover from any setback should I fail to success. What I did not have much was money. I would like to see quick results and earn money in a short period of time. I decided to start acquiring the necessary skills to do trading as my form of income.

As a trader, I spent plenty of time doing technical analysis of stocks, executing and monitoring price movements and my trades. A lot of attention and focus were required on a daily basis. I made good profits on some days, and losses on others. Though I managed to make more profits than losses, I spent plenty of hard work and efforts doing analysis of my trades, and fine-tuning my trading strategies, methods, emotions to seek more consistency in my trades and profits. Later on, I got married and had a family. This was when I started to re-examine my priorities in life, and the ways I was going to create my wealth.

With a family, I started to do longer term financial planning. I started to look at spending more time with my family, and this was when I look forward to achieving financial freedom. Having a family helped me re-strategize the way I would want to achieve my financial goals and freedom, so that I could have more time for my loved ones. This was when I started to re-channel more efforts towards investing,

By investing, I hunt for good value stocks for either growth or income. My strategy is to keep the stocks over longer period of time. As good businesses grow, the value of their stocks will appreciate in long run. Some stocks have been in my portfolio for the past one to two decade, growing in value consistently in the long run. By doing investing, I spend much lesser time having to monitoring each stock, unlike trading. At the same time, these stocks are providing me with good dividends as my passive income over the years. Investing has helped me to achieve financial freedom, free up my time to either spent with my family, or continue re-investing my gains and looking for new investment opportunities as my passion.

From my experience shared above, I would like to summarize some essential points that differentiate between trading and investing that will be useful for reference.

Trading:

• Looking at short-term gain, in hours, days, or weeks
• Stock value is not the main concern
• Profit/gain is aimed at pricing movement of a stock
• Profit/gain can be quick and big, likewise for losses
• Need active monitoring and managing your trades
• Risk is generally higher as trading is more sensitive to short time price and market fluctuations
• Difficult to achieve consistent results
• May not be suitable for those with low risk appetite, or when you cannot afford to take risk, for example, if your money is required for retirement purpose

Investing:

• Looking at long-term gain, over a longer time horizon, typically in years
• Looking at value of a stock and business that can appreciate over time
• Profit/gain is generated over longer period of time in a more consistent manner
• Aim at capital appreciation and income
• Can take a more passive approach in monitoring your portfolio, as it is not about short-term gain
• Good to start early, allowing time to compound and build your wealth or retirement income over time
• Good strategy towards achieving financial freedom, having your money works hard for you, providing you more free time

By now, you should have a good idea the differences between trading and investing, and in a better position to determine the suitable methods to deploy in your journey in growing and preserving your wealth.

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