Forex Trading

It is common now for people to undertake stock trading online. Historically there have been American stock markets from the 1700s. In Philadelphia an exchange for trading currency was established to enable business owners to support their business and to grow the economy.

The way the New York Stock Exchange works could be compared to an auction. If a company is listed on the stock exchange, they have a post in Wall St whereby trades are listed and a specialist is employed as an "auctioneer" to oversee the bidding on each trade. This form of trading keeps an accurate balance between supply and demand in the stock market so the price of the shares is kept in check.

One of the most common reasons investors like buying and selling stocks online compared with traditional brokerage is price. There are much lower brokerage fees for buying and selling stocks online than there are through buying and selling stocks at a traditional brokerage house.An important advantage of using an online brokerage service to trade stocks online is the significant price saving in brokerage fees. This is combined with the immediacy at which you can gather information required in making your stock purchasing decisions when trading online. Many investors also like the independence associated with trading shares online. Many traditional brokerage houses would try to influence your decisions when trading shares, but an online account means all the decisions you make are fully your own.

Online brokerage sites are not just about trading shares online. By giving you access to a wealth of information, online trading sites provide an important resource in formulating trading decisions. Many online brokerage sites will also provide courses designed to help you learn the tips and tricks of trading online. You can also get immediate access to your portfolio, instead of having to find all your stock certificates or calling your brokerage house.

Keeping pace with increases in technology has allowed the global economy to grow. The ability to buy and sell stocks online becomes a reflection of the economy adapting to meet the abilities of new technology head on. The ability of an investor to log in to their portfolio, no matter where they are in the world at that particular time, to trade shares online gives them the chance to take a greater role in securing their own financial future.

Most people who want to establish a financially-secure future choose to invest or trade in real estate. Indeed, if you take a look at the list of names of the wealthiest people in any category, most of them have allocated major portions of their assets in real estate. Donald Trump, who made his fortune in real estate is very popular and his success story is an inspiration to all of us.

Books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad , by Robert Kiyosaki and other property investing books written in the last fifteen years, introduced the average person to real estate investing. Thanks to these books, many people have opened their minds to new possibilities which they can now envision for themselves.

This article will not dispute the validity and the wisdom of investing in real estate. However, it might not be the best option for everybody. Each of us has different limitations and our circumstances vary. At the start -- for most of us -- we have to choose which area to specialise in since there is only so much money to go around. What I can do, is to at least highlight a few aspects of trading and investing in both areas. I then leave it to you to decide what you would like to focus on.

I should let you know that I have not yet invested in real estate myself, but I have considered it and I have asked myself the same questions you might be asking yourself now. I have read a lot on the subject matter and my assessment is purely based from my readings. Individuals using real-estate as their vehicle to create wealth may have different perspectives and I strongly advise you to seek their counsel to gain a more balanced outlook on this issue.

PASSIVE INCOME OR CAPITAL GAINS

If you like the idea of buying property to receive rent revenue, then the real estate market maybe better for you. You can structure your properties and contractual agreements to maximise the passive income you get from your tenants.

However, if you prefer to buy a property mainly because you think you can resell it at a higher price later, then you want to make money mainly from capital gains. If this is your philosophy, then forex could be a better trading vehicle for you than real estate because exchange rates fluctuate faster than real estate prices. Furthermore, transactions are easier and they are instantaneous to complete.

CAPITAL

To buy real estate, you need have at least 10% of the acquisition cost of the property, if your bank is willing to lend you the other 90%. If the house costs $350,000, you will need to cough up $35,000. That is a year's gross income for many people.

If you want to start trading forex, most brokers allow you to open a trading account for just $200. With $50, you can trade 10,000 units of a currency, if you have a margin ratio of 200:1.

LIQUIDITY

Whenever you want to buy or sell currencies, there is always someone willing to buy from - or sell to - you at the most competitive price. The forex market is the biggest market in the world and if you have hundreds of thousands of dollars you want to exchange for another currency, you can do so within a couple of seconds. To buy or sell a house or an apartment, you expect to wait for weeks, if not months.

PRODUCT HOMOGENEITY

In the real estate market, one house is not the same as another. Each property is unique. One might have a better foundation, a worse design or a prettier garden than another. Knowledge of these strengths and weaknesses become a significant factor if you are to make money from a transaction. Therefore, if you enjoy or if you are good at selling, promoting, negotiating and bargaining based on these differences, the real estate market is for you. Further, your lawyers, accountants, advisers, real estate agents and consultants play a significant role in your success.

If you want to trade currencies, there is no need to negotiate the price with the other party. If you are a seller, there is no need to educate potential buyers as to the benefits of your product. If you are buying, you have piece of mind that you are getting the best possible price for the currency from your broker at that particular point in time.

TRANSACTION COSTS

Buying and selling real estate is much more expensive than buying and selling currencies.

'SHORTING' MARKETS

When you have a property and you suspect that its price will go down in the future, your options are limited: hang on to the property or sell it now. In forex, if you suspect that a particular currency will depreciate in value, then you can exchange it for another currency. You buy it back again after it has already reduced in value to realise your gain.

MEDIATED TRANSACTIONS

In real estate you are dealing directly with the other party, taking on the other side of the transaction. This is why you need to go through a lot of paperwork and consult your lawyers to ensure that you know about the options available to you when the other party fails to fulfil his or her end of the bargain.

In forex, you do not have to worry about whether a buyer or a seller is going to fulfil his or her end of the bargain for whatever reason, because you are not directly dealing with that particular person. You are dealing with the broker who ensures that somebody will always take the other side of your trade.

CONVENIENCE

The forex market is open 24 hours a day. You do not have to meet the buyers or sellers in person. You do not have to conduct meetings with lawyers, accountant, bank representatives and so on. You can buy and sell currencies in your pyjamas at midnight if you like and the transaction will be complete before you go back to bed.

CONCLUSION

All in all, if you are an investor looking to make money from a combination of rent revenue and capital gains, you may want to invest in real estate for the long-term. If you are a trader wanting to profit purely on capital gains, then trading forex is probably better for you than trading real estate because you can start with a small fund and your rate of return is limited only by your ability to trade well. The transactions are mediated, it is more convenient and transaction costs are a lot smaller. The market is also more efficient due to product homogeneity and liquidity. Lastly, there are opportunities to profit regardless if the prices are going up or down.

I believe that if done right, neither venture is more or less riskier than the other. The risks are up to you to manage. With this article, I hope I helped you make a decision appropriate to your circumstances.

When you first start banking online, you may be offered free online bill pay. Online bill pay is a brilliant invention that saves you time and simplifies your budget, but only if you use it the right way. These tips can help you avoid surprise late fees and overdraft charges:

Set up reminders. Some banks let you send yourself reminders if you would rather not pay your bills automatically. Each month, you'll get a reminder to check on your latest bills and then pay them online. While this option is not automatic, you can check your balance to make sure you can cover the payment, and it takes less time than writing a check. Reminders come in handy for bills with changing values, such as the electric bill, and you can also use reminders to alert you when the money in your checking account dips below a certain level.

Make sure you know when the payment posts. Just because you make an online payment on a certain day doesn't mean the company or person you are paying will receive the money on that day. If you make the payment just before a deadline, but the payment posts afterward, you still missed the deadline, and you might be charged a fee. However, many online banks let you know when the payment will arrive, and you can schedule the date of the delivery. Give yourself a little extra time between when you schedule the payment and when the payment is due, and take weekends into account.

Find out if the money has been withdrawn. Since you aren't writing paper checks, you may fall out of the habit of balancing your checkbook. However, you need to make sure the transaction has cleared so you know how much you actually have. Some online bill pay services have features that let you balance your checkbook, but you can use good old paper and pen to track what you've paid out.

Learn about the bank's security practices. While online banking is secure, even more so than banking on paper, you still need to read about your bank's security standards before you sign up. Many sites offer details on their security standards. If your bank has a bricks-and-mortar branch near you, you can set up an appointment with a banker. Many of them have been briefed about online security and can tell you exactly what the bank is doing to keep your information safe.

Stay involved with your money. Even with online bill pay, it is your responsibility to keep your accounts balanced and find out if you have enough money to pay your bills; otherwise, you may wind up dealing with a late fee.

The advantages and disadvantages of online banking are both persuasive, and many people nowadays use a hybrid of both internet banking and a physical banking account with a local bank. While online banking doesn't seem as tangible as withdrawing and depositing your cold hard cash, you can do almost anything with online banking that you did at your bank branch.

Save Time and Money
Arguably one of the biggest advantages of online banking is saving time and money. When you use online banking, you can check your account, schedule bill payments and manage deposits with a few clicks of the mouse. Even better, you have control of your money 24/7; not on a 9-to-5 physical banking schedule at some place across town.

No more phone calls or trips to the ATM to check your balance; no more fussing around with paper bills, losing one and having to go search for it, and missing a payment; and no more wondering whether cousin Sally has cashed her birthday check, or waiting until your paper statement arrives in the mail to find out.

Online Bill Pay
Most internet banking institutions give you the option of setting up online bill pay. By using online bill pay, you can either choose to make a one-time payment on your bills, or you can set up recurring bill payments for monthly bills, such as an auto loan, car insurance or your mortgage. This advantage of online banking is invaluable since you can set up payments anytime and know exactly when the payment is credited.

No more putting a bill in the mail and receiving a notice the next month that the check arrived late, or that the recipient didn't get around to processing it until after your deadline. Online bill pay also saves you the worry of losing a bill; manage your bills electronically, and you never have to worry about a missing piece of paper.

Interest-Earning Accounts
It's common knowledge that online savings accounts typically earn a better interest rate than the savings accounts at a bricks-and-mortar bank, but you might not realize that some internet banking institutions also offer interest-earning checking accounts. Internet banking interest rates for checking accounts range from 0.5% to 3.40% annually. These rates rival the interest rate you'd get for a savings account at any traditional banking institution, and you're unlikely to find an interest-bearing checking account at a regular bank, either.

Funny Money
While internet banking makes it easier for you to manage your money, it might make it easier to forget to check how much you have so you can budget. Online banking is a lot like using a credit card-the easy access makes it easier to spend without thinking about why you are spending. You can set up e-mail alerts to let you know how when your account dips below a certain number, but nothing beats looking at it yourself and keeping your checkbook balanced.

Also, when you get a credit-card statement in the mail and open it on a monthly basis, you are instantly reminded to check if any strange charges appear on your account. It's easier to forget to keep track of such information online, and you'll need to have good money management habits.

Security
Hackers can break into nearly any computer system, so how can you be sure they won't break into your bank's system? You can't, but any online bank site you consider should have statements on the type of security they use. You should also e-mail the bank or head to the bank branch to find out exactly what would happen if there were a security breach and press the point or go to another bank if the answer is vague. In general, you should think of your money as being as safe online as it would be in a vault, but it is your responsibility to find out just how secure the bank is, if it is FDIC-insured and if they keep their security systems up-to-date. Finally, you should also make sure that you use security software on your personal computer to reduce the chance that anyone can get your personal data.

You Might Miss That Physical Location
While online banking has many advantages, one of the biggest disadvantages is the absence of a physical location. Being able to make deposits to a physical bank account assures peace of mind; you don't have to wonder if your check is lost in the mail or when it's going to be credited to your account.

You might also want that physical location for other reasons. Finances are complicated enough, and it's not a stretch to think that you might have a question about a transaction or fee someday. One of the disadvantages of online banking is that you can't speak to a customer service representative in person; you must either send an e-mail or call a number and wait for your call to be answered. If it's a sensitive question or if you are dealing with a mistake on your statement, you might get an answer faster if you go to a bank branch.

Internet Banking That Makes Sense: The Hybrid Approach
While an increasing number of companies have gone electronic, giving you the option of checking statements and paying online, some occasions even today simply require doing business on paper. Some companies aren't set up for online banking, so you'll need paper checks for those businesses. If you rent an apartment, your landlord probably isn't equipped to receive payments electronically, so you'll need a check to pay rent. While it's convenient to be able to use electronic bill pay, you're going to need to use a paper check at some point.

Deposits constitute another disadvantage of online banking. If you use a bank that doesn't have a physical location, you'll have to mail your deposits to your online bank. In these cases, you may be waiting a week or two for your deposit to be received and processed, and that's time in which you can't access that money. Sometimes things are lost in the mail, so the security of making a deposit by mail is questionable. Many people who use banks that exist solely online keep a second banking account at a nearby physical bank to make deposits and then transfer them electronically to their internet banking institution.

Even if you're inclined to rely solely on internet banking, the disadvantages of online banking are strong enough to make it prudent to keep a second banking account at a physical bank. Finding a physical bank that offers online banking provides the best of both worlds, giving you a location for fast and easy deposits, but the freedom to access your money anytime.

Set up computer barricades, choose a legitimate bank, keep passwords secret, check statements regularly and beware scam emails. These steps will help ensure happy surfing, shopping and banking.

Banking online tip 1: Barricades

Before even going online, install computer security. If your operating system came with a firewall, make sure it's activated. If not, install and activate a firewall. Keep it activated at all times. Install anti-virus and anti-spy software. There are several free and paid versions available. Whatever you choose, use the software regularly and keep it updated. Most software programs allow you to set run times as well as making updating an automatic process.

Banking online tip 2: Legitimate Banks

Most banks now offer banking online. Make sure you're doing business with an FDIC insured bank. Check for the FDIC logo or go to www.fdic.gov and see if your bank is on the list. When using bank services, there should be an extra 's' in the URL (example: https) letting you know the site is secure and encrypted. A locked padlock should be visible in the right hand corner of your screen. Click on the lock to view the type of encryption the site uses. If there is no padlock and no other visible sign of security, do not enter private passwords or other information.

Banking online tip 3: Protect Passwords

When creating personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords, it's easy to use the same password everywhere. Some people even use the word password as their password. While these practices may be easy, they aren't safe. Nor are passwords containing family names, pet names, birthdays, anniversaries, telephone or address numbers. Such passwords are too easily hacked.

Create passwords from combinations of letters and numbers. Change your passwords regularly. If you are storing passwords, make sure the storage method is encrypted. When choosing security question answers, try to choose questions with answers that aren't readily known by other people.

Keep a password and banking information list with important papers inside a safe or deposit box. If something happens to you, someone may need the information to take care of business for you or to settle things in case of your death.

Banking online step 4: Check Statements Regularly

Keep an eye on bank and credit card statements and other financial mailings. If you find errors or suspect fraud, contact customer service immediately. Keep record of all communication with banks and financial services.

Be wary of unknown companies seeking your private information. When using credit or debit cards online, maintain the same safe practices that apply to banking. Make sure the site is secure before divulging information. Print ourt receipts for all online transactions. Check statements regularly and immediately report errors or possible fraud.

Banking online step 5: Beware Phishing (fishing) Emails

Never click on emails from unknown senders. Scam artists send emails that appear to be legitimate in an effort to steal your money and or identitiy. Banks, Credit Card Companies, Paypal and Ebay are often featured in fake emails.

Legitimate emails from your bank, credit card and other companies will not ask for personal information via email. They will not ask for passwords or account numbers in emails.

Never click on links inside emails from questionable sources. Scam artists imitate legitimate websites and steal your information when you log on to their phony sites.

Never download attachments from unknown sources. You could be opening your computer up to viruses, trojans and worse.

Banking Online Summary

Sound tips and strategies for online stock market trading are the key to success. Equally, avoiding pitfalls and traps is paramount to swinging the balance of winning trades in your favour. Ultimately, having successful strategies will minimize risk and in so doing lead to healthier online trading profits.

There can be a wide range of information sources to which you are exposed. Once people know you are involved in trading, it is very likely you will receive trading advice from all quarters, ranging from your distant relatives to your neighbour to the clerk at the local store. Nevertheless, some tips may be based on study, experience and expertise and yet this may not be apparent without further investigation or questioning. The point here is not to take offered information at face value but to conduct your own research to validate or discard the information.

Information overload is one pitfall which most traders face. Nevertheless, no matter how much research is used to guide your investment decision, stock market trading is about taking reasonable risks with no safety net. This is important to understand. It is about using the information resources to minizing risk and then taking the plunge. Seeking absolute certainty should not be a factor.

There are likely to be changing trends in the popularity of various information resources used for gathering stock trading tips. This is human nature. Allow enough time to properly evaluate the worth of your tips resource rather than acting impulsively and at the same time retain a watchful eye for any change in consistency or reliability.

Free information can be very useful to guide initial research. However it may also lack the depth required to make robust decisions which effecively minimize risk. Be prepared to cut your free information resource if it fails to be valuable in arriving at decisions on which you can take action.

Software to analyze stocks and patterns of trading can be very useful to save valuable time in arriving at buy and sell decisions. If however the software cannot be customized to provide recommendations which match your own trading strategy then it is a waste of your valuable time.

Adopt consistency in the application of your online trading strategy. Your chosen methodology should fit any tips you consider, not the other way around. Tips will come and go. It is unwise to change your strategy to fit the latest tip.

Finally, be aware of the various strategies and pitfalls when considering trading tips. Take the time to evaluate your information sources. Be true to your trading strategy and use tools which support your methodology.

Todays current futures market is quite unlike the futures of the 19th century. Todays future market is a worldwide one that includes manufactured goods, financial currencies and treasury bonds, and agricultural products.

When you speculate on futures it is not the actual good that is speculated upon rather it is the contract for the goods that is traded as value. Every futures contract includes a buyer and a seller. The following is an example of a futures speculation: A farmer agrees to deliver 1000 bushels of corn to a baker at a price of $5.00 a bushel. If the daily price of corn futures falls to $4.00 a bushel, the farmer's account is credited with $1000 ($5.00 — $4.00 X 1000 bushels) and the baker's account is debited by the same amount. Futures accounts are settled every day.

Using the above as an example this is how the contract settlement would play out: If the price of corn futures is still at $4.00 the farmer will have made $1000 on the futures contract and the baker will have lost an equal amount. However, the baker can now purchase corn on the open market at $4.00 a bushel — $1000 less than the original contract, so the amount he lost on the futures contract is made up by the cheaper cost of corn. Also, the farmer must sell his corn on the open market for $4.00 a bushel, less than what he anticipated when entering the futures contract, but the profit generated by the futures contract makes up the difference.

Speculators profit by daily fluctuations in the futures market by choosing to buy from the seller (buying short) or from the buyer (buying long).

The FOREX market has advantages over the futures market. FOREX is the largest financial market in the world. It is a liquid market and stop orders can be executed more easily and with less slippage than in other markets. The FOREX market is open 5 days a week, 24 hours a day. Traders can take advantages of opportunities as they become available. FOREX transactions are usually instantly executed. FOREX transactions are commission free. Brokers earn money on the spread.

Some investors feel that due to built in safeguards that FOREX trading is safer than futures trading.