Budgeting Tips to Save Real Money

Sticking to a budget can be difficult, but with so many demands on your finances you have to be extra cautious. TV ads are constantly bombarding the airwaves with messages that you need to buy this or you must have that. Usually, if you just wait a week or two, the urge to buy that new gadget will pass. But, what should you do if you have already spent more than you have? The following are several real world ideas that can help you save real dollars.

First of all, consider refinancing high interest-rate loans and credit cards. Obviously you would like to pay as little interest as possible, sometimes by shopping around and transferring a balance to a low-interest rate card, you can save hundreds of dollars. Even better, if you can find a lower rate on your mortgage, you will be savings thousands of dollars. Just make sure to get your debts paid down as quickly as possible.

Secondly, change the deductible on your auto insurance to $500 or $1,000. This change can save you up to 40%. The insurance company will make money no matter what. If you file a claim they are likely to raise your rates to make up the difference so you end up paying no matter what. It makes sense to cover the first $500 or $1,000 yourself and enjoy a lower monthly premium in the meantime.

Another idea is to trim some small expenses. For example, if you get your haircut every 6 weeks, see if you can go 7 or 8 weeks instead. This will save you the cost of 1-2 cuts per year. Check out that book from the library instead of buying it. Try renting a video instead of going out to the movies. Purchase a ready-made meal at the grocery store instead of going out to eat. Be creative and see what little expenses you can trim that will add up to big savings over time.

Other ideas include clipping coupons, taking your lunch to work, carpooling (or walking, biking, or taking the bus), stop smoking, and finally just don’t even open up that catalog. Toss them out immediately. If you peek inside you're bound to find something you like.

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Budgeting Before Buying

With interest rates being at an all-time low, I can understand the urgency for people wanting to purchase a home. But I caution the first-time home buyer to learn how to budget their money before buying a new home.

I happen to live in a state with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. I was so shock to learn that many people lose their homes within the first couple of years. I wondered why so soon. Sure the economy is not the best and people are getting laid-off and having hardships, but some people are simply not prepared for the unforeseen problems and expenses that comes with owning their first-home.

When I received a call from a friend telling me about a property less than a mile from my home that was in the process of being foreclosed on, I quickly made arrangements with their agent to view the property. It was a nice single family residence with some minor wear and tear. The family that was losing the home was a basic middle-class family. I had less than three weeks to close the deal since the home was to be sold on the courthouse steps the following month.

Needless to say I bought the home and had instant equity in the property. Before the closing, I sat down with the previous owners and asked why they were losing their home. The wife said to me in a matter of fact way, "Well we started falling behind on some bills, and soon things got out of control." I wanted to ask her if she had a budget, did they keep track of their monthly expense but I didn't want to impose on their privacy. However, I explained to her that I was a Financial Literacy Coach and worked specifically with people to help them customize a budget. She promised to get in touch with me after the transaction but I never heard from her again. I often wonder if things would have worked out differently seeing as if they had utilized a budget before buying their home.

I share with my clients some advice I heard from one of my financial mentors, Suze Orman. Before buying a home, put aside the difference of your rent from what will be your mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance for six months. If you can manage without going into the money or finding it to be a burden on your lifestyle then you just might be ready. One last thing is to update your budget with the category "repairs". Take 1% of your purchase price, divide that by 12. If you can budget this monthly cost into a separate savings account you are ready to become a first-time homeowner.

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The Importance Of A Budget

Budgeting is an integral part of society. In today's hurry up and get it done society; every day we are trying to budget our time, our meals, our kids' time and our money. Unfortunately for many, most of this process is done mentally and never put on paper. Remember, just as families budget time and money, your business must also develop a financial plan. This type of budget is simply a formal written summary of your goals and intentions in terms of dollars.

Budgeting requires you to look ahead and formalize future goals. By establishing a budget, you can set goals for achieving a certain level of income and monitor your expenses. Many home based and small-business owners have remarked that their increase in profit margins did not occur until they had a written revenue goal and a method with which to monitor expenses. 
Other business owners need to know their sales levels in terms of dollars and how hard they need to work to make the budget work. Sound familiar, goals and budgeting is very much tied together. The closer you come to the goals you have set for yourself, the closer you will come to achieving the budget amount you need. You'll know you are on top of your business when you can tell your accountant that you need to sell 3.25 items per day in order to make your budget work and meet your financial goals. 
Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises

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Budgeting your Savings - Did You Let Your Piggy Bank Get Away?

I think most of us have at some point in our lives. Some how we forget to feed the little piggy. And, like most neglected "pets", your piggy bank will disappear if you don't feed it. A personal budget is important to create financial independence and setting goals for feeding that "piggy bank" should be an important part of your budget!

The most successful financial plans allow you to INVEST IN YOURSELF! It just makes good sense. A plan to build financial security should always be considered essential to any budget.

Even if you're on a plan to reduce debt, you need to include plans to build a foundation for future financial security. A good savings routine and variable expense account are essential to building a strong foundation for financial independence.

A variable expense allowance in the budget is important to save for those expenses that seem to "hit us unexpectedly". Funny thing is, we know these expenses will occur. They are an inevitable fact of finances for most of us. So, why do we call them unexpected? I can't explain why, but there are many of us who make this very BIG mistake in our budgeting.

Some expenses don't occur monthly. Some are paid out every now and then, quarterly, yearly, or bi-monthly, or semi-annually. These are expenses like car insurance and maintenance, home insurance and maintenance, property taxes, income taxes, medical expenses (prescriptions, deductibles, co-pays), pet care, school expenses (supplies, trips, activity fees, books), and clothing. Some of these are huge expenses that can put a ripple in any good budget if not planned for.

Most of us have good intentions, but it's easy to fall prey to the credit card companies without a plan to cover all of these "unexpected" expenses. The term still makes me chuckle. I mean, don't we "expect" to wear clothes? It's even funnier to me knowing that I was guilty of this very thing. Poor Planning! Not expecting what should be expected.

Lesson ..........Don't forget about this expenses in your budget. They will sabotage the best of intentions!

The other essential ingredient to a successful budget is a savings plan. A good savings plan should have a goal to reach at least the minimum amount necessary for you to survive for a three to four month period. It may take time, but this a strategy that provides a fail safe against a financial crisis. Crisis such as serious illness or job loss.

Trying to save money by cutting your savings budget out will eventually backfire on you. It is essential to build financial security, in order to remain debt free, you must not compromise your savings expense.

Only if there is no way to avoid it should you reduce the amount of your monthly savings commitment.

Start with 2-4% of your monthly income if you have to. A little is better than nothing, and then you can build it up from there to at least 10% of income as funds become available.

Some Important Points:

Applying extra funds to your debt first will not help you gain financial security. Emergency savings and variable expense savings goals should be met before debt is reduced in order to remain debt free.
After all, these sources will be the foundation you will fall back on in order to remain debt free. If you can build a reserve for emergencies you won't have to use those nasty credit cards. This is an important defense that builds financial security.
If you use a good debt reduction plan, debt will reduce, and in a reasonable amount of time. As long as you stop creating debt. Just be patient.

Paying more on your debt, instead of saving, is not going to help you pay for that major car repair when the car breaks down. It will most likely do the opposite of your intended plan and send you running for the credit card to bail out.

Of course once you have reached your goals for savings and your variable expense account, then you should start applying extra funds to your debt reduction plan.

Using money saving tips reduces expenses in your budget in an effort to help you build that financial security. Through saving money on everyday expenses and living a frugal lifestyle, you free up monies to apply to your savings and variable expense account. These are the defenses that build a strong foundation for your financial independence.

These "defenses" prepare for the inevitable expenses that will arise. Many of us had just forgotten to plan correctly for these types of expenses. That's how we got in the "big red mess" to begin with. Properly preparing for necessary variable expenses is your defense against feeling the need to use the credit cards.

Once you have balanced your expenses with your income, you have created a Budget for Debt Free Living. Congratulations! You are on your way to financial freedom and security. Enjoy! This concept is simply "living within your means." Something that many of us in today's "plastic society" have forgotten to do.

Live Debt Free to Be Free. You Deserve It!

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Creating a Realistic Budget

Budgeting -- ooh, what a scary word! If you want to frighten someone whose finances are out of control, suggest that they tally up their expenses on a piece of paper. We all understand the value of such an exercise, but when it comes to the practicality of putting a budget together, we get cold feet. Budgeting doesn't have to be so painful, when you have a systematic series of steps to follow.

SET YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

As with any other area of your life, it's pointless to start down a financial path if you don't you have some idea of where you want to end up. What is your REASON for creating a budget? Do you want to pay off your debts? Save for your kids' college education? Put money away for retirement? Make a list of your financial goals for the next 6 months, year, 5 years, 10, 25 -- all the way through to old age. And don't spend a lot of time worrying about feasibility -- if your goal is to be debt free in a year, don't think about all of the reasons why you won't be able to make it by that deadline. Just remember, where there's a will, there's a way!

CREATE THE SHEET

Start with either a sheet of legal paper -- or a spreadsheet program -- and create 12 columns. Label the top of each column with a month of the year, from January to December (duh!) Each row on your sheet will represent a different living expense -- groceries, gasoline, Starbucks coffee in the morning on the way to work. You'll have better luck remembering everything that you spend money on if you think according to categories. "Automobile" would include gas, repairs, insurance, and taxes -- while "grooming" might be divided into clothes, makeup, haircuts, and facials.

TRACK YOUR EXPENSES

How can you know what steps you need to take to reach your goal until you know exactly where you are right now? Most of us don't have a clue where our money goes -- credit cards and ATM's make it easy for money to just slip through our fingers. The first step is to create a list of STATIC EXPENSES -- things that cost the same amount every month, like rent and your car lease and student loan payments. Now these expenses are not completely "static" in the strictest sense of the word. You can reduce your rent or mortgage payment by finding a less expensive house -- and you could increase your loan payments to get rid of the debt faster. But for now, just itemize your regular monthly costs.

Next, you want to evaluate your VARIABLE EXPENSES -- those costs that fluctuate from month to month. Groceries, entertainment, utilities, and clothing all fall into this category. The great thing about variable expenses is that you control (at least to a certain extent) how much of your budget these items eat up. But some of these costs come in large and unexpected chunks -- like car repairs and medical bills. So you might need to go through your last 12 months' credit card and bank statements to get a clear idea of how much daily life costs you. And don't forget about those expenses that are paid only intermittently -- like insurance. Tally each expense and divide the total by 12, to give you a clearer idea of how your costs spread out over a year's time.

ROOT OUT MONEY LEAKS

Now I guarantee that you will not remember every expense, no matter how hard you strain your brain! Think about all of the things that you buy throughout your week without really paying attention -- snacks at work, a magazine when you stop for gas, that cup of coffee on your way in every morning. And don't forget about the expenses you are racking up because of financial disorganization -- interest charges on your credit card debt, late fees because you forgot to return that movie on time, overdraft charges because you didn't balance your checkbook. All of these fall into the category of unconscious spending. You just do it because it's a habit. And although you think that a dollar here or fifty cents there is insignificant, it can really add up.

So for a month, record every penny that leaves your hand, in the form of a check or cash or a credit card transaction. This may sound like a huge challenge, but you can do it! Make it convenient -- my husband stuck a small pencil and piece of paper in his wallet so he would be reminded to make a note every time he made a purchase. You will be stunned when you see where your money is really going! My husband was shocked to find out that he was spending almost a hundred dollars a month on that morning coffee (am I picking on Starbucks too much?!) What's your vice -- eating out when you are feeling lazy? Buying every new CD or magazine that comes out? I'm not suggesting that you completely eliminate these habits -- just that you decide how often you can reasonably afford to indulge and still reach your other financial goals.

DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS

It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the minimum monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least double the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it. You aren't really free to start working on other financial goals until you know you are debt free.

TALLY UP YOUR INCOME

Do you really know how much you make? The tendency is to quote whatever is printed on your employment contract -- to say, "I make _____ a year." But after taxes and Social Security and any other items that are deducted from your check, what are you actually bringing home? Take a minute to really examine all of your sources of income and calculate an honest total -- you can't have a realistic budget without it!

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

So, comparing income to expenses, how does it look? If you came out in the black, congratulations! How much do you have left over? Regardless of how small or large the amount is, start stashing it away into savings and investments! Your choice of how to proceed will depend on your financial goals -- investing for retirement will involve less liquidity and more risk than just saving for next year's vacation. The main thing to remember is that you should build your savings and investments into your budget just like a bill -- and take care of these long-term responsibilities FIRST, before other costs. That's the secret to good financial management.

Now, if you ended up in the red, we need to talk. The first step is to look at spending which can be reduced or even eliminated. Start by examining those "spending leaks" -- if they give you pleasure and satisfaction, dandy. Certainly late fees and interest charges don't fall into this category! But you can still overdo a good thing.

Ask yourself if eating out 4 times a week gives you 4 times more pleasure than doing it just once. And could you get as much pleasure if you cooked a good homemade meal? Is the ridiculous mortgage on that 10,000 square foot house worth it? Or could you be just as happy (or even happier with less financial stress) in a place half the size? Also look for convenience expenses -- things that we spend money on because we are overwhelmed, too busy, or just worn out.

Perhaps by re-evaluating how you use your time, you might discover that many of these expenses are just symptoms of misplaced priorities. When you arrive at a place where all of your spending decisions are DELIBERATE ones, you will find yourself several steps and quite a few dollars closer to a balanced budget that allows you to reach all of your financial goals.

Ramona Creel is Professional Organizer, NAPO Golden Circle Member, and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com. A former Social Worker, she has always enjoyed helping people find the resources and solutions they need to improve their lives.

Ramona now travels the country as a full-time RVer, sharing her story of simplicity with everyone she meets. She leads by example -- having worked for more than 10 years as a Professional Organizer, and having radically downsized and simplified her own life as a full-time RVer. Ramona now considers herself a "Renaissance Woman" -- bringing all of her passions together into one satisfying career.

As "The Traveling Organizer", she can create a customized organizing plan for your home or office, or teach your group the "Ten Steps To Organizing Any Area Of Your Life" in a workshop. As a "Simplicity Coach", Ramona provides a proven program for making every area of your life a little bit easier -- perfect for those who want to make the time and space to focus on their true priorities. As a "Frugality Coach," she can teach you how to quickly reduce your household expenses, in good economic times or bad.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/13766

Budget Leftovers

It is extremely difficult to setup a budget, especially when you are behind on some of your bills. Even if you
can make your regular bills and expenses fit neatly into your budget, what can you do if you don't have the money
to catch up?

I have listed several methods and circumstances below that may help manage setting up your budget and begin to
pay those overdue bills. Since there are as many different budgets as there are people that try to set
them up, this list may not be all inclusive. It may, however, give you some ideas that will fit your
individual problem.

Unless you don't have any income at all, there are a couple of things that should never be late. Your rent
or house payment and utilities should be paid first, even at the expense of other bills. This is simply a
matter of survival.

The first thing you need to do when setting up a budget is to determine how much actual take home income you
have. Then determine the amount of your normal bills and expenses. The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer
http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/BBOonline.html explains this in greater detail and provides forms to put it on paper.

The below methods assume that you have enough money to cover your normal bills and expenses but have some
bills that have an amount that is overdue:

When you are setting up your budget and have overdue bills you need to cut your expenses to the bare bones.
This doesn't mean going without food. However, there are many ways to cut back on expenses. You can find
hundreds of them by visiting my Budget Stretcher Partner sites listed at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com.

You should always make the initial contact to the company any time you aren't able to pay a bill on
time. Once you have your budget setup, see if there is any money left over to start paying the amount that
is behind. If you do have some money left over, when you contact the company, find out if they will accept
paying a little extra each month, without penalty, until the overdue amount is paid in full.

Contact a your local Consumer Credit Counseling Service. You can find them in your phone book. They can assist
you by contacting your creditors and establishing a payment schedule that will fit your budget.

If your overdue bills are credit cards, consider transferring your balances to either a credit card you
already have or can obtain. This will do a couple of things. It will normally lower your monthly payment
and it will eliminate your overdue status. Be extremely careful doing this. The credit card companies you paid
off will be using every means they have to get you to use their credit cards again. Cut them up and notify
the company to close the account.

Look for ways to get extra money just for the purpose of paying your overdue bills. This can be either a
temporary part time job or selling something that you can do without.

If you own your home and have equity in your property, you may want to consider a bill consolidation loan.
While this seems like an easy out, many people start obtaining more debt after they receive the loan since
they have some disposable income. There are pros and cons to bill consolidation loans and you would be wise
to investigate it thoroughly.

If you have exhausted all of the above options, you may have to consider one of the below options. You must
remember that filing bankruptcy can stay on your credit history for up to 10 years and can have a devastating
effect on your future financial plans.

In extreme circumstances, and always as a last resort, consider filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection. This
allows an individual to setup a repayment plan of between 3 to 5 years to pay off all or part of their
debts. You must have sufficient income to permit a portion of it to be used toward your repayment schedule.

Another option is Chapter 7 bankruptcy which is the most commonly filed chapter since it can completely eliminate
all of your debt except the ones you choose to continue paying. There are exceptions to debts that can be
discharged and to what property is exempt from being taken by your creditors. You should discuss any bankruptcy
actions with a competent bankruptcy attorney. Only individual's may file for chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/18534

Budget Tips

To budget, to have a budget and to be on a budget is not a bad thing; in fact, it's just about the best financial situation you can find yourself in. A budget is a valuable financial management tool which will enable you to pay your monthly expenses, save a certain percentage of your income and control your expenditures.

How can you stay within in your monthly budget? There are several steps to making a budget.

1. The first step to making a budget is to gather information about your take home income and other sources if you have these (e.g. stock dividends). This allows you to determine what your true financial standing is. Be systematic; write down exact amount of your income and the other sources if you have them (e.g. stocks, dividends. Note the schedule you expect to receive these sources.

2. You need to understand what each and every bill or expense is intended for, in order to make an effective budget. List of your fixed and recurring expenses and the due dates for these expenses. Examples of these, weekly groceries, utilities, gasoline and mortgage or rental expenses.

3. Track all expenses, as these are not static. It will make your budget more efficient, when track these expenses on a regular basis, rather than once or twice a month. You can then see the variables and make the necessary changes in your budget to reflect this. Or address the reasons why.

4. Monitor the discretionary portion of your income. Where have you gone over budget? Too many cappuccinos at Starbucks? Or is it an unexpected medical or house repair bill? You could start a contingency fund in your budget to take care of unexpected bills.

5. Lastly, motivate yourself to save and to spend wisely. Set up short and long term goals. A short-term goal will enable to buy the latest plasma TV, or digital camera. Long term goals are ones that enable to increase your retirement funds or to buy real estate properties.

You can record the details of your budget, the expenses and sources of income in a 6-column ledger, or buy personal budgeting software, and encode these details herein.

Remember though, that in order for your budget to work you definitely need to spend less and save more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/24986

Personal Budget Programs

Do you have financial problems? Then a budget is the answer if you are tired of wondering where your income went. A budget is the answer, if you don't have savings. A budget is also the only solution to getting out of credit card debt.

You can purchase a 6-column ledger or use an electronic ledger in recording your expenses and income. Or purchase budget software. While an electronic ledger (like Excel) functions by keeping your financial records and doing your computations, budget software programs will do much more.

Here are several features your budget software should have, to effectively help you keep track of expenditures and record your savings.

1. The budget software should with a worksheet, show you where your funds go, and provide you with the exact amount of your current financial situation.

2. The budget software should have in addition to the more common ledger title columns, make available the option for you to create your own personalized account titles. This makes it more accurate, and enables you to keep track of daily expenses, of your saving accounts, payments for insurance, auto, utilities payments and even entertainment expenses.

3. The budget software should allow you to compare the financial differences between the budget you set against actual expenditures. It would be great if this feature were accompanied by a reminder feature that tells you, you're overspending.

4. The budget software should provide you the option of creating and tracking individual accounts, should you wish to set one for you and your spouse, or your children. You can use this to monitor each child's expenses.

5. The worksheet visuals of the budget software should be easy to understand.

6. Usage of the budget software must be user friendly and have help menus that are built in the program.

After you've read the company brochures, and spoken to the sales staff, request for a demonstration. Personally test the budget software, to make certain you have ease of use. Ask the company they provide product updates at discounted prices.

Make sure that the budget software vendor have an efficient customer support and after sales services. Request for list of their clients and talk with these people. Ask to be sure that you can reach them on the net, by phone and email. List their physical address, should you need to drive by their shop.

You need to be honest, committed and disciplined in making and keeping a budget. If you do, you'll be able to get the most out of your income in spending along with saving wisely.

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Forex Market Overview

"FX" is an abbreviation of "forex" or "foreign exchange." Foreign exchange is the largest and most liquid market in the world trading approximately $2 trillion every day (that's over 30 times the daily volume of NASDAQ and NYSE combined). The forex market is a cash interbank/interdealer market. In simplest terms, this means the foreign currencies traded in the forex market are traded directly between banks, foreign currency dealers and forex investors wishing either to diversify, speculate or to hedge foreign currency risk. The forex market is not a "market" in the traditional sense due to the fact that there is no centralized location for fx trading activity and, therefore, trades placed in the forex market are considered over-the-counter (OTC). Forex trading between parties occurs through computer terminals, exchanges and over telephones at thousands of locations worldwide. CFOS/FX clients can trade through online forex trading platforms and/or over the telephone directly with a forex broker on our trading desk.

Until recently the forex market has not been available to the small speculator. The large minimum foreign currency transaction sizes and financial requirements left this market in the hands of banks, major foreign currency dealers and the occasional large fx speculator. Now, with the ability to leverage large positions with a relatively small amount of capital (margin), the forex market is now more liquid than ever and available to most investors.

Five major currencies dominate trading in the foreign exchange markets: the U.S. Dollar, Eurocurrency, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and British Pound. The foreign currencies are traded in pairs, also known as crosses, in the forex spot market. For example, purchasing the EUR/USD in the forex spot market simply means the purchaser is buying the Eurocurrency and selling the U.S. Dollar in anticipation of the Eurocurrency gaining value in relation to the U.S. Dollar. Similarly, the seller of a EUR/USD contract would be selling the Eurocurrency against the U.S. Dollar. Official figures show the U.S. Dollar is on one side of 83% of all spot foreign exchange transactions. The "spot" market simply refers to a currency contract with a prompt valuation date requiring settlement within two business days.

Over the past several decades, an increase in international trade and foreign investment has made the economies of the world more interrelated. New opportunities for investors have also been created with the fall of communism and the dramatic growth of the Asian and Latin American economies. Today, supply and demand for a particular currency is the driving factor in determining exchange rates. Many factors such as regularly reported economic figures and unexpected news reports, such as disasters or political instabilities, could also alter the desirability of holding a particular currency, thus influencing international supply and demand for that currency. It should come as no surprise that many shrewd investors have already taken advantage of the fluctuation in exchange rates to profit handsomely.

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What are Your Options Regarding Forex Options Brokers?

Forex option brokers can generally be divided into two separate categories: forex brokers who offer online forex option trading platforms and forex brokers who only broker forex option trading via telephone trades placed through a dealing/brokerage desk. A few forex option brokers offer both online forex option trading as well a dealing/brokerage desk for investors who prefer to place orders through a live forex option broker.

The trading account minimums required by different forex option brokers vary from a few thousand dollars to over fifty thousand dollars. Also, forex option brokers may require investors to trade forex options contracts having minimum notional values (contract sizes) up to $500,000. Last, but not least, certain types of forex option contracts can be entered into and exited at any time while other types of forex option contracts lock you in until expiration or settlement. Depending on the type of forex option contract you enter into, you might get stuck the wrong way with an option contract that you can not trade out of. Before trading, investors should inquire with their forex option brokers about initial trading account minimums, required contract size minimums and contract liquidity.

There are a number of different forex option trading products offered to investors by forex option brokers. We believe it is extremely important for investors to understand the distinctly different risk characteristics of each of the forex option trading products mentioned below that are offered by firms that broker forex options.

Plain Vanilla Forex Options Broker - Plain vanilla options generally refer to standard put and call option contracts traded through an exchange (however, in the case of forex option trading, plain vanilla options would refer to the standard, generic option contracts that are traded through an over-the-counter (OTC) forex dealer or clearinghouse). In simplest terms, vanilla forex options would be defined as the buying or selling of a standard forex call option contract or forex put option contract.

There are only a few forex option broker/dealers who offer plain vanilla forex options online with real-time streaming quotes 24 hours a day. Most forex option brokers and banks only broker forex options via telephone. Vanilla forex options for major currencies have good liquidity and you can easily enter the market long or short, or exit the market any time day or night.

Vanilla forex option contracts can be used in combination with each other and/or with spot forex contracts to form a basic strategy such as writing a covered call, or much more complex forex trading strategies such as butterflies, strangles, ratio spreads, synthetics, etc. Also, plain vanilla options are often the basis of forex option trading strategies known as exotic options.

Exotic Forex Options Broker - First, it is important to note that there a couple of different forex definitions for "exotic" and we don't want anyone getting confused. The first definition of a forex "exotic" refers to any individual currency that is less broadly traded than the major currencies. The second forex definition for "exotic" is the one we refer to on this website - a forex option contract (trading strategy) that is a derivative of a standard vanilla forex option contract.

To understand what makes an exotic forex option "exotic," you must first understand what makes a forex option "non-vanilla." Plain vanilla forex options have a definitive expiration structure, payout structure and payout amount. Exotic forex option contracts may have a change in one or all of the above features of a vanilla forex option. It is important to note that exotic options, since they are often tailored to a specific's investor's needs by an exotic forex options broker, are generally not very liquid, if at all.

Exotic forex options are generally traded by commercial and institutional investors rather than retail forex traders, so we won't spend too much time covering exotic forex options brokers. Examples of exotic forex options would include Asian options (average price options or "APO's"), barrier options (payout depends on whether or not the underlying reaches a certain price level or not), baskets (payout depends on more than one currency or a "basket" of currencies), binary options (the payout is cash-or-nothing if underlying does not reach strike price), lookback options (payout is based on maximum or minimum price reached during life of the contract), compound options (options on options with multiple strikes and exercise dates), spread options, chooser options, packages and so on. Exotic options can be tailored to a specific trader's needs, therefore, exotic options contract types change and evolve over time to suit those ever-changing needs.

Since exotic forex options contracts are usually specifically tailored to an individual investor, most of the exotic options business in transacted over the telephone through forex option brokers. There are, however, a handful of forex option brokers who offer "if touched" forex options or "single payment" forex options contracts online whereby an investor can specify an amount he or she is willing to risk in exchange for a specified payout amount if the underlying price reaches a certain strike price (price level). These transactions offered by legitimate online forex brokers can be considered a type of "exotic" option. However, we have noticed that the premiums charged for these types of contracts can be higher than plain vanilla option contracts with similar strike prices and you can not sell out of the option position once you have purchased this type of option - you can only attempt to offset the position with a separate risk management strategy. As a trade-off for getting to choose the dollar amount you want to risk and the payout you wish to receive, you pay a premium and sacrifice liquidity. We would encourage investors to compare premiums before investing in these kinds of options and also make sure the brokerage firm is reputable.

Again, it is fairly easy and liquid to enter into an exotic forex option contract but it is important to note that depending on the type of exotic option contract, there may be little to no liquidity at all if you wanted to exit the position.

Firms Offering Forex Option "Betting" - A number of new firms have popped up over the last year offering forex "betting." Though some may be legitimate, a number of these firms are either off-shore entities or located in some other remote location. We generally do not consider these to be forex brokerage firms. Many do not appear to be regulated by any government agency and we strongly suggest investors perform due diligence before investing with any forex betting firms. Invest at your own risk with these firms.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/33230

Advantages of Trading FOREX Over Stocks and Commodities

There are many advantages to Trading FOREX as your main income generator. Let’s start by something that may be worrying you already.

“Do I need a Diploma or some kind of Certification to trade FOREX?” The answer is this:

When attempting to make more profit than losses on the fluctuation of exchange rates between major currencies
(i.e., Trading the FOREX), nobody is going to ask you for a diploma, a formal license or verify the amount of hours
you've spent studying the Foreign exchange market and banking industry. All you need is the proper training.

But this is not the only advantage you get when trading FOREX, compared to other ways of investment and speculation; i.e. Stocks and Commodities. You have a whole bunch of advantages over these other options that will be enumerated in the following paragraphs.

The Main Benefits of Trading the FX Spot Market:

1): FOREX is the largest financial market in the world.

With a daily trading volume of over $1.5 trillion, the spot FOREX market can absorb trading sizes that dwarf the
capacity of any other market. In fact, when compared with the $50 billion daily market for equities or the $30 billion
futures market, it becomes quickly apparent this gives you, and millions of other FOREX traders, almost infinite trading
liquidity and flexibility.

2): FOREX is a TRUE 24-hour market.

The FOREX Market never sleeps. Trading positions can be entered and exited at any moment - around the globe, around
the clock, six days a week. There is no waiting for an opening bell as in the case of trading stocks. It is a 24-
hour, continuous electronic (ONLINE) currency exchange that never closes. This is very desirable for you if you want to
trade on a part-time basis, because you can choose when you want to trade: morning, noon or night.

3): There is never a Bear Market in FOREX.

You can have access to a seamless, mutually-inclusive (two- way) exchange of currencies. Meaning, because currencies
trade in "pairs" (for example, US dollar vs. yen or US dollar vs. Swiss franc), one side of every currency pair
(for example, USD/JPY - JPY = YEN) is constantly moving in relation to the other. Thus, when you buy a particular
currency, you are actually simultaneously selling the other currency in that particular pair. As the market moves, one
of the currencies will increase in value versus the other. Of course, it is up to you to choose the correct currency to
be long or short. Since currency trading always involves buying one currency and selling another, there is no
structural bias to the market. This means you have equal potential to profit in both a rising or falling market.

4): High Leverage - up to 200:1 Leverage.

You are permitted to trade foreign currencies on a highly leveraged basis - up to 200 times your investment with some
brokers. This is primarily attributed to the higher levels of liquidity within the currency markets. Standard 100,000-
unit currency lots can be traded with as little as 1% margin, or $1,000. Mini FX accounts are permitted to trade
with just 0.5% margin -- in other words, just $50 allows you to control a 10,000-unit currency position. Futures traders,
who are accustomed to margin requirements generally equal to 5%-8% of the contract value, will immediately recognize that the FOREX market provides much greater leverage, and for stock traders, who must post at least 50% margin, there’s no comparison. If you are looking for an efficient use of trading capital, this is it!

5): Price Movements Are Highly Predictable.

Although currency prices in the FX market may be volatile, they generally repeat themselves in relatively predictable
cycles, creating trends. The strong trends that foreign currencies develop are a significant advantage for traders
who use the correct "technical" methods.

Unlike stocks, currencies rarely spend much time in tight trading ranges and have the tendency to develop strong
trends. Over 80% of volume is speculative in nature and, as a result, the market frequently overshoots and then corrects
itself. As a technically-trained trader, you can easily identify new trends and breakouts, which provide for
multiple opportunities to enter and exit positions.

6:) Commission-free Trading and Low Transaction Cost

When you trade FOREX, through one of our recommended brokers (this info is in our private resources section), you'll do
it totally commission-free! These brokers don't charge commissions to trade or to maintain an account, and that
goes for all clients trading the FOREX through them, regardless of your account balance or trading volume. Even
Mini FX traders can buy and sell currencies online, commission-free.

What about trading fees? There are none of the usual fees to which futures and equity traders are accustomed -- no
exchange or clearing fees, no N_F_A or S_E_C fees. Because currencies trade over-the-counter (OTC), via a global
electronic network -- in FOREX, what you see is what you get, allowing you to make quick decisions on your trades
without having to worry or account for fees that may affect your profit/loss or slippage.

In the equities markets, you must pay both a commission and exchange fees. The over-the-counter structure of the FX
market eliminates exchange and clearing fees, which in turn lowers transaction costs.

So, if FOREX broker don't charge commissions, how do they make money? Like all traded financial products, over-the-
counter currency trading involves a bid/ask spread, which represents the prices at which your counterparty is willing
to trade. Because the currency market offers round-the-clock liquidity, you receive tight, competitive spreads both
intra-day and night. Stock traders can be more vulnerable to liquidity risk and typically receive wider trading spreads,
especially during after-hours trading.

7): Instantaneous Order Execution and Market Transparency.

Market transparency is highly desired in any trading environment. The greater the market transparency, the more
efficient the market becomes. Unlike other markets where transparency is compromised (like in the Enron scandal),
FOREX markets are highly transparent (i.e., analyzing countries, and having access to real-time research / news,
is easier than companies).

Because of this transparency, as an FX trader, you will be able to exercise risk management strategies in accordance to
the fundamental and technical indicators we teach at RapidForex.com

The FX market offers the highest level of market transparency out of all the financial markets. Because of
this, order execution and fill confirmation usually occur in just 1-2 seconds. Markets that do not offer executable
prices and force traders to absorb slippage obviously compromise the trader's profit potential considerably.

In the forex world, order execution is all-electronic and because you'll be trading via an Internet-based platform,
instantaneous execution is routine. There are no exchanges, no traditional open-outcry pits, no floor brokers, and
consequently, no delays.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/32868

5 Questions You Need To Have Answered Before You Back-Test Your Forex System

As 90-95% of new forex traders lose money within the first 3-6 months this article helps to guide new forex traders by asking 5 questions that the forex trader needs to know prior to back-testing their forex system.

Let us jump right in...

1. What data type are you using (or going to use)?

I know this sounds strange, especially if you have experience from another market such as stocks as their generally is only one type of data source available. However, in the forex market you can have up to 4 different data types: bid, ask, mid and indicative. Each have their own little nuances.

If you would like to know more about the data types then visit the article written about the perils of indicative prices. As this will save me from having to repeat the information again and boring those who've already read it.

So, if you know you have indicative prices then you know you're in for some good results! However, if you have any of the other three you need to be careful on how stop and limit orders are placed.

As an example: If we had bid price history and we were looking to place a buy entry stop at 0830 EST according to the day's high, then we know that the bid price will not accurately reflect what the actual price of our order should be. You would have noticed that if you placed a buy entry stop at the exact same price as that of the day's high you would have entered prematurely - you would have entered 4 or 5 pips before the high or the low of the day was touched (the exact same amount as the spread your broker offers!).

This leads me into the next most important question...

2. What spread is your broker offering on the currencies you are bask-testing?

You need to know this as this can help you set your slippage settings on each currency.

As our example in question 1 pointed out. We found that our buy at the day's high method did not exactly work because we bought at the BID PRICE high, not the ASK PRICE high - the price that we need when we place our order TO BUY.

Therefore, we enter in a slippage setting representing the spread that would be exhibited by this trade on this currency.

But knowing at what price to buy is only half the problem... how do we know what quantity to buy?

3. What margin does your broker offer?

If we know at what price to buy our currency at we need to inform our broker on what quantity to buy to fulfill the order. We only know what quantity to buy by the margin that the brokerage firm offers.

Most brokerage firms offer 100:1 leverage, however, some firms offer mini accounts with 200:1 leverage, others only 50:1 leverage.

Find out the margin required.

4. What restrictions does your broker impose?

Now, I don't just mean margin and spread restrictions as I have mentioned above. These are important in their own right, what you need to find out are the details.

This is probably the most important question of all as the fine line between success and failure can be found in the details. Now you can have this questioned by one of two ways:
1. You can find out through experience (generally the most expensive way unless done through the demo account!); or
2. You ask your broker (the cheapest and best way).

Why is this so important? I hear you ask. Well let's say you have a system that trades any gaps that might form on Sunday at 1700 EST, but your broker does not open until 1730 EST. You either need to factor this restriction in to your system, or move onto another system completely. Or, you may have a system that has 10 pip stops, but you find out that your broker will only let you place 15 pip stops from your initial entry price. Once again you will need to change your system to see whether it still performs well, or throw out your system (or change your broker)!

In fact one of the most devastating restrictions imposed by FXCM is that they do not accept stop entry orders if price never happens to trade at your entry stop price! FXCM will honor and "take the loss" of your OPEN stop positions, but if the liquidity is not there and price has shot straight through your stop price then you will miss out. This can have disastrous effects on your system results as you are left wondering on trades where you made good returns - "Would FXCM have got me in?". You may want to read [http://www.currencysecrets.com/articles/fxcm.php] of some of the quirks I use when placing entry stop orders on FXCM that could be of huge benefit to you to help you possibly get around this problem.

The restrictions by your broker are only half your systems' success, you also need to find out about another more important restriction... yourself. This leads me to the final point...

5. What restrictions do you have?

This is a vitally important question. Most people test their systems and fall in love with the results but find when they trade their system they have lost their account and that most of the best signals occurred while they were sound asleep!

As the forex market is a 24 hour market, you need to put into place restrictions in your system that will be realisticly conducted by you during the course of a normal trading day. There is no use operating a trailing stop method that changes your stop points during times when you are asleep and cannot possibly do so.

I hope this article has made you aware of some of the important things that need to be known prior to testing your system.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1290

The Secrets of the Super-Traders

The first and perhaps most important "secret" is to realize that your methodology or approach (no matter how good) is only part of being a highly successful trader. This applies to any trading style including, day trading, swing trading or position trading.

The simple fact is that a bad trader can screw up a fantastic trading system. Conversely a talented trader can take a mediocre strategy and make money with it.

Why? Please read on and I will explain.

Many traders/investors that I have talked with think that to be a "Super-Trader" that they must possess some type of highly advanced trading techniques or software along with nerves of steel and a highly developed intuitive feel for the markets. In addition they think that these elite group, have some "inside information" that they don't.

You will be relieved to know that the above is not necessary. There are actually only a few things that separate traders who consistently make money and those who don't.

And here they are...

* Skilled traders find a strategy or market pattern that offers a high probability for success. They make money by exploiting this edge over and over again.

* Skilled traders never deviate from their methodology or "wing it".

* Skilled traders never enter a trade without a entry and exit strategy. They know exactly when and where to cut their losses as well as taking profits.

* Skilled traders never ever let a winning trade turn into a losing one. The easiest way to ensure that this doesn't happen is to place a protective stop at or a few ticks in the money once your position is up several points.

* Skilled traders never hope, pray or wish that their stock would go up. They understand that when they are wrong they are wrong and the best thing to do is cut their losses short.

* Skilled traders never trade with their emotions. They don't allow themselves to get caught up in the latest and greatest investment hype.

* Skilled traders always have one goal in mind: To preserve their capital at all costs. They do this by never taking on too large of a position. A good rule of thumb to adhere to is never use more than 5% of your funds on any one trade. This way in the worst-case scenario the stock could drop to zero and your account would not be severely affected.

* Skilled traders never get too greedy. There is an old saying that "Pigs gets fed and hogs get slaughtered". These traders don't try to make one big trade that will turn them into instant millionaires. They don't try to hit home runs, instead they understand that it is better to keep hitting singles and making smaller consistent profits.

* Skilled traders enter and exit trades swiftly and decisively.

* Skilled traders listen to no one else's opinion concerning the market or particular trade they are in.

* Skilled traders are often contrarians. They will be buying when others are too scared to and sell when the crowd starts buying.

That's it, the secrets to making big money in the markets. Perhaps that is a bit of a let down as you were hoping for something a bit more esoteric and complicated.

Let me assure you that if you follow the above principles that you will take your trading skills and profits to a level that you never thought possible!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6503