Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Forex 101: Managing Risk

A trader with a mediocre system and great money management skills will fare better than a trader who has a great system but no handle on his money.

Money management is indispensable to the Foreign Exchange trader.

Regardless of how strong a trading system you have, if you do not apply good money management controls, you will find yourself in trouble.

Dustin Pass, one of the foremost experts on Forex trading says, “An individual trading with proper money management skills will do better in a mediocre trading system than a person trading an excellent system who lacks money management skills.” In his ebook, Guide to Forex Live-on-the-News Trading, Pass lists five essential components to an effective money management program:

1. Currency selection

2. Lot size (how much margin will you use)

3. Stop placement (how much margin will you risk)

4. Entry level (when to enter a trade)

5. Limit (how much money will you make)

Currency Selection
Currency selection is important because it dictates how long your margin will be tied up in a particular trade. If you enter a trade on a slow moving currency, understand that your money will be tied up for a longer period, thereby increasing your risk. You may also hinder your ability to enter another trade since your capital is tied up in the first one.

Set Your Stop Placement
The amount of money you place on a trade is a vital factor, too. If you put too many of your eggs into one basket, you will decrease your ability to diversify properly. In order to choose your lot size, you must identify your maximum allowable risk and your maximum risk per trade. Once you have determined these factors, you will need to set your stop placement.

Stop placement is the act of predefining your level of loss tolerance on a given trade. The successful Forex trader will learn to cut his losses and move on. In the overall scheme, it will save you money…and increase your gains.

Entry Levels
Entry level is based on all of the above. Knowing how much you have to play with on a trade and where the nearest resistance level lies will inform you whether to enter or pass on a given trade. Often, the best trades are the ones you didn’t make!

Allocation
One simple principal must guide your limit level: the possible profit must at least be equal to the accepted risk. Allocation is key. Suppose your system is 75% accurate and you lose on the first 25 trades out of 100 total trades? You will need enough margin to hang in there for the next 75 trades.

Good Risk Management
As Dustin Pass so aptly noted, a trader with a mediocre system and great money management skills will fare better than a trader who has a great system but no handle on his money. There is no substitute for good risk management.

Stocks Technical Analysis - Estimating Price Trends Using Technical Analysis Of Stocks

For any normal person, trade is nothing more than the give and take of products or services within an agreed fixed price. for instance if you have bought a package of candy for $ 2, that is trade. You purchased a $ 45000 four-door sedan, then thats trade . You purchased a $ 4.5 million home, and that also is trade. once you have purchased the good or product from the seller for what ever price you have set the deal, that is trade and then the deal if finished.

But for traders on various deals, trade is a priority consideration. They have invested lots of money in an attempt to generate greater profits later. In exchange for goods and different titles with different operators from various deals, they hope that they could reach an enormous profit and pursue their careers until their trading accounts either increase or dehydration.

In addition, for the various governments of the nation , trade is a blessing which everyone should feel grateful . The country's economy is heavily dependent on how the international and local operations in the market perform . a trade is declared successful if only it can translate to an increase of GDP( gross domestic product), that's the indicators of a nations thriving economy. Successful businesses also reflect additional jobs, help the unemployed to have to work and earn for their families.

Trade can be a blessing for the various operators (people engaged in the negotiation of stocks) and the various companies which issue securities to the people to raise extra revenue. when the stock value goes up , the owners of that bulk will get profits when they trade them then.. On the other hand, stocks of companies that is owned by common people are also guaranteed to high profits since the value of stocks on the market are now greater than it was when they were first released. both sides benefit from the trading of securities in various exchanges.

However, if a business man or any trader reaches you to offer his stocks, it does not mean that the agreement is done. when you buy a house or expensive item, you need to first look into the market and then decide base on that information whether it would be cost effective to have an agreement or not this particular time. this is defined as technical analysis.

Technical analysis is in finance and investments is the study of an asset or safety (in this case, security is the product) price action (change of prices the quantity and open interest) in the market to predict profitable price movements. It generally uses different cards from both the past and present of price fluctuations in order to arrive at a price well-established trend. Such price trends will help you decide if could take advantage when you trade a particular stock at that time or not.

Stocks trading are still profitable, he understands the risks that can endanger your investment. By using technical analysis in the business of your actions, you could eliminate the risks in your investment.

How to Find Good Stocks That Will Survive 2008 Market Crash

Finding good stocks that are able to survive stock market crash is really tough. However, these simple financial ratios can help you to discover these tough stocks. The stocks are so tough, that will only grow stronger after the recession. Make sure you stick with it if you want to be rich from stock market.

Earnings per Employee

You can calculate the staff productivity by dividing the total earnings by the number of staffs. As different industries have different ratios, you should compare staffs' ability to bring value to the company in the same field. Compare yourself a bank with $12k profits per staff with another bank of $98k profits per staff, I bet you can notice the difference.

Good employees maintain the business operation, but great workers will sustain the business growth. And in stock investing, earnings growth does matter, especially during depression. Though times never last, but tough people do.

Return on Asset

ROA can be calculated by dividing the net profits by the number of assets that the company owns. It indicates how efficient the management is in turning the assets into profits. Compare with other stocks on how they do is something you should consider. Lower ROA can be attributed to not having enough expertise to manage the assets or not having the right assets in the first place.

During recession, companies with the lowest return on asset (ROA) are prone to be acquired by stronger companies. Unfortunately, not all low ROA stocks hold the value they want in the eye of larger companies. Therefore, better avoid this type of stocks.

Liquidity Ratio

Liquidity ratio measures if the stock is able to meet the short term obligations. It can be calculated as current or quick ratio. Either way, it is about the liquid asset over its current liabilities. This ratio is critical during recession as the interest rate will increase substantially that time. Although Federal Reserve maintains the interest rate recently, there is no guarantee it will be the same in 2008.

Recently, I noticed some good companies holding substantial liquid assets like never before. This indicates the stocks are preparing themselves of any possibilities of higher interest rates next year, or having enough cash to buy profitable asset at cheaper price in 2008.

Either there is market crash, recession or economic depression in 2008, make sure you get ready yourself. Market crash can be bad to some, but offer great opportunities to smart investors. So, make sure you are one of them.

Revenge of the Penny Stocks

There has been a lot of talk about how 2008 will turn out financially. The word recession has been thrown around a lot perhaps for shock value but maybe not. Lets pretend for a moment that these predictions of s recession are accurate. How would that effect the stock market? Well, the stock market will always be there even if the numbers change. However, in a recession, everything is relatively a penny stock. So even though penny stocks have received bad press they will always be there during good and bad times.

Recessions are times when all companies are struggling to make a profit right. Yet that does not stop people from investing. People are more desperate and then to exercise more faith in a company and hence willing to take more risk when economic times are tough. During times like these people can afford to be more picky and avoid the more risky stocks. Penny stocks are risky no matter how the economy is but are a great investment if done wisely.

If there was a recession then penny stocks would get a lot more attention since people would have less money to spend and would not be as picky. There would be less negative talk about a stock that would present more people than ever before with an opportunity to invest. People would see it as more of an opportunity than a gamble. You see its all about perspective and approach. Anybody can lose money doing anything if done incorrectly. Penny stocks can make you a lot of money if invested in correctly.

All the people who talk bad about penny stocks are either the ones who have got burned investing in them or the ones who know nothing at all about them except what others have told them. It makes for interesting stories but the truth is that the gains of penny stocks will kick butt against any other stock type. Other stocks can make great gains but definitely not as quickly as penny stocks.

So will 2008 be a recession? I do not think so. Will it be a good year to invest in penny stocks? Well of course it will be. Just invest cautiously. Penny stocks have never represented a bad investment just one that should be approached with caution. Its easy to take the advice of others without really knowing the truth but including penny stocks as a part of your portfolio is a smart move any day of the week.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Tips For A Smooth And Successful Garage Sale

Do you find yourself lost within the clutter of your home? Or do you always feel that a few extra bucks could help you make ends meet? Then why not have a garage sale, after all one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

You don't have to have a lot of stuff to start selling. You could ask for handouts from neighbors, family, or friends, something they think they can part with, this way combined with your things you are sure to provide your customers with a variety of purchasable items.

When you think you have all the things you need to get started, then you should begin planning, starting with the sale date. It would be most effective to schedule the sale on a weekend far from any holiday or any special day within your community. You should probably also anticipate the weather for that day so that you can adjust if the weather is uncooperative. Regarding the time, it would be best to hold it in the morning.

The next step is to make the event official by having it announced in the most popular periodical in your area, or by putting up posters, or both. If possible, maybe you could also have a local radio station mention the affair. Publicize the event on bulletin boards.

Buy several stickers, post-its, and different colored markers, and use them before the day of your sale. This would help you organize your products. You may need to borrow some tables and racks so that you can better display your merchandise. Also, prepare smaller bills and coins for change. If you have a container with several compartments then you should place the money there, keeping in mind that this should be something you could carry around. Clean and remove some of the stuff from the garage if you are having the sale there and mark items in the garage that you are not planning to sell. Also make sure that the garage is well lit on the sale date. Place electrical equipment that are for sale near an electrical outlet or set up an extension cord. Check signage ordinances in your neighborhood and set some of them up on nearby street corners, make them noticeable with big and bold letters, and eye-catching colors.

Put your goods in order one or two hours before you open. Lastly, don't be afraid to bargain with customers. You are expected to put a reasonable price on your stuff but that doesn't mean that you should submit to the buyer, unless of course if you really want to get rid of that object.

Xbox 360 Advances Beyond Mere Child's Play

Video gaming is a very big deal the world over. Whether games are played on computers, over consoles, via handheld devices or even over telephones, video games are taken seriously by those who love them. Offering challenges for the mind, hands and heart, games provide an escape from the everyday world and they simply can be a whole lot of fun. Microsoft's Xbox 360 may have launched with some bugs, but the console's popularity is incredible.

Next-gen consoles for gaming are different from their predecessors simply due to the hardware choices they offer. The 360, for example, offers some of the best graphic capabilities gamers have ever seen. Designed for fast-paced, beautiful play, this machine is more than just a gaming box. The next-gen features on the 360 include a hard drive in many of the consoles, online capability, information storage and more. They are meant to be used for gaming and a whole host of other things as well.

Thanks to some smart partnering, Microsoft's 360 can not only handle game play, but also television and movie downloads. The console easily doubles for an extra DVD player, has a remote and more. Pretty much the only thing the 360 doesn't do is windows. But, given time, Microsoft may come up with a way to make that possible as well.

The popularity of the next-gen machines is simply due to their superior graphic and playability features. Smooth and responsive, the machines are some of the best platforms going for game play.

Hot game types for the Xbox 360 include:

Sports games: A longstanding favorite of gamers, these include boxing, racing, football, hockey and more. Through 360 games, players can take on the persona of their favorite sports star or even head up and entire team. There's also the possibility of playing with or against friends in remote locations through Xbox's online service. This just adds to the fun.

Role playing games: These kinds of titles allow a player to create a new persona for themselves online or off. Typically heroes, players can get online and pal around with buddies from different parts of the country or the world as they take on challenges and bad guys together. Or, with a lot of titles, they have the option of going it alone, offline, as well.

Strategy: Ever wonder what it was like to be on a World War I battlefield. Gamers can get a safe taste of combat through these games. Or, if war games are to a player's liking, there are plenty of other strategy games, including chess, puzzle games and more.

First-person shooters: These are games that enable a player to become the hero with the gun. Titles like Doom and Quake have made this genre a favorite among players of all ages. In these games, players are expected to move through mazes, battlefields and what not, shooting their way to victory while solving problems along the way.

The Xbox 360 was the first next-gen console on the market. Backed by the biggest software and game making company going, the machine is expected to only get better over time.

Different Categories of Computer Games

By : Sandra Stammberger
Computer games can be classified generally into PC games and online PC games; there are also downloadable versions of these games. PC games are those that are installed and played in your computer through the CDs that holds the software. There are a lot of websites that offer you with the downloadable version of the PC games.

The games can be classified according to its licenses. Several the games are free of charge and they can be downloaded on the Internet. Other kinds of pc games are do not charge for downloads but the kind of games are shareware. Shareware games have restrictions, you cannot use the whole game features and it is for a limited time only.

Online PC games are those that are played online. The player who is playing the online games must have a connection to the Internet. There are a lot of websites gives you online PC games. One of the most known online PC games downloading site is Yahoo Games. On others, you need to sign up first and them for others you have to pay per game you played.

PC Games are those that involve a CD installation before you can play. Software is bought by the user. Other PC games need the CD inserted in the drive while playing. Tomb raider, car rally and other races are examples of PC games with CD installation.

Lots of downloadable sites can be found on search engines. Nearly all the no cost game downloads are going to acquire a little space in your PC. The majority of the games can be played without any supplementary hardware. Having the latest PC configuration which has already stored software doesn't require extra software to be installed.

A number of the online games needs plug-ins to run. Plug-in is supplementary software that is necessary to make the game run. You will be supplied with the proper links to download the plug-ins. Make sure your PC matches the system requirements for the computer games that is downloaded or installed in your system and install before you start the game.

Online PC Games are games played on the Internet. The development of the internet has increased the spreading out of online gaming, this caused huge demands for fast internet connections from online games and gamers, online PC games helped us achieve the fast internet connection we are experiencing right now.

Online PC games more often or not, has an online community, which creates a better gaming environment for the users. The Internet serves as the means for a lot of games, varying from plain text base games, to games with high quality graphics.

Lately, Online First Person Shooter Games from LAN are on the Internet now. Now more players can interact to familiarize with the community and the game. Head to head gaming is also made possible. The development of Flash and Java gave rise to browser games. According to PC Gaming world there are over 80 gazillion game downloads out there. These games are easy to play and not as complex matched up to the First Person Shooters and the multiplayer option is limited. Usually they are played with the "single player" option.

How Addictive Is World Of Warcraft

By : Hunter Crowell
World of Warcraft has many strengths as a game, and one of its most famous qualities is how addictive it is. It is one of the most enthralling games around - there's an element to it that just grips you and makes it difficult to stop playing. As a result, the game is a truly fascinating experience, and many people have become hooked on the fantasy world of Azeroth.

People tend to play World of Warcraft for long periods of time. The game has an internal clock and through that you can calculate how long you have been playing it for, in hours and days. A typical player of online games might spend around 24 hours per week online. World of Warcraft is so compelling that some people play 24 hours in one session. Players become so mesmerised with the game that they just keep going, and can spend an entire day inside its world.

World of Warcraft is an online multiplayer game, a genre that tends to be very addictive by nature. One of the reasons why this particular game is so addictive is because it's popular. Sometimes multiplayer games peter out because not enough people are playing them, and they need many people in their world to be interesting.
World of Warcraft however has been continually popular since its launch. This has ensured that it is as busy as is needed and is full of opportunities for interaction.

World of Warcraft is essentially endless. Even though the game has a final level, the experience doesn't end once you've reached it and completed it. There are other challenges to do. The game's developers, Blizzard, are constantly updating the game and adding new material and content. This ensures that its world is forever changing and expanding. The constant stream of new players also keeps the game community varied, as there are always new characters to meet.

The key point about World of Warcraft is that it is not simply a game; it is an alternative world. It is a recreation of life, and it has built its reality in as much depth and detail as possible. World of Warcraft functions as an alternative to the real world and is one of the most involving games yet designed. Players use it to get away from reality and stress and to do something very different for a while. It is a hugely entertaining title of course, with much to offer to gamers.

The world of the game still exists and grows even when you are not playing it. One of the game's features actively encourages players to take a break every now and again. World of Warcraft features an element called the rested state, a reward system for more casual players. When players have their characters stay in an inn or a city, in other words when they aren't playing the game, they earn certain bonuses and advantages. This can help with their progress when they do return to it.

World of Warcraft also includes internal controls that can limit how long a person plays it. The game features special parental controls that allow adults to determine how much their children may use it. They can set up a play schedule and restrict their children's access solely to evenings or the weekend. It is also possible to set it to force a player to take a break every hour or so. This ensures that people use the game sensibly and within reason.

Overall, World of Warcraft is a terrific game and it is easy to become engrossed in it. The fact that it is so engaging just illustrates what a superlative game it is. It is very absorbing and diverting and is fine entertainment all round.

Author Resource:- Hunter Crowell is a researcher and creator of " target="_blank">http://www.world-of-warcraft-gold.com"> Buy World of Warcraft Gold. A site showing players the best place to buy gold and more.

Eye-popping Properties of HDTV

By : Gregg Hall
HDTV or high definition television is the cutting-edge technology in home theater systems. Movie enthusiasts praise the high definition televisions for its clearer picture, better sound, progressive scanning and a wider viewing screen. As the trend towards replacing traditional analog televisions with the HDTV, consumers are starting to notice the eye-popping properties of HDTV.

High definition television is a revolutionary new technology that brings the viewer the clearest, brightest picture possible. The picture on the television can be considered life-like and real. The colors displayed using the digital technology and wide screen pictures, are bright and crisp. Surround sound further enhances the viewer's experience.

The standard high definition television works by using a digital broadcast signal that is able to deliver a wide-screen, high-resolution picture with six channels of digital sound. The difference between HDTV and conventional television broadcast is that the high definition screen is much wider. This allows the broadcast or DVD movies to be viewed as they would in a movie theater. No parts of the screen either at the top or bottom are obstructed or cut off.

HDTV provides a wider screen than conventional TV sets. The wide-screen format allows a more intense viewing experience and is able to take full advantage of the field of vision. With the prices of HDTV going down, smaller sets are hitting the market making consumers more likely to purchase HDTV.

Another great benefit of using high definition television is that HDTV has over twice the sharpness and clarity of analog TV broadcasts. The color resolution for HDTV sets is far superior. For consumers who have already made the switch to HDTV, they feel this is the biggest advantage of high definition.

The lack of imperfections in the television screen often seen on traditional television is another reason why many prefer high definition to analog. With HDTV, problems such as snow caused from a weak signal, double images from ghosting or multi-path and picture sparkles from impulse noise are a thing of the past. These problems often seen on a conventional television broadcast just do not occur on HDTV.

Screen resolution from a high definition TV broadcast is almost five times as sharp as conventional broadcasts. High definition has double the lines of resolution compared to a traditional analog TV set. While a traditional analog set can only display 525 lines of resolution, HDTV technology takes this one step farther. HDTV broadcasts can display 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. This makes a huge difference in the picture clarity and quality. Often with big screen analog broadcasts, the picture is severely degraded because of the resolution lines.

When looking into purchasing a high definition television and broadcast provider, it is important to research the products. HDTV comes in several sizes and varieties. Consumers can purchase plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing) or LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon), which are all types of monitors. There are also projection displays to consider. They also come in LCD, DLP, and LCOS. Many viewers prefer the wall display monitor that either plasma or LCD offers. But, these are usually the most expensive of the high definition sets, especially the ones that are sized between 40 to 70 inches. Lower on the cost spectrum, but equally good, are the LCD displays that are sized at 42 inches and under.

Also, consider the provider. High definition broadcasting and digital should not be confused. They are not the same thing. There are many cable and satellite companies that simply convert standard analog broadcasts to digital to improve reception and to provide additional services. These are not true high definition broadcasts. Also, the picture quality and resolution will not be the same as that of HDTV. The picture format will not be wide-screen. Most consumers that subscribe to cable today are getting a digital broadcast.

To keep up with the popularity of high definition, most broadcast channels now broadcast in both analog and high definition at the same time. There are currently about forty networks in the United States that now broadcast in both. These include HBO, Showtime, ESPN and the Discovery Channel. The number of networks utilizing high definition broadcast is expected to grow as the price of HDTV goes down. More consumers are asking for high definition channels for their television viewing.

Why Grand Theft Auto 4 Is The Biggest Video Game Of 2008

By : Chris Marshall
Grand Theft Auto 4 is set to be released next week and game analysts are suggesting that it is not only the biggest release of the year but also the game that could really push on the sales of the next generation consoles. Unless the game is a disappointment which with all the buzz and early information seems unlikely it could potentially be the one of the biggest next generation games yet easily. Rarely before have stores stopped taking pre-orders as early as two weeks ago because they had fully allocated all of their stock.

The Grand Theft Auto series has always been popular and also very controversial. The first game encountered all kinds of problems with the BBFC and all the games since have also suffered from problems with getting a rating for the game. The games however are always stylish and usually good fun.

Rockstar have released Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 for free on the website linked below so users can relieve the original Grand Theft Auto experience before diving into the new GTA (if you can get a copy).

Grand Theft Auto as a series has sold 70million copies of the game since 1997 which places it in the top 5 selling video games of all time. This means that the publicity may not be as intense as some of the newer Wii products because Rockstar know that this game will sell and gain hype just via the name alone.

The game has been set back various times and information was scarce about the latest installment for a while but now videos and trailers can be seen everywhere and it is save to say that early reviews are suggesting this game will be massive and by far the best installment yet with it being the first one to feature online facilities.

Some of the best features have been the voice acting such as Ray Liotta and Samuel L Jackson and whilst details are still scarce about the acting it is known that comedian Ricky Gervais will play a part in the game at a comedian in one of the clubs your character can visit. This time round you don't play a 70s character or Hood Gangsta but a middle eastern character in once again Liberty City.

It has certainly created a lot of buzz for Rockstar and got video game fans excited and we shall see next week if the hype is justified.

The game is released next week and we shall have a full review once it is out.