Thursday, November 26, 2009
Benefits of Choosing Comprehensive Car Insurance
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Ten Real Keys to a Good Credit Score
1.Don't ever close your oldest accounts - these give your credit history its timeline and the longer, the better.
2.Have a good mix of credit. This includes retail store charges, car loans, credit cards, gas cards, mortgages.
3.Have someone co-sign for a credit card. Ask a close friend or family member with good credit to add you to their account as a signer. This is known as “piggybacking” and allows you to leverage the good history as your own.
4.Don't ever max out a credit card by combining all your debt on it if it puts you near your limit. Instead, spread a large debt over two or more low interest cards.
5.Call creditors to ask for a lower interest rate. Many will give it to you. If you don't ask, they won't offer.
6.Work out a payment plan with creditors if you're struggling. This will prevent your account from being turned over to collection agencies - the kiss of death to your credit score.
7.Ask a family member for a loan to pay off debt; their terms will likely be far more agreeable.
8.Increase your credit limits. This will help your credit utilization ratio. When your limits are increased, your existing debt represents a lesser percentage of your total available credit (the goal is to bring it under 30%). But do NOT increase your balances.
9.Pay bills immediately as they arrive. If you send the money out before the next statement is generated, your creditor will report your paid balance ($0) versus your statement balance (what you owed).
10.Use old cards occasionally. Your oldest accounts count toward your credit history length but may not be factored in if you don't use them every 6 months or so.
Soon, you’ll be on your way to excellent credit health and can use your credit rating to save money each month through lower interest rates on new loans and credit cards.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Irish Credit Cards with the Best Designs
Think of credit card skins like the "skins" that people choose to dress up their iPod. It's like a wardrobe of tiny clothing that won't keep your card from working like it's supposed to (unless you have a "smart chip" Visa). Credit card skins are basically super thin stickers that you apply to the front of your card with a hole over where your name, card number, and expiration date go.
There are websites where you can choose from a dizzying array of credit card skins with every kind of graphic or message you can imagine, from gay pride to preppy Argyle designs. Creditcovers.com has hundreds of designs to choose from and an opportunity to make your own design and make royalties from it if it sells.
Businesses can order custom credit card skins as unique and fun promotional giveaways. You can also make your own graphic credit card skins using a template in Adobe PhotoShop or a similar graphics program using t-shirt transfer paper and a color inkjet printer. Once you have the design the right size and the right shape (with the hole for your name, card number, and expiration date), print it out onto t-shirt transfer paper then cut the design out with scissors. You then put spray mount on the card, peel the backing from the transfer paper and place the design on the card. Put the ironing paper that comes with the t-shirt transfer paper over the card on an ironing board or reasonable facsimile. Preheat iron to "low." Iron the card for 15 seconds. Check if the design adheres. If not, iron for 15 more seconds. But be careful, lest you melt your credit card with too much heat. Let cool. After the card has cooled cut away excess transfer paper with a mat knife.
Sometimes the best design for a credit card is the one that brings you the lowest interest rate. Once you have that, if it isn't beautiful enough for you, then skins are the way to personalize your card into a statement about yourself.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Will Debt Management Plans Affect Your Credit Score?
At the time you start delay your debt payments you are hurting your credit. The longer you let your bad financial situation as it is, the more you hurt your credit score. There is no way out of debt except you pay it off. Therefore, when you enroll a debt management plan, you are putting a solution to resolve your debt issue. If comparing to a problem without a solution, a debt management plan won't hurt your credit score as much as you may think. However, using it to pay off debt may make you difficult to qualify for new credit. But, when you clear it off by following the schedule in the plan, you can always recover your good credit later.
In order to minimum the impact that may hurt your credit score, you can always take a few precaution steps to protect it:
1. Choose a debt-management plan wisely
It is so important to choose a debt management program carefully because if the agency that misses or late in making your payment to your creditors, your credit record will be jeopardized. You have to select a credit counseling service with good reputation and reliable in helping you to get rid of debt successfully. In addition, enrollment and monthly fee for a debt management plan may vary from one agency to another. Some agencies may charge a few hundreds a month while other may only cost $20 or less. You may have to take into consideration of the monthly fee as it will be a huge lump-sum when being add-up for years as the plan may take a few years until you fully pay off your debt.
2. Make on-time payment
Late payment hurt more than the debt management plan itself. You have to protect your credit score by ensuring you make your monthly payment to your account on-time. Always pay early and allocate enough time for your check to be cleared and transfer to your account so that the credit counseling agency can pay your creditors on-time. Although there will be comments stating you are paying an account through a credit counseling agency in your credit report. The comments won't hurt your credit score in the least.
3. Monitor your debt counselor
Even though you make payments to your account on-time, but if the credit counseling agency makes late payment to your creditors, your credit score will also be affected. Therefore, you should ensure that your creditors are paid on-time by monitoring your credit bills carefully. If you discover a problem with bills paid through your debt management account and the problem is not resolved by the credit counselor, then report the company to a local consumer protection agency or file a complaint at the Better Business Bureau.
Summary
Enrolling into a debt management plan won't hurt your credit score as badly as your may think. But, it does affect the easiness of your future credit application. However, you could minimize the negative impact of debt management plan by following the above steps.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Loans For Unemployed By Joseph Kenny
It is one of life’s small cruelties that the times when you need credit most badly, are also the times when lenders are least willing to give it to you. When you are finding it hard to meet your obligations, your car payments are behind, your credit cards are all fully loaded, and you’re barely meeting your rent or mortgage payments, your credit score takes a nose dive. Even if you are meeting all your payments, credit reporting companies can show lenders that you are at your limit, that you’re fully extended on all existing lines of credit, and you’ve been searching vigorously for more. This will be looked on very poorly by lenders and make them much less inclined to lend to you.
Between Jobs
One of the periods when you are most likely to be in this sort of situation is when you are between jobs. There are a million reasons why you might lose your job, many of which will not be your fault, and if you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you when you’re under heavy debt, then things can quickly get out of hand.
It may seem like stating the obvious, but the surest way to get out of this situation is to find a new job as soon as possible. In many cases you can be back to work within a month or two so if you have enough money to keep you afloat for this period you will be ok. However it is not always easy to find a new job quickly, especially if the reason you lost your original job is due to difficult conditions in your industry or area.
Insurance
The other thing you might consider is credit protection insurance. This is an insurance policy you will need to have taken out before you lost your job. If you did, there is a good chance you will be covered for exactly this situation. Most credit protection plans provide that if you lose your job through no fault if your own, they will kick in the meet your repayments for you, until you can get another job. They have many strict conditions, for example, they will probably expect you to accept the first job offer you get, even if it does not pay as well as your last job etc.
Alternatives
The other option is to borrow some money to tide you over till you get a new job. While it may seem unlikely that a lender will lend to a person who is out of employment, there are situations when they will lend to you. If you can demonstrate a good previous repayment record, and have very good prospects of finding a job soon, they may be willing to back you, especially if you have security such as your home to offer them. If you do opt for this route however, make sure you are very confident of finding employment before putting your home at risk.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19805&ca=Finances
Consolidation Loan Student Programs: Bringing Your Dept Under Control By Colin P
If you are like many students and recent graduates, you very well have amassed a great deal of student loan debt. In this regard, you may be looking for ways in which you can bring your outstanding student loan balance under control. You might want to consider the various consolidation loan student availabilities that you can take advantaged of in this day and age. Through consolidation loan student opportunities, you can take an affirmative step towards brining your outstanding student loan debt under control.
There are a number of benefits to availing yourself of what is available in the way of consolidation loan student availabilities. The primary benefit that you can obtain through utilizing and taking advantage of consolidation loan student opportunities is a savings in the amount of interest you have been paying on multiple student loans. As a general rule, consolidation loan student programs offer interest rates at a level under what you normally have been paying on your multiple outstanding student loans.
One of the other significant benefits of a consolidation loan student program is found in the fact that you will be able to relieve yourself of recurring late fees and related delinquent charges that you may be encountering in regard to outstanding student loans. If you are like many people who have racked up student loans, you very well may be facing ever increasing late fees and the like over time. Again, through consolidation loan student programs, you can rid yourself of the burdens of late fees and other charges.
An added benefit of taking advantage of a consolidation loan student program is found in the simple fact of convenience. If you have acquired a number of different student loans, you find yourself juggling multiple payments each and every month. This can be time consuming and even confusing in some instances. With the implementation of a consolidation loan student plan or scheme, you will only have to make one monthly payment, easing the burden of keeping track of a multitude of payments each and every month.
There are a number of different financial institutions that now offer consolidation loan student programs. There are companies that specialize specifically in offering people consolidation loan student opportunities. In addition to the companies that specialize in consolidation loan student programs, many traditional lenders (such as banks and savings and loans) now have implemented special consolidation loan student programs for students and graduates. Therefore, you have a variety of sources for a consolidation loan student program to chose from in this day and age.
By taking the time to shop around and consider different consolidation loan student availabilities you will be able to find a consolidation loan student program that best meets your needs and obligations. Through research and a bit of proverbial homework you will be well on your way to brining your student loan debt well under control, to bringing your financial house into order now and well into the future. Rather than continually paying for your education, you will make your education pay for you.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19773&ca=Finances
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Buying Into Japanese And German Exporters By Carl Delfeld
With the euro down nearly 15% this year and at a two-year low against the U.S. dollar, the world’s largest exporting nation is worth a good look. So is another country that has thriving exports in spite of a stronger currency. We’re talking about Japan and Germany, respectively, the world’s second- and third-largest economies.
The top lines at leading German industrial companies are rolling in with impressive numbers for an almost zero-growth economy. Quarterly sales at Siemens rose 13%, the fastest since 2003. BMW’s sales rose by 11% in the third quarter, although high raw-material costs and pricing pressure resulted in weak net profits. A bright spot is Asia, where BMW expects to sell 150,000 cars per year by 2008.
Overall, German exports are up for the third-straight month and sales to countries outside of the European Union rose 18% annually from a year earlier. Clearly, the Germans are good at making stuff and selling it to the world, and the weaker euro is helping spur growth. Germany’s DAX stock index is taking notice and is up nearly 20% year-to-date.
Meanwhile, U.S. exports are up a paltry 2% since 2000. Although exports to China are up 35% during this same period, Americans are now buying seven times more from China than we are selling to them. A good reason why is that, according to research by Morgan Stanley's Stephen Roach, consumer spending represents 71% of America’s gross domestic product. The figure is 42% for China and 55% for Japan.
Speaking of Japan, the aftermath of the financial bubble has obscured the fact that it too, remains an exporting powerhouse, despite a currency that has risen more than 20% since 2002 and 13% this year alone. Just look at Japan’s current account surpluses over the past three years: $113 billion in 2002, $136 billion in 2003 and $172 billion in 2004. China is a major market, and despite political difficulties, bilateral trade between China and Japan now exceeds trade between Japan and America.
A majority of Japan’s exports are manufactured goods and components. Fifty percent of its exports to China in 2004 were electrical equipment and machinery, and its top exports to the world include autos, electronic components, optical instruments, imaging equipment and computer parts.
Much is made over China’s huge trade imbalance with America, which reached $126 billion in the first eight months of this year. No doubt a sizable share of Chinese exports to America are chock full of Japanese components. While some of these components were made in offshore facilities, many were made in Japan, which has been able to hold on to its industrial base better than America.
How do they do it? First, the Japanese are continually moving up the value-added curve and are careful to keep the R&D and manufacturing of sophisticated components close to home, while outsourcing the low-end to low-wage countries.
Secondly, even though China’s wages are about 5% of Japan’s, factory automation has lessened the importance of labor costs. For advanced high tech products, it accounts for only 10% to 15% of total costs. Having manufacturing closer to home also shortens new product lead times and increases cooperation between R&D and production teams leading to a crucial edge in staying ahead of its nimble competitors. Supply lines of 2,000 miles can be problematic.
Perhaps most important, there is the critical issue of protecting intellectual capital. Having research, development and production closer to headquarters better protects proprietary technologies.
Canon, Sharp, Hitachi, NEC and Toyota are all good plays on Japan’s manufacturing edge, while Sony will continue to lag until it boosts its R&D and catches up in product development.
The iShares MSCI Japan Index exchange-trade fund is an attractive option, since it has about 50% exposure to Japan’s manufacturing sector with an annual expense ratio of only 0.59%. Similarly in Germany, the iShares MSCI Germany Index is loaded with that country’s top exporters and would be an excellent proxy for overall German export growth.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19838&ca=Finances
Forex Trading: The Perfect Forex Trading System By Raul Lopez
Trading the Forex market has became very popular in the last few years. But how difficult is it to achieve success in the Forex trading arena? Or let me rephrase this question, how many traders achieve consistent profitable results trading the Forex market? Unfortunately very few, only 5% of traders achieve this goal. One of the main reasons of this is because Forex traders focus in the wrong information to make their trading decisions and totally forget about the most important factor: Price behavior.
Most Forex trading systems are made off technical indicators (a moving average (MA) crossover, overbought/oversold conditions in an oscillator, etc.) But what are technical indicators? They are just a series of data points plotted in a chart; these points are derived from a mathematical formula applied to the price of any given currency pair. In other words, it is a chart of price plotted in a different way that helps us see other aspects of price.
There is an important implication on this definition of technical indicators. The fact that the readings obtained from them are based on price action. Take for instance a long MA crossover signal, the price has gone up enough to make the short period MA crossover the long period MA generating a long signal. Most traders see it as “the MA crossover made the price go up,” but it happened the other way around, the MA crossover signal occurred because the price went up. Where I’m trying to get here is that at the end, price behavior dictates how an indicator will act, and this should be taken into consideration on any trading decision made.
Trading decisions based on technical indicators without taking price action into consideration will give us less accurate results. For example, again a long signal generated by a MA crossover as the market approaches an important resistance level. If the price suddenly starts to bounce back off that important level there is no point on taking this signal, price action is telling us the market doesn’t want to go up. Most of the time, under this circumstances, the market will continue to fall down, disregarding the MA crossover.
Don’t get me wrong here, technical indicators are a very important aspect of trading. They help us see certain conditions that are otherwise difficult to see by watching pure price action. But when it comes to pull the trigger, price action incorporation into our Forex trading system will definitely put the odds in our favor, it will generate higher probability trades.
So, how to create a perfect Forex trading system?
First of all, you need to make sure your trading system fits your trading personality; otherwise you will find it hard to follow it. Every trader has different needs and goals, thus there is no system that perfectly fits all traders. You need to make your own research on various trading styles and technical indicators until you find a concept that perfectly works for you. Make sure you know the nature of whatever technical indicator used.
Secondly, incorporate price action into your system. So you only take long signals if the price behavior tells you the market wants to go up, and short signals if the market gives you indication that it will go down.
Third, and most importantly, you need to have the discipline to follow your Forex trading system rigorously. Try it first on a demo account, then move on to a small account and finally when feeling comfortably and being consistent profitable apply your system in a regular account.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19827&ca=Finances
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Best Credit Card Reward: For Those Who Had Been Naughty And Nice By David Riewe
Think about it. If people would normally pay all their credit card balances in time, then what is the purpose of interest rates?
None.
And how will people get the benefits that their credit card company claims? It is through the credit card rewards.
These are freebies or prizes designed to make the “big boys and girls” happy because they had been naughty and yet nice enough to pay their dues.
Credit card rewards are also one way of enticing people to sign up to them. It tells them about countless benefits they could get just for signing up and getting a credit card.
There are actually a variety of credit card rewards available today. Most of them are being offered by credit card companies all the same. But what the people mostly wanted is the “cold cash.”
According to some reports, most people, who are entitled for some credit card rewards, would rather have cash for reward than with any other freebies available. They claim that they just want to be feasible. Hence, cash backs were deemed as the best credit card reward
In reality, financial experts claim that the arrangements of cash-back programs are actually the most straightforward credit card rewards than the other types. Plus, consumers can even track it, get hold of it, and see if it really is true.
Moreover, cash-back programs have a wide variety of classifications. It all depends on the type of credit card consumers have. For example, there are credit card rewards intended for college students such as college savings. For retirees, they also have retirement investing rewards.
But for those who do not want cash backs, there are still other credit card rewards that work best for the consumers. There are those rewards about frequent flyer plans and freebie-giveaways.
Indeed, credit card rewards keep on flowing. The reason behind that is to entice people not to delay their payment so as to avoid adding to the pile of credit card debts and numerous bankruptcy cases.
There are still many credit card rewards that would be initiated upon the people especially for those who spend a lot. In fact, some reports say that there is a credit card reward these days that entails the consumer to not pay the annual fee for as long as they get to pay the balance on time. That would be a heaping $3,000 off in the event that the consumer’s standing balance is $30, 000.
That, indeed, is a lot of money.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19928&ca=Finances
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Reap More, Save More With The Best UK Credit Card By David Riewe
In the United Kingdom, the credit card phenomenon is not at all different from what the United States or any other country has for that matter. This just goes to show that a lot of people are finding credit cards as feasible means as well.
However, most people in UK would rather obtain the best credit card there is than to suffer at a later stage. And so, getting the best UK credit card is very significant for most English people. In most instances, the best credit cards would usually mean low interest rates, offers rewards, and excellent introductory rates.
But then, it is really important for every UK consumer to shop around for the best credit card deal.
And so, here are some of the best UK credit cards:
1. Virgin credit cards
The very best feature of Virgin credit card is that it allows their consumers to prefer which features they would want to have on their credit cards. That means they could have the chance of getting a 0% balance transfer rate for 9 months, a fixed annual percentage rate of 15.9%, plus more rewards every time the credit card holder uses the card.
What’s more, people get to choose their very own creative Virgin card motif making it way above the rest.
Virgin credit card also offers great flexibility.
2. The Marbles credit card
This UK credit card is considered nowadays as the card with the best value and has a high orientation on customer service. They have a 24 hour customer service hotline. Plus, they also provide a regular monthly statement through online announcements.
It also has 0% stable balance transfer rate for 6 months from the start the account has been opened.
3. Morgan Stanley Credit Card
This is considered as one of the best UK credit cards because it has 0% introductory rates for balance transfers good for 6 months. It also offers a fixed rate of 14.9%, and their 1% cashback is considered as one of the highest available in the UK market today.
4. The egg credit card
In UK, egg credit card is considered as one of the best credit card in the industry today. It also offers 0% introductory offer not only for balance transfers but also for ordinary purchases, and that is available all through out the 6-month period. Their annual percentage rate is also set to a standard rate of 14.9%.
With all these 0% introductory rates, low APRs, and everything, these credit cards are definitely the best UK credit cards in the market today. Hence, for most UK consumers, shopping had never been this better.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19930&ca=Finances
Monday, October 26, 2009
Can Credit Counseling Really Help? By Dave Robinson
If you have high debt, and are in trouble, you have probably heard the term “credit counseling,” but do you understand what it is? Oftentimes this term is used in the same sentence as debt negotiation or debt settlement, but actually, it’s a completely different process. With credit counseling, you will actually work with a professional credit counselor to pay off your debt in lower, monthly payments that you can afford.
The people most likely to need credit counseling are those who are receiving troubling phone calls from bill collectors, or whose accounts have gone to collection agencies. If you think that you may benefit from using a service like this, please read on to find out the best way to work with a credit counseling company.
First, you’ll need to be able to find a good credit counseling company, and not fall victim to one of the many credit counseling scams that are out there. Start by avoiding any ads that promise you quick fixes for your credit report. There is no such thing. Instead, look for a reliable company that is accredited by Consumer Credit Counseling Services.
Next, you’ll have to meet with a professional credit counselor, and provide them with all of the details of your debt. Don’t be tempted to leave anything out because they will need the information in order to create a re-payment plan made just for you.
Now, you can sit back and allow your professional credit counselor to work for you. They will contact all of your creditors and inform them that you are trying to create a plan that will allow you pay off your debts. They will work with them all and coordinate a re-payment schedule that you can live with. Many times, they will be able to lower your interest rates in order to allow for lower payments.
Some credit counseling services offer a debt management system. What is it? Instead of having to keep up with all of the payments yourself, you will have the option of submitting one lump sum payment to the credit counseling service and they will do it for you. One note of caution here: there have been instances of a credit counseling services paying their client’s payments late, and if that happens, your credit report will suffer for it. Knowing that, be sure to check out the company thoroughly, by checking references, before signing up for their debt management program.
What will you pay for all of these services? A reputable Credit Counseling Service will only charge you a small fee, somewhere around fourteen dollars per month. If they are asking for alot of money up front, they may not have your best intests at heart. Be on the look out for potenial scams.
You should also be aware that working with a credit counseling service can do some damage to your credit report. However, the good does out weigh the bad. After all, it’s much easier to explain an honest attempt to get your finances in order than it is to explain a bankruptcy or a credit report full of charge-offs.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19760&ca=Finances
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Personal vs. Business By Matt Bacak
Many business owners agree that starting a small business will involve the personal finances of the owner, even though the business may be formally regarded as separate entities. This is probably due to the fact that the business owner may be likely to lose his source of income during the initial operations period, especially during the first 3 to 6 months. With this, adequate planning, budgeting and saving should be done by the business owner prior to starting the business so as to have a pool of funds to support personal expenses.
One of the first steps to do this would be to track your monthly expenses on a daily basis in order to adequately determine your actual personal costs. Be sure to include buffers for emergency or surprise expenses. Once you have a clear idea where your monthly expenses go to, you can then create a budget for the period that your income may be affected. It may also be a good idea to pay off any outstanding debt such as home loans or car loans, so that you have less to pay for during the critical period.
It is of utmost importance that you ensure that you have enough to sustain you, as many new business owners overlook this factor, and end up going back to employment while still maintaining their business after a few months, due to the lack of personal funds.
Apart from that, if you are starting a business for the first time and are in need of obtaining a business loan, the bank or credit union will evaluate your application based on your personal credit rating. This is due to the fact the company's credit history is not yet available for references by these financial institutions. Therefore, the best history that they can base their judgment on your creditworthiness would be the credit history of the business owner.
What is the implication of this? This means if you are planning to start a business and obtain financing for it, it is best for you to run a check on your credit report in the event of errors and flaws. There have been cases where loans were rejected due to an unfavorable credit report, which was actually due to errors made by the system. With this, months may be needed to correct these problems, which may cause delays for the business owner to obtain the required start-up funding for the new business.
In conclusion, the business is a separate entity when it is registered as a private limited company. However, small business owners still may not escape entirely from being regarded as separate entities if they are the only owners of the businesses that they are running. Therefore, business owners should be well-informed on the areas that would require more focus on before they start their businesses.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19895&ca=Finances
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Know How To Get The Best Credit Card Deal By David Riewe
Getting your own credit card is not as easy as you may think. Applying for a credit card account needs a lot of thinking.
Before marching down to your credit card agent, ask yourself some questions like do you want to pay for the credit every month or carry a balance instead? The type of credit line limit is also to be taken into consideration. Credit cards offer a lot of benefit packages, think of the package that would suit your needs.
If you want to carry on a balance, look for the credit card that offers the best interest rate or the annual fee offer. However, if you intend to pay for the credit every month, then look on the one that offers the lowest interest rate.
Credit limit determines how far you can go with your card. Think of the lowest limit that would fit your needs, not your lifestyle. Remember it’s supposed to be for necessity and not for luxury. Adding 30% to the limit you agreed on. This will maximize the value of the card. Meaning, you can use the card on a normal basis and still have enough value if an emergency arises.
Credit card companies offer tremendous bonuses on their cards. If you wanted to sign up for these packages, think, think, and think! Will they really be of help to you or are they just there to make your credit life miserable?
Of course the table is laden with different courses. You are only to get one so don’t rush into one that looks good. You always have the liberty of comparing one credit card to another.
Always choose the credit card that offers the lowest annual percentage rate (APR). APR’s could either be a “fixed” or a “variable” rate. Fixed rates do not change as the name implies but is higher. Variable rates changes depending on the economic trends. This is to be taken into consideration if you’re deciding on carrying a balance.
Some credit cards offer a grace period of 25 days before they charge the interest on the purchase. But some may not have. Look for those that have one and the longer the grace period, the better the deal.
You also have to check on other fees attached to the credit card. These are the penalty rates as well as other charges like over the limit charges and late payment charges.
When choosing a card, always remember to get the one that would best fit your needs and at the same time the best deal you could get out of it.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19927&ca=Finances
Friday, October 23, 2009
Trading Psychology: Mistakes In A Trading Environment By Raul Lopez
When it comes to trading, one of the most neglected subjects are those dealing with trading psychology. Most traders spend days, months and even years trying to find the right system. But having a system is just part of the game. Don’t get us wrong, it is very important to have a system that perfectly suits the trader, but it is as important as having a money management plan, or to understand all psychology barriers that may affect the trader decisions and other issues. In order to succeed in this business, there must be equilibrium between all important aspects of trading.
In the trading environment, when you lose a trade, what is the first idea that pops up in your mind? It would probably be, “There must be something wrong with my system”, or “I knew it, I shouldn’t have taken this trade” (even when your system signaled it). But sometimes we need to dig a little deeper in order to see the nature of our mistake, and then work on it accordingly.
When it comes to trading the Forex market as well as other markets, only 5% of traders achieve the ultimate goal: to be consistent in profits. What is interesting though is that there is just a tiny difference between this 5% of traders and the rest of them. The top 5% grow from mistakes; mistakes are a learning experience, they learn an invaluable lesson on every single mistake made. Deep in their minds, a mistake is one more chance to try it harder and do it better the next time, because they know they might not get a chance the next time. And at the end, this tiny difference becomes THE big difference.
Mistakes in the trading environment
Most of us relate a trading mistake to the outcome (in terms of money) of any given trade. The truth is, a mistake has nothing to do with it, mistakes are made when certain guidelines are not followed. When the rules you trade by are violated. Take for instance the following scenarios:
First scenario: The system signals a trade.
1. Signal taken and trade turns out to be a profitable trade.
Outcome of the trade: Positive, made money.
Experience gained: Its good to follow the system, if I do this consistently the odds will turn in my favor. Confidence is gained in both the trader and the system.
Mistake made: None.
2. Signal taken and trade turns out to be a loosing trade.
Outcome of the trade: Negative, lost money.
Experience gained: It is impossible to win every single trade, a loosing trade is just part of the business; our raw material, we know we can’t get them all right. Even with this lost trade, the trader is proud about himself for following the system. Confidence in the trader is gained.
Mistake made: None.
3. Signal not taken and trade turns out to be a profitable trade.
Outcome of the trade: Neutral.
Experience gained: Frustration, the trader always seems to get in trades that turned out to be loosing trades and let the profitable trades go away. Confidence is lost in the trader self.
Mistake made: Not taking a trade when the system signaled it.
4. Signal not taken and trade turns out to be a loosing trade.
Outcome of the trade: Neutral.
Experience gained: The trader will start to think “hey, I’m better than my system”. Even if the trader doesn't think on it consciously, the trader will rationalize on every signal given by the system because deep in his or her mind, his or her “feeling” is more intelligent than the system itself. From this point on, the trader will try to outguess the system. This mistake has catastrophic effects on our confidence to the system. The confidence on the trader turns into overconfidence.
Mistake made: Not taking a trade when system signaled it
Second Scenario: System does not signal a trade.
1. No trade is taken
Outcome of the trade: Neutral
Experience gained: Good discipline, we only need to take trades when the odds are in our favor, just when the system signals it. Confidence gained in both the trader self and the system.
Mistake made: None
2. A trade is taken, turns out to be a profitable trade.
Outcome of the trade: Positive, made money.
Experience gained: This mistake has the most catastrophic effects in the trader self, the system and most importantly in the trader’s trading career. You will start to think you need no system, you know better from them all. From this point on, you will start to trade based on what you think. Confidence in the system is totally lost. Confidence in the trader self turns into overconfidence.
Mistake made: Take a trade when there was no signal from the system.
3. A trade is taken, turned out to be a loosing trade.
Outcome of the trade: negative, lost money.
Experience gained: The trader will rethink his strategy. The next time, the trader will think it twice before getting in a trade when the system does not signal it. The trader will go “Ok, it is better to get in the market when my system signals it, only those trade have a higher probability of success”. Confidence is gained in the system.
Mistake made: Take a trade when there was no signal from the system
As you can see, there is absolutely no correlation between the outcome of the trade and a mistake. The most catastrophic mistake even has a positive trade outcome, made money, but this could be the beginning of the end of the trader’s career. As we have already stated, mistakes must only be related to the violation of rules a trader trades by.
All these mistakes were directly related to the signals given by a system, but the same is applied when getting out of a trade. There are also mistakes related to following a trading plan. For example, risking more money on a given trade than the amount the trader should have risked and many more.
Most mistakes can be avoided by first having a trading plan. A trading plan includes the system: the criteria we use to get in and out the market, the money management plan: how much we will risk on any given trade, and many other points. Secondly, and most important, we need to have the discipline to follow strictly our plan. We created our plan when no trade was placed on, thus no psychology barriers were up front. So, the only thing we are certain about is that if we follow our plan, the decision taken is on our best interests, and in the long run, these decisions will help us have better results. We don’t have to worry about isolated events, or trades that could had give us better results at first, but then they could have catastrophic results in our trading career.
How to deal with mistakes
There are many possible ways to properly manage mistakes. We will suggest the one that works better for us.
Step one: Belief change.
Every mistake is a learning experience. They all have something valuable to offer. Try to counteract the natural tendency of feeling frustrated and approach mistakes in a positive manner. Instead of yelling to everyone around and feeling disappointed, say to yourself “ok, I did something wrong, what happened? What is it?
Step two: Identify the mistake made.
Define the mistake, find out what caused the mistake, and try as hard as you can to effectively see the nature of that mistake. Finding the mistake nature will prevent you from making the same mistake again. More than often you will find the answer where you less expected. Take for instance a trader that doesn’t follow the system. The reason behind this could be that the trader is afraid of loosing. But then, why is he or she afraid? It could be that the trader is using a system that does not fit him or her, and finds difficult to follow every signal. In this case, as you can see, the nature of the mistake is not in the surface. You need to try as hard as you can to find the real reason of the given mistake.
Step three: Measure the consequences of the mistake.
List the consequences of making that particular mistake, both good and bad. Good consequences are those that make us better traders after dealing with the mistake. Think on all possible reasons you can learn from what happened. For the same example above, what are the consequences of making that mistake? Well, if you don’t follow the system, you will gradually loose confidence in it, and this at the end will put you into trades you don’t really want to be, and out of trades you should be in.
Step four: Take action.
Taking proper action is the last and most important step. In order to learn, you need to change your behavior. Make sure that whatever you do, you become “this-mistake-proof”. By taking action we turn every single mistake into a small part of success in our trading career. Continuing with the same example, redefining the system would be the trader’s final step. The trader would put a system that perfectly fits him or her, so the trader doesn’t find any trouble following it in future signals.
Understanding the fact that the outcome of any trade has nothing to do with a mistake will open your mind to other possibilities, where you will be able to understand the nature of every mistake made. This at the same time will open the doors for your trading career as you work and take proper action on every mistake made.
The process of success is slow, and plenty of times it is attributed to repeated mistakes made and the constant struggle to get past these mistakes, working on them accordingly. How we deal with them will shape our future as a trader, and most importantly as a person.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19831&ca=Finances
Thursday, October 22, 2009
10 Cons Of An International Credit Card By David Riewe
Credit card fraud is a fast increasing crime in the world. International Credit Card holders are mostly the victims of this unauthorized access to their accounts. Let’s take a closer look of the problems faced by international credit cards.
1. Repetitive use of credit card numbers. After a credit card number has been used and disregarded, say cancelled, credit card companies would reissue the same number to other cardholders. The personal identification numbers (PIN) is changed as well as the credit cardholder’s personal information. But it still bears the same credit card number.
2. Low standards when it comes to the use of cards by the participating merchants. This is a common problem encountered by international credit cardholders. Employees of the participating merchants have the full access to the account number as well as the security number of the card.
3. Account Statements given out by credit card companies contains less information about the participating merchant. It does not include relevant information about the vendor that charged any transaction on the credit card.
4. Unreliable blocking functions. Once a card loss is reported, it will still take months for the credit card companies to block the transactions being made through the stolen or lost credit card.
5. Lack of validation software. Participating vendors should have better validation software installed on their computer system.
6. Consumer unfriendly policies on fraud management. The policies on the present fraud management take the blame on the cardholders though not directly stipulated. This means that the policies on the fraud management of international credit card companies protect not the consumers but the company.
7. Lax standards on investigation about fraudulent transactions. This is the sad part for the victims of fraud through their credit cards. Getting the suspects charged though proven guilty of fraud seems to take on slowly.
8. Credit card fraud is usually committed through online transactions. This means that credit cardholders are not protected with the authorized or unauthorized use of their cards on purchases or services paid online.
9. Most of the companies that typically appear on charges are those associated with pornography industry. These companies are the ones that accept transactions even without verifying the cardholder’s information.
10. Most of the banks’ system is not compatible with other international credit card companies for the e-commerce. This is a potential weakness that would mean loss of clients so they would prefer to keep quiet about it.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=20098&ca=Finances
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Unsecured Loan - Helping You Get All You Desire By Maria Smith
You have been delaying your holiday plan or plan to buy your dream car just because you don’t have the funds to finance it. What will you do now? Keep on postponing your plans or look for a better option. Definitely, you will look for a better option and that could be taking an “Unsecured Loan”.
You can borrow any amount from £1,000 to £25,000, depending upon how much you need.
Unsecured Loan is a personal loan that does not require you to offer any security against the loan. Personal loans are the loans that help in fulfilling the personal needs of individuals. Personal Loans are of two types – secured loans and unsecured loans.
Now a question will definitely arise in your mind that why I suggest you to take an unsecured loan and not a secured one. There is a reason behind this, to get a secured loan you need to put your property as a security against the loan. If you fail to pay the monthly payments on time, you will be accessed late fees and in case you fail to repay the loan amount and the interest your property will be taken by the lender. Thus your property will be at risk.
Unsecured loan is much safer than the secured one as your property is not at risk. Unsecured loans can be taken for any purpose such as: -
• Debt Consolidation – a loan taken to consolidate the existing debt into one manageable longer-term loan repayments. The borrower will now be accountable to only one creditor.
• Home Improvement – a loan taken to make improvement or to renovate your home, with a aim to add value to your home.
• Car Finance – a loan taken to buy your dream car that you have been long awaiting to posses.
• Adverse Credit – a loan taken to overcome the problem of bad credit score by paying off the existing debts.
Unsecured loans are approved and delivered quickly, since approval of unsecured loan doesn’t involve evaluation of your property value. In the past, there were only limited lenders available in the finance market that granted unsecured loan but with the passage of time things have changed.
Repayment term of the unsecured loan may range form six months to ten years. The interest rate associated with the unsecured loan is higher as compared to that in secured loan
Now taking a loan that is best for you is no longer a dream. With the growing competition there are innumerable number of lenders in the loan market who can offer you various loan options that suits your pocket. You need to make some efforts, Shop around, search for various lenders such as banks and other financial institution who offer unsecured loans.
One of the fastest growing industries online is the financial industry. Now you can simply browse through various credit websites and can request loan quotes online lending companies. You just need to fill up an online application form to apply for the loan that hardly takes few seconds.
The lender of an unsecured loan takes into account the credit rating and credit history before granting the loan. A good credit rating is important if you are looking for an unsecured loan. But you need not worry if you have CCJs, arrears, defaults, bad credit history and bankruptcy now you can also get unsecured loan.
Unsecured Loan offers various loan options tailored to match the expectations of the masses. It is safer to take an unsecured loan, as your property is not at risk. You just need to shop around to find the best deal.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19769&ca=Finances
The Bad Credit Card That May Do Good. By David Riewe
Millions of people use credit cards all around the world. A huge chunk of those users made mistakes when dealing with their credit cards. The consequence of the errors is costly.
A lot end up in debt and most of the time these are the people who rant about the credit card being the devil. But fact of the matter is, this is not the case. When used properly, credit cards are very good financial tools.
Credit cards are not necessarily just for people who have large sums of money to use. There are some cards even for the financially challenged, and these are called the: “Bad Credit Cards.”
A bad credit card is just precisely that: a card with a very bad or low credit limit.
There are two types of credit cards: there is the secured and the unsecured credit cards.
Unsecured credit cards are the accounts that are free from the limits of a bank account. The limit of credit is up to the bank’s discretion and not up to the size of the bank account. If the bank thinks that a person is deserving of a bigger credit, then it will be given.
This is the usual type of credit cards in the market and is fairly popular among the card shopping people. These are also the cards known to be more respected by other companies. These are also the cards known to send people to a very deep debt.
This is the type of credit card that should be avoided if the applicant is already in a financial mess.
The secured credit cards are the bad credit cards. These cards are grounded on the size of the account a person has. For example, if a person has a $1,000 balance, then that is all the credit a person is going to get. If there is a point where the balance reaches $0, then the person should go and “re-fill” the account.
The bank limits the credit to the money already present to avoid overspending, thus preventing even deeper debt. This will monitor the expenses of the person and will help the development of a financial recovery for some.
These credit cards are also known as “pre-paid credit cards” for there is only a fixed amount that can be used and the holder is the one who puts it there.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19925&ca=Finances
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Insurance And Ethics By Joseph Kenny
Insurance contracts are often seen as a form of gambling. That is because they appear as a type of wager that takes place over the lifetime of the policy. Basically the insurance company is willing to bet that you and your property will not suffer the loss insured against. In exchange for making this bet, and taking on the risk, the receive your premium. If they win the bet, they keep the premium, if they lose, they make the payout. In this sense, they are often compared to a type of long term financial casino.
The difference between your premium amount, and the amount the insurance company will have to pay out if the loss occurs, is simply the odds the insurance company is getting for taking on the bet. It’s just like going to the horse races and betting on a horse that pays out 10 to 1.
This view of insurance has led to a number of people and religious communities disapproving of insurance because of its similarities to gambling. Among those groups that avoid insurance are the Amish and Muslim communities. What these people do instead is create a system of what is known as social insurance. What this means is that if there is a disaster and someone suffers a heavy loss, then the whole community will step forward and help them to deal with their loss and rebuild. While this system is very simple, it has the potential to be just as effective a safety net as insurance. However, it requires that the community actually does step forward and help those who suffer from disasters. This means that it is more successful in small closed and closely knit communities than in large modern societies.
Social insurance systems therefore are not always effective. Often the community that is supposed to adopt it is not suitable. Also, in very large disasters the system can break down as a small community will not be able to rebuild itself completely without outside assistance. This is why larger modern insurance systems can be more robust. However, in extremely large disasters, modern insurance systems can also run into difficulties. This is witnessed by the fact that it is impossible to insure against certain risks such as floods and earthquakes. This is because the damage would be simply on too large a scale for the insurance companies to cope with.
There are other ways in which insurance doesn’t follow the gambling model. For instance insurance companies seek to reduce the risk of the loss occurring constantly, for instance by requiring the installation of fire alarms, or by reducing the loss if the insured against event does occur, for example by providing rehabilitation to accident victims. Therefore insurance is like a gamble in the reward and risk elements, but other elements are different.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=20049&ca=Finances
Get Out Of Debt With These Budget Building Secrets By Dave Robinson
Many people dread the task of building a budget because they view it as overwhelming and frustrating. But it will make the job easier if you look at it in another way; the only way to financial freedom. Do you feel as though there is no way to get out of the red and into the black, much less plan ahead for your retirement or even a vacation? Are you tired of getting paid on Friday and being broke before you even get home? Do you have tons of useless junk that you wish you’d never bought? If this sounds like you, don't fret, because there is good news! There is a lot of helpful information and tools out there for you in different formats. And you can choose which one suits you the best.
One option is to use software tools, they some really easy tool to help with budgeting. A couple of examples of good software are, Quicken and Microsoft Money. They both are great, and come with many options and tools for budgeting. A good money management software will take you through the steps and allow you to create or add to categories of spending so you will be able to look at the annual picture. So that you can be prepared, these types of software, will then break down what you need to look at every month. Money management software helps with your budget because it lets you see your money all in one place, as well as giving you prompts when it’s time to pay your your bills. Would you like to have payments automatically deducted from your bank account? Some programs will enable you to do just that! This is a great feature if you’re trying to build a good credit rating, and want to make sure your payments are sent on time.
As you spend money, you will be able to change the categories in the software; this will allow you get a better picture of where you need to cut back, or where you need to invest more. Many money management software programs often also have companion websites where you can set up an account and further manage your budget or investments.
If you want something besides software, and want to be a little more hands on to get yourself back into the black, you have many options. You can contact a local credit counseling office in your area or online and find out what resources they have available to you. Many offices have free classes on budgeting.
Many people have such a hard time with budgeting because they simply don’t know where their money is going! There are some great new websites such as Moneypants.com that help with this issue. These web sites will track all of your spending and then help you set up your goals. There is a low monthly fee to use any website that will help you with this, but they are generally very user friendly, and in the case of Money Pants, even fun to use. You will have access to someone who can answer questions and a message board where you can find a lot of other information. One great feature is that they will email you with reminders when you have a bill due.
As you can see, building a budget doesn’t have to be a painful task. If you do it right, you will get to watch, step-by-step how your financial picture changes. Just imagine, you may one day soon be debt free, or even own your own home. The key is to take it one step at a time, do the process in small bites, and be sure to take advantage of all the tools available out there. You will have a better life in no time!
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19752&ca=Finances
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Small Business Startup Loans - What Are the Fundamentals of Business Finance?
Knowing the Essentials of Business Financing
Ahead of opting for any source of finance that might be open to you as an investor, there is always an obligation for you to not only become aware, but to understand and appreciate the importance that financing has to do to your business. As of now, one of the sources of finance to your business is venture capital. Venture capital will refer to a venture group that is willing and able to pump in finance to your business. But it should be kept in mind that this is done with the intension that the venture group will become part of the business. It will have to take part in the running of the business and equally in the profits of the business. In some cases, the option of an angel financing may also be available. This is a situation in which high risk ventures will be financed for the reception of high profits. Another source of financing is corporate venture capital financing. This is almost the same thing with venture capital but the difference is that groups and not individuals will be involved into the financing. You can also think of taking a loan from a bank or any financing establishment.
If you are an experienced financier, you will realize that identifying and making use of these sources of finance is easily done if you are aware of all the essentials of business financing. This will be difficult for the novice. What has been realized is that most lending institutions have already created and developed some form of confidence with those already in business, plus the fact that they think their money will be better protected with those who already have some worth to prove.
It May Be Necessary To Integrate Your Business When Seeking For Financing
The rationale for confidence building will vary from one lender to another and will also depend on the lender's personal conviction about the business. It is normal that every lender will want to scrutinize and make use of any former financial record of a business before it can give loans to that business. In other cases, it is known that sources of finance may be easily opened to groups of business than to individuals. This is the more reason why you must understand all the essentials of business financing before making an application for it. Sometimes, it is necessary that as a sole proprietor, you may decide letting a takeover of your business. This is to give your business a positive credit worth so that it can stand a good chance of being financed. But you must make sure that you seek expert advice in doing this. Remember that there are so many essentials in all of the above and you must be skilled enough in these before you can achieve any success.
Automobile Financing: Finding The Best Rates
First, never get your financing from the dealership. Dealership use inflated rates and put confusing words in their agreements so you think you are going to get a better deal than you actually are. You will almost never get the kind of financing you want at a dealership unless they are offering 0% financing. Remember, though, that you will have to repay the loan in three years in order for that to work.
You really want to look outside the dealership for financing. You will be able to get better terms, which will make the vehicle much more affordable.
Your bank or credit union is a good place to start for vehicle financing. Often, you will be able to get great rates through your own financial institution. On top of that, they can automatically deduct your payments so you will never be late on a payment.
When you choose your bank, it is easy to get a prime rate. That means you will save a great deal on interest.
If you are not pleased with the rate offered by your bank, you can then go on the internet and browse financing options. Your best bet is to use a site that offers comparisons. You can then search for the lowest interest rate.
When you do this, make sure you read all the fine print in the agreement. Also, go with a reputable financing company. If you have not heard of them, they might not be the company you want to go with.
At the same time, there are several quality lenders you can find online. When you use one of them, you are likely to get a great rate. Therefore, you want to use the internet to shop for a rate.
There are quite a few financing options available, so you do not want to go with one that is not a good deal. Take the time to look around so you can get good financing. It might take some time to find the financing you want, but it is well worth the time and effort once you find that perfect loan.
Just keep in mind you want to be careful when it comes to financing. Always read the fine print and do not get locked into an agreement that is not fair. Analyze the agreement and be sure you completely understand it before committing to financing.
With that in mind, you can start to shop for financing. You are certain to find some great rates if you keep your eyes open. Simply look around at all available options and pick the one that is best for you. You will then save money and have a loan you are happy with.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
How Credit Card Processing Benefits A Small Business By Devin Gilliland
Credit cards being the latest in payment mode have generated a whole new tradition in the business world. Today, both the customers and traders are making sure that they cash on the credit card processing. Fact that credit card processing makes a great impact in business also implies on small business or trades. Even a small business owner or a trader can enjoy the luxury and benefits offered by this new tool of business.
Credit card processing comes up with large number of benefits for trader and specially the small business traders. While a big business utilizes credit card processing to add to its reputation and status, a small business can also do the same.
A credit card processing in simple words is money transaction via electronic access to a customer’s account. By swiping the credit card on through credit card machine, a customers gets to pay for his or her shopping directly form its account. This whole process makes credit card a necessity for customers and this is where a small business can make benefit easily.
The biggest benefit is as said before is the credibility, as when a customer sees the trader or business owner providing a credit card processing he/she tends to prefer the company and think big of it. Again a customer also tends to think of the business or business owner as safe and reliable to deal with. After all security is what a customer priorities when dealing in a business.
On the other hand, small business has a greater opportunity to cash on the credit card processing in their favor. As many small business companies tend to sale by visiting customers or by trading in fairs, using a credit card processing can always make an impression on customers as well as attract them by using a wireless or mobile credit card processing machine. Many customers do not expect a small store owner to have a credit card processing service and when they see one with it, they tend to keep a note of it in their mind.
Imagine situation when a customer enters your shop or store and realizes that he can only buy one thing because he is short of money, you can always make him shop more by providing him with the credit card facility.
For a trader who wishes to cherish the benefits of credit card processing a merchant account is important, but what’s important are the precautions to be taken while choosing for a merchant account. Never go for a merchant account with a bank without asking questions like, how long the transfer of funds takes place or what’s the term and conditions. Also compare the fee offered by the bank you chose and other banks. You can always search and find a bank that provides reasonable charges for small business owners.
Also, if your business is done out of your office environment, it is advisable to utilize a mobile credit card processing equipment to grow your sales and add to your business development.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=205122&ca=Finances