A Guide to Gold Basics

By Lawrence Reaves

With the soaring prices of gold it is a good time to consider buying or selling your gold jewelry. You need to have some basic knowledge to make smart decisions. Gold jewelry seems like it never goes out of style. This is because it is beautiful and easy for most people to afford and wear.

Pure gold will not tarnish, rust or corrode and is the most malleable of all metals. Pure gold is too soft for jewelry so it is mixed with other metals, including silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability. The color of gold is determined by the type of metal alloys it is mix with and the percentage of each metal alloy.

Most people think all gold is yellow, but the fact is there are many variations of color that gold can be. Colored gold is just as "real" as golden colored gold. The color depends on what the gold is mixed with. Other alloys are mixed with gold to make it strong and to hold up under every day wear and tear that jewelry goes through. Craftsman learned through the ages that mixing gold with copper, silver and platinum would increase its durability. When gold is alloyed with other metals it changes the color of the finished product. An alloy of 75% gold, 16% silver and 9% cooper makes yellow gold. White gold is 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. Other combinations of alloys can make pink, green, peach and even black gold.

The alloys of gold have a lesser value per unit weight than pure gold. The standard in the gold trade is known as karatage which is commonly called karat. Pure gold is known as 24 karat gold and is usually marked with 24K. An alloy that is 50% gold is 12 karat gold and is marked with a 12K. An alloy that is 75% gold is 18 karat gold and is marked with 18K. High karat gold jewelry is softer and more resistant to tarnish; on the other hand, lower karat jewelry is stronger, but less resistant to tarnish.

Gold is highly valued and there is a limited supply and has been used as a medium of exchange or money for centuries. 6000 years ago is when the first transaction was done using pieces of gold and silver. The reason that gold has been used for this purpose for so long is because it has high value, durable, portable and can be divided easily. At one time the United States used a gold standard and maintained a stockpile of gold to back every dollar in circulation. It became too cumbersome and is no longer used by any nation. Gold coins were commonly used in transactions. Gold coins were issued in two types of units. Some were units of currency and some were issued in standard weights.

Today gold coins are no longer in wide use for financial transactions. Gold coins issued in specific weights are popular for people who want to purchase and invest in a small amount of gold. Gold coins are also collected and issued as commemorative coins. These types are a good investment because gold retains its value overtime. These are just some informative basic facts about gold. As you can see gold is a good investment whether it is in fine jewelry or coins. - 23222

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Trading Spot Forex - What Are The Benefits?

By Jane MacRae

The simple name for trading spot forex is trading foreign exchange. As you may understand, the idea behind this type of investment is that you buy one currency when it is low and sell another when it is high. The balance is your profit.

In the world of investing, spot forex trading is becoming more and more popular. Many people, even those who are new to investing, find that forex trading is a better choice for them than playing in the stock market or futures market, and there are good reasons for that.

* More Affordable Capital Requirement

Unlike other forms of investing, where it seems like you already have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest if you want to have any hope of making a profit, trading spot forex is accessible to smaller, individual investors.

There was a time in the past when forex market was dominated by large multinational banks and major financial institutions. In that climate, it is easy to see why smaller investors did not feel they could even begin to compete.

But things have changed drastically over the years. Now, almost anyone with any amount of capital can enter the forex market. You simply play with whatever amount you feel comfortable.

* Easy Operation

It is known to all that forex trading has a long long history. Because of its age, the practice in the forex market is very much standardized by now. This, together the modern technologies available to investors today, has made the operation of forex trading very easy to learn and use. WIth an automated trading system, you can constantly monitor the market, make quick transactions and get complete stats any time you like. Whether you are eating, sleeping, or running errands, you can still be making money .

* An Ever-changing Market

The forex market only takes short breaks and is live 24 hours a days and 5 days a week. There is always something happening, and new money-making opportunities and systems never cease to turn up. In this exciting market, you can hardly stay inactive. You should keep in mind, though, focusing is just as important to your success as being responsive to new events.

* Lower Transaction Cost

In additional to the more affordable starting capital requirement, the transaction fee for forex trading also tens to be lower compared to stock trading. This is also the case for charges by forex brokers.

As you can see, trading spot forex has many advantages, and these advantages have led to its increasing popularity. Regardless of how much you are willing to invest and regardless of whether you have any prior experience, you have a good chance of success in this huge market. - 23222

About the Author:

Click here for our review of a leading automatic forex trading software in the market, which will grant you a huge advantage over your competitors. Also check out this related article about currency trading program.

Forex Traffic and Wall Street - A Concise Saga

By Donna Blackman

Approximately 25 percent of large companies that are exposed to foreign currency fluctuations don't do anything to hedge their risk. Larger companies however do hedge in the currency markets.

Any large international company stationed in the U.S. can be adversely affected by a strong dollar. Strong foreign earned revenues can be negatively impacted by currency fluctuations. Information within the pages of a Wall Street Journal subscription will reveal this data.

It has been estimated that 5-10% of the activity on the Forex market is done because of business hedging and government involvement. Governments and businesses need to convert one currency into another to buy and sell goods and services. The other 90-95% is pure speculation.

Warren Buffet, George Soros and other celebrity players have made fortunes consistently off Forex trades. Speculators love large liquid markets where they can trade in and out of without fear of getting locked out.

Currencies are traded 24 hours/day. Since every country has different times the hours when the currencies are most liquid coincide with their daylight hours. The heaviest activity occurs in New York from Wall Street.

Making money on Forex is a matter of predicting price and using an effective exit strategy. Many systems exist that allow speculators to capture profits as certain conditions develop.

Successful day traders and professional traders predict moves, place their bet and move out of the trade. They do it several times a day, hence the name "day" traders. Huge Wall Street companies like Goldman, Citi Group and JP Morgan Chase do this every single day. They employ thousands of professionals that do it for them.

There are many financial news services to choose from. The Wall Street Journal's reputation for acute accurate market coverage is legendary. In order to stay abreast of the constantly changing financial landscape, it pays to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. - 23222

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Acquiring timely financial information you know is dependable and bet on is foremost on the minds of traders. Secure a Barrons subscription or buy Wall Street Journal subscription now. Barrons, Investors Business Daily and the Wall Street Journal deliver honest, no-fluff news and analysis. Get ahead of the line.

A Forex Trading Course on Major Currencies

By Bart Icles

Everyday, different types of currencies are traded in the foreign exchange market. Some of these currencies are valued more than the others and some are traded more frequently than the rest. If you are new to the forex world, it helps to learn more about the major currencies traded in the forex market so you can have a head start on big trades. A forex trading course on such a topic helps so you can get to know these major currencies a little better.

Perhaps the most popular currency in the foreign exchange trading arena is the US dollar (USD). This currency makes use of the decimal system in determining denominations. Its denominations have lots of nicknames like mills, eagles, and Unions. It is common to see the US dollar paired with other currencies in the trading market and it remains as one of the frequently traded currency in the market. Recently, oil price hikes and the recession in the US mainland has caused fluctuations in the value of US dollar but trends in the past few weeks show that this currency is gradually gaining strength.

Pound sterling or GBP is another popular currency in the forex trading world. It is the official currency of the United Kingdom, as well as the Crown dependencies. This currency is also dubbed as the quid and is sometimes abbreviated as the sterling. In wholesale financial markets, it is typical to hear payments accepted in sterling instead of pound. The term pound is used more to refer to units of this currency - 5 pounds, 10 pounds, and so on. You might also hear traders referring to it as the British pound but this is not considered an official name of the said currency.

The euro (EUR) is one the most powerful currencies in the forex market today. It is the official currency of the Eurozone or Euro Area. Several small European states have also adopted the Euro because of currency unions with member states. These small states include The Vatican, San Marino, and Monaco. Montenegro, Kosovo, and Andorra have also unilaterally adopted the said currency.

Although its value is significantly small when converted to US dollars, the Japanese yen has proven its notable presence in the currency market over the years. Its symbol is JPY and is widely used as a reserve currency after the US Dollar, euro, and pound sterling. Large quantities of yen are often counted in multiples of ten thousand and are often quoted in hundreds or thousands. - 23222

About the Author:

A forex tutorial starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning with a forex trading tutorial takes dedication and a good teacher. But once you learn how to trade and do so successfully your life will change and you have options and financial resources you never had before.

Four Reasons You Ought To Consider Testing Out The Forex Trading Robot Known As IvyBot

By Brian Haroldson

Don't be deceived by your own intellect. Forex trading is amazingly simply, but no human can accurately predict forex trades on the fly like a good computer software can. It is uncanny how one particular software blows the others out of the water. It is Ivybot. I know. After reading the title of this software, you may be saying to yourself "No! Not another Forex trading software promotion!" I know the feeling, but this one is different. A number of of the trading forex software programs worked in testing only to not do so suitably in real life trading, but you can't build your judgment on the unsuccessful attempts of other products. The question I understand you want answered is "What about Ivybot? Is it better?"

It is easy to see some similarities in Ivybot and the other forex solutions of the past, but there are differences of course. This program is backed by 8 years of data testing that demonstrates the effectiveness of this software. The research doesn't lie. The outcome was simply incredible. In every year tested, Ivybot demonstrated itself over and over. In every year, there was no less than a 400% profit margin generated by this prodigious software. IvyBot possesses quite a few features that put it at the forefront of the forex software trading group.

1) Four trading pairs as opposed to one - It is a reality that the majority of trading programs are programmed to look for just one exact currency pair. This scans for four. The creators designed this software to particularly deal with the challenge of tracking down 4 unique foreign currency pairs. Each of these currency pairs has their own algorithm. Its like getting four pieces of forex trading software for the price of one!

2) Lifetime updates - one surefire means to make the standard trading tool fails is for the market to tailspin abnormally off its current optimal settings. It is important that any foreign exchange software programs you get will change with the market conditions. If not, the tool itself can turn out to be less valuable. This is not the situation with IvyBot forex trading software. It remains up-to-date to the most up-to-date foreign exchange market conditions. To deal with the most up-to-date adjustments in the market, it automatically updates on a regular basis with up-to-the-minute algorithms.

3) Completely Automated - Every forex trader hopes for a forex software that can help to carry out lucrative trades on complete autopilot. Investigating it closer, IvyBot was without doubt able to deliver. The system works 24-7 by analyzing the forex markets and automating the currency trading. The result is that it becomes all hand's free. What is amazing is that 99.9 percent of the work is already done for you by the computer. Just plug in the software into your forex account and relax, all the work is done for you.

4) It Is Totally Guaranteed - Aside from giving you a forex software that is essentially 4-in-1, the designers are so certain with their product that they are offering a 60-day money-back guarantee, no questions ever. Give it a try and see yourself. With a guaranteed 95.82% accuracy rate and a money-back guarantee, you don't have anything to lose by trying it out. - 23222

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IvyBot and the Ivy Bot Review Video