Stocks And Diversification

By Michael Swanson

Probably everyone can identify with the old proverb "don't put all your eggs in one basket". We all know is makes sense not to encourage such risk. The same thoughts can be applied to our investment portfolios - no one likes to think they will lose money. We are told to diversify our risk, but is investor diversification the best plan for everyone?

At any point in our lives our investment decisions will be determined by our current risk profile. For most their risk profile changes as their life circumstances change. When we are starting out and money isn't plentiful, the risk profile may be low. Then as we move into the wealth accumulation years the levels of risk we can tolerate increase as out investment base is larger and we have a long period left to cover any losses. And as we approach the end of our working lives the risk profile may slide again as caution about the future becomes important. Due to our different needs our attitude to diversification will be different.

The problem with diversifying is that while you may limit your risk, you may limit the gains you can make as well. If all your money is in stock picks and the property market has a boom you will not participate in any of these high returns.

Another problem for the small investor is the smaller pool of funds he has to play with. It would be great to have a portfolio of property, a wide range of stocks and bonds, bank deposits and investment art. But to buy into all of these areas the small investor risks having such tiny investments in each that it isn't worth the effort.

There are many instances where specializing have paid off, look at Henry Ford or Bill Gates, neither of these diversified their markets. But there are just as many examples of people who have not diversified and have been burnt.

Investor diversification is different for every investor - just make sure you know what your options are. - 23222

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Forex Education: Must-Dos for Beginners

By Bart Icles

It has often been said that the foreign exchange market offers a lot of great rewards to investors. However, those who choose to engage in the currency trading must bear in mind that large sums of profits come with great risks. In the long term, forex investors would often realize more losses than profits. Nevertheless, there are still lots and lots of people who continue to join this very exciting form of trading. Many beginners ask if there is a way for them to manage risks wisely as they try to increase their possibilities of making profits. In fact there is. A good start is to invest in forex education.

In the volatile environment of the forex market, one of the most important things that can help investors in managing risks is the quality of forex education that they have received. It is important that forex investors must be able to learn currency trading basics and secrets, as well as must-dos as part of their forex education.

Investing in your forex education is just a start but it is also one of the most important steps you can take in forex risk management. If you are planning to invest in the foreign exchange market, you will need to hone your knowledge and skills in forex trading through seminars, video tutorials, workshops, online tutorials, and books.

You will also need to learn more about different kinds of forex trading systems. It helps to research more about the different kinds of systems from different brokers before you finally choose one that you will use as you deal with the changing forex rates. Forex trading systems can help a lot in reducing the difficulty of the whole task of forex trading with the aid of some computer automations like charting and auto trades.

As a beginner, you will also need to have a trading plan. You will need to determine your objectives in trading, as well as the details of such objectives. Another thing you must consider is the amount of profit that you expect to realize from trading. It also helps to plan on the amount of money that you will invest on the market, what price levels would signal your exit, when to execute stop loss orders, and the level of affordable risk. All these are pretty much the parts of a trading plan. Should your trading plan start to fail, it helps to review it so you can make the necessary adjustments. - 23222

About the Author:

Succeeding with a forex power strategy starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning the best forex strategy 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.

What Parker Colorado Has to Offer and How Parker Realtors Can Help

By Bruce Durrell

Before you go ahead and purchase a home, it is always a good idea to talk to Parker realtors about the area. 20 miles Southeast of Denver is Parker Colorado which has attracted new residents for a number of years. For those moving to the area, Parker combines a family community with convenience to shopping and entertainment that many desire. You will also be able to experience the majestic scenery of the Rocky Mountains and fresh mountain air while still sitting outside you new home.

Parker realtors can tell you all about the cities fascinating history, which started out as a stage stop and railroad depot for trains from Denver in 1863. Parker is no longer just a small train depot as it houses more than 45,000 people. The town replaced the Pine Grove Way Station with Parker Station which still continues operations. Parker still offers its trademark 5 globe street lights that you can view while walking downtown.

Your new home in Parker will have to take into consideration your budget and what type of home you want. If you know these two factors then Parker Realtors will be able to help you fin the home you need. The city has several different communities that are sure to meet your taste, whether you are looking for a small conventional home or a large ranch. Homes in Parker average around $300,000 and condos average out to be about $150,000. This is much more cost efficient in comparison to living in Denver.

You should also ask Parker realtors about the amenities each community has to offer. The city is home to The University Center at Chaparral and Arapahoe Community College, but the University of Phoenix - Colorado Campus and Community College of Aurora are only 15 miles away as well. The city offers multiple forms of recreation including the Parker Field House, the H2O'Brien water park, and multiple parks and paved paths. Parker also offers public activities that your family can enroll in. The indoor turf field and in-line skating rink are often populated by kids during summer vacation. As if this wasn't enough, the area hospital is just outside of the city.

There are multiple local festivities in which residents are encouraged to take part in. After moving into a new home residents will take some time to visit the county festival as well as the Parker Mainstreet Omnium. The city also puts on a special Christmas Carriage Parade and multiple concerts in the park. If any events interest you then you should ask Parker realtors for information on those events.

Parker is a town that's dedicated to a small town feel with a quiet family lifestyle. If you have children then you may want to ask Parker realtors about the 15 schools that the city offers. You can expect to be warmly welcomed into the Parker community as well as expect to meet lots of new people due to the increased desire to live in this community. - 23222

About the Author:

Bruce Durrell is a Parker realtor who has helped clients buy homes and investment properties in all corners of the Greater Denver area, Aurora and the southern suburbs. Read more and get in touch with them today by visiting Parker Realtors which is full of great information about Parker homes before you make any decisions!

Investing In Stocks - Three Ways To Think About Investments

By Mike Swanson

It's a no brainer that there is money to be made investing in stocks. But then it is just as likely you can lose money. The key is to pick stocks that will perform as you want. There are three terms that you may not have heard of and why they are important to you.

DEAD CAT BOUNCE: This is when a stock price increases after a long and sustained downward movement, but the effect is only temporary and the stock reverts to its down ward trend. In many cases the increased price causes investors to buy again and then lose when the price drops again.

Why this is important for stock trading: No one can really predict when a market or stock recovery will happen. It can however provide an opportunity for investors to buy or sell quickly to take advantage of the temporary price increase.

A BELLWETHER STOCK: This is a predictive stock, one that usually indicates where the market is going to head.

Why is this important to me? These stocks usually have a large percentage ownership by institutional investors - the big boys on the scene. While these stocks may signal the direction of the market they may not be the most attractive investment choice for those wishing to make gains. They are useful to watch however to get a feel of what might happen next.

THE JANUARY EFFECT: It has been recognized that at the beginning of a new calendar year prices tend to increase across the month of January. There can be many reasons for this but often the big two are taxes and investor psychology.

Why is this important to me? While research shows the effect to be real, it is hard to turn these gains into profits. The chances have become less and less. However it is important to be aware of this phenomenon so that if an opportunity presents itself, you may be lucky to be able to take advantage of it. - 23222

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Triangle Formations In Forex Trading (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

The crowd psychology behind the descending triangles is that every time the currency price goes down to a certain level that forms the support there are buyers who want to hold that level stubbornly for their own reasons. Buyers thus push the price up each time the support level is tested. Spotting a descending triangle in a downtrend signals the downside breakout of the support level.

Thus when the price bounces off the support level, the bears take the opportunity to short again. Sellers are quite anxious to sell as they feel that the currency price should fall over time. This causes a domino effect. Prices go down even lower. Thus fulfilling a sustained downside breakout!

As with an ascending triangle, bulls and bears face a skirmish with both camps not feeling confident of the next market move. Spotting a descending triangle should allow you to be prepared for a downside breakout from the support level especially if it is a down trend.

When the support level is broken, many of those long positions which have been placed above that level soon get stopped out. Prices tend to break in the middle or the final third part of the triangle formation.

It tends to give off even more bearish vibes than if it is formed during an uptrend if the descending triangle is formed during an existing downtrend. Unless you have reversal signals in the form of technicals or turn around of the market sentiment, you should always assume the continuation of the prevailing trend.

With that said, prices also sometimes breakout from above the descending triangle successfully in a burst of bullish momentum.

Symmetrical Triangles: A symmetrical triangle has some resemblance to a wedge pattern. A symmetrical triangle consists of two converging trendlines that join a series of lower highs and higher lows. There are no horizontal lines in symmetrical triangles. This differentiates it from the ascending and the descending triangles.

As they are willing to accept less and less of the price over time, the lower highs reflect the mildly bearish conviction of the sellers. When buyers of the currency pair are willing to pay a bit more to get a piece of action, the higher lows are formed.

A symmetrical triangle tends to be less reliable as compared to an ascending or descending triangle. There is no way to predict the future breakout direction until one of the symmetrical triangle lines is penetrated. Breakouts usually occur in the middle or the final third of the triangle as with the other sloping triangles.

You should always consider other pieces of information so that you can better pinpoint a higher probability trade set up when trading triangle breakouts. Decreased volatility can also be detected with the exponential moving averages and the Bollinger bands besides the triangle formation. - 23222

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!