Stocks Vs Metals

By Adela Thomas

As a stock trader, you should ask, is the trader in you? if you like stocks and bonds and the exciting life of a financial trader, then it very well may be. The first thing to test this hypothesis out is the stock market. This is an area where you can see if you have what it takes to make it in the crazy fast world of high finance. The typical image of the floor of the Mercantile Exchange being filled with a bunch of guys that couldn't land jobs anywhere else is very outdated and sad. Instead stock traders are increasingly becoming some of the most sophisticated investors on earth. The ability to pick a winner in the stock market is what it all boils down to.

You can try trading for free using what's known as a paper money account. Of course when we think of money we think of the actual paper, but in this case paper money refers to fake money. There are paper accounts on numerous web sites on the internet. Most stock brokerage firms will have paper trading accounts, and there are many virtual stock market games and simulations around the net as well.

You can trade for stocks, but another market many people like to look into is the commodity market. Commodities consist of oils, metals, grains, and raw material and generally assets that are consumable.

The gold and silver game, precious metals and currency go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly goes on a sandwich. The reason that precious metals are well, very precious to the human race is that we believe that they are rare and unique. This is true to a degree, however one should think about the supply and demand factors first and foremost. If diamonds and gold were easily excavated and mined and everyone could just dig into the soil of the earth and pull out tons of it, then would it be so valuable? Most likely it would not be.

One area that also gets a whole lot of attention is that of precious metals. Precious metals have always been a small piece of the industrial machine but mostly are used as an inflation hedge and as an asset backed alternative currency as more and more of the fiat currencies look long term bankrupt. When everyone thinks of precious metals they first think of gold. Gold has always been the standard by which most of the worlds economies are pinned to. The shiny piece of coin that moves worlds markets and commands a tidy sum. - 23222

About the Author:

Adela writes about many topics related to businesses and financing. He teaches about various things including business, finance, and how to buy stock. You can also be taught other useful info on internet stock trading

Here's How Everyday People Are Making Good Money Trading Forex

By Steve Halladay

For many people, making money with a small business has become much easier due to the advent of the Internet. There are quite a lot of things you can do to make money from home, and it doesn't take a lot of time or effort to set it up. Sell items on eBay, or set up your own online store. In some cases, though, you don't even have set up a store to get started. One of the best ways to make money online for many people is something called Forex trading, also known as "foreign exchange trading."

Forex trading (also known as currency trading) is the buying and selling of currencies in order to make a profit. In order to make money, you need to be able to accurately predict movements in various currencies. As you can imagine, it isn't easy especially if you are new to the game, but thankfully it's not difficult to learn.

One of the ways you can learn about Forex trading is to read about it. This can take a lot of time, but you should do this as efficiently as you can so that you don't waste much time. Let's talk about two reasons why currencies might fluctuate in value to each other.

The first example is that interest rates might go up or down in a particular country and therefore affect that country's currency value. For example, if the US raises interest rates, US bonds become more popular with global investors. This means that US dollars become more in demand, which means the dollar itself goes up in value.

Another example of a reason for a currency's change in value is that a country's key exports can rise or fall in value. One example of that is Canada. Canada is a major oil exporter. When oil prices go up, the Canadian dollar rises in value because of Canada's oil exporting capabilities. This was true recently as oil prices rose markedly. Now, oil prices are going down, so that the Canadian dollar, too, is also going down in value when compared to some other currencies.

These are just two of many reasons why currencies will change in value - as I'm sure you can imagine it can be quite a complex topic!

It's fortunate that you don't actually have to know all the intricacies of the market before you can profit by trading. Those who have been professional traders have developed many Forex trading software programs. These programs will determine trends and signals so that you can find profitable trades that will help you make money. You need an Internet connection, and you need to install this software on your computer. The computer then takes real-time data and helps you generate trades with it.

These types of programs are a good idea if you're just beginning in Forex trading because they let you make money while you're learning about currency trading. As you become better and more knowledgeable about Forex trading, you can begin to make trades based on what the software's telling you and on what your own intuition and skill tells you, too.

When you go shopping for one of these programs, don't fall for the high-priced ones. There are some programs that ask for thousands of dollars - you do not need to fork out that kind of cash for a quality piece of software! For around $100 you can get a proven and reliable program that will make you money.

Also, make sure the company offers a moneyback guarantee. If the program works, there's no reason why they won't back it up with a guarantee. It's some added piece of security for you.

If you haven't taken a serious look at foreign exchange trading in the past, it can be a lucrative business to consider. If you start trading, you can begin to generate some pretty decent money with it right away. In addition, Forex trading can also be a lot of fun! Best of luck in your Forex ventures! - 23222

About the Author:

Click Here to see how people who are making cash trading forex . You can also read reviews on the most successful Forex Trading Robots.

Futures Trading Explained (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Futures trading is done by most of the people like you and me who are interested in making money in the markets. Trading E-mini futures has become popular with many individual investors apart from professional traders and speculators who also trade other futures contracts. Buy low and sell high, is the basic premise in futures trading as it is in stock trading. You try to go long when the prices are low and go short when the prices are high.

You will like to know what is different in futures trading from stock trading. The fact that you can trade futures with leverage on either long or the short positions introduces an additional element of risk not present in the stock market. Leverage is a risky.

Another major difference with stock trading is that there is no uptick rule in futures trading. Thus, it is as easy to sell short as it is to buy long. This means that you can easily enter into a position to capture a downward move in prices with no restriction.

Even when you are not particularly good at it, how do you manage to survive at futures trading? The answer is simple. You should have the money first to open a margin account. Then you should have the ability to develop a trading plan that enables you to keep making money in the market long enough to capitalize your next big move. How do you become good at futures trading? By learning technical analysis!

In simple words, it means if you dont have enough money, you wont be able to trade futures. And if you dont have a good trading plan, you wont last long in the market. Your money will quickly disappear.

You must know this thing that only 5% of the futures traders succeed and 95% of the people trading futures lose money consistently. You need to have at least $25,000 in your account in order to start trading futures. However, $5,000 is the minimum with which you can start trading futures.

When you start trading futures make sure that you understand the risks involved and that you go into trading futures contracts with realistic expectations. You can take advantage of the managed futures accounts if you are not sure how to handle the risk involved in futures trading.

In short, you need money, patience, knowledge and technology to be able to trade futures contracts. Trading futures contracts is truly a hybrid that uses both fundamental and technical analysis.

You need to know the futures contract specifications. There are seasonal tendencies in the markets that you need to be aware of. The fundamental side of futures trading involves getting to know the industry in which you are making trades. You should also know the important reports that usually affect the industry in which you are planning to trade futures contracts. You need to keep an eye on the release of those reports.

You should determine your trading style. Are you are scalper? Are you a day trader? Are you a swing trader or are you a position trader? You will need to develop your own trading style whether it is momentum trading, scalping, day trading or swing trading. Your personality will determine your trading style. Now, the technical side of futures trading tells you what the market will do in response to the fundamentals.

Once you know your trading goals, establish a trading plan for getting there. Dont try to conquer every type of analysis at once. Instead, focus on mastering one item at a time"maybe concentrating only on chart patterns such as bull and bear flags, for instance. - 23222

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading futures and currencies. Trade Dow Futures and S&P Futures!

Learn Forex- Getting Ahead of the Game

By Zita Von Snyder

When swimming with sharks, you need to keep your teeth sharp, learn forex trading and swim with the best of them. To learn forex trading you need to have an understanding of the current market trends, know which currency you are trading, know what triggers change in that currency as well as having a good trading strategy. You can have an edge in forex trading by being prepared, minimizing your risks, and investing the time and research to learn forex trading.

To learn forex trading, you should consider a forex trading course. There are a couple of benefits to learning forex trading with a forex course:

A forex trading course can teach you the basics of reading charts that will have indicators that show important factors like trends and volume as well as price action of a particular currency. You can learn forex, the terminology used and the basic steps for trading forex.

Forex trading is fast paced and can require quick decisions that leave little time for emotions or stress. Along with learning forex trading, a trader must also learn how to handle this stress and understand the risks involved in forex trading. A forex trading course can help teach you to manage the stress of forex trading.

To learn forex trading you should invest in a forex trading course that includes the following:

*The Basics of Forex Trading-A basic overview of forex terminology including margins, types of orders, leveraging trades, how to understand types of analysis of charts and other indicators.

*How to analyze Forex Charts- learn forex charting and you will increase your profits while minimizing the risks involved in forex trading. It is important the forex trading course include both fundamental and technical analysis.

*Values of Forex Trading- Discipline and commitment are invaluable to a good forex trader. These theories should be discussed in length in a good forex trading course. If you learn to control the emotion, you can learn forex trading successfully.

Experience can only be gained by trading forex in either real time or a simulated environment. This should be offered as part of your forex trading course. Some courses have live demo accounts or trading rooms that offer a great learning experience. Being able to discuss your lessons and what you have learned either one-on-one or in a forum also helps to learn forex trading.

So getting ahead of the game if you want to learn forex can be achieved! Whether you decide to invest in a forex trading course or not, research and knowledge are what can give you the edge in the worlds largest financial market. Invest the time, learn the language, study both technical and fundamental analysis, manage both your emotions and your risks and you can learn forex trading. - 23222

About the Author:

Zita Von Snyder, a forex trader and financial advisor for over a decade, has shared some helpful tips to Learn Forex Trading. Zita offers information on finding a good Forex Trading Course as well as the benefits it provides.

Forex Trading Course FAQs

By Bart Icles

Everyday, more and more people are becoming interested in taking part in the profitable world of the foreign exchange or forex market. This is perhaps the main reason why there is an increasing number of people who sign up for forex trading courses online. It is no surprise for seasoned forex market traders and investors to tell you to take time to absorb what you can from a forex trading course. Indeed, what you will learn in a forex classroom will help you a lot in understanding the ins and outs of the market.

The best way to absorb as much as you can out of a forex trading course is through looking for answers to some of the most basic questions you might have. One of which is what is forex trading. The foreign exchange or forex market is an international exchange market wherein different currencies from around the world are being traded.

This not only involves purchasing currencies but selling them as well. The forex market is known to be the largest trading market in the world, wherein daily volumes can reach up to more than a trillion US dollars each day. Anyone can participate in the forex market, regardless of location, but the most active forex market centers are located in the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, and other European states or countries.

Another question that would-be traders or investors might have is how the forex market works. Any forex trading course will reveal that foreign exchange is often traded in terms of currency pairs. The most common currency pairs include USD/EUR, USD/JPY, EUR/JPY, CAD/USD, and GBP/CHF. It also helps to note that forex trading is not considered as a centralized trade market. This means you can practically engage in forex trading 24 hours a day. This can be done through over the counter or inter-bank transactions made between two parties over an electric network or through telephone connections.

Many new forex traders also want to know how high the risks in forex trading can get. A good forex trading course will be honest enough to tell you that the risk of losing money in the forex market is relatively high. However, you can better manage trading risks through proper education and through understanding the kind of forex trading system that you will be using. Indeed, the profit you can make through forex trading is attractive but the risks that come with it are also pretty high. Nevertheless, profits can be best realized if you will be able to manage risks nicely. - 23222

About the Author:

Succeeding with forex trading strategies starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning forex trading 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.