Many people are looking for a safe way to invest their money that will allow them to supplement their income or save for retirement. No matter what you want the end result of your investing to be, it is important that you proceed carefully, and fully understand the risks and benefits of the stocks you're interested in, and the potential successes or failures that they might experience. Some people only have a very basic understanding of how the...more
Gold has had a tremendous year. The flight to the perceived safety of gold, as well as the US Dollar weakness, has pushed the metal straight through the $1,000 per ounce mark and up to $1,200.However, it has not been a smooth upward journey. Investors should be aware that 'pull backs' in gold can be very violent indeed. We have had two major retracements in the last four years from fast rallies. Both of these finally ran out of steam but not...more
In the UK, many investors like to trade the movement of the FTSE 100. Looking more closely it appears that the sellers are still waiting for the blowout move to the upside that might signal the final exhaustion move. Since March 2009 the moves higher have all been of the slow-grind-higher variety. The biggest daily move higher has barely beaten 120 points.For those who have been convinced that doom is only just around the corner the lack of any real drama is beginning to chip away at their convictions. Many of the market comments these days are for more of the same, as opposed to the almost universal bearishness that has gone hand in hand with the eight month rally.Naturally the major world markets influence each other and, in Asia, intervention from the Japanese is becoming more and more likely. The Yens appreciation continues to cause damage to their big exporters.The result is further weakness for the Nikkei 225 which has substantially underperformed in the last couple of months.The 2009 Dubai Debt Crisis saw swift selling in the world stock markets. However, many markets recouped much of their losses from the crisis within 7-10 days. There were particularly strong and quick...more
As the major economies start to stabilise and the risk of a depression thankfully fades into the distance many people are reflecting on a few important points. Firstly, how did it all happen? Secondly, how can they better protect themselves in the future?Tax efficiency, opportunities in fluctuating markets, diversifying existing investment...more
Stock options are hot topic for every institutional investors and individuals who are trying to chase a good and positive results in stock market. On the contrary, option trading may not be applicable to everyone. You may not be capable of it. Assess your self if you really understand what option trading is all about.Having the capacity to convey...more
Some companies prefer to go public by doing a reverse merger. This means that, in the long run if you have a privately held company, that you can merge it with a publicly held company that will be referred to as a shell. In other words, this shell company will have no assets except for cash and the business operations will be run on a nominal level. Once the reverse merger is successful, your private company will be publicly held automatically. Taking this route also means it will be more expensive than going any other route. The private company's shareholders will get the majority shares from the public company and will also gain control of the board of directors.Advantages of taking your company public through a Reverse Merger.Lowered cost: When taking your company public with an IPO, it's usually more than with a reverse merger since costs are predetermined with a reverse merger. Having said that, it will greatly depend on what your underwriting commissions are with an IPO.Increased valuation: Once your company is public, you will have increased valuation, which is the one advantage over a privately held company.Quicker process time: The time involved in taking your company...more
Should I rollover my 401(k) or 403(b) into an IRA?If you wonder what to do with the 401(k) or 403(b) you will end up with because you're leaving your employer, consider all your options so you can make a decision that fits your circumstances....more
Online share trading has caught up with many, and people have taken it up seriously, either as a hobby or as a career. It is infact an incredible way of investing money and puts you into a position of control. However, like any other business, online...more
Ok, so you're ready to set up your UK spread betting account. The procedure for opening a financial spread betting account is really very straightforward. You either visit the spread betting site, say, City Index and ask for a brochure pack or fill...more
A lot of people found out about CFD and spread betting shops from their buddy on the trading desk. The media coverage over the past years led by the Financial Times, and some of the other periodicals, have done a good job of covering derivatives...more
I was comparing the costs of shares trading to spread betting just three weeks ago when I was comparing Footsie 250 stocks and various spread betting prices and, let's say you'd got in and then got out straight away. In nine times out of 10, out of...more
A Health Saving Account is a tax advantaged savings account which is combined with a qualifying high deductible health insurance plan. This savings account is then used as a tool to save money for current and future medical expenses. Although health...more