I like to follow a three-step plan in making my investment decisions. If an ETF doesn’t pass all three steps I rarely buy it. I say rarely because there is always the exception to the rule, but the exception is just that, an exception, a rare change.

My 3-Step Plan involves:
• Analyze my group for the best ticker symbol
• Verify the group strategy performance is positive
• Verify the selected ticker shows positive indicators

I have followed these steps for many years and they have prevented me from making bad decisions, emotional decisions and most importantly, from losing any substantial amount of money.

Analyzing is the process of evaluating my groups according to a specific means of technical analysis. I normally use Alpha, but you can use any type of analysis such as:
• Alpha
• Relative Strength Momentum
• Return
• And/Or add Standard Deviation to any method

Once your computer has found the best ticker symbol to buy based on analysis you should verify that the symbol chosen is in fact ranked better than the index or benchmark you are using for comparison purposes. If the symbol is not performing better than the benchmark then it is likely going down and you would lose money. So don’t buy it. I also like to see that the particular symbol is ranked near or at the top of the list of all my symbols in the particular group.

Verifying the strategy is important to make sure that the overall strategy with its buy analysis and rules for selling are profitable. Strategies can be profitable some of the time depending upon overall market trends while not productive at other times; this is normal.

I use two charts in particular to verify the effectiveness of my strategies. You can make you own choices, but mine are:
• Moving Average
• Full Stochastic

In the moving average chart, I want to see that the price line for the recommended symbol is above both the slow and the fast moving averages. This would be a buy or hold signal. In between the lines is a maybe or watch me signal, while if the price line is below both of the moving average lines, yes, that is a don’t buy it signal.

Reading the full stochastic chart is a bit trickier. Here I look to see if the stochastic line is above the trigger line. When this occurs in the lower fifth of the chart it is a buy signal; when above the upper fifth, it is a hold and possible buy signal. When the stochastic line cuts down thru the trigger line in the upper fifth of the chart it is a sell or don’t buy signal.

The best buy signal is when both charts are signaling buy, but occasionally one chart will say buy while the other is neutral or maybe and I may buy in this situation depending upon step three.

Verifying the ticker is critical to be sure its movement is positive. I look at the same chart types for the particular selected ticker as I did for the strategy: moving average and full stochastic.

With the ticker, I want to see a buy signal in the charts. Sometimes between the four charts I may have just two or three buy signals. Four is obviously best but with three and with the fourth chart heading towards a buy signal it is usually safe to go with that selection.

Implementing this 3-Step Plan sounds more complicated than it is. I can go through the entire process for a dozen strategies in 15 minutes or less. And actually there is software that now automates this process and shows you the results in just a few moments.

If you are concerned about managing risk, about safe investing and maintaining your cash base through market ups and downs this 3-Step plan or one similar will help you achieve your investment goals.

Author Raymond Dominick is the designer of Dynamic Investor Pro investment software for stocks, ETFs and mutual funds. He has been investing in the markets since his teenage years. An experienced business manager and journalist, he has been a registered investment advisor representative, also a professional photographer who loves escaping to the wonders of Glacier National Park in Montana. View his software at: http://www.dynamicinvestorpro.com

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Dominick

Although the idea of owning property for financial gain sounds simple it is not that easy and there are some things that you need to consider before you start investing. Here are some guidelines that will help you to invest successfully.

Set your goals and define the time line. Decide when will be a good time to buy, how long you can afford to have you capital tied up in the property and how you will service any mortgage that you take out. Understand return on investment and know what ROI will be acceptable to you. Good planning ensures that you buy an investment and not a liability.

Location is a vital consideration. You will want to invest in a location where the property will be easy to rent out with good returns and where the property will appreciate in value over time.

Build your list of contacts. Join a property investment association. The other members will be delighted to share their insights with you. These associations often have regular meetings with a guest speaker on an informative topic. This is a great way to learn about property investment. If you need a property manager you will probably either meet one there or someone will be able to recommend a good one to you.

Keep your finances in good shape. Monitor all your ingoings and outgoings. Make sure that rent is coming in regularly and follow up any arrears immediately. Only spend money on items that can be considered an investment and will enhance the value of your property. Set up a maintenance schedule so that this is done on a regular basis. This will ensure that your property keeps its value and that you don’t have to pay a huge repair bill in a few years because the property was neglected. A well maintained property is easier to rent out and brings better returns.

Vet all prospective tenants carefully. You will want to be sure that your tenants will be able to pay the rent and will look after your property. If you have invested in a quiet neighbourhood you will also want to be sure that they will not disturb their neighbours.

If the idea of maintaining your property and managing tenants is daunting to you a very good option is to engage a property management company. In fact if you are considering investing in a number of properties this is a very good idea as managing a few properties can soon grow into a full time job. You will need to factor the cost of property management into your return on investment calculations. A property manager normally charges around 10 percent of the rent. This can be a really good investment to ensure that your property is managed in a professional manner.

As soon as your goals are set, you have a time line in mind and you have your finances in order you can start looking for a suitable property to invest in.

To find out more about investment property, visit Property Investing Queensland to get more detailed information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andreas_Becker

EUR/USD – 1 PIP AUD/USD – 2 PIPS
GBP/USD – 1 PIP NZD/USD – 2 PIPS
USD/JPY – 1 PIP EUR/GBP – 2 PIPS
USD/CHF – 1 PIP EUR/JPY – 2 PIPS
USD/CAD – 1 PIP EUR/CHF – 2 PIPS

InvestTechFX the worldwide leading 1 PIP Forex Trading Co. wants to decrease the profits tension of the Foreign Forex Currency companies, which give the Forex Trader differences of 2 PIPS, 3 PIPS and 4 PIPS for the majors’ currencies.

InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading Co. decided by decreasing the difference between BID & ASK, more Forex Traders and Forex Account Managers will be able to enter this fascinating Trading Forex Market with activity extent of 3 trillions Dollars average per day.

InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading Co. believes that by being a pioneer in the PIPS decreasing, the banks and foreign currencies companies which will remain in the Forex Market will be able to offer the Forex Trader low spread costs and the PIPS money savings will remain with the Forex Trader.

WHAT IS A PIP (Price Interest Point)

InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading Co. explains that a PIP is the smallest trading unit in the Forex foreign currency. Most of the currency pairs are traded in different values which are noted in five digits, e.g.: EUR/USD = 1.3645.

InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading Co. explains that if the pair value changed to EUR/USD = 1.3650 meaning that the EUR/USD pair was increased by 5 PIPS or If the pair value changed to EUR/USD = 1.3640 meaning that the EUR/USD pair was decreased by 5 PIPS.

InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading Co. explains that the financial value of a PIP is different in accordance to the Forex trade size and the type of the Forex currency pair which are traded.

A trade is usually 1 LOT size. 1 LOT is equal to 100,000 currency unit.
Example to the PIPS (Dollar values) on the Forex majors’ currencies:

EUR/USD – PIPS VALUE $10 US
GBP/USD – PIPS VALUE $ 10 US
USD/CHF – PIPS VALUE $ 9 US
USD/CAD – PIPS VALUE $ 9 US
USD/JPY – PIPS VALUE $10 US

INVESTTECHFX FOREX TRADING EXCHANGE RATE:

InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading explains that Forex trading on foreign currencies traded in pairs and it calls Forex Exchanged Rate. Trading with InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex the majority of Forex currencies are opposed to the US dollar (USD), which mostly traded frequently. According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex, the second currency after the US dollar on the Forex Market is the Euro (EUR), JPY, GBP, CHF and CAD. According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading, those five currencies build the majority of the Forex market and they called the major currencies or “The Majors”.

According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading, the currency that is the first one in the Forex foreign exchange pair is called BASE CURENCY. The second currency according to InvestTechFX is the COUNTER CURRENCY or QUOTED CORRENCY. The counter or quote currency is the numerator in the ratio, and the base currency is the denominator.

According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading, the Forex foreign exchange rate point to the Forex Trader is the amount of the counter or quote Forex currency to pay to keep the Forex unit of the base Forex currency. According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading, the Forex exchange rate is also point the Forex Trader how much they receiving in the COUNTED or QUOTED Forex currency when the trader BUY or SELL one unit of the base currency.

INVESTTECHFX FOREX TRADING SPREADS:

According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading, It is the distinguishing between BUY & SELL, or BID & ASK. Those are the differences between the exchange’s Forex Trading “SELL” price and the price that the exchange Forex Trading “BUY” price.
According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading, the amount that the Forex trader will be received in the counter currency when the Forex trader sells a unit of base currency will be lower than the amount of counter currency that the forex trader BUY a unit of base currency. InvestTechFX online Forex trading with MetaTrader4 offers a spread of 1 PIP on the FIVE MAJORS. Smaller spreads are better for Forex Traders since they require a smaller movement in Forex exchange rates in order to profit from Forex trades.

INVESTTECHFX FOREX TRADING PRICES, QUOTES & CROSS RATES:

According to InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading the currency’s price (counter currency), is called “QUOTE”. There are two kinds of quotes in the Forex market:
DIRECT QUOTE: the price for 1 US dollar in terms of the other currency, e.g.: USD/CHF & USD/CAD.
INDIRECT QUOTE: the price of a currency in terms of 1 US dollars, e.g.: GBP/USD & EUR/USD.
CROSS RATES: any quote which is not upfront the US dollar is called “CROSS”, e.g.: EUR/GBP & EUR/CHF.

For further information about InvestTechFX the leading 1 PIP Forex Trading logon http://www.investtechfx.com.

“From the start, our philosophy was to provide independent, trustworthy advice on property investment and home buying,” explained Len Skelhorn, of Property-Investment.com.

“By forming strategic alliances with selected leading real estate agents and developers our objective is to provide a professional property investment service that is unique.”

The company began its operations in the Costa Del Sol region of Spain, under the www.Spain.Property-Investment.com banner. Through the Web site, Property-Investment.com specializes in new and key developments in the Marbella area. Additionally, through their partnership with a top real estate agent in Marbella, the site also provides access to the re-sale market, other real estate areas of Spain, and Spanish mortgage and legal resources.

By forming similar strategic partnerships with leading real estate agents in Dubai, Property-Investment.com is able to provide coverage in the promising Dubai market. Whether looking for holiday homes, prime residences, and commercial property or when creating an investment portfolio, www.Dubai.Property-Investment.com provides a one-stop service to clients looking to invest in foreign real estate.

About Property-Investment.com

With an extensive knowledge of both traditional and emerging markets, together with partners in the various countries, Property-Investment.com is well-placed to give their clients an honest and reliable service. For more information, please visit www.Property-Investment.com.

Media Contact:

Len Skelhorn

+44 (0) 1493 750669

1) Geographic diversification. Holding equities outside of the US allows the investor to enjoy the risk-reducing benefits of diversification. For instance, in 2007 when domestic markets lost roughly 10.5% (based on the returns recorded on the S&P 500), emerging markets gained 18.5% (as measured by the returns of the MSCI Emerging Markets Free Index). In other words, investors are not as closely married to the success or failures of a specific economy when they diversify.

2) Better yield. Although yields on domestic equities are attractive right now, the yields paid on securities that trade on international markets are actually more attractive than many people could imagine. As reported by Morningstar, there are six other regions of the world that pay better yields than the US. These markets include Australia, the UK, Europe (outside of the UK), Latin America, Canada and Asia (outside of Japan).

3) Better growth potential for the overall portfolios. Coincidentally, many of these international equity markets not only pay better dividend yields on average but they have outperformed the domestic markets on a Year to Date basis. This makes holding global equities more appealing from a growth and capital appreciation perspective as well.

Given the allure of better diversification, better dividend yields and better growth prospects, ensuring that any given portfolio holds global or international equities seems like a portfolio requirement rather than an option that is reserved only for the most risky investments. However, many dividend-seeking investors who are also risk averse can create a properly diversified portfolio. On the other hand, it is reasonable for investors to be afraid of the risks that many of these markets pose (such as the high-flying Latin American markets or Asian markets). To accommodate for those risks, investors need to ensure a proper asset mix. In other words, investing in these international markets in moderation.

As always, seeking the advice and recommendations from a qualified financial planner or adviser in your area will help you achieve the right balance within your portfolio without creating a situation where there is more unwarranted risk than necessary. Because while risks make sense in most cases, managing it makes more sense, further underlining the need to seek and implement geographic diversification.

–> Interested in Dividend Funds? Visit MutualFundSite.org to find out more about these types of funds.

With more than 17 years of financial services experience, Chris is a regular contributor to the Mutual Fund Site. As well, he writes about Traditional Top Mattresses at QMattresses.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Fitch

People want to insure their futures, and they know that if they are depending on Social Security benefits, and in some cases retirement plans, that they may be in for a rude awakening when they no longer have the ability to earn a steady income. Investing is the answer to the unknowns of the future.

You may have been saving money in a low interest savings account over the years. Now, you want to see that money grow at a faster pace. Perhaps you’ve inherited money or realized some other type of windfall, and you need a way to make that money grow. Again, investing is the answer.

Investing is also a way of attaining the things that you want, such as a new home, a college education for your children, or expensive ‘toys.’ Of course, your financial goals will determine what type of investing you do.

If you want or need to make a lot of money fast, you would be more interested in higher risk investing, which will give you a larger return in a shorter amount of time. If you are saving for something in the far off future, such as retirement, you would want to make safer investments that grow over a longer period of time.

The overall purpose in investing is to create wealth and security, over a period of time. It is important to remember that you will not always be able to earn an income… you will eventually want to retire.

You also cannot count on the social security system to do what you expect it to do. As we have seen with Enron, you also cannot necessarily depend on your company’s retirement plan either. So, again, investing is the key to insuring your own financial future, but you must make smart investments!