You Can Reduce Your Insurance Costs - These Will Help

Do you really want to reduce your insurance costs? There are steps that will help you get massive savings without putting hurting yourself. Would you like to learn more about them? If so, the following tips will go a long way in helping you reach that goal...

1. A home with a swimming pool is something everyone loves. But do you realize that it increases your rates considerably more so if you don't take enough safety measures?

You can, nevertheless, reduce the risk associated with owning a swimming pool by taking steps your agents would advice. Doing otherwise will make you pay far higher premiums.

2. A CLUE (comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report is essential for all home buyers. It will help you avoid costly mistakes that would cost you a lot more in home insurance.

Buying a home in a town that has just a volunteer fire service, for instance, will definitely mean you'll pay higher rates. Furthermore, the distance of a house to the nearest fire hydrant affects home insurance premiums as well as how close it is to a police station.

These kinds of relevant details should be checked before you make payments for a house. You could pay less for the house and end up spending much more on insurance.

3. Because of gas and oils, your motor garage is a high fire risk. So, let your garage be detached from your living area and you will get cheaper premiums. You can find out the recommended distance and how much you will get as discount for this from your agent.

4. Your claims over a period of time have an effect on an insurer's perception of your home's risk. Filing too many claims will result in your house being viewed as a bigger risk than it actually is. You'll get a more expensive rate as a consequence of this bigger risk impression.

Do NOT make a claim if it's a matter you can take care of without much hassles. This will help keep your rate cheap.

5. You will receive lower premiums if you maintain your home always. Do you have dead branches on trees on your land? They could raise a liability claim. You will be saving yourself much on home insurance in future by doing this.

6. Make out some time to visit at least five insurance quotes sites that offer quotes on home insurance policies. Doing this should take you not more than 25 minutes. As you visit each quotes site, ensure you input the same information. Doing otherwise will produce misleading results. When you've obtained your home insurance quotes, compare them to see which serves your interest best both in price and value.

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Here are great pages for insurance quotes...

InsureMe Insurance Quotes

Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

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

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Smart Stock Investing - Tips To Help You Invest Successfully

Smart stock investing requires sound methodical strategies. This article will discuss stock investing strategies and aim to tell you how they can be used to help you invest in stocks that will outperform the market and provide you a higher return than the market.

First you should understand that no system is guaranteed to succeed, otherwise everyone would be an investment millionaire. What you need to do is to apply several elements from various strategies along with some common sense and use your instincts and you will hopefully be well on your way to success.

Look at all aspects of the company

There are no golden formula that can be used to guarantee you the answer to the 'will this company be a success' question. What you need to do is analyse all of the data; margins, debt ratios, earnings growth, price earnings ration, dividend yields, dividend payout ratios, market share, balance sheet health, turnover, costs etc. When looking at this data do not make the mistake of looking at it in isolation. For all figures looked at try to make comparisons to historical data and also competitors in the same industry.

Look for what cannot be seen

You should always consider intangible factors alongside the numbers and ratios that are easily available and definitive. Try to find out about the culture of the company, the staff it has, does it have any patents on products that may potentially prove lucrative?

The key to smart stock investing is being able to find the relevant numerical and intangible data available about companies. This can and should be done through many varied sources such as the internet, newspapers, visiting the companies themselves, using their products or services, do you know a friend who works there that can help you find answers to some of your questions. Once you have found the information what makes a successful stock investor is being able to filter out the useful, relevant information that points to future income or growth potential.

In short there is no best approach. So called stock picking strategies are simply individual theories about picking stocks. Try to take the best elements from a few of these to devise a strategy that works for you.

By James C Kerr

To find out more about smart stock investing or how to learn to invest money please follow these links to the authors website.

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

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How You Can Easily Eliminate Your Credit Card Debt In 2 Years or Less

Approaching credit card debt with a plan

Have you accumulated a ton of credit card debt over the years and simply don't want to have it breathing down your neck any longer? Do you want the freedom that comes with being debt-free? Do you wish that you could get rid of your debt quickly and easily without the hassle that comes with calls from collections agencies and your creditors? If so, you're not alone and you're also not without hope.

That's because every year millions of Americans struggle with the same issue and want to get rid of debt. The good thing is that you could be debt-free in just 2 years-if you have a plan! The first thing you need to do is sit down and create a sustainable budget for yourself or your family, one that allows you to both pay off your debt and maintain a normal and happy lifestyle.

How much do you need to spend every month on rent, food, transportation and other everyday things? How much can you save by making small changes like eating out less, riding the bus every once in awhile or packing a bagged lunch instead of running out for fast food? There's a good chance that you can find ways to start saving extra money every month to throw at your accumulating debt.

You should also stop using any credit cards or other forms of credit you currently have. By doing this, you force yourself to start dealing with the problem right away.

Consolidating debt and paying it off quickly

Once you've made the necessary lifestyle changes to accommodate your newfound mission to eliminate debt, start thinking about the different options that could help you to pay off your debt in 2 years or less. One strong option is credit card consolidation, a system that allows you to take all the debt you've accumulated on two or more forms of credit, roll it into one balance and start paying it off right away with a lower interest rate and lower monthly minimum payments. By doing this, you eliminate the need to send out multiple payments every month and can focus on paying off your debt as a whole at a price that's more reasonable for your situation.

In addition to this, you can work directly with a credit counselor and explain that you're interested in paying off all your debt in less than 2 years. He or she can then help you put together a plan to accomplish your goal. In most instances, this simply means paying off your debt every month with more than just your minimum payment. Instead, you'll be finding ways to pay above and beyond what you normally would pay in order to see your debt start to dwindle down to nothing.

With the right plan, you can start seeing results right away.

Settling your debt with creditors

Do you have a significant amount of money stashed away, maybe saved up over the years that you could use to pay off your debt? If you did, you probably would have done so already, right? But, did you know that you could pay off your debt by settling with your creditors for way less than you currently owe-provided you pay a lump sum right away to extinguish the debt?

For instance, if you owe a creditor $5000, you might be able to settle your debt for just $2500 if you're willing to make that payment right away. This way, you'll be eliminating your debt instantly for much less than you would otherwise have to pay. This is a good option for people who have some money saved away but not enough to necessarily eliminate all their debt right away.

If you want to pay off your debt in less than 2 years, investigate what option will work best for you and get started right away. Your commitment to becoming debt-free will pay off quickly!

By Dometri Quick

Dometri Quick is the development director at DebtConsolidationSupport.com. You can find more articles for helping you eliminate credit card debt at http://www.debtconsolidationsupport.com

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

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The Keys To Wealth Creation

We are only on this earth for a short time and wealth creation can seem a real mystery. A lot of people apparently have no problem becoming wealthy but others struggle to make sense of how to get on their feet, let alone experience financial abundance.

No matter how discouraged you currently are about your financial situation, you too can become wealthy if you are willing to learn the keys to wealth creation.

The first step to wealth creation is to actually get some perspective. If you are reading this article on your own computer, you are really already wealthy. Compared to most of the world's population, a warm comfortable home, plenty of good food and the benefits of a first world society are signs of great wealth.

Unfortunately, most of us take these things for granted and do not recognize them as wealth. Understandably, when we struggle to support ourselves from week to week we can feel poor. Certainly, when we are under financial stress it is hard to feel wealthy.

However, wealth is a state of mind. Our focus predicts the outcomes in our lives so we need to control the way we think if we want to become wealthy. For example, if you are always thinking about bills you'll find it difficult to pay them. If you wallow in how bad your life is, you can become entrenched in poverty.

The way you think about wealth will determine whether or not you have any. It starts in your mind. The answer to poverty is abundance, so focus on all the abundance in your life right now. You will have to be disciplined to ignore mounting bills or insufficient income and focus on all the things you have to be grateful for.

With the right mindset, your world will suddenly present a host of new opportunities to choose from. All you have to do is open up to the possibilities and appreciate everything that is in your life already. Begin to pay attention to the good and you will see more good appearing in your life.

Wealth begins in the mind. You will find that your thoughts and emotions are the powerful creators of your life experiences. If you want to experience prosperity, take charge of your mind. Ask yourself better questions. Look positively at your current circumstances to find the seeds of future abundance.

Sometimes you cannot think prosperous thoughts until you get rid of unhelpful beliefs about wealth. Pay attention to the things you say to yourself about money and begin to turn negative statements around. Once you think prosperous thoughts and speak prosperous words you will be in a better position to become wealthy. Be patient with yourself and make one change at a time.

Once you have put your mind into the right gear to become wealthy, the next step is to deliberately look for opportunities to become prosperous and successful. Remember, we get what we focus on. Simply by focusing on opportunities, we will find them showing up in our lives.

Then we have to take action. Wealth doesn't magically appear. We have to take the right action to create it. So, as well as discovering wealth creation opportunities, you need to take action to turn them into reality.

Perhaps your local community can benefit from a product or service you can sell. Alternatively, online opportunities for wealth creation abound. Whether you can sell your services online or market products, there is a vast potential to create wealth on the internet. Begin to focus on the possibilities.

Be proactive and be willing to continually make adjustments in your life to improve your financial position. Do you waste a lot of time in front of the television? How about reading up on internet marketing instead? Perhaps you could invest in your education instead of being the passive beneficiary of somebody else's creativity while your watching "the box."

This article doesn't have all the answers. It is meant to be a gentle push in the right direction. If you use these ideas to start you on your journey to wealth, you will be well on your way to a more prosperous life.

Spiritual teachers say that the teacher appears when the student is ready. By being willing to change and looking for the answers all around you, you are showing that you are ready. You will find that people and opportunities will begin to appear in your life that will move you towards a more successful and abundant future.

By Kevin Sinclair

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News (www.besuccessfulnews.com), a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business.

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

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Stock Options Trading - How Chart Patterns Can Help You Make Money In An Undecided Market

Whether your choice of trading vehicle is stock options or stock trading, one thing we can all agree on is that despite the market's ever changing movements, over a period of many decades the index has definately increased compared to it's beginnings. If we were to have followed the investing principles of Warren Buffett, we would be happily laying on a tropical island sipping a Pina Colada right now.

However, to derive a consistent income in the short term through trading stocks on the market, we would be happier witnessing a solid up trend. This is why I am so passionate about options trading. When you trade options, you can profit no matter which direction the market is moving in. Now that I have said that though, there are still times when we need to take caution. And there are often times when not taking a trade is the best move to make.

During the latter six months of 2007, before the start of the current trend, the market was undecided about which direction to head and we witnessed a period of consolidation, where it rose and fell in a narrowing range. These type of market conditions make it a little difficult for inexperienced traders.

This period of change in the market direction has been difficult for new traders. Some have patiently "sat it out" in the hope of the market "going back to normal". Others who were not so patient have been scarred by the nasty surprise of a share price that suddenly changed direction. Others stayed in too long and could have taken a profit, only to see those profits withered away when the market "changed its mind". Others got out following their stop, only to find out that if they'd stayed in longer the price would have come back in their favour.

So today I would like to introduce you to a way of reading the market that will allow you to safely trade in turbulent times, so as to lower your level of risk and improve your profitability as a trader.

I have managed to earn a consistent income throughout this period of time using Technical Analysis to identify Chart Patterns. Chart Patterns are a system for predicting stock market trends and turns! Hundreds of years of price data seen on stock charts show that prices tend to move in trends.

A trend is really an indication of an imbalance in the supply and demand. These changes can usually be seen through changes in share prices. Price changes often form meaningful patterns that can act as signals in trying to determine the future direction of shares prices.

Research has proven that chart patterns offer the user high forecasting ability.

While most others have found the market difficult to read, professional traders have managed to make consistent and reliable profits and for them it has simply been business as usual.

How Chart Patterns work...

Technical Analysis (Charting) is the study of the way that crowds of people will react (market sentiment) to certain market situations. Once we identify certain patterns in price charts, we are able to form a view on the probable direction that the price of a share will head. Note I said probable and not definite!

Chart patterns are used to confirm a continuation of trend, or a change of trend, however they are not a GUARANTEE this will happen!

Chart Patterns are categorized into 3 main types:

1. Reversal Patterns - such as Double Tops, Double Bottoms, Head & Shoulders and The Outside Day.

2. Continuation Patterns - such as Ascending & Descending Triangles, Flags and Pennants.

3. Dual-Purpose Patterns - such as Symmetrical Triangles.

These are some of the most common I find consistently on my favourite stocks to trade. It is very important to note that recognition of a possible pattern formation is not enough information on it's own to base a trade on. Our approach is to not pre-empt what the market will do. Rather we sit back, observe, monitor and simply wait and most importantly - take caution in our trading decisions until we see an outcome to this situation.

Fact: If 100 people were to start trading for the first time today, only 20 of them would still be trading after one year. After five years, there would only be five left!

Why? Because the single most difficult decision a trader must make is when to pull the trigger, and when NOT to - most traders simply do not have the experience, or the nerve, to get it right often enough.

The secret to finding highly profitable trading opportunities

Ask any professional trader their secret to making money, and they will inevitably tell you that their method is based on some level of chart pattern recognition. There will undoubtedly be many varying degrees of methods and techniques to find these patterns, but it all comes back to the same thing; and that is... they are all waiting for certain conditions to occur before they enter a trade.

In other words they let the market itself tell them what to do.

The secret to successful trading has always been to enter the market when the risk of it moving against you is low, and once you know how to spot chart patterns and how to trade them, you can easily profit.

By Jules Dawson

Learn Options Trading

60 Years of the Dow Jones Trend

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

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Personal Loans 'Becoming More Expensive'

Consumers may find cheap UK loans are harder to come by, reports an industry expert.

Pointing towards research carried out by Moneyfacts, Michelle Slade, analyst for the personal finance publication, revealed that interest rates on unsecured personal loans have surged over the course of the last 12 months. It was claimed that loans are currently an average of 4.6 per cent more expensive than they were in the same month in 2007.

However, it is possible that those looking to take out loans of smaller amounts could be coming under more pressure. Moneyfacts revealed that in March of last year the cheapest rate available on a UK personal loan of 1,000 pounds stood at 14.4 per cent. In the space of 12 months, however, this has risen by 4.6 per cent to 18.9 per cent. Meanwhile, consumers borrowing 2,000 pounds will now pay an average of 17.9 per cent interest, up by 3.9 per cent from a year ago. Furthermore, it was indicated that the highest rate charged on loans of between 1,000 pounds and 2,999 pounds is at 27.9 per cent.

Ms Slade said: "Anyone looking to take out a loan in 2008 is going to find themselves faced with having to shell out more by way of monthly repayments than they would have done over the last couple of years. The ongoing credit crisis has seen institutions concentrating on getting money in the door and becoming more expensive and selective when lending money out."

Loans for higher amounts were also shown to be more costly, with the typical rate of interest on borrowing 20,000 pounds and 15,000 pounds going up by 1.2 and 1.3 per cent points respectively in the last 12 months. Such personal loans now attract interest of 8.1 and 8.2 per cent.

It was also revealed that money lenders are continually taking steps to tighten their borrowing criteria, with the vast majority (97 per cent) of loans on the market now having typical rates or a personal pricing policy. This, it was reported, will see people with "less than perfect" credit scores either refused a loan or forced to borrow at a more expensive rate.

"With the effects of the credit crunch continuing to bite, it seems likely that rates for all types of borrowing will continue to increase," the Moneyfacts expert pointed out. However, she stated that secured loans may be increasingly sought out by homeowners to supplement their spending as the availability of 100 per cent loan-to-value mortgages diminishes and 125 per cent products are no longer accessible. Despite this, rates on UK secured loans have also been rising, with Picture Financial and Alliance & Leicester among those which have withdrawn such products in recent months.

As such, those looking to take out a cheap loan to help supplement their spending may be advised to act immediately. By selecting a loan it is possible that borrowers can meet numerous demands on their spending and be left with a single low-rate repayment to make. However before doing so, it is advisable for consumers to carry out as much research into the market to ensure that they are getting the cheapest loan possible.

Earlier this year, Sean Gardner, chief executive of MoneyExpert, reported that prospective borrowers should do extensive studies into what loans are on offer as "there are still some good deals to be had". Research from the firm also showed that one in 50 Britons were unable to make a personal loan repayment in the six-month period leading up to December 21st due to increasing living costs.

By Steve A Smith

Steve Smith writes for 1 stop finance shop where visitors can apply for cheap secured loans and also focuses on quick personal loans and poor credit loans for UK residents.

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

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Top 5 Keys to Retirement Planning and FREE Retirement Calculators!

Do you know how much money you will need in retirement? Like many concerned Americans, you may have no idea. Here are a few pointers to get you on the right track.

POINT 1:The BEST planning strategy for retirement funds is to start EARLY. It is never too early to start investing for retirement. You should really think about that. If you have the money to INVEST young and you do, there is a great chance that you will be able to RETIRE young. Even a couple of years can make the difference of several hundred thousand dollars once you factor in interest. You should set a goal of setting aside a certain amount of money every month from your paycheck to put into your 401k. Although with the economy right now, it might seem difficult. Try to cut back on some luxury items you could do without. Eat out less, skip that trip to your favorite place for a cup of joe. If you really take it seriously, you can do it!

POINT 2:Choosing the appropriate individual retirement accounts. At a time when the economy is unstable, this is important. Most of the experts agree that the Roth individual retirement accounts are the best alternative to traditional individual retirement accounts since not everyone can qualify for the others and is geared towards those who have a lower tax bracket upon retiring. A Roth individual retirement account is based on contributions made after taxes and the taxes are not deductible. Traditional individual retirement accounts, on the other hand, are based on a tax deduction first and then the tax-deferred funds begin to grow. The difference between this and the Roth IRA is that if your salary increases.....more taxes to pay.

POINT 3: Retirement Planning Calculators are an essential tool. A common mistake among pre-retiree's is that they think that they won't need as much money to live on once they retire. WRONG! Unfortunately,the cost to live does not decrease once you are retired. This is when Retirement Planning calculators come into play. These FREE calculators help you to know where you are now and what you will need to save to meet all of your needs once retired. It is not exact, but it definitely helps you to see what you need to have your dream Retiree lifestyle.

POINT 4: Have a plan for the allocation of your portfolio assets. A weak portfolio limits what you can pass onto your family. You may have to make withdrawals at a percentage rate that is higher than your portfolio is earning. You want to make your assets last as long as you do, or longer. In the event that your retirement income won't cover your post retirement expenses, the earnings from your portfolio will be the difference.

POINT 5: Get help from a reputable Retirement Planning service.The best way to look for retirement planning services is to ask your friends, family and coworkers if they can recommend anyone. Here you can learn the good and bad of many different companies, With none of the headache involved in finding out for yourself. Online retirement planning services are becoming more and more popular, with most national banks and financial services offering information and tools online. You can also check with your place of employment. Many companies are offering lists of recommended planning services. Finding the right retirement planning service is an important part of making sure you have the retirement that YOU deserve.

Following these tips and doing plenty of research will get you on your way to a happy retirement. Don't be afraid to ask others what they are doing and how it is working for them.

By Sarah Jo Roberts

I write on marketing and business related issues. You can learn more by visiting my blog, Retirement Planning 101- Tips & Facts

http://retirementplanning101tips.blogspot.com/

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

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Cheapest Health Insurance Rate - 6 More Tips That Will Make A Big Difference

Contrary to what you might be made to believe, it is a lot easy to get an affordable rate. The only things that stand between you and enjoying a more affordable rate now are the right information and a determination to make use of the tips you get. Following is a list of tips that will help you get to this goal...

1. You can reduce your rates by not drinking alcoholic beverages. Drinkers pay more for health insurance. You well know that several health conditions are made more likely by heavy drinking.

What quantity of alcohol would be harmful to you as a person? Honestly, I do not know. What I'm sure of is that avoiding alcoholics totally is isn't harmful to anyone. So you can lower your rates (Apart from reducing the risk of developing certain ailments) by avoiding alcohol if you can or drinking responsibly if you can't.

It is just that for most people drinking in moderation is even more difficult than staying away completely. You can be assisted if you truly want to stop drinking.

2. You will save by insuring your kids through state plans. There are often eligibility requirements. These plans are usually either free or requires little payment. If you have a child with a special ailment, you will save much if you insure such a child through a state plan.

3. There are things that you would do well not to see a doctor about as it only adds to your health care cost without doing you any real good. For instance, your doctor can really do nothing for you if you have a cold or flu. Your doctor will likely do things you should have done for yourself at home in a case like that.

So does it make sense to spend close to $100 to visit a doctor when you already know that your situation won't be helped much? I also believe there are a few home incidents that your first aid box will handle quite well. Learn simple first aid procedures. Learning a few little things and having a well-equipped first aid box will help you save much on avoidable visits to a doctor.

However, if you do not know what to do, don't hesitate to visit a doctor. And, for people who have some experience with first aid, know your boundaries. The law stops you from doing certain things if you are not a certified medical doctor. Having the right balance is necessary in this and other matters. If you do this right you will pay less in health insurance and at the same time not put yourself at any risk.

4. Cross check your health insurance coverage from time to time. Even if this does not lead to savings, it'll ensure you always have enough health insurance. And then you realize while doing this regular check that you really do NOT need some coverage you have bought.

Dropping such unnecessary coverage will bring down your rate. Consider a scenario where you still leave your just-wedded daughter on your family health insurance policy with the consequent higher rates. It is very easy to NOT remember little details like this. Believe me, joy can make you forget serious things like this.

5. You'll attract more affordable premiums if you make your payments by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). By doing this you authorize an insurer to automatically withdraw your premiums from your account when due. This eliminates administrative costs like those incurred when sending payment notices. Your rate is therefore brought down in line with the cheaper cost of giving you insurance.

6. Visit at least five quotes sites. Visiting a minimum of five quotes sites raise the chances that you would get cheaper health insurance quotes. This is because insurers not covered by one site will be represented by the other.

And, you should understand that since the likelihood of receiving lower health insurance quotes has to do with the range of quotes you get, the more insurers you get quotes from, the brighter your chances will be.

Getting your health insurance quotes online will help you save far more if you take out just 25 minutes to obtain quotes from not less than 5 quotes sites.

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Here are great pages for health insurance quotes...

InsureMe Health Insurance Quotes

Health Insurance Quotes

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

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

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Trading In Options Is Easier Than You Think

You can beat the market if you control the rules!

Yes making money trading can be incredibly difficult, investing geniuses keep telling us that we have to be invested in the stock markets to really make the big time rich list. But what if the markets go down like they have recently? Unless you get out early then you have no protection at all. Going to a bank for a safe protection is great if you want your investment for your future children...when they grow up.

The only true way to make a descent return on your money and really be protected when the markets go south is to trade. But in todays uncertainty that's also very difficult. Trading in the futures and Options is very profitable for the short term, both have some risks, but both rely on selling low and buying high. Which means that to truly make a huge profit a trader needs to know (or guess) whether the price of that commodity in the future will go up or down.

The statistics are clear on that. 70% to 80% of money managers will NOT beat the market, in other words most investors in the stock markets will not make money. That then leaves 20% or 30% , are they the ones getting rich? Actually that is incorrect, these ones will also under perform, the facts are that less than 5% actually make money on a regular basis. And the fundamental reason why the number is so low is that every one is trying to beat the market.

You see the principle of buying low and selling high is simple, implementing it is the difficult part since this relies on predicting the future price. BUT what if we changed the rules? what if we were not to rely on the direction of the price but rather the size of price movement? Now we are getting close to that 5% of traders who make lots of money trading options, yes those traders who do this for a living and live in those huge mansions. the professionals.

How do they do it?, the Key is Volatility and Probability.

"Hang on", I can hear you say, "this sounds too complicated", don't worry, there is no need to go for the abacus or call your uncle who is an expert in trigonometry.

This is easier done than you care to think, you see by recording the price history of an options stock for one month we can get its volatility, and with that, we can (using Excel or similar) we will derive the probability of where the price of that stock will be in a given future time. No, not which direction the price will go, thats what the 70% or 80% and the rest are trying to figure out, and why they are failing, but what we want is the range that the stocks price will be trading in a given future time. Once we have this we are already 120% in front of every other investor out there.

We can do with with any option we want to trade in, now how do we go about getting Volatility and Probability?

There are a number of very expensive services and software, you can actually do this in Excel Spreadsheet it has all the formulas.

But most of this is very time consuming and cumbersome, you can find a good simple video tutorial on my profile that cuts to the chase and eliminates any guess work and takes the mistery out of Volatility and Probability, best of all you will be surprised at how easy it is even if you suck at math like I do.

By Tony Saff

Tony Saff is the Author of Hover ad creator and other software for internet marketers. He operates a few off line and online companies and has been self employed for the last 15 years.

http://www.optioncast.com

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

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Stock Trading As A Business

I believe that trading stocks for a living is the greatest business one can get into.

1) It's a level playing field. The market does not care about your race, gender, age, or nationality. It does not care about your background, degree, resume, whom you know, or what you think. It does not care where you are. It does not care, period.

2) The market is an endless opportunity. It's always been there and will always be there - as long as there is fear and greed. Nobody can take it away from you.

3) Your life does not depend on anybody. You don't have to ask anybody for permission to trade. Nobody can hire or fire you. You set your own hours and take vacations as you please.

4) There are few barriers to entry - well, two, actually: trading capital and skill level. Other than that, all you need is a fast computer with a fast Internet connection. No formal education required - the best traders are self taught.

But you must treat trading as a business.

Trading system

Amateurs focus on stock picks. They believe that all they need is find a few tenbaggers here and there. Successful traders focus on the system. They know that the key is the ability to produce profits consistently over time. A good trading system should have three key components:

1) stock selection;

2) portfolio management;

3) emotion control.

Stock selection

The market is too big for anybody to be equally good at everything. Find a niche that best fits your style and get good at it. It may be buying breakouts, trend following, playing short squeezes or FDA approvals...

No system works 100% of the time. In fact, the market is an equal opportunity mechanism. It favors different styles at different times. All you need to do is have yours, wait patiently for your turn and act decisively when it comes.

Portfolio management

Trading capital is the lifeblood of your business. Stocks are your inventory. You turn over the inventory for a profit. Lose your trading capital - lose your business. The overriding goal of sound portfolio management is capital preservation. You should expect and will sustain losses as part of doing business. But no one position should hurt you to the point that it puts you out of commission. Your system should incorporate position size, number of positions, loss limitations, and risk/reward ratio for all your trades.

Emotion control

It's not the stock that makes you money, it's what you do with it. Your worst enemies are inside you: fear, greed, doubt, and hope. Gains will make you overconfident and careless while losses can paralyze or drive you to desperation. Find a way to control these emotions. Your goal is to maintain poise and detachment under any circumstances.

Trading account

Get approved for day trading even if you are not planning to day trade so that you can get in and out of positions without restriction as needed. You may trade a stock several times during the day before finally deciding to keep it. For example, you buy a strong breakout early in the day but the stock begins to sell off into the close. It may be the market, or a big seller. You don't know, and the stock does not feel right. You decide to sell and watch it for a while. You can always buy back later if selling subsides and the stock resumes the advance but you want to protect yourself in case selling kills the breakout. If you don't have a day trading approval you may not be able to sell the same day.

Which broker is the best?

Some people want trading choices - stocks, options, futures; others - advanced charting capabilities; yet others - lowest commissions. To me the most important feature is how robust the trading platform is. You don't want it to go down when you need it the most - when the market is selling off on huge volume. It does not make much difference whether you are paying $4.95 or $9.95 per trade if an execution delay is causing you to lose thousands.

Data sources

You can get just about everything else (charts, news, etc.) elsewhere, often for free. Have a list of redundant bookmarks for each category so you can always get the data you need elsewhere if your favorite provider is down as well. This way you only depend on your broker for one thing - execution.

Some traders go as far as having 2 ISP providers, 2 brokerage accounts, and a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) for complete redundancy. While I am not recommending that, I can see how it may be necessary when you trade large concentrated positions.

Stay connected

Trading is a lonely endeavor. It's you against the world. There is only so much you can learn from books. Join a group of likeminded individuals to learn from others, stay current on what's working right now, swap stock picks, get links to the best sources, or just talk shop to maintain sanity.

By Slav Fedorov

Slav Fedorov is a full time stock trader and founder and managing member of TradingZoom, LLC - a provider of proprietary trading data that swing traders can put to work right away.

http://www.tradingzoom.com/

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

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How To Reduce Your Outgoings

Life in Britain today has never been so expensive. Monthly expenses have shot through the roof. Every essential area has been severely affected - food, petrol, mortgages, council tax, gas prices, electric prices etc.

In reality it is very difficult to reduce our monthly outgoings without changing our way of living and nobody really wants to do that unless we are in serious debt. But small changes can be made which can help reduce our outgoings. Some of the following tips I am sure people will willingly accept other are worth trying.

Supermarket Shopping

We all have our standard of shopping, some of us are only happy to buy brands that we see advertised. They always appear to be well packaged and claim good quality ingredients. For these shoppers is it worth buying a supermarket own brand. These in many cases are made with similar ingredients, similar recipes and even sometimes by the same manufacturers, eg biscuits, cereals, etc. I have recently changed by kids breakfast cereal from Kelloggs Coco Pops to Sainsbury's Choco Pops. The kids didn't even realise I had done this. The were 50p cheaper and 100g more!

Another way of downsizing is to downsize from the supermarkets own brand to the economy brands on some items only. Obviously like myself if you feel strongly about some items, for example I feel strongly about free range eggs and no matter what the cost I would still try and afford these. But there are some items I do not feel so strongly about and therefore I always economise on these mainly boxes of tissues, tins of kidney beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, etc.

If you really don't want to fill your cupboards with dreary economy brand items then why not change your supermarket altogether. Some the German supermarkets don't have 20 types of apples or strawberries which are not in season but they do have many other items which are good value for money. Having to compete against the big supermarkets make the prices in these more competitive and quality quite good. They don't have much of an emphasis on customer service so make sure you go when you have plenty of time and patience as the check out queues can be quite long! I speak from personal experience of supplying a chilled product to one of these German stores. The checks are rigorous as any other supermarket so they are not cutting any corners and giving you a products which is strictly adhered to to the food guidelines in this country.

A general rule for all supermarkets is to look out for what they have on offer and only buy it in bulk if it is a product you use anyway, for example I did that this morning with washing powder which was half price so I could afford to stock up. Obviously don't buy time sensitive or fresh products if you cannot use them as this would be a waste of money no matter what the price!

Petrol

Petrol is a hard product to shop around and get cheaper as it is expensive everywhere! However if you do have daily long journeys it is worth shopping around on the usual route and stocking up from the cheapest place. The other tips are a little obvious in that you should leave the car at home if possible (you will be doing your bit for the environment as well!). Walk to your local shops, walk to your local school, walk wherever you can. Work out if its more economic to take the bus or take your car. Plan ahead and do a big supermarket shop, so you're not using your car to get to the shops every other day. If you know you have a numbers of errands try and do them in groups rather than one a day. If you are going a particular way anticipate all the other you needs to get done in the next few days that use the same route.

Utility Bills

Electric and gas bills again are very hard to reduce especially as we are all used to switching the heat on and off whenever we fancy. Again chopping and changing energy providers makes very little difference. They all declare millions of pounds of profit every year. They appear to have very little sympathy with their customers do not appear to be that bothered knowing how little choice we customers have. The only way I have managed to have any control over these is to break down the massive winter bills and pay by direct debit. The savings made by paying by direct debit are not really worth mentioning. But maybe it is worth following the little tips like turning down the thermostat by 1 degree, time the heating for when you really feel you need it, for example first thing in the morning, when you get in from work,etc. Wear warmer clothing - I can't survive without my cardigan and socks first thing in the morning!

If you can afford to have the loft insulated, the government now have grants for some families on some low incomes and receiving tax credits.

Double glazing is very expensive but if you haven't already got it it's well worth investing in especially if you have long term plans to stay in that place.

Should you have a small family you should definitely have a water meter fitted. Water meters are fantastic way of making big savings. I managed to cut one third off my bill. Other smaller ways of making savings are by having showers instead of baths. Only boil the kettle for the amount of water you needs - this saves water and electricity. The water companies provide free expandable bags which you put in the cistern uses less water every time you flush. Only use the dishwasher and washing machine when you have full loads. Try not to use the tumble dryer if the weather is good! Turn everything off standby contrary to what some people believe standby does use electricity!

Council Tax

Lets face it anybody who pays this finds it difficult to digest. There is no way we have any control over this ridiculous tax which is supposed to fund every council service you can think of but provides no service that anybody is happy with.

Mortgages

Mortgages again are very hard to reduce. You can shop around for better interest rates or fixed interest rates. These seem such a hassle and sometimes involve arrangement fees and valuation fees so it seems easier to stay where you are. However with the internet making everything now so easy to access there isn't really an excuse for at least not looking at what deals maybe out there that may suit you. Another idea for "younger couples" is to extend the term of your mortgage which is getting more and more common with the rise in house prices.

General Expenses

Its always looking through your monthly bank statements to see where you can make any changes.

Do you really need to see the beautician or hairdresser that often?

Do you need to buy so many clothes/shoes so often?

Do you really need the huge Sky package? Could you get by with less choice.

Can you switch your mobile phone package? Do you need that many texts and minutes.

Is your internet package meeting your needs - do you need to up or down grade?

Can you use your leisure time in a different way - do you need to eat out that often?

Do you take full advantage of the expensive gym membership?

For most of us we will already doing exactly what we're happy with and what we can afford. However should you wish to change anything go through the above list and tweak things here and there to make them more suitable for yourself.

There are lots of "thrifty" websites which are worth looking at simply because they suggest little ideas which can make a big difference.

Everyone should do there bit for the environment regardless of whether you're interested in saving money or not. Our little contributions are all worth doing, recycling etc. But with parcels now going here, there and everywhere the transport companies should be more responsible and we should try and use couriers and freight companies which encourage return loads and therefore are not running on empty.

By Michael S Mann

Michael S Mann is marketing manager of online parcels and courier companyhttp://www.deliveryunion.com

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

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