Quiet The Emotional Demons Before You Invest In The Stock Market

By Marc Abrams

How many times have you fell victim to other people's stock advice? "This stock is guaranteed to go up!" Usually, the advice or "stock tip" comes from a friend or associate. It may even come from your own investment advisor.

Human nature gets us thinking. Do I want to risk losing out on these supposed gains? Without batting a rational eye, we invest. The end result isn't usually pretty. However, we continue on and repeat this cycle over and over again.

What is wrong with our thinking? The answer is, for many of us, that emotions rule the day. They are so powerful that we often ignore our rational, logical thoughts. The hope for a quick buck or opportunity to "get rich quick" gets those emotional juices flowing. You must realize that it is not the rational side of our brain that is tripping us up, but the emotional side.

Many sound investment plans get ignored due to emotions. You can, however, quiet that emotional side that forces you to ignore your well thought out investment strategy if you work at it. More importantly, you'll be able to stick to your plan through both good and bad times.

Some investors, however, cannot shake the investing demons that compel them into making the same mistakes over and over. It is this type of trader that cannot overcome emotions while investing. They often lack the experience that allows them to treat investing like a business, and not like a game of poker.

The main driving emotion for many investors is the fear of losing money. Making a quick buck is the next one. Don't forget about the king of all emotions, greed. All of these cloud judgment and prevent you from thinking clearly about how an action affects your portfolio. When this type of thinking is in play, disaster can strike rather quickly.

My emotions were extremely difficult to get under control when investing. I managed to finally tame that beast and let my rational side control my investing decisions. In order to do this, I developed a system that I use to invest with consistent success. I have set parameters to follow that guide me to the right kinds of investments. It is a logical system in black and white. Sure, the emotional beast tries to rear its ugly head from time to time, but I remain diligent and stick to my strategy.

There is no shame in making poor investment decisions over and over. The good news is that you can change things starting right now! I made that change and as a result I have been more successful than I ever have been investing in the stock market. I also managed to do this while the stock market was in a free-fall! I promise you, to be a successful investor all you need is a solid investment strategy and the ability to keep your emotions checked at the door. Please, take the advice of someone that did that very thing! - 23223

About the Author:

Marc Abrams is a CPA with over 15 years experience in financing and investing. Visit Marc's website to learn more about successful stock market and covered call trading strategies that can restore your dreams.

Would A $40,00 Volt Save The General

By Dino Delellis

Amongst GM employees, aside from the fear of getting a pink paper next week ( or the week after ) speculation is high as to whether the concept vehicle, being called the Volt, is going to be as revolutionary as the hype suggests.

GM, Ford and Chrysler arrayed a huge number of lawyers and much cherished Washington lobbyists to go after California after it decided to introduce a zero emissions rule on part of all car fleets. While GM was fighting California, it was also building an electric car, 10 years ago called the EV1. The state lost, GM breathed a sigh of relief and promptly destroyed all EV1's and sold the patents.

It was said that the link between GM and big Oil was never so blatant as when the EV1 was shelved, the many patents accompanying that huge R&D effort was simply sold to BIG OIL.

Balancing the books, one might claim. Lots of Research and Development costs, nothing to show for it, so sell the technology. It wasn't an objective decision. After an acrimonious battle with the state of California, GM management couldn't get rid of the technology fast enough. A billion dollars later, GM executives didn't stop to think that perhaps core elements could play a critical roll in future transportation technology. They had to wait for the Japanese to prove that similar technology could and would be a huge element in the future of transportation.

Anyway in the latest from an interview with GM's Chief Designer we get the following profile of the Volt.

GM has almost entirely "bet the boat" on the new technologies going to market in the electric Chevy Volt. We are sure that GM Detroit Management exactly didn't plan it this way, but their European operations must have seen the writing on the wall many years ago as gas hit 3+ dollars per gallon in europe and continued on through the equivalent $4 dollar mark. With the global credit crunch, increased gas prices and declining sales of the big cash SUV's GM is feeling the pinch like never before. The Volt must become iconic.

GM's response to public outcry shortly after co-jointly winning the lawsuit against California on the grounds that only the federal government had the right to determine zero emission, was to go on a publicity campaign extolling the virtues of their own version of Zero emissions - Hydrogen gas by 2010. Which probably prompted BMW to wake up and create a wonderful Hydrogen Gas vehicle which is already 4-5 years old and in its fourth or fifth refinement. So zip forward to 2008 and GM has backtracked on its Hydrogen promises and is now attempting to leap frog the Toyota Prius with technology that will get a commuter 40 miles of gas free driving on a nightly electrical charge.

According to GM research, many drivers will not need to switch to the gas engine because simply recharging the vehicle via a regular outlet at home overnight will satisfy most of their driving needs. When I first heard this, I thought - What a useless car. Who wants a car that does only 40 miles per charge, but in truth, the car simply switches to the small gas engine at that point and continues its merry way.

On the surface, unless you have significant shareholder shares in an oil company, we all want a Volt. The dream of being able to cross Europe or United States basically on plain cheap electricity without having to pay between 3 and 5 dollars a gallon for gas is a like a dream come true.

So will or can the dream car Volt save the General?

I suppose it might be presumptuous but perhaps we should first ask - Does the General really need saving?

BusinessWeek estimated GM's Liquidity position to be 45 Billion in May of 2005 with a burn rate this year of over a Billion a month here in 2008 ( Boston Herald ). Estimated reserves now stand at about 25 Billion and analysts say that even with the 10 Billion in future cost cutting, GM may need another 10-12 Billion in cash to see their way through to 2010.

Detroit News writes in an article on Oct 14th 2008

GM had access to about $21 billion cash, $5 billion in available credit lines and is raising $5 billion through asset sales and borrowing.

Cost-cutting associated with the aforementioned 10 Billion in cuts, intensified when GM announced it was closing plants in Grand Rapids and Janesville, Wis. 2500 workers are affected by these measures in plants that produce sport-utility vehicles and parts for pickups/SUVs.

So, since 2005 to 2008, GM and it's fat cat, top heavy management burned thru 25 Billion in cash and part of that was during 2 years of strong sales. The rumour is, that GM is eyeing the cash reserves of Chrysler ( estimated 11 Billion ) to help it through to 2010 when the Chevy Volt and Cruz are expected to help effect a rescue

So, what are our expectations for the Volt? GM says its expecting to sell about 10,000 Chevy Volts at between 30-40,000 USD each in 2010. So, that's about 3-4 Billion dollars in gross sales with a net of about a 800 Million dollars annually at an estimated 20% profit per car.

So, is this innovative car of the 2010 year - Volt just a little, just too late?

I leave that answer up to you, but if I had to make a serious bet with odds, I know which way I would be betting. - 23223

About the Author:

Dino Delellis writes on a number of interesting topics. To see more of the Dino personal journals hop on over to musings of Dino Delellis and catch his strange views on the world in a nutshell.

Why is Forex Trading for you?

By Greg Cortez

Have been looking at making money online, investing, or work from home websites? You have have probably seen references to Forex trading. Forex trading online is the buying and selling of foreign currencies for profit. We will explore this investment/money making vehicle, it's benefits, and some of it's negatives as well.

Forex trading occurs 24 hours a day from Sunday through Friday. The market is global in scope, and can be rather exciting with it's dramatic swings. These dramatic changes in the value of different currencies is what creates the profit potential for traders. You can literally make a profitably trade (buy and sell) within seconds, or you can follow long-term trends over the course of a great many months. This flexibility is part of the attraction of the Forex market, whether you are an "action" news and signal trader, or a long-term trend follower, there is money to be made.

Also, due to the very considerable leverage provided by many Forex brokers, one can make considerable profits off of small investments. This makes trading attractive and very approachable to many people who do not have the money to make profitable trades in the stock and commodity markets. One can literally start with just a couple hundred dollars and go on to make a good income from Forex trading.

The Forex market is not perfect though, of course, and trading does not always result in profits. Due to the high leverage and sizeable swings in the currency market, it is quite possible to make a few bad trades and lose money rather quickly. Do note, regardless of the leverage, you can never lose more money than you put in your account to invest. However, this higher risk/reward trading is not for everyone.

If you are interested in Forex trading, and the fun and profits that can come from it, I recommend you start by reading some Forex articles. Learn the basics, read up on different strategies, and get to know the lingo. Then find a reputable broker that is recommended by a site you trust. Open a micro account with a few hundred dollars, or even a free account with play money, and start making some trades.

With 24 hour access, great leverage, and a rapidly moving market, Forex trading offers many attractive qualities for making money and enjoying the experience. However, one must remember that there is risk involved, and there is never a guarantee of profits. - 23223

About the Author:

If you want to explore more into Forex Trading, make sure you check Greg's Forex Forum, and Forex Information site

A Forex Tutorial on Opening a Forex Account

By Bart Icles

Before you can start trading in the foreign exchange market, you must first be able to open and setup an account. Any forex tutorial will tell you that having a forex account is a prerequisite to trading. Very much like in trading in the equity market, currency trading will require you to open a trading account.

Each forex account, as well as the services that come with it, is different. Therefore, it is important that you are able to determine which one would best suit you. One of the things that will tell you more about the account you are about to open is leverage. Leverage is simply the ability to manage and influence large sums of capital using a relatively small amount of your own capital. One has to remember that the higher leverage means higher levels of risk.

Nevertheless, many forex investors see leverage as a major currency trading benefit because it can allow you to reap large gains even with just minor investments. On the other hand, leverage can also make you lose more than what you have invested if trading moves against you. Although there are firms that have protective stops to keep an account from going negative, it still helps to exercise extra caution. It also helps to remember these two contradicting scenarios when you try to determine your desired leverage when opening a forex account.

Commissions and fees also make trading accounts different. Major forex accounts normally allow you to trade without having to pay a commission fee to the broker. This is possible because in forex trading, you are dealing directly with market makers and you do not need to go through brokers. However, this does not mean that market makers do not earn money each time you engage in trading. When a trade is made, market makers gain the difference between the bid and ask prices.

There are many ways in which forex firms and the accounts that they offer can differ from one another. It is therefore recommended that you carefully evaluate each firm that you potentially would want to deal with before you commit to them. If you look back to your forex tutorial, it will remind you that each firm will deliver different programs, levels of services, and fees that can be above and beyond the actual trading costs. What is important is that you are able to review them well before making a decision, and when you do, see to it that you are dealing with a reputable firm. - 23223

About the Author:

Using forex trading signal software starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning to use forex signals is a powerful technique, it takes a good teacher and mentor. But once you learn how to trade using them your life will change and you have options and financial resources you never had before.

Online Stock Trading Software Analysis

By Reginald Shiver

Are there any lucrative and genuine online Forex trading software and where can you download them? Having examined numerous currency trading systems and software, I have come to realize that most of them are not beneficial over the long term even though their systems' logic makes accurate sense. They are generally disguised as some powerful method and software by able dealers who look to make good proceeds by selling them to naive traders.

However, there are a few authentic Forex programs and software that are actually precious and work to make wealth in the long term. Their proprietors generally offer helpful lifetime support to keep informed their clients regarding the latest market fashions.

1. How to Create Bucks with an article of Genuine Online Forex Trading Software?

A few of the finest currency devices comprise software that can help its users analyze market trends and also generates deals and makes income automatically for its users. The whole package that I use offers me with an essential training on forex trading and what I need to do to get in progress making bucks from currencies trading. It should give you a clearer knowledge of Forex trading and also pioneer you to a complete host of tools and software that can make your business techniques simpler.

2. What Are the Most Common disadvantages of Online Forex Trading Software?

Most programs and systems will want their users to learn and study complicated technical charts and conditions unnecessarily. These complicated investigations processes can usually be eradicated with the right trading techniques and software courses. These are the perfect type of devices that generate large monetary institutions huge profits everyday, and traders globally are continually looking for the most profitable Forex software. I presently use a software course also termed as an Expert Advisor that makes me money constantly every single month. - 23223

About the Author:

Now listen carefully, if you are ready to make a lot of money in Forex, earning more pips than you ever imagined completely on autopilot, then you must visit Chris Rowe's Internal Strength System.