Simplifying Your Charts

By Dave Sumter

One of the biggest problems we face as traders is information overload. There is just so much information to process these days that it's easy to become overwhelmed. Combined with ever changing strategies, and it's easy to see how confusion can set in.

We all know that strategies don't always last forever. The market is ever changing, and we have to adjust constantly to stay ahead of the power curve. That being said, it's never a wise idea to change too many things at once either.

From the beginning one should integrate into their trading, base practices that will span all strategies - behaviours and chart elements that will not change between strategies, and will become a familiar foundation for you to work on.

Something you should look to do is use generic indicators to simplify the information you process. You need to be ruthless about this. Find ways constantly to make your charts more efficient.

Use color to convey information where you would usually use text. We humans process graphical information infinitely better than text. As an example, if you trade at certain times of the day only, then use a background coloring indicator to highlight the background of your chart at these times. This is way more effective that looking at the time axis.

Another area of optimization is the use of sound. This is especially effective for processing events. Need to know when a new 30 minute bar starts, or when a signal fires? Use an audio alert.

Look for ways to combine multiple indicators into one. If you have multiple filters, combine them into a single visual one. Reduce what you have to look at on each chart.

Always be simplifying. Find methods that you can apply to multiple strategies. Whichever system you use, be it crossovers, divergences, pivots or something else, these principles will make your daily trading easier and more fun. - 23223

About the Author:

About the author: Dave Sumter is the owner of ChartCandy.com, a site focused on NinjaTrader. He also writes about internet entrepreneur topics on his blog.

Your Forex Strategy Will Determine Your Profitability!

By Michael Alison

There are many Forex strategies out there. It's not likely they will tell you, but each trader has their own unique take on what to do and how they trade. Not everyone's technique and stile is the same but there are some common strategies out there.

Day trading of stocks used to be the primary means for those looking to profit quickly from the market. Today, it's widely recognized that foreign currency exchange has a much greater profit potential.

One thing you can do is a Forex managed account. This will let people do the dirty work for you. You simply deposit your money into the account and a professional with make the bids for you. Since it is your money, you can withdrawal it at any time.

You can buy or rent some books and do the trades manually. This is how the big money makers do it. These guys are great about spotting trends in the market. They research the information from books and magazines they subscribe too. You can get book information from a lot of online retailers.

You can automate the process with a Forex automated robot. This is good strategy if you want to leave a program running day and night. If you're working or have some other job, a Forex robot might be good for you if you can't afford to open a managed account. There are robots out there that are associated to online brokers that you can start out with as little as a dollar!

You can also talk strategies with Forex chat rooms and message boards. These are meeting places for fellow traders who will talk shop with you and usually will give tips and heads up on things to bid for.

In conclusion, there are enough resources to help you plan your next Forex trading tip. Just use a little elbow grease and perseverance to find out your personal strategy. Remember the trader's golden rule. Buy low and sell high! - 23223

About the Author:

Click Here to find out about Forex Autopilot Systems.

Getting Started in Real Estate for the Penniless - Part One

By Dave Peniuk

There's a hard truth out there about getting rich and it's this; if you're already living as if you are rich, then you will never become rich. That means if your credit cards have a huge balance and you're drowning in debt, real estate investing is not going to rescue you.

"But wait," you say, "those people on TV got out of debt and quit their jobs a couple of months after taking a course on real estate investing." I've seen those commercials too, but I tell you one thing- if those people on TV are real, then they are the very rare exception. It simply does not work that way.

Real estate investing is a solid way to make a lot of money. The best way is to set your goals and find properties that meet those goals (and then keep them for at least 5 years). If you look at the richest people in in Canada and in your city, at least 25% of them probably made their fortunes by investing in real estate. We believe that this estimate will hold true based on who we see on the list of Canada's richest people as well as the Power List for Vancouver.

The trick is to learn what you're doing, and then accelerate your investments after you have built a base of knowledge and equity. It's not the only way to make millions in real estate...but it's the way that requires less money, has the least amount of risk, and induces the least amount of panic attacks.

I've always referred to my wife Julie as a saver. When we started out we only had $16,000. But that didn't bother Julie; she had just graduated from college and continued to live like a student. With all the extra money she saved, she paid off her student loans and continued to save any extra money. She wanted to go back to school for her MBA and she wanted to do it without getting into debt again.

When I first met Julie, we had very different lifestyles. I was enjoying the money I was currently making. I went out a lot, drove a brand-new Volkswagen with financing, and had some credit card debt. I also had a piece of property that I owned with my mom. But when I met Julie she talked about retiring at 35. She spoke of it so clearly and had such a good plan, that I knew it could happen if I worked at it too.

It took a lot of work on my part to pay off my credit card debt, but I did it. I then started to save a few hundred dollars every month. But the reward was worth the work, and we started to shop for our first investment property.

Thankfully, we had Julie's savings to help us with our first purchase, but if you don't have enough in savings, don't worry. There are ways to buy property without money.

I'm sure you've heard of those no money down programs. I'm not saying it can be done; it can be, but no money down is one of the riskiest ways to buy property. There are only three low-risk ways to buy property, and 2 of them don't require that you have money saved:

1. Cash out retirement and other savings, stocks, and GICs

2. Equity in your home

3. A partner with cash.

Here's the brutal truth; if you can't handle your own finances, no partner with money will want to do business with you. After all, why should such a partner trust you? If he/she feels that you're inexperienced and drowning in debt, then your partner feels you just want to take his/her money and does not see any potential benefit to investing with you.

However, if you're in 'good debt' (like the kind that comes from student loans that you have been diligently paying down) and if you've done your research on real estate investing, then a partner starts to think differently about your debt. After all, you know how to control your money, so you won't waste his/her money. The potential partner feels that you can be trusted and that any risk to investing with you is slight.

You'll notice the difference; one person is full of 'bad debt' due to poor decision-making and the other person has 'good debt' and has shown that they make sound financial decisions.

So now you understand why controlling your finances also means controlling your destiny. Start spending less than what you make. If you're not sure if you do that, keep a spending journal for the next six months. Write down what you bought, the cost, when you bought it and then evaluate whether or not you really needed it. In no time at all, you'll have a pretty good idea of where your money is going and what you can cut out in order to save even more money.

I can imagine what you might be thinking - "but, Dave, I always spend a lot during the holiday season", or "we've been planning the trip to Europe for two years"! Don't fret- if you've saved up for those things, you deserve to do them. But, if you are going to end up going into debt for those things, you may have just discovered that you are a SPENDER, not a SAVER. If that is the case, you may not be ready to start growing your wealth and becoming a rich real estate investor. - 23223

About the Author:

Learn How to Retire with Real Estate with Dave's free Real Estate Investing Starter Tips Guide. Learn how to find money for real estate deals, create financial freedom, positive cashflow and massive wealth with tips like: How to find quality rental properties, finding and keeping great tenants, and easy ways to make more money with real estate.

How to Sell Gold for Profit

By Tabitha Reaves

This is the worst recession for over 60 years and as we have all had to cut corners, tighten our belts and look for ways to save cash, many people have been taking a good, hard look at where they can make extra money. Many of us have old jewelry which is simply wasting away in a drawer or a box somewhere - it is unlikely to be ever used again and it is in every sense of the word, dead weight.

Selling gold and especially old jewelry has become a boom industry in the US and around the world.

Why?

The answer is simple - in times of recession, investors look to buy gold because it is considered a stable, secure investment - gold is what backs the currency reserves of the US dollar and currencies all around the world. When economic times get rough, gold is where the smart money invests and in turn, this drives up the price of gold while stocks and shares fall in value.

Because top dollar is now being offered for gold, it makes a good proposition for gold refiners to buy in the relatively small quantities of gold and precious metals included in your jewelry collection. The issue for you is how to get the best price for the collection you are looking to sell and how not to get scammed in the process!

First of all, deal with a gold buyer who is prepared to offer you a published price for the precious metal involved - not just gold, but also platinum and silver - reputable dealers will publish a daily buy-price for metals so you can easily see what you will get for your metal and be able to compare prices with other dealers. If you cannot see a published price or the dealer is not ready to come forward with a price when you ask, avoid doing business with them - this is something which is basic and fundamental.

In addition, when you are dealing with a dealer using the internet (or indeed in any advertizing medium) you should take some basic precautions to make sure you are dealing with who they say they are! Remember, you are trusting a substantial amount of money to their gold buying process and you want to be sure you are going to receive payment from the person you are sending the precious cargo to. If they have an internet site, check the contact information and make sure you are dealing with a real company at the end of the telephone number. If you call the company and you only get a call-center or customer service staff who do not appear willing to discuss your potential sale, then quite simply, don't deal with them. You should also make sure that the address they give is a physical mailing address for their business and that it can be verified.

When you have decided who you are going to transact the business with, make sure that they provide you with secure and insured courier or mailing services so you can be assured that the jewelry makes it to their refinery and if there is a claim, you are going to be fully compensated for any loss or mistake. - 23223

About the Author:

The best online resource to sell gold or sell silver can be found at www.refinity.com

Learning Forex Is Easy With The Basics

By Potts Joseph

The Forex Market also known as the Foreign Exchange Market, has been around for thirty years and is simply the trading and selling of currencies between two countries.

You can easily liquidate your trade into fast cash which is what many traders want. So what is the Foreign Exchange Market or Forex as most know it as? It is a trading system similar to the stock market but quite different at the same time.

When you are trade in the forex market, you trading with many other countries and currencies. In other words, FX market trades are global. You can also trade in the FX market twenty-four hours a day, while the stock market has set business hours.

Trading in the stock market limits you to your own country and currency, whereas forex trades are global, meaning selling and trading with many other countries and currencies.

The forex market trader must be disciplined as the US stock market trader, so that they can read the market signals that will help them determine when to enter and exit the market.

Experts suggest that a trader must learn to be disciplined and not let their emotions get the best of them in order to ride out the long term and make the profits they hoped for.

Patterns and trends come in one-minute and sixty-minute charts that the traders observe with vigilance. These charts or market signals work on a mathematical formula closely tied to the prices and time frames within the trading.

Traders use one-minute and sixty-minute charts as a crucial trading signals.

The Forex trader must not let their emotions ride over the decision to stay or trade. As they say timing is everything and patience is a virtue and holds true in the forex market.

If you would like to trade in the foreign exchange market, you will want to study these technical indicators yourself to enable you to make the best trading decision and the most profit. - 23223

About the Author:

Get more on automatic forex system trading by clicking automatic forex system trading now.