Investments That Guarantee A Return

By Audrey Kay

While some people today seem to be going into debt because of the strain of the economy, there are those people out there looking for good investments - maybe you are one of them. When you have money to spare, putting it in a savings account does not necessarily make sense; yet, the investment alternatives out there today seem to be risky. Because of this, many people are hesitant about where they want to invest their money - and, for good reason. However, there are solid, sound, and relatively risk free investments that are still available to people today looking to invest money.

One of the most important things to understand when it comes to investing is that there is a difference between a good investment and a risk free investment, because while not all good investments are risk free. Sometimes when you invest in something with risk, there is the possibility of losing money; however, risk free investments do not pose the same risk of monetary loss. While some people like riskier investments, many people choose to invest in securities that are risk free because they are guaranteed a return on their investment. Typically, the most popular risk free investments include government savings bonds, treasury bills, and certificates of deposits (CDs).

Risk free investments are not only a less risky investment, but they can also be a smarter investment for a lot of individuals - especially those investing to save for the future. When it comes to investment securities, these assets are not as liquid as a regular checking or savings account. In other words, you cannot necessarily get the money invested in the assets back tomorrow if you need to. However, when you invest in a risk free investment, you do have a decent guarantee that the money you invested today will be there tomorrow - and, that is nice to know.

If you are looking for a long-term risk free investment, try investing in government savings bonds. Savings bonds are a perfect long-term option for your investment, because you are investing your money with the government - an entity you can count on to be here in 20 years. Sometimes, savings bonds do not offer the highest return on investment, however there is basically no risk at all when you invest in a bond. Therefore, when you are deciding what to invest in, a savings bond is not a bad choice.

Another option for risk free investing is treasury bills or T-Bills, which are also offered from the government. The great thing about T-Bills is that they function a lot like bonds, given that they are offered from the government, however they have a much shorter term life than bonds. A typical T-Bill reaches maturity in a year or less and at the same time there is not risk of losing money. When it reaches maturity, you can expect to receive the principle back plus any interest you made on your investment.

Certificates of Deposits (also called CDs) are a great risk free investment for those who are interested in investing their money over a few years time period. The time period usually ranges from anywhere between one quarter and five years, and once the CD has matured, you receive the principle plus the interest. The only downside to the CD is that sometimes they do not offer the same sort of tax breaks that other investments offer; however, they are definitely sound, sure, and risk free investments.

Obviously, not all investments are created alike and this is why many people seek the advice of a financial planner to help them with their investment needs. You might be interested in talking with a finance professional as well, so that you can be best advised on what to do when it comes to investing for the future. Whatever you do decide to do, be careful and cautious and make sure that you do not invest before you are sure - especially when it comes to riskier investments.

Some people get careless when they are investing their money and they put it all in risky investments where a higher rate of return is possible. However, a riskier investment ultimately involves the possible of losing money; and, it is always a great idea to invest money in securities that are sound and risk free to ensure you will get a return. It used to be that the stock market and housing market seemed to always provide some sort of return, however, today that is not always true.

For this reason, you might be better off sticking with the risk free alternatives. Savings Bonds, T-Bills, and CDs are always great investment options. And, when you invest, you can be sure that at least you will not lose any money! - 23223

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CFD Trading Strategy - Symmetrical Triangles Downside Breakout

By Jeff Cartridge

Symmetrical triangles have been very popular with traders over the years trading the chart pattern when it breaks out in either direction. A symmetrical triangle is defined by two lines, one on the upper boundary of the price movement which slopes down and one on the lower side which slopes up. The lines have almost the same angle, hence the name symmetrical.

Symmetrical Triangles Can Be Profitable Short

Symmetrical triangles are definitely not one of the most predictable patterns that are available to trade short. With just 45% of the patterns breaking down symmetrical triangles also don't deliver good returns when they do. The average drop is 0.33% in 9 days with less than half of the breakouts (44%) being profitable. These results are not great, but selecting the right conditions can make trading symmetrical triangles better.

Refine Your Entries

When you look at the performance of a symmetrical triangle in bearish market conditions you will see the results were stronger than they were in more bullish years. The market, sector and stock should be in a down trend or consolidating to make the best profits.

Very few trades break down at the start of the pattern, but those that break in the first 30% of the pattern should be avoided. Another key to picking successful short breakouts from symmetrical triangles is to look for a turning point up from the lower boundary that fails to reach the upper boundary and then falls away. This is not a prerequisite, but does produce better trades.

If the volume supports the breakout the results are better. Supportive volume means the volume on the way down is higher than the volume on the way up. Better breakouts occur when the stock closes lower than the previous day.

Short Trading Symmetrical Triangles Can Be Profitable

Incorporating these simple changes when selecting symmetrical triangles to trade short, dramatically improves the results. With an average return per trade of 1.58% in 9 days and a hit rate of 47% it is possible for symmetrical triangles to be traded short successfully.

Statistics for this article have been provided by Patterns Trader after analyzing over 60,000 chart patterns on the Australian market from 2000 - 2008. - 23223

About the Author:

Jeff Cartridge is the author of Supercharge Your Trading with CFDs and created the website LearnCFDs.com Trading Chart Patterns - All The Insider Tricks

What Is Decreased Volatility Breakout? (Part III)

By Ahmad Hassam

When you have identified the triangle formation on either the daily or weekly chart, get ready for a breakout. Each triangle type has its own directional bias. When you trade triangle breakouts, ignore any first breakout attempts whether it is to the upside or the downside. There can be three possibilities when you try to trade the decreased volatility breakout strategy.

Possible Case No 1: Suppose the second breakout attempt is in the downside direction for the descending triangle. Similarly it is in the upside direction for an ascending triangle. In simple words, the second breakout attempt is in the direction expected of the triangle type. This breakout could signal either the continuation of the existing trend or the trend reversal. You should not forget to ignore the first breakout.

For an ascending triangle make sure each side of the triangle gets touched two times at least. Place a stop buy order at least 10 pips above the horizontal resistance level to capture the potential upside breakout. Place a stop loss order 10 pips below the horizontal level of the triangle to protect against false breakout. Set profit target according to your time frame.

Place a stop sell order 10 pips below the horizontal support level to capture the potential downside breakout for a descending triangle. Again make sure the triangle is touched two times before the breakout. Place a stop loss order 10 pips above the horizontal support level.

Possibility No 2: The second breakout is in the downside in case of an ascending triangle and it is to the upside in case of the descending triangle. Again ignore the first breakout attempt. In other words, the second breakout attempt is in the opposite direction of the expected triangle type breakout direction.

In case of an ascending triangle, since the breakout direction is opposite to the most expected direction, cut the position size to half for this trade in order to reduce risk. Set stop sell order at least 10 pips below the upward sloping trendline in order to capture the expected downside breakout. Ignore the first breakout attempt and make sure the triangle is touched at least two times. Place the stop loss 10 pips below the breakout point.

In order to capture the potential upside breakout in case of a descending triangle, place a stop buy entry order at least 10 pips above the downward sloping trendline. Set your profit target in accordance with your time frame. Again reduce the position size to half in order to reduce risk. Place stop loss 10 pips below the breaking point.

Possible Case No 3: The decreased volatility breakout strategy works better when it is implemented on a daily or weekly chart. Dont use intraday charts on this strategy. You must have observed that we havent talked about the symmetrical triangle case yet. Now, there is an equal possibility of upside as well as the downside breakout in case of symmetrical triangles. Place stop buy entry order or the stop sell entry order 10 pips above the downward sloping trendline or 10 pips below the upward sloping trendline. Similarly set your stop loss orders. Just follow similar guidelines as given for the ascending and the descending triangle. - 23223

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Develop your own Forex Trading System. Learn Forex Trading !

Why Mini Forex Trading Is Important For New Traders

By Bart Icles

If you are new to Forex trading but don't know where to begin, it is best you get started by investing in a mini account. Anyone can open a mini account with just a minimum account of as low as $200 - 250, or even much lower with other services. A standard Forex account usually needs at least $2,000 - $2,500 as an initial investment amount to begin with. With a mini account, you can still do normal trading and still have the same privileges of a regular account investor.

A mini Forex account is only one-tenth of a lot size of a regular Forex account. The Pip values of a mini Forex account are also afforded this percentage. A standard Forex account has a lot size amounting to 10,000 units of the base currency - as an example is the USD, and the amount would be $10,000.

New traders who infuse minimal investments should open a mini Forex account to help them get started, and do leverage trading for additional capital funding. Leverage trading comes in the way of the trader borrowing money to help put up the needed amount for a single lot. The marginal lot is the trader's capital that is used outside this amount. The marginal lot for a mini account has a ratio of 200:1.

With its fairly large degree of leverage, it is usually advisable not to take on a large amount of leverage in your investments, especially in a standard Forex trading account. But in the case of mini Forex trading, this is just the appropriate practice and not viewed as over-leveraging. The risk factor is also much lower in a mini Forex account due to its 200: 1 ratio. This makes it is easier for the investor to do a more systematic and disciplined style of trading, in which he'll trade knowing that when he losses in a deal, it'll be in smaller and negligible amounts. Whereas in a standard Forex account the possibility of losing larger amounts may advocate a bad trading strategy, like holding on to deal which is going nowhere and in which will just mean further huge losses in the end.

If you want to invest in Forex trading with amounts not greater than $5,000 - $10,000, then go with a Mini Forex account. You'll have a better chance of staying longer in the market and without over-leveraging when you do multiple currency trades. - 23223

About the Author:

The best traders follow their forex charts and don't force trades. Also, we feel that the ability to use the forex trading platform with some skill greatly enhances a trader's success.

Seized & Abandoned Properties, And Government Surpluses

By Clifford Carr

Seized properties and government surpluses are sold through government auctions to the public for low prices as determined by a bidding process. There are government auctions consistently held all across the United States and Canada. No matter where you live, there will likely be government auctions held near by.

Surplus inventory sold at government auctions come from the federal, state, and local governments. Often the government has a large surplus of unneeded items, and will liquidate them to the public at one of their many auctions. This can happen often as the government's equipment requirements are constantly changing.

Items found at government auctions can also come from businesses that have gone bankrupt. Many of these items found at government auctions can include furniture, computers, electronics, furniture, and miscellaneous equipment. Most people don't think of these types of items at a government auction, however, it's where you can get these types of used items the cheapest.

Government auctions include seized properties which are made up of bank foreclosures, bankrupt commercial businesses, properties owned by convicted criminals, etc. Police often seize property if the owner is sentenced for a crime or if the property was used for a crime. The government also seizes the homes of the owners who are unable to keep up with their mortgage payments.

A property is considered abandoned if the owner dies and has no known relatives alive to inherit, or if the owner walks away from it for whatever reason. This can happen if the owner feels the house is worth less then he currently owes. This has been happening quit often lately in a declining housing market.

So how can you attend government auctions? You can find out where and when they will be held in your area by searching the Internet. There are numerous government auction membership sites that will offer you details on the abandoned/seized properties, and government surplus items that will be offered in your area.

Read government auction reviews on the web to find out where the best membership deals are. This will help prevent you from falling into the many scams that are on the web. - 23223

About the Author:

The author recently started writing about Free CNA Training for the CNA Training Classes website.