Investing For Beginners – Free Investment Articles and Tutorials

We will try to understand the basic concepts behind using ANALYZE to trade foreign exchange markets. We’ll start with the “basic principles of technical analysis,” skip “the best time to trade 24-hours market, and then study two technical analysis tools that are very effective in this volatile market trade” Candlestick Charts “and” Divergence “.

Best times to trade the FOREX market

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The Forex is the largest financial market in the world, the average daily volume of transactions representing three times the market share and future together. The ferry company SeaFrance, which has announced a plan last week of 725 job cuts, on Wednesday asked its placement into receivership before the Commercial Court of Paris, it was learned from the management.

The ultimate forex parity headline on this date 24 May last: Euro-Dollar: The rebound with the target as precarious levels, so the support from 1.1880 to 1.1660 or, in other words, the strong return.
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The sense of caution prevails on the currency pair euro / dollar this morning, in a very unfavorable for taking risks on the foreign exchange market. The European currency was able to approach the resistance and to decline $ 1.23 to $ 1.22 this morning because of concerns about the fate of Spain. The Euro continues to draw its continuous oscillations in narrow ranges against the dollar, close to 1. By registering on the forum, Forex Trader, you join a community of traders of all levels, beginners, assets, confirmed that exchange information and advice on trading and the world currency markets. In this context, the yen is not threatened, and it remains prudent to invest in the yen. In general, however, sentiment on the euro is weak and the single currency should continue its downward path against the major currencies.
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As a well-diversified investor, you most likely have a portion, if not your entire portfolio invested in mutual funds. If so, there are some common sense basics to keep in mind when its time to file your yearly taxes. First, you must pay taxes on mutual fund distributions of dividends and capital gains. Second, you must pay taxes on sales of mutual fund shares. (Unless it is in a IRA or other tax sheltered account) Third, you’re investment company will mail year-end forms related to your investments needed to complete your taxes.

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Last week we took a closer look at how mutual funds are taxed with a focus on equity funds. This week, hopefully, some light will be shed on income funds and how they’re taxed. It’s relatively simple, as dividend income is taxed at your personal tax rate; however, there are a few other aspects of income funds that you may not be aware of that may help you better plan your financial future. Keep in mind the information contained in this article is meant simply as a helpful guide, and that you should always consult your tax advisor for information on your personal tax situation.
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Whether the market is in bear territory or the bulls are running wild, the amount of information that we are exposed to every day is sometimes overwhelming. Newspapers, television, magazines, radio, and even junk mail are chock full of great ideas and information for the average investor, but is there a “one-stop” shopping for this type of information? We came close with our top pick, but “one stop shopping” is elusive, with the exception of course ! However, there are some wonderful sites out there that specialize in certain aspects of investing, and this article is dedicated to my top choices of websites custom tailored for the mutual fund investor.

When I began this article, I thought my list of favorites was pre-determined. However, after considerable research, I discovered a few gems out there that are truly worthy of mention along with some companies that you already may be familiar with.

The first website is not a new company, but one that has been around for years and provided the investing community with invaluable insight into the often-mystifying world of mutual funds. To no surprise, it is Morningstar. (www.morningstar.com) Morningstar, by far is the most comprehensive website available when it comes to investing and should be one of your first stops in your decision making process.

Some of the key features of the website that are free are as follows: Portfolio Manager, which allows you to create and update multiple portfolios of stocks, mutual funds, retirement accounts, etc.

Portfolio X-Ray is a wonderful feature in which you enter stock or mutual fund symbols and the dollar value of your holdings. Porfolio X-Ray then analyzes your holdings by asset allocation, style box diversification, sector, stock type, stock stats, fees & expenses as well as world region.

Quicktake Reports are another free feature that provides easy to read analysis of mutual funds earnings, holdings, expenses etc. A nice quick overview of any stock or mutual fund is also available on wireless devices.

Also available for free are e-newsletters that cover the market, mutual funds, and stocks etc. (daily, weekly or monthly) delivered to your email address. Mutual Fund and Stock Selector allow you to screen mutual funds or stocks based on your personal criteria, or you can use criteria chosen by professionals. Finally, also for free are email alerts and updates as well as Conversations, a community where you can visit online and share ideas, thoughts, comments etc. with others.

For a mere $11.95 a month, you can get a premium membership which will provide you with similar information but with much greater depth and analysis. One of the best ‘for pay’ features is Clear Future, which is personalized 401K assessment and advice that will help you reach your investment goals.

If an investor wanted to stop here, and read no further, Morningstar.com would comfortably provide you with all the information you need to be a successful investor including market commentary and Morningstar University, a great tool for the beginner, or seasoned veterans alike.

Many of us view the world in a more macro context, and find economic data integral in making our investment decisions, changes, etc. The difficulty in finding an appropriate website dealing with the economy is that there are numerous sites that offer economic DATA, but not as much analysis that we would like to see. I actually like two websites and because each offers a different method of delivery, decided to give both of them mention today.

The first is by far easier to read and more focused on the key indicators of the US economy; GDP, Job Growth, Consumer Confidence, Weekly and Monthly Retail Sales, Earnings Growth Rates, and Purchasing Managers Index. www.Smartmoney.com Economy & Bonds column provides, in layman’s terms, the key components of what is happening within our economy, trends, as well as a vast archive of economy related articles. The best surprise of all, is that it is FREE! Easy to read, easy to navigate, and solid information, SmartMoney gets my top vote.

Not to be outdone, if you’re interested in more than just the KEY economic indicators, my other top choice for economic news deserves a review. This leads us to one of Barron’s “15 Best Websites for Investors” in 2001.

Uniquely called The Dismal Scientist (from economy.com), is a website designed solely for the dissemination of the plethora of economic data released every day in the US and the world. To get there, type www.economy.com in your browser and scroll down the page about ¼ of the way and look for The Dismal Scientist and click on the link.

The free service offered by The Dismal Scientist is all that you truly need when it comes to economic data and is available via a newsletter that can be customized to arrive to your e-mail account daily, weekly, or monthly. The amount of information that one receives is impressive, and will definitely provide the investor with all the economic data needed to be more in tune with what is happening in the US economy.

For a simple general overview on the economy, any respectable financial publication will provide this for you. The NY Times, Wall Street Journal, or my personal favorite, the Financial Times will provide you with general economic analysis, but The Dismal Scientist is well worth the time and effort for a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of what is happening in the US or world economy.

The purpose of this article was to provide a few of the most comprehensive websites (beyond InvestorsAlley.com) and eliminate some of the information ‘noise’ that we are exposed to every day. Simply because they are mentioned here does not mean that your research should start and stop here. There are other websites that I reviewed for clarity, ease of use, type of information, whether it was free or there was a monthly subscription rate, and other criteria. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the other gems I found that you could browse to see if there is something that you’re looking for that isn’t mentioned in this article.

Honorable Mention goes to the following websites that although they provided a wealthy array of information, were either more difficult to navigate, seemed lacking comparatively in the depth of information offered, or simply were outshined by the above mentioned sites. www.fundspot.com, www.mfea.com, www.mutual-funds.com, www.bloomberg.com, www.valueline.com, www.fool.com, and www.quicken.com.

Hopefully this article has provided you with a few key websites that will help you navigate the occasionally muddy waters of the investing community. If you have any questions comments regarding these choices feel free to send me an email, I’ll be more than happy to respond.

Spiders, Diamonds, Cubes, Opals…You’ve heard the names being tossed around in various circles; you may even know what they are. We’re talking about ETF’s or Exchange Traded Funds. What exactly are they? How do they differ from mutual funds, and are they appropriate for your portfolio? We’ll take a closer look at what ETF’s are all about, their advantages, disadvantages, and hopefully a clearer understanding will emerge to help answer the question, “Are ETF’s suitable for my investment portfolio?”
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Time – is not only the arrows and numbers on the clock. It’s also a lot of events of different properties. At the end of the twentieth century, these events happened so much, and so different … The world has changed so dramatically that if we return to 20-30 years ago, the sense of “stranger in a foreign country” to any of us is guaranteed. And not only those who have not found this very country. Even those who managed to live in blessed memory of developed socialism, every one will be shocked, and quite possibly, the first time – quite helpless in the realities of the 30-year-old. No more laptops, no Internet, even mobile unsold not find you global call forwarding will find you

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Most mutual funds fall into the “open-end” category. This means that a fund sells shares continuously, and there is no fixed number of shares available for purchase. Also, shares of open-end funds are not traded directly. The share price (or net asset value-NAV) is determined by the current market prices of the stocks in the fund’s portfolio, less any administrative costs. One purchases shares either from the fund itself or through a broker.

A relatively small number of funds is structured differently in that their share price is determined by the value of the underlying stocks AND the current trading price of the shares themselves. These are “closed-end” funds. They have a limited number of shares outstanding, and they trade like shares of individual corporations.
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Joseph Battipaglia, Chief Investment Strategist for Gruntal & Company, notes that pundits are very poor at predicting the future and how the market will judge the value of business. For example, many Internet companies in the late 1990s said that profits didn’t matter and were unnecessary and that revenues were the key measure to the value of their enterprises. Later these parties found that earnings do matter.

The reason we have to rethink our economic and investment strategy is because globalization is occurring at a rapid pace and technologies are increasing efficiency and replacing inefficient labor. Globalization may become the “next new thing in the economy and markets” even though this trend has been going on for more than a hundred years. But Battipaglia notes that World War I, World War II and the Cold War slowed globalization for the last 80 years.
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