http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/finance/easy-fundraisers.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/easy-fundraisers.html Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500 You are probably here searching for information on fundraisers and fundraiser ideas. We want to make your fundraiser easy for you, it doesn’t have to be a difficult task setting up your fundraiser, and in fact the easier it is, the higher your success rate!
You know that you would like to host a fundraiser for your company, school or organization to raise funds but how can you set your fundraiser in motion? This fundraising article will help you to plan your fundraising event so that it’s easy and successful!
What are your fundraising goals? This is most important question, the more specific your fundraising goals, the more successful your event will be. How much money do you need to raise from your fundraising event? How many people will be involved? When will it start and how long will your fundraiser last? If you are on a deadline for the funds you need to fundraise, be sure to allot yourself enough time for the fundraiser to end.
Volunteers and several of them will assure that your fundraiser will run more smoothly. If this is your first fundraising event you should allot yourself some extra time should any unexpected problems arise.
Picking the right product for fundraising is vitally important to your fundraising event. While there are so many neat fundraising options make sure to pick a product that you think your target audience will like, something that creates an impulse buy! Depending on how much money you need to earn, will also be a factor in your deciding.
Candles, Chocolate, Magazines and coffee are four of the top fundraising products that are commonly chosen for fundraising events. They are items that most people will like and buy on an impulse. They are reasonably priced, most people will buy more than one and they are products people would normally buy anyway. This will make it easier for you and your organization.
We suggest your fundraiser be no less than one week but no more than two, three tops. One week is not quite long enough to get the momentum going but anything past 2-3 weeks, takes away the sense of urgency to “buy today”.
Taking money at the time the order is placed is your best option. The last thing you want to do is chase someone down for money because things come up or to be short. So we advise you take the money before handing over the products.
And that’s it in a nutshell; our fundraising tips that should help you get your fundraiser going with a bang! Remember organization is essential to help your group meet your fundraising goals.








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Cassie Kale specializes in helping companies set up Fundraising events - Get all your fundraiser information, fundraising ideas and more! This season http://www.fundraisinghq.com/fundraising_chocolate.html">chocolatefundraisers are hot and an easy sell!

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/currency-options.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/currency-options.html Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500 One of the ways to hedge a FOREX transaction is with what is called a currency option. A currency option gives the holder the right to buy or sell a specified currency during a specific time period, but the holder is not obligated to buy or sell.

Call options and Put options are the two types of currency options. With a call option the holder has the right to buy currency. A Put option gives the holder the right to sell.

The worth of a call or put option at time of expiration is equal to the value realized by the holder in exercising the option. If the holder gains nothing, the option is worthless. The intrinsic value of the option is the value when the option is bought or sold.

Strike priced is what drives the intrinsic value of an option. A call option has an intrinsic value if the current price is above the strike price while a put option has intrinsic value if the spot price is below the strike price.

The spot and time value are taken into account when figuring out an option price. Time value is measured using the expected market conditions and the difference in interest rate between the two currencies. The price charged for options must be kept low enough to attract buyers and high enough to attract writers.

FOREX markets use currency options to minimize risks against moves in the market. When you purchase an option any losses are limited to the cost of the option. There are many types of options available to be used as hedges. To ward against loss from fluctuations in foreign exchange markets some companies use these.

A Digital option pays at expiration of the option. Traders generally use this option after much consideration regarding market movement and payoff amount.







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This article courtesy of http://www.forex-shopper.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/banking-smart.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/banking-smart.html Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500 Online banking has virtually become the normal way of banking for the younger generations of bank users. So has the debit card fast become an important part of a new generation.

Writing checks and paying bills are not the most fun a private citizen can have but knowing the process will be completed with no real reason for concern is a wonderful thing most people take for granted. Just another sign your bank is doing its job carefully and properly. However online banking makes that process so much easier for you. If you have forgotten to write the amount of a check in the registry you wont have to wait for the arrival of the bank statement in the mail to get your registry up to date. And it is far simpler to keep your checking account registry up to date and to the penny when you utilize online banking.

Some of the useful ways online banking helps you with your banking needs is the fact you can check the status of any loan you have in your name. Not only can you check the status of your account on a daily basis you can also utilize the bill paying online tools. As with most of the new technology if you never use it you wont know what you are missing. Once you delve into the ease and convenience of online banking and see the many uses you will have for it you will be amazed.

Keeping costs low while providing impeccable services to the public is the name of the game in any business. Staying current with the technology available is another smart business move. Online banking meshes the two and becomes a simple way to bank. Since websites are relatively simple to maintain the banking institute must agree the benefits of offering this service to customers far outweighs any expenses incurred.

Online banking is fast becoming the wave of the future so don't delay your attempt at surfing the web and creating a user name and password. These are secure websites so there is no reason to fear your information falling into the wrong hands. Online banking is as simple as clicking on your favorite website or playing the latest version of solitaire.








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Jeff Lakie is the founder of Banking Resources a website providing information on Banking

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/jesse-livermore.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/jesse-livermore.html Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500 Jesse Livermore, though he died over forty years ago, is still known today as one of the most colorful, flamboyant and respected market speculators of all time. Known by such epithets such as Boy Plunger, the Great Bear, The Wall Street Wonder and the Cotton King, Livermore both made, and subsequently lost, four multi-million dollar fortunes during his career as a speculator, which spanned three decades.

The man who was blamed for the 1929 crash and for precipitating in every market break from 1917 to 1940.

For the reader who is fascinated, as I always have been, with the life of Jesse Livermore, the King of the Speculators, I whole heartedly recommend that you read through the most sought after and best selling book ever written on the stock market,

"Reminiscences of a Stock Operator."

Read about Livermore’s rise from no-where to gain his reputation as the best speculator in ever. Read how he made and agonizingly loses his multi-million dollar fortunes, time and time again.

Ever thought where such stock market wisdoms such as:

"Fear your losses and let your profits run"

"It was never my thinking that made me money but my sitting tight"

"Markets are never wrong, opinions are"

Came from? The man himself. Read and engrave these quotes into your mind if you want to survive as a trader!

As great a speculator as Livermore was I think the greatest education one can take from this book is realize it doesn’t matter how much money you make in the markets it’s the keeping hold of it that is important. Livermore never quite grasped this part.

In my mind, Darvas was every bit as good as Livermore in making money but much more importantly Darvas realized the importance of holding onto those gains in difficult market conditions.

Another work which is available is Livermore’s 1940 classic, "How to Trade Stocks". This is his legacy to the speculator for all time, in which he states his philosophy of trading and lays down some ground rules. Rules he himself struggled to follow.







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Mark Crisp is a keen student of Darvas's Methods and created the Momentum Stock Trading System: http://www.stressfreetrading.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/forex-glossary.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/forex-glossary.html Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500 Here are some of the most common terms used in FOREX trading.

Ask Price – Sometimes called the Offer Price, this is the market price for traders to buy currencies. Ask Prices are shown on the right side of a quote – e.g. EUR/USD 1.1965 / 68 – means that one euro can be bought for 1.1968 UD dollars.

Bar Chart – A type of chart used in Technical Analysis. Each time division on the chart is displayed as a vertical bar which show the following information – the top of the bar is the high price, the bottom of the bar is the low price, the horizontal line on the left of the bar shows the opening price and the horizontal line on the right of bar shows the closing price.

Base Currency – is the first currency in a currency pair. A quote shows how much the base currency is worth in the quote (second) currency. For example, in the quote - USD/JPY 112.13 – US dollars are the base currency, with 1 US dollar being worth 112.13 Japanese yen.

Bid Price – is the price a trader can sell currencies. The Bid Price is shown on the left side of a quote - e.g. EUR/USD 1.1965 / 68 – means that one euro can be sold for 1.1965 UD dollars.

Bid/Ask Spread – is the difference between the bid price and the ask price in any currency quotation. The spread represents the broker's fee, and varies from broker to broker.

Broker – the intermediary between buyer and seller. Most FOREX brokers are associated with large financial institutions and earn money by setting a spread between bid and ask prices.

Candlestick Chart - A type of chart used in Technical Analysis. Each time division on the chart is displayed as a candlestick – a red or green vertical bar with extensions above and below the candlestick body. The top of the extension shows the highest price for the chart division and the bottom of the extension shows the lowest price. Red candlesticks indicate a lower closing price than opening price, and green candlesticks indicate the price is rising.

Cross Currency – A currency pair that does not include US dollars – e.g. EUR/GBP.

Currency Pair – Two currencies involved in a FOREX transaction – e.g. EUR/USD.

Economic Indicator – A statistical report issued by governments or academic institutions indicating economic conditions within a country.

First In First Out (FIFO) – refers to the order open orders are liquidated. The first orders to be liquidated are the first that were opened.

Foreign Exchange (FOREX, FX) – Simultaneously buying one currency and selling another.

Fundamental Analysis – Analysis of political and economic conditions that can affect currency prices.

Leverage or Margin – The ratio of the value of a transaction to the required deposit. A common margin for FOREX trading is 100:1 – you can trade currency worth 100 times the amount of your deposit.

Limit Order – An order to buy or sell when the price reaches a specified level.

Lot – The size of a FOREX transaction. Standard lots are worth about 100,000 US dollars.

Major Currency – The euro, German mark, Swiss franc, British pound, and the Japanese yen are the major currencies.

Minor Currency – The Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar, and the New Zealand dollar are the minor currencies.

One Cancels the Other (OCO) – Two orders placed simultaneously with instructions to cancel the second order on execution of the first.

Open Position – An active trade that has not been closed.

Pips or Points – The smallest unit a currency can be traded in.

Quote Currency – The second currency in a currency pair. In the currency pair USD/EUR the euro is the quote currency.

Rollover – Extending the settlement time of spot deals to the current delivery date. The cost of rollover is calculated using swap points based on interest rate differentials.

Technical Analysis – Analysis of historical market data to predict future movements in the market.

Tick – The minimum change in price.

Transaction Cost – The cost of a FOREX transaction – typically the spread between bid and ask prices.

Volatility – A statistical measure indicating the tendency of sharp price movements within a period of time.







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This article provided courtesy of http://www.daytraderfutures.net

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/how-to-identify-explosive-stocks-to-trade.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/how-to-identify-explosive-stocks-to-trade.html Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500 Many traders often come to me with this question, " How can I know what stocks are going to break out in price?"

Indeed, if you can identify what stocks are going to break out in an explosive move, you can jump on these stocks to trade them before they start to move.
While it cannot be denied that this is a trading technique, and have elements of speculation, we can use technical analysis to help us nail most of these moves by using performance studies on price and volume.

There is a predominant school of thought that volume preceeds price. In other words, we will see an increase in volume of a stock before its price starts to increases or moves up. Some call this the On Balance Volume outbreak.

Irregardless of what technical analysis software you use, you can even have records of price and volume and put them onto a spreadsheet to compute the changes in volume and price of a stock or an index to detect these volume outbreaks.

Many traders have found it is very profitable for them to detect stocks that have undergone a surge in volume of around 50 times its average volume of the past 25 days, but with only a slight increase of around 7% in price.

When you have a situation like this, traders have observed that the stock's price will soon moves up following the oubtreak in the stock's volume.

Tweak this technique to your stocks or your trading vehicle and customize it to suit your risk tolerance.

You will find this to be one profitable arsenal that you can add to your box of trading tools!

As always, trading carries risk. So consult your broker, private client adviser or financial planner if you wish to trade.

For more trading ideas, visit Peter Lim's website at http://signaldot.poolofwisdom.com or at his free Online Guide to Swing Trading http://www.online-guides.info/Swing-Trading/







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Peter Lim is a Certified Financial Planner and the author of the ebook "Swing Trading for Gigantic Profits" (http://signaldot.poolofwisdom.com).You can have free access to a swing trading course and trading articles from his site http://www.online-guides.info/Swing-Trading/Permission is given for you to reprint this entire article provided there are no changes and this signature box is kept intact.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/kill-bills.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/kill-bills.html Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0600 Get Rid of Some "Extras"
The key to financial freedom is building wealth. The key to building wealth is eliminating all your extra bills so you have money to save. The average consumer's credit report carries quite a burden from these bills as well. Let's start with what hurts the most. Eliminate any habits you currently have. Most habits cost money and if it's a habit it can't be healthy for you in the long run anyway. Smoking, drinking, candy, coffee, collecting junk, etc. You will be surprised how much cash you pocket if you just quit 1 or 2 of the above (if any apply of course). By giving up a habit you are not only saving money and maybe even your health, but you are also gaining self-discipline helping you mature financially.

Food: Dine In or Carry Out
Let's look at the two separately AND together. If you eat out once a week, even at $25 you are spending $100 a month. Pretty simple math. Let's say you get carry-out (drive-thru) 3 times a week at $5 per visit. This equals $60 a month. These figures are below average, but even so, this is $160 in 1 month that could be used to eliminate some smelly debt. Pack a lunch for work. Try cooking at home. It's a fraction of the cost, it tastes better than "fast food" and it is usually healthier. If you can't eliminate eating out then try cutting it in half for starters.

Grocery List (or lack thereof)
Many consumers head to the grocery store with no plan or list. BIG mistake. This is what grocery stores are designed for. Go ahead, walk down each aisle and tempt yourself with row after row, shelf after shelf of junk food, extra stuff that you don't need. A list could save you 50% alone - that much more to wipe out those irritating loan payments. A grocery list serves two purposes. It saves you quite a bit of money which you notice immediately. Secondly, it allows you to be more prepared for the upcoming week, month or however often you shop. You can make out a daily meal plan ahead of time so you know exactly what you need to purchase and approximately how much cash you will need.

Sell Some Stuff
Everyone has stuff lying around collecting dust. Remember the saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure."? You could probably knock out a couple of stagnate bills with some of those collectibles sitting in a box in the closet. You would be surprised to know that an object you have absolutely no interest in could sell on an auction site and pay off that hospital bill that's been chasing you around like a mad hornet.

Cash, Cash, Cash
Only buy with cash. Plastic looks the same when you spend it. Dollar bills disappear and you will feel the impact when you start to get a shortage of it. Start a cash envelope system - at least one for gas, food and clothing. Like any new system, it will take a few times before you get the right amount in the envelopes. You will start to notice a large impact on your budget though and will find it worth while. If you buy something with cash you don't owe on it. You might think a little longer about it too when you hold on to that $100 bill. If you apply the various techniques and ideas in this article you will start to knock chunks off your overall debt. This will get you closer to achieving financial freedom and your credit report will begin the long awaited healing process. Start today!

To read more about how you can get your online credit report free with no obligations, see what is on your file and clean up your credit report go to http://www.cleancreditonline.com


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Tom Justice is the webmaster for Clean Credit Online and does all the designing, marketing, SEO and maintenance the site. He has a passion for personal finance and how the economy and consumers are affected by money. To see how you can use Clean Credit Online to help you with your personal finances please visit http://www.cleancreditonline.com “Kill Bills” - © (2005) Reprinting is allowed assuming all content is left the same.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/financial-planning.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/financial-planning.html Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600 Saving up money and building a good financial base can be very difficult. Most people are lucky to have anything left over at the end of the month after all the bills are paid. There is no doubt that putting away a couple of bucks every month will take some scrimping and determination on your part, but the power of time and compounding will help those couple of dollars a month grow into a substantial nest egg over time.
The most basic part of a good financial plan is creating, and sticking to, a realistic monthly budget. You would be surprised at the number of people who have never taken the time to create a simple budget. Without a budget, you may have no idea where your money is actually going, and consequently no idea how to save enough money to invest each month. Once you have created your budget, you may well be able to find ways to save at least enough money each month to invest in a good mutual fund. Many mutual funds will allow you to put in as little as $50 a month. That may not sound like much, but after 20 or 30 years of growth, those $50 monthly payments can grow to a sizeable investment account.
Another good way to invest is to sock the money away before you even see it. This can make your financial planning easy and painless because the money just comes off the top of your paycheck each week. Many employers offer a 401(k) or 403(b) plan to their employees for retirement. These plans allow employees to have a specific percentage of their salary diverted to an investment account to save for retirement. The first great thing about these plans is that the money diverted is not taxed, thereby lowering your overall tax bill. The second great thing about these plans is that most employers match a percentage of the employee's contribution. And the third great thing about these plans is the power of compounding over time. By just leaving that money alone and adding to it for 30 years, you will be surprised at how fast it grows into a substantial retirement asset. A good retirement program should be the cornerstone of your financial planning.
Once you have funded your 401(k) plan or 403(b) plan funded, and you have created your budget to recover that extra money that used to slip away, the next step in your financial planning is to set up an account with a quality, low cost mutual fund. Many mutual funds will allow you to open an account with as little as $1,000 and $50 monthly deposits. Even with these relatively small investments can grow to significant sums over long periods of time.
It is generally best to invest in mutual funds that do not charge a sales fee, known in the mutual fund industry as a load. There are no load funds available for virtually every type of investment, so there should be no need to pay a sales fee and see some of your hard earned money coming right off the top. You will want to get a good idea of the long term performance of the fund you choose, of course. While past performance is not a predictor of future results, a mutual fund with an excellent long term track record is likely to continue its good performance in the future.
One of the best ways for the first time investor to get started is by using an index fund. As opposed to a managed mutual fund, an index fund simply buys all the stocks in a particular index, such as the Standard and Poors 500 or the Wilshire 5000. One benefit of these types of funds is that their annual expenses tend to be very low, since there is no manager to pay. These funds will perform in line with the overall index to which they are tied.
Whatever vehicles you choose for your financial planning, the most important thing is that you are planning for your financial future. Making regular investments in your mutual funds and retirement plan will pay big dividends down the road. Getting started is the hardest part. Once you have your financial plan in place, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.


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Keith is a web site designer that builds useful content into sites http://www.searchforcredit.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/eating-away-at-debt.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/eating-away-at-debt.html Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600 If your debt is out of control you must take some time to seriously think about your situation. Think before you charge anything and stay alert to the charges on your credit report.

Don’t stop paying your debt all together - paying something toward your bill is better than avoiding your obligations. If you take review your bills and compare to your funds and decide that you do not have enough to pay the entire amount of the bill, you might be able to pay the minimal balance temporarily.

If you have a bill and the money to make payment tell the creditor that you intent to send the money via regular mail immediately - and do so. Creditors prefer that you phone them to negotiate payment schedules and sometimes creditors will even lower your monthly payments, or even your bill.

Ignoring your bills will only make things worse and does nothing to help repair your credit.

If you are obligated to income tax be aware, the IRS can take your money. This means each year that you miss payments are at default the IRS will deduct your entire tax refund to repay the debt.

If you miss payments on Insurance Policies and you have conditions stipulated on that policy you may be at risk of loosing your property.

There are two types of debts that eat away at our money, and understanding these debts is important to repairing your credit.

Some Department Store Credit Cards are secured, in that they ask you to put up collateral if you miss payments on the merchandise purchased.

If you have a Mortgage and feel that you can't make ends meet, you might want to check into some of the options available from your lenders.

Again, the most important tool for getting out of debt is to keep close watch over your bills, payoff any secure bill first, and work through each bill as you go.


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Lee Dobbins writes for For Your Wealth where you can find more information on money, taxes and wealth related subjects.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/day-trading-robot.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/day-trading-robot.html Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600
...the bad news is that there really isn't a robot to day trade stocks. Sorry to burst your bubble.

But…the good news is that there is one that day trades currencies (you know, the great forex market that I love and have bored you over and over with throughout this website?).

No folks; this is not “Forex Made Easy.” This is “Forex Made Easier”- An automated day trading system that NOT ONLY comes with a highly sophisticated set of conditions to enter and exit the market, but one that also pulls the trigger (that is, executes the trades) for you, using proper money management without which day trading is doomed to failure. [If you have not read why I strongly believe that the forex (short for foreign exchange) market is the purest and best market to day trade in the world, go to the currency trading section of this website]. This automated system is also known as Forex Robot or FX Bot (for frequently asked questions about the trading robot, click here).

Yes day trading fans. This day trading robot (or bot) not only finds the trades, it takes advantage of them when it finds them.

When the forex trading robot was presented to me for the first time, it was difficult for me to accept the whole concept. I got to admit, I was pretty skeptical. If the explanation wouldn't have come from the best two money managers and traders I know (and personal friends of mine), I wouldn't have even listened. But after a while, I was sold. “You, Dan? Mr. Day Trading Tutor?” – “Telling us that you believe in a day trading robot after writing an endless amount of information about how people could learn how to day trade, how much you believe in day trading, how you have helped day traders in the past, etc., etc.?”

Whoa, whoa!!! People, don't get so exited. All of these things are still true. There are people that will learn how to day trade successfully and become successful traders. I am still involved on a very limited basis on the training of some day traders. But there are also many people out there that will never succeed as day traders and others that, after having tried it, will realize that it is not for them.

This is the truth; plain and simple. And even if the day trading robot wouldn't have existed, this would have still been reality. The FX robot is just something extra that I feel can help not just unsuccessful traders, but also investors who can add something different (a new component) to their investment portfolios; and believe me, this is completely different than any investment I have ever seen before.

I created Day Trading Tutor to give you the reality of trading. Well, talking about the trading Bot is an extension of this goal. Since it exists and can help you, I must tell you about it – period!

Ladies and gentlemen; I am sorry if I sound really exited about this trading Bot thing – so exited it made me that I even became part of it in order to be able to offer it to my clients, friends, and family members (read “How are you involved in the day trading Bot and are you doing it just for the money?” below. I like to be very clear about the things I say. It makes me sleep peacefully at night. The thing is that I haven't been part of a great project like this for a long, long time. The money managers and traders that designed and monitor the day trading robot on a daily basis have become personal friends of mine in the last few years. They are great guys and exceptional traders. They have been top-ranked in the past in the forex money management industry. I don't like recommending traders or money managers to people, but this is an exception.

The robot program rocks!



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He is well known Author writing Articles about Day Trading Robot, Automated Forex Trading Bot, Forex 4x Made Easy System and Paper Trading Stocks, Free Day Trading on www.geocities.com/daytradingtutor/

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>