Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Managed Forex Accounts: What You Should Know and What You Can Expect

If you decide to participate in forex trading, it is not a
requirement that you hire a broker to handle your account.
Forex trading can actually be a one-man enterprise and if
you study the industry well and learn the ropes, you can
actually manage your own account without anybody else's
help. However, if you don't have the time or are not very
confident about your decisions, a managed forex account may
be a good way to handle your investment efficiently.

What is a managed forex account?

A managed forex account is essentially a forex account that
is handled by a company or through a representative. This
can be an excellent solution for an investor who either has
no time to watch how the market behaves or someone who is
very inexperienced but would like to invest in forex
training.

What does the management company do?

In a managed forex account, the company you hire will
handle your account for you. They will be watching the
activities of the market on a continuous basis in order to
determine the trends and then recommend which currency
exchanges show promising activities. Once they have
informed you what the trends are, it is up to you to make
the final decision where to invest.

How to pick the right management company

Remember that with a managed forex account, somebody else
is watching the market for you. How they see the market
will be the main basis of any investment decision you will
make. It's like wanting to watch the fireworks but
instead, asking someone to describe it for you.

To avoid losing a lot of money (and swearing off forex
trading forever), hire a management company who has years
of experience under their belt. Furthermore, go for the
company that has a good and reputable record. If a
management company is notorious for causing their clients
to lose money, it's only common sense that you stay away
from them. Work with a management company who is licensed
to perform what they do and only deal with people you can
trust and who are straight and honest with you.

What are the advantages of a managed forex account?

For a beginner trader who cannot put his trust on his own
perception and judgment of the market yet, a managed forex
account will be a very convenient and wise decision,
provided he deals only with a reputable company. He can
also rely on the years of experience of that company in
order to make sound business decisions.

Management companies who handle managed forex accounts also
have insider information because they work with many
different banks. They have access to currency exchange
rates and market changes that you can use to help you turn
a nice profit.

What are the disadvantages of a managed forex account?

The main turn off about managed forex accounts is that they
tend to have higher amounts of investment requirements.
This ranges typically from $10,000 to $20,000. Those are
great figures if your investment is good but they are
terrible odds if you lose. If the management company makes
a mistake in trading or becomes involved in badly timed
investments, losing $10,000 can cause a great deal of
headache.

Protecting yourself from the scam of the forex trading world

When you decide to go into forex trading, educate yourself
first. Find out how things work, what to look for in a
management company, learn a few essential information
yourself and don't try to use your account manager as your
teacher. You'll be able to decide whether your company's
recommendations will make sound decisions or not.

Find out about the cost of hiring a management company.
These companies often charge a fee and some commission, so
make sure you understand how much you'll be looking at. If
somebody tries to slip 'other fees' into your transaction,
ask what and why.

Finally, remember that your management company's role is to
manage the account for you. They should be there to help
you make the most of your investment. Similarly, they
should be around if you need them. Find out about the kind
of support they offer and what kind of guarantees you can
expect.

Forex trading can be a very exciting and profitable venture
but it is only rewarding if you understand how it works.
Furthermore, with forex trading you do not invest for
peanuts. You actually go in to trade and make good money.
However, losing also means you'll also lose a lot. Because
the risk is rather substantial, it is important that if
you're considering getting a managed forex account, you
should first educate yourself about its nature, its players
and what makes it work.


----------------------------------------------------
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How to Select a Buyer's Broker for Your Next Real Estate Purchase

Selecting an agent to help sell your home is a topic that
gets a lot of attention on real estate websites and in
trade publications. But as buyer's brokers become more
popular, the need for information on choosing the right one
is increasing. Luckily, the key to selecting a buyer's
broker for your particular needs is a very simple prospect.

Abraham Lincoln once said that if he had six hours to cut
down a tree, he'd spend the first four sharpening the saw.
He understood that preparation is the key to achieving
results as fast as possible. It's the same with finding the
right property to buy, and the right agent to help you
through the buying process.

First, know thyself. Before you can accurately evaluate a
buyer's broker, you have to know what kind of property you
want to buy, where you want to buy and why, your budget,
and your desired timeframe. If you don't have a clear
picture of what you want, it'll be hard for you to
determine whether a particular buyer's agent can do right
by you.

Second, start collecting word-of-mouth testimonials.
Because real estate agents typically work within a certain
geographical area, reputation is everything. Ask friends,
family, and neighbors for their recommendations. You'll
probably hear about a few great agents, a few bad apples,
and many more "just okay" comments.

Third, check out the "greats" and the "okays" with the
local or state real estate commission. Though it may seem
like a hassle to contact a government agency for
information, it's much better than finding out later that
there've been dozens of complaints filed against a certain
agent or agency.

Fourth, pick four or five agents to interview. Think of it
like a business. You'd interview anyone who applied to work
for your company. Why wouldn't you interview a buyer's
agent, who's also going to work for you? Ask them about the
types of homes they help buy and sell, the types of clients
they have, and how they'd guide you through the home-buying
process if you chose to work with them.

Finally, select an agent and get a buyer's agreement in
place. Be clear on how long the buyer's agent will
represent you, the conditions of the agent's commission,
cancellation clauses, and what happens if you want to work
with multiple agents or decide to buy a house that's for
sale by owner.

Put these pieces in place before you start shopping for a
home. The process is bound be much smoother, and much more
satisfying, when you take the time to plan ahead.


----------------------------------------------------
Alpine Lakes Real Estate has been building long-term
relationships in the White Mountains region for more than
20 years. Their extensive real estate expertise is enhanced
by their vast knowledge of the entire building process.
With offices in Lincoln and Campton, NH, they also offer
assistance with IRS 1031 "like-kind" exchanges, and the
Design-Build services of their in-house architect. For more
information, go to http://www.AlpineLakes.com .

GM Credit Card - An exceptional reward program

One thing that's exceptional about this GM credit card is
that it is very rewarding. Just envisage using your
spending authority to increase savings on a new Vauxhall or
Saab as part of its reward program. To avail all these,
only use your GM Card every time you shop. The GM Card
permits you to get 'Rebate' points on your everyday credit
card purchases. This rebate point could be realized at a
rate of 3% of your spend which can be redeemed against the
cost of a new Vauxhall or Saab.

The sum that can be gained through GM credit card is pegged
at a maximum of $2000 off a new Vauxhall and $2500 off a
new Saab. In spite of this limitation, a figure of
multipurpose features makes the GM Credit Card reward
programme more tempting. The cardholder gets 1000 praising
points on their first card purchase which is equal to $100.
Moreover, these accumulated points can be redeemed at any
time and even transferred to family members who are not GM
cardholders. Furthermore, if two GM cardholders are living
at the same address, then these points can be pooled.
Together with this incentive, the GM Credit Card features a
restricted introductory interest-free period on purchases
and balance transfers. Only 2% fee applies with variable
interest rate and no annual fee.

There are numerous credit cards that let you to build up
points and rewards, but what could be better than a card
that earns you credit towards the purchase of a new GM
vehicle. For a good number of people, a car falls amongst
the largest purchase they'll ever make. You will be benefit
by using GM Credit Card to earn up to 5% credit towards the
purchase of your second largest expense. The grand
obsession about this card is that you receive credit
towards a GM car when you buy things you'd already be
buying anyway. Each time you make use of the card, you get
points towards the purchase of a new GM car. With no annual
fee, all along you will receive a great introductory APR.

The GM Credit Card reward contains a typical 14.9% APR
which is variable. For the very first five months of card
holding, you get to pay 0% per annum on all purchases and
balance transfers. After that period, it will revert to the
variable rate. Balance transfer handling fee applies at a
meager rate of 2% with minimum $5. The GM Credit Card
rebate Points could be gained only if you spend at the rate
of 3%. Subject to the Model Line Maximum, 1 Rebate Point is
equivalent to a $1 saving off the price of your new
Vauxhall or Saab. Along with it, the Partner Points might
be earned on top of your normal Rebate Points whenever you
shop at The GM Card Partners. The Partner Points rate is
similar to that of simple rebate, which is same as 3% of
your spend.


----------------------------------------------------
This article was brought to you courtesy of Anthony Samuel,
the webmaster of http://www.apply-for-a-credit-card-now.com
. A credit card directory where you can search, compare and
apply for credit cards from leading credit card companies.

Four Reasons Why Using a Buyer's Agent is a Must for Your Real Estate Investment

You've probably heard someone say, "It's a buyer's market"
or "It's a seller's market" when it comes to real estate.
And while it's true that conditions in the real estate
market can favor one side or the other, in a majority of
transactions, the seller has the upper hand.

Why? Because the real estate agent showing the home to
prospective buyers is working on behalf of the seller, not
the buyer. And that's the way it should be! As a property
seller, you'd want the real estate agent working to get you
– and not the buyer – the best offer possible.

But as a property buyer, this obviously doesn't work in
your favor. So it may be in your best interest to hire a
buyer's broker to act on your behalf, and here are four
good reasons why:

#1 - They help you find a home that's more in line with
your desires.

Oftentimes, a seller's agent will only show you what they
have to sell in their own portfolio. And if you stick with
that agent, you'll be faced with making concessions you
might not have had to make, if you had a buyer's broker
showing you homes from a number of different selling agents.

#2 – They'll act as your experts in evaluating homes for
potential issues.

Not everything that could affect a home sale or value gets
listed in the purchase and sale agreement. For example,
that empty lot next door the selling agent claims is
unbuildable? A buyer's agent will tell you if that's right,
or if the selling agent's just telling you what you want to
hear.

#3 – They'll negotiate a better deal for you than you could
by yourself.

Most people aren't experts at the art of negotiation. And
it's almost certain the selling agent will be a better
negotiator than you are. With a buyer's broker in your
corner, you'll have an experienced negotiator working for
you – one who's also well-versed in the intricacies of the
deal you're about to make.

#4 – They're paid out of the selling agent's commission.

Except for properties that are "For Sale by Owner," your
buyer's broker gets half of the selling agent's commission
as payment for his or her services. Some buyer's brokers
may ask for a downpayment on their services, which gets
credited toward your eventual closing costs, but otherwise,
there's no additional cost for you to have a buyer's broker
on your side.

So if you're in the market for real estate right now, or
even planning on it soon, start asking around for
recommendations. With a dedicated buyer's broker helping
you, you'll not only have a better chance of finding the
right property for you, but you'll also have a better
chance at owning it for less money.


----------------------------------------------------
Alpine Lakes Real Estate has been building long-term
relationships in the White Mountains region for more than
20 years. Their extensive real estate expertise is enhanced
by their vast knowledge of the entire building process.
With offices in Lincoln and Campton, NH, they also offer
assistance with IRS 1031 "like-kind" exchanges, and the
Design-Build services of their in-house architect. For more
information, go to http://www.AlpineLakes.com .