Thats a fancy way of saying forex!

Forex brokers at the retail level did not exist because these institutions monopolized the foreign exchange due to their abilities to have access to information and data that allowed them to hedge their interests and profit from the monetary policy that the average investor could not get to very easily. This, combined with government regulations and the huge volume required in trades to maintain adequate liquidity,  prohibited the small speculator from participating.

Access to the currency markets changed however, first with the invention of the internet… this new and exciting information super highway opened the doors to allow anyone virtually instant access to the same macro-economic events, news and data that the large world banking institutions had previously dominated. Combine this new fangled world wide web with legislation by the CFTC and we soon found ourselves with a retail market for individual traders to have the same abilities to trade currencies as the big boys.

What Are The Differences Between Brokers?

In order to access the forex as a retail trader, we need brokers to provide us with a platform to trade from, liquidity and reliable execution of our trades. Much like a stock broker, the forex broker acts as  an intermediary for these ( relatively speaking) small trades, and they also can assist in advice, recommendations etc. Each brokerage house can have different commission rates, minimum balances and account requirements that make it essential for any forex trader to research and become familiar with before opening an account.

Before selecting a brokerage firm, it’s important to understand the basic differences from one to the other, and also to have a good understanding of what your choices are. Forex brokers, for the most part, fall into one of two categories. There are Market Makers, also referred to as “Dealing Desks” and there are Straight Through Processing Brokers (STP), also referred to as “Non Dealing Desks”.

Market makers provide the liquidity for a given currency market themselves, and they make their money off of the spreads, (the difference between the bid and the ask) and by placing hedges, or bets against their customers. In other words, when you place a trade with a Market Maker, more then likely, they will be taking the other side of that trade in the expectation that you will lose. So…. the market maker earns money through both the spread and by hedging your bet. It seems a bit counterintuitive doesn’t it? But this is how it works… your trades are commission free, but the spreads tend to be a little wider.

Straight through processing brokers, or non dealing desks, do not create their own markets… meaning that they do not take the other side of your trade. Your order is sent straight to the recipient on the other side of your position. These brokers however, do charge commissions for each trade you place with the advantage to you being a tighter spread.

Do Your Research First

Which type of broker you choose is dependent on what type of trading you do. If you are a day trader and a scalper, then it will probably be better for you to enjoy tighter spreads and just pay the transaction fee because you are attempting to make a profit with a smaller expected move by virtue of the very short time frame with this style of trading.

Conversely, if you are a swing or a position trader, holding onto a position for days, weeks or maybe even months, then the spread is of less consequence to you because your expected move will easily overcome this.

Knowing what type of trading you will be doing is a big part of choosing which type of brokerage house is best for you, but it’s most certainly not the only research you need to do when looking at different forex brokers. You also need to be aware of fraudulent enterprises know as “bucket shops”. Bucket shops are essentially fake brokers that work out of boiler rooms acting as legitimate forex brokers. They man the phones… take your orders and then promptly drop it in a bucket, hence the name. Simply being aware that these types of scams exist should be enough to insure that you do proper research and due diligence before transferring funds to anyone.

]]> http://www.forexyellowpages.com/why-do-forex-traders-need-forex-brokers/feed 0 http://www.forexyellowpages.com/choosing-a-good-forex-broker http://www.forexyellowpages.com/choosing-a-good-forex-broker#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:56:18 +0000 admin http://www.forexyellowpages.com/?p=818 Forex broker is an intermediary between a trader and a currency market. Retail trading isn’t possible with Forex brokerage. Finding the right Forex broker among hundreds of the online firms isn’t an easy task. That’s why you need to inform yourself on the specific broker that you will want to work with and collect important information on certain aspects.

The first question you have to ask yourself is: is the broker I want to use regulated? There must be no doubt about this first point. All regulated brokers must submit financial reports to regulatory authorities, and when they fail to do it, authorities have the right to fine them or terminate their membership. This enforces Forex brokers to keep transparent financial reports.

The brokers must be regulated by their local regulatory authorities, for instance, for brokers based in the US, they must be regulated by the NFA (National Futures Association) and CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission), Swiss based brokers must be regulated by the FDF (Swiss Federal Department of Finance) and so on.

Also when a Forex broker is regulated allows investors to dispute any resolution, increasing the investor protection.

Trading conditions are very important also. This refers to the features of the trading platform and the trading conditions with the chosen broker. Amongst the most important factors are:

Spread – Obviously the smaller the spread on currency pairs the better the conditions are for investors and traders.

Platform execution – Trading execution refers to how fast and consistent are the execution of trades. Some brokers guarantee fast and transparent executions during normal market conditions.

Fractional trading – Some brokers allow investors and traders to trade on a fractional basis, instead of trading full lots “100,000 units” or “300,000 units”, they allow you to trade “163,345 units” or “325,911 units”. This is very helpful for trades risking certain percentage of their balance on each trade.

Safety of funds – We need to make sure our trading funds are kept in a segregated account or at least insured.

Customer support is very important! You need a broker with a LIVE CHAT feature so you can get in touch with a representative anytime you need for different kind of problems, like withdrawals, deposits etc.

Also you need to check the promo offers that the broker is offering you. Some brokers offer 10% BONUS on the first deposit.

MF Financial is offering up to 20% BONUS on first deposit plus an outstanding trading experience with an outstanding customer support.

MF Financial Ltd. is one of the world leading online currency trading broker offering low pips and commission-free online forex trading. Founded by Wall Street veterans, MFFX’s vision is to service individual and corporate investors such as money managers, banks, and financial institutions in easing the complexity in dealing with forex trading. Their dealing software which specialized in forex dealing is rated second to none for it user friendly environment. Lightning speed and efficient execution is one of its many benefits.

Any new investor should think twice or 10 times before choosing the right broker. I am personally a MFFX client for 1 year and I must say that I have no reason to change it. I will keep it as my trusted partner in forex trading for a long time! For any interested investor I invite you to check MF Financial`s website www.mffx.com

These  CFTC regulations led to the limitation of the number of forex brokers that accept US traders and most of the brokers available on the US market have low leverages and unfavorable trading conditions. Under these circumstances more and more US traders look for offshore forex brokers with higher leverages and better trading conditions.

Unfortunately neither the foreign brokers are allowed to accept US traders so the only option available at this moment is the binary option trading. All major binary option traders such as Ikko Trader,Anyoption, EZ Trader and Option Fire accept US traders.

The binary option brokers are licensed and regulated by trustfully boards and commissions. For example Option Fire is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which  is the regulator of the financial services industry in the UK. So Option Fier is as secure and trustable as any English forex broker on operating the forex retail market.

All binary options brokers have high profit rates, most of them offering up to 85% profit for options expiring in the money and up to 15% refund for options expiring out of the money.

The binary options trading has many advantages compared to the traditional forex trading, the higher returns on investment and the shorter option expiration times being just the most attractive ones.

Best Offshore Forex Broker – www.MFFX.com

Recently, YB Teresa Kok asked me “Why are Malaysians so keen to leave this country? Life overseas is not necessarily easier!” I agree that life overseas is not necessarily. In fact my cousins living in Hong Kong, Singapore and London tell me regularly that they miss the food and that things are much cheaper at home. They complain about the weather, high cost of living and their long working hours. Despite this, when the possibility of coming back home is raised, they give me a smile and a shake of their heads.

Is living in Malaysia really so bad? What is it that other countries have that we don’t? Lim Kit Siang posted on his blog in December 2009 that more than 630 Malaysians are migrating overseas everyday, and that number is increasing year on year.

This is a worrying statistic and the brain drain issue is one that the current government acknowledges that it is a problem. However, the best they can come up with to make them come back are tax breaks, and tax free vehicles. From day one, it has become apparent these ‘perks’ would simply not work.

This government has a habit of tackling problems in this country by providing quick fixes. The 2012 Budget should really be called the ‘quick-fix’ budget as RM232 billion is mindlessly spent, with unrealistic economic growth forecasts to back it up.

Yes, 60% of households would receive a RM500 relief and we thank the government for it. What then? RM500 does not combat rising costs, or inflation. How far can RM500 bring us nowadays? Not very far.  In no time at all, that RM500 has become a distant memory and we are back to square one.

The Kedai 1Malaysia initiative was put in place by the government to sell cheap products subsidised by the government, and more are to be opened across the nation. Shop owners are now screaming in displeasure as they cannot possibly compete. If the government is intent on handing out subsidies, subsidise the shops which are already operating! Another poorly planned quick fix that provides no long term solution.

Where is the long term economic plan? Where is the investment in our children’s future? Fixing school buildings is an excellent initiative, but the real problem lies in the fabric of the education system.

Our children are taught to be robots, to regurgitate material and not to question their teacher. Many scoff at the lowering of standards in the ongoing PMR exams, and an Additional Mathematics SPM paper was allegedly leaked out to tuition centres. Is all this in the name of grades, just to make the Education Ministry look good? How can this system prepare our children to be competent, effective members of society? The biggest losers in all of this are our nation’s children.

A friend over dinner told me earnestly that he was preparing to leave the country for the sake of his children. As disheartening as it was to hear, he proceeded to tell me why.

His vision for his children was for them to grow up in a society in which they would not be discriminated against. Although racism is also prevalent in other countries, in Malaysia racism is institutionalised and sanctioned by the Barisan Nasional government.

Furthermore, corruption is rampant throughout all levels of government. The payment of corruption money in cases of obtaining building or business licenses is so prevalent, that many businesses have included such a payment in their expense budgets. How can this continue be the case?

These issues are all correlated, and opportunities continue to be stifled. Talented people leave because Malaysia appears to have no appreciation for their abilities. Nepotism and favouritism are practised on the basis of the “Lu tolong gua, Gua tolong lu” principle rather than getting the best person for the job.

Our English standards have been lowered in order to record more exam passes, but quality is sacrificed as a result. If even masters degree holders from local universities are unable to speak proper English, how can we then become a globally competitive nation?

After this budget, more and more people are convinced that this BN government cares only about staying in power and not for the long term development of the nation. The exodus of talented individuals will continue unless necessary reforms are put in place.

On a recent trip to the United States, on our stopover in Hong Kong, a fellow passenger remarked that they could finally talk about issues of Malaysia as they dared not voice out their displeasure at home. Recalling so many holding up their fingers to their lips to shush their friends from bringing up national issues, it is obvious that many feel that we are living under oppression.

Finally, one of my old schoolmates residing in Australia told me that he wanted to come home to take care of his parents. “But the biggest thing stopping me from coming home now is the government”. A change in government may not automatically bring Malaysians home, but what it would do is provide hope for the future of our nation, and hope for our future generations.

Change is needed, and change has to happen now.

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Bearish

- Fundamentals support a recovery in US and global growth, but how does risk appetite factor in?
- Bernanke sees signs of stabilization, calls focus on the deficit
- Do technicals call for a dollar collapse or recovery.

It was a tenuous week; but the dollar was able to ultimately hold its own through the close. However, just because momentum behind the earnings-driven rally in risk appetite has stalled does not mean that the world’s most liquid currency has avoided a collapse all together. Sentiment winds have died down; but they can easily jostle the safe-haven dollar should another economic catalyst surface. This makes for an uncertain future when combined with the fundamental influence that the 2Q GDP report will have on the currency. Now, not only do traders have to interpret the data, they will also have to judge whether it has a greater impact on risk appetite or growth considerations for the beleaguered dollar.

Looking ahead to next week, the most immediate threat to the greenback’s stability is the intensity and direction of risk appetite. While this currency is deeply mired in speculation surrounding the economy’s leading or lagging growth potential, interest rate expectations, and deficit projections among other influences; risk appetite has proven itself to be insuperable. With the Federal Reserve vowing to keep the benchmark lending rate at levels that insure a carry status when conditions do turn around and politicians ensuring the economy will struggle with record levels of debt for years to come, there seems little doubt that the dollar will maintain its position on the opposite of risk appetite. But, considering the stalled progress most of the dollar and yen crosses saw last week; is there a strong shift in sentiment in the works? With EURUSD and GBPUSD just off of key levels of resistance, the pressure is growing. However, the primary source of momentum this past week – the second quarter earnings season – is already on the decline. If left up to the markets alone, equities have already forged new highs for the year; but commodities, fixed income and risk-sensitive currency pairs have not pushed to comparable levels. Oddly enough, one of the most likely catalysts for risk going forward also happens to be the most attention grabbing indicator on the US docket: GDP.

According to economists forecasts, the world’s largest economy contracted at a 1.5 percent on an annualized pace through the second quarter. This would be a marked improvement from the 5.5 percent and 6.3 percent rate of the recession through the first quarter of 2009 and fourth quarter 2008 respectively. This would certainly confirm policy officials expectations for a return to positive growth by the end of this year or beginning of the next; but through the near-term it is still a call for speculation to rank the economy’s performance against that of its major counterparts. China recently reported a sharp advance to a 7.9 percent pace of expansion while the UK printed a record 5.6 percent contraction. And, then there are still those economies that have yet to report their numbers. Japan suffered a record-breaking 14.2 percent slump through the first quarter, but is expected to snap back according to BoJ and Cabinet officials. The Euro Zone awaits it August 13th release, but the Bundesbank has already stated Germany saw only a ‘slight contraction’ through the second quarter. This will increasingly become a consideration of nuance.

The other facet of the US 2Q GDP release is that it will be accepted as a gauge of global growth. This further complicates the issue. Should the reading be good, the influence on risk appetite could outweigh the implications for US returns and actually drag the dollar down; and vice versa.  Another important consideration is the timing of this release. Due Friday, speculators may decide to move the dollar before the data crosses the wires. If this is the case, the GDP report could factor into long-term projections but not short-term volatility. –JK

Written by John Kicklighter, Currency Strategist, Dailyfx.com

$1 Million the Hard Way

Let’s say you want to become a millionaire in five years. If you’re starting from scratch, online millionaire calculators (which return a variety of results given the same inputs) estimate that you’ll need to save anywhere from $13,000 to $15,500 a month and invest it wisely enough to earn an average of 10% a year. That means taking calculated risks, diversifying and avoiding investment fees like loads and broker commissions.

Obviously, in order to regularly save this much money each month, you’ll need to have a fantastic income. At the low end, to meet the $13,000 a month savings goal, you’d probably need to make around $265,000 annually. The specific number will vary considerably depending on your income tax situation, but the point is, it’s high.

According to the salary calculator at PaycheckCity.com, if you make $265,000 a year, are single, claim two exemptions on your federal tax return and live in one of the nine states with no state income tax, you’d take home around $185,000 a year, or about $15,400 a month. Saving $13,000 would leave you with $2,400 a month to meet all your expenses – a perfectly reasonable number for many singles, and even some couples.

If you’re willing to be extremely frugal – let’s say you can get by on a mere $700 a month – will it make a big difference? In this case, not really. You’d still need to make almost $250,000 a year.

If you’re in a committed relationship, however, things get a little easier. You can get away with making around $132,500 a year then, as long as your significant other can make up the difference and is on board with your savings plan. Of course, then you’ll have to share your millionaire status.

$1 Million the Harder Way

$132,500 (or $265,000) might seem attainable (or like pocket change) for some C-level executives, but, according to PayScale.com, the median salary for workers with 20 or more years of experience was a mere $71,578 in July 2009. And it’s still only $125,166 for the average CFO with the same amount of experience. Becoming a millionaire in the short-term, therefore, requires a more ambitious strategy than steadily collecting a well-deserved paycheck.

Alan Corey, author of “A Million Bucks by 30″ (2007), claims to have made a million dollars in seven years while earning a salary that more of us can relate to: $40,000 to $50,000 a year. He happened to put some of the money he saved while living very frugally in New York City in the right place (real estate) at the right time (the expansion of the most recent real-estate bubble). Of course, he also had some of success’s most important personality traits, like determination, a strong work ethic, confidence and a willingness to make some extreme sacrifices.

$1 Million the Easy Way

A short-term plan for creating wealth certainly includes these personality traits, but it often includes factors such as timing, luck, and/or possessing an incredibly valuable idea and knowing how to implement and market it. If you know you’re closer to average, consider a more traditional, more attainable approach.

The longer-term road to wealth involves such time-honored tactics as avoiding consumer debt, diversifying your investments, minimizing your investment fees, tax planning, minimizing housing expenses, and, for two-earner households, living on one income. Putting aside someone’s $40,000 in take-home pay every year and earning that 10% return as described earlier will get you to millionaire status in about 15 years. Halve those savings and you’re still only looking at 20 years.

It will take more work for sure, but it’s a lot faster than 51.

Other related stories:

10 Secrets of Millionaires’ Money Management

Wisdom from Lee Kuan Yew’s Daughter

Investopedia

In fact, as the new rules kick in (most will go into effect nine months after the president signs the bill, while others will kick in as early as 90 days afterward)  and banks start curtailing the abusive practices this legislation reins in, other practices will likely emerge that can hurt consumers just as badly. “The pendulum may have swung in the wrong direction�?, says Dennis Moroney, research director and senior analyst for TowerGroup, a research and advisory-services firm focused exclusively on the financial-services industry. “The banks now have to respond to these changes.�?

You may not like that response. Whether you use your credit cards as a tool to rack up free rewards points or you carry debt that you’re hoping to repay one day, you should watch out for new fees, higher interest rates, less generous rewards and fewer promotional offers. Here’s what you need to know.

In fact, as the new rules kick in (most will go into effect nine months after the president signs the bill, while others will kick in as early as 90 days afterward)  and banks start curtailing the abusive practices this legislation reins in, other practices will likely emerge that can hurt consumers just as badly. “The pendulum may have swung in the wrong direction�?, says Dennis Moroney, research director and senior analyst for TowerGroup, a research and advisory-services firm focused exclusively on the financial-services industry. “The banks now have to respond to these changes.�?

You may not like that response. Whether you use your credit cards as a tool to rack up free rewards points or you carry debt that you’re hoping to repay one day, you should watch out for new fees, higher interest rates, less generous rewards and fewer promotional offers. Here’s what you need to know.

Watch Out for New Kinds of Fees

The new law prohibits over-limit fees (unless the cardholder agrees to allow transactions that exceed their limits). To make up for that lost revenue, banks will likely introduce other fees. “You will see a re-emergence of fees for all kinds of other services,�? says Robert McKinley, founder of CardWeb.com, which provides industry research and analysis. Among the fees cardholders should watch out for: fees for rewards programs and possibly even fees for checking your balance, he says.

Also, expect annual fees to make a comeback, says Moroney. In the 1980s, annual fees were standard, but were dropped as competition among card issuers heated up. Moroney predicts that some issuers will slap annual fees on all their credit cards, while others will tie the fee to spending thresholds, so that only big spenders get a free ride.

What cardholders should do: To protect against unpleasant surprises, examine credit-card statements and change-in-terms letters carefully. For now, card issuers can change terms at any time with 15 days’ notice, but once the new law is in effect, they will have to give 45 days’ notice.

Prepare for Higher Rates

Universal default allows card issuers to hike rates if a cardholder’s credit score drops or if they make late payments on other accounts. Once the new legislation is in place, issuers will lose this powerful risk-management tool. Without the ability to hike rates if a cardholder’s perceived risk level rises, card issuers will just start charging higher rates across the board, says Moroney.

“We’re going back to the kind of marketplace we had in the 1980s,�? McKinley says. “You’ll see interest rates go back to the 19% to 20% range for most people.�? The average variable-rate credit card today charges a 10.79% APR, according to Bankrate.com.

What cardholders should do: To avoid higher interest charges, consumers who carry a balance will have to shop around for lower rates — perhaps in exchange for paying an annual fee, says Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for Consumer Action, a nonprofit education and advocacy organization. Those who pay their balances in full each month shouldn’t be affected, she says. To compare credit-card interest rates on new-card offers, use sites like CreditCards.com, CardRatings.com or CardTrak.com.

The End of Grace Periods?

The new legislation requires card companies to give consumers at least 21 days to pay their bills. But it doesn’t require them to offer a grace period, which isn’t the same as the cardholder’s due date — though the two usually coincide, says Chi Chi Wu, staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center. While the due date designates the day by which a payment must be received for the cardholder to avoid a late-payment fee, the grace period is the time during which the cardholder isn’t charged interest.

McKinley says card issuers may get rid of grace periods altogether, so that cardholders who pay their balances off each month will start paying interest immediately after making a purchase. “The industry has for many years wanted to get rid of the grace period on convenience users,�? he says.

What consumers should do: The only way to avoid interest charges if this happens is to stop using credit cards altogether, says Wu.

Say Goodbye to 0% APR Promotions

Low or 0% introductory APR offers have been a boon to diligent card users who played the balance-transfer game. Banks were able to offer those deals thanks to the card users who made a late payment before the offer expired, triggering the bank’s penalty rate of 20% or more. Now that banks won’t be allowed to increase interest rates on existing balances — and all promotional offers have to last for at least six months — these promotions will likely disappear, McKinley says. At best, consumers with excellent credit may receive introductory rates in the 6% range.

What cardholders should do: If you have a low-APR offer right now, be on your best behavior: Send payments on time and don’t do anything to trigger a penalty rate such as exceeding your credit limit.

Rewards Programs Will Be Less Rewarding

Credit-card companies have already been scaling back on rewards programs. Once the new legislation kicks in and they feel the squeeze of lower revenue from penalty fees and interest charges, they’ll become even less generous. Spending thresholds will likely go up, Moroney says, so you’ll have to spend more to earn miles, points or cash back. Banks may also adopt more stringent rules, such as wiping out your rewards balance if you make a late payment.

What cardholders should do: If you’ve accumulated a sizable amount of miles, points or cash back and worry that your card may scale back its program, it may be smart to redeem your rewards now — while the free lunch is still available.

Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. Adrian Cartwood, 49, author of the blog How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years, made his fortune by living frugally while he built his technology-related business. People often get into trouble, he says, by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings. “Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there,” he says.

Believe that you can do it. Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. He says he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest. “What I found was they all had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful,” he says. Corey says that embracing that level of self-confidence helped him get to the top.

Articulate your vision for success. Jen Smith, author of the Millionaire Mommy Next Door blog, says that the saying, “I want to be rich,” is too vague. Instead, she recommends imagining what your ideal life as a millionaire will look like. Smith offers this example: “I want to have $2,000,000 invested so that I can live off of the interest. Then I will quit my job so that I can volunteer, travel, learn to play tennis and watercolor, and enjoy picnics at the beach with my family.”

Smith’s vision involved becoming financially-free before becoming a parent. She cut out images from magazines of beautiful places she wanted to visit and people doing fun things and put them near her desk to help her keep that vision in mind.

Insure against life’s risks. Bankruptcy is often caused by divorce, a death in the family, or a disability that renders someone unable to work. Conversely, protecting against those risks through insurance protects wealth. In The Quiet Millionaire, financial planner Brett Wilder writes that many people either fail to get adequate insurance or pay too much for it because they don’t understand it.

[For more, read: "7 Killer Insurance Mistakes You're Probably Making."]

Work hard–and you’ll get lucky. In his new book, Think Like a Champion, Donald Trump attributes his success to his hard work, which to outsiders often appears to be luck. But Trump says luck only comes from working hard. “If your work pays off, which it most likely will, people might say you’re just lucky. Maybe so, because you’re lucky enough to have the brains to work hard!” he says. That same concept, of course, was advocated by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. He said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Practice smart budgeting. Smith recommends tracking how much you spend each month, something she does religiously. Every month, she downloads her transactions into a spreadsheet to keep her spending on track. Smith also says that, as prosaic as it sounds, maintaining a good credit score is essential to becoming and staying a millionaire. “A good credit score can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime,” she says.

Do what you love. Sure, a career in finance might come with a hefty annual salary, but you probably won’t excel at something you don’t enjoy. That’s why Corey recommends going into the field that you find yourself reading about in your spare time. He asks, “Do you read fashion magazines? Get a job in fashion. Do you read gossip blogs? Get a job in celebrity-based enterprises. Do you read Car & Driver? ESPN.com? Yahoo Pets Forum?” Even if the field doesn’t seem lucrative, there are ways to make it to the top–something that’s more likely to happen if you love it.

[For more, read: "Juggling Your Money in the Recession."]

Decide how much money you really want. For many people, $1 million won’t be enough. “For most Gen-X and Gen-Yers, retiring with a couple million when they are 65 won’t be anywhere near enough to maintain even an average lifestyle, because that little pup called inflation is constantly nipping at your heels as you try to run towards building your own retirement nest-egg,” says Cartwood. A more reasonable goal might be $3 million– an amount that Cartwood considers the minimum to be a “bare bones millionaire” these days. Consider your ideal lifestyle and what you would like to be able to fund. A mortgage of a certain size? Exotic vacations? College tuition for your children? Having a concrete goal in mind makes it easier to get there, says Cartwood.

Invest against the grain. Corey recommends making investment decisions based on the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing. Right now, for example, stocks are relatively cheap because so many people have sold off shares, which means anyone buying can get them at a discount to their values from a year ago. Corey’s rule of thumb doesn’t just apply to stocks. “Buy a foreclosed house, fill it up with roommates, and you can get a pretty good passive income,” he suggests.

Live below your means. Even Eminem, a celebrity and millionaire, scales back his purchases out of concern for frugality. In February, London’s Independent newspaper reported that as Eminem considered buying a $15,000 watch he liked, he started worrying that he should save his money instead. Eminem reportedly said, “I don’t want to run out of money; I want my daughter to be able to go to college.” And so far, at least, Eminem hasn’t fallen victim to the financial challenges so many other stars, from Aretha Franklin to Annie Leibovitz, have faced.

For more, read: “How to Go Broke Like a Rock Star.”]

On the same note, Smith says that even though she’s a millionaire, no one would know it–and that’s the point. She recommends saving at least 10 to 25 percent of your income. She also suggests avoiding buying “status” items, such as fancy sports cars or mansions. After all, bling doesn’t make a millionaire–and in fact, too much of it can prevent you from ever becoming one.

By: Kimberly Palmer

Here we’ll look at volume, the Aroon indicator and Fibonacci numbers, three technical analysis tools that can be used to help facilitate more profitable trades. In fact, investors can use them in conjunction with each other to spot emerging trends and stay ahead of the crowd. Read on to find out how.

Turn Up the Volume
Volume is defined as the number of shares that trade during a period of time such as an hour, a day, a week or a month. This shows the strength of an upward or downward price move. Generally, low volume occurs when prices move sideways or stay within a trading range, or during market bottoms. Conversely, high volume signals the beginning of a new trend (two or more high or low points) in the stock. High volume also occurs at market tops when there is strong conviction that prices will be moving higher, and can be used to confirm an upward or downward trend. If the stock is moving upward it should have higher volume on the upward moves and less volume on the downward side. Conversely, heavy volume on the downward moves and lower volume on the upward moves points to a downturn. By using volume in conjunction with movements in the stock you can spot the right areas to get into a trade.

Tune in to Aroon
The Aroon indicator can help pinpoint the strength of a trend and the chances that it will continue. Generally investors look for a move above or below zero (the no-trend, or neutral zone) to determine whether a new trend is emerging. A cross above zero indicates an upward trend (an “Aroon up”), while a cross below zero indicates a downward trend (an “Aroon down”). An indication near the zero line with no solid crossovers up or down indicates that the stock could continue to consolidate for a while until a direction is confirmed. The Aroon indicator can help uncover an emerging trend and enable you to take profits or protect yourself from losses.

Fibonacci Retracement
Fibonacci numbers or studies are a series of numbers in which the following number is the sum of the two previous numbers, such as 1,1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 and 233. You can use these numbers in trading in conjunction with support (the price where the stock has stopped falling in the past) and resistance levels (the price where prices have stopped rising previously).

After a significant move up or down, the stock will usually retrace its movement by a certain percentage. During these movements, investors can use the Fibonacci number to see if a stock is going to touch a support or resistance level and bounce off. If it does, this signals that the stock is going to resume its original direction, either up or down. If the stock breaks that level, the investor looks to the next area of resistance or support to see if that is the point where the stock will resume its original move.

As general rule, Fibonacci numbers should be used in conjunction with support and resistance levels to confirm whether the stock has bottomed out or stopped rising at these points.

Putting It All Together
Using volume, Aroon and Fibonacci indicators together can help investors pinpoint whether a stock is likely to move up or down. Volume signals enthusiasm or fear, and whether the stock will continue to move higher, trend lower, top out or hit bottom. The Aroon indicator shows whether a stock is beginning a new trend or staying in a trading range, while the Fibonacci number will signal whether the stock has hit areas of strong support or resistance. While no one indicator is more important than the other, using the combination of all three can provide clues about a stock’s overall directions.

By: Chris Seabury