Thursday, June 25, 2015

5 Easy Steps to Increase Stock Trading Profits

Being an investor, your primary objective is to earn profits. Whatever the form of your trade – day, momentum, short-term or long-term - making higher profits from each trade is an important goal. The higher the returns on each trade, the higher the rise of your net earnings.

Professional traders boast 80-95% success rates on each trade. Retail traders on the other hand enjoy a success rate of 50% or lower. This means that often their profits are soon lost, and this change prevents them from earning as much as professional traders in terms of Rate of Investment. 

However, with consistent success, retail traders’ profits grow, ROI improves and capital bases rise. The more funds you have at your disposal, the more opportunities you will find to trade and the lower the trades will go. To help you to do that, here are 5 tips on how to improve stock trading profits:

1. Study charts: Developing your trading skill depends much on studying charts and reading indicators. Instead of focusing on the profit, focus on the stocks you are going to trade. Improving your technical skills will improve your chances of getting higher returns.

2. Wait after the market closes: Wait 20-30 minutes after the market closes to make sure that all of the solidified ticker data is in the charts. Waiting allows you to obtain all the data from the daily trading activity. 

Since there are now over 50 Dark Pool Alternative Trading System venues, dozens of Electronic Communication Networks, over a dozen stock exchanges and many other Over The Counter platforms, it takes time for every order to pass through the National Clearing Houses, be recorded, documented and transfer of title even if the transaction took place on the High Frequency Trading millisecond. 

All of this means you should wait after the market closes to improve your chances of getting higher returns.

3. Observe the market condition: Being unable to find suitable stocks might make your regular trading strategies desolate. One of the main reasons retail traders suffer losses is because they try to force the market to trade their way. Instead, be adaptable and learn to go with the flow of the market.

4. Practice intermediate-term trading: Weak stock indicators result in the trade being weak as well. Learn to trade not only in the short-term, but in the intermediate-term as well. 

Many traders suffer losses due to the intermediate-term affecting the prices in the short-term trading. Learning to trade in both terms improve your chances of generating higher returns.

5. Identify actively trading Market Participant Groups: There are 9 distinct MPGs. Each have their own specific order processing system and venue, types, size of lot order and trades at specific times of the day or specific market conditions. 

When you know the Group you are trading, you can identify how price moves, volume behavior and lot sizes of the Group.

Every trader should know these basic pieces of information. Dream big, and following these simple guidelines will see you generate higher and higher returns.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Top 5 Government Programs to Assist Veterans Financially

As a thank you for their service and dedication to excellence as a member of the military, the United States government maintains a number of different programs that offer financial assistance to veterans. Whether the assistance be for college, housing or for simple necessities, military veterans deserve as much help as they can get.
The following five government programs offer extensive financial assistance to military veterans who are in various stages of life.


1. Federal Student Aid from the Department of Education


Veterans and current military members who are seeking a college degree can receive financial assistance from the Department of Education.

Veterans are eligible for a variety of levels of benefits depending on how long they served and whether or not they are currently active. In a large number of cases, veterans are eligible for full college benefits meaning that the Department of Education and the Department of Defense will pay for their entire college education in full.

Those who might not be eligible for enough military grants to cover their college education can apply for specialized college loans that are deferred and offer significantly reduced interest rates when compared to other types of loans. 



2. VA Home Loans


VA home loans are perfect for military veterans and their families who wish to purchase a home.

VA home loans from institutions like Low VA Rates are specialty loans that are insured by the federal government. Unlike other federal mortgage insurance programs, these loans often require little to no down payment, and borrowers don't have to purchase mortgage insurance as part of the process.

The Office of Veterans Affairs can assist with getting these types of loans and with other financial issues that veterans experience after being discharged from the military. 



3. Local Property Tax Offices

Injuries incurred by service members are cover...

While many veterans may not be aware of this, anyone who has served in the military is eligible to receive property tax exemptions. 



These types of exemptions are for veterans who own homes in certain county jurisdictions across the United States. To take advantage of this exemption, veterans need to contact tax assessor's office and file a property tax exemption form. Veterans who are disabled are eligible to receive an increased exemption amount based on their property value and annual income. 


4. Blind Annuity


Veterans who have become legally blind are eligible for yearly financial assistance of up to $1,100.

To qualify for this financial assistance, veterans must have served at least 90 days in the military beyond their specified training period. Most counties across the country currently offer one similar to the program that is being run by the County of Albany in New York



5. Veteran & Dependent Burial Benefits


The National Cemetery Administration assists veterans and their families with the cost of funerals and other expenses that occur when a loved one passes away.

From burial allowance to headstones, burial flags and more, veterans can sign up for these services early on in life to help them prepare for the future.

The United States government provides billions of dollars every year to veterans who are in need. From buying a home to seeing a doctor and attending college, veterans have a number of options to choose from for financial assistance on a lifelong basis after they've been discharged from the military.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

How to Reduce Your Mortgage Payment Significantly

Imagine finally saving up enough money to make a down payment on your first new home and when you finally get the rates for your mortgage you are stunned. They are higher than you ever thought possible and are already considering whether or not you can even afford them. 

When purchasing a home, you start with a set mortgage rate. In the beginning, the majority of your payment goes towards interest but as you reach the end of your loan the payments being made are the principal. If you feel as though your mortgage rate is too high, there are several ways to lower it.


Pay Off 20% of Your Home


If you have purchased your house with less than a 20% down payment, you are paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). This can tack on thousands of extra dollars every year. 

After you have reached the point where you own 20 or more percent of your home, contact the bank. They will look at your loan and drop this PMI. Be aware that this is not something that happens automatically and you might have to be proactive to save this money.


Extend the Life of Your Loan


Shorter 15 or 20-year mortgages come with a higher monthly payment. Refinancing to a conventional 30-year mortgage will help to make your monthly payment fall dramatically. One factor to be aware of when choosing this method to reduce your payment is that your interest rates will go up. You can, however, pay more than the monthly payment to get rid of your interest quicker.


Pay Your Mortgage Insurance at the Start of the Year


When your mortgage insurance is added on to your monthly payment, it can be a significant amount of cash. Instead of paying the same amount each month for many years, ask your lender about paying it all or part of it off at the time of closing. When you pay it off all at once, you are not going to be stuck paying the same amount each month until it is naturally paid off. This will result in a substantial amount of savings.


Explore Your Homeowner's Insurance


Every once and a while you should be exploring your options for homeowner's insurance. What was the lowest rate when you purchased the home may not be the lowest rate available to you now. Take some time and explore different providers. 

Request free quotes and see if you can get your insurance cheaper. When insurance is escrowed into your monthly payment, a lower insurance cost will be noticeable when you pay your mortgage bill every month.

No matter what you are doing with your mortgage, you should never just sit and pay the same amount year after year. Explore new options and potential ways to save on your monthly bill on a regular basis as there are many options for individuals to make changes. Talk to the bank and loan providers to discover ways to lower your cost.

Monday, June 22, 2015

The Appearence Of The Workspace Affects Productivity



When it comes to efficiency of employees, you have got to find many different and creative ways to improve it, which could be a fairly difficult task sometimes. There are various factors that affect their morale and mood, hence their will to do the job properly and offer nothing but the best results. 

So, you actually have to keep doing something about it all the time and constantly make changes, since the dull routine is a really horrible thing, in business at least. However, there is one essential thing that does not require consistent attention and it is the workspace. 


The appearance of the workspace can significantly boost the performance of everyone in the office and if you manage to thoroughly design it only once in order for it to be splendid, you will not have to think about it for a long time, and it will be a crucial part of your company's success.


Don't believe it?


This article is here to prove the enormous impact the looks of the workspace has on people who spend a lot of time in it and their ability to stay focused and productive, so let us start with some obvious stuff that can be done easily. 

The first thing that is to be taken in consideration is the lighting. If the lighting is bad, it can be tiring for your eyes, cause headaches and fatigue or even depression, and make people lose their inspiration; so, make sure to do this right and right away and do not be one of those who completely overlook this issue. 

For example, you should buy natural light bulbs and make use of natural light whenever you can, therefore keep windows and doors open during daytime, and use lamps occasionally, in case it gets cloudy outside.

The next thing you should take care of are chairs and tables. Aim to please all of your employees and yourself, naturally, so get furniture that is fully adjustable to everyone's needs, that is suitable in every possible way and, of course, it is a must that you have enough space to stretch. 

In addition to these things that physically burden employees, there are a lot of those that mentally affect, as well. For instance, many carefully chosen ornaments and the color of the walls can be remarkably helpful. When painting the walls, always pick a relaxing color, such as green, but avoid those that have a negative effect on people, such as blue or gray. 



Of course, keep in mind that too much of anything is bad in this case, so add variations, such as items in diverse colors, from seemingly insignificant postcards and magazine cutouts to interesting and cheerful pictures.

Other than these, you should get more mesmerizing decorations - beautiful Sydney rugs, compelling flowers and plants or colorful cabinets. On top of all, there is a thing that many people neglect, but it is unbelievably significant and common sense. 

Namely, the office has to be clean at all times, otherwise there will be many unwanted distractions, and since this can be achieved effortlessly, there is absolutely no reason to spend about 10 minutes on a daily basis and get rid of the clutter. This way, you will most likely get rid of all unpleasant odors, too, which is rather important, because no one feels comfortable in a smelly workspace. 

Also, it is advised to get air-fresheners with the scent of pine, lemon or lavender. The last but not the least is the fact that the room temperature and noise level are to be kept at normal levels or the employees will not be pleased at all.

Believe it or not, numerous studies have proven that all of these things can increase the productivity up to 20%, which means they have an enormous impact, so what are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves and start renovating your workspace as soon as possible and the positive results will appear in no time! 

Also, be aware that this is not reserved for large companies and huge offices only, but is of a great important for home-based businesses, as well, so, if your house is also your place of work you ought to redesign it as soon as possible.


Join 1000's of People Following 50 Plus Finance
Real Time Web Analytics