Intro4u2u

There are many markets: markets for stocks, futures, options and currencies. These are probably the most accessible markets for everyday traders like you and I. People easily understand the basics of trading shares. I began trading shares first and then I moved on to trading currencies.

If you do not know a lot about currency trading, allow me to introduce it to you. It is what I trade and I believe that it is one of the best markets to trade because of its efficiency. The transaction costs to execute a trade are minimal and most brokers provide you with the tools and data you need to make your trading decisions, they usually provide them for free. The market is open 24 hours a day which allows you to design your trading hours around your daily commitments. It is very volatile, which is great for those people who are looking for day-trading opportunities.

The foreign exchange market is the market in which currencies are bought and sold against one another. People may loosely refer to this market under different labels, including foreign exchange market, forex market, fx market or the currency market.

The foreign exchange market is the largest market in the world, with daily trading volumes in excess of $1.5 trillion US dollars. All transactions involving international trade and investment must go through this market because these transactions involve the exchange of currencies.

It is the most perfect market that exists because it has a large number of buyers and sellers all selling the same products. There is a free flow of information and there are little barriers to participate.

The currency exchange market is an over-the-counter (OTC) market which means that there is not one specific location where buyers and sellers can actually meet to exchange currencies. Instead, transactions are conducted by phone, fax, e-mail or through the websites of brokers who specialize in currency trading.

The major dealing centres at the time of writing are: London , with about 30% of the market, New York , with 20%, Tokyo , with 12%, Zurich , Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Singapore , with about 7% each, followed by Paris and Sydney with 3% each. Because of the fact that these centres are all over the world, foreign exchange traders can execute transactions 24 hours a day. The market only closes on the weekends.

THE MAIN ?PLAYERS’ IN THE FOREX MARKET

The five broad categories of participants are: consumers, businesses, investors, speculators, commercial banks, investment banks and central banks.

Consumers, including visitors of countries, tourists and immigrants, do need to exchange currencies when they travel so that they can buy local goods and services. These participants do not have the power to set prices. They just buy and sell according to the prevailing exchange rate. They make up a significant proportion of the volume being traded in the market.

Businesses that import and export goods and services need to exchange currencies to receive or make payments for goods they may have bought or services they may have rendered.

Investors and speculators require currencies to buy and sell investment instruments such as shares, bonds, bank deposits or real estate.

Large commercial and investment banks are the ?price makers’. They are the ones who buy and sell currencies at the bid-and-offer exchange rates that they declare through their foreign exchange dealers.

Commercial banks deal with customers on one hand, and with the Interbank or other banks, on the other hand. They profit by utilizing the bid-and-offer spread. The bid price is the exchange rate that the buyer is willing to buy and the offer price is the exchange rate at which the seller is willing to sell. The difference is called the bid-offer spread. They also make profits from speculating about whether the exchange rate will rise or fall.

Central banks participate in the foreign exchange market in their effective duty as banks for their particular government. They trade currencies not for the intention of making profits but rather to facilitate government monetary policies and to help smoothen out the fluctuation of the value of their economy’s currency.

WHAT CURRENCIES TO TRADE IN THE FOREX MARKET

You can trade any country’s currency by exchanging it to another country’s currency, however the list below are the ones that are the most popular and are usually made available by most online brokers for you to trade.

AUD (A$): Australian Dollar a.k.a. ?Aussie’ or ?Oz’

CAD (Can$): Canadian Dollar

CHF (SwF):Switzerland Franc a.k.a ?Swissi’

DKK (Dkr): Denmark Krone

EUR (?): European Dollar a.k.a ?Euro’

GBP (?) : Great Britain Pound a.k.a ? Sterling ‘ or ?Cable’

HKD (HK$ ): Hong Kong Dollar

JPY (?): Japanese Yen

MXN (Mex$): Mexican Peso

NOK (NKr): Norway Krone

NZD (NZ$): New Zealand Dollar a.k.a ?Kiwi’

PLN (z dashed l): Poland Zloty

SAR (SRls): Saudi Arabia Riyal

SEK (kr or Sk): Sweden Krona

SGD (S$): Singapore Dollar

THB (Bht or Bt): Thailand Bhat

USD ($): United States Dollar

ZAR (R): South Africa Rand

CURRENCY PAIRS

To trade the currencies above, you need to trade currency pairs. Think of these currency pairs as your trading instruments ? instruments that you can buy or sell. Listed below are the most popular currency pairs that people trade:

1. AUD/JPY: Australian Dollar ? Japanese Yen

2. AUD/USD: Australian Dollar ? US Dollar

3. EUR/CHF: European Dollar ? Switzerland Frank

4. EUR/GBP: European Dollar ? Great Britain Pound

5. EUR/USD: European Dollar ? US Dollar

6. EUR/JPY: European Dollar ? Japanese Yen

7. GBP/CHF: Great Britain Pound ? Switzerland Frank

8. GBP/USD: Great Britain Pound ? US Dollar

9. USD/CAD: US Dollar ? Canadian Dollar

10. USD/CHF: US Dollar ? Switzerland Frank

The currencies on the left can be exchanged for the currencies on the right.

_____________

This is an excerpt, modified from the book: The Part-Time Currency Trader, featuring examples of how to trade these currency pairs.

Tips

TIP 1 Read both the books by Mark Douglas which cover trading psychology BEFORE you read or do anything else. If you don’t, I’ll say I told you so when you hit a failure barrier and don’t know why.

TIP 2 Stop loss policy – you MUST have one and practice, more practice and even more practice at sticking to it. It will not be easy but it is an essential discipline to profitable trading.

TIP 3 Trading plan / system. Again, you MUST have one! Then you must practice sticking to it. Do not try and second guess or trade against your indicators – wait until they give you a concise signal before acting on it.

TIP 4 TRADE WITH THE TREND. DO NOT trade against the hourly trend of the market unless you are VERY certain the market has turned. Check this by watching a long term moving average (say 80 SMA on 15 minute chart)

TIP 5 Learn to sit on your hands and not trade! It’s better to wait for good quality trades than take a mediocre one and loose money. A day of no trades is better than a day with one loosing one. If you don’t like the market, just walk away. It will always be there later.

TIP 6 Don’t set yourself false targets and expectations. Trading is not an EXACT science and if you do you will only become frustrated by your failure to meet them. Take what the market gives and be satisfied. Greed will kill you as a trader, both mentally and monetarily. .

TIP 7 The market is rarely your friend in a trade that goes against you. Cut your losses quickly and accept them as an inherent part of trading. You will not be able to trade without some loosing positions. Manage them well!

TIP 8 Try hard not to get out of profitable trades too early. Try operating a trailing stoploss of say 15 to 20 pips behind the trade (on 5 minute timeframe) and maximise your good trades by letting them run. Be patient!

TIP 9 Ensure you fully understand how to generate and use pivot points and camarilla points on your trading platform. These are crucial decision points for daily trading and you will struggle without them.

TIP 10 DO NOT overtrade your account. Read up on money management in trading to make sure you fully understand why this is important and develop a strategy which fits with your personal trading capital. NEVER risk wiping out your account because believe me, it can happen. I’ve done it twice myself!

TIP 11 Learn about FIBONACCI levels and how to apply them to your charts.

TIP 12 Keep your trading system simple. Do not have too much information on your trading screen. It is unnecessary and will only cause you to be confused and delay you making your trading decisions.

TIP 13 Always think in terms of probabilities. Trading is all about thinking in probabilities NOT certainties. You can make all the “right” decisions and the trade still goes against you. This does not make it a “wrong” trade, just one of the many trades you will take which, through probability, are on the “loosing” side of your trading plan. Don’t expect not to have negative trades – they are a necessary part of the plan and cannot be avoided.

TIP 14 Ensure that the candle is fully formed on the timeframe you are trading BEFORE you enter your trade. Trade what you see, not what you would like to see.

Forex? What is it, anyway?

The market

The currency trading (FOREX) market is the biggest and the fastest growing market on earth. Its daily turnover is more than 2.5 trillion dollars, which is 100 times greater than the NASDAQ daily turnover. (click here to read full market background by Easy-Forexâ„¢).

Markets are places to trade goods. The same goes with FOREX. The Forex goods (or merchandise) are the currencies of various countries. You buy Euro, paying with US dollars, or you sell Japanese Yens for Canadian dollars. That’s all.

How does one profit in Forex?

Very simple and obvious: buy cheap and sell for more! The profit is generated from the fluctuations (changes) in the currency exchange market.

The nice thing about the FOREX market, is that regular daily fluctuations, say – around 1%, are multiplied by 100! (in general, Easy-Forexâ„¢ offers trading ratios from 1:50 to 1:200). If, for example, the exchange rate of “your” pair of currencies increased by 0.6% in the last 4 hours, your profit will be 60% on your investment! Such can happen in one business day, or in a few hours, even minutes.

Moreover, you cannot lose more than your “margin”! You may profit unlimited amounts, but you never lose more than what you initially risked and invested.

You can implement your choice (the pair of currencies, the volume amount) under any direction to which the market is moving, and yet make profit. It does not matter whether the exchange rate is going up or down: you can always decide to buy Euro and sell dollar, or vice versa – buy dollar and sell Euro. You don’t have to physically possess certain currencies in order to perform “buy” or “sell” with them.

How do I start?

Register (Easy-Forexâ„¢ offers the simplest and quickest registration process, no obligation); deposit your first trading “margin” amount (credit cards are welcome, only by Easy-Forexâ„¢); start trading.

It can’t be simpler or easier than that. Need help? We’ll provide you with 1-on-1 training and service, as much as necessary (Easy-Forexâ„¢ offers real people service, live, in your own language).

How do I trade Forex?

You select the pair of currencies with which you wish to make a Forex deal. You determine the volume (the amount of the deal). You deposit the “margin” (collateral needed to facilitate the deal. Usually – only a very small portion of the whole deal, say: 1% or 1:100).

Before you finally activate the deal, you can still “freeze” it for a few seconds. That enables you to either change the terms, or accept it as is, or altogether regret the whole idea. The “freeze” feature is a unique service by Easy-Forexâ„¢.

When your Forex deal is running (you hold an “open position”), you can monitor its status and check scenarios online, whenever you wish. You may change some terms in the deal, or close it (and cash the profit, if any, or minimize the loss, if any). Moreover, Easy-Forexâ„¢ lets you determine a “take-profit” rate, with which the deal will close automatically for you, when and if such rate occurs in the market. Meaning: you do not have to stay near your computer when you hold open positions.

Forex Opportunities
Over the last few decades the foreign exchange or the forex market has become the world’s largest financial market, with over US$3 trillion traded daily. The trading is part of the bank-to-bank currency market and known as the 24-hour interbank market. As the trading literally follows the Sun around the world, moving from markets of the United States to Australia, New Zealand, Far East, Europe the forex opportunity is therefore beyond imagination!

Automated and Managed Forex Accounts
An automated managed forex account allows you to trade professionally when your investments are managed by a single or group of experienced brokers or automated system with a limited power of attorney agreement.

Phoenix Media Group Releases Foreign Currency Exchange Site Forex-Rates.biz
Phoenix Media Group has just released its latest website directed at the forex trading market. Their latest offering, www.forex-rates.biz, is a free site that tracks values of 48 different currencies, for a grand total of 2,304 total currency pairs.

Facilities Offered In Forex Market
Forex trading market is the huge market where, huge number of financial transaction takes place for different kinds of foreign currencies. Forex market enables the customers of the foreign currencies to know about the foreign currency exchange rates. Since more number of financial transaction takes place in foreign exchange market, the buyers and sellers of foreign exchange market. Forex market is nothing but, exchanging of foreign currency for a foreign exchange rates. Foreign trading system should be known to the customers of the forex trading market in a defined manner. Forex rates are not fixed and it finds to be fluctuating always.

The Big Business Of Forex Online Trading
The daily transactions on the Forex, or foreign exchange markets, are so vast that they dwarf the total amount of money invested in stock markets across the globe. With over two trillion dollars in daily volume, the Forex is the most significant of the global monetary marketplaces

Forex Converters – Trading currencies in the FOREX market
Forex trading is becomes more popular with traders as time goes by. In the simplest terms, Forex trading is the buying of one currency and the selling of another. Forex brokerages offer a convenient gateway to the foreign exchange trading by giving access to the biggest financial market in the world. Forex trading is always done in currency pairs, and Forex brokers around the world access money indices via currency converters and online platforms with rates given in real time. Forex brokers usually have relationships with a large network of worldwide banks and international money services. In the market of currency exchange, the value of major currencies change continually, with investors hoping to make a profit from the purchase of st…

Currency Trading For Dummies® Authored by FOREX.com / GAIN Capital in Response to Widespread Interest from Retail Traders
Daily volume of retail FOREX traders now estimated at us $60 billion; an increase of 500% from 2001(**).

Do you Forex?
Forex

Forex E-Book Of Trading Strategies
With Forex trading, you can be in charge of your finances. It has the reputation for being the largest market in the world, and the cost at the beginning is also low. This industry is tuned to several billions of dollars, and there is the opportunity to earn a lot of money by a few hours. All one needs to do this, is the determination and an Internet connection.

Mobile Software for Trading the Forex
Forex Mobile Trading is a unique service that has been developed to allow the investors and traders worldwide to trade and manage their accounts from anywhere in the world using their mobile handsets or PDAs. Forex mobile trading software works with the same efficiency as any other automated forex trading stations.

Auto Trading with Mini Forex Accounts
An auto trade mini forex account uses the same trading platform as any other regular automated forex trading account. The only major difference is the account size, which is much small than a standard account. You can open up a mini forex trading account with as low as $50. Auto trade mini forex account can be a great option for you if you are a new investor in the forex trading market. Internet based auto trading has revolutionized and intensified the advantages of operating a mini forex account by many fold.

Forex Trading Not Only For Banks and Investment Houses
Forex trading online is a booming business and a lot of people make a good living from it. Forex trading is a very interesting business idea, simply because it allows people from all over the world the chance to trade and strike it rich in a market that has enormous liquidity. Forex trading is a serious business and it is vitally important that you gain proper education, before committing your hard earned money to the markets.

Metro Forex Ranked No. 1 by Currency Trader Magazine
Metro Forex, a forex managed account program of Tri Global FX, was ranked #1 by Currency Trader Magazine in August 2007 for programs managing between $1 million and $10 million.

Choosing A Broker – Your First Step To Forex Sucess
As the online Forex trading market becomes increasingly saturated and the choice of brokers becomes wider, the decision of which broker to run with becomes increasingly important for the trader. Although the majority of brokers provide the same basic trading platform, there can be a vast difference in what they offer their clients, both in terms of trading conditions as well as customer support. By simply visiting a company’s homepage it may be hard to separate the second-rate firms from the professionals, therefore this article will examine the main parameters that should be taken into consideration before creating an account and depositing.

Enrolment Of Beginners In Forex
Foreign exchange market becomes new market for the people who are engaged in the activity of foreign exchange. Generally, large number of people enters the foreign exchange market at their interest and particularly more number of beginner?s investors finds it difficult to enter the market. Foreign exchange market is a peculiar market, where more innovative things happen daily. When a person enters the forex trading, he is required to understand the various terms, procedures and other strategies required for trading. Forex trading is offered as per the customer requirement and to facilitate the investors, new innovations are been found out. Even online forex trading has been offered to the investors and the investors can also make their fore…

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Forex Versus Futures Market – What Is The Difference
Today’s market takes root in the agriculture markets of the 19th century, when farmers began to sell contracts to deliver their crops at a later date. This was done to anticipate the needs of the market and stabilize supply and demand during poor crop seasons. Like goods and services, the contracts themselves soon became seen as valuable. A grocery store chain, for example, might want to bid on such a contract to ensure that they, and not their competitors, have fresh strawberries during the winter.

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Eliminating Risks of FOREX Investing
It is quite unwise to remain under the notion that FOREX trading is free of risks; just as some websites would have you believe. If you are going to trade in heavy sums of money, chances are that the trades will work in your disfavor. But, a wise investor will know exactly how to identify and avoid those risks. Such an investor could make great profits at the FOREX.

What Are FOREX Brokers?
When we talk of any money transactions like those pertaining to the stock exchange, one hears a lot about brokers. FOREX traders are known to use brokers to carry out their transactions for them. So how would one define a broker? In the true sense of the word, a broker is a person or a company that a prospective investor trusts to buy and sell as per his decisions. He then pays the broker a commission which is how the brokers earn their money. A fund for margin trading necessitates the FOREX broker to be connected with big financial institution like banks. As protection against fraud and abusive trade practices a broker should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant or FCM with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or CFTC.

A New Way to Trade Forex Via Any Internet Device — ForexWebTrader.com
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Trading Forex? What’s That?
Foreign exchange (FOREX) trading, simply put, is the concurrent buying and trading of different worldwide currencies. Established in 1971 as an interbank, interdealer market, it has grown into the single largest financial market in the world at trades of roughly $2 trillion per day.

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The Forex market is often more appealing to people that like to live on the edge. There is more uncertainty by far and the rewards of knowing when to buy and sell can be immense.

Foreign Exchange Trading as a Home-Based Business
The foreign exchange trading community has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years as more and more investors are finding the incredible financial potential. It is regulated by the investor and is open 24 hours a day for business. In fact, forex trading has become so popular today that many investors are creating home-based businesses exclusively around this market. There is relatively little headache and hassle involved with the process and can also be executed from home with a personal computer and an internet connection.

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Trading the Online Forex market has many advantages over other fiscal markets, among the most significant are: better liquidity, 24hrs online market, superior execution, and many others. Traders and investor see the Forex market as a fresh speculation or expanding chances because of above mentioned benefits. Does this mean that it is quite simple to earn money trading the Forex Market? Not at all?!

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Forex investing is now accessible to all. FinanzasForex is a new forex trading system that offers everybody the opportunity to invest in the currencies market.

What Is Foreign Exchange?

The Foreign Exchange trading market, also referred to as the “Forex” market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average turnover of approximately US$1.3 trillion. Forex is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another. The world’s currencies are on a floating exchange rate and are always traded in pairs, for example EURO/USD or USD/CHF.

Who Are The Participants In The FX Market?

The Forex market is called an ‘Interbank’ market due to the fact that historically it has been dominated by banks, including central banks, commercial banks, and investment banks. However, the percentage of other market participants is rapidly growing, and now includes large multinational corporations, global money managers, registered dealers, international money brokers, futures and options traders, and private speculators.

What Is Margin?

Margin is required collateral for taking a forex trading position. It allows traders to take on leveraged positions with a fraction of the equity necessary to fund the trade. In the forex market leverage ranges from 1% to 2%, giving investors the high leverage needed to trade actively whereas equity market only provides leverage of 50% (double the buying power).

What Are Commissions And Fees charged By MoneyForex?

Unlike many other forex brokers, MoneyForex does not charge any commission in executing a forex trading order. We are a market maker and our major revenue is generated from the spread from currency traded; usually 3 to 5 pips. There is a small cost of holding positions overnight. Please see interest page.

What Does It Mean Have A ‘Long’ Or ‘Short’ Position?

A long position is one in which a forex trader buys a currency at one price and aims to sell it later at a higher price; the investor is benefiting from a rising market. A short position is one in which the trader sells a currency in anticipation that it will depreciate; the investor is benefiting from a declining market. The risk of having either long or short position will be the same.

How Do I Manage Risk?

The most common risk management tools in forex online trading are the limit order and the stop loss order. A limit order places restriction on the maximum price to be paid or the minimum price to be received. A stop loss order ensures a particular position is automatically liquidated at a predetermined price in order to limit potential losses should the market move against an investor’s position. The liquidity of the Forex market ensures that limit order and stop loss orders can be easily executed. Please see Risk Statement.

Open Account FAQ

If I fund the account with Multiple Sources (E-Gold, Credit Card or Bank Wire) can I withdraw to any sources as well?

For multiple deposits from different sources, it depends on the deposit amount as there are investors who abuse the system where they treat MoneyForex as digital currency exchanger. Traders are not allow to deposit using one source and withdrawal using different sources other than bank wire transfer. Our system is very efficient where we can track all incoming deposits. For example, if a trader deposits $5000 via e-gold and $1000 via credit card, he/she can only withdraw $5000 plus the profit via e-gold and $1000 plus the profit via credit card or bank wire for both. Bank wire is the default method for withdrawing. MoneyForex reserved the right to fund withdrawal via Bank wire other than using money processors. For bank wire transfer, MoneyForex do not charge any fee. The Bank will charge a minimum wire transfer fee of $40 and up depending on the destination and wire amount.

Does this mean I can withdraw fund via wire transfer if my deposit is via money processors such as credit card, e-gold, e-bullion?

Yes except for Credit Card depositors. Account holders who deposit via Credit Card can withdraw fund by only funding it back to the Credit Card account unless the deposit is made for more than 180 days. The reason for 180 days is because of the security rules with Credit Card company. Any deposit that is less than 180 days has to withdraw via funding back to credit card unless management approval. The 180 days period does not apply to e-gold and e-bullion depositors.

Is MoneyForex Trading system adhering to Islamic Shariah Law?

Yes. MoneyForex offers Islamic Forex and CFDs trading account upon request. The account will be set up as interest free and Forex & CFDs trading account. Please notify us during submitting of your application so that we will place your account under the Islamic Shariah Law account. Please click here for Islamic Forex Trading complete information.

For standard cost of carry or premium charges, please click here.

For more open account FAQ, please click here.

TRADING FAQ

What Is Limit Order?

A limit order is an order with restrictions on the maximum price to be paid or the minimum price to be received. As an example, if the current price of USD/YEN is 112.00/05, then a limit order to buy USD would be at a price below 112.05. (ie 111.50).

What Is A Stop Loss Order?

A stop loss order is an order type whereby an open online forex trading position is automatically liquidated at a specific price. As an example, if an investor is long USD/YEN at 112.35, they might wish to put in a stop loss order for 111.75, which would limit losses should the dollar depreciate, possibly below 111.75.

What Is A Position Order?

Position orders are directly related to individual positions. These forex currency trading orders are only active for as long as the position remains open and can be a stop loss or limit order.

Can I Place A Trade Via E-Mail?

No. We do not accept trades via email. You may place a trade online or by calling our 24-hour dealing desk.

What Is Margin?

Margin is essentially collateral for a position. It allows forex traders to take on leveraged positions with a fraction of the equity necessary to fund the trade. In the equity markets, the usual margin allowed is 50%, which means an investor has double the buying power. In the forex market leverage ranges from 1% to 2%, giving investors the high leverage needed to trade actively.

What Does It Mean Have A ‘Long’ Or ‘Short’ Position?

In trading parlance, a long position is one in which a trader buys a currency at one price and aims to sell it later at a higher price. In this scenario, the investor benefits from a rising market. A short position is one in which the trader sells a currency in anticipation that it will depreciate. In this scenario, the investor benefits from a declining market. However, it is important to remember that every FX position requires an investor to go long in one currency and short the other.

Aside from technical analysis, another primary approach to analyzing currency market fluctuations is called fundamental analysis. Fundamental analysis is the examination of economic indicators, asset markets and political considerations when evaluating a nation’s currency in terms of another. The key to fundamental analysis is to gather and interpret this information and act before the information is incorporated into the currency price. The lag time between an event and its resulting market response presents a trading opportunity for the fundamentalist.

Here some major fundamental factors that can affect currency prices:

1. Decisions on interest rates made by central banks such as the US Federal Reserve or the European Central bank (ECB) monthly.
2. Quarterly GDP figures. Only preliminary national GDP figures generally have the effect of changing market sentiment.
3. Market sentiment data. Market expectations are formed from one week to two days before the event. Participants become well positioned based on expectations. If the figures are not a surprise, profit taking is often the only result.
4. Political Events. National elections, the September 11th attacks, and the war in Iraq are examples of events that have affected currency values.
5. Major indices. Inflation indices, Institute of Supply Management (ISM) in the US and the Purchasing Management Index (PMI) in Europe are also carefully followed by traders.
6. National industrial production figures.
7. US nonfarm payrolls (indicating new jobs created), Michigan sentiment figures in the US, the western German business climate or IFO index, and the Tankan quarterly survey in Japan.

There are times that governments through their Central Banks stand in the way of market forces impacting their currencies, and hence, intervene to keep currencies from deviating markedly from undesired levels. Currency interventions have a notable and oftentimes temporary impact on FX markets. A central bank could undertake unilateral purchases/sales of its currency against another currency; or engage in concerted intervention in which it collaborates with other central banks for a much more pronounced effect. Alternatively, some countries can manage to move their currencies, merely by hinting, or threatening to intervene.
Central Banks
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System     Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(http://www.federalreserve.gov/)
Bank Of England     Bank Of England
(http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/)
European Central Bank     European Central Bank
(http://www.ecb.int/)
Bank Of Japan     Bank Of Japan
(http://www.boj.or.jp/en/index.htm)
Reserve Bank Of Australia     Reserve Bank Of Australia
(http://www.rba.gov.au/)
Banque de France     Banque de France
(http://www.banque-france.fr/gb/home.htm)
Bank Of Canada     Bank Of Canada
(http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/)
Deutsche Bundesbank     Deutsche Bundesbank
(http://www.bundesbank.de/index.en.php)
Swiss National Bank     Swiss National Bank
(http://www.snb.ch/e/index3.html)

Most of us have goals for the future and reaching them likely depends on how smart we are with our money today. Chances are you aren’t independently wealthy, so making your dreams a reality will take serious planning and smart investing. Investing is all about saving your money and making it grow. An investment is simply a place into which you “park” your money in order to earn a return or profit (i.e. investment income). Typical investments include stocks, mutual funds, bonds and GICs.

Whether your personal goal is a college education, starting your own business or even backpacking for 3 months in Europe, the sooner you begin planning, the better your chances of success.

s you’ve probably learned over the years, dealing with money is a big responsibility. At Canada’s banks, we know that dealing with a person’s money is serious business. We want you to know that all banks have obligations to you: that your money is safe and secure; all personal information is handled in a confidential and professional manner; and your freedom of choice is respected.

At the same time, you have a big part to play. People must also take responsibility for their own actions and act with a lot of common sense when it comes to handling cash, credit and debit. As a banking consumer, there are things you can do and precautions you can take to protect yourself and your money. We’ve offered tips on protecting your money, credit and debit cards against fraud and misuse. Read on and you’ll see exactly what we mean.

1. Review your monthly bank statements or bankbooks on a regular basis. Report any discrepancies immediately. Missing transactions could be a sign that your card has been skimmed.
2. Conducting a transaction requires both your access card and your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Protect your PIN ; it is your electronic signature. Don’t write it down – memorize it.
3. Your ABM/debit card is the key to your account(s). It is for your use only. Keep it in a safe place and never ‘lend’ it to anyone.
4. Be creative about selecting a PIN, always avoid the obvious – your name, address, etc.
5. Never disclose your PIN to anyone. No one from a bank, the police or a store should ask for your PIN. You are the only person who should know it.
6. Always conduct your ABM transactions when and where you feel most secure.
7. Use your hand or body as a shield to prevent others from observing you entering your PIN, to ensure privacy.
8. After completing an ABM or debit transaction take your card and transaction record.
9. If your card is lost, stolen or is retained by an ABM, notify your financial institution immediately. Most offer 1-800 telephone numbers and/or 24-hour service for lost or stolen cards.
10. Remember your safety comes first. Report any incident to the police and to your bank immediately.

Money is something that is difficult to get, but easy to get rid of. However, if you are smart about handling your money, you can get through college or university paying less and making more.

While studying, the main source of income for you is your scholarship and some sum of money from your parents for your minor expenses. However, we all know that this is not enough to survive. The most realistic and easy way to earn some extra money is to get a grant or find a part time job.

Your college or university can you grants based on your academic performance. To get good grades is an easy way to get tidy sum of money at the end of the semester. However, to earn money in such a way takes time, persistence and a lot of efforts. Grants range from $1,200 for an A+ to 300 for a C-. Not bad really.

Besides, this way of getting money has a lot of pros. You not only get money, but heaps of knowledge in addition. Bear in mind rather hackneyed saying “Knowledge is power”. Knowledge will never be a heavy burden to you and probably some day you’ll take lots of benefits from it.

Another efficient, commonly utilized way of earning money is finding a part-time job. Many students took an advantage of earning money this way. Really, it has a lot of merits.

- You gain financial independence, so you can command your finances in the way you like and relieve your parents from the financial burdens.
- It helps you apply your knowledge in practice, realize yourself and feel more confident and mature.
- It is a great experience for your future job. It helps you understand the real value of money and gives you the insight into what the work is about.
- You penetrate into the adults’ world and foster a sense of competition.
- It makes your life more colorful and is good for your personal development.
- You get acquainted with new interesting people and study from them.
- You get a roll of hard-earned money and can be proud of yourself.

Be prepared that you won’t find a job immediately. The employers aren’t waiting specially for you with arms wide open. Remember that the market is full of people searching for a job. And one more point is that you shouldn’t expect to get high salary at once. Though it is just a temporary place to work where you get some extra money.

For a start, the below listed jobs is the thing you might start with, as you don’t have to possess any special skills and they can become a good beginning for your upcoming job.

- Wash car
- Pet sitting
- Recycle soft drink cans
- Baby sitting
- Mow lawn
- Weed garden
- Garage sale

Here is the list of more sophisticated jobs which can be of interest to you:

- Barista
- Bartender
- Cafeteria Worker
- Tutor
- Personal Trainer

Treat your job seriously, but don’t let it absorb all your time and strengths, as your studying is prior to your job at the moment. Make it well that in future you won’t get worthy, high-paid job without profound higher education.

The tip I can give you is to estimate realistically your strengths and time. If it comes out that something is odd, quit your job easily and don’t regret about it. However, if you are already working and making your living, not just pocket money, here are some useful tips and hints to help you save your hard-earned bucks:

• Always look for sales and shop only at discount stores. Discipline yourself to buy everything, even small drib – drabs there. Remember to clip coupons and shop on double – coupon days.
• Get rid of the habit to eat out too often. It will not only save you money, but also your health, as snack bars mainly serve junk food. So, cook for yourself as much as possible.
• Go to matinees instead of evening shows and patronize movie theaters that offer students discounts.
• Share an apartment or a house with your friends. After all it is just more fun to share your flat with someone else. The “cheapest” decision is to choose living in the dorm.
• Try to live without a car if you can. Start leading the healthy way of life. Ride a bike. Anyway it is an excellent way to get your body exercised.
• Buy monthly passes for whatever public transit you ride.
• Join a credit union. Credit unions frequently offer low – interest loans.
• When you want to buy something expensive, always ask yourself: “DO I REALLY NEED IT”?
• Learn a saving experience from other people.
• Repeat to yourself every morning: “I love money”. Maybe they’ll hear it and come to your hands. Be careful with it. Don’t be too zealous. Beware of mass attacks

Hope that these tips will help you make and save some money while you are in college. Good luck!

If you’re one of the millions of people who are interested in making money with surveys, you’ll want to keep in mind a few basic tips as you’re learning more about this innovative way to earn extra cash from the comfort of your own home.

Know what you’re looking for. There are a variety of ways that you can start making money with surveys. Some survey companies specialize in online surveys, while others will also do phone surveys, mystery shopping, taste testing, product testing, focus groups, and discussion groups. Before you sign up with a paid survey program, read the participant information carefully to make sure the opportunity offered is one that fits your interests and goals.

Read the directions! Many people who are interested in making money with surveys get frustrated because they’ve inadvertently signed up for paid survey opportunities that they don’t qualify for or programs that pay in product samples instead of cash. Or, people who live outside the United States will accidentally register for programs that are only open to legal U.S. residents. You can avoid a lot of stress by taking the time to learn these basic facts before participating in a paid survey.

Be persistent. As with other work at home opportunities, making money with surveys requires a great deal of patience and determination. Although you won’t get rich completing online surveys, it’s quite possible to earn the equivalent of an impressive hourly wage. This makes paid survey opportunities a great way for college students, stay at home parents, and people trying to pay off credit card debt to earn the supplemental income they need without the hassle of a traditional part-time job.

Don’t lie in hopes of getting yourself picked for a survey. The companies who create the surveys are trying to conduct important market research, so lying about your age, sex, hobbies, or other demographic characteristics is never a good idea. Honesty is always the best policy! Paid survey programs need the opinions of many different types of people, so you’ll eventually find a survey that’s right for you if you’re diligent.

Check your e-mail often. When you work at home doing surveys, things can change in an instant. Many companies have new opportunities added on a regular basis – surveys which are awarded to participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you’re the type of person who only checks his/her e-mail every few days, making money with online surveys is probably not right for you.

Don’t expect overnight results. Most people who make money taking surveys say you’ll need to stick with the program for a few months before you can see the maximum benefits. It helps to think of taking online surveys as a home-based business similar to direct sales or internet marketing. It takes time to learn the ropes!

Partner with a pro. You could try to learn the ropes all by yourself, but the best way to get a head start on paid surveys is to get the best possible information from experts who know the whole process inside and out.

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You can get the lowdown on easy ways to make money online at Odalis Earns.

While everyone else is out to lose weight or pay off those credit cards, what if your goal is to just make more money?

In today’s Five Tips we’re going to give you the downlow on getting more moolah in your paycheck.

1) Compare the bottom line

Before you go asking for a raise, you have to know where you stand on the playing field. Research the going rate.

Check out online services like Salary.com. On this site you can also get more in-depth personal salary reports from $30-$80 that include bonus information and salary tips.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is also a good way to get an idea of those in your field and geographic region. Look at www.bls.gov and search by area and occupation and you’ll be able to see the average hourly and annual salary of specific jobs.
2) Toot your own horn

We’ve all been taught the virtues of modesty. But if you’re looking to make a case for more money, you have to show off a little.

Create a portfolio of your achievements. Try to use number and exact figures when possible, like you managed a staff of twelve or you increased sales by 25%. Use words like “First” and “highest” and “best.”

After each accomplishment ask yourself how this helped the company. After all, that’s what your supervisor is interested in.

If a raise seems out of the question, ask about a bonus instead. According to a recent study by Hewitt Associates, a majority of companies are going to be cutting back on annual raises and relying more on bonuses.
3) Be more likeable

Remember when we told you that you should go to all those holiday parties? We hope you listened.

Being like-able around colleagues goes a long way in career advancement, according to a recent study.

In fact, being well-liked is more important than being competent. In the Harvard Business Review study people didn’t want to work with someone who is disliked, no matter how skilled they are.

So how can you boost your like-ability factor at work? According to Tim Sanders, the author of “The Likeability Factor” there are a few practical things you can work on to boost your emotional intelligence.

To begin with, stop criticizing people, instead criticize outcomes. You should also be smarter with e-mail recommends Sanders. Don’t hit reply all, he says and never send an e-mail when you’re mad. Keep it in your draft folder until the next day and chances are you won’t send it.

And finally, don’t forget your smile. Over half of your personality is visually determined.
4) Find the hot jobs

The beginning of the year is a good time to look for jobs says John Challenger of career outsourcing company Challenger, Gray and Christmas.

Just as people may be looking to improve themselves, companies are also looking to expand their business and take risks.

If you think it’s time for a new job, think health care. “This is the strongest, most consistent area for job growth,” says Challenger.

Other good areas to look for jobs include technology and international fields. “With increasing globalization, knowing another language is very valuable,” he said.
5) Test Drive a Dream Job

If you have the luxury of pursuing your dream job, think about test-driving a career…for a price.

You can be trained as a pastry chef and work as a chocolatier in Portland Oregon for two days.

For $349 you can be an innkeeper at a Bed and Breakfast for a day.

If you fancy vintage cars, you can be a car restorer in Detroit for a grand.

And this may be a way to figure out if your dream job is really that dreamy after all. According to the company only a few people have actually followed through with their vacation and made their dream job a reality.