ETFs Explained

By Ahmad Hassam

ETFs stand for Exchange Traded Funds. Ever thought of trading ETFs? ETFs represent an ownership stake in a basket of underlying securities or assets. This basket can represent a specific index like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq 100. It can also be a sector like semiconductor, energy or travel. It could be a segment of market like the small cap or large growth stocks. There are even ETFs on foreign currencies like Euro, Yen, and USD.

The value of the ETF is determined by the underlying securities or assets. An ETF can also comprise of bonds, gold, silver or other commodities. So you may be thinking this sound like investing in a mutual fund. There are some similarities but ETFs have huge advantages over mutual funds.

ETFs can be brought and sold throughout the trading day like ordinary stocks. ETFs are different from the Mutual Funds in a number of ways. The unit price of ETF changes instantaneously unlike the Mutual Funds that are priced at the end of the trading day.

ETFs can be shorted, traded with a margin account and many trade options. ETFs can be traded using the market, limit and stop loss orders. There is no minimum for ETF purchases. So ETFs offer the diversification advantages of mutual funds and the flexibility of stocks.

Suppose you have a bullish opinion on the oil sector. You will have to analyze dozens of companies in the oil sector and spend hours to select the one that you think is the strongest. One of the main advantages of ETFs is that they offer diversification.

ETFs provide you the benefit of diversification in the same way that mutual funds do to the small retail investors. Instead of investing in a few stocks you can now invest in a particular sector just like investing in a mutual fund. You could choose the Oil Sector ETF that would give you the advantage of mimicking some oil sector index.

However, mutual funds are priced only once at the end of each trading day. The key advantage that ETFs hold over mutual funds is that they can be sold or bought at anytime of the day and their prices keep on changing in relation to the underlying assets.

A mutual fund charges management fees. It can also charge upfront, backend or other sales loads. Expense ratios for ETFs on average are not more than 0.4%. Some have even expense rations as low as 0.07%. This is the main advantage of ETFs over mutual funds. It is the fees charged by each. ETF expenses are low because they are passively managed and generally follow an established index.

Currency trading has become extremely popular among the big players like the institutional investors, big companies and hedge funds. Foreign currency trading is not just for gamblers or commodity traders. It is now available to retail investors like you and me also.

Foreign currency has become a respected asset classification. It is so hot that now you can trade Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on currencies. If you want to hedge or speculate that the U.S. dollar is strengthening or weakening against major foreign currencies and like the idea and concept of ETFs, now there is a pretty good inventory of product to choose from. As with any other product there are advantages and disadvantages of trading ETFs so you need to do your due diligence before making any investment decision. - 23200

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and forex. Understand The Forex Market. Learn Forex Trading!

Is a Debt Consolidation Loan a Good Choice?

By Layla Vanderbilt

You can become like many others and have a debt consolidation loan help you overcome your debt situation. However you must ask yourself is getting a debt consolidation loan a good choice? In some instances you are actually putting other things at risk that you may not want to. At the end of the day you have to determine if a debt consolidation loan is the best choice for you.

If you have bad credit you should know that most of the debt consolidation loans that you will qualify for will require some type of collateral whether it's a vehicle or a home. If you're unable to make your payments then your house or vehicle will be confiscated and sold so that the lender can get the money for the loan back. However if you happen to have a decent credit score then you will probably qualify for an unsecured debt consolidation loan. If you are offered a unsecured debt consolidation loan and it has a decent interest rate then you'll most likely want to take it so that you can pay off all of your other debts and have one low monthly payment with a low interest rate. If you do have to get a secured loan then you will want to ensure that you can make the monthly payments so that you don't put your home or vehicle in jeopardy.

You should also look over your financial history when you're considering a debt consolidation loan and figure out how you got into debt to begin with. If you notice that your income has been lower than your expenses then you will want to try to cut back on your expenses as much as possible. If you've already tried that then you may consider seeking help from the government, switching homes, or even switching careers to a better paying one. You want to understand how you got into debt so that you don't get back into it after you've gotten out by using a debt consolidation loan. Otherwise you will be back in debt again and in the long run you'll never get out.

Too often people abuse their debt consolidation loans and end up getting further in debt. It's important that you resist the temptation to use your debt consolidation loan for your current bills and month to month expenses. Many people do this and then they are unable to pay off the loan and they are still unable to keep up with their bills. You will have to ensure that you use the loan properly so that this doesn't happen to you.

If you have a lot of debt then a consolidation loan can be very helpful in managing your debts and current finances. Before you take out the loan though you should be ready to use it how it's meant to be used and avoid the pitfalls that it has. Finally you will want to ensure that your lender is giving you a fair interest rate if you have bad credit. - 23200

About the Author:

Layla Vanderbilt is the content coordinator for a leading website that offers for debt consolidation advice and guidance.

Get A Home Get A Special Deed

By Don Burnham

Nearly everywhere, you can buy real property at an auction. In some states, there is what's called Redemption Laws; the deed or title for this type of purchase is special and has specific rules attached to it. The title you hold is not clear yet, or in simpler terms: temporary. This means that in a matter of months, the former owner from which the property has been auctioned can reclaim the property -the title is defeasible or can be defeated.

The legalities of Redemption Rights: Whenever you purchase real estate with a special defeasible title, you can also purchase along with it, the redemption rights. Doing so ensures that the title you hold is permanent and can't be bought back by the owner. Laws that handle this type of transaction differ with each state, and can be confusing. Consult your real estate attorney if you want a fair trade.

Whenever you make a purchase such as this, you can always buy the redemption rights from the owner -making the title you hold clear, or in simpler terms: permanent. It's always a good idea to consult your real estate lawyer with regards to handling this type of case as the laws differ from state to state. If you're not careful, you can and will get screwed over.

Furthermore, there's a good chance that the owner you're buying redemption rights from is currently handling a great deal of stress -their property is being auctioned off! It's likely that they're not aware of the equity. You however, as the buyer, should be aware of such. Tradition and, well, ethics pertain to the rule of thumb: $1500 for redemption rights. Should they ask for more, check the property's equity and again, consult your attorney.

Acquiring Property:A lot of hopeful homeowners, besides scouting out good property, usually start with getting a loan. A note is the borrowed money, say $200,000. When you use that note to purchase real estate, you are issued a mortgage or deed of trust -this is the security instrument. So when you're paying off your loan, it's called paying off your mortgage. If you, the owner and borrower can no longer pay for your mortgage, your property can be foreclosed -that is repossessed, confiscated, or taken as collateral. Or, depending on certain factors, the lender can see you in court.

The relationship between notes, deeds, mortgages, foreclosures, borrowers, etc:

In any foreclosure process, there are 3 key players:

Trustor = Borrower

Beneficiary: Whoever lends the money (aka mortgagee)

Trustee = Party handling the transaction

In a deed of trust, the trustee handles the foreclosure for the beneficiary; in a mortgage, a lawyer handles the foreclosure for the beneficiary. A mortgage and deed of trust are two separate and different things, but perform the same function -acting as security instruments until the property and loan is completely paid off.

There are two major strategies in the foreclosure business:

Short Sale

Equity Split

More expensive properties however, require a subject to transaction -utilizing the existing financing for a property. - 23200

About the Author:

Want to know more about real estate? Log on to Don Burnham's website http://www.weknowthewayback.com and know everything from redemptions and foreclosure all under one roof.

Some Tips For Day Trading the Exchange

By Jerry Barr

Day trading the stock exchange involves the rapid purchasing and selling of stocks on a day-to-day basis. This method is used to secure fast profits from the constant changes in stock values, minute to minute, second to second. It is rare a day trader will remain in a trade over the course of a night into the following day.

The main question that the general public ask when it comes to day trading is easy : 'is it necessary to sit at a PC Computer watching the markets all day long in order to be a successful day trader?'

The answer is no. It is not critical to sit at a PC twenty four seven.

As with all financial investments, day trading is risky in reality, it's one of the riskiest forms of trading out there. The stock prices rise or fall according to the behaviour of the market, which is completely unpredictable.

If you are restricted by a small amount of capital, you may not be in a position to buy big amounts of a stock, but buying only a bit can add to the danger of a loss. And, obviously, it is impossible to predict with certainty which stocks will end in profits and which in losses.

If you day trade, you may face losses, but even for the costlier stocks, the loss should be questionable, because prices don't usually change to an intense degree over the course of only 1 day.

The day trading industry deals in a big variety of stocks and shares. Here are just a few : Growth-Buying Shares shares made from profit, which continue to grow in value. At last, these shares will start to decline in price, and a professional seasoned trader can usually forecast the future of this kind of share.

Although these shares are generally inexpensive, they seem to be a very risky investment for day traders. You'd be safer to go with big caps and / or mid-caps, which are way more secure and stable thanks to a premium.

Unloved Stocks company stock that has not performed well during the past. Traders buy these shares in the hopes of generating profits if and when the stock rises in worth. As with tiny caps, unloved stocks can be a dodgy choice for day traders.

These examples aren't your one options when it comes to day trading stocks. The best way to figure out which kind of stock is your kind of thing is to invest some time for careful research, an awareness of market patterns, a solid method, and a controlled trading plan.

Know as much as practicable about the industry before you start basically trading. You need to learn how to trade ONLY when the market gives the right signals - 23200

About the Author:

Find more on stocks to buy and 7 deadly trading mistakes.

What You Should Know About Short Sale

By Don Burnham

When a Trustor can no longer pay a loan in full, what often follows is foreclosure or even bankruptcy. This is a very depressing financial situation, but it can be solved with a little known alternative: the short sale.

Short sale is usually the last step taken by the bank to recover losses from a defaulted mortgagor. When lenders agree to a short sale, it means the lender agrees to accept less than the total amount due. They are willing to forgive a certain amount of debt or deficiency. However, not all lenders will accept a short sale or discounted payoffs, especially if it would make more financial sense to foreclose.

That's right, the lender agrees to accept payment that's considerably less than the total amount that's due. Not every bank or lender will accept a short sale -of course it would make much more financial sense to pursue foreclosure and just take the collateral.

To pursue a short sale, consult your real estate attorney if your case is eligible -certain state laws only allow specific values for a loan to qualify for a deficiency judgment in a short sale. Also, consult an accountant, the IRS may consider the unpaid debts as income, affecting your tax records. Also, the borrower is not guaranteed that the lender will not pursue them for the remaining debts beyond the debt already forgiven -an especially good reason to consult your attorney.

Short sales are not just meant for the nonpayer's but those who have never made a single installment can make a short sale, due to the negative equity that they have for the present. It becomes easy for an individual to short sell the house and get out of the rough financial situation.

Due to negative equity secured, even those who've never made a single payment or installment can avail of a short sale. A short sale is the eject button of a financial situation that's headed straight down to bankruptcy, take it when you can, while you can.

How the Short Sale works:

The process is quite simple to understand, it starts with the contract, then the authorization to release, and lastly the addendum. The warranty deed is also part of this whole process. What are really important to grasp in the process is the first two documents:

The Addendum

This is the most important piece of paper in your entire manual! Let's review the Addendum in detail. The first section on the top is just generic information pertinent to the specific property:

Origination of the contract

Date

Names of the parties involved

Address

Tip: It's best to use both the simple address and the legal address.

Any good investor should be aware that a short sale is a good way to peruse quality bargain real property -a case in which a short sale is actually more financially reasonable than outright foreclosure. - 23200

About the Author:

Know about short sale an alternatives to bankruptcy or foreclosure only at Don Burnham's website http://www.weknowthewayback.com. Visit today to know all about short sale!