Reduce Foreclosure Risk ? Hire a Structural Engineer

By Mary Smith

A structural engineer can be a valuable asset to those interested in purchasing foreclosed property. Foreclosed homes may have maintenance and repair issues caused by years of neglect. Over several years, these problems may escalate to the point that they become a threat to the entire structure. In some cases these problems are obvious and sometimes they?re largely hidden.

Florida sellers are required by law to disclose problems that are not obvious if they might affect the property value. Property in foreclosure however, is typically owned by a bank. They don?t live on the property and in fact, may never even visit the property. They cannot disclose information they?re not aware of. The result is that they sell these properties ?as is.? In these cases home inspectors and structural engineers can help.

Structural engineers are experts in understanding the structure of buildings. They understand how the foundation, walls, beams and other structural members work together to form a strong structure. During a structural inspection they will examine each of these members to look for deterioration, or deformation or structural weakness that could affect the building.

Both home inspectors and structural engineers have a place when working with foreclosed property. Home inspectors are limited to examining the property and describing what they see. Engineers can go further in that they can not only examine the structure, but also diagnose any problems they find and offer solutions.

A home inspection is recommended for all foreclosure purchases. Most smart home buyers will hire a home inspector before they purchase any home. A professional inspector can uncover issues that could turn into expensive problems over time. Forewarned is forearmed as the saying goes. In this case a professional inspection and a little negotiation will usually solve the problems.

When inspecting a foreclosed property for the first time, examine the property and structure carefully. Consider the services of a structural engineer if any of the following are found: cracks in the foundation or walls, binding of doors or windows, floors that slope in one direction, walls that lean, or porches that slope toward the house.

The purchase a foreclosed home may be perceived by some as a high risk investment. But, with the help of a professional home inspector and a structural engineer, most of the risk involved can be avoided. These professionals can help both home buyers and investors achieve peace of mind in an uncertain market. - 23200

About the Author:

Florida Engineering Solutions is committed to providing the structural engineering services, plans, and support you need to streamline your commercial or residential project. We offer state-of-the-art analysis and design and quick turnaround. When you need a structural engineer for your next project, consider FES. Mary Smith is a freelance writer.

Forex (Foreign Exchange) - Use Your Money To Make More Money

By Richard Henry

What is Forex and how is money connected to the Forex? Well...the Forex involves the trading of a specific legal currency to the need currency of the traders, investors, and others who are joined togather for money trading all over the globe. Currency is the key factor in Forex trading

The Forex Market can be traded anytime and everyplace, just so long as there is access to a PC, which is your doorway to enter and trade the Forex market. The most crucial thing to bear in mind before you jump into trading currencies, is it is wise to practice with paper money Or fake money using Brokers demo accounts where their trading station can be downloaded, and used in real time before trading for real with your hard earned money.

The Forex hurriedly became accepted as an simple way to invest for the investor. For instance, a woman living in the Philippines orders online products with Ebay online shopping. She has to remunerate the product price tag of $42.00 USDwith her credit card, but her home is in the Philippines, so her account is based on pesos. The trading company which is involved in the transactions, have to convert the pesos to dollars so that Ebay can credit the $42.00 payment, where 1 usd=45.32 pesos, consequently $ 42.00 usd = 1903.44 pesos, thats the Philippine amount debited to her credit card account.

Hence, the Forex involves all the trading of investors, small traders, importers and exporters and more going on every day any where in the world. The Forex is essential in buying and selling among varied peoples, banks, corporations etc. about the globe.

Money Management is one of the most critical things to understand before getting caught up in currency trading. It will instruct you to stay away from pricey mistakes that new traders continuously make resulting in losing their whole investment in the business of forex trading.

PSYCHOLOGY: Motivated traders are psychologically ready for the circumstances of money trading. Entering into this business without self motivation and positive outcome in this business WILL NOT occur. Not understanding all the terminology and must dos and donts in this field, will lead to catastrophe and loss of funds.

Currency is always traded in pairs - the US dollar to Japanese yen, the English pound to Euro etc. Each deal involves selling one currency and buying another. Currency is money and money is currency without which the Forex could not function. Forex trading is strongly linked with the analyzing of the charts and the basic indicators...where to get in and where to exit in a position. Traders deal with the risks by devoting time to learning the techniques of money management to acquire knowledge and manage the risk factors with good money management.

Money is the primary factor and only reason the Forex exist. Do you believe there would be a Forex if there where no money to trade? Forex Money trades are done 24/7 but the stock market is a business hours ONLY exchange. Changes of time varies in various countries and trading is convenient and comfortable with the forex.

Ever since its starting in the 70s, the foreign exchange has turned into a gigantic international market, having transactions approximating US$ 3 trillion daily. As the growth of technology emerged, so did the speeding up of the capital movements with the market embracing the continents of Europe, America, Asia etc. and even crossing different time zones.

Numerous people have considered trading in the Forex as more useful compared to other trading arenas. One of the reasons is the 24-hour trading period that it has to offer. The round the clock operation means whenever circumstances that have an effect on exchange rates happen, the traders can effortlessly react instantly.They do not need to wait until the market opens the following day.

An extra advantage of this is the high liquidity. High trade volume insures that the prices are in a steady status where the Forex traders can open or close positions at fair market prices. On the other hand, the stock market traders must deal with much larger price shifts. Moreover, the Forex supplies the trader with possible benefits in spite of of whether the market is rising or falling.

Traders buy or sell currencies with regards as to how they anticipate the price of one currency will vary against another, as being reflected in the specified currency exchange rate.

As additional investors became more informed of the said advantages these days, the Forex has developed in attractiveness, which is fueled in part by the extremely convenient transacting options utilizing the internet. Today, there are a plethora of options that are obtainable for online trading, one of these is called offshore Forex.

It is described as something that is done offshore. It is really an action that is carried out of an individuals city ot country where that individual lives or is a citizen. That is the attraction of the Forex which makes this workable. The offshore Forex is just a preference that a trader can go for. Its most important attraction to aspiring traders is that its tax-free and it is held undisclosed and confidential due to the bank confidentiality laws. The chief drawback, though, is the possible risk of fraud.

Scams with offshore Forex has its roots in the non existing uniformed regulations because the offshore brokers are for the most part subject to rules and regulations in the country where they reside. Due to this, its quite tough if not unworkable to bring to court people that are guilty and to recoup the investments. Scams are part of a disgusting reality in offshore trading. As a matter of fact, there are several online forums about this subject over the internet where some traders even narrate about how they fell victims of swindle and also how they lost their investments.

Being a successful trader in offshore Forex requires proficiency and lots of information. Having the right know-hows of the business can easily help any individual to succeed in offshore Forex. - 23200

About the Author:

Submitted by Richard Henry creator of this article. To find more about subjects as Forex an Currency Trading visit our web site at Currency exchange - Use money To Make money or Forex - Use Cash To Make Cash NOTE article shown above may be circulated freely on web sites, as long as ALL article content and creator information remain UNCHANGED

What Is Tax Free Money Market Fund?

By Craig Lipper

A tax free money market fund is a good mode to balance your portfolio particularly if it is equity heavy. In existing economic situation, there is a lot of uncertainty. So, it makes sense to put some money in debt funds like government securities and money market funds.

A money market fund is usually a mutual fund which invests its assets in short term debt instruments like cash or cash equivalent securities. These funds are usually used as short term investments until the time you have found a suitable option to invest your money. This is particularly good option in recent times when the investors are waiting for the markets to bounce back. Once the Bull Run starts, investors can take out this money from money market funds and invest them in equity funds or other high yielding avenues.

There are various types of money market instruments like Certificate of deposits, commercial paper, U.S. Treasuries, repurchase agreement etc. The money market funds come in two varieties which are taxable funds and tax free funds. As the name suggests, the taxable funds are taxed during maturity while the tax free money market funds are exempted from tax.

At a first glance, nobody will decide to buy a taxable fund due to obvious tax related reasons but the fact is that tax free funds have lower yields than taxable funds. While comparing the two, it is important that investor convert the tax free yield into equivalent taxable yield. The formula for this conversion is Taxable Equivalent Yield = Tax-Free Yield / (1 - Marginal Tax Rate).

There are many tax free money market funds obtainable in market today. Most of them have similar returns therefore there is not much difference between them. A few names from good financial institutions are Vanguard Tax-Exempt MMF (VMSXX), Fidelity AMT Tax-Free Money Fund (FIMXX), American Century Tax-Free MMF (BNTXX), and T. Rowe Price Tax-Exempt Money (PTEXX). - 23200

About the Author:

The author writes articles on various topics related to personal finance including best tax free money market funds and money market certificates.

IRA's And Retirement Planning

By Doeren Mayhew

While retirement plans benefit from special tax advantages, they are also restricted by special tax regulations. For example, you are allowed a tax break if you contribute to a retirement plan and you are able to have your retirement income grow free of taxes (for a certain period of time). However, annual contributions, the total size of each contribution, and the frequency of contributions are subject to restrictions. It is important that you carefully consider your options before deciding on a retirement plan. There are generally two categories to choose from, IRAs and employer-sponsored plans.

Before you can start planning, review the retirement plans that are currently available to you. Generally, there are two categories into which all plans can be sorted: IRAs and employer-sponsored plans. IRAs are perhaps the most widely used retirement plans because they're easy to set up and maintain. You can open up one yourself it doesn't have to be sponsored by your employer and you can contribute as much (or as little) as you want, whenever you want, provided you don't exceed applicable annual limits. Following are descriptions of the three main types of IRAs:

The Traditional IRA: Your IRA assets grow on a tax-deferred basis, meaning that you pay no tax until the day that you withdraw your funds.

Your eligibility to make a contribution depends on statutory limits, your earned income and your age. Your contribution is limited to the amount of earned income income from wages and self-employment income that you have for the year. It doesn't include investment income. Those age 50 and older may be able to make additional catch-up contributions. Plus, your spouse may use your earned income to make a contribution of his or her own. However, you (and your spouse) are eligible to make contributions only if you're under age 701/2 at the end of the year for which you're making the contribution.

Before contributing to a traditional IRA, be sure you wouldn't be better served by contributing to another IRA type, such as a Roth IRA, or to an employer's 401(k) plan.

One factor that may affect your decision is the deductibility of your contribution. Your income level and other factors will determine if your contribution to a traditional IRA will be fully deductible. If neither you nor your spouse is eligible to participate in an employer-sponsored plan, your contribution is deductible no matter how much income you earn. But if you or your spouse is eligible, your tax deduction for making an IRA contribution may be reduced or completely eliminated depending on your adjusted gross income (AGI).

For those that are not able to make a deduction contribution, making a nondeductible contribution is a viable option. You will still be able to enjoy tax-deferred growth on your retirement account. Additionally, if you wait until you are age 59 you can withdraw your funds and only be taxed on earnings.

Roth IRA. You may contribute the same amount to a Roth IRA as you can to a traditional IRA, but there are different eligibility rules, such as no age limit with respect to contributions, so long as you meet the earned income requirement.

You also must remember that the total annual contributions to your IRA may never exceed the defined limit. In order to get around these limits you are able to split your contribution between a traditional and Roth IRA.

The Roth IRA also differs from a traditional IRA in that you won't be able to claim a deduction for your contributions. But all Roth IRA earnings can be withdrawn tax free after age 591/2, provided you've had the account for at least five years. (You can withdraw amounts up to your total contributions tax free at any time.)

Traditional IRAs also have required minimum distribution rules that must be followed, Roth IRAs do not have such restrictions.

If a Roth IRA sounds like a better place to park your retirement funds but you already have a traditional IRA, you may be able to elect to convert some or all of it to a Roth IRA. In so doing, you'll be creating taxable income, but you'll also be getting the benefit of future tax-free withdrawals.

Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA. A SEP IRA provides self-employed individuals a way to make more significant retirement contributions than would be available to them through a traditional or Roth IRA. Funds are treated, for tax purposes, the same as IRA funds; you may claim a deduction for your contributions, and distributions will be taxed. But the contribution limits can be much higher. - 23200

About the Author:

This data is distributed for informational purposes only; Doeren Mayhew is not rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinions and assumes no legal responsibility. Contact Doeren Mayhew for more information.

Collecting Silver American Eagles

By James Buchanan

American Silver Eagle Coins are favorably thought of by collectors and investors equally, and are some of the most beautiful bullion coins that you can have in your investment portfolio or coin collection.

The American Eagle Coin Program began in the mid-1980's, and has turned out to be the sanctioned silver silver bullion coin of the United States. Produced by the Mint, American Eagles are unique in that they are able to be utilized by individuals for the funding of their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's).

The United States government produces these silver bullion coins with one troy ounce of .9999 pure silver. This is one of the small number of bullion coins in the world to be designed with such a high amount of silver. The bullion coins have a nominal face value of 1 dollar though the true value of each silver eagle is based on the current spot price of silver.

The coins were created and produced with the exquisite Walking Liberty design by Adolph A Weinman on the obverse. If you've ever seen the memorable half dollar coins made from the year 1916 to 1947, you will unquestionably be familiar with this attractive interpretation of Lady Liberty. This is crucial in that these bullion coins have helped the design featured on the silver eagles to become such an legendary figure. The crest on the coin's reverse was sculpted by John Mercanti, featuring a heraldic eagle with its wings spread.

There are countless collectors of Silver American Eagles and each has his or her individual basis for becoming caught up in the hobby. A number of collectors are in love with the coin's dazzling craftsmanship, while others take pleasure in the silver coins for their possible long term worth.

To determine the value of a individual coin, a number of considerations should be taken into account counting factors like the year that the coin is created, as some years they production figures were lower than others, thereby lowering the overall numbers of bullion coin in the hands of the general public. Coins that were minted in 1993 and 1997 or anniversary editions for instance, tend to be among the bullion coin that collectors are searching out, and bring higher interest when sold through coin dealers or at auctions.

Nowadays, Silver American Eagles are enjoying a tremendous surge in popularity, owing to the tentative economic climate. As precious metals have a tendency to make a excellent hedge against diminishing dollar values, investors are looking for the protection to be had by silver and gold bullion goods. - 23200

About the Author:

If you'd like to find out more about American Silver Eagles, then visit please read James Buchanan's other great articles on how to find the best deals on Silver Eagle Proof Coins for your portfolio.