How do you choose a Forex broker?

If you run a small business involved in import or export in any way – and you’ve decided to hedge your foreign currency exchange risk to iron out future fluctuations – how did you choose your broker?

Here are a few considerations to bear in mind:

Reputation is everything. Warren Buffett once said: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Forex trading has no single governing body, so many brokers are unregulated. So try and find a regulated broker and try and find out everything you can about the company; how long has it been around and what do other people say about it? Be careful, though, when searching online for this information as many posters have an “agenda” and the information may not be objective. Reputation really is everything here.

Depending on which currencies you hope to trade, you should think about which currency pairs a broker has to offer. You should also think about the spread sizes quoted for the various types of common currency pairings – and, of course, the leverage offered. This lets you know what value of currency exposure you can gain for the amount you are willing to put down. The level of importance you place on the leverage offered will depend on the size of exposure you’re really looking for, which in turn depends on the size of the business you’re looking to hedge.

The broker should also explain the difference to you between fixed and variable spreads. This can make a real difference to your bottom line. Not all brokers quote rates in the same way. If your broker has a dealing desk, then the broker creates the pricing and executes your orders – and the spread is fixed, so those spreads are usually higher than the average variable spreads. Where there is no dealing desk, then multiple banks usually stream competitive prices through your broker, so your orders are executed by the banks.

If this is all new to you and a broker won’t take the time to explain the complications and possibilities as well as the downside risks – then this should be a big red flag.

Written by David, a keen financial blogger who loves writing about anything related to finance, from Sunbird MetaTrader to student loans.

Do your homework

In all aspects of business and investments, it’s essential to always do your homework.

This may sound obvious, but really; how many times have you found yourself in a business situation without adequate facts, research and knowledge – trying to make the best of things?

If this isn’t you, then hats off! You’re probably unique. But for the rest of us, the need to do our research thoroughly is the basis of business success. It’s also amazing how often thorough research suddenly lands you in the right position. This is perhaps most true of the world of investing where doing your own research before something happens in the real world can stand you in excellent stead to act quickly. As legendary golfer Gary Player has been credited with saying: “the more I practice, the luckier I get”.

The same is true in business. One of Hollywood’s most famous ever film producers, Robert Evans said in his autobiography “The Kid Stays in the Picture” the secret of success was in doing his homework; and this is a lesson he learned from a very early age.

The same is true of interviews. If you really want that job, you really have to have done your homework – and the more preparation you do, the better will be your performance. It’s all about going the extra mile. In this regard, the Internet is a mixed blessing. Of course, it makes research of all kinds so much quicker and easier than ever before – but everyone else is in the same boat, so you simply have to go further than everyone else to get the edge.

Doing so may be easier said than done. But you have to try if you’re to be successful. In the world of investing, the people who really focus and truly do their homework always win out in the end.

Written by keen financial blogger David, who will write about pretty much everything money related from Payday Loans to tips for keeping your business afloat.

Mobile protection at work

When thinking about internet security, the first thing for a business owner to sort out is a good antivirus software package for the computers in the office and the laptops that belong to the business. This is vital to protect your business and customer information and data contained on the computers. It also protects your hardware from viruses, Trojans and worms that can cause catastrophic damage and crash the machines.

You can get antivirus programmes via the internet – downloading programmes directly onto your PC. You need to install the programme onto every computer and keep it updated and running at all times. There are free antivirus downloads which are often produced by the same companies that make the pay-for products. This is a great option, because you can try them out before deciding to buy. Be aware, though, that the free versions are a little basic in comparison to the ones you pay for.  At home you may be ok with just antivirus software, but really for a business it’s important to have an internet security suite that includes firewall, anti-spyware and spam filters, as well as the antivirus software.

An area that sometimes gets neglected by businesses and home users alike is mobile devices. Since the advent of smartphones, mobile phones are used just as much via the internet as through the mobile network. So phones are just as susceptible to viruses and other malware.

Signs that your phone may have a virus include sudden draining of the battery and reduced functionality.  Sometimes though, you may notice no difference in the phone’s performance but receive a shocking bill at the end of the month. This is because certain viruses cause your phone to text a premium rate service automatically and repeatedly, with you completely unaware until the bill arrives.

To avoid this kind of infiltration, there is now mobile antivirus software available. The main providers of computer antivirus programmes also provide a range of options for mobile devices.

Community Investment – a bolt-on policy or an integral one?

All large organisations have a formal Corporate & Social Responsibility statement and policy these days. In many developed countries, it forms part of a legal requirement.

As part of that policy, all large organisations, more or less, also have a CI or Community Investment strategy.

With some companies, charitable support feels like something that’s been bolted on; they do it because they have to or because it’s simply good for business. You can barely sell anything these days without saying something is going to some good cause somewhere or other.

The problem with this is it all begins to feel a little cynical. But in some organisations – that isn’t the case at all.

According to real estate gurus, the best community investment strategies are those that really make it real by enabling employees to make their choices of NGO partners in a democratic way and by enabling the employees to take time out of their work schedules to get hands-on involvement with the charitable organisations concerned.

If you look around on the internet, you’re bound to find review and advice websites, like the David Lichtenstein blog, which offer opinions on a range of subjects that could help you out in your quest to gather more information.

In this way, the employees get to really own their organisation’s community investment strategy, rather than simply paying lip service to what is, effectively, a cynical bolt on extra.

In straightforward commercial cases, the situation is slightly different. If it makes good business sense for a commercial organisation to support a charitable cause, and everyone understands the deal; then that’s fine – all the partners concerned are happy. But when a large organisation makes pretence of caring about communities but doesn’t take the kind of steps outlined above to make it have true resonance with the people who work for an organisation as well as those they intend to assist – then it runs a danger of ringing a little hollow.

Try out Forex trading

Have you ever thought about trying your hand at a little Forex trading? Do you even know what it is?

It’s surprising the number of people that don’t – and see it as something for the professionals only. But this isn’t the case.

Despite the fact that trading shares is far more commonplace,  and that the world of equities is far better known; in actuality, the Forex market is by far the world’s largest trading market with over than 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars’ value in trading every single trading day.

There are pros and cons when compared to trading stocks. Many see the stock market as an ever-burgeoning thing, creating value, paying dividends and growing over time. There’s a lot of truth in this, but there are also a lot of shenanigans and dishonesty about as in any other walk of life. With Forex trading – it’s a zero sum game – so the returns are absolute / “on the spot” as the market shifts.

You win, you lose. The trick is in using your long term macroeconomic judgement – or maybe very short term reaction to news events – or maybe just pure instinct.

Trying to find your own winning Forex strategies is what makes Forex trading so enjoyable. It’s also potentially very lucrative indeed. The market is virtually limitless. Just be aware of the risks at the same time.

Many companies offer free introductory bonus cash to enable you to dabble in the Forex market for free, or next-to free. If you have stop-losses in place, you should be able to limit the downside effectively.

It’s really all about trading currencies and benefiting from fluctuations in exchange rates. There are free online tutorials and the like to learn and place dummy trades in Forex. Just make sure you know what you’re doing.

This article was written by David, a keen financial blogger. He is always on the lookout for winning forex strategies to up his game in the trading stakes.

Metatrader 4 for Forex trading

If you’re interested at all in foreign exchange trading, it’s useful to have a good knowledge of the various trading systems around.

In this arena, there’s probably one system that stands out as having been the most popular of all since its first introduction back in 2005. Metatrader 4 – or “MT4” for short is trading platform software used very widely by online foreign exchange (“Forex “) speculative traders.

The software is licensed to Forex brokers who then provide the MT4 software to their clients. The system is primarily designed to enable traders to increase their trading opportunities via an automated trading system.

This in turn enables traders to trade far more quickly and the system monitors the market continually second by second, automatically handling a client’s trades.

There are many software platforms and trading system designed for trading, but Forex is different from most other markets in a number of ways.

First off, it’s by far the largest trading market in the worth and is reputed to be worth somewhere in the region of 1.8 trillion dollars each trading day.

Around 95% of this sum is accounted for by speculators.

The foreign exchange markets are also open 24 hours a day between Monday and Friday, so unless you have perma-insomnia or you’re extremely confident in your trades, you need some form of automated system.

Also, Forex is a zero sum game. There is no “micro” human intervention in other words; so little room for trickery unless it’s perpetrated on an absolutely vast scale – and no directors and staff to pay unlike with shares.

MT4 client’s terminals include an “editor” and “compiler” with access to a user-contributed library of software, articles and help. Meanwhile, Yahoo hosts a group devoted to the development of free software for MT4.

It’s worthwhile reading up about MT4 and trialling the software if you’re even thinking about starting or improving Forex trading.

This article was written by David, who is always trying to boost his understanding and knowledge of mt4 software in the hope it’ll improve his trading.

Wishing you a Tidy New Year

Well now, Christmas is upon us and as always in offices across the country there is the usual round of parties, drinks, lunches out, presents from clients and desks groaning under the weight of chocolates and mince pies. It all gears up to that magic moment on Christmas Eve, or earlier if you’re lucky, when you get to turn off the computer and head home to start the celebrations in earnest. If you have played your cards right then you may not need to put in an appearance until after New Year, however many businesses will have a skeleton staff in over the festive period, and often they are twiddling their thumbs and longing to be elsewhere.

If you are one of those unfortunate people who need to spend a day or so working between Christmas and New Year then why not take the opportunity to get everything tidied up and ready for a brand new start in January. It is tempting to mess around on your computer when there are hardly any people in the office and the phones are deathly silent, but the time will go much quicker if you apply yourself to improving your businesses efficiency. Get that shredder confetti cut action going and do away with all the unnecessary paperwork you have been hoarding. Box up old files and make way in your cabinets for new filing in 2012. Clear out your desk drawers and that cardboard box underneath it which has been there since the dawn of time – you will be so pleased with the results.

In the UK shredders don’t get nearly enough of a workout so get shredding, get recycling and get filing: all necessary evils of the modern office world. Create the perfect office environment for yourself and look forward to a smug start to next year when all your colleagues are envious of your pristine desk.

Tips on Being a Landlord

Love them or hate them, in the rental market landlords are an absolute necessity so whether yours is as elusive as a ghost or always popping in for a cup of tea you are stuck with them until you move house. Having seen it from both sides I have put together some top tips for landlords on some essential do’s and don’ts…

Do

  1. Make sure the tenants meet you fairly soon after they move in, even if you have a letting agency dealing with all the nitty-gritty for you. Everyone wants to meet the person whose house they live in.
  2. Be clear about your expectations. Tenants need telling if you want them to mow the grass or be quiet for the neighbours.

  3. Answer their phone calls and emails promptly. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to get hold of your landlord when there is a problem.

  4. Kit the place out properly with decent furnishings. If cash flow is a problem then get things like beds on finance it is worth it as tenants are more likely to respect brand new belongings.

Don’t

  1. Hide behind your managed agent too much. Ultimately they will refer queries back to you anyway so remain involved as far as possible.

  2. Turn up unannounced, especially at the weekend. Nobody wants their landlord on the doorstep – resist the temptation to try and make friends even if you live next door.

  3. Spring surprises. If you have a whole team from Bensons for Beds coming in to refurnish the place then give fair warning.

  4. Treat people unfairly. If you are planning on selling up then be honest and tell them – finding out when the ‘for sale’ sign appears in the garden is just not on.

  5. Hide problems hoping they won’t notice. If the bath needs resealing or the fridge door is dodgy then tell them upfront and deal with the problem as quickly as possible. Honesty is always the best policy.

The Importance Of Taking Out Comprehensive Business Insurance

A leading business insurance broker has reported a recent significant rise in demand for home and mobile business insurance, with an increased number of Brits hit hard by the recession and current economic doom and gloom fighting back by taking their future prospects into their own hands, setting up their own small companies or else setting themselves up as freelance workers in a number of diverse industries.

With unemployment figures now at an all-time high, and both small and major companies going bust with increasing regularity, the temptation of working for yourself has arguably never been greater, despite the various difficulties of being your own boss.

However, one aspect that invariably gets forgotten in the potentially stressful process of setting up your own company and sorting out all the paperwork that goes along with such a process is purchasing a sensible and reliable insurance policy. However, mobile business insurance is growing in popularity, particularly in trades such as plumbing, where workers have no one set business location.

As with home insurance, where some people forget the importance of taking out home contents insurance to safeguard their most valuable possessions, some business owners forget to take out Business Equipment Insurance, which acts as an extra element of cover to an existing policy.

This is particularly important for workers who depend upon their own equipment in their day to day job, with photographers and film-makers a good example of those who simply need insurance for valuables.

Ultimately, if you take time and care picking the best policy for you, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to benefit from the time and care that a decent level of cover can provide in your working life.

How To Save Money On Insurance At Home And Work

There are very few people living in the UK who have been left unaffected by the recession and the current economic crisis that is plunging the economy into doom and gloom all over again. Many homeowners and small business owners are struggling to keep up with rising electricity bills and shopping bills, while the rise in unemployment and increase in companies going bust is only making matters worse for all concerned.

As a result of these cash-strapped times, splashing large amounts of cash on any one single purchase, whether you own a house, office, or other company premises, can seem like the wrong choice, especially when faced with the option of spreading the payment over a number of months. This rule applies to anything, whether it be buying a new TV or purchasing a new buildings contents insurance policy. However, a short-term win in this respect can lead to a significant long-term loss, as recent research has revealed that individuals who decide to spread the cost of their home insurance policy on a monthly basis pay almost 12% extra compared to the one-off cost that would otherwise apply.

The research did, however, show that the difference between monthly payments and a one-off fee with some companies can be as low as 0%, while other companies offer a differential of just 5%.

If you’re looking to cut costs on your cover, whether you’re buying insurance for your own home or your business, follow the basic advice that has always applied to purchasing new home insurance quotes. Make sure the locks on your doors and windows are up to date, actually work (!), and fit industry standards; if they don’t, replace them. At home, don’t give in to the temptation to leave your spare key somewhere obvious; that flowerpot is meant for flowers, not hiding a door key! You should also install security lighting and an externally visible burglar alarm, especially on business premises. These simple and easy tips can save you bundles, so make sure you take time when picking a new policy.