Showing posts with label Invest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Invest. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Bank forex trading is quite simplified today

Today everyone wants to invest in the forex market. But it is not that easy as one might think. Earlier, the forex markets were only restricted to banks. However, now commoners can also bid in this market to increase their fortunes. Banks made use of professional traders to deal in the market on their behalf. Most important thing that determines the success of a person while trading in the forex market is the amount of knowledge and experience possessed by him. If you are able to get the knack of this market, then it can benefit you immensely in your long term trades in this market. This also eliminates the need for you to depend on get rich fast schemes. Forex can make a millionaire out of you, but the only difference is that luck does not determine your wealth, its only your hard work. All the people who have made millions from this market are those who have successfully used the forex trading tools to the best of their advantage. In fact, their learning curve has not even stopped after their forex trading started yielding results. The biggest allure that enthralls all the amateur traders is the incredible amount of intra day profits. Well, these profits can only be earned after a smart evaluation of the market and determining a system that works to earn profits for you.

its very easy to make money out of forex but you have to find a system that has been proved reliable when used by traders in the past. Enough back testing of the system should have been done by traders before you. Also, your personal experience will determine how much you can use the system to your own benefit. Well, using the system before getting the feedback about it from others will ensure that you are taking decisions on the basis of the system without others, which is simply marvelous. This kind of a testing can be done through the demo trading mechanism of a system.

Stop losses are an excellent way to help you in safeguarding yourself against the volatility of the market. If your currency is not yielding a pre-set amount of profits, then you can quit the market immediately.This implies that you leave the market because the warning signals have started to emerge. This way you reduce any chances of making losses and maximise your success rate. That is why, most of the traders stress on the policy of making small profits and not waiting for bigger profits to happen and not quitting a danger ridden market in the same hope. You should be perseverant and stick to a single trading system which will yield you enough profits if you learn it consistently and apply it for your own benefit. The key in bank forex trading is to set your demo account with the system and keep on practicing unless you learn sufficiently well. All you have to do is to choose the right forex trading system and earn profits with all the freedom that you get in operating in the market.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Can You Make Money in the FOREX Markets?

You would be inspired with the potential to make some surplus cash if you heard about the money tat FOREX trading has to offer. The currency will continue growing when people discovers about the large profit potential of FOREX trading. In the currency markets, just like when you are trading in shares, you will desire to buy when it is low and deal high. But in FOREX trading, you are not trading in shares but in currencies. Currency values will grow and might as well depreciate in value daily just like stocks. Here is a sample on how FOREX trading operates: In purchasing a not so expensive foreign currency - let us say about a dollar for each item - and when the value increases re-sell it, you will make some cash. It is not as complicated as it seems and is not in theory. Earning real cash through currency trading will require you a lot of thinking. An example of which is that there are several with different currencies that can be traded. But keep in mind, that you can not actually keep an eye on the information for all of these currencies. The big question will be "How will you know the right time to buy or sell? Sounds difficult? Well, there are ways. You would like to pick up some FOREX trading software that will generate earnings for you. These are programmed and designed by master FOREX traders and computer specialists and are able to check the currency on the market.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Trading Forex - dollar and inflation

For a number of years US economy has enjoyed a relatively low inflation rate. According to official statements, annualized inflation over last decade or so has been in very low single digits. Depending on the source and method of calculation, the rate has been about 2. That is despite massive infusion of funds into the economy in the form of very low interest rates.

That course of action has been long supported by US financial authorities, the FED. For years the central bank has been concerned with growth, doing everything it could to fight economic slow down and stagnation. It was done in the form of cutting interest rates and seemingly endless liquidity increase. Let's not forget about lending hand in order to bail out large financial institutions from the masses their questionable practises created. In fact, month after month we have been treated to speeches that inflation is under control and not a threat. Until now.

Published inflation figures pertain to the so called "core inflation", compilation of prices on consumer goods, which excludes food and energy. Runaway cost increases in oil/gas and main food commodities are finally being reflected in the number, as their effects trickle down to other areas of consumer goods. Some of the newly released figures are stunning-soaring energy costs pushed inflation up in May at the fastest pace in six months, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Labor Department. Food prices had the biggest one-month leap in 18 years in April. That's something.

Higher energy and commodity prices also fuel inflation pressures in other parts of the world. They are being acutely felt in Asia in particular, as the region continues to function as a commodity importer/manufactured goods exporter. One way countries can offset such inflationary pressures is to allow their currencies to appreciate more rapidly. All of a sudden, within a couple of weeks, the once neglected subject of inflation has catapulted itself onto front pages.

As of this writing in mid June, finance ministers of the of the Group of Eight industrialized countries (G-8) are holding a meeting in Osaka, Japan. Main subject have been inflation causing soaring oil and food prices, which are emerging as serious threats to global economic growth. The ministers are vowing to work together to address the problem. They urged oil-producing nations to increase production to help stabilize the spike in oil prices, and called for aid to address a looming food crisis in developing nations.

In response, Saudi Arabia pledged to increase its daily output by additional 500,000 barrels a day. This is surely to stretch their capacity to an absolute maximum, but in opinions of many this decision should calm energy markets, which, by the way, do not have a shortage of supplies. The recent run up of crude oil price to new high of about $140, is likely to be the extent of the rally for some time.

Where does it leave the dollar? There is no one certain answer, but her is one very possible scenario. Inflationary pressures are likely to cause FED to halt its rate cutting policy, maybe even to start gradual rate increases. That is always appealing to Forex traders. Falling oil prices should also benefit the dollar, as record energy costs have been vilified as the single biggest force behind USD weakness (rightly or not). And one more thing, Treasury Secretary Paulson warned earlier this week that he isn't ruling out intervening in currency markets to stabilize the currency.

So, what is the relationship between US Dollar and inflation? Under current market conditions and in light of most recent fundamental and technical development USD might just get a much needed bust from the much dreaded inflation. This relationship is, however, fluid and unstable. Unchecked, inflationary forces can do just the opposite some time down the road- start another Dollar slide.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Forex Trading System - A Simple, FREE Profitable One for Big FX Profits

If you want to buy a mechanical forex trading system there are plenty on the net that you can buy but 99% of them don't work as they have never been traded and come with simulated track records. On the other hand, you can use this free one which is simple and profitable.

The trading system we are going to look at is incredibly simple but don't assume that just because it's simple it doesn't work - it does. You can make big profits with it by incorporating it in to your forex trading strategy.

This system was developed by trading legend Richard Donchian in the late seventies for trading commodities and many traders have used over the years. While it was developed to trade commodities it works well in currency markets because they trend.

The system is called "The four week rule" and it does exactly what its name implies.

Here are the rules:

1) Close short positions and reverse to a long position when a price exceeds the highs of the previous 4 weeks.

2) Close long positions and reverse to a short position when a price falls below the lows of the previous 4 weeks.

That is the system and you couldn't get simpler than that.

The above will work very well in trending markets but in sideways and consolidating markets it will get chopped, so you can consider using a filter. Enter trades on the 4 week rule - but exit the position on a shorter time period and go flat.

1 or 2 week cycles are ones to consider. You would then simply re enter on the next 4 week signal. I have used this currency trading system as part of my strategy for years and it works -most traders won't use it though, despite the fact its proven and it works - Why?

1. It's too simple.

Most people discount it purely on this, although simple systems always tend to beat complicated ones as they are more robust.

2. It takes discipline to follow, as it is not fussy about exact market timing.

Most traders are obsessed with buying low and selling high (even though it doesn't work!) so can't follow it and most traders lack discipline anyway.

3. Its not trendy.

Most forex traders like trendy or mystical systems Fibonacci, Elliot Wave, Neural networks, artificial intelligence etc which are all a bit more glamorous than a system from the seventies, with one parameter. Make no mistake though, this system beats most on the net that are sold and it's free!

While it may be simple, keep in mind many famous traders have used it such as, Richard Dennis, the turtles and many more - if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for you.

You can of course just use the general principle in your forex trading strategy as a currency trading system it is based on the 4 week cycle of price and you will be surprised at how important it is.

To get diversification you can trade currencies with other markets as well and diversify. For example -the energies and interest rate markets are good trending markets to combine with currencies.

The 4 week rule is free and if you are serious about your forex education, take a look at it and it will help you enjoy forex trading success.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Is Your Stock, Futures or Forex Trading Doing Better Than My Laundromat?

I decided I wanted to buy a Laundromat. I had $50,000 to spend and wanted to ensure it met the following criteria. Firstly, it had to be in good condition, and in a location where it will still be a viable business in 10 years time. Secondly, and more importantly for my objectives, it had to be able to return me a return on investment of 20% per year, over the next 5 years, and require no more than 1 hour of my time a week.

After searching for a while, I found a Laundromat in good condition and in a very nice location for $40,000. The books suggested that it actually made more than 20% per annum, in fact closer to 45%, but at the same time, it involved around 15 hours per week. The owner was providing a laundry service that took her approximately 15 hours a week and she was pretty much running the service, organizing maintenance and emptying the machines of their cash in that 15 hours.

So I looked at it for a while and came up with the following solution. I asked her if she was willing to be my employee, and to basically keep doing what she was doing. She said yes and after negotiating her wage, it turned out that my investment would net me 16% per annum, however my involvement was almost nil. All I had to do was pick up the cash from her each week, and organize maintenance.

To me I had found a good investment. 16% per annum for very little effort is good, but I had to take the situation and tweak it to suit me. If she had said no to my request, and I couldn't find someone else to do the work, then it would not have been a good investment for me at all, simply because I didn't have the time, plus I wouldn't have liked the work involved, it just isn't me.

This is how you must look at your trading business. Does it suit you? Are you expecting to make large returns per year with little attention? Too many people are getting sucked into promises of big fortunes before looking to themselves and their own needs and current resources to fill those needs.

When I was a student of Peter Bain, I remember him getting a request from someone who had just bought his course. His request was almost a demand, and it was 'Peter, I need to make around $5,000 a month; I have $10,000 capital and need to be making it in two weeks. Can you help me do that?' I remember looking through Peter's sales page after seeing that request, and nowhere does it say that you can generate 50% per month using Peter's system, nor does it say, in two weeks you'll be a successful trader. It disturbed me that this was being asked, not too mention how Peter felt.

Peter uses a quote from Albert Einstein that says if you spend 15 minutes a day on a particular topic, in a year's time you'll be an expert. Well Peter suggests an hour a day but I'd like to expand on this.

An hour a day does not include your trading time, or the time taken to scan possible trades, or even to analyze the possible trades that have triggered. It is valuable time that you must use to study. Study the course or the system you are looking to trade by way of back testing, understanding the terminology and reviews of your past trades. It also includes time to study the masters of trading. If you want to be a successful trader then there is nothing better than studying the very people who achieve these successes. What makes them tick? I asked Peter as many questions about his day-to-day activities outside of trading as I did on trading itself. Let's get back to the Laundromat.

You need to be clear on what you can put in to your trading outside of trading itself. Like I said, it's about study. I could have chosen to do the laundry work my self and made a better return, but it was not what I wanted because I wanted to spend that 15 hours a week doing what I was already doing. Ask your self what you want to be making a year from your trading and then what hours you are prepared to put in a week to achieve this? The higher the return you are seeking the more time you'll need to put in, it is as simple as that.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Investing in Business

The traditional concept of investing for most people involves buying stocks and shares, or investing in a company on some equity basis. Investing in business is one of the highest yielding yet most risky investment strategies you can take. Placing your money in the hands of other people is always going to be concerning, especially considering the ever-present risk of insolvency. It is therefore crucial to make your decision wisely, to avoid ending up short, and to actually see a return on the money you have invested.

In this article we will examine some of the key aspects of a company's health that you should be looking for before you invest.

There are largely two main ways in which you can invest in business: privately or by buying shares through a broker. Obviously investing privately is more risky, but it does yield a greater return. If you're buying shares through a broker you're probably going to need to open an account and pay a transaction fee to enable you to do so.

Alternatively, many online banks have share dealing services which work out at a lot cheaper, and allow you to instantly trade. Hanging on to your shares will give you an asset which should hopefully give you a recurring income for as long as they are in your name in the form of the dividend, whereas private investment will usually take the form of a loan or equity stake.

Always consult the trading and profit and loss accounts of any company you intend to invest in. The trading account will let you work out the gross margin on their sales, which will give you an indication of gross profitability. The profit and loss account will let you gauge the efficiency of expense handling in the organization, and will give you some insight as to the overall profitability of the venture.

If it's making a healthy profit, sufficient to issues a healthy dividend, your money is likely to be safe. Similarly look for transfers to a reserve. The existence of a reserve is reassuring, because that means that even if the company hit financial difficulty, there's money tucked away to help out. Similarly, always examine the balance sheet to determine the current and long term liabilities of the organization.

All this information will help to paint a picture of the financial health of the organization. Don't be scared to ask questions of the accounts either - it's your money at the end of the day, so it is your responsibility to look after it.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

A Killer Forex Strategy: Three Ways to Turn Yourself Into a Profitable Forex Trading Machine

Can you imagine having a killer forex strategy that allows you to extract cash from the biggest market in the world at any time you choose, day or night? You could trade at any time, and from anywhere. You could be sitting trading currency in Dubai or in Denver, making forex profits in the Maldives or in Malta - all with a few clicks of your mouse!

Sadly, for most people, it's really not that easy.

Here's a frightening fact: nearly 50% of foreign exchange traders lose money to the point where they have to stop trading altogether, and go and do something less risky instead.

If you're trading currencies right now, or you're thinking about starting, then you have a 1-in-2 chance of losing your trading pot.

They're not very good odds, are they?

I've been trading currencies for over twenty years, on and off, and mostly without great success. When I discovered that nearly half of all traders lose money over time, I nearly gave up myself!

The one thing that kept me going through the dark days was the knowledge that the foreign exchange trading software that is available now to the individual trader for modest sums, or even for free, are better than the software that professional City forex firms were paying thousands a year for only a decade ago.

I reckoned that the quality of the trading software tools available to us would continue to go up over time, and prices would continue to come down. And one day, we'd have access to some of the best foreign exchange software at silly prices!

I believe that day has now dawned.

As individual foreign currency traders, we now have three options open to us that enable us to "play with the big boys" - and play to win.

Option 1 - Pay For Trade Signals

There are plenty of companies and 'expert' individuals out there who will deliver trade signals to you by phone, SMS or email. I've used a couple of them myself, and they can be pretty good.

Just so we're all clear, trade signals basically come from the market. They are either fundamental (good farm payroll numbers, an interest rate change and so on) or they are technical, from patterns forming on the charts, or a combination of the two.

There are literally hundreds of different signals to choose from, and a service should pass on to you only those they think have the highest probability of creating a profit. By the time you get a trade signal, though, it will simply tell you the currency pair, whether it's a Buy or a Sell, and some idea of stop-loss and profit-take levels.

The problem in this system lies in the information being delivered at the right time, and you being on hand to act upon it. The other problem is cost - some of the better ones will charge you several hundred dollars a month for their service. Of course, this adds to the pressure on your trading account, as you have to make the cost of the FX signal service back before you start to make any money for yourself.

Option 2 - A Managed Forex Account

Here, you hand over your trading capital to a professional forex trading company who will trade for you in the markets.

There are several advantages to this route...

* You are hiring a team of full-time professionals to trade on your behalf

* No matter how good your trading software might be, theirs will be even better!

* You need spend no time at all staring at screens and analysing charts

* If you find a good team, it can work out very profitable for you.

However, there are fees to be taken into consideration. Generally, you will be charged a yearly management fee of between 1% and 3% of your trading capital, and a performance fee (usually charged quarterly) of between 10% and 35% of any profit made.

(If the performance fee seems high to you, think of it this way. Your team of foreign currency traders are trading currencies for a living, and you are benefiting from their expertise. Plus, if they charge you 25% of profits, you're still getting 75% of a sum that would not otherwise have been made. And, last but not least, a performance fee will motivate the team to do well for you - and that's what you want!)

The downside, for me at least, is the lack of control. I get a real buzz from trading, and I don't want to lose that by handing over my trading capital to a professional team.

You'll also need at least $10,000, probably nearer $50,000, in order to get started with a managed account.

Option 3 - Generate Your Own Trade Signals

Years ago, this meant pouring over yesterday's paper charts (for which you had to pay a small fortune to get!) with pencil, ruler, and a stack of charts going back several months.

Nowadays, all that can be done with a good paid charting service such as eSignal, or even for free with BigCharts.

However, it still takes time, and you still need to know what you're looking for, and it takes further time to build up a skill and an affinity with charts before you start making consistent, profitable trades. (And that's if you're in the lucky 50% of traders!)

Recently, a new solution came onto the market that takes away the potentially expensive learning curve, and all this time-consuming analysis, and basically does it all for you.

This is the option I like! Here's how it works.

Step 1 - you download a very inexpensive ($198) piece of stand-alone software. This is what will generate the trade signals for you.

Step 2 - you feed it the latest data from the market you want to trade. All you need to do is take data from your online trading platform (and it doesn't matter which one you use) and feed it into the software.

Step 3 - if it brings back a trade signal, you trade it (or 'paper trade' it if you want to test it first)

Step 4 - your profit-taking limit is hit, and you bank the profits!

Monday, February 4, 2008

Forex Charts - 4 Deadly Mistakes Made By Traders

Using technical analysis and forex charts is an excellent way to make money in forex trading. The problem is there are a number of myths that traders fall victim to and lose. The mistakes are easy to avoid and enclosed.

1. Trying To be to Complicated

Many traders see all the indicators that are available to them and think they have to use them, after all 10 indicators are better than 2 - Wrong.

The best forex trading systems are simple and this means they are more robust in the hard world of real trading with fewer elements to break, than a complicated trading system.

Less really is more in forex technical analysis! All the best forex trading strategies used by successful traders are relatively simple and yours should be too.

2. Predicting Prices

If you try and predict forex prices your predictions will be as accurate as your horoscope and you will lose. Predicting is another word for hoping or guessing and that won't get you far in life or forex trading.

What you need to do is to simply act on the reality of price change.

Sure you miss the exact change but you can't predict that anyway.

Your aim is to make money not strive for perfection!

3. Scientific Methods

Leads on from the above and currency prices unfortunately don't move to a scientific theory. This is of course obvious because if they did, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market.

A forex market moves because we don't and never will know what happens next.

So forget prediction and forget science, they won't help you your trading the odds but if you trade them successfully you will make a lot of money.

4. Invalid Data

The biggest mistake novice traders make is to believe the myth of forex day trading and scalping.

Forex day traders never make money and never will - why?

Because the data is invalid and all volatility in short term time frames is random.

As volatility is random, you can't get the odds in your favour and you will lose. You need to trade longer term time frames where you can get the odds in your favour and this means long term trend following or swing trading.

The above are the 4 biggest mistakes traders make with forex charts and there easy to avoid.

If you want to learn currency trading the right way, then you need to understand forex charts can help you achieve currency trading success only if you use them in the correct manner.

Simple odds based, currency trading system which trades the reality of price change is a simple yet powerful way of making big long term gains.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Forex Trading - 3 Simple Tips for Triple Digit Profits

If you incorporate these two tips in your forex trading strategy then you can increase your forex profits dramatically and really supercharge your gains so here they are. The first one is.

1. Reduce Your Trading Frequency

Many traders think the more they trade the more their profit potential will be and they don't like not being in the market in case they miss a big move. They end up trading to much and taking low odds trades and lose.

You don't get rewarded for how often you trade - you get rewarded for being right with your trading signal and that's it.

I know trades who trade only a few times a year and make triple digit profits.

Their not interested in the buzz of trading, just taking trades they know will be big trends they can hold and make money with.

2. Do Not Diversify!

You will here a lot about not putting your eggs all in one basket as a way to reduce risk but there is a problem - it dilutes profit potential and most traders who start trading in forex simply don't have big enough accounts to diversify.

When you see a high odds trade on your forex trading system then you need to focus on it and not be tempted take other marginal trades for the sake of it, this leads onto the next point.

3. Load the Trade Up

Another common wisdom is only risk 2% per trade - but for most forex traders this is too little and simply ensures they get stopped out by normal volatility.

Let's say you are trading a small account of $3,000, risking 2%, that's just $60!

You won't make much risking that.

Risk and reward go hand in hand, so the more you risk the more you can make.

This doesn't mean that you have to be rash but you need to take calculated risks at the right time and if you believe in a trade load it up.

If you have a small account then you should be risking between 10 - 20% on these trades. The high odds trades don't come around often, so you need to milk them for all there worth.

Finally....

If you don't like risk or try and restrict it to much, you will simply consign yourself to failure. You also need to have the courage to hit trades hard at the right time and be patient to wait for the high odds set ups to emerge.

If you are a trader who wants to make more money from their trading then the above 3 tips will help you do so and enjoy currency trading success.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Is Forex Right For You?

The Foreign Exchange Market (also known as Forex )

The size of Forex has now made any other investment market smaller to a great extent. It is becoming more and more popular every day.

Forex traders can make exchanges 24 hours a day 5 days a week, from Monday to Friday. There are many opportunities for the forex trader in the Forex market because of the constant movements of the exchange rates.

Traders can make profits both when the prices are high and low. Anyone can learn how to trade on the market. But it is very important to get the proper training and education before you start doing any live trading. The good thing is that anyone can practice with a demo account before starting any live trading. The good thing is the amount of money someone needs to place a trade is all that they can lose. Unlike other markets it is possible to start trading with only $100.

The transaction cost is very low and the market is the most liquid of all markets, so the trader can enter or exit it in almost any condition. Because of the forex market's twenty 24 hours trading, Orders are processed quickly without slippage. It is easy to find good brokers, with a little research who will close some or all of open positions if the account's fall below the level required to hold the positions. Everybody can trade online from home. It is a great opportunity for people who want to work from home, All that is needed to start trading is a computer with Internet access and a proper training.

The market is so huge in forex that it is impossible for anyone to control the market price for a long time. Trading currencies is much simpler than stocks. There are only a few major currency pairs. There is no waiting for months like in futures market. Trades in forex rarely take more than two days. The huge marketplace will grow bigger as more people are joining it every day.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Forex Trading Training to Equip You for Successful Trading Business

Forex, the largest financial market in the world also known as 'The Foreign Exchange' is a market where the currency of one nation is traded with another. With the enhancement of the technology, with electronic economy, online Forex trading companies starts to offer a lot of services to all traders around the world. Anyone with an Internet connection can easily start to trade currencies, but professionalism and trading skills are very important to succeed in the Forex market. With the following article you will understand more on how training in forex trading can equip you to become an efficient player in the Forex market.

Forex trading is very lucrative. And the currency market is by far the most liquid and volatile market in the world and with this comes various opportunities for working from home. Online forex training offers you professional training through their successful traders, experienced in currency trading, private account management and fund management.

The following points discuss how forex training works:

The higher the level you aim to trade the greater the rewards. Higher the level of trading higher is the risk too. Therefore, forex training provides you with the best preparation to build your efficiency and help you face your challenges and meet your goals in future. Forex trading training will provide you guidance on how to follow a trading plan, maintain a trading system, follow your money management rules, and your commitment to the business. It also teaches how to think and evaluate your trading business to ensure good results.

As a forex trader your primary concern is to complete the work in time, which can be a change when working from home. Forex trading training trains you in such a way that it helps you set your objectives when trading to focus on the appropriate time frame chart. The course should advise you on how much capital you need to start a currency trading business and do it efficiently.

They should help you build a significant trading sum through cautious approach and planning. These approaches will help you manage your time and opportunities to make sure it meets all criteria of your trading business.

The above are just a few of the important things that forex trading training should offer you to ensure successful forex trading and make you more eligible to make money working from home with a forex trading job. Forex training will help you keep your feet on the ground, build your income and at the same time keep your risk factor low. There are online forex training courses that will provide you with just the right approach for a productive trading business.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Importance of Education to the Investor

How many of you out there think that the market is performing well?

How many think the market is performing poorly?

And how many feel the markets performance is neutral?

Actually none of these answers is correct. You see, the market does not perform, you do. You perform!

Sometimes you perform well, and other times you do not perform so well. The market doesn't perform, it moves. It moves up, it moves down and it moves sideways.

It moves along like anything else that travels in a business cycle. If the market did perform, then you would only be able to make money in an up market.

As you know, it is possible to make money in a down market, and even in a stagnant market. Thus it stands to reason that the market simply moves and you react to it. So, let's talk about your performance. You have two ways that you can perform, directly and indirectly.

Directly, you pick your own stocks. Indirectly, someone else picks your stocks for you, whether it is your broker or a fund manager.

In the latter case, the fact that you chose someone else to pick the actual stock does not mean that the responsibility of a loss is theirs. After all, it was you who chose them.

In the end, it is you and you alone who are responsible for your performance. Consequently, it is your responsibility to become an educated investor.

Years ago, individual investors didn't have to worry about who was managing their money. Now, things have changed as poor returns from money managers and investment firm scandals have shaken our confidence in these 'professionals.'

To get a better look at what lies ahead, you have to go back and look at what transpired to get you to where you are now. From there, maybe a clearer path into the future will become visible.

During the Great Bull Market of the 1990's, many investors, like you, entered the market and reaped the returns of the largest bull market in history.

Everyone, it seemed, made incredibly high rates of return. The market's incredible, unprecedented move appeared to make geniuses of us all - but in actuality, it masked some major flaws with many industry professionals. It also created a misconception in the general public that all market professionals were experts.

Suddenly, the bubble burst and those flaws were exposed.

Not only did we find out that most of those experts possessed more luck than skill, but we also discovered that some had been cheating us out of our hard earned savings.

Many investors were discouraged with these market developments, and to make matters worse, many had lost significant amounts of money. Not to mention, the prospect of regaining these losses seemed slim to uncertain, at best.

Furthermore, the very people we normally looked to for help in retrieving these losses either lacked the talent to recover them or had lost enough of our trust and confidence that we wouldn't even entertain the thought of letting them try.