Oil & Your Portfolio

By Ahmad Hassam

Wall Street analysts watch oil prices like hawks. During the early part of 2008, oil prices skyrocketed from near $75 to almost $140 within a few short months. This was more than a 100% increase in oil prices in a few months. All over the world, countries started feeling huge pressures on their balance of payment accounts. Many hedge fund managers heavily speculated on the increase in oil price. Some made a windfall, other lost when the oil prices suddenly collapsed.

Most of the increase in the oil prices was due to speculation by the hedge funds. When the stock markets crashed in the middle of 2008, most of the hedge funds had to liquidate their investments in oil futures to cover their stock portfolio losses. The prices came down just as they had gone up. The prices are down now due to low consumer demand in a global recession. But it is being predicted by the analyst that with a recovery in the global economy, the oil prices will go up again.

As oil prices go up, consumers are forced to spend more on oil. The more they spend on oil, the less they can spend on other products. The less they spend on other products, the less profit companies make. Declining profits made by these companies mean declining stock prices.

The opposite case is also true; less the oil prices become, the more Wall Street becomes optimistic and exuberant about the profit potential of companies. This increased optimism and exuberance translates into a bullish stock market. Two large futures exchanges are used to determine the prices of crude oil. One is the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYME). The other is the International Petroleum Exchange (IPE).

Historically, rising oil prices have been associated with falling stock markets. NYME is where most of the crude oil futures are traded. By monitoring the movement of the crude oil futures in NYME, you can develop a feel of the future economic situation of the United States. Since oil is heavily traded in US Dollar, this affects the US Dollar. The net effect is however a bit complicated.

Lets take a look at it. When oil prices increase, the demand for USD also increases as most of the countries need USD to pay for their oil bills. Increased demand for USD means that it should become stronger and appreciate.

But this is not the whole picture. Increased oil prices also affect the US economy. The question is which effect is more important for the currency markets.

The effect varies for different currency pairs. Suppose you are watching a currency pair that involves the USD and a currency representing a country that does well during the times of high oil prices. Take Canada that has huge oil reserves after Saudi Arabia. The effect would be depreciation in the value of USD/CAD pair. US imports more oil from Canada than any other country. And if you are watching a currency pair that involves USD and a currency whose economy is harmed by the rising oil prices, the demand for USD will rise.

So we can see, some currencies have positive correlation with oil prices and other currencies have negative correlation with rising oil prices. The currency pair CAD/JPY shows the strongest reaction to rising oil prices. Japan imports 100% oil.

Watch for CAD/JPY currency pair, when oil prices are going to rise again. CAD is positively correlated with oil prices. JPY is negatively correlated. So CAD/JPY has the strongest reaction to the increase in oil prices. It can be a very good currency pair to trade during times of oil price boom. - 23226

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading and swing trading stocks and currencies. Learn Forex Nitty Gritty. Discover Forex Magic Machine. Try Netpicks Forex Signal Service.

IRS Makes Investment Rules for 529 College Savings Plans Easier On Contributors

By Doeren Mayhew

Saving for college is always difficult and is even more so during the current economic downturn. One of the most popular college savings plans are so called "529 plans." The IRS recently announced that participants in 529 plans will be able to change their investments more often in 2009 than in past years. The IRS will allow a change in investment strategy twice in 2009. This is good news for 529 plan participants, especially those who may otherwise be locked into a mix of investments that has turned out to be more speculative than initially contemplated.

Tax-Free Distributions A 529 plan is a type of qualified tuition program. In a 529 plan, taxpayers contribute to an account established for paying a student's educational expenses. Eligible educational expenses include the costs of tuition, books, and fees at eligible institutions, such as colleges, vocational schools, and other ostsecondary institutions.

Contributions to 529 plans are not tax-deductible, though. However, earnings are tax-free, and distributions used to pay the beneficiary's qualified education expenses are also tax-free.

Be aware that A 529 plan should not be confused with a Coverdell Educational Savings Account (Coverdell ESA). A Coverdell ESA is also a savings account for education expenses that offers tax-free distributions. The funds saved in a Coverdell ESA can be used for elementary and secondary school expenses as well as college costs.

Investment Decisions Generally, participants in 529 plans must select only from among broadbased investment strategies designed exclusively by the program. Additionally, the IRS has traditionally permitted a change in investment strategy only once a year.

In response to the economic slowdown and the turmoil in the financial markets, the IRS will allow investments in a 529 plan to be changed during 2009 on a more frequent basis. A 529 plan will not violate the investment restriction if it permits a change in the investment strategy twice in calendar year 2009, as well as upon a change in the designated beneficiary of the account. - 23226

About the Author:

Doeren Mayhew Doeren Mayhew is a leader among certified public accounting and consulting firms, providing accounting, audit, tax, and business consulting services. Visit the Doeren Mayhew Doeren Mayhew site for more information.

Learn to Trade Online: Sign Up For Free Stock Investing Course

By Zachary Riff

If you have the patience and eagerness, learning online stock trading won't be too much of a problem. And learning the tools for trading online is now made easier with many sites offering stock investing course and training programs, as well as tools and applications that enable beginners like you to know how to trade stocks. To start your stock investing right, signing up to an online stock firm is your best bet to learning the ropes and creating your own stock investing strategies.

A good online stock trading site will teach you three things in its stock investing course: Experience counts; information can make or break you; and that lag time, is a killer. Signing up with an online stock trading site gives you the opportunity to enroll with its stock investing course.

There are many sites that offer stock investing course programs and turnkey applications for beginners like you to the right way, at your own pace. Many sites also show the steps and ways for you to manage your stock and keep track of your stock investments, not only do you learn how stock trading works, you get a free stock investing course added to the package.

Because most online stock trading sites offer stock investing course options as well as online stock services to support beginners, all you need to do is pick one that suits you and is inclined to the stock market that you're looking to invest in. And because there have been many copycats and fraudulent sites all over the internet, beware of sites that say you don't need to have a working knowledge of online stock trading to invest. It is vital for you to know how your money is invested and how much control you have what you buy, what you sell, and what the best stock picks on the market are, at the moment.

A reliable online brokerage site would include a listing of independent stock news sources alongside its free stock investing course. You can use these listings for further research. You can also get news from other sites for information on the best stock pick, new stocks, and other developments.

One other option is to look for sites where you can find firsthand data from the market. One thing you will learn when you start your stock investing course education is that getting the right kind of information at a crucial time is the difference between a lucrative buy offer, and a lousy stock investment.

Another thing that you can learn from your online stock investing course is that more often, online trading is dependent on market information from the floor. The Internet cannot duplicate the market hours; hence, a lot of trading online is not as instantaneous as it is on the floor. Lag time can be anywhere from ten minutes to twenty four hours, depending on the on the movement of your stock and the environment on the floor. If you have stock that fluctuates rapidly, the buy offer you made yesterday may differ from the price of the stock today. Be sure to keep a pulse on what's happening to your stock trading and investments so you can make the necessary adjustments.

Experience, constant update with the latest stock data and being able to gauge lag time of different stocks are just some of the things you can gain from an online stock trading course. With these essentials, you'll be able to devise your own trading strategy and succeed. - 23226

About the Author:

Discover how you can take a free stock investing course. Find a good stock market investing guide online.

An Introduction to Foreign Exchange

By Bart Icles

One of the most fast-paced and thrilling markets in the world is the foreign exchange market or what we often refer to as the Forex or FX. It is also by far the largest and most liquid financial market in the world. In the past, the key players in the foreign exchange market were large corporations, financial institutions, central banks, extremely wealthy individuals, and hedge banks. With the introduction of the internet, changes took place in the foreign exchange market and presently, average investors have started to play key roles in the market through buying and selling currencies through online brokerage accounts - all with just a click of a mouse.

Simply put, the foreign exchange market is where currencies are being traded. Currencies are important because they need to be exchanged or traded for foreign trade and business to take place. As an example, if you are in the United States and you want to buy perfume from France, you would need to exchange your US dollars for euros so you can make your purchases. The exchange rate would vary, depending on the current trading rate of a specific currency.

What makes the foreign exchange market even more unique is that in spite of being an international market, it does not have a central marketplace. Investors can conduct currency trading through electronic over-the-counter transactions. The foreign exchange market is open for trading 24 hours a day and 5 and a half days a week. Currencies are traded in these hours in the major financial centers of New York, London, Paris, Zurich, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney.

Investors can trade foreign currencies in three ways - through spot markets, forwards markets, and futures markets. In spot markets, currencies are bought and sold according to their current rates. Current rates change with supply and demand that depend on current interest rates, reactions to ongoing political conditions, economic performance, assessments on the future performance of one currency against another, and a lot of other factors.

In forwards and futures markets, trading happens a lot differently. No actual currencies are being traded in these two markets. Contracts are bought and sold over the counter in forwards market. These two parties lay out the terms of agreement between themselves. In futures markets, investors buy and sell futures contracts based on a standard size and a settlement date on public commodities markets.

The foreign exchange market indeed offers several opportunities for investors. To be successful, it is important that a currency trader has a good understanding of the basics behind movements in currencies. - 23226

About the Author:

Finding a good forex strategy builder starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning forex trading takes dedication and a good teacher. But once you learn how to trade and do so successfully your life will change and you have options and financial resources you never had before.

Forex Education is Forex Success

By Bart Icles

Hearing the success stories of people who got (very) rich in the Foreign exchange market can be a very powerful and exciting catalyst that can make almost anyone want to jump right into Forex trading without even knowing what it is all about. Because majority of people are so much in need of financial resources these days, the temptation to join in in any form of "business" that promises to give immediate and large amounts of profits in a short period of time, can indeed be very hard not to ignore. But do remember, that for every success story that goes around, there will always be its opposite versions that somehow will never see the light of day.

So if you're still undaunted by this terrible yet truthful fact, it would be to the best of your interest, and for the sake of your sanity to get prepared in the best possible way before actually stepping into this highly volatile and risky industry by getting a Forex education. Getting educated on all the basic and vital facts about how the Forex currency trading works is your only hope of surviving it while making a profit in return.

Technology has played a great part in the revolution and transformation of the currency market since its inception, and has made it what it is today. So, it is not only fitting but also a viable option to let that technology work for you and help in transforming you into becoming one of the industries most fittest and capable of warriors to do battle in the vast and danger-filled arena of the currency market.

The online courses are study-at-home courses which you can find on the web and which can be downloaded to your computer. Many legitimate and experienced traders offer free or affordable tutorials, tips and advice - so don't get fooled into buying expensive ebooks or other data from inexperienced individuals who are only out to steal your hard earned money.

If you choose this method of learning, do some research on the Internet, and ask around for some references on where to find good Forex online training programs. Between online and on-location courses, the first is the best option to take into consideration as it offers more flexibility in terms of giving you the freedom to study at the comfort of your home, and at your own time and pace, away from the complications of school classrooms and the many distractions it presents.

So, if you still plan on investing your time and money on Forex trading, get a good Forex education to help protect yourself and your precious resources. - 23226

About the Author:

Forex education starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. A forex trading education takes dedication and a good teacher. But once you learn how to trade and do so successfully your life will change and you have options and financial resources you never had before.