Commodity ETFs

By Ahmad Hassam

Commodity investing may become the hottest investment in the first decades of the 21st century. Right now gold prices have broken the $1000 per ounce barrier for the first time in history. It is predicted that this upward trend in gold prices will continue for the foreseeable future. Oil prices have also started reaching $80 per barrel and it is expected that oil price will soon be above the $100 per barrel mark. It may eventually reach the $200 per barrel barrier. If you are interested in investing in commodities than you can invest in a commodity mutual fund! Many people are not aware that commodities as an asset class has a lot of potential especially in the 21st century. It is being predicted that the 21st century belongs to the commodities.

Just buy the shares of the commodity mutual fund and let its NAV appreciate before you can sell for a capital gain. This is the simplest way for you to get involved in investing in commodities as the mutual fund portfolio management will be done by a professional manager and you have to do nothing.

ETFs started off some three decades back but became highly popular as investment vehicles in such a short time. Now, you must have heard about the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are really hot investments these days.

Now the good thing about investing in ETFs is that they give you the diversification benefits of a mutual fund with very low fees something like 0.7% as compared to 2-4% of the mutual fund. Driven by the growing demand of commodities by the investors many financial institutions are now offering Commodity ETFs.

So how about investing in commodity ETFs? Unlike a mutual fund whose net asset value is calculated at the end of the day and the shares of mutual fund cannot be traded during the day, you can go both long or short on ETFs all the time. Something you cannot do with a mutual fund! ETFs have the added benefit of being able to trade like stocks giving you the powerful combination of diversification and liquidity. Trade your ETF shares just like you trade your stock shares. Anytime go long or short!

This diversification plus liquidity benefit makes an ETF a better investment tool as compared to the mutual fund and the stocks. Now, you can find thousands of ETFs in the market on different market sectors, stock indexes, currencies, commodities and so on.

The first Commodity ETF in US was launched by Deutsche Bank in the start of 2006. The Deutsche Bank Commodity Index Tracking Fund is listed on AMEX and tracks the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index. This index is based on a basket of six commodities: light sweet crude oil, heating oil, gold, aluminum, corn and wheat.

This ETF invests directly in the commodity futures contract. Now one of the downsides of investing in this Commodity ETFs is that it can be fairly volatile as it is based on commodity futures contracts that get rolled monthly. Another downside to this Commodity ETF is that it is based on a basket of six commodities only. Now, every month a new ETF gets launched. There are a number of Commodity ETFs that track individual commodities like crude oil, gold and silver. Do your research on Commodity ETFs, you may find a good investment. - 31391

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. Trade Dow Futures . Learn Commodity Trading !

MLP (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

If you are interested in investing in companies that are involved in the production, transformation and distribution of commodities, than one of the best ways to do so is through investing in the Master Limited Partnership (MLP).

MLPs are public entities that trade on public exchanges. An MLP issues shares that trade on an exchange just like a company stocks that trades on an exchange. You can invest in an MLP by buying its shares on an exchange. The shares that an MLP issues are called Units and the investors who own them are known as Unit Holders.

Right now there are not many MLPs in the market. You will only find 3-4 dozen MLPs listed in the different stock exchanges. When you invest in an MLP, you are essentially investing in public partnership. There are tax advantages to investing in MLP. Unlike regular corporations, an MLP is only taxed once. Now most of the MLPs trade on the New York Stock Exchange. A few MLPs also trade on the NASDAQ and the AMEX. Tax exemption on MLPs gives them certain benefits that other companies in the same industry lack. There is a tax exemption on MLPs. You must be curious how this tax advantage works out. Because of

Suppose you invest $1 in the stocks of a regular corporation and you are in the 35% tax bracket. Corporate tax is 30% of it's before tax income. This means that for each dollar that you invest you need to get at least $1/ (1-0.35) =$1.54 just in order to breakeven. So the corporation will have to generate $1.54/ (1-0.3) =$2.2 for each dollar that you invest in order to return you $1 after tax profit. Since an MLP has got the tax exempt status it will only have to generate only $1.54 for each dollar that you invest in it.

This tax advantage gives an MLP competitive advantage as compared to other corporations when competing for assets. This means a huge advantage for an MLP. Now an MLP is run by a General Partner (GP). In most cases, the majority of these GPs in MLPs are other corporate entities setup with the specific purpose of running an MLP.

The role of a GP is very important in an MLP. You as an investor in the assets of MLP might have a very limited role or say in its running. You can think of yourself as a sleeping partner in the MLP. In most cases, the majority of these GPs in MLPs are other corporate entities setup with the specific purpose of running an MLP. This tax advantage gives an MLP competitive advantage as compared to other corporations when competing for assets. This means a huge advantage for an MLP. Now an MLP is run by a General Partner (GP). But you don't have to worry much about the GP. Most GPs do a good job of running the MLP as it is in their financial interests. GPs know that if they don't make sound management and investment decisions, most of the investors my eventually deicide to divest themselves from the units of the MLP. Now you must know as a limited partner in an MLP, you have limited voting rights. This means when you invest in an MLP, you are giving away the keys of ownership to the GP. This means you are out of the decision making in an MLP.

An MLP is obligated to distribute all available cash back to its unit holders on a quarterly basis, so you will be getting a quarterly income from your units. Secondly as the MLP expands and grows overtime, its units may give you capital gain as well. Investing in MLP units can give you quarterly cash flows as well as appreciation of the unit price. However, always do your due diligence when you want to invest in an MLP. - 31391

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. Trade Dow Futures . Learn Commodity Trading !

Trading Crude Oil Futures (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Crude oil trades around the world. Crude oil is one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world. Every day perhaps billions of dollars worth of crude oil gets traded. New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is considered to be the hub of crude oil trading in the world.

You should be aware of the power of crude oil in the global economy. Crude oil trades around the world. Crude oil is one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world. Every day perhaps billions of dollars worth of crude oil gets traded. You must be thinking that crude oil contracts get traded between the oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Nigeria and so on with non oil countries. Now to your surprise, New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is considered to be the hub of crude oil trading in the world.

Light Sweet Crude is the high grade, low sulfur content crude oil that is more easily refined than the thicker oils. Now crude oil coming out of some of the Venezuelan and Saudi Arabian Oil wells contains high sulfur content and requires special refineries that only process the high grade sulfur crude oil. On the other hand Iraqi oil is close to the ground and has very low sulfur content. Ever heard of Light Sweet Crude? Sulfur content in oil is considered to be very important. Lower the sulfur content in crude oil, the easier and less costly will be its refining. The higher the sulfur content in the crude oil, the more expensive its refining will be.

The NYMEX contract for the light sweet crude is the most liquid of all the crude oil contracts. A standard crude oil contract is based on 1,000 barrels of crude oil that will be delivered to Cushing Oklahoma. The E-mini crude oil contract trades on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) GLOBEX platform and is cleared at NYMEX. It is based on 500 barrels of crude oil.

The E-mini crude oil contract trades on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) GLOBEX platform and is cleared at NYMEX. It is based on 500 barrels of crude oil. Now as a retail trader, you can trade the E-Mini crude oil contract. If you have been dabbling into futures trading than you must know that futures trading is risky and can easily wipe out the capital in your trading account in a matter of minutes. So what to do? One and easy option is to stay away from the crude oil futures trading. The more difficult option is to first learn futures trading do some paper trading and only then venture into this difficult proposition. Read the whole article, I will give you a very good solution at the end. The NYMEX contract for the light sweet crude is the most liquid of all the crude oil contracts. A standard crude oil contract is based on 1,000 barrels of crude oil that will be delivered to Cushing Oklahoma if not settled in cash before the expiry of the contract. Now trading at NYMEX can be through open outcry during the regular treading hours as well as electronic web based trading after hours. A barrel of oil contains 42 US gallons. Crude oil is traded in US dollars per barrel. In other words, the price of crude oil is quoted in US dollars per barrel.

Open outcry or electronic, it doesn't make a difference to you. Most of the traders now day trade futures contracts from the comfort of their homes. Open outcry trading takes place between 10: 00 AM EST to 2:30 PM EST. After hour trading takes place on NYMEX ACCESSS system, an internet based trading platform starting at 3:15 PM EST Monday through Thursday and ending at 9:30 AM EST the following day. Sunday trading starts at 6:00 PM EST.

You can visit the website of NYMEX and read a more about the crude oil trading that takes place at that exchange. Now trading crude oil futures contracts require you to be in tune with the market sentiment. Trends in crude oil market don't develop suddenly and they don't reverse suddenly. This is something good for you as a crude oil futures trader.

When a trend in the crude oil market develops, it may last for a few months to a year. It all depends on the global supply and demand situation of the crude oil. If you can spot a trend in the crude oil market in its early stage and ride it till its reversal, you can make a good profit. Now, just keep this in mind that crude oil prices are highly susceptible to global geopolitical situation and react violently to any political global uncertainty. As a crude oil futures trader you will need to know how to handle the seasonal cycle in the oil market as well as the weekly cycle. Now every week usually on Wednesday the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) releases their weekly supply data reports. If you want to trade crude oil futures than you should know Mark Soberman! What you need to do is click on the link on the left that says FREE EVIL GENIUS TRADING KIT. This trading kit is from Mark Soberman. Don't worry its 100% safe and legal. You only need to come out of your comfort zone. Download the free kit and find a unique method to trade the crude oil futures! - 31391

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. Trade Dow Futures . Learn Commodity Trading !

How To Determine The Best Roth IRA

By Bill Timmer

Weighing your retirement options is an important process, and looking into the best Roth IRA opportunities is crucial to this process. Well-thought out choices are vital to making your retirement funds work for you.

A retirement choice in which your contributions are after-tax is referred to as a Roth Individual Retirement account. This is different from the pre-tax contribution option known as a traditional retirement account, in which you have not paid taxes on money going into the account and will not pay taxes until you reach retirement age. If you predict that, you will be earning less when reaching retirement and will therefore be in a lower tax bracket than you are presently, then a traditional IRA. If the reverse may be true then a Roth IRA may be the best choice for you. Remember to consider the pros and cons of each option with your tax accountant or financial advisor.

If you decide to start up a Roth IRA, know that there are Roth IRA limits to be aware of, such as the income limit. Earning more than $105,000 as a single filer? You may be ineligible to contribute fully to the Roth. This figure changes annually and you need to look at the IRS website, www.ors.gov, for the most up to date information. Another issue is that earnings distributions are not permitted to be made without penalty before age 59 . Furthermore, you must have your Roth IRA open for a minimum of five years to avoid penalties. Stay aware of contribution limits for the IRA as well. As of this writing, the current limit is $5,000 per year. Remember to subtract what you have already contributed to any traditional IRAs you may have-the total of all IRAs, both Roth and traditional, cannot go above $5000.

If you have read about your options and the Roth individual retirement agreement seems like a good option for you, then you should also read about Roth Ira rollovers. A rollover simply means that the funds, which are sitting in your traditional retirement account, can be transferred over to a Roth for tax reasons. This way, you can benefit from a tax-free source of income upon retirement.

You will still need to pay taxes on the funds that you rolling over, which mean you, pay now rather than later. In addition, beginning in 2010, the AGI (adjusted gross income) limits in place now will be changing, opening the Roth rollover up to those who are not now eligible. Check the Internal Revenue Service on these important changes.

There are a number of details to be aware of with the changes in 2010. For example, not only is there the elimination of the income limits currently in place, there are also unique conversion opportunities. For example, the IRS is allowing taxpayers a one-time option to spread out the payment of taxes paid on conversions in the year 2010 to both 2011 and 2012. The government is trying to ease the conversion burden and this could be of great help to many of us.

The best Roth IRA choice will essentially make for a tax-free retirement, and for that reason they are increasingly popular. Understanding your options, particularly in light of the upcoming changes to the tax code, is vital to making the most of your hard-earned retirement income. The right IRA decisions will ensure that your retirement money is working hard for you. - 31391

About the Author:

Bill Timmer loves discussing Roth IRAs. How about you? Please visit his site on Best Roth IRA agreements. Also, find out information on trading stocks in a Roth IRA!

Determining The Primary Trend

By Ahmad Hassam

If you are a trader and don't know anything about technical analysis and how to draw the trendlines and support and resistance levels than you may as well stop trading before you learn and master these concepts. A picture is worth more than a thousand words. Trading would be almost impossible without charts and technical analysis. Trading is all about anticipating and predicating rather than forecasting. Technical analysis is the best tool a trader can have.

Primary trend is the direction of the market that offers the least resistance forward making money. When you follow a primary trend in a bull market you look for strong stocks and in a bear market you look for stocks showing weaknesses. The most important thing that you should in a market is its primary trend. You use the following tools to determine the primary trend! Knowing the primary trend and trading in its direction increases your chances of making money. So how do you find the primary trend and what tools you need to determine the primary trend?

Trendlines: You don't have to worry much about how to correctly draw the trendline as most of the trading platforms have the function to help you draw the trendline. You can let the software draw the trendline for you or you can do it yourself. It is up to you. To correctly draw a rising trendline on the chart, start with the lowest low on the chart and connect it to the lowest low preceding the highest high in the chart without bothering about the prices between the two points. Knowing how to draw and use trendlines gives you an excellent start on any trade. Similarly to draw the down trendline, draw a line connecting the highest high on the chart to the highest high preceding the lowest low of the chart without passing through the prices between the two prices. Now why trendlines are important? Trendline show you the direction in which the markets are moving. If the trendline slopes up, it means that the market is in an uptrend. Prices are gradually going up. Now there might be minor trends in the primary trend but these minor trends are just like the ebb and flow of the waves in an ocean. Two more concepts that you need to learn is the key support and key resistance. Key support is the area above which the prices have held for sometimes. Key resistance is the area above which the prices have not been able to rise for sometimes. A market breaking above the key resistance or below the key support is a signals a new trend.

Moving Averages: Moving averages are sues to smooth out the market's trend over a given period of time and serve as an important support and resistance levels. Support level is the price where the prices stop falling and the buyers step in overcoming the selling pressure. A break in the support level is an indication that more weakness may be ahead.

Resistance level is the price where prices stop rising and the sellers overcome the buying pressure. A break above the resistance level is an indication that the market is going strong.

Oscillators: Oscillators are graphic depictions of points derived from the mathematical formulas that are plotted below the price charts. Knowing these mathematical formulas is not important as a trader. What is more important to know is the fact that oscillators produce useful mathematical data that can help you tell whether the market is overbought or oversold and whether the momentum of the primary trend in the market is still strong or there is a potential change in the primary trend ahead? Two important oscillators that you should be familiar with are RSI and MACD.

Bollinger Bands: Bollinger bands are calculated by plotting points one or more standard deviations above and below the 20-day moving average. However, you can calculate Bollinger Bands with any moving average. Bollinger bands are also known as volatility bands or envelopes. Bollinger bands give you visual evidence when the market has travelled too far in any one direction. - 31391

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. Try these cash printing Forex Signals from heaven. First trade on your Forex Demo Account!

Traders Profiles (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Scalper is a workable profile for a small retail trader. However, you should be able to view the overall trend of the market to gauge whether you are trading with or against the prevailing trend. A scalper is also a seeker of short term profits of the level of 25-50 pips.

A scalper is also a seeker of short term profits of the level of 25-50 pips. A scalper might use a 10 minute chart to follow the market, a 1 hour chart to determine the long term trend and the 5 minute chart to time the entries and exits for each trade.

Day trading is something that many people are successfully doing from the comfort of their homes. There are many people who now make a living from day trading. In day trading, you open a trade and close it before the end of the day. That means you do not keep it open overnight usually. Day trader is a good profile for a new trader.

A Day Trader might use a 15 minute chart to follow the market, a 4 hour chart to determine the long term trend and the 5 minute chart for making the entry and exit. Position trader is a risky and difficult profile for a part time or new trader.

Position trader is a risky and difficult profile for a part time or new trader. The longer you hold the position, the more you are at risk of getting the market surprises that no one can predict. A market surprise can be a sharp change in direction or volatility often occurring as the result of a major surprise announcement.

Each profile requires different scales of charts and time frames but also indicators and money management parameters. If you aim for a 1/3 risk/reward ratio, a Guerilla will risk 5-10 pips per trade, a scalper will risk 15-20 pips per trade, a day trader will risk 25-30 pips per trade and a position trader will risk 40-50 pips per trade.

Even if two trader s use the same charts and technical indicators they might interpret them differently. The differences in money management techniques and attitudes are much less. Good traders tend to share money management and attitude traits. So do bad traders.

Do you want to become a good trader or a bad trader? Always keep in mind that in forex trading a 10 pips move up or down can easily occur within seconds or minutes very quickly without any reason or rhyme. No two traders can be exactly alike. - 31391

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. Try these cash printing Forex Signals from heaven. First trade on your Forex Demo Account!

January Effect

By Ahmad Hassam

The next best holiday bets are the Labor Day and the Memorial Day because they fall before the first day of trading in September and June respectively. The day before the President's day is the worst day and the day after the Easter is the worst day after. However, you should keep in mind that a lot of other factors also come into play and you have a lot of room for error.

The best time of the year to own stocks is the Santa Claus rally which for all practical purposes is the 17 day stretch from December 21 to January 7. This is the best time of the year. Most of the folks usually feel fairly good about themselves around this time of the year.

There is a low trading volume which tends to exaggerate the trend. If the economy is not doing good and is slowing down, FED tends to lower interest rates during holidays in order to go into the new year with less of a worry. However, when you are dealing with seasonality, you should keep these facts in your mind:

1) The market is not longer static. The seasonal effect may get interrupted by other events. More and more people have real time access to information and larger amounts of capital than at any time in the past.

2) Institutional investors like mutual funds, hedge funds and insurance companies have become important players in the markets. So in case of an event free environment, seasonal tendencies may hold up fairly well. At the end of the year, institutional investors want to make their results look as good as possible to their shareholders and tend to buy the stocks and so on.

3) People want quick profits. Many people make a living from investing and trading. These are the times for day traders and swing traders. With fewer people willing to hold stocks for longer periods, it is very difficult to predict seasonality. The days of long term investing or what you call buy and hold are dead! Frequent market crashes have taught the investing public that investing for the long term is fairly risky. So there is more short term trading going on. Value investing is gone and speculation is in.

4) A lot will be written about the recent stock market crash. What were the actual causes of the recent stock market crash? Why so many big banks went belly up in matter of days. What was so special that made this liquidity problem contagious with banks all over the world? The recent market crash was the result of CMO and Default Swaps bringing down the banks and Insurance companies in ways that had not been anticipated or foreseen by the analysts. Many had assumed that derivate securities are safe. Infact they have highly unpredictable tendencies. Derivates and outside the market trading activities can result in highly unpredictable patterns.

Many things are changing. The world is always changing. There is a change in demographics also taking place. With the aging of the population, the overall trend will be towards more income producing investments. So with everyone talking about the seasonal tendencies in the market, it reliability becomes less diminished. - 31391

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. Try these cash printing Forex Signals from heaven. First trade on your Forex Demo Account!