The Advantages of Trading Indices

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Stock market indices are a major component of our daily financial news. Indices have to be understood in their proper context for anyone who hopes to invest using the information on any given index. Stock market indices are used to measure or track a market by its performance and this will give a fair indication as to its ups and downs.

Indices are financial products that are constructed from the constituents of a particular global exchange, such as the UK 100 or US 30. Trading indices are widely used by financial professionals as well as individual investors, for portfolio protection.

Some of the advantages of trading indices are:

24 Hour Market.

While the international stock markets operate during regular trading hours most of the major indices are open for trading 24 hours a day. When the UK or US stock market closes at 4:30pm, you can find the UK 100, US 30, or the Germany 30 index will continue trading all through the night. Unlike many other financial markets, investors can watch index fluctuations caused by economic, political, or social events and be able to respond immediately. They do not have to wait to markets to open in the morning. The electronic platform provides a level playing field. 

Liquidity

The major global indices are the most heavily traded asset type in the world. It has a large daily turnover with many traders all over the world. Volume and open interest in the stock indices continue to grow - a clear indication of the growing liquidity and strength of these contracts.

Leverage

Indices are traded on margin, typically 1%, which is quite often referred to as 100:1 leverage. With some companies it can be even less. If you trade on margin you are using your money more efficiently. You only have to allocate a small portion of your position to trade. More leverage provides greater exposure to price changes and allows you to take larger positions.

Independently Operating

Major indices are so large and heavily traded that they are beyond the financial control of any individual participant. Even government economic controls can not influence it.

Investing in indices is of course much easier and cheaper than investing in every stock in the index itself. Of course investing in an index doesn’t guarantee that you will make money but historically returns on indices have been in the region of 10-11%. Trade indices with CMC, it just takes a little patience over the long term to see a return on your capital.

Forex Trading: Regulation Differences between Germany & UK

The act of trading FOREX (or Devisen in Germany) has exploded in recent years due to faster connection speeds, better technology, ECN's and market makers that pretty much provide anybody with a computer a link to the global financial market.

Thanks to the Electronic Communication Network (ECN) you can live in any country you want and still enjoy the tax or investment benefits of another country. Something to consider, to maximize profits, is paying the lowest amount on your taxes.

Each country has its own set of confusing tax laws, making it even more important to get expert tax help. 

Take for example in the U.K., when paying taxes on capital gains, if you make over a certain amount you are bumped up to the 50% tax rate. Because of this many U.K. residents consider giving up their residence status, to avoid the excessive taxation. Germany has an equivalent rate but it kicks in at a much higher income.

How a country's taxation laws treats Forex earnings, determines your overall success. All countries treat profits as capital gains. They can be long term gains held at least a year or short term gains which are held less than year.

You usually pay less taxes on assets held at least a year but traders don't usually hold their investments that long. The are usually taxed at the short term rate because of all the trading.

A strategy some Forex traders use is trading in a country they do not reside in. If you lived in Germany and traded in the U.K., what would be the tax implications? In Germany it doesn't matter if you trade in country or out of country. When tax time comes your will have to pay your German taxes. 

But if you traded in the U.K. it would be possible to set up off shore accounts and avoid the normal taxes owed. But when you eventually brought the income home, the taxes would have to be paid.

"The UK is a tax haven for people of foreign domicile, even if they are UK resident (residence and domicile being separate legal concepts in the UK), in that they pay no tax on foreign income so long as it is not remitted to the UK."Tax haven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you make a living on your trading, it makes sense to have your tax treatment to be the most positive. Many countries have conflicting tax laws and rules for non-residents. These countries offer different levels of financial incentives to attract new business. It would be beneficial to seek out professional tax help to be sure you're maximizing your income.


Forex is one the least known and appreciated forms of earning money. Trading in the foreign currency exchange market can be a profitable and exciting endeavor.

Short Term Money Loans Are Always Expensive - Infographic

A good test of your financial maturity comes when an emergency pops up. The emergency could be a broken water heater or car repair. We know these things or something like these things will eventually happen. Are we prepared for them? Do you have the money put aside in an emergency fund? If not, borrowing the cash is our only solution.

The infographic below shows the costs related to 4 ways a person might fill their short term cash need. They all look expensive. I think a better way would be setting up an emergency fund. Our friend Peter, in the infographic look a little upset. Maybe this time he has learned a lesson and will be better prepared.

Infographic courtesy of  Fastpaydayloansreview.com

“Millionaire Teacher” by Andrew Hallam - Book Review

I have been wanting to read this book for a while now and I so regret I didn't read it sooner. I am very curious when authors from a non-financial background write personal finance books. I wonder what possible secrets they have discovered that all the money gurus and financial planners haven't already come up with.

Andrew Hallam Is an English teacher who currently resides in Singapore. When he was a young man he met a millionaire that bestowed the wisdom of investing to him. The millionaire told him he needed to invest $100 a month in the markets. Andrew balked and said he couldn't afford that amount. The millionaire said it's only $3.33 per day, you spend that much on fries and Cokes every month. Andrew saw the light and 20 years later he is a millionaire.

Andrews Hallam's natural curiosity got the best of him, he caught the bug and learned the right and wrong ways to invest. He has earned that millionaire status not by sitting on his hands but by investing over and over again. A good lesson I wish I could of learned 20 years ago.

"Millionaire Teacher" is much more than a shopping list of things to do to grow wealth. It's a lesson in lifestyle. The lifestyle Andrew Hallam teaches, is what the millionaire's secret actually is. In his "Nine Rules" he lets the secret out. Rule 1 is "Spend Like You Want To Grow Rich. This one rule is the foundation to all that follows in his book. Without it all the fancy investing practices you come up with not get you where you want to be.

I found the book very easy to read with its casual and down to earth style. It's like your having a conversation with a friend. Andrew uses lots of charts and statistics to back up his ideas. What I can relate personally is his use of low expense index stock and bond funds. This investing style is growing more and more popular every day. I like his philosophy of it's hard to beat the market in the long term consistently, so why try to beat them when you can just join them.

His nine rules should be plastered to your wall so you don't forget them. 

Hallam’s 9 Rules of Wealth:

Rule 1 is to spend like you want to grow rich, wasting your money on today's wants postpones your potential wealth growth. So why do it.

Rule 2 is to take advantage of compound interest by starting investing as early in life as possible. Here is the another great rule that you only realize when your to old to do something about it.

Rule 3 he emphasizes the negative impact of high fees and makes the case for low fee index funds.

Rule 4 is to “Conquer the enemy in the mirror.” It looks at the problems of stock-picking and market timing, fear, greed and other emotions that can sabotage investing.

Rule 5 is to build a “responsible portfolio” that includes both stocks and bonds. Here Hallam introduces what he terms the Couch Potato Portfolio.

Rule 6 looks at indexing in the U.S, Canada,and worldwide.

Rule 7 is entitled “Peek inside a pilferer’s playbook.” It looks at common sales practices of financial advisors and brokers. He says to watch those advisors that want to nickel and dime your portfolio.

Rule 8 is “Avoid Seduction,” and looks at the various distractions that some term “financial pornography” — investment newsletters and magazines, junk bonds, gold and hedge funds, which Hallam describes as “the rich stealing from the rich.”

Rule 9 is for those who love to pick their own stocks if “they can’t help themselves.” Hallam’s solution is to stay 90% indexed but to allocate 10% to individual stocks if you find it enjoyable.

Overall I found the book keeping my interest and a lot of fun to read. Many things I read in the book are already well know practices for an old hand couch-potato investor like myself. I feel the main take away is the philosophy and foundational concepts that keep you on track during your investment process. We all know things we should be doing, concerning investing, but staying on track and not bailing out in the down markets takes a core understanding of knowing yourself and having a plan. Thats what separates the million teachers from everyone else. Read this book you'll learn something.

Get the book Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School


Visit Andrew Hallam's website at  AndrewHallam.com

Roth IRA vs. 529 plan - Which is Better for College Savings?

Roth IRA (Photo credit: Philip Taylor PT)

In USA Today they had a story that compared Roth IRAs to 529 Plans.  It said when it comes to saving for a child’s college education, a Roth IRA might be a better investment than a 529 Plan. I agree the column is right in suggesting that anybody who is thinking about saving for a child’s college expenses should consider a Roth IRA instead of, or in addition to, a 529 Plan.

The 529 Plan

A 529 Plan allows contributions to grow tax-free and distributions to be made without any taxes or penalty, if the distributions are for qualifying educational expenses.  So if you take $5,000 today, put it away in a 529 Plan for your child’s college, and it grows to $10,000 in 10 years, you can use that $10,000 for college and not owe any tax on your $5,000 in growth. But what if you need the money, or your kid decides not to go to college?  Well if you end up taking a withdrawal from the 529 Plan for something other than qualifying educational expenses, the earnings become taxable, and there’s a 10% penalty assessed on the earnings portion of a withdrawal.  

Benefits of the Roth IRA

Roth IRAs are designed for retirement savings, but are flexible because of the withdrawal rules.  At any time after the Roth IRA is established, an individual can withdraw contributions that were made to the Roth IRA for any reason without any penalty.  If an individual has had a Roth IRA for at least five years, contributions and earnings can be withdrawn without any penalty and without any taxes if the distribution is a qualified distribution (examples of qualified distributions include distributions after the individual has reached age 59 1/2, or a withdrawal to help the Roth IRA owner or a qualifying family member buy a first home for the individual or a family member).

Where they Differ

Distributions from a Roth IRA to pay for qualifying educational expenses aren’t treated quite the same as qualifying distributions, since the earnings portion of the distribution is subject to tax. This is a key difference between the Roth IRA and the 529 Plan, where earnings distributed for qualified educational expenses aren’t subject to income tax.

Which is Best?

Roth IRAs easily have 529 Plans beat if you want flexibility. 529 Plans are state-sponsored programs and come with limited investment options which typically include mutual funds, CDs, and bonds.  With Roth IRAs, investors can actively manage the account and have a much broader array of investment options.

In addition to earnings being subject to income tax when distributed for educational purposes, Roth IRAs have a few other shortcomings as compared to 529 Plans.  529 Plans allow for significantly greater annual contributions. Roth contributions are capped at $5,000 for individuals under 50, or $6,000 for individuals 50 and over. 

If you are considering setting up or continuing to fund a 529 Plan for a child, you should consider contacting a financial planner to discuss whether a Roth IRA might be a better option for you.  Not only can a financial planner help you determine whether a Roth IRA is appropriate, but he or she can also help you navigate the rules regarding contributions and withdrawals.

5 Ways To Save Money on Your Next Cruise

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One of the great things about going on a cruise is that your room, meals, entertainment and daytime activities are included in your fare. But if your not careful you could be subject to many of the on board ways to overspend.

1. On thing for sure when you go on cruises, there always is plenty to drink. Whether it's alcohol, soda or bottled water, it's going to cost you extra. You are not allowed to bring your own booze but many cruise lines allow you to bring water and soda. It may not always be convenient to carry your bottles around but it sure makes sense in the cabin. You could also save money by using the ships unlimited drink package, if available. 

2. To make up for the great deal you paid for the cruise, on board amenities like spa treatments are going to cost you double than what they cost normally. It could be either massages or extra charges for select fitness classes, these extras services will dig deep into your pocket.  

3. While on board, you do get all your meals for free, including the midnight buffet. But you will be offered alternative meals such as gourmet specialties by the chef. There is nothing wrong with partaking of these incredible meals, just be sure to budget for them ahead of time.

4. When the cruise ship reaches a port there are always day excursions. Many cruise lines make a ton of money on these side trips. If you plan ahead you could contact local tours and transportation companies that will definitely give you a better price for the same trip. 

5. Of course tipping is the most misunderstood part of the entire vacation cruise experience. At bars and nightclubs on board be sure to check if your bar tab may already have the tip included in the total. This happens sometimes and you end up over tipping or tipping twice. Tips to the crew are sometimes automatically added to your shipboard bill. Again be sure when reviewing your bill to see if you don't double tip or over tip.

When you are prepared and know ahead of time what your expenses are it make the whole trip nicer and anxiety free. If you have any questions when on board, the ship's purser will be glad to explain and help with whatever your needs.