Tag: investing

All investing related articles are found here. Educative, informative and written clearly.

  • Investing in foreign markets – How to that

    Investing in foreign markets – How to that

    2 min read

    Investing in foreign markets - How to that

    Investing in foreign markets may sound intriguing or intimidating.

    Yes, international investing can be a difficult attempt. There are communication hurdles. Also, there are problems with money transfers to foreign exchanges. And regulations can be tricky. On the other hand, financial advisors suggest holding at least some foreign stocks in a diversified portfolio.

    Luckily, there are easy ways for Investing in foreign markets. That excludes picking up a new language or exchanging your local money for euros or dollars or something like that.

    One of the best ways to diversify your portfolio is to put some of your money in global investments. Foreign markets may react differently to economic conditions than, for example, U.S. markets. It is possible that strong performance abroad helps to compensate for weak performance at home.

    Foreign stocks can diversify your portfolio as we said, but they may open up chances for growth and success. In general, there are three ways you can use to make your portfolio more international in its exposure.

    Having an international stock appearance in your investments is a smart move that can improve your overall returns.

    International stocks add diversification

    You know the idiom: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

    This saying is particularly relevant when investing. Diversification or holding a mixture of stocks across different countries, industries, and areas of companies is a simple way to increase long-term investment returns while decreasing risk.

    An easy way to invest internationally is through a mutual fund that holds foreign securities. You get the privilege to choose from stock, bond or money market funds in several categories.

    The easiest way to invest in foreign markets is by buying exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that hold a basket of international stocks and bonds. The foreign holdings over multiple industries and countries, provide investors with the highly-diversified foreign component to their portfolio in just one easy purchase.

    In general, there are three ways you can invest internationally.

    Investing directly in foreign stocks.

    Using internationally focused exchange-traded funds to gain foreign exposure.

    Buying shares of multinational corporations that are based in the U.S. but do almost all of their business internationally.

    Let’s break down each of them.

    Buying foreign stocks directly

    The most reasonable way for Investing in foreign markets is to buy shares of foreign companies. You can find many foreign companies that list their stock on major U.S. exchanges. Moreover, investing in those companies is identical to buying shares of any U.S. company.

    For stocks that aren’t listed on major U.S. exchanges, investing gets complex. Some foreign companies trade on an over-the-counter basis. That makes them available with many brokerage accounts. But, at the same time, makes them subject to less liquid trading conditions.

    Still, other foreign stocks have no U.S. availability at all, so investors have to buy shares directly on foreign stock exchanges. There are limited numbers of brokers offer direct purchase and sale of foreign stocks on exchanges outside the U.S. This means, for example, you can count on finding the exact stock you’re looking for with a great deal of work.

    Try your hand at paper trading with foreign investments you find intriguing. This virtual-trading practice, offered by many online brokers, will allow you to learn to invest in new markets without risking any money.

    Buying international stocks through an ETF

    Many exchange-traded funds have a focus on foreign stocks. They offer a more diversified entrance at international investing. Also, they have a wide variety of different funds to choose from.

    Some international ETFs endeavor to offer stocks of the entire global market. Others focus in on particular regions, countries, industries, or other classifications of international stocks. One of the most common characteristics involves ETFs that focus on stocks in developed markets. That is versus those that concentrate on emerging market stocks. Many ETFs have limitation to one or the other of these groups.

    The benefit of international ETFs is that they’re listed on U.S. stock exchanges and are easy to trade. Fees can be higher than with domestic stock ETFs, so you have to look carefully at costs.

    Buying U.S. stocks that concentrate abroad

    Many U.S. companies have increased their presence to international markets.

    For example, Philip Morris International only sells cigarettes and other tobacco products outside the U.S. Some other companies keep a minimal U.S. presence. But they are available internationally.

    American companies win reputation abroad, especially in the consumer sector. So, the investors have to consider not only U.S. economic and industry conditions but also what companies face in their abroad markets.

    Risks of investing internationally

    Investing internationally carries the same risk associated with all investing. The market conditions can change, causing your investments to lose value.

    Political risk – Changes to government and political systems can cause devastation on a nation’s investment markets.

    Currency risk – Exchange-rate fluctuations can boost or limit investment returns.

    Market risk – Many abroad markets are characterized by wide price oscillations.

    The bottom line

    Investing in foreign markets are a great way to build international exposure in any portfolio. And you don’t have to worry about foreign stocks or regulations. Moreover, investors can achieve proper diversification for their portfolios by Investing in foreign markets.

    risk disclosure

  • Shorting Stock – Explanation

    Shorting Stock – Explanation

    Shorting Stock - Explanation 1Shorting a stock looks very simple. But, this isn’t a strategy for beginners.

    By Guy Avtalyon

    Shorting a stock is when a trader borrows stocks and quickly sells them. She or he does that in the hope that can buy them back later at a lower price and return them to the broker or lender. Of course, the trader pockets the difference in the stock price. Shorting is riskier than simply buying stocks. A trader that practice shorting is taking a short position, while investors that are buying and holding stocks have so-called a long position.

    In other words, when some trader starts short selling, he or she borrows stocks from an existing stockholder through the brokerage. Than sells borrowed shares at the current market price and takes the cash.

    What is shorting stocks? 

    Generally speaking, when you invest in stocks, you expect to profit from a company’s great times and increasing profits.

    But this is a whole different type of traders, called shorts. They do just the contrary. They search the Internet for news about car industry recalls, for example, and look for ways to cash when the stock of such a company is falling.

    It’s possible to make money when prices are going down. Of course, if you are willing to accept the risks which are big. One of the strategies to profit on a downward-trending stock is selling short. The hope behind shorting a stock is that its price will decrease or the company will go bankrupt. Of course, it can lead to total ruin for the stock owners. 

    Shorting a stock means you are profiting if the stock price drops inside the timeframe from your entering the deal and turning back the stock. But if stock price increases, you’ll take a loss. You can short almost every asset, stocks, ETFs, and REITs, but never mutual funds.

    What short-seller do?

    The short seller is a trader who is buying the stock back but at a much lower price. However, the short seller must promise to return the borrowed stock at some period in the future. Otherwise, the true owner or broker will never borrow the trader a stock.
    Borrowed shares have no dividends until the short seller turns them back. Even more, he has to compensate for missing payments to the lender from his own pocket. So, when short-selling it is very important to have accurate information.

    When you want to close your short position, you have the obligation to buy the same number of shares at the current price and return them to the lender. Your profit or your loss comes from the difference between the price you sold the stock and the price you bought them for.
    The stock for short selling can come from the broker’s inventory, a client of the firm, or from another brokerage company. When the shares are sold, the profits are added to your account.

    How to shorting a stock

    That involves some important steps. One of them is a short-term strategy.

    Selling short is essentially created for a quick profit in stocks that you expect to decrease in value.
    The main risk of shorting a stock is a possibility for the price to increase, and as a result, you’ll have a losing trade and losses. The possible stock price valuing is theoretically unlimited. Therefore, you are maybe exposed to great losses in a short position.
    Also, shorting stocks involves margin. Hence, a short-seller can be subject to a margin call if the stock price moves up. A margin call requires a short seller to deposit additional money into the account to fill the initial margin balance.
    Also, there are some restrictions on who can sell short, which stocks can be shorted, etc. You must be familiar with the regulation if want to short a stock. For example, some limitations are put on stocks wit low price.

    Who can short stocks?

    First of all, it isn’t for amateurs.

    Unlimited losses and a margin account can be exceptionally dangerous for an amateur trader. Especially you don’t completely understand the risk you’ll face whenever you enter a short position without protection.
    Due to the possible large losses that short selling generates, brokerages lower this strategy to margin accounts. In case you use a cash account without margin, you’ll not be allowed to short selling.
    If you’re not a short seller and don’t like your stocks to be borrowed, the best option is to open a cash account. That will hold away short-sellers to borrow your stocks without your personal permission.
    This is usually good practice, anyway.

    Is timing important for shorting a stock?

    In short, yes. The most important for shorting a stock is to know which one or more could be overvalued, also when it may drop, and when it may rise in value.
    Shorting a stock is possible because the stock can be overvalued. For example, the housing bubble in 2008. Firstly, we had an enormous increase in housing costs. So, when the bubble popped we had a correction in the stock market. Remember, stocks can be overvalued or undervalued. In shorting is important to know which one is overvalued.

    How long to stay in a short position?

    You can enter and exit a short position on the same day.  Or you may hold on the position for several days or weeks depending on the strategy and how the stock is performing. Timing is especially important to short selling.  But the possible influence of tax practice is important also. So, we have to say, this is a strategy that requires practice and study.

    Tools for shorting the stock

    Shorting a stock is a strategy that demands to identify winners and losers.
    For example, you may choose to go long a carmaker because you expect it’s possible to take market share. But, at the same time, you can go short to another carmaker that might sink.
    Shorting is useful to hedge the current long position. For example, you hold stocks of the company and you expect it to decline in the next few months. But you don’t want to sell that stock. So, you could hedge the long position by shorting that stock while expecting it to decrease. When the stock turn to grow again all you need is to close the short position.

    But you must be very careful.

    Shorting a stock appears as very simple. But, keep in mind, this isn’t a strategy for beginners. Only the advanced traders who recognize the potential problems should think about shorting.

    A valuable tool is the “short ratio”, you can see it specified for each individual stock. The short ratio commonly means how many days the stock needs to cover all the short positions. However, there is another benefit to that figure. It reveals the number of shares that are currently shorted by traders in comparison to the number of shares that are available overall.
    How to get this number?
    Multiply the current short ratio by the 30-day average daily volume of stocks.
    Just use it as a quick measure of investors’ sentiment towards a stock. For example, a high short ratio usually shows the belief that stock is falling. There are some exceptions, but understanding those exceptions is the key to victorious short selling.
    Stay tuned!

     

  • PENNY STOCKS – How much does it cost to invest in

    PENNY STOCKS – How much does it cost to invest in

    3 min read

    PENNY STOCKS - How much does it cost to invest in 1

    Penny stocks sound cheap, don’t you think?

    Yes, because they are. They are also called micro-cap stocks

    Penny stocks describe shares of a company that trades for low amounts. It is usually between $0.01 to $2.00. But some institutions count a penny stock is anything that trades for less than $5.00 per share.

    They’re not expensive, so what’s the catch?

    So why trade penny stocks?

    Everyone who entered the stock market knows that penny stocks equal a bigger risk than regular stocks.

    The reason for inflated risk is simple. The companies that hold penny stock typically have no profits and minimal operations.  

    Many of these companies are speculative because they are thinly traded, usually over the counter instead of on major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange.

    They usually trade on the pink sheets or on FINRA’s over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB) and are not required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

    These stocks have low liquidity due to a lack of buyers and sellers. Hence, orders may not be filled right away or even at all. Moreover, volatility tends to be high among OTC (Over-the-counter) stocks, and bid-ask spreads are frequently large.

    Investors in penny stocks should be prepared for the possibility that they may lose their whole investment.

    Plus, penny stocks are notorious for being part of so-called pump-and-dump schemes. The scammers buy up shares and then promote it as the next hot stock on blogs, message boards, and e-mails. Once the stock price is unnaturally pumped up by all the gossips, the scammers sell their stake. The investors stay with big losses.

    But…

    Where penny stocks have the advantage is the low cost.

    Also because of the simple math of penny stocks. If you buy shares for $0.40, and if the stock goes up by $0.20, then your profit is at 50 percent. That’s the pie-in-the-sky scenario.

    However, it’s just as easy for your $0.40 share to go down by $0.20 and lose 50%, instead.

    So, a $1,000 investment could lose value pretty quickly.

    Of course, not everything is so dark.

    Several years ago, CNN published a story about a young man who made his first million dollars from trading penny stocks.

    He decided to begin with his life savings of $1,500. And 3 years later his portfolio was worth more than $1 million.
    See how worth it was.

    So, how to trade penny stocks?

    We warned you but, yet you still want to trade penny stocks.

    It is possible to trade penny stocks successfully.

    If you trade penny stocks successfully, they really can offer the greatest risk-reward ratio of any investment type. But take care, the odds are not in your favor if you don’t understand what you’re doing. The must is, you have to learn. You must have the knowledge, education, in order to understand the market to successfully trade penny stocks.
    PENNY STOCKS - How much does it cost to invest in 3
    And you must stay far away from scammers. Read the fine print on any email or ad you see on social media and in emails. If you find a disclaimer at the bottom of a social media post or an email, be cautious.

    That means that someone’s getting paid to post an ad.

    YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ The awesome thing is that you can invest in stocks online for free. See HOW!

    It’s possible to profit when you understand the game, but the odds are against you when you don’t. And worse: manipulators and scammers often run the penny stock game.

    For investors who can’t afford shares of Apple, for example, the potential gains from trades like this are too good to pass up.

    So penny stock trading prospers. With a relatively small investment, you can make a nice return if the trade works out.

    So, if you spot an advertisement that promises dollars from your pennies just remember these several rules:

    Never trust the sweet stories

    You must not believe the penny stock stories that are touted in emails and on social media websites.

    And you have to say no. Let’s say, you can’t invest in penny stocks as if they were lotto tickets.

    Unfortunately, that’s what most people do, and they lose over and over. Think of penny stocks as people that you can’t trust.

    Instead, focus on the profitable penny stocks with solid earnings growth and which are making 52-week highs.

    Read the disclaimers

    Penny stocks are sold more than bought. They come as tips in emails and newsletters.

    Remember, the free penny stock newsletters are not giving you tips out of the goodness of their heart. Read the disclaimers at the bottom of the newsletters. And you will see. They are getting paid to pitch a stock because their investors want a presentation for the company. There is nothing wrong with that, but almost all penny newsletters make false promises.

    YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ Online stock brokers make investing easier than ever

    You have to know something. There is a difference between stocks making a 52-week high based on an earnings breakout and stocks making a 52-week high because three newsletters picked it. The disclaimers at the bottom of the email or newsletter, which the SEC requires,  reveals very often a conflict of interest.
    They are being paid to pump up the stock, but they rarely tell you when to sell. Usually, it’s far too late.

    Sell your penny stock quickly

    The charm of penny stocks is you can make 20% or 30% in a few days. If you make that kind of return, sell quickly.
    Never get greedy, aiming for a 1,000% return. The penny stock is getting pumped up, take any profits. And move further.

    Never trust company management

    Don’t believe what you hear from companies in this penny stock’s world.

    The companies are trying to get their stock up so they can raise money and stay in business. That’s okay, but there is no reliable business model or accurate data. So, most penny stocks are scams that are created to enrich insiders.

    There are large circles of the same people run promotions using different press releases and companies.

    Never sell short

    Don’t do it.

    Penny stocks are too volatile. If you’re on the wrong side of the trade, you could lose 50% or more on a short squeeze. Another problem is that it’s difficult to find shares of the penny stock to short. Leave shorting penny stocks to the pros.

    Focus on penny stocks with high volume

    Stay with stocks that trade at least 100,000 shares a day. It could be difficult to get out of your position if you trade stocks with low volume.

    Traders Paradise suggests that you trade penny stocks that are priced at more than 50 cents a share. Penny stocks that are trading less than 100,000 shares a day and are under 50 cents a share are not liquid enough to be in play.

    Don’t trade large positions

    You really need to be careful with position sizing. Never learn the hard way not to trade big. Famous traders rule is not to trade more than 10% of the stock’s daily volume.

    The limitation of position size will provide you to get out of the stock faster.

    The bottom line

    If you want to invest in penny stocks you have to learn.

    By the way, learn from Timothy Sykes, who is famous for turning his Bar Mitzvah gift money of about $12,000 into millions by day-trading penny stocks while in college. For the past years, Sykes has been teaching his strategies through the sale of instructional newsletters and video lessons. You can find his lessons very easy.

  • Online stock brokers for beginners

    Online stock brokers for beginners

    2 min read

    It is easier than ever to find good online stock brokers. The benefits are numerous. You can learn and invest in the comfort of your own home. The research team at Traders Paradise made some research. We tried to find the options on the market that are good for you. So, we wanted to find the best online stock brokers for beginners and super investors alike.  We had to deep into the financial world with stock experts.

    And we hope that this research will help anyone get started.

    The popularity of index fund investing and robo-advisors is rising. It may seem the trading of individual stocks is lost. But, it isn’t the truth.

    Millions of investors continue to trade individual stocks and other securities. Because online stock trading sites make investing easier it’s important to do so using the best online stock trading sites.

    Investors should know the best online stock brokers to trade with. They have the right to know. Some online stock brokers are known for their award-winning customer service. But the others are known for low-priced stock trades or powerful trading tools. Traders Paradise-Finance wants to highlight some of the best brokers available today. Actually, we want to give you some tips for choosing a broker.

    Criteria for the best online stock brokers

    The best online stock brokers offer low fees, great customer service, and smart research tools.

    Discount brokers charge as little as $4.95 for online trades. Compare that to the $100+ that many full-service brokers charge. It seems like a no-brainer choice to choose the discount broker. But, you must know how to pick the right one.

    Trading online is a self-directed practice, and you need the right broker backing you up.

    But it is a stormy time for online stock brokers.

    Between significant cuts in commissions and a few major acquisitions, the competition is fierce.

    YOU SHOULD READ Stocks Online for Free – How to Invest

    So, let’s like this, there is no one best online stock broker. But each one has different strengths and weaknesses. Our aim is to spotlight them and help you find the best one for your investing style.

    Every trader should care about cost. A few of the fees we analyzed include:

    Cost per transaction:

    Commissions are typically an investor’s biggest cost base. For example, in 2016, a usually unassisted transaction fee averaged about $8. But early 2017 brokers decrease their commission. Fidelity, E*Trade, and TD Ameritrade, also did that. Now, you can trade for as low as $4.95. No matter what the price, though, for us, transparency is key. We wanted to see affordable pricing structures.

    Account minimums:

    Seeing your wealth shrink due to a tough market or bad strategy isn’t fun. It’s worse if you’re also getting dinged by your broker’s minimum account balance requirement.

    Charges for data and tools:

    The best online stock trading sites have quality market data like real-time quotes, educational resources, and stock-screening tools built right into their platforms. But some, we have to say, like Fidelity and TD Ameritrade, stand out for also providing top-shelf resources. And it is totally free of charge.

    Extra costs:

    Executing a trade over the phone, for example, can increase an $8 commission fee to $25 or more. Some platforms offer free education on sophisticated strategies but require an upgraded platform with an annual fee. Besides cost, we valued educational material, reports and tools, and the usability of the platform itself.

    After Traders Paradise conducted this research, the following to be our top picks:

    The best for cheap trading is Ally Invest. But beginners would like E*Trade. Speaking about the platform the best has TD Ameritrade. Best research and tools have Fidelity.

    Online stock brokers for beginners 1

    Why use a discount broker

    A discount broker costs you much less money per trade. You won’t have the steep commissions that full-service brokers charge. What this means is more cash in your pocket and the opportunity to make more trades.

    The main reason is cost.
    But here we will break down who would do better with a full-service broker and who could get by with a discount broker.
    Because cheaper isn’t always better.

    Let’s see in this way.

    Do you have a large number of large investments?
    Or you not have the desire nor the know-how to handle your portfolio?
    Can you afford high commission fees?
    Maybe you not have time to manage your portfolio effectively?

    If your answers are “yes” to each of these questions, a full-service broker might be the best option for you.
    But, if you want to save money on each trade made or like to be in control of your investments, the discount broker will suites you better.

    Because you don’t want to be pressured to take other investments and you want to make frequent trades.
    The other things to consider when you have to choose your online stock brokers are:

    Minimum deposit/balance:

    Some brokers require a minimum deposit to open the account. Others don’t have a minimum. Yet others require a minimum average balance over the life of the account. Determine what you can afford to keep in the account if choosing accounts with a minimum requirement higher than $0.

    Customer service:

    Take a trial run on any broker’s website that you are considering. Check out the support they have readily available on their website. But you should also email and call them with questions. See how long it takes to get an answer.
    A discount stock broker can save you a lot of money and save your portfolio. But they aren’t for everyone. Here are a couple of other choices you may want to consider:

    Robo-Advisors: If you are familiar with a completely “hands-off” approach, robo-advisors can save you even more money. The automated system uses an algorithm to invest your money for you. After you input your risk thresholds and investment goals, the computer does the rest.

    YOU SHOULD READ Automatic Trading – What Is It

    Peer Lending: This is those who want to stay away from stocks and bonds for now. If you are one of them, consider peer-to-peer lending. You decide how much money you want to invest and what type of risk you want to take. The minimum investment is often about $25. You can break your investment up into as many loans as you want. This helps diversify your portfolio.

    Full-Service stockbroker: If you have a lot of money to invest or need that in-person advice, a full-service stockbroker is for you. You’ll find them at your larger brokerage houses, but keep in mind that their commissions are higher than discount brokers. In the most common situations, you will have to pay $100 – $200 per trade versus $4 – $7 per trade.

    The bottom line

    Using a discount broker is a great way to trade and keep your profits. Choose your broker wisely by paying attention to hidden fees and understanding account minimums. A discount broker is a great way for beginning and experienced investors alike to invest in their future.

    To find which online brokers suits you the best, you should read Traders Paradise’s WALL OF FAME.

    Risk Disclosure (read carefully!)

  • Stocks Online for Free –  How to Invest

    Stocks Online for Free – How to Invest

    Stocks Online for Free - How to Invest 1Why invest in stocks online for free, where to find broker, is it really free? Read this post to the end.

    By Guy Avtalyon

    Technology is making it easier than ever to invest in stocks online for free. However, some places still are charging outrageous fees and commissions to buy stocks and ETFs online when it’s possible to invest in stocks online for free.

    Some of the firms that advertise “get started with just $5” can charge you huge fees as a percentage of what you invest. Truth is, we saw some really dishonest financial advisors charging thousands!

    We can offer this: everything held equal, the less you pay in fees, the better your returns.

    Where to find stocks online for free

    Gratefully, we live in the 21st century, and there’s never been a better time to be a small investor.

    For 95% of people, that’s fine. For those who want to buy individual stocks, there are still places that allow you to buy stocks online for free.

    You have only a few ways to buy stocks online for free.
    Thanks to developing technology investing is cheaper. More and more companies are lowering their fees and commissions.
    It is possible that they will continue with costs reducing in the coming years due to competition. So, it’s reasonable to expect the cost will drop more.

    Fees don’t have to stop you from making wise and lucrative investments.

    And now, in today’s mobile world, investing is becoming easier and cheaper than ever. Buying and selling stock investments is not as easy as watching TV series but don’t worry it is not rocket science either.

    Today you can enter your stock trades from stockbrokers websites for stock trading apps. It’s very convenient. Just read reviews of the best trading apps and you can find the best selection for you.

    Some of them you can find on Traders Paradise’s Wall of fame, like E-trade, TD Ameritrade or Fidelity.

    We can suggest you these 3 the best stock trading apps for beginners.

    • TD Ameritrade

    It is the best for ETF trades. You’ve probably discovered Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and you want to cut fees, but you want to maintain a well-diversified portfolio.

    ETFs maintain a tax-advantaged structure. They usually offer lower fees than comparable mutual funds. But, most brokerages charge you to buy and sell ETFs. Well, this broker, TD Ameritrade, don’t do so.

    TD Ameritrade offers over 100 commission-free ETFs from industry giants iShares, Vanguard, and even more. Because of the diversity of no-load ETF funds, TD Ameritrade is, in Traders Paradise’s opinion, top broker for the people who want to consider tax-loss harvesting on their own.

     

    Moreover, TD Ameritrade also has no minimum and no maintenance fee IRAs.

    TD Ameritrade’s mobile app also offers research, information, and portfolio analysis that makes free investing that easier.  But we have to say, TD Ameritrade charges for some ETFs, mutual funds, and equity trades. Our suggestion is, filter for no-load ETFs before you buy.

    TD Ameritrade has about 4,120 no-fee funds.

    • E-trade

    This broker offers thousands of mutual funds with no transaction costs.

     

    Mutual funds are the old-school ETF similar principle from the diversification angle. Like ETFs, they hold many individual investments. Hence, investors get some level of diversification in a single fund.

    Unlike ETFs, they are priced, they aren’t traded with a commission but with a transaction fee charged by the broker. That’s because they are bought and sold at the end of each trading day.

    That fee can be pretty big, sometimes almost $50. But many brokers have a list of no-transaction-fee funds.

    Of those that do, E-Trade put up the best showing, with about 4,440 and 4,350, respectively. This is why this broker tops our list of best mutual fund providers. That means you can buy funds on those lists with no charge. Though as with ETFs, investors in these funds will pay expense ratios.

    • Fidelity

    It is the best for Free ETF Trades & No Minimum IRA. Fidelity allows you to invest for free. This is surprising for most people because most people don’t connect Fidelity with “free”. But, Fidelity offers a range of commission-free ETFs. That allows the majority of investors to build a balanced portfolio.

    Fidelity IRAs have no minimum to open, and no account maintenance fees. Let’s say, you could deposit just $5, and invest it for free. That makes this a much better deal compared to some other companies. Furthermore, Fidelity just announced that it now has two 0.00% expense ratio funds. And yes, they are free.

     

    So, you can not only invest commission-free, but these funds don’t charge any management fees. This is truly free investing. But to make it a prime app, it has to have a great app, and Fidelity has it. Fidelity has a great app, so that makes them the top broker.

    Fidelity’s app is the easiest to use out of all of the investing apps we’ve tested. All their features work brilliantly together, and they have tones of them. Plus, they are the all-in-one option. With them, you have a full service investing broker. And that is more than just free.

    Why invest in stocks online for free

    Investing in stocks is supposed to be about building wealth. Well, paying trading commissions can slow your progress..Small fees on stock trades might not seem like a big deal. Most online brokers charge $10 or less for each transaction. But keep in mind that’s per transaction. If you are just starting out as an investor, or if you have only small amounts to invest, even a small fee can take a big bite out of your profits. 

    But now, you know how you can invest in stocks online for free.

     

  • Buying Stock Without a Broker – Ways to Do

    Buying Stock Without a Broker – Ways to Do

    Buy Stocks Without Broker - Ways to DoIs it possible to buy stocks without a broker? Why shouldn’t be? Here is how to do that.

    By Guy Avtalyon

    Buying stock without a broker offers some advantages and disadvantages. Young investors are worried about investing in the stock market.

    The financial crisis of 2008 strongly disturbed our formative professional years. We can still feel its specter lingers a decade later. Only 33% of millennials own stock, according to a 2016 Bankrate survey.

    The other survey, a 2015 Harvard University survey found that just 14 percent of millennials trust Wall Street.

    As any good stockbroker or experienced investor can tell you, you can find bad brokers more often than the good one.

    Being “bad brokers” means those who put their own interests above that of their clients. We have a list of bad reputation brokers here on Traders Paradise’s wall of shame.

    So, we must consider how to buy stock without a broker.

    However, that worst brokers do this in a perfectly legal way, by causing desire and weaknesses to their clients’.

    How do they do that?

    Here are three main practices that bad stockbrokers practice. They claim to their clients that aiming for stability rather than growth. Wrong!

    Usually, they force clients to obtain an income from two different sources, typically in an illicit way. Also, some of them are emphasizing low-risk, low-return, high-fee structured products in client accounts.

    That’s why many new investors ask how to buy stock without a broker.

    Because of the lack of confidence in brokers, many millennials don’t have the startup cash to fund an IRA or a brokerage account. That typically requires either automatic monthly payments or a minimum investment of around $1,000-2,500, plus commission fees of around $4-7 for every trade.

    For those people who want to go down this path to business ownership, one option can be to check out direct investment plans.

    But it is with varying degrees of success. Of course, there is no requirement that you have to work with a broker to invest in stocks or particularly equity funds.

    Buying stock without a broker offers some advantages and disadvantages.

    You will need to measure them based on your personal situation. But our goal is to provide you a good handle on how to invest without a broker.

    But it’s up to you to make a decision about whether such an approach is appropriate for you. You have to know your unique circumstances and preferences. Because there is no unique solution for everyone.

    Let’s say, you had a broker but you noticed that your broker sometimes uses unfamiliar words and phrases to describe investment concepts. Some of this stockbroker jargon is simply a shorthand that brokers use amongst themselves. They use them to refer to familiar situations without having to go into any detail on the underlying concept.

    Your head is going to explode hearing every time some strange words that cause suspicions.

    But investing can be simpler if you buy stock without a broker. Just by investing in shares through a company’s direct stock purchase plan.

    The first and easiest way to buy stocks without a broker

    It is when companies, often blue chips, fund a special type of program. It is called a DSPP or Direct Stock Purchase Plan.

    The main goal of these plans originally was designed as a way for businesses to let smaller investors buy ownership directly from the company. In the beginning, they were working through a transfer agent or plan administrator. They still do the same. Most plans allow investors to buy stock without a broker if they agree to either have an amount taken out of their checking or savings account every month for six months. Often $50 is the acceptable minimum. The other way is to make a one-time purchase, which will cost you $250 or $500.

    These plans are surely not as comfortable as getting a broker. You can’t just buy and sell a variety of company stocks at any time, for instance. Plus, you won’t have a diverse portfolio if you only own stock from a few companies. Moreover, with some plans, you won’t even escape fees. So, you have to be careful about what you sign up for.

    This means trades without commission

    But we have to say, direct stock plans are a good way to experiment with the stock market without putting too much money into the game.

    Ordinarily, the plan administrators use your cash to buy shares of the company. It can be on the open market or freshly issued from the business itself, on predetermined dates. The average cost of the purchases is weighed out.

    Also, they can use some other methodology to equalize the cost among investors. And the direct stock purchase plan statement arrives quarterly. All with a listing of the number of shares you own and dividends you receive.

    Some direct stock purchase plans trades without commission. Others charge small fees. Usually $1 or $2 plus a few cents per share, for each purchase. A larger fee, about $15 and a few cents more per share, for a sale. This is a lot lower than what you have to pay at a full-service broker.

    Buy stock without a broker by taking advantage of the dividend reinvestment program

    In this way, you can add additional shares to your holdings.

    This means to enroll in a stock’s dividend reinvestment program or DRIP. DRIPs provide you to take cash dividends, paid out by the company you partially own. And you may plow them back into buying more shares, charging either nominal fees or nothing at all. It depends upon the individual plan.

    Have this on your mind. For a typical stock, that’s a lot of transactions over 25 or 50 years on which you aren’t paying commissions. The typical stock may pay out a dividend four times per year. So, count! DRIPs usually come with cash investment options that resemble direct stock purchase plans.

    This opportunity means you can regularly have money withdrawn from your account, or send in one-time payments whenever you like.

    A lot of long-term investors have become skilled at building wealth through these types of accounts. Buying stock without a broker for years, even decades is a very nice way. You must be heard stories about some housekeeper who left behind $5 million opulence.

    They did it just on the way we said above.

    You can buy stock without a broker by obtaining a single share through a specialized gifting service

    Unfortunately, the financial industry’s decision is to move away from paper stock certificates.  And this has become a bit shaky.

    But, up until recently, you could use companies that allowed you to buy a single share of stock to get your name on a corporate shareholder list.

    Hundreds of companies offer these plans, but each has its own rules for eligibility. It’s normal to be careful about investing in stocks. But some estimates that the average millennial would lose about $3.3 million in retirement savings by avoiding investing completely. Direct stock plans are an easy way to learn the basics and establish a portfolio.

    All without spending money, time, and nerves on brokers. Anyway, buying a stock without a broker may be a clever move for investors.

    Learn how to trade in the financial academy.

  • Blue-Chip Stocks – Investing in them can be a profitable decision

    Blue-Chip Stocks – Investing in them can be a profitable decision

    Blue-Chip Stocks - Investing in them can be a profitable decisionBlue-chip stocks are popular because they can provide a safer position during economic downturns.

    By Guy Avtalyon

    Investing in blue-chip stocks may have a reputation for being boring and even a bit outdated. But think again, is it an accident that they are preferred by wealthy investors and rock-solid financial institutions?

    Anyone would like a part in businesses they understand and that have a demonstrated record of extreme profitability. The blue chips certainly go along with this description. According to generations of investors, blue-chip stocks have brought money for owners. For the one wise enough to hang on them through good times and bad times, inflation and deflation.

    And it is well known. The blue chips stocks are always there. They represent companies that are the core of the global business. The firms with the past, with history. Their products and services are present in nearly every part of our lives.

    So, why they are almost entirely ignored by smaller, poorer investors? But, at the same time, the blue-chip stocks have been supreme in the investment portfolios of retirees, non-profit foundations. Also in the portfolios of the top 1 percent of the capitalist class.  

    This puzzle gives the greatest example, a spectacular glance into the problem of investment management.
    Even more, it requires some discussion of behavioral economics.

    Blue-chip stocks don’t belong exclusively to the world of retirees and insurance companies. Here’s why.

    What are blue-chip stocks?

    First of all,  the blue-chip stock is a nickname. It describes the common stock of a company that has several quantitative and qualitative characteristics. The term “blue-chip stock” originates from the card game, poker. You know that the highest and most valuable playing chip color in poker is blue.

    But there is no general agreement on what, precisely, makes up a blue-chip stock. Hence, there are always individual exceptions to one or more rules. Anyway, blue-chip stocks have several common characteristics.

    They are not new, they have history and profitability. They have official data of stable earning power over several decades.
    Also, they have long data of continuous dividend payments to stockholders.

    They reward shareholders by growing the dividend at a rate equal to or substantially more than the rate of inflation. So, the owner’s income is increasing at least every twelve months even if the shareholder never buys another share.

    Blue-chip companies

    They have high returns on capital. Also, a solid balance sheet and income statement. Especially when measured by the interest coverage ratio and the geographic and product line diversity of the cash flows.That kind of company repurchases stock when the share price is attractive relative to owner earnings.

    They are larger than the classic corporation. Measured by both stock market capitalization and enterprise value, they are among the largest concerns in the world.

    It is difficult to unseat market share from them. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a cost advantage achieved through economies of scale, or a franchise value in the mind of the consumer, or ownership of strategically important assets such as choice oil fields. That giant companies issue bonds that are considered investment grade with the best of the best being Triple-A rated.

    They are included in the component list of the S&P 500 index, speaking about the USA companies. Many of the blue chips are included in the more selective Dow Jones Industrial Average.

    Why wealthy investors prefer blue-chip stocks

    Well, one of the reasons wealthy investors prefer blue-chip stocks is because they tend to compound at acceptable rates of return. It is typically between 8% and 12% with dividends reinvested. To say that, holding blue-chip stocks isn’t smooth by any means. They may drop by 50% or more during the period of several years. But over time, the profits perform their extraordinary power.

    Presuming that the shareholder paid a reasonable price, it shows up in the total return of the shareholder.
    Even when they paid high prices for the ”Nifty Fifty”, 30 years later, investors beat the stock market indices despite several of the firms on the list going bankrupt.

     

    By holding the stock directly, the wealthy can pass them to their children using something known as the stepped-up basis loophole. One of the most incredible, traditional benefits available to reward investors is that all of the deferred capital gains taxes that would have been owed are forgiven.

    For example, if the investor, your mother or father at the same time, vested $500,000 worth of blue-chip stocks and held on to them.

    Can the blue-chip stocks offer a safer position during economic disasters?

    It isn’t a pleasant moment, but, just, for example, they died after they had grown in value to $5,000,000. The successor could arrange that estate in a way that the capital gains that would have been owed on the $4,500,000 unrealized gains ($5,000,000 current value – $500,000 purchase price) are forgiven.  The successor would have never paid them. Their children will never have to pay them.

    Don’t you think it’s better compounding at a lower rate with a holding you can maintain for the decades? Better than trying to flit in and out from position to position, always chasing after a few extra percentage points? Yes, it is.

    Another reason blue-chip stocks are popular is that they offer a safer position during economic disasters. The less experienced and poorer investors don’t think about this too much because they’re almost always trying to get rich too quickly.

    They are looking for that one thing that will instantly make them rich. It never ends well. Markets can collapse. You will see your holdings drop by substantial amounts no matter what you own.

    Are Blue-chips safe investments?

    Don’t let the other people deceive you. One of the reasons blue chips are relatively safe is that dividend-paying stocks tend to fall less in bear markets due to yield support.

    Moreover, profitable blue chips sometimes benefit over the long-run from economic disasters. They can buy, or drive out, weakened or bankrupt competitors at attractive prices. The blue-chip stock sets the stage for much better results decades down the line whenever there is a market collapse.

    As a conclusion, wealthy and successful investors tend to love blue-chip stocks because the stability means that the passive income is hardly ever in danger. Especially if there is broad diversification in the portfolio. If we ever get to the point that premier blue-chips are cutting dividends en masse across the board, then we will have much bigger things to worry about than the stock market. We’re most likely looking at a civilization disaster.

    And if it comes, who will care!

  • The minimum amount of money you need to start investing in the stock market

    The minimum amount of money you need to start investing in the stock market

    2 min read

    The minimum amount of money you need to start investing in the stock market 3
    There are no rules that tell the minimum or maximum amount of money you need to start investing.

    It may be less than you think.

    Let’s say you have $1000 aside.

    Is that amount enough to enter the world of stock investing?

    Yes. Even $5 is enough to start investing.

    But if you can invest more it is better. For you.

    But before you jump head first into the world of stocks and bonds, there are a few things you need to consider.

    One of the biggest considerations for investors with a minimal amount of funds is how to go about investing.

    Here are some questions to answer before hitting the “buy” button.

    First of all, what are your goals?

    You have to define what you want your investments to accomplish. It will help guide you in the right direction. That’s advice from investors and experts.

    What does it mean? You have to create a kind of road map. Like you are traveling to some unknown area and you need Google maps to show you the road.

    So, let’s go back to the main question.

    Do you want to save for retirement? For a new home? Or for a kids college fund? The answer will determine how risky you want to be with your money.

    There are some very low priced stocks available.

    You can begin investing in the stock market with a lot less money than many people think.

    Here’s how much you need.

    The minimum amount of money you need to open an account

    Some online discount trading platforms have account minimum requirements. Minimums for several popular ones range from as little as $0 to $2,500.

    It is for the self-directed account.

    If you want to open a traditional full-service, broker-assisted account, you will need several thousand dollars.

    The minimum amount of money you need to start investing in the stock market 6
    However, all financial institutions have minimum deposit requirements. In other words, they won’t accept your account application unless you deposit a certain amount of money. With a sum as small as $1,000, some firms won’t allow you to open an account.

    If you really want to start with the small, minimum amount of money you can use an app.

    They will allow you to begin investing with just $5. Some apps offer you a choice of several funds to invest in. You basically end up owning part of the stock.

    When you get to $5, the app invests that money for you into a diversified portfolio. In essence, it is a mix of stocks and bonds.

    The other question is the minimum amount of money you need to buy stocks.

    Golden rules for investing in stock market for beginners

    The minimum amount of money to buy stocks

    If you want to buy a stock, you’ll need enough money to buy one or more shares of that stock. And you have to add the cost of brokerage commission.

    Yes, we know you would like to start your investing with little money. But you must be aware. Stocks trading below $5 per share can be extremely speculative and dangerous. Usually, it is not worth dabbling with them.

    Truth is that a single share can trade from pennies for some companies to hundreds of thousands of dollars for an A-class share.

    But many companies’ shares cost, say, between $10 and $100 individually.

    There are some very low priced stocks available. But before investing in the share market you should know some basic financial ratios.

    Check valuation of stock’s price

    It is equally important to buy shares at the right price points.

    To earn money in share market, buying stocks at its right price is necessary.
    What does it mean by the right price?

    Estimating the intrinsic value of stocks requires a special skill. It isn’t quite as simple as it sounds.

    There are several methods you can use to estimate the intrinsic value of stocks. Different methods will give different values of intrinsic value.

    This itself is enough proof that how complicated it is to estimate the intrinsic value of stocks.

    People who have the real art of estimating the right intrinsic value of stocks has become Warren Buffett’s.

    You have to use financial ratios to value stocks

    You can start by checking how the stock price has behaved in the last 2-3 years.

    Suppose in the year 2012 the stock price was $35. After three years it has climbed to $50. That means the company has a growing tendency.

    But it is also important to check if the stock price has touched overvalued levels?

    You can know this in a variety of ways.

    Start by comparing the stock price with its book value. If the Price to Book Value ratio is less than 1.5, we can say that stock has not touched overvalued levels.

    If the book value of a stock is $100 and it is the market price is $160, it means its P/B ratio is 1.6.

    This is a hint that stock price has touched its overvalued levels.

    The amount of money a broker requires to open an account is the answer to the minimum amount. For a host of reasons consider opening an account with one that has a local office.

    Here is a more expansive look at things to consider when beginning investing.

    If you want to begin investing, consider reviewing at least some of the major tenets of personal finance.

    For example a multiple-month living expense safety net and paying off high-interest debt, e.g., credit cards, before beginning investing.

    You don’t have to invest all amount at once or in one stock. Rather diversify your money in different companies and different time of purchasing stocks.

    YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ How to Become A Trader or Investor in Just 10 Minutes

    How to collect the minimum amount of money

    Begin to set aside a sufficient amount of money to open a brokerage account. Consider $1,000 or more as a minimum amount of money to do so. Lesser amounts, e.g., $100, 500, are insufficient to invest effectively.

    Investing is a lifelong learning experience.

    Consider investing only the money you can afford to lose.

    Consider investing in stocks as part of an overall strategy that may include participation in employee retirement plans, payroll savings plans, and IRAs. There may be tax advantages to be had.

    You have to recognize the differences in philosophies and approaches to investing versus trading.

    Investing means long-term, but trading is short-term.

    Be aware that trading stocks as a novice are most likely a recipe for disaster. Day trading is not recommended.

    The literature is filled with evidence that the vast majority of those new to the market quickly lose significant money.

    Do take the time to read and study first.

    Risk Disclosure (read carefully!)

  • Investing In The Forex Market

    Investing In The Forex Market

    Investing In The Forex MarketHow to Forex investing? It isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme but it is full of potential to become wealthy

    By Guy Avtalyon

    Investing in the Forex market is growing and people from all around the world, especially from, India, are choosing to invest in Foreign Exchange markets, after the regulation of brokers’ work and their massive presence on the market.

    In this regard, investing in the Forex market can be a good alternative for all those who want to make a high return on invested money.

    Nevertheless, regardless of the many advantages of Forex, many investors are quite skeptical when it comes to investing large amounts of money. The reason lies in numerous myths, rumors, and misinformation that can often be found on the Internet, and they are referring to the Forex market.

    In the shortest, it can often be heard or read that the Forex market is a dead end, an ideal place for losing money, a fata morgana in the desert, and so on.

    For this reason, investors instead of developing the right trading strategies, are often subject to rumors. Hence, they do not make the right decisions or completely abandon or omit to invest in the Forex market.

    On the other hand, there are completely different myths.

    There are people who believe or have heard the myth that they can get rich overnight without one day of financial education. So they believe that Forex is the right place for that.

    What is investing in the Forex market?

    Someone would say, instant win with minimal or almost no investment. But this couldn’t be more wrong. It is true that behind any desire for quick rich is the lack of experience, the uncertainty, and the lack of a properly defined strategy. Success on the Forex market comes slowly, step by step, through education, practice, and only if it is based on realistic expectations.

    Often another myth can be heard. The is investing in stock markets is nothing more than a pure game of happiness. This is certainly far from the truth and such myths are the result of a lack of financial education. Forex is not gambling. Anyone who has read something about the Forex market, if they really wanted, could easily understand the mechanisms of price formation on the market.

    Here’s one myth more about investing in the Forex market. Money can be earned on Forex, but that means a lot of nights without sleep with a computer in front. And many hours of night trading on a trading platform.

    That’s another untruth about investing in the Forex.

    Any standardized financial education or course in this area will teach you to invest in a minimum amount of time. Practically, from the computer, you will only read the latest news. Making a strategy and making decisions is not something that is done every hour. It has a longer-term character. Not to mention mid-term and long-term investments, where you can almost neglect any day-to-day operations.

    In the case of unforeseen news, whether good or bad, you certainly can make a change in the investment portfolio. But this is not something that happens every hour or every day.

    Is Forex worth investing in?

    Discipline is the basis of every success and it comes in combination with solid knowledge. It comes with a great role in patience and significant experience.

    Successful investing in the Forex market is only a consequence of well-planned and executed trading operations.

    That involves taking into account all important economic events, permanent informing, and essential understanding of price graphs.

    Finally, for all those who do not have adequate education in this field and recognize Forex as a good place to invest, the first thing they need to do is find the right provider of financial education. They have to choose mentors and plan personal development goals. The mentor is one who will propose to you the appropriate type of training, course, etc. And that one will be your guide through the first practical operations.

    The Forex market is a very complex mechanism. The undeniable fact is that it generates various controversies.

    However, the main cause of these controversies is ignorance. If you want to take advantage of the opportunities for earning in this field, you must break all the prejudices, myths, and misconceptions surrounding it.

    If you are dealing with a trader’s job, you will probably be interested in the so-called “Robo-forex” ie robotic/automated business on the forex market.

    How to Forex investing?

    In other words, can you actively trade without moving a small finger?
    It’s possible but you’ll have to do something. You’re the one who has to give instruction, you’ll have to specify inputs. Then, how is it automated, you may ask?
    It’s about a program called “The Forex Expert Advisor” (Forex Expert Advisor) and can be used within the Trading Platform.
    This program works independently, although based on the instructions you specify. But it does not require your direct participation in the execution of trade orders or any other market activity.

    So, robo-forex executes all tasks independently, meaning automatic.

    All you have to do is set the target through an online trading platform that is linked to a broker server. Then the Forex Expert Advisor will start trading according to the given instructions. It is important to note that forex market experts are necessary as advisors especially if you’re a beginner. In this way, you don’t have any responsibility for decision making and, practically, you’ll trade without stress.

    What’s more, in that case, you don’t have to be an expert or have a deep knowledge of technical and fundamental analysis. These jobs are contained in the Forex Expert Advisor Add-on – Trading Program.

    So, this means that you can practically be away from the computer because your “advisor” will monitor and process all trade signals in case of your absence.
    So, it’s possible to invest in Forex and trade this market with a little effort and engagement.

    Forex as investment

    You have often had the opportunity to hear that investing is not a sprint but a marathon.

    This means that if you want to succeed in a tough business such as trade in financial markets, you will have to, among other things, spend a lot of time on it.

    To run in the long run, you do not need the 500-euro sneakers. You can run in the old one. The point is that you can start investing in Forex even with a little money but you’ll have to do so in a way that is suitable for you.

    The price is not the most important issue when you investing in the Forex market. The most important is to feel comfortable as much as you can. Because it increases the chances that your race will end successfully. So, take advantage of this growing market. And stay tuned, follow Traders-Paradise. You’ll find plenty of valuable suggestions and examples from real investing and trading.

  • A chaotic December in equity markets

    A chaotic December in equity markets

    2 min read

    A chaotic December in equity markets 1Image from shutterstock.com

    What caused a chaotic December? A chaotic December in equity markets is closing. But, at the end of the year, these were not usual circumstances.

    It’s “completely bizarre,” says Stephen Innes, head of trading for the Asia Pacific at Oanda Corp. “It’s incredible just how harmful markets veer when sentiment slides.”

    Innes mostly is keeping his money on the sidelines. But he has been taking profit on some winning investments. And, also, from blue-chip stocks whose valuations have dropped in the December sell-off.

    Like many other traders in Asia, he’s been watching events play out in the U.S. from a distance, astonished at what he sees.
    So, what he did see?

    A chaotic December in equity marketsSource: Bloomberg

    The S&P 500 Index posted its biggest upward reversal since 2010 on Thursday. Just a day after the largest advance since 2009. Despite this two-day gain, the measure is still down almost 10 percent in December alone.

    That’s the largest drop for each key market barometer since 1931, according to data from LPL Research. But those Depression-era losses were much bigger: the S&P 500 plunged 14.5% while the Dow plunged 17%.

    Two golden rules have been broken.

    First, since 1945, December has produced the highest average gains of any month. But December is the worst month of the year. Second, since the 1970s, the S&P 500 has never slumped when earnings growth was more than 10 percent.

    Mark Matthews, head of Asia research at Bank Julius Baer & Co. in Singapore, is planning to ride it out. “I remain invested through good times and bad,” he says. “Not being invested, over the long term, is like betting against the house in a casino.” He is a long-only investor.

    The December 2018 chaos is making investors nervous.

    This chaotic December in 2018 could have an impact in the future. The investors are worried that the economy could slow in 2019 because of continued trade tensions with China and rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

    The Dow and S&P 500 are both in the red for the year, their worst annual loss since the 2008 Great Recession, and first annual loss since 2015. Last year, the S&P 500 returned 22%.

    For the past, eight to nine years never happened the U.S. market dropping at this magnitude and speed.

    Maybe the solution is to go overweight cash for the time being. The volatility will continue until year-end until investors get a clearer picture from the holiday earnings season, say experts.

    But longer-term, it is unknown if this will prove a “healthy correction”. The investors may find the S&P 500’s low valuations are attractive and earnings come in above expectations. Or it will mark the end of the bull run. Either way, one thing’s for certain, this movement is definitely unusual.

    This market turbulence isn’t normal.

    Maybe investors should keep away from new trades and tend to the existing investments. Anyway, investors opinion is very bad.

    Yes, most of them don’t think that this huge volatility will continue. But also, they are thinking that it is not a quite good idea to trade stock while the market is like this.

    The investors can’t hope that the markets will turn around in the year’s final days. They are here and it is obvious that nothing will change.

    In the past years, December was usually a very solid month for the market. Professional money managers used to buy top-performing stocks. That made their portfolios look good. This phenomenon is known as window dressing.

    There was also the somewhat mysterious Santa Claus rally effect. The market was very well in the final week of the years.
    There was some chalk up to light trading volume with so many people off for the Christmas holiday.

    But volatility remained this year. Stocks are down.

    It is, as we can see, unusual for this time of year. But the people take holidays. They have hope that the U.S. economy is robust and the sell-off will bottom out.

    For this time of year, some people are probably a little more focused on the market.

    But trying to explain short-term movements in the markets is an exercise in futility because generally, it is pretty random.

    Not only stocks, but Bitcoin has also had a brutal 2018.

    This chaotic December in 2018 had an impact on cryptos too.

    The world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap is nearly 84% since its meteoric rise topped out at an all-time high of $19,870 in December 2017.

    But just after bitcoin (BTC-USD) peaked, technical trader Peter Brandt made a fantastically prescient call. This has recently resurfaced in crypto circles. In January, he called for an 80% retrace of bitcoin’s parabolic advance, predicting a $3,933 price target. Bitcoin is currently trading around $3,600. It was very close.

    But as ever, there were different opinions.
    A chaotic December in equity markets 3
    The dominant Bitcoin price prediction was that Bitcoin would reach the $14,000 mark by the end of 2018.

    However, that prediction is blown out.

    Despite some optimists who were hoping that Bitcoin will break through the $100,000 barrier till the end of this year. In fact, Jim Cramer was predicting that Bitcoin will go as far as shattering the million dollar threshold one day.

    To do so, market capitalization should surpass 1 trillion USD just on BTC to reach $66,000 per coin, a 10x increase. Well, the entire market cap is at $212 billion. The BTC market cap was $170 billion almost a year ago. Now it is $115 billion and it was at $800 billion in January 2018.

    So, who knows what can happen.

    Today’s price of BTC you can see here

    One thing is certain. After this chaotic December in 2018, next year will be difficult and uncertain. Markets will be full of volatility. Permanent ups and downs.

    Anyway, it will be interesting.

    Risk Disclosure (read carefully!)