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Technical Analysis

04 Feb

What is Technical Analysis?

Technical analysis constitutes an attempt to correctly anticipate price fluctuations in a financial market.  In terms of forex, this means speculation about currency price movements in the short, middle or long-term future.  Forecasting is achieved by the careful analysis of past market data.  Technical analysis is based on the reliability of an historical price trend to indicate future movements and is enabled by the use of forex charts, which graphically illustrate numerical data over a given time period.

Underlying Assumptions

Technical analysis, in its purest form, relies on the supposition that the future is essentially knowable.  Another key supposition is that market psychology, external events and news announcements do not need to be followed in order to understand trends.  The historical trends, as expressed in raw figures, constitute an adequate analytical resource for the purpose of finding technical indicators.  Understanding the technical indicators operating in a particular part of the market enables the trader to make informed forecasting.

Technical Analysis and Trading Strategies

Technical analysis can inform individual trading strategies.  For example, if a trader believes a currency price is set to rise over a number of days, he or she may maintain a trading position despite temporary falls in the price during this period.  Another strategy could be to close a trading position as soon as a currency price falls outside a predefined range.  Generally speaking, relying on technical analysis helps traders minimise the risk of emotional trading.

 
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Posted in Currency Trading, Forex Trading

 

Invoice Finance – is it for your business?

03 Feb

Debtor finance, also known as invoice finance, makes possible immediate reimbursement on delivery of a company’s goods or services, even when the customer does not pay so promptly.  Instead, a third party is involved in the invoicing and payment process, either with or without the customer’s knowledge, depending on the arrangement made.

For example, factoring involves a business handing over responsibility for its invoicing to a lender.  The lender advances a proportion of the outstanding monies due and then pursues payment on the company’s behalf.  An alternative arrangement, known as invoice discounting, allows a business to continue operating as usual, while still being the beneficiary of an advance payment based on the value of outstanding invoices.  In both cases the lender is often known as a factor or factoring company.

The immediacy of an invoice finance arrangement is of great benefit to both smaller and larger companies, easing cash flow or permitting investment in plant, machinery or other assets such as larger premises.  New companies and those that are expanding, find using invoice business finance much more attractive than traditional bank loans and overdrafts, which often require onerous guarantees or security.  Increasingly, factoring companies are prepared to accommodate start-up business ventures, as outstanding invoices can be held to be equivalent to other tangible assets and the lending process is therefore linked directly to the company’s sales record and potential.

Normally, factoring companies are prepared to lend a high percentage of the value of invoices, usually between 80 and 90 percent.  This means that, unlike a bank loan, the amount of the advance is tied into the level of sales already achieved, so businesses will never be receiving too little or too much in a given period.  Charges for invoice finance vary and interest plus service charges are normally required.

 
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Posted in Business Finance, Invoice Finance

 

Invoice Discounting Services: What They are and Where to Find Them

01 Feb

The same lenders that provide invoice factoring usually also offer invoice discounting services. Both invoice factoring and invoice discounting come under the heading of invoice finance, which is a means of borrowing money against outstanding sales invoices.

In the case of the more common invoice finance, a company turns the billing and collecting of its invoices over to a lending institution, which in turn gives immediate access to at least 80 percent of the monies owed. The rest of the money, minus fees and interest charged by the factoring company, is released once payment of the invoices has been received.

When companies opt to use invoice discounting services, they receive immediate access to a percentage of the invoice amount, but are not relieved of billing and collecting responsibilities. Reasons a company might prefer to handle their own accounts receivable include maintaining personal contact with valued customers rather than entrusting them to a third party and also avoiding publicising the fact that they are employing an invoice factoring company.

The key points concerning invoice discounting are that it maintains the privacy of the client company while preserving the supplier/customer relationship and improving cashflow.

 
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Posted in Business Finance, Invoice Discounting

 

Becoming Familiar with the Forex System

30 Jan

The foreign exchange market is the largest financial exchange in the world.  Trillions of pounds passes through the market each day as companies, investors, and nationals conduct business, make trades, and exchange currencies.  Becoming familiar with the forex system can help new investors develop the confidence they need to make successful trades.

How the Market Works

Currency rates are what drive the forex market.  The value of national currencies fluctuates each day, depending on several factors, including economic stability, political conditions, and market transactions.  In the forex market, currencies are sold in pairs, which reflect the value of one currency against the value of another.  Investors often sell lower-valued currencies and purchase higher-valued currencies when the price begins to rise.  Multinational corporations and national governments also use the market to conduct business and exchange money from one country to the next.

Learning the Language

Forex traders use several specialized terms in the course of investing such as spread and ask price.  A spread is the cost of making a trade.  The spread is typically an extra decimal point added on the end of the ask price, or the price a currency is trading for.  Rather than charging a commission fee on trades, forex brokers simply add the spread on the end of the ask price. 

Understanding Leverage Risk

The forex market is unparalleled in the amount of leverage it offers an investor.  Generally, investors are limited to trading the amount of currency they are able to purchase outright.  In forex trading, though, investors can leverage their currencies at a rate of up to 500 to 1.

 
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Posted in Currency Trading, Forex Trading

 

Can Invoice Financing Solve Your Business Loans Dilemma?

28 Jan

To keep money simply sitting around is financial folly for any business. Companies have long known that short-term business loans, enabling them to invest profits are preferable to setting aside money for short-term cashflow problems. However, in today’s challenging financial climate, business loans of any kind can be difficult to find, particularly new ones and new businesses are often plagued by cashflow problems.

The health of a business is dependent on either having a steady cashflow from accounts receivables or being able to tap into a line of credit on a regular basis. Banks and other financial institutions have become progressively more reluctant to lend money. Additionally, they are inclined to charge higher interest rates as a protection against default. What invoice financing does is allay a lending institution’s fear by allowing them to buy invoices in much the same way banks have been buying and selling mortgages.

The lender or factor, assumes the responsibility for collecting monies due, after first paying the company 80 percent or above, upfront. The remainder of the monies are, after the lender recoups their fees and charges, given to the company once the debt is collected. There are multiple advantages to this method of financing over traditional business loans. The expense of billing and collecting are transferred to the lender/factor that then has the collectable invoices as collateral. For the business, opportunities can be taken with the knowledge of when and how much money will be available.

Finally, instead of repeatedly applying for loans, companies who use invoice finance in lieu of conventional business loans are able to take advantage of an ongoing line of credit. A perpetual source of finance is established, which means that money needed for daily operations is always available and profits can safely be invested for the future.

 
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Posted in Business Finance

 

Making a Car Insurance Claim

27 Jan

After an accident, it is always a good idea to get the police involved, even if an exchange of insurance details with the other party has occurred.  Some insurance companies will ask for a police report to back up the policyholder’s version of events.  This will help to determine who is at fault when it comes to paying out for damages incurred to vehicles or property. 

Ensuring each party exchanges insurance details and car registration information is the first step.  If it is possible to take photographs of the cars’ positions, damage to the vehicles and property, that may also be useful for future reference.  Calling the insurance company while the details of what happened are still clear in the mind is also a good idea. 

The insurance company will ask for all the information they need in that first call.  They will take the other party’s details from you so that they can liaise with their insurance company regarding the accident.  They will clarify exactly what has happened and make arrangements for the car to be inspected at an approved garage. 

Depending on the garage report, they will decide if the car can be repaired or not.  If the car is not to be repaired, this is what is known as a “write off”.  The insurance company will then pay out to the policyholder the value of the car, pre accident state.  If the car can be repaired then they will arrange to have the car taken away and will cover the cost of repair.

 
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Posted in Car Insurance, Insurance

 

Business Loans and Overdrafts

25 Jan

Perhaps the most common form of business loans are overdrafts and bank loans.  An overdraft is related to a business bank account and allows the bank’s customer to borrow funds, over and above the money contained in the account, to an agreed limit.  Most banks will consider extending an overdraft to business customers with a good track record of making repayments or being in credit.

A bank loan, on the other hand, is usually a separate sum of money that is borrowed for a set time period, with a repayment schedule that is fixed.  Interest rates on bank loans can also be fixed or variable.  To warrant a bank loan, businesses are expected to have a clear repayment plan detailed in their business plan; the bank will also want to know if there are any other financial commitments, such as other debts, business loans or an overdraft.

When approaching a bank or other lender, be sure to have the information they will want to see, including audited accounts, bank statements, plus fully costed indications of current and projected levels of trade.  Include cash flow forecasts to demonstrate sound business planning.

 
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Posted in Business Finance

 

A Brief Introduction to Forex

23 Jan

Forex operates in a global marketplace, trading in the buying and selling of foreign currency, to profit from market fluctuations.  It is also known as the foreign exchange or currency market.  Traders buy currency when its value is low, selling once it increases thereby achieving a profit.  Transactions can be completed within a matter of seconds.

The Forex market is extremely accessible; individuals can trade in any country from either their home or office.  A Forex account, high-speed internet access and deposit are required.  Many people also choose to use a Forex broker to advise and assist with their investments.  Each trader will have a trading platform, such as CitiFX Pro, which enables them to buy and sell currency.  Reviews of this platform, as well as many others, are readily available online.

Traders should ensure that they understand the market and research Forex fully prior to any financial outlay; overall performance records, company trading reports and user reviews might prove useful sources of information.

 
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Posted in Currency Trading, Forex Trading

 

Alternative Business Loans

21 Jan

Most business owners who are considering taking out a loan think first of all of making approaches to banks, building societies or other established financial institutions.  Whilst this is only natural, there are a number of other sources of advice and help and a number of different approaches to finding finance.  There is government funding, for example, which is offered to companies fulfilling certain criteria and can be a combination of grants and loans.  Funds are offered for a whole range of purposes, including renovations, new equipment, marketing, training or staff recruitment.

In fact, the UK government and European Union have created a funding programme valued at £2 billion in order to offer finance to new and established small businesses.  Amongst the business loans available are low-interest or no-interest loans and government guaranteed loans.

Low-interest or No-interest Loans

There are two national and eight regional loan schemes in this category.  As the scheme title suggests, these loans can be very good value and offer highly competitive rates.  Frequently, they are offered unsecured, so a guarantee or other collateral is not needed.  There are specific loans for young entrepreneurs and for women and they are directed at a variety of different industries and a number of geographical areas.  The range of finance available is from £1,500 to £10 million.

Government Guaranteed Loans

There are six national and eight regional loan schemes in this category, in the range £5,000 to £250,000.  The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme helps small businesses to access business loans from private lenders by providing a government guarantee, which reduces the risk associated with lending money to small businesses.  This is particularly appropriate for companies that want to expand by moving into export markets.  One advantage of the scheme is that there are virtually no premiums to pay for the ‘insurance’ provided by the government and no additional security is required.

 
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Posted in Business Finance

 

Contents Insurance is Essential

19 Jan

Contents insurance is an absolute must for the responsible homeowner who could easily find himself out of pocket with unforeseen repairs or accidental damage.  Many providers apply an ‘old for new’ policy which ensures that, however old the damaged item is, you will never be out of pocket when replacing any item covered in the policy.

Contents insurance policies can be extended to cover the outdoors too; a benefit if you spend a lot of time and money on the contents of your shed or beautifying your garden.  Garden shed and garage contents would also be included here.  

Compare Contents Insurance

If you are looking to buy insurance online there are many providers out there such as Policy Expert, and it might be prudent to check them out carefully to compare contents insurance as many companies offer special deals for new customers and other seasonal specials which could produce some cheap contents insurance quotes.

Basic contents cover is likely to provide all contents up to a value of £50,000, new for old replacement; spectacles, cash held in the home (usually up to £500) and restricted garden contents.  If you have specialised garden ornaments and furniture it would be wise to extend the policy to cover these if not covered as standard.  Basic cover includes fire, flood and theft, fridge freezer contents up to a specified amount and replacement locks, keys and door entry system following a break-in at your property.  A 24/7 helpline should also be in place.

To amend or enhance any of the above and to add other provisos is easily done and you should speak to your provider about doing so before purchasing your policy.  However as circumstances change or a major new purchase or significant jewellery item is brought into the home do remember to inform your provider as quickly as possible to ensure you are fully covered.

Many providers offer significant discounts when adding extras once a policy has been purchased.

 
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Posted in Contents Insurance, House Insurance

 
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