Alan's Finance Blog

Forex Smart Start Profit Strategies

(This post contains your access instructions
to a ‘closed-door’ Forex group coaching
training session on Wednesday.)

Over the past year, one of the top Forex educators has
quietly coached a handful of regular folks just like you on how
to become what he calls “Independent Master Forex Traders”.

His goal is to take average, ordinary traders who are among the
90% that consistently LOSE…

-and turn them into independently-thinking, precision trading
MACHINES that are among the 10%… the 5%… or even the top 1%
of Forex traders on the planet.

But here’s the problem for most people: 1-on-1 coaching can be
downright EXPENSIVE, like $15,000… $20,000… or MORE.

That’s just not realistic for most people.

HOWEVER… what if you could be a “fly on the wall”, listening
in to a private, closed-door Forex coaching training session,
picking up the “tried & true” profit strategies the “elite” hold
close to their vest…

Well, that’s what’s happening on Wednesday, March 3rd.

This 35+ year market veteran is giving you a sneak peek inside
his “trading vault” on a brand new, complimentary training
session he calls:

>>> Forex Smart Start Profit Strategies <<<

He yanked his most popular Forex tips & techniques straight out
of his high-end coaching program, and he’ll be revealing them
all you to on Wednesday.

You’ll learn the top 4 instant tweaks you can make TODAY to
protect & grow your Forex portfolio FOREVER, including:

* How the crummy economy & chaotic world events create MASSIVE
amounts of profit potential in the Forex markets (including at
least 5,604 potential pips in just the past few months using
these specialized techniques)…

* How to dramatically reduce your “time in the trenches” trading
Forex by spending only 20 minutes a day. These 2 discoveries
make it all possible…

* How to reduce your risk in a trade to ZERO with this simple
profit-taking trick (HINT: it’s the complete opposite of how
most traders think about going after a profit)…

* How to automatically get an edge over other traders by
entering the market at these high-probability “sweet spots”…

* The telltale signs a market “hurricane” is about to hit, & how
to protect your portfolio by avoiding these dangerous & risky
market conditions…

* The simple, time-saving, step-by-step mechanics of placing a
trade using real broker-provided trading software…

…and much, much more…

The information in this training session is so critical, that
it’s being held 3 different times on Wednesday, March 3rd in
order to fit your schedule:

* 12:00pm Eastern (New York Time)
* 4:00pm Eastern (New York Time)
* 9:00pm Eastern (New York Time)

WARNING: Each session can only accommodate a limited number of
attendees, so to reserve your place, make sure you register here
right away:

http://www.forextrainingmaterial.com/y/?i=773362&u=1&l=f85

Good Trading!

p.s. I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you this, but I found
out that if you attend any one of the 3 training sessions on
Wednesday, you’ll get a chance to download some additional
complimentary training videos & ‘action manuals’ torn straight
from the presenter’s high-end coaching program.

Pick your time & grab your spot here:

http://www.forextrainingmaterial.com/y/?i=773362&u=1&l=f85

(if you see a blank page, that means the registrations are full)

Gold “Driven by Changing World” Says Barrick’s Munk as India Eyes IMF Sales

By: Adrian Ash, BullionVault

THE PRICE OF GOLD in the wholesale market fell again on Wednesday in Asia and London, erasing the final $7 of last week’s 3.4% gain for US investors as the Dollar held steady ahead of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke’s two-day testimony on banking reform and his zero-interest-rate policy.

European stock markets reversed a slight drop by lunchtime, while government bonds ticked higher and crude oil fell through $79 per barrel.

Silver bounced higher from $15.67 an ounce for the second time in a week.

“Since the Chinese New Year, there has been little buying interest in the physical gold market, which seems to have capped upside,” says Walter de Wet at Standard Bank.

“We anticipate to see range trading [in gold] between $1165 and $1050 in the weeks to come,” says Axel Rudolph in his Bullion Weekly for Luxembourg’s Commerzbank.

UK buyers saw gold slip to a one-week low of £710 an ounce in morning trade Wednesday.

The Euro-price traded 3% below last week’s record peak, turning higher from €804 an ounce.

“I hate living in a world where gold is the only security remaining, but people have lost optimism, and I do not see anything to break this trend,” said Peter Munk, founder and chairman of the world’s largest gold producer, Barrick Mining, at an investor meeting in Zurich on Tuesday.

“What drives gold is a changing world,” Munk is quoted by the Tages Anzeiger newspaper.

“We sit here at the beginning of a new world.”

Greek schools, airspace, ports, trains and government offices were closed Wednesday as “hundreds of thousands” civil servants took to the streets in protest against the government’s austerity program, aimed at cutting the budget deficit from almost 13% to 8% of gross domestic product over the next 12 months.

Germany also breached Eurozone deficit rules in 2009, new data showed today, with government spending exceeding tax receipts by 3.3% of GDP.

“This year it is going to go up quite a bit, to 6% or just below,” reckons Goldman Sachs’ chief economist in Frankfurt, Dirk Schumacher, because “Unemployment will increase further.”

Spanish banks BBVA and Santander saw their shares fall towards new 7-month lows after Barclays Capital analysts downgraded their outlook to “[reflect] market concerns for a more severe and prolonged downturn in Spain.”

Fitch Ratings declared a complex €200 million mortgage-backed security originated by Germany’s Hypo Real Estate to have triggered an “event of default”, saying it expects Euromax IV “to be the first of several” such European structured finance notes to breach their terms.

Reuters says the European Central Bank is planning to extend its unlimited loan facility for Eurozone banks when it meets next week.

“It all depends on how market conditions develop, nothing has been decided yet,” the newswire quotes its un-named source.

Heavy sellers of their “Legacy” Gold Reserves from the late 1980s to 2008, West Europe’s central banks have virtually halted their bullion sales according to new data from the mining-financed World Gold Council.

Excluding the International Monetary Fund’s gold sale of 213 tonnes – made to India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius between Oct. and Nov. – signatories to the latest Central Bank Gold Agreement have sold only 1.6 tonnes of gold since Sept.

The 18-member agreement limits total gold sales to 400 tonnes per year until 2014. It says IMF sales will be “accommodated within the ceilings.”

The IMF said last week it wishes to sell a further 191 tonnes of gold in the open market as part of a refinancing program agreed before the global banking crisis spread to sovereign governments, thus reviving the Washington body’s role as advisor and lender of last resort.

“It is not feasible for China to buy the IMF bullion, as any purchase or even intent to do so would trigger market speculation and volatility,” said an official from the China Gold Association to the China Daily today.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said China would continue to buy gold direct from its domestic gold mining industry – now the world’s No.1 by volume.

“The RBI doesn’t want to take a credit risk as there are concerns on the Dollar and Euro now,” said an un-named official at the Reserve Bank of India to Reuters early on Wednesday.

“Gold is a safe bet…We buy at market prices [and] are closely looking at the gold market.”

The world’s No.1 consumer market for physical gold, Indian household demand “enjoyed a solid recovery [after] an extremely weak first quarter” in 2009, says the World Gold Council, analyzing data from London’s GFMS consultancy – the leading information providers for the global gold industry.

Unlike China, India has almost no domestic gold mining output.

India’s private-household gold demand rose 13% by volume and 57% by value between Oct. and end-Dec. from the same period in 2008, say the GFMS figures.

During full-year 2009, mainland Chinese households grew their physical gold demand 9% by volume and 22% by value. Gold investment demand for bars and coins surged 37% to equal $2.5 billion.

Adrian Ash

Formerly City correspondent for The Daily Reckoning in London and head of editorial at the UK’s leading financial advisory for private investors, Adrian Ash is the editor of Gold News and head of research at BullionVault – winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation, 2009 – where you can buy gold today vaulted in Zurich on $3 spreads and 0.8% dealing fees.

(c) BullionVault 2010

Please Note: This article is to inform your thinking, not lead it. Only you can decide the best place for your money, and any decision you make will put your money at risk. Information or data included here may have already been overtaken by events – and must be verified elsewhere – should you choose to act on it.

Leading Economic Indicators Keep Rising, but …

Last Thursday the Conference Board published its Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the U.S. In January this historically-reliable indicator increased 0.3 percent after shooting up 1.2 percent in December and 1.1 percent in November. This was the tenth consecutive rise!

Five of the ten components made positive contributions: The interest rate spread, stock prices, supplier deliveries, factory workweek, and consumer expectations.

The LEI’s much more important year-over-year percentage change also rose … from 6.7 percent in November, to 8.1 percent in December, to a very healthy 8.7 percent in January. And as you can see on the chart below, it’s approaching a high level by historical standards, too.

So the LEI is probably reaching its zenith in the year-over-year change. I would also note that six-month percentage change weakened from 6.2 percent in December to 4.8 percent in January.

So what does all of this mean?

First, it means that the big economic picture is still looking good. The bounce will probably continue for at least another two quarters, thus supporting a continuation of the medium-term stock market rally.

But thereafter the outlook isn’t so bright …

The Huge Interest Rate Spread
Is Important for the LEI

When you look deeper beneath the surface of the LEI, the picture is becoming even more ominous. Especially noteworthy is the contribution of the positive spread between short-term and long-term interest rates. Without it, the LEI would have been down 0.1 percent last month.

You might ask then: What’s wrong with that?

Well, there is nothing wrong with long-term interest rates moving higher than short-term rates. In fact, this is a major tool of monetary policy to subsidize the banks and get bank lending going again. But herein lies the problem …

Too much easy money can ultimately damage the banking sector.

In a post-bubble world, monetary policy has much less traction than under normal conditions. If too much debt and too many bad loans are weighing on the banking sector’s balance sheet, monetary policy becomes a rather toothless tiger.

That’s why relying on monetary indicators in forecasting the economy or the stock market becomes dangerous. Moreover, it’s very important to watch the particulars of the LEI.

For instance, the way I use the LEI gave me a bullish signal for the economy after the release of the June 2009 reading in mid-July. And it worked.

However, if the index were to continue to rise while the yield curve (the most heavily weighted component) remained steep and most of the other components began turning down, I would begin to doubt the validity of the LEI’s positive readings.

Remember, Secular Downtrends are Very Volatile

During secular economic downtrends and major crises, volatility increases dramatically — not just in the financial markets, but also in the economy. At least that’s what history tells us.

The LEI has just flashed a warning sign.

For example, if you look at the 1930s or the 1970s in the U.S. or the past 20 years in Japan, you can unequivocally see it.

All of these secular economic and stock market downtrends have been severe. Yet all of them have, from time to time, been interrupted by huge jumps in GDP growth — like the 5.7 percent reading for U.S. in the fourth quarter of last year.

I think the weakening in the six-month rate of change of the LEI has to be treated as a first warning sign. A warning sign telling us that the economy is not on a durable growth path. A warning sign, that the second half of this year may become very disappointing.

And with the S&P 500 trading at a 12-month trailing price-earnings ratio of 24.7 and yielding just 2.1 percent, all that’s needed for a major stock market downturn is a slowdown and some disappointment in rather exuberant analysts’ earnings estimates and strategists’ economic outlooks.

Best wishes,

Claus

Gold Tumbles as China is Uninterested in IMF’s Sales

Crude oil price continues sliding in European morning with the front-month contract extending weakness to 78.3, after a -1.8% Tuesday. Investors remain worried about the unexpected decline in US consumer confidence.

After of Bernanke’s Testimony, the data in focus is Eurozone’s industrial new orders which rose +0.8% m/m in December, compared with a contraction of -1% as forecast by the market. On annual basis, the reading expanded +9.5% following a -0.6% decline in November. In Germany, Gfk consumer confidence slid to 3.2 (consensus: 3) in March from an upwardly revised 3.3 in February.

The slightly stronger-than-expected data help recouping some of the losses the European stock markets incurred earlier in the day. Given the strong direct correlation between stock market and oil, we expect this should give some support to oil price.

The euro also recovers modestly against USD, although it stays at a 9-month low. The rebound is probably due to market expectation that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will reiterate the central bank’s accommodative monetary stance in the congressional testimony. Bernanke will likely restate that the Fed will keep the policy rate at 0-0.25% for an ‘extended period’.

A newspaper in China reported that an official from the China Gold Association said the county is unlikely to buy gold from IMF. ‘It’s not feasible for China buy the IMF bullion, as any purchase or even intent to do so would trigger market speculation and volatility’. Rather, the official stated China will increase gold reserves by acquiring gold mines abroad.

The news is disappointing as the market had hoped some central banks or official sectors will absorb IMF’s remaining gold sales of 191.3 metric tons.

Gold price plunges with the benchmark contract breaking below near-term support at 1100. Currently trading at 1190.5, the yellow metal has fallen for a 3th consecutive day.

Source: Oil n Gold Report

The High Velocity Market Master 2.0 has arrived

I attended the High Velocity Market Master webinar yesterday and they
revealed a powerful upgrade to the system. The best part is, they are not
even charging extra for it!

Not only was the improved 2.0 system impressive, the results are what
really caught my attention, so did the simplicity of the system, the level
of support they provide and all the extras they throw into this trading
package.

I’ve seen systems retail for as much as $10,000 with much less support and
flexibility. The package comes with everything you need to transform your
trading career…

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/

*The High Velocity Market Master Indicator Suite – totally custom
indicators you’ll immediately be applying to your charts.

*5 Full Length In-Depth HVMM Training CD’s – comprehensive training you can
watch and learn at your own pace.

*HVMM Manual and Guide to Markets & Timeframes – see the key trade set-ups
in detail.

* High Velocity Market Master 2.0 totally FR EE – potential to increase
your winning edge with the new upgrade that’s been under wraps.

* Ultimate Day Trader System at no cost! – a super-intuitive new course
that you get before anyone else (it’s not even on the market yet!)

*PLUS access to the exclusive Owner’s Club – you’ll have admittance to live
training rooms, full coach support and much more!

The way I see it, this system will give you what you need to be up and
running in no time.

Your small window of opportunity to grab the system and the extras is
closing. The guys at the HVMM headquarters provide a high level of support,
so they can only allow a limited amount of new subscribers before their
support team is at max capacity. Make sure you order before they reach
that point.

Get your HVMM + BONUSES now:
http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/

Good Trading,
Alan

P.S. I know a few people had trouble ordering yesterday – try it again
today. With so many orders flooding in, their server had a few hiccups.
You still have a bit of time left:

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/

The Forex Robot World Cup Launch

Some interesting stuff is happening in the commercial forex trading systems world. The Forex Robot World Cup – the biggest and most important Forex robot competition in the industry (or so its organizers claim) – is due to be launched today Feb 16 at 9:00AM EST. Thus average forex trading Joes like me and you can gain access to the hot-shot forex robots that won the competition.

From what I can gather there is a lot of buzz around their Fusion-V 1.1a robot which according to their sales page produced a return of 355.46% in just 19 days. They do backup that claim with a real money FXCM trading account performance statement which can be seen at the very top of their sales page.

Price wise access to this (and other future) hotshot forex robot will set you back exactly $999 USD. Is it worth it? Hmm, good question. I’ll refrain from passing judgment until I get my own copy and put it to the test.

If you’re feeling adventurous I suggest you visit the Forex Robot World Cup homepage to either find out more or to purchase membership.

As always I’ll make sure I keep you all up-to-date regarding my performance testing once I get my own copy.

I wish you all happy and profitable trading!

Cheers,

Alan

A trading system that doesn’t cost a dime

Hi,

Did you take the short quiz I blogged about the other day? How’d you do?

If not, here’s the link again.
http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/quiz/quiz.html

I have to admit, I missed one question.  Those “all of the above”
type questions can be tricky.

The nice thing is, even if you don’t ace the quiz you still have a
shot at winning an entire High Velocity Market Master system!
Just be sure you sign-up for the webinar
Wednesday February 17th at 12:00pm EST/ 9:00am PST/5:00pm GMT.

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/surprise

The webinar will be action packed.  The guys over at the HVMM
headquarters have some BIG news to reveal…I got a little sneak
peak and trust me…you don’t want to miss this!

Happy Trading,
Alan

P.S.  If you’d like a hint of what to expect in the webinar, make
your way to the HVMM blog and catch a little sneak peak…

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/blog/

Something to jump start your capital growth

Hey,

I know many of you were wondering about the High Velocity Market Master
because of the Capital Growth App, so I got you more details…

Here’s a quick video showing the HVMM work its magic on the futures market:

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/blog/?p=382

Once you’ve watched that video, there is something else you must see.

Those crazy dudes at the HVMM headquarters love to give things away. They
gave you the Capital Growth App and now they’re moving on to even bigger
things. They’re actually challenging you to a quiz and giving away an
entire High Velocity Market Master course!

Just as the Capital Growth App is universal, so is the HVMM. It works on
any market and timeframe. Whether you are a day trader or swing trader
that trades forex, futures, stocks or options you’ll want to step-up to
this challenge.

Why participate in this little contest?

Well, for starters you get an entire trade system, training course, and
indicator suite all for no cost! (This is the same system that saw *28
straight positive sessions*). You’ll also get to test your trade knowledge
and assuming you ace the quiz you’ll get bragging rights too! ; )

To win a copy of the HVMM just take the short quiz, answer the 9 questions
and make sure you enter your email address at the end. As long as you
complete the quiz you’ll be entered to win, no matter what your final score
is.

Enter the contest now:

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/quiz/quiz.html

The winner will be chosen and revealed on Wednesday, February 17th at
12:00pm EDT/ 9:00am PST/5:00pm GMT. You must be present to claim your
prize.

Don’t miss your name being called. Register for the webinar here:

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/surprise

Best of luck!

Happy Trading,
Alan

Capital growth application on-the-house

Hi!

What do you think of the capital growth app I blogged about in my previous post?

You can’t argue with the cost – it’s completely affordable with the
$0.00 price tag!  But I’m sure some of you thought since it didn’t cost
anything it wasn’t worth much…

How pleasantly surprised were you when you found out that this
application and seminar will make dreaded tasks like budgeting and
setting financial projections for your trade business totally simple?!

If you didn’t grab it yet, what are you waiting for?

Get it here:

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/capitalgrowth

I’m stoked about this app, as probably you are too, because you
realize how much time and effort it can save you.

The pro trader who developed this app uses it with the High
Velocity Market Master but you can use it on literally any system!

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/capitalgrowth

Good Trading,

Alan

P.S. The capital growth application is on-the-house.  Download it
before they wise up and start charging:

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/capitalgrowth

Free Universal Capital Growth Trade Tool

Hello,

Capital growth…

Isn’t that why we’re traders in the first place?  So, why is it
hard to learn the truth about growing your account?

I guess it’s because the truth isn’t always pretty.  If you’ve been
a trader for many years, as I have, then you know you have to treat
trading like any other serious business. And that means setting a
budget and developing your own financial projections.

Doesn’t sound very glamorous, does it?  Well, it may not be
glamorous, but it’s really not hard.  Especially with the tools that
are out there today.

That’s why when I got my hands on this cool universal capital growth
application I had to pass it along to you.  The best part is there
is not cost involved!

Check-it-out:
http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/capitalgrowth

If you’re looking to make trading your #1 career, you’ve got to ask
yourself, “Are you taking it seriously?”

This trade application and seminar are going to show you exactly
what you need to get your trade business in order. You’ll be able to
set realistic expectations for your income and capital growth as
opposed to believing the hype you receive in your spam box every day.

If you’re a beginning trader, even better! You have no bad habits
to break, which means you can learn the RIGHT way from the very start.

Grab this trade app and listen to the seminar (why not, it’s FREE):

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/capitalgrowth

Let me know if you like it.

Good Trading,
Alan

P.S. I wouldn’t wait to download the application. I’m not sure how
long this link will work.  Once the masses find out about this,
I’m sure these guys will start charging for the tool!

http://www.netpicks.com/cmd.php?af=1004071&u=http://www.highvelocitymarketmaster.com/capitalgrowth