Gold Investments - 5 Different Ways To Invest In Gold

Gold has had a special place in society from time immemorial. Various cultures and civilizations have revered gold down through the ages. Even in modern society, the metal has a lot of power and clout. Common folk as well as investors prefer to buy it for investment purposes. There are various different ways in which one can invest in gold.
Physical Gold
Gold coins and bars are available for sale in certain countries. Most Swiss banks sell bullion coins over the counter. The price of these bullion coins is calculated based on their weight. Bullion bars are also available for purchase over the counter in many of the major banks in Switzerland and Austria. Since coins are small and less in value, they are more affordable than bars. Therefore, most people who buy physical gold, buy bullion coins. Bullion bars are much more expensive and are purchased only by an exclusive few who can afford it. The inconvenience of verifying their value, and transporting and storing them makes bars less attractive than coins.
Gold Certificate
Apart from buying the physical metal using the traditional method, investors can also buy the precious metal in the form of certificates. The possessor of the certificate owns the commodity, but does not have the inconvenience of storing, guarding or transporting it. These certificates can be sold or bought just like the commodity that underlies it.
Gold Account
Many Swizz banks offer gold accounts which is another way to invest in the yellow metal. Just like buying and selling foreign currencies, investors with an account can buy or sell the metal quite easily. The accounts are backed either by allocated or unallocated storage of gold.
Contract For Difference
A Contract For Difference is an agreement between the buyer of the contract and its seller, where the seller pays the buyer the difference between the current value of gold in the market and its previous value at the time of the contract. When the difference goes negative, the buyer pays the seller instead. A CFD therefore allows investors to speculate the price of the precious metal in the market. A few major firms in the UK provide CFDs.
Gold Exchange-Traded Funds
Trading in Gold Exchange-Traded Funds is very similar to trading in the stock market. It gives investors a better picture of its price in the market. The inconvenience of storing the actual product is also avoided when trading with Gold Exchange-Traded Funds.
These are 5 different ways in which people can invest in gold. They can choose an investment method that suits their style and preference.

To learn more methods of gold investments, visit http://www.buy-gold.co.za/

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Understanding The Basics Of How To Trade Options For A Profit By Using The Right Options Strategies

If you want to know how to trade Options then you will need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of investing in Options. The greatest characteristic of Options is that they are a versatile form of security. An Option can be as speculative or conservative as you like, and what this basically means is that an Option can be used to both protect a position from decline as well as bet on certain movements of the market.
An Option basically works like a contract. Investors and buyers are given the right to purchase or sell various assets (usually stocks) at a certain date and for a specific price. This does not necessarily mean however, that the buyer of the Option is obligated to buy or sell the asset. And if he or she declines to exercise the right given by the Option then the only thing the buyer of the Option forfeits is the amount of money paid for the contract (the Option).
Despite this versatility however, it's also worth pointing out that there are all kinds of risks involved in trading Options. So if you do decide to speculate with this type of security, it's important that you know what you're doing.
Having said that, you can easily make a lot of money through Options trading if you follow certain Options strategies. To sort out which strategy you should follow, it's important to consider what kind of Options you want to invest in.
It's important to remember that there are two kinds of Options, the Put Option and the Call Option. Put Options give you the right to sell shares, whereas Call Options give you the right to buy them. In practical terms, a Put Option is only useful if you expect the price of a particular stock to go down before your option expires. On the other hand, a Call Option is only profitable if you expect the price of the stock to go up before your Option expires.
What does this mean?
Well, it's worth pointing out that most Options strategies are based on speculation on these two types of Options. In the case of Put Options, you should only opt to sell the asset if the price of the stock has decreased. This is because if the price of asset or stock increases then you are forced to sell the asset at a price that is lower than what other are selling it for. On the other hand, if the price of the stock has decreased, you will be able to sell your assets and stocks for prices which are above market value.
On the other hand, what you want to do with Call Options is to buy them at a lower price. In fact, buying an Option guarantees that you will be able to buy these stocks for lower costs than everyone else. And since the cost of the stock goes up, it means that you are able to save a lot of money than people who didn't buy the Option.
Both Call Options as well as Put Options are based around the idea of price difference. The only way you can make money out of Options is if you are able to make the right predictions on the price of the asset that you want to buy or sell. On the other hand, if you're prediction is wrong, you can simply forfeit the right of buying the asset. And that's basically how to trade options.

With the amount of money that changes hands on the stock market every day it is no wonder that a lot of people are interested in earning money from it. If you learn properly how to trade options and use appropriate options strategies then you can make a very good regular income. It is not as easy as it may appear and you will have to spend quite a bit of time learning all the different indicators and how to use these to your advantage.

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Two Of the Best Investments for Income in 2012?

In the current investing climate, Investors and Financial Planners are seeking out alternative investments capable of replacing traditional income streams as low interest rates and volatility in traditional financial assets continues to ravage the performance of investment portfolios. These negative variables, in conjunction with above-target inflation can ultimately cause a 'real' (adjusted for inflation) loss for a basic rate taxpayer needs earning less than 4%, and higher rate taxpayers require at least 6%. So where are investors allocating capital in their efforts to bolster investment performance without dramatically altering the risk profile of their overall portfolio?
One particular area of interest for many investors has been the property markets, as distressed sellers seek to liquidate their assets in order to pay down debt or free up balance sheets, well-located real estate can deliver yield of up to 15 per cent per annum. Property assets have been considered as useful income tools for years, yet faith in traditional listed vehicles such as real estate investment trusts and property funds is waning, due in part to the fact that such investments are publicly traded and invariably trade at a discount to net asset values. In fact it is true to say that any securitised investments will display a markedly different cash flow dynamic to that of a direct investment in strategic real estate assets.
The most obvious market targeted by investors in the US housing market, as banks seek to shed vast swathes of foreclosed real estate assets, and a proliferation of agents have sprung up offering investors the opportunity to acquire tenanted properties generating a monthly income equating to an annual yield of between 8% and 18%, although there are a number of mid and long-term risks associated with this investment strategy, including on-going tax liabilities, tenet management issues and of course there is a direct correlation with the on-going economic recovery in the united States which allows for tenants to afford such rental payments.
With such offers it is almost always the case that the selling agent has acquired the property and renovated for a much lower price than the sale price to the end investor, indicating that the real opportunity lies in just such an approach (buy/sell) rather than acquiring a property for the long term. Indeed, taking a more opportunistic approach allows the Investor to remain relatively liquid - rolling original capital over into further acquisitions once one property is sold. This also means that the investor gains a regular profit margin for up to 50% per transaction which making this an interesting take on investments for income, without taking on the long term risks of asset ownership.
Another option to capture a regular income stream from the opportunity presented by the US real estate market is to acquire mortgage notes. Taking this approach also eliminates the direct liabilities and risks of owning property, as this is taken on by a local counterparty who might acquire and renovated the asset and source a suitable tenant, then in order to free up capital in order to make further acquisitions, an investor offers a loan secured against the property with a low loan to value. This means the investor receives a regular monthly income, and the local counterparty gets to roll over their capital. This deal is often loaded with a further equity share, with the investor and local partner agreeing to sell the property after a number of years and split the capital gain. Throughout the term of the investment, the investor receives their loan payments (up to 9%) and the local partner is responsible for all of the tenant issues, void periods, tax, maintenance and management.
Both of these options; buy/sell and mortgage notes offer the investor a low risk alternatives to direct property investments, and can generate income yields of between 9% and 15% per annum. So whilst these options may be less liquid than publicly traded financial assets such as stocks, bonds and cash, they also serve the purpose of reducing exposure to financial markets, as well as bolstering performance and offering a high degree of capital security simply because in both cases, capital is secured against real estate with a much higher capital value than committed capital.
As always, investors are encouraged to do their research and seek out an Advisor with a track record of delivering such opportunities for their Clients.

David Garner is a Partner at DGC Asset Management, delivering the Best Investments for income seekers and growth investors looking for non-correlated, tangible assets.

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You Can Earn a Good Living

Some people love the old song, "I'm in the Money". For some people, they like to sing this every Friday when they are paid. Making money and cooking food are what separates them from the animals. They love their job as lawyers and they have worked very hard to get where they are in their lives. Their husbands have their own companies and have worked very hard for ten years to start making the money they have always dreamed about finally.
In this country, you need to have a way to make money or you will fall through the cracks in the society. Some people know there are plans in place to help the less fortunate, but they have never considered that themselves. They have always known that they could make their own way in life. If they just tried their best at the situation, then they have made a great life for themselves.
If you would like to invest your money in a new way then you may be interested in covered calls. If you are wondering about in the money covered calls, then you should make sure that you are going to learn how to trade this way and earn additional income. You will then know what you are doing and not just be tossing good money down the drain.
When the Board of Directors of a company issues a dividend increase, it is usually seen as a bullish sign. For one thing, shareholders like receiving dividends. For another, a dividend increase is a signal to the market that the senior management of the company believes they will have the profits and cash flow necessary to pay out the dividend regularly into the near future. Because if they didn't they certainly wouldn't increase the dividend and get themselves into a cash-strapped position where they would have to lower (or cancel) the dividend. Worse yet, raise capital or borrow money to continue paying the dividend.
It can be difficult and this should not be mistaken for a get rich quick scheme. Reliable sites will help you make sure that you are aware of this, so that you will be able to make money. It is always smart to do research on an investment before you put any money in. You will then know what you are looking for when you are investing in covered calls. This is a great option for yield-oriented investors or anyone who wants a conservative investment.

To know more about stock investing, please visit Born to Sell.

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Strategies for Long Term CFD Trading

For safe traders, going for a short term strategy is the best thing that can be done in order to protect capital as well as have some profits little by little or slowly but surely. Well, this is what conventional thinking has to say. However, there is another option, which is going for a long-term position. This is despite the belief of many traders that long term trading approaches are regarded as lesser form of leverage trading strategy. Aside from that, such strategies also have the tendency to go along with markets that are less volatile.
Nevertheless, this shall not always be the case. Also, those things that I have said above shall never hinder any trader to go long term positions as well as take their appropriate strategies. This is because there are some strategies that specifically designed to address long term views. Further, long term CFD trading strategies have its own advantages or benefits as well.
One of these advantages of taking or exploring the long term approaches is their ability to go along and ride with the larger movements in prices of a specific asset. Well, this is an advantage because this opportunity is often not applicable or offered for those who are having short term positions and undertaking short term strategies.
Further, price movement in the short run or within the course of a single trading day is commonly restricted in the sense that the prices are very unlikely to move drastically. While this can be viewed as a protection for short term traders, this also limits the level of possible profits or gains that can be accumulated. This is also true even in the highly volatile markets. In contrast with the level of prices or the potential movements of the market in a month's time, increase in the price can surely make a trader to take home a serious and considerable amount of money.
Furthermore, another advantage of taking the long term strategies is that trading CFDs in this manner will only incur a trader with significantly lower transaction costs. This, in the long run, is a very important advantage the any investor shall be able to consider in the first place. Well, this is also because of the fact that traders who are engaged in trades with short lifespan tend to incur more costs on broker fees as well as payments for commissions since they do this more frequently than in long term positions. Of course, this is a cost that will have significant on the level of potential that a trader may take home.
Moreover, while it is true that long term strategies and approaches in CFD trading make the trader to be more exposed on greater risks, this can be eased with much lower costs on every transaction.

CFDSpy.com is an online trading portal and education site, aimed at making it easier for traders to learn about CFD covering a broad base of different investment types and instruments, and short term strategies.

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Running Your Own Hotel or Motel

Compared to the traditional residential investments, running your own hotel or motel provides much more upside potential of the investment returns. In general, hotel or motel properties have two categories: flagged and unflagged properties.
Flagged properties
Flagged properties are properties that associated with a national chain or franchise. For the lenders' point of view, flagged properties are premium real estate. Franchised hotels or motels generally have higher occupancy rates due to the better national marketing campaigns and national exposure. The hotel franchisers will also offer greater support in the form of national reservation system and other daily management support. The disadvantage of the flagged property is that the franchisee has to meet the strict set of criteria set by the franchiser. Therefore, you may lose part of the control of the property. Moreover, in return of the services the franchiser has provided, you are expected to pay an annual basic franchising fees plus a fraction of profit from the sales growth of your business.
Unflagged properties
Unflagged properties are in dependently operated hotels or motels not connect with a national chain or franchise. Due to the lack of national exposure and support, if you are a new hotel or motel property investor has little or no successful investment experience, unflagged properties are much more difficult to operate. The only advantage of owing an unflagged property is that you don't need to pay national franchising fees and have full control of the property in all aspects from design to daily operation.
Additional fees and expenses
On top of the more complicated management and operation, investing in hotels and motels is also expected to pay additional fees and expenses. Transportation such as airport shuttles, taxis, or bus services may affect the operating costs of the property. Resorts that use other public or private amenities such as lake, health clubs, casinos, park or nature preserve may also be subject to use fees or membership requirements. For example, a lakeside hotel which has its own yacht club may expect to pay the user fees of the lake in addition to the cost of the yacht purchases. For bed-and breakfast properties, investors have to be careful of zoning restrictions, business licenses, and health department requirements. Because most of these businesses are residential-turned commercial properties, they incur costs of meeting government requirements.
No matter which type of hotels or motels you are investing in. Location, amenities, ages, management, and the property's physical condition all play a part how the property performs financially. Understand the strength and weakness of the property and address the problem in the early stage is crucial for the success of the investment.
Fewer lenders are eager to finance the purchase of hotels and motels, and those who are willing to consider it want to see stronger numbers than they'd require for multifamily, office, or retail properties. If you need to finance for the property purchase, make sure you work with a commercial loan broker who has access to specific hotel/motel lenders.

Learn more about real estate investments, visit http://todaysrealestateworld.com/

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Make Money Investing in Texas Real Estate

Foreign and domestic investors alike are throwing their hat into the Texas property arena. In the current state of the economy, it may very well be the safest and most profitable investment in the United States.
Lets take a quick look at the market in Houston right now...
Last May marked the 12th consecutive month of positive sales and growth in the Houston real estate market. The sales of single-family homes rose 29% since May of last year with and 8.5% increase in average sales price. Strong sales on homes from $250,000 and up pushed the average housing price up to historic levels.
For potential investors, probably the most important statistic is month end pending sales, which totaled 4,476, up 10.5% since last May. This suggests a further increase in sales for the upcoming months. Foreclosed sales totaled 7,327 in May, an increase of over 24% from that of last year. The large volume of sales has caused the price of these foreclosed homes to rise 4.1% to over $80,000 per home.
All this positive news may come as a surprise to many people. It is true, buyers and sellers alike are experiencing a national market filled with over-appreciated homes and a shortage of home-buyers. Texas seems to be the anomaly. Why?
"Texas Real Estate defies US property market" says Texas Real Estate Magazine.
Texas has an impressive 11.5% estimated profit increase according to the ROI. Of course, profit increase doesn't mean much to investors who have trouble finding tenants, such as in areas with high unemployment like California and Detroit. It's a good thing that Houston is a job creating machine that expects to have created more than 810,000 new jobs by the end of 2012.
Is Houston good for foreign investors?
In the past year, Texas has accounted for 10% of all international sales by foreign investors, coming in 3rd behind Florida (26%) and California (16%). There are a couple of reasons why foreign investors have suddenly turned their eyes toward the Lone Star. First, Texas has the single most self-sustaining economy in the country, experiencing stable growth on all levels. Second, Texas is one of the easiest states for foreign investors to set up an LLC.
Homes are going fast with an 18.1% decline in available listings over the past year. Also, the number of available single family homes has reached its lowest point in the past 5 years. The market is in a position where the sooner you act, the more returns you're likely to earn.

Investment Adviser for U.S Invest, a company that specializes in us property investment for Australians. We help you purchase exclusive properties with the best possible returns and the lowest amount of risk.

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