Guest Contributor on Money Questions and Answers Blog

Are You Running In The Right Direction?

The following is a guest post on Money Q&A. Would you like to write the next one? If you would like to write an article for Money Q&A, please visit our Guest Posting Guidelines page. Mark Aardsma is an entrepreneur, investor, and the author of Investing With Purpose: Capitalize on the Time and Money You Have to Create the Tomorrow You Desire.

Investing With Purpose by Mark Aardsma

Life and work, they ask a lot of you. There’s a lot to be done, and some of it is really hard. Projects stretch your skills, packed days stretch your energy, and difficult people stretch your sanity. Some weeks (most weeks?) feel like marathons with a series of embedded sprints. You get tired, and you have to stop to catch your breath sometimes.

Not to worry though, you are no stranger to hard work. You’re driven, even when it gets tough. You focus your smarts on each problem, and most of the time you work out a solution.

You do your best to manage your money, save for the future, and invest well to grow it. The enthusiasm and perseverance you bring to life and work is admirable, it really is. You have your ups and downs, of course, but you put your heart into it, and engage each day in an earnest pursuit of… well, hmm.

It’s for success right? Financial security, that is important. Maybe it’s about earning respect, and a sense of accomplishment? Being able to go to bed at night feeling like things are going ok, people see you and treat you well, and life is just kinda, working?

Ok, so life gets a little murky, even for us driven types. It’s hard to discover and remember why we are doing all of this in the first place.

What’s more, life changes and unfolds in surprising ways. We find out we have interests, strengths, potential we didn’t know about before. Windows of opportunity close (sometimes slam quite rudely) and others crack open. What we want changes. A clear sense of direction doesn’t come easily in the first place, let alone update itself automatically.

You can navigate life with direction and purpose. It’s possible, and it’s essential. A crystal ball of insight into the future is not required.

Courage, that is the thing. Courage to open up big questions and let them bother you with their annoying tendency to hover around unanswered. Courage to spend time in the part of you where you keep your dreams.

A Look At The Difference Between Investment And Gambling

by Guest Contributor

Investing in the stock market and gambling at a casino are often compared and deemed to be very similar ventures. Both the difference between investment and gambling involve risk and choice in hopes of future profit. Investors and gamblers have to decide how much they are wanting to risk.

Some traders typically risk between 2% and 5% of their capital base. Long-term investors often spread their money across different investments in order to try and minimize potential losses as a form of risk-management.

Risk-management in gambling is also proficiently sought after by professional gamblers. They look at whether odds are in their favor before they make a bet. A key comparable principle in both gambling and financial investing is to minimize risk while maximizing profits.

Difference Between Investment and Gambling

However, there is a huge difference between investing and gambling when it comes to stopping losses. In gambling, particularly in sports gambling, there are no loss-mitigation strategies due to the activity being so speculative.

Stock investors however can set up stop losses on a stock investment which is the simplest way to avoid unnecessary risk. If stock drops 10% below its purchase price there is an opportunity to sell that stock to someone else and still retain 90% of the risk capital.

However, if you put a bet on that states that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club will come first in the Premier League, you cannot get any money back if they come second. You will lose everything you’ve put on, which isn’t the case when it comes to stock investment. Gambling is mainly to do with pure chance, and there are a lot more loss-mitigation strategies when it comes to financial investments.

How To Make Money By Trading Online

by Guest Contributor

Trading online is one of the most interesting ways make some money. Folks are drawn to trading because a lot of the bank products where your money is tied doesn’t give you the high profits that the trading business can.

Although, when it comes to online trading of underlying assets, there will always be a level of risk involved. This simply means that if it is a good way of making your money gain profit, you can also lose some from it. But with the right information to guide you through, this can be a highly profitable endeavor.

The Basic Strategies of Trading Online

Here are some of the strategies that will certainly help you achieve your goals in trading online.

The first is to go long while prices are low. This simply means that the best time to buy an asset is when these have reached low prices.

However, the tricky part here is anticipating when prices are going to go up or down. There is actually no way of knowing hence you will have to learn how to read the market. Part of going long or buying an asset means that you need to do a little research on the company offering it.

This will let you know if the assets’ value is not at par with industry standards. Proof of this can be seen in the earning’s that the company has gained per share sold and the interest of its employees in investing in the asset. Companies that are listed in volatile markets is where you gain more profits.

The Benefits of Boosting Your Salary by Investing

by Guest Contributor

For many people, their salary is just not enough to provide them with the lifestyle they want to achieve. This is why the option to invest is becoming more popular. Investing does not take as much time as an additional side job would. Investing can help you by boosting and raise your salary. It also provides the potential for significant financial returns, although there are risks involved. Investing does not take as much time as an additional side job would. Investing can help you by boosting and raising your salary.

Of course, the more you learn about trading, and the more you become involved, the more you can act to reduce the level of risk. There are plenty of different options available when it comes to investing and you can take advantage of the variety of trading platforms available to help you realize the potential of your investment.

Boosting and Raise Your Salary by Investing

Using a trading platform to maximize your trading potential

It does not matter which type of trading you opt for stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds, or mutual funds. There are trading platforms available that give you access to a simple to use interface with plenty of additional features and tools to add another level to your trading experience. You can trade across hundreds of markets on a global basis.

Most trading platforms are designed to cater for the inexperienced trader as well as those who have been trading on a regular basis for years. You get access to the data and statistics you need to make informed trading decisions.

Hidden Tax Deductions That May Surprise You

by Guest Contributor

College Tax Deductions and Credits for Students

Tax laws and regulations pertaining to deductions can be quite confusing. While you may be familiar with standard rules such as the interest on a home mortgage, there are numerous other hidden tax deductions that can help save you money and fatten your refund from the IRS. Here are are several hidden tax deductions that may surprise you and help you save money.

Hidden Tax Deductions That May Surprise You

Refinancing

The home-buying process can be exciting. Unfortunately, closing costs and the down payment can quickly add up. An added benefit to purchasing a home is that you’re able to deduct the interest paid on your mortgage each year. With interest rates still at an all-time low, many homeowners are taking advantage of the low costs by refinancing their current mortgage. A hidden advantage that can aid you on your taxes is that you’ll be able to deduct refinancing points that you’ve paid.

Home Renovations

If you own a small business, you realize the importance of financial planning and using private capital to grow your company. As your bank account grows with your business success, you’ll be able to save money for a down payment on a home.

If you purchase a home that needs a little work, you can make your renovations work for you. In addition to helping you save money on your utility bills, energy efficient appliances and materials are tax deductible. From appliances and wall insulation to new water heaters and wind turbines, the credits can be pretty substantial.

Six Terms that Every Aspiring Forex Trader Should Understand

by Guest Contributor

Essential Tech for Currency Trading Online

Many people would love to boost their bank balances, and spend a large portion of their lives on the lookout for ways to achieve their ambition. When you’ve reached your optimum job potential, work as many hours as you can, and lack the motivation to retrain and go in search of better paying employment, however, this can seem like an impossible task.

This is why so many people fall in love with forex trading. The perfect form of passive income, it’s flexible, accessible, and can also be highly profitable. Unfortunately, it’s also incredibly complex to master. The currency markets take a great deal of skill and knowledge to negotiate, and this means putting in the hours to learn about them. There are a myriad of terms, tactics, and technologies to get to grips with, and one of the first factors that you need to master is the jargon.

That’s where we come in. If you’re an aspiring forex investor, here are a few terms that you need to know before you unleash yourself on the markets…

#1: Currency Combination

The currency markets revolve around the various pairings that traders choose to invest in, so if you don’t understand this fundamental concept, you’re definitely not ready to start making your mark. Almost any currency can be traded against another, with the only proviso being that a broker must offer it for you to be able to invest in it. The values of these pairings are in a constant state of flux, and they can move dramatically even in the space of a single day. The most common combinations are known as the ‘four majors’, and these tend to be a great starting point for beginners.