Financial Markets are Tense, But the Fate of the Euro Hangs in the Balance

Financial markets are presently in a “stuck place”. Nearly every index from stocks to commodities and even to currencies has been hovering in a tight trading range for the past several weeks. Traders have been frustrated, as volatility has also remained low. There is opportunity in chaos, but not when prices are jerked back and forth in “whip-saw” like movements. Treading in these waters often results in being sliced to ribbons in a heartbeat.

Ranging markets, however, eventually morph into meaningful trends. The timing is the only issue to resolve, and, in circumstances like these, the best approach tends to be to take a longer-term outlook and try to draw insights from this broader perspective. This type of analysis combines basic fundamentals with technical data to form a basis for projecting near-term prospects. The “EUR USD” currency pair has become the current focal point for the trading community. Its fate will dictate the direction for stocks, instead of the other way around, but it presently floats at levels that seem to defy gravity.

The following diagram of the Euro versus the Greenback paints the recent “picture” for our analysis:

The hourly pricing behavior of the “EUR/USD” is presented for the past ten months, together with several indicators and other technical information. The “Ichimoku Kinko Hyo” indicator system is often helpful at longer timeframes where “noise” levels are lower and pricing patterns are more predictable. The “Kumo Cloud”, represented by the Aqua/Blue shaded regions on the chart, is the most distinctive aspect of this system.

Here are a few technical insights from the above diagram:

• The Euro has been trending downward for months within a defined channel, depicted by the parallel red lines;
• The Euro, to the consternation of all, has rebounded from the lower trend channel line on two occasions during this period. The explanation for this source of strength has been threefold. Foreign exchange reserve managers around the world have shifted their portfolio allocation back to Euros after the crisis was reduced. Central banks have also stepped in to ensure adequate liquidity in the region. Lastly, banks and corporations have repatriated foreign earnings to prepare for the oncoming recession in the region;
• A pronounced “Head-and-Shoulders” pattern has recently formed, but the “neckline” has been tested on several occasions to no avail. Traders would expect an abrupt fall down to the $1.24 level based on this pattern alone;
• The “Ichimoku” indicator speaks to two issues. The “Kumo Cloud” has mirrored the upper trend channel line, and the Euro has had difficulty each time it has attempted to penetrate the cloud. Secondly, all moving averages and current prices have converged within the cloud, uncertain as to their next move.

Basic software trading platforms provided by currency brokers can be used to create this same analytical picture. From a fundamental perspective, Europe is headed for another business downturn. Bond yields for weaker member states are rising. Iran is adding uncertainty to the oil market. China is ratcheting back its growth in response to less demand from the West. Lastly, the U.S. recovery appears to be losing steam and bringing back memories of last year’s failed recovery rally, but the possibility of a “QE3” program from the Fed has bolstered the strength of all currencies versus the Dollar.

All signs point south for the Euro. Currency experts have forecasted its fall for months, some down as far as parity. Its gravity-defying act will have to conclude at some point. The question is not “if?” but “when?” Only time will tell.

Take quick look at the 1 Year Gold Price chart in USD:

If you’re familiar with Forex Sailing the same concepts apply to Gold. You can see that we’re now in the III-IV phase of the wave, which would project us up to as high as $2,400 an ounce within the next year. If you don’t understand this sign up for your FREE Forex Sailing course here.

Weak Dollar = Strong Gold Prices

The long term downtrend of the US Dollar has a positive impact on rising Gold Prices (see US Dollar Index image to the right). The US continues to create new money by raising debt, causing the value of the dollar to decline and the price of Gold to rise.

A similar situation is happening in Europe with it’s own debt crisis, which also has a positive impact on Gold Prices.

A Gold Store on Every Corner

Have you seen all the Cash For Gold Commercials on TV? The Borders bookstore that closed in my local mall is now a “We Buy Gold” store. There’s also a kiosk in the same mall buying Gold. If you’re not happy with their offer, there are 3 new Gold exchanges within 5 miles of the mall.

The Demand for Gold is rising. Gold is typically bought up during times of economic uncertainty. With more Gold being bought up by all these Gold Buying Stores, Gold Prices are likely to continue rising.

An Extremely Safe Asset

Thousands of different currencies have come & gone throughout the ages. But Gold has always been an extremely safe asset that holds it’s value. Unlike paper currency, Gold can’t be manufactured artificially through an act of Goverment causing it to lose it’s value through inflation.

Gold is not only rare, it’s useful. Gold is used in electronic circuits, computers, jewelry and was one of the world’s first currencies. It’s a safer place to put your money than the stock market.

Consider Adding Gold to Your Portfolio

It’s a good time to consider buying Gold as part of your investment portfolio. I trade a portfolio of currencies, which allows me to benefit from the wild fluctuations in price caused by the actions of Goverment & Economies. I’m also lookig to expand my Gold position.

Gold Prices may rise to $2,400 an ounce within the next year. Even if they don’t rise that far, Gold is still a safe asset to hold. One that will maintain it’s value & be safe from inflation.

What’s Drawdown?

Drawdown is when your trading account equity moves down in value. Forex traders want their balance to go up, so periods of declining account equity are typically feared, but they shouldn’t be because drawdown is normal.

Eliminating drawdown completely would require you to accurately & consistently pick the HIGHEST price & LOWEST price in every trend. This is almost impossible due to variation in prices, known as volatility in financial markets. Nobody on earth can accurately get the highest price & lowest price on each trend. We can get good prices, but there’s always a better price we could have got.

Close Enough for Profits

As a forex trader you can correctly guess the trend direction. If prices are likely to go up, you buy. If they are likely to go down, you sell. But once you buy/sell to open a position, it doesn’t mean prices will turn around the moment you place your order. Moments after you open your trade, a better price is often available. When this better price is available, you are experiencing DRAWDOWN…

This is ok.

Sometimes better prices are available DAYS after you opened your position, resulting in a larger drawdown. You don’t want to panic, because you still may be correct about prices going up over the longer term. You can also benefit from periods of drawdown.

Larger Profits with Drawdown?

A period of Drawdown is a windup for better profits.

Let’s look at a trade where we buy (long) 1,000 units of EUR/USD @ 1.3100. Prices expected to rise to 1.3300. Wait to 1.3300 to sell.

Look at these 3 scenarios:

Scenario #1 – No DRAWDOWN:  If prices go from 1.3100 straight up to 1.3300, we make 200 pips on this trade. This is the ideal case as we won’t experience any drawdown.

Scenario #2 – Moderate Drawdown: If prices go from 1.3100 down to 1.3000, we are at 100 pips of DRAWDOWN. This is a point where some traders get nervous, start feeling sick and start to doubt what they’re doing. But there’s also an opportunity. We could buy another 1,000 units @ 1.3000. This brings our average open price to 1.3050. Now, when the price rises to 1.3300 we make 500 pips profit! This is 250 pips per 1,000 units traded.

Scenario #3 – Severs Drawdown: If prices go from 1.3100 down to 1.2900, we are at 200 pips of DRAWDOWN. This would tempt many traders to panic, but it’s also an opportunity to increase profits. If we buy another 1,000 units @ 1.2900, we make 600 pips profit when we reach our target at 1.3300. This is 300 pips profit per 1,000 units traded!

As you can see, larger drawdown gives potential for higher profits. The key is not to confuse drawdown with trend reversal. As long as you still believe you are right about trend direction, drawdown is really just a difference in timing between you & the market…a difference that can earn you higher profits.

Avoid Drawdown Denial

There are times when you should cut your losses and prevent drawdown from wiping you out. There is a point where drawdown turns into devastation. It’s a line you need to walk carefully. It’s not something to fear, it’s something you need to understand how it fits within your trading system.

With portfolio hedging, drawdown is automatically accounted for & used to grab higher profits when the drawdown turns into a huge UPSWING!  To receive the benefits of a well planned money management system that uses drawdown as an advantage (and avoids drawdown as much as possible), check out the rapid forex hedge report today.

Learn Trading by Doing

The FEAR that most people have is that when they begin trading, they don’t want to lose money. Nobody wants to lose money, we become forex traders so we can make money.

If you haven’t traded any real money yet, it seems logical to want to have a winning system in place before putting real money on the line…this is why demo trading (trading in a practice account with pretend money) is typically advocated.

The PROBLEM with Demo Trading

Demo trading is a good thing to do. It does have a major disadvantage. People tend to get bored with demo accounts. We know it’s pretend money, so we don’t take our trading seriously.

I recommend that you open a tiny trading account with REAL money. You can open an account with as little as $50. I recommend opening an account with at least $100.

Allow this account to be your “learning” account.

Although your goal will be to make money from the account, consider this first account as part of your forex trading education. Give yourself permission to trade this account even down to ZERO in order to learn forex trading.

Making Forex Trading REAL

Approximately $4 TRILLION is traded every day on the forex market. This is ALOT of money, and a huge opportunity for you to live a fantastic life & to do the kinds of things you want to do in life.

I’m recommending you start trading with real money for an important psychological reason:

If you trade with REAL money, forex trading is REAL for you.

When you start making trades that earn you $1.73, $2.11 or even $0.12 something magical will start to happen. You’ll start seeing FOREX as a REAL way to make money for you.

When you see your $100 account grow to $110, you may choose to throw in another $20. Then that $130 account will grow to $150. Then you may toss in another $50. As you see the small account grow, you’ll naturally want to invest a little more in it at a time.

Since your account is already setup, it’s easy to invest another $10, $20, $50, or more  because you can simply add it to your account. If you don’t have a live forex trading account setup, you’ll tend to procrastinate.

Expanding Confidence

You’ll learn lessons along the way. You’ll lose money at times. Even though you don’t want to lose money (nobody want to), you’ll also learn VALUABLE lessons from the money you lose.

Whether you take a profit or a loss from a trade, the fact that it’s REAL MONEY will spark an interest in you that simply isn’t there with a demo account.

The SOONER you can overcome fear that you’re going to lose money, the CLOSER you are to becoming a PROFITABLE forex trader. The longer you wait to open a REAL account, the longer you’re postponing your success.

Think about this honestly for a moment…“How many things have you spent $100 or more on that were pure WASTES of the money…money that you spent that doesn’t have any OPPORTUNITY of earning you an income”

After you answer that question honestly…ask yourself this question “How much is it worth to INVEST in learning this VALUABLE skill that will benefit me for life?”

By making a decision to open a real forex account and start trading NOW, you’re on the true path to opening up a tremendous new REAL opportunity for yourself.

Many times I wished I started trading earlier than I did. I’m GLAD that I trade NOW Make this commitment to START NOW and I’ll continue to show you the next step!

Related posts:

1. How to be a Forex Trading Expert
2. 7 Habits of a FOREX Winner!
3. The 7-11 Principle -> Turn Crap into GOLD

Other countries downgraded were Malta, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and Spain. This creates an overall negative economic outlook for the Euro in the near future.

Greece is still struggling to avoid default of its debts, but there is little doubt that Greece will default in the near future.

Overall Impact on Forex Prices

The S&P downgrade caused EUR based currency pairs to close down for the week. The downgrade confirmed trader sentiment that the EUR is weakening. This downgrade didn’t really shock anyone, the writing has been on the wall.

While this announcement is evidence of a mid term downtrend, shorting the EUR short term isn’t necessarily the best course of action.

There are other issues which are being temporarily overlooked by the media. The US had it’s credit downgraded back in August.  With all the attention on the EUR right now, there are news items “waiting” to happen for other countries that will surface soon.

What Does This Mean for Traders?

It can be interesting to observe announcements by countries & financial corporations, but it doesn’t tell the complete story. By the time the news gets to reporting something, the effect has typically already been reflected in the price data.

Technical Analysis prevents us from getting too caught up in what we hear in the news.

The EXCITING thing about big news stories is that it creates alot of VOLATILITY. Nobody really knows what is going to happen. The news simply reports what has just happened.

I don’t try to predict what will happen in the future as a forex trader.  Volatility benefits us because we can mathematically gain an advantage from trading when there is confusion in the market. Currently there is ALOT of confusion…so there is ALOT of OPPORTUNITY.

I’ll be sharing more about how you can capture this OPPORTUNITY in upcoming blog posts, be sure you’re subscribed here so you get to learn more about how to profit from volatility.

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1. Equity Mutual Fund Investing No Longer Safe

Why Pick On Forex Sites?

Credit Card companies aren’t just picking on forex websites, they are starting to change their policies for other categories of websites as well.

The reason that credit card companies are turning against FOREX websites is that the overwhelming MAJORITY of Forex websites provide trading methods that DON’T WORK.

That’s right, 99% of websites claiming to teach you how to trade forex simply DON’T WORK.

It’s an ugly truth that usually isn’t talked about…

Forex Credit Card Crackdown

It started about a month ago when paypal stopped accepting payments for forex related products and services. Yesterday I received an email from my merchant (Plimus) stating that credit card companies have changed their policies and no longer accepting transactions for forex. There appears to be no appeal process, just a flat out refusal to process credit card transactions for forex websites.

While this change won’t affect Forex Brokers, it will affect websites that TEACH forex trading, or provide forex SOFTWARE.

Good News for the Consumer

This move by the credit card companies will effectively put the bogus forex websites out of business. Of course this presents a unique challenge for the handful of forex websites that ACTUALLY teach you how to make money for real with forex (like rapidforex.com).

There’s another hidden benefit for forex traders…

Using credit cards for ANYTHING is the WORST thing you can do if you’re trying to create wealth. If you understand compound interest, the last thing you want to do is to pay it…you want to trade forex so you can COLLECT it!

The Most Moral Decision

There is still time before the credit card companies get to all of the forex websites.

Here’s what I’m doing that I feel is the most MORAL decision in order to help you build wealth, trade forex, and live a better life. I’m making a few changes.

Change #1 No Banner Ads

I’ve removed the banner ads from the Rapid Forex website. There is only one method of trading that I know works, and that is portfolio hedging.

I used to allow advertisements on the website because it was profitable for me to do so. But in an effort to clean up the forex education industry, I’ll only be promoting the trading methods that put PROFITS in my POCKET directly through my own PERSONAL FOREX TRADING.

Change #2 No Credit Cards

Ok, so the credit card companies made this choice for me. From this point forward I won’t be accepting credit cards for Hedge Report membership. I’ll be accepting checks. I’ll be cutting everyone a nice deal since this requires a little extra effort.

What’s IRONIC is that the Hedge Report is more PROFITABLE than EVER.

The Hedge Report will still continue because it’s generating excellent profits for the members and I.

COMPLETE Transparency

In the next few days I’ll be posting the RESULTS of ACTUAL Hedge Report portfolio performance since the Hedge Report began. I’ll also update the website regularly in the future to show those results as they change and grow.

These are the SAME trades that I and the members of the Hedge Report have also traded.

The Hedge Report is a REAL trading method producing REAL profits for REAL traders.

I’ll also be providing a special deal for you to join the Hedge Report. Since I won’t be accepting credit cards, you won’t have to worry about getting automatically rebilled for something you’re not using. This allows you to only pay for the Hedge Report as long as you’re actually making money from using it.

This is actually a more fair deal for you

I only know of ONE method that makes consistent profits from forex trading, so that’s the ONLY method that I will be sharing with you on the Rapid Forex website. If I discover another method that actually works, I’ll share that with you as well.

So far after 15 years of studying forex, there’s only one that I’ve found that really works…

I’ll be reopening membership to the Hedge Report as soon as I can show you the updated profits we’re generating, the Hedge Report is kicking ass and making great profits. I’ll show you what they are in the next few posts.

There is a solution that will help you not only overcome your problems, but also benefit from them.

My Personal Case Study

I just received some pretty startling news. News that I would be tempted to call a HUGE PROBLEM. I’ve received very little notice and I have to deal with it very soon. It’s not something that I want to deal with, but it’s something that presents an INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY for both YOU and ME (more about that later)…

I’m going to be telling you more about my problem in my next blog post. Before I tell you “what” my challenge is, I want to give you the technique that YOU can USE to CONQUER almost any challenge and turn a potentially crappy situation into a golden opportunity!

The best part is, I’ve been using this technique for over 15 years and it WORKS like MAGIC…seriously, it’s good

The 7-11 Principle

There are SEVEN (7) letters in the word P-R-O-B-L-E-M

There are ELEVEN (11) letters in the word O-P-P-O-R-T-U-N-I-T-Y

What’s the principle?

Any time you see something that looks like a PROBLEM there is a potential OPPORTUNITY hidden within it.

This applies to almost any situation you find yourself in. You being able to SEE the OPPORTUNITY requires creativity and insight, but once you learn to apply the 7-11 principle it gets easier with practice.

The Golden Age for the Problem Solver

Have you gotten tired of the MASS COMPLAINING that’s not only going on around you, but seems to be everywhere on the television?

I personally stopped watching TV and disconnected from many friends because people like to complain rather than DO SOMETHING constructive.

Complaining is one of the things that annoys me the most. But there is PURE GOLD in almost any COMPLAINT that you hear because a COMPLAINT points out a PROBLEM…and if we use the 7-11 principle, we can turn it into an OPPORTUNITY.

How to Use the 7-11 Principle

Using the principle requires some creative thought. The basic way to use it is:

1. Identify a Problem (either yourself or through someone else’s complaints)
2. List Possible Solutions (99% of problems have multiple solutions)
3. Become the Solution Provider (determine how you can benefit by solving the problem for others)

I’ve kept this process simple because it can be applied to MANY different SITUATIONS. I’ll share more specific case studies with you soon of this principle, but you can start befitting from it the NEXT TIME you encounter a PROBLEM…just think about what the potential OPPORTUNITY could be…

In my next blog post I’ll share something that I initially thought of as a PROBLEM,  but QUICKLY turned into a great OPPORTUNITY

Hint: it even creates a sweet opportunity for you

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This will make your life a little easier every day.

Most people don’t do it because you won’t notice the results immediately. In time however, it’s the difference between slavery & freedom

I’ve talked about this concept before. You need to start building a Golden Goose. You can start today. I’ll explain how below.

Harness The Power of Compound Interest

“Those who understand compound interest are destined to collect it. Those who don’t are doomed to pay it.” Albert Einstein

Einstein gave us a formula for becoming wealthy. He has also famously said that compound interest was “the greatest mathematical discovery of all time.”

You Can’t Work Much Harder

Without investing your money, the only way to make more money is to work harder. While you may be able to work more temporarily, you won’t be able to keep working more as more demands are placed on you.

The cost of everything is going up over time. Wages aren’t keeping up with inflation. People who understand compound interest are controlling the businesses that common people work for & buy from.

THEY are collecting compound interest. You need to start compounding your interest IMMEDIATELY in order to be FREE!

The UNAVOIDABLE SECRET to Wealth

There’s only one proven secret to creating wealth in your life. PAY YOURSELF FIRST & INVEST IT!

If you don’t fully understand compound interest, I’ve written a blog post called “Compounding Income to Forex Freedom.” This post explains EXACTLY how compound interest works, and how you can start collecting it. You should read this post right now. It’ll change your life forever if you’re not already DOING it!

The compounding income to forex freedom post gives you a COMPLETE method to begin following TODAY to start working towards financial freedom. You need to DECIDE to start investing a portion of every dollar you make so you can become financially free.

If you start setting aside something each day to invest, everything else that I share with you this year will be EASIER for you to follow. This is the time to start DOING it.

Read Compounding Income to Forex Freedom right now & make a commitment to start investing your money. It’s the best thing you can do for you, your family and the world!

Are you doing it?

Let me know whether you’re investing your money or not already by leaving a comment on this post. If you’re not already doing it, this is a great time to make a decision to start doing so from now on

Related posts:

1. Getting Serious About Trading
2. Compounding Income to Forex Freedom
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The 99% Speak Up

A characteristic slogan of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement is “We are the 99%,” which refers to the fact that 1% of the people control 99% of the wealth. The OWS movement attempts to speak for the 99% of people that make up the rest of the population.

Occupy Wall Street protests have grown from an initial group of thousands of people camping out in NYC’s financial district to hundreds of cities worldwide.

Route Causes of OWS Frustration

The world economy has become increasingly more complex in the recent past. This has caused economic turmoil not only in the United States, but also in Europe. The interlinked economies of the world have created a domino effect on economic actions taken around the globe.

The current Greek Euro Crisis, is creating alot of uncertainty in Europe. Since US Banks and Investment companies are heavily invested in Europe, the US is also experiencing fear related to what will happen to the Euro. The US has also seen unprecedented debt as the government continues to borrow more money to eliminate debt, a viscous cycle that creates bigger problems.

The Magic of Volatility

The mathematical word for uncertainty in the financial markets is “Volatility.” In layman’s terms, volatility just means that people are confused about what will happen with the price of the asset. We’ve seen record high levels of volatility in the Stock Market and the Foreign Currency Exchange.

Volatility is a good thing if you know how to take advantage of it. Right now we’re seeing incredible amounts of confusion about what will happen in Europe, the United States, and in the rest of the world. For smart investors there is a Golden opportunity happening right now that will create more wealth than ever before…faster than ever before.

Occupy Your Personal Economy

It’s important right now to diversify your investments. No longer is it safe to have all of your investment capital in stock market based equity mutual funds, real estate, or bonds. In fact, any investment strategy where you place your faith exclusively in any ONE COUNTRY could potentially have you bankrupt in the next few years.

As the smart investors take their money out of one part of the globe and shift it to another, the money will continue to flow around the world. We are likely to see rapidly fluctuating currency prices over the next few years. This provides a HUGE opportunities for trading foreign currencies.

The flow of wealth worldwide MUST flow from one currency to another. The FOREX is the largest financial market in the world. It’s where all the money in the world is exchanged. For long-term financial stability and to protect yourself against domestic risk, be sure to invest in a portfolio of currencies as part of your wealth generation strategy in order to secure your future financial freedom.

Mutual Fund Meltdown

For the past two decades the public has been sold on the fact that the stock market will always go up over time. Commission based salesman have sold people mutual funds in the 401K as a retirement planning solution. It seemed like a safe & secure way to invest…for awhile it was…

A recent news story on the popular US news show 60 minutes exposed the high level of dishonesty in the equity mutual fund industry. IF you have any of your retirement savings in a 401K plan or IRA (individual retirement account), watch this video immediately (warning: what you see may SHOCK you)

The financial world we are living in is different than it’s ever been in our lifetime. The S&P downgraded the US credit rating in August. The US monetary system isn’t based on gold, it’s based on confidence. This confidence is rapidly eroding…but there is good news for people who wish to educate themselves.

Financial Common Sense

If we look at this situation honestly it’s actually not that shocking that people who had a financial incentive to legally take your money would do so if it would make them rich. It’s a painful lesson, but we also need to claim personal responsibility.

When it’s all said & done it’s your choices that will grant you financial security. Regardless of your age or income level your retirement planning is best left in your own hands & not to someone else. The good news is that you can learn what to do to invest wisely.

Equity Mutual Fund Alternatives

The old ideas of keeping all of your investments in the US Stock Market aren’t going to work moving into the future. With peak oil being reached, we’re not going to see the type of economic growth that we have in the past.

What we are seeing is a shift in where investors worldwide are placing their money. As the US and countries in Europe reach their peak, growth will be experienced in other countries. Money will also be moved around alot more from one currency to another and from various commodities and currencies.

Our money itself is now going to be a lot more sensitive as the world we are living in continues to change. With new information being available to investors worldwide & the financial markets being highly connected worldwide it’s now possible to take advantage of these opportunities for the savvy investor.

Currency Trading Golden Age

In a few years there might not be a US Dollar or a EURO. In fact, many economists are predicting this. But in our lifetimes we will continue to use some form of currency worldwide. There may come a day when there is a world currency, but we aren’t likely to see it in our lifetimes.

This is a great opportunity for you if you would take control of your own financial future and trade currency on the forex market. You can easily protect yourself from the weakening US stock market and the collapsed real estate market and actually profit from the weakening dollar.

If you’re not used to this way of thinking it may seem scary to you. When people ask me what I think about the dollar I tell them as long as it moves up or down I can profit from it! Right now is a golden opportunity for you to profit in an otherwise poor economy (see how a portfolio of currencies performs independently of the state of the economy shattering equity mutual fund performance to pieces).

You can learn how to diversify your retirement planning efforts to escape the equity mutual fund trap and protect your financial future within the next week. I have been teaching online forex trading for almost a decade and I can show you how to trade profitably and safely even in a chaotic and insane economic environment.

Please be sure to sign up for the FREE Forex Sailing course at rapidforex.com. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly with any questions you have…I’ll get back to you as soon as possible…

Aloha & Safe Investing,

Brian Campbell

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