1 Pacific Tycoon - Container Investment

Pacific Tycoon is an established and recognized leader in the shipping container leasing industry. Together, private investors and the experienced staff at Pacific Tycoon work in partnership to identify prospering marketplaces that will consistently deliver profitable returns, on every shipping container investment.

1 The Bank Bail-Out: Saving America's Banks

Much is known about the near-collapse of the housing market and the financial ruin that followed some of America’s largest banks. The more disturbing story is not how America’s largest financial institutions nearly caused the largest recession in US history, but how in the midst of the federal government’s efforts to stabilize the financial industry, the people, whose houses were being foreclosed and the small businesses on main street that suffered, were left in the dust. By examining the issues surrounding the collapse of the housing market and the federal government’s response, it is clear that the regular Americans were sacrificed in order to save wall-street.

In 2006 a problem arose across America. All economic indicators showed that prices for individual homes were starting to go down across the board. In order to try to force housing prices to increase, the Bush administrations authorized the Fed to lower interest rates and change the rules that pertained to borrowing. These new rules allowed an increase in the number of sub-prime mortgages, mortgages issued to lenders who might have problems with repayment. The result was that many people who previously could not afford to own their own home were allowed take out a home mortgage loan, which caused home prices to increase to record heights. With high prices and record profits, home developers began construction on new housing projects with the hopes of taking part in the housing bubble.

However, government deregulation, the saturation of the market with new houses, and sky-rocketing housing prices coupled with unnecessary financial risks taken by banks caused the housing bubble to finally pop. Homeowners woke up to discover that the value of their home was substantially lower than when they had originally taken out their mortgage for the same house. Many homeowners, who under normal circumstances would not quality for a home mortgage loan and were intending to sell their homes for more than what it was worth, found that their home was upside down and began to default on their mortgage payment. Foreclosures hit a record high and banks found themselves with a set of sub-prime loans that were now worthless, resulting in record losses for the vast majority of American lenders. On the precipice of the greatest financial collapse since 1929, investors and lenders alike solicited aid from the federal government.

What was proposed by Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson, and the White House to Congress was the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, which included the $700 billion Trouble Assets Relief Plan (TARP). The intention was to create liquidity for banks and lending institutions to prevent their financial collapse and, in exchange, the financial institutions would eventually pay back the money borrowed from the federal government with interest once the institution became profitable again. Under the Obama Administration, TARP was extended to General Motors and Chrysler, and a separate fund was created to reconstruct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Though the EESA created stipulations for the restructuring of the financial industry in the United States, this bill, and any bill after the EESA on the federal level failed to establish a plan to help homeowners struggling with their mortgage payments or homeowners facing foreclosure. The bill also did not establish a fund to bail out small businesses that were directly affected by the housing market collapse. Appliance and furniture retailers as well as home construction companies were faced with huge profit losses, and many of these companies were forced to file for bankruptcy or close their doors permanently. Though state and civic governments have attempted to address the issue within their jurisdiction, no federal actions have been taken to help homeowners or local small business. Many of those on main street America felt betrayed by a White House and Congress that was elected to protect their interest, and instead passed legislation to save the multi-billion wall-street banks.

The truth of the matter was just that, the blame should not be placed on the homeowners or the banks, but the federal government that first deregulated the housing market then failed to assist struggling homeowners and businesses. The government traded long-term growth for short-term price hikes, a fateful decision that the American people struggle with today.

1 Using the reversal strategy in binary options trading

Binary options trading is known as a short term trading and it is necessary to find your own strategy to keep emotions aside and gain more from the market because emotions is the main reason why such strategy appeared.

If you're not new to trading or at least you've followed some company stock price trends, you might notice that sometimes company stocks are overpriced or undervalued. This happens because many traders (mostly speculators) are very careful and when they see some bad news coming out about a company which stocks they own, they try to get rid of them as quickly as possible without a significant reason or vice versa if news are in favor of the company. Of course, because of this, company stock prices will change noticeably. I.e. these can be rumors or news that could affect trader’s decision.

As such things happen, you can be careful and try to notice it and even benefit from it. In binary options trading there are not that many assets yet that traders can trade. So it is easy to notice if some bigger price changes show up. Most likely you'll be able to read about it in most daily market review websites. So what can you do about it? I.e. you notice that Baidu stocks yesterday were traded for $93.05 and today when the market opened they dropped to $85.60 which is -8%. For such company there should be a reason why it happened. Try to analyze and understand why did it happen and is it really that important to affect stock price to drop -8%. Follow the trend for some time and if it is not decreasing anymore it might be the right time to buy a call option because it might stabilize a bit in the next few hours.

Few important tips:

• This is not a long term strategy, it is better to use it only for short term trades like 30 minutes, 1 hour;
• Do not use it on 60 second trades, it might be too short;
• The best moment to use the reversal strategy is when the market opens and you can quickly go through the latest news to find a company or an asset that might fit these conditions.

5 Housing Market Trend in Chicago

The year of 2012 has had its ups and downs, and the following is information on the housing market trends last year in the Chicago area.

Housing market trends are famous for changing and every year there are different factors and issues that determine if it is a good year for buyers or a good year for sellers, or something in-between.

During 2012 the housing market trend in Chicago has been reported to be on the decline, according to the Trulia report. The average sale price for houses in the Chicago area between January and March was $160,750, which is a little over a 13 percent decline when compared to the price in 2011.

Market May Be Better For Buyers, Than Sellers
While this may be good for buyers, it isn’t good news for people trying to sell their homes who may be facing a situation where their homes are worth less than they paid for them. This is a bad issue that causes home sellers to lose money on sales, and even in some extreme cases, they may not even break even when they sell their homes.

The statistics also show that as of April 2012 the Chicago market price for each square foot of property was $124, which is also a decline from the same time in 2011 by a little over 12 percent.

Certain Neighborhoods Are Better Than Others

The market trend in the Chicago housing arena does show, however, that certain neighborhoods are doing better in sales than others. The ones that were doing better this year include North Side, Lincoln Park, the Loop, Wicker Park, De Paul and Bucktown.

Reports say that sales are brisk in those areas and buyers are investing in housing there, although no specific reason for it was listed in the Trulia report.

Chicago area, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, is on par with the rest of the country on the number of distressed homes at about 35 percent, while it is only one point lower on the national housing market. However, there have still been a lot of foreclosures in the Chicago area, according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported on the market showing a lot of vacant homes that were going unsold.

Experts Hope For Change in Trends

Experts are reporting that the Chicago market for housing is not very stable this year and that there is much financial uncertainty. Due to this, people who normally invest in the real estate market are standing by to see what transpires, as it is possible the housing prices will rise. The potential investors were heartened by recent reports from the Illinois Association of Realtors sales data for October, which showed an increase in the number of homes sold from the beginning of 2011. In fact, this rise is the best in the past six years for homes being sold in the Chicago area and have significantly gone up in the past two years.

Housing Time On the Market

The amount of homes for sale that are listed in the Chicago area is also a number that goes up and down. It is sometimes hard to get an accurate number in this area though, as many houses that are under a contract never close and this could cause flawed data to be counted. Even so, the trend has been for a rise in the homes available for sale, though when the recent home tax credit of $8,000 expired it brought this number way down in August of 2012.

However, while this was bad news for buyers, it means good news for sellers since there will be less properties on the market for people who want to buy to choose from. The only problem is that since the job market has not been good as of late, there are less people who can actually afford to buy these available houses.

The bottom line is that just like in many other communities and metro areas, the housing market in the Chicago area has had its share of ups and downs. If you are trying to either buy or sell a home, then you should talk to a realtor for the latest information and advice.

7 How To Utilize Gold Price to Make Wise Investment

There are many big and small investors all over the world. People do invest their money with respect to get positive returns in terms of profit to their investment. Investment on gold can be done in a number of ways such as through stock exchange secondary markets, via banks etc.

Gold prices keeps fluctuating for which there is a need of keeping a track on the change in price of the gold. The change in gold prices depends on multi-factors in the financial markets. A proper financial planning is required for investing in gold. Buying gold is a good investment as the price of the gold is rising with each passing day.

 

Gold as investment

Out of all metals which are precious,gold is considered as one of the most favorite and popular in the investment point of view. In gold market gold is always subjected to some or the other speculation in comparison to the other markets, mainly by the use of derivatives and futures contracts.In the ancient history of gold standards, gold reserves has played a very important role in the central banking along with the low correlation of gold, and prices of other commodities. We can also say that gold being a commodity behaves just like the liquid cash which can be converted into cash any moment with an ease.

Factors which can influence gold price

Some of the factors which influences or drives the gold price are s follows –

• Demand and supply – the demand and supply highly affects the gold prices. When the demand is excess over the supply, its price started rising and as soon as the supply becomes excess over the demand the price started falling down.
• Speculation – it is a practice to get engaged in such financial transactions which are risky in nature. People do speculation with the attempt for making profit from either medium or short term fluctuations of gold in market value of the tradable goods for example the financial instruments instead of attempting to making profit from financial attributes which are underlying which embodies in such financial instruments like dividends, interest, capital gains etc. many speculators do not pay much attention to fundamental value of security rather they focus more on the price movements of gold. Speculators are common in financial markets for commodity, bonds, stocks, derivatives, real estates, collectibles, fine art, currencies, futures and many more.
• Savings and disposal –savings and disposal is playing a very important role for affecting the price of commodities but as far as the gold prices are concerned it focuses more on the consumption. The gold which have been mind in all the years most of which are still existing in an accessible form like jewelry which are mass produced, bullion which has a very little value on the fine weight. It can potentially come back into gold market at right price.

More about the value of gold and investments

The quantity of the stored gold above the ground as compared to annual production, gold price is affected mainly by the change in its demand or sentiment rather than the change in supply o the annual production.

Some of the important gold based questions which knock every mind of an investor are as follows –

• Whether the investment on gold is a wiser decision or is it only a store of value simply.
• Is investing on the gold at higher price is a good decision?

For answering the above questions it is very important to follow expert’s advice in the financial market as well as on keeping continuous track of the changing values and prices of the gold time to time. You must analyze and understand the trend of the prices of gold before making your investment or before risking your money into it. Only a very few knows about the relationship between the gold prices and the silver prices. However it is complimentary and related. 

Author's Bio:

Criss Derek is a specialist in global resources as well as a contributing writer. He writes on Gold Price to make people aware about the pros and cons of investing in gold. Read his blogs to stay updated about the price fluctuation in gold.

1 Bear Market Investing Strategies

Bear markets are worrisome indeed. But one need not get unduly perturbed. When the market is down, ‘buy’ is the strategy to be practiced. Watch out for those companies that are selling at a lower price than usual. This is generally referred to as averaging down. This could be a good equities investment in the long term. 

It has been observed that when there is a lot of optimism in the market, it results in the welling up of buying by investors and then this bull market paves way for the entry of the bear market. The intermittent stage is when the cleverest of investors manages to steer clear of the stock market plunge. But the rest are tossed about in the oncoming gush of the bear market waters and then they feel that they are going to drown. So they, in totality, get out of the market while they are in the midst of this bear market. In most cases, this is the wrong move as they incur more losses on their investments. They should actually wait for the stock market to recover / gain from the upside in the succeeding bull market. Thus when the market is under-valued, it is quite difficult to understand when to again invest in it. Similarly when the market is over-valued, selling out is tricky.

History has seen that investors who do not part with their stocks when the bear market is ongoing stand to gain more on their investments when it recovers than investors who wait for some period after the market rally to reinvest in it.

The bear market is feared so much that some investors shy to ever purchase stocks thereon. When recovery is seen, they tend to view it with skepticism; thinking it could be temporary, which also could well be true. These investors then wait until the time when the market is so full of talks of stocks yielding handsome profits that their past losses fade out as a paled nightmare and they reinvest well into the rally. At such a maximum-risk-time, the stocks tend to be very high-priced and the returns will mostly fetch extremely less upside as compared to the times when the market sentiment is quite weak.

With all the complications involved with investments during the bear market, it is very necessary to understand what exactly happens herein: The stock market sits low for an exceedingly long period of time on account of a variety of factors; namely, when there is a decline in the profits of corporations; when there is a correction of over-valuation, etc. The jittery investors sell their stocks in this scenario and hence the price tumbles. This fear is transmitted to other investors as well and they too sell their stocks. Thus starts the vicious circle. And before the stocks lose value, selling is advisable. For long term investments, buying into the bear market is recommended.

The best stocks to buy would be those who look to offer potential profits in the long run, for, say, the next ten to twenty years.

Author Bio:

Liza Dey is a financial advisor in a leading stock market company in Canada and she has immense interest in writing about latest trends in the financial market. She publishes her market forecasts and investment suggestions often through the internet. Writing guest posts and articles is one of her passions so as to create awareness in investors all around the globe. You can visit http://www.profitconfidential.com/ to read about her recent market forecasts and helpful financial investment suggestions.

2 Do Binary Options Investments Offer A Realistic Way Of Building A Second Income?

It is no secret that the current financial markets are in a mess. The banking system sits on the brink of failure and people all around the globe have seen the value of their investments fall. People have not only lost faith in many of the investment vehicles used in the past, they are now more than ever in need of an easy way in which to generate an additional income.

This backdrop has helped to fuel the growth of online trading. This is where individuals who are desperate to increase the value of their assets take their financial fortunes into their own hands as they seek to out manoeuvre the markets themselves. Many online companies are keen to highlight the potential that this route offers for profits however very few who partake will ever generate the returns that they expect. Make no mistake, trading the markets is extremely risky and more than 95% of the people who try will fail to realize the gains that they are lead to believe that they can make.

However newer trading products on the market have aimed to help make investing on financial markets more appealing to the potential investor. Not only have they looked to simplify the mechanics of the trading process itself, they have also sought to limit trading risk. Of these new products Binary Options is perhaps the most popular. It offers a fresh approach to trading which is so simple it can be used to make a viable second income stream.

The binary option is a digital trading contract that is used to speculate on the price movements of a financial assets. Unlike many investments, the contract is made directly with a broker and does not involve purchasing a stake in the asset itself. It is in effect a straight wager which offers one of two fixed outcomes at the defined expiry time on the contract. At this point either a pre-agreed profit is made if the contract ends 'in the money' or it expires with no worth.

The simplicity of these contracts has helped to fuel their appeal. They are easy to pick up and trade and don't require the same in depth analysis to be applied as many other forms of investment demand. The reason for this is that you only have to decide on whether the price of the asset will finish higher or lower. The contracts used have only a limited lifespan so you also don't need to worry about the long term outlook for the investment. As a result it is possible to 'dip in and out' of the market to earn your profit. Furthermore you don't need a rising market to find opportunities to take. Contracts can also be used to profit from falling prices.

The range of assets that can be traded from an account with a digital binary broker is enormous. It includes stocks, indices, currency pairs and commodities. The global nature of these available markets means there is a twenty four hour trading window - you can literally trade on your account around the clock. Not only does this mean that you will find a wealth of opportunities to take, it also makes it possible to fit in this style of trading around other daily obligations.

So do binary options make a good argument to be considered as a vehicle for a second income? Well yes they do. Not only do they offer perhaps one of the easiest ways in which to make money from financial predictions, offer high payouts and also a fixed level of risk. Furthermore you won't need a large amount of money to get yourself up and running. Brokers will accept an initial deposit of as little as one hundred dollars in many cases and you can invest as little as $25 on a contract outcome.

Author Profile

This article was written by Phil Moore, a full time financial trading and investment writer. You can find out more about Binary Options trading on his blog at www.binaryoptionsprofits.net or follow him on Google+

0 Top 5 differences between Stock trading and gambling

There has been much debate on whether Stock trading is intrinsically gambling or not. On the surface, both of them share certain common features as both involve the attributes of risk and choice.

Ideally, when people refer to the adage- ‘Stock investment is just like gambling in a casino’, people are referring to those involved in the ordeals as Professional traders and recreational gamblers. Furthermore, while there are certain games in which the results don’t just boil down to complete luck, we’re going to focus on Long-term stock investing which has a pay-off period of a minimum of 4 months (as compared to day-trading) versus Blackjack or roulette. This taxonomy has to be kept in mind as we examine these two activities more closely and see if we can point out some of the key differences.

1. Odds in favor and against

The main reason that stock market investing isn't gambling is that you have much better odds of success with the stock market. When you go to the casino the odds work against you, while you can certainly win in the short term if you gamble long enough you will lose.

0 How to Set Up an IRA That Matches Your Personality

Are you a risk-taker? Are you heavily influenced by what your friends are doing? How about your outlook on the future- how stable is your income? Believe it or not, these things matter when it comes to investing for your retirement. Ask any financial planner or investment consultant: setting up an investment portfolio is not just about crunching numbers and analyzing stocks. It requires a bit of analysis of the investor, as well! A common way to save for retirement is to open up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). An IRA is just a mutual fund that's set up specifically for you to draw income from after you retire.

Why Open an IRA?

There can be some tax advantages of opening up an IRA, but one of the main advantages is that you have the freedom to choose whatever stocks and bonds you'd like to invest in. That's different from an employer-sponsored retirement account, where you just put the money in and they choose how to invest it.

How Do I Know What to Invest In?

Well the freedom to choose your own mix of stocks and bonds is nice but what if that's all a bit over your head? What's the difference between a mix of 20% stocks and 80% bonds and a mix of 50/50% stocks and bonds? Well the good news is: you can use a financial investor to help you out. If you can't afford one, here's how to set up an IRA that meets your needs and matches your personality.

6 The Dos and Don’ts of Investing in Real Estate Rental Property

 There are a lot of reasons in invest in rental property. They can provide a steady income in a slow housing market. They can help build equity in a retirement of vacation home. They also allow first-time buyers to enter the market.

Before investing in a rental property, have realistic expectations. Do not expect a quick profit, since rental properties are typically a long-term investment.  Resale prices are usually based on incoming revenue, not on home prices.

With that being said, it is important to know your market. Normally it is wise to buy a rental property in the nicest neighborhood you can afford. Important facts like school districts, proximity to public transportation, employment rate and crime rate are good to know.

The character of the neighborhood is key as well. Certain types of properties will have different sorts of tenants. For example, a duplex in a cozy family-oriented neighborhood will receive less turnover or wear and tear than in a college neighborhood.

It is also important to be patient. If you price your property too high you could lose money because of vacancy. If you price it too low, you could lose money overtime. It may be wise to consult a fellow professional on the matter, who can help weigh the trade-offs in a particular circumstance.
Once you find a property, it is essential to find quality tenants. Bad tenants will damage your property, run up maintenance costs and if they abandon your property, leave you with a vacant property that is losing money. Good tenants provide a predictable, steady income and take good care of the property.