Understanding Forex Pips (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

Pip is an extremely important concept in the foreign exchange trading. Forex trading revolves around pips. A forex pip is the smallest unit of price movement in the exchange rate of a currency pair. Pip stands for Percentage in Points or some refer to it as Price interest point.

Traders trade foreign exchange in order to make as many pips as they can. Earned pips are the reward for a good trade. And lost pips are the punishment for a bad trade. Pip is almost similar to the tick found in other financial markets like the futures market.

Every currencys price is always expressed relative to another currency. There is no absolute currency price for US Dollar. However, you can express US Dollar price relative to Euros, British pounds, Yen, Swiss Franc and so on. It is the same with every other currency pair. Most of the currency pair exchange rates are expressed up to four decimal places. Forex pip refers to one point change in the fourth decimal place of the most major currency. Why most? Because there is a currency that is expressed up to two decimal places relative to the other currencies. Yes, Japanese Yen!

The convention is to express for most of the currency pairs the exchange rate like x.xxxx where a change of 0.0001 would constitute one pip. A pip would be the equivalent of 1/100th of one percent or one basis point. You must be familiar with the concept of basis points used in calculating the interest rate changes. You must have often heard that the FED or for that matter any other central bank has increased or decreased the interest rate by 15 basis points. Pip is almost similar to a basis point.

The exchange rate format would look like xxx.xx where a change of 000.01 would constitute one pip, for the handful of currency pairs featuring the Japanese Yen like GBP/JPY or USD/JPY.

You dont need to worry about the pip value when you trade forex. Calculating the exact value of each pip for the currency pair and lot size traded is the job of the brokers trading platform which should include a pip calculator created especially for this purpose.

However, it is better that you also know how the exact value of a pip for a currency pair is calculated. Here is a simple calculation: Pip= (Lot Size) (No of Lots) (Pip Size). The result of this equation will be denominated in the quote currency.

Quote currency is the second currency in the pair. The first currency in any currency pair is known as the base currency. It is also known as the quoted currency. The second currency in the pair is also known as the counter currency. EUR is the base or quoted currency in the currency pair EUR/USD. USD is the quote or counter currency.

If the quote currency is already in US Dollar, no conversion is needed for the US Dollar denominated trading accounts. For example no conversion is needed for the currency pairs, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, CHF/USD, JPY/USD etc.

When the US Dollar is the counter currency or the quote currency, it simplifies many things for the forex traders whose accounts are primarily in US Dollar. It helps to keep in mind that all currency pairs with the quote currency as US Dollar (ending in the US Dollar) will be $10/pip for a standard lot, $1/pip for a mini lot and $0.1 for a micro lot. This includes heavily traded pairs like EUR/USD, GBP/USD and AUD/USD. - 23217

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Try 1500 Pips a day Forex Signals. Discover a revolutionary Forex Robot Trading System!

Reduce Foreclosure Risk ? Hire a Structural Engineer

By Mary Smith

A structural engineer can be a valuable asset to those interested in purchasing foreclosed property. Foreclosed homes may have maintenance and repair issues caused by years of neglect. Over several years, these problems may escalate to the point that they become a threat to the entire structure. In some cases these problems are obvious and sometimes they?re largely hidden.

Florida sellers are required by law to disclose problems that are not obvious if they might affect the property value. Property in foreclosure however, is typically owned by a bank. They don?t live on the property and in fact, may never even visit the property. They cannot disclose information they?re not aware of. The result is that they sell these properties ?as is.? In these cases home inspectors and structural engineers can help.

Structural engineers have a thorough understanding of what makes a structure stable and what problems could undermine that stability. They will perform a thorough examination of the walls, beams, floors, foundation and other components of the structure to find any evidence of deterioration or deformation that might affect the structure.

The differences between a professional home inspector and a structural engineer are important. A structural engineer can examine a structure, diagnose the problem and offer recommendations. Home inspectors are limited to a careful examination and describing exactly what they see. They are not qualified to offer solutions.

Home inspectors reduce the risks associated with buying a home. Foreclosed homes can be an even greater risk, and most savvy buyers would not consider such a purchase without a professional inspection. Inspections can detect potentially expensive problems that might have gone undetected. Knowledge of these issues will allow the negotiation needed to cover the extra costs.

When inspecting a foreclosed property for the first time, examine the property and structure carefully. Consider the services of a structural engineer if any of the following are found: cracks in the foundation or walls, binding of doors or windows, floors that slope in one direction, walls that lean, or porches that slope toward the house.

The purchase of a foreclosed home should not be a high risk venture. Many of the risks involved can be understood and averted with the help of a professional home inspector and a structural engineer. These experts are highly trained and independent and can offer you the peace of mind you need to purchase a home or to make a safe investment, - 23217

About the Author:

High construction costs and tight deadlines are common on commercial building projects. Florida Engineering Solutions delivers structural engineering design, quality service, quick turnaround and innovative thinking. Contact the professional structural engineers at FES for your next commercial project. Mary Smith is a freelance writer.

Foreclosure Workouts to Get Your House Back

By Doc Schmyz

The last thing anyone wants to loose is your house. Unfortunately even though we know this fact, sometimes we tend to take our mortgage payments for granted and end up loosing our homes. In this case, a home foreclosure will happen. When a borrower fails to pay his or her mortgage for a number of payments (usually 5 or 6) the lender will issue a foreclosure by selling the house or repossessing it.

Sadly, more often than not banks often lead the homeowners to believe that they don't have other options available. However there are other alternatives that homeowners can use to keep their house.

These are some of the options that homeowners can use.

Short stop

You can get a short refinance for the foreclosure of your property. If you don't want a new loan to cover an existing one, you can ask the help of a friend. A borrower's friend or relative can buy or pay off the mortgage.

Negotiate a payment plan

You (the homeowner) agree to pay a portion of the amount and agree to pay the rest in the following months. The homeowner also shows proof of their income and pays a down payment. This is a much easier way and most lenders agree to this plan.

Change of plans

In some cases a temporary change in the terms of the loan can be given when properly negotiated. These changes include but are not limited to, amortization extension and reduction of interest rate. A foreclosure negotiator handles the job of getting these plans approved.

Third party sale

The property on foreclosure is sold to a third party. The proceeds will go to the mortgage lender as a settlement for the debt.

Friendly third party sale

The third party who buys the property sells it on foreclosure to clean the deed of other holders. Then, in turn the property is sold back to the borrower.

These are just some of the options that borrowers can utilize in attempting to retain their properties. Remember these alternatives are outside the original terms of the agreement. Homeowners may have to negotiate their way with lenders and banks. If borrowers don't want to end up doing any of these alternatives it's best to avoid missing your payments. Preventing home foreclosure is still better than looking for a cure. - 23217

About the Author:

Doc Schmyz has worked with investors all over the US. He built a free free website shares Real estate investing information for all over the US. Findreal estate information by state

Understanding Fibonacci Trading (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Fibonacci Price Retracements: How do you identify a possible support level once the market pulls back from a high? Fibonacci price retracements are run from a prior low to high swing using the ratios 0.382, 0.50, 0.618 and 0.786 to identify possible support levels as the market pulls back from a high.

Retracements are also run from a prior high to low swing using these same ratios looking resistance as the market bounces from a low. Most basic technical analysis software will run the Fibonacci retracement levels for you when you choose the swing you want to run them from.

Multiply the length of the swing (from low to high or high to low) by the retracement ratios and then subtract the result from the high if you are running low to high swings or add the results to the low if you are running high to low swings in case you want to understand how to calculate the Fibonacci price retracements yourself.

Fibonacci Price Extensions: Fibonacci price extensions are almost similar to the Fibonacci Price retracements in that they are run from the prior lows to highs or from prior highs to lows using only two data points to run the price relationship.

The difference between the Fibonacci price extensions and the Fibonacci price retracements is that we are running the relationship of a prior swing that are less than 100% or retracing the price move whereas with the extensions we are running the relationships of a prior swing that are extending beyond 100% of it.

Fibonacci Price extensions are run from prior low to high swings using the ratios 1.272 and 1.618 for potential support. They are run from prior high to low swings using the ratios 1.272 and 1.618 for potential resistance. These two techniques are named differently to indicate whether the price relationship is occurring within the prior swing or extending beyond it.

Fibonacci Price Projections: Fibonacci price projections are run from three data points and are comparing swings in the same direction. They are run from a prior low to high swing and then projected from another low for possible resistance or they are run from prior high to low swing and projected from another high for possible support. We use 1.00 and 1.618 ratios to run the projections.

Price clusters identify key support and resistance zones that can be considered to be trade setups. A price cluster is the coincidence of at least three Fibonacci relationships that come together within a relatively tight range.

Three is just the minimum number required to meet the definition. A price cluster can also develop with a coincidence of more than three price relationships. You may see five to ten price relationships come together in a relatively tight range. There are times when you see these large clusters develop not too far from the current market activity and they tend to act like a magnet for price. - 23217

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Try These 1500 Pips A Day Forex Signals From Heaven. Know Forex Rebellion!

Trading Euro Against US Dollar

By Ahmad Hassam

EUR/USD is the most liquid currency pair in the currency markets. There are four currency pairs that are known as the major currency pairs namely EUR/USD, GBP/USD, CHF/USD and JPY/USD that are heavily traded in the global currency markets. The rest of the currency pairs dont have the liquidity to trade big volumes as these four pairs do. Almost like 90% of the global currency exchange is in these pairs. Out of these four pairs, EUR/USD has the most liquidity and is the most popular among the currency traders all over the world. EUR/USD is the most heavily traded currency pair in the global currency markets at the moment. Most of the currency traders are in fact speculators. Trading currencies can be exciting and lucrative. Its a great market because of the way politics affect the trends. Elections, strikes, and sudden developments, both good and bad, can lead to significant trading profits if you stand ready to trade the EUR/USD is a convenient currency pair because it encompasses the policies and the economic activity and political environment of a volatile but predictable part of the world: Europe.

France, Italy, and Germany, the largest members of the European Union (EU), normally operate under high budget deficits and tend to keep their interest rates more stable than the United States, where the free-market approach and a usually vigilant Federal Reserve make more frequent adjustments on interest rates.

Fed changes its interest rates frequently keeping in view its inflation and unemployment targets. The general tendency of the Fed is to make the dollar trend for very long periods of time in one general direction. Here are some general tendencies of the EUR/USD currency pair on which you need to keep tabs aside from the technical analysis:

- The European Central Bank is almost fanatical about inflation, given Germanys history of hyperinflation in the first half of the 20th century and the repercussions of that period, namely the rise of Hitler. That means that the European Central Bank raises interest rates more easily than it lowers them.

- The European Central Banks actions become important when all other factors are equal, meaning politics are equally stable or unstable in the United States and Europe, and the two economies are growing. For example, if the U.S. economy is slowing down, money slowly starts to drift away from the dollar. In the past that meant money would move toward the Japanese yen; however, because the market knows that Japans central bank will sell yen, the default currency when the dollar weakens is often now the euro.

- The flip side is that the market often sells the euro during political problems in the region, especially when the European economy is slowing and the economy in the United Kingdom (UK), which often moves along with the U.S. economy, is showing signs of strength.

As usual, you want to closely monitor major currencies and the cross rates. Its okay to form an opinion and have some expectations, but the final and only truth that should make you trade is what the charts are showing you. The direction that counts is the one in which the market is heading.

It is always best to choose only two or three currency pairs and become a specialist in them. Fundamental analysis can help you determine the strong/weak currency pair. Use fundamental analysis to determine if USD is expected to lose value and EUR is expected to gain more strength that means that the currency pair EUR/USD is perfectly timed for swing trading. Use technical analysis to make the entry and exit decision. Combining fundamental analysis with the technical analysis can give you the edge as a forex trader. - 23217

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Try These 1500 Pips A Day Forex Signals From Heaven. Know Forex Rebellion!