Monday 6 August 2012

Asia’s financial markets benefit from FBS’s top forex system

The global financial system as we know it is rapidly changing. When the world’s economy was seriously shaken by the global financial crisis the advanced economies found themselves facing severe debt problems the likes of which they had never seen before. The emerging markets, on the other hand, have proved to be much more resilient to the financial shocks and are now dominating the market.
Currently, Europe is suffering from unprecedented debt turmoil. The currency union’s break-up has become a widely discussed possibility and high yields on its peripheral debt show that investors are very nervous. Last year the US survived its first credit downgrade in history due to enormous budget deficits – a significant blow for the world’s largest economy. Japan, which is vulnerable to devastating earthquakes and burdened with the biggest government debt in the world also stands in the row of suffering nations. In order to revive stagnating economies the central banks of developed states have to engage in continuous monetary stimulus. There are no short answers to these problems, only long-term investment strategies can bear fruit.
All these developments create a high level of uncertainty in global financial markets. In such an environment more and more traders, who seek good returns without investing large funds, turn to the foreign exchange market – the most liquid market in the world.
Asia’s claim:
                                  FBS believes that the future of foreign exchange trading lies in Asia. There can be no doubt that the region is the rising star of finance. During the last few decades its financial awareness has been constantly rising, becoming well known for its well organised and efficient financial services industry. The Asian economy is benefiting from a developing financial culture. One of its most distinguishing features is that more and more people are willing to participate in the streaming life of financial markets.
Foreign exchange trading is currently extremely popular in Asia, where the technological boom has made it available to a wider audience. In addition, such activity is associated with financial independence, self-employment with flexible working hours, as well as with the prestige of belonging to the financial community élite.
In October 2009 Bloomberg asked investors, traders and analysts where the best place for financial business is. The results of the survey showed that Asian financial centres such as Singapore and Shanghai are rapidly growing in popularity. According to the Bank for International Settlements’ (BIS) Triennial Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity, published in December 2010, Asia-Pacific is now the second-most active region for overall foreign exchange turnover and amasses $1.2trn in daily turnover. For instance, Hong Kong’s share of global currency turnover rose from five percent in 2007 to 20 percent a year ago.
Furthermore, Asia has quite promising economic prospects. Take a look at China, the nation which vehemently withstood the pressure caused by the Lehman Brothers collapse and the global financial crisis which followed thereafter. Of course, the risks are high: in the modern globalised world the economies are too interconnected and the reduced European demand for Chinese and Asian goods in general will affect the region’s economy.
Nevertheless, compared to the developed world, emerging Asian economies still seem to have a much better outlook than their competitors.
Slowly but surely the borders in Asia have  opened. In 2010 China took the Yuan off its de facto dollar peg and the currency gradually began to reflect the market’s demand, while in 2011 Chinese authorities allowed Yuan options trading. Although the pace of China’s GDP growth is declining, the nation seems determined to conduct the required reforms necessary for rebalancing the economy from exports and investment to consumption. Asia is the land of rapidly growing global financial centres and the place where billions of individual traders take their chances buying and selling foreign currencies.
One of the best feelings about starting to trade on the foreign exchange market is becoming a client of a proper brokerage company. Today, there are a large amount of companies working in the market which offer the same services and do not set themselves apart from their competitors. However, there are still some leading companies that differ from others because of their reliability, attitude towards clients and their good services.

Every reason to trade:
                                                            Formed in early 2008, FBS is now recognised as a leader in the forex market. The broker’s customers now number 150,000 in more than 50 countries. FBS has offices in 16 countries in Europe and Asia, including its main offices in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Jakarta and St Petersburg.
FBS is a fast growing company. It has already proved itself a reliable investment in Asia. The company has a deep understanding of the mentality of Asian traders and their specific needs and adjusts its client-oriented policy to accomodate these values.
The quality and reliability of FBS has been noted by a number of independent institutions from the international currency market. FBS has twice been awarded Best Mini-Forex Broker in both 2010 and 2011 in World Finance’s Foreign Exchange awards and now has been awarded Best Forex Broker in Asia for 2012.
The rapid development of FBS in Asia is made possible by its wide regional expansion and the new approach adopted to online commerce. Its dedicated team of highly educated and experienced professionals constantly work on the enhancement of FBS’s services. The company now offers three types of accounts, each of them designed to fit the needs of a specific groups of traders. These are micro accounts with fixed spread, standard accounts and ECN/STP accounts.
In order to trial working with FBS each trader is entitled to a demo account with a free $5 deposit to trade on the live markets. Using this free gift traders have the opportunity to evaluate the advantages of trading with FBS without depositing any of their own funds.

Insuring against loss:
                                Analytical support is one of our strongest advantages. FBS’s analytical department consists of leading market research experts. FBS analysts provide daily reviews, analytical articles, comment pieces, as well as news on European, Asian and American foreign exchange markets. Each trader has free access to analytical reviews, articles, comments and world news in order to feel more confident about making the right decisions when committing to each transaction.
Customer support is also a primary concern. Regardless of the type of trading account or the amount of an investor’s deposit, each client is equally valuable. Competent and experienced employees are always ready to help traders and solve problems quickly.
It is not uncommon for people to avoid entering the forex market because of the high risk in this trading field. But now there is no more reason to be afraid. FBS has launched a new service that will guarantee total protection of a trader’s capital. FBS is the world’s first broker that offers its clients an opportunity to get their lost money back. A trader can insure from 10 percent to 100 percent of a deposit. In case the initial deposit is lost, FBS will return the insured amount at once. This new service allows traders to stop worrying about loss and focus only on making profit.
Everybody knows that the key to successful trading is choosing the right broker. The dependability of a brokerage company, its reputation, the services offered and its attitude towards customers – these are the main factors a trader needs to consider before investing in forex. That is why FBS is a trader’s best choice – a large broker that has proved itself as an innovator and leader in the international foreign exchange market.





Top 10 financial markets in the world


Hong Kong overtakes the United States and the United Kingdom to take the top spot on the World Economic Forum's fourth annual Financial Development Report released Tuesday.
As the first Asian financial center to achieve this ranking, Hong Kong's position was bolstered by strong scores in non-banking financial services such as initial public offerings (IPO) activity and insurance, the report said.
Although it slips to second place, the United States' overall score remains compared to last year. While financial stability continues to be a concern, the US was able to offset this weakness with strong financial intermediation results. 
The United Kingdom declined in both score and rank, placing third overall as a result of lower scores on securitization and IPO activity.
"Hong Kong's ascent to the top of our Index marks a major milestone, the first time in the Report's history that the United Kingdom or the US didn't come out on top," explained Kevin Steinberg, Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum USA. "While Western financial centers are understandably focused on short-term challenges, this Report should serve as a wake-up call that their long-term leadership may be in jeopardy."
90 percent of the financial systems surveyed have not returned to pre-crisis levels in terms of access to capital and global challenges to finance economic growth remain, especially access to credit and financing through local equity markets, the report summarized.
Launched in 2008, the Financial Development Report ranks 60 of the world's leading financial systems and capital markets. It analyses the drivers of financial system development in advanced and emerging economies to serve as a tool for countries to benchmark themselves and establish priorities for reform. The rankings are based on over 120 variables spanning institutional and business environments, financial stability, and size and depth of capital markets, among other factors.

Here is the top 10 financial markets on this year's Financial Development Index:

2011Rank
Economy
2010 Rank
2011 Score
Change in Score
1
Hong Kong SAR
4
5.16
+0.12
2
United States
1
5.15
+0.03
3
United Kingdom
2
5.00
–0.07
4
Singapore
3
4.97
–0.08
5
Australia
5
4.93
–0.08
6
Canada
6
4.86
–0.11
7
Netherlands
7
4.71
–0.04
8
Japan
9
4.71
+0.05
9
Switzerland
8
4.63
–0.09
10
Norway
15
4.52
+0.18








Saturday 4 August 2012

Frugal Foodie’s Friday Meal Deals

Cooking at home is the best way to save cash, but it’s nice to go out sometimes, too. Check out Frugal Foodie on Fridays for a selection of the latest coupons for casual and fancy fare.



Corner Bakery Café:

                                     Make a reservation online to get a free Chilled Berry Almond Swiss Oatmeal. Participating locations only, while supplies last.

Julia Child Restaurant Week:

                                                                                 In honor of what would have been Child’s 100th birthday, restaurants across the country are offering specially priced menus and other specials through mid-August. Check the Julia Child Facebook page for details.

Jamba Juice:

                                   Use a printable coupon from the company’s website to get a free smoothie with the purchase of one. Participating California, New Jersey and New York locations only. Valid through Aug. 5.

Downtown Cincinnati Restaurant Week:

                                                                                                                From Aug. 6-12, participating restaurants are offering three-course menus for $35, or two dinners for $35.

On the Border:

                                         Enter your zip code for a printable coupon on the company’s website for a free order of queso when you buy an entrée. Participating locations only. Expires Sept. 8.

Quiznos:

                        Use a Facebook coupon to save 20% off a $25 catering order. Participating locations only. No expiration date listed.

Qdoba:

                     DealNews.com spotted a bunch of printable coupons for this restaurant. Use the code FOOD to get a free order of chips and queso with an entrée purchase, good through Aug. 8. Through Aug. 3, use CHICKEN for buy one, get one free entrees, or QUESO for a free queso burrito with the purchase of an entrée. Participating locations only.

Miami Spice:

                                   Through Sept. 30, participating restaurants are offering special lunches for $19 or $23, and dinners for $33 or $39.


Blimpie:

                      Get a coupon on the company’s Facebook page for a free 6” sub when you buy a 6” sub and a 22-ounce drink. Participating locations only. Coupon expires 30 days after printing.




























3 Things You Should Know About Small Business

What's happening in small business today?


Q1. Is the CARD Act hurting small businesses trying to get credit?
Ans. It's no secret that small business lending has clammed up since the recession started for a number of reasons, including weaker demand, a weak real estate market making it tough to get home equity lines of credit and tougher overall lending standards. But another factor may be the CARD Act, which went into effect in 2010, offering new protections for consumer credit cards (but not business cards), making many business owners shift their credit to personal cards.
Business cards are an important source of credit for small business owners. A National Federation of Independent Business report cited in the article found that small business owners who use personal credit cards for business increased from 42% in 2009 to 49% in 2011, while those who used business credit cards declined from 64% to 59%.




Q2. Could you use an incubator?
Ans. New business owners often try to go it alone when just starting out, without mentors and without outside help, but for some businesses an incubator could be a good way to kick start operations, says Access to Capital, a small business financing resource by Dun & Bradstreet Credibility

Incubators can provide a small company space and equipment rentals for a low price as well as professional business advice and assistance. Some will even invest money into select startups, the article says. Across the country, there are about 1,200 incubators.
Different incubators focus on different industries and most will require the business owner to send in an application and be interviewed. Do your homework and determine which incubator might best suit your needs.
Q3. Here are ways to minimize the impact of divorce on your small business?
Ans: Divorce is rarely easy, both in terms of financial and emotional effects the parties are subject to, but when one or both of the parties are business owners, the event could have a major impact on the business itself, particularly if there aren't agreements put in place ahead of time.
The business is likely to be a part of the agreement for the distribution of assets in a divorce and likely subject to financial scrutiny and lost productivity as the business owner and possibly employees are taken away from daily tasks to gather information for the valuation. In a worst-case scenario, the business could even be sold in order to "pay the non-owner spouse his or her share of the business," the Fox article says, offering ways to avoid the impact of a divorce on the business.
First, if it's not obvious get legal counsel and one that has extensive experience with both personal and business aspects in divorce settlements.
However, before it even gets to the point of needing a lawyer, make sure that a prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement is created to predetermine asset distribution to protect the business. Beyond that, if there are multiple partners in the business, documents should be drawn up ahead of time to address a buyout or valuation if a divorce is filed, the article says.
If neither of these agreements exist, hire a joint financial expert to value the business, which could help streamline the process and keep costs down. You may want to enter into a confidentiality agreement to protect sensitive information




Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell is the largest company in the world. It has 90,000 employees. It is build in Netherlands. 
 The company at the top of Fortune’s Global 500 list has made headlines for its push to drill in Arctic waters. It's been a controversial plan, in part, because a spill in cold water near Alaska would likely prove difficult to clean. Shell is pushing forward, hoping to begin drilling this July for some of the estimated 90 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Arctic. Over the next 10-20 years, the company expects oil from the Arctic to be its largest source of crude.
In the short-term, Shell has done well, boosting its earnings for the first quarter of 2012 by 11%, compared to the previous year, to $7.7 billion. Part of the increase in earnings comes from Shell’s long-term projects that have just started producing: namely, a gas-to-liquids plant in Qatar and projects in the Canadian oil sands.



Types of Financial Market

Financial Market is the market where financial securities like stocks and bonds and commodities like valuable metals are exchanged at efficient market prices. Here, by efficient market prices we mean the unbiased price that reflects belief at collective speculation of all investors about the future prospect. The trading of stocks and bonds in the Financial Market can take place directly between buyers and sellers or by the medium of Stock Exchange. Financial Markets can be domestic or international.


Different Types of Financial Markets


 Capital Market:
                          Capital Market consists of primary market and secondary market. In primary market newly issued bonds and stocks are exchanged and in secondary market buying and selling of already existing bonds and stocks take place. So, the Capital Market can be divided into Bond Market and Stock Market. Bond Market provides financing by bond issuance and bond trading. Stock Market provides financing by shares or stock issuance and by share trading. As a whole, Capital Market facilitates raising of capital.










Money Market:
                         Money Market facilitates short term debt financing and capital.








Derivatives market:
                                 Derivatives Market provides instruments which help in controlling financial risk.







Foreign Exchange market:
                                             Foreign Exchange Market facilitates the foreign exchange trading.








Insurance Market
                               Insurance Market helps in relocation of various risks.








Commodity Market:
             Commodity Market organizes trading of commodities.










Contribution of Financial Markets:
                                                       Financial Markets are essential for fund raising. Through Financial Market borrowers can find suitable lenders. Banks also help in the process of financing by working as intermediaries. They use the money, which is saved and deposited by a group of people; for giving loans to another group of people who need it. Generally, banks provide financing in the form of loans and mortgages. Except banks other intermediaries in the Financial Market can be Insurance Companies and Mutual Funds. But more complicated transactions of Financial Market take place in stock exchange. In stock exchange, a company can buy others' company's shares or can sell own shares to raise funds or they can buy their own shares existing in the market.




Basis of Financial Market:
                                          Basis of Financial Markets are the Borrowers and Lenders.
Borrowers
                  Borrowers of the Financial Market can be individual persons, private companies, public corporations, government and other local authorities like municipalities. Individual persons generally take short term or long term mortgage loans from banks to buy any property. Private Companies take short term or long term loans for expansion of business or for improvement of the business infrastructure. Public Corporations like railway companies and postal services also borrow from Financial Market to collect required money. Government also borrows from Financial Market to bridge the gap between govt. revenue and govt. spending. Local authorities like municipalities sometimes borrow in their own name and sometimes govt. borrows in behalf of them from the Financial Market.


Lenders
              Lenders in the Financial Market are actually the investors. Their invested money is used to finance the requirements of borrowers. So, there are various types of investments which generate lending activities. Some of these types of investments are depositing money in savings bank account, paying premiums to Insurance Companies, investing in shares of different companies, investing in govt. bonds and investing in pension funds and mutual funds.
Financial Market is nothing but a tool which is used to raise capital. Just like any other tool, it can be beneficial and can be harmful too. So, the ultimate outcome solely lies in the hands of the people who use it to serve their purpose.



















Friday 3 August 2012

Bank of Internet


BEST DEALS IN ONLINE BANKING, 2012


You need $100 to open a Rewards Checking account, but it has no monthly fee and no minimum monthly balance requirement. You get unlimited ATM reimbursements in the U.S. and free bill payment. Plus, you can use your iPhone or Android mobile phone to make deposits. Free FinanceWorks money-management software from Quicken lets you view all your accounts and track your spending by category. 

You can earn up to 1.25% interest on your balance each month if you meet certain requirements, such as setting up direct deposit, paying bills online and using your debit card.