Category: Investment

Commodities have seen an explosive boom in 2021, thanks largely to last year’s Covid-19 market downturns. Commodities have risen by 21% over the first six months of the year despite economic inflation, which makes them the top performing asset group of the markets. With people travelling less and being stuck at home more, the trend has shifted towards spending on physical goods. This is one of the biggest factors influencing commodities, combined with the fact that travel is slowly opening up again and industries are returning to normal, so fuel demands–and therefore petroleum products–are rising again. The Bloomberg Commodity Spot Index tracks the price of various raw materials, and at the end of July it was closing in on the record number it hit in 2011. So, what are the key factors playing a role in this commodities boom, and which commodities are thriving?

Petroleum products

Aside from the uptick in demand from countries increasing their travel and the return to normal industry output levels, mining and oil companies have cut down their spending on new projects, resulting in a supply decrease. Since last year, oil companies have reduced extraction and supply of oil in order to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on prices, so oil remains at a lower level of supply. This, combined with the recent OPEC+ meeting, which helped settle the dispute between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has led to an increase in the price of oil, which in turn impacts the demand for petroleum products overall. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil was one of the top performers for this year so far, increasing by a whopping 52%. Bloomberg reported that on the 2^nd of July, US oil consumption had hit a record high, albeit seasonally adjusted, which bodes well for oil in the markets going forward.

Natural resources and metals

One of the most significant comeback stories in the natural resources realm of commodities was Anglo American. The mining company announced $4 billion in dividends, and even though the company’s profits were overshadowed by its rivals, it was still a noteworthy turnaround. Additionally, global leading iron ore miners Rio Tinto Group and Vale SA announced in July that they will give back over $17 billion in dividends.

Steelmakers have finally been able to recover from almost a decade of trouble and are finally able to pay it forward to their shareholders. ArcelorMittal SA, for example, one of the biggest steelmakers in the world, was able to offer a $2.2 billion share buyback program this year, after selling all its shares and ending its dividends program five years ago. Mineral-wise, nickel is making great strides in the market recently, as it hit $20,000 per ton and is on track towards reaching its highest price since 2014. Aluminium prices reached over $2,600 a ton, making this another metal being driven by increasing demand. Copper is yet another winner when it comes to metal commodities in 2021, nearing $10,000 per ton, even in the face of strikes in Chile.

Natural gas

Despite economic inflation worldwide, we’ve seen a serious rally in natural gas prices as demand has returned at an exponential rate. UK natural gas rates are nearing record highs as utilities battle to refill their inventories and Europe struggles with a supply issue. In China, thermal coal futures rose very near a record high, and across Asia, liquified natural gas prices are surging over the summer as importers attempt to compete with their prices. With the world’s shift towards renewable energy, however, many wonder what’s next for fossil fuels like natural gas. It’s a good time to make sure you stay on top of the news to see how the factors that influence commodities are changing. This includes the likes of economic inflation, recessions, and technological innovation, especially in the renewable sphere.

Choose commodities to trade with iFOREX as CFDs

When putting your CFD trading portfolio together, you can choose commodities to trade with iFOREX from a wide variety including petroleum products like WTI oil and natural gas to metals like gold, silver and nickel, to agricultural commodities like wheat, corn and soybeans. When you choose commodities to trade with iFOREX as CFDs, you’re joining one of the leading global brokers that offers excellent trading conditions, an innovative trading platform, and exceptional client support.

Knowledge is powerful when it comes to online trading and you can easily keep up to date on the latest world events with iFOREX’s Economic Calendar, which offers the latest financial updates at your fingertips, and with filters so that you can easily find what you’re looking for. Sign up with iFOREX today and trade with knowledge and confidence.

Every single person hopes to save money for emergencies or any other kind of requirement in their entire life. Besides the investments in banks and other financial organizations, they also try to save money personally to use anytime they need. 

To make this savings easier and a combined effort, different financial institutions have come up with the offering of funds where you can invest your money mutually with others you may not know. Every investor is trying to secure their future with great profit from the investment they are doing. 

What are the steps to follow?

Securities and Exchange Board of India regulates the investment vehicle where different investors are looking to reach the same objectives with the total capital. This process is popularly known as Mutual Funds. 

A fund manager handles all the money that comes into the pool and invests them in different options available in the market like equity, stocks, bond, shares, and more. As you invest the money into the pool, you will get back the return at the right time. You can be assured that this is the best and safest option to multiply your money and take it to the next level, where it will be considered wealth. 

Why this investment beneficial?

You can get details about the investment planning from leading loan distributor companies. For investment, you can also contact a reliable loan service provider to get positive ideas regarding investment. You need to choose the pool and the fund manager whom you can trust with your money. You should check the following factors in those service providers- 

• You may not know this, but Mutual Funds receive the most tax benefits amidst all other investments. 
• If you even sell your purchased investment after a year of the purchase, you don’t have to pay tax. This is known as zero long-term capital gain on equity mutual funds. 
• If you have invested in debt funds, in that case, the long-term capital gain will only apply if you hold the same fund for over three years. 
• This is an opportunity for every person to make their life secure monetary as you can start your investment with only Rs. 500. 
• If you are a professional in this field, you should know that this is your best way to enter into the stock market via the surrogate means of investing in funds mutually with others. 
• You get another opportunity of the lock-in period, which is at least 3 years. This helps you to invest in taking an urgent loan. 
• The best part is the return you earn from your investment is tax-free as well, and this adds benefit to all the investors in a huge way.
• All the service providers offer customized and Doorstep Services to all the customers regularly to easily handle these accounts. 

But like other investment plans, this too has some risks, mostly depending on the market scenario. Still, you should consult with experts before deciding as you will use your savings in the investments.

Investing your hard-earned money has now become crucial to help plan a worry-free future for your loved ones. One such popular investment option is Unit-Linked Insurance Plan, which enables you to invest in market-linked funds and gain a life cover against mishaps. But just plain investment may not earn you good ULIP returns in 10 years. This is why some insider tips can go a long way in securing a lump sum maturity benefit to fulfil your life goals. So, here are some ways you can ensure to earn better returns on your ULIP investment.

1. Stay updated about the market

Market-linked instruments highly depend on the movement of the share market with no fixed returns. However, it is crucial to stay updated about the market and keep an eye on the fluctuations while investing in Unit-Linked Insurance Plans. This shall also enable you to switch between funds in case the equity market starts seeming beyond your risk appetite. Also, if you come to a point where you can now move from debt to equity funds, learning about the market can help you invest wisely.

2. Make use of the fund switching option

With ULIPs, you can switch between funds to earn better returns from your investment. This may come with some charges, but such an option can highly benefit you. In the event where you can afford to take more risk, and want to switch from debt to equity funds, ULIP investment shall enable you to do so. When you use this option to earn ULIP returns in 10 years, a smart allocation strategy shall go a long way.

3. Utilising the ULIP calculator

Don’t we all prefer planning our investments for the long-term to help align our goals? This can now be done easily with the help of a ULIP return calculator, which is a free online tool. By selecting the tenure, the maturity amount you require and allocating your investment, the calculator estimates the returns. With this information, you can efficiently plan your investment with the ULIP return calculator. It is easy to use and doesn’t require you to be tech-savvy.

4. Opting for long-term investment

You could be investing in ULIP due to its dual benefit or to fulfil some long-term plans. But something you should remember to gain better returns is that staying invested for a longer tenure is more beneficial. Though many investors may exit the policy after the lock-in period gets over, your investment starts growing to offer good returns. This is because the impact of charges associated with ULIP lessens with time and the power of compounding enables the corpus to increase. Therefore, opting for long-term ULIP investment shall offer lucrative returns.

5. Applying life-stage strategy

Depending on your age and the life stage you are at, it can help define your risk appetite. If you have just begun your professional life and have no family responsibilities, you can easily take more risks when it comes to investment. But as you grow older, it is advised to switch to debt funds that are less risky, to balance your financial requirements with your investment. In your mid-40s, you cannot afford to take many risks, as you might need to save up for your child’s education or your retirement. Thus, the life-stage strategy can assist you earn better returns.

Now that you know the ULIP meaning to secure good returns in the future, you can easily plan your long-term goals. It is advised to read the terms and conditions of your ULIP policy carefully and talk to your insurance provider before signing off on the documents.

Investors play an essential role in a business. Their funding can help promote growth and launch new products. The help of investors can take your business to the next level.

However, it can be tough to attract investors and even harder to keep them interested and willing to fund your next project. The key to keeping them engaged is to put yourself in their shoes and look for the things they want to see in the businesses they invest in and then help them to find that information in your company.

Investors come to your company for a variety of options. Sometimes it is the interest in your project, the belief in business growth, or because your business aligns with their goals. But once you get them on board, you want to keep the communication up, but at the same time, you don’t want to overwhelm them with too much information.

So how do you keep them interested without overwhelming them with so much information that they cannot understand the goal? These tools can help you keep your objectives clear and communicate clearly with your investors.

Create a Plan

Create a plan that communicates clearly. Investors need to know the next step in the project. They need to receive information clearly and concisely with KPIs that lead to good news.

Offer Concise But Clear Updates

Keep investors interested when you offer clear updates and actual results. They don’t want to know the daily tasks or the obstacles you’ve faced to get where you are. Instead, they want to receive news that their investment is growing. They want to be reassured that you are putting their investment to good use.

So if you were CGC and wanted to have your investors know that their investment is safe, you would send a quarterly update on the basic goals for the next quarter. You might send information on significant directive changes, and of course, you would offer profit gains/losses and projections for the year. Somewhere in there, you would also add the CGC stock forecast.

Listen to Your Investors

The best way to communicate your ideas is to first listen to your investors. Ask them why they are investing. This information will let you know what you need to set up and what information you need to give them. Learn about their goals and understand the frequency with which they need information.

Use Visual Language

Keep in mind that many people are visual learners, so be prepared to give them the information they need through visual representations, either in slides or video format.

Investors need to see the product to understand how it works; therefore, visuals are crucial to keeping your investor’s interest.

Add Value to Your Communications

Stay in touch with investors and add the value they want. Even if this is not information about your interests, when you add value for others, know what they want, they will see you as a leader worth investing in.

Manage Investor Expectations

This management relates to the economics of the company. Manage their expectations compared to the current financial situation of the company. At the same time, you manage and speak about finances. You also want to control the opportunities that come from connecting with them, speaking out, and showing them that you are willing to work hard to meet their financial expectations.

Show Off Your Strong Leadership Skills

Investors need to see your leadership and organizational skills within the company. If your organization is weak, there is no amount of talking that will work. An investor must feel like his investment will make a profit, so he needs to be able to trust the owner in his ability to manage his organization.

The key thing to learn here is that you need to inform investors of what is going on, where your business is headed. They want to know financial information, but also want to know you have it all under control and are looking to grow the business in the direction you have planned. Aside from this, they want you to place the information they want in a way that is easy to assimilate without having to read a lot of other information.

One accepted practice of seasoned traders is choosing a system of analysis. Most often, the Fundamental Trading Strategy is used in conjunction with an appropriate investment strategy. It does not involve any complex calculations, or chart and table interpretations. Some skills can be learned by reading educational materials from trusted brokers like eToro which provides a number of useful resources such as an introduction to trading, a how to use eToro demo account guide, how to trade crypto, and a whole lot more.

The one basic skill that traders need to develop deals with data related to several factors such as commodities futures prices, consumer prices, employment numbers, GDP, general economic activity, etc.

There is a multitude of factors that greatly impact market sentiment on an asset’s value and this is where fundamental analysis comes in. Every economic event is scrutinized in a subjective analysis before Buy or Sell positions are placed. It then tries to predict market trends, and quantify the value of an asset whether it may be priced temporarily or eventually deduce the correct price.

Fundamental Trading Strategy: How Will This Work For You?

The fundamental trading strategy has been found to be an effective step in the process of investment. Traders can accurately speculate if prices would hold in the same direction in the presence of factors exerting an immediate impact on prices. Having an idea on how the market will evolve is important as they can plan out investments for the long or short terms.

For example, prevailing market conditions can be subjected to fundamental analysis of stocks, and the data yield could predict that a successful company may suffer a decline in share prices if the market is struggling. Fundamental analysis gold may consider factors such as the law of supply and demand. A shortage in gold delivery to various global economies can force up its price, and the opposite may happen when governments would tap into their gold reserves to counter the shortage.  Different events can bring varying levels of data and may have far-reaching effects that should be taken into consideration through the use of fundamental analysis.

Flexibility is the Key

Forex and CFD trading need not be complicated in order to be profitable. Numbers alone may not depict the big picture as to how a particular market is doing. Some traders who rely heavily on technical analysis of data should find the fundamental analysis very helpful. Flexibility is key. Asset values may change in relation to recent company news that has been released, or that expert opinions a specific asset is part of a company statement. Considering these factors is the very essence of fundamental trading strategy and flexible traders will find themselves with more profits and trading opportunities.

It is important to take steps using a systematic point of view. Here are some tips on how fundamental trading strategy can help you amidst a variety of information involved:

1. Monitor market and world news. Be on the lookout for information about the asset you are trading. In some cases, there can be drastic changes in prices based on news and company releases.
2. Understand and interpret the effects. Try linking economic conditions, geo-political events, and social news on how it could affect the price direction of a company or the market. And then judge if prices are going to increase or decrease for a certain period and whether it is likely to happen at a rate that you can identify.
3. Determine which trading strategy to use. Using fundamental analysis in trading forex or CFDs can help you decide which course to take. You can use your very own personal strategy that has always maximized your potential for profits and then progress from there.

So I do have some tips on how to be less expensive if you do want to take up cycling. The number one thing is to find a sport that does not come with the added costs of wearing a fancy outfit and going to the gym.

If that is not an option, there is another way to get a frugal cycling experience in London. The gym bike (find a wide range of gym bikes on Amazon, get Amazon.ae deals of up to 70% on ShopCash)

Start with the bike in the gym and use the facilities. Then you can upgrade to another bike which is often much cheaper. By doing this you can keep the gym bike for this gym routine and it will pay for itself in a couple of weeks.

Whilst cycling can be a good way to stay fit and healthy, it can also be a cheap sport. Like any sport, make sure that you have the equipment you need before you get started.

Making cycling frugal

This article was inspired by fellow blogger Claire Walden who has done some really great posts on cycling tips. These are some of the tips she came up with:

Buy cheap cycling clothing. This is a real money saver if you only go cycling a couple of times per month. It means that your cycling clothing needs do not need to be so expensive. Some cycling clothing is more expensive, but is necessary if you do want to go out and cycle around a huge city on a regular basis. I use cheap cycling clothing, but I like to be as frugal as possible.

Start cycling for longer trips. I prefer to cycle in a frugal way. This means I will only cycle for an hour at a time or perhaps only 10-15 minutes. This will make it much more likely that you will stick with cycling for more than a couple of weeks. Also this way, your cycling expenses will not be so high when you come to buying new cycling equipment.

Plan your route in advance. If you go cycling regularly, you can plan your route out ahead of time. It is a great way to make cycling frugal and will save you the expense of paying a taxi or cycling club bus to travel between places that you already know. This also means that if you need to make a quick trip, you can plan in the gaps. This saves you time but will be a money saving adventure all in one.

Make sure that you have the proper equipment. This includes cycling clothes, helmets, bikes and even trainers. You can save a lot of money if you cycle in the correct way. Your cycling kit will not come cheap, so make sure that you spend your money on the things that are really important to you.

Go on a road trip. Go on a long journey with your bike and see as much of a city as you can. You can make cycling much frugal. I have done this a few times. You can plan your route ahead and cycle for a few hours before you come to a city you know well.

Leisure cycling. Make cycling as much of a relaxing hobby as you can. This will be a way to keep cycling alive and active. I do this when I have time.

Do not be too frugal. Cycling can be a bit expensive if you only do it for short journeys. If you are planning to go on a regular basis, then make sure that it is something that you can commit to.

Background checks help HR decision-makers assess the safety, integrity, and experience of a candidate. At a minimum, a pre-employment background screening serves to verify an applicant’s identity, confirming that they are who they say they are. Beyond that, background screens can check driving records, criminal records, employment history, and verify education and other professional credentials. Background checks add value to your company by helping you safeguard assets and protect your organization from risk.

Using certified, professional background check services ensures you get reliable information that meets your specific screening needs. A screening partner also helps you stay compliant with the myriad laws and regulations surrounding collecting, using, and storing personal information. When choosing a background check vendor, consider the following five criteria:

Volume

Vendors offer various pricing models; choose a partner with a model that suits your needs. As-needed options without subscription fees or monthly minimums work well for small organizations with occasional screening needs. In contrast, large organizations with extensive screening requirements benefit from pricing models that are designed for scaling. Also, choose a provider that offers flexible screening and pricing options to avoid paying for services you don’t need.

Locations

The laws governing background checks are complicated and often vary significantly from location to location. If you need to screen candidates in multiple cities, states, or even countries, look for a provider experienced in all the relevant locales. 

HR Structure

The proper screening partner will seamlessly engage with your HR team and your existing system. This is especially critical if you have a large, spread-out HR structure. This type of organization needs a dynamic background check vendor that can support multiple users in multiple locations. 

Internal Policies

Having a solid internal background check policy is the number one key to success. Your policy needs to clearly define which positions require a background check, what each background check will include, why the defined background check is necessary, and what criteria will result in an adverse hiring decision. For example, if your organization hires drivers, your background check policy might state the following:

• All drivers are required to undergo a motor vehicle check as part of the application process
• A driving record that includes a history of DUIs or moving violations within the past five years disqualifies applicants from employment.
• Employees will have their driving records rechecked annually to make sure a clean record is maintained.

A clear policy helps you make fair and nondiscriminatory hiring decisions. Your screening partner can help you design your policy and offer screening packages that support your choices. 

Compliance

Compliance is a significant part of any background check. A background check vendor that offers compliance tools helps you stay within the law while streamlining your workflows.

Information matters. The right background check partner helps you get the correct information to make the right hiring decisions. 

To stay in Forex market, it is necessary to improve the necessary skills. Without taking preparation, if the investor arrives in the trading field, he will not be able to get the expected results. People should practice properly to improve the necessary skills. In the trading field, traders should do the task properly. Many investors leave the market, because of the lack of knowledge. People should be serious about trading to do better. There are four important skills which are important to develop. Let’s know about these.

Risk Management Skill

Every Singaporean traders should learn to manage the risk. So, they should develop some rules which will help to take the risk properly. It is necessary to determine the risk tolerance. Traders should take risks of how much loss they can afford. A fruitful plan will help the investor to manage the risk. People should know to use stop-loss and take profit in the right place. Many investors cannot use stop-loss and face problems. People should control their emotions so that they do not make any wrong moves. If the trader cannot be able to control the risk, he will fail to make money. Because of making more money, the investors should not take high risk.

People are required to know about the market. When the person will be able to understand the position of the trading field, he will be able to take a proper step. People should not allow greed in terms of making the decision. On the other hand, the investor should not feel fear. Traders should maintain the discipline to manage the risk. Investors should not take a risk of 2% per trade. When people will practice by using the demo account, they will be able to sharpen this ability.

Technical Skill

Traders should know about the use of different types of instruments to determine the situation. When the person will be able to identify the entry and exit signals, it will be possible to make money. If people can be able to interpret the chart patterns properly, they will be able to speculate right price movements of the currency pair. Investors should practice properly to know the use of different types of indicators and tools. Sometimes, the indicators provide the wrong signals, so the investors should learn to create differences between right and wrong. When the person will be able to use the right instruments in the right positions, he will be able to get good results. And always use platforms like saxotrader as it is equipped with advanced tools. By using high end tools, you will be able to do better analysis.

Analytical Skill

If you analyze the market, you will be able to make a better plan. People should research on the market. When the person will be able to interpret the news properly, it is possible to take the right measures. People should know about the fundamental and the technical analysis so that they can be able to carry out the trading process properly. The investor does a deep analysis of the market so that he can be able to apply the right techniques at the appropriate time.

Money Management Skill

Investors should try to increase their income than the cost so that they can go forward. People should try to secure the capital. For this, the person should not take high leverage as it will create problems. Traders should focus on increasing the account balance. Sometimes, investors prefer to take high leverage so that they can be able to trade more. People should not do this because it is responsible for losing money. When the person will follow the plan, he will not do this. People should practice properly so that they can understand how to manage money in a difficult situation.

In Forex market, newcomers should focus on adopting these abilities so that they can become established among the big names.

Everything is volatile. Investing in only one market, be it stocks, real estate, cryptocurrency, or precious metals, comes with its good times and bad times.

The risky thing to do is invest everything in the same place. A better approach is to diversify, balancing your investment and wealth across different markets.

When one goes down, the others may or may not be as affected. It’s a safer way to manage your portfolio.

Interested in investing in physical gold? It’s a time-tested place to put your money. And it’s not going out of style any time soon.

Gold and other precious metals have a stable track record of growth and value. While they may not provide the mind-boggling, overnight returns that some types of investments claim, they are consistent over time.

So why invest in physical gold? And what is the best way to invest in physical gold? That’s precisely what we cover below, so keep reading.

Why Is Gold Valuable?

Gold has been valued by people and societies for many generations. It has been a common source of money for thousands of years.

There’s enough of it on the planet to create coins and assets out of it. Yet it’s still rare enough that it fetches a high-price, as not everyone can get their hands on it.

Gold is real, tangible, and physical. When you invest in gold, there is a physical substance behind it. You can’t say that about stocks. You can’t even say that about the dollar bills in your wallet.

The paper in and of itself doesn’t hold value. Gold does hold tangible value.

Benefits of Investing in Physical Gold

So what are the risks and rewards of investing in physical gold bullion?

For starters, gold protects against inflation. Simply saving your money in the bank causes you to lose money over time due to inflation each year. In years of high inflation, stock values often drop while gold value increases.

It also has a limited supply. While many companies are mining gold every year, it’s not overly abundant and the supply is limited. But the demand is high and increasing, causing gold to steadily increase in price.

Plus, it will balance your portfolio. The performance of gold investments is not related to the stock market. In years where your stocks plummet, you may find your gold rising.

How to Invest in Physical Gold

The best way to invest in physical gold is to buy pure gold, which is 99.5% gold. Alloys are mixed metals, combining gold with cheap metals.

It’s best to stick with buying gold bars in smaller sizes. Smaller sizes allow you to sell your gold more easily when needed, versus a large, expensive bar.

And yes, you’ll pay a premium on the gold your invest in, or buy. Check out the definition of premium to better understand this investment strategy. Make sure to only invest with reputable marketplaces.

Start Investing in Physical Gold Today

There are many benefits of investing in physical gold, and many different ways you can do it. What’s most important is that you completely understand gold as an investment vehicle before purchasing any.

The best investments are those you understand. Once you understand the pros and cons and decide on your strategy, gold is a great way to balance your portfolio and hedge against inflation.

Looking for more investing and financial tips? Be sure to check out more on our blog today.

Today many people are seeking for the best source to make their investment. Even though they are ready to invest, they are highly afraid of market risks. This is because the market is moving up and down. Hence the investors must also be ready to face these consequences. This article will be the best guide for the investors who are making their investment. The best investment where they will not get into any kind of trouble is revealed in this article. By making note of the following solution, the beginners can make their investment and can enjoy its benefit without any constraint.

Shipping containers

Investing on shipping containers is highly in trend. Many leading business people have also invested their money on shipping containers. The investors can invest on any number of containers according to their budget. However, they can yield a better profit according to the amount invested by them. The cool room shipping container which they are investing on will be used for trading purpose. Hence there will not be any kind of risks like that of other businesses. This will be the ideal option for the people who don’t want to face any kind of loss in their business. This is because trading will be done throughout the year. Hence the investors will earn more money throughout the year.

Shipping container agency

In order to earn money out of these containers, the investors must contact the best shipping container agency. They must remember that their profit rate will be highly dependent on the company which they are hiring. Hence they must hire the best service. The best agency where more number of investors is engaged in. In order to know more about this agency and to invest money in the shipping container one can refer their online website. Their support team will online will help in knowing better about the investment and profit. Thus, the investors can invest their money once after sorting out all their queries. Thus, this will be a stress free investment even for small investors.

The shipping container agency will get money from the investors and will buy containers according to the investment. Later the investment company will lease the containers to the companies which are shipping their products. After retrieving the charge for the work, the investment company will send rest of the profit to the investors. Thus, the investors need not put forth any kind of effort for buying the container or for leasing them. The only thing they need to do is they must collect the money from the company once after making their investment. Thus, this will be the best option for the people who wants to earn more money within short time span.