Irfan's Blog

Imagine traders walking hand-in-hand with buy-and-hold investors, analysts snuggling with economists, bulls and bears living in perfect harmony. Suddenly, the world is a beautiful place to live. February is the time for love. So, in keeping with the romance in the air, let's look at some love-related terms that would warm even the coldest Wall Street heart. Sweetheart Deal This term might make you think of two corporations at a diner table, sipping the same milkshake through separate straws while holding hands. Not quite. But the sweetheart deal may be the Wall Street equivalent. In a sweetheart deal, one company offers very attractive terms and conditions to another company or individual. It can be an acquisition or an attempt to lure in a new CEO .

The foreign exchange, or forex market is the biggest and most active financial market in the world. Everyday participants from all over the world engage in over $4 trillion worth of foreign exchange transactions. With the forex market being such a global and inter-connected marketplace, events from all corners of the globe can have an immediate effect on exchange rates and currency values. Here we will discuss a few typical global events that often occur, and how they may influence the forex market. (Learn how to set up a trading plan using this method, to profit as a forex trader. Check out Using Elliott Wave To Trade Forex Markets .) TUTORIAL: Economic Indicators To Know

If the Earth's climate continues to see more weather and temperature volatility, new types of risk will rise to the forefront of corporate and individual concern. Investors should begin making themselves aware of some of the major threats to future economic growth and some of the industries that could be most affected. This article will look at how the nature of insurance and risk prevention may change as various climate-based risks continue to be assessed globally by governments, corporations and individuals. (For an introduction to risk, check out Risk And Diversification: Different Types Of Risk and Using Logic To Examine Risk .) TUTORIAL: Economics Basics

With each passing year, oil seems to play an even greater role in the global economy. In the early days, finding oil during a drill was considered somewhat of a nuisance as the intended treasures were normally water or salt. It wasn't until 1857 that the first commercial oil well was drilled in Romania. The U.S. petroleum industry was born two years later with an intentional drilling in Titusville, Pa. Tutorial: Commodity Investing 101

The forex markets can be an exciting and lucrative market to trade if you thoroughly understand how to buy and sell currencies. If you're drawn to this area, you might even want to make it your career. TUTORIAL: Forex Trading Rules Forex jobs are fast-paced and can mean strange work hours and long work days since forex markets are open 24 hours a day, five total days a week. They require knowledge of and compliance with laws and regulations governing financial accounts and transactions. Some jobs require candidates to have passed one or more exams, such as the Series 3 , Series7 , Series 34 or Series 63 exams. If you are eligible to work in a foreign country, a career in forex can bring the added excitement of living abroad. No matter where you

Trading euro-based currency pairs, following events that can have a major impact on the euro, can be a daunting task for foreign exchange traders. With 17 member countries and aggregate GDP of over ¬12 trillion (as of 2010), how do you know which economic reports to follow? There are hundreds of economic reports that come out of the eurozone each year relevant to the  Foreign Exchange (FX) market, but if you're looking for trade-worthy reports, there are only a handful that you should follow. TUTORIAL: Forex Currencies The European Union has 17 members, but few are large enough to generate economic reports that really affect the currency. Germany, France, Italy and Spain together represent over three-quarters of the eurozone's

Currency traders are always seeking information that will provide insight into whether the value of the dollar is set to rise or fall. Just as there are a variety of indicators that stock traders use to track the health of the companies in which they invest, there are a variety of economic reports that provide insight into the future direction of the value of the dollar. (For more indicators, read The Fundamentals Of Forex Fundamentals . ) TUTORIAL: Economic Indicators The Reports Fundamental analysis involves the use of data to discern information about an investment. Because economies are dynamic, the value of the insight provided by a particular data point at any given time can vary in importance. For example, when the U.S. economy is expanding, inflation fears may result in an

The pound sterling ( GBP ) is one of the more popular currencies traded in the foreign exchange (forex) market. As the home currency of the United Kingdom, the pound sterling has a rich history and is the oldest actively traded currency on the forex market. Its popularity also stems from the fact that London is one of the largest forex hubs in the world. TUTORIAL: Forex Currencies Due to its popularity and familiarity among traders, many people that begin to trade forex often choose the GBP as one of the currencies they trade. For traders that trade on fundamentals (economic reports and news events), knowing which reports to follow that affect the GBP the most can save them a lot of time and provide guidance on specific areas on which to focus their efforts. With that said, this article will pinpoint some economic reports that should be useful to newer traders as a starting point for further research.

Hawaii had the highest loan fees charged directly by lenders, averaging $1,922 in the survey, and New Hampshire had the lowest, at $1,401. Loan fees in New York and Texas were within $80 of the national average of $1,672. Thirty-five of the 52 cities in the survey had lenders' fees within $113 of that average, either higher or lower. One lender, many prices It's typical -- heck, well-nigh de rigueur -- for a national lender to charge different amounts from state to state. "If you go to a Wal-Mart or other store, you go to one location and they're priced differently than another

For the second year in a row, New York is the state with the highest mortgage-related fees in Bankrate.com's annual closing costs comparison survey. New York's high title and settlement costs lifted the state well above No. 2 Texas. The Lone Star State was followed in the top five by Hawaii, Ohio and Florida.

I have a home equity line of credit ( HELOC ) for $30,000 that I took out a few years ago during my first refinance to get rid of my original 80/15/5 situation. We wanted to get rid of that 15 percent 30-year term loan, so we went with the line of credit. Unfortunately, it's tied to prime (prime plus 1 or 2) and has skyrocketed our payments due to the rate hikes from 2004 to 2006. Any advice on how we can get rid of this line of credit through a no-cost refinance to a low, fixed rate that's more beneficial and still offers the tax benefits? Our balance is $20,000. -- Michelle Mortgages

If you think you're ready to tap some of the equity in your home, do your homework first. The time you spend now could save you heartache (and plenty of dough) in the future. Take these four steps before signing on the dotted line: 1. Consult your financial advisers. Financial advisers know which questions to ask to understand your complete financial picture, including events on the horizon. Starting here can save both time and money while making the borrowing process less threatening. Any major financial decision should be weighed with consideration to its tax impact. Speaking with a tax professional can guide you to your smartest borrowing decision.

Home equity lending standards are tightening due to a rash of defaults and the move by some subprime lenders to file bankruptcy or go out of business. The industry has taken a hit and less credit will be available for at least six months while lenders see what the market does. These unexpected jumps in default rates will translate to tougher underwriting standards, says Katie Porter, associate professor of law at the University of Iowa and a mortgage bankruptcy researcher. If you're ready to borrow against the equity in your home, expect to provide more documentation and don't expect to borrow your home's full market value, says Porter. 1. Fewer no-doc loans Borrowers can expect a decline in "no documentation" loans -- also called no doc, low doc or liars loans. These loans require no verification of the borrower's income strength. Lending decisions are based purely on asset value and the lender will foreclose if the borrower can't pay. The default rate ...

accounting analyst evaluates and interprets public company financial statements. Public companies issue these (10-K) annual financial statements as required by the Security and Exchange Commission. The statements include the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash flows and the notes to the financial statements. Specifically, the notes to the financial statements contain considerable quantitative detail supporting the financial statements along with narrative information.

In accounting terms, after all liabilities are paid, ownership equity is the remaining interest in assets. If valuations placed on assets do not exceed liabilities, negative equity exists. Shareholders' equity (or stockholders' equity, shareholders' funds, shareholders' capital employed) is this interest in remaining assets, spread among individual shareholders of common or preferred stock. At the start of a business, owners put some funding into the business to finance assets. Businesses can be considered to be, for accounting purposes, sums of liabilities and assets; this is the accounting equation. After liabilities have been accounted for, the positive remainder is deemed the owner's interest in the business. This definition is helpful when a business is not paying its bills and gets liquidated, wound up, put into receivership or bankruptcy. Then, a series of creditors, ranked in priority sequence, have the first claim on the proceeds (e.g. asset sales), and own...

General * Equity (law), a branch of jurisprudence in common law jurisdictions * In many political and legal systems, a concept encompassing ideals of justice (fairness) and/or equality * Equality, the philosophical ideal of valuing all human beings as equal to each other. * In poker strategy, a player's expected share of the pot * Intergenerational equity, equality and fairness in relationships between people of different ages Political, social and psychology * Equity theory, on the relations and perceptions of fairness in distributions of resources within social and professional situations. * Employment equity (Canada), policy requiring or encouraging preferential treatment in employment practices for certain designated groups Business and economics * Stock, common or preferred stock * Ownership equity, the value of an ownership interest in property, including shareholders' equity in a business * Equity investment, investment in stock. It can be d...

A home equity loan (sometimes abbreviated HEL) is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity in their home as collateral. These loans are sometimes useful to help finance major home repairs, medical bills or college education. A home equity loan creates a lien against the borrower's house, and reduces actual home equity. Home equity loans are most commonly second position liens (second trust deed), although they can be held in first or, less commonly, third position. Most home equity loans require good to excellent credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Home equity loans come in two types, closed end and open end. Both are usually referred to as second mortgages, because they are secured against the value of the property, just like a traditional mortgage. Home equity loans and lines of credit are usually, but not always, for a shorter term than first mortgages. In the United States, it is sometimes possible to deduct home equity lo...