A Historical Look At Guaranteed Investment Certificates

By Amy Nutt

Guaranteed investment Certificates, (GIC) are Canadian investments that provide a guaranteed rate of return over a fixed period of time. GICs are normally provided by banks, credit unions, and trust companies.

The earliest forms of guaranteed fixed-income investments included such investments as bank notes and mutual funds. The first Canadian fund, Canadian Investment Fund Ltd. (CIF), was established in 1932. It changed its name to Spectrum United Canadian Investment Fund in 1996, and this fund changed name at the end of August 2002 to CI Canadian Investment Fund. Investing in guaranteed investment certificates, or GICs, has been the safe and sound choice from the time when registered retirement savings plans became available in 1957. GICs were created to give people a guaranteed return on an investment. Back in the 1970's, interest rates on investments were higher averaging about 7.7 per cent and as much as 15.8 per cent in 1982. Part of that high interest rate was due to higher price inflation than today.

Interest rates are lower now. Over the past five years, GICs with a five-year term have paid an average of less than 3 per cent a year. Because Guaranteed Investment Certificates are low risk, there is normally a lower rate of return. With a GIC, the financial institution will borrow the person's money for a specified amount of time which can be six months, one year, two years, or up to 10 years. When the GIC period has ended, your initial investment will be returned plus any accrued interest.

To own a GIC you must deposit at least $500.00. When the period has ended, one can then cash them as taxable income or renew it for another term. If you cash out before the term as ended, you will be required to pay a fee. GICs tend to pay a higher interest rate than bank savings accounts, but less most other investments. Interest rates tend to range from 1-9%.

There are other types of GICs such as Market Growth GICs. Their interest rates depend on the rate of growth in the stock market. This is a bit more risky as the market rates tend to fluctuate. Just like regular GICs, Market Growth GICs are low-risk because your original investment is guaranteed to be returned.

GICs are a popular investment choice due to their safety and security, guaranteed growth. (The interest rate is guaranteed with fixed-rate GICs,) flexible terms, and flexible payments. With some GICs, you can decide how you collect the interest you earn, such as monthly, annually or at maturity.

Guaranteed Investment Certificates make for a sound investment if you want a protected place to save your money. GICs could be used as a part of a fixed income portion of your portfolio, used for retirement supplemental income, or just to hold your money until you come up with a number of long-term financial strategies.

Guaranteed Investment Certificates have had a long history of providing Canadians with low risk financial planning investments for retirement or other investment endeavors. Investment portfolios will benefit from having an investment with a guaranteed rate of return. As well, these investments are often selected during periods of market volatility. - 23167

About the Author:

Whether you're looking for mortgage rates or great GIC rates, with Meridian Credit Union you'll have a customized financial plan that makes sense for you. Just for you.

4x Trading Made Simple: Forex Money Management 101

By Phil Jarvie

Gambling with 4x trading, God complexes of chasing losses, emotional investing - all the hallmarks of forex losers. The fact is that 4x trading is neither easy or hard. It is simply different to what we find in other parts of life. Most novices and experienced players came from share trading. This has barely any resemblance to 4x trading at all. So, to bring clarity to this different market, rule number 1 of 4x trading is:

Forex Money Management means not losing money. Forget for now all issues of making huge profits. The first rule is all about not losing money.

There is no such thing as a forex robot, super computer or the Albert Einstein of 4x trading. We cannot catch every market high to sell, nor every market low to buy. We WILL miss 4x trading opportunities. Get over it! But opportunity cost is not the same as money cost. If I miss a trade through caution or being asleep in bed, that is not the same as getting on a 4x trade and losing on it.

Forex Money Management comes down to a simple rule of never risking more than 2% on a trade.

Let me give you an example. Assume I have $10,000 in my account. 2% of $10,000 is $200. If I trade with full lots where 1 pip is worth $10, then I am allowed 20 pips for my stop loss. Sounds fair enough in principle, but I make most of my money in huge rebounds or retracements that happen after a break out on highly volatile days. Meaning, I often trade with 5 lot orders - so 2% of my money is now down to 4 pips for stop losses. If 20 pips is nothing, imagine only being able to to be wrong by less than 4 pips.

How can I trade 5 lots in a highly volatile trading market and only be able to let the trade breath by 4 pips? Quite easily actually. Follow the 1 hour chart for EURUSD for 19th August, 2009. Go on, open up your trading platform now to see the history for that day or I am wasting my time writing this article. You will see that in 3 hours the USD crashed on bad news with the Euro appreciating from 1.4111 to 1.4265 - all in 3 hours. That's a hefty move.

To get on board a long position by following the news is what would have happened for many smart 4x traders. But I was lucky enough to already be on long from a few hours earlier when I picked up the trade on a dip at 1.4080. It was a wild day. Was I lucky or stupid to be ridding 5 lots with a 4 pip stop loss while I went shopping?

To me, the market looked ripe for a rise in the Euro. And my trading signals were confirming this. And so that I was free to go shopping with the girlfriend, I entered 2 pending orders for 5 lots, each hedging the other. That is, 5 lots buy limit at 1.4080 was matched equally by 5 lots of pending sell short order at 1.4080. If the market dipped to pick up these orders, then whatever happened, each would balance the other trade.

While I was shopping, the market dipped to 1.4069 and I was losing $500 on the long position which was balanced out by the $500 profit on the short position. Think about it. The market could do whatever it wanted and I could not lose. The first rule of forex money management was safely in place with the risk of loss limited to the 0.9 pip spread to do the trades. it only took an hour to close out the short position at zero loss and then I was free to let the long position have as much as it wanted.

I closed out with a 20 pip trailing stop at 1.4245 up $8,250 for the day on a $10,000 account. That's 82.5% profit for the day I went shopping.

Hedging people. Learn it, get serious about the first rule of Forex Money Management. DON'T LOSE MONEY, and NEVER risk more than 2%. - 23167

About the Author:

Phil Jarvie is a professional forex trader expert in 4x day trading using fx hedging for forex money management and may wish to visit his website to consider his reviews on trade currencies

Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet Types

By George Pertonio

A sterling silver charm bracelet evokes feelings of years gone by and has always been a recognized classy piece of jewelry. Its appeal transcends all age groups and can be seen in the collections of young and old wearers.

The market has a variety of sterling silver charm bracelets ranging from the reasonably priced ones to exclusive high end designer charm bracelets.

The charm bracelet covers a history of centuries. It was first made popular by Queen Victoria who carried family portraits related to her ancestry.

This trend has caught on with the masses and you can see them on the wrists of old and young alike.

Each charm bracelet tells a unique story and this is perhaps the most interactive piece of jewelry in the market. Each charm can represent a particular genre of sport, travel or kitsch hobbies.

You can build on and add charms as you require. You can pick your desired charm from your world travels as a memento to record your journeys.

Similarly you can choose any other theme, for instance baseball fans can have a charm bracelet that displays their interest whereas race car fans can have one accordingly.

There is also no denying the fact that sterling silver charm bracelets can make an exceptional gift items as well. The fact that they can be personalized according to the taste of the person is what adds value to this unique piece of jewelry.

Since anything and everything can be creatively added to make a unique item that appeals to you or anyone who looks at your bracelet, you can find just the item to match your requirements and taste.

You can find some that are as unique as telephones, kitchen items, cars and even vacation sports to suit your mood and your need.

Though silver is incorporated in the charm bracelet, the real appeal of this fashion item lies in the fact that it is a timeless piece that takes on a life of its own as the wearer adds on charms as time goes by.

Hence with this jewelry item you get two things in one. You will be able to find exquisite charms in many craft and hobby stores around the world. The wide variety of charms varies according to their styles and worth.

Whereas some charm bracelet designers will charge you for their design others incorporating precious gems like diamonds are high end charms that can be added onto your charm bracelet. - 23167

About the Author:

Sterling silver jewelry is a great gift choice for family and loved ones. To know more about choosing sterling silver charm bracelet please follow the links.

Forex Currency Trading; What Is The Difference With Currency Market Trading

By Phil Jarvie

Forex Currency Trading and Currency Market Trading are the exact same thing, and so also are the terms 4x trading, fx currency trading, fx exchange 4x currency trading etc all referring to the exact same thing. Which makes sense really in that no one will exchange Euro for Euro except to change denominations at a bank for a retail shop's need for change. The emphasis is all on international currencies being exchanged.

But many people do get confused by these different terms, and I guess that's because we all grew up with the Internet as being the biggest mega-trend in society in the last 10-15 years. With the Internet came the stock market's day traders dealing in shares, options and banks. All the brokerage houses had to adapt to the new World of online day trading because investors could now place their own trades - brokers were reduced to advice only.

With the Internet and very smart and fast software programs, currency market trading was finally liberated from the monopolies held by large banks, brokerage firms and International trading corporations. The Internet brought forex currency trading potential to the masses. But in fact most investors focused only on stock market trading shares, options and warrants.

What is interesting is that in fact the forex currency trading market is massively bigger than the stock market. The Forex Currency Market has a higher cash turnover each week than the entire USA economy does in one year - and that is before the USA collapsed into recession.

When something like forex currency trading is 50 times bigger than the USA economy, it is impossible to centrally control. If collectively the World cannot agree on such an important issue as climate control, it is even more difficult to imagine forex control and so it will always be totally dependant on free market forces to control currency market trading.

Stocks and shares have mostly been manipulated and are only slightly influenced by the operation of the free market. Law and lawyers, misleading press releases by big business and/or outright fraud will always be found in the boom or bust cycle of share trading. Forex currency trading on the other hand is simply too big. Governments cannot write laws which can be manipulated by lawyers. Big business is tiny by comparison, and can only report their forex gains or losses to their own balance sheets; none of which could influence the total currency market trading system.

5 billion Euros is a lot of money. Let's assume a very large player or even Government steps in to the forex currency trading market and lends support to the Euro. Unless the USA at the same time announce some poor economic data at the same time, that 5 billion Euro would have little or no effect when you consider that 2,500 billion Euros are traded on every normal day. Currency market trading is honest because it is too big to fool the free market's operation.

Given that big business and Governments are powerless to control or corrupt the forex currency trading market, what chance does the little guy or gal have? Every chance and the same chance as the large player does, simple as that. The only difference you will find is the points spread that bigger and smaller forex traders pay. I pay 0.9 pips anyway, so I am not concerned about that at all. My main concern is that currency market trading is a level playing field that cannot be rigged - and it cannot. So, that leaves the very smart 4x trading software like metatrader and forex robots we all have available, and the best of proven forex strategies we all have the ability to learn. We all have the power to work to a successful money management plan.

You are welcome to visit my growing forex only website where I go into much more detail about currency market trading, the many forex robots and expert advisors available, and also what forex strategy can do for your forex currency trading. - 23167

About the Author:

Phil Jarvie writes extensively on 4x trading related matters and is an experienced forex trader. Feel free to visit his free website for details on forex robots, expert advisors, 4x trading, forex software and forex currency trading, fx exchange and currency market trading articles.

Decreased Volatility Breakout (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Aging Trend: This is the period of consolidation as the trend comes to maturity. Volatility tends to decrease at this stage of the trend as the momentum of the trend exhausts itself. This is the period where lot of profit taking will take place.

Both the bulls and the bears are hesitant to make daring moves at this stage of the trend. Experienced traders try to get out of their trades at this stage of the trend by closing their positions. This satisfies the appetites of inexperienced traders as they consolidate their positions.

This is the period of consolidation and the prices tend to stay calm during this period. Currency prices have moved by a large amount in the previous period of high volatility. The trend takes a short break and the volatility is low during this stage of the trend.

End of Trend: This is the last stage of the trend and this is the time when the prevailing trend ends and reverses itself after some new information is revealed about a currency that changes the opinion of the crowd. As the market players tend to absorb the information, this results in the rapid adjustment of prices within a short time.

Traders become desperate to get out of their positions especially if they have been caught on the wrong side of the market. Many stops will get triggered during this stage of the trend.

During this stage of the trend there is a sharp follow through of the prices in the reversed direction. You can see even within a trend currency prices can experience decreased volatility followed by increased volatility as the crowd psychology keeps on changing.

Traders with open positions during this low period of volatility are the most vulnerable to unanticipated news. Decreased volatility can be found during trending or ranging phases.

During this time gains can be made from the unsuspecting players and this is known as the Decreased Volatility Breakout Strategy. Deceased volatility provides an excellent opportunity to traders to prepare and profit from an imminent change from low to high volatility.

But the success of this strategy lies in measuring the volatility of the forex market correctly. There are several technical indicators that can help you visualize the volatility in the currency prices.

You can use triangle patterns as one of the best indicators of decreasing price volatility in the currency price charts. Combine the triangle patterns with technical indicators to confirm or deny decreasing price volatility. Two of the most useful indicators that can help you measure the volatility of the currency prices are: 1) Moving Averages and 2) Bollinger Bands.

Through identifying the triangle formations, you can take advantage of the decreasing price volatility in the forex market. All triangles show decreasing price volatility in the forex market. When a particular type of triangle has been identified by the trader, a high probability trade may be in sight. - 23167

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Get Netpicks Forex Signals Free. Learn Forex Trading!