Jack Crooks



Bet You’ve Never Heard of This Currency…

Not familiar with hryvnia? If so, you’re not alone. It’s one of the more obscure currencies trading in the world today.

The hryvnia is Ukraine’s currency, and it just took a nosedive. In the last two days, Ukraine’s currency plunged 17%. And even though Ukraine’s President pledged to support the currency, it fell to an all-time lows versus the U.S. dollar.

Throw Your Portfolio a Lifeline

By Sean Hyman, Currency Analyst
www.worldcurrencywatch.com

In my experience as both a Forex instructor and trader, I’ve found that currency beginners also have trouble placing stop-losses (aka “stops”) on their accounts.

Newbie investors either think they don’t need stop-losses (BIG MISTAKE), or they’re not sure where to place them.

So let’s clear up all these misconceptions right now, shall we?

“What’s the Bare Minimum I Can Trade?”

By Sean Hyman, Currency Analyst
www.worldcurrencywatch.com

I hear this all the time when I’m teaching newbie Forex traders…

“How little (dollar wise) can I get started with?” That’s not the right question to ask. Instead, it’s always better to ask: “How much SHOULD I start trading with?”

Could Trichet Be the Euro’s Achilles’ Heal?

By Jack Crooks, Editor of World Currency Options
www.worldcurrencywatch.com

I’m concerned about calling the euro a “safe haven” for a couple of reasons:

First, despite our general agreement with Mr. Trichet about his monetary and fiscal views, I have to wonder if Trichet’s reluctance to ease further and faster may not add to Europe’s problems. 

Currency Options – Traded on Highly Regulated Exchanges with Your Normal Stock Broker

By Sean Hyman

So what are Forex options (aka currency options)? Forex options are options based off of a currency pair in the spot Forex market.

The advantage of an option contract is that you put down little money and control a sizable position. This means you have the opportunity to make large double or triple-digit gains in a very short period of time – just like in the Forex spot market.

The ETN Doesn’t Hold a Candle to the ETF Yet

By Sean Hyman

There’s another product emerging in the Forex world that acts like the ETF’s cousins. It’s called an ETN – exchange traded note.

Australia Isn’t Really on Life Support Like Everyone Thought

By Chuck Butler

Down Under in the South Pacific, Australia saw a very nice rise in Consumer Confidence of 7.6%. This was tacked on to November's 4.3% gain. The index collapsed this summer, but the recent rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) seem to be rounding back into shape.

In New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Gov. Bollard, gave a speech titled "Everyone needs to play their part." In the speech, Bollard, reminded everyone that New Zealand's inflation rate is still very high (5.1%).

The Numbers Confirm – We’re Turning into Japan

By Chuck Butler

I was looking at Bloomie yesterday, and I noticed something that’s really interesting. The Fed Funds rate is 1/16th right now.

But wait! Didn't the Fed cut the Fed Funds rate to 1% at the last meeting?

Sluggish Economies Steal Investors from the High Yielders

By Sean Hyman

As central banks slash rates, the traditional high-yielding currencies are quickly losing their investor appeal. After all, who wants to invest in a riskier currency, when  you can’t even secure a higher yield?

On the contrary, it’s the traditional “low yielders” that are profiting from this crisis. The Japanese yen is already leading the charge. And it’s not done yet. I see the yen heading higher until we find a bottom in stocks.

Citicorp Gets Its Bailout – Just in Time to Jumpstart the S&P 500

By Chuck Butler

One of my chartist friends sent me a note just before I left that said the S&P 500 index was nearing a very critical level last week. Apparently, the timing of the Citicorp bailout couldn't have come at any better time for this index.

Actually, speaking of the bailout, I told the over 300 people who attended the Wealth Masters Conference on Saturday that "I fully expect the government to make a capital infusion/bailout in Citicorp next week."