Investment Rules for 529 College Savings Plans: IRS Eases Rules

By Doeren Mayhew

Saving for college is always difficult and is even more so during the current economic downturn. One of the most popular college savings plans are so called "529 plans." The IRS recently announced that participants in 529 plans will be able to change their investments more often in 2009 than in past years. The IRS will allow a change in investment strategy twice in 2009. This is good news for 529 plan participants, especially those who may otherwise be locked into a mix of investments that has turned out to be more speculative than initially contemplated.

Tax-Free Distributions A 529 plan is a type of qualified tuition program. In a 529 plan, taxpayers contribute to an account established for paying a student's educational expenses. Eligible educational expenses include the costs of tuition, books, and fees at eligible institutions, such as colleges, vocational schools, and other ostsecondary institutions.

Contributions to 529 plans are not tax-deductible. However, earnings are tax-free, and distributions used to pay the beneficiary's qualified education xpenses are tax-free.

A 529 plan should not be mistaken with a Coverdell Educational Savings Account (Coverdell ESA). The latter is also a savings account for education expenses that offers tax-free distributions, but funds saved in a Coverdell ESA can be used for elementary and secondary school expenses as well as college costs.

Investment Decision For the most part, participants in 529 plans must select only from among broadbased investment strategies designed exclusively by the program. The IRS has also traditionally permitted a change in investment strategy only once a year.

Because of the economic slowdown and the turmoil in the financial markets, the IRS will allow investments in a 529 plan to be changed during 2009 on a more frequent basis. A 529 plan won't violate the investment restriction if it permits a change in the investment strategy twice in calendar year 2009, as well as upon a change in the designated beneficiary of the account. - 23199

About the Author:

Doeren Mayhew Doeren Mayhew is a leader among certified public accounting and consulting firms, providing accounting, audit, tax, and business consulting services. Visit the Doeren Mayhew Doeren Mayhew site for more information.

Forex Pairs: Trading The Best Currency

By T. OReilly

If you are exchanging Swiss francs for US dollars, for example, the currency pair is CHF/USD. The pair is the two currencies involved in your trade. Forex pairs are always involfed in currency trading.

Trading is limited in most cases to the currencies of the larger financial powers, though theoretically you could trade any two currencies of the world. This does not mean necessarily the most powerful politically or the biggest countries. Because of the global importance of the Swiss banks, Switzerland for example a small country, is a major player in the financial markets.

There are 6 major forex pairs which between them account for 90% of the funds traded on the forex markets. These are:

- USD/EUR: the US dollar and the euro

- GBP/USD: the British pound and US dollar, nicknamed Cable because it used to be synchronized on both sides of the Atlantic by a cable running under the ocean.

- USD/JPY: the US dollar and Japanese yen.

the US dollar and Swiss franc: USD/CHF

- USD/AUD: the US dollar and the Australian dollar.

- USD/CAD: the US dollar and Canadian dollar.

In the beginning it is best to stick with the majors. But some traders do get involved in other combinations of these major currencies or pairs that include other currencies such as the New Zealand dollar.

The most significant single currency is the US dollar and according to a 2007 study, is involved in 85% of trades. The euro is second at 37%. Next come the yen, pound, Swiss franc, AUD and CAD in that order. These add up to more than 100% because there are always two currencies in every trade. In case you were wondering.

What Is The Best Currency Pair When You're Just Starting?

If you are just starting out in forex, most experts advise beginning with the EUR/USD pair. This is because there is a lot of information about these currencies and the high liquidity results in a smaller spread, so your costs will be lower.

Unless they have special knowledge, most newbies avoid some of the other currencies because they have particular characteristics which make them unpredictable. For example Canada is an oil exporter so the value of the Canadian dollar is strongly influenced by the price of oil. Because Japan is a large consumer and importer of oil the Japanese yen can also be affected by the price of oil in the opposite direction.

When you are starting out you will not want to get involved in a lot of different currencies. For the first few months at least, probably the best thing to do is to take the EUR/USD market and stay with that. The second choice of the major forex pairs would be the GBP/USD for most new traders. - 23199

About the Author:

Author, T. O'Reilly has worked at day trading the currency market for the past two years and is up to $363 per day. Find out how you can do the same from the comfort of home using forex pairs. Click here: http://daytradingthecurrencymarket.com

Forex Trading Exposed

By John Eather

Forex Trading, more often known, in it's short form of FX, is an international market for the exchange or goal of selling and buying the money of different countries competing with each other in the monetary market. The investors have the ability to sell and buy these various currencies in the hope of making small profits with each transaction.

Investors are attracted to it and many end up Forex traders. The FX market is open for trading from Monday 0:00 GMT and shut down on Friday 10:00 GMT and traders are not only locked to the NASDAQ or The New York Stock Exchange time frame.

Actually, the Foreign Exchange Market liquid and very attractive to investors who can make trades ranging up to two trillion dollars on a daily bases. Such huge amounts in the trading arena make it almost impossible for an individual trader to make a noticeable impact.

Foreign Exchange Trading is the selling and buying of one countries currency for another countries. The strength or weakness of that currency, the ups and downs of it's value to that of another country. For example, an investment against the British pound, of three thousand American dollars ($3000.00) at 1.7999 and a margin of one percent predicting the rise of the exchange rate.

Whenever this occurred you'd finish the rate of exchange at 1.8050 you'd attain around one thousand two hundred dollars ($1200.00). This would generate you a 40 % profit on your initiall investment. That's how come there are a bunch of Forex investors, but it still demands planning and knowledge of the currencies to be favorable.

Forex investors are provided with an a tremendous opportunity to trade and earn an enormous profit and losses if they try without a thoroughly thought out sensible short term trading plan. Forex is not like the stock exchange which holds positions for a much longer span of time. While Forex traders are numerous, they hold on to these positions for intervals of shorter duration of time.

Marginal accounts in Forex trading are really inviting and they let traders gather bigger positions without the necessity of big deposits. You can find marginal accounts in many circumstances with five % of the required funds. E.g. 5 thousand dollars ($5000.00) would take on a position of 1 million dollars ($1,000,000.00).

To trade with success and enable you to maximise your earnings you must prepare and apply a few methods of trading and be orderly and follow them. There are a few methods applied in making a decision on which FX trades to capitalize on are: Forex technical analysis and Forex fundamental analysis.

The most analysis used is the technical. It applies the premise shifts come about in the Forex exchange are true and occur for a reason. The consensus being whenever a particular currency is traded towards a high it will maintain that trend. The opposite, as a rule, also holds true. Opinions of the technical Forex don't draw out predictions of long-term on the market, merely attempt to capitalize on the experiences of the past.

The fundamental analysis analyzes every aspect, factor and trading currency of nations affected. Such as the interest rate, economics, unemployment rate, etc. All are taken into consideration. For instance, rates of interest climbing abruptly can command Forex traders to open a position which is confirmed by data at that time. It could also induce him to dispatch an active position as a way to keep from monetary loss.

Forex trading can possibly outdo profitability when done right. Find out how to Forex trade - go online and open up a Forex Account, using a Demo, practiced without any funds. This will assist you in learning about the ways of trading, currency activity around the globe and how they are determined by this. When you get acquainted with the Forex market you'll build confidence with trading.

Make sure you feel comfortable with what you will be doing before you start. When you feel you are ready you can open an active account and perhaps start trading and making profits. However, I strongly advise you, as with any investing, never and I say never used funds you do not have. Leave the mortgage money where it is. By following these suggestions you will be successful over time. - 23199

About the Author:

Be certain to check out John Eather's informative ecourse and reports about Online Forex Trading. Receive the most cutting-edge info concerning forex trading. Go to MoneyMakingFxTrader.com to learn more.

Guide to buying forclosure real estate

By Doc Schmyz

We have all heard the old saying that "one man's trash is another man's treasure." Now while foreclosure is considered a tragedy it can also be a blessing for the real estate investor. Residential real estate is also expensive. Prices vary from one place to another. This is a major reason somemany take a look or start investing with foreclosure real estate.

Repo homes are a great opportunity for those who simply cannot afford a new house. Often these houses are sold far below the market value.

Often times repossessed houses are those which require a lot of repairs. this could be for any number of reasons. Previous homeowners do hot have the means to maintain the house or just didn't take care of them? Some of these houses have also been abandoned by their previous homeowners,this causes mortgage lenders have no choice but to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Do your homework

Before you buy ANYTHING you need to make sure that you're going to get a good deal. You may have to do a little bit of research first to be able to see how much you will have to spend in buying and repairing the property.

If you don't have any cash on hand for the moment, you can get a loan. Have a consultation first with an agent to see if you are qualified. If you are qualified gather the information you need.

You will be able to find a list of foreclosure homes on the internet. The list will also be published in local newspapers. You can also find information for auctions online. After you have gathered enough information visit the houses to stake out possible properties that you can buy.

Determine your budget. How much are you willing to pay for the repossessed house along with the repairs? If you're planning to resale the house ask your agent to calculate the property's value. If you're planning to lease it after buying the property, calculate the monthly rate and do some market research.

Once all the research and calculations have been done place a good bid on the property. After you have purchased the house have it inspected and appraised. Then look for a title company to research the history of the house. When you're satisfied with your repossessed house you can now start the repairs or live in it. - 23199

About the Author:

Doc Schmyz has done real estate deals all over the US and Mexico. His free website shares Real estate investing information for all over the US. Find Real estate investing information by state

Protect Yourself from Forex Scams

By Bart Icles

One can say that foreign exchange markets are similar to many other financial trading markets. There are foreign exchange quotes, buying rates, and selling rates. In foreign exchange markets, investors engage in currency pair trading. Currencies that investors usually choose to trade are those that they consider above the rest in terms of stability and value.

If you are a newcomer to the foreign exchange market, it is vital that you protect yourself from frauds. Different people from all parts of the globe engage in foreign exchange trading that it does not come as a surprise to know that frauds are able to infiltrate the market. The growing number of people engaged in foreign exchange trading also ushers in a growing number of scams that go around the financial marketplace. Nevertheless, you should not be all too worried by frauds and scams as the number of legitimate investors still outnumber shams, and these legitimate entities can always help you in your forex venture. Your most valuable weapon would be your awareness.

Hard as it is, do not get yourself fooled by high profits that come with minimal risks. High profits almost always get you subjected to higher risks. Reducing risks is entirely up to you. Staying on the safe side would not hurt. If a company guarantees you maximum profits without having to face the same amount of risks, better take caution.

Doing your homework is always to your advantage. You are better off researching backgrounds of potential brokers and taking note of the important details in every trading transaction that you wish to engage in. In looking for foreign exchange brokers, see to it that they are registered or certified brokers. If they are part of a company, their company should be registered with the government. As much as possible, stay away from inter-bank markets. Currency transactions in inter-bank markets are negotiated in a shaky network of large financial institutions and companies that give you more risks than payouts.

It is usual to come across companies that do not disclose information on their background. If you happen to find one, consider this as a red flag. Better discontinue doing transactions with them as they are most likely fraudulent companies. Also, do not even attempt to transfer cash to them through the mail or the internet.

Remember, it does not hurt to ask advice from investors who have engaged in foreign exchange trading for a long time already. Tips obtained from seasoned investors can be used for your own good and often to your advantage. - 23199

About the Author:

forex trading tips are powerful when coupled with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning forex tips takes dedication and a good teacher. But once you learn how to trade and do so successfully your life will change and you have options and financial resources you never had before.