FOREX, STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS, DATING and more!!!

FOREX TRADING, FOREX EXCHANGE

2007-10-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

FOREX is a division of GAIN Capital Group, a dedicated partner to professional FX traders and fund managers worldwide. Institutional services include IB programs, white label solutions, and asset management. Individual forex traders can take advantage of the market expertise and financial strength of GAIN Capital Group and access an institutional FX trading platform, FOREXTrader, along with our powerful real-time forex charts, professional forex market research, and suite of advanced forex trading tools. For traders new to the currency trading, FOREX.com offers forex training programs, forex minis, and information about trading the foreign currency market.
Introduction to the Forex Market
The Foreign Exchange market, also referred to as the "Forex" or "FX" market is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average turnover of US$3.2 trillion.
"Foreign Exchange" is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another. Currencies are traded in pairs, for example Euro/US Dollar (EUR/USD) or US Dollar/Japanese Yen (USD/JPY).
There are two reasons to buy and sell currencies. About 5% of daily turnover is from companies and governments that buy or sell products and services in a foreign country or must convert profits made in foreign currencies into their domestic currency. The other 95% is trading for profit, or speculation.
For speculators, we believe the best trading opportunities are with the most commonly traded (and therefore most liquid) currencies, called "the Majors." Today, more than 85% of all daily transactions involve trading of the Majors, which include the US Dollar, Japanese Yen, Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar.
A true 24-hour market from Sunday 5:00 PM ET to Friday 5:00PM ET, Forex trading begins each day in Sydney, and moves around the globe as the business day begins in each financial center, first to Tokyo, London, and New York. Unlike any other financial market, investors can respond to currency fluctuations caused by economic, social and political events at the time they occur - day or night.
The FX market is considered an Over The Counter (OTC) or 'interbank/interdealer' market, due to the fact that transactions are conducted between two counterparts over the telephone or via an electronic network. Trading is not centralized on an exchange, as with the stock and futures markets.

Types of Dating Services

2007-10-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

Types of Dating Services

Dating Niche Markets

With so many dating website now operating, many are finding it essential to differentiate themselves in some way in order to compete and survive. One way to do this is to develop a special focus, serving a specific group of singles instead of all of them. Some have become very successful with this strategy.

Some examples of how these websites and singles groups might be classified include the following areas:

the gay and lesbian market (i.e. Glimpse.com, others)

college students (collegeluv.com)

Jewish singles

Christian singles

Senior citizen singles

Speed dating

Silicon Valley executives

Millionaires, high income executives (many independent matchmakers cater to this group)

There are many more potential classifications, everything from singles that like country and western lifestyles, swingers, skiers, by your astrological sign, you name it. A Scripps Howard study found that at least 41 dating services it examined had names with the words “Christian”, “Jewish” or “Catholic” in it.

One could also make the case that the dating services market can be segmented by TECHNOLOGY, or the method or model the dating website uses. Examples of this would include things such as psychological matching (a specialty of eHarmony.com), wireless phone matching (offered by Match.com).

Value of Industry Segments ($ millions)

	2002	2003	2004

Dating websites	$304	$428	$514

Off-line chains	180	153	159

Independent matchmakers	200	222	229

Personal ads, radio station datelines	221	188	178

Total:	905	991	1,080

Source: Marketdata Enterprises estimates

Dating Websites

There is no question that the dating websites represent the fastest-growing segment of this industry, and that they have hurt many of the other competing introduction services in the process. However, even off-line competitors say that they have actually help increase the size of the pie for the entire market—bringing dating services into the mainstream. Many singles today start out using these low-priced websites and eventually migrate to higher-priced services with more personal service. Many soon realize just how much work it is to surf the Internet and how photos and information about potential mates can be unreliable.

The online personals business as been dominated for the last two years by Match.com, which is owned by InterActiveCorp, and the Personals division of Yahoo Inc. Lately, Spark Networks (formerly MatchNet), claims to have been quickly gaining ground. Those three companies as well as a few second-tier players and numerous smaller competitors, are expected to have generated a total of more than $300 million in revenue in 2004, according to Jupiter Research.

“Still years behind the United States, in Europe, online personals are expected to be the biggest category for paid content for the foreseeable future” stated Joe Shapira, MatchNet’s chairman and chief executive officer. Latin America and Australia are also seen as future growth markets.

Analysts say that online dating content is one of the few types of content that people are actually willing to pay for, so much so that companies are actually raising their prices.

Singles Advertisements

The number of responses received by advertisers… A weighted average of the number of responses received across these studies shows that a typical man receives 10.5 responses, whereas a typical woman receives 14.5 replies. Factors that increase the number responses include a) being older and taller, b) mentioning educational and professional success or a penchant for expensive cultural activities, c) conveying an aura of masculinity, and d) seeking a generally attractive woman but avoiding sexual references.

For women, factors that increase the number of responses, include: a) physical attractiveness (e.g. being younger and lighter and mentioning a preference for sports, b) providing positive or neutral self descriptions, especially intelligence, and c) mentioning or alluding to sex. For both men and women, writing an ad with originality or flair increased the number of respondents, as did seemingly trivial traits like possessing red or salt and pepper hair.

The popular press reveals variations on the singles ad such as catalogue formats (McFadden 1982), some of which provide American men with foreign brides (Krichm, 1989, and Money, 1981); print/telephone hybrids in which readers respond to print ads by leaving messages on centralized phone/mail systems; and singles ads in the form of fliers (Stolper, 1989) or faxes (People Weekly, 1989 and Dullea, 1989), which avoid using a commercial intermediary altogether.

This used to be a profitable business. According to Bayless (1988), “New York magazine’s personal classified ads have been pulling in about $30,000 to $35,000 per issue since 1985.” However, that has changed. Today, most newspapers are cutting back their personals sections and barely cover their costs, offering them more as a reader service.

Video Dating

Video dating firms usually operate by having a client first read the written descriptions of others members and view photographs. At many video dating services these written descriptions contain a photograph of the single, which is often placed on the back of the information sheet. Woll (1986) notes that clients tend to read the forms from the back to the front, doing an initial screening based on the photo. If the client finds someone who piques his or her interest, then he or she is shown that person’s video. Usually the video lasts 2 to 10 minutes and shows the clients responding to a series of questions. If the suitor is still interested after seeing the video, the prospective date is contacted and then views the suitor’s video. If the parties agree to meet, they are given each other’s phone numbers and the rest is up to them.

Singles Events

As the number of singles has grown, so has the number of singles religious groups, dinner clubs, social groups, public service groups and even single conventions. In many ways, most of these events represent a midpoint between formal and informal “marriage market intermediaries” (MMI’s). Like formal MMI’s, these events promise easy access to eligible others, and often some screening based on interest, religion, or perhaps the subjective judgment of the sponsor (Norman 1984). But like informal MMI’s, singles events usually follow traditional social forms such as parties. This allows them to be perceived as less deviant than more formal MMI’s and hence escape some of the “desperate losers” stereotype.

The first strategy is to avoid the use of the word “singles” and instead use euphemisms like “young adults’ or “young professional”. The second strategy is to provide a “cover story”, such as a lecture, that the singles can use to create a veneer of casual ambiguity.

Electronic/Phone Communication Networks

One innovation in MMI’s was the development of electronic communication networks, such as computer based networks and telephone party lines.

The first are bulletin board systems, which are nothing more than computer accessed singles ads in which singles leave messages on computer bulletin boards and often wait days for a response.

Phone-based singles ads, that are the aural equivalent of computerized bulletin boards, also exist. These systems allow singles to leave short taped messages or hear the messages left by others. While the amount of information one can transmit in a 30 second message is quite limited, the cost of using the system is correspondingly small. One Washington, DC service for example, charges only $2.50 per call, which is 1/1000 of the price of the deluxe membership in the now defunct Successful Singles International.

Matchmakers

In the 1970s, computer dating and then video dating were the best known MMI’s. While they are still popular, a general move from high-tech to high-touch has brought the matchmaker into vogue.

Matchmakers have relentlessly targeted an upscale clientele. This marketing strategy also allows them to charge lofty prices, usually starting at around $1,000 for a basic membership and rising to $5,000. Some services are known to charge upwards of $100,000 for special personal search memberships.

A review of the popular press provides the following composite picture of matchmaking… The matchmakers tend to be independent female entrepreneurs who entered the business because they enjoy the work and the profession requires no formal training and little start-up capital. As a result, many matchmaking operations are short-lived ventures, although a few have branched out to become national chains. Most matchmakers rely on intuition based on their personal experience in making matches, and only a few boast of even vague academic qualifications.

These businesses usually have between 100 and 2,000 clients in any one location, but matchmakers often qualify those numbers by saying that not all members will be active at any given time. While the high prices charges by the best known matchmakers were noted above, the market has become sufficiently crowded that some agencies are trying to compete on price, in some cases charging under $100 for a year’s membership. Many matchmakers are now offering a variety of membership plans; the most expensive often come with money back guarantees.

The clientele of these services tend to be urban professionals; a demographic group believed to be early adopters of new social and commercial trends.

Small matchmakers have two things going for them, though. First, they’re generally more highly targeted, focusing on professionals, for instance, or Jewish singles. “If you get specialized service which only has people like yourself in it, then how many people it has matters less.”

Social support and the quality of your relationship with the matchmaker is the best predictor of how satisfied with the service customers will be. The more mainstream you are, the more one will benefit from a larger service. The more idiosyncratic you are, the more you’ll benefit from a niche service.

Neophyte matchmakers often end up inviting their friends and acquaintances in for free and slashing prices for their first paying customers, just to build up a client base. Says one matchmaker: “I rarely advertise. You have to hear about me through a referral or through me finding you”.

Forex Trading, Structured settlements, Dating & more

2007-10-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

ForexTrading:
About ForexTradingForexTrading is owned by Saxo Bank A/S. The purpose of ForexTrading is to give information on Forex and access to trade Forex online. Foreign Exchange

This short introduction explains the basics of trading Forex online, a brief explanation of the markets and the major benefits of trading Forex online. There are also two scenarios describing the implications of trading in a bear as well as bull market to better acquaint you with some of the risks and opportunities of the largest and most liquid market in the world.As an additional aid for those who are new to Forex, there is also a glossary at the bottom of this text which explains some of the

ForexTrading is owned by Saxo Bank A/S. The purpose of ForexTrading is to give information on Forex and access to trade Forex online. terms used in connection with currency trading.OverviewForeign exchange, forex or just FX are all terms used to describe the trading of the world's many currencies. The forex market is the largest market in the world, with trades amounting to more than USD 1.5 trillion every day. This is more than one hundred times the daily trading on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). Most forex trading is speculative, with only a few percent of market activity representing governments' and companies' fundamental currency conversion needs.Unlike trading on the stock market, the forex market is not conducted by a central exchange, but on the “interbank” market, which is thought of as an OTC (over the counter) market. Trading takes place directly between the two counterparts necessary to make a trade, whether over the telephone or on electronic networks all over the world. The main centres for trading are Sydney, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and New York. This worldwide distribution of trading centres means that the forex market is a 24-hour market.

Structured settlements :
Welcome to Structured settlements Guide, an online resource about selling a Structured settlement. The information we provide is contained in the following sections:General informationHow a Structured settlement annuity worksWhy a Structured settlement payment is a popular choiceCashing OutThe skinny on getting cash for a Structured settlement paymentHow to sell a Structured settlement paymentServicesDo I really need a Structured settlement company?Which Structured settlement broker is right for me?Frequently Asked QuestionsWhy does a company want to buy my Structured settlement?Is selling a Structured settlement a good investment decision?

Dating:
I thought I would bring you the top 10 dating tips I have gathered along the way in the hope of assisting and enlightening those who need assistance. If you are new to the dating scene, a regular or just simply someone trying to meet someone new there should always be time for top dating tips, advice, information and things to consider. None of us are dating experts otherwise we would have a magic formula to present to others. And no, looks are not the magic formula otherwise all supermodels would be blissfully happy - which they are not my friend. Good looking people the world over struggle when it comes to affairs of the heart. Think of all the major figures in history who have fallen in matters of romance.
The truth is, there are no magic formulas, no perfect tricks of the trade, no cunning ways of trapping Mr. or Miss Right and no top dating tips that wave a magic wand. But there are some essential facts that you should always bear in mind along the way. Dating tips are just that - tips, they are not promises written in stone and different things will always work differently for different people. However, I have noticed that there are some threads of advice that keep cropping up and therefore it is worth reiterating my top 10 tips here.

My Top 10 Dating Tips
Get prepared for dating.
Get your act together.
Go shopping and treat yourself to new clothes and even a whole new look.
Have a good think about what your dating goals are and timescales.
Sort out your confidence levels in advance.
Choose those you have a good chance of dating, don't aim low but do aim realistically.
Work out in advance where in your neighborhood you are likely to meet people and join clubs, societies, sports events, drama groups, anything where you are likely to meet potential partners. Take time off from dating occasionally if its not going well or causing dating fatigue. Dating is an ongoing process and so recharging the batteries and keeping the confidence and optimism levels high is an absolute must. So date in phases if necessary.
Enjoy dating for what it is, dating.
Never ever make yourself too available.