About American Platinum Eagle Collector Coins

By Gerald Hampton

The official United States platinum bullion coin is the American Platinum Eagles. First released in'97 by the United States Mint, the coin consists of. 9995 platinum and can be purchased in 1/10, 1/4, 1/2 or 1 troy ounces. The United States Congress has fully authorized this beautiful coin, and the U. S. Mint backs it for content and weight.

Uncirculated coins are popular with coin collectors. These coins, known as proof coins, have drawings on them for every year.

From'07 to'33 the graphic created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens was selected for use on the $20 gold piece.'86 saw the resurrection of the graphic for the coins. Available in bullion and proof, these coins can be purchased by anyone. Also shown on some coins is Walking Liberty design by Adolph A. Weinman. Created originally in'16, the graphic was used on the half dollar.

The drawing available from'98 til 2002 was Vistas of Liberty. A bald eagle is pictured on the coins regardless of the changing of the other side every year. The branches of government were depicted from 2006 through 2008 with the Foundations of Democracy. Every denomination has a yearly graphic. The American Platinum Eagle coins are the only coins that have changing designs with each new year.

Proof styles of all coins can be bought through the United States Mint. There are certain procedures that collector coins go through to be minted. Blank coins are placed in a press that has pigments made specifically for these coins. After the coins have been hit a couple of times to bring out the design, the design then takes on the appearance of floating over a mirror like surface. Once that is done, the coins are inspected and placed in plastic. They are then mounted in display cases with the Certificate of Authenticity included in the case. Each coin is promised to be the exact same as the next.

Uncirculated coins were added to the eagle coin family in 2006.

As with its proof counterpart the coin can be purchased in a one-ounce size. The other American Eagle Uncirculated Coins are available in different sizes.

Proof coins and uncirculated coins go through almost the exact same process. The main difference is the uncirculated coins are stamped with a W to show that they were minted at West Point.

The downside to these coins is that the do not increase in value because of their metal content. The obvious benefit is that they can be placed into investment accounts to earn money. Rare coins cannot be put in these accounts because they do increase in value as collectibles. - 23210

About the Author:

Gerald Hampton writes articles for coin collectors and investors, helping them find information on third-party graded Platinum Eagles, including hard to find NGC Certified Platinum Eagles along with PCGS Certified Platinum Eagles.

Forex Pips in Profits and Losses

By Bart Icles

It is important for foreign exchange traders to understand what pips are. In the world of foreign exchange trading, a pip is simply short for percentage in point. There are traders who refer to pips as simply points. It is important that you understand the different concepts on forex pips if you want to maximize your earnings in foreign exchange trading. It is one of the most basic concepts that you should understand from the different foreign exchange lessons you might go through.

Forex pips are simply the smallest units of price for a specific type of currency. In currency pairs or in exchange rates, it is often indicated as the last decimal point. In most currencies, it is often 0.0001. For example, if you have bought USD/EUR at 0.6664 and sold it at 0.6676, then you have made 12 pips. If you have bought USD/EUR at 0.6664 and sold it at 0.6656, then you have lost 8 pips. A common exception is the USD/JPY currency pair because there are only two decimal places in this pair. Therefore, a pip in this pair is equivalent to 0.01. This simply means that if you have bought USD/JPY at 89.84 and sold it at 89.99, then you have earned 15 pips.

It is important for you to understand the concept of pips in forex trading because they are basis for calculating your profits or losses in foreign exchange trading. Making 12 or 15 pips can already mean a lot of money. Losing more than pips should already be a warning signal for you because you might be in for a large one-time loss.

But how exactly are forex pips used in trading? Currency prices fluctuate all the time, and this is why the value of a pip can change from time to time. What is important is that you know how much you have earned or lost in terms of pips so you will know how much value they have although prices might change every single hour.

For example, the exchange rate for USD/AUD (US dollar/Australian dollar) is 1.0762. The value of a single pip for a single dollar would be 0.0000929 and this is indeed a pretty tiny amount of money. A single pip for a thousand dollar investment would be .0929 or $0.09 per pip. But if your initial investment is $100,000, the pip value would change to $9.29. This simply means that if you have made 12 pips, you have actually earned $111.48. Therefore, forex pips become more significant with large sums of investment. - 23210

About the Author:

Finding a good forex broker starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. But learning online forex 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.

Berlin Property - Invest in the Capital of Europe

By Sofie Vincent

Investing in property in Berlin is on the rise and is becoming increasingly popular; There is a large growth in prospective buyers and investors that learning just how great the financial returns are in Berlin investment property that is an extremely fast rising business venture.

In Germany there has been an economic increase rate of 2.5 percent that was posted in the year 2006; this has caused Germany to be at its highest level to at its highest level of confidence in about 15 years. The country of Germany is having a great time of economic revival due to its strong export market and rising housing price index, which makes it and very attractive time to invest there.

There has been a steady increase of investors in Berlin after years of economic sluggishness, predominantly on the eastern part of the country and particularly in Berlin, which has kept the prices of properties relatively low. The mortgage outlook in the country has been encouraging, with the government easing up on mortgaging policies, as a lot of Germans opt to buy their own homes instead of just renting them.

The growth rate of the economy continues to be at 2.5 percent throughout 2007 and house purchase prices are seen to increase slightly. With low costs and affordable office and commercial spaces, many British and European investors have continuously poured into Berlin to set up their headquarters and home offices. With the fall of the Berlin wall, the city had to race with other advanced cities in Germany like Frankfurt and Munich in terms of economic development. But an unconventional occurrence is taking place in Berlin, in that property prices are lower in the capital than in the other minor cities of the country, making Berlin investment property very attractive.

The districts of Charlottenburg and of Mitte have become the choosiest investment properties, the properties in these districts are some the best deals in highly valued property across the continent. However, in just a few short years the prices of the properties will increase at a very high several times what they are worth now.

Very serious interests have been going into the Berlin investment property arena because of the huge returns it will deliver its investors. The development of Schlosspark-Carre for instance is held up by a ten-year rental agreement by a group of consorting bank, which makes it a great investment opportunity to behold over the entire continent. Another addition to that is complimented by a ten-year maintenance and modernizing plans, with free rental management properties offered up for sale.

The main source of an economy thriving is the population, Berlins population is about 3.4 million and has remained stable and has a population density of Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt all together which makes it the largest populated city in all of Germany.

There were 1.8 million households with 1.8 persons living in each household at Berlin in the year of 2003. Over the past few years the numbers has increasingly raised very steadily and it is suspected by 2025, the number of households in the city should reach the 2 million mark. This spread out over eighteen years will be an increase annually of 8,400. This expanding population would start a large movement of investors investing in property at Berlin, which will cause local residence trouble in getting mortgages for their houses and would have to switch to renting a home.

This would happen by foreign investors purchasing high yield properties in Berlin and then reselling them to the locals for a decent profit, and Berlin would be the place to do this since it has the essential ingredients for a great property market venture.

Advantages of the Berlin investment property

Berlin has a very liquid rental base market, unlike other investment centres across the globe. A surprising 87 percent of the population, or close to 3 million people, have opted to rent their homes instead of purchasing them for ownership. The vacancy rates of rental apartments and homes are at a very low 3.4 percent during the latter part of 2008. This gives a very wonderful opportunity to investors in purchasing 'buy-to-let' apartments and properties, as it assures them of consistent and profitable rental income.

Another great thing about Berlin investment property is the clear-cut information that the German authorities will give to potential investors in this area. Information like prices on property, sales, rental rates and returns on investments so that the potential investors might have can know what decisions to make within the choices of their investments. - 23210

About the Author:

Want to find out more about Berlin property #1, then visit the Berlin Property site on how to choose the best property in Berlin #2.

Do You Understand The Hidden Truths Behind Trading For A Living

By Peter Skonctuedt

If you are one of the many people that are thinking of trading for a living you must learn that it does not pay to aim to make major gains and instead it will be better to remain focused on making small but consistent gains that will all add up to become a considerable sum of money over a period of time.

So, before you get an answer to the question as to how you can succeed in trading for a living it is necessary to identify the amount of money you have available and also how much you wish to earn. What's more, there are some traders that are ready to risk all of their money to earn the same amount while other people would risk less money and expect to earn less.

People that earn a living from trading can expect to be paid for what they really are worth and in addition it means that they can earn enough money to become wealthy which is not possible if you hold a regular job. In addition, you can put limits on how much money you wish to earn and you are also a freer person. Best, of all by choosing to trade for a living you are also assured that there will be no need for you to work to earn your money.

All you need to do is place a trade and type in a stop-loss order and then spend some time doing what you like. As long as the trade moves in a desirable direction you will always succeed in making money from your trade. Another benefit to trading in stocks for a living is that you can put in a one-time effort that will then help you earn money over and over again.

You can, for example, purchase a stock on a Monday and then when the stock moves in an anticipated direction, over the next few days, you will start to earn money for as long as you hold on to the stock. This shows that for a single act (buying the stock) you will make money over and over again (for each day that you hold on to the stock).

Even if you do behave like a would-be Olympic champion there is still no guarantee that you will succeed because even a single mistake at any time can put paid to all your efforts and causes a huge loss of money to you.

The only trouble is that there are also drawdowns which are unavoidable. The smart traders are aware of this and so will, instead of actually indulging in trading will offer to teach people how to trade and earn money out of a living.

This is how the smart people make money. They know that when people don't know enough about making money from trading it allows a smart and knowledgeable person to sell knowledge to others and in this way without risking their money earn a decent living. - 23210

About the Author:

Tired of scraping by at your job? Why not get into the stock market and make some real money the easy way... with the guidance of artificial intelligence! More info about trading for a living... Also check the very best stock picking software.

How To Buy A Short Sale

By Thierrie Anderson

Purchasing short sale houses may make today's investors a lot of money if they comprehend how to complete them properly. Clearly, there is a huge upside to being able to buy a property for less than the actual mortgage value. If you are new to purchasing short sales of pre-foreclosures, please comprehend that while the process may seem complex, the return on investment may be fantastic.

With this in mind, how does one go about buying a short sale property? To get started, you must appreciate that a short sell is simply buying a property for less than the mortgage value. For an investor the clear benefit of this type of investment property is clear. However, because the lender will ultimately lose capital on the deal, there are a number of processes and potential pitfalls to be aware of. Because of this fact, dealing with a lender when purchasing a short sale requires a fair amount of work and patience.

While going through the short sale process, you must be aware of how each participant will act through the process The the majority clear player in the transaction is the property owner, though your interaction with them will actually be limited. Before even beginning the short sale process, be sure that the property owner is willing to complete the transaction and understands the implications.

The next player in the process is the loss mitigation department of the bank. As a financial institution, a institution will only agree to let an investment or mortgage go if the cost of owning it is going to be greater than the payoff. For home mortgages, this only happens if the cost of foreclosing on the home for non-payment of the mortgage is greater than keeping the existing financing in place, or going through the preforeclosure and foreclosure process. Because that is a guiding principle, you must create a circumstance where the bank sees the short sale as the best option.

Now that you appreciate the motivations of the two players, buying a short sale is just a matter of satisfying their two unique needs. To create a short sale package that you will use to plead your instance to the lender, work with the owner to craft a letter and substantiation that shows an lack of ability to continue to pay the mortgage. Document and photograph all areas of the property that are in disrepair, and get an appraiser to come out and give an appraisal based upon the lowest marketable value of the home.

Combine all of these documents together as well as any additional documents required by the loss mitigation officer of the bank to create your short sale package. Present your purchase proposition along with the short sale package to the institution and gently push it through the approval process. It the offer is approved, your purchase of the short sale goes through. If not, simply modify your proposal and submit it again. - 23210

About the Author:

If you would like to find out more about how to invest in short sales or download a free copy of the IP Ware real estate investment software visit our real estate investment site today.