Philip

Hi Lindsay, Great question. Like other investments, Forex has its pros and cons, most of which rely on market forces. Though calling it simple is an overstatement, several factors make Forex trading friendly to beginners. For starters, you can make a killing from small deposits in a short period. The fact that it runs non-stop closing briefly only on weekends means you can trade as you please. Not mentioning the minimal fees, the size of your trade notwithstanding. Because the market is highly supervised, you’re less likely to lose your money to scammers. Just check if the broker is registered with the relevant regulatory bodies to confirm legitimacy. Best of all, you can test the waters with a demo account before starting actual trading. You can even advance to managing accounts after you master the trade. However, Forex is not an avenue for quick riches. Your earnings depend on your trading strategy and the amount you invest. Leverage is also a risk. While it increases your buying power, leverage exposes you to losses.

Hi Ryan. Users are choosing little known cryptocurrencies over market heavyweights like Bitcoin because of anonymity concerns. Monero should be your first choice if you’re looking for a more private alternative. In addition to ring signatures, this coin uses stealth addresses to conceal sender and receiver identities. Not forgetting Zcash that hides addresses and transacted amounts using its Zero-Knowledge Proof system. Zcash has also given birth to Komodo, hence, similar privacy features. However, Komodo boasts of an atomic swap that supports asset transfers without centralized intermediaries. Another currency you should consider is Verge. Instead of cryptographic mechanisms, the coin utilizes I2P and TOR systems to safeguard identities. Horizen also makes the list. Like Bitcoin, it has personal Z-Addresses and known T-Addresses. However, amounts sent from Z to T addresses will be reflected. Plus, it’s node network enhances anonymity.

Stochastic oscillators are momentum pointers used to examine a commodity’s closing price against its range over a particular duration. The oscillators stretch from 0-100 with figures below 20 showing oversold and above 80 indicating overbought positions. Prices are likely to close next to previous highs in bullish conditions and next to their lows in bearish markets. Sensitivity is what distinguishes fast stochastic oscillators from their slow alternatives. Because they’re more receptive to the underlying asset prices, fast stochastic oscillators experience more transaction signals than slow stochastic oscillators. Suppose the fast stochastic is a race car while the slow stochastic is a limo. Like the race car, fast stochastic boasts of agility and quick direction changes. On the other hand, slow stochastic takes a while to turn but maintains a smooth ride.

Double spending refers to the risk of successfully spending the same digital cash more than once. This can happen because digital files can easily be duplicated or falsified by tech-savvy individuals with a full understanding of the blockchain network. Just as with fake money, double spending can cause inflation as more fraudulent currencies are pumped into the market where they never existed before. The value of the currency will also diminish as users lose trust in it and further lowers its circulation and retention in the market. In bitcoin, however, double spending is no longer a big problem, thanks to blockchain. Having all your transactions in the blockchain is proof that you own them, hence limit the possibility of double-counting among other frauds. The complex algorithms in blockchain transactions are hard to crack, making duplication and falsification hard to achieve. However, double spending can still happen if the fraudster control more than 50% of the computational power of the blockchain network, hence can reverse transactions and create a blockchain that appears real.

Hello Komu, Discovering your trading pattern is crucial to your success in the digital market. Needless to say, you’re unstoppable when your trading method and personality unite. Read on to know whether you’re a scalper, a swing trader, or a cocktail of both. Swing Trading It requires you to maintain a trading position for a minimum of one day though this period may extend to several weeks. The investor hops on a trending stock following a correction and exits just before it rises again after making a profit. This technique is ideal for tolerant individuals. Scalping The investor targets maximum profits from slight price movements. This occurs in short time frames, for instance, minutes and seconds. Being a fast players’ affair, you may struggle with this method if you’re often lost in daydreams. Your preferred technique depends on your patience and speed. Regardless of what you choose, you should be able to merge your trading method with the dynamic market.

Hello Stella, In traditional banking, you can have your money refunded back after theft by a third party. However, with cryptocurrencies, if your wallet or account is tampered with and your coins get stolen, you cannot get them back. This is because many of the digital currencies are not supported by a government or central bank, meaning they are decentralized. As such, a safe and secure storage medium is required for cryptos. Even though the majority of crypto wallets are digital, hackers still hack them surmounting the security measures. This is precisely where cold storage comes in. Cold storage is an offline wallet for storing bitcoins. Using cold storage, you store your digital wallet on a platform without an internet connection. This platform shields your wallet from cyber hacks, unlawful access, and other exposures that occur to systems connected to the internet.

What is your take on ESG ETFs during this unrest period?

Will Amazon patent of a blockchain based product authenticator work to fight the counterfeits menace on its platform and maintain trust with stakeholders?

Hi Smith, Mexico and the U.S are neighbors, and they have close ties as trade partners. That is, Mexico is the third-largest import source and the second-largest export market to the U.S. Their physical proximity and trade relationship play a role in the strength of USD and MXN. And that makes USD/MXN forex pair very liquid in the global market. USD, the most widely used reserve currency globally, ranks position one in global liquidity. MXN is closely behind at position eight. In terms of the GDP purchasing power parity, the U.S. rank as the largest single nation economy, and Mexico isn't far behind at position 12th. Though not extensively used outside of Mexico, the Mexican peso is the third most commonly traded currency from the western hemisphere (behind USD and the Canadian dollar) and the 11th most commonly traded currency in the global market of Forex. In Forex, USD features among the major pairs, including EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF. MXN pair with USD doesn't attract as much attention as the major pairs involving USD. However, being ranked as the ninth most traded currency pair in the global Forex market, MXN provides liquid access to the Latin American market. Unlike the USA's low-interest rate of 2%, Mexico has a higher interest rate (8%), making the Mexican peso have higher returns than USD hence attracting more carry traders. Carry traders borrow from low-interest rates countries and invest it in higher interest rate markets like Mexico. Since Mexico is the ninth-largest oil producer in the world, the Mexican peso is greatly influenced by the oil prices thanks to its vast oil reserves. That means Mexico peso gains value when oil prices go up and lose value when the oil market crashes. However, USD often benefits when the oil price lowers.

The EU/UK trade talks are ongoing but they cant seem to agree on some contentious issues. What will be the effect of these talks on the GBP/USD performance?

Hi Hernandez, The Economic shock waves arising from the pandemic mean growth stocks in 2020 are difficult to come by. In today’s market, and going forward, tech stocks have the best survival chances. They make excellent portfolio selections if you are looking for growth during these trying times. 1. TICKER: AMZN Amazon.com Analysts had given AMZN stock a $1,950 price by the end of the year. This stock had breezily surpassed that mark, rising to above $2,400. Reports have it that Amazon plans to acquire AMC Entertainment, leveraging on its big size to expand. Investors in Amazon need to anticipate both cloud and e-commerce revenue growth to take a slower pace in time. Analysts expect 20% revenue growth by the lapse of the year. 2. FB Facebook Facebook is enjoying stellar growth and returns. Even as the pandemic holds down revenue, analysts figure earnings per share to grow 18% in 2020. Its biggest source of growth rests on excellent monetization of its users. The year began with a $233 price target. Shares have rallied due to first-quarter results that reflect better than anticipated advertising numbers. 3. GOOGL, GOOG Alphabet Google Cloud is a huge near-term growth accelerator. Revenue has surged 52% to $2.8 billion. YouTube strength rests on quarantine-time entertainment. Waymo represents a major long-term growth driver for Alphabet. 4. FVRR Fiver International Revenue jumped 44% during the first quarter of 2020. The pandemic has rendered 30 million Americans unemployed, many of whom have turned to FVRR for gigs. As such, the pandemic makes FVRR a natural beneficiary. 5. WORK Slack Technologies Large corporate clients, like IBM, use Slack to communicate across its entire workplaces. As Slack continues to cement itself corporate workflows, a network effect makes it difficult for clients to leave. As such, analysts expect a 36% revenue jump in 2020.