Getting Paid? With the USD/TRY Carry Trade?The USD/TRY has one of the highest Roll Over Interest out there should you choose to take on this highly volatile pair. It isn't so much that it is volatile, it has to do more with price just moves one direction, and that is up. The way we want to go is down (short) or at least sideways (ranging). Why is this interesting? It is because the Rollover Interest for going short stands at a whopping annualized rate of 28.94%. With 1:4 Margin Requirement for trading a standard lot on the TRY (based off the broker I use), $25,000 could earn me $28,940 yearly, which would be a staggering 115% return at the end of the year. Compounded, I would be a multimillionaire in no time, Buying up yachts, private jets, gourmet food, luxury cars, a pony that shoots lasers, Space X Starship, and countless other items.
But hold up, is there a downside or something that makes this too good to be true? Yes, there is price movement as well as changes in interest rates as well as capital in the account. Having only $25,000 in the account, going full throttle and placing one huge position is sure to activate a margin call within seconds (as price can move thousands of pips against you quickly) and/or cause you to lose more than you put in. Now, we don't want that. You would need to have at least double the amount in the account in order to allow for price movement. The return would be halved, but making over 50% yearly isn't too bad either, is it? With price movement, the USD/TRY (I just call it the TRY), price moved higher over 57,000 pips in 2022, and over 100,000 pips in 2023; that is $18,240 and $32,000 respectively. Interest have just reached 45%, so things definitely would not have been good. Now, with funds in your account, not to many of us have $25,000 lying around to utilize in the markets, nor do we want to just tie up $25,000 into something really risky.
Yet if used correctly and price does stabilize, then the TRY carry trade could payout (similar to the EUR/HUF). What could be done to reduce the risk? For starters, position sizing. Don't use the full force of your account and go "YOLO." Manage expectations. With a $25,000 account size, only getting into a position at around $3,750 (which is about 15% of the account used and a 15k position), would be around $3,650 return, which would be about a 14.6% return (still not bad. How many people can do this). If things go sour and price does move up at the end the year by 100,000 pips against you ($0.05 move per pip), that would be -$5,000 reduced to $1,350 because of the gained rollover interest (which would be only a 5% hit to your account instead of 20%). Putting some hedges in could also reduce some of the risk. Additionally, research and analysis, this could push you to make a more informative speculation on if getting into the pair is a good idea. Furthermore, to really ensure you don't lose any money, is to not get into the pair at all.
For myself, I am utilizing around 41% of my Forex account in this pair, about 14% of my overall accounts. There are hedges in place to reduce the impact of price moving against me as well as my position being small enough to not cause any traumatic moves, even if price moves 100,000 pips against me (of course don't want that to happen). The decision is also made to stay in this pair for the long term or until there is some major changes. There is additional funds in reserves if needed, if things don't go well, in order to put another plan into play to get out of my positions in an orderly fashion.
You all have some great trading out there.
Interest
Simple Investing Strategy, Affordable for all!Hey! Everybody wants to get rich. But not many from us know what it takes. In this article let's discuss Investing income from annual percentage yield (APY) . Key point is the percentage of income can be different from your location, but lets make our calculations from 8.0% APY.
Why this strategy is Affordable for ALL? Well, for calculation I've used only $161 of monthly investing.
I understand for some person this is nothing, and for another it is a lot. But you can calculate your own affordable investing amount per month and use it. Consistency is the key!
Another point why its affordable, its because you don't need to have a lot of money at the beginning. You can start from minimal deposit allowed by service/fund/bank (APY provider) where you allocating your funds.
Please, note, this is simple and affordable investing strategy. But still THIS IS NOT 100% SAFE STRATEGY... There are several risks of losing your money after all. Mostly this risks depends on APY provider, so I recommend to change your APY provider over a time, and to secure your funds use multiple providers.
Let's see how we get this numbers and first of all it is important to keep consistency during all your investment journey. Remember, this way can make you millionaire and can create a fortune for your kids.
To understand how this works, let's see what is Compound Interest:
Compound interest is the concept of adding accumulated interest back to the principal sum, so that interest is earned on top of interest from that moment on. The act of declaring interest to be principal is called compounding. Financials institutions vary in terms of their compounding rate frequency - daily, monthly, yearly, etc.
Your savings account may vary on this, so you may wish to check with your bank or financial institution to find out which frequency they compound your interest at. I used monthly compounding to calculate final value.
With savings accounts, interest can be compounded at either the start or the end of the compounding period (month or year).
Compound interest formula
Compound interest, or 'interest on interest', is calculated with the compound interest formula. Multiply the principal amount by one plus the annual interest rate to the power of the number of compound periods to get a combined figure for principal and compound interest.
This formula is base of all interest calculations. To get easier process of calculation, I have used online Compound Interest Calculator.
Best numbers we can get if we start investing early, but it happens we see right information too late, and we ask ourselves "Is it good time to start?" — I can say for sure, YES! Always good idea to start investing in your savings account. Trading is trading, but investing is a little different. You can invest in markets, or in savings accounts.
Now let's see "worst case" — you starting your investing journey at 40 years old.
How much you can earn on savings account until 60?
I have calculated it with calculator, and used only $161 investments/savings per month with APY of 8%.
You can see after 20 years of savings this amount of money (pretty much affordable for many people out there) you will get about $95,464 Final Value. Very impressive. Imagine if you can save more from your income each month... For example if you can save $1000 monthly, you will get $592,947 Final value after 20 years on your Savings Account.
Middle scenario — investing for 30 years on your savings account. Until 60 you can earn solid $241,547 Final value, investing only $161 per month!
Now if you can invest about $500 per month from your income you will get amazing $750,147 Final value.
And of course best scenario — start investing on savings account early from 20y.o. This way you can get $565,799 Final value by 60 y.o.
And if its possible to save more, let's say $250 monthly, you can get $878,570.30 Final value by 60 y.o.
So in order to get rich, you don't need to invest a lot of money. Just make you investments consistent, and improve your financial education.
Hope this article can inspire you to create your savings account and plan your future.
Best regards,
Artem Crypto
The Power of Compound InterestIntroduction
Compound interest, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, is a financial concept that has the power to transform small investments into large fortunes over time. It is the key to building wealth, securing financial independence, and ensuring a comfortable retirement. In this essay, we will explore the underlying principles of compound interest, its benefits, and real-life examples. Additionally, we will discuss strategies for maximizing the potential of compound interest and managing its impact on debt.
The Basics of Compound Interest
At its core, compound interest is the interest earned on an initial sum of money (principal) as well as on any interest that has previously been added to the principal. In other words, it is interest on interest. The key factors that determine how much your investment will grow are the principal amount, the interest rate, and the time period. Compound interest allows money to grow exponentially, which means that the longer the investment period, the more significant the growth.
Real-Life Examples of Compound Interest
Let us consider a simple example to illustrate the power of compound interest. Suppose you invest $1.000 at an annual interest rate of 5%. After the first year, you will have earned 50 USD in interest ($1.000 * 0.05), resulting in a new balance of $1.050. With simple interest, the earnings would stop here, but with compound interest, the process continues.
In the second year, you will earn 5% interest on the full $1.050, which means you will earn $52.50 in interest, for a new balance of $1.102,50. This cycle repeats itself, with the balance and interest growing each year. Over the course of 30 years, a $1.000 investment at 5% annual interest compounded annually would grow to $4.321,94. The exponential growth over time demonstrates the incredible power of compound interest.
The frequency of compounding can also significantly impact the growth of an investment. Many investments compound interest daily, monthly, or quarterly. The more frequent the compounding period, the faster the investment will grow. For example, a $1.000 investment at 5% annual interest compounded quarterly over 30 years would grow to $4.486,98, demonstrating the benefits of more frequent compounding.
Maximizing Compound Interest Potential
There are several strategies for maximizing the potential of compound interest. Firstly, start investing as early as possible, as the exponential growth of compound interest accelerates over time. Even small, regular investments can lead to substantial gains over time. For instance, investing $100 per month at a 7% annual interest rate compounded monthly from age 25 to 65 would result in a balance of $262.481, even though the total contributions would only amount to $48.000.
Next, invest consistently and seek out investments with higher interest rates, which can significantly boost the growth of your investments. Finally, opt for more frequent compounding periods to accelerate your investment growth. By adhering to these strategies, you can make the most of compound interest and build substantial wealth over time.
Compound Interest and Debt Management
While compound interest can work wonders for wealth-building, it can also have negative consequences when it comes to debt. Credit cards, loans, and other forms of debt often compound interest, causing debt to grow rapidly if not managed properly. It is crucial to stay vigilant and make regular payments to prevent the negative effects of compound interest on debt.
Conclusion
In conclusion, compound interest is a powerful financial concept that can significantly impact your financial future. By understanding its principles, harnessing its benefits, and applying effective strategies, you can maximize your financial potential and secure a prosperous future. The key to success with compound interest lies in starting early, investing consistently, and being patient. Remember that small, consistent actions today can lead to enormous results in the future. It is crucial to research available investment options, assess your risk tolerance, and choose financial vehicles that align with your goals. By making informed decisions and leveraging the power of compound interest, you can make your money work for you and achieve financial success.
As a final note, it is essential to consider the impact of compound interest on debt management. Proper planning and disciplined payment schedules can help you mitigate the negative effects of compound interest on your financial well-being. By staying diligent and actively managing your finances, you can ensure a healthy balance between your investments and debts, paving the way for a bright and secure financial future.
Whether you are a seasoned investor or just beginning your financial journey, understanding the incredible potential of compound interest is invaluable. Embrace this financial marvel and harness its power to achieve your financial goals and secure a prosperous future for yourself and your loved ones.
Q. How do you work out CFD Interest Swaps with an example?Q. How do you work out CFD Interest Swaps with an example?
Answer: CFDs is an instrument where you pay a small amount of money to be exposed to the full value of the share.
With CFDs, there are daily charges when you buy and daily income interest that you receive when you sell (go short).
The charge is known as a ‘daily swap’ or ‘daily interest charge’.
You can ask your broker what the annual interest swap rate is or you’ll most likely be able to find it on your platform…
With my broker for example, the long swap (for when you buy) is -9.47% per year.
And the short swap (for when you sell) is 2.71%.
With your Shoprite trade, because you’re buying CFDs (which is a geared instrument), you’re essentially borrowing the money from the bank.
This means, you have to pay interest on the borrowed funds (in order to be exposed to the full value).
Those are the ‘swaps’ we’re talking about.
Let’s say the Shoprite share is trading at R223.19 and the margin (initial deposit) to buy 1 CFD is 9.7% (R21.70).
This means, when you buy 1 CFD for R21.70, you’ll be exposed to the full R223.19 worth of the share.
If you buy 100 CFDs and pay R2,170 (100 CFDs X R21.70) you’ll be exposed to the full R22,319 worth of shares (100 shares X 223.19).
And if you sold the 100 CFDs at R236.00, you would have been exposed to R23,600.
On that R22,319 exposure, you’ll pay 9.47% (R2,113.60) interest (swap) per year.
But luckily as traders, you don’t need to worry about paying the full amount, as we like to hold only for a short period of time.
This means, each day you hold the CFD with exposure of R22,319 – you’ll only pay R5.49.
(Exposure of your trade X 9.47%) ÷ 365 days.
If the exposure never changed and you held onto your trade at the same share price you would pay R54.90 (after 10 days).
However, we know that share prices move up and down each day.
The higher the market goes up, the higher your exposure where you’ll pay slightly more.
If the market price drops, you will pay slightly less.
However, as traders we don’t tend to hold for more than a couple of days or weeks to curb the daily interest charges.
If you have any other questions please ask in the comments :)
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
Here's Why the Tech-Led Selloff is Likely Over (for now)In this post, I will attempt to provide evidence to show why the tech-led selloff is likely to be over (for now). I will use the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) and its inverse derivative, SQQQ, as my argument's basis.
The inverse (short) ETF of the Nasdaq, SQQQ, has never closed a weekly candle above the Leading Span B of the Ichimoku Cloud (pink line in chart). Last week and the previous week, the weekly candle was very strongly resisted at this level.
Now, the weekly and monthly momentum oscillators started to move in the opposite direction. This will not only make it much harder for SQQQ to pierce the line, but it could also result in SQQQ plummeting quickly, and therefore QQQ and the Nasdaq rebounding quickly.
For comparison, many data points are covered in this chart, and there is a high statistical probability that the Nasdaq has bottomed. Not even during the peak fear of COVID-19, when the global economy shut down and governments feared millions of deaths, did SQQQ pierce the weekly Ichimoku Cloud.
In December 2018 when the Fed was starting to rapidly roll off assets on its balance sheet and was raising interest rates, SQQQ still did not pierce the cloud. This fear is very similar to today's fear.
Even further back, not even during the major flash crash in 2015 or on Black Monday in 2011 when the market crashed did SQQQ pierce the cloud. Today, hardly anyone remembers these episodes in stock market history. Similarly, in ten years or so, few people (except maybe those who sold all their positions at the market bottom) will remember what happened in May 2022.
The NDTH is a chart of the percentage of Nasdaq 100 stocks that are above their 200-day moving average. It dropped to nearly 10 in May 2022, meaning almost 90% of Nasdaq 100 stocks were below their 200-day moving average. The last time this level was reached was in March 2020 right at the bottom of the COVID market crash. The NDTH has never dropped below 15 except during significant bottoms on the Nasdaq.
There are many other examples in which the charts suggest, with high probability data, that we just experienced a significant bottom on the Nasdaq 100. (Eg. The Nasdaq 100 was supported on the monthly base line, the monthly candle is extremely bullish, the monthly EMA ribbon of the QQQ/SPY ratio chart strongly held the outperformance trend in place, inflation and interest rate charts are cooling.
Although this may be a significant bottom, it does not mean a years-long bull span is ahead. Rather the charts suggest the panic selling has ended for at least the short to intermediate-term. To be fair, some charts suggest that the QQQ/SPY outperformance trend could be nearing the end of its decades-long run. (Credit to @Breakout_Charts for identifying this) If this occurs, then it could be the start of a new cycle, or even super cycle, whereby the Nasdaq underperforms for years.
Finally, a point about market psychology. Bottoms occur when 'extreme fear' turns into just 'fear' (yes, there's actually an indicator that measures this). That indicator has moved significantly from 'extreme fear' towards 'fear'. With this said, there might be a lot of people who might comment on this post and say scary-sounding things about the state of the economy or stock market. If none of these fears existed among market participants, we would never even have gotten to this bottom. Never sell because of fear alone.
Not financial advice. As always anything can happen. Just my thoughts. Leave a like if this was helpful and you'd like me to post more analyses. Please feel free to comment below if you have additional thoughts.
GBPUSD - basic Interest Rates StudyThis is a simple study of how interest rates influence the market.
I included 10 last values in my indicator. The base currency (GBP) is black. The second currency (USD) is red.
Between June and December, FED (USD) increased the interest rates 3 times by 0.250
BoE (GBP) also increased the interest rates by the same number but only once.
Obviously, this was a catalyst for a major bearish move. Not only that the rates difference had already been bearish at a time. The gap between the rates further increased! But look at the moment when BoE increased their rates. Even if insignificant for the long-term, it started a good counter-trend rally in the short-term.
In 2019, FED decreased the rate a few times, hence the difference changed a little in favor of GBP. At look how long the pair grew. It even smashed the previous highs until it resumed its downward trend based on the rate difference.
March 2020 was full of interest rate changes across all currencies. When BoE dropped the rate a little (in relative terms), FED decreased the dollar's interest rate rather drastically leading to a more than a year and a half long rally. Although it is losing its steam, it might yet continue for a while.
I created two indicators that can be used to study these relations and create a long-term vision once the rates change again (might take a moment to update). You can find them both in the public library :)
Macroeconomics 101: inflation, bonds, interest rates, stocksHello fellow traders and dear padawans. The equities market has been hit very hard the past 3 weeks or so, specially growth stocks. I think it is important to address what is happening behind the scenes that caused the selloff in the equities market so that many of you can better understand what is going on.
This is a very basic explanation of macroeconomics and by no means thorough but I know that many of my followers would benefit from it at times like these. To establish a common ground I will start with some definitions of terms. I wanted to keep things straight forward so I am getting these definitions from investopedia.com because they did a much better job than I would, defining terms thoroughly yet concisely. Keep in mind these are short definitions of concepts that deserve in-depth study if you want to understand them fully. However, for the purpose of this discussion what follows is enough (you can always read full articles on investopedia.com or somewhere else). If you are well versed on those you can certainly skip ahead (or use this as a refresher).
DEFINITIONS
Inflation : Inflation is the decline of purchasing power of a given currency over time. A quantitative estimate of the rate at which the decline in purchasing power occurs can be reflected in the increase of an average price level of a basket of selected goods and services in an economy over some period of time. The rise in the general level of prices, often expressed a a percentage means that a unit of currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods. Inflation can be contrasted with deflation, which occurs when the purchasing power of money increases and prices decline.
Bonds : A bond is a fixed income instrument that represents a loan made by an investor to a borrower (typically corporate or governmental). A bond could be thought of as an I.O.U. between the lender and borrower that includes the details of the loan and its payments. Bonds are used by companies, municipalities, states, and sovereign governments to finance projects and operations. Owners of bonds are debtholders, or creditors, of the issuer. Bond details include the end date when the principal of the loan is due to be paid to the bond owner and usually includes the terms for variable or fixed interest payments made by the borrower.
Treasury Notes : A Treasury note (T-note for short) is a marketable U.S. government debt security with a fixed interest rate and a maturity between one and 10 years. Issued in maturities of two, three, five, seven and 10 years, Treasury notes are extremely popular investments, as there is a large secondary market that adds to their liquidity. Interest payments on the notes are made every six months until maturity. Treasury notes, bonds, and bills are all types of debt obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. The key difference between them is their length of maturity. For example, a Treasury bond’s maturity exceeds 10 years and goes up to 30 years, making Treasury bonds the longest-dated, sovereign fixed-income security.
Federal Fund Rates : The federal funds rate refers to the interest rate that banks charge other banks for lending to them excess cash from their reserve balances on an overnight basis. By law, banks must maintain a reserve equal to a certain percentage of their deposits in an account at a Federal Reserve bank. The amount of money a bank must keep in its Fed account is known as a reserve requirement and is based on a percentage of the bank's total deposits. They are required to maintain non-interest-bearing accounts at Federal Reserve banks to ensure that they will have enough money to cover depositors' withdrawals and other obligations. Any money in their reserve that exceeds the required level is available for lending to other banks that might have a shortfall.
Note: although the Federal Fund Rates are charged to banks, banks pass them down to clients' personal/auto/student/mortgage loans and credit card interest rates so these interest rates cascade down to society as a whole.
With those out of the way we can start discussing the relationship they have with one another as well as the equities market and understand what is happening with the stock markets.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFLATION AND INTEREST RATES
In general they have inverse correlation, meaning when one goes up the other goes down. The inverse correlation happens because when interest rates are low people feel encouraged to borrow money, which leads to more spending thus creating more demand of goods and services than supply. When demand is bigger than supply prices will increase to both slow down demand and also (perhaps more importantly) to increase profit margins, which leads to inflation. Because the Fed can manipulate short-term interest rates via the Federal Fund Rates they are able to somewhat control inflation. When interest rates are high the process is inverse to the one described above: people feel discouraged to borrow and spend money; instead they prefer to invest in a fixed income instrument such as high yield savings accounts, CD, or bonds to take advantage of the high yields. It is therefore the job of the Fed to keep inflation and interest rates in balance.
Although not everybody agrees, it is understood by economists in general that some inflation is good for economy because it encourages consumers to spend their money and debtors to pay their debt with money that is less valuable than when they borrowed it. Thus some inflation drives economic growth. One of these economists is John Maynard Keynes, who believed that if prices of consumer goods are continuously falling people hold off on their purchases because they think they will get a better deal later on (who doesn't like a good discount?).
Another important element that factors into inflation is how much liquidity is injected in the economy (cash, or money supply). More money would translate into more demand and rise in prices.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOND PRICES, BOND YIELDS (or INTEREST RATES), and INFLATION
Bond prices and yields also have an inverse correlation: if the bond certificate price (AKA face value , or what the bond certificate is worth) increases the yield decreases and vice-versa. To make things simple and to better illustrate how bond prices and yields are related the example below uses what is known as ZERO-COUPON BOND, where the yield is derived from the relationship between the coupon payout and the bond face value (back in the day the bond certificate--a piece of paper--had small coupons that investors would rip off and present to the borrower to redeem their yields. That terminology is still used to this day although these coupons are not used anymore).
Example: if the bond price is $1,000 and the borrower receives $1,100 back at the end of one year, the so-called coupon rate (the yield paid for each bond certificate throughout the lifetime of the bond) is 10% . So the formula to find the coupon rate is: COUPON RATE = ANNUALIZED COUPON VALUE/BOND FACE VALUE; in this case, 100/1000, or 0.1. That formula helps to understand why the bond price and bond yield (coupon rate) have an inverse correlation. It is important to keep in mind that bond yields reflect genereal interest rates. Like interest rates they can move up or down
Like other asset classes such as options, a bond certificate holder can sell that certificate back to the market (known as secondary market). If the current bond yield is lower than when the bond holder "bought" their bond it may be interesting for them to consider selling it because it is now more valuable than when they bought it due to the inverse correlation discussed above. So for bond holders, decrease in interest rates is beneficial.
Hopefully it is also clear that a rise in inflation that results in higher interest rates affects bond holders negatively. Who would want to sell a bond that is now less valuable than when they bought it? However, higher bond yields are attractive to new bond investors because it gives them more return for their investment overtime.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 10-YEAR TREASURY NOTES AND ITS YIELD
The government sells Treasury Bills/Notes/Bonds via auction. The yield of bonds is determined by investors' bids. The 10-year-yield's importance goes beyond the rate of return for investors; mortgage interest rates are derived from the 10-year yield for instance. But for the purpose of this text, it is important to understand that the market relies on the 10-year to gauge investors's confidence. Here we see another inverse correlation: if confidence is high, the 10-year yield rises and bond prices drop and vice-versa. Any change in the 10-year yield is closely watched by the markets and has enormous impact in other asset classes.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: BOND YIELDS, STIMULUS, EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, STOCKS, AND THE FED
When Treasury bond yields rise bonds become an attractive investment because it is a safer than stocks--specially growth stocks where investors are placing their money on future success as opposed to present profits--since it is backed by the US government and provides fixed returns. While bond investors don't enjoy the big rallies of the stock market they also don't expose their capital to volatility and crashes.
With the reopening of the economy in clear sight due to vaccination, and the better than expected job reports investors started fearing higher inflation. That is a simple math: more people making money and out on the streets will boost consumption, which will lead to rise in prices. As explained before, higher inflation causes the Fed to adjustment interest rates, which causes bond prices to fall and yield to rise. Despite what Jerome Powell has said last week--that inflation rise is going to be temporary--investors didn't feel much confidence, which caused the recent sharp rise in the 10-year yield Treasury. With that, bonds became a good alternative to the stock market, causing investors to reallocate some of their capital into bonds. That and the fear caused by falling prices and the media (most of the media fuels panic--one month later everything is green again) resulted in the huge selloff we have seen the past weeks.
CONCLUSION
Phew, that was a lot. As I wrote on the preface of this text this is an overview of the subject matter so you can always read up on each one of the areas covered here to get more in-depth knowledge. However, I think this provides a good summary of what is going on on the markets right now. Hopefully you will have filled some gaps on your knowledge and will start making more sense of the interrelationship of the many aspects of economy covered here. This is a difficult subject to write about so I apologize if any idea is unclear. I can always clarify anything on the comments.
Bottom line: when things are clearer (inflation + interest rates) the markets will most likely stabilize and follow its due course. Growth stocks will continue growing (perhaps at a slower pace) and you will continue making good returns on good companies. I am using this selloff as an opportunity to lower my cost basis and enter positions in stocks that were too expensive before. Sometimes a pullback is all you were looking for even if you lose money in the short term. And hey, one can always buy put options to hedge against their long positions.
Good luck and safe trades!
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***The ideas shared here are my opinion, not financial advise to place trades. Please do your own research before buying/selling stocks***