It is possible to trade in foreign currency or Forex as it is known today. For retail investors, there are different types of accounts that may be opened. These include standard lots, micro lots, and mini lots. For first-time traders, a micro account is ideal and may be started with a very small amount. If you have already been trading stocks online, you will be able to find it easy to learn foreign currency trading.

Terms you need to know about Forex trading
There are a few terms you need to gain clarity about before you begin trading in foreign currencies.

Base currency
Any Forex pair consists of two currencies. The first one quoted is known as the base currency, which is the domestic currency of the country you are trading in.

Quote currency
The second currency which forms part of the Forex pair is called a quote currency or a counter currency. For instance, in a USD/CAD pair, CAD or Canadian Dollar is the quote currency.

Cross-currency pair
In foreign currency trading, there is a set of currencies which are traded. This excludes the U.S. dollar. One currency is exchanged for the other one and this is called cross-currency pair.

Trading Forex
The purchase or sale of a currency is always performed on the base currency. The monetary value of any change in the value of a currency will vary according to the trade and the currency being traded. You also need to choose the lot size which is generally in increments of 10,000. The best thing about trading currencies is the absence of commissions. Before you make a trade, ensure to consider the value of the currencies you are trading and the cost of a small change in the value of the same, and even the exchange rate, be it for US dollars or the Japanese yen. The difference in prices of two currencies is known as a “spread” and the spread is how your broker will make money in trading.

You need to understand the value of both currencies before you start trading. Track the market and learn about the change in the same over a period of time. The gain or loss will depend on the change in the value of the currencies. Once you understand the currency movement and the way trades are carried out, you will be able to participate in foreign currency trading with ease.

If you are a dog owner, your furry friends are like any other member in your family. To keep your pet dogs healthy and safe, it is important that you provide them the right kind of nutrition and take them to the vet, whenever the need be. However, at times, the vet bills tend to be quite high. Therefore, having a pet insurance for dogs is a good idea. Here is a list of the five best insurance providers for dogs.

Figo Pet Insurance
Figo is definitely the topmost choice for dog insurance providers. They have three plans which you may choose from—Essential, Preferred, and Ultimate. The Ultimate plan covers unlimited vet benefits, emergency boarding fees, advertising cost along with rewards in case your pet is lost, emergency cancellation on a vacation, and the entire death costs from a covered injury or illness. The Preferred plan covers all the other features except for death coverage and vacation cancellation.

Embrace
A dog insurance is one of the most popular products offered by Embrace. You may visit any vet and get the amount reimbursed along with many additional benefits. The health plans offer coverage for injuries and illnesses, cancer treatment, dental treatment (up to $1,000 per year), diagnostic testing, provision for ER, and specialist care along with a lot of other benefits. You may get excellent deals on pet insurance for dogs depending upon your state, and the age as well as the health condition of the dog.

Trupanion
Just like your true companion, Trupanion ensures that your beloved pet always stays by your side. They offer one of the best products for pet insurance for dogs. Their policies are curated to cover all the essential needs of pet care. Their coverage includes hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, and unidentified issues. When it comes to a pet insurance for dogs, they have thousands of medical conditions covered such as otitis, vomiting, allergy, and much more.

Pets Best
Pets Best are one of the largest providers for dog insurance in the country. You may consult the experts and find out the best plan for your little pup or opt for the most comprehensive coverage policy that they have to offer. It’s called the Best Benefit Accident policy which ensures that you are prepared for the worst. They also have conventional coverage in the form of Essential Wellness or Best Wellness to offer coverage against the common medical emergencies of your pet.

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance & Foundation
When looking for pet insurance for dogs, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance is a good option. They have great reviews and great plans for your dogs and puppies. One feature that makes them stand out is that you may make an instant claim online by just uploading a picture of the vet bill.

A personal loan is one of the most preferred forms of borrowing in the market. It allows borrowers to achieve their personal goals with a flexible repayment tenure. Banks, as well as non-banking financial institutions, offer different types of personal loans that vary in terms of tenure and interest rate. Those with a bad credit score might have to pay a higher interest rate on the loan. The process of application and approval of the loan is simple and straightforward.

There are multiple lenders in the industry, but Discover personal loan is known for its excellent customer service, a simple application process, and zero processing fees. They offer loans for different purposes and the loan has a long repayment tenure. You may use the funds for various reasons such as one or more of the following.

• To finance purchases for your business
• To consolidate your existing debts
• To fund a wedding
• To meet outstanding medical bills
• To go a small vacation
• To renovate your home

You may use the personal loan calculator offered by Discover personal loan in order to estimate the amount you will be required to pay each month as an installment. Having a positive credit score goes a long way with regard to the interest rate and the tenure of the loan. The loan is available for varied tenures, but it also means that you will have to pay a higher amount of interest if the loan has a longer tenure.

It is important to consider your monthly cash inflow in order to estimate the monthly installment amount you may be able to pay. If you wish to consolidate a loan, you may use the calculator to estimate the amount you will save on such a consolidation. It will help you turn your high-interest loan into a low-interest loan that is easier to repay. Personal loans are highly preferred by business owners as well as salaried employees to meet their financial needs. The loans have consumer-friendly terms and conditions and are easy to repay.

Once you have decided the amount of loan you require, you may apply for the same online with an application form, an identity proof, and a proof of your income. The loan will be processed at the earliest and the funds will be transferred to your account. However, check your credit score before you make a loan application so that you know the amount of interest you may have to pay.

With advances in technology, it has become easier for investors to trade online. Investors must know the best online trading platforms to add value to their portfolio. Many brokers are known for their excellent customer service and trading tools. The right online platform will make a huge difference in the way you trade and the amount of money you make. The first step towards building a strong portfolio is, therefore, choosing the right platform to trade on.

While a few trading platforms are ideal for traders, others are suitable for investors. Consider your investment purpose and choose the best online trading platform from the list below:

TD Ameritrade
This online platform is perfect for traders and requires no deposit. It offers a free trade for 60 days and has been ranked as one of the best online trading platforms for 2018. It allows 24×7 trading and has tools as well as mobile applications, which have made it an award-winning platform for beginners as well as professionals.

Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments is a trading platform suitable for investors. It requires a minimum deposit of around $2,500 and offers around 500 free trades for 2 years. It is known for its exemplary customer experience and is appreciated for its quality order execution. It is easy to use and is ranked at the top in terms of research tools.

Merrill Edge®
This online platform is known for the best reward program and requires a zero deposit. It has an offer where you invest in a new account and get around $600. Investors may enjoy around 30 free trades in a month with a $50,000 three-month average balance.

E*TRADE
E*TRADE is best known for options trading and has a minimum deposit requirement of around $500. It offers free trades for 60 days, and you may get around $600 on sign up. It is ranked at the top for mobile trading services.

It is best to compare the offers and the features of different online platforms before you open your account. You will also need to consider the costs associated with each trade because that will matter in the long term. For instance, Fidelity charges around $4.95 per trade whereas E*TRADE’s cost per trade stands at around $6.95. Hence, it is important to compare every account and then decide on the best online trading platform that fits your investment criteria and is easy to use.

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) allow investors to build an investment portfolio at low cost. ETF is a marketable security which tracks a commodity or an index and the prices of the same constantly change. Most ETFs include index funds that track a collection of securities. Before you make an investment, it is best to choose the right fund that fits your needs. Here are some of the top ETF picks for 2018 to buy. You can choose from high-dividend ETFs as well and determine which ETF is the best for you.

SPDR® S&P 500®
This is one of the best ETFs with a rating of A+ and a holding cost of around $154. It holds assets worth around $254 billion.

iShares Core S&P 500
This is another popular ETF with an A+ rating and assets of around $146.7 billion. It has a holding cost of around $63.

Vanguard Total Stock Market
This is an A+ rated ETF fund with a holding cost of around $35 and assets summing up to around $94.6 billion.

PowerShares QQQ
This is another popular ETF with an A+ rating and assets worth around $62.1 billion with a holding cost of around $324.

iShares Core MSCI EAFE
This is one of the top-rated A+ funds with assets of around $58.8 billion and a holding cost of around $64.

ETF funds may be divided into stocks, bonds, and commodities. You need to choose the best ETF based on your long-term financial goals and your risk appetite. If you have a low-risk appetite, it is best to go for debt funds whereas if you are willing to bear a high risk, it is ideal to opt for stock funds. Whatever your budget, you will be able to find the best ETF that fits your needs. Consider the amount you want to invest and choose the best ETFs for the same.

There are different ways in which you may evaluate an ETF fund before buying it. Pick a fund and learn how the ETF follows it. It is important to look at the average daily trading volume on an ETF investment. As a beginner, you need to create a diversified investment portfolio which focuses on the long-term growth of your fund. Evaluate your risk appetite and weigh your investment options before you decide on a fund. Check the fund’s liquidity grade, especially if you are planning to exit the market early. The best option will be to choose a balanced fund if you have a long investment tenure and a strong risk appetite.

While everybody understands how a mortgage works, there is still confusion revolving around the concept of a reverse mortgage. A lot of financial experts believe that a reverse mortgage is not advisable for financially vulnerable seniors. However, there are reasons why a reverse mortgage for seniors is considered a good idea. Read on to know the benefits of a reverse mortgage.

What is a reverse mortgage?
A reverse mortgage is a loan for citizens who are aged 62 years and above. These loans give senior citizens a chance to convert their home equity into cash. Also referred to as a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures these loans, and they come with no monthly mortgage payments. The lender may pay the homeowner in the form of a lump sum, monthly payments (for as long as the borrower is residing at home), periodic advances through a line of credit, or various combinations of the options mentioned above.

The eligibility criteria are also quite simple as compared to a conventional mortgage. Any homeowner who is above the age of 62 is eligible for availing of a reverse mortgage for seniors.

What are the benefits of getting a reverse mortgage?
A reverse mortgage for seniors has various advantages. The top reasons to get it are as follows:

The ownership remains with you
The only thing you need to take care of in order to let the homeownership remain with you is to comply with the terms and conditions of the loan, pay the property taxes on time, and maintain the homeowner’s insurance.

There is no hassle of a monthly mortgage payment
As opposed to a conventional mortgage account, you get funds paid to you on a monthly basis without the hassle of counting it in your budget.

Reverse mortgage protects against the real estate fluctuations
If the loan price increases due to a change in the market, you are still insured because these loans are backed by the FHA.

You may choose any method of disbursement
As mentioned above, these payments may be made to you in different forms as per your convenience, thereby making it easier for you to collect the funds.

However, before getting reverse mortgages for seniors, weigh the pros and cons and the terms and conditions of the lender to avoid any hassles in the long run.

A student loan is one of the most important reasons behind an increasing financial crisis. A lot of students end up in debt and are unable to make the repayment of their loans. The debt keeps piling on and there is no better way to solve the financial crisis than to offer a student loan forgiveness. There are special programs which have specific eligibility requirements and benefits. These programs allow for complete forgiveness on the outstanding loan amount, which includes the principal as well as the interest. It is important to understand how the program works and how you may be eligible for the same.

How to apply for the program
You cannot directly apply for forgiveness of the entire loan amount. In order to be eligible for the program, you will have to prove that you have made the required number of monthly payments. You will be required to fill up the necessary forms and ensure that your loan is in the Direct Loan Program. Not many people are aware that they should be a part of the Direct Loan program in order to qualify for the student loan forgiveness program.

Benefits of a student loan forgiveness program
When you apply for a student loan forgiveness program, you could qualify for a complete forgiveness of the loan after a certain number of years or payments. This means you might have to make payments for a period of 10 years or clear 120 installments in total and the balance will be forgiven.

Further, the program has no cap on the amount that may be forgiven through the program. This means whatever outstanding balance you may have, it may be forgiven completely after a period of 10 years of timely payment of the dues. If you are under a pile of debt and consider it difficult to repay the loan, you may check your eligibility and apply for a forgiveness program. There are different forgiveness programs such as student loan interest forgiveness, student loan forgiveness for nurses, and disability discharge student loan forgiveness.

Obtaining a student loan is easy, but the repayment for the same is very important. If you do not make the monthly payments on time, you will be under a pile of debt and your credit history will be affected. In case you are unable to make the payments, you need to apply for a forgiveness program with the necessary documents as proof of past payment.

A 401k account is a largely preferred option for retirement savings. It gives you the option of saving your money and investing a large sum each year, which may be used as a corpus once you retire and have no financial stability. At the moment, the current maximum amount that workers under the age of 50 may save each year is $18,500. For workers above the age of 50, the catch-up option gives even greater amounts for saving in the 401k account.

Taking 2017 into consideration, the average 401k balance of a person in savings was around $103,866. However, when the median balance was considered, it only amounted to $26,331 which implies that most Americans have saved much lesser than the average as a whole.

Use your age and other factors for evaluating your average 401k balance
To use a 401k retirement calculator, the most important feature is to consider your age. Other important factors are the amount your employer matches up to, the time period you have been employed and of course, your salary. The thumb rule that some investors suggest is saving half of your annual salary for retirement until you reach the age of 30. The average contribution rates as per your age which may help you get an estimate on the 401k retirement calculator are:

• For people aged between 20-39, the contribution is 7%.
• For the age group between 40-49, the contribution amount averages to 8%.
• For the age group between 50-59, the percentage rate of contribution is 10%.
• For the age group of 60-69, the contribution amount should average to 11%.
• For people aged between 70-79, the percentage rate of contribution is 12%.

An average calculation of 401k balance
While each case is different, there is still a thumb rule you may follow to get an estimate from your 401k retirement calculator. Assuming that you start withdrawing 4% of your savings every year right after you have retired from the next year itself, then you would need to have an average 401k balance of $103,866 for the income to last you roughly for 30 years. This also takes into consideration the inflation amounts and the increasing interest per year of the corpus collected in the 401k account. But, with the right investments and right savings, you may end up with a much higher amount that will let you lead a life comfortably without any financial hassles.