USD Index Flows

FX NOW! USD Index Flows - IMF snapshot shows USD drops as % of total reserves in Q2 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 12:17:00 PM



* 30 Sep 09: 16:16 GMT (LDN) - FX NOW! USD Index Flows - IMF snapshot shows USD drops as % of total reserves in Q2 2009


A report that may be of some interest has come over Reuters. the IMF released a report that during Q2 2009, USD as a percentage of total reserves fell from 65% to 62.8%. The decline comes in the context of a climb in total reserves during the quarter by 4.8% to USD6.8 trln. The chart above shows what the USD Index did during the time period highlighted. It is worth noting that the USD index has continued to fall, which may suggest that whatever is happening to total reserves, the USD is likely to be an even smaller percentage once the Q3 data is compiled and released. M.B.


* 30 Sep 09: 15:35 GMT (NYC) - FX NOW! AUD/USD, USD/CAD Flows - Crude oil bounce helping commodity currencies


Since the release of what was a mixed bag on the EIA inventory data report, crude oil rallied to USD68.45 from USD66.25 and has helped commodity currencies AUD and CAD take back losses. In terms of the EIA data, the report showed a larger than expected rise in crude stocks while gasoline fell further than expected and distillates were up by less than anticipated. Equities are now starting to drift off lows but will need more momentum to break AUD/USD's high of 0.8837 and USD/CAD's 1.0712 low. SI


* 30 Sep 09: 15:11 GMT (NYC) - FX NOW! EUR/USD, GBP/USD Flows - No great excitement at fixing


No great excitement on EUR or GBP at the month/quarter end fixing. Cable is off lows of 1.5946 but bounce is not gathering much steam. EUR is near 1.4620/30 as equities hover near lows, but eye crude oil which has advanced in the wake of the EIA inventory report and could boost energy sector stocks (and the overall index), which would thereby give EUR a nudge. SI

Volcker Criticizes Obama Plan on ‘Systemically Important’ Firms

http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aKPBxT0cjj5E
Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker criticized the Obama administration's plan to subject "systemically important" financial firms to more stringent regulation by the Fed.

Volcker told lawmakers today that such a designation would imply government readiness to support the firms in a crisis, encouraging even more risky behavior in a phenomenon known as "moral hazard."

Are We Real? Insights for evolution

FOMC Statement The Committee will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent.

FOMC Statement

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in August suggests that economic activity has picked up following its severe downturn. Conditions in financial markets have improved further, and activity in the housing sector has increased. Household spending seems to be stabilizing, but remains constrained by ongoing job losses, sluggish income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. Businesses are still cutting back on fixed investment and staffing, though at a slower pace; they continue to make progress in bringing inventory stocks into better alignment with sales. Although economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time, the Committee anticipates that policy actions to stabilize financial markets and institutions, fiscal and monetary stimulus, and market forces will support a strengthening of economic growth and a gradual return to higher levels of resource utilization in a context of price stability.

With substantial resource slack likely to continue to dampen cost pressures and with longer-term inflation expectations stable, the Committee expects that inflation will remain subdued for some time.

In these circumstances, the Federal Reserve will continue to employ a wide range of tools to promote economic recovery and to preserve price stability. The Committee will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and continues to anticipate that economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period. To provide support to mortgage lending and housing markets and to improve overall conditions in private credit markets, the Federal Reserve will purchase a total of $1.25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and up to $200 billion of agency debt. The Committee will gradually slow the pace of these purchases in order to promote a smooth transition in markets and anticipates that they will be executed by the end of the first quarter of 2010. As previously announced, the Federal Reserve's purchases of $300 billion of Treasury securities will be completed by the end of October 2009. The Committee will continue to evaluate the timing and overall amounts of its purchases of securities in light of the evolving economic outlook and conditions in financial markets. The Federal Reserve is monitoring the size and composition of its balance sheet and will make adjustments to its credit and liquidity programs as warranted.

Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Elizabeth A. Duke; Charles L. Evans; Donald L. Kohn; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Dennis P. Lockhart; Daniel K. Tarullo; Kevin M. Warsh; and Janet L. Yellen.

http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=E83004B9-5056-9F12-126EED5322A86646&method=display

FX Markets in stop hunting mode

* 23 Sep 09: 00:52 GMT (SGA) - FX NOW! USD/JPY, EUR/JPY Flows - USD back up as market in hunt for stops, above 91.00

Markets in "stoploss hunting mode" - with USD/JPY stops below 90.80-90, and EUR stops/options above 1.4825 taken out - now the reverse is happening. Sell USD earlier on stops, now market players are buying back USD on short-squeeze in lack of fresh news. USD/JPY up at 90.89-90, up from 90.47-50 lows, eye stoploss above 91.00, the level where huge US investment, funds sellers started the morning sales. EUR/USD stops below 1.4780/ 1.4750 now as market now after running into good offers ahead of 1.4850 barriers after charging to 1-year highs of 1.4840-43 from 1.4800-10. EUR/JPY at 134.45-50, off its lows of 134.10-13, eye test of 135.00 on short-squeeze in USD/JPY again. WL

Collective2.com Trading Volume Surges 1,000% to $11.65 Billion

http://preview.collective2.com/pressreleases/C2_pr_20090804.pdf

Contact: Michael Robinson

510-428-2167

New York -- Aug. 4, 2009 -- In a sign of the continued flight of

investors from high-priced money managers to do-it-yourself Internet

investing, Collective2.com today announced that it facilitated a record

$3.6 billion in self-directed trades in June 2009, roughly a 10-fold

increase from the year before.

For the first six months of this year, the nominal value of financial

instruments traded through Collective2.com totaled $11.65 billion.

That compares with about $1.1 billion in the similar 2008 period. Also

during the period, registered users grew 25 percent to 32,000.

Collective2.com acts as an online repository for automated trading

systems. The site allows any investor with an Internet connection to

select from nearly 9,000 trading systems that have been developed

by mathematicians and traders from around the world. Once an

investor selects his systems, trades are automatically placed in the

customerʼs regular brokerage account.

A trading system is a set of formulas and rules that generate buy and sell

recommendations based on price, volume or other data. Collective2.com

trading systems cover stocks, options, futures and foreign exchange.

"Were seeing more investors flee from so-called professional money

managersʼ and decide they can do better, and pay less, while

maintaining complete control over their brokerage accounts," said

Matthew Klein, President of Collective2. "At Collective2, an investor

with only $10,000 can have access to the same high-end automated

trading strategies as a money manager running a $100 million

portfolio."

The Collective2 automated trading platform is completely transparent.

Funds remain in the customers brokerage account. The customer

alone selects which trading strategies are automated in his account

and can see, in real time, exactly which trades are being placed

NFA Blasting Florida based firms

NFA permanently bars True Vector Trading Group LLC and its principal

September 22, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has permanently barred from NFA membership True Vector Trading Group LLC http://www.nfa.futures.org/basicnet/Details.aspx?entityid=0383441 (True Vector), an Introducing Broker formerly located in Delray Beach, Florida, and its principal James Douglas http://www.nfa.futures.org/basicnet/Details.aspx?entityid=0320266 of Galveston, Texas. The Decision, issued by NFA's Business Conduct Committee, is based on an NFA Complaint filed in June 2009.

The Committee found that True Vector and Douglas made misleading sales solicitations to customers and had the customers sign blank account opening documents which Douglas completed with inaccurate information. The Committee also found that True Vector and Douglas failed to adequately implement an anti-money laundering program and failed to supervise True Vector's employees in the conduct of their commodity futures activities.

http://www.nfa.futures.org/news/newsRel.asp?ArticleID=2357

For Immediate Release

For more information contact:
Karen Wuertz (312) 781-1335, kwuertz@nfa.futures.org

NFA permanently bars Florida firm GlobeFX Club Inc.

September 21, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has permanently barred GlobeFX Club Inc. (GlobeFX Club) from NFA membership. GlobeFX Club is a Commodity Pool Operator located in Homestead, Florida. The Decision, issued by NFA's Business Conduct Committee, is based on an NFA Complaint filed in June 2009.

The Committee found that GlobeFX Club provided false and misleading information to NFA and failed to cooperate in NFA's investigation of the firm's operations. In addition, the Committee found that GlobeFX Club failed to supervise the firm's forex activities.

In March 2009, NFA took an emergency enforcement action that suspended GlobeFX Club because NFA was unable to determine the nature of GlobeFX's business operations, the identities of its customers and the treatment of its customer funds. See previous press release.

The complete text of the Complaint and Decision can be found on NFA's website (http://www.nfa.futures.org).

NFA is the premier independent provider of innovative and efficient regulatory programs that safeguard the integrity of the futures markets.

For Immediate Release

For more information contact:
Karen Wuertz (312) 781-1335, kwuertz@nfa.futures.org

NFA permanently bars Florida commodity trading advisor Capital Blu Management LLC

September 18, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has permanently barred from NFA membership Capital Blu Management LLC (Capital Blu), a Commodity Trading Advisor located in Melbourne, Florida. The Decision, issued by NFA's Business Conduct Committee, is based on an NFA Complaint filed in June 2009.

The Committee found that Capital Blu failed to cooperate fully and promptly with NFA in its investigation of the firm's operations.

The Decision is one of a series of actions taken against Capital Blu. In September 2008, NFA issued a Member Responsibility Action (MRA) prompted by NFA's investigation which was based upon customer allegations that Capital Blu had provided false statements to customers and participants in the CBM FX Fund LP and possibly other pools. See previous press release.

Additionally in April 2009, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed an action in federal court in Florida charging Capital Blu along with other defendants with depositing customer funds into multiple Capital Blu bank accounts, which were commingled and misappropriated for personal use. The Court entered a temporary restraining order freezing their assets and prohibiting Capital Blu from destroying books and records. See narrative of the CFTC Action.

The complete text of the Complaint and Decision can be found on NFA's website (http://www.nfa.futures.org)

NFA is the premier independent provider of innovative and efficient regulatory programs that safeguard the integrity of the futures markets.

Too Much Mathematics in Trading

By Thomas R. Keene and Shannon D. Harrington

Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Financial markets have grown too dependent on mathematicians who use models to anticipate price moves and need to start injecting "common sense" into the equation, said Paul Wilmott, a London-based author and quantitative finance instructor.

Wilmott has warned that so-called quants who use mathematics to forecast how markets will behave can overlook errors in the models, leading to flawed predictions. In a New York Times column July 28, Wilmott also said so-called high- frequency trading, where hedge funds and other firms use advanced computers to buy and sell thousands of shares a second, threatens to destabilize the market.

"There is too much mathematics in this business," Wilmott, author of "Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance," said in a Bloomberg Radio interview. "I just want people to stop and think for once. People just rush into these things without any thought for what the consequences might be."

Wilmott is the co-founder of the Certificate in Quantitative Finance, a six-month program founded in 2003 that stresses the "practical" application of math in finance and admitted 195 students in January.

"We explain to people how to think for themselves," said Wilmott, who also founded the Diploma in Mathematical Finance at Oxford University, according to his Web site. "People don't really question those assumptions enough. If the assumptions are wrong, then obviously the models and what follows can be wrong as well."

Reliance on computer models and trading using algorithmic formulas also has led to a shift in the types of people hired by Wall Street, he said.

"You go back 20 years, and people running finance, they were maybe history graduates," Wilmott said. Now, much of the industry is run by mathematicians, he said. "A lot of mathematicians do not have that common sense that the old guard had," he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas R. Keene in New York tkeene@bloomberg.net; Shannon D. Harrington in New York at sharrington6@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 21, 2009 15:39 EDT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aD4y2TBuy4gQ

EES Releases Dollar Index Custom Indicator, featured on MQL4.com and EESFX.com

http://eesfx.com/dollarindex/ Direct Download

http://eesfx.com/eesfx/index.php/forum/15-custom-indicators/35-dollar-index-for-meta-trader-4.html EES FX Forum Thread USDX

http://codebase.mql4.com/6018 MQL4 page

FXstreet-992009

FXstreet-992009, originally uploaded by eliteeservices.

EES approved as contributor to FX Street, featured on Homepage for Education

EES FX Street Page http://www.fxstreet.com/search/contributors/contributor.aspx?Id=aafebf80-bc58-4248-94a7-b565a655c382

EES reaches 10,000 downloads from MQL4.com

http://codebase.mql4.com/en/author/eliteeservices

Original eFibo trader: 6240

EES Hedger: 2025

V Speed Indicator: 674

New NFA Rule - Forex only managers do not need to register

Account Managers
Generally, a person exercising trading authority over a customer's futures or
options account must register as a commodity trading advisor (CTA). The
Advisory states, however, that a person that manages the funds of
customers held by an authorized counterparty solely to trade forex is not
required to register as a CTA but may do so voluntarily. Obviously, if the
person also exercises trading authority over a customer's account for
exchange-traded futures or options contracts, the person must register as a
CTA.
A person exercising trading authority over a customer's account may not
receive or hold the customer's funds. Those funds must be held by an
authorized counterparty.

Nfa Forex Regulatory Guide

Jim Rogers: Assets being taken from the competent and allocated to the incompetent

Introduction to Regulation of Hedge Funds in Germany

hedge funds companies -

SEC Staff Clarifies that Cash Solicitation Rule
Does Not Apply to Investment Pool Referrals
http://www.dechert.com/library/FS_09_10_08.pdf

China US Trade war begins

Mr. Obama's Trade War

If President Obama thought he could pander to his domestic political base without any consequences abroad, he needs to think again. Beijing's response to the tire tariffs Mr. Obama announced late Friday evening is a warning that America's trading partners won't take protectionism lying down.

China's Ministry of Commerce announced Sunday that it will launch antidumping investigations against imported U.S. auto parts and chickens. The move is being interpreted as retaliation for Mr. Obama's imposition of a 35% tariff on cheap Chinese tires imported into the U.S. (Beijing denies a link.) Apparently Beijing wasn't mollified by the fact the tariff is less than the 55% domestic lobbies in the U.S. had sought. The Commerce Ministry also put out a strongly worded statement denouncing the tire tariffs and not-so-gently reminding Mr. Obama of the Group of 20 statements he has endorsed about the importance of resisting protectionism amid a world-wide slowdown.

On their own these measures won't mark dramatic protectionism. Many imports of U.S. poultry already face stiff limits stemming from a pre-existing trade dispute over a U.S. ban on some Chinese chickens. Beijing had already slapped duties on car parts during an earlier trade dispute, too.

Rather, the Chinese government may want to send a signal to discourage Mr. Obama from future protectionism. They have reason to worry. Unlike in normal antidumping cases, Mr. Obama can't plead that his tire decision was simply made by career bureaucrats following a standard rule book. The trade law he applied, Section 421, gives the President full discretion, and Mr. Obama signaled he's willing to use his discretion to pay back domestic political supporters like the United Steelworkers union that filed the tire case. And because Mr. Obama's decision sets a precedent for similar cases, Beijing has to worry it will face more protectionism in short order if it doesn't nip this trend in the bud now.

This kind of Chinese response was predictable, if the Obama Administration had cared to read the signs. As a political matter, Beijing can't afford to do nothing. The China Rubber Industry Association, a trade group, puts the potential cost to the Chinese economy of the U.S. tariffs at $1 billion and 100,000 lost Chinese jobs. The Commerce Ministry said yesterday it wants to discuss the issue with the U.S. at the World Trade Organization, but a formal WTO challenge would face an uphill climb. Section 421 was specifically allowed as part of China's agreement to join the WTO in 2001.

Plus, China has its own protectionist lobbies at home. "Chinese poultry companies have been struggling over the past couple of years amid bird flu and a flood of imports, and the financial crisis is making that worse," Ma Chuang of the China Animal Agriculture Association, told Bloomberg over the weekend. Tire tariffs from the world's traditional free-trade leader makes it harder for governments like China's to stand up to such pressure from their own domestic interests.

That doesn't make Beijing's apparent retaliation right, of course. Beijing could best claim the global economic leadership role it craves by resisting tit-for-tat protectionism and instead further reducing its own subsidies, trade protections and limits on foreign investment. That might be wishful thinking, but at a minimum it would be wise to drop these antidumping cases as soon as attention has shifted elsewhere.

The bigger lesson here is for Mr. Obama, though. He appears to have thought he could both appease his far-left antitrade supporters in the U.S. and paper over the resulting disagreements with America's trading partners. No such luck. Instead he ceded America's historical leadership on trade when he imposed the tire tariffs. Now China's weekend moves are offering a first sign of where this will end up if he doesn't rediscover the virtues of free trade soon.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203917304574411810671806286.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#printMode

Is this a looming trade war between the US and the world's largest holder of US debt? Or is it saber-rattling setting up the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/economy-watch/2009/09/looming_trade_war_with_china_o.html?hpid=topnews

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090914-702705.html
European stock markets traded lower Monday, weighed down by fears of protectionism and a possible US/China trade war.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dollar-gives-up-early-gains-after-trade-war-fears-2009-09-14
By marketwatch The US dollar slides against major rivals in late morning, giving up a small lift amid rising US-China trade tensions

New Merk funds offers currencies for all

BOSTON (Reuters) - Money manager Axel Merk has a proposition for average investors: play the currency markets like a hedge fund for a mere $2,500.

Normally the world's foreign exchange markets -- where dollars, euros and yen exchange hands at lightning speed and in enormous sums -- are off limits to people who are saving a few hundred dollars a week for retirement or college tuition.

But on Wednesday, Merk -- a computer scientist turned asset manager with a growing reputation for bringing currencies to Main Street investors -- will launch his third fund that will be stocked with the world's biggest and most liquid currencies.

The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund will join the four-year-old Merk Hard Currency Fund and the one-year-old Merk Asian Currency Fund as part of the Merk Mutual Funds' lineup.

"This fund will allow the public to have access to the forex markets," Merk said in a telephone interview.

"The main goal is to offer true diversification with a mix of currencies that can go long or short," Merk said, describing the portfolio as something for investors who want to own more than stocks and bonds.

Investors will be able to access the fund through the Internet, brokerages such as Fidelity and Charles Schwab (SCHW.O), and through financial advisors.

The new fund will share characteristics of the two existing funds: it will never use leverage or borrowed money to make returns grow faster and it will make long-term allocations, not minute by minute calls, Merk said. 

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5880NQ20090909

Reuters Hedge Funds Blog

http://blogs.reuters.com/hedgehub/

New Merk funds offer currency for all – Reuters

Barclays Capital launches enhanced FX Algorithmic Trading

http://www.automatedtrader.net/news/algorithmic-trading-news/15924/barclays-capital-launches-enhanced-fx-algorithmic-trading
Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC, has announced the launch of PowerFill+, a suite of online foreign exchange tools providing clients with order management and access to deeper liquidity. This new functionality on BARX, the firm's electronic trading platform, is free to use, providing execution capability without brokerage fees.

The main feature of PowerFill+ is that it allows clients to anonymously work bids and offers. The best bid/offer forms part of the price that users see, which is intended to enable BARX to provide all clients with tighter spreads and deeper liquidity.

"Traditionally, platforms offering this level of order functionality charge their clients fees, but PowerFill+ is brokerage free," said Tim Cartledge, Head of BARX FX Trading at Barclays Capital. "Zero brokerage plus Barclays Capital's certainty and depth of liquidity, coupled with the extra liquidity resulting from our clients' own orders, means we are providing clients with an optimal trading environment."

"PowerFill+ demonstrates Barclays Capital's commitment to providing clients with outstanding service and reinforces our position as a leader in market innovation," said Nick Howard, Head of Foreign Exchange and Emerging Markets Distribution at Barclays Capital. "This is a great addition to our BARX platform which is recognised globally for its reliability and stability with a proven track record during times of market volatility."

New NFA Forex Regulatory Guide

http://www.nfa.futures.org/NFA-compliance/publication-library/forex-regulatory-guide.pdf
Forex Transactions

Treasuring Thrift: 'In Cheap We Trust'

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112557219
Journalist Lauren Weber knows a little something about being cheap. When she was growing up, her father refused to set the heat above 50 degrees during the winter in New England.

He turned out the lights, even if someone had left a room for just a moment. And for a little while he even tried to ration the family's use of toilet paper. Seriously.

Rather than traumatize Weber, all that — and more — made her the perfect person to explore the roots of frugality in the United States.

Nobody Liking Dollar Deficits Makes Rogoff Favorite

No 'Performance Advantage'

The need for foreign investors may only increase in the final four months of 2009.

After purchases by the Fed, the net supply of long-term U.S. government and agency debt has been about $50 billion a month this year, Dean Maki, head of U.S. economics research at Barclays Capital in New York, wrote in a Sept. 4 report. As the Fed slows its so-called quantitative easing program, net supply may reach $200 billion by year-end, he wrote.

"In the broadest sense, the dollar tends to prosper when a unique U.S. asset attracts foreign buyers," such as high real yields in the early 1980s and the Internet boom in early 2000s, Steven Englander, the chief currency strategist at Barclays, wrote in a research note on Aug. 27. "There is no asset class in which U.S. assets have a clear performance advantage"

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aUzQTB9klLmM

High Tech VW Factory in Dresden

Oldest Swiss Bank Tells Clients to Sell U.S. Assets or Leave

Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Wegelin & Co., Switzerland's oldest bank, is telling wealthy clients to sell their U.S. assets, or switch banks, because of concerns new rules will saddle investors with tax obligations in the world's biggest economy.

U.S. proposals to extend reporting requirements for banks whose clients buy American stocks and bonds coupled with estate tax liabilities that may be inherited by the heirs of people who have such holdings prompted the advice from the St. Gallen, Switzerland-based bank, said Managing Partner Konrad Hummler.

"We came to the conclusion that it's a threat to our clients," Hummler, who is also president of the Swiss Private Bankers Association, said in an interview yesterday during a conference in Zurich. "It's also a threat to us as a bank because as a custodian we are an executor to the estate. We find this aspect discomforting, so we recommend selling all American securities whatsoever."

Hummler said he plans to raise the subject today at a meeting of the Private Bankers Association, which counts Pictet & Cie., Lombard Odier & Cie. and Mirabaud & Cie. among its members. Swiss banks, which manage $2 trillion, or 27 percent, of the world's privately held offshore wealth, are struggling to protect bank secrecy after the government agreed to hand over the names of 4,450 UBS AG clients to U.S. tax authorities.

Hummler said he wouldn't ask other association members to follow Wegelin's lead. Wegelin, founded in 1741, manages more than 20 billion Swiss francs ($18.7 billion) in client assets.

"Every member is free to decide and act on their own," he said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20603037&sid=aguVgp1QqgEU

Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc's Swiss private bank says more rich foreigners are inquiring about moving to Switzerland, spurred by rising taxes at home and concerns about the erosion of banking secrecy for non-residents.

Switzerland's decision to increase cooperation with the U.S. and neighbors such as France and Germany on tax evasion hasn't dulled the Alpine nation's allure for those who are able to take up residence, said Alexandre Zeller, chief executive officer of HSBC's Swiss bank.

"We're not talking about thousands of people because we're talking about people with a certain wealth, but it's significant," Zeller said in an interview in Zurich. "They come above all from countries which have substantially increased taxes. There's a direct correlation between taxes and the desire of a wealthy person to want to establish themselves elsewhere."

Switzerland is home to expatriate millionaires including seven-time Formula 1 racing champion Michael Schumacher, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad and singer Tina Turner. Wealthy residents who don't have Swiss income can negotiate individual tax deals with regional authorities in Switzerland.

Zeller said any Swiss banking client with a tax-compliance issue in his home country has three choices: do nothing, make a voluntary disclosure, or, if rich enough, move to Switzerland.

Beginning in April, the U.K. plans to levy a 50 percent income tax on people who make more than 150,000 pounds ($244,000) a year. Julius Baer Holding AG Chairman Raymond Baer said in an interview earlier this year that his bank remains attractive to Germans faced with unpredictable taxes. Most Americans remain liable for U.S. taxes even if they live abroad.

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ae3NU.gekp.0

The incredible shrinking surplus

Is China deliberately understating the size of its trade surplus?

CHINA'S current-account surplus is seen by some as the root cause of the financial crisis. The good news is that after widening year after year it is now shrinking much faster than expected. In the first half of this year the surplus narrowed to $130 billion, one-third lower than a year earlier, and barely half its level in the second half of 2008. Not only has China's merchandise trade surplus narrowed, but investment income from China's stash of foreign reserves has also dropped. Arthur Kroeber at Dragonomics, an economic-research firm, predicts that the current-account surplus is likely to drop to 5% of China's GDP this year, down from 11% at its peak in 2007. Belatedly, China seems to be doing its bit to rebalance the world economy.

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=14363126

Yen Trades Near 7-Week High

Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The yen traded near a seven-week high against the euro before a European report estimated to show retail sales fell in July from a year ago, adding to signs a recovery in the 16-nation region's economy may be slow.

The yen was also close to its strongest in seven weeks against the dollar as stocks slid for a second day in Tokyo, boosting demand for the relative safety of Japan's currency. The euro traded near its lowest level in two weeks versus the greenback on speculation European Central Bank President Jean- Claude Trichet will signal policy makers will keep interest rates low at today's meeting.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aIPpoF5MLqU0

http://marketoracle.co.uk/Article13165.html The Euro dropped from 1.4376 until it reached and tested Fibonacci 61.8% support for the whole move from 1.4045 to 1.4405. The above mentioned Fibonacci support at 1.4183 will be the most important for the short-term, after it survived yesterday's test (yesterday's low 1.4176) , because a break of this specific support will open the door to a trial to find a new bottom below Aug 17th low 1.4045 within this week. Any attempt to go up will have to break through 1.4252 (short-term 38.2% Fibonacci Resistance), and if this attempt is corrective, it should not go higher than 1.4300, as we can surely say that this is the most important resistance for the moment.

Credit Suisse Investment-Bank Chief Calello Treated for Cancer

Calello, 48, "has begun an intensive program of treatment due to the development of a sudden and unexpected illness," the Zurich-based bank said in a statement yesterday. "Paul will remain as involved in the business as the course of treatment process will allow." Calello has cancer, according to a memo sent to employees. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aAUIIgVF7Sns

EES posts strategy to MT4 stats day before hack attack

As you might have noticed, MT4stats.com is currently not reachable or VERY slow.

This is because a lot of servers of the datacenter where MT4 Stats is hosted are under attack.

Server/IT specialists are fixing this now as I am writing this. Hopefully these so called people performing DDOS-attacks are gone very soon, or even better.. get caught.

That's it for now, so no need to worry about it!

MT4 Stats should be up and running again this same evening, during asian session or next morning at UK sunrise. I can not promise you this, it depends on all the IT people from the datacenter located in The Netherlands.

I wish you the best with trading tonight!

Cheers,

Hans

Webmaster MT4 Stats

http://eliteeservices.mt4stats.com/

Forex.com announces metals trading

We are pleased to announce that we will be adding spot gold and silver trading to the MetaTrader platform on September 1st, 2009, enabling clients of FOREX.com UK to trade metals alongside global currencies.

We will be sending a client notification email on September 2nd, 2009. A sample of the email has been included below for your reference.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Relationship Manager or GAIN Capital Partner Services at +1.908.731.0724, or at partnerservices@gaincapital.com.

We're pleased to let you know that spot gold and silver are now available for you to trade on MetaTrader at FOREX.com.

Much like trading currency pairs, spot metals enables traders to take a long or short position in gold (XAU/USD) or silver (XAG/USD) while simultaneously taking the opposite position in the U.S. dollar. The spot metals markets are quoted and traded in a very similar way to currency pairs. Trading is available 24 hours a day from Sunday 11pm GMT through to 10pm Friday GMT.

Spot gold and silver trading is driven by several market factors that currency traders are likely already following, including the strength of the U.S. dollar and the price of oil.

Why trade metals?

		Hedge against inflation - When inflation expectations are high or rising, gold and silver tend to appreciate while other asset classes may see values eroded by inflation. When inflation expectations are low, metals may languish.
		Alternative to USD - Historically, gold and silver are a "safe havens", a country-neutral investment. When the reserve currency comes under pressure, investors seek out other alternatives - like gold and silver.
		Safe haven vehicle - during periods of heightened risk aversion or market turmoil, gold and silver tend to appreciate as investors exit other financial assets (e.g. stocks and bonds) and flock to the traditional role of metals as a store of wealth.