After trading for a while and posting my previous posts in 2008, I have decided to find out new experiences with eToro in 2010. So I started my research again in January. As you know I have posted few posts already about eToro this may be a good time to see what (if anything) is different with eToro.

I have been trading since 2005 with different platforms and eToro was one of them that I liked a lot because of its simplicity and user friendliness. Later part of 2008 I took a break from online trading all together. However I have not stopped researching eToro and other trading platforms including metatrader. If you know what you are doing, I think eToro is the best platform by far, for novice, intermediate, and experienced traders. It sure has come long ways since 2008.

What struck me right away with my new experience is that eToro now allows you to trade in two different ways. One is Software that you can download and another one is the web trading option. In this article (to keep it short and to the point) I will only talk about the Web Trading platform. Software based platform will be discussed on another article.

What I like about eToro’s Web Trading Platform?

First of all I like that they have a web trading platform. For me, it is the best way to trade. I travel a lot for my job and web trading option allows me to trade virtually from anywhere. I sent few emails to eToro customer service in 2008 requesting the web platform. I actually didn’t know whether they will implement web trading platform or not but now I can say it was my idea. In 2010, from what I have seen, this is one of the best web platforms for online trading. The look and feel is very welcoming and user friendly. After you log in on the web trading platform you see the following screen:

This is very similar to the one you see when you download the software version for your computer. Some of the features I like are:

• You can execute your sell or buy orders, You can deposit money, you can view the history of your past transactions, and you can add news widget. This news widget is great because you can see whats happening in the market right away.
• You can also chat live with other traders.
• This also gives you the option to filter out the currency pair you don’t want to see. For me that is great because I can customize to see exactly what I want on my eToro web trading platform.
• Another great addition to eToro trading platform is the ability to trade commodities. Right now they allow you to trade Gold and Silver.
• Another cool feature about eToro web trading platform for me is the option to Explore. Once you click on the Explore button you see a screen like the one below:

• This allows you to view charts of any pair you wish, you can see trading challenge results, you can view the Economic Events Calendar that allows you to view market news and plan you next strategy. You can also view Top traders’ Insight to help you make your own decision. All of these is just one click away on single screen.
• To customize the look according to your preference it also allows you to change color or looks of it by simply clicking on the Edit option on each of the windows.

Ok, so those are all cool features, it really doesn’t matter what platform you use, but if it doesn’t help the traders in making money then it’s worthless. From my own experience I have found this to be an excellent way to make money. Of course there are risks but you have to know what you are doing. If you do that then you are fine.

How does it help traders make money?

Well, first of all it allows you to set your stop loss limit. You can set it to any amount you want. It also allows you to execute trades automatically. You just set it up so when it hits certain level of price it will execute the trade for you automatically. Their pips are very comparable with other trading platforms. I would say sometimes they are lower than others.

They also have an excellent team of helpers who will help you all the way through your trading.

During my research, I have noticed both negative and positive comments about eToro. However, my experience has been very positive.

They give you bonus.

Well giving bonus is a way of getting more customers but they help you in getting the most bonuses you can get from what you deposit. You can get up to $1000 bonus. eToro has different programs to mathc your personal trading style.

Some other features of eToro.

Regardless of what platform you are using (software or the web trading) you will have the following benefits:

eToro for Beginners:

• Graphic trade visualizations
• User friendly interfaces
• Free practice account with live market rates
• Low initial investment
• Personal trading coaches

eToro for Professionals:

• Spreads as low as 2 pips
• No dealing desk
• Automatic execution
• Personal account managers
• Leverage of 1:5-1:400

So how much does it cost?

It doesn’t cost you any money to trade on eToro. They way they make money and bring you all the features and benefits are by pips. When you buy or sell currencies you are doing so based spreads. They get certain percentage of that. Again this is very reasonable from what I have researched and found. This pips are also comparable and sometimes even less compared to other bigger platforms such as metatrader.

Now the question comes, are they legit?

Yes eToro is absolutely legit. Just view their contact page and you will see they have offices in different areas of the world such as, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Spain, Italy, France, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Malaysia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Australia. When I was researching, I personally called USA, Canada, Germany and Australian office. I chatted with people there just to see if they were there or it was just some random numbers. To my disbelief I found that people actually answered the phone.

They also have physical offices in the USA  and Australia.

Final Thoughts about eToro and my recommendation to everyone?

I have to say I am very impressed by eToro. Again, as an independent trader, you must face some risks, you may even lose money time to time, but that doesn’t dictate your entire experience or your entire view. If you lose today you will gain tomorrow. As I said earlier I have been trading since 2005 and I have lost over $10,000 in total. With eToro alone I lost over $2000. Does that make it a bad platform? Of course not! I lost because I didn’t know enough about trading. I got the emotion get the best of me. So take out the emotion, use a strategy and you will make decent earning from this.

I would recommend, you try the practice account first. Have a strategy. There are lots of writings out there about forex trading strategy. Just find one that best fits you. Consult with eToro advisors. They are there to help you and have fun with it. If you are careful and clever you will enjoy eToro better than any other online forex trading platform.

Download! Good luck! Start Having fun! Earn money with eToro!

Incoming search terms for the article:

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(I know I said we were covering the top ten issues to consider when thinking about moving in together; consider this a bonus item, a freebie. After all, what would a discussion about cohabitation be without a discussion of sex and intimacy?)

Remember when I said that money is one of the main things married couples/cohabitation couples fight about the most? Intimacy is the other. It seems strange, right? Why would anyone fight about something that’s supposed to be fun? Well, intimacy in a relationship is always complicated, but when you throw in the complications of living together, intimacy can suddenly become more stressful than you’d ever thought possible.

What happens? It’s like this: Suddenly, instead of being a dating couple whose spare time is spent enjoying each other’s company (in and/or out of bed), suddenly you’re this common-law couple who are, minus the piece of paper, living more like a married couple. Suddenly there are bills to pay, chores to do around the house, dinner parties to host, family time to balance, and romance can seem like the last thing on anyone’s mind. People have jobs that make them tired and irritated; people get sick; lots of things can happen that get in the way of a healthy sex life.

What if, besides all of those issues, you simply have different “clocks” when it comes to sex? You may not have realize it before moving in together, but some people are morning people and some people are evening people (I don’t just mean conversationally!) and somehow you have to figure out a way to make it work. Partner A wakes up in the morning ready to go, but Partner B doesn’t like anyone even talking to them before they’ve been awake for a good ½ hour … it’s a common situation that most couples face, and there are lots of different ways you can make it work.

For example, if one of you is not a morning person, then sex before a crazy work day is probably not going to happen. People are usually rushed enough in the morning without having to find time for sex with a sleepy partner  before hitting the road and getting caught in the rush-hour traffic! However, this doesn’t exactly satisfy Partner A’s craving for an extra-good morning, right? Well, that’s what WEEKENDS are for. For most people, Saturday is a day to relax, sleep in, not have to worry about to work on time. Weekend mornings cater to people like Partner B because it’s not quite as early; they still get the hours of sleep they crave, while Partner A can have the sexy morning they lust for.

For a different example, Partner B is a night time person, whereas Partner A tends to come home and just want to relax, veg out, even go to bed early if it’s been a really long day. What’s Partner B to do? Set up a date night! Just because you’re now living together, it doesn’t mean you can’t have dates, does it? (Even my parents still go out on dates!) Friday night, Saturday night, even Wednesday night, whatever works with your schedule; set aside a night that’s just for the two of you. Cook dinner, go to the movies, have some wine, whatever you like; Partner A will see that, at least now and then, evenings can be sexy too!

What did we do? Sorry, but while BF doesn’t *generally* mind me writing about him, or our relationship, I think I’m going to leave our personal details between the sheets this time.

Bottom Line:

It’s an exciting time, but moving in together isn’t a decision to be made lightly, on a whim. Rather, it’s something that should be discussed about, rationally, before any decisions are made. Don’t get so carried away with the emotional, romantic side of it that you neglect to I’m not saying you need to take my list and make a meeting out of it, but I am saying that it’s important to keep some of these ideas in mind. It’s better to talk about it beforehand, rather than move in and then discover some unresolved problems or issues that now have to be dealt with, while you’re living under the same roof. Don’t panic if you don’t automatically agree with everything your partner says; just try to find a healthy way to compromise that will satisfy you both. Good luck

In every relationship, no matter how lovey-dovey you are, problems can and will arise that will have to be dealt with. There could be money problems, a scheduling mishap, a disagreement about household responsibilities, or someone could accidentally erase your PVR – when you’re living in close quarters, there are lots of opportunities to grow closer, but also to be driven crazy by issues, whether they are big issues or small issues. Fights happen! The size of the issues don’t really matter; what matters is how you choose to deal with them.

A lot of how you deal with your problems depends on the personalities of you and your partner. One of you might be a let’s-hash-it-all-out kind of person, where the other might be a leave-me-alone-to-think-about-it type. Obviously, such different approaches could spell trouble for the two of you, if you don’t find a way to resolve the problem in a way that is healthy for you both, and your relationship.

Let’s look at the first type, the ones who want to talk about everything, all the time, even it means staying up all night yelling at each other. There are pros and cons to this approach to problem-solving. A pro-side to this approach is that everything gets out in the open; nothing is bottled up or “saved for later,” it all comes barrelling out. This type of arguing is in-your-face kind of honest, which is both a good thing (who wants hidden feelings?) and a bad thing (can get a little intense) On the con-side: This type tends to be a little more high-strung (bad-tempered?) and stubborn, so get ready for loud arguments and lots and lots of questions. They will make you stay up all night if necessary, because going to bed angry doesn’t solve any problems, it just makes things worse.

Now the second type: This is the type that prefers to sit quietly, mull things over, even “sulk” (to outsiders) over issues. Talking about problems isn’t always necessary, and attempts to get them to open up will likely just make the situation worse. When asked “What’s wrong?” they’ll likely say “nothing,” even though it isn’t the case. Unlike the first type, they’d rather think about things before saying anything; they’d rather avoid the fireworks of conflict. On the pro-side: they are more likely to think about things in a rational way, rather than just burst out with all of their emotions all over the place. They are likely to make logical arguments instead of go with their feelings, and stick to the issue at hand. On the con-side: They can leave their partner feeling shut out if they don’t talk about their problems; it’s supposed to be a partnership, and partnerships need honesty. Also, their tendencies to be ultra-“logical” can come across as cold or belittling when talking about their partner’s emotions.

What did we do? Well to be really honest, I’m more of the first type, and dear BF is more of the second type, so we’ve had our share of crazy arguments (pre-and post-move, 5.5 years remember?) that cater to both of our styles. Over the years, I’ve learned to trust that he will talk about what is bothering him when he’s ready, and that his need for space when upset has nothing to do with our relationship; it’s just his way. On his side, he’s learned to deal with my emotional outbursts without patronizing me (is there anything worse than being told to “calm down” when you’re good and angry?), that I just need to get everything off my chest, even if it seems over the top. We are honest with each other, try to listen to what the other is saying, and respect that we don’t always see things, or deal with things, the same way. What matters is that we’ve managed to blend together our problem-solving in a way that leaves us both feeling respected and listened to, and ready to move on from the issue. Remember: once something has been argued about and resolved, leave it in the past where it belongs. Learn from it and move on; don’t bring it up every time you have a fight.

You know how it goes: Someone calls/emails and says, “Are you free for dinner next Saturday night?” Pre-cohabitation, “you” generally just means you, particularly in the person inviting you knows you and your significant other well. However, now that you are living together, “you” tends to mean you and your partner both – “girls’ nights” or “boys’ nights” excepted, of course. You are now expected to have some idea of what your partner is doing during the week and weekend, but how do you keep on top of it?

Trying to work around each other’s scheduling can be exasperating, especially if you work opposite hours, or have commitments besides work, such as school, volunteering, or interest groups. The best way to deal with this, especially with fluctuating schedules, is to have a common place to keep everyone’s information together, such as a calendar (paper or computer) so everyone knows what’s going on. **This isn’t to suggest, though, that this means that Partner A can start making couple-plans without speaking to Partner B; that’s not appropriate. What is appropriate, however, is having a general sense of where you can expect your partner to be, so that if an invitation comes up, you’ll be able to respond better than “I have no idea what his/her plans are.” How you work it out is up to you: whether you put everything together and expect each other to check it out once in a while, or sit down every now and then and go through it together; either way can work our just fine. What’s important is that you have an open flow of communication regarding your appointments and schedules.

What did we do? BF’s new iPhone has a calendar on it, so he keeps his appointments there. I, on the other hand, tend to eschew most “technology” and prefer the paper-and-pencil method of the classic dayrunner, or as we like to call it, “Cher’s Magic Book.” Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, goes in the Magic Book. My appointments, his appointments, family dinners, meetings, my tutoring sessions, his poker nights, EVERYTHING. Every so often he brings out his iPhone and I bring out my Magic Book and we compare schedules, just to make sure we aren’t double-booking ourselves. If someone calls or emails and invites us somewhere, we still check with each other before commiting to anything, but we’re at least able to give our inviter an idea of whether or not it’s likely doable. (I heartily endorse the Blueline Dayrunner, as it has the months and the numbers but not days of the week, so you don’t have to worry about it being this year or last year; it also has plenty of room for writing!)

So you’ve both worked all week (or gone to school, or whatever) and it’s finally the weekend. Two glorious days laid out in front of you with relatively limitless options; how will you spend this time? Go out? Stay in? Have friends over? Get up early and get some things done? Sleep in? There are lots of possibilities, which is great, but if you can’t agree on what to do, it could be a problem.

Remembering that a weekend is TWO days, it isn’t hard to compromise. You can pick what to do one day, and your partner can pick the next, for example. Support each other’s interests, as it’s part of being a couple; who knows, you might enjoy doing what your partner wants to do, even if you don’t initially think so. Another idea to keep in mind: being a couple, even a cohabitating couple, doesn’t mean you have to do EVERYTHING together, right? If you want to spend Saturday morning sleeping in but your partner wants to go for a walk, hand them their iPod and make plans to meet up for lunch. Spending a little time apart is good for a relationship! We all need time to recharge our batteries, and sometimes that comes in different forms for different people.

What did we do? It’s no secret to those who know us that I am, in no way, any kind of morning person. In fact, without an alarm clock, I could sleep until early afternoon with no problem whatsoever. BF, on the other hand, is a little more of a morning person, and has (somewhat grudgingly) accepted my “morning laziness” as an opportunity to do things he wants to do, like go for a bike ride, clean his car, etc. He knows that later, when I get up, we’ll hang out and do stuff together, so it’s no big deal. We’ll decide later what to do, whether it’s a lunch date, or out to the movies, or spending time with our friends or families.