A trader with a mediocre system and great money management skills will fare better than a trader who has a great system but no handle on his money.
Money management is indispensable to the Foreign Exchange trader.
Regardless of how strong a trading system you have, if you do not apply good money management controls, you will find yourself in trouble.
Dustin Pass, one of the foremost experts on Forex trading says, “An individual trading with proper money management skills will do better in a mediocre trading system than a person trading an excellent system who lacks money management skills.” In his ebook, Guide to Forex Live-on-the-News Trading, Pass lists five essential components to an effective money management program:
1. Currency selection
2. Lot size (how much margin will you use)
3. Stop placement (how much margin will you risk)
4. Entry level (when to enter a trade)
5. Limit (how much money will you make)
Currency Selection
Currency selection is important because it dictates how long your margin will be tied up in a particular trade. If you enter a trade on a slow moving currency, understand that your money will be tied up for a longer period, thereby increasing your risk. You may also hinder your ability to enter another trade since your capital is tied up in the first one.
Set Your Stop Placement
The amount of money you place on a trade is a vital factor, too. If you put too many of your eggs into one basket, you will decrease your ability to diversify properly. In order to choose your lot size, you must identify your maximum allowable risk and your maximum risk per trade. Once you have determined these factors, you will need to set your stop placement.
Stop placement is the act of predefining your level of loss tolerance on a given trade. The successful Forex trader will learn to cut his losses and move on. In the overall scheme, it will save you money…and increase your gains.
Entry Levels
Entry level is based on all of the above. Knowing how much you have to play with on a trade and where the nearest resistance level lies will inform you whether to enter or pass on a given trade. Often, the best trades are the ones you didn’t make!
Allocation
One simple principal must guide your limit level: the possible profit must at least be equal to the accepted risk. Allocation is key. Suppose your system is 75% accurate and you lose on the first 25 trades out of 100 total trades? You will need enough margin to hang in there for the next 75 trades.
Good Risk Management
As Dustin Pass so aptly noted, a trader with a mediocre system and great money management skills will fare better than a trader who has a great system but no handle on his money. There is no substitute for good risk management.
Showing posts with label Stock Investing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stock Investing. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Forex 101: Managing Risk
Stocks Technical Analysis - Estimating Price Trends Using Technical Analysis Of Stocks
For any normal person, trade is nothing more than the give and take of products or services within an agreed fixed price. for instance if you have bought a package of candy for $ 2, that is trade. You purchased a $ 45000 four-door sedan, then thats trade . You purchased a $ 4.5 million home, and that also is trade. once you have purchased the good or product from the seller for what ever price you have set the deal, that is trade and then the deal if finished.
But for traders on various deals, trade is a priority consideration. They have invested lots of money in an attempt to generate greater profits later. In exchange for goods and different titles with different operators from various deals, they hope that they could reach an enormous profit and pursue their careers until their trading accounts either increase or dehydration.
In addition, for the various governments of the nation , trade is a blessing which everyone should feel grateful . The country's economy is heavily dependent on how the international and local operations in the market perform . a trade is declared successful if only it can translate to an increase of GDP( gross domestic product), that's the indicators of a nations thriving economy. Successful businesses also reflect additional jobs, help the unemployed to have to work and earn for their families.
Trade can be a blessing for the various operators (people engaged in the negotiation of stocks) and the various companies which issue securities to the people to raise extra revenue. when the stock value goes up , the owners of that bulk will get profits when they trade them then.. On the other hand, stocks of companies that is owned by common people are also guaranteed to high profits since the value of stocks on the market are now greater than it was when they were first released. both sides benefit from the trading of securities in various exchanges.
However, if a business man or any trader reaches you to offer his stocks, it does not mean that the agreement is done. when you buy a house or expensive item, you need to first look into the market and then decide base on that information whether it would be cost effective to have an agreement or not this particular time. this is defined as technical analysis.
Technical analysis is in finance and investments is the study of an asset or safety (in this case, security is the product) price action (change of prices the quantity and open interest) in the market to predict profitable price movements. It generally uses different cards from both the past and present of price fluctuations in order to arrive at a price well-established trend. Such price trends will help you decide if could take advantage when you trade a particular stock at that time or not.
Stocks trading are still profitable, he understands the risks that can endanger your investment. By using technical analysis in the business of your actions, you could eliminate the risks in your investment.
But for traders on various deals, trade is a priority consideration. They have invested lots of money in an attempt to generate greater profits later. In exchange for goods and different titles with different operators from various deals, they hope that they could reach an enormous profit and pursue their careers until their trading accounts either increase or dehydration.
In addition, for the various governments of the nation , trade is a blessing which everyone should feel grateful . The country's economy is heavily dependent on how the international and local operations in the market perform . a trade is declared successful if only it can translate to an increase of GDP( gross domestic product), that's the indicators of a nations thriving economy. Successful businesses also reflect additional jobs, help the unemployed to have to work and earn for their families.
Trade can be a blessing for the various operators (people engaged in the negotiation of stocks) and the various companies which issue securities to the people to raise extra revenue. when the stock value goes up , the owners of that bulk will get profits when they trade them then.. On the other hand, stocks of companies that is owned by common people are also guaranteed to high profits since the value of stocks on the market are now greater than it was when they were first released. both sides benefit from the trading of securities in various exchanges.
However, if a business man or any trader reaches you to offer his stocks, it does not mean that the agreement is done. when you buy a house or expensive item, you need to first look into the market and then decide base on that information whether it would be cost effective to have an agreement or not this particular time. this is defined as technical analysis.
Technical analysis is in finance and investments is the study of an asset or safety (in this case, security is the product) price action (change of prices the quantity and open interest) in the market to predict profitable price movements. It generally uses different cards from both the past and present of price fluctuations in order to arrive at a price well-established trend. Such price trends will help you decide if could take advantage when you trade a particular stock at that time or not.
Stocks trading are still profitable, he understands the risks that can endanger your investment. By using technical analysis in the business of your actions, you could eliminate the risks in your investment.
How to Find Good Stocks That Will Survive 2008 Market Crash
Finding good stocks that are able to survive stock market crash is really tough. However, these simple financial ratios can help you to discover these tough stocks. The stocks are so tough, that will only grow stronger after the recession. Make sure you stick with it if you want to be rich from stock market.
Earnings per Employee
You can calculate the staff productivity by dividing the total earnings by the number of staffs. As different industries have different ratios, you should compare staffs' ability to bring value to the company in the same field. Compare yourself a bank with $12k profits per staff with another bank of $98k profits per staff, I bet you can notice the difference.
Good employees maintain the business operation, but great workers will sustain the business growth. And in stock investing, earnings growth does matter, especially during depression. Though times never last, but tough people do.
Return on Asset
ROA can be calculated by dividing the net profits by the number of assets that the company owns. It indicates how efficient the management is in turning the assets into profits. Compare with other stocks on how they do is something you should consider. Lower ROA can be attributed to not having enough expertise to manage the assets or not having the right assets in the first place.
During recession, companies with the lowest return on asset (ROA) are prone to be acquired by stronger companies. Unfortunately, not all low ROA stocks hold the value they want in the eye of larger companies. Therefore, better avoid this type of stocks.
Liquidity Ratio
Liquidity ratio measures if the stock is able to meet the short term obligations. It can be calculated as current or quick ratio. Either way, it is about the liquid asset over its current liabilities. This ratio is critical during recession as the interest rate will increase substantially that time. Although Federal Reserve maintains the interest rate recently, there is no guarantee it will be the same in 2008.
Recently, I noticed some good companies holding substantial liquid assets like never before. This indicates the stocks are preparing themselves of any possibilities of higher interest rates next year, or having enough cash to buy profitable asset at cheaper price in 2008.
Either there is market crash, recession or economic depression in 2008, make sure you get ready yourself. Market crash can be bad to some, but offer great opportunities to smart investors. So, make sure you are one of them.
Earnings per Employee
You can calculate the staff productivity by dividing the total earnings by the number of staffs. As different industries have different ratios, you should compare staffs' ability to bring value to the company in the same field. Compare yourself a bank with $12k profits per staff with another bank of $98k profits per staff, I bet you can notice the difference.
Good employees maintain the business operation, but great workers will sustain the business growth. And in stock investing, earnings growth does matter, especially during depression. Though times never last, but tough people do.
Return on Asset
ROA can be calculated by dividing the net profits by the number of assets that the company owns. It indicates how efficient the management is in turning the assets into profits. Compare with other stocks on how they do is something you should consider. Lower ROA can be attributed to not having enough expertise to manage the assets or not having the right assets in the first place.
During recession, companies with the lowest return on asset (ROA) are prone to be acquired by stronger companies. Unfortunately, not all low ROA stocks hold the value they want in the eye of larger companies. Therefore, better avoid this type of stocks.
Liquidity Ratio
Liquidity ratio measures if the stock is able to meet the short term obligations. It can be calculated as current or quick ratio. Either way, it is about the liquid asset over its current liabilities. This ratio is critical during recession as the interest rate will increase substantially that time. Although Federal Reserve maintains the interest rate recently, there is no guarantee it will be the same in 2008.
Recently, I noticed some good companies holding substantial liquid assets like never before. This indicates the stocks are preparing themselves of any possibilities of higher interest rates next year, or having enough cash to buy profitable asset at cheaper price in 2008.
Either there is market crash, recession or economic depression in 2008, make sure you get ready yourself. Market crash can be bad to some, but offer great opportunities to smart investors. So, make sure you are one of them.
Revenge of the Penny Stocks
There has been a lot of talk about how 2008 will turn out financially. The word recession has been thrown around a lot perhaps for shock value but maybe not. Lets pretend for a moment that these predictions of s recession are accurate. How would that effect the stock market? Well, the stock market will always be there even if the numbers change. However, in a recession, everything is relatively a penny stock. So even though penny stocks have received bad press they will always be there during good and bad times.
Recessions are times when all companies are struggling to make a profit right. Yet that does not stop people from investing. People are more desperate and then to exercise more faith in a company and hence willing to take more risk when economic times are tough. During times like these people can afford to be more picky and avoid the more risky stocks. Penny stocks are risky no matter how the economy is but are a great investment if done wisely.
If there was a recession then penny stocks would get a lot more attention since people would have less money to spend and would not be as picky. There would be less negative talk about a stock that would present more people than ever before with an opportunity to invest. People would see it as more of an opportunity than a gamble. You see its all about perspective and approach. Anybody can lose money doing anything if done incorrectly. Penny stocks can make you a lot of money if invested in correctly.
All the people who talk bad about penny stocks are either the ones who have got burned investing in them or the ones who know nothing at all about them except what others have told them. It makes for interesting stories but the truth is that the gains of penny stocks will kick butt against any other stock type. Other stocks can make great gains but definitely not as quickly as penny stocks.
So will 2008 be a recession? I do not think so. Will it be a good year to invest in penny stocks? Well of course it will be. Just invest cautiously. Penny stocks have never represented a bad investment just one that should be approached with caution. Its easy to take the advice of others without really knowing the truth but including penny stocks as a part of your portfolio is a smart move any day of the week.
Recessions are times when all companies are struggling to make a profit right. Yet that does not stop people from investing. People are more desperate and then to exercise more faith in a company and hence willing to take more risk when economic times are tough. During times like these people can afford to be more picky and avoid the more risky stocks. Penny stocks are risky no matter how the economy is but are a great investment if done wisely.
If there was a recession then penny stocks would get a lot more attention since people would have less money to spend and would not be as picky. There would be less negative talk about a stock that would present more people than ever before with an opportunity to invest. People would see it as more of an opportunity than a gamble. You see its all about perspective and approach. Anybody can lose money doing anything if done incorrectly. Penny stocks can make you a lot of money if invested in correctly.
All the people who talk bad about penny stocks are either the ones who have got burned investing in them or the ones who know nothing at all about them except what others have told them. It makes for interesting stories but the truth is that the gains of penny stocks will kick butt against any other stock type. Other stocks can make great gains but definitely not as quickly as penny stocks.
So will 2008 be a recession? I do not think so. Will it be a good year to invest in penny stocks? Well of course it will be. Just invest cautiously. Penny stocks have never represented a bad investment just one that should be approached with caution. Its easy to take the advice of others without really knowing the truth but including penny stocks as a part of your portfolio is a smart move any day of the week.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Choosing The Right Online Brokerage Firm
Currency trading is one of the more interesting investments that a small (personal) investor can make at this point in time; the basic principle, like all trading positions, is to buy low and sell high, and currency trading is all about playing the spread in thousandths of a cent, between the exchange rates at different parts of the day. There are a lot of technical details muddying the water, but ultimately, your aim is to scope out a currency exchange rate, buy at one point in time, and sell at another.
A typical margin in a foreign exchange rate is expressed in hundredths of a penny. For example, a forex trade that we committed recently was to buy Euros at $1.41425, and sold them at $1.41200. Yes, we bought and sold Euros trying to make a profit of three quarters of a US cent on the transaction. Our transaction was run through an online brokerage account, and we would like to talk a bit about what things to look for in a Forex brokerage firm.
First and foremost, when you set up an account, you are paying for a service. Your service relationship is set with expectations. You need to know what to expect and when. Therefore, how quickly and easily you can get ahold of your representative is important.
Look for brokerages that offer personalized service. You should be able to reach your representative quickly and easily when the market turns volatile. You should have an established relationship with one or two representatives at the firm, not be routed to a call center and getting the next available operator.
Foreign exchange trading moves quickly if you are going into a day-trading strategy. For small investors, we do not actually recommend a day-trading run, because while the profits are higher in a day-trading strategy, the risks are as well, and day-trading requires almost constant access to your buy-sell window.
Now, you can get accounts with stop-loss and profit-now techniques, where if a trade goes beyond certain parameters, you are cashed out on your bet as quickly as is possible, but the speed of the transaction is what is important in day trading. For longer term positional trading, the risks are much less, but you are also not committed to watching numbers on a screen for 10 hours a day. Whichever strategy you take, your forex broker should be aware of it, and should structure their buy and sell advice for it.
Your online trading account is going to cost you fees per transaction or a monthly access fee. Forex brokerages make their bread and butter off of those fees. Do not begrudge your broker the money they use to make a living off of but do not be blindly trusting either. Your broker is going to suggest trades that make them money as well as you, and you need to be aware of the fee structure and what they are getting out of each piece of advice before signing up with the account. This ties into the above advice of get a broker who supports your strategy.
Online trading is predominantly a numbers game, it is all numbers. It is also a game of trend spotting, whether drilled down (watching the London close, or the Tokyo open), or sitting long term (watching bank exchange rates and the news). Whatever the trade margin is, you will want to make sure that your information is timely and fast, and that your transactions are timely and fast; if you have to make a call (or send an instant message), you are competing with all the other clients your broker has to get your trade in under the wire.
The alternative is automated trading programs. Automated trading programs are an essential tool for day trading and less so for position trading, but the key here is how quickly you get updates on your information (transparency) and how quickly you can make changes to your position (velocity).
Lastly, you should look at details like minimum balance required in the account, and how much access you have to your funds. As in all investing, read the fine print, and be aware of where the person selling you the service makes their money so you can make an informed decision. Online brokerages are trying to make a win-win situation, but for that to happen, you need to be well informed.
A typical margin in a foreign exchange rate is expressed in hundredths of a penny. For example, a forex trade that we committed recently was to buy Euros at $1.41425, and sold them at $1.41200. Yes, we bought and sold Euros trying to make a profit of three quarters of a US cent on the transaction. Our transaction was run through an online brokerage account, and we would like to talk a bit about what things to look for in a Forex brokerage firm.
First and foremost, when you set up an account, you are paying for a service. Your service relationship is set with expectations. You need to know what to expect and when. Therefore, how quickly and easily you can get ahold of your representative is important.
Look for brokerages that offer personalized service. You should be able to reach your representative quickly and easily when the market turns volatile. You should have an established relationship with one or two representatives at the firm, not be routed to a call center and getting the next available operator.
Foreign exchange trading moves quickly if you are going into a day-trading strategy. For small investors, we do not actually recommend a day-trading run, because while the profits are higher in a day-trading strategy, the risks are as well, and day-trading requires almost constant access to your buy-sell window.
Now, you can get accounts with stop-loss and profit-now techniques, where if a trade goes beyond certain parameters, you are cashed out on your bet as quickly as is possible, but the speed of the transaction is what is important in day trading. For longer term positional trading, the risks are much less, but you are also not committed to watching numbers on a screen for 10 hours a day. Whichever strategy you take, your forex broker should be aware of it, and should structure their buy and sell advice for it.
Your online trading account is going to cost you fees per transaction or a monthly access fee. Forex brokerages make their bread and butter off of those fees. Do not begrudge your broker the money they use to make a living off of but do not be blindly trusting either. Your broker is going to suggest trades that make them money as well as you, and you need to be aware of the fee structure and what they are getting out of each piece of advice before signing up with the account. This ties into the above advice of get a broker who supports your strategy.
Online trading is predominantly a numbers game, it is all numbers. It is also a game of trend spotting, whether drilled down (watching the London close, or the Tokyo open), or sitting long term (watching bank exchange rates and the news). Whatever the trade margin is, you will want to make sure that your information is timely and fast, and that your transactions are timely and fast; if you have to make a call (or send an instant message), you are competing with all the other clients your broker has to get your trade in under the wire.
The alternative is automated trading programs. Automated trading programs are an essential tool for day trading and less so for position trading, but the key here is how quickly you get updates on your information (transparency) and how quickly you can make changes to your position (velocity).
Lastly, you should look at details like minimum balance required in the account, and how much access you have to your funds. As in all investing, read the fine print, and be aware of where the person selling you the service makes their money so you can make an informed decision. Online brokerages are trying to make a win-win situation, but for that to happen, you need to be well informed.
A Simple Introduction to Forex Trading
By : Ian Armstrong
Short for Foreign (currency) Exchange, Forex is the world's biggest market for trading in currencies. As much as 2 trillion US dollars worth of currency are traded on the Forex on a daily basis. Compare this with the approximately 25 million US dollars traded on the NYSE and you'll get the picture - Forex is huge.
So what is Forex all about? Simply put, Forex entails buying one currency, let's say Turkish Lira, and selling another, say US Dollars. In Forex, currencies are always traded and quoted in pairs. The exchange is made through a broker.
Just like the stock market where you are investing in a company, with Forex you are in a way investing in a country. If your company is a success, the value of your stock goes up. Much the same principle is at work in Forex. If the economy of the country whose currency you are trading is robust, the value of that currency will also go up - and you can then sell it for a profit.
Unlike stock markets, there is no "trading pit" in the world of Forex. Forex operates through the internet and other electronic communications and runs 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.
It has only been in the last several years that the Forex has been open to the average person to invest in. The Forex market itself has been around since 1971, but for most of its history only large companies and a few very wealthy individuals possessed the resources to be able to trade in foreign currency. Today however, anyone with a high speed internet connection and a small initial investment (as low as 50 US dollars) can get in on the Forex market.
The seven most commonly traded currencies on the Forex market are U.S. Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), Japanese Yen (JPY), UK Pounds (GBP), Swiss Francs (CHF), Canadian Dollars (CAD) and Australian Dollars (AUD). Foreign currencies are identified by means of a three letter code. The first two letters stand for the country, while the last letter identifies the nation in question's currency.
For example:-
USD: U.S. = United States, D = Dollars.
GBP: GB = United Kingdom (Great Britain), P = Pounds.
At any given time, business is going on somewhere in the world. Global business never sleeps, and neither does Forex. This can be beneficial to you - you can trade on the Forex market any time that is convenient to you.
There are seven currencies on the Forex which are called Major Currencies, due to their being the most heavily traded currencies on the market. The biggest four are, in order: U.S. Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), Japanese Yen (JPY), and UK Pounds (GBP). The remaining three are Swiss Francs (CHF), Canadian Dollars (CAD) and Australian Dollars (AUD).
Advantages Of Forex Trading
There are a few advantages which the Forex trader enjoys which those who trade in the stock market do not.
1.Unlike with stock brokers, the investor does not pay commissions, per se, to the broker. Instead, the dealers in Forex trading receive part of the "spread" (that is to say, the difference) between the buying and selling price of currency. This is generally a very small amount per trade; a fraction of a percent.
2.You can trade on the Forex market any time which is convenient for you, unlike the stock market - it is closed only on weekends, from 5pm Eastern time on Fridays to 12AM on Mondays.
3.As opposed to the stock market, it is nearly impossible for companies or individual investors to manipulate the Forex market. The volume of Forex trading each and every day prevents any one actor from having undue influence. We all know of instances of the stock market being artificially influenced by unscrupulous persons and companies however.
4.Forex trading can be done with borrowed capital, meaning that you need not have hundreds of thousands in liquid assets to trade currency in large numbers. This concept is called Margin Trading. A small amount of your own capital (less than 5 percent) can be used to leverage a large chunk of borrowed assets, which may then be invested. Forex is traded in what is called lots, the normal size of a lot being 100,000 US dollars. Depending on the dealer with whom you deal you may be able to trade is smaller amounts, these are known as mini-lots or micro-lots.
Short for Foreign (currency) Exchange, Forex is the world's biggest market for trading in currencies. As much as 2 trillion US dollars worth of currency are traded on the Forex on a daily basis. Compare this with the approximately 25 million US dollars traded on the NYSE and you'll get the picture - Forex is huge.
So what is Forex all about? Simply put, Forex entails buying one currency, let's say Turkish Lira, and selling another, say US Dollars. In Forex, currencies are always traded and quoted in pairs. The exchange is made through a broker.
Just like the stock market where you are investing in a company, with Forex you are in a way investing in a country. If your company is a success, the value of your stock goes up. Much the same principle is at work in Forex. If the economy of the country whose currency you are trading is robust, the value of that currency will also go up - and you can then sell it for a profit.
Unlike stock markets, there is no "trading pit" in the world of Forex. Forex operates through the internet and other electronic communications and runs 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.
It has only been in the last several years that the Forex has been open to the average person to invest in. The Forex market itself has been around since 1971, but for most of its history only large companies and a few very wealthy individuals possessed the resources to be able to trade in foreign currency. Today however, anyone with a high speed internet connection and a small initial investment (as low as 50 US dollars) can get in on the Forex market.
The seven most commonly traded currencies on the Forex market are U.S. Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), Japanese Yen (JPY), UK Pounds (GBP), Swiss Francs (CHF), Canadian Dollars (CAD) and Australian Dollars (AUD). Foreign currencies are identified by means of a three letter code. The first two letters stand for the country, while the last letter identifies the nation in question's currency.
For example:-
USD: U.S. = United States, D = Dollars.
GBP: GB = United Kingdom (Great Britain), P = Pounds.
At any given time, business is going on somewhere in the world. Global business never sleeps, and neither does Forex. This can be beneficial to you - you can trade on the Forex market any time that is convenient to you.
There are seven currencies on the Forex which are called Major Currencies, due to their being the most heavily traded currencies on the market. The biggest four are, in order: U.S. Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), Japanese Yen (JPY), and UK Pounds (GBP). The remaining three are Swiss Francs (CHF), Canadian Dollars (CAD) and Australian Dollars (AUD).
Advantages Of Forex Trading
There are a few advantages which the Forex trader enjoys which those who trade in the stock market do not.
1.Unlike with stock brokers, the investor does not pay commissions, per se, to the broker. Instead, the dealers in Forex trading receive part of the "spread" (that is to say, the difference) between the buying and selling price of currency. This is generally a very small amount per trade; a fraction of a percent.
2.You can trade on the Forex market any time which is convenient for you, unlike the stock market - it is closed only on weekends, from 5pm Eastern time on Fridays to 12AM on Mondays.
3.As opposed to the stock market, it is nearly impossible for companies or individual investors to manipulate the Forex market. The volume of Forex trading each and every day prevents any one actor from having undue influence. We all know of instances of the stock market being artificially influenced by unscrupulous persons and companies however.
4.Forex trading can be done with borrowed capital, meaning that you need not have hundreds of thousands in liquid assets to trade currency in large numbers. This concept is called Margin Trading. A small amount of your own capital (less than 5 percent) can be used to leverage a large chunk of borrowed assets, which may then be invested. Forex is traded in what is called lots, the normal size of a lot being 100,000 US dollars. Depending on the dealer with whom you deal you may be able to trade is smaller amounts, these are known as mini-lots or micro-lots.
The 7 Most Common Forex Trading Mistakes
By : James Theiss
When trading currencies online, there seems to be no end to the mistakes a beginning forex trader can make. Beginning traders are always the most susceptible, but experienced traders can often revert back into bad practices as well. Here are some of the most common trading mistakes listed in no particular order, and how to avoid them.
Predicting instead of reacting. Otherwise known as overconfidence. This usually happens after a winning trade or two. The trader starts to think that if he can enter a trade sooner, he will get more pips. He begins to believe he can pick the top or bottom before the market reveals it to him. So instead of reacting to what the market is telling him, he starts to predict what the market will do. He enters a trade and the market continues its move, which is against him. Now, does he admit he was wrong and close his position, or does he add to it?
Adding to losing positions. Here is an extension of predicting instead of reacting. Look, you just entered a trade and the market is going against your position. The market is telling you, you are wrong. Now is the time to close your position, not add to it. If you add to your losing position, you are making at least two incorrect decisions. First, you are predicting the market will turn around. Second, you are hoping the market will prove you right because you are unable to admit you made a losing trade. Losing trades are a fact of life in the forex market. You weren't wrong, simply, your edge didn't play in your favor on this trade. Close your losing position and move onto the next trade.
Insufficient capitalization. Forex trading is already highly leveraged. Insufficient capitalization just magnifies the potential problems you can face. If you read about the famous and big name traders, they never use more than 1% - 2% of their trading capital on a position. Get out a calculator and let's see... 1% of $10,000 is $100. So as a position trader who might have a stop-loss order of 100 pips, you can only trade one mini lot of one currency pair for each $10,000 in your trading account. That is, if you want to trade like the pros. Do you have $10,000 in your account? Why do forex dealers boldly advertise you can start trading with only $250 then? Because they are in business to make money, and if they can convince you to commit trading errors, they stand a much better chance that they will soon have your money.
Overtrading. A close cousin of insufficient capitalization. Knowing that very few currency traders trade with sufficient capital in the first place, they further compound the potential problems by trading too actively and in too many currency pairs. Spreading themselves too thin you might say. Potential problems include loosing focus and margin calls. Getting a margin call is a very irresponsible position for a forex trader to be in and is a direct result of overtrading, over leveraging, and insufficient capitalization. This is as close to the perfect recipe for failure as you can get.
Not using stop-loss orders. There are very few times when not using stop-loss orders is the correct action to take. Large traders with several hundred or more lots don't want to advertise where their stops are placed is one. The other might be scalpers whose stop is only 10-15 pips away. By the time they figure the math and enter it in the system, the price might already be there or even past it. And some forex dealing stations won't let you place stops closer than 15 pips anyway, especially in fast moving situations. Other than those times, you need to put stop-loss orders in on every position. It is in your own best interest to protect yourself. I know, some people whine that their stops are always being run by the dealer. A whole article could be written on stop-loss order management, if not a complete chapter in a book. Let's just say for now, don't put them where everybody else does, and don't put them too close.
Trading as a hobby. Golf is a hobby and it costs you money to play. Horseback riding is a hobby and it costs you money as well. The point is hobbies cost money, business makes money. You need to treat your forex trading as a business if you ever hope to make money on a consistent basis. That means keeping records, keeping a trading journal, and have a written business plan. You wouldn't invest money into a start up business without first seeing a business plan, so why would you invest money into your own trading account without the same thoughtful consideration.
Not having a trading plan. This is one of those catch-all mistakes. If you have a written trading plan, and follow it, you will already have identified and hopefully eliminated all of the above mistakes. If you don't have a written trading plan, you are almost assuredly making some, if not all of the above mistakes. Maybe not all at once, but even occasional mistakes add up quickly. Do yourself a favor and don't put on another trade until you think through and write down the response for all of the above mistakes and any others you can identify, as well as entry and exit rules. Then follow it.
These are just some of the many mistakes you can make as a forex trader. You need to take responsibility for yourself and your money and act in your own best interest. The currency markets are a zero sum game and the many players are out to make a profit. Don't let them profit with your money. Do your best to eliminate the above mistakes, and you will go a long way to ensuring you are the one who profits in the forex market.
When trading currencies online, there seems to be no end to the mistakes a beginning forex trader can make. Beginning traders are always the most susceptible, but experienced traders can often revert back into bad practices as well. Here are some of the most common trading mistakes listed in no particular order, and how to avoid them.
Predicting instead of reacting. Otherwise known as overconfidence. This usually happens after a winning trade or two. The trader starts to think that if he can enter a trade sooner, he will get more pips. He begins to believe he can pick the top or bottom before the market reveals it to him. So instead of reacting to what the market is telling him, he starts to predict what the market will do. He enters a trade and the market continues its move, which is against him. Now, does he admit he was wrong and close his position, or does he add to it?
Adding to losing positions. Here is an extension of predicting instead of reacting. Look, you just entered a trade and the market is going against your position. The market is telling you, you are wrong. Now is the time to close your position, not add to it. If you add to your losing position, you are making at least two incorrect decisions. First, you are predicting the market will turn around. Second, you are hoping the market will prove you right because you are unable to admit you made a losing trade. Losing trades are a fact of life in the forex market. You weren't wrong, simply, your edge didn't play in your favor on this trade. Close your losing position and move onto the next trade.
Insufficient capitalization. Forex trading is already highly leveraged. Insufficient capitalization just magnifies the potential problems you can face. If you read about the famous and big name traders, they never use more than 1% - 2% of their trading capital on a position. Get out a calculator and let's see... 1% of $10,000 is $100. So as a position trader who might have a stop-loss order of 100 pips, you can only trade one mini lot of one currency pair for each $10,000 in your trading account. That is, if you want to trade like the pros. Do you have $10,000 in your account? Why do forex dealers boldly advertise you can start trading with only $250 then? Because they are in business to make money, and if they can convince you to commit trading errors, they stand a much better chance that they will soon have your money.
Overtrading. A close cousin of insufficient capitalization. Knowing that very few currency traders trade with sufficient capital in the first place, they further compound the potential problems by trading too actively and in too many currency pairs. Spreading themselves too thin you might say. Potential problems include loosing focus and margin calls. Getting a margin call is a very irresponsible position for a forex trader to be in and is a direct result of overtrading, over leveraging, and insufficient capitalization. This is as close to the perfect recipe for failure as you can get.
Not using stop-loss orders. There are very few times when not using stop-loss orders is the correct action to take. Large traders with several hundred or more lots don't want to advertise where their stops are placed is one. The other might be scalpers whose stop is only 10-15 pips away. By the time they figure the math and enter it in the system, the price might already be there or even past it. And some forex dealing stations won't let you place stops closer than 15 pips anyway, especially in fast moving situations. Other than those times, you need to put stop-loss orders in on every position. It is in your own best interest to protect yourself. I know, some people whine that their stops are always being run by the dealer. A whole article could be written on stop-loss order management, if not a complete chapter in a book. Let's just say for now, don't put them where everybody else does, and don't put them too close.
Trading as a hobby. Golf is a hobby and it costs you money to play. Horseback riding is a hobby and it costs you money as well. The point is hobbies cost money, business makes money. You need to treat your forex trading as a business if you ever hope to make money on a consistent basis. That means keeping records, keeping a trading journal, and have a written business plan. You wouldn't invest money into a start up business without first seeing a business plan, so why would you invest money into your own trading account without the same thoughtful consideration.
Not having a trading plan. This is one of those catch-all mistakes. If you have a written trading plan, and follow it, you will already have identified and hopefully eliminated all of the above mistakes. If you don't have a written trading plan, you are almost assuredly making some, if not all of the above mistakes. Maybe not all at once, but even occasional mistakes add up quickly. Do yourself a favor and don't put on another trade until you think through and write down the response for all of the above mistakes and any others you can identify, as well as entry and exit rules. Then follow it.
These are just some of the many mistakes you can make as a forex trader. You need to take responsibility for yourself and your money and act in your own best interest. The currency markets are a zero sum game and the many players are out to make a profit. Don't let them profit with your money. Do your best to eliminate the above mistakes, and you will go a long way to ensuring you are the one who profits in the forex market.
Author Resource:- James is a successful online currency trader and also runs the popular website http://www.todayscurrencytrading.com. Go there now and you can sign up for his FREE, "Currency Trade of the Week".
Friday, April 18, 2008
Online Stock Trading Companies
Everything is happening online. You do not need to go to a bigger store. There are many online department stores and shops at your disposal.
You do not need to visit the bank. The banking transactions can now be coursed through the Internet. Bookings at hotels and housing? You guessed right, they are today made on the net.
Stock markets
The stock markets are not left behind either. Various operators transact billions of dollars worth of investment around the world.
The stock markets have now gone online. Yes , you can now trade stocks and shares by sitting online, through the portal website.
The stock markets are always active. Through investment in stocks, we can double or triple investment amounts overnight. That's how fast-paced the stock markets are.
Of course, because the trading has gone online, the concept of selling portals and online services to users of stock transactions can be a good source of income to technology companies.
A little about online stock trade companies
There are many companies trading stock online today on the markets. It should be kept in mind that these companies are mostly doing good and making significant income. Offering online trading has proven a very profitable venture. So many companies generate income from these transactions. In addition, the number and volume of these enterprises are growing steadily and significantly thanks to the increase in demand.
Stock companies on the net are highly profitable and successful. This is because almost all investors, whether individual or institutions, are making the move to online transactions.
The Convenience
And why not move online? The convenience of the service is very significant. Commercial operations can proceed, even if the investors are nowhere in the city.
Offshore border trades or transactions can be easily and effectively facilitated. Thats the best thing about online technology.
Buying and selling stocks is truly the best investment you can make in the market place of today.
Therefore the stock exchange is the happening thing and holds the most confidence of all options that an investor may face today.
Beyond just the reliability and convenience, accuracy of information and transaction details are also important. And they are clearly and effectively coursed stock trading online through transactions.
So how can you find these online stock trade companies?
These stock trade companies are really everywhere. Why not look on the net to find their locations? You will no doubt find a company offering these services located close to where you live. All you would have to do is keep a look out and soon you will find one. And then you can always consult with other who trade using such services. Be sure you work with a trusted company.
You do not need to visit the bank. The banking transactions can now be coursed through the Internet. Bookings at hotels and housing? You guessed right, they are today made on the net.
Stock markets
The stock markets are not left behind either. Various operators transact billions of dollars worth of investment around the world.
The stock markets have now gone online. Yes , you can now trade stocks and shares by sitting online, through the portal website.
The stock markets are always active. Through investment in stocks, we can double or triple investment amounts overnight. That's how fast-paced the stock markets are.
Of course, because the trading has gone online, the concept of selling portals and online services to users of stock transactions can be a good source of income to technology companies.
A little about online stock trade companies
There are many companies trading stock online today on the markets. It should be kept in mind that these companies are mostly doing good and making significant income. Offering online trading has proven a very profitable venture. So many companies generate income from these transactions. In addition, the number and volume of these enterprises are growing steadily and significantly thanks to the increase in demand.
Stock companies on the net are highly profitable and successful. This is because almost all investors, whether individual or institutions, are making the move to online transactions.
The Convenience
And why not move online? The convenience of the service is very significant. Commercial operations can proceed, even if the investors are nowhere in the city.
Offshore border trades or transactions can be easily and effectively facilitated. Thats the best thing about online technology.
Buying and selling stocks is truly the best investment you can make in the market place of today.
Therefore the stock exchange is the happening thing and holds the most confidence of all options that an investor may face today.
Beyond just the reliability and convenience, accuracy of information and transaction details are also important. And they are clearly and effectively coursed stock trading online through transactions.
So how can you find these online stock trade companies?
These stock trade companies are really everywhere. Why not look on the net to find their locations? You will no doubt find a company offering these services located close to where you live. All you would have to do is keep a look out and soon you will find one. And then you can always consult with other who trade using such services. Be sure you work with a trusted company.
Author Resource:- Abhishek has an uncanny insight into Trading! Visit his website www.Trading-Masters.com and download his FREE Trading Report and learn some amazing Trading tips and tricks for FREE. His tips would save you thousands and make you better at Trading! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! www.Trading-Masters.com
Stock Exchange - Everyday Trading On The Stock Exchange
By : Abhishek Agarwal
The stock markets are pretty unpredictable. One minute you could be excited and encouraged thanks to the fact that the stocks you invested in are booming, and the next you could be broken because the bull run reversed and the stock fell even lower than it started.
Obviously, a profit or a loss is calculated by comparing the prices of purchase and sales of the stocks.
Stock exchange trades usually are done in the day. This is because of the assumption that it is during the day, that most of the big companies around the world normally conduct business transactions.
As the saying goes, a work day cant ever be too long for stock trades. It is a common feeling that a work day is too short to negotiate all trades you wished to.
Stock trade transactions
Prior to the purchase and sale of stocks,one is expected to do some homework, meaning do some background checks on the companies you are planning to invest into.
The choice is solely yours, where you put your money in, or if you take out investment from a particular stock. Make sure you have a well thought out decision because your profits of commercial transactions will be based on this.
When you buy securities, you should inform your brokerage partner on your intention and the amount you would like to buy, on whatever stock.
Make sure you have all adequate information on your choice of stock. What good would it do to invest in a company on the edge of bankruptcy?.
Your money would soon disappear with the company's losses.
Evolution
In a time span of over 4 centuries, trading has gradually evolved to be a safer and better tool for investment.
Within this short period, the stock markets of Commerce have emerged as the largest and most widely used investment strategy in the world, across every market, from the third world to the American economy.
Any country's average economic performance is today judged and evaluated on the basis of how its local stock market trading or exchange is doing. This system of research in the economy should proliferate and spread over time.
Every day, as mentioned earlier, brings fresh threats and promises of new markets for stocks on the Exchange. Trading is not similar to trading the previous day.
Every day is just as promising and just as risk prone as the other day in the stock market. But one thing is certain, when you face a terrible day, you still have the hope that tomorrow will bring success.
This is one of the beauties of the rapid and happening stock trades exchange. Go ahead, try your own hand at it.
The stock markets are pretty unpredictable. One minute you could be excited and encouraged thanks to the fact that the stocks you invested in are booming, and the next you could be broken because the bull run reversed and the stock fell even lower than it started.
Obviously, a profit or a loss is calculated by comparing the prices of purchase and sales of the stocks.
Stock exchange trades usually are done in the day. This is because of the assumption that it is during the day, that most of the big companies around the world normally conduct business transactions.
As the saying goes, a work day cant ever be too long for stock trades. It is a common feeling that a work day is too short to negotiate all trades you wished to.
Stock trade transactions
Prior to the purchase and sale of stocks,one is expected to do some homework, meaning do some background checks on the companies you are planning to invest into.
The choice is solely yours, where you put your money in, or if you take out investment from a particular stock. Make sure you have a well thought out decision because your profits of commercial transactions will be based on this.
When you buy securities, you should inform your brokerage partner on your intention and the amount you would like to buy, on whatever stock.
Make sure you have all adequate information on your choice of stock. What good would it do to invest in a company on the edge of bankruptcy?.
Your money would soon disappear with the company's losses.
Evolution
In a time span of over 4 centuries, trading has gradually evolved to be a safer and better tool for investment.
Within this short period, the stock markets of Commerce have emerged as the largest and most widely used investment strategy in the world, across every market, from the third world to the American economy.
Any country's average economic performance is today judged and evaluated on the basis of how its local stock market trading or exchange is doing. This system of research in the economy should proliferate and spread over time.
Every day, as mentioned earlier, brings fresh threats and promises of new markets for stocks on the Exchange. Trading is not similar to trading the previous day.
Every day is just as promising and just as risk prone as the other day in the stock market. But one thing is certain, when you face a terrible day, you still have the hope that tomorrow will bring success.
This is one of the beauties of the rapid and happening stock trades exchange. Go ahead, try your own hand at it.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Forex Channel Breakouts - Riding a Tsunami of Profits
By : Jason Fielder
Forex channel breakouts occur anytime that a price, either going high or low, breaks one of the set lines of a channel that is developed through technical analysis.
A channel occurs when two lines are made to show the range of a current market. This can be done whether the market is in trend or in counter-trend. One line represents the high of a current channel, while the bottom line represents the low. The channel is found through technical analysis.
Any time the price of a currency pair rises above the top line, that is an upwards channel break. When the price of a currency pair drops below the bottom line of a channel, that is a downward channel break, also sometimes referred to as a "breakdown" as opposed to a "breakout." The channel breakout in a Forex market can happen either up or down, just as long as it escapes the channel created by your technical analysis.
Not every break in the line becomes a full blown breakout. There are often times when a price may temporarily just break one of the lines, then retreat back into the channel. These are called "false breaks" or "false breakouts."
These can be frustrating because a lot of money can be made in the Forex market off of being in early on a major breakout, so false breakouts tend to get the hopes up before dashing them again, but this is all part of trading Forex. Being on the right side of a true channel breakout is worth all the false alarms you might find along the way.
Besides, if you use your stops correctly, a fake channel breakout shouldn't cost you much, and it may even lead to a very slight profit. It's certainly worth the risk because when you hit the right side of a Forex channel breakout, the profits in some extreme cases can even be hundreds of pips.
A true Forex channel breakout that takes off however, can provide fantastic profits, and is a major reason why technical analysis is used in the market: to try and determine when these channel breakouts are going to occur and to get in the market early can bring good profits.
Channel breakouts can often lead to the forming of another channel, so constant analysis should take place even as the market is in the middle of a breakout in either direction. If you are riding the price up, a trailing stop can be a good idea since reversals can happen rapidly, and sometimes seemingly without warning.
Forex channel breakouts occur anytime that a price, either going high or low, breaks one of the set lines of a channel that is developed through technical analysis.
A channel occurs when two lines are made to show the range of a current market. This can be done whether the market is in trend or in counter-trend. One line represents the high of a current channel, while the bottom line represents the low. The channel is found through technical analysis.
Any time the price of a currency pair rises above the top line, that is an upwards channel break. When the price of a currency pair drops below the bottom line of a channel, that is a downward channel break, also sometimes referred to as a "breakdown" as opposed to a "breakout." The channel breakout in a Forex market can happen either up or down, just as long as it escapes the channel created by your technical analysis.
Not every break in the line becomes a full blown breakout. There are often times when a price may temporarily just break one of the lines, then retreat back into the channel. These are called "false breaks" or "false breakouts."
These can be frustrating because a lot of money can be made in the Forex market off of being in early on a major breakout, so false breakouts tend to get the hopes up before dashing them again, but this is all part of trading Forex. Being on the right side of a true channel breakout is worth all the false alarms you might find along the way.
Besides, if you use your stops correctly, a fake channel breakout shouldn't cost you much, and it may even lead to a very slight profit. It's certainly worth the risk because when you hit the right side of a Forex channel breakout, the profits in some extreme cases can even be hundreds of pips.
A true Forex channel breakout that takes off however, can provide fantastic profits, and is a major reason why technical analysis is used in the market: to try and determine when these channel breakouts are going to occur and to get in the market early can bring good profits.
Channel breakouts can often lead to the forming of another channel, so constant analysis should take place even as the market is in the middle of a breakout in either direction. If you are riding the price up, a trailing stop can be a good idea since reversals can happen rapidly, and sometimes seemingly without warning.
5 Forex News Reports Successful Traders Devour
By : Jason Fielder
If you're going to be a successful Forex trader, then part of that involves learning what profitable Forex traders already know. One of the major movers of the Forex market are the economic reports of each nation.
This isn't just restricted to the United States, either. Traders looking at the Yen, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, or Euro (or any currency, for that matter) will look at the economic news reports that are released by each of these nations.
There are many minor economic reports, some of which can spill over into the larger reports (look at the U.S. Housing bubble, for example), and while the "minor" reports are useful, this is going to concentrate on the big five, because these are the five major economic reports that will have the strongest and most immediate impact on the Forex market.
These are also the five reports that are acted upon by the most traders, so being able to keep track of these are critical if you're going to be able to keep a finger on the pulse of the Forex market.
The five major economic reports to keep track of are:
1. Unemployment/Non-Farm Payroll Reports
2. Interest Rates
3. Consumer Price Index
4. Trade Balance (Deficits vs. Surpluses)
5. Retail Sales
Unemployment/Non-Farm Payroll Reports
No matter what you're trading, this is always one of the most important reports about a particular area's economy. A low unemployment percentage is one of the strongest indicators of a strong, robust economy. Likewise, the opposite also applies. A country with a large unemployment rate is going through hard times.
Surprises in anticipated unemployment numbers can have a strong effect on the Forex market, as well. For example, if the unemployment rate is expected to be around 6.5% for the nation, and the report comes out with 4.9%, then that nation's currency is going to strengthen thanks to the unexpected good news.
Interest Rates
Interest rate changes directly affect the strength of a currency. A higher interest rate will usually cause a stronger currency because it will attract foreign investors and traders. Interest rates are one of the BIGGEST key influences in driving a currency either up or down; especially since carry trades remain popular among Forex traders.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
The Consumer Price Index is a monthly report that gauges prices across the country and compares it to salary. Basically this means it tracks inflation, which is a major factor in the health of any economy. A sudden jump in inflation is never good news, and in some nations (see Zimbabwe) it can be absolutely disastrous, so keep an eye on when these reports come out.
Trade Balance
The trade balance refers to a nation's trade surplus and/or deficit. This measures how much a nation exports versus how much it imports. A deficit means you bring in more than you send out, while a surplus is the opposite. Often times you may hear "trade deficit" referring to the United States, but this is not necessarily a bad thing - it depends on the situation and why the balance is tilted the way it is. This is also a monthly report in the United States.
Retail Sales
A nation's report of retail sales may be the best indicator of how the common person feels about the economy. In the United States this is a monthly report of how sales are going for individual businesses. Some parts of the year are going to be much busier than others. December, for example, will always be expected to have great retail sales because of the Christmas holiday.
Knowing what these reports are and how they affect the markets will help you make better fundamental decisions when trading the Forex.
If you're going to be a successful Forex trader, then part of that involves learning what profitable Forex traders already know. One of the major movers of the Forex market are the economic reports of each nation.
This isn't just restricted to the United States, either. Traders looking at the Yen, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, or Euro (or any currency, for that matter) will look at the economic news reports that are released by each of these nations.
There are many minor economic reports, some of which can spill over into the larger reports (look at the U.S. Housing bubble, for example), and while the "minor" reports are useful, this is going to concentrate on the big five, because these are the five major economic reports that will have the strongest and most immediate impact on the Forex market.
These are also the five reports that are acted upon by the most traders, so being able to keep track of these are critical if you're going to be able to keep a finger on the pulse of the Forex market.
The five major economic reports to keep track of are:
1. Unemployment/Non-Farm Payroll Reports
2. Interest Rates
3. Consumer Price Index
4. Trade Balance (Deficits vs. Surpluses)
5. Retail Sales
Unemployment/Non-Farm Payroll Reports
No matter what you're trading, this is always one of the most important reports about a particular area's economy. A low unemployment percentage is one of the strongest indicators of a strong, robust economy. Likewise, the opposite also applies. A country with a large unemployment rate is going through hard times.
Surprises in anticipated unemployment numbers can have a strong effect on the Forex market, as well. For example, if the unemployment rate is expected to be around 6.5% for the nation, and the report comes out with 4.9%, then that nation's currency is going to strengthen thanks to the unexpected good news.
Interest Rates
Interest rate changes directly affect the strength of a currency. A higher interest rate will usually cause a stronger currency because it will attract foreign investors and traders. Interest rates are one of the BIGGEST key influences in driving a currency either up or down; especially since carry trades remain popular among Forex traders.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
The Consumer Price Index is a monthly report that gauges prices across the country and compares it to salary. Basically this means it tracks inflation, which is a major factor in the health of any economy. A sudden jump in inflation is never good news, and in some nations (see Zimbabwe) it can be absolutely disastrous, so keep an eye on when these reports come out.
Trade Balance
The trade balance refers to a nation's trade surplus and/or deficit. This measures how much a nation exports versus how much it imports. A deficit means you bring in more than you send out, while a surplus is the opposite. Often times you may hear "trade deficit" referring to the United States, but this is not necessarily a bad thing - it depends on the situation and why the balance is tilted the way it is. This is also a monthly report in the United States.
Retail Sales
A nation's report of retail sales may be the best indicator of how the common person feels about the economy. In the United States this is a monthly report of how sales are going for individual businesses. Some parts of the year are going to be much busier than others. December, for example, will always be expected to have great retail sales because of the Christmas holiday.
Knowing what these reports are and how they affect the markets will help you make better fundamental decisions when trading the Forex.
The Ultimate Stock Market Trading Survival Guide
By : Reggie Dunn
Stock market trading is often touted as something so simple anyone can do it and do it better themselves than if they used a broker. While this is true, it's important to keep an eye out for some of the common mistakes people make.
People are always advised never to invest money they can't afford to loose in the stock market. Even with the best decision, there's still a chance that things can go wrong, especially when emotions are involved. Pay attention to all the information you can find. Choosing a stock because its symbol is your initials might be a good sign that you need to double check how rational you're prepared to be about investing.
A rational investor has a plan. Knowing when to get out is as important as when to get in for a given stock. Planning your work and then working your plan isolates you from more volatile emotions and emotional responses. You're taking an active role in the stewardship of your finances; remember the long term goals you have.
But no plan, no matter now good will work all the time. Invest your money in discrete lots and never invest all your money in one stock. Yes, you're giving up the potential for gains but you're also providing a hedge against things going tragically wrong.
Understand that you're learning in this and set up a mock portfolio first to allow you to gain experience. The more experience you have the better you'll do at trading stocks. Getting better means you can make more profitable trades, trade more stocks - but you have to earn that experience. There is no substitute for it.
When we learned how to drive we didn't start off driving a Formula One car or a drag racer. Most of us learned with something that wasn't so dangerous to us and more forgiving of mistakes. The stock market should be treated like that. While it's possible to having amazing returns and success with the stock market, handled inappositely can lead to disastrous results. Before you play with your entire budget and exercise more complex options, be careful that you know how the basics work.
Like driving, investing in the stock market can become second nature and allow you to take into consideration more factors and produce better results. While you might feel out of your depth when you first start investing, you'll build up the experience to jump onto the highway with cars traveling 70 miles an hour and feel comfortable.
Keep in mind that it's a learning experience and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Also remember that it is game and the stakes are very real. When you do something, know why you're doing it.Rright down a log of your activities and your decisions and read and understand your environment. Darwin said that it's not the strongest species that survives, but the most adaptable. Survive and overcome the initial learning curve and you can succeed.
Author Resource:- To see how easy it is to make money picking stocks and to get a free trial of a proven system that has consistently produced profits go to Stock Trading Systems USA Review. Once you try the system you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
Stock market trading is often touted as something so simple anyone can do it and do it better themselves than if they used a broker. While this is true, it's important to keep an eye out for some of the common mistakes people make.
People are always advised never to invest money they can't afford to loose in the stock market. Even with the best decision, there's still a chance that things can go wrong, especially when emotions are involved. Pay attention to all the information you can find. Choosing a stock because its symbol is your initials might be a good sign that you need to double check how rational you're prepared to be about investing.
A rational investor has a plan. Knowing when to get out is as important as when to get in for a given stock. Planning your work and then working your plan isolates you from more volatile emotions and emotional responses. You're taking an active role in the stewardship of your finances; remember the long term goals you have.
But no plan, no matter now good will work all the time. Invest your money in discrete lots and never invest all your money in one stock. Yes, you're giving up the potential for gains but you're also providing a hedge against things going tragically wrong.
Understand that you're learning in this and set up a mock portfolio first to allow you to gain experience. The more experience you have the better you'll do at trading stocks. Getting better means you can make more profitable trades, trade more stocks - but you have to earn that experience. There is no substitute for it.
When we learned how to drive we didn't start off driving a Formula One car or a drag racer. Most of us learned with something that wasn't so dangerous to us and more forgiving of mistakes. The stock market should be treated like that. While it's possible to having amazing returns and success with the stock market, handled inappositely can lead to disastrous results. Before you play with your entire budget and exercise more complex options, be careful that you know how the basics work.
Like driving, investing in the stock market can become second nature and allow you to take into consideration more factors and produce better results. While you might feel out of your depth when you first start investing, you'll build up the experience to jump onto the highway with cars traveling 70 miles an hour and feel comfortable.
Keep in mind that it's a learning experience and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Also remember that it is game and the stakes are very real. When you do something, know why you're doing it.Rright down a log of your activities and your decisions and read and understand your environment. Darwin said that it's not the strongest species that survives, but the most adaptable. Survive and overcome the initial learning curve and you can succeed.
Author Resource:- To see how easy it is to make money picking stocks and to get a free trial of a proven system that has consistently produced profits go to Stock Trading Systems USA Review. Once you try the system you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
An Introduction to Day Trading
By : Caterina Christakos
While being a day trader used to be a personal decision that the government had no interest in, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently stepped in and developed some day trader account management rules that you may become subject to depending upon how you trade.
There is a new category of day trader called the "Pattern Day Trader" or "PDT". This definition applies to people who make four or more day trades within any five day period, but only if those trades exceed six percent of that person's total trading activity in the same time period.
What is a Day Trader?
A day trader is an investor who opens and closes a position in the same trading day. For example, if you buy 10,000 shares of XYZ at 11 AM, and sell all 10,000 shares at 1:30 PM on the same day, then you completed a day trade. Do that enough times within 5 days and you are a Pattern Day Trader.
What are the new SEC rules?
If you are determined to be a PDT then you are required to maintain a minimum balance of $25,000 in your margin account. Traders who are not subject to the new rules only need to maintain a $2,000 balance in their margin account.
Because the SEC rules are not clear, many brokerage houses require PDT customers to maintain a $25,000 balance even if they are trading from a cash account.
Is Day Trading right for you?
Day trading is not something to be entered into lightly. While there is a great opportunity for gain, there is an equal opportunity for loss. Day traders require a great degree of knowledge and skill in order to be consistently successful. Of course, no one is born with that knowledge and skill and there are plenty of ways to learn all about day trading if you think that you are interested.
It takes discipline to be a day trader. Greed and fear are the two biggest enemies of day trading investors. When you get too greedy you set yourself up for losses by having too much money invested at once, or by not exiting a trade when you should. Fear stops you from making a trade because you don't want to risk losing the money, or it forces you to close a position earlier than you should because you think it's going bad on you.
Day trading is very risky and you should never invest more than you can afford to lose. Yes, you can earn a full time living being a day trader, but more people fail than succeed, so you have to be prepared for the worst.
Your best bet is to find a day trading program or strategy that you are comfortable with and then stick with it. There are plenty of strategies available, but remember this: Past performance is never indicative of future results. What worked yesterday for day traders may not work today. Trade responsibly!
While being a day trader used to be a personal decision that the government had no interest in, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently stepped in and developed some day trader account management rules that you may become subject to depending upon how you trade.
There is a new category of day trader called the "Pattern Day Trader" or "PDT". This definition applies to people who make four or more day trades within any five day period, but only if those trades exceed six percent of that person's total trading activity in the same time period.
What is a Day Trader?
A day trader is an investor who opens and closes a position in the same trading day. For example, if you buy 10,000 shares of XYZ at 11 AM, and sell all 10,000 shares at 1:30 PM on the same day, then you completed a day trade. Do that enough times within 5 days and you are a Pattern Day Trader.
What are the new SEC rules?
If you are determined to be a PDT then you are required to maintain a minimum balance of $25,000 in your margin account. Traders who are not subject to the new rules only need to maintain a $2,000 balance in their margin account.
Because the SEC rules are not clear, many brokerage houses require PDT customers to maintain a $25,000 balance even if they are trading from a cash account.
Is Day Trading right for you?
Day trading is not something to be entered into lightly. While there is a great opportunity for gain, there is an equal opportunity for loss. Day traders require a great degree of knowledge and skill in order to be consistently successful. Of course, no one is born with that knowledge and skill and there are plenty of ways to learn all about day trading if you think that you are interested.
It takes discipline to be a day trader. Greed and fear are the two biggest enemies of day trading investors. When you get too greedy you set yourself up for losses by having too much money invested at once, or by not exiting a trade when you should. Fear stops you from making a trade because you don't want to risk losing the money, or it forces you to close a position earlier than you should because you think it's going bad on you.
Day trading is very risky and you should never invest more than you can afford to lose. Yes, you can earn a full time living being a day trader, but more people fail than succeed, so you have to be prepared for the worst.
Your best bet is to find a day trading program or strategy that you are comfortable with and then stick with it. There are plenty of strategies available, but remember this: Past performance is never indicative of future results. What worked yesterday for day traders may not work today. Trade responsibly!
Stock Options Trading System Provides Incredible Strategy - The Secrets of Partial Compounding
By : Chris Viscaya
Okay, now that you've found a good stock option trading System you are ready to rumble. You're ready to start 'cleaning house' and making huge returns sending you and yours into a rapid luxurious retirement in little under a year.
Your excitement is understood. And guess what? It's actually possible because it has been done.
We are assuming that you've obtained a really good stock option trading system, a method that uses excellent high probability entries, well placed stop losses and a trailing stop method of maximizing profits Now it is time to talk about the 'good stuff', the secrets of money management in options trading, where the real profits are created.
Options trading money management is the heart and soul of making your account grow while preventing unwelcome disasters. Trade with intelligent money management and increase your confidence.
Okay, so let's say your stock options trading system is actually making you profits. You feel that the system can be trusted and now you are anxious to 'up the ante' and start making bigger returns. So what do you do next?
Well first of all, keep trading but just keep your position sizes small, for now. It's now time to do a little tweaking with your money management of your position sizes. Doing this right could possibly make you hundreds of thousands up through millions of dollars, literally. Doing options trading money management wrong can cause you a lot of misery, pain, and suffering and wipe out your account quickly!
In essence, you want to keep your position sizes (the total amount you have invested into an options trade position) even sized and never more than 10% of your options trading portfolio (on a small account and down to 1% to 2% options position sizes on very large accounts). With options, even if you kept your 'bet' size the same, say 20 contracts for each and every trade, you could make a great living off just one stock even if you never increase your position size. But if you wanted to taste a little of that compounded, 'parabolic' growth increase your options position size by 20% to 30% max every time you double your account (never increase it to 100%!).
In case you're reading this and do not have a profitable Stock Option Trading System or stock there are excellent systems available through doing a little reasearch. You can try and figure a system out on your own or you can short cut success by obtaining some one else's system or service and emulate what they are doing.
Here are some basic trading system approaches that can net out consistent profits: Trade trends. Trade pivot points. Trade swings in the direction of the trend. And that pretty much covers it for successful moneymaking, directional options trading that's worth your time.
If your profits are bigger than your losses then you have a winning trading system. You don't necessarily have to win more than you lose. Yes you can actually make money by losing more than you win if your winners are big enough and your losers are small enough.
The issue when trading options is that when you lose you can easily take a 25 to 50% 'haircut' or more of your position just by simply stopping out through stock price action. This also goes to show that you will want a system that doesn't lose too often when trading options - remember that. Plus you'll want your winners to be able to be really big so trend and pivot point systems can perform the best.
This brings up the issue of making a fortune in options trading without losing your shirt.
There is nothing worse than making a fortune in options trading then quickly giving that fortune back. If you've ever done that you can understand why people jumped off bridges and have tall buildings in 1929 during the great stock market crash. It's a most miserable feeling because you get so high and excited, and happy from your gains and then if you lose that if worse than never having had obtained it in the first place. So promise yourself now that you'll never put your self in that position and that you'll aggressively guard your profits at all times.
So that said let's figure out how to grow a trading account rapidly without losing it.
Okay, now that you've found a good stock option trading System you are ready to rumble. You're ready to start 'cleaning house' and making huge returns sending you and yours into a rapid luxurious retirement in little under a year.
Your excitement is understood. And guess what? It's actually possible because it has been done.
We are assuming that you've obtained a really good stock option trading system, a method that uses excellent high probability entries, well placed stop losses and a trailing stop method of maximizing profits Now it is time to talk about the 'good stuff', the secrets of money management in options trading, where the real profits are created.
Options trading money management is the heart and soul of making your account grow while preventing unwelcome disasters. Trade with intelligent money management and increase your confidence.
Okay, so let's say your stock options trading system is actually making you profits. You feel that the system can be trusted and now you are anxious to 'up the ante' and start making bigger returns. So what do you do next?
Well first of all, keep trading but just keep your position sizes small, for now. It's now time to do a little tweaking with your money management of your position sizes. Doing this right could possibly make you hundreds of thousands up through millions of dollars, literally. Doing options trading money management wrong can cause you a lot of misery, pain, and suffering and wipe out your account quickly!
In essence, you want to keep your position sizes (the total amount you have invested into an options trade position) even sized and never more than 10% of your options trading portfolio (on a small account and down to 1% to 2% options position sizes on very large accounts). With options, even if you kept your 'bet' size the same, say 20 contracts for each and every trade, you could make a great living off just one stock even if you never increase your position size. But if you wanted to taste a little of that compounded, 'parabolic' growth increase your options position size by 20% to 30% max every time you double your account (never increase it to 100%!).
In case you're reading this and do not have a profitable Stock Option Trading System or stock there are excellent systems available through doing a little reasearch. You can try and figure a system out on your own or you can short cut success by obtaining some one else's system or service and emulate what they are doing.
Here are some basic trading system approaches that can net out consistent profits: Trade trends. Trade pivot points. Trade swings in the direction of the trend. And that pretty much covers it for successful moneymaking, directional options trading that's worth your time.
If your profits are bigger than your losses then you have a winning trading system. You don't necessarily have to win more than you lose. Yes you can actually make money by losing more than you win if your winners are big enough and your losers are small enough.
The issue when trading options is that when you lose you can easily take a 25 to 50% 'haircut' or more of your position just by simply stopping out through stock price action. This also goes to show that you will want a system that doesn't lose too often when trading options - remember that. Plus you'll want your winners to be able to be really big so trend and pivot point systems can perform the best.
This brings up the issue of making a fortune in options trading without losing your shirt.
There is nothing worse than making a fortune in options trading then quickly giving that fortune back. If you've ever done that you can understand why people jumped off bridges and have tall buildings in 1929 during the great stock market crash. It's a most miserable feeling because you get so high and excited, and happy from your gains and then if you lose that if worse than never having had obtained it in the first place. So promise yourself now that you'll never put your self in that position and that you'll aggressively guard your profits at all times.
So that said let's figure out how to grow a trading account rapidly without losing it.
Become A Day Trader To Go Long On Profits
By : Reggie Dunn
In stock market parlance, day trading refers to buying or selling shares and squaring up the bought or sold positions on the same day. However, sometimes, day traders carry forward their positions for one day at the most. Individuals who participate in this activity are referred to as day traders.
It is easy to become a day trader, but many day traders do not stick to prudent, common sense financial principles, which is why you must have heard that day traders lose a lot of money. In reality, this is not true - day traders most often make money because they have access to sophisticated stock price forecasting tools, the latest news and most of all, they do not take any positions home and hence are not subject to vagaries of company announcements, economic indicators, commodity prices, the sub-prime mess, and so on.
Having said that, let us also add that to become a successful day trader, you need to follow sound financial tenets and get a basic grip on the stock market.
Basic issues faced by day traders
1. Newbie day traders regard day trading as a glamorous, hotshot job - it is anything but that. Day trading is about acting swiftly while purchasing/selling stocks at a price and squaring up positions at a profit. Day traders have to be street-smart and nimble to survive.
2. Day traders must understand the stock markets and different indices - for example, if the utilities indices fall, then day traders can go short on the weakest stocks in that category, and so on.
3. Day traders need to work with adequate working capital. Brokers registered with the New York Stock Exchange will insist of a deposit of $25,000.
4. Online day traders also have to invest in a high-speed broadband connection and subscribe to a sophisticated, proven website that doles out technical recommendations at regular intervals every trading day.
5. Day traders must use their judgment wisely when it comes to booking profits or cutting losses.
Day trading problems and how to overcome them
1. Many day traders do not book profits or cut losses quickly - they wait to gain some more out of the trade. The result is that many times profits evaporate and losses build up. As a day trader, you must learn to snake in and out of your positions quickly and be content with small profits or losses.
2. Some day traders do not cut losses at all - instead they take delivery of the security (if they have gone long on it). The result is that they have very little or no capital left because of which they are not be able to trade daily, and that might frustrate them.
3. Day traders should trade within their financial capacity and at no time overextend themselves. Overextending yourself amounts to gambling, not trading.
4. Sometimes day traders get emotional about the stocks they deal in and feel like holding their position/s for a while. On the other hand, some traders act in haste after watching the price fluctuations on the stock ticker. These are dangerous mistakes no day trader can afford to make because it is an unwritten rule that a day trader should only deal in, and not marry, any stock and he should always stick to his profit/loss no matter how the prices on the ticker move.
5. Day traders must be wary of dealing in stocks of suspicious companies even though such stocks are riding the momentum wave. Typically, day traders must stick to trading in liquid and reputed stocks and try to avoid the mediocre ones. Having said that, some rare opportunities in mediocre stocks can be taken advantage of by these traders.
6. Day traders must read financial papers and listen to the experts on TV. This information can clue them on in their trading.
This is what you need to know if you want to become a day trader. So, go ahead, organize enough capital, use your judgment and then play the game to go long on profits. Good luck!
Author Resource:- To see how easy it is to make money in day trading and to get a free trial of a proven system that has consistently produced profits go to Stock Trading Systems USA Review. Once you try the system you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
In stock market parlance, day trading refers to buying or selling shares and squaring up the bought or sold positions on the same day. However, sometimes, day traders carry forward their positions for one day at the most. Individuals who participate in this activity are referred to as day traders.
It is easy to become a day trader, but many day traders do not stick to prudent, common sense financial principles, which is why you must have heard that day traders lose a lot of money. In reality, this is not true - day traders most often make money because they have access to sophisticated stock price forecasting tools, the latest news and most of all, they do not take any positions home and hence are not subject to vagaries of company announcements, economic indicators, commodity prices, the sub-prime mess, and so on.
Having said that, let us also add that to become a successful day trader, you need to follow sound financial tenets and get a basic grip on the stock market.
Basic issues faced by day traders
1. Newbie day traders regard day trading as a glamorous, hotshot job - it is anything but that. Day trading is about acting swiftly while purchasing/selling stocks at a price and squaring up positions at a profit. Day traders have to be street-smart and nimble to survive.
2. Day traders must understand the stock markets and different indices - for example, if the utilities indices fall, then day traders can go short on the weakest stocks in that category, and so on.
3. Day traders need to work with adequate working capital. Brokers registered with the New York Stock Exchange will insist of a deposit of $25,000.
4. Online day traders also have to invest in a high-speed broadband connection and subscribe to a sophisticated, proven website that doles out technical recommendations at regular intervals every trading day.
5. Day traders must use their judgment wisely when it comes to booking profits or cutting losses.
Day trading problems and how to overcome them
1. Many day traders do not book profits or cut losses quickly - they wait to gain some more out of the trade. The result is that many times profits evaporate and losses build up. As a day trader, you must learn to snake in and out of your positions quickly and be content with small profits or losses.
2. Some day traders do not cut losses at all - instead they take delivery of the security (if they have gone long on it). The result is that they have very little or no capital left because of which they are not be able to trade daily, and that might frustrate them.
3. Day traders should trade within their financial capacity and at no time overextend themselves. Overextending yourself amounts to gambling, not trading.
4. Sometimes day traders get emotional about the stocks they deal in and feel like holding their position/s for a while. On the other hand, some traders act in haste after watching the price fluctuations on the stock ticker. These are dangerous mistakes no day trader can afford to make because it is an unwritten rule that a day trader should only deal in, and not marry, any stock and he should always stick to his profit/loss no matter how the prices on the ticker move.
5. Day traders must be wary of dealing in stocks of suspicious companies even though such stocks are riding the momentum wave. Typically, day traders must stick to trading in liquid and reputed stocks and try to avoid the mediocre ones. Having said that, some rare opportunities in mediocre stocks can be taken advantage of by these traders.
6. Day traders must read financial papers and listen to the experts on TV. This information can clue them on in their trading.
This is what you need to know if you want to become a day trader. So, go ahead, organize enough capital, use your judgment and then play the game to go long on profits. Good luck!
Author Resource:- To see how easy it is to make money in day trading and to get a free trial of a proven system that has consistently produced profits go to Stock Trading Systems USA Review. Once you try the system you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Defining "Safety Stocks"
by: John Mussi
With so many stock market scandals and the daily fluctuations of various securities, it might seem as though there is no simple method of investment that allows you to avoid the major risks of the market. Luckily, things are not always as they seem… some stocks, dubbed “safety stocks” by some investors, are stable enough that they tend to hold their value even when the rest of the market is in shambles. While these stocks aren't immune to the changes and fluctuations in the stock market, they usually weather the changes well and are much less prone to sudden drops in value.
If you've never heard of safety stocks or would like to know more, the information below is designed to give you some information on these relatively stable investments.
Safety in a turbulent market
Though no stocks are completely immune to the daily changes in the stock market, some manage to do better than others. Some of these companies have been around for a long time and that produce everyday items that are known around the world (such as the first aid and baby care manufacturer Johnson & Johnson), and aren't likely to encounter major scandals to bring down their prices. While these stocks aren't known for major increases in value, they don't perform poorly… instead, they offer a slow-but-steady increase that's much more stable than many other investment opportunities.
Safety stocks and diversification
Because of their general consistency, safety stocks are considered a must-have by many serious investors. They are great tools for diversification, allowing investors to use their stability to offset some of their more volatile investments. This effect can be increased even further by making investments in precious metals or the diamond market, both of which tend to offer a similar stability that works well with that of the safety stocks. A diverse investment portfolio with a strong base of safety stocks and precious metal and diamond investments is likely to weather even the most turbulent market with minimal long-term losses.
Safety stocks and high-risk investments
Even without using safety stocks for true diversification, it's possible to use these stocks to offset higher-risk investments. When investing in high-risk stocks, a smart investor might buffer their investment with a secondary investment in one or more safety stocks which will help to minimize any losses that might occur. If the higher-risk stock performs well and is sold at a good price, then the safety stocks may either be sold or kept since they're not likely to drop significantly in value. Should the higher-risk stock not perform well and ends up being sold low, then the value of the safety stocks as they slowly but surely show an increase will help to offset any losses.
Safety stocks and long-term investment
Obviously, safety stocks are great for long-term investments. Purchasing safety stocks over the course of several years is much more likely to show a definite improvement than other stocks that aren't nearly as stable. When combined with precious metals or the diamond market as mentioned above, the effects can be even more noticeable due to the similar nature of the two types of investments.
Safety stocks can also be combined with bonds or other types of investments that do well in the long term, either using the stocks in smaller amounts to accentuate the earnings of the other investments or as simply another long-term investment among many. This can make safety stocks ideal for retirement plans or any other long-term financial planning.
You may freely reprint this article provided the following author's biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:
With so many stock market scandals and the daily fluctuations of various securities, it might seem as though there is no simple method of investment that allows you to avoid the major risks of the market. Luckily, things are not always as they seem… some stocks, dubbed “safety stocks” by some investors, are stable enough that they tend to hold their value even when the rest of the market is in shambles. While these stocks aren't immune to the changes and fluctuations in the stock market, they usually weather the changes well and are much less prone to sudden drops in value.
If you've never heard of safety stocks or would like to know more, the information below is designed to give you some information on these relatively stable investments.
Safety in a turbulent market
Though no stocks are completely immune to the daily changes in the stock market, some manage to do better than others. Some of these companies have been around for a long time and that produce everyday items that are known around the world (such as the first aid and baby care manufacturer Johnson & Johnson), and aren't likely to encounter major scandals to bring down their prices. While these stocks aren't known for major increases in value, they don't perform poorly… instead, they offer a slow-but-steady increase that's much more stable than many other investment opportunities.
Safety stocks and diversification
Because of their general consistency, safety stocks are considered a must-have by many serious investors. They are great tools for diversification, allowing investors to use their stability to offset some of their more volatile investments. This effect can be increased even further by making investments in precious metals or the diamond market, both of which tend to offer a similar stability that works well with that of the safety stocks. A diverse investment portfolio with a strong base of safety stocks and precious metal and diamond investments is likely to weather even the most turbulent market with minimal long-term losses.
Safety stocks and high-risk investments
Even without using safety stocks for true diversification, it's possible to use these stocks to offset higher-risk investments. When investing in high-risk stocks, a smart investor might buffer their investment with a secondary investment in one or more safety stocks which will help to minimize any losses that might occur. If the higher-risk stock performs well and is sold at a good price, then the safety stocks may either be sold or kept since they're not likely to drop significantly in value. Should the higher-risk stock not perform well and ends up being sold low, then the value of the safety stocks as they slowly but surely show an increase will help to offset any losses.
Safety stocks and long-term investment
Obviously, safety stocks are great for long-term investments. Purchasing safety stocks over the course of several years is much more likely to show a definite improvement than other stocks that aren't nearly as stable. When combined with precious metals or the diamond market as mentioned above, the effects can be even more noticeable due to the similar nature of the two types of investments.
Safety stocks can also be combined with bonds or other types of investments that do well in the long term, either using the stocks in smaller amounts to accentuate the earnings of the other investments or as simply another long-term investment among many. This can make safety stocks ideal for retirement plans or any other long-term financial planning.
You may freely reprint this article provided the following author's biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:
About The Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Trading Guru Reveals Personal Money Management Secrets
by: David Jenyns
How personal money management works: In the markets it`s possible to be right, and to still lose money. In fact, it`s pretty common. Traders who win on a high percentage of their trades often end up with their capital eaten away, and nothing to show for their work. They lose their gains because they don`t know how to manage their money.
Being a good manager of your own money is one of the most difficult trading skills to learn. But if you don`t use good personal money management to lock in profits, take small losses on the picks you`re wrong about, and control your use of margin, eventually you`ll lose everything, no matter how good of a trader you are. You need to make protecting your capital your first priority if you want to be successful.
As a trader, your capital is the most valuable thing you have. Without it, you can`t trade at all. For this reason, bringing in no profits on a trade is better than losing any part of your capital. If your account is intact, you can always make a profit another day. If your capital has suffered a loss, you`ll be wasting effort playing catch-up. The more you`ve lost, the longer it will take to get back to where you started from, because you`ve got more to make up for, and because you`ll have a smaller chunk of capital to work with. A smaller capital base means smaller percentage returns on profits. Making 10% on a $10,000 account earns you $1,000, but if you`ve lost half of that account and have only $5,000 left, making 10% on your money will earn you only $500. You`d have to do that twice to make the same $1,000.
Sound personal money management has two main goals: to avoid losing money, and to avoid missing profit opportunities by tying up capital in problem trades for long periods of time. Failing to avoid either of these will cost you. The first goal is straightforward. You want to preserve your capital and whatever profits you`ve accumulated. But you don`t just want to keep your capital, you want to trade with it as well, to continue to grow it and make your returns larger and larger.
Working to avoid losing those profit making opportunities isn`t quite as obvious a goal. With the second goal in mind let`s compare the outcomes of two money-management decisions. Trader A buys a stock, expecting it to go up, and finds that it doesn`t. However, he`s certain it will go up eventually, and he`s incurred a small loss, so he decides to wait it out. He ends up holding the stock for three months before finally selling it. Trader B buys the same stock at the same time as Trader A, but once he sees that it isn`t going up, he sells it at a small loss. He buys another stock and makes a 15% profit on it. His next trade loses 1%, but after that he makes 8 %, 15%, and 30% on a series of trades. Because he is growing his account, he makes these percentages on a larger and larger base of capital each time. At the end of three months, his account has grown by 48%.
Whose personal money management decision turned out to be the best? While Trader B made a nice profit, Trader A not only lost time but also never made his money back. Even if he had made his money back on that stock, it`s hard to see how this was a good use of his capital over the course of three months.
Clearly the goal of not tying up your capital in problem trades has an important impact on your profits. Practising sound personal money management will keep your capital and your profits safe. Though it is a difficult skill to learn, once you know how to practise good personal money management, you can almost guarantee that you will be a success as a trader.
How personal money management works: In the markets it`s possible to be right, and to still lose money. In fact, it`s pretty common. Traders who win on a high percentage of their trades often end up with their capital eaten away, and nothing to show for their work. They lose their gains because they don`t know how to manage their money.
Being a good manager of your own money is one of the most difficult trading skills to learn. But if you don`t use good personal money management to lock in profits, take small losses on the picks you`re wrong about, and control your use of margin, eventually you`ll lose everything, no matter how good of a trader you are. You need to make protecting your capital your first priority if you want to be successful.
As a trader, your capital is the most valuable thing you have. Without it, you can`t trade at all. For this reason, bringing in no profits on a trade is better than losing any part of your capital. If your account is intact, you can always make a profit another day. If your capital has suffered a loss, you`ll be wasting effort playing catch-up. The more you`ve lost, the longer it will take to get back to where you started from, because you`ve got more to make up for, and because you`ll have a smaller chunk of capital to work with. A smaller capital base means smaller percentage returns on profits. Making 10% on a $10,000 account earns you $1,000, but if you`ve lost half of that account and have only $5,000 left, making 10% on your money will earn you only $500. You`d have to do that twice to make the same $1,000.
Sound personal money management has two main goals: to avoid losing money, and to avoid missing profit opportunities by tying up capital in problem trades for long periods of time. Failing to avoid either of these will cost you. The first goal is straightforward. You want to preserve your capital and whatever profits you`ve accumulated. But you don`t just want to keep your capital, you want to trade with it as well, to continue to grow it and make your returns larger and larger.
Working to avoid losing those profit making opportunities isn`t quite as obvious a goal. With the second goal in mind let`s compare the outcomes of two money-management decisions. Trader A buys a stock, expecting it to go up, and finds that it doesn`t. However, he`s certain it will go up eventually, and he`s incurred a small loss, so he decides to wait it out. He ends up holding the stock for three months before finally selling it. Trader B buys the same stock at the same time as Trader A, but once he sees that it isn`t going up, he sells it at a small loss. He buys another stock and makes a 15% profit on it. His next trade loses 1%, but after that he makes 8 %, 15%, and 30% on a series of trades. Because he is growing his account, he makes these percentages on a larger and larger base of capital each time. At the end of three months, his account has grown by 48%.
Whose personal money management decision turned out to be the best? While Trader B made a nice profit, Trader A not only lost time but also never made his money back. Even if he had made his money back on that stock, it`s hard to see how this was a good use of his capital over the course of three months.
Clearly the goal of not tying up your capital in problem trades has an important impact on your profits. Practising sound personal money management will keep your capital and your profits safe. Though it is a difficult skill to learn, once you know how to practise good personal money management, you can almost guarantee that you will be a success as a trader.
About The Author
David Jenyns is recognized as the leading expert when it comes to designing profitable trading systems. His most recent course Trading Secrets Revealed is a step- by-step trading roadmap to having excellent money management. Learn how *you* can become one of his students.
Click Here ==> http://www.trading-secrets-revealed.com Receive David’s free trading tips by signing up for his eZine at: ==> http://www.trading-secrets-revealed.com/pop.html
Trailing Stop Loss Tips
(TSR) Why Are We Giving Away These Trailing Stop Loss Tips for Nothing - This Is Not A Misprint
by: David Jenyns
A trailing stop loss is calculated in a manner like the way we calculated our initial stop loss. The only difference being that while we calculated our stop loss from the entry price, we're calculating our trailing stop loss from the highest price since entry. The key to the trailing stop loss is that you need to make continual adjustments to make sure that the stop is moved in your favour.
The method that you use to set your trailing stop loss can vary dramatically. However, if we use the ATR method that we used to calculate our initial stop to set our trailing stop loss, we'll have the ability to lock in the profit as the share price increases.
For example, if you bought a share at one dollar, and your initial stop was set at 90 cents, your trailing stop would also have a value of 90 cents. If, after the first day, the share price moves in your favour and moves to $1.10, you would recalculate your trailing stop loss by subtracting two times the value of the ATR from the new high price of $1.10. For simplicity, let's assume that your stop size hasn't changed, and is still ten cents wide. When you calculate your new trailing stop loss, by subtracting the 10 cents from $1.10, it would be set at one dollar.
At this point, your initial stop was at 90 cents, and your trailing stop loss is now at a dollar, with the share price is at $1.10. Since your trailing stop loss is higher than your initial stop, the initial stop becomes obsolete, and our trailing stop loss becomes your active exit.
Now, my question is, How much profit have you made on this trade? The share price is at $1.10 and we entered at one dollar. If you thought, No, I haven't made any money, then you'd be right on track. Remember, our stop loss strategy gives the share price a little bit of room to move.
You're not going to exit this position until the share price reverts to one dollar. I'ts important to note that when you are valuing any open position, you should always value it based on its stop loss value, since if you were to exit this share, you would wait until that price point was breached.
Let's go back to the example. Now, what happens if the share price begins to fall? Let's say that the share price falls from $1.10 down to $1.05. What does your trailing stop loss do? Would it move down also? Here's another important point. A stop loss will never, ever move down. A trailing stop loss can only move up. This ensures you lock in profit and that you'll also get out of the shares once they start to turn. A trailing stop loss is always calculated from the highest price since entry, so the highest price is still $1.10.
It's not until the share price makes a new high since entry that the trailing stop loss would begin to move in your favor again. However, if you're using the ATR method, there's another way for our trailing stop to move up. This would occur when the volatility of a stock begins to decrease. If a share price were to begin to move sideways, the ATR value would start to drop off. This would cause the trailing stop to move up as the share price became less volatile.
The best way to understand these concepts is to print out a chart with the ATR values along the bottom. Then on the chart, identify the point where you would have received an entry signal, and mark your initial stop loss and your trailing stop loss.
As the trend progresses make sure that you recalculate the value of your stop so you can begin to get a feel for the way this method of using a stop loss works Seeing how the changes in stock price affect you trailing stop loss will give you the confidence to make them a key part of your trading system.
by: David Jenyns
A trailing stop loss is calculated in a manner like the way we calculated our initial stop loss. The only difference being that while we calculated our stop loss from the entry price, we're calculating our trailing stop loss from the highest price since entry. The key to the trailing stop loss is that you need to make continual adjustments to make sure that the stop is moved in your favour.
The method that you use to set your trailing stop loss can vary dramatically. However, if we use the ATR method that we used to calculate our initial stop to set our trailing stop loss, we'll have the ability to lock in the profit as the share price increases.
For example, if you bought a share at one dollar, and your initial stop was set at 90 cents, your trailing stop would also have a value of 90 cents. If, after the first day, the share price moves in your favour and moves to $1.10, you would recalculate your trailing stop loss by subtracting two times the value of the ATR from the new high price of $1.10. For simplicity, let's assume that your stop size hasn't changed, and is still ten cents wide. When you calculate your new trailing stop loss, by subtracting the 10 cents from $1.10, it would be set at one dollar.
At this point, your initial stop was at 90 cents, and your trailing stop loss is now at a dollar, with the share price is at $1.10. Since your trailing stop loss is higher than your initial stop, the initial stop becomes obsolete, and our trailing stop loss becomes your active exit.
Now, my question is, How much profit have you made on this trade? The share price is at $1.10 and we entered at one dollar. If you thought, No, I haven't made any money, then you'd be right on track. Remember, our stop loss strategy gives the share price a little bit of room to move.
You're not going to exit this position until the share price reverts to one dollar. I'ts important to note that when you are valuing any open position, you should always value it based on its stop loss value, since if you were to exit this share, you would wait until that price point was breached.
Let's go back to the example. Now, what happens if the share price begins to fall? Let's say that the share price falls from $1.10 down to $1.05. What does your trailing stop loss do? Would it move down also? Here's another important point. A stop loss will never, ever move down. A trailing stop loss can only move up. This ensures you lock in profit and that you'll also get out of the shares once they start to turn. A trailing stop loss is always calculated from the highest price since entry, so the highest price is still $1.10.
It's not until the share price makes a new high since entry that the trailing stop loss would begin to move in your favor again. However, if you're using the ATR method, there's another way for our trailing stop to move up. This would occur when the volatility of a stock begins to decrease. If a share price were to begin to move sideways, the ATR value would start to drop off. This would cause the trailing stop to move up as the share price became less volatile.
The best way to understand these concepts is to print out a chart with the ATR values along the bottom. Then on the chart, identify the point where you would have received an entry signal, and mark your initial stop loss and your trailing stop loss.
As the trend progresses make sure that you recalculate the value of your stop so you can begin to get a feel for the way this method of using a stop loss works Seeing how the changes in stock price affect you trailing stop loss will give you the confidence to make them a key part of your trading system.
About The Author
David Jenyns is recognized as the leading expert when it comes to designing profitable trading systems. His most recent course Trading Secrets Revealed is a step- by-step trading roadmap to having excellent money management. Learn how *you* can become one of his students.
Visit Here ==> http://www.trading-secrets-revealed.com
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Winning at Stock Trading
by: Gay Redmile
The world of trading and investment can be as frustrating as it can be rewarding! You need to be prepared...
Firstly, decide if you are a trader or an investor.
An investor is someone who enters the stock market inadvertently - usually via their superannuation policies. A trader is someone who makes a decision to buy and sell shares via the stock market. This can be done online or by using the services of a stock broker.
If you decide to become a trader - to win - you must have a survival strategy...
You need to study the market yourself - not just rely on 'reading the news', or listening to others advice and tips.
Take advantage of technology - computers, software, electronic data - all at your finger tips. Seek out charting software and appropriate internet sites - they are plentiful.
Ensure that you 'manage' your money and keep some in reserve.
Have the ability to quickly identify failures as well as successes.
Stock Market trading appeals to those who are a little adventurous - rather than just placing their capital into bricks and mortar.
But - be mindful that portfolio values are less stable than real estate as they are continually moving up and down.
However - investing in the Stock Market means that you are putting your money to work - be aware, and enjoy the gains!
The world of trading and investment can be as frustrating as it can be rewarding! You need to be prepared...
Firstly, decide if you are a trader or an investor.
An investor is someone who enters the stock market inadvertently - usually via their superannuation policies. A trader is someone who makes a decision to buy and sell shares via the stock market. This can be done online or by using the services of a stock broker.
If you decide to become a trader - to win - you must have a survival strategy...
You need to study the market yourself - not just rely on 'reading the news', or listening to others advice and tips.
Take advantage of technology - computers, software, electronic data - all at your finger tips. Seek out charting software and appropriate internet sites - they are plentiful.
Ensure that you 'manage' your money and keep some in reserve.
Have the ability to quickly identify failures as well as successes.
Stock Market trading appeals to those who are a little adventurous - rather than just placing their capital into bricks and mortar.
But - be mindful that portfolio values are less stable than real estate as they are continually moving up and down.
However - investing in the Stock Market means that you are putting your money to work - be aware, and enjoy the gains!
About The Author
Gay Redmile is the webmaster of several finance and investment sites. Having been a trader for most of her adult life she understand the importance of research and fully understanding the market. For further information visit her site at http://www.thestocktradingsite.com
How to Make Money in a Down Market
By : Nicholas Swezey
There are actually a few ways to make money in a bear market but the main one we will discuss here is called Short Selling.
Short selling is a technique that many stock brokerages allow. It allows you to Sell High then Buy Low, which is the opposite order of the traditional Buy Low, Sell High technique.
First, you will need to apply for a margin account with your trading brokerage. Having margin gives you the ability to buy more stock than the cash you have available by borrowing money from your brokerage. This is also called leverage because it allows you to do more with the money you have. All brokerages require a margin account to do short selling.
Second, you need to find a stock that you believe will be dropping in price soon. However, not all stocks are available for shorting due to supply limitations or other restrictions. When you go to short sell this company, your brokerage will let you know if it is available to short on their system. The brokerage needs to have those shares available to lend to you before you can sell them.
This concept may sound strange, but after you read more about it and try it on your own it will start to make sense. It is used successfully every day by thousands of traders. It is somewhat controversial, however. In fact, the SEC considered banning it for a while. But after they made better regulations on it, they decided to continue allowing it because it is a healthy part of the market. When prices are dropping, who is going to buy the shares from people needing to get rid of them? Short sellers, along with traders looking for bargain prices.
Caution: Before you try it this technique, keep in mind that you will be "swimming against the current," so to speak. The market in general has a tendency to go up about ten percent every year. You will be betting that the company is going down in value, which is the opposite intent of most companies! The owners and managers will be trying to turn the company around every day, so do not hold your shorted position for long! You should also practice this technique with an online stock market game to get the hang of it.
Short selling is a technique that many stock brokerages allow. It allows you to Sell High then Buy Low, which is the opposite order of the traditional Buy Low, Sell High technique.
First, you will need to apply for a margin account with your trading brokerage. Having margin gives you the ability to buy more stock than the cash you have available by borrowing money from your brokerage. This is also called leverage because it allows you to do more with the money you have. All brokerages require a margin account to do short selling.
Second, you need to find a stock that you believe will be dropping in price soon. However, not all stocks are available for shorting due to supply limitations or other restrictions. When you go to short sell this company, your brokerage will let you know if it is available to short on their system. The brokerage needs to have those shares available to lend to you before you can sell them.
This concept may sound strange, but after you read more about it and try it on your own it will start to make sense. It is used successfully every day by thousands of traders. It is somewhat controversial, however. In fact, the SEC considered banning it for a while. But after they made better regulations on it, they decided to continue allowing it because it is a healthy part of the market. When prices are dropping, who is going to buy the shares from people needing to get rid of them? Short sellers, along with traders looking for bargain prices.
Caution: Before you try it this technique, keep in mind that you will be "swimming against the current," so to speak. The market in general has a tendency to go up about ten percent every year. You will be betting that the company is going down in value, which is the opposite intent of most companies! The owners and managers will be trying to turn the company around every day, so do not hold your shorted position for long! You should also practice this technique with an online stock market game to get the hang of it.
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