Showing posts with label forex trading strategy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forex trading strategy. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Forex 101: An Educational Guide for Beginners

New in the Forex market? This market may sound really complicated and scary to tackle but it’s not. Just like in any kinds of trade, you make money when you buy low and sell high. Forex trading is simply trading currencies in the Forex market.

Forex is the largest financial market in the world. It generates trillions of dollars of currency exchanges everyday and it operates 24 hours a day and seven days a week therefore, also making it the most liquid market in the world.

In the world of Forex, trading in this very liquid market is very unique compared to other financial market like stocks. Since the Forex market operates 24 hours a day worldwide, which starts at Sydney and ends in New York, trading is not centralized in one location. You can trade in Forex whenever you want regardless of the local time.


In the past, Forex trading was only offered to large financial institutions, like banks. And, it was also only offered to large companies, multi-national corporations and large currency dealers. This is because of the large and extremely strict financial requirements the Forex market imposed. This means that individual traders and small businesses are not able to participate in this liquid market.

However, in the late 90s, Forex was made available to individual traders and small businesses. This is due to the advances in the communications technology. High speed internet made it possible for people to enter the Forex market and have become one of the best make money at home businesses.

Forex trading is getting more and more popular each day. Besides, who wouldn’t want to trade in the largest and the most liquid financial market in the world? Trading in Forex will certainly give you the opportunity to earn a lot of money. However, trading in this ever liquid market also has its risk. It is a fact that many people who traded in Forex lost a substantial amount of money and some of these people are seasoned traders.

This is why it is very important for you, as a beginner trader in the Forex market, to have the proper knowledge and education on how to trade in the Forex market. Firstly, there are hundreds or even thousands of available websites in the internet that offers Forex education. Some of these websites offer dummy Forex trading where you can practice trading in the Forex market using dummy money.

These programs will really take you closer to actually trading in Forex. Many experts say that you’ll never really understand how Forex really works until you traded in the market. So, if you want to learn how to trade Forex, you may want to sign up for a dummy account that numerous Forex trading websites offer.

With a dummy account, you can trade Forex by not using real money at all. With this program you can practice your knowledge and skills in trading in the Forex market and not waste money.

To get started in trading in this market, all you need is a computer with a high speed internet connection, a funded Forex account, and a trading system. These three simple things are enough to get you started in Forex trading.

In order for you to minimize the risk of losing money, you need to have some basic knowledge in charting before you start trading. In most Forex trading systems, Forex charts are there to assist you with your trades. Forex charts are a visual representation of the exchange rates of currencies. This is where you will mostly base your decisions to buy and sell currencies. You have to learn how to read the different Forex charts in order for you to successfully trade in the Forex market.

Each Forex chart is different although they represent the same fluctuations. For example, in the daily Forex chart, you can evaluate market trends in the past 24 hours to help you make decisions on the next 24 hours of trading. In the hourly chart, you can use this chart to spot trends within the day. And, in the 15 minute chart, where it can help you recent currency fluctuations in a 15 minute interval to help you decide on which currency to buy and sell. Sometimes, there are 5 minute chart available to better help you get closer to the action.

These are the basics on how to trade in the Forex market. Always remember that aside from the promising earning potential that you can have in the Forex market, there are also underlying risks that you have to consider. It is therefore wise to trade in this market with a proper investment plan and strategy. If you are just starting out to trade in Forex, consider opening a dummy account to help you practice trading Forex without risking money.

Monday, September 4, 2006

4 Easy Tips Beginner Guide To Online Day Trading

A day trader is, in every sense of the word, a short term investor or a speculator. Most of the times, he trades on market momentum, disregarding the fundamentals of the stock he is buying or selling.

His trades normally have a short lifespan, with almost all of his positions closed out by the end of the trading day. To get started on online day trading, these are the things that you should know.

Choosing An Online Broker.
Brokerage commission is not the only criterion in choosing an online broker. Make sure you choose one with a robust trading platform that can execute your trades promptly. http://Etrade.com and Scottrade are the premium brokers that offer superfast trade turnaround, and they have very attractive commission rates for hyperactive traders. But if you have to choose a low-cost broker, http://FirstTrade.com and http://AFTrader.com are the few low-cost brokers that offer decent trade turnaround.


Trading Plan
Before starting any trade, it is essential to put in place a trading plan, and follow this plan religiously. A trading plan sets out different criteria and parameters which dictate how trading decisions should me made in all market conditions. With a trading plan, you will know whether to stop the loss and close out the trade, or to ride out this volatile period.

Discipline
Make it your habit to be disciplined. In day trading, the price of a volatile stock can fluctuate very fast. There will be times when the price will move against you. Cut loss when you're supposed to in accordance with your trading plan. By the same token, take profit when your trading plan dictates so! And don't trade for the sake of trading. If there’s no good trading opportunity, stay out of the market.

Keep Your Emotions In Check
Never allow your emotions to rule your trading. Be disciplined, stick to your trading plan, and you will not get emotional during a trade. Trading decisions are often ruled by emotions for a trader who lacks discipline. This leads to bad decisions resulting in trading losses. Fear or greed are two emotions that are detrimental to a day trader.

To summarize, always develop a trading plan or system, and constantly tweak the plan for optimal results until it works. Be disciplined and know when to cut loss and take profit. And last but not least, get emotions out of the way when you are trading.

I hope you have benefited from this beginner guide to online day trading article. Happy trading!

Sunday, September 3, 2006

First Think if it is Worth your Time and Money - Before You Start Stock Trading

That was the good news. The bad news is that those companies are selling you the tools and service only. They do not sell you any guarantees of success. It does not matter if you profit or lose money, the trading company will get its fee for each trade anyway.

Since you are considering going into the stock market, most likely you are planning to get a significant return on your investment which should also be better than what you would get buy investing your money into mutual funds (less risky than single stocks) or even no-risk certificate of deposits (CDs) where returns are guaranteed.

Well, how can you get such returns? The answer of course is simple and well known: buy low, sell high. If you do it most of the time you’ll be a successful stock trader. Now the first problem comes: how do you know when to buy? There are probably several ways to do that, we do not discuss this here, let’s assume that you know somehow or think you do know. Lets say you got lucky and the stock after you bought it is going up, just as you planned.




Now another problem comes: when to sell? After the stock is up 20%, what do you do? Sell now, or wait until it is up 50%, 100% or 200%? Do you listen to investor news and do what everybody else does: selling, buying more, or continue holding the stock? If you choose one of the first two options, how much of the stock you should buy or sell? Or if you hold the stock, are you sure it will continue to go up, or you may end up waiting until the stock price is back to the original and than lose it’s value resulting in your losses.

The truth is some people actually do know the answers to those questions most of the time and actually make profit. The question is, are you as good as those people? Most people are losing money guessing and trying to time the market. If you’re new in this game and not planning to spend much time on research, chances are you will lose. You will be competing with professional traders, big players and insiders who profit mostly because many others keep losing. Plus what are the chances that you can predict the market? The chances are very slim.

Some may argue: “I had that stock, I sold it when it was up 20%, but if I did not sell it at that time, now it would be up 300%. How stupid I was when I sold it, if I did not I’d made a lot of money. I have to do this again. It really proves that I can make a lot of money there and it’s easy!” That is right you can make a lot of money, but it is not that easy as it looks.  Lets assume you did not sell the stock at the time it was up 20%. Then what makes you think you would wait until it is up 300%? You may have sold it when it was up only 25%. Or it may go down several times below 20% increase, you could have thought it was going down forever and sold it even with a lower than 20% profit.

The bottom line is that it is easy to look at the past and see all the mistakes you’ve made. However it is very difficult to do right things for the future. Unless you know market trends well, understand related industries and stock company financials, most likely you will not be able to make profitable trades. Even professional traders do mistakes and lose money. If you are not one of them or not planning to become one, your best bet would be investing into CDs, mutual funds or your own business.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Some Advice For Day Trading the Stock Market

Day trading the stock market involves the rapid buying and selling of stocks on a day-to-day basis.  This technique is used to secure quick profits from the constant changes in stock values, minute to minute, second to second.  It is rare that a day trader will remain in a trade over the course of a night into the next day.  These trades are entered and exited in a matter of minutes. 

The main question that most people ask when it comes to day trading is simple: ‘is it necessary to sit at a computer watching the markets ALL day long in order to be a successful day trader?’
The answer is no.  It’s not necessary to sit at a computer all day long.  There are a number of factors to consider, but generally the rule of day trading is to trade when everyone else is trading.  In other words, trade in the morning.

As with all financial investments, day trading is risky – in fact, it’s one of the riskiest forms of trading out there.  The stock prices rise or fall according to the behaviour of the market, which is entirely unpredictable.  Day traders buy and sell shares rapidly in the hopes of gaining profits within the minutes and seconds they own those particular stocks.  Simple to do in theory, harder to do in practice.

If you are constrained by a small amount of capital, you may not be able to buy large amounts of a stock, but buying only a small amount can add to the risk of a loss.  And, obviously, it is impossible to predict with certainty which stocks will result in profits and which in losses.  Even the best of traders must learn to accept both outcomes. 

It’s also important to know that in day trading, it is the number of shares rather than the value of shares that should be the focus.  If you day trade, you WILL face losses, but even for the more expensive stocks, the loss should be marginal, because prices do not usually fluctuate to an extreme degree over the course of just one day.

The day trading industry deals in a large variety of stocks and shares.  Here are just a few:

Growth-Buying Shares – shares made from profit, which continue to grow in value.  Eventually, these shares will begin to decline in price, and an experienced trader can usually predict the future of this type of share.

Small Caps – shares of companies which are on the rise and show no signs of stopping.  Although these shares are generally cheap, they are a very risky investment for day traders.  You’d be safer to go with large caps and/or mid-caps, which are much more secure and stable thanks to a premium.

Unloved Stocks – company stock that has not performed well in the past.  Traders buy these shares in the hopes of generating profits if and when the stock rises in value.  As with small caps, unloved stocks can be a risky choice for day traders.

These examples are NOT your only options when it comes to day trading stocks.  The best way to determine which type of stock is right for you is to invest some time for careful research, a knowledge of market patterns, a solid strategy, and a disciplined trading plan.

The key to successful day trading is to be prepared.  Know as much as possible about the industry before you begin actually trading. You need to learn to trade ONLY when the market gives the right signals, and ONLY when the volume of activity in the market supports a successful trading opportunity.

Monday, August 21, 2006

A Guide to Firmly Trading Futures

Within the stock trading trade, several many people garnered number of money'>handsome profit from futures markets. it is just during this arena where folks that have restricted capitals may in fact build substantial profits even because we are part of a short time. other then as a result of like other market, this involves plenty of risks and may possibly cost you significant losses, folks could usually concern for getting concerned. 

Despite its bad reputation however, many experts would claim that futures trading could only be as risky as you want to make it. And if you take on good strategies and give yourself the proper exposure, then this can make you very rich. 

What Are Futures?

Futures are standardized and transferable contracts that require a buyer to purchase a stock at a specific sum and within a certain time period in the future. This contract gives the buyer the obligation of purchase, and the seller the obligation to deliver the specific asset traded.

Unlike options, futures contracts obligate the traders to buy and sell instead of just merely giving them the right. 

People basically profit from futures by performing speculations in order to provide liquidity and to assume risks for price fluctuations in the market. These valuable functions provide them with substantial returns and potentially large gains. But take note that along with these, substantial risks are involved as well. 

How And Why Are Futures Traded?

Trading futures has become quite popular in many markets, especially in day trading. These kinds of trades offer a wide variety of markets and it can be traded at a low cost. 

Futures can be traded in both up and down markets. If a particular trader expects the market to go up, a long trade is usually done wherein the trader buys a contract and then sells it. On the contrary, if a trader believes that the market will go down, and then he will most probably make a short trade by entering a trade through selling a contract and then exiting by buying another contract. 

With this system, traders are able to profit regardless of what direction the market trends are going. This is the main reason why most traders are only concerned if the market is moving at all, instead of which direction it is actually going. 

In futures trading, instead of taking or making deliveries, a trader merely speculates his position in the market’s volatility by predicting directions of trends. If prices move in the right direction, then the trader would be able to profit. If this does not happen, then a trader would experience some losses. 

This particular arena in trading can be very promising, but it involves so many risks as well. But if you are well experienced in trading stocks and have adopted quite an understanding in the different trends, behaviors and strategies that the industry has to offer, then chances are, you may probably do well in this particular playing field. 

All of this may sound pretty easy at the moment, but if you are planning to engage in futures trading, make sure that you do your research and prepare yourself with the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully execute transactions.

Along with huge profits possible, there are a lot of risks involved and trading futures without the right background can be very detrimental.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Trading Indicators: Can You Use too Many Technical Indicators?

To become successful, you really do not have to have several indicators. This is quite ironic but the most effective indicators are those that have been around the longest. Experts suggest that you stay away from complex set-ups and stick on the basic like MACD (Moving Average Convergence/Divergence), Rate of Change (ROC), Relative Strength Index (RSI), Price and Volume Oscillator, and stochastics. 

There are literally hundreds of technical indicators out there and thousands of technical indicators combinations that can be used. But the problem lies on the premise. Since there are lots of technical indicators available at your disposal, you risk yourself of having too much of everything which can lead you with mastering nothing. This begs the question: "can you use too many technical indicators?"

Probably, you have asked the same question too and are trying to find the Holy Grail of combinations that will catapult you to immortality, at least in the trading world. You may test several technical indicators or technical indicators combinations that are suggested by some writings on the internet. But the thing is, there is no single technical indicator combination that is 100% successful. Because if there is, everyone will be using it and everyone will be rich right now. Right?

I am not saying, however, that the internet cannot give you something you can use or the internet is just a virtual world full of crap in terms of information about trading indicators. We cannot deny that the internet has given us the ease of access on several technical indicators and charts, which have made some investors knowledgeable in the field and have actually make others real fortune. What I am saying is that investors should not rely on suggested technical indicator combinations and expect to become successful. What you should do is to learn as much as you can and identify which indicators are suited to your trading style, which in turn, can yield to higher profit or positive curve in the long run.

With that said, you don't have to use several indicators at once. Experts agree on this. Using several indicators at a time will only create confusion. It will only create conflicting information, which is not good if you want to have certainty in your decision.

A good example is using 7 indicators when deciding on your entry and exit positions. Four of them are telling you to enter a long position but 3 are indicating a future downward movement. While majority of your indicators are giving a green light, the other 3 can become a factor. Statistics may be on your side to pursue the trade but you are more likely to abandon it because you still see the risks.

It does not end there. Using multiple time frames can give you different conflicting information which can become a major factor in your decision. More likely, you end up not trading at all because you are afraid to take a position. 

Even with these examples, you have to identify which indicators are suited to your trading style. Do not overcomplicate things. To become successful, you don't have to constantly tryout new indicators in order to find the best combination. All you need to do is to use and master few and simple ones.

Monday, August 14, 2006

A Guide to Successful Trading With Technical Analysis

Be smart. Be in harmony with the technical indicators and the patterns that they show you. These are the simple tips that will put you on the right track.

Fear not as you work on yet another endeavor of yours. Participating in the trading market can both be complex and simple. The pros and beginners alike need to continuously learn about the relevant steps to maneuver things in a very unpredictable market. Yes, the trading world is a very volatile one. You better expect the most unexpected things to happen. Without your knowing, the assumption that you have made hours ago already turns obsolete at this very minute. Hence, a keen observation and watchful eyes are what you truly need to possess. Meanwhile, your sensitivity to the changes in the trend and other factors governing the market itself must likewise be put to use.

A Good Look at the Technical Indicators and their Use

The very name emphasizes that technical indicators are the mathematical formulas that signal the existing and possible trends which affect the turn of events especially those that have something to do with the stock prices. Technical analysts preferably utilize these indicators to foresee and conclude cycles which signal the time period as to when it is best to either buy or sell an option, a stock, a security, or a commodity.

The indicators are furthermore gauged depending on the price pattern of a derivative or stock. The collected data include the volume, highs, lows, closing price, and opening price. The price data is frequently derived from the recent last periods of the stock's prices.

Two Main Types of Technical Indicators

The two main types are the lagging indicators and the leading indicators. Read on to get to know their individual nature.

The lagging indicators are those that go after the price pattern of the stock, security, or commodity. The data is then generated from a past collection of data and are therefore effective in denoting if a new trend is currently developing or whether the goods are within the best trading ranges. Moreover, the lagging indicators fall short in envisaging pullbacks or rallies in the future.

Meanwhile, the leading indicators are able to predict what may happen in the future. Crashes, pullbacks, or price rallies are easily determined since they calculate the movement of the price's momentum. These tools are also able to define prices that have gone too high or too low thereby paving way to the terms overbought and oversold.

Anyhow, both of these types are equally significant. As a trader, it is a must that you get to know the trends that develop as well as the price rallies, pullbacks, or slowdowns. Similarly, it is strongly advised that as an investor, you must consult several technical indicators prior to making do with your conclusion or decision.

Other Tips for You

Here are a few other reminders that can lead you towards success in trading. Keep them in mind and integrate them in your course of action.

Choose the technical indicators with which you are most comfortable with. There are thousands of indicators out there. What you must do is not only to trust one but make use of a number of them to be able to arrive at a much solid decision. Just be sure to utilize those that will make you comfortable and confident.

Back test your preferred indicators by means of historical data. Come up with a trading system that can help you out in deriving better results for your chosen indicators.

Keep a close watch. Never idle. Always observe the performance of your stocks, securities, or commodities.

Determine a certain stop loss. You must earn instead of lose money. Go for the winning trading styles and techniques and never entertain false hopes.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Ten Vital Technical Indicators for the Stock Market

Several experts agree at one point. That is, it is not enough that you have an ample knowledge regarding the stock market. You must conceptualize your trading plans. You can only say that what you have there is a good trade when you know that you have followed the conditions and rules. You should not tie yourself too much to the assumed outcome. Rather, you need to concert your best efforts to drive towards that outcome. Your emotions also play part in effective trading. In other words, you should not let other people pull the trigger for you but you must do it yourself.

The Ten Vital Technical Indicators for the Stock Market

Here are the mostly adhered to stock market indicators. Learn each one of them and apply them along with your plans.

1.  The Price.

Just think of patterns. Imagine them moving towards a particular direction. It is by means of which that you can determine the course of action to which the price is moving towards.

2.  The Volume.

Your own conviction matters a lot. This indicator basically works hand in hand with the price. So that you will be able to get the relevance of volume, you must learn of the baseline or the percent change in an average day.

3.  Support and Resistance.

This provides you with the clue on the direction to which the market is heading towards. Remember that human emotions pose a great effect on this one.

4.  Moving Averages.

This is one perfect tool that lets you notice any particular change in the trend. Moving averages actually gauge the selling and buying pressures. This technical indicator is then based on the underlying concept that there is no commodity which can carry on either an uptrend or downtrend without succumbing to the buying and selling pressure.

5.  Market Internals.

They show you the way the internals act using some key price levels. They will likewise help you out in confirming the acceptance or rejection of the support or resistance.

6.  Bollinger Bands.

This tool is geared towards determining the time period when there is the low or high volatility of the stock.

7.  ADX.

This indicator further calculates how strong a trend can be and if it can be utterly useful or not. When you see high readings, it means that there is indeed a strong trend. On the other hand, the low readings show a weak trend.

8.  Stochastic.

It includes the "buy signals" which point out that there is a lower risk opportunity as it is trending down and the divergence which means that the indicator either reaches the new high or low trend in the market and it therefore fails to acquire it.

9.  RSI.

Relative Strength Index is one of the leading indicators. It gives off two valuable signals—an overbought stock is up by above level 70 while an oversold stock is below level 30.

10. MACD.

Moving Average Convergence Divergence is one trend that follows a momentum indicator. It spots any reversing trends too.

Therefore, make use of these basic and most vital technical indicators as you tackle the business in the stock market. After all, your success lies on your wisest decisions.

Friday, August 11, 2006

15 Great Day Trading Tips

Reports of people making huge gains in stock markets have been carried in newspapers around the world. This has attracted many first time investors to the stock market. Day trading is one of the systems gaining in popularity with investors. But day trading is fraught with risks. Though you can make huge gains in day trading, you are also likely to lose huge money. However, if you want to do day trading here are some tips to succeed:

Who is day trader?

A person who actively participates in stock market and buys and sells many times a day to make quick profits is called a day trader.

What are the tips to succeed in day trading?

1. Study the basics of the system like the working of the market, which way the stocks will move, the long and short calls, and the time to buy and sell. You should also learn to take care of the profits while reducing the losses.

2. Since mastering day trading is a time consuming process, use the trading platform available on the trading websites before you actually start.

3. Do not let the thought of making losses scare you. Use methods like stop orders to reduce your losses.

4. If you suffer some loss, do not worry, as it is a part of the process.

5. Once you have earned your expected profit, stop trading. Do not hunger after more money and throw away your profit.

6. If the market does not meet your expectations on any particular day, do not trade.

7. As your experience in day trading increases, you gain the ability to foresee the direction in which the stock price moves. But do not go for the topmost or the lowermost stocks.

8. If you find it difficult to decide in which way the market is going, do not trade but just wait.

9. Maintain a record of the results of the day trading. It allows you to learn the things which are effective, as well as ineffective.

10. Learn the buying and selling tactics of successful day traders. They usually sell when there is good news and buy when there is bad news.

11. Do not get emotionally involved in trading but stay aloof and professional.

12. Rely on your instincts as depending excessively on the analysis means skipping some good trading chances.

13. Learn and use top strategies to trade.

14. Concentrate only on select stocks. Focusing your attention on multiple stocks will make it difficult for you to track the movement of each stock.

15. Learn new trading strategies daily and use them to your benefit.

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

How to Know When to Sell Your Stocks

While quite a bit of time and research goes into selecting stocks, it is often hard to know when to pull out – especially for first time investors. The good news is that if you have chosen your stocks carefully, you won’t need to pull out for a very long time, such as when you are ready to retire. But there are specific instances when you will need to sell your stocks before you have reached your financial goals.

You may think that the time to sell is when the stock value is about to drop – and you may even be advised by your broker to do this. But this isn’t necessarily the right course of action.

Stocks go up and down all the time, depending on the economy…and of course the economy depends on the stock market as well. This is why it is so hard to determine whether you should sell your stock or not. Stocks go down, but they also tend to go back up.

You have to do more research, and you have to keep up with the stability of the companies that you invest in. Changes in corporations have a profound impact on the value of the stock. For instance, a new CEO can affect the value of stock. A plummet in the industry can affect a stock. Many things – all combined – affect the value of stock. But there are really only three good reasons to sell a stock.

The first reason is having reached your financial goals. Once you’ve reached retirement, you may wish to sell your stocks and put your money in safer financial vehicles, such as a savings account.

This is a common practice for those who have invested for the purpose of financing their retirement. The second reason to sell a stock is if there are major changes in the business you are investing in that cause, or will cause, the value of the stock to drop, with little or no possibility of the value rising again. Ideally, you would sell your stock in this situation before the value starts to drop. 

If the value of the stock spikes, this is the third reason you may want to sell. If your stock is valued at $100 per share today, but drastically rises to $200 per share next week, it is a great time to sell – especially if the outlook is that the value will drop back down to $100 per share soon. You would sell when the stock was worth $200 per share.

As a beginner, you definitely want to consult with a broker or a financial advisor before buying or selling stocks. They will work with you to help you make the right decisions to reach your financial goals.

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Options Trading Setup - Understanding its Jargons

For starters, you have to firstly learn of the basics in trading. Included in the list of its fundamentals are the jargons which are commonly used by the traders - pro or newbie. It is a must for you to get a grasp of the meaning of those terms since you will be working in the same market. Just imagine how you will be groping for words when your fellow traders discuss things with you and you are entirely clueless as to what the other party is consistently talking about. Thus, it matters that you take things one step at a time as you think of the typical options trading setup.

Before you invest your money and concert all of your efforts just to make things work out, better start with the basics. Be sure to understand the concepts which are further used so that you can come up with the best strategies that need to be employed. Among the jargons that you have to fully understand are the derivatives, credit spreads, debit spreads, stock options, options strategies, vertical spreads, butterfly spread, and iron condor spreads.

Here are the meanings of the abovementioned jargons. By knowing what each of them means, you are opening up the doors for better opportunities. Hence, take a look at each of them.

Credit spreads.

This term applies whenever the high return option has been sold while a low return option is bought. In turn, the investor then winds up some credit via your account. Generally, the online brokers ask for approximately $100,000 in their own accounts before the investor is allowed to procure numerous credit spreads.

Derivatives.

They are held to be the security in which the price relies on one or more of the available assets. Its value is then very dependent on the assets' variables.

Stock options.

They are the holder's contracts in buying or selling the decided stocks following a set price before the contract finally reaches its expiration.

Debit spreads.

In this case, the investor has to put up some money in order to conduct a particular transaction. He must secure the necessary funds which will cover the foreseen debit. However, there are no further margin requirements and they are likewise very popular among the investors.

Vertical spreads.

This is a strategy in options trading that refers to the investor's making a purchase and concluding the sale of two identical options that bear exactly the same expiration dates yet are given at different prices.

Options strategies.

These are the bunch of techniques being employed by the investor which are geared towards enhancing his capital.

Iron condor spread.

This one is said to be a complex process in trading option. It is by nature a credit option and therefore poses both a high risk and the frequent loss. Online brokers are again used to require that the investor comes up with a definite amount of method in their account before the transaction is initialized.

Butterfly spread.

This strategy talks about the benefits that are posed by a particular stagnant stock. Only those traders which are known to have reliable backgrounds are commonly allowed by the brokers to execute this.

Again, these are the jargons that you have to familiarize yourself with as you ponder on constructing your own options trading setup venture.

Saturday, August 5, 2006

Getting the Heads Up for Options Trading Indicators

Prior to making things happen and making them big, all that you have to firstly deal with is that of familiarizing yourself with as well as identifying the options trading indicators. This course of action is as essential as learning your ABC. 

Your ignorance to the jargons as well as with the indicators will only mean that you are pushing your luck way too far from you. As it goes, the more knowledgeable you are, the better chances you can have in your hands. There are generally six of the most vital trading indicators that you must get educated with. These are by and large the signals that you have to look for before you can execute any action. Consider them at all times and you will be guided towards the right path in maneuvering your endeavor towards success. 

options-trading-indicators
Below is the outline of the pertinent options trading indicators which are likely to be used by an enthusiast like you. Get to know them fully so that you will be assured that your every decision is based on a formal, tried and tested chart.

Moving Averages. 

This refers to the trend lines that show the particular direction to which the trend is leaning towards. This applies best to those who prefer to work in the trading market for a long span of time. Remember though that this must not be relied on alone. It has to be mixed up with other useful indicators to get more positive results.

Bollinger Bands. 

Weaknesses are also part of the trend in the trading market. Hence, this is a tool that will help you out in recognizing the volatility of the market itself. Again, this has to be used alongside with the other indicators since it merely acts as a tool that expresses the possibilities of your opportunity.

Net Trader Positions. 

This is yet regarded as among the greatest tools to use. It looks up for the contrary trades and is worked out by the CFTC on a bi-weekly time frame. Currency markets are also well served by this tool apart from spotting the opportunities in the future markets. With this guide, you are on your way to foreseeing the major trends. 

Stochastic. 

This has been developed by none other than George Lane. He therefore concluded that in the uptrend, the prices are more possible to close within the range of their higher scale. However, in the case of a downtrend market, the prices are more probable to get closer to their lower scale. This is so far the best indicator to be used in conducting trades and generating profits.

Relative Strength Index. 

Otherwise known as RSI, it gauges the strength of the price as compared to the past condition of the market. It furthermore provides you with a clear idea as to how strong the market can become in the future.

Average Directional Movement. 

Also termed as ADX, this indicator is aimed at calculating the trend's strength as well as the possible attempts that will gauge if the market is doing well or not. This can also help you determine the strongest trends and provide you with warnings should there be contrary trades or danger in your profit.

There you go with the relevant options trading indicators. Be sure to use them wisely if you want to hit success.

Thursday, August 3, 2006

10 Good Reasons why YOU should jump into Trading FOREX

Foreign Exchange Market is a market where traders buy and sell currencies with the hope of making a profit when the values of the currencies change in their favor. People are making vast amounts of money from Forex trading. The Forex Market has a big potential for everyone, ranging from large corporate firms to ordinary, everyday people like you and me.

It is a very exciting trade with a huge money-making potential. Just imagine yourself sitting comfortably in your pajamas at your computer… you turn on the internet and make a few quick transactions and by the time that you get up to get a cup of coffee, you are several hundred dollars rich! Would you like that? I would!!

I can hear you say, “Wait a minute!!  This sounds just like another one of those confusing markets like stocks, options or traditional futures, so what makes this market any different?”

Aaah! Good question! So, in answer to your question, here are 10 good (if not great) reasons to enter the Forex Trade:

1. First and foremost, Forex trading allows for small investments. You do not have to be able to invest thousands of dollars to get started with this trade. You can start trading Forex with as little as $300 to $350 and could be well on your way to earning more than that on your first day.

2. The Forex markets are always open! You are able to trade anytime and from anywhere in the world. No waiting for the stock exchange to open. The market is ongoing, with generally only minor breaks on the weekends.

3. The funds that you invest are liquid; you can cash them anytime you want. No waiting for days to get your stocks converted into hard cash.

4. The value of the Forex Trading market is COLOSSAL: it is 30 times larger than all of the US equity markets combined. It is the largest market in the world with daily reported volume of 1.5 to 2.0 trillion dollars. This massive value makes it a lucrative and desirable trade to invest in.

5. It is a highly stable trade and offers greater strength over other markets. Countries and people are ALWAYS going to need currency. Although the value of different currencies goes up and down, the fluctuations are not as dramatic as stock prices and generally follow a predictable trend.

6. You do not have to worry about commissions, exchange fees nor any hidden charges when you trade Forex.  Forex brokers make only a small percentage of the bid and there are very respectable and free brokers available as well. Is that not wonderful for you?

7. You make profits no matter which way the currency is going. You will not worry about a falling currency value if you know what to do with it and make good gains.

8. Forex is a very transparent market. Unlike equity markets, where analysts have an unfair advantage over the layman because of their insider knowledge, the relevant information for Forex is equally available to every one through international news. Therefore, all Forex traders are in a position to make pertinent decisions according to the current market situations.

9. Forex market is extremely quick! It takes not more than 1 to 2 seconds to complete your transactions because it is all done electronically, online and in Real Time.

10. The final good news is that you do not need any formal education, licensing, diploma or degree to trade Forex. All you need is the know-how of how it works, trading strategies and some tips and techniques and you can be on your way to earn big profits.

Forex trading online may be the fastest path to financial freedom and an end to all your financial worries. It truly is an excellent, if not THE best home business opportunity for ordinary people.
You owe it to yourself to give it a try!!!
Prosperity and happiness to all!

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

10 Golden Rules for Stock Trading Success

Your stock trading rules are your money. When you follow your rules you make money. However if you break your own stock trading rules the most likely outcome is that you will lose money.

Once you have a reliable set of stock trading rules it is important to keep them in mind. Here is one discipline that can reap rewards. Read these rules before your day starts and also read the rules when your day ends.

Rule 1: I must follow my rules.

Naturally if you develop a set of rules they are to be followed. It is human nature to want to vary or break rules and it takes discipline to continue to act in accordance with the established rules.

Rule 2: I will never risk more than 3% of my total portfolio on any one stock trade.

There are many old traders. There are many bold traders. But there are never any old bold traders. Protecting your capital base is fundamental to successful stock market trading over time.

Rule 3: I will cut my losses at 5% to 15% when I am wrong without question.

Some traders have an even lower tolerance for loss. The key point here is to have set points (stop loss) within the limits of your tolerance for loss. Stay informed about the performance of you stock and stick to your stop loss point.

Rule 4: Never set price targets.

This is a style that will allow me to get the most out of rising stocks. Simply let the profits run. Realistically, I can never pick tops. Never feel a stock has risen too high too quickly. Be willing to give back a good percentage of profits in the hope of much bigger profits.

The big money is made from trading the really BIG moves that I can occasionally catch.

Rule 5: Master one style.

Keep learning and getting better at this one method of trading. Never jump from one trading style to another. Master one style rather than become average at implementing several styles.

Rule 6: Let price and volume be my guides.

Never listen to any opinion about the stock market or individual stocks you are considering trading or are already trading. Everything is reflected in the price and volume.

Rule 7: Take all valid signals that show up.

Don't make excuses. If an entry signal shows up you have no excuse not to take it.

Rule 8: Never trade from intra-day data. There is always stock price variation within the course of any trading day. Relying on this data for momentum trading can lead to some wrong decisions.

Rule 9: Take time out.

Successful stock trading isn't solely about trading. It's also about emotional strength and physical fitness. Reduce the stress every day by taking time off the computer and working on other areas. A stressful trader will not make it in the long term.

Rule 10: Be an above average trader.

In order to succeed in the stock market you don't need to do anything exceptional. You simply need to not do what the average trader does. The average trader is inconsistent and undisciplined. Ask yourself every day, "Did I follow my method today?" If your answer is no then you are in trouble and it's time to recommit yourself to your stock trading rules.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

10 Advantages Savings Plans Have That The Forex Does Not

1. Safety. In general an investment paying 12% interest is not as safe as one paying 6%, but it is doubtful if the 12% investment involves twice the risk.

If the income offsets the additional risk or provides a reserve against which to write off losses when they eventually come, then high yield investments justify themselves, and they do when they are chosen with intelligence, with information at hand on the investment and when they are administered carefully, as we will see.

Along with this general theory that there is a good deal of merit to investing in high yield opportunities, safety should be stressed. This leads us to the second characteristic of the investments we are going to examine.

2. Collateral or guarantees. A home owner may show you his bank account and also prove that he owns his home free and clear, so that you conclude that he is a good risk whose signature on a note is as good as gold but it is far wiser for you to take a mortgage on his home. Or if he has securities it is better to have him assign the securities to you than just to take his promise to pay.

If a dealer sells you a customer's conditional sales contract on an automobile he sold on which the customer is obligated to pay in time payments over a given number of months or years, it is well, if possible, to have the dealer guarantee the contract in case the customer defaults. Two people are obligated to pay, and certainly two are better than one.

3. Provision for easy repayment. If someone borrows $2000 from you at an attractive rate of interest and promises to repay it at the end of 12 months with 15% interest, the proposition on its face is a bad one. If he needs the $2000 now, what assurance is there that he will have it to repay at the end of 12 months? Such a sum is not small. Does he intend to borrow from Peter to pay Paul at the end of a year? In New York City a seemingly very substantial man did just this for years and got away with it until he died. That was over two years ago and the creditors are left holding the notes.

Periodic, small payments are a sensible requirement, and it must be demonstrated that the debtor can make these payments out of his income when all of his obligations are taken into consideration, and these obligations must be known.

4. Responsibility for payment. Some individual or individuals, or a corporation composed of very distinct individuals must be obligated to pay in the type investment we are talking about. Unimproved land on the edge of the city may be a fine investment. Some day it may double or even triple in value, but what we are trying to emphasize is the type of investment in which there is an obligation on the part of a person or persons to pay a given amount at a given time or in time payments, and you as the investor must look to this person or these persons to pay you on the due date.

5 .Liquidity. The longer a contract runs the less liquid it is and generally the less desirable. You cannot get your money out of it for a long time, and then the business or the business climate may change. The person who lent $10,000 in 1928 for five years in all probability had difficulty in collecting in 1933. A demand note is certainly preferable to a five year note. You may have need for the money sooner than you thought when you made the investment, and if you are tied up for five years you cannot get your funds back. Perhaps better opportunities will present themselves. Stay as liquid as possible.

6. Spreading of the risk. If you have $10,000 to invest it is best not to put it all in one place into a mortgage for instance. It is far better to put it into five mortgages of $2,000 each. The $10,000 mortgage could be defaulted, but there is not so great a probability that all five mortgages will be defaulted.

7. Part time administration. We are not writing for the purpose of getting a person to quit his job in order to devote all of his time to his investments. We are writing for the person who wants to invest in his spare time and look after his investments in his spare time. The investments described here may in some cases require more watching than others he has made, but by definition they must require a minimum of administration on the investor's part. Payments must be made regularly, and the skipped or late payment must be the exception.

8. Business functions performed by someone else. You as the investor should not undertake to perform any business function. The only function you should perform, once the investment is made, is to receive the payments, and in the event that payments are not made, you should be able to resort to a simple procedure at law to retrieve your money. If you invest in a filling station you should not have to hire a manager and then proceed to sell gas and oil yourself, under our definition of the type investment discussed here. The filling station should be leased to a major oil company for a fixed rental, and the oil company should perform all of the business functions.

9. Investment not subject to litigation. When a debtor can't or won't pay, the first thing he thinks of generally is some defense (and his imagination is unlimited on this point) against paying you: you had agreed to lend him more at the end of a year, and because you did not lend more his business failed. Or the rate of interest you charged was usurious and thus contrary to law; or you really owed him something before you ever lent him the money, and this should be an offset against what he owes you. These defenses are used almost every day.

If he signs a note, he should sign a waiver of judgment note (in states which recognize such notes) and such a note will be described later. Your investment should not be subject to litigation, and you must be sure of this fact before you make it.

10. Tax advantage. The Internal Revenue Code and Regulations state what the obligations of a tax payer are and what they are not. You are obligated to pay every cent you owe, and you are not obligated to pay what you do not owe.

Certain types of investment are more heavily taxed than others. There is nothing the matter with investing in state and municipal government bonds just because you do not pay any federal income tax on the interest. This is the law, and it works to the advantage of the investor in government bonds and incidentally makes it less difficult for the state and municipal governments to finance their operations. Investments with a tax benefit or tax shelter are more desirable in many cases for the investor than those without such a benefit or shelter.

However the Forex can make you rich within months instead of years.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Determining Where You Will Invest

There are several different types of investments, and there are many factors in determining where you should invest your funds.

Of course, determining where you will invest begins with researching the various available types of investments, determining your risk tolerance, and determining your investment style – along with your financial goals.

If you were going to purchase a new car, you would do quite a bit of research before making a final decision and a purchase. You would never consider purchasing a car that you had not fully looked over and taken for a test drive. Investing works much the same way.

You will of course learn as much about the investment as possible, and you would want to see how past investors have done as well. It’s common sense!

Learning about the stock market and investments takes a lot of time… but it is time well spent. There are numerous books and websites on the topic, and you can even take college level courses on the topic – which is what stock brokers do. With access to the Internet, you can actually play the stock market – with fake money – to get a feel for how it works.

You can make pretend investments, and see how they do. Do a search with any search engine for ‘Stock Market Games’ or ‘Stock Market Simulations.’ This is a great way to start learning about investing in the stock market.

Other types of investments – outside of the stock market – do not have simulators. You must learn about those types of investments the hard way – by reading.

As a potential investor, you should read anything you can get your hands on about investing…but start with the beginning investment books and websites first. Otherwise, you will quickly find that you are lost.

Finally, speak with a financial planner. Tell them your goals, and ask them for their suggestions – this is what they do! A good financial planner can easily help you determine where to invest your funds, and help you set up a plan to reach all of your financial goals. Many will even teach you about investing along the way – make sure you pay attention to what they are telling you!

Monday, July 24, 2006

6 Advantages Of Trading Forex

Forex is the popular term for foreign exchange markets. The banks and brokerage firms are linked via electronic network to do business in the stock markets. The network allows them to convert currencies worldwide.

It became the chief and largest liquefied financial market around the globe. Take for instance, the volume of dollar currencies can rapidly increase in trillions of dollars within a day in currency markets. It even goes beyond the total volume of the total equities in the U.S. as well as future markets.

Forex trading is dominated often by commercial banks, investment banks, and government central banks. This is the main reason why many private investors are dealing on currency exchanges. They find it easier to access the market through technological innovations such as the internet.

It also provides the needed information in the stocks market regarding trading forex. The currencies which are widely traded include British Pound, US Dollar, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, Australian Dollar, and Canadian Dollar. Forex trading is done 5 days within a week and the traders can have constant access to various dealers all around the world. The trading does not mainly focus on any exchange or physical location and the transaction happens between two persons via electronic network or a phone line.

Forex trading has grown rapidly on the global market. The restrictions on the flow of capital have even been put off in various countries. This factor leads to market independence settling the forex rates on its perceived values. There are different reasons why forex trading is very popular. It include utmost liquidity, available leverage, lower trading costs.

There are different advantages of forex trading in the stock markets. Traders are making bigger sums of money by selling and buying foreign currencies. However, some people might ask of its advantages on the stock market.

1. Liquidity. Forex market can handle transactions even if it reaches 1.5 trillion dollars every day. Take note, this is a very large volume. It only denotes that sellers and buyers are always available regardless of the currency types. So, if the trader wanted to buy, there is always an available seller, and if the trader wanted to sell, there is always an available buyer.

2. There is no insider in the trading systems. Remember, constant value fluctuations of several currencies are caused by economic change. Some traders may obtain the information before others get it. So, they can sell or buy it within the stock markets. However, the nation’s economy is accessible to every trader so nobody can take an inside advantage to anyone.

3. It has accessibility. It is operational for five days within a week and accessible for twenty four hours. Trading can be made during this period.

4. It has more predictability. It always follow the market trends even the trends that are well established.

5. It can allow smaller investments. The potential traders can open mini accounts even for a few bucks of dollars. Forex trading has high leverage which is around 100:1. It only signifies that your assets can be controlled 100 times over your invested money.

6. It has no commissions. The forex trading brokers can earn money through setting their spreads where they weigh the process between selling and buying currencies.

Forex trading can be one of the best systems in day trading. Since it deals with currency trades, it can have the largest volumes of trading. Although it can be labeled as high risks trading systems, it can bring the traders higher returns within minutes.

However traders should be aware that forex trading needs a thorough research before starting it. Never confine yourself with only one source. Always make it a part of your plan to research first before engaging yourself in the real forex trading. It is not enough to know its advantages. As a trader, you need to clearly understand the systems involved in forex trading. It is helpful if you read the latest forums posted in the community boards.

It is also important to find the best forex trading systems. In this manner, you can incorporate a course, software, or method developed by forex trading experts. Take note, there are various system types that are available. It is important to find the right system that will fit in your goals in the industry of trading forex to achieve success.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Learn How You can Make Gains from Using the Forex trading Grid Technique

The most important part of how to make money using the no stop, hedged, Forex trading strategy will now be covered. In the preceding articles in this series we reviewed trading without stops, not being concerned about which way the price moves and places to cash in on profitable transactions. We are now going to show how you would make money buying and selling simultaneously using the grid strategy.

The no stop, hedged currency trading grid system uses the rule that one should be able to close a transaction at a gain no matter which way the market moves. The only way this is logically possible is that one would have a buy and a sell transaction active simultaneously. Most traders will say that doing this is not recommended but let’s look at this in more detail. 

Assuming a grid with grid gaps of 100 pips. We are going to use the simplest formation to show the principles involved. This formation is the 100% retractment formation where the price goes up to a grid level and then returns back to the starting grid level. Regrettably things become quite mathematical from here. We are also ignoring broker spreads to keep things simple. 

Let us say that a trader enters the market with a buy (buy 1) and sell (sell 1) deal active when a currency is at a level of say 1.0100. The price then goes to level 1.0200. The buy will then be positive by 100 pips. The sell will be negative by 100 pips. Now we would cash in our positive deal and bank our 100 pips. The sell is now however is carrying a loss of -100 pips. The grid system requires one to ensure that the trader can cash in on any movement in the Forex market. To do this one would again enter into a buy (buy 2) and a sell (sell 2) deal at this level (level 1.0200). 

Now, for convenience let us say that the price moves back to level 1.0100 (the starting point). 

The second sell (sell 2) has now gone positive by 100 pips and the second buy (buy 2) is making a loss of -100 pips. According to the grid trading rules you would cash the sell (sell 2) in and another 100 pips will be added to your account. That brings the grand total cashed in at this point to 200 pips (buy 1 and sell 2). At this stage the first sell that is active has moved from level 1.0200 where it was -100 to level 1.0100 where it is now breaking even. 

The 4 transactions added together now  incredibly show a gain:- 1st buy (buy 1) cashed in +100, 2nd sell (sell 2) cashed in +100, 1st sell (sell 1) now breaking even and the 2nd buy (buy 2) is -100. This gives an overall a gain of 100 pips in total. We can liquidate all the deals and have some champagne as we have made a profit of 100 pips.

Please make sure you understand the mathematics behind the activities discussed above. You may have to reread and draw the movements on a piece of paper to make sure you understand the concept. 

This formation is the 100% retracement formation where the price goes up to a grid level and then returns back to the starting grid level and results in a nice profit for the forex trader. There are many other market movements that turn this strange Buy and Sell at the same time activity into profits. The next article will cover the 50% retractment formation which produces the same amount of profit.

There will be much more on the no stop, hedged grid trading system in future articles in this directory. Do not miss them, whatever you do.