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Feature Article: Proper Use of the CCI
Sam Seiden looks at the Commodity Channel Index (CCI). Proper use of the CCI (or any indicator or oscillator) in conjunction with Trend analysis and demand and supply analysis can help stack the odds in your favor when forming a trading decision and trading plan.
Stocks: Patterns: Fact or Fiction?
Brandon Wendell discusses the importance of trading chart patterns properly - we want to take the professional trade, not the amateur one.
Forex: Back To Basics, Part 2: The Definition of a Stop Loss
Sam Evans discusses how the stop loss is more than a tool to protect your capital. It is your only true friend in the marketplace.
Options: Get a Trading Buddy: Part 2
In a continuation to Josip Causic?s article from two weeks ago, he discusses some of the ins and outs of finding and keeping Trading Buddies as an answer to a student email.
E-minis: Eighty Percent Waiting - Twenty Percent Trading
Frequently, traders say that if they're not actively trading, they can't make money. Gabe Velazquez discusses that a lot of times, more activity does not translate into more profits.
Real Estate: Foreclosure Update and Guidelines for the Novice Auction Goer
This week Diana Hill gives you an update on the results of the Anti-foreclosure program and gives you guidelines to go by when you participate in foreclosure auctions.
Specialty Skills: Outcome Thinking: Aiming for the Results You Want
What kind of results are you getting in your trading? Are you violating your rules because you have been unable to keep your commitments, which have lead to disastrous draw downs and massive losses? Dr. Woody Johnson discusses how one of the things that is important in changing this scenario is to recalibrate what you are aiming for by targeting your thoughts to outcome thinking and results orientations.
Feature Article: Got Questions? Sam has Answers!
Sam answers several reader/student questions this week. He will follow up on last week's article, cover gap up as a demand, help interpret monthly supply level on the S&P and relay the importance of not relying on computer-generated models on indicators.
Stocks: More Harm than Help?
In a recent misguided attempt to "fix" the markets, the SEC voted 3-2 to reinstate a version of the old uptick rule. Brandon Wendell discusses how this is a clear example of acting for the sake of acting without fully understanding the problem or the impact of your decision. He demonstrates how this seems to be a case of where the medicine is worse than the illness itself.
Forex: The False Security of a Virtual Environment
Sam Evans explains the advantages and disadvantages of using demo and/or simulated accounts whether or not you are a new or novice trader. There is a danger of feeling safe in a virtual environment.
Options: Butterfly: Part V
Butterflies are a great option strategy for when you don't anticipate huge movement in a stock. In Part Five of his continuing series on Butterflies, Josip Causic presents the steps involved in placing a Put Butterfly on TradeStation. This is the second to last article in this series.
Commodities: Spread Trading ? A Versatile Tool
The Commodity markets offer such a diverse way of actually trading them. As a trader, we can either be net long or short a Futures contract, we could buy or sell an Option on the Futures contract, or we could place a Spread trade. This week Don Dawson shows you how understanding Spreads in the Futures markets can give you a heads up as to when a market is about to top or bottom. He will also show you what to look for in a Spread that could be the early stages of a major Bull market.
Real Estate: Current and Future Effects of New Demographic Trends, Part 2
Diana Hill gets to Part 2 of her series on new demographic trends and their affect on housing now and in the future. This week she will focus on the Younger Baby Boomers and part of the Echo Boomers, Generation X.
Specialty Skills: The Essentials of Documenting Your Trades: Thought Journal/Trade Journal
Dr. Woody Johnson discusses how important it is to document, record, measure and track your market participation through using a Trading and Thought Journal. These methods are essential to your success!
Feature Article: System Trading ? A Complex World with Simple Answers
Sam Seiden shares some important information from his recent Extended Learning Track (XLT) - Stock Mastery class. He focuses on the foundation of a profitable trading system, offers specific tools and rules of a profitable system, and exposes the dangerous traps that lead to system trading failure.
Stocks: Do I Need It or Can I Live Without It?
Brandon Wendell demonstrates that by looking at the rotation between staples and discretionary sectors, traders can gain additional insight as to the future direction of the markets.
Forex: Back To Basics, Part 1: Trends
Sam Evans discusses how we sometimes need to keep things simple in trading. This week he will discuss Trend which is the first of three vital areas of importance you must consider for any market opportunity.
Options: Spell Out your Trading Plan and Get a Trading Buddy
In this article, Josip Causic shares a story of an options student who was able to take Online Trading Academy teachings about options, apply them, get cash flow going, and supplement her regular annual income at first and then eventually embark on the full-time journey of just trading for a living. He will focus on two points of this example: Having a trading buddy and also a trading plan.
E-minis: What Goes Up, Must Come Down
This week Gabe Velazquez revisits the Rubber Band Effect - a phenomenon that he wrote about a couple of years ago, and he explains the workings behind why the market has a strong tendency to revert to the mean.
Real Estate: Positive Movement for Housing Market Indicators - Proceed with Caution
Diana Hill will discuss the recent publishing of the leading indicators for the real estate industry. She will look at how this positive movement could affect your investing and what the future may hold.
Specialty Skills: Take Your Trading to the Next Level: The Power of Alignment
Have you ever tried to ride a bicycle with loose or uneven wheels? They begin to wobble; the gears don't shift right, and the brakes rub, causing severe resistance and can even stop you. Humans are often out of alignment, but sadly, many don't recognize it. Dr. Woody Johnson looks at the importance of being properly aligned as this will help our successes in trading.
Feature Article: Emotion Always Pays Logic
Our job in trading is to find the novice trader who makes decisions based on EMOTION, and simply take the other side of his or her trade. This week Sam Seiden will discuss how emotion always pays logic.
Stocks: How Do I Trade?
Brandon Wendell explains his style of trading - specifically, how he relies on the basic tools of supply and demand, using indicators as odds enhancers.
Forex: Knowing When Enough is Enough
Sam Evans takes a look this week at the importance of having Discipline in your daily trading. He looks at focusing on the execution of each trade, not the consequences, and to remember when enough is enough.
Options: Butterfly: Part IV
At expiry, the price of an underlying on a Butterfly trade can end up anywhere. Josip Causic presents just 5 of the possible outcomes on the call Butterfly trade he has been covering for this series on Butterflies.
Commodities: Commodity ETFs - Alternative Investing
Trading Commodity Futures can be intimidating for some. With the limit moves, leverage, fixed contract size and having to open a separate trading account, this style of trading is not something you may want to do. Does this mean you should not understand how Commodities trade and what their trends are? Absolutely not, these markets can provide some great returns. This week Don Dawson discusses some of the different options you have to trade the Commodity markets without trading the derivatives themselves.
Real Estate: Current and Future Effects of New Demographic Trends, Part 1
Diana Hill begins a short series on how the new demographic trends are affecting housing now and in the future. This week she focuses on Aging Baby Boomers.
Specialty Skills: Managing Your Emotions With Your Mind
The strongest mental modes are created in early childhood. These can affect your ability to be a successful trader. This week Dr. Woody Johnson takes a look at how it is important to examine the unconscious faulty beliefs that are motivating your erratic feelings that, in turn, drive bad behaviors creating results you don't want.
Feature Article: Your Questions Answered
Most of us have you asked these questions: "Which time frame is best?" "How do I develop a sound chart strategy?" "Why is determining the trend so agonizing?" Sam Seiden gives some answers.
Stocks: What Time is It?
What time frame is best for trading? Brandon Wendell takes a look at this question and explains that it is a personal choice and why.
Forex: Short, Sweet and to the Point
Sam Evans shares some statistics with you from one of his ongoing Extended Learning Track (XLT) students to show you the ideal model for consistent, profitable trading.
Options: Creative Financing
Josip Causic demonstrates an example of creative financing. Namely how to use the credit received from selling a vertical spread to finance long directional premium.
E-minis: Not All Support and Resistance Levels are Created Equal
Successful trading is NOT as easy as simply buying at support and selling at resistance. Gabe Velazquez looks at an alternative to looking at support and resistance in the traditional manner.
Real Estate: O Canada, the Games, the Real Estate Market and the Future
The starting of the Winter Olympics prompts Diana Hill to take a look at the current state and future of real estate in Canada. She looks at whether or not hosting the Olympic Games promotes an increase in local housing prices, and if there is a correlating crash in prices after the games are over.
Specialty Skills: The Motivation of a Child: It Can Catapult Your Trading
Children's obsessions and dogged determination to see, imitate, listen and learn about their world can be an example that drives you to be more successful in your trading. This week Dr. Woody Johnson looks at how those childhood passions can be rekindled and how you can use them to achieve the results you desire.
Feature Article: Trading Tools You May Not Find in Books
If you are processing market and strategy information the same as others (your competition), you can't possibly have an edge. This week Sam Seiden will cover two of many simple tools that may help you in your quest for obtaining this needed edge when speculating in markets - and these are things you won't find in books!
Stocks: Think You Can Buy the Bottom?
Brandon Wendell explains that instead of being gripped by fear, we can profit from it. He takes a look at buying at the bottom - the real bottom.
Forex: Forex Minds Want to Know
Sam Evans answers a few of the recent questions from students. He has discovered that a majority of the questions he receives often cover similar subjects and a wide variety of topics. Everyone can take something from this article.
Options: Butterfly: Part III
To follow-up his previous two articles about the option strategy known as the Butterfly, Josip Causic looks in greater detail at the intricacies of a specific Call Butterfly that was previously placed.
Commodities: Understanding Limit Moves in Futures
Commodity Futures and Equities have many differences. This week Don Dawson addresses a situation in the Futures markets that does not appear in the Equities markets. These situations are referred to as Limit Moves. A Limit Move in the Futures markets can be a windfall or devastation for a trader depending on which side of the market they are on. We will examine some of the markets that still have these Limits and then discuss some ways to avoid being run over by these Limit Moves.
Real Estate: Flipping Real Estate in this Market and the Anti-Flipping Rule
This week Diana Hill defines what flipping is in the real estate world, the anti-flipping rule, and how these affect you as an investor.
Specialty Skills: Attitude - The Springboard for Being Passionate About Your Rules
Dr. Woody Johnson identifies several myths in trading. He discusses that if you have the right attitude and make it a priority to be passionate about your rules, you can achieve your trading goals.
Feature Article: Trade What is Real, Not What You Feel
The two main forms of analysis in trading and investing are technical and fundamental analysis, and they are very real. However, thinking that mastering these two forms of analysis will lead to consistent low risk profits is an illusion second to none. The more an individual attempts to master these types of analysis, the more they may be layering subjective, complex illusions on top of each other. This is a recipe for consistent failure and is the subject of Sam's article this week.
Stocks: But It Beat Earnings... Why Didn't It Go Up?
Brandon Wendell explains some of the actions you see after earnings are released and the reasons behind the moves. He looks at three things to watch for when you are looking at earnings.
Forex: Perception vs Reality, Part 3: Technical Analysis vs Price Action
Two weeks ago Sam Evans explored the difference between Value and Price and continued last week with an investigation of being a consistently profitable trader rather than a consistent winner. This week he has his final piece where he illustrates the difference between understanding price and using technicals. They are two completely different things and unless you fully understand these differences, then it is unlikely that your trading career will progress much further.
Options: Students Want to Know
Josip Causic addresses student questions on a plethora of topics. See if he has the answer to one of yours on options, ETFs, stop losses, and more.
Commodities: Settlement Price? But the Market Has Not Closed
The Commodity Futures markets are ever-changing. While electronic trading has opened up the borders to international trading and the ease of order entry, it has also made for some interesting changes that we as traders need to stay abreast of. This week Don Dawson addresses one of these changes and how to possibly deal with it. He'll examine some ways to set your charts to view certain Commodities for the correct session (open, settle and close).
Real Estate: Want Real Estate in Your Portfolio with No Landlord Hassles? Consider REITs, Part 2
Diana Hill continues in Part 2 of her article and explains why it may be a favorable time to consider REITs, and lays out the criteria for doing so.
Specialty Skills: Give Yourself a Trading Edge Through the Use of Anchors
Dr. Woody Johnson discusses why successful traders know how to anchor their emotions and their self-confidence during times of turbulence. He gives you guidance on how to make anchors work for you in trading.
Feature Article: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Sam Seiden takes a look at the parallels between the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and trading. As John Candy showed us, there are many ways to reach our destination. Trading is only slightly different.
Stocks: Where is the Bear?
The activity in the market continues to be confusing. Where it is headed is a mystery. Brandon Wendell takes a look at the charts and explains why he continues to be a nervous bull.
Forex: Perception vs Reality, Part 2: Consistent Wins or Consistent Profits
Sam Evans continues his exploration of the differences between trading perceptions and realities. He discusses the myth regarding the subject of win to loss ratios.
Options: Butterfly: Part II
In his second installation to his series on Butterfly Spreads, Josip Causic walks us through placing a Call Butterfly spread step by step using the TradeStation platform.
E-minis: Identify, Assess, Execute and Manage
There are certain steps a trader should follow in order to become successful in this business. Gabe Velazquez discusses these four steps and how they will allow you to identify what areas you are strong or weak in.
Real Estate: Want Real Estate in Your Portfolio with No Landlord Hassles? Consider REITs
Diana Hill begins a two-part series about REITs. This week she defines them and explains how they work. Next week she'll discuss whether this is a good time to add them to your portfolio.
Specialty Skills: Modeling Excellence is a Tool for Success
Dr. Woody Johnson discusses how some of your most fundamental skills have been acquired through modeling others. He explains why it is important for traders to model their trading paths after an expert in the field, achieving greater consistency in the skills they have which will lead to more trading successes.
Feature Article: The Quest for Truth
Years ago, Sam set out on a quest for truth. This week he shares his realization that whether you are talking about Newton's Laws of Motion, Smith's theories of supply and demand, or Maxwell's laws of electromagnetic force, the basic governing dynamic of these laws and principles are different manifestations of the exact same governing dynamic. He discusses how he was able to apply this truth to financial markets.
Stocks: 2010, Back to the Future?
Brandon goes back to a chart of the 1970's and takes a look at what 2010 might look like in comparison. He explains why he is a cautious bull at this point in time and why you should beware and do what the market is telling you.
Forex: Perception vs Reality, Part 1: Value and Price
There are many reasons why the majority of individuals fail to make regular profits from Forex trading, but in the end, it all stems from the simple fact that most people are completely unaware of the differences between perception and reality. This week Sam explores the difference between price and value.
Options: The Ultimate XEO Trade
This article examines the trade that Josip placed during the very last week of the year in greater detail. He will go back to the Santa Claus Rally discussed a couple of weeks ago.
E-minis: Are Successful Traders Born or Created?
The question of whether successful traders are born or can be trained has been debated extensively. Gabe Velazquez takes a look at this and gives his reasons for why he believes successful traders can be created.
Real Estate: Real Estate-Related Legislation Update
Diana Hill gives you an update on some of the current legislation related to the real estate industry. This is important information that could affect many of your real estate and tax decisions in the new year.
Specialty Skills: Who is Showing Up to Trade
Did you know that you don't have to be mentally ill to have different personalities reside in your body? Dr. Woody Johnson tells you that this kind of personal and emotional volatility can play havoc on your trading account and what you can do to change it.
Feature Article: A Key Rule, Often Overlooked
Sam Seiden takes a look at the one crucial rule that, a lot of times, is missing in people's trading plans - determining supply and demand levels. This is a key component to a trading plan that has an edge over other trading plans that don't.
Stocks: Mixed Signals
Are we done with the recession? What does 2010 have in store for us? Brandon Wendell takes a look at the charts to see if the bull is back or whether the signs are pointing in another direction.
Forex: New Year's Resolutions
We all try to make New Year?s resolutions in an attempt to get ourselves on the right track for months ahead. As we know in the reality of life, these good intentions are often forgotten quickly and we fall back into old habits we were trying to break in the first place! Now is the perfect time to write yourself up a solid set of rules, set them in stone and stick to them no matter what.
Options: Butterfly: Part I
Josip Causic's article is the first one in a series of several articles describing, in detail, the option strategies known as Butterflies. Essentially a combination of a debit and a credit spread, a Butterfly is used when a trader is not anticipating huge movement within the specific time frame to be traded.
Commodities: Understanding Futures Orders
Starting a new year will more than likely show yet another increase in the number of new Futures traders. Each year there seems to be more and more interest in this asset class. Of course anybody who has traded Futures knows this is the place to be for liquidity, small capital start up, regulations, integrity, tax advantages and leverage. It appears that several traders coming from the Equities asset class to Futures markets do not understand what types of orders they can place on Futures trading platforms and what each one means. This week Don Dawson explains what these orders are and how to use them.
Real Estate: What the Stats Indicate - A Clear Picture?
Diana Hill takes a look at the Case-Shiller Index and what the recent results of it mean for the future of the real estate market.
Specialty Skills: Get Out of Your Way and on the Road to Profit
Self-sabotaging behavior in trading and in life can be avoided if it is recognized and handled. Dr. Woody Johnson explains how to reprogram yourself to trade differently.
Feature Article: Don't Be a Blind Donor
Sam has said many times, money is simply transferred from the misinformed novice who does not understand the reality of how money and markets work to those with proper "edge-building" education on the reality of how money and markets work. This week, he takes a few reader questions and shares his answers in hopes that you will continue to understand this important theme.
Stocks: Your Friend... The Trend!
Why do we try to fight the trend instead of embracing it and trading in the safer, more profitable direction? Brandon discusses how you should take the time to see where you are trading and trade with the direction that offers the greatest profit potential with the least amount of risk.
Forex: When a Little Becomes a Lot...
Aren't there better things you could be doing with your life, aside from sitting at your computer clicking in and out of the market for 10 hours a day and costing yourself money in the process? Sam discusses that while it may seem enticing to use an extremely tight stop loss and a larger position size in the effort to make bigger profits throughout the day, in his opinion and experience, it is a far better practice to put the set and forget with a smaller size and let the trade run.
Options: What is the Accuracy of the January Barometer?
If the stock market is up in the month of January, will it be up for the rest of the year? As Josip Causic did in his previous article on the Santa Claus Rally, he did specific back-testing on one of the major ETFs over the last nine calendar years to test the January Barometer's accuracy.
Commodities: It's All About You
Most articles you read about trading psychology are referring to the masses. In this article, Don Dawson addresses the "You" in trading psychology. He takes a look at some of your emotions, habits, behaviors and moods through the market's ups and downs that you will experience while mastering the trading world.
Real Estate: The Value of Mentorship
We know that in trading, it is important not to stay in your comfort zone. Often times, we need help to move out of the comfort zone. That is where it is important to have a mentor. Diana Hill discusses the value of having or being a mentor - it creates a win-win situation.
Specialty Skills: Trading to Win
Are you playing to win or playing not to lose? Dr. Woody Johnson goes into detail about this subject this week and why playing to win is also trading to win.
Feature Article: The Many Ways to Benefit from Proper Supply and Demand Analysis
When you have a rule-based strategy that allows you to fairly accurately predict where price is going next, a world of opportunity is at hand. Sam Seiden exposes you to other ways in which you can benefit from proper supply and demand analysis.
Stocks: Keeping an Eye on the Big Boys: Part 2
After numerous emails from last week's readers, Brandon Wendell revisits an old friend, The Commitment of Traders. He continues his mantra of "trade in the direction that the markets and the big boys tell us to go."
Forex: The New Trader's Survival Guide
Sam Evans shares a few key tips that he gives to new traders. If you are new to trading, these action points should provide you with a safety net in the early days and help to conserve your account for future gains ? if you are currently trading with some degree of success, then you might find these suggestions to be further enhancements to your overall plan.
Options: Where is the Santa Clause Rally?
Josip Causic's article scrutinizes the assumption, so well propagated by the respectful talking heads at CNBC, of a Santa Clause rally. Using the QQQQ, he performs an extensive examination of the price and volume patterns that form at the end of the calendar year.
Commodities: Checklist for Successful Trading
As we prepare to enter the holiday season, Don Dawson has compiled another type of list for traders. You may want to review this list to see if you have been naughty or nice. Seeing as Santa (the market) will be reviewing it for you, perhaps these items will help you have a better holiday season.
Real Estate: Dubai Real Estate and Its Connection to the U.S.
With Dubai in the headlines for the last month, Diana Hill takes the opportunity to look a little closer at Dubai's real estate market and their investments in the U.S.
Specialty Skills: The Thought is Father to the Deed: Change Your Thinking to Change Your Trading Results
What are the results that you've been getting in your trading and in your life? If they are less than what you want, then changes are in order ? from the inside out. Dr. Woody Johnson discusses how changing your thinking will help change your trading results.
Feature Article: Out-Thinking Your Competition
With most things in life, trading for sure, there is a winner and a loser. The consistent winner has an edge over the loser. Sam Seiden discusses how to attain a mental and strategic competitive edge in your trading.
Stocks: Keeping an Eye on the Big Boys!
Brandon Wendell looks at how important it is to keep your eyes on the actions of the big brokers and to mimic them as they take money from the uneducated, naive investors and traders. They can shed light on some of the direction the markets will take.
Forex: The Flaws in the System
Sam Evans shares with you one of the biggest "lessons" he learned in the early stages of his trading career in hopes that you don't fall prey to the same hurdles he faced. Trading should not be based on a "get-rich-quick" philosophy and there are no quick and easy products you can buy to be successful - it all boils down to hard work and using your own brain power.
Options: Look to the Left
Josip Causic looks deep into what is behind all that price action you see when you "look to the left" on a chart. The supply and demand represented there show where price has a higher probability of reaching a turning point, offering an opportunity for a profitable option trade entry.
E-minis: A Laissez-faire Approach To Exiting Trades
Gabe Velazquez suggests taking a "Laissez-faire" type of approach when exiting your trades - meaning that once the trade is on, the exit in place, "leave it alone." There are many advantages to this strategy as you will see in this article.
Real Estate: Tax Tips and Strategies for 2009 and 2010
Success in business and investing start with planning. Diana Hill gives you great tax tips and strategies for 2009 and 2010 to help you have a better plan.
Specialty Skills: Stop Trading from Fools Rules and Reprogram Yourself for Success
Trading myths can be a trader's downfall. The filter or mental model that you have will frequently conclude something inaccurate unless you re-program the mental model that it came from. Dr. Woody Johnson uncover some "Fools Rules" that could be driving your trade decisions and consequently causing results that you don't want.
Feature Article: Important Questions Answered on Trading Styles
Last week's article on the three styles of trading: Day, swing, and position generated some great reader email comments and questions. Sam Seiden addresses a few of the key differences in day and swing trading in this article and points out that the basics never change.
Stocks: All I Really Needed to Know About Trading, I Learned in the Boy Scouts!
The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared." Brandon Wendell looks at how this motto can help you as a trader and discusses how developing a trading plan will help you be more successful.
Forex: US Dollar Destiny
Is the Greenback just resting itself for the resurrection of a lifetime, or does its fate lay firmly in the depths of the bargain basements? Where is the Dollar headed next? Everyone in the press and on TV is talking about the weakness of the Dollar. Sam Evans gives his detailed opinion of this issue this week.
Options: Dutiful Delta and the Gamut of Gammas
Many new option traders have a hard time grasping the concepts of Delta and Gamma. Josip Causic closely examines these two Option Greeks and gives us a better understanding of how they work together to affect option premium.
E-minis: Buy the Dips, Sell the Rips
Expanding on his last article, Gabe elaborates further on the notion of buying when prices are moving lower, and selling, or shorting, when prices are heading higher, all within the context of a trend.
Real Estate: Real Estate Appraisals and the New Rules that Have Shaken Up the Industry
The new Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC), effective in May 2009, has shaken up the real estate industry. Diana Hill looks at the details of the new code, the facts and myths of the code, and how they can affect appraisals on properties.
Specialty Skills: Two Sides of the Trading Coin that Can Bring You Profit
Dr. Woody Johnson takes an in-depth look at the functions of your left and right brain which affects your success as a trader. He provides wisdom to help you bring the power of "both" sides to your trading.
Feature Article: Three Ways to Speculate the Markets, Which is Best For You?
There are three ways to speculate the markets. Sam Seiden will give you a breakdown of all three, and list the pros and cons for all and hopefully, help you decide which is the best fit for you.
Stocks: Global Meltdown Part Two?
Brandon Wendell discusses whether or not we are headed for a global meltdown for the second time.
Forex: Do You Predict or Anticipate?
Sam Evans looks at predicting and anticipating the Forex markets and what works best.
Options: Powerful Lesson of a Painful Trade: Part II
This article is a continuation of the lessons that can be learned from a painful trade. Just like in the movies where you could have multiple endings with various outcomes, so it is with option trades, too.
Commodities: Things were Going Well Until this Slump
If you have been trading the Futures markets for any amount of time, you have most likely experienced the inevitable trading slump. These slumps come in many colors, sizes and shapes. They can start out as a gradual or sudden straying from your traditional trading style. This week Don Dawson addresses the unfortunate yet as mentioned, inevitable trading slump and how we may possibly resolve this problem once it is recognized.
Real Estate: Habitat for Humanity - It's not a Handout, it's a Hand Up
In honor of Thanksgiving, and gratitude that causes giving, Diana discusses a real estate charity that is not a handout, but a hand up that allows people to become homeowners who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to: Habitat for Humanity.
Specialty Skills: The Dual Brain, Your First Trading Computer
It is well established that your brain has loads to do with your trading. Dr. Woody Johnson gives us some facts that may help you to support your trading better by understanding the super computer between your ears.
Feature Article: Mixed Feelings
Sam reveals some thoughts that he very rarely shares about the issue of creating his own competition through teaching the edge to his students at Online Trading Academy.
Stocks: The Big Picture
Brandon Wendell discusses why he doesn't believe the recession is over.
Forex: A Day in the Life of a Consistent Forex Trader
Why do you want to be a consistent Forex Trader? Is it for the money, the glory, the extra time you could have to yourself or all three plus more? This is a question every aspiring market speculator needs to be asked before they place their first trade and a vital one it is indeed.
Options: Powerful Lesson of a Painful Trade: Part I
In this article, Josip points out how any painful trade can hold a valuable lesson.
E-minis: The Trend is Your Friend - But in What Time Frame?
The basic tenet of following the trend is one that for most traders is as common as buy low and sell high; however, as simple as both these principles seem, they are the hardest to actually put into practice. This week, Gabe shows examples to illustrate the importance the role the larger time frames play in containing the smaller trends.
Real Estate: News on Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion
Diana updates us on the Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion: incentive for your potential END USERs to get off the sidelines.
Specialty Skills: The Power of Habits
Routines and habits are an important cog in the machinery of managing emotions and making consistently successful trades. Dr. Woody outlines a powerful regimen that you can put to use every trading day.
Feature Article: Conventional Technical Analysis Strategies, A Flawed School of Thought
Sam Seiden discusses conventional technical analysis strategies and how flawed they are.
Forex: When Trading Becomes Gambling
Sam Evans discusses why trading can be like gambling, and how it differs.
Options: Vertical Spreads: Part V
Josip Causic writes his last part of five articles on vertical spreads.
Commodities: Managing Your Trade with ATR
Don Dawson discusses the trailing stop and shows you how to use the Average True Range (ATR) to trail your stops in the market.
Real Estate: Have We Seen the Bottom of the Commercial Real Estate Market?
Diana Hill discusses whether we've seen the bottom of the commercial real estate market and why.
Feature Article: Properly Thinking the Forex Market
Sam Seiden looks at properly thinking the Forex market by giving a history lesson.
Forex: Right Time, Right Market
Sam Evans discusses the right time and markets for Forex trading.
Options: Vertical Spreads: Part IV
Josip Causic delivers his fourth article discussing vertical spreads.
E-minis: Your Belief System is Highly Correlated with Your Results
Gabe Velazquez discusses the fact that your belief system is highly correlated with your trading results.
Real Estate: The Latest Indicators are Out and this Could be an Opportunity of a Lifetime
Diana Hill discusses how the economy is looking up and it may be a good time to purchase and invest in real estate.
Feature Article: The Avocado
Sam Seiden discusses how the simple logic and rules you use when buying things in everyday life that make you a smart buyer at the grocery store, for example, are exactly what will make you a profitable market speculator.
Forex: A Little Something to Take the Emotion Out
Sam Evans discusses how important it is to take the emotion out of your trading.
Options: Vertical Spreads: Part III
Josip Causic explains the vertical debit call strategy.
Commodities: Handling Varying Types of Trading Days
Don Dawson addresses various types of trading days in this article and sheds a little light on them.
Real Estate: What is an REO? I Hear Rumors That They're Missing
Diana Hill defines what an REO is and discusses it in detail.
Feature Article: Market Traps, Novice Traders Beware
Sam Seiden discusses two of his favorite market opportunities - the Bull Trap and Bear Trap.
Forex: Start as You Mean to Go On
Sam Evans discusses the three key areas to focus on which will not only ground you in the reality of trading but also help you to achieve your goals effectively.
Options: Vertical Spreads: Part II
Josip Causic gives clarification about the first of four possible Vertical spreads without the use of any specific example.
E-minis: Questions, Responses, and Ruminations
Gabe Velazquez answers readers' questions and shares some reader responses to his recent articles.
Real Estate: Basics of Non-conventional Loans and Their Impact
Diana Hill defines and discusses Non-conventional loans.
Feature Article: Important Resources for Futures Traders
Sam Seiden discusses some important resources for Futures traders.
Forex: Like Minds, Individual Approach
Sam Evans discusses how different traders take their own individual approaches on trading opportunities.
Options: Vertical Spreads: Part I
Josip Causic discusses vertical spreads in part one of a five-part series.
Commodities: Creating a Trading Journal that Speaks to You
Don Dawson discusses the importance of using a trading journal.
Real Estate: Basics of Conventional Loans and What Do Fannie and Freddie Have to Do With It
Diana Hill discusses and defines what conventional loans are.
Feature Article: A Smart Trading Group, Getting Smarter
Sam Seiden looks at some questions from students and gives the answers.
Forex: Forex Fundamentals & News: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Sam Evans discusses Fundamentals and the news and the various tools and charts that are best to use.
Options: Scrutinizing an Option Trade
Josip Causic expands on what happened to the vertical trade described in the previous newsletter, and presents the closing scenario in greater detail.
E-minis: Discipline Transcends Trading
Gabe Velazquez reflects on what has transpired both in our trading and personal endeavors over this year - he emphasizes we must ask ourselves, what changes can be made to continue to improve all facets of our personal and professional lives.
Real Estate: The Latest Indicators are Out; So Where is the Residential Real Estate Market?
Diana Hill discusses three indexes and indicators: The Case ? Shiller Home Price Index, Pending U.S. Home Sales Index, and the Housing Starts and New Permits.
Feature Article: Foolsville, Part 2
Sam Seiden revisits Foolsville this week.
Forex: Sun, Sea, Sangria and Hedging
Sam Evans focus on the fact that if you are to be consistently successful in the Forex markets, your actions need to be different from the majority.
Options: Vertical Call or Vertical Put?
Josip Causic explains the reasoning why he would select a vertical put buy instead of selecting a vertical call sell, and what strategy to use to completely reverse the trade direction if it starts to go against the original plan.
Commodities: Components of a Personal Trading Plan
Don Dawson gives you the components of a personal trading plan this week.
Real Estate: $8000 Tax Credit for the Purchase of Real Estate ? The Who, the How Long and the Why it's Good for Investors
Diana Hill discusses the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Feature Article: Questions and Answers ? Things You May Want To Know
Sam Seiden answers reader/student questions.
Forex: It's All in Your Head Part 2: The Fear of Loss
Sam Evans discusses the importance of using stop losses in trading.
Options: Bad Ticks or Real Ones?
Josip Causic discusses bad ticks or real ones.
E-minis: Trading Success Can Only Come from Loving to Lose Small and Win Big
Gabe Velazquez discusses that successful traders are those that lose small and win big.
Real Estate: Savvy Investors Use Self-Directed Retirement Plans to Buy Real Estate
Diana Hill defines a Self-Directed Retirement Plan and gives four steps to set one up for yourself.
Feature Article: Losing To Win, It's All In Your Perception
Sam Seiden discusses how in trading, to become a professional winner, you have to first become a professional loser.
Forex: When It's Time to Take a Break from a Great Relationship...
Sam Evans discusses the important of being flexible enough to stay in the game until 'normality' resumes.
Options: Verticals and Volatility
Josip Causic explains the reason why prior to selling a vertical spread, an option trader should check not only the current implied volatility of the product he or she is about to trade but also three additional components.
Commodities: Some Tips on Using Average True Range
Don Dawson discusses some tips on using average true range.
Real Estate: TIC - Real Estate Without Daily Management
Diana Hill discusses TIC's, a way to get involved into real estate market investing without getting your hands dirty.
Feature Article: Motion Into Mass
Sam Seiden argues that within the pages of Principia Mathmatica by Isaac Newton lie the most key ingredients of a successful plan for speculating in markets.
Forex: It's All In Your Head...
Sam Evans discusses how important your mental midset is in being a successful trader.
Options: Naked Chart Reading and Option Trading
Josip Causic discusses naked chart reading and it's importance in option trading.
E-minis: One Year Removed
Gabe Velazquez discusses some lessons that can be learned from the past year's turbulence in the markets.
Real Estate: Its History and Cycles
Diana Hill discusses the history of real estate in the US since it is one key to understanding cycles in business and investment.
Feature Article: Foolsville, Part 1
Sam Seiden gives examples of people who make foolish mistakes in the trading world by describing a fictitious town called 'Foolsville'.
Forex: Great Expectations
Sam Evans focuses on a simple, yet fundamental aspect of each and every trade: Expectation.
Options: Placing a Horizontal Spread With TradeStation
Josip Causic discusses how to place a Horizontal Spread trade on the TradeStation platform.
Eminis: Buy'em When They're Cry'n - Sell'em When They're Yell'n
Gabe Velazquez explores contrarian thinking and why it pays to think differently from the crowd.
Real Estate: Loan Modification Misconceptions
Diana Hill addresses a lot of misconceptions about the new regulations regarding loan modifications.
Feature Article: Where Most People Get It Wrong
Sam Seiden discusses where most people get it wrong in trading.
Forex: FX Trading as a Business or Hobby...You Decide
Sam Evans makes a quick comparison between a hobby and a business, in an attempt to shed a little light where some get it right and most get it wrong in trading.
Options: Premium Juice
Josip Causic presents a situation in which technical analysis supports the possibility of placing an Iron Condor but unfortunately, the option chain does not.
Commodities: Being Honest With Yourself
Don Dawson answers students' questions on commodity trading.
Broad Market: An Uncomfortable Choice
John Mauldin looks at the choices we need to make, and ponder their possible consequences.
Feature Article: Why the Astute Market Speculator Loves Social Media
Sam Seiden discusses why astute market speculators love Social Media.
Forex: What to Do If a Breakout Fails
Steve Misic discusses what to do if a breakout fails.
Options: A Married Put
Josip Causic discusss the intricacies of the married put, which are basically being long 100 shares of the underlying stock and at the same time being long a single put contract.
E-minis: Common Market Misconceptions Explained and Clarified
Gabe Velazquez discusses some common market misconceptions.
Broad Market: The Statistical Recovery, Part Three
John Mauldin look at why this recovery will be a Statistical Recovery, or one that, as someone said, is a recovery only a statistician could love.
Feature Article: Same Tools, Different Thoughts
Sam Seiden encourages you to think different and not follow the herd and their very flawed thought process.
Forex: Beware of the Ponzi Trap in Forex
Steve Misic takes a look at Ponzi schemes in the Forex markets.
Options: Placing a Vertical Spread with TradeStation
Josip Causic illustrates how to place a vertical trade on the TradeStation platform.
Commodities: Exit Strategies
Don Dawson focuses on how to get out of trades using exit strategies.
Broad Market: The Statistical Recovery, Part 2
John Mauldin continues to explore the concept of a statistical recovery.
Feature Article: The Straight Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions
Sam Seiden covers readers' most frequently asked questions.
Forex: Playing the Field When the Trend's Not Your Friend
Sam Evans fills in for Steve Misic this week and discusses how to be patient when faced with difficult trading conditions that includes an indecisive price action environment.
Options: Monitoring the I.V.
Josip Causic provides readers with a website that provides free I.V. (implied volatility) readings.
Commodities: Timing Your Market Entry
Don Dawson discusses different market entry techniques.
Broad Market: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast
John Mauldin has a guest writer that will discuss how EMH has damaged our industry, and more.
Broad Market: The Great Reflation Experiment
John Mauldin has a guest writer who takes on the topic of the great experiment the Fed is now waging, which he calls The Great Reflation Experiment.
Commodities: Selecting a Commodity to Trade
Don Dawson discusses a few steps he likes to use when selecting a commodity to trade.
Options: Interpreting the Option Chain
Josip Causic explains how to interpret certain variables from the option chain.
Forex: New US-Specific Forex Regulations To Be Aware Of
Steve Misic reviews some of the new regulations affecting retail Forex traders with accounts in the US that are scheduled to take effect in August, 2009.
Feature Article: Pro-Active Financial Management
Sam Seiden discusses being pro-active in your financial management.
E-minis: Summer Fun for Beachgoers, but not so much for E-mini Traders
This week, I will discuss that when the daily ranges get smaller, so do the opportunities for big intraday moves and this requires making proper adjustments.
Options: Horizontals Gone Wild
In this article I will discuss a horizontal trade that almost achieved a complete loss just days before its July expiry.
Forex: Strategies For Identifying Potential Breakouts in Low Volatility Forex Markets
This week, I will look at strategies for identifying potential breakouts in low volatility Forex markets.
Feature Article: Breakout Entries
This week, I will look at the strategy of breakout entries.
Broad Market: Europe on the Brink
John Mauldin takes a look at Europe and the concerns that banks there create a significant risk for the entire worldwide system.
Commodities: Handling Trading Pressure
Don Dawson helps you recognize potential pressure situations and prepares you well in advance of when they actually occur.
Options: Option Trading and Alert Setting
Josip Causic explains how to use alarms with option trading and specifically focuses on using the alarms on the Trade Station.
Forex: Tracking Correlations Between Equities, Commodities, and Currencies
Steve Misic discusses how to track correlations between Equities, Commodities, and Currencies in this week's article.
Feature Article: Who Are You?
Sam Seiden looks at some very clear differences between the consistently profitable trader and the consistent losing trader.
Broad Market: Buddy, Can You Spare $5 Trillion?
John Mauldin looks at Japan and where we will find $5 trillion to finance government debt.
Options: Directional OTM Option Trading?!?
Josip Causic provides his opinion on directional trading of OTM (out of the money) options.
Forex: Forex Web Resources
Steve Misic focuses on forex websites he visits frequently when gathering necessary information needed in making short term trading decisions.
Feature Article: Simple Logic Always Beats Complex Illusion
Sam Seiden uses a student's real trade and show why the simple logical mind typically gets paid from the complex illusion-based mind.
Commodities: Knowing Yourself and Revenge Trading
Don Dawson talks about knowing one's self and recognizing signs of revenge trading.
Options: Unwinding an Iron Condor
Josip Causic provides a number of different possibilities that an option trader has for unwinding an Iron Condor.
Forex: More on Intraday Trends
Steve Misic looks deeper into trends - specifically, he examines both high and low volatility movements that are responsible for the formation of a daily bar.
Feature Article: Demand and Supply and Your Nest Egg
Sam Seiden goes over two benefits that proper demand and supply analysis offers us.
Broad Market: The End of the Recession?
John Mauldin continues his discussion as to whether or not we are coming to the end of the recession.
Commodities: Is it Time for a Checkup?
Don Dawson looks at how we have seen a decrease in volatility in the Futures market, and whether or not it's time to do a checkup on your trading plan.
Options: Still Going Sideways
Josip Causic discuss his sideways bias and highlights the importance of knowing the traded underlying products inside out, with all the smallest nuances that are often hidden from the masses.
Forex: Short Term Forex Trading Tips And Tricks
Steve Misic looks at how understanding the higher time frame trend is an important step in becoming a successful, short term Forex trader.
Feature Article: Frequently Asked Questions
Sam Seiden answers some frequently asked questions and shares his experience with common issues among traders and investors.
Broad Market: This Time It's Different*
John Mauldin takes a look at why he believes the investment is totally different now.
E-minis: A Day in the Life of a New Trader
Gabe Velazquez gives an illustration of what one student recently did on a trade.
Options: Horizontals Part II
Josip Causic spends time covering the second part of his discussion on Horizontals.
Forex: Rule-Based Forex Trading - Mechanical Strategies
Steve Misic discusses the mechanical strategies you should employ for Forex trading.
Featured Article: Pay Attention
Sam Seiden discusses how important it is to pay attention to what is happening around you, especially what price action is telling you.
E-minis: Lower Volatility Should Lead to Lowered Expectations
Gabe Velazquez discusses what low and high volatility readings of the VIX means for traders.
Options: Horizontals: Part I
Josip Causic looks at quarterlies in detail.
Forex: The US Dollar Index
Steve Misic discusses the ins and outs of the US Dollar Index.
Feature Article: Your Belief System is Your Trading Style
Sam Seiden discusses some very clear differences between the consistently profitable trader and the consistent losing trader, and the importance of having a good belief system in trading.
Broad Market: The New, New Normal
John Mauldin expands on the theme from last week and looks at the three paths we face as a nation.
Commodities: Does Size Matter?
Don Dawson looks at how much money Futures traders should start trading with.
Options: Iron Condor on the Quarterlies
Josip Causic looks at one of his Iron Condor trades.
Forex: Types of Entries: Short the Breakdown & Short the Rallies
Steve Misic discusses two different types of short trade entries, the breakdown and throwback entries.
Feature Article: A Year Long Journey, Lyndon is on His Way
Sam Seiden looks at the path of one of our students that is well on his way to becoming a consistently profitable trader.
Broad Market: This Way There Be Dragons
John Mauldin discusses looks at three possible paths we can lead the world down - seeing if there are any dragons in the future.
E-minis: Animal Spirits: Not So Good for Day Trading, or Investing for that Matter
Gabe Velazquez looks at how our primal, animal instincts aren't good for successful trading and investing.
Options: A Summer of Doji-ing Around
Josip Causic gives his directional bias for the stock market as well as the explanation for one of his favorite option strategies.
Forex: Types of Long Entries – Breakouts & Pullbacks
Steve Misic discusses two types of long entries for Forex trading.
Feature Article: Plan, Execute, and Then Go Do Something Else More Important Than Trading
Sam Seiden discusses a recent shorting opportunity he had in the XLT Futures class, and the ins and outs of it.
Broad Market: The Paradox of Deficits
John Mauldin discusses a broad spectrum of problems (unemployment, deficits) we are facing as a nation.
Commodities: Commodity Seasonal Patterns
Don Dawson discusses ways of adding natural supply and demand from Seasonal Patterns to your Commodity trading decisions.
Options: Spreads with Directional Bias
Josip Causic discusses spreads with directional bias.
Forex: Becoming a Complete Forex Trader
Steve Misic discusses the necessary fundamental and technical data that a complete forex trader needs to focus on.
Feature Article: Governing Dynamics and Trading Psychology
Sam Seiden continue his discussion from last week's piece on governing dynamics with a live market trade from the Extended Learning Track (XLT) class.
Broad Market: Faith-Based Economics
John Mauldin looks at the underlying assumptions on government data - whether the revisions in data are a conspiracy or methodology.
Commodities: Three Barriers to Prosperity to Be Aware of
Don Dawson discusses the three barriers to prosperity in trading.
Options: The Extrinsic and Intrinsic Values of Option Premium
Josip Causic defines option premium.
Forex: Understanding Trending and Range Bound Markets
Steve Misic helps you understand trending markets, range bound markets, and above all, help you to control your emotions.
Feature Article: Governing Dynamics
Sam Seiden discusses that the ability to keep things real and simple can have very positive results while complicating simple realities can drain your trading and investing accounts quickly.
Broad Market: Green Shoots or Dandelion Weeds?
John Mauldin looks at some data to see if we can indeed see the end of the recession.
E-minis: Will the Recession Rally End When the Economy Recovers?
Gabe Velazquez discusses the current market rally and what it may mean for short term and long term investors.
Options: Disappointment, Discipline, and Domination
Josip Causic discusses three stages option traders fall into: disappointment, discipline and domination.
Feature Article: Some Thoughts on Trading Psychology
Sam Seiden discusses trading psychology and what your belief system is.
Broad Market: Sell in May and Go Away?
John Mauldin looks at the actual data for selling in May and offers up a fresh viewpoint, and also looks at the GDP numbers.
Commodities: What Just Turned That Market?
Don Dawson looks at two patterns that make up the reversal pattern.
Options: Straddle and Strangles
Josip Causic examines two similar option strategies, straddles and strangles, on the same underlying that is expected to make a significant move.
Forex: Forex Hedging, R.I.P.
Ed Ponsi looks at new rules about to go into effect in the Forex market regarding Forex heding, and how these changes will effect you.
Feature Article: Advanced Price Action Analysis
Sam Seiden discusses identifying high probability turning points.
Broad Market: Back to the Future Recession
John Mauldin goes over the second half of his speech from a few weeks ago at my annual Strategic Investment Conference in La Jolla.
Commodities: More to Trading than the Charts
Don Dawson talks about getting inside the head of a winning trader and seeing how they are thinking.
Options: Multiple Scenarios of Possible Outcomes
Josip Causic discusses the mirror image of a vertical put spread - a vertical call spread, Bear Call.
Forex: Forex Q&A with Ed Ponsi
Ed Ponsi answers two reader questions this week concerning going from stock trading to Forex trading, and what the future strength of Asian currencies might be.
Feature Article: Scanning for Opportunity, the Old-Fashioned Way
Sam Seiden discusses how scanning the charts for opportunity the old-fashioned way makes the best sense.
Broad Market: The Trend May Not Be Your Friend
John Mauldin looks at why the trend may not be your friend.
Commodities: Futures Trading Right Now and Where We Might Stop Tomo
Don Dawson brings you up to date with a couple of recent changes in the Futures markets and also talks about a study that is very helpful in determining volatility and for projecting Highs and Lows for the trading day.
Options: Plan the Exit(s) Beforehand
Josip Causic beats the drum of the simple concept of determining multiple exit strategies prior to the trade entry.
Forex: Did Someone Say "Carry Trade"?
Ed Ponsi looks at the carry trade and the fact that it may be coming back into vogue.
Feature Article: Identifying Turning Points Begins With Proper Focus
Sam Seiden discusses the most important component of trading or investing which is identifying turning points in the market.
Broad Market: Is That Recovery We See?
John Mauldin looks at whether or not we may possibly be headed for an economic recovery.
E-minis: If You Can't Spot It, Don't Trade It
Gabe Velazquez discusses what a low risk entry is, how to spot it and how important it is to successful trading.
Options: Reversed Dividends, Maximum Loss and Option Commissions
Josip Causic discusses reversed dividends, maximum loss and option commissions.
Forex: My Name is Ed, and I’m a Capitalist
Ed Ponsi discusses how capitalism is the greatest economic system on earth.
Feature Article: Potential Pitfalls For the New Trader
Sam Seiden discusses potential pitfalls for new traders.
Broad Market: Deep Inside the Dow
John Mauldin looks deep inside the Dow, back to its very roots.
Commodities: Looking for Friends in All the Same Places
Don Dawson writes about bringing together multiple groups of traders that are seeing your price level, but for different reasons than you may be.
Options: Option Trading and Psychology
Josip Causic looks at the psychology that goes into option trading.
Forex: The Reserve Currency Debate
Ed Ponsi looks at the talk that is going on about shifting the world's reserve currency away from the U.S. Dollar and toward a so-called 'super currency.'
Feature Article: News and Price, A Relationship Often Misunderstood
Sam Seiden looks at how bad news and good news relate to buying opportunities in the market.
Broad Market: Why Bother With Bonds?
John Mauldin looks at a brilliantly done paper examining whether or not investors have gotten better returns from stocks over the really long run and not just the last ten years, when stocks have wandered in the wilderness.
E-minis: The Gap: Fade or Play?
Gabe Velazquez discusses what a gap is, what causes one to happen, how you should trade a gap and most importantly, identifying higher probability assessments for trading gaps.
Options: Bull Put, Right or Wrong?
Josip Causic takes a real-life trade and discusses whether it was the right or wrong move.
Forex: Forex Q&A with Ed Ponsi
Ed Ponsi answers reader questions on the Euro and current U.S. debt.
Feature Article: Three Ways to Managing Risk
Sam Seiden covers in detail three important tools to reduce risk.
John Mauldin: Solving the Housing Crisis
John Mauldin looks at a proposal made in an op-ed piece that suggests we offer green cards to foreigners who will come to the US and purchase a home.
Commodities: A View From the Top and the Bottom
Don Dawson discusses the Double Top and Double Bottom chart patterns in detail.
Options: Prolonging the Pain of a Bad Trade?
Josip Causic looks at a scenario to fix the trade that he explained in last week's article, and he offers one scenario.
Forex: Swiss Franc Goes Ballistic
Ed Ponsi discusses the fall of the Swiss Franc earlier this month.
Feature Article: Real World Futures Trading in the Extended Learning Track (XLT)
Sam Seiden covers a recent trade made in the Extended Learning Track (XLT) - Futures Trading class he teaches.
Broad Market: The Swiss Start Their Engines
John Mauldin discusses Japan and the Swiss Central bankers this week.
E-minis: The Daily Loss Limit: A Key to Long-Term Survival
Gabe Velazquez addresses a reader's question and points out that having daily and weekly stop losses is critical to survival in the longer term.
Options: Bear Call Gone Bad
Josip Causic goes over three possible outcomes for a Bear Call spread at the expiry.
Forex: It's Not That Complicated
Ed Ponsi discusses how it's not that complicated to determine why the Pound is being crushed by the Dollar.
Feature Article: Back To Basics with Indicators and Oscillators
Sam Seiden takes you back to the basics as he discusses the importance of properly using indicators and oscillators.
Broad Market: The Law of Unintended Consequences
John Mauldin looks at some rather obscure rules the US government has put in place which are having major unintended (and negative!) consequences, and what can be done.
E-minis: Using Moving Averages as Trend Filters
Gabe Velazquez answers some reader question and shows how he uses moving averages being used for exiting strategies, trend identification, and the like in his own trading.
Options: Iron Condor Revisited
Josip Causic explains one of his current positions as a net premium seller as he has placed an Iron Condor on the Canadian company that produces fertilizers.
Forex: Yen Suddenly Not So Tough
Ed Ponsi takes a look at the Yen and finds it to be struggling.
Feature Article: Trading vs Gambling, Part 1
Sam Seiden looks to see if there is any difference between trading and gambling.
Broad Market: Buy and Hope Investing
John Mauldin discusses that Professor Jeremy Siegel had an op-ed piece in last week's Wall Street Journal that contradicts what I said in my article last week - the professor says that stocks are cheap, and I say they are expensive. So which is it? We will dive into this topic this week.
Commodities: What Style of Trader am I?
Don Dawson writes about different trading styles and some of the pros and cons of each.
Options: Back to the Weeklies
Josip Causic shows a real option trade on the weeklies.
Forex: A Ray of Hope for Stocks?
Ed Ponsi looks to see if there is any hope for stocks and currencies.
Feature Article: Q & A With Sam Seiden
Sam Seiden answers reader questions this week.
Broad Market: While Rome Burns
John Mauldin starts a series on money management, portfolio construction, and money managers in this week's article. It will be back to the basics for both new and long-time readers.
E-minis: A Discussion About Exit Strategies
Gabe Velazquez looks at the importance of putting together and executing a proper exit strategy for your trades.
Options: Back to the Basics: Part 3
Josip Causic explores the issue of the risk usually associated with the option market. Specifically, he looks at the different types of option strategies and assigns them different levels of risk.
Forex: Using Inter-Market Analysis to Trade Forex
Most people think that it sounds complicated when Ed Ponsi sometimes use cross-market analysis to find Forex trades. In this week's article, you will see that it's easier than it sounds.
Feature Article: The Cycle of "IT", Part II
Sam Seiden revisits an important topic he originally wrote about in March 2008. He has often wondered and speculated on the difference between those who achieve success and those who fail. For him, the answer lies in the proper definition of success when it comes to trading, or any occupation for that matter.
Commodities: Pivot Point Analysis
Don Dawson talks about creating and using Pivot Points on the charts we use in trading, and discusses the version he finds to be the most helpful. He also shows you some of the other versions in case you are interested in testing them for yourself.
Options: Back to the Basics, Part 2
Josip Causic discusses the levels of approval that are assigned by the brokerage companies.
Forex: Is Forex Trading a Zero-Sum Game?
Ed Ponsi demonstrates how the oft-repeated fallacy that every Forex trade is a zero-sum game is false, and answers a reader question on mini and micro lots in this week's article.
Feature Article: Gaps, Pro versus Novice
Price gaps in markets are events that successful traders understand very well. This is because when you really understand gaps - why they occur, and how to trade them - you realize how powerful and opportunistic these events really are. Sam Seiden shares one set of gaps that you'll want to pay attention to: Professional Gaps versus Novice Gaps.
Broad Market: Thoughts on the Continuing Crisis
John Mauldin gives his thoughts on the continuing crisis we are facing in our nation's economy.
E-minis: Too Much Information Breeds Indecision
Gabe Velazquez discusses how having a trading plan that is too complex could be detrimental to your trading.
Options: Back to the Basics
Josip Causic goes over some of the basics of option trading, such as possible outcomes for our BTO (bought to open) or STO (sell to open) option positions.
Forex: Is the Dollar Doomed?
Ed Ponsi looks at whether or not the USD is doomed like so many other countrys' currencies.
Feature Article: Four Hundred Years and Still Burning
Sam Seiden discusses how important it is to keep your trading simple.
Commodities: Stockpiling the Oil and Selling the Futures
This week I discuss how the Futures markets price in Supply & Demand and help you spot when the next bull move in a Commodity may be getting underway.
Options: Some Kind of Colorful Options
This week I will give an example of placing two different types of bearish strategies with two different expiration months on the same underlying.
Forex: The Fed and the Fib
Although we sometimes emphasize the longer term time horizons when dealing with Fibonacci, it can be used for short term trades – in this case a reaction to a major news event.
Feature Article: Market Timing in the Extended Learning Track (XLT) Course
There is a brand new format in the Extended Learning Track-Momentum Intraday Trading course. In this week's article, I will show how this new format allows us to work together with our students to identify and capture high probability trading opportunities in equities, using some examples from recent classes.
E-minis: One Picture Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
This week, Gabe Velazquez looks at what time frames you should utilize while trading E-Minis. By expanding your time horizons, perhaps your profits will follow suit.
Options: Some Kind of Wonderful (Options)
In this newsletter, Josip Causic gives an example of placing both a bullish and a bearish trade on the same underlying but at different expiry months.
Forex: Beat Down on the Pound
Ed Ponsi takes a look at the beating the Pound is taking this week, along with answering a few reader questions about Forex.
Feature Article: Three Ways To Reduce The Impact Of Emotion When Trading
From birth, we run from things that we are fearful of and gravitate towards things that make us feel good. If you take this natural action in trading, you are in for big trouble. This week, Sam Seiden will show you three ways to help reduce the impact of emotion when you are placing trades.
Broad Market: The Endgame
John Mauldin takes the really long view and ask what the end result or endgame will look like.
Commodities: Spread Trading - Less Risk and Improved Return on Investment
Don Dawson gives an introductory lesson on Spread Trading in Commodities.
Options: Iron Condors Versus Condor Spreads
Josiip Causic focuses on defining the main difference between the I.C. (Iron Condor) and Condor Spreads.
Forex: The Ruble is Rubble
Ed Ponsi discusses the serious trouble the Russian Rubble is in and answers a reader question.
Feature Article: Setting the Trap
Sam Seiden looks at how educated traders can set traps for uneducated traders and be successful in their trading moves.
Broad Market: Forecast 2009: Deflation, Deleveraging, and the Stimulus Effect
John Mauldin will look at 2009 and gives a forecast for the markets.
Commodities: Goal Setting: As Important as Your Trading Plan
Don Dawson discusses setting trading goals for 2009.
Options: I.C. Explained
Josip Causic explains a short (sold) I.C. (Iron Condor) which is one of the strategies that option traders have in a directional market.
Forex: Forex Basics and Beyond
Ed Ponsi answers three reader's questions, all related to Forex issues.
Feature Article: Short-Term Trading Tools
Sam Seiden discusses some short-term trading rules to help traders be successful.
Broad Market: 2008: Annus Horribilis, RIP
John Mauldin puts out a short letter with 3 or 4 points as a preface to his prognostications of next week.
Commodities: Helping to Push You Closer to Your "Edge"
Don Dawson shows that consistency in being a winning trader is due to the trader having his own 'edge' over other traders.
Options: Debit Spreads Versus Credit Spreads
Josip Causic examines a specific case of a debit and a credit spread in order to point out that there is virtually very little difference between the two.
Forex: What I Did on My Winter Vacation
Ed Ponsi goes through a list of four books he read on his winter's vacation and ranks them for readers.
Feature Article: Conventional Portfolio Diversification: Risk Disguised as Opportunity
Sam Seiden discusses a financial issue many people seem to handle incorrectly - diversification.