Strangle Options Strategy » Currency Trading

Trading Education: The Fatal Mistake Traders Make

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:47:19 +0000

Financially Fatal is the best way to describe this particular mistake that 95% of all traders make. It is the primary reason that even though traders are generally smarter than average, the failure rate is incredibly high in trading.
This is the one reason that so many traders fail even though they certainly have the ability and the aptitude to trade successfully. Because of the other factors that come into play, why this happens is very understandable, and it is not very foreseeable on the part of the trader.
Luckily, this situation is one that can be rectified before a person is completely done for in trading. The earlier in a trader’s career one can become aware of the phenomenon, the faster that person will reach a level of proficiency and consistent profitability.
Here is an explanation of what happens and what the individual trader can do to turn the odds in their favor.
The Root of the Problem
Trading is very much like other professions in that there is a considerable body of knowledge involved in the activity. While the core concept of trading is very easily understandable by most, trading as an occupation has a substantial body of knowledge to absorb and certain skills that are required to trade profitably and consistently.
As with most professions, there is a gradient to the body of knowledge in trading. There are many different concepts to be learned which are prerequisite for the full understanding of other more complex or in-depth subjects.
To illustrate the problem, let’s look at a familiar example: mathematics.
Math begins with simple counting and quantifying, then moves into adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Next come algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. These provide the necessary concepts to then move into such higher math as calculus, differential equations, La Place transforms and others.
If a person were to try to go directly to algebra without a full grasp of basic math, they would be lost. If one enters calculus without a reasonably strong base in algebra, working the problems is difficult at best, and often impossible.
The Fatal Mistake Traders Make
What many traders do is go straight to intermediate level trading without the foundational concepts well developed. They jump way ahead on the gradient.
Now the problem is that when this situation occurs, it affects more than just the ability to assimilate new information. It also creates a physiological effect that interferes with already developed functions because of what is going on in the brain. Effectively it is almost like short-circuiting your brain when trying to operate under these conditions.
This is one explanation why very successful business people will often make decisions in their trading that they wouldn’t make anywhere else in their business life. Outside of trading they are brilliant, and are very wise in the ways of money management. In trading they will cause their own losses of thousands or even millions of dollars.
So why does this happen, and why is it so common? In the book, “The Subtle Trap of Trading,” the author explains in detail the five factors that come into play that set so many intelligent people on the road to ruin in the world of trading.
There are documented studies on the obstacles to learning that have found that there are specific physiological reactions when a person encounters this particular situation, that of starting too high up in a learning gradient or missing foundational knowledge while trying to grasp concepts at a given level.
This is the fundamental mistake that many traders make, and they are generally consciously unaware of this particular situation and its ramifications. Many people begin active trading without the foundational knowledge to trade at the level where they become active. When this happens, this creates a considerable obstacle to adequate learning within an efficient time frame. Subsequently, the trader often winds up taking a severe financial beating, often depleting their entire account before they have established a sufficient knowledge and skill base to trade proficiently.
Understand, the individual traders are not to blame. This is a problem of the system that unfortunately most have to go through. There is no certification or training required before a person is allowed to put themselves and their money at real risk, so the high failure rate in trading is primarily the result of inadequate warning and preparation for what trading entails.
Avoiding the Mistake (and What to do if you’ve made it)
Those that are fortunate a enough to pursue the proper guidance and help are the ones that can minimize the effects of this phenomenon which is so prevalent in the trading world. If one can find a mentor that recognizes this particular obstacle and the others that are present in the development of a trader, then chances are likely for a good trading experience. Most however choose to do it themselves or simply make it on sheer persistence alone, while learning the lessons of trading the hard way, through personal experience and substantial losses.
Rather than fall prey to this mistake, as many do, you have the option to save yourself considerable time, losses and personal anguish. This begins with backing up so to speak and making sure that you’ve got the basics fully covered, and then proceeding forward with a focus on mastery and development.

How to Find a Broker for the FOREX Trading Market

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:05:33 +0000

It’s not always easy to know what to look for in a broker in any market, much less a market as complex as the FOREX. But, if you want to trade in FOREX you need a broker. While it might be tempting to simply ask the brokers what they can do for you, you can’t always depend on them to give you a straight answer. Here are a few things to consider when choosing your broker.
You will want a broker that has low spreads. Since FOREX brokers don’t charge a commission, this difference is how they make money. Low spreads will save you money.
Along with this, you should be looking for a broker attached to a reputable institution.
Unlike equity brokers, FOREX brokers are usually attached to large banks or lending institutions. The broker should also be registered with the Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) as well as regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Once you’ve narrowed your choices down to brokers that won’t cost you too much, and that are reputable, consider the trading tools that they are offering you. FOREX brokers have many different trading platforms for their clients, just like brokers in other markets. These often show real-time charts, technical analysis tools, real-time news and data, and may even offer support for the various trading systems.
Before you commit to any one broker, request free trials of their tools. Brokers generally provide technical as well as fundamental commentaries, economic calendars, and other research to help you make good trades. Shop around until you find a broker who will give you what you need to succeed.
The next item that you will need to evaluate carefully is the number of leverage options your potential broker has. Leverage is a necessity in FOREX trading because the price deviations in the currencies are set at fractions of a cent. Leverage is expressed as a ratio between the total capital that is available to be traded and your actual capital. For example, when you have a ratio of 100:1, your broker will lend you $100 for every $1 of actual capital you have. Many brokerage firms will offer you as much as 250:1. If you have low levels of capital you will need a brokerage with high levels of leverage to make reasonable profits.
If capital is not a problem, any broker that has a wide variety of leverage options would be a good choice for you. A variety of options will let you vary the amount of risk you choose to take. For example, less leverage (and therefore less risk) may be preferable if you are dealing with highly volatile (exotic) currency pairs.
Along with different levels of leverage, look for brokers that offer different types of accounts. Many brokers will offer you two or more types. The smallest account is known as a mini account and it requires you to trade with a minimum of around $300. The mini account also generally offers a high amount of leverage.
The standard account allows you to trade at a variety of different leverages, but it requires minimum initial capital of $2,000. And finally, there are premium accounts, which often require significant amounts of capital. They also generally have different levels of leverage available to the traders who use them, and often offer additional tools and services. You will need to make sure that the broker you choose has the right leverage, tools, and services for the amount of capital that you are able to work with.

Swing Trading…Less Pressure Than a Day But Big Rewards

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:58:50 +0000

Between Day Trade and TrendsIf you are not a day trader or long term investor, you are a swing trader. It usually means you are holding on to a stock for at least a few days, but not more than a few weeks. Swing trading is traditionally considered a low risk venture, especially for thosewho trade the large cap stocks. But is there really such things as low risk in these volatile times? Of course you can always just keep shorting the market. I think that can be the most risky in our current atmosphere. Some experts will tell you that swingtrading only works in a stable market, where the prices don’t fluctuate. I think most regular folk always saw the market as a playground for the big cats. That was until the influx of trading companies to the internet. So how much investment capital should you have? To quote the investment companies disclosure, and I’m paraphrasing; “never invest more than you have to lose.” It is like gambling, make no mistake about it. However instead of just rolling the dice, putting your chips all on lucky #7, or hopelessly watching the little pea spin around, you can learn what is the equivalent of counting cards. Before we go any further, I would first like to determine that you are indeed researching swing, and not day trading. All part time traders are swing traders, because you simply can’t monitor an asset that you might want to transact at any second, on a part time basis. These rebels of tradition are literally traders, rather than investors, but can reap huge rewards in a relatively short period of time. This is the itinerary of a day trader. If you can’t commit or don’t have the time to pursue this strategy properly, I suggest you do indeed look into swing trading. Please don’t misunderstand me, swing trading can be a full time job as well, and for thousands it is. You just can’t do day trading part time.

Make no mistake however, in both strategies as with anything connected with investments, you had better be knowledgeable. Always have an exit plan or stop loss in place and it is essential that you have an excellent technical charting platform. Knowledge and Training Lead to ConfidenceConfidence Leads to ProfitLet us assume that you have some knowledge or you wouldn’t be researching the market. Any training you receive should be for technical analysis, or you are just wasting time and money. As far as software platforms, the following suggestions I strongly feel are necessary for any software to be useful.1. It must be able to offer live streaming technical data. (Otherwise the program is merely educational) 2. The platform should defiantly include candlestick charting.3. Visually it has to be large enough for all the data to be seen easily. (Many of the online brokerage’s technical data are too small to be useful) 4. It must be cost effective. (Most good systems can be purchased for between one and two hundred dollars)Let the Candles Light Your WayInclude Candlestick Charting for Even Greater ProfitsFor those of you not yet familiar with candlestick charting, I will try to give a brief but accurate explanation. The Chinese invented the market concept, and the Japanese perfected charting techniques with the use of the candlesticks. It is easy to understand this complex system, if we simply break it down to the ticks on the chart you follow every day. We know that the lower tick is where the stock opened and the higher is where it closed. Now if we made the two lines parallel and connected them, what would we have? A candle. However, during that movement, the stock might have gone lower or higher then where it opened or closed, So our candle has formed a tail and a wick. Is it starting to make a little sense to you? Can you see the advantage of knowing this information, for getting in and out, and setting a stop loss?I don’t profess to being an expert, but I do know of some. I obviously don’t have the time to go into all the details now, but at my site Market Mentalist you will find all you need to know about investing online. There is access to some of the top trading systems available including software, books, newsletters, and Forums. Whether you are an inquisitive novice or a seasoned pro Market Mentalist offers the online investment resource you just might be seeking.

Stock Trading Tips…Power Moves For The Day Trader

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:59:15 +0000

Day Trading Power and Understanding All of the Rules To understand the concept of day trading power, you must know a few other key facts first. Most people who trade online have some kind of understanding about the differences between the styles of trading. First of all, if you are buying and selling any asset in a short term manner, you are a trader, not an investor. Many traders are also investors. There are basically two kinds of traders, although that is sometimes up for debate, day traders and swing traders. Many so-called experts lump all online traders into the bag of day trading. For the sophisticated observer it is plain to see the obvious differences. A day trader rides the rush of the asset, while a swing trader diagnosis the trends and holds onto it as long as the momentum last.Day trading power is the limit of the amount of these trades that can be done by an individual trader, which also includes a minimum amount of trades that can be transacted per day. You must also be aware of The Securities Exchange Commission, and all rules concerning day trading. A day trader must function under certain regulations which include minimum equity requirements for a day trader account, as the day trade buying power of that account and what defines a trader as a day trader.

Once a trading account has been designated as a day trader account, you must calculate the day trading power of that account. That formula is fairly complex, and I highly recommend that, as with all online investing, you seek professional guidance. There are many ways to get help with this information, with a minimal cash outlay.For those of you math wizards that love formulas, here it is.4X Maintenance Excess = DTBP. For those of you currently scratching your head, you must also figure what maintenance excess as well. That calculation is: Total Positions + Total Cash = Total EquityTotal Equity-Non-Margin Positions= Margin EquityMargin Equity-Maintenance Requirement= Maintenance ExcessThese figures are based on the previous day’s closing prices. Along with figuring DTBP and knowing what makes a trade account a day trader account, you must understand the minimum equity requirements for such an account. Most brokerages require a fairly substantial amount of twenty to thirty thousand to set up your account. If your day trading account goes below that minimum equity requirement, you will be issued a “call” to bring it up too minimum, if not, your trades left in the account can be liquidated. Your day trading power can only remain operational if you maintain your minimum equity requirement and your trading activity remains within the set limits. I don’t profess to being an expert, but I do know of some. I obviously don’t have the time to go into all the details now, but at my site Market Mentalist you will find all you need to know about investing online. There is access to some of the top trading systems available including software, books, newsletters, and Forums. Whether you are an inquisitive novice or a seasoned pro Market Mentalist offers the online investment resource you just might be seeking.

Trading Stocks…Online Way to Make Your Day

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:21:28 +0000

Knowledge and Training Lead to ConfidenceHaving an online broker account can afford you a total sense of power. All of them offer the traditional personal help for a price. Some online brokerages will give out free advice, however, as always, the decision whether or not to trade is left totally at your discretion. For the novice, the easiest ways to get involved with on line trading is with stocks. As a beginner you must be made aware of the stock market vernacular. Day trading is trading that from the moment you take a position to the second the transaction is complete, only one trading day has elapsed. This may seem very obvious to most of us, however, there are so-called experts who lump all online traders into the bag of day trading. For the sophisticated observer it is plain to see the obvious differences. A day trader rides the rush of the asset, while a swing trader diagnosis the trends and holds onto it as long as the momentum last. Anyone who is just getting their feet wet with online trading should begin as a swing trader. With the proper software you can swing trade while keeping your job or enjoying your retirement. Swing trading is traditionally considered a low risk venture, especially for those who trade the large cap stocks. But is there really such a thing as low risk in these volatile times? Some experts will tell you that swing trading only works in a stable market, where the prices don’t fluctuate, but I feel that if you are properly trained you can make money no matter what the market is doing. So how much investment capital should you have? To quote the investment companies disclosure, and I’m paraphrasing; “never invest more than you have to lose.” It is important to set a limit on how much you plan on trading with, and the amount you are comfortable with losing. It is like gambling, make no mistake about it. However instead of just rolling the dice, putting your chips all on lucky 7, or hopelessly watching the little pea spin around, you can learn what is the equivalent of counting cards. For example, the term stop loss is one that you should know and understand its meaning before placing any position. It is the amount of money you are willing to bet that you are right about your decision to get in when you did. If you are long, than the stop loss is placed just under lows it has already reached. That way if the stock goes south your losses are kept at a minimum. There are three basis fundamentals, I believe that every foundation for sound trading should be built upon. Knowledge Training SoftwareKnowledge is Gained by ExperienceProper Training Will Lead to a Successful ExperienceThe only thing that separates an intelligent person from an expert is knowledge. Let us assume that you have some knowledge or you wouldn’t be researching the market. Any training you receive should be for technical analysis, or you are just wasting time and money. They are many facets to technical analysis, but the one I’d like to touch on briefly is candlestick charting. When I first started trading, it was the one part of training that is the easiest to comprehend. Don’t get me wrong. It takes a keen eye and patience to master it. For those of you not yet familiar with candlestick charting, I will try to give a brief but accurate explanation. The Chinese invented the market concept, and the Japanese perfected charting techniques with the use of the candlesticks. It is easy to understand this complex system, if we simply break it down to the ticks on the chart you follow every day. We know that the lower tick is where the stock opened and the higher is where it closed. Now if we made the two lines parallel and connected them, what would we have? A candle. However, during that movement, the stock might have gone lower or higher then where it opened or closed, so our candle has formed a tail and a wick. Is it starting to make a little sense to you? Can you see the advantage of knowing this information, for getting in and out, and setting a stop loss?Your Software Platform Should Be Technically SoundFour Ways to Ensure ProfitsAs far as software platforms, the following suggestions I strongly feel are necessary for any software to be useful.1. It must be able to offer live streaming technical data. (Otherwise the program is merely educational) 2. The platform should defiantly include candlestick charting.3. Visually it has to be large enough for all the data to be seen easily. (Many of the online brokerage’s technical data are too small to be useful) 4. It must be cost effective. (Most good systems can be purchased for between one and two hundred dollars)I don’t profess to being an expert, but I do know of some. I obviously don’t have the time to go into all the details now, but at my site Market Mentalist you will find all you need to know about investing online. There is access to some of the top trading systems available including software, books, newsletters, and Forums. Whether you are an inquisitive novice or a seasoned pro Market Mentalist offers the online investment resource you just might be seeking.

Hesitating Before a Trade

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:23:20 +0000

Hey Joe! No matter how hard I try, I still find myself hesitating before a trade. Any comments about that?

There are any number of reasons why a trader hesitates before a trade. The main one is lack of planning. Without a plan, there is no degree of confidence a trade will be successful, it’s all wishful thinking. Unless they are outright gamblers, traders usually have a strong need to protect their assets and avoid risk. This is especially true for beginning traders. It can take a long time to build up sufficient capital for serious trading. By that I mean sufficient capital to be able to trade for a living. It is quite understandable to fear losing all or part of your initial capital. Beginners tend to seek absolute certainty before taking a risk, and gaining true confidence in you ability to trade successfully can take time. Unscrupulous marketers of mechanical trading systems and methods take advantage of the beginners fears and lack of confidence by advertising “sure-fire” “magic” ways to trade, instead of revealing the truth about the difficulties in becoming a consistently successful trader.

When it comes to short term trading, there isn’t very much time for long deliberations. Market conditions are in continuous flux. Decisions need to be made relatively quickly, and if one waits too long to execute a trade, he or she may miss a significant opportunity. The reasons for hesitation are everywhere, and traders must be aware of them, and create a plan to prevent them. Let’s look at a few of the things that cause traders to hesitate:

The complex charting software available these days tends to increase hesitation. Traders think that the more confirmation they can get from indicators, the more certain they can be that a trade will be successful. However, all indicators lag the market. The notion that an indicator can somehow predict what will happen once a trade is entered is nothing more than wishful thinking. An indicator may give some degree of confidence about entering a trade, but the indicator cannot trade the trade, only the trader can do that. Once a trade is entered, it becomes entirely a process of management. It’s tempting to look at as many indicators and signals as possible. Doing so, however, can be very time consuming. That’s why seasoned traders advise looking at only a few if any key indicators.

Hesitation is often related to a lack of confidence in the trader’s trading strategy or trading ability. There are numerous reasons for such lack of confidence. Some of the reasons are shallow and mostly on the surface, like being distracted by watching financial TV while trading. Other reasons are more deep-seated, and actually reflect psychological problems dating all the way back to early childhood. A trader may not believe that his or her trading plan is adequately developed. Nevertheless, they are determined to trade, so they muster up their courage and finally jump into a trade almost guaranteeing that the outcome will be a matter of pure chance. Some traders may question their trading plan because they know that they did not spend enough time preparing it. Sometimes hesitation is intuitive, warning the trader to avoid the trade. All too often, traders are not tuned into their own intuitive feelings. In the case of intuition, hesitation can act as a motivator. If the trader feels the hesitation is because of lack of adequate preparation, then that trader must learn to spend more time preparing for trades. By studying the markets a trader can come to see new higher probability setups, thereby reducing doubt and indecision, and in turn stop the hesitation because of more adequate preparation.

Hesitation sometimes reflects a deep desire to be right and a fear of being wrong. It has been our experience that many of the people who are attracted to trading fit into this category. Great care must be taken by physicians, engineers, scientific types, and mathematicians, who seem to be the most prone to this type of hesitation. They are often perfectionists afraid to face their inadequacies. By putting off a decision, they don’t have to face their limitations, and can pretend they are better traders than they really are. If I had the time and space, I could give you dozens of examples of this kind of hesitation. The perfectionist’s reality states that everything must be in order and follow rules. They think strictly inside the box. They want everything to be perfect, so they continually second guess and doubt themselves and what they are doing. They believe that they cannot cope with being wrong. This occurs in trading decisions as well as other life decisions. Extreme perfectionists often think that once they make a bad trade, it will be the start of a downward spiral and a complete blowout of their trading account.

Hesitation very often relates to low self-esteem or other deep-rooted psychological issues. We see these more times than we would like to. Traders with low self-esteem usually lack confidence, not only in trading, but other areas of life. Beneath it all, they doubt their ability to trade, and hesitate making a trade until they the guilt of not doing so overcomes their fear. At that point in time, they enter a trade out of pure compulsion driven by guilt. This exposes them to a trade with no real plan to support it. They become victims of pure chance. We also find that traders who hesitate may have a conflict regarding their success. They can actually fear success. They have been told by parents or others that they were no good, that they would never amount to anything, that they were “bad.” These people strive for success at one level of their consciousness, but at a deeper level, they secretly believe they cannot attain it, or do not deserve it.

Identifying, directly facing, and eventually eliminating a problem of hesitation is the only way to truly deal with it. Chronic hesitation will eventually destroy the confidence a trader needs for success. If the problem is not dealt with and the traders continues to hesitate, miss important market moves, and see his or her equity begin to dwindle, that trader runs the risk of becoming a phantom trader, a pretender, becoming convinced that the imaginary trades being made are real. If you are prone to hesitation, it’s vital that you deal with this problem early in your trading endeavors. Identify the reasons for it, confront the problem, and make changes as soon as possible. These are changes you have to make within yourself. If you will truly engage in self-examination with the object of eliminating hesitation, you can trade become consistent and successful in trading profitably.

Currency Options give you Unlimited Profit Potential with Limited Risk

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:42:54 +0000

Options give you unlimited profit potential and limited risk. If used correctly currency options will give you staying power and huge leverage, but most traders don’t know how to use them correctly.

What you need to do is know how to use currency options correctly which the bulk of traders fail to appreciate.

Getting the Odds on Your Side

We are not going to go into details about how currency options work, there’s plenty of free information on the Internet – here we’re going to look at strategies to increase your odds of success.

Potential Rewards are not what they Seem

The first thing a trader needs to consider when buying an option is how much time is needed, and what strike price is a good target.

Many inexperienced currency options buyers look at the profit potential, and don’t consider the potential losses.

They buy strike prices too far out of the money, and options that are to close to expiry.

Just like the mug gambler who always backs the outsider, they lose their bet.

So, How Can You Increase the Odds of Success?

There are two points to keep in mind:

1. Time to expiry of the option

2. The strike price targeted

Firstly, you need to keep time on your side, and buy strike prices that are not to far out of the money – buy “in the money”, or “at the money” options.

Your profit potential may not be as great, but your risk will be reduced – and your chances of Success far greater.

Keep in mind your option does not just need to go your way from when you bought it – it needs to trade in the money by expiry.

For example, a trader sees the pound trading at 1.70 and buys a 1.90 call. The price goes the way they thought and reaches 1.87 – they then run out of time and the option expires worthless. This happens all the time – prices move in the right direction, but the trader makes no money.

The trader feels they were unlucky – and tries the same again.

However, keep in mind “being close” does not make you money in options trading!

To make money in options you need to buy in the money options, with plenty of time value – this will increase your odds of success dramatically.

How to Buy Currency Options in Longer Term Trends

When trading the longer-term trend, position yourself into the trend in the following way.

. Identify the long-term trend via technical analysis

. Wait for a dip in the currency to position yourself in the trend.

. Watch for dips to support – and then look for confirmation with stochastic crossovers, or other momentum tools to initiate the trade.

. A great way of buying options in the long-term trend is to look for dips to the middle of a Bollinger band to time entry. This is a good timing tool in strongly trending markets.

The above is a simple strategy, and one that can help you make big profits from currency trend following. Use options correctly, and you will have limited risk, unlimited profit potential and great odds of success.

Don’t make the mistake that most novice traders do – make sure you use time to your advantage – and keep those strikes in, or near the money, and you will create big capital gains longer term.

Currency Options give you Unlimited Profit Potential with Limited Risk

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:42:54 +0000

What you need to do is know how to use currency options correctly which the bulk of traders fail to appreciate.

Getting the Odds on Your Side

Potential Rewards are not what they Seem

The first thing a trader needs to consider when buying an option is how much time is needed, and what strike price is a good target.

Many inexperienced currency options buyers look at the profit potential, and don’t consider the potential losses.

They buy strike prices too far out of the money, and options that are to close to expiry.

Just like the mug gambler who always backs the outsider, they lose their bet.

So, How Can You Increase the Odds of Success?

There are two points to keep in mind:

1. Time to expiry of the option

2. The strike price targeted

Firstly, you need to keep time on your side, and buy strike prices that are not to far out of the money – buy “in the money”, or “at the money” options.

Your profit potential may not be as great, but your risk will be reduced – and your chances of Success far greater.

Keep in mind your option does not just need to go your way from when you bought it – it needs to trade in the money by expiry.

The trader feels they were unlucky – and tries the same again.

However, keep in mind “being close” does not make you money in options trading!

To make money in options you need to buy in the money options, with plenty of time value – this will increase your odds of success dramatically.

How to Buy Currency Options in Longer Term Trends

When trading the longer-term trend, position yourself into the trend in the following way.

. Identify the long-term trend via technical analysis

. Wait for a dip in the currency to position yourself in the trend.

. Watch for dips to support – and then look for confirmation with stochastic crossovers, or other momentum tools to initiate the trade.

. A great way of buying options in the long-term trend is to look for dips to the middle of a Bollinger band to time entry. This is a good timing tool in strongly trending markets.

Don’t make the mistake that most novice traders do – make sure you use time to your advantage – and keep those strikes in, or near the money, and you will create big capital gains longer term.

Currency Options give you Unlimited Profit Potential with Limited Risk

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:42:54 +0000

What you need to do is know how to use currency options correctly which the bulk of traders fail to appreciate.

Getting the Odds on Your Side

Potential Rewards are not what they Seem

The first thing a trader needs to consider when buying an option is how much time is needed, and what strike price is a good target.

Many inexperienced currency options buyers look at the profit potential, and don’t consider the potential losses.

They buy strike prices too far out of the money, and options that are to close to expiry.

Just like the mug gambler who always backs the outsider, they lose their bet.

So, How Can You Increase the Odds of Success?

There are two points to keep in mind:

1. Time to expiry of the option

2. The strike price targeted

Firstly, you need to keep time on your side, and buy strike prices that are not to far out of the money – buy “in the money”, or “at the money” options.

Your profit potential may not be as great, but your risk will be reduced – and your chances of Success far greater.

Keep in mind your option does not just need to go your way from when you bought it – it needs to trade in the money by expiry.

The trader feels they were unlucky – and tries the same again.

However, keep in mind “being close” does not make you money in options trading!

To make money in options you need to buy in the money options, with plenty of time value – this will increase your odds of success dramatically.

How to Buy Currency Options in Longer Term Trends

When trading the longer-term trend, position yourself into the trend in the following way.

. Identify the long-term trend via technical analysis

. Wait for a dip in the currency to position yourself in the trend.

. Watch for dips to support – and then look for confirmation with stochastic crossovers, or other momentum tools to initiate the trade.

. A great way of buying options in the long-term trend is to look for dips to the middle of a Bollinger band to time entry. This is a good timing tool in strongly trending markets.

Don’t make the mistake that most novice traders do – make sure you use time to your advantage – and keep those strikes in, or near the money, and you will create big capital gains longer term.

Online Trading Temptations…Too Much Power At Your Fingertips

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:50:33 +0000

Your Computer Is Not a One Arm Bandit Where would we be without computers, and the technological advancements the internet offers us? Just as there is a generation getting addicted to video games, there are an alarming percentage of internet junkies. Keep in mind that online trading is becoming more and more popular too. With anything that is extremely popular comes extremist. Whatever style or strategy you engage in, remember that you are gambling with real money. You can’t continually treat your computer like a slot machine, and expect to always hit the jackpot. Without a solid and proven plan, things like going by instincts or by the seat of your pants, you will eventually fail in major way. You can however, take some of the more frightening aspects of gambling out of the equation. Instead of just rolling the dice, putting your chips all on lucky 7, or hopelessly watching the little pea spin around, you can learn what is the equivalent of counting cards. Let’s turn a tempting passion into a money making habit.I know that addiction for online trading can completely envelop a person 24 hours a day, if they allow it to. Any online trading system or plan, should have three very important elements of success. Knowledge…Training…Software… Without any one of these three basics, as tempting as it might be to trade online, you will ultimately lose your entire investment capital. Let us assume that you have some knowledge or you wouldn’t be researching the market. Any training you receive should be for technical analysis, or you are just wasting time and money. Technical analysis training must be centered around candlestick charting, which will become your equivalent of counting cards, which I just referenced. It matters not what market you trade in, stocks or options, currency, commodities and futures, the following advice will help you. For those of you not yet familiar with candlestick charting, I will try to give a brief but accurate explanation. The Chinese invented the market concept, and the Japanese perfected charting techniques with the use of the candlesticks. It is easy to understand this complex system, if we simply break it down to the ticks on the chart you follow every day. We know that the lower tick is where the stock opened and the higher is where it closed. Now if we made the two lines parallel and connected them, what would we have? A candle. However, during that movement, the stock might have gone lower or higher then where it opened or closed, so our candle has formed a tail and a wick. Is it starting to make a little sense to you? Can you see the advantage of knowing this information, for getting in and out, and setting a stop loss?Knowing Candlesticks Will Ensure Your Online ProfitsTake these examples: 1. Let’s assume a stock opens twenty cents higher than it closed yesterday. It later closes ten cents higher than that. Should we get in? Not necessarily. Because as the candlestick showed us, even though it had a thirty-cent swing from the day before, a long wick was created. This meant that it went even higher then it eventually settled on. That tells us that the pressure to go higher wasn’t strong enough. We will put it on our watch list, and keep a keen eye on it.2.A few days passes with similar results. Suddenly there is a break in the resistance. The stock has formed a candlestick with a long tail. What does this convey? We might put a buy signal for a couple of cents higher than it has previously gone, because the long tail tells us that the bulls are ready to take over.3. Ideally you want to wait for clusters to form. Of course the greatest indicator is a long candle. One that opens and closes with hardly any wick or tail.This synopsis could have very easily taken place over a few hours rather than days, if you were day trading, for example. There are many “characters” in candlestick charting, and those who master reading them become successful.

Software That delivers Gives You a Successful PlatformChoosing the Right Program Is like Hitting the Jackpot. As far as software platforms, the following suggestions I strongly feel are necessary for any software to be useful.1. It must be able to offer live streaming technical data. (Otherwise the program is merely educational) 2. The platform should defiantly include candlestick charting.3. Visually it has to be large enough for all the data to be seen easily. (Many of the online brokerage’s technical data is too small to be useful) 4. It must be cost effective. (Most good systems can be purchased for between one and two hundred dollars)If you can acquire software that gives you even the slightest edge in your favor, it is well worth the Investment. I don’t profess to being an expert, but I do know of some. I obviously don’t have the time to go into all the details now, but at my site Market Mentalist you will find all you need to know about investing online. There is access to some of the top trading systems available including software, books, newsletters, and Forums. Whether you are an inquisitive novice or a seasoned pro,Market Mentalist offers the online investment resource, you just might be seeking.