To become a successful trader you must have some kind of method or system to follow that will keep you on track. You may be buying and selling on tips, the weather or phases of the moon (there is a system like that).
The two basic methods are based either on fundamental or technicals. In stock the fundamentals take into account sales, gross profit margins, net profit margins, industry growth, management capabilities, price/earning ratios, etc. In technical analysis you would be computing various moving averages (such as 200-day, 50-day 10-day) of the stock price, trend lines, Fibonacci retracement, support and resistance levels, Elliott Waves, stochastics and many others.
There are scores of systems for sale and you can pick and choose among them to see which one suits your bank account and personality. Your choices will range from long-term to day trading. One thing for sure ? don't buy any system that does not have a good exit strategy. Understand that many systems will trade frequently with small losses, but any method must have a won/lost ratio of 3 to 1 to be profitable. That means over the period of one year you must win $3 for every $1 trading loss. You will learn early in the game to love small losses. Never buy any system that allows big losses.
There is a magazine published every other month called Futures Truth that prints the trading record for about 200 commodity systems. A great way to find the best systems without losing your money.
Most of the systems you find will be based upon some kind of strict mechanical entry and exit computation and will need computer software that you will receive when you purchase it. The software vendor may even provide you with a broker who specializes in trading their method.
The reason many of these mechanical systems do not have a better ROI (return on investment) better called ROS (return on speculation) is computer systems adhere to a strict formula for their BUY/SELL signals. They cannot give you a "maybe" because computers don't understand maybe. There is no subjective influence at all. The latter will have both positive and negative results on your returns. Most people don't want any subjectivity and prefer to follow what the computer spits out whether right or wrong; it relieves the trader of the responsibility of the decisions.
There are many professional traders I knew when I was an exchange member who traded strictly on "feel" and I know many who made six figure incomes doing it.
Many people start with a professional system and will tweak it to better fit their personality. This is very common, but requires personal discipline to remain with those alterations. You can't be changing all the time.
Whether for stocks, funds, commodities or whatever you invest you must have an organized trading system that has a good exit strategy. Whatever you buy it is the exit method that will help you keep the profits you make. To be a successful investor you must have a system.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
Copyright 2005
high-end home cleaning Morton Grove ...After finding the price of a particular stock, usually the... Read More
The Dow Theorycharles h. dowcharles h.... Read More
A recent cartoon in my daily newspaper showed two guys... Read More
So you're started trading, you bought some positions with your... Read More
Did you know you can make money (and a lot... Read More
For some "long term" would mean holding a stock position... Read More
Everyone who follows the financial news has heard of mutual... Read More
The basis of diminishing return discussions surround such simple notions;... Read More
It has often been said that there is only two... Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about what the Securities and... Read More
In today's volatile and confusing stock markets everyone is searching... Read More
We all know that emotions control every decision that an... Read More
Now where have I heard that before? I know. It... Read More
Do you have a financial planner? Does one of your... Read More
What is the Series 7 Exam? If you... Read More
When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try... Read More
One of the basic laws of physics states that a... Read More
One of the basic laws of physics is that a... Read More
Has your broker been calling you recently with the "great... Read More
I know there are a lot of you out there... Read More
This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More
When it comes to mutual funds, there is a lot... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
There are major differences between trading stocks and trading futures.... Read More
Success in small cap & micro cap stock trading like... Read More
green cleaning service Northbrook ...As I have said many times before in this column... Read More
"Buy and hold" is one of the most heralded investment... Read More
Since I can remember, and that's a long time ago,... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
There is no question that the stock market is being... Read More
The stock market has been in an up trend for... Read More
How many times has this happened to you? You're at... Read More
With over 6,000 mutual funds available, it may be tempting... Read More
When it comes to stock market trading it PAYS to... Read More
It's about time someone spoke the truth concerning outsourcing. The... Read More
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are growing. Investors are choosing low... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action!" Johann... Read More
Every Wall Street analyst, financial planner and broker will tell... Read More
Did you run out to buy that duct tape yet?... Read More
The Dow Theorycharles h. dowcharles h.... Read More
Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors... Read More
I use the P/E ratio as a secondary indicator for... Read More
Maximizing a stock market investmentThere are several factors an investor... Read More
The ABC's of Stock Trading SuccessStock trading success...why is it... Read More
If you don't know what a Roth IRA is then... Read More
Starbucks earnings are up again and so is their stock... Read More
Many people would like to diversify their portfolios to expand... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
You have a lock on your house. You have a... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |