Tuesday, February 14, 2012

What Are Some of the Secrets of the Best Day Traders?

Day Trading Training - What Makes The Pros So Good?
Day trading can be an amazing way to make good money, or an amazingly stressful occupation.  No matter what some may say, it's not an easy ride.  You have to put some serious work into it.
Day trading in commodities or stocks is, at base, a job.  While it can be a highly lucrative job, it's also one that means you need some basic traits to succeed.  You also need some specific habits, and they have to be so ingrained they're automatic.
Habit number one is having a good sense of time.  Anyone who can't get out of bed first thing in the morning or has trouble thinking before that cup of coffee is someone who will only be made miserable by day trading.  The best time to assess the way you should play the market today is right before the opening bell.  That's at nine in the morning in New York Cit, or six am in California and five am in Alaska and Hawaii.  You can't just be an early riser.  You also have to have a great internal clock and a good scheduling system.
Habit number two is maintaining a good set of quantitative thinking skills.  You can make or lose money if you're just running off your basic hunches, but to really do well, you have to make informed choices.  That means reading, understanding, and dealing with numbers without thinking about them consciously.  You'll need to be numerate and be able to manipulate numbers in your head with enough skill to tell if you're looking at a blip or a trend, then act accordingly.
You should know that this doesn't require you to be a mathematician.  Numbers you'll need to know can be learned, even if you always hated math.  There are a few numerical skills you can learn to the point of them being ingrained, once you get going in the game.
Habit number three is maintaining good observational skills, being incredibly patient, and learning to forget.  This can be pretty hard, since you have to keep yourself from feeling let down when you don't catch a stock at its top, or when you lose money on a short sale that never turns up.  Don't get caught up in either your wins or your losses, or you'll lose focus and money.
Dedicated research is habit number four.  You won't have to consume accounting statements the way someone in long term conventional investing does, but you have to constantly be getting new data and analysis.  You also have to be proactive about your buying and selling, and make fast, accurate judgments, then act on them just as quickly.  The only way to make the correct decision is to have the right research.  Just don't let it paralyze you.
Remember that you don't actually have to analyze most of this data or do most of this research.  That's because the best traders have access to plenty of tools, including a number of different data services and research tools.
If you're interested in starting in day trading as a career, you'll have to get the right support, too.  You need a good broker, and some other investors who are willing to help you use leverage on the market.  Remember that what you're doing is work, and that you need to have focus and a strong will, as well as being smart, to make it work.
If you've got all these skills and can develop these habits, day trading could be a great way to make a fantastic income.  This is a job you can call fun honestly, and it can be pretty enriching, too.
Try to learn day trading in small pieces - there's a lot of information out there and it's important not to get overwhelmed!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1869201

What is Fixed Odds Trading and How Does it Differ From Spread Betting?

Fixed Odds trading is essentially speculation on the outcome of an assets future price movement. You don't actually own the physical asset but you place a trade to take advantage of its predicted price movement.
If for example you think that the FTSE Index of leading shares will fall over the next two weeks, you could place a trade to profit from this move. Or you might think that Sterling (vs the US Dollar) will not touch1.70 over the next 15 days, again you could place a trade on this outcome.
First, you check the odds (percentage return) that the broker is offering for your desired (price) level, bet type and selected time frame. Then if you are happy with the return being offered you place the trade. If your prediction proves to be right at the end of your selected time frame you receive your profits. Maybe you traded to make a 25% return from this movement, maybe 40%, 100%, 300% or even more!
On expiry, profits are instantly credited to your account and can be withdrawn or used for your next trading opportunity.
The configurable time frame for your trade means you can simply 'dip' into the markets as and when an opportunity arises. This allows you to profit from short term movements without being committed to holding an asset even if the market turns against you.
This differs from traditional forms of trading such as Spread betting and makes it better suited to most traders, especially in volatile markets.
With Spread betting, money is bet per point (per pip for currencies). The level of stake for each point of movement is set by the trader subject to the minimum limits of the broker. These limits will vary but are often 1 - 50  dollars per point depending on the market traded. For a buy trade, a profit is made for every point the market moves above the placing price and a loss is incurred for every point the market moves below the trading price. A sell trade simply operates in reverse. When the trade is closed the total number of points moved is multiplied by the stake placed. This determines the profit or loss from the trade.
For example an 80 pip movement in your favour on the GBP/USD exchange rate at 5 dollars per pip, would net a return of:
80 (number of pips moved in favour of trade) X 5 (stake per point) =+400
So if you had called the direction of the market correctly then this would be your profit.
However if you hadn't and the market moved 80 pips in the opposite direction to your trade, then this would be your liability or loss.
80 (number of pips moved against trade) X 5 (stake per point) = -400
In fact you are liable for all losses incurred until the trade is closed! In a fast moving (or even gapping) market this can be a very dangerous strategy, even with a Stop loss in place! So while Spread betting offers the potential to make high profits, the flip side is that you could also be liable for unlimited losses!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3115044

How Financial Fixed Odds Are the Market Fix More Traders Need

Are you a newcomer to the world of market trading who is over-whelmed by the sheer scale of choice of trading strategies? Are you somewhat disturbed by the number of potential factors which could determine your ability to succeed or lose all of your hard-earned money?
If so, then read on, we have some interesting news for you about some recent changes in the way savvy market traders are investing their money and achieving consistent and a highly profitable return on investment.
A growing market is 'binary trading' which is offering the much needed and increasingly sought after port in the global economic storm. More traders are becoming attracted to this lesser known trading strategy for two reasons: predictability of outcomes and simplicity of method.
There are no stop loss calculations or fundamental market analysis required here, although obviously, the more you learn about how markets operate, the greater your returns will be.
So how does binary betting (or binary options if you are in the U.S) work?
Simply put, a binary trade offers financial fixed odds betting, whereby you will know at the point of placing your trade what your outcomes will be. Either you will win or lose - the system is similar to betting in horse-racing.
If you lose, the worst that happens is that your loss is one you can better manage. There are NO limitless losses here, which means your trading account is better protected and easier to manage. You can, therefore be more in control of your levels of risk-return ratios.
If you win, then it works as follows. First off, you will know how much you will win as you place your binary bet. So, for instance, let's say you wish to trade for one day and you think that the market on this day is going to rise overall.
Then first open a binary bet and you will be quoted a price of e.g. 48 points for the UK market to close higher for that day and you decide to risk e.g. £5 per point.
As binary bets work on a price of 0 - 100 this means that if you win, you will earn 52 x £5; i.e. £260. This figure is the 100 point maximum - 48 (cost of the bet) x the amount we mentioned, are prepared to stake, that being £5.
Had the market gone against you, you would know in advance that your loss would be exactly your stake x quoted points; i.e. 48 x£5... £240.
The relative safety and predictability of financial fixed odds is not available with products such as more complex spread betting and futures trading strategies. Nevertheless, these riskier trades continue to be promoted to newbie traders by brokers less concerned with the individual needs and resources of newcomers to market trading.
So if you are a new trader still learning the ropes, forget about fears over unlimited losses or market complexity and get started in trading with the assurance that you CAN have control over your trading account. Simplify your trading strategy whilst you are still learning and consolidate both your wins and boost your confidence as you build your skills and knowledge in market trading.
To find out more about how you can safely profit from this growing market trading trend, contact Elm Trader, the specialists in binary trading.
Would you like to learn more about Financial Fixed Odds and Binary Trading and receive your own Free Financial Fixed odds / Binary Trading System?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5263106

Financial Fixed Odds Trading For Limited Risks

Fixed odds financial trading is a relatively new and potentially profitable way in which profits can be made from the financial markets. It is designed to be both simple to understand and easy to execute, making it particularly suitable for newcomers looking to profit from the financial markets.
A unique feature of fixed odds and one of the big attractions is that your financial risks when trading are limited. Traditionally financial investments, particularly speculation on markets has a reputation for being risky. This view is perpetuated by stories of individuals losing huge sums on leveraged products. Often they will lose their entire accounts and then some. However trading via financial fixed odds is different.
When you place a fixed odds trade your liability (i.e. what you could potentially lose) is known at the outset. This is prior to you actually placing the trade. This is because your maximum loss is limited to the stake you place on a trade outcome. As a result your risk management becomes much easier. Similarly you will also know your maximum profit at the outset as well. This will of course depend on the odds you took at the time of placing the trade.
For example, you may believe that the EUR/USD is going to move higher over the next few days. So you log onto your Fixed odds platform and check the return they are offering. Here you set the level that you think the market will not touch and are quoted a price for the trade. This is your stake. You are also given both the potential profit for the trade and the percentage return on your stake. If you are happy with the quote then you simply go ahead and place the trade.
Remember that even if you got this catastrophically wrong, you would never lose more than the original stake you placed. And if the market did move against you after placing the trade, you can actually 'sell' the bet back to the broker. The ability to do this helps to preserve some of your trading capital without letting the bet expire worthless.
Additionally as you can only trade with money deposited to your account there is no chance of running up huge debts with your broker. There is no requirement to have a deposited margin with your broker so any money in your account can be fully used for trading. Once your bet has finished both your stake and profit are credited straight back to your account allowing ready for you to place your next profitable trading opportunity.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5095826

Profit From Financial Fixed Odds Trading While Limiting Your Financial Risks

Fixed odds financial trading is a high growth area in the field of financial trading and has found widespread popularity amongst a range of both new and experienced traders.
If you are taking your first steps in the world of financial trading then you can often find that it seems somewhat bewildering. While you can make a lot of money from trading on these markets, equally, if you don't know what you are doing or make basic mistakes you can lose your money even quicker.
Trading of any form needs you to be at the top of your game and therefore it is wise that you sidestep the potential gains on offer if you are not equipped to succeed. There is however a way that you can participate in the financial profits on offer while limiting your risks and this is called fixed odds trading.
Although this specific trading medium is known as fixed odds, it is in fact very similar to digital options or binary trading. Binary options trading and fixed odds trading share many of the same benefits when it comes to trading on the markets. While there are many similarities between these two types of trading, fixed odds offers more flexibility in allowing you to tailor the trades you take to both the market conditions and your personal risk levels.
The fixed odds trading model allows you to open a trading position to profit from the future movement of the market over a time period that you selecting accordance with your market analysis. You can trade a variety of assets with a fixed odds provider including market indices, currency pairs and commodities. With a fixed odds trade you are looking to make the correct call of a markets movement, be this higher or lower than the market level when you place the trade. The outcome that you select may for example require the asset to move higher, lower or not at all during the duration of the time frame set when placing the trade. In either case you set up the trade and are offered a set 'payout' if your prediction is correct.
To illustrate how this works lets look at a specific trade example. Following your reading of the chart you believe the EUR/USD currency pair is due a rise. Therefore you price up a trade and set a level that you believe the market won't touch i.e.below the current price. The fixed odds bookmaker will offer you a return based on this level and the time in the markets that you set the trade to run for. The return will be offered as a percentage and will payout this amount on the trade being successful. You are free to place as much or as little as you like on the trade outcome as you will earn the stated percentage return at the expiry of the trade.
If your prediction is correct then you will receive the cost of the trade back in addition to the percentage return.If you make the wrong call and the market breaches your level then you stand to lose only the price you paid for the trade in the first instance, no matter how far the market falls
The chance to earn high payouts from your predictions even if your trade just finishes one point in-the-money and the known level of risk on each trade makes it popular with traders taking their first steps in the markets. In addition you don't even have to take a full loss if the market starts to move against your prediction.
This makes fixed odds trading a good way of limiting financial risks to your capital while you acquire the skills necessary to make high profits from the financial markets.
Learn more about how you can trade financial fixed odds and earn high profits on your account in just a matter of minutes!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6813242