The Rookie DayTrader
Visit our Home Site at The Rookie DayTrader for more tips and training. Learn to trade in the stock market. We provide a step by step learning process for the beginning investor.
We are now Mobile enabled
The Rookie DayTrader Blog is now Mobile enabled for the fillowing types:

iphone, ipod, aspen, incognito, webmate

android, cupcake, dream, froyo

Blackberry Storm/Torch blackberry9500, blackberry9520, blackberry9530, blackberry9550, blackberry9800

Palm webos

Samsung s8000, bada

Just use the address: http://www.rookiedaytrader.net

Your device type will automatically be selected.
World Market Watch
US Stock Market Indexes
Energies Monitor

Posts Tagged ‘Risk’

Know Anything About Penny Stocks?

Hello,and welcome to the wonderful world of penny stocks. Many feel intimitated by anything with the word stocks involved since most of automatically associate the word stocks with gamble or loss. The fact is that penny stocks on the nasdaq and amex can be regularly day traded at a great profit if you just know some basic things.

There should never be a scared feeling when being involved with penny stocks. I can understand a sense of concern, and possibly some apprehension, but never be scared. It’s good to be on your guard and be aware of what is going on in the market.

Always be leary of so called “know it alls” There are many out there, and they are all self proclaimed guru’s. So be sure to do your research and find a reputable financial firm or outfit who can assist you.

Get used to using the computer on a regular basis, and constantly check the Dow to see what it is doing and what kind of effect it has on you. Be educated and understand how to read the market and it’s trends. Once you can develop a routine or a pattern, it will make your life much easier to pinpoint what’s hot and what’s not.

Never get too greedy. Once you begin to buy and sell, realize that you might make very little on your first handful of trades. There is nothing wrong with as long as you have a positive cash flow. Pennies per transaction time on thousand transactions can add up.

Once you get good at the day trading scene, you should begin to sharpen your skills even more and at times it’s ok to take a bit of a risk. The rewards could be beneficial. Although the losses could make an impact on your portfolio. Never get cocky. It’s the times when you let your guard down and assume you’ve found “the one” penny stock to beat all others, and then next day it crumbles.

Never forget where you came from. Always appreciate any gains you have made. So if an unfortunate time does end up coming around, you can be prepared for it and the rebound will be much easier on your wallet. Don’t ever lose your confidence or give up as you will have wasted everything you have learned, and a possible future income for you would have been thrown away.

- About the Author: Always on the search for products to make your life easier, Art Tupaczewski relates with his own life experiences and his acquired knowledge of certain select aspects of life to bring to you safe, sound advice. Sick of scams and so-called cure-alls, he goes the extra mile to find out exactly what you need to know. Want to learn more? Come see us at http://www.stockpickspennystocks.com for information about penny stocks Article Source

Volume : Another Important Indicator

I wrote about trading volume and how to use it in trading before. Here, we will extend to the application of volume as an indicator in trading. Let’s see how we apply volume as a technical indicator.

Volume plays an important role as an indicator traders use to indicate price direction. Interpretation of volume signals will be one of the handiest tools in your trading toolbox.

Volume is like a form of energy, securities respond to energy. Traders’ energies translate into volume which is the number of shares traded in a specific period of time.

Typically, you can spot representation of trading volume and spikes that run along the bottom of charts we are observing. If you are looking at a daily candlestick chart, a spike below represents the total number of shares trading during that day.

As I mentioned in the beginning, volume is an important indicator, the following are general approaches to read trading signals from the volume.

First, look for high volume on price breakout. When price break its resistance and go up (or break its support and go down). As the price continues their direction, you expect for strong volume. When the price tops off and pullback, you have to make sure that the pullback volume is relatively low. If the pullback volume is strong, it is better to take profit.

Second, scan charts to find the securities that are building their bases by locating the security that increasing in volume while its price continues to trade in the same tight and price range as before. This pattern indicates a high possibility to that institutional investors are quietly accumulating. You have options to wait for the price breaks out or enter a trade while securities are still in the base. If you choose the second, you have to set your stop loss extremely tight to minimize risk.

The third is to use volume and chart pattern together. For example, after 2-3 days up, if today’s price makes a new recent high but the candlesticks form as a doji, star, or other reversal patterns. It’s good time to take profits.

Finally, if climatic volume designated by a huge volume spikes near the end of extended trend, it often indicates that the trend might soon slow or end. Conversely, just because a climatic volume signals a trend reversal, do not take this as a signal to start bottom fishing. The patterns sometimes take a few days or occasionally, misfire.

- About the Author: Taro is an experience trader who trades in stocks, futures, forex. He strongly focuses on technical analysis, trading systems and money management. If you would like to find more articles on MetaStock Tutorials, MetaStock Formulas, Trading Systems and Money Management. Please go to MetaStock Trading System. You would also find the recommended trading books, DVDs, software and tools at MetaStock Trading Store. Article Source

Forex survival kit

Where do you start? Charts or methods or do you buy a DIY package or attend seminars? All this was enough to put me off before I even started! So if you are in the same boat as I was then don’t panic! There are experts telling you what do to do and how to do it, theres loads of free info to read so lets start with the first do’s and donts of forex trading..

1)      Get some help! Learning from a successful trader can only help make you a better trader. Books and programs are good if you have the basics under your belt.

2)      Never start trading with your money use demo accounts, for example Forex Automoney is a trading platform that provides training and a demo account for you to practise on BEFORE you actually put any money on the markets. An estimated 90% of new starters fail to make a success of trading as they do not practise and learn the basics.

3)      Learn to manage risk. Do not use more than 1-2% of the capital in your trading account, big trades can mean big profits but also can mean big losses. Money management is the key to long term success in forex trading.

4)      Learn your methods well. New traders often are quick at placing trades but when they start making a loss do not get out! Apply methods strictly.

5)      Trading can be very exciting however it is necessary to keep calm and have a disciplined approach rather than get carried away with emotion.

Although the starting period for new traders may not yield life changing profits instantly, many traders have built a steady and successful income.

To take a step towards becoming a successful trader try http://forexprofitcodes.com to learn more about forex trading software and training programs built by professionals designed to help new starters and professional traders alike. Find more info at http://forexprofitcodes.com.

- About the Author:

Article Source

3 Reasons Traders Use Investment Management Software

<!– @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>

Investment management software is technology which relies on mathematical algorithms to do the analytical number crunching for you and come out with reliable trading opportunities which you can invest in accordingly. Millions of traders now swear by this technology, so if you’re unfamiliar with investment management software or are interesting in investing but don’t have the time or are wary of the risk associated with it, here are the 3 definitive reasons to use investment management software to trade effectively, making the money you want from this market.

It’s Reliable – First and foremost, investment management software is the most reliable way to trade ahead of the curve in the stock market. This is because the stock picks which it generates for traders are based on algorithmically crunched market data. Specifically how it works is a method known as stock behavior analysis. Stock behavior tells us everything about what to expect in the short-term from a stock. Behavior is also very unique, so the smallest overlaps in behavior from the past to the present can tell you everything about the current stock. This is the most reliable way to anticipate market behavior, and these programs are so effective because it’s difficult to take the full range and scope of the market into account manually, hence the development and popularity of this technology.

It’s Easy – Easily the most difficult aspect of investing is analytics and knowing where when and what to invest in. Using investment management software, all that work is done for you so that you can focus on simply investing accordingly based on exactly what the program tells you to expect. Beginner traders as well as those without the time to devote to analytics have been regularly embracing this technology more and more for just that reason.

Penny Stocks – Penny stocks are some of most volatile investments to be found in the stock market. If you know what to expect from a cheap stock, you stand to make a far greater profit because it takes far less trading activity to affect the price of a cheap stock versus the greater priced stock. Some investment management software exclusively targets cheap stocks to deliver highly volatile but highly profitable stock picks. Because the only thing standing between you and realizing a huge profit is differentiating between the good and the bad stocks, many traders turned to a penny stock specific investment management software.

- About the Author: <!– @page { margin: 0.79in } TD P { margin-bottom: 0in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } A:link { so-language: zxx } –> Penny Stock Prophet is easily the current best investment management software on the market for its emphasis on penny stock picks. Give it a completely risk free try and see for yourself as its picks exponentially jump in value over the course of a day or a few hours by clicking on this link for investment management software. Article Source

The Mechanics of Stop Losses and Trailing Stops

What are Stop-Losses?

Due to the volatility of some markets, a stop-loss is recommended for many types of spreadbets. This is a level at which the bet will be automatically closed if the market moves against you. Often these levels may be subject to some ‘slippage’ if the market moves particularly quickly, and it is not possible for the spread-betting company to close the position in the market. Most companies now offer guaranteed stop-losses, which are guaranteed to close at a certain level. However they usually charge an extra point of two of spread for the priviledge. This effectively transfers sme of the risk of fast-moving markets to the company.

What are Trailing Stops?

A trailing stop is a moving stop that follows the price of an instrument, ensuring that any sudden movement does not wipe out profits already made – effectively locking in profits.

Example:

You think that a rising Oil price will bolster the profits of BP over the coming months, and hence increase the share price.

In July, you place a ‘buy’ bet on BP.L to end in September (you can cash the bet in at any time up till the end of September). The current share level is 590 pence.

You are offered the following price on BP.L September.

Bid: 595 pence Sell: 585 Pence

(Generally the further away the end date of the bet, the higher spread is incurred)

You Place a buy bet at £10 a point at 595 pence.

You Place a trailing stop 20 points away from your buy price. (575 pence)

If the price was fall to 575 pence immediately, with the bid/offer at 580/570 your stop would be hit, and you would lose 595-570=25 * £10= £250

However, if the price was to raise to 670 (675/665) pence, you would be in a position to close at 665-595=70 * £10 = £700

If during this time, your trailing stop would have moved to 650 – ensuring that even a fast downward movement would not wipe out all your profits. Even if the market for BP shares crashed overnight, your guaranteed trailing stop would ensure that you profit by 650-595=45 * £10 = £450.

- About the Author: This article was contributed by Andy of http://www.financial-spread-betting.com, a UK financial website which specialises in offering free guides and information on stockmarket products such as financial spread betting Article Source

How to do Day Trade

Day trade set up is determined by longer version of the chart and not in minutes or hourly charts.  You need to give sufficient room for price action and whipsaws, therefore the stop loss limits are large in order to accommodate the price action and its movement.  When you deal the Daily charts, do not expect the trade to be over within the same day, it could take even three or four days, price action may vary from 1 to 3 percent or even a little more, therefore ensure your account is sufficiently leveraged.

When the Equated Moving Average for the 100 period is below the price action and atleast one candlestick has closed above the EMA-100 levels, you must look for the Buying opportunity, then you need to switch over to 1 Hour chart to appropriately place your Buy orders.  This will ensure that you are trading along the trend.

The order size is most important, especially when you trade with a small equity.  You need to use only 10 p.c. of your equity and not more for any one trade.  The Risk to Reward ratio should be 1:3 for effective trading.  When you put your Stop orders at 3 p.c. your Profit orders should be atleast 9 p.c.  Once the setup is made, never adjust the stop or profit orders and you allow the system to close the orders for you.

Once in a while, say between 4 or 6 hours, see the direction of the price movement.  At some point say in a day or two when the price action is well above your entry price, say around 3 p.c. you can adjust your stop loss to the breakeven.  This will ensure that the remaining trades are free trades and you can focus on other trade setup.

We need to pay some attention to our emotions.  When the price action is against our direction, we need to hold our nerves, because we are trading the Daily charts.  The movement of rates will be very wide and since we are following the EMA-100 levels, we can expect the price action to settle somewhere near the entry price.  We are also moving along the major trend and therefore, hopefully we can see the prices move towards our entry price.  It is at this point, some traders, after having seen a long downtrend, become restless and quickly book their meagre profits and come out of the trade, breaking all the Trade Setup rules and take a sigh of relief.  This is the emotion we are talking about that frustrates even the experienced traders.  This emotion triggers a panic in the stomach and makes the trader emotionally weak thereby making him indicipline.

 Keywords:

money, management, risk, emotion, greed, discipline, tips, truesignal  

- About the Author: A Trader of Currencies and Stocks. Article Source

Doubling Stocks Review

Looking for a way out of debt? We all wish for that one great program that will get us out of debt on the way to a better life. This is the last stop that you will have to make in order to make your dreams finally become a reality.

1. The Risks Of Penny Stocks.

Of course, even though the robot Marl has a mind of his own, he does sometimes get it wrong. Anyone that has ever traded in stocks knows that there is always the possibility of losing money. You cannot expect to never lose money in the stock market. But, you can win more than you lose. That is the important part.

By simply subscribing to the Doubling Stocks newsletter, you will be given a stock pick on Sunday morning which could lead to your bank account getting fatter each and every week. Your morning coffee could taste so much better than it does now.

2. 100% Risk-Free Money-Back Guarantee.

You are given the opportunity to try the newsletter for 8 weeks and if you don’t make any money and are completely dissatisfied, you can send one simple email and get a complete refund on the package. Everything comes to you in email form so there is nothing to download and nothing complicated that you have to learn.

3. What Will Doubling Stocks Do For You?

All of the hard work is done for you (picking the stock) and all you have to do is place your bid and watch for the money to roll in. You cannot ask for a better deal than that. The double stock plan is the best deal around. It is as simply as signing up on the website, getting your welcome package and waiting for the first stock tip on Sunday. This is the way money was meant to be made.

So, instead of sitting there wondering if you should sign up and take a chance, join the millions of others that have already taken advantage of this wonderful program and start making money. It is time to make your life happen instead of watching it pass you by.

- About the Author: Is Doubling Stocks a scam? Visit http://www.millionsreview.com/doubling-stocks-review.html to read a FREE report and find out the truth about this Doubling Stocks Newsletter! Article Source

Trading In The Forex Market – Producing Profitable Results

Before venturing into the Forex market, you must have some pointers that need to be taken into consideration.

Getting involved in Forex trading with little or no experience at all will just result in painful outcomes. You may lose most of your capital and become frustrated in the process because you are thinking that it is so easy to make money. That is one of the common misconceptions in Forex trading.

Natalia Osorio Editor of the “Best Forex Trading” website — http://www.BestForexTradingUsa.com — pointed out;

“…Though there are lots of money circulating, it does not necessarily mean that you can make easy money out of it. As every other endeavor in life, the rewards will came after you have worked hard for it. The key on mastering the Forex market relies on commitment, discipline, patience, and hard work. Forex traders are conducting transactions based on a set of rules. These are usually called a trading system. It will exactly tell you where you need to get in and out the market in order to make profit. One unwritten rule is following your system; make it as your daily code…”

Creating such system is the first step that you should take. You need to create a system that will fit your personality; otherwise you will find hard time to follow it. You can base your system on technical indicators like the mechanical system or based on experience and discretionary system.

The next step is trying it on a demo account. It is an account with virtual or “play money”. It is an excellent choice in testing your trading system as there is no money at risk. You can figure out how your system will work as far as trading is concern.

For how long should you stick to this demo account? It is advisable that you stick on it until it produced consistent and good results. You just need to be patient; remember that your goal here is to have a perfect trading system that you can use.

While practicing your system in a demo account, you must be aware of your emotions while trading. It can affect every single decision that you will make regardless of what you are trading.

Now you are on the go creating a live forex trading account but with limited funds. At this stage, you will now be seeing if you are really comfortable using your system. Remember that different systems can produce different results.

If you obtain the same good results like you have obtained in the demo account, then you are ready for the next step. If you did not, then you might opt to create another system. Always remember that you need to do things right and always be honest to yourself.

The last stage is the real one—trading in a real account with sufficient funds. In this stage you now have the confidence to yourself and to your system as well. You can now expect that your strategy will now produce consistent and profitable results. Only few traders are failing at this point.

“…Being a Forex trader is no joke at all. It requires a lot of hard work, patience, discipline, and the necessary education. By completing the aforementioned steps, you have a chance to produce profitable results. But just be honest to yourself about the results obtained in every stage. Develop your trading strategy and be a successful Forex trader…” N. Osorio added.

Further Information About The Best Forex Trading Softwares And Resources  By Visiting; http://www.BestForexTradingUsa.com

- About the Author: Natalia Osorio runs her corporate website at http://www.OpsRegs.com where you can see all her articles and press releases. Article Source

How to Safely Double Your Profits in 2010 Trading ETFs

There are many misconceptions about money management. Most think it means trading with stops, but that is only a small part of it. Below is a short part of the complimentary report I’ve been trying to give you called “How to Safely Double Your Profits in 2010 Trading ETFs“. This little tip alone could save your trading account.

Why use risk controls?

Every trader/investor must guard himself against drawdowns, which refers to the percentage drop in his account size after one losing trade or consecutive losing trades. For example, imagine that after losing a few trades in a row, your $20,000 account is reduced to $12,000; that would be a drawdown of 8,000/20,000 = 40%. If I were to ask some new traders, “In order to be back up to $20,000, what percentage return do you need to generate?” Many would answer, “Since I lost 40%, I have to make back 40%!” This couldn’t be more wrong! Note that after losing 40%, the trader now starts with a lower base, i.e. to undo the $8,000 loss, the return he needs to generate is 8,000/12,000 = 66.6%! That is why I share free training videos on my website to help dispel some of the myths of trading.

The more severe the drawdown, the harder it becomes to undo the damage, as shown in the numbers below.

Drawdown % %Required to get back to break even

10% 11.1%

20% 25%

30% 42.8%

40% 66.6%

50% 100%

60% 150%

70% 233.3%

80% 400%

90% 900%

That is why all professional money managers only risk 1-2% per trade. It’s because no matter how good your trading system is at some point it is a statistical fact you will have 10 losers in a row. Based on risking only 1-2% per trade this is only a 10-20% drawdown and easily recovered. 99% of the hype trading and investing courses in existence don’t say or do this. They say risk 5-10% per trade. It is wrong and will cause you serious financial pain if you follow their advice.

Many of them also use arbitrary stop loss advice. For example, they say, “Place your stop at $100.10 because that is on the other side of a major support or resistance, trend line, MA, etc.”

This makes your risk based on the size of the stop. That is also wrong because the risk can be too large and it’s not the same risk on each trade.

Others reverse this and say risk only 2% total period and let that determine your stop. This is also wrong and will hurt you because it is important to have the correct technical stop.

The answer is to do both. Use a percentage and technical stop together. It works like this. Let’s say the technical stop is $100.10, but based on your entry price that is a 3% risk. Since your plan calls for a 2% risk you simply lower the number of shares you are trading. This lets you stay within your 2% risk and have the correct technical stop. This is exactly what most professional money mangers do.

Some say that this will lower their profits because of trading fewer shares. So what! Study the numbers above again. You know the old quote, “More risk equals more reward.” Well it’s not always true. Sometimes more risk equals more risk! If you lose your money you have no chance to make a profit. Even losing 50% is disastrous because you would then need to make 100% to get back to even.

Like Warren Buffet says, there are only two rules in investing. Rule #1: Don’t lose money. Rule #2: Don’t forget rule #1.

I’d like to add a third rule. Correct money management and position sizing must be mastered to ensure your long term success.

The good news is that it is easy to have correct money management and position sizing. I just explained how to use a combo of a % stop and a technical stop. If you want more of an explanation please visit the free video area on my homepage and click on the “Why have risk controls” video.

The system of entries, stops and profits taking is only half of your key to success. The other half is money management. If you get this part wrong you will lose your account every time regardless of how good your system is.

Click here for the newsletter on how to safely average 5,7% per month trading Exchange-Traded Funds.

==> Click Here To Register For The Free Newsletter Now

In order to access his powerful FREE videos you must first opt in for the complimentary report.

- About the Author: Rob Trader – Forex Expert http://tradingtoollist.co.cc/ Article Source

Day Trading: Learning to Manage Risk

Many novice day traders charge into the market full of exuberance and excitement about the potential profits they are about to realize. And some do. But the vast majority of new day traders are met with bitter disappointment and disillusionment. There’s a reason for this; they only considered the winning trades they planned on initiating. It never occurred to them that all their trades may not go in the intended direction. It was a shock to them, at first, because the books they read show them all the good setups and a systematic method of trading. Somehow, it just didn’t work out.

The story above is not an uncommon one, to say the least.

Learning to trade is as much about learning to manage winning trades as it is about learning to manage losing trades. Of course, managing winning trades is a lot more fun and a lot more gratifying. But sometimes you need to learn to manage trades that fall on the losing side of the equation. This part of trading is not a particularly enjoyable pastime, but it is every bit as essential as learning to manage winning trades.

Managing losing trades begins long before you make a trade. A good trader is constantly evaluating the risk involved in every trade. He or she uses a number of techniques to gauge the potential profit and loss and every trade. Personally, I rely upon the Average True Range as an excellent barometer of what I can expect in a potential trade. There are several other methods that traders employ to measure risk.  Whatever method you use, use it consistently and across-the-board.

Once I have decided upon the level of risk I am willing to take I set my stops to reflect that risk. I have one hard and fast rule in the e-mini trading; I never move my stops downward to accommodate a losing trade. No matter how well I think the trade made pan out in the long run, I never chase good money after losing money. There are even those traders who add contracts to a losing trade and hopes of making a larger profit when the trade church around. I never add contracts to a losing trade. It just doesn’t make sense to lower your stops or add contracts when you are already losing. After all, all you have is a hunch that the trade will turn around; there is no guarantee that the trade will reverse and head in the right direction. The truth is, the trader wants to trade to turn round and headed in the right direction. There is a gulf between knowing what a trade will do and wanting a trade to move in a certain direction. Don’t get these two feelings mixed together for they are incongruent and do not reflect reality.

A wise trader never risks more of his futures trading account balance than necessary, and in my trading I try to stick to risking 5 to 8% per trade. No more. If you find yourself risking upwards of 20% of your account balance in a given trade you have far exceeded your limits and stand a good chance of eventually busting your account. Proper money management is essential to understand for any trader, and the first rule of money management is to not overextend yourself. I might add as a general observation that most traders tend to over extend themselves on a regular basis.

Finally, the most important aspect of controlling and managing risk in your trading is to take only high probability trades, and conversely, avoid low probability trades at all costs. I was just reading about a well-known trader who became very popular fading peaks and troughs for big gains. It was a very popular system in the early 2000′s, but peaks and troughs are difficult to call and ultimately it led to his demise as a trader. High probability trades almost always occur with the trend, and most successful traders are committed to trading with the trend. This is not always easy as many very attractive setups pop up against the trend. This is a time when you have to ignore your indicators and oscillators and use good sense. All trends go through short or medium periods of retracement and typically resume in the direction of the trend. This can be a tough lesson to learn. Any trade against the trend is usually going to be a low probability trade and should be avoided. There are some notable exceptions to this rule, but by and large avoiding trading against the trend is sound advice.

In summary, we have talked about learning to limit your risk when trading. It’s important not to move your stops downward or upward to accommodate a losing trade, nor is it wise to add contracts to a losing trade. Finally, we have discussed trading against the trend and focusing on high probability trades and avoiding low probability trades. Using these simple techniques you can take a sizable chunk of risk out of your trading, and that’s the goal of all traders.

- About the Author: I am a long time retail and institutional trader who now only trades part time, usually in the morning. I enjoy writing informational articles about my style of trading so others may benefit. Would it be convenient to receive valuable trading tips every night in your email? You can sign up for our free video series by Clicking here These videos contain advanced trading strategies and will enhance your trading knowledge immeasurably. Best of all, they are free! So get your free videos and start trading like the pros. Article Source