Iron Condor - Oh Man, I Want My Mommy…
The Iron Condor is perhaps the most dangerous option strategy around.
See here’s the deal: when a new fresh faced option trader first hears of this trading strategy - he or she becomes so enamoured with it that they just can’t seem to help but jump right into trading them - risking way too much money - and without much thought of what they are going to do if the trade starts to go wrong.
And unfortunately what always seems to happen to a high percentage of them is that they promptly wind up getting their trading accounts demolished and their heads handed to them on a platter.
Now stop.
Before you start to get the wrong impression, please, let me clarify something here.
I actually LIKE iron condors. I like them ALOT.
I think the iron condor really IS a great trade.
And yes, I absolutely believe all those stories and claims you hear swirling around about iron condors generating ten percent plus monthly returns and providing trades that have the probability of winning somewhere in the range of eighty to ninety percent. In fact, I KNOW those stories are true because I see it happen all the time in my very own trading account.
The problem is - there is something big that is being left out of all those claims and stories - and this something is causing way too many fresh new doe eyed option traders to misunderstand this strategy right from the beginning and blindly jump into them with completely wrong expectations.
Yes it’s true that iron condors and credit spreads can be put on with an eighty to ninety percent probability of winning. And yes it’s true that they can generate returns of over ten percent a month. BUT - they also come with a dangerous risk to reward ratio that can be in the range of ten to one.
10 to 1! That means that in order to try and make just one dollar, you need to be willing to risk ten. Or, put another way - in order to make 100 dollars, you need to risk 1,000 dollars. Or - risk $10,000.00 to hopefully make just $1,000.00!
And as mammy used to say to us kids - ‘that ain’t nothin but a real awful bad egg’.
Because once you do the math you find that even with those glorious monthly returns with 80 to 90 percent probability of winning - all it takes is just one problem month to come along and cause a loss that will completely obliterate the 8 to 9 wins you’ve managed to rack up - as well as potentially the rest of your entire account!
Nevertheless…
There is still hope…
Like I said before, I LOVE the iron condor trade.
Over the last ten years it’s been extremely profitable for me.
So obviously there’s a way around that horrible risk to reward issue and the inevitable problematic losing months.
And there absolutely is.
It’s all in how you manage the trade.
That risk to reward problem quickly becomes a complete non issue as soon as you educate yourself on the proper way to initially set these trades up and how to correctly manage and adjust them.
You just need to take the time BEFORE jumping into the iron condor pool to equip yourself with this little bit of knowledge. A few simple ‘tricks of the trade’ - so when those problem months DO come along (and they WILL believe me) - you will know exactly what you need to do to immediately squash that threat, easily adjust yourself out of the problem, and experience the iron condor for all it’s ‘really’ cracked up to be.
Consistent Returns With Option Trading
I had an intriguing conversation today with an option trader who has been searching for the secret to making consistent returns in option trading for many years. He made many familiar points.
Something that stood out was when he said “Non-directional option trading doesn’t mean we can make money in any direction. It means that we make money if the underlying doesn’t move in any direction. In other words, it’s still a directional trade, sideways.” I couldn’t agree more, and it’s been advertised that it’s easy to make money with options because we can make money on any direction. In some respects this is true, but in others it’s not.
Those of you trading the strategy that most courses and books teach know exactly what I’m talking about. The Iron Condor is just as directional as most option trades, only that its direction is sideways. So if you’re trading that strategy in 2009, you probably aren’t making anything. It’s just as hard for some to predict a sideways move as it is an up or down.
Over the years, I’ve received many calls from traders loosing massive chunks of their accounts from trading condors and credit spreads. Sadly, it’s always the same complaint; “It was going so well for several months, then all the sudden I lost nearly my whole account in one day.” I’ve heard this time and time again, and it’s about time something was done about it!
Therefore, I decided I wouldn’t teach traditional Condors and Credit Spreads. Using them will end you up a few days from expiration, with the RUT is right at your short strike, because you traded the way most people traded these strategies. Soon you’ll be telling your sob story to your friends and trying to hide your financial travesty from your wife! This is no laughing matter. It can happen to anyone, including you. Is the stress really worth sticking to traditional methods?
In response to this problem San Jose Options Mentoring has reinvented Iron Condors and Credit Spreads. The less you have to adjust your condor, the better off you will be in most cases and we have a different technique which gives the underlying much more flexibility, lowering our stress level and keeping us out away from a disastrous scenario.
So you know we have a safer way to trade Condors, but we’ve also developed great techniques to lock-in our profits on them. Normally option traders exit their trades when they make a profit, but we can lock-in our profits and stay in the trade.
To conclude, even if we have a condor move against us, we have developed a technique that earns us a free bonus trade! We may experience a rough month now and again, but now we get an outstanding, free trade out of it where while other traders will take the loss and struggle on.
Win or lose, San Jose Options is the best way to trade Iron Condors along with many other strategies.
Stock Market Training - Making Your First Foray Into The Stock Market
If you are thinking of investing in the stock market and have no previous experience, you should consider doing some basic stock market training. It is important to know that this is not a “hobby”, but a business opportunity and it should be treated as such.
There are countless books as well as resources that offer stock market training to help you to become knowledgeable in preparation for the countless intricacies of the stock market. There are also certain terms that you should be familiar with as part of your stock market training.
A “Bull Market” is what occurs when the economy is doing extremely well, jobs are easy to find and investors are comfortable to invest in the market. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the “Bear Market” is experienced during a depressed economy, unemployment is high and people are just not investing in the stock market
When you make your first foray into the stock market, it can be an intimidating place. A good investment management software program can assist you with stock market training so that you make sensible investment choices and manage your money. This type of software will keep track of profits, losses, costs of trades and every other cost associated with your investments. As part of your basic stock market training, you should understand the basic principals of accounting, how to read an annual report as well as the history of the stock market. You should also understand asset allocation.
Build a solid foundation of stock market training by reading as much material as you can. Read information that you can find that is about corporate finance, investment theories, economics and the basics of getting started. A really good investment service can be an invaluable tool as well. Some are free, some are paid, but they will keep you up to date on every development of the market.
Swing Trading Methods
There is a way of trading stocks that is based on the amounts of time that traders can hold for certain stocks. It is swing trading. Typically, it is for short time periods that are no more than fourteen days and typically less. When this time has passed, the trader has the option to sell their stocks according the price of the week or the introductory month.
When stocks are going through shorter term movements, that is when traders are concerned with this type of stock. They do not rely on types of technical analysis and they try to cash out during this time period. They are different among other kinds of traders because they are not focused on company fundamentals or researching the company itself.
A swing trader will typically stick with picking stocks that are large cap and belong to bigger name companies. They pick these ones because this type of company makes a lot of money through time and is established within the market for longer term. The stocks these companies have go both up and down in markets and a trader will take advantage of this in the short term and cash in.
Traders make money with the stock market in two ways. The first way is to invest in stocks through the means of dividend income. The second way is to invest in stocks through capital appreciation.
Swing traders do not use dividend income. This type would not make them money because they are not long term investors and are short term investors. With capital appreciation, they have the potential to make profits.
That was some info on swing trading stocks. People that understand them better along with the terms associated with them will make wiser decisions on whether to get involved with them or not. Being informed leads to smarter decisions and that means there is less of a chance for investors to lose money.
7 Ways To Compare Forex Brokers
There is certainly a buzz around the foreign exchange market right now. It is a chance for every individual to take their cut, by capitalizing on the economic down turn. Before you start though, compare Forex Brokers to ensure you have the right setup for you.
The following 7 factors should enable all traders to choose effectively.
Their Location
When choosing, make sure they provide you with plenty of information, rather than going with the one that offers the best spread. If you choose based on the best deal and nothing else, you are likely to get scammed.
Offshore companies are here, there and everywhere, but clients will find it hard to withdraw their profits.
Different regulators
To avoid being scammed, when you compare Forex Brokers, do your due diligence. They all have to be regulated by the relevant bodies in their country. For instance, in the UK this would be the FSA, where as in the United States it would be the FCM. Remember, this is your capital at stake, so make sure you pick wisely.
The different types of account
It will soon become apparent that there are hundreds of different accounts available. Account deposits start from $10 for a micro account, mini accounts start from $300 and standard accounts start from $2,000. Corporate accounts are available, but they usually require a much higher deposit amount.
Amount of Leverage
Leverage is the ratio that is risked in comparison to cash held. A lot of places will offer anything from 100:1 right through to 400:1. This means that you can risk $400 for every $1 in a 400:1 account.
Size of Spread
Spreads are important as they sort of dictate your profit margin. Some companies can charge spreads that are 10-15% bigger than others, which means a lot of profits will be lost. When looking to compare Forex Brokers, take into account this spread!
Trading Platform
There are hundreds of different trading platforms, or pieces of trading software. Try a range out and see what works for you and hopefully you will learn what features you really need.
Types and quality of support
The foreign exchange market is one that is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, even a trader gets a break!
The one thing you will need to ensure when you compare Forex Brokers is that they have a good support team. Check that you have multiple ways of contacting them such as email, phone and fax as remember, if something goes wrong - you will want to know where your money is.
Think About The Tick
Tick charts are just one of hundreds of different chart setups traders can use to visually demonstrate the ever changing prices in the financial markets. Despite the number of charting opportunities, far too many traders stay with what is comfortable, never grabbing full benefit of the increasing number of excellent charting systems. Tick charts are among those often overlooked.
Think About the Tick
Tick charts remain incredibly profitable for both traders and investors for their ability to smooth out the action in every day trading. Traders that utilize a tick chart are better suited in their strategies, since the tick action adds a whole new dimension to charting. Rather than just highs and lows, up bars and down bars, tick charts help define the momentum in a market and the strength of the movement.
Tick Charts for Everyone
Tick charts can fit in virtually every trading or investing strategy, but short term investors are probably the most served by their benefits. By nature, tick charts appeal to short term traders since the data is calculated based on second by second buy and sell orders. Day traders and swing traders can use tick charts throughout the whole trading process, while long term investors may prefer to use them only to find entry and exit positions, as well as find short term momentum for long term positions.
Tick Chart Methodology
Tick charts combine more information into one chart than other types. They include price, time, and volume, as well as the frequency of trades. You may notice at first sight that tick charts are far different than any other chart you’ve ever seen. Don’t be scared! tick charts are no more difficult to understand than candlestick or ohlc charts. If you understand the basics, you can make profitable use of a tick chart.
Setting Up a Tick Chart
The most common tick chart settings are the 33, 133, and 233 order settings. Since tick charts make new bars only when there are enough trades, they adjust to the rapid changes in a market and appear more or less frequently depending on the amount of volume. For example, a high volume blue chip stock or a future index will have several thousand ticks per day, while a thinly traded penny stock may have only a few. Thus, tick charts are best used on high volume stocks and equities, not on low volume securities.
Tick Chart Advantages
Of all the traders that can use tick charts to their full potential, it is momentum traders who really enjoy the greatest returns. When ticks are formed more frequently, it implies strength in a trend and a general willingness among investors to buy and sell at the current price. Similarly, low frequency means that the current trend may be weakening, and the market may seek a reversal before resuming active trading. Of course, all of the above is entirely dependent on the individual stock, index, or bond being traded.
Get Started Today!
There really is no better way to get accustomed to tick charts and their inner workings than to actually use them. Consider opening up a tick chart, rather than a candlestick or ohlc chart, to get a real feel of the market and the buying and selling waves that keep markets liquid. You just might find that after a week of using a tick chart, you’ll never use another chart again.
Candlestick Investing for Beginners
Candlestick investing is the premier method for making trading decisions in any market. If you are reading this article it is likely you are new to using candlestick patterns for investing so listen closely because this is very important.
When you employ candlestick investing techniques you are using a series of price bars that together form a pattern that you can identify to forecast price direction even if only for the short term. With a little practice these high profit patterns will become intuitive.
Candlestick investing is intuitive, easy to implement and more accurate than any other form of trading. With candlestick investing you will be able to see the strength and weakness in the stock market or forex market in any time frame.
No matter what time frame you are using, it could be a weekly, daily or even a tick chart, the strength or the weakness of price will show through in the candlestick patterns.
There are a few options you have when it comes to trading. You can use bar charts, a line chart or candlestick patterns. The beauty with by way of candlesticks is that the high profit patterns become easily recognizable almost instantly.
It is the easiest most intuitive means of defining what price is doing right now. When you combine your candlestick investing knowledge with simple support and resistance you get an unmatched ability to find high odds entry and exit signals in short order.
As an example one of the most popular patterns you will learn is the doji, or doji star pattern. It looks like the letter “t” or a cross. It tells is that the current trend might be losing its strength and to be ready.
One of my favorite set-ups is when price is slowing from an uptrend and as it hits a resistance level a doji star forms at a top. This means that a there is just about a 99% chance price will reverse. This is 1 small example of the power of mastering candlestick investing.
Among all traders all over the world, candlestick investing is the premier choice of everyone. Its almost hard to believe that we have only had access to this powerful tool set since the 80’s when Steve Nisan first brought them to this country.
So if you are a brand new trader or you have been trading for 25 years you are likely not the last one to make the switch. You are most definitely not the first but its never to late to jump on the band wagon.
For a ton of free tools and information on candlestick investing visit our website!
The Idea Behind A Day Trading Penny Stock Technique
You may be asking what day trading is. This is a new trading technique done by some active penny stock investors these days. The basic idea is to gain profit on the very same day the investment is made. This should be done fast and with conscious accuracy. Some small cap investors do this day trading penny stock method in as little time possible. If there is such a policy on this method, one hour is a wait too long.
The day trading technique started when there was a recent lowdown on the stock market. Brokerage firms started giving discounts to the stocks. As an effect, this new strategy was developed. It’s scheming but it is acceptable since the procedure does not violate any rule. The day trading penny stock method is made in three stages:
1. Point Of Entry. Penny shares are pegged in at a cheap price. That’s the usual start up for small cap investments. A company sells in their shares to a broker and investments are expected to come in. When they do, the shares start selling back at higher rates.
2. Stock Breaks - This is the point when your stocks start breaking down. If you are not vigilant and don’t act fast you will lose more from your investment money. Technical softwares are being used to do the day trading penny stock monitoring of these stocks. It includes features that prompt you when your stocks start to plunge.
3. Point Of Exit - When your stocks reach a break point, day traders position for an exit. This will effectively close the stock price. Normally, day traders safely chose a position point to close the trade when the stocks are at the closest exit price. If this is not done immediately, there will be more loss that will happen.
These steps belong to one method. There can be other specially developed ideas that haven’t been readily accepted yet. The point of the entire day trading penny stock goal is to close the stock price the moment you hit your margin. By that it means that when you start selling the shares, set a personal profit margin on your own. Then observe your investment. Close your position when you get your mark.
There are also some day traders who would somewhat make a compromise on his or her potential earnings by percentage. To further explain, supposing the day trading penny stock starting price is fifty cents per share with a minimum share stock of 1,000. The total buying price for that would be $500. When your share’s price goes up to say $1.50 that means you’re already in good hands. Then suddenly it starts to go down and at that moment, your share is at 90 cents per share. To stop your potential loss, you set an exit position closing the sale.
Get The Best Stock Trading System For Your Stock Trading Needs
The words “stock market” are sufficient to become intimidating to numerous men and women as the marketplace fluctuates to such an unpredictable extent that they avert investing their income in it for this purpose. Men and women truly have no clue into which direction the stock markets are heading and for this purpose it’s unwise to invest in it without prior stock options trading knowledge. In fact, there is so much of technical and fundamental analysis involved that it becomes extremely challenging for the common man to decide and make the appropriate moves. There have been many times when a prospective investor has banked his hopes on one transaction only to be utterly disappointed by his decision to go in for it inside the next minute.
When it comes to stock markets the prospects of lucrative gains are also appealing. If you are interested to invest inside stock market and be productive all you’ll need to perform is get hold of a specialist stock trading system that will take the reins from your hands and guide you to earn appealing sums of income. In fact, this professional stock trading system will make your store exchanging account a real business venture that could make you smile and feel proud of having invested in it.
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Thus, from the above it is evident that all you need is a pro stock trading system which is exclusively designed to cater to all your investment buying and selling requirements. This stock trading system ensures that you receive the greatest transactions and you would no longer deter from investing from the risky and unpredictable stock market method. All you need to perform is invest time and go through the above videos to get the very best of training and share exchanging transaction deals with success!
How To Invest On The Stock Market
For those of us who have for long nurtured dreams of holding shares in a company the stock market is the perfect place to start. Investment is all about taking a sum of money and using it to generate more money. So the stock market has been targeted by a large number of investors who are either too busy or short of enough capital to start their own income generating scheme.
The key to a successful tenure on the stock market is being vigilant and careful when investing your money. It is very possible that a commodity that was $10 fell in value overnight to a despairing $2. So this very risky and volatile environment calls for a cautious approach. Don’t be in too much of a rush to make money, take your time and learn what it takes to make it big on Wall Street.
The simple realization that the market is unpredictable is a clear indication that you should start by investing small. Take your small savings and visit a stock broker who will tell you what shares to buy based on their trends. When you start like this you won’t be in the sort of panic that normally leads to premature failure, plus it is a quiet and simpler way of learning without losing a lot of money.
I recently read an article on stocks and shares that breathed a scintillating breath of life in me. It was about attaining a balance between household expenditure and stock investments. As a beginner you won’t have that much money to start off with and this can be dangerous if you don’t manage your expenses well. Look at your fixed income and make a budget of all monthly expenses. The excess money remaining behind is what you must invest to avoid being in financial doldrums.
Before we get into the nitty gritties of stock investment, I want to share something with you. Doing your research on the stock market and how it works is the best way to start a career on the stock exchange. Monthly and yearly reports of stock performances, magazines on the stock market and bestselling books are good sources of information to give you basics on how the stock market is handled.
At the present moment it is precious metals like gold and silver that are attracting the highest prices. The price of gold per oz rose from $950 to a whopping $1200 over the past couple of months. If I were to invest right now it would surely be in precious metals.
Nevertheless the rise of shares and stocks can be very misleading. This is the case with the price of oil that has been rising in a fashion similar to gold. But oil prices are more unstable owing to the fact that it’s availability is dependent on too many market forces like political instability and extreme speculative activities.
Nevertheless you must be careful of certain stock market investment options. Don’t be in a rush to invest in things like ETF’s and mutual funds.
