It’s Not A Bad Idea to Master the Basics First

Question:

I have a general question for you.  I am currently a student of Investools. I addition to trading various stocks options, I also want to focus on short term trades on the OEX and SPX (about 1-5 day period per trade).  Do you think that the timing system you use could be used in this arena especially the OEX? Do you think we could come up with various indicators to fine tune the entry and exits for this index using your site? 

 A little about whom I am so you know who you are emailing.  I am a pediatrician by training but currently at home raising my children.   I was introduced to trading about a year ago.  Until then I was financially illiterate, as many doctors are. I am a very quick learner and have accumulated so much knowledge this year that sometimes it astounds me how much life has changed.. I have three passions, and they are what I am wholly committed to.  These are my family, trading and eventually making a real positive change in this world.  Not only do I love to trade but also I see this as a means to give me the financial freedom to help a lot of people around the world and here who were in similar and worse situations that I have been in. 

I could totally relate to your introduction to the web site and will whole-heartedly join again.  Please let me know what you think about the OEX.  I know the warnings about options trading out there but I also know that anything is possible with the willingness to do whatever it takes. 

My Response:

Trading options can be much more lucrative, but of course comes much greater risk.  I personally don’t trade options, but rather choose to use margin in order to leverage and increase my potential reward.  I want to keep it as simple as possible at all times.  Believe me, you can make a substantial amount of money not messing with options and just leveraging with margin at the right times.  Unless you are highly experienced in reading charts, I would absolutely avoid short term trading of options.
Here are my thoughts on the path to learning trading:
 
1. Learn and experience consistent success buying and selling stocks using the weekly, daily and intraday charts
2.  Once you have had success making money on the long side, begin to develop a short strategy in order to profit in a declining market as well (it actually takes some time and a shift in mind set to always be thinking about both sides of the market).  While looking for characteristics that are the opposite of long positions (such as big sell volume, taking out support levels/turning away from resistance), it will take some time to locate and initiate good shorts
3.  Begin to leverage with margin when the time is right
4. Increase profit potential with highly leveraged day trades
5. Begin exploring the use of options
 
Anu, if you really want to trade options out of the gate please paper trade for at least several months.. although paper trading does NOT give you an accurate feel for the emotions of fear and greed that come into play when trading with real money.
 
Thanks for sharing a bit about you.. I wish more members would take the time to do that!  Raising children is a tough job, but you’re in an enviable position of being able to watch the market at certain times of the day.  You can have success while trading and having a full time job, but its certainly better to be able to dedicate your time to the market from 6AM to 1PM.  Your long term goals are admirable and I will do everything I can to help you reach those goals.  Just one I ask: please be patient 🙂  I see to many people thinking they can get rich in a year.  Sure its very possible to in a roaring market to double your money in just a couple months, but there times like right now where you need to be especially patient.
 
I look forward to working with you and hearing about your progression.  I have a few members here who have been with me since day 1 and are experiencing consistent success after several years of trying to make it work.  One member was about to give up trading for good (at his wife’s and probably accountants’ advice) before becoming a member.  Last I heard he was setting personal records and making consistent money!

Member Response:

I look forward to a very long and prosperous journey together.  I think one of the key ingredients for success is surrounding oneself with quality people. I am glad to have you on this path. 

Investools is an expensive course.  However over the last 10 months I have learned and grown more then the monetary commitment I made.  Yes, options comes with many risks and rewards.  The key here is to immerse in the study.  I usually get up around 4-5 am and read and study before the markets open and during the day.  Once my children and husband are asleep I spend another 3 hours or so learning.   I have paper traded and continue to do so.  However, as you said the real challenge of a great trader is to be able to conquer oneself.  I think that is harder to do in the paper account as you can always press the reset button.  I have and continue to trade real money with the up most confidence that with time and effort we can arrive at a system that fits my personality and is profitable.  When I first started trading, the first two months I had about a 20% return a month.  However, after the May 10 Bernake meeting, the markets have been a lot harder to decipher and I have lost significantly.  I am however not daunted although I must admit there were several of those “What in the world am I doing” moments”. 

As far as the experience at Investools, it has really been incredible.  Although I must say you get out only what you put in.  I also find that in the world of trading as in medicine there seems to be a degree of competition between traders that results in a lack of “full disclosure” about techniques.  I love technical trading and am in the process of reviewing the various indicators i.e. MACD/ Stochastics, moving averages and such to see which combination works best to give reliable signals for the indexes especially the OEX and SPX.  You know, perhaps part of the love is that technical trading is so intellectually stimulating and challenging. 

I will look carefully at your recommendations. I still shake my head at amazement that you would take the time to be so through with someone you don’t really know yet.  The ideas of support and resistance, breakouts with volume, support bounce trades and price pattern recognition and candlestick formations are only some of the things I am learning.  When I look at the charts you present there seems to be a lot of similarities what you are looking for to enter a trade.  I would love to discuss these with you as the journey proceeds. 

 And, yes I will be patient. I look forward to keeping up this dialogue.   

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