There is only one way to avoid losing trades: Quit trading. If you want to keep trading then you will have many losing trades on your path to profits. Learn to accept them and not emotionally over react to any one losing trade. Here is how I do it: 10 Reasons I Do Not

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In the past few years I have been on social media I have had the privilege of  interacting with many great traders. Some communication has been through facebook messages, some through my trading group, others on twitter. Here are the traders that I have witnessed make profitable trades on a consistent basis through

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Many of the new traders that leave the markets with a bad experience are the ones that could never grasp the concept of reacting to what is currently happening in the markets versus their desire to know what is going to happen. The new traders that look for gurus to predict the future,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Many new traders deceive themselves. They celebrate small wins. They look for the magic solution to making money through a fail safe system. They believe a seminar or newsletter will change their life completely. The mistake trading for easy money and coaches and gurus for having that secret recipe for success. Well, there is

Ten Benefits of Trading the S&P 500 Index: You do not have to diversify with multiple stocks for equity exposure, the index is already diversified. The risk of any one stock having something catastrophic happen will not really hurt your trade. No one stock has more than a 3% weighting.  The S&P 500 is much

Last week Thursday rocked the bulls hitting stops and making everyone think that was the yearly top, it ended up running the full trading range breaking from a new all time high and falling all the way back to the 20 day but holding. Then Friday it moved wildly after the payroll report in the

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Many championship sports team became champions by building the best defenses in their league. Why focus on defense? Why not focus on scoring points and offense? In sports I believe it is much easier to avoid your opponent from scoring in the first place than to have to play catch up. If a defense

  Today the equity marking had some of the nastiest action of 2013. While there has been many signs of bulls horns slowly cracking, today was a real trend changer, and it was fast. $SPY crashed from an attempt to break all time highs to finding support at the 20 day line in one day.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      A trading method and system is only a small part of successful trading. The trader is the weakest part of any method. No trading system will work if the trader trades too big and too often because eventually being wrong will be the end of that trading account. A great trading system will

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                New traders make the mistake of focusing far too much energy and effort into entries. Entries do have to be good to give the trader the potential for a profit. Preferable risking $1 to make $3 and at the point where maybe a trend is starting. However the entry is really not the most

In looking back at my historical trading results my big winning trades that I have banked and held on to were longer term trades. Even with trading weekly options the ones I was able to hold for almost a week or at least roll the profits over throughout the week were where my big returns

 I sold my long positions Thursday as the market started to signal toppiness right on cue at the $SPY 70+ RSI  and I am currently just in cash waiting and watching for what happens next. Lots of cracks in the bull horns forming in equities and we may see some consolidation at these levels and

            Whenever somebody says “we’re in the business of making money,” make sure they also say “we’re in the business of managing risk.” — Michael A. Gayed,CFA (@pensionpartners) November 1, 2013   When it comes to the stock market, apparently money grows on QEes. — Michael A. Gayed,CFA (@pensionpartners) October