Archive for the 'Tools' Category

Do the hustle…I mean math

So how do you trade these numbers? Initial Claims for this week is 357,000…which is 2,000 more than the expected 355,000. Based on last week’s IC of 359,000, traders were looking for a decrease of 4,000 claims. Not much, but going in the right direction. But (there’s always a but…) last week’s claims were revised upward (aren’t they always?) to 363,000. So is the “expected” number based on published numbers (-4k) or revised numbers (-8k)?

Now then, we reduced claims by 2000 based on last week’s numbers or 6000 based on revised numbers. Last week’s published numbers are bogus. Either way, expectations were not met. we either missed the expected number by 2000 or 6000 depending on which numbers you use. Glad I took all those geometry, trigonometry and calculus courses in college! 8O

Freebie from a guest

First of all I want to thank you for having me as a guest today!

There are plenty of people out there that create “exclusive email courses” with little or no credentials to actually backup their teachings. So, I think it’s right that I share a little bit about myself with you before we even start.

I was a former floor trader on the IMM, IOM, NYFE and LIFFE as well as a risk manager of a large, multinational corporation in Geneva, Switzerland. I also have written books on forex trading and trend following. In 1995, I founded INO.com and later co-founded MarketClub. I’ve been in the trading biz for over three Free Email Coursedecades and have seen it all. I created this course as a way to give back and share trading tips and techniques that I still use in my trading today.

Email Trading Course

In my Free Mini Email Course, I will show and explain the tools and strategies you need to increase your success rate in the marketplace.

  1. The importance of psychology in price movement
  2. How to spot mega trends
  3. Understanding of technical price objectives
  4. How to picture price objectives
  5. How to trade with moving averages
  6. How to use point and figure trading techniques
  7. How to use the RSI indicator
  8. How to correctly use stochastics in your trading
  9. How to use the ADX indicator to capture trends
  10. How to capitalize on natural market cycles.

Plus, you will learn all about fibonacci retracements, MACD, Bollinger Bands and much more.

Just fill out the form and we’ll get you started right away.

Get it here! Email Trading Course

Every success,
Adam Hewison
President, INO.com & Co-Creator, MarketClub

Tech / Geek / Nerd stuff

Since WTFtrading.com launched back in January 2008, I’ve learned a lot about software, hardware, programming, customer support and the list goes on and on and on. I have also come to realize that my site is becoming painfully harder to manage and update. It’s not because I don’t have the time or skills, but because when I first started building the site I didn’t plan anything. Images and text where thrown into one folder and some in another, pages where on the root and others in folders 2 or 3 deep. And then, I moved the entire site from its birth site to its own domain name.

A page addition or update that should only take minutes was easily taking an hour or more. So I have decided to redesign the entire site, front to back, top to bottom. I have already begun researching other web sites for style and functional design, looking over templates and learning even more about programming in C# and ASP.Net, and also looking at some content management systems (CMS).

I want the new site to have not only a new look and feel, but a complete overhaul of the directory structure and coding. It will probably be a while before I launch the new site. I want to make sure that I get everything 100% this time before launch.

I just wanted to get this out there, because now that I have told everyone, I will need to follow through and git ‘er done! Until then I will continue working and posting to this site. Please let me know your likes, dislikes and thoughts. Happy trading!

My friend Ben

Wasn’t that nice of him to float a QE3 bost? The markets sure liked it…for a while. And look at those commodities. Gold bugs are looking at 1600 now.

And again there is a selloff into the close. I’ve learned my lesson…go light during OpEx! Be careful out there and happy trading.

P.S. Hoping you’re getting to the site alright….having a few issues and don’t know if it’s the website or the ISP.

No work!

Just noticed that my blog posts have not been updating my Facebook page since the beginning of May. Geez, shows you how often I visit my own Facebook page, duh!

Anyways…today was a downer day in the market, as the Non-farm payroll report was awful, no ugly, no decimating, or whatever. Indexes gapped down and stayed down. But, near the end of the day, the bulls appeared and started buying, cutting the morning loss in half. Looking good for Monday, especially if Potus and Congress work out a deal on debt.

Have a great weekend!

A nothing day….

…unless of course you’re Casey Anthony! But stocks were stuck in a narrow range on low volume. Was this just another summer day? After all was said and done, some indexes closed up and others closed down, a mixed bag but all around breakeven.

During these slow times I like to play with EasyLanguage in Tradestation and explore indicators and strategies. This summer I’m taking my favorite indicators and creating startegies and then backtesting on different timeframes. Very eye-opening! Besides learning more about programming, I find out a lot about my indicators….like they might not be all I thought they were. Still experimenting, but I’m looking into changing my trading plan! I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks for reading and good luck tomorrow!

Give a little, take a lot

Oil gave back a little of its recent rise, and stocks moved up triple digits. Does anyone question that trading is about psychology?

For the past two weeks the down volume has been much greater than the up volume. Hmmm.

Lots of hardware and Internet issues for me this week. Sems like everytime I get on line, either my computer croaks or the cable pukes. Lord help me! :cry:

A new beginning

As my first post of 2011, I want to make sure to thank all of you, the readers of this blog, especially those that comment or email me their own thoughts and questions. You make me think and I thank you for that. It makes me a better trader and a better person.

Also all the followers of @WhatTheTrading on Twitter and StockTwits…thank you. Everybody at both of these venues give me trading ideas and again, make me think.

In 2010 I experienced my worst, in terms of dollars lost, month ever…October. I also experienced my best month ever …November! It was strange that my worst was followed by my best. I want to think I paid attention to some lessons that were taught to me in October that would make for such a good November :D

And it’s learning from the failures I experienced in 2010 that will help me in 2011. No matter how much money you make, there is always something you can improve to make your trading better, easier, or more lucrative. Today and tomorrow, please review your trading plan, review your trading diary/log and jot down a few points you’re going to work on this year. What! No plan? No diary? Shame on you! Get moving on those before you buy another stock, option, or future contract.

Geeky stuff

I had a few questions about computers so I thought I’d use links for my answers. First, here’s some interesting reading: The incredible growth of the Internet since 2000.

Several questions on RAID configuration for hard drives: RAID from Wikipedia.

And even more confusing than storage is video cards: Dual or Multi-Monitor Desktop Computer for Stock Trading and monitors: How to Choose an LCD Monitor for Stock Trading.

And here’s another implementation of trying to explain the computer to traders: How To Choose a Stock Trading Computer.

Hope these help and keep the questions coming!

Trading computer

Finally added some information on my new trading computer. Look under the “Tools” section. I’ve provided links to detailed information from the manufacturers of all the ingredients….I guess Parts List would be the correct way to describe them. There’s also some pictures. Any questions? Just ask!