A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Stock Market

On the 40 year journey through the turmoil of a volatile stock market I've noticed "P/E Ratios," "Consensus Estimates," " Bull and Bear Markets," stock ratings of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, star ratings of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Also, stock ratings of "buy," "strong buy," "sell," "hold;" stock rankings of "market perform," "market outperform," "market underperform," "market underweight," "market overweight," "market equalweight," and "market neutral."

And there's more! The 40 year journey includes as well terms like "Relative Strength Indexes (RSI)," "Bollinger Bands," 10, 20, 50 and 200 day "moving averages," "short and long positions," charting services, margin accounts, point and figure charting.

Whew! Let's see, "butterfly spreads," "option calls and puts," "triple bottom and tops," "head and shoulder formations," "pennants," "flags," "cup and saucer formations," "wedges," "necklines," "ascending triangles," and a partridge in a pear tree.

Never has so much been written that has so little meaning for the long-term, dollar-cost-averaging, buying investor of company shares that have a historical record of raising their dividends year after year after year.

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." - William James

There is really only one word that insures successful investing in the stock market, and for that matter, success for any endeavor, and that one word or option or rating is "desire."

The desire to be a success is a force that will negate all the "charts," " ratings," "consensus estimates," "P/E ratios," "moving averages," "ascending triangles," and, even a partridge in a pear tree.

To read the PREFACE from the book 'The Stockopoly Plan- Investing for Retirement' visit: http://www.thestockopolyplan.com

By Charles M. O'Melia

Trade Stocks for Real

I read a comment by a forum member on another site earlier today that suggested that every investor should back test their system for at least twenty years. I disagree and will now tell you why. Back testing and paper trading seem to be the most over emphasized techniques offered by market theorists, educational elite, market novices and/or market fakes. While learning the pure basics, I can see why a novice investor may want to paper trade; to see the results of the developing system but I will warn that these results are completely false. The results will not contain the emotional decisions that go along with risking your own cash. Anyone and I mean anyone can paper trade successfully. It's simple, place a trade and hope it goes up and if it doesn't, you have no worries because you can't lose. The emotional imbalance that occurs when you really start to lose money is not present. Don't fool yourself by believing the results of your paper trading or virtual simulation portfolio. These things may give you some confidence in your system but they don't prove a damn thing in the real world. The real world, specifically the stock market, is run by emotional human beings. People make decisions that are irrational and base their trading decisions on fear and greed. Paper trading lacks fear and greed because there is no gain and no loss; therefore there is no consequence to deal with.

Don't worry about back testing for 20 years because historical back testing is never very accurate. The most accurate testing is real time. If you can back test real trades (actual trades that you have made in the past), then this would be just as good as real time testing (or forward testing). Back testing can get you somewhat of an idea of how your system will perform but there is no emotional attachments to this type of testing so it is not realistically accurate. We all know emotions are tied to our decisions in the markets so we can only get accurate results through real testing. Learn to ignore the talking heads and the people on TV and that internet chat room that claim they are up over 1000% trading a fake account. What really makes me laugh is the person that sets up a virtual trading scenario and then allows each participant to trade $500,000 or more in their account. If you are going to trade a fake account, at least keep it real so you try to learn something, maybe money management.

I setup one virtual trading competition a few years back and I only allowed each participant to start with $10,000, a reasonable amount, an amount that most people start trading with. The competition was fun but it was not real for me or the others. I didn't care what risks I took and I never had a problem pulling the trigger which does happen in real life. I did try to keep my trades in line with my real life account but it varied slightly. I witnessed other traders making 20 trades per day or 20-50 trades per week. This is not real because the commissions alone, even with a discount broker will wipe you out. I did allow margin because I use margin in my account but I saw other investors abusing the fake power of margin in their virtual account, again, playing the game for fun instead of learning something valuable. As a fellow investor, keep testing your system in real time and you will know what works and what doesn't based on real trades, not simulations. Professors and the like teach theories while investors actually do the trading! Back testing may convince some people but I am only convinced with what works now, in real time. Besides, why would I waste my time playing for fake money when I can learn and do for real? Back testing may be good for some people but I have been testing my systems in real time since the day I started investing seriously. Currently, I am testing the $60-$100 theory using options in my newest account. I will not have concrete data on this system for another year or two, most likely two years down the road. I could back test the system but how will that help me realistically going forward? It won't, it may show me some probabilities and the possible expectancy of the system but it won't guarantee anything until I place a position for real.

If you want to test a system, open an account with real money, even a minimal amount and give it a try. Make sure you use enough money to allow emotions to be attached to your decisions. Without the emotional attachment, you are cheating yourself and your potential system.

By Chris Perruna

The Problem With Hedge Funds

Are hedge funds a suitable investment for you? Hedge funds are an appropriate investment for qualified purchasers with a net worth above one million dollars and an annual income exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Purchasers are often required to sign an acknowledgement confirming their qualifications to invest in hedge funds. However, just because one is qualified to invest in a hedge fund doesn't necessarily mean they should do so. There is a major problem with this type of investment. Oftentimes, the risk associated with the fund is misrepresented, leading to investors being misguided into skewing their qualifications.

The term "hedge fund" is a generic term used to describe many unique investments. Put simply, the phrase is derived from the purpose - hedging the risk of investing. Hedge funds provide lower long-term returns in exchange for less volatility. The form of investment is not new, but their popularity certainly is. The newfound popularity of hedge funds has left many investors wondering what they are all about.

To shed a little light on a decidedly illusive investment tool, a quick run down is necessary. A hedge fund is typically a privately organized pooled investment fund, predominately invested in publicly traded securities. They are normally created as limited partnerships, consisting of one general partner and up to one hundred limited partners. The general partner usually receives a management fee and 10-20% of the profits from the fund. The success or failure of a hedge fund is often dependant on the competency of the fund manager, since they are more aggressively managed and traded than traditional mutual funds.

It should be noted that hedge funds have a higher failure rate than traditional funds. Numerous hedge funds fail by the second or third year of operation. Also, hedge funds are less transparent than traditional funds because some hedge fund managers do not reveal the securities they hold, or the extent to which they are leveraged. Hedge funds may have a higher turnover rate and be less tax efficient than traditional funds.

Along with the aforementioned downfalls associated with hedge funds, several more negatives should be noted. The management and performance incentive fees charged by the hedge fund manager, together with the trading costs and administrative fees can quickly add up, making B share mutual funds seem like a bargain. As stated earlier, only "qualified" purchasers are eligible to invest in hedge funds, leaving many would-be investors out in the cold. And liquidity, if available, is limited to quarterly release, and even then, investors are left at the mercy of the hedge fund manager.

The bottom line is, when dealing with hedge funds, get educated about your investment before jumping in. Discuss the option, both pros and cons, with your dealer, and know what you are getting into.

Is the Stock Market for You?

Many people would like to diversify their portfolios to expand their holdings. Making it big in the stock market has been a dream for many people who want to strike it rich. Many movies and books have been made portraying the ins and outs of the stock market, for some, dealing with the stock market can be very complex and complicated. There are many things needed to be understood and learned. In this article, a short overview will be provided to better understand the stock market and see the stock market is an option you would like to try.

When the stock market is concerned, you will hear terms such as stock options, stock index futures, convertibles and such. This could be quite confusing to the greenhorn but for some this is what they breathe day in and day out. To begin with, the stock market is the venue where publicly open company stocks are traded, bought and sold. The term stock market deals with all the stocks being traded all over the world. Most countries have their own stock market where in they deal with the financial instruments their country has. For example, in the United States, there is the NYSE, NASDAQ and Amex stock. Large companies though have been known to be traded in many places.

From the start, stock markets could be traded on the "trading floors" of a stock exchange where people would shout their tradings. As the market grew larger with more companies going public and with the availability of the internet, the stock market tradings can be done electronically online. Here, the prices of the shares of each company can be seen if any changes happen real time. All business dealings with the stock exchange and the brokers can be done even if they are not on the floors of the stock exchange.

Anyone can invest in the stock market. Before, individuals such as businessmen and people with money to invest dominated the stock market investors, now, large corporations and companies have become buyers and sellers. These "institutional" investors have increased the stock market making it a very good investment. Takeovers and merges have been a deciding factor in the rise and fall of the stock prices for these companies. Generally, investors can buy shares of the companies that have been opened to the public for trading. These shares represent a portion of the company and investors are called stockholders. These means that they own part of the company. The prices are determined by the growth of the company and their profits and success or by its losses as well. The movements of the prices of the stocks of company can be seen on stock market indices. Stock markets have stock market indices to provide that all important information of the price movement to the brokers and the investors.

Many people consider the stock market to be a very risky venture. As the prices drop and rise, your investment is on a roller coaster ride. There is no guarantee that the value of your stocks will go up. This is especially on cases stocks of companies that are just starting, but with the higher risk comes the bigger payoff. If the company makes it big you make a big profit. Stocks for starting companies are low and when it becomes a success, the prices will rise up. Large and well established companies and corporations have better chances with having their stocks growing.

Seasoned traders use many methods of analysis to see the trend of the growth of the company and their valuation. This way they can predict if the price of the stocks will go down or up. This movement of the price will determine whether they want to buy or sell the stock of a certain company. This will also determine the dividends the stock will pay. Dividends are the payment each stockholder receives from the profit of the company where he has invested in. Every year, the net profit of the company is divided among the shares of stocks existing.

While the stock market can be a bit intimidating, it is also a good place to invest your money. Like any business, the risk is always present. But with a good stockbroker, the stock market can be very profitable.

Are You A Stockaholic?

Today's society gives special recognition to alcoholics, sexaholics, binge-aholics, shopaholics, chocaholics and other "-aholics". What about stockaholics? Stockaholics are people who are overly obsessive about their stock market investments.

As approximately 50% of U.S. households directly or indirectly invest in the stock market, it is likely that there already exists a goodly number of undiagnosed stockaholics.

Are you a stockaholic?

To find out if you are a stockaholic answer Yes or No to the 10 short questions below ...

1. do you check your stocks every day?

2. are you depressed on weekends, because the market is not open?

3. do you hate to go away on vacation because you will be out of touch with the market?

4. do you subscribe to more than 3 financial publications?

5. do you dream about stocks?

6. do you daydream about making a killing in the stock market?

7. do you think your stock broker is your best friend?

8. have you tried different stock market strategies, only to find out they didn't work?

9. do you wish you could consistently beat the market?

10. do you wish you could make more money in the stock market?

If you answered yes to all or most of the questions you are a stockaholic ... or a very good investor. If stocks are interfering with your ability to enjoy life ... or if you are not making enough money in the stock market ... get help.

By Alan Korber

What the Hell is a Stock option?

A 'stock option' is a contract between two parties giving the buyer (also known as the 'taker') the right, but not the obligation, to either buy or sell a specific quantity of shares at a pre-agreed price (known as the 'strike price' or 'exercise price') by a certain future 'expiry' date. There are two different types of options that can be traded, known as 'call options' and 'put options'.

For an option contract to be traded there must be both a 'buyer' and a 'seller' involved in the transaction. The buyer pays an upfront amount; known as the 'premium', to the option seller (the seller is also often referred to as the 'writer' of the option contract). In the Australian market, each option contract typically covers 1,000 of the underlying shares and the premium is expressed as a specific number of cents per share.

Buying Call Options:

A Buyer of Calls aims to profit by a rising stock price, as they have locked in a "purchase" price at which they can buy the underlying shares at whenever they wish up until the expiry date.

Selling Call Options:
A Seller of Calls is committed to selling the underlying shares at a pre-agreed price, no matter how high they might get. In exchange for this potential obligation, they receive an upfront premium.

Buying Put Options:
A Buyer of Puts can profit by a decreasing stock price, as they have locked in a "selling" price at which they can sell the underlying shares up until the expiry date.

Selling Put Options:
A Seller of Puts is committed to buying shares at a pre-agreed price, no matter how low they might get. In exchange for this obligation, they receive an upfront premium.

OK now for some examples to show you a few basic ways of buying and selling put and call options:

So let's say you've found a share that you think will increase in price and think you can make a profit if you are right. Rather than buy the actual shares, you might decide to purchase some Call Options. This will enable you to spend much less capital but can still get the benefit from the rise in the share price.

Maybe you own 1,000 shares in a company and the share price appears to be flat and going nowhere, so you decide to sell a Call Option against those shares. This will earn you a premium income. This way, even if the shares are right where they started when the Expiry Date comes along, you've made a small amount of money.

Your share has gone though a recent rise and the share price seems to have flattened out and you are now concerned that your share price might fall. You decide to purchase some Put Options, knowing that if the shares do fall, you've locked in a selling price and now have a form of "insurance" on your shares to protect you from losing too much.

There's a share you'd be happy to own, but only if it was at a lower in price, so you decide to sell some Put Options at a Strike Price just below the current market price and you'll receive a premium upfront. When the Expiry Date comes along, if the share is above the Strike Price you won't have to buy the stock and will be able to retain the premium. If the share is under your Strike Price, you'll be Exercised and hence forced to buy the shares at the pre-agreed price.

Here a list of some important terms which you will find are regularly used when referring to options:

All Ordinaries Index:
The main Australian stock market price index which tracks the change in the Total market value of a range of stocks.

Ask/Ask Price:
The price a trader or market maker is willing to accept for selling a stock or option. Also referred to as the offer price.

Assignment:
When an option holder exercises the contract an option writer is selected to fulfill the obligation. The option writer is required to sell (in the case of a call) or purchase (in the case of a put) the underlying stock at the specified strike price.

At-Market or At-the-Market:
An order to buy or sell a stock or option at the current market price. Also referred to as a Market Order.

At-the-Money (ATM): An option whose strike price is equal to (or close to) the current price of the underlying stock.

At-the-Opening Order:
A market order that requires it to be executed at the opening of the market or of the trading of the security or else it is cancelled.

ATR Stop:
A stop set to activate if price drops a multiple of its Average True Range.

Australian Stock Exchange (ASX): Six Australian trading floors are linked through the Stock Exchange Automated Trading Systems (SEATS). Administrative headquarters are in Sydney.

Avoidable Risk: Risk items that can be eliminated through management. Bearish Someone is said to be a bear or be bearish if they think a stock or the market is going to trend down over a particular time frame. Also a negative or pessimistic outlook.

Bear Market: A declining stock market, usually over a prolonged period. Also, a market in which prices of a certain group of stocks are falling or are expected to fall.

Bear (or Bearish) Spread:
One of a variety of strategies involving two or more options (or options combined with a position in the underlying stock) that will profit from a fall in the price of the underlying stock.

Bear Call Spread:
The simultaneous writing of one call option with a lower strike price and the purchase of another call option with a higher strike price.

Bear Put Spread:
The simultaneous purchase of one put option with a higher strike price and the writing of another put option with a lower strike price.

Bid/Ask Quotation:
The latest bid and ask prices for a stock or option contract.

Bid/Ask Spread:
The difference in price between the latest available bid and ask quotations.

Bid Price:
The highest price a potential buyer or market maker is willing to pay for a particular stock or option.

Blue Chip Stock:
A term derived from poker where blue chips held the most value. Blue chips in the stock market are those stocks that have the most market capitalization.

Broker:
An individual or firm who is paid a commission for executing stock market orders on behalf of their customers. A broker at a brokerage firm deals directly with customers. A floor broker on the trading floor of an exchange actually executes someone else's trading orders.

Brokerage:
The commission brokers charge for executing stock market orders. Based on either a schedule of rates or a percentage basis.

Bullish:
Someone is said to be a bull or be bullish if they think a stock or the market is going to trend up over a particular time frame. Also a positive or optimistic outlook.

Bull Market:
A rising stock market, usually over a prolonged period. Also, a market in which prices of a certain group of stocks are rising or are expected to rise.

Bull (or Bullish) Spread:
One of a variety of strategies involving two or more options (or options combined with an underlying stock position) that will profit from a rise in the price of the underlying stock.

Bull Call Spread:
The simultaneous purchase of one call option with a lower strike price and the writing of another call option with a higher strike price.

Bull Put Spread:
The simultaneous writing of one put option with a higher strike price and the purchase of another put option with a lower strike price.

Buyer:
If you purchase an option contract, regardless of whether you are opening or closing a position, you are a buyer.

Buy-Write:
A covered call position in which stock is purchased and an equivalent number of calls written at the same time. This position may be transacted as a spread order, with both sides (buying stock and writing calls) being executed simultaneously. Refer also Covered Call.

Call Option:
A contract that gives the holder of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy a certain quantity of shares of an underlying stock from the seller or writer of the option at a specific price (strike price) up to a specified date(expiration). For the writer of a call option, the contract represents an obligation to sell the underlying stock if the option is assigned.

Contract:
A call or put option issued by the OCC.

Contract Size:
The amount of the underlying stock covered by the options contract. One stock option contract consists of 100 shares (USA) or 1000 (Australia and UK) - unless adjusted for a special circumstance like a stock split or a stock dividend.

Cover:
To close out an open position. This term is used most frequently to describe the purchase of an option or stock to close out an existing short position.

Covered Call:
The selling or writing of a call option while holding the underlying stock. By receiving a premium, the writer seeks to gain additional return on the underlying stock or gain some element of protection from a decline in the value of that underlying stock.

Covered Cash-Secured Put:
An option strategy in which a put option is written against a sufficient amount of cash (or T-bills) to pay for the stock purchase if the short option is assigned.

Covered Combination:
An option strategy in which a call and a put with the same expiration, but different strike prices, are written against the underlying stock. In reality, this is not a fully covered strategy because assignment on the short put would require purchase of additional stock.

Covered Option:
An open short option position that is fully offset by a corresponding stock or option position. That is, a covered call could be offset by long stock or a long call, while a covered put could be offset by a long put or a short stock position. This insures that if the owner of the option exercises, the writer of the option will not have a problem fulfilling the delivery requirements.

Credit spread:
A spread strategy that increases the account's cash balance when it is established. A bull spread with puts and a bear spread with calls are examples of credit spreads.

Debit Spread:
An option spread strategy that decreases the account's cash balance when it is established. A bull spread with calls and a bear spread with puts are examples of debit spreads.

Decay:
A term used to describe how the theoretical value of an option erodes or reduces with the passage of time. Time decay is specifically quantified by theta.

Diagonal Spread:
A strategy involving the simultaneous purchase and writing of two options of the same type that have different strike prices and different expiration dates.

Downside:
The potential for prices to move down. Also, the potential risk one takes with directional trading.

Exchange Traded Options (ETOs):
Options issued by stock exchanges, not companies. Derived from stocks.

Exercise:
To exercise an option contract by buying (in the case of a call) or selling (in the case of a put) the underlying stock at the Strike Price.

Exercise Price:
The price at which you may buy the underlying stock, if you hold a call, or sell the underlying stock, if you hold a put. Also referred to as the strike price.

Expiration:
Last day on which an option can be traded. The date after which an option is no longer valid and you can no longer exercise it.

Extrinsic Value:
The price of an option less its intrinsic value. Same as time value.

In-the-Money (ITM):
If you were to exercise an option and it would generate a profit, it is known as being in-the-money. In other words it has intrinsic value. A call option is ITM if the strike price is less than the current price of the underlying stock. Puts are ITM when the strike price is above the current stock price.

Intrinsic Value:
The value of an option if it were to expire immediately. OTM and ATM options have no intrinsic value. For ITM options, the intrinsic value is the difference between the strike price and the current stock price.

Leverage:
Using a smaller amount of money to control an investment of greater value. For example, options provide greater leverage than shares.

Liquidity / Liquid Market:
A trading environment characterized by high trading volume, a narrow spread between the bid and ask prices, and the ability to trade larger sized orders without significant price changes. Liquidity in stocks is measured by trading volume and in options is measured by what is known as open interest.

Margin:
When you purchase stock through your broker you can do so using cash or margin. Most brokers offer a margin facility where you only have to put up a portion of the cash required (typically 50%). The balance of the funds are borrowed from the broker.

Margin Account:
A traders account in which a brokerage firm lends the customer part of the purchase price of securities.

Margin Call:
If the price of stock that a trader has bought falls below a set proportion of the initial cash investment (for example 75%) they will receive a margin call. The trader is then required to either deposit additional funds into their account or sell some shares to cover the shortfall.

Margin Requirement:
The minimum equity required to support a position where margin is used.

Market Depth:
A summary of current bids and ask prices on a particular stock or option. An indication of liquidity.

Market-Maker:
An exchange member on the trading floor who buys and sells stocks or options for his or her own account and who has the responsibility of making bids and offers and maintaining a fair and orderly market.

Money Management:
Strategies used to ensure a trader's survival and profitability. Key elements are (a) capital preservation; (b) cutting losses; and (c) taking profits.

Naked Call:
The writer of the option does not hold the shares of the underlying stock represented by the option.

Naked Option:
A short option position that is not fully covered if notification of assignment is received.

Naked Put:
Writer of a put option not short the underlying stock. Out-of-the-Money (OTM) An option whose exercise price has no intrinsic value is know as out-of-the money. A call option is OTM if its strike price is above the current stock price. Puts are OTM when the strike price is below the stock price.

Paper Trading:
Simulated trading but without putting money into the market.

Premium: Price a buyer pays to an option writer for granting an option contract.

Rolling: A trading action in which the trader simultaneously closes an open option position and creates a new option position at a different strike price, different expiration, or both. Variations of this include rolling up, rolling down, rolling out and diagonal rolling.

Share:
One unit of ownership of stock.

Spread:
An options strategy where you hold two or more simultaneous positions. Also refer to Bid-Ask Spread.

Spread Rolls:
Using a spread order to bridge the closing of one position and the establishment of a new one.

Stocks:
Units of ownership of public companies.

Time Decay:
The decline in value of an option as the expiration date approaches.

Time Spread:
An option strategy which involves the purchase of a longer-term option (call or put) and the writing of an equal number of nearer-term options of the same type and strike price. Also known as a calendar or horizontal spread.

Unavoidable Risk:
Risk items that cannot be eliminated but can still be managed.

This is just an introduction to world of exchanged traded options and I hope this may have sparked an interest inside you to explore the world further.

By Raymond Heye

Hot Stock Investing ... How to Pick Hot Stocks with Momentum Stock Trading

Profitable day traders recognize that momentum trading is among the fastest & most effective ways to harvest BIG piles of cash in the stock market.

The problem is that if you don't know what stocks to look for and how to approach them while limiting your risk, you won't even get close to making some profits.

You don't necessarily have to trade momentum hot stocks all the time. But you can learn how to take advantage of them when you encounter the best opportunities while at the same time limiting your risk.

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On Line Stock Trading: Small Cap & Micro Stocks Go Up and Down - How Can You Profit?

Success in small cap & micro cap stock trading like with any other business in life comes from being able to see the big picture and from paying attention to the small details.

Let's say for example that you are a business owner and you have a jewelry store on a given street just like the guy in the other corner does, but still the other guy is making 5 times more profits than you are only because he's doing something different. He knows something that you still don't and that's what makes him more profitable.

The funny thing about this kind of situation is that you could be just a small distance away from being as successful as he is.

We know that day trading small cap stocks with momentum is not the only way to make money in the stock market. But it can be the fastest way when you do it right.

We also understand that a lot of people shy away from short term momentum trading and think that only a few traders can profit from it. It's true. Only those short term traders with proven knowledge have the ability to profit consistently when stocks go up or down.

You don't necessarily have to trade small cap stocks with positive or negative momentum all the time. But you can learn how to take advantage of them when you encounter with the best opportunities and at the same time limit your risk.

So, What is This Stock Market Thing Anyway?

We've all heard of the stock market and probably have a general idea of what it is and how it works either from high school economics classes, television financial reports, and the countless film depictions of what happens on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. But how does it really work and what is meant by "playing the stock market?"

The Stock Market in a Nutshell

Companies sell shares of stock as a means of raising capital. For example, let's say that the XYZ corporation, makers of the finest whatsidoos and thingamabobs in the country, wants to open a new factory. Doing so will require a hundred million dollars. The company can get a loan from a bank, but it would wind up in debt. So, instead of borrowing, it decides to offer additional shares of stock. As investors purchase the stock they are giving the company the capital it needs to do business. In return the stockholders actually own a part of the company and have some say in its activities. If XYZ does well in the thingamabob market, its stock will raise in value as more people will want to have a piece of XYZ for themselves. If it doesn't do so well (maybe it gets undersold by the Ichi Nee company, a Japanese conglomerate that has found a way to make smaller, cheaper thingamabobs), less investors will buy the stock, current stockholders may try to sell, and the value of the stock drops. The price of individual stocks will rise and fall several times a day. The price for a certain stock you may see on the evening news for any particular company represents where the stock was valued at the end of the business day. It will also tell you whether that price rose or fell from the previous day. It can be enough to make an investor tear his hair out. Didn't you ever wonder why nearly all economists are bald?

"Playing" the Stock Market

You may have heard people refer to "playing" the stock market as if it were all a big game of Monopoly. This is an adequate term because that's exactly what some people do, but the game is more like Roulette - sometimes of the Russian variety. People who "play" the market typically invest for short periods of time in the hopes to get a quick return. They will buy some stock, wait fro the price to go up, then sell right away and invest in another stock and await the next profit. They may do this several times a day in some cases as prices fluctuate. This can be a very risky way to behave because a lot of money can be lost, but a lot can be earned as well. It's almost like a trip to Vegas without Wayne Newton.

by Mika Hamilton

Choosing a Stock Broker

If you were to find that you had some severe illness that required surgery, would you attempt to perform that surgery upon yourself? What if your car broke down and needed a valve job? Would you get out the Craftsman tool set you got for Christmas three years ago and start tinkering under the hood even though you know absolutely nothing about engines? Of course you wouldn't do either of these things because there are times in life when we know we must seek the assistance of a professional. So why is it that so many people try to make their own investment decisions without consulting a professional stock broker?

A stock broker is a trained financial professional who knows how to watch the trends of the stock market, is kept up to date on financial developments by her brokerage firm, and knows how to make wise and sound investment decisions. When you work with a stock broker you have the benefit of not only the broker's personal experience and expertise, but that of the entire brokerage firm. Since the brokerage firm and the stock broker do well when you do well, you know that they are working in your best interest.

When you're ready to invest in the stock market, it is always advisable to seek the expertise and advice of a professional stock broker. It just makes sense to do so and makes much more sense than trying to "go it alone." Choosing a stock broker can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure in the investment market. After all, if you wouldn't dream about dismantling your plasma television to try and figure out why you can't seem to tune in Wheel of Fortune for fear you could possibly ruin the set, why would you take the same chances with your financial future?

by Mika Hamilton

Stock Market System ... ONLINE STOCK TRADING ... Beyond Day Trading Basics & Tips

Day trading is all about making buy and sell decisions. When you make a trade either your going to lose money or your going to make money, and some other times you will break even. When you win some body else will lose and so forth, but that's NOT what's important.

The most important aspect of day trading is the knowledge FILTER you employ to make your buy/sell decisions. There are many "fantastic" strategies outhere, but you need to test them in order to discover which ones help you the most. That's part of your homework as a daytrader. Test, test and test again.

Complicated strategies that rely on a "boat load" of technical indicators can make you slow, and being slow in this game can be as dangerous as not knowing what to do in the first place.

I think the worst thing that can happen to a beginner trader is to get information overload. It's better to go step by step, and test a simple strategy that can show you how to focus on concrete ways to make money.

Fortunatly there are some good sites on the web today that can show you how to trade in a practical and effective way. One of those sites is Profitable Stock Market ( ProfitableStockMarket.com )

In the end, day trading is all about buying and selling according to your knowledge FILTER. Once you master and follow youre proven filter parameters like a clock, you can expect to start making serious amounts of cash on a consistent basis.

Why Investors Use Financial Planners

Do you have a financial planner? Does one of your friends have a financial planner? Maybe you take your advice from your broker. As I have said countless times before a broker will make you broker. And a financial planner won't do any better. I know. You thought they would.

Let's look at the real reason investors choose to take advice from these so called "experts". Once they get you into their office or sitting with you at the dining room table or kitchen table you are doomed. Mr. F.P. has come prepared with beautiful slick color brochures and will have a presentation that will utterly confuse, bedazzle and befuddle. You will sit there and be afraid to ask a question because you know it is so dumb. You can't say 'no' or you will be admitting how dumb you are. And he knows that.

It is not that he is a liar. (I hope.) It is that all financial planners and brokers are taught the Wall Street method of "making money". Unfortunately it doesn't work.

The basic things that have been pounded into their heads are false. Let's look at the big three: Do Research, Dollar Cost Average and Buy and Hold. There are others, but these you will hear from every broker and financial planner because that is what the big brokerage companies and mutual fund families want. They want your money and they want to keep it even when the stocks or funds you own go down. In fact, buy some more.

Research is like blowing in the wind. You will be inundated with green sheets, blue sheets, red sheets, slick full color glossies, videos, etc., etc. Think about this. If you can obtain this information then so can everyone else. Everything that is known about a particular stock is reflected in the last price. Morningstar will sell you a beautiful package about a company, but it is worthless. What you really want to know is will it go up after I buy it?

Of course, if it goes down you will be encouraged to buy more to average out your price so that when it heads up again you will make a fortune. Yes, and pigs can fly.

If it does go down your advisor may say to hold on as the market always comes back. He doesn't tell you it may take 20 years or that the company might go out of business. Buy and Hold is the greatest myth of Wall Street. No one ever tells you to sell. Have you been told you don't have a loss until you take it? Please!

You got that advisor because you have not admitted to your self that you cannot pull the trigger. When you have a stock or fund that is falling you don't want to sell. You have to take charge of your money. Just you.

When you look back at the performance of most financial planners from 2000 to 2003 you know you can do a better job. Always ask to see what they did then. If they lost money you don't want them. Don't let them compare their performance to the S&P500. That's smoke and mirrors.

You can do better. Just do it.

By Al Thomas

Series 7 Exam

What is the Series 7 Exam?

If you are looking to become a licensed Stockbroker, you need to know about the Series 7.

The Series 7 is a 250 question exam that when passed, licenses you to act as a Registered Representative. Persons who receive this license are allowed to sell most securities. These securities would include: Stock, Bonds, Options, Mutual Funds and Annuities. The license itself is active while you are practicing it. Practicing with a Series 7 means that you are either employed or affiliated with a member firm. If you leave the business, your license will still remain active for 2 years after your last day with the firm. If you do not re-enter the business within 2 years, your license will expire. You would then have to re-take the exam again.

The Series 7 exam itself is comprised of many topics although not equally divided. Approximately 50 questions will be on Municipal Bonds alone. Other major topics include Options, Industry Rules and Customer Account handling.

The SERIES 7 is a multiple choice test graded on 250 questions administered on computer by an NASD testing vendor (Prometric Technology Center). 70% is needed to pass the SERIES 7 Exam. You will be given 6 hours to complete the exam in two 3 hour parts. Each question is worth .4 of a point. 175 questions correct will equal a passing grade. The score is not curved or rounded up so yes, if you get 174 questions right, you will get a 69.6% and you will fail. Each part also includes 5 experimental questions, which do not count on your total score. You will not know which ones are the experimental questions. Each exam is different, meaning if you take your test next to someone else, your test will not be the same. The percentages will be the same but the questions that each individual is tested on will be random. This applies to all Licensing exams but the difference between tests is less with smaller content exams like the Series 63.

You will be given a calculator to use at the center. Applicants are not permitted to bring their own. Scrap paper will be given to you as well for you to use during the test. Once the test officially starts you can write down anything you want (Formulas, Rules etc.). The computer also offers the student the ability to change their answers at the end of the first or second part of the test. Meaning, if you wish to change an answer to a question in the first half, you will have to wait until the end of the first half to do it. Once the second half starts, you will be unable to view your first half. Basically, you are taking 2 different 125 question exams. Even if you are unsure what the correct answer to a question is, you must enter something before the next question is shown.

Don't Cheat: Today, the testing centers require fingerprint verification when you take your test. A student was caught a few years ago on camera cheating in the testing room. This person had a tiny video camera device on his tie and a listening transmitter in his ear. He was actually filming his screen while someone else at another location was feeding him the answers. I didn't believe this one at first but several people told it to me. Pretty amazing. Needless to say, he was nabbed and busted. Just study and you will pass....and maybe learn something too!

Good Luck!

By Nick Hunter

Why Technical Indicators

The fight continues to rage among traders who use technical indicators and those who prefer fundamental information to establish new positions and to exit current positions.

The fundamentalist believe in knowing all the facts about a company such as price earnings ratios, sales growth, product margins, management capabilities, cost of production, cash flow, etc., etc. while the technicians could care less about the latter and want to see sector price trends and rank, the Relative Strength Index, MACD (moving average convergence divergence), stochastics, trend lines, chart patterns and many more esoterically evolved indicators.

Which method is the best?

There is no Holy Grail of trading and what critics of either method forget that it is the trader who adds the final nuance that results in profit or loss. The more years a professional investor has been working his plan the more successful he usually becomes. The unsuccessful ones have long since gone broke and are no longer in the game.

It is somewhat difficult for me to give great credence to fundamentalists as I am a technician and have a very long profitable track record to prove it; however, I do sometimes look at some of fundamentals. It seems that the longer term trader can do well with a fundamental approach because the timing to buy or sell has a lag time. He does not buy the bottom nor sell the top, but who does?

The technical trader will ignore the informational approach with the use of charts and other indicators. Short term traders must be technicians, especially day traders, as there are no fundamentals upon which they can assess their buys and sells.

Technical trading is based on the psychology of the mass of traders that ride upon the hidden values of the changing fundamentals. Charts and other indicators tell the of the long term health of a company, country or commodity as it is shown in the price action. The fundamentalist looks for the reason for a change to buy or sell whereas the technician tries to find the change in the price action to initiate buys and sells.

No matter what a fundamental trader's position he must be very patient. He may have a position on for years. During that same period there will be waves of highs and lows during which he remains constant in his position. The technician may trade the same equity several times buying the low of the wave and selling the high (hopefully). In commodities it is astute trading, but when it is done in stocks and funds it is called timing.

A combination of technical and fundamental methods can give the best results. For the average guy occasional trader I can only caution him to be very careful. Very few intermittent traders ever make money.

A successful trading approach requires commitment. It is a business the same as owning a shoe store or trucking company. You must give it your all.

Like any business you have to work at it.

By Al Thomas

Different Ways of Buying Stocks

Let's say you are interested in this one company. You read its annual report, like what you see and your calculation indicates that the stock is trading way below its fair value. You are excited. It is time to buy! Hang on for a second. There are several techniques of buying stocks out there. Some are better than the other. Let me explore several useful ones.

Buy all at limit price. Assume that we have done our research and we want to invest $ 2000 to buy stock XYZ at $ 12/share. We can do this by setting a limit order of $ 12/share to buy 166 shares of XYZ. The advantage for this method is that we will not pay more than $ 12 for our XYZ share. If you use market order, instead of limit order, XYZ might run up to $ 13/share and execute your order at $ 12.50. Fifty cents may not sound a lot, but in this case, you just saves $ 83 for using limit order. Any better methods? Check out this next one.

Buying half at $12. Buying half when it drops. Stock market is volatile. It goes up and down due to various reasons. In this case, we set a limit order to buy $ 1000 worth of XYZ at $ 12/share. When XYZ drops lower, and if you think that the reason that you initially bought it is still valid, then you can buy more XYZ at a lower price. If XYZ drops by $ 1, you already save $ 83 off the bag. What else is there?

Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA). With DCA, investors normally buy a specified dollar of stock at regular intervals. In this case, you can decide to invest $ 500 monthly in XYZ stock. If the XYZ stock falls, you can buy more shares next month. If XYZ stock rises, you would buy less. But it is ok. You already made money on XYZ stocks that you bought at a lower price.

Which method is the best? There is no clear cut answer on this. Personally, I will never use market order when buying a stock. Commission for buying a limit order is not as expensive as it used to be. My favorite methods is by buying half position initially and then add half more when the share price drops. If you have done your research and you feel that $ 12 per share is a good buy, then why won't you buy some more if it goes down to $ 10? Just make sure that the fundamental remains the same when the stock drops.

While knowing how to initiate your position is important, I am more inclined in focusing on how to calculate fair value of a stock. This is where the bulk of your investment return comes from.

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a bucket of ?money. Money? They are continuing to fill their bucket with stocks without any consideration to the value of these equities. They are not worried at all as they are buying "safe" mutual funds.

Everyone knows mutual funds are safe. Jack and Jill know they don't know how to pick good stocks so they leave that to the fund manager. He is an expert.

When you look at the long term record of 99% of the mutual funds you will see that expertise has been sadly lacking. I hate to remind you of the 2000 to 2003 period, but I must. In fact I must tell you it is going to happen again. Now you want to know when?.and so do I.

And that is the problem with almost every fund manager. As long as the market is going up they can't do much damage to your account, but when it rolls over and heads down they have no idea how to invest when a bear market is in progress. Not a single one of them will acknowledge that cash is a position.

Cash is a position? They are in shock. Of course they are. If brokerage customers put their money in a money market account while the market is falling it means they do not make any commission at all and if they recommend this to their customers the brokerage manager will fire them because he won't make any money either. "Keep your customers fully invested or I'll show you the door" is the manager's comment.

You must learn when to sell. Any fool can buy, but it is the wise man who knows when to sell. To see the condition of the overall market one of the best indicators is the SP500 Index. Your broker compares everything he does with the SP500 because it is a broad base of 500 stocks that are widely traded.

The finest indicator is the SP500 Index. Draw a 40-week chart of the closing prices. If you don't know how ask your broker. He will tell you. Write it down and save it. It is very simple. Have him set up a 40-week Simple Moving Average to appear on that chart. Look at 5 years worth of prices. Immediately you will see that if you are in the market while the 40-week MA is going up you are making money and if you are out of all your positions while the index average is going down you will not lose money. It doesn't get any easier that that.

Jack and Jill can fill their pail as the market is going up and need not spill their accumulation while they walk confidently down the hill holding their bucket full of cash not equities.

By Al Thomas

KISS Formula

There are formulas for just about everything, but it has been shown that the simpler the formula or method of doing a particular task the better it works. It has evolved down to KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

This also applies to trading in the stock market. There are literally hundreds of formulas, both technical and fundamental that are easily available to investors. Each trader has his own method he uses. Every professional trader on the floor of the stock exchange has his own variation on some major proven formula. The more skilled he becomes with it the more he feels it is the best one.

Sometimes it takes years for a trader to settle on one method or group of methods that he uses to signal buys and sells. It took me many years to find that technical group that worked for me when I was an exchange member.

For some it evolves into long term trading and for others it can be buying and selling in a matter of minutes. The time period is not important. The method is. Even as a floor trader on the commodity exchange I had only two criteria I watched before entering into any position.

All professional traders and investors are aware of the single most important fact and that is how much I am willing to lose before I exit this new position. Every KISS formula has an exit strategy. Every professional knows in advance how much he will allow himself to lose if he is wrong. The professional does not set a limit on the winning side of a trade only on the losing side.

Ask any full time professional and he will tell you if he is right 50% of the time he considers that to be phenomenal. When I was on the floor I was only right about 40% of the time, even about 20% and wrong about 40%. BUT I made $3.00 for every dollar I lost. Small losses and big winners are the key to success. This is the key to any profitable formula - keeping the losses small.

When I see advertisements in the financial papers for methods claiming to be right 80%, 90% of the time I cringe. It just can't be. There is no trader I ever met who was that good and I have known some exceptional traders.

The major text on technical analysis is "Technical Analysis of Stock Trends" by Edwards and Magee now in the 17th printing of the Fifth Edition that lists multitudes of methods. They all work, but many are complicated. A magazine called Futures Truth analyses 200 commodity trading systems in each issue. Fundamental Theory is equally complex.

There are software programs that allow the investors to enter as many as 30 parameters. The more complex it is the less chance it has to work. And the biggest obstacle to any program is the trader himself. He cannot hesitate when a buy or sell signal is given.

Keep your formula simple and execute the signals. You can be a winner.

By Al Thomas

How to Short Stocks? How to Make Money when Your Stocks Go Down by Shorting

The stock market can present you with a lot of hot stocks every day. Many of them are new technology stocks that come from the nanotech, biotech, voip, healthcare, homeland defense or internet sectors.

Most of them may seem promising, but the truth is that a good number of these trading & investing opportunities are extremely risky, while others are not as good as they seem. That's why it's very important to know how to choose the best especially if you want to day trade them.

When you know how to pick and approach the best hot stock trading opportuntites, you are able to generate a consistent and respectable amount of money in a very short period of time.

You don't necessarily have to trade momentum hot stocks all the time. But you can learn how to take advantage of them when you encounter the best opportunities for going long or for shorting them to make money when they are poised to fall down.

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Mutual Fund Commissions

You have heard about a particular mutual fund from a friend, saw it advertised on TV or read about it in some publication thought it would be a good buy. Next you call your broker to get his advice before you buy because he is an expert and is there to help you make money.

"Hello, Billy Sol (see Billy Sol Estes on Google), this is Joe Mushroom and I want to buy some XYZ mutual fund. What do you think?"

"Joe, I was just thinking about you and was going to call you, but first let me look up XYZ for you. Uh oh! Joe it has a high expense ratio of about 1 ½ per cent. I would not recommend that for you."

Billy Sol fails to mention that XYZ has no load (that's commission) so he would not make any money if you bought it. There are thousands of excellent no-load funds that outperform the load funds. Billy Sol says the fund his brokerage company recommends is ABC and again fails to mention it has a 5% load (commission) and goes on to paint a beautiful picture of ABC and how well it has done in the past 5 and 10 year period. Furthermore the expense ratio is only one per cent which is savings of 33%.

WOW! Joe thinks that sounds pretty good so he lets Bill Sol buy ABC instead of XYZ. Let's see what really happened.

Joe saves ½ percent per year on the expense ratio, but pays and extra 5% up front. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you divide ½% in 5% that goes 10 time. In other words it is going to take Joe Mushroom 10 years to makeup that 5% commission charge not counting what that 5% charge would have made if it had been working in Joe's account for that 10 year period.

What it boils down to is never pay commission for any mutual fund. If the broker will not sell you a no-load fund then get another broker. He is not trying to help you make money. He is trying to make money for himself and his company and may tell you his company does not carry a particular fund because they don't think it is a good. Hog wash. Another broker lie. It is your money and you are entitled to buy any fund. Go to a discount broker who handles that fund and open an account. It will save you a bundle over the years and they are as safe an any big-name broker.

Advice from a financial planner is no better if he is making commissions. The smart method is to have a fee based broker who has a winning track record. Have any financial planner show you his model account. He should have one or maybe several model portfolios. Unless they make money every year he is not a successful money advisor. Don't let them hoodwink you about their performance "is better than the S&P500". That's nonsense. You want to see a cash increase every year.

The first and basic rule is never pay commissions for any mutual fund.

By Al Thomas

Small-Cap Stocks: The Beginning of the Journey

When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves and do some research in the pursuit of the next big winner in the stock market, the place many start is in the small cap sector.

As with the other capitulation sizes (capitalization is a stock's market value), no one can completely agree on a precise definition, but corporations under $2 billion are often considered small caps. It should be pointed out that there are two asset classes below small caps. Micro caps are companies between $50- 300 million and Nano caps are below $50 million. To further confuse the issue, there are also "penny stocks" that really have nothing to do with capitalization size, but are stocks that trade very cheaply.

Life begins for many small caps as an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or as a "spin off" from a larger company. Like Toddlers, these companies are often still in their developmental stage. At this point they exhibit characteristics that give them the potential for both massive growth and extreme downside volatility.

Their huge growth potential is obviously the piece that attracts most investors. Who wouldn't have wanted to get in on a Microsoft in its early days of trading? The question of course is who knew about Microsoft back then?

Often, it is individuals not institutions that first get in on the ground floor. Analysts working for major brokerage firms usually don't have the time to develop coverage on small companies and institutional investors generally have limitations of how much they can own of a single company. Although a $100 million may seem a lot to an individual, it's a drop in the bucket for the big players and equals 20% of a $500 million company. The 20% far exceeds what the SEC stipulates a mutual fund can own and often exceeds the investment policy statement of an institutional investor.

The disadvantage here to the investor is there is relatively little published research that the individual can rely on in the decision making process. But the good news is that the individual investor has the opportunity to buy the stock before the institutions get in and run the price up.

Many investors believe in the "efficiency" of the market. This means that with all the information out on a particular stock, the market can "efficiently price" any stock. In the case of small caps (where information is often lacking), an argument can be made that there is some potential to profit from inefficiencies in the market. Again, this cuts two ways. Many investors can remember that it wasn't too long ago that many small cap techs sold for vastly inflated prices only to watch a steep price slide as the market started to correct these inefficiencies.

Income investors should probably look elsewhere. Small caps generally conserve whatever cash they earn for growth potential. Any yield is usually incidental to their objective.

For mutual fund investors, small caps can be an interesting proposition. Certainly, mutual funds can help offset some volatility through diversification. However, for investors that want to follow a small cap's ascension to the large cap sector, mutual funds may disappoint. Often, to avoid what's called "style drift" a mutual fund manager sells a successful position simply because it has outgrown its capitalization value. While this may be helpful for asset allocation purposes, it's not appealing for investors wanting to watch a company "grow up".

By Glenn ("Chip") Dahlke

The Exclusive Club of Large Caps

Picture one of those clubs where only the real heavyweights need apply. In the library the old aristocrats, General Motors and JP Morgan, are dozing in their leather chairs. On the terrace, a late luncheon is underway for those who have only improved their standing through marriage. ExxonMobil and Citigroup are part of the party. At the bar, a number of the"nouveau riche" have gathered - Microsoft seems to be buying for Intel and Hewlett Packard. Welcome to the world of the Large Cap Stock Club, the biggest of the worlds publicly traded companies.

For those interested in applying, membership includes a minimum market capitalization of at least $1 billion and can go upwards to $10 billion depending on whom you talk to. Included in the resumes are often affiliations with other well known groups. 30 are currently with the Dow Jones Industrial Index and many more with the Standard and Poor's 500. Both these groups are widely followed indicators of the health of the stock market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) traces its lineage back to 1928 when companies like Victor Talking Machine (later merged into RCA Corp.), Nash Motors (later merged into American Motors) and F.W. Woolworth Company kept company with General Electric and General Motors, the only two remaining original members. Today, household names like McDonalds, Home Depot, Disney and Wal-Mart have replaced some of their earlier brethren. Calculating the average is done by adding the prices of the 30 stocks and dividing by an adjusted denominator.

Because the Standard and Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) has 500 companies in the index, many believe this to be a more accurate indicator than the DJIA. Also unlike the Dow Jones Industrial Index, the S&P 500 is a weighted index - meaning each stock's weight is determined by its market value.

Unofficially, some Large Cap companies are known as "blue chips". This term originally came from poker chips where the blue chips were the most expensive. Today, this generally denotes high quality, usually being reserved for large companies with stable earnings and a history of dividend growth.

Investors in mutual funds are apparently big fans of Large Cap stocks. Of the 10 largest mutual funds, seven are invested primarily in US Stock and all of these (Growth Fund of America, Investment Company of America, American Funds, Washington Mutual, Dodge & Cox Stock, Fidelity Contrafund, Fidelity Magellan, and Vanguard Index 500) are Large Cap funds.

One might think that, with all these pedigrees, the world of large caps might be scandal free, but with the recent lessons learned from Enron and WorldCom, we know that even the mightiest can fall from their lofty perches. Once again, we are reminded that when it comes to investing, there simply are no guarantees.

Looking at returns (using the annual returns of the S&P 500 from 1926 - 2004, including reinvestment of dividends ) we find that the best year for Large Caps was 1933 with a return of +53.99%. On the other hand, two years prior to that, in 1931, the return was a dismal -43.34%. Of the 78 years between 1926 - 2004, the S&P 500 posted positive returns for 56 of those years. To put it another way, therehave been more than twice as many up years as there were down years. Naturally, this is all past track record. The future holds no guarantees that this will continue.

Turning again to Large Cap mutual funds, it is important to note that most are "managed" funds, rather than "unmanaged" funds like the S&P 500 Index. This simply means that most mutual funds have managers who pick certain stocks out of the large cap universe rather than follow an index of the entire universe. This not only creates return differences between the funds and the indexes, but also creates differences between the funds as well.

It may also be a good idea to check the dividend history of funds. While some funds specifically buy stocks with higher dividends, other funds could care less what dividends are paid. Normally, stock based mutual funds will pay dividends once a year (usually in December), but sometimes pay more frequently. Whatever the case, the amount of dividends can be important depending on the need for income.

Obviously, large companies shouldn't be the only asset class considered for a well rounded portfolio. Mid-size companies and small-size companies are important to achieve proper asset allocation. However, for investing in well known companies that are truly the "movers and shakers," nothing beats the Large Cap Stocks.

Home James!

By Glenn ("Chip") Dahlke

Oil Stocks As A Long Term Investment

The demand for world oil is increasing while world reserves are decreasing. This is a known fact. The current price of oil can certainly confirm this statement. Consensus also agrees that we will never see $25.00 oil again. The logical conclusion to our above statement is oil stocks should be a good long term investment. However, the location of the oil companies' reserves can affect their bottom line and valuation.

Some of the largest reserves in the world are found in Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Canada. Political unrest in Venezuela, unstable and unpredictable government in Russia and Osama Bin Laden targeting Saudi Arabia leave Canada, namely the Alberta Oil Sands, as the largest, most reliable oil reserves in the world.

Companies like Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. are planning to spend billions during the next 10 years to develop Alberta's unusual oil deposits as demand for crude rises and output from existing reserves decline. Oil sands output in Alberta may double to 2 million barrels a day by 2013, according to a presentation by Enbridge Inc. earlier this month. Oil sands are deposits of bitumen - heavy oil that must be treated to convert it into crude oil for use in refineries to produce gasoline and diesel fuels. The U.S. Energy Department revised its global oil resource estimates to include the oil sands 174 billion barrels of proven reserves that can be recovered using current technology.

With demand for oil and other commodities from China and India increasing due to their growing economies, strong trading relationships are procuring with Canada - a country with numerous resources, political stability and neutral military views.

Companies with reserves in the Alberta oil sands look like a great investment for the next decade There are many companies with reserves in the Oil Sands here are some with strong exposure.

Suncor Energy Inc. SU.tse , Western Oil Sands Inc. WTO.tse and the Canadian Oil Sands Trust COS/UN.tse

Parachute Investing

Ever jumped out of an airplane? It's OK if you have on a parachute. Pretty dumb if you don't.

Every buy any stocks, mutual funds or Exchange Traded Funds? It's OK if you know how much you are willing to risk. Pretty dumb if you don't.

Parachute investing is buying an equity with a parachute so you won't risk all your money or, better yet, give back the profit you have made as the stock or fund went up and then goes down. If you bought that hummer at $12 per share and during the past couple of years seen it go up to $52 you don't want to give back that nice profit, do you? With a parachute you can save most of it. How?

When you invest in any stock of fund you must know how much you will risk before you buy it and how much of the profit you are willing to give back when it turns down. Take that beauty at $12. Instead of going up it went down. Are you willing to agonize as it drops to $5? If you had a parachute you would have jumped out of the plane before it crashed. If you had an exit strategy for your stock you would have sold it before you lost a big chunk of your cash.

The secret of a safe investment is an exit strategy. When you bought Mr. Twelve Dollars you shook hands and told him I'd like to be your friend, but if you change your name to Ten Dollars I am leaving. Maybe that that is not very nice, but nice doesn't cut it in the investment world.

Mr. Twelve Dollars said I am going up and I want you for my friend. Please follow me and if I falter you can leave and we will part friends. Now that makes sense. You trail along and after it goes to $52 it does falter. Do you know where you are going to leave or are you going to ride it go back down to $12? In other words do you have your parachute on?

That parachute is your continuing exit strategy that is in place every day. In the investment community it is called an open trailing stop loss order. Any broker can put this in place for you. You might be lucky enough to have a broker who knows where to place stops, but unfortunately there are not many of them.

The brokerage industry does not teach its employees (brokers) how to protect customers' money. If that is the case you might want to use the old standard 10% rule. Have the broker place an open stop every Friday at 10% of the closing price of that day as it closes higher. Never lower the stop loss. Brokers hate this as it makes them work, but that is what they are there for and that is how they earn their commissions.

With your parachute you can always protect your original cash purchase from a big loss and as your stock advances you can lock in profit as the stock advances.

Every investment should have a parachute.

By Al Thomas

Is Active Trading The Answer?

One of the main reasons many of us get into investing is to become financially independent. Who isn't trying to amass a portfolio with enough income to ensure that we don't have to work when we should be playing golf or traveling the world. While there are several strategies to invest, is active trading one of the ways to become a millionaire?

For those investors who want to achieve that million dollar portfolio, you may want to read The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. While it wont help you identify great stock picks (but investorandtrader.com can help), it will help you to establish the difference between those who dream of having a million dollar net worth, and those who do it. You may be surprised at the answers.

While I won't give away all the secrets, I will share one of the surprising findings which impact investors over the long term.

95% owned stocks

9% of investors held for less than 1 year

1% held for a few days

1% held for a few weeks

7% held for a few months

Less than 10%, less than 1 in 10 people with net worth of $1 millionaire or more actively trade their portfolios. Most definitions of active traders would mean that 1 in 100 are active traders. 99% of millionaires do not actively trade their positions. They hold for long periods of time. They find good companies and let the companies make them money.

The biggest problem with active trading is the commission, and the taxes. Your brokerage gets paid whether you make money or not. Making the presumption that you're trading with a discount broker, you're paying $20 ($10 to buy, $10 to sell) each time you trade. If you do make money, you're paying taxes on that gain. At the end of the year, you get to keep a portion. Make 2 trades per week, and you will spend over $2000 a year in commission. If you lost money, add $2000 to your losses. If you made money, subtract tax, and then subtract $2000 more.

It takes a lot of successful trades to make money. While it can happen, sometimes, just finding a good quality stock and sticking to them, might just be your key to a million dollar portfolio.

That's just one guys opinion.

Living Trust Investing: Income Considerations when the Grantor Dies

A common problem I often see when working with living trust beneficiaries and trustees is the lack of attention in rethinking income strategies in the event of the grantor's death.

When the grantor of a living trust dies, the trustee (especially a family member or close friend) sometimes feels reluctant to revise the portfolio, feeling it's an affront to the wishes of the deceased. After all, if the investments were sound during life, they should be sound enough upon his or her death.

While the fundamental values of the investments are certainly the same, a number of circumstances have changed and must be dealt with.

The most crucial change is because of the trust itself. There are sections within the trust instrument that deal with income distributions, both during the grantor's lifetime and after his or her death. The trustee should become familiar with these sections and how their differences will have an impact upon investment decisions.

Secondly, with the passing of the grantor, new assets (such as life insurance death benefits) are often added to the trust assets and these new assets must be invested in a way that complies with the grantor's wishes.

Thirdly, assets held outside the trust often need to be considered. For example, the grantor may have held qualified retirement plan benefits that are passed directly to a trust beneficiary. Utilization of these retirement benefits may need to be recognized and, in some instances, may even be discussed in the trust instrument.

Lastly, the trust beneficiaries may have assets of their own and these asets should be brought into the mix of things.

When revising an investment strategy, the needs of the income beneficiaries are a good place to start. First, determine available cash flow from sources outside the trust. Typically, this could include Social Security benefits, immediate annuities, deferred compensation, qualified retirement plans and, of course, the beneficary's own assets.

Next, fund whatever income deficit is left by assuming a modest rate of yield in the trust. Hopefully, this modest amount will satisfy the needs of the income beneficiaries. If not, you can raise the yield somewhat, but not too much. At some point, you'll reach beyond what yield can be readily achieved with an acceptable risk level, to speak nothing of breaching the trustee's responsibility to act in a prudent fashion.

Because the trustee has a responsibility to all beneficiaries, including those who may ultimately inherit the trust, it may be necessary to balance the income needs of the income beneficiaries and the growth needs of the ultimate beneficiaries. This fidicuary role is paramount to the decisions made by the trustee.

It is also important to note the difference between "yield" and "total return," as applied to a trust. Total return includes capital gains, but those gains are often excluded from the definition of "distributable income" in a trust. Distributions that exceed income will be construed as principal and are often left to a trustee's discretion. A trustee can say "no" as easily as "yes" to principal distributions.

If principal distributions are left to the trustee's discretion, it's a good guess that the intent was not to punish the beneficiary, but to keep the trust out of the beneficiary's taxable estate.

Carrying this one step farther, many financial advisers will argue that, if a beneficiary's own estate is large enough to be exposed to estate taxes, then the beneficiary might be wise to "spend down" his or her own estate and let the trust grow in value.

The inverse is also true. If a beneficiary has a small estate, then he or she may want income from the trust, but he or she may also want the principal to grow in his or her own name so as to get a stepped-up tax basis upon death.

These strategies are very common if the ultimate beneficiaries are the same people.

The role of the trustee can be difficult, but paying attention to the changes in income needs will avoid future problems and inefficiencies in carrying out the duties of administering the trust.

By Glenn ("Chip") Dahlke

Dividend Reinvestment Plans: Investing on Automatic Pilot

If you're like many investors who squander those small dividend checks from your stock portfolio, a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) might be just what you need. Just as its name implies, a Dividend Reinvestment Plan allows you to reinvest some or all of those dividends into more stock of the issuing company. Unlike purchases made through traditional means, partial or fractional shares, as well as whole shares, are available.

Technically, there are two types of DRPs. The first type involves buying shares at the market through an outside trustee. Although the company may subsidize the transaction costs, buying shares at a discount is not allowed.

The second type allows you to purchase directly from the issuing company, which may provide a discount from the market price. This is a distinct advantage over buying from an outside trustee.

Besides giving dividends a better purpose than sitting in your pocket or in a brokerage cash account, a DRP may offer other advantages as well. By buying on a regular basis, you are "dollar cost averaging" your purchases, an investment strategy designed to reduce volatility. Dollar cost averaging involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuation in the price. Of course you should consider your ability to continue purchasing through periods of low price levels. This type of plan does not ensure a profit or protect against loss.

Secondly, many companies offer added options with their DRPs, including purchasing stock at low minimums and sometimes even offering shares at a discount (often 3-5%) off current market prices.

From a tax standpoint, you are subject to income taxes on the value of the dividends whether you reinvest them or not. Your tax basis for all your shares including the reinvested dividends is the amount paid for the original shares plus the dividends, minus any costs deducted from your dividends as a service charge as part of the DRP.

Keeping good records is a necessity, especially if you plan to continue participating in a DRP over a number of years. Without the records, it may become very difficult to track all your purchases. A little bit of effort now can save you big headaches later on.

Usually, you will receive a quarterly statement outlining your DRP account. Among other things, these quarterly statements will detail your on-going investments, how many shares are held by the program, how many shares are held be you, and the value of all your shares.

Not all companies offer DRP's but, for a list of one's that do, there are many web sites dedicated to these plans. These internet sites not only have a full list of companies with DRPs, they also offers online enrollment services. For securities held in a brokerage or wrap account, check with your brokerage firm to determine if they have the means to enroll you. If all else fails, try either the company itself or its transfer agent.

Although it is easy to see the advantages of DRP programs to the investor, we should not overlook the benefits to the issuing company. Besides helping to stabilize market prices, a DRP is a relatively efficient way to raise capital and, because companies only "promise" to continue these programs in the future, the issuing company controls when and how much capital will be raised.

Over 1,000 companies currently offer some type of Dividend Reinvestment Plan and, with a little research, you should be able to get on the path of "automatic pilot" investing for the future.

By Glenn ("Chip") Dahlke

The Importance of Using Stop Loss Orders When Spread Trading the Financial Markets

A Guide to Using Stop Loss Orders

Stop losses are market orders designed to allow you to limit your losses.

When you place a stop loss you are instructing the spread betting company or stock broker to cut your position when it reaches a certain loss level (or in some cases, profit level - more later).

Therefore, a stop loss will automatically close your trade if the market reaches a certain point.

For example: You have bought £1 a point of the German DAX at 4200. The most you are willing to risk is £150 on this trade so you place your stop at 4050. If the market trades at 4050 you are taken out immediately and you lose £150.

Normal Stop Losses

These are free but with this type of stop you can sometimes lose more than you specified when you placed the order.

Sometimes your stop loss order may not be filled at the level you wanted i.e. you may be taken out at 4046 instead of 4050.

The bookmaker will attempt to get you out of the trade at the price you specify but when the market is moving very quickly it may not be possible.

This is called "slippage" and tends to happen in a fast moving market.

You can also lose more than you wished if the market you are trading "gaps".

For example: You have opened a long trade on the Dow Jones for £1 a point at 10000. As you were willing to risk £200, you placed a stop at 9800. Over the next couple of days, the Dow moves down slightly to 9900 and at the end of trading on the third day it is sat at 9890.

The next day some very disappointing economic figures are released and the Dow opens well down at 9700. As this is past your stop loss, the bookmaker closes your bet at market price.

Your trade is closed at 9690, 110 points below your stop loss so your loss is now £310 rather than the £200 you were willing to lose.

Guaranteed Stop Losses

You can ensure you are closed out at the exact price you specify by using a Controlled Risk or Guaranteed stop loss order

These types of stops are designed as a type of insurance to guarantee that your stop loss order is filled at the exact price you specify.

Even if the market you are trading gaps 1000 points beyond your stop, if you are using a guaranteed stop loss you will still only lose what you have already decided is an acceptable loss.

You pay a little extra for a guaranteed stop. In the Dow example above, a guaranteed stop would cost roughly 4 times the stake (4 x £1 = £4). Usually the premium is taken from your account balance when setting the stop loss level or is added to the spread.

Although they do reduce your account balance, guaranteed stops can save you a great deal of money and are certainly recommended if you have a small capital base.

Some Pointers About Stop Losses

- Never move your stop if you think it may be hit. If you move the stop further down to try and avoid being taken out you will simply lose more money.

- You don't have to close your entire position with a stop loss order. If you wish, you can set up 2 or more stops. For a £1 per point trade you could set a stop 100 points away which reduces you exposure by 50p a point. Another could be placed 200 points away to take you completely out of the trade.

- It is better to let the stop take you out of the market and preserve the rest of your capital than to try and stay in the trade by moving the stop.

- You can lock in profits by using a stop loss. If you were to enter a long trade on the Dow at 10000 with a stop at 9900 and the Dow moves up to 10200 you could then move your stop to 10100 to lock in 100 points profit.

- Never trade without a stop loss, even if it is just a normal stop. To stay in the trading game you must preserve your capital and huge unexpected losses will certainly not help. See the Money Management section for more details.

By Ben Catt

A Stock Market Investment Plan that Never Lets You Down

The bulls and bears of the stock market are both tempting and scary to the investors. Speculators are enchanted by the stock market's potential to help them in making quick money with a big M. While those who tread with care and caution, often shy away for fear of losing. However, the stock market is not all about speculative gains or black Tuesdays. It is a place where committed companies look for raising money to fund their activities. Serious investors can actually create wealth not only for themselves, but also for the companies and the nation. A wise way to invest in the stock market is to empower your self with information. You have to know and learn about the company you invest in, from past records and future plans.

Irrespective of what the Wall Street Gurus predict or what the economic indicators like Dow Jones Average say, a simple and foolproof way of knowing that a company is doing well is to keep a track of how much dividend income does it pay to its share holders every year. If the dividend rates have been rising steadily every year, you know you have a safe bet. To benefit from the future prospects of such companies, it is a good idea to rollback the returns into the company. Which means, instead of adding the dividends to your savings, you can invest them in the shares of the same company. That way, you can ensure that the dividends you receive are always higher than what you got last, with a larger number of shares getting added to your investment portfolio every time.

With this kind of an assured investment plan in place, investors with a gambling streak begin to think beyond making a quick gain. While those who were afraid to take risks get wiser.

Let us find out why companies that give ever-increasing cash dividend income are a good choice for investment:

Your Share Holding Goes Up And So does Your Dividend Income.

Your income begins to escalate with your owning more shares every year and the dividend income rising correspondingly.

Your Dividend Income Increases Even If Stock Prices don't.

You are no more at the mercy of the market. Irrespective of what your shares are worth, you keep earning additional cash dividends. In fact, even if the market price dips, you are still at an advantage, as that allows you to reinvest to purchase more shares.

You are not hit by Inflation.

With the dividend income rising every year, you offset the effects of a rising inflation. This particularly provides relief to people who have retired and depend on a regular cash inflow to help them meet their expenses. At this stage one need not rollback the investment into further shares, instead, the cash dividend can be used as a kind of regular pension money.

Start Young

The ingenuity behind this investment strategy is that it protects you from the fluctuations that generally occur in the market. A lower stock market rate only means you buy more to increase your dividends more. It is advisable to start this strategy early in life while you are still working, so that your wealth builds up gradually and constantly over the years. And you are assured of a regular income, as you grow older.

Remember, the success of this proven investment plan depends significantly on the track record of the company you invest in. It should be one that declares a higher dividend at the end of each financial period. A simple way to find that out would be to calculate the dividend yield. You can do that by dividing the annual dividend per share by the price per share. Of course, no investment can be totally free of risks, neither is this one. Keep an eye on the dividend yield, and if that dips, it's a signal for you to opt out of the investment.

By James Marriott

Mid-Cap Stocks: Asset Class with an Identity Crisis

Much like the middle child, mid-cap stocks have long struggled to find their identity. Carved out from the upper echelons of the small caps and the lower end of the large caps, the mid-cap sector has a rough definition of stock with a market capitalization of greater than $2 billion, but less than $10 billion. Taking components from both worlds, some analysts argue that mid-cap stocks can offer growth opportunities found in the small caps and the relative stability found in the large caps.

Within this rationale lies the argument for participation in mid-cap investing. Unlike the small caps that have not yet been seasoned by the market, nor like the large caps that have most of their growth behind them, there are those who claim that mid caps are in the "sweet spot" of the economy. You might say that they have survived the rigors of childhood and are now ready for their years of growth and maturity into adulthood.

Still other analysts point out that this area is ripe for merger and acquisition targets. With premiums often being paid on the acquired stock's value, an opportunity presents itself for the investor looking for a little "extra."

There are literally hundreds of mid-cap stocks and, while some languish in obscurity, a number have widely recognized names. Abercrombie & Fitch, Circuit City, AutoZone, Marriott International, and Newell Rubbermaid all fit this category. Because this range is often a stop over point for the large caps, it goes without saying that the real heavy weights of the investment world have also spend at least some time here.

A number of indexes track mid caps, with The Standard & Poors Mid Cap 400 and The Russell Midcap Index being two of the more popular. The S&P 400 Midcap is a weighted index like the S&P 500, except that it covers the mid-cap sector of the U.S. stock market. The Russell Midcap Index currently has a weighted average market cap of $7.5 billion and includes the smallest 800 stocks in the Russell 1000.

The Steele Mutual Fund Expert database contains about 1,200 funds within its mid-cap categories, although less than 220 have track records of 10 years or more and less than 50 have been around for at least 20 years. The vast majority of funds that adhere to the mid-cap style are actively managed funds. For investors who follow an index approach, they won't find as many choices compared to the large-cap index funds, but the number is growing.

Besides individual stocks and open-end mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFS) have also gotten into the act.

In recent years, mid-cap funds have started to receive substantial attention in the financial press. Using Steele Mutual Fund Expert as our source, they have come out from under the shadow of their bigger sibling, large cap funds, and turned in better returns. For the three years from1/1/ 2002 through 12/31/2004, the 162 funds in the mid-cap blend averaged 9.40% and beat the 853 funds in the large-cap blend, which averaged 2.91%. Importantly, the mid caps did this with only slightly greater standard deviation. The 228 funds in the small-cap blend averaged 11.65% and boasted the best track record for this period, but had greater volatility. While these results are not guaranteed in the future, they have helped the mid caps establish themselves as a formidable asset class.

So, for those looking for a palatable mix between large caps and small caps, the mid- cap sector deserves serious consideration.

By Glenn ("Chip") Dahlke