Online Stock Trading

November 18th, 2008 by admin

Here are some factors to check when you’re deciding on a trading system.

Look at which markets the system trades

Naturally, this will depend on which futures you’re most interested in. In general, though, look for a trading system designed to trade major commodity, currency and stock index futures. This includes agricultural, energy such as oil and coal, softs like coffee and sugar, and precious metals. That said, most trading systems will work better the more liquid the market.

Check out the reporting features

The ability to receive an accurate report and analysis is half the reason to use a futures trading system in the first place. First, make sure you can easily access basics information on the futures. That alone isn’t enough, though. You should also be able to view more complex reports like chart patterns and Fibonacci retraces.

Consider the maximum drawdown

Some trading systems advertise excellent profits over a period of several years, but avoid mentioning that their drawdowns may be more than the initial capital invested and could last for longer than a year. Before you settle on a system, take a close look at both the dollar amount of the drawdown and how long it may last.

Steer clear of “curve fitted” systems

A curve fitted trading system is one that’s adjusted to fit recent past market data. The problem is
these systems have never been traded to show they actually work. They′re usually based on short-term, one-off trends that may not be accurate for predicting future trends.

Read the reviews

As with any other important purchase, it helps to check out how satisfied current users are with the trading system you’re considering. It will also let you know about any quirks in the system that may not be mentioned in the advertising. Consider not only the trading system itself, but issues concerning the company that created it, such as any extra services they provide and customer support.

Look for a system that’s easy to use

If the system you choose is so complex it gives you a headache every time you try to use it, it won’t be much good to you no matter how accurate the data it provides. Ideally, you want a system that’s completely intuitive. One good way to assess this is to try out the demo version and see how well you can use it without reading up too much on it first. If you find yourself having to look at the instructions just to perform basic operations, you should probably look for another system.

Most quality trading systems allow you offer you a free downloadable trial even an online demo you can work with for a while to see how well the system meets your needs. Remember, though, everyone’s preferences are a little different, so look for a futures trading system that works for you, not just one that gets good reviews.

November 18th, 2008 by admin

In futures trading you are speculating about whether the price of a commodity will rise or fall.

For example, let’s say that you decided to speculate on hogs. If you thought that hog prices would be rising in the future you would purchase a hog futures contract. If you thought that hog prices would be falling then you would sell your hog futures contract. Whether you wanted to buy or sell, there has to be a buyer and a seller.

Investors are attracted to futures trading because it isn’t terribly complicated. In traditional stock markets there are literally thousands of stocks to choose from, whereas in the futures market there are only about forty markets to speculate on.

Another reason why investors like futures trading is because it is very easy to buy or sell futures. The futures market is affected by the extreme weather conditions such as droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, and freezes because these can affect agricultural crops. Money can be made whether prices go up or whether prices go down. Still, another reason that futures trading is viewed so positively is that commission fees are much lower than those paid in stock trading.

The most important reason that traders dabble in commodities is because there is an enormous opportunity for big gains in a short period of time. Of course, the potential for big profits exists because there is a risk for huge losses as well. No trader should ever get involved with the commodities market with the intention of getting rich quick. Those who do that usually endure huge losses. Only take risks that you construe to be acceptable losses.

You can begin trading in the commodities market with small purchases.

The smaller the trade you make, the less that you risk. You can still make profits on small trades, but it may take you quite a long time.

Gains and risks are interrelated. The more that you put at risk means that there is more to be made in gains. The trouble is that you must be able to manage your risks. No one can consistently make the right calls about what to buy and sell, so at some point you will be wrong.

Never invest more money than you can afford to lose. The other way to minimize your risk is to put a stop loss order in. The stop loss will automatically kick in when it reaches your set price and then your commodities will be sold so that you can stop the loss from getting too bad.

If you think you can handle these risks, then give futures trading a try.

September 20th, 2008 by admin

The economic downturn has many people worried about recession, and inflation rates seem to be rising every other week. In light of such uncertain times, have you ever wondered if investing your hard earned dollars into the stock market is the prudent thing to do? Or are you already considering alternative forms of investment? If so, consider online commodity trading, because depending on your knowledge, risk appetite, and the commodities you choose, you have the potential to earn big returns on your investment.

But if you’re a greenhorn at the commodity market, or even at trading for that matter, you might be wondering what commodities trading is all about. Commodities trading is where traders trade contracts for goods, and not for the goods themselves; goods such as food like corn or malt, or metals like gold and silver. The traders don’t have to deliver the goods to some end-consumer at the end of the day, because they don’t have the goods to begin with, and most likely never will have them. A trader would instead buy a contract if he thought that the price for a commodity would be going up in the future. He would then sell the contract if he thought the price would depreciate. Think of it as a kind of insurance plan for the traders and investors; regardless of price fluctuations, both the buyer and the seller are guaranteed the price stated in the contract at the time of trade. Just like any business transaction, there is always a buyer and seller in every trade made, but neither the buyer or the seller is required to own a particular commodity in order for the trade to happen. The only thing that a trader has to do is to deposit enough capital with a brokerage firm to ensure that he would be able to pay for his losses if his trade loses money. This is known as commodity futures trading.

So now that the concept of commodities trading is out of the way, why trade online?

Online commodities trading involves the transmission of orders by customers to either buy or sell a commodity to a commodity exchange via an electronic marketplace. Unlike the traditional offline method of trading, no brokers are required to represent customers. However, having an online broker would cost you less commissions-wise than if you were to have a full-service broker. As such, you stand to be more profitable on your trades than if you were to trade offline.

Trading commodities online also provides you with almost everything you need the moment you log into your trading account. Most online brokers are equipped with real time information, ranging from futures news, price quotes, charts, technical analysis programs, and other research material that are made available for their clients. As such, those who wish to embark on online trading on their own are able to make more informed decisions when trading because the same tools have been made available for them online.

However, despite the apparent advantages of trading commodities online, one would also have to be aware of the pitfalls that are associated with online commodities trading.

For one thing, because you have the freedom to make your own trades online, there is no one watching over your shoulder to guide you along with your trades. Inexperienced traders usually lose money this way, because they think that the tools made available to them through trading online make great substitutes for experience. The fact is that nothing can substitute experience, and having an experienced broker by your side would most likely help you avoid such losses. Treat the broker as a mentor if you’re just starting out; learn by asking questions and having them answered within minutes instead of spending hours or days researching on your own.

Another issue to take note of is over trading. The temptation to be swayed from one’s original plan of holding trades for a period of time rather than ‘capitalizing′ on small breaks in the market trend are usually the cause of traders losing a sum of money, most often the considerable portion of it is by way of commissions. Even though commissions on every trade may be cheap, every commission compounds to every trade made; worse still if the trade results in a loss. So while it might be a good idea to seize a good opportunity when you see one, make sure you have a plan tailored for every trade you intend on making, instead of changing your strategies blindly just because you’re lured by the possibility of making a quick buck.

While online commodities trading may seem like a prudent investment option in these uncertain times, it requires discipline, the right mindset, and a sound trading plan in order for you to succeed in it. For beginners, the best way to trade commodities is through an online broker.

September 20th, 2008 by admin

Are you new to the trade market? Or are you already trading in the stock market, but are looking for alternative investment options? Then maybe you need to consider futures trading, and with these uncertain times and the advent of the internet, getting online and trading futures just might be the best thing you′ve ever done.

For the benefit of those entirely new to trading futures, let’s start with the basics. Trading futures work like an investment plan for traders; it involves trading commodities on the concept that traders speculate on the price fluctuations of a particular commodity. Normally there is a contract, which is essentially an agreement between traders to buy or sell a particular commodity at a particular price at a particular time in future. The futures contract, as it is called, typically has a standard price, quantity, and date of delivery. Simply put, the buyer and seller of the contract are guaranteed a specific price for a specific quantity of the commodity at the point of trade. Trade does not take place on the stock exchange, since futures are considered different from stocks. The Chicago Board of trade, the New York Cotton Exchange, and the New York Merchantile are just some of the locations where futures are traded in future exchanges.

So why futures? Futures can be a very profitable financial instrument in your investment portfolio if you have a sound trading plan. In the early 1970s, Richard J. Dennis, a former commodities speculator, was able to turn a loaned $1,600 into $200 million over the course of ten years. Of course, not all of us can achieve that level of success, but why turn away a piece of that lucrative pie when the possibility of making good money from it is there? The potential in futures trading is there for the taking, and with the internet, trading futures has never been easier.

There are many websites - set up by brokerage firms - that allow you to get online trading futures. All that is required of you is to register an account, and then to download trading software that will allow you to start trading online. Certain sites will even provide you with services of how you′d like for your commodities futures trading to be executed, like automated system execution, self-directed online execution, and broker execution.

Specially developed for online futures trading, the automated system execution service is an automated commodities trading system that makes your trading decisions for you. You can also create your own automated system that can help you execute trades on your behalf.

On the other hand, if you′re confident enough to make your own decisions and execute your own trades, then go for the self-directed online execution service. You will be provided a trading platform by the brokerage services that would allow you to make informed decisions with regards to your trades, and give you full access to execute the trades yourself.

But if you′re a beginner, your best bet would have to be the broker execution service. Because of your relative inexperience as a beginner, it would be better that you leave the trade decisions to your broker, who will make the trades for you on your behalf. Perhaps after you′ve gained enough experience and confidence in the market, you can then consider the other two choices mentioned above.

Getting online trading futures is really as simple as it seems, but like most cases, caveat emptor applies in your search for the online trading platform that might be best suited for your level of knowledge.

September 20th, 2008 by admin

A lot of people these days will tell you that futures is one of the most profitable financial investment instruments. The attraction of futures trading is the fact that it isn’t too complicated. The problem with typical stock markets is that there are thousands and thousands of stocks available, and to some that might seem like too daunting a figure to deal with. With futures markets, a speculator has only a handful of markets - about forty - to choose from. Just as it is easy to choose from that handful of markets, it is also easy to speculate commodities futures because the markets are affected by extreme weather conditions like storms or droughts. A decision to buy or sell can be made within moments of a weather report broadcast, and there is always a chance for profit whether prices go up or down.

There are in fact many advantages of futures trading. For this article, we will look into 3 of the best reasons why you should consider futures trading.

Small Commission Charges
Compared to other investments, the commission charges for futures trading are relatively small, and paid only after a trader’s position has ended. The commission charges may vary, depending on the service level of the broker. Commissions involving online brokers may be as low as $5, while brokers who provide full service in terms of advice on the trades made can charge up to $50 per trade. For a broker in a managed trading commission controlling all trading decisions at his discretion however, the charges can go as high as $200 on each trade.

Paper Investment
When you purchase stocks or bonds, you actually own that particular investment, but with futures it’s a little bit different. Trading futures does not require the trader to have or own actual physical goods on hand in order to trade them, because all the trader is really doing is speculating with futures contracts. It really is just a paper investment, like an insurance policy or a monetary bet. There are no physical goods involved in the exchange, and the actual commodity in the contract that is being traded is only exchanged on rare instances when the delivery of the contract takes place. For most futures traders (who are usually speculators themselves), the trade is a paper transaction, pure and simple.

High Leverage
The fact that futures contracts are highly leveraged financial instruments means that an investor can go into the market with a relatively small investment - called margin - and potentially come out reaping large profits. The concept of investors having to pay the ‘margin’ is comparable to a security bond, whereby should the trader make a loss on his trade, he may lose some, all, or even more than what he put up. However if his market predictions turn out to be correct, he gets back his margin and whatever profit he might have made, the profit usually being ten-fold on a 10% margin. In comparison to other investments, futures trading offers an excellent return, and this is why it is one of the best advantages of futures trading.

September 20th, 2008 by admin

Futures trading is fast becoming a very popular investment option, because a lot of people have managed to make it big trading futures. If you’re interested in joining that elite group of successful individuals, but have no idea how to take that first step, then read on, because this article will tell you how to learn from simulated futures trading.

The internet has made available countless of online tutorials and lessons on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from designing your own garden to designing your own website. Futures trading is no exception, and if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find a rare gemstone or two a website that will impart to you all the knowledge you’ll need to get started.

Sure, you’ve gotten the basics down, and you’ve got the theory etched into the back of your eyelids, but without practical application, the knowledge you’ve gleaned from all that reading and researching won’t mean a thing. Previously you might have read about concepts and theories and strategies in your research; by the end of it you’ll know the rules of the game.

But how do you play the game?

That’s where a simulated futures trading program comes in. At this point, if you’re a beginner, you might be asking yourself: What exactly is a simulated futures trading program anyway?

It’s exactly what it says it is a program that simulates the futures markets, one that allows you to apply all the theories that you’ve learned into practical application by practicing futures trading, without having to risk any real money. Many futures brokers have made such programs available online for the usage of their prospective clients, usually free for a limited trial period of thirty days, but if you feel the need for more practice, you should be able to continue using the program for a nominal price. Simulated futures program may vary from one futures broker to the next, but they come pretty much standardized in certain aspects.

Normally you would be given a simulation account, with “fake” money to make trades with. You can use this money the way you would use “real” money offline, but of course, because it’s a simulation, any losses you make won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Along with the simulation account, the program would provide you with the same tools and information any real trader would have, and this is why learning through simulation is advantageous for beginners. Since the program is essentially a simulation of the real world futures markets, you would be exposed to the same exact market conditions as you would be if you were trading for real, and the simulation should give you a good measure of how you would fare should you delve into the real world markets. Every decision made in the simulation would be a determinant factor in your potential success or failure in your real trades, so it is imperative that you get the most out of your practice with the simulated futures trading program before embarking on the real deal.
Eventually the hands-on experience prior to your real dealings with the futures markets will prove to be invaluable, because at some point of the simulation you might feel that futures trading might not be for you. So rather than potentially having the bitter experience of losing your money in the futures market, and THEN deciding that trading futures isn’t for you, you can easily back out from any further ventures with futures trading as long as you’re still practicing with the simulated futures trading program.