Online Stock Trading

November 18th, 2008 by admin

Before you open up an account with a brokerage firm and jump into trading, you should educate yourself about the different ways that you can invest your money so that you know what you are getting yourself into.

Options - An options trader speculates that a certain stock will trade higher or lower than a determined price within a specific time frame. The options contract is an agreement between two people to buy or sell at the predetermined price in the future. The reason it is called an option is because the buyer does not have to go through with the purchase. He can choose not to execute the option. Option trading is not for those new to trading. It can be very risky, but a trader can also accumulate large gains in a short period of time.

Futures - Futures trading is a type of trade where the investor speculates whether the price of a commodity will rise or fall. It is frequently referred to as commodities trading. It is an easy to understand type of trading and there are only about forty types of commodities in which you can invest. There is an enormous opportunity for huge gains in a short period of time. Of course, the potential for big profits exists because there is a risk for enormous losses as well.

Stocks - If you purchase shares of stock then you own a part of a company. If that company turns a profit, then you will see a gain in your investment. If the company loses money, then you too will lose a portion of your investment. As a stockholder in a company you will receive quarterly and annual reports on the company’s financial strength. Shareholders elect the people who serve on the board of directors, so even if you own just one share, you still get one vote.

Forex - Forex is a foreign exchange market. Foreign currencies are bought and sold. The investor is speculating as to whether the currency of a particular country will go up or go down. Forex is one of the largest markets in the world with over two trillion dollars in trades done on an annual basis. The advantage of trading on Forex is that the market is open 24 hours a day. There is no bell to wait for in order to begin trading.

Currency trading - Currency trading occurs in a market where the currencies are traded against one another. All trades are done in pairs. The investor speculates that one currency will go higher than the other currency and then wait for the profit. Trades are carried out through a network of banks and online brokerage houses. It is a very liquid market.

Day trading - Day traders buy and sell stocks within a very short period of time, usually within the same day, but the trade can also be done within a day or two. The idea is to turn a quick profit and move on to finding other hot stocks.

Swing trading - Swing trading is similar to day trading, but the trades occur over a longer period of time, which can be a few days to a few weeks.

September 20th, 2008 by admin

Many people think that being in the stock market is for professionals. In most part it is, but for the amateur they can do just as well if they follow a few simple guidelines. Here are 5 things to remember when trading stocks.

1. When you trade in the stock market you can’t let your emotions make your decisions. I’ve seen people get emotional when their stock has made a major move downward. They panic and dump the shares as soon as possible, thinking that there’ more to come. When a stock drops in value, you must see if the company is reporting negative information or if other traders are taking profits from a recent upswing in value. If there are no problems with the company then what you have is a buying opportunity for you to add to your position.

2. Before you invest in any stock you must do your research on that company and the sector that they are in. I like to refer to research as “doing your due diligence”. Reading financial reports and balance sheets are a key to knowing if a companies fundamentals are solid. Once you can do that you need to learn how to read their chart. Following the chart will give you an idea if a dip or a spike in price will coming soon.

3. Avoiding “great stock tips″ will always save you from getting caught up in the hype of stock. You need to ask yourself why this person is giving this information to you. Is it because they’re investing in this and need other people to boost share price? If a person has “inside information” on a company, they wouldn’t be allowed to tell you since it’s illegal to do so.

4. When you have decided on a stock to invest in, you don’t buy all of the shares at once. If you do and the price drops(which they do at times), you won’t have any capitol to buy any more. What you need to do is buy incrementally. You need to figure how much total money you will invest into this stock. Divide that in half and that would be your first buy in. When a stock drops below your cost basis by more than 8%, you buy half of the remaining amount you have on the side. If the stock goes up from there you wait and see where it goes to in value. If it drops another 5% from your second buy in, you purchase the remaining shares.

5. Before you buy into a company you must have a exit strategy. Unfortunately there will be times when the stock that you see as a sound investment drops in price too much(or rises beyond 20%) you need to know how and when to get out. Yes, there are other forces at work that will cause a great stock to just drop. To name one, is when investors invest in what they call “shorting a stock”. They buy stock for the purpose of going down in value(when you research a stock you can find out how much trading is going on this way. An exit strategy is needed to be in place before you buy into a stock.

I hope that these few tips are helpful to you. I know that they have helped me thought the rough spots.