Using Stocks To Manage Your Investment Risk

By C.P.Billows

Whenever you invest, you are taking a risk. The goal is the manage it and not avoid it.

Every good investor knows that he should set aside some of his portfolio for long-term, lower-risk investments. The other portion can be used for medium to higher-risk investments depending on your financial circumstances and other life factors.

Allocate Wisely

A good rule of thumb to follow is: Allocate 50% of your portfolio for the long-term, lower risk category no matter how great a speculative short term pick may appear.

This will take discipline, but on more than one occasion it will probably save you in no small way.

Most of the systems and strategies you find on the Internet are high-risk, high-gain where you can be wiped out in a single transaction.

Take a risk! I do, but only with a certain percent of my funds. You should do the same.

So let's say for example that you choose to invest in long-term, lower-risk stocks with 50% of your portfolio.

Let's start by defining what a good long-term stock is. Some will call them large-cap stocks, other's call them Blue Chip stocks.

Blue Chips will be the common stock of a nationally known company that has a long record of profit growth, dividend payments, and a reputation for quality management, products, and services. Some examples would be International Business Machines, General Electric, and DuPont. They are relatively high priced and have moderate dividend yields.

There is no true master list of Blue Chip stocks. That is because the definition of what is and isn't a blue chip stock varies greatly. Essentially though, its a consistent top performing stock.

Look to such indexes as Dow Jones Industrial Averages and Standard and Poor's 100 Averages to see such lists.

The problem is that you may invest in long-term, lower-risk stocks that stagnate for years on end. Yet, even such stocks have their ups and downs and the profit you see (or don't see) can be exacerbated by current market conditions.

Your entry time could be poor and you may have to wait years to see a break-even point on such a stock.

You still need a proven strategy with so-called "stable" investment stocks.

Buy and Sell Wisely

To get the most gain out of the stocks you buy and help to minimize your risk, you need to employ one of the tools used by professionals, which is Technical Analysis. You will use some Technical analysis to help you determine the price to buy in and the price to sell. Technical analysis is merely putting a stock through a mathematical formula.

When you employ this tool properly, you can get many times the profit you currently get or others get with the old 'buy and hold' strategy.

Each technical indicator is made to tell you something slightly different. Some will tell you the momentum of a stock, its trend strength, volatility limits, how much its diverging from previous price patterns.

Some of these indicators, while good, are for short-term action. Others are more geared for long-term action. So just because someone swears by an indicator, it doesn't mean that its the right indicator for you in a certain application.

The indicator that we have become familiar with is called the Stochastic oscillator. This indicator is a momentum indicator that is based on closing prices of a stock that doesn't take into account wild daily fluctuations. It bases the current close against previous closes to indicate buying pressure or selling pressure.

Simple use of this indicator can make you lose money quick should you not understand how to properly use it. If you have ever traded using momentum indicators, you know that many false signals can be created. Whipsaws or false movements that quickly reverse in the indicator create further problems. The more people try to compensate for the weaknesses in the indicator, the worse it seems to get.

That is until development of the K-39 Theory, also called the Last Stochastic Theory. This theory will guide you in how to ignore those false signals and take advantage of the built-in momentum of the stock.

This way you can find ways to trade the best Blue Chip stocks and know when are the better times to buy and sell. You will then have the bluest of the blue chips thanks to this method. - 23222

About the Author:

C.P.Billows is the publisher of In The Money, the Stock Options Trading Course, a 60 page eBook available at www.mandalainvesting.com. The eBook has given hundreds of people the investing edge they need to keep ahead of inflation and taxes. Click here to submit article.

Are Great Traders Made?

By Hass67

The question is can anyone become a winning forex trader? Yes anyone can in my opinion. The only thing that is required is a winning trading plan. If you have not developed a good trading plan than dont enter the forex market. First develop one. Forex markets are not going anywhere. These markets will be there next year and after that. Enter only when you are prepared.

I want to tell you about a great trading experiment that was conducted by two great traders. This experiment will teach you the importance of getting a good training in developing a winning trading plan. Read on to know about the Turtle Trading Experiment.

Richard Dennis and Bill Eckhardt were two partners, great traders and commodities speculators. Both were arguing one day in the year 1983 whether great traders were made or were born.

Bill was of the opinion that great traders are only born while Richard believed that great traders could be made through a process of good training. In order to settle the matter, Richard suggested that they recruit and train a few novice traders. Train them. Give them accounts to trade and see how they perform.

An advertisement was made in Wall Street Journal, Barrons and The New York Times. 1000 applications were received. The great Turtle Trading Experiment had begun in history.

Only 80 were called for interview after shortlisting. 13 were selected for the experiment in the end. They were known as the Turtles.

The students were given a complete trading plan that contained exact rules how to trade. Richard used to say that he could teach his rules to anyone. But as long as someone was not consistent in applying those rules and sticking with them during rough stormy water, they were useless.

Success in forex trading will only come if you get good training. Then use that training to develop your trading plan that is based on rules that are mechanical in nature and do not depend on emotional decisions. The key to success in trading is controlling your emotions. A good trading plan just does that.

In the end, it is discipline and consistency that will make you a winning forex trader in applying your trading plan. Who says, you cannot become a Great Trader! - 23222

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in Investing, Futures and Forex Trading. Download Turtle Trading Rules.

A Look at the Forex Exchange Market vs the Stock Market

By Gugu Martini

The FX market is also referred to as the foreign exchange market. When trading occurs between two countries who have dissimilar varieties of money they lay the foundation for the FX market this is the foundation of the trading patterns in this market place. set up in the early 70's the Forex market is over 30 years of age where you are not investing or dealing in business enterprises rather it is established on the trading of monetary systems.

The difference between the stock market and the forex market is the vast trading that occurs there, a whopping two trillion dollar plus is traded daily. The amount is much higher than the funds traded on any given country's stock market. The foreign exchange market is one of a few that involves governments, banks, financial institutions and another countries counterparts to those institutions.

What is sold, bought and traded on the fx market are commodities that can be liquidated easily this means that they can be turned into cash quickly if it is not already cash The currency of one country to another the cash that is available in the fx market is something that can be arranged for any investor regardless of what country they are in.

The difference between the stock market and the forex market is that the latter is global or worldwide. While the stock market is more country specific and is based on businesses and products that are within a country, the fx market goes further to involves any country.

The business day for the stock market typically which typically follow the traditional business day this means that it is closed on holidays and weekends Whereas the FX market is open 24 hours a day because countries from all over the world are involved in trading selling and buying in a variety of time zones. When one market opens another countries market is closing so this is the continual method of how the forex market trading occurs.

The stock market in any country will be based on the currency of that country so the French francs, and the French stock market, so the Pakistani rupee and that Pakistan stock market or the United States stock market and the dollar. compared to the fx market where you are involved in multiple countries and multiple currencies. There are references to many different currencies which is the biggest difference between the stock market and the foreign exchange market. - 23222

About the Author:

Forex Trading Course Reviews supplies more reviews, check out this link: forex trade recommendations.

Forex Trading Systems: Understanding Discretionary and Mechanical Systems

By John Eather

There are two basic types of Forex trading systems, termed mechanical and discretionary systems. Mechanical systems provide trading signals that are based on systematic data analysis and other technical analyses. Discretionary systems, on the other hand, use factors that are harder to quantify, like trader experience, and gut feelings about entries and exits. Which one brings better results? And, more importantly, which one best fits your trading style? Let's begin by evaluating the pros and cons of each system.

Advantages A mechanical system is able to be entirely automatic and backtested for efficacy. It engages fast rules and info. Mechanical traders are apt to focus less on hunches than discretionary traders.

Disadvantages Almost all traders backtest Forex trading systems inaccurately. In order to develop accurate final results, tick data is required. Even so, the Forex market is constantly in motion and has a fair amount of unpredictability. Market circumstances might appear alike to a backtest scenario, but they're never precisely alike. A trading strategy which was flourishing the year before can't be promised the same level of success this year.

Advantages Discretionary systems can easily adapt to new and changing market conditions. Trading decisions are based on experience, and traders use their background knowledge to determine which trading signals yield a higher chance of success.

Disadvantages Discretionary systems don't allow backtesting or automation, as making a decision asks for a real person to canvas the market conditions. Time is compulsory to lay down the experience level essential to attain success entering trades reliably. This has a propensity to be precarious in the beginning.

So, which system is best for Forex traders? The best system is the one that suits your preferences. If you have difficulty following your instincts, then you may fare better with a mechanical system. This will eliminate the need to apply your judgment; you simply accept the trades signaled by the mechanical system.

Also, if you're paralysed by the uncertainties and emotions that beset a lot of traders, you'll also be better off with mechanical systems, since you are able to just follow what the system shows without being overpowered by your own mental barriers. There will be no more mental anguish over whether to go short, go long, close or open a trade - the mechanical system will indicate this for you.

However, if you've enough self discipline, it'd be better for you to employ a discretionary system. This will allow the most flexibility in adapting to market conditions, and you will be able to easily adjust your trading strategies as the market develops. For instance, if you've a goal of 50 pips on a long trade but the market starts to quickly move up, you have the option to set your strategy to take profit at 90 pips.

Prior to choosing whether a discretionary or mechanical trading system is good for you, there are a few significant points to deliberate. You'll want to be sure that the kind of Forex trading system you employ agrees your personality, or you will be always doubting your selected system.

You'll need to lay down some trading rules, and more importantly, have the discipline to stick to them. Take the time to develop the best system for you. This involves time and dedication, but if you do it properly, this will pay off in the long run. - 23222

About the Author:

Register for John Eather's eCourse to find out more about Forex Trading Online . Get the latest info concerning Automated Trading at MoneyMakingFxTrader.com.

Trading Risks Reduced With Forex Trading System: Research Key

By John Eather

Automated trading systems have been gaining in popularity as the possibility of using technology to make trade decisions for increased profit has been realized. Forex has been at the leading edge of this technology, and has helped traders meet the full potential of trading.

All those forex trading systems keep an eye on the prices of currencies and then accordingly make the business decision to open and close positions for the trader. They always keep a keen watch on the current situation of the forex market, constantly adjusting the take profits and stop losses and are known for reducing the risk for the trader.

A lot of different kinds of systems are available for use, and the consumer needs to be intelligent in how they select their system. There are risks associated with any trading system, and the trader should utilize the vast array of internet-based resources on forex trading systems to give them valuable information on the choices available to them.

Essentially, forex robotic technology has abstracted human emotional response to trading. This has served to greatly reduce human error in trading, particularly in currency transactions. Currency markets are one place where individuals have had difficulty in making informed, dispassionate decisions about trading, and forex has helped tremendously.

Introducing automation and technology into the equation allows for one to overcome the barriers presented by human error. There are, however, risks involved in forex trading systems. The calculations involved in designing the forex trading systems technology are easily researched on the web through forex resource sites.

Despite the greater efficiency and accuracy associated with applying forex technology to trading systems, there are some questions and may be some points for error. While robotic technology may greatly reduce human error, there is always a risk when it comes to entering the trade market.

A possible area of concern that may be encountered is that people run the risk of becoming too dependent on the forex system, despite the systemas increased accuracy. Traders might find they diminish their capacity to perform their own analysis of market conditions and situations, as they have given this analytical responsibility over to the computers.

Man has created the machine, not vice versa. So we should always have control over the machine. These are some of the pitfalls of these automated forex trading systems. One may get some extra information about this from some of the good online forex resources available. If you keep in mind all these simple rules, then surely you will trade very well and earn through online forex trading. - 23222

About the Author:

Before you start trading forex online, please sign up for John's fantastic ecourse and reports. Receive the latest info about trading forex online. Click on Money Making Fx Trader to learn more.