As many of you know I am a partner at an internet media company. We specialize in developing and managing investing specific websites. What has made StockBrokers.com fun has just been watching it grow since we acquired the empty domain in January 2011. Last year alone we referred over 8,000 verified funded and unfunded brokerage accounts. It feels good helping investors find the best broker to help them succeed in the market.

For this year's review we stepped our research efforts, spending even more time testing the platforms and making more phone calls to support. We drilled down each category further to really hone in and find the best brokers that stood out. Bottom line, the end result was our best and most detailed review yet.

So who took the overall crown this year out of 24 different brokers? You'll have to head over to the review and find out.

Thank you in advance for reading. I appreciate the support!

Original post: StockBrokers.com 2012 Stock Broker Review Live

Furthermore this is the first day that in a while that I did not find any really interesting "worthy" articles worth sharing. Talk about bland!

So with that said I simply wish you a fantastic Friday and hope you have a great overall weekend. See you next week Tuesday as Monday is a market holiday.

Original post: February 16th, 2012 Market Recap

U.S. stocks fell, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lower for a second day, as concern grew that Greece was moving closer to default and the Federal Reserve said policy makers were divided on buying more assets.

And some more fun facts about this great start to 2012 via last night's SentimenTrader report:

• Tuesday marked the 30th trading day in 2012, and so far the S&P 500 hasn't suffered a 1% down day all year.
• Only 12 other years since 1928 have been able to last 30 days or more into a new year without suffering the indignity of a 1% down day, the last one being in 1995.
• All but one of them went at least 38 trading days into the year without a 1% down day, and the two longest went an astonishing 107 and 108 days.
• From day #30 through the end of the year, all but one of them sported a positive return, and all but two of those were more than double-digit gains.

Market enthusiasm aside, today's higher volume reversal definitely puts the market in jeopardy of a -1% day sooner than later. Apple's heavy volume bearish engulfment also does not help the cause. On Monday after Apple closed above $500 for the first time I mentioned the potential parabolic move taking place. Was today the climax top? Here's a chart of Apple's stock intraday along with an updated daily look. You be the judge.

And here is our updated look at the market indices. Keep those stops tight, stay frosty out there, and I will see you tomorrow!

Original post: February 15th, 2012 Market Recap with Look at Apple's Huge Reversal

Interesting fun fact today comes from last night's SentimenTrader letter,

The S&P 500 has now gone 29 days without trading in negative territory for the year. That makes it the 14th-longest such feat since 1928.

Including today perhaps this is now the 13th longest run.

Other interesting piece comes from Zero Hedge (the main writer Tyler is a article producing machine, seriously), gas prices in January were at an all-time high. Considering the trend for the spring and into early summer is for prices to climb even higher I'd say it is not a bad time to be a hybrid owner!

With the flat close today I am only going to include an updated look at the S&P 500. I also have a chart of Priceline (PCLN) which yesterday broke out of a nearly one year base is boasting an ultra clean chart. Stay frosty out there.

Original post: February 14th, 2012 Market Recap, Gas Prices, and PCLN Breakout

Interesting reads:

• Without Apple (AAPL) and AIG (AIG), S&P earnings growth is only 1.1% vs 8.4% - (MarketMontage)
• Obama reveals new $3.8 trillion budget - (CNN Money with Graphics at ZeroHedge)
• 1%+ days, aka "all or nothing days" are so last year - (Bespoke)
• Reminder, economists are really terrible at predicting the market - (WSJ)

The only thing that can (and will ultimately) derail this market rally is more investor euphoria over the immediate future. The US debt doesn't matter, our 2012 projected deficit doesn't matter, and Europe doesn't matter. Nothing matters but Apple's iPad 3 launching. Well eventually the music stops and these factors will abruptly become important once again. When that happens is anyone's guess, but just remember to consider adding some insurance to those new positions, stop losses do work.

Speaking of Apple (AAPL), the stock closed today at $502.60 giving the company a market cap of $468.61 Billion. The majority of this run has come post earnings where Apple announced its first ever $40 Billion+ quarter and most recently hype surrounding the iPad 3 has soared. Now, I am huge Apple nut and will be buying the iPad 3, however it seems to me that everyone and their mom is now buying Apple stock. I can't help but think the party is going to wind down sooner than later. I don't know how else to say this, but I have to admit, I have become a skeptic.

Stay frosty out there and I will see you tomorrow!

Original post: February 13th, 2012 Market Recap, Apple Update, and Market Euphoria

So I would love for you to read through my list, Tools of the Trade - How I Invest (2012 Edition), and then email me (Email subscribers just click reply!) or leave a comment on this post including the services you utilize yourself.

Your list can include newsletters, websites, blogs, brokers, subscriptions services, anything. If it helps you make money in the market, then I would love to know what it is! Also, feel free to keep it short and sweet just listing names, you don't have to go through the trouble I did on my post.

For example, my favorite trade platform is thinkorswim by TD Ameritrade:

With your responses I can then put together a great post highlighting my findings. It'll be great.

Thank you in advance for your participation. I hope this bull market is treating your portfolio well and I look forward to hearing from you!

Original post: What are Your Favorite Stock Tools and Services?

A lot of earnings highlights today: Visa, Cisco, Panera, Groupon, Buffalo Wild Wings, amongst others. For the details head over to today's IBD Market wrap up.

The good stuff:

• This is why the Dow Jones Industrials index is worthless (Bespoke)
• The end of money-market funds? (SmartMoney)

Most interesting thought of the day comes from this great piece, Consumer Credit and the American Conundrum (ZeroHedge):

Individuals go to work to produce a good or service for which they are paid a finite amount of money for. With that income they pay taxes which leaves them with discretionary income from which to live on. Pay the rent, utilities, insurance and healthcare, food, clothes and put gas in the car and that pretty much consumes the majority of the paycheck. Today, the situation is quite different and a harbinger of potentially bigger problems ahead. The consumer is no longer turning to credit to leverage UP consumption - they are turning to credit to maintain their current living needs.

I am no expert on economics but this makes logical sense to me and I don't think it could have been broken down any cleaner. A fantastic read for sure.

And here is a nice graph showing the leadership sectors thus far in 2012 (StockCharts.com). Defensive sectors consumer staples, healthcare, and utilities are lagging the market YTD while the others lead.

Whether or not Greece has an effect on the market this week remains to be seen. Apparently an announcement is due out any day but no one has yet to see anything come across the wire beyond crazy headlines like these.

Hope this rally is treating your portfolio well. Stay frosty out there and I will see you back here tomorrow!

Original post: February 8th, 2012 Market Recap with Look at Leading Sectors

Interesting reads:

• Consumer credit soars $33 Billion, epic credit bubble collapse enroute? (ZeroHedge)
• Are we in the early stages of a great 1995 rally all over again? (StockCharts.com)
• Student loan debt on the rise, fueling jump in bankruptcies (IBD, Bloomberg)

The confident "everyone on board the market train" bias is starting to become very evident. With the mainstream media focused on the positive and average investors piling into the market there is almost always a top being formed behind the scenes.

The trend is your friend so by all means take advantage but perhaps proceed with care. Tighter stops on new positions for example is never a bad idea in these times as the market gives gains back much quicker than it adds them on.

Now more than ever, stay frosty (sharp) out there!

Original post: February 7th, 2012 Market Recap