Others have the merit of educating themselves but fall victims of their emotions. They hold on to losing positions hoping they will turn into winners and sell winners by fear of losing a small gain. They overtrade to fulfill a need for action or by fear of missing out.

The consistent winners follow a winning approach:

• They have a strategy to enter and exit trades
• They use good money management
• They take consistent actions, they follow a trading plan
• They keep good records so they can review their actions
• They avoid overtrading
• They have a winning attitude

A strategy to enter and exit trades

You need to a strategy to put the odds in your favor for each trade you take. Your strategy should be as objective as possible and include the following elements:

• Entry: conditions required before you can enter a trade – may include technical analysis, fundamental analysis, or both.

• Initial stop loss: price at which you will close the entire position if it does not go in your favor. The risk per share is the difference between the entry price and the initial stop.

• Initial price objective: price at which you will take some or all profits if the trade goes in your favor.

• Trade management: set of rules that dictates your actions while a trade is opened. It may include trailing stops, closing position, etc…

For every action you take, the reason should be clearly described in your strategy.

Money management rules to keep losses small

The goal of money management is to ensure your survival by avoiding risks that could take you out of business. Your money management rules should include the following:

• Maximum amount at risk for each trade. The different between your entry price and your initial stop loss is your risk per share. Your maximum amount at risk for each trade determines the share size.

• Maximum amount at risk for all your opened positions.

• Maximum daily and weekly amount lost before you stop trading – avoid trying to trade your way out of a hole after a loosing streaks.

During your learning phase, your goal should be to survive, not to make money. Start with low limits and raise them as you become a consistent winner otherwise you will simply go broke faster.

Good record keeping

Although the process of gaining experience cannot be rushed, it can be made much more efficient by keeping good records of your actions. Good records will allow you to:

• Review your actions at the end of each day to make sure you followed you strategy, not your emotions.

• Learn from your losses – they cost you money, make sure you get the education in return.

You should also keep a journal of your observations.

A trading plan to keep emotions out of your decisions

During trading hours, emotions will turn smart people into idiots. Therefore you have to avoid having to make decisions during those hours. This requires a detailed trading plan that includes your strategy and your money management rules.

For every action you take during trading hours, the reason should not be greed or fear. The reason should be because it is in the plan. With a good plan, your task becomes one of patience and discipline.

You have to follow the plan without exception. Any valid reason for an exception – for example, correcting an oversight – should become part of the plan.

Overtrading

Sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing. Not trading on those bad days is key to becoming a consistent winner – in some situations it is very tempting to overtrade:

• If you trade to fulfill a need for action, to relieve boredom
• If you can’t find the proper setup but can’t wait
• If you fear you are missing out on a great trade or on a great market
• If you want to make up for losses (revenge)
• If you trade to feel like you are working instead of sitting around. Trading involves a lot of work other than the actual buying and selling.

You should not trade under the following conditions

• You are not following my trading plan
• You have reached your daily or weekly maximum loss
• You are sick or very tired
• You are very emotional (upset, pressured to make money, self-esteem destroyed)
• You are using new tools you are not completely familiar with
• You need time to work on your trading plan

A winning attitude

Losing traders look for a “sure thing”, hang on hope, and avoid accepting small losses. Their trading is based on emotions. You must treat trading as a probability game in which you don’t need to know what is going to happen next in order to make money. All you need to know is that the odds are in your favor before you put a trade.

If you believe in your edge, which is you believe that the odds in your favor for each trade you enter, then you should have no expectation other than something will happen.

Your attitude will have a direct influence on your trading results:

• Take responsibility for all your actions – don’t blame the market or world events.

• Trade to trade well and for the love of trading, not to trade often and not for the money. The money will come as a result of trading well.

• Don’t be influenced by the opinions of others. Reach your own decisions and follow them.

• Never think that taking money from the market is easy and never assume that you know enough.

• Have no particular expectation when you place a trade because you know that anything can happen.

• Don’t try to guess the future – trading is a game of probabilities.

• Use your head and stay calm – don’t get excited or depressed.

• Handle trading as a serious intellectual pursuit.

• Don’t count how much money you have made or lost while you are in a trade – focus on trading well.

 

Trading Framework was designed to help you build those crucial elements into your trading.

www.tradingframework.com

A Disciplined and Organized Approach to Trading in the Stock Market is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

Much like our views about many things — people, relationships, food, and health to name a few — our beliefs came from our parents, our teachers, and other adults in our lives. And it goes back even further, beyond them, back to the circumstances through which they lived, or what they learned from their parents, what their parents learned from their parents, and so on. These beliefs are ingrained, and because they’re usually subconscious, the cycles are continuous — until someone breaks them. You can break the cycle. Beliefs about money are many and varied, but in my research, I’ve discovered that there are a few that predominate.

Money is scarce. Several of us have parents or grandparents who lived through the Great Depression, an era that rooted an entire generation in a scarcity mindset. These people passed onto their children the idea that money was in short supply and that when it did surface, spending had to be limited and saving was imperative. If any of the following ever crossed your mind—“A penny saved is a penny earned,” “Don’t dip into savings,” or “We can’t afford it” — then you have this perspective and rainy days loom ominously. Money doesn’t grow on trees. These threats create a fearful relationship with money.

Money is evil, dirty, or bad. Several of us have parents or grandparents who believe that the road to bad places is lined with green. They’ve only ever seen the drawbacks of the rat race, the downside of the money chase, and the audacity and indulgence of those with too much money. Some even believe that wealthy people are bad people. Novels and films often highlight the idea that it’s the crooked ones who make the money. The meek shall inherit the earth. Such prophecies create a hands-off relationship with money.

Money comes monthly. The most common way to make a living is to be employed, either with a company or as a skilled professional, with a weekly wage or an annual salary. Historically, this provided the safe, sure thing required by heads of households. Yet, that level of risk was usually balanced with an equal level of reward — low and low. For most, even those who do very well, working for a company or as a skilled professional is a constrained opportunity. Except for the outrageous exceptions, the average CEO of the average company making six figures a year will still experience only a small increase in salary during his or her lifetime. Slow and steady wins the race. Such fables create a cautious relationship to money.

Money is not for me. Some people feel that they don’t deserve to be wealthy or that there is only so much of the millionaire pie to go around. Creating wealth and financial freedom is available to everyone. It is our right to be wealthy, and my hope is that people take their space and know they deserve it. By making money, you are not taking it from someone else; this isn’t Bonnie and Clyde Go to the Bank. By making money, you create a greater capacity to contribute, and it’s your duty to do this. Better them than me. Such adages create a defeated relationship to money.

Money is a man thing. There was a time that men made and managed the household money. That time was not so long ago, and some of you may have grown up with such conditioning. Though there are gender tendencies, for example, men tend to carry more money in their pocket than women and are more likely to invest than women, the reasons behind this are not genetic; they are realities falsely fabricated from years of conditioning. Women and men need to understand that money knows no gender. One of my programs that really resonates with up and coming wealth builders is “Wealth Diva: A Man Is Not a Plan.” This is a must-do seminar for every man and woman, and the daughters and sons they love. Let him bring home the bacon. Such perceptions create an apathetic relationship to money.

Money is good medicine. For some people, retail therapy goes a long way; there’s no difficulty a new blouse can’t cure. At the moment, we live in a culture of consumerism, and many of us use money to fill the unsatisfying holes in our lives. Some people grew up with a sense of entitlement about money, assuming their parents or a trust fund would always pay for everything, and in the process, they became careless about what they had. This is a vicious and unproductive cycle. The new car gets old, the closet fills up with clothes, and the toys pile up in the playroom. This is notto say there aren’t wonderful things to buy and spend our money on; after all, money should be fun. But as with overeating, too much spending on the wrong things can get any of us feeling sluggish and sad. Shop till you drop. Such bombarding messages create a disrespectful or nonchalant relationship to money.

Money is always a menace. For too many of us, money was always a problem. Bills were a hassle, keeping up with the Joneses was exhausting, entrepreneurs were considered nuts, and one’s station in life was, well, stationary. And getting rich would be worse. Money can be such a burden, not to mention all that paperwork and responsibility. These views of money create a perspective that money is actually a problem, not a solution. It’s hard enough just to survive, let alone thrive. Such pessimism creates a negative relationship to money.

Money talk is taboo. Many of us have been brought up to believe that conversations about money are in bad taste. Money and financial success, and failures, are considered personal subjects that shouldn’t be discussed and certainly shouldn’t be taught. Few of us asked our parents how much money they made, and even now, there are people who don’t know their spouse’s salaries. The results have unintended consequences and have created a world where very few people are having real conversations about money and finances, the very conversations they need to learn and succeed. These things are not discussed in polite society, dear. Such a scolding creates an ignorant relationship to money.

In each of these examples, it’s clear that unless your parents made a conscious choice to think and act differently, they conditioned you to have the same mindset as them. If you make a decision to break this cycle, you will have the opportunity to teach your children to have more productive beliefs about, and a more profitable relationship to,money. As you come to understand the beliefs you hold, you will work to change them. Through the action steps in this process, and with the help of mentors and respected friends, you will change your behavior. By sharing your desire for new beliefs and asking your mentors and respected friends to help you spot the subconscious limitations you may be putting on yourself, you will teach your brain to follow your behavior. Begin now by restating your beliefs. For example, if you’ve discovered that you hold any of the above examples as beliefs, you will

1. Change “money is scarce” to “money is abundant” and support a courageous relationship to money.

2. Change “money is evil, dirty, or bad” to “money is good and acceptable” and create a hands-on relationship to money.

3. Change “money comes monthly” to “money comes from a range of sources” and create an opportunistic relationship to money.

4. Change “money is not for me” to “who better than me for money to come to” and create an empowered relationship to money.

5. Change “money is a man thing” to “I can and will know about and understand money,” and create a thoughtful relationship to money.

6. Change “money is good medicine” to “money is a tool to help make my life better” and create a respectful and concerned relationship to money.

7. Change “money is a menace” to “money is a solution” and create a positive relationship to money.

8. Change “money talk is taboo” to “money talk is vital” and create a knowledgeable relationship to money.

You can see how much better it is to be courageous, hands-on, opportunistic, empowered, thoughtful, respectful and concerned, positive, and knowledgeable than to be fearful, hands-off, cautious, defeated, apathetic, disrespectful and nonchalant, negative, and ignorant. The choice is yours and it looks like you’re well on your way. You’ve already taken a huge step by deciding to actually take the first step. By making the decision to start right now, you have created the opportunity to raise your financial consciousness and change your life.

8 Money Myths is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

Mortgage repayments
Personal tax
Loans and overdrafts
Living expenses
Emergency funds
Car expenses
Entertainment
Holidays
School fees
Credit card debts
Family commitments

Before you start investing your money on any investment products, you should know how much you could spare each month for investment. General rule is that, you should clear your debts first, then save and invest later. That is to say the more money you put aside now, the better it will be for your future. I would say put aside 10% of your income for rainny days. 10% is a small amount that you won’t feel a pinch. Save it until you have managed to build a “dam management funds”.

2. Prepare funds for dam management. This goes in line with point 1. You need to keep at least 3 to 6 months ofyou income as dam management. After you have managed to do that then additional money that you saved can be used to invest.

3. Protect yourself and your family first. By this point, I mean you should have the basic life insurance that insure you and your family against terminal diseases and accident. This is very important as even though you might loose all your money through investment and if you or your family members need medical attention, it will be well taken care of.

4. Know your risk level. If you are not able to take big risks, short term investment and swing trading is notfor you. It’s better to invest in mutual or trusts funds which will give a steady payout and have lower risk.If you are a high risk or medium risk taker, you can try invest in stocks, growth and hedge funds.

5. Diversify your investment. Expert would tell you it is a must to diversify your investment. Your investments needto have a steady mix of stocks, mutual funds and/or bonds. Beside that, your should invest in different industryand/or different regions. This will help you minimize your risk as fluctuations in the markets will not have a big impact on your investments. Your ideal mix will be 20-40% stock and the rest mutual funds and bonds.

6. Do your homework before you invest. It is good to seek expert advice. But, the money is ultimately yours. So you need to do some research and make a sound decision on what to invest even though your financial advisors might have already worked it out all for you. This is to make sure you know what you are investing and able to keep track of them. If your investments suffer loses you will be able to make a right decision whether to sell or hold if you know your stuff well.

7. Do stock take yearly if not frequently. Your investment might already be reaping in profits. But, it is good to know how well you fare at the end of the day. Reinvest the profits and celebrate if you have success. This will serve as motivations for you and will make you more determined to acheive your financial goals.

7 Things You Need to Know Before You Start Investing… is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

For example, with the recent hike in oil prices, an airline company which uses a lot of fuel might want to hedge it’s exposure to oil prices through the purchase of oil futures. If the price of oil is $60 now and is expected to go up to $70 within 3 months, the airline would hedge its exposure by purchasing the 3 month future contracts so long as the agreed price is less than $70.

Oil prices now $60
Expected oil price in 3 mth’s time (by airline) $70
Price of 3 mth oil contract (by oil producer) $68
Actual price 3 mths later $65

Let’s assume the airline can find an oil producer willing to sell oil 3 month later for $68, the company would enter a futures agreement with this oil producer for delivery of a certain quantity of oil in 3 month’s time. If the price of oil falls to $65, the airline still has to purchase at the agreed price of $68. But what propelled the airline to enter the futures contract in the first place is its expectations of future oil prices going up to $70 in 3 months and buying at a price below $70 (3 months later) seemed reasonable to the company.

Index futures are cash settled, there is no physical delivery of commodity as in the case of wheat, corn, etc. Although index futures can also be held for the long term, the time span we are concentrating on is a day. We are using the index futures as a vehicle for speculation and not for hedging as in the case of the airline company.

What is the Emini S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100?
NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500 index futures is listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and trades on the Globex electronic system. CME acts as the counter party for each trade, hence if you short futures, CME will be taking the long position and vice versa.

NASDAQ 100 Emini contracts is actually one fifth the size of their larger counterparts, the NASDAQ 100 index futures. Each point of the index will represent $20 and the minimum fluctuation ( tick size ) is 0.5 points which is equivalent to $10.

S&P 500 Emini contracts is actually one fifth the size of their larger counterparts, the S&P 500 index futures. Each point of the index will represent $50 and the minimum fluctuation ( tick size ) is 0.25 points which is equivalent to $12.50.

Globex opens from 16:30(EST) on weekdays and 18:00(EST) on Sundays and public holidays. The closing time is 16:15(EST) on all days. However, there will be a scheduled maintenance of Globex from 17:30 till 18:00 (Monday through Thursday, nightly). I know the timings can be quite complicated, however as day traders, we are mostly concerned with trading when the market is opened as we have to capitalize on the higher liquidity available. I do not recommend entering trades after market hours, due to low volume which leads to slippage. The time span you have to concentrate on is really the market opening hours from 9:30 till 16:15 (EST).

More information regarding the contract specification of the Emini can be found on CME’s website.

symbols for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 Emini index futures. Both the NQ and ES emini contracts have expiry months in March, June, September and December which are denoted by the letters “H”, “M”, “U”, “Z” respectively. Hence NQ05Z will represent the NASDAQ 100 emini contract with expiry month in December 2005. Similarly, ES06H will be the symbol for an S&P 500 emini contract with expiry month in March 2006.

March H
June M
September U
December Z

Emini Futures S&P 500 And NASDAQ 100 : Basic Trading Info is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

To be really effective, you need to look at both the outside and the inside of your home. Here are 3 tips to get you started with the outside of your home:

1. Go stand on the street to see what clients see when driving up to the house. Be aware that any negative impressions they get outside the house (landscaping not maintained or non-existent, peeling paint, etc.) is just going to make them think that the house itself has not been well taken care of. So even if you have spent the time and money to fix up the interior, it would all be wasted if the clients get a bad first impression as they drive up to the house.

2. Next, step outside your front door and close the door; then stand on the stoop and look around for 5 minutes. While the realtor fumbles for keys and tries to figure out how to open the door, the clients are standing behind and looking around. So what are they seeing? Dead plants, old Halloween decorations in the middle of January, cobwebs? Again, not a good first impression!

It’s definitely worth it to take some time and clean it up. Want to go a step further? Try a new coat of paint or some new furniture or accessories.

3. Don’t forget the backyard. While that might not be part of the potential buyers’ first impression experience, you still should make sure it’s in the best condition possible. Pull up weeds, water plants, do some sweeping (if that’s applicable in your case) and maybe even purchase new furniture or accessories (plant pots, bird houses, etc.)

And the biggest tip of all? Imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at your property for the very first time. What impressions are you getting? Would YOU buy your house? What would you like to see changed before you put an offer on your house?

And don’t worry about spending several thousand dollars to get your house ready to sell – you’ll get it all back when your house sells. Proper staging helps you sell your house in a shorter time and at the price you want.

3 Tips to Staging the Outside of Your Home Like a Pro is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

This company understands that some terrible events sometimes are inevitable. That is why it is truly important for people to always prepare for any negative impacts that might occur as the effects of the happening events. To solve such problems, money is often considered as the most flexible solution. In case you have huge debts or get injured due to car crash, ready cash can help you settle the debts or pay for your medical bill.

To ease your way to grab immediate cash, the company offers a financial service of pay day loan uk. To get fast approval, you only need to make sure that you have fulfilled all of the qualifications. You must be a UK resident with age over 18 years old. You should also have a permanent job that can give you regular income for each month. Lastly, you should own a bank account in which you save your salary. Since the loan has simple requirements, feel free to apply for it anytime.

The Best UK Payday Loan is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

Some traders and investors would say that intuition means a lot when trading.  Some would say that it played a major role when they are clinching a deal or when winning in a trade.  But some traders would say that intuition does not play a role.  Some would say that it works for them, while others would contest that. But given the fact that some people rely on intuition to get good trades, an automated system would not be able to help them.  Since programs and computers do not rely on intuition at all.

Another common thing that traders who use an automated Forex trading system is make their computers and programs take their place in trading.  Actually, this is a great idea.  Having a machine to do your trade for you making you deal with other matters.  But this turns into a disadvantage especially when you let the program and computer do ALL the work.

It is very easy to be comfortable with this setup, relying with your software too much.  Actually, systems could make mistakes too.  You would also need to recognize opportunities and at the same time do on-hand trading.

Another downside of an automated Forex trading system is making sure that your computer is running all the time and you have a dedicated server to run your automated trading. This is to make sure that your expert advisors or EA would work with your home and work computer.

There would be times when you would encounter a chart pattern or wave analysis which is very hard to accomplish.  So you would have to get some professional people to interpret your charts for you and decode some extremely hard patterns.

Another truth that you would have to face is that not all expert advisors handle errors and other unexpected things easily.  So you would need to brace yourself against anything that could disappoint you.  Not everything is perfect.  So, you would to be prepared to face disappointments and handle them.  This is why you would still need knowledge in manual Forex trading.

Nothing is perfect, even computers and programs still make mistakes and can find it difficult to deal with unexpected and crucial points in trading.  Traders and investors prefer to use both automated and manual trading.  They would use automated trading system if they find manual trading difficult.  While, simple systems like simple chart patterns are left to be done manually.

Aside from all of these, another downside is that automated Forex trading is too popular over the internet.  This can either be good or bad.  The good thing is that getting an automated system is easy and at the tips of your fingers.  While the bad thing is that too much popularity can cause numerous websites to come up with scams and cheating over the internee.

There are a lot of automated Forex trading systems for sale in the internet.  They claim that their products are the best among the systems, but they fail to meet the standards.  That it why, people are advised to check on the comments of customers and have a money-back guarantee for the purchase.

Automated Forex Trading System Risks is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

To get a student credit card, follow these guidelines:

1. Find some cards for comparison.

It’s easier than you think. Credit card companies often set up tables and booths at college fairs. You may even find fliers or applications around campus. And you can always find a student credit card with an online search. Be sure that the cards you’re considering are specifically student cards. Credit cards aimed at students tend to have more lenient credit score and credit history criteria, and they also tend to have lower interest rates.

2. Pick the one with the best terms.

Not all credit cards are created equal! Since your student credit card is probably your first, educate yourself a bit about the terms and jargon you’ll encounter. Choose one with a low interest rate, since that’s the “extra” amount your credit card will tack onto your balance each month. Look for one with a longer grace period, too, which is the amount of time you have to make a payment before interest begins accruing. Other things you should look for is a card with no annual fee and a low late payment fee.

3. Apply!

Simply fill out the application–either on paper, online or on the phone–and answer the questions on the form. You’ll need to reveal all the basics, like your name, current address and phone number. You’ll also need to provide them with a “permanent” address and phone number. The application will include lines for information about your school, your school’s address, your enrollment status and your year of graduation. It’s possible they’ll ask about your bank accounts and employment.

If you’re currently employed or have significant savings in the bank, chances are your line of credit–the maximum balance you can hold on your card–will be higher. But even if you only have a summer job, you should still be able to qualify for $500 – $1,000 in credit.

3 Ways To Get Approved For A Student Credit Card is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

What is Student Loan Consolidation?

Student loan consolidation simply means consolidating all your student loans into a single loan with a monthly payment plan. Effectively, all your previous student loans are written off and a new student loan is created which you have to pay off monthly.

Benefits of Student Loan Consolidation

Here are some of the benefits of student loan consolidation

1. Lower monthly payments

By consolidating all your student loans into one loan, you only need to pay off one loan monthly instead of several student loans monthly. Thus, your monthly payment is lower

2. Pay only one loan monthly instead of several student loans monthly

It is a lot easier if you have to manage only one student loan instead of several student loans with different payment deadlines. Also, sometimes with many student loans, you may ended up forgetting to pay one student loan.

3. Low, fixed interest rate

By consolidating your student loans, you will be able to take advantages of low, fixed interest rates. Currently, by law, student loan consolidation rates cannot exceed 8.25%. Furthermore, national interest rates are at a 40-year low therefore this is a good time to get one.

4. No credit card check or processing fees

No credit card check is required during the application of a student loan consolidation. The payment plans and terms are usually quite flexible in that they can customize it according to your financial standing.

5. Make monthly student loan payment electronically

While it is not necessary to make payment electronically, most lenders will knock 0.25% off your student loan rates if you make payment electronically. Also, using direct debit from your bank account will prevent you from forgetting to make a payment.

Sometimes it can get quite confusing as to the qualification of applying for a student loan consolidation. The official stand from the government is that students who are still in their grace period or who are still studying in school may qualify for government student loan consolidation

The government student loan consolidation nowadays are quite competitive compared to private sector, therefore I would recommend going for a government student loan consolidation. With so many benefits of getting a student loan consolidation, it is quite obvious to save money in the long run is to get one.

5 Benefits of Student loan consolidation is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips

The zero interest credit cards usually offers 0% interest for anywhere from three to 18 months, no interest or fees on the balance transfer and waived fees for introduction period or sometimes without any fees on introductory period. After the introduction period, there will be interest charges for the balance transfer and the purchases. Credit card with zero interest can be very useful for financing expenses; it can be used for covering big expenses like buying cars, home renovation or probably used for medical expenses. It is also can be used for lowering debt or recovering bad credit rating.

Zero Interest Credit Cards Application Strategy is a post from: Tol Records Finance and Money Management Tips