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Right now I am starting off with 30% of account per trade. I shall increase it as I see good performance. Still not closing my eyes altogteher to discretionary opportunities: it's just I am de-emphasizing them. The more automated set-ups that occupy my attention, the less opportunity to wander...

I do trade options as well (from the long side only) and made more money from them than from stocks in 2007 and 2008 (well down this year so far). As with any trading instrument, there is a right way and a wrong way to trade it. The premiums on the options are not set arbitrarily. So in reality...

Weekly Update for week 25/50 ended 07/04/2009 Moderately positive week, up 1.1K (0.5%). Very light trading week, cut short by holidays and personal time off. Just a number of automated trades that eked out a little over 1K. Still playing with very small positions in the automated arena...

Weekly Update for week 24/50 ended 06/27/2009 More of the same. Down 5K (2%). Seems like each week, there just has to be that one discretionary trade that messes my week. This time, it was FCX on Wed. What started as an automated alert to short 1200 FCX at 49.08 became a discretionary...

Your sense of perception must be awful. And no, I am not blowing my account to shreds, neither do I need your advice.

Weekly Update for week 23/50 ended 06/20/2009 A better week. Down 2K (1%). At least the second derivative is positive. Was gun-shy for much of the week, concentrating on taking my automated alerts. That was essentially break-even with the tiny size being committed. Will continue...

Could you please itemize in objective form all the advice ever given here (including the ones you don't agree with), and then tell me the ones you would take?

That observation is right. I've had a tough time adjusting to the fact the market sentiment has turned, which was not helped by bad habits. It is such a temptation trying to keep doing what used to work. I think one's success as a discretionary trader is proportional to ability to adapt to...

Weekly Update for week 22/50 ended 06/13/2009 Lost for words for the downturn. Down another 18.5K (7.5%). I guess I wasn't careful enough with my discretionary trades once again. The culprits were SLM on Monday, and NAV on Tuesday. On Monday shorted 20000 SLM @ 7.24 pre-market, and...

I don't mind responding to reasonable request for information, but when someone decides to fabricate information to glorify unreasoning skepticism, it becomes irritating. Let me give you the benefit of the doubt. Here are the SPY calls/puts (OPTIONS) mentionned in this years thread: SWGEM...

Where on earth are you getting your figures from? Just to set the record right, I went back to my last year and this year trades to calculate how much made through options. For the period covered by last years thread (1/10/2008 - 12/27/2008) I made 358K in options, of which SPY calls/puts...

Weekly Update for week 21/50 ended 06/06/2009 The slump continues. Down 15K (5.7%). The emphasis has been taking the automated set-up alerts, with minimal size (about 20% of what I would normally take with my pure discretionary trades), and was having a flattish week - until Friday. Saw...

Nice observation. It is frustrating when you make / repeat so many dumb action that negatively impacts your account balance. At such times, it naturally comes to my mind to go fully/solely automated. So far, the automated strategies, when put in practice, have only had mediocre results. There...

Weekly Update for week 20/50 ended 05/30/2009 A nice week, up 21K (8.8%). A much welcome relief from the recent battering. Finally got it right on CME on Wednesday, shorting at about 308 and covering at 299 before end of day. The prior day, Tues, wasted an opportunity to make money on FSLR...

Weekly Update for week 19/50 ended 05/23/2009 No let up for a battered soul. Down 29K (10.7%). Almost running out of ideas. I don't know how I forgot it was CME that killed me last week, fading its over-extended up move in stock and options. Did the same again on friday on the stock...

I did automate a number of strategies, but had to stop because I was not too pleased with the performance. Now, for the most part, I try to add some discretionary element to the "automated" strategies: Get the system alert me when a qualifying set-up arises, and the I can use my discretion to go...

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Weekly Update for week 18/50 ended 05/15/2009 Another sad week, down 58K. Lost almost the entire gains for last week. Seems its going to be a long dark night to recovery. Had 13 trades of 20 profitable, but none worthy of talking about. The size of the losers dwarfs that of the gainers...

05/09/2009 Weekly Update for week 17/50 ended 05/09/2009 Great week, up 62K (23.4%). What a relief to come back above break-even after the prior weeks' disasters. What a salvation! I had thought I would need another two months just trying to get back to break-even. A good measure of...

If you trade 35000 shares at a go, Ameritrade is better than IB commissionwise. Also as has been pointed out, the customer service (especially if you are an Apex customer) is miles better. I also experienced the same thing Thurs morning. Took a long time for my order to change from open to...