Quote from oldtime:
I told her I am not smart enough to trade stocks, but she is
I don't want to see her get lost in math over there in options
or spend nights staring at the ceiling wondering what I am going to do if it rains, like I spent my youth in futures
so where does a stock trader start?
I once bankrolled a stock trader, but I had no idea what she was doing
so where would a young girl who wants to get started look, or what would you advise (besides the usual crap of killing herself now, or taking a cold shower)
I don't know that much about stocks, but she is a born natural, has all the elements a trader needs, ice water in the veins, she's a good card counter, and can read people, and most importantly she can talk you into anything, a very good salesman.
I don't know where to point her, other than to point her away from options futures or forex
this is the new breed of kid, just like all us kids that ran those dot.com stocks up
so where would you advise a kid just starting out to go when it comes to trading stocks?
I had to think a while what I would say to my own granddaughter. She is two and smart as a whip. She could send text messages to her Aunt at 10 months old. Of course, no one knew what they said. Her Aunt was thrilled. She is a talker and a dancer.
I would suggest that she start creating a base of her own capital to trade with by saving and setting goals. That will show discipline which is useful later on. Too little capital can knock one out early.
I would suggest that she start researching what works and what doesn't in the stock market. Be skeptical about almost everything you read and hear about trading and learn to see both sides of all arguments. The ideal would be to work handling other people's money in an investment firm. ( She may not be able or willing to spend some time doing this). Learn from the mistakes of others with no cost to her capital.
I would suggest she start learning, thinking and reading about the market. After a year or two, when her capital base was sufficient, she could practice trade for a while and then go live. The best would be with a mentor checking the trades at the beginning. There are so many lessons to learn. Most will not hurt you much. One must look for the most deadly ones.
Trading is continuous improvement and breaks are good for the spirit at times. Some kind of stress relief - zen, yoga, exercise, solitude - is essential I think along with a strong desire and belief in yourself.
I would suggest she study business failures, successes, trading failures and successes, and life failures and successes trying to discern what causes each. Luck and skill will be in every trade, given time the luck will cancel leaving only skill. Skills can be learned by observation of others and reflection of self.
I have thought of writing a book sometime with less technical stuff of trading but more observations, lessons, and stories of how others crashed and burned and how a very few succeeded. I have seen so many fail and only a few succeed longer term.
The books by Dr. Elder are great for learning the technical side.
If she still wants to be a trader/investor when she has the capital then go for it. Preservation of capital is essential or you are out of business. Blowups are not necessary to trade well in my experience.
Mark Twain said something like: It's not the return on my capital but the return of my capital that keeps me awake at nights!
Hope that helps.