Why Is The Obvious Not So Obvious?

[ironchef]

I look at everything with an open mind and experiment on demo. No harm no foul as far as I can tell.

Personally I quite enjoy this thread and comments from Mr.Scalper, and op from way back when. I don't understand what all the negativity is about.

Is it a waste of time? maybe but so is a ton of other things out there. At least this thread is entertaining, creative and gets you thinking.

I agree with you and my only frustration is MrScalper spoke in parables, very difficult to figure out where he was pointing.

However, I truly enjoyed the interchange and was able to pick up a few golden nuggets, here and there, that benefitted my trading/investing.

And I actually begin to appreciate charts, at least the longer time frame ones.

Regards,

 

[ironchef]

-eug, it's not for me or anyone else to determine where you find value. We each make our own path but it's important to view things in this space with a critical eye...not negative, critical.

Well said. Appreciate the coaching.

 

[MrScalper]

These are a few of the many books I purchased during my ignorant days.. however..one of these books is well worth the money.

It is a "dead" giveaway!

You can skip most of the book..and start reading a chapter that is not yet sweet sixteen..and is just a little more than 180 degrees

 

[ironchef]

You are really an investor..not a trader..you do not know what your max exposure is in the event of a major sudden move down in the indices..this is not good..as you are not managing your risk properly.. unless of course you forgot to tell us about your spread trades and hedge positions?

I trade mainly to enhance my portfolio returns, similar in style to what Handle123 said in some of his posts. But I am not sophisticated enough to trade spreads or hedge my positions. Those skills will be next on my to do list.

You know my current focus: risk management, thus my Kelly thread.

Best wishes.

 

[Overnight]

Don't read... Listen!

 

[ironchef]

Was thinking the same thing.

marketsurf was a longtime ET resident charlatan and our Mr Scalper was a confederate of "surf". As surf had a number of aliases, his confederates are often taken for him.

surf's up

Since you are here,
may I ask you gentlemen your opinions and views of chart reading? And if you were me, what and where should I start?

Thanks.

 

[speedo]

ironchef, I am a day trader and my trades come exclusively from my charts. I don't pay attention to news, "calls" or anything that isn't my charts and strictly defined in my trade plan. If you were interested in day trading I would say, watch real time price development until your eyes bleed, change time frames to see if that improve optics and other adjustments. But as you appear to be interested in swing (multi day) trades, I would recommend studying daily and weekly charts. Learn to see daily dynamics in the weekly and notice how the weekly smooths price action.

I use two or three time frames per market for day trades and you might want to use a smaller time frame for swing entries...2 hour or four hour charts to better manage stop losses distance and fine tuned entries. Experiment with moving averages, they may help you see momentum changes and trend strength. Try a small time frame MA such as a 9 ema, 10 sma 8 sma etc and a longer one such as a 20 sma or a 30 wma. Safest trades are always in the direction of prevailing momentum. Pullback entries area common and relatively safe. Picking tops and bottoms can be done but it's a much tougher enterprise.

No matter what or how you trade, a well defined and tested trade plan is important. Your signals should be unequivocal and your trade management defined. Respect your stop limits and experiment with profit goals, whether fixed targets based on average maximum favorable excursion or adopt a trailing strategy which can be based on any number of things, including trailing pivots, parabolic SAR, MA crosses, oscillator crosses etc. There is no limit to the variability of trade plans. You just need to have gains outnumbering and or out weighing losses resulting in net gains over a series of trades.

I realize this is but a brief overview but I have no idea where you in in your development. I would however recommend to anyone to avoid risking real money until one has a well defined and tested strategy I don't believe in hedging day trades and don't trade options so have nothing of value to offer there...good luck.

 

[MrScalper]

I trade mainly to enhance my portfolio returns, similar in style to what Handle123 said in some of his posts. But I am not sophisticated enough to trade spreads or hedge my positions. Those skills will be next on my to do list.

You know my current focus: risk management, thus my Kelly thread.

Best wishes.

I am just pointing out that if you do not know what your max drawdown can be..then you are letting yourself open to a major drawdown sooner or later..or even a major loss..similar to what happened to me..months of hard work washed down the toilet in less than 5 min!

All experienced investors hedge winning positions - give up some profits for peace of mind!

 

[Mysteron]

ironchef, I am a day trader and my trades come exclusively from my charts. I don't pay attention to news, "calls" or anything that isn't my charts and strictly defined in my trade plan. If you were interested in day trading I would say, watch real time price development until your eyes bleed, change time frames to see if that improve optics and other adjustments. But as you appear to be interested in swing (multi day) trades, I would recommend studying daily and weekly charts. Learn to see daily dynamics in the weekly and notice how the weekly smooths price action.

I use two or three time frames per market for day trades and you might want to use a smaller time frame for swing entries...2 hour or four hour charts to better manage stop losses distance and fine tuned entries. Experiment with moving averages, they may help you see momentum changes and trend strength. Try a small time frame MA such as a 9 ema, 10 sma 8 sma etc and a longer one such as a 20 sma or a 30 wma. Safest trades are always in the direction of prevailing momentum. Pullback entries area common and relatively safe. Picking tops and bottoms can be done but it's a much tougher enterprise.

No matter what or how you trade, a well defined and tested trade plan is important. Your signals should be unequivocal and your trade management defined. Respect your stop limits and experiment with profit goals, whether fixed targets based on average maximum favorable excursion or adopt a trailing strategy which can be based on any number of things, including trailing pivots, parabolic SAR, MA crosses, oscillator crosses etc. There is no limit to the variability of trade plans. You just need to have gains outnumbering and or out weighing losses resulting in net gains over a series of trades.

I realize this is but a brief overview but I have no idea where you in in your development. I would however recommend to anyone to avoid risking real money until one has a well defined and tested strategy I don't believe in hedging day trades and don't trade options so have nothing of value to offer there...good luck.

Its not so much the details of the news itself that is important but the fact that at a specified time known in advance we can be aware and prepared that price may move in antcipation of an event before hand, or as a reaction afterwards.

 

[speedo]

Its not so much the details of the news itself that is important but the fact that at a specified time known in advance we can be aware and prepared that price may move in antcipation of an event before hand, or as a reaction afterwards.

I trade equity index futures and only after the 8:30 CST open so things like most econ reports are already out and crop reports and such do not affect me, I do however avoid holding a position into a FED announcement.