Posts Tagged ‘time frame charts’

Mentoring Traders

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Today is Wednesday, June 2nd and yet again, the market is responding to my calls almost on cue.

I don’t mean to get overconfident or cocky, but the market moved out as I so thought it would, +2.50% or +27 points on the S&P and +225 points on the Dow.

Just looking at the daily chart, told me that a likely move was ready. When I look at the daily charts, it looks exactly the same to me as when looking at a tick chart or small time frame chart. I have seen those patterns thousands of times and know what to expect when I see it in a daily chart. The look or read is the same, daily, hourly, time charts, tick charts, volume charts, they are all the same in all time frame charts.

If you day trade the market and look at small time frame charts and go back to looking at daily charts, you may surprise yourself on how easy it is to call and read any particular market. The reason is, you have been looking at hundreds and often times thousands of chart patterns and know what good structure looks like. This will not come over night, that is for sure, but this is the reason why I have been showing just one of the timing indicators I use. To better give you an idea of what is possible.

It takes time to become good at reading the market, because it does everything in its power to confuse you and make you think  to go against logic. Trading logic is is what you need, not human logic, because the markets own nature goes directly against human logic. If you have trading logic, you will know the difference between a real trading break out and false one.

Trading, is not natural for most people and it is designed that way, to make the unsuspecting fail. With that said, you can put the odds in your favor by improving on your timing. A traders timing is key to his success. A moment to soon or to late can make all the difference in the world.

If you were able to learn excellent timing, to trade any market or trading instrument, what could you do with that?  That is right, you could write your own ticket. That is what I teach those who will allow me to mentor them into becoming the traders they aspire to be.

Becoming a good trader that is able to make money on most everyday he trades is not easy, but it is achievable and don’t let anyone tell you different. It is up to the individual and there personal passion to overcome all obstacles, no matter what. You must be willing to change anything that is holding you back. So often, it is ourselves that is our worst enemy. We need to give ourselves permission to succeed. That may sound odd to some, but you would be surprised how many get caught up into self sabotage and don’t even know why or that it is even happening.

I work with traders to help them overcome what ever struggles or problems they are having. If it is technical in nature or if it is something that they are doing that they do not even know about. The bottom line is, if you have a passion to master the art of day trading and that can be with stock, options, emini futures and even forex, I can help.

What I do goes beyond just selling my trading method to those interested, I really care about helping you overcome what ever is holding you back. All of this helps me as well and it keeps me on the straight and narrow. I have become much better since I have been writing, teaching, mentoring and clearly defining all the elements of my trading program. My confidence has increased, but at the same time, I know better to stay humble and take each day as a gift from God where by I am able to live my dream.

I want to be able to transfer this to others who share the same passion for the game. When you give something away, is when you are able to receive much more. So, this is a whole lot bigger than just me. Times are difficult and successfully being able to trade for a living, offers hope to those who want it.            How about you!


In today’s trading I traded much longer than I usually do, but had some pretty good results to go with it. I could have done better, but when it was all said and done, I did over 4 times my daily goal. I did make some bad trades, but they were small. A bad trade is not a loss, but one that does not follow my method. One trade late in the day, got me as I was trying to close out my trade for a smaller loss but got filled on both, the better exit and the original exit. This is something that I need to watch and in a fast market can happen. I should have closed it out right after getting filled, but thought since I was in it, I would see what it would do. That is not a good enough reason to hold onto a position and it resulted in a stop out. Things like that are bad trades. When you try and make a mistake work for you.

I am looking for a continuation of today’s rally, for the rest of the week and in tomorrow evenings post, I will put up the new sentiment numbers I have been talking about. If they are at or under the 35% mark you can expect a continuation of the rally over the next weeks to come until the the excess is worked off.        Good Trading to All !

Reduce Stress Associated with Trading Gains & Losses, Part 2

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

This post is for Fridays market May 21st where the selling continued, but reversed at days end to close much higher.

The selling continued in the night trading Thursday evening and carried over into Fridays session where it started to pick up steam to the downside.  Buyers did come in before it got out of hand and salvaged the day for the bulls.

My last post I put up a single screen shot showing the support that was coming in from a couple of angles. That support if broken on a closing basis with conviction will likely kick in the next wave of selling to the area’s marked on the screen, 864 is the lower number. I do not rule out the possibility that it will keep going at some point, but one thing at a time. There will have to be some economic or world crisis to trip it into gear, but its to much to think about right now.

In my trading Friday I had a great day hitting another one of those mega days. I have a screen shot of my last trades of the day here. In this shot, I have only a striped down view of my screen only showing one chart of my main screen with only one indicator below.

By following the complete trading method, the timing of the buy and sell signals are really generated by something completely different, but the indicators do line up with trading method.  By learning how I trade, you will know why and when to go long or short, not only because an indicator says so. I use different models with different time frames for each model depending on the trading movement. With just a hint of a trending market, I will and can trade out out my T-2 screen of which I have a tiny portion shown above. If in a choppy market my T-1 screen works like a charm. You still need to know how to handle yourself on the board. You can have the best tools and still mess it up, if you act irrationally and become overly emotional.

One more point that I have been wanting to show for some time now, is how my trading method will work with stock trading. The only thing that you need in any trading instrument is movement. If it moves, it will work. It works in any time frame, as well as with tick charts,volume charts, range charts, minute charts, hourly charts, daily charts, weekly and monthly charts. There, I covered all of them. Not all traders are alike and each trader needs to find what time frame is best for there personality. For the trader who feels good about holding a position for several hours and even days at a time, may not be best suited for scalp trading where you may be in the move for only minutes. I have tried them all over the years and it took me a long time to find where I am best suited and that is scalp trading with my own version of trend trading tied to it.

The video below is on a stock, symbol FAZ in a 150 tick chart. This is fast especially on the open where the market gaps higher by a lot. You can always slow it down by just increasing the time frame to say 250 tick chart or higher.  It is a financial bear index and works in the opposite direction as the general market. This stock tracks the financial and banking stocks but will go up as the financial stocks go down. As a day trader, it really does not matter, as long as it moves and this one sure does. The point is, I am just showing one timing tool tied to this and how if you knew the complete trading method, you would be certainly be able to get in at or near these turning points and have a very small stop, .10 to .15 cents.

Continuing with Thursdays lesson: “Reduce Stress Associated with Trading Gains & Losses”

Continuing where I left off, I discussed reducing stress associated with trading gains and gave a few idea’s on how to bring that about. Most traders struggle with this one, “the losses”. There is usually an increased amount of stress as losses start to mount. To often, traders are thinking about the money and not trading there plan and trading method.

Try not to think about the money. I know that is easier said than done, but if you resolve in your mind the worst thing that is going to happen to me today is a loss of 3 S&P points and if you are trading stocks, say 30 cents. If you are trading one contract on the S&P’s, that is a $150 dollar total loss for the day and with stocks, trading 500 shares -.30 cents you are looking at about the same, -$150 dollars.  The idea is, you are not planing on losing for the day, but the stress associated with trading loses only add to the pressure you are under, so focus on following your plan of action. Expect and see yourself doing the right thing as called for and see the trade moving in your favor just after you enter. Don’t wish it or hope it moves, but let the stock do all the work. You are not going to help it along with your added emotions.

Ever heard the adage, less is more and more is less. That would apply here. Day trading is a mind strategy that gets played out on your trading screen. Do the right thing at the right time and you won’t have to try and help it along. It will  already know where to go, right to your target area or running as though it were in a marathon. Go along for the ride as a passenger but be sure you get off before it stops and goes the other way.

You will be reducing stress if you can accept your daily loss limit for which you should have. A maximum amount you will risk in any one trading day, (mine is 4 S&P points).  Then, don’t think or worry about the money and just trade with the rhythm of the market and let it tell you if you should be long or short.

Your feedback and comments are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Vince.