Getting Started in Tradng: Thinkorswim & Infnity Futures

For those looking to get started in trading futures, or trading in general I can relay my personal recommendation with charting package thinkorswim and futures trading platform Infinty Futures. Both companies have outstanding customer service, something greatly overlooked in the trading/investment industry. Both are on the cutting edge of innovation in the industry. And, best of all both are free (for personal accounts; entity account who sign up with TOS will pay a monthly data feed of approx $200 for all exchange data). This is the duo I use for futures trading and have been members with them for years.

Tulip Mania

Manias Panics and Crashes

The Book Manias Panics and Crashes can be found at amazon.

Wk47 Analysis

Thanksgiving week is here, which means the markets will be closed Thursday and a operate on a half day Friday. Monday is bleek for news, but Tuesday we have GDP and slew of news on Wedsnesday as well. Historically the day before thanksgiving is almost always an up day. Pretty meaningless for intraday trading, but a little something to make note of.

Politics Explained...In Cow Terms

SOCIALISM: You have two cows.
The state takes one and gives it to someone else.

COMMUNISM: You have two cows.
The State takes both of them and gives you the milk.

FASCISM: You have two cows.
The State takes both of them and sells you the milk.

MILITARY DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows.
The State takes both of them and shoots you.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows.
The state takes both of them, accidentally kills one and spills the milk in the sewer.

CAPITALISM: You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows.
Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows.
Your neighbors pick someone to decide who gets the milk.

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: The government promises to give you two cows if you vote for it. After the election, the president is impeached for speculating in cow futures. The press dubs the affair "Cowgate".

ANARCHY: You have two cows.
Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors kill you and take the cows.

Become Legendary

Look out Below!

With a hefty down day today where can we expect to take a breather? The 50MA of the S&P500 is approx. 1165 and that's where we are targeting for a breif pause.

Wk46 Analysis

A great week ahead with options expiry on Friday. Everything will come down to the high or low of last Friday. If we break the high expect to make new highs on the year, if we break the low expect us to continue drifting lower.

Filing "Trader Tax Status"

If you trade full time and even part-time you may be eligible for "trader tax status." This is especially prevalent if you operate your trading business under an entity such as an LLC. The biggest advantage to claiming “trader tax status,” is the ability to elect Mark to Market accounting. MTM accounting allows the trader to treat capital gains and losses as ordinary gains and losses. Filing under “trader tax status” also allows the deducting of our trading business expenses on a Schedule C.

I highly recommend the book The Tax Guide for Traders by Robert Green for anyone who thinks their trading falls under “trader tax status” or who has been trading professionally for some time. Green is the expert when it comes to trader tax laws and there are many tax advantages to your past filings by electing “trading tax status” on this year’s return. Green's website Green Trader Tax has a wealth of information as well.

"Fear the Boom"

Week 45 Analysis

A light week of news ahead relative to the monster truck rally of the fed last week. Ben Bernanke announced Wednesday that the US Central Bank it will buy $600 billion in long-term Treasuries over the next eight months.

What is Quantitative Easing?

Quantitative Easing or QE is a monetary policy implemented by the central bank to increase the money supply in the US Economy. In essence, the printing of money, except instead of printing pieces of paper with Lincoln, Washington, and Jackson’s faces on them, they are making it “electronically” so to speak, in the markets. The US Central Bank credits its own account with new money and then uses that money to buy assets, in this case long-term bonds. This leads to a weaker dollar, lower mortgage rates, higher inflation, and lower savings rates and potentially a bond bubble with the possibility of a massive recession.

As for new stock and option positions, go with what’s working. Now more than ever it is important to select those relatively strong and relatively weak stocks because in case of a correction (which is to some degree is highly likely beit large or small) the wheat will be separated from the chaff.

Market Internals are what we look to intraday to give us a guage of how the market is doing. Consider it like a heart monitor, measuring the markets pulse. See the video below for more.