Sunday, September 30, 2007

How to Reduce Negative Thoughts Relating to Trading

The thinking process of the brain relating to the psychology of trading involves:

-- Beliefs
-- Feelings
-- Values
-- Dispositions and
-- Faith

The positive or negative energy brings power to a person's actions, which ultimately determines whether a person is a winner or a loser. You can change for the better or for the worst. The old saying goes: For as a man thinks in his heart so he is.

-- Trading is the most difficult money making skill to master, because the market represents the aspects of people and life.

It is necessary to scratch the surface and explain what psychology means and how it relates to trading. Without doing so, you will not understand why this element is important to your trading plan.

The psychology aspects of people are separated into two categories:

1. Believers (the first category) who support the belief that something in the realms of other dimensions in the universe exist and
2. Non-believers (the second category) who are convinced that reality is the only dimension of life.

It is (the first category) that usually uses both sides of the brain to think and has access to a third component of the brain (faith) that is dead when the person is born. (The second category) only uses a small portion of the brains power. While (the second category) may or may not use both side of the brain to function, the third part of the brain (faith) is completely dead and non-active.

See, the psychology of the brain is separated into three separate parts:

1. Faith
2. The thinking factor and
3. The emotional part.

If the thought, (focusing on the power of positive thinking), division of the brain controls the emotions, the individual maintains and develops discipline. If the emotions run the thinking part of the brain, the human being lives in a pure state of extreme confusion and disorder.

This is why the answer to success is understanding how the correct forms of discipline work - without it you will lose your shirt in the market.

Discipline in the following three areas of trading will ultimately determine your trading success.

* Training --- The successful trader never rests on past successes, or believes that his trading ability has peaked. He is always learning and practicing his decision-making skills, honing them until they become second nature. Then he can react faster than a speeding bullet, but with the benefit of superior human judgment.

* Trading Rules --- The successful trader develops set of trading rules - a plan - that he follows faithfully. This guides his decision-making at all times. If a trader's plan dictates that it is time to exit a stock, the trader will exit that trade and not wait a minute longer.

* Self-Control --- Successful traders display an extraordinary amount of self-control. Keeping emotions constantly in check, the disciplined trader is immune to the highs and lows that attend large market swings - whether panic, in a downturn, or of euphoria. I will show you how to learn the secrets of discipline.

Can You Learn Discipline?

The big question here is whether you can develop the discipline you do not have naturally. I believe the answer is "yes, you can," but you must have the necessary commitment to do so.

Ultimately, undisciplined behavior is going to be punished by the market.

Private traders who persevere and master self discipline, have external stimuli that will help the process. However, the market does not help as much as it might, because of the principle of random reinforcement. It is the market's tendency to reward bad behavior from time to time.

This crucial fact is one of the reasons why it takes so long to learn how to trade. You need to realize this: there is no point in having a system if you are not going to follow it. Follow and develop a routine of self-discipline and you will be successful in your trading ventures.

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
David Jenyns is recognized as the leading expert when it
comes to designing profitable trading systems.

His most recent course Ultimate Trading Systems is a step-
by-step trading roadmap to designing profitable trading
systems. Learn how *you* can become one of his students.
Click Here ==> http://www.ultimate-trading-systems.com

Receive David's free trading tips:
==> http://www.ultimate-trading-systems.com/stocks.html
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Forex System Addiction, Don't Let This Happen To You!

It is a process many new traders in forex go through. Find a system that people seem to be making money with and start trading it. At fist you make some pips but inevitably you experience some losses and then move onto the next system. We have all fallen victim to this process, it's what kills many new traders. At the first sign of a loss you move onto the next best thing and this process repeats its self over and over. Some traders can be trapped in this circle for many years.

It is the quest for the perfect system, let me assure you there is no perfect system, you will not find a system that never looses. However you can find a system that wins more than it looses, this is all you need in order to make money in the forex market. All we are looking for is an edge, an edge that over 10-20 trades will bring you out on top with a profit. Once you have this edge all you need to do is keep trading it, trade it like a machine.

Trading for a living can be very boring at times, we all enjoy experimenting with the latest indicators and systems but try to keep them separate from you main bread and butter trading system. Don't let new systems distract you from your trading routine, it is imperative in this business to find a system you like and stick to it. Focus on your solid edge that will pay you over time.

If you are wondering which profitable edges you should trade I recommend you study some price patterns, find one that appeals to you and back test it manually. You could then add this edge to your favourite system as a filter or trade it with discretion. You will be surprised how much price action can improve a system's results. Record your back testing results over a large period of time so you can know what to expect in your live trading.

Let's take a simple system and add price action to demonstrate this. For my example I will use a simple 10ema 21ema moving average cross. Everyone knows if you just trade every cross of moving averages you will end up losing your account, however this is not what we are going to do.

The cross of the moving averages is our signal to look at price action. I will only use one candle stick pattern in this example the 'engulfing candle'. Once you have a cross of the moving averages look for a small retrace with an engulfing candle in the direction of the cross, take the trade on the close of the candle with your stop behind it. I can guarantee you will be surprised with the results of this simple system, go ahead and test it out, try shooting stars also as they can be a great formation to trade on with the trend.

Although you may think that this is far too simple to work, I assure you this is why 95% of forex traders fail, they try to complicate trading too much. Keep it simple and you will succeed.

Do You Want To Make Consistent Money In Forex?
Dean Saunders has created the *Ultimate* FREE trading system that has helped 100's of Forex Traders become profitable.
Click Here and grab your FREE copy of Dean's trading system!

Myths And Mortgages

When looking into reverse mortgage options, it can be hard to decipher between fact and myth. It is important to understand the aspects of the program to make sure that it is right for you and your situation.

Some of the mortgage companies today, sell their mortgage packages with every kind of mythical benefit known to man, from the belief that interest only is a real mortgage that will eventually payout (slight of words, there) to the belief that an interest only mortgage carries a lower interest rate (which is does, but only for the short term). When talking about Myths and Mortgages, let us start with some of the more traditional loans, and move into the weird and unusual.

There has been a tremendous jump in the available interest only mortgage packages in the last three to five years, so maybe we should take a minute to break down some of these mortgages into a language everyone can understand.

Theres a 3/1 ARM: A 3 year ARM, means that the interest rate is locked in for 3 years. For the first month, the interest payment is only 1%, for the next 3 years following only the interest is due as the monthly payment. After the 3 year term, and for the remainder of the life of the loan, normally thirty years, the interest rate will change, and the payments will begin to include principal and interest.

Theres a 5/1 ARM: A 5 year ARM, means that the interest rate is locked in for 5 years. For the first month, the interest payment is only 1%, for the next 5 years following only the interest is due for the monthly payment. After the 5 year term, and for the remainder of the life of the mortgage, normally thirty years, the interest rate may change, and the payments will begin to include principal and interest.

These mortgages also come in 7/1 and 10/1 ARMs, but analysts really dont recommend extending the interest only option out that far, since too many things can change before the 7 or 10 years is up.

The 10/30 interest only mortgage works in the following way: you borrow money in the form of a 30 year mortgage, with a fixed interest rate. The first 10 years are interest only payments, with the full amount of the principal being amortized (interest payments included) over the last 20 years of the loan.

The 15/30 interest only mortgage works in the following way: you borrow money in the form of a 30 year mortgage, with a fixed interest rate. The first 15 years are interest only payments, with the full amount of the principal being amortized (interest payments included) over the last 15 years of the loan.

These mortgages are really appealing to the consumer with any sort of investment knowledge. If I were going to borrower with the interest only mortgage option, it would be one of these two, the 10 or 15 of 30.

Now what other myths and mortgages can we find ? Theres the belief that the home mortgage income tax deduction is a substantial benefit to the taxpayer, and that 1% interest only loans are for the life of the loan! Ha! Theres also the balloon note myth, that proliferates the belief you can automatically refinance through your current lender when the note matures, or that adjustable rate mortgages are a better deal than fixed rate!

Another thing about myths and mortgages is that the real estate market cant go bust. An exploding growth rate in the mortgage loan industry, and the continued surge in real estate prices, has put the interest only mortgages in a huge category all their own. Up from the first part of the century, the interest only mortgage loans are now garnering nearly one-fourth of the mortgage loan market. That kind of growth is almost frightening, to even the most experienced lender. Can you imagine the possibilities, say four to five years from now, when many of these loans come due to pay the interest and the principal; what happens if our economy is not still a thriving bustling place ?

The benefit of the interest only loan is that the consumer is eligible to buy much more house, than with a standard mortgage. Thats great if youre certain in a given period of time, youll be able to afford a higher mortgage payment. But is anything guaranteed and given in this day and time ? What if you cant afford the payment when the interest only term expires ?

We have only to look at the disastrous consequences of the crash of the stock market during the 1920s to appreciate where this may be leading us today. Many people had financed their homes with an interest only mortgage, and when the stock market crashed and there was no work, they lost everything, including their homes.

So, we not only promote mythical nursery rhymes, we promote myths and mortgages, too!

About The Author

Morten Hansen has been focused on the Mortgages area for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that make it easier for people to understand the different issues about Mortgages. For more details about Mortgages Loans visit our website www.MortgagesTips4you.com

Forex Trading Systems

The foreign exchange currency market is the largest market in the world because it trades up to $1.9 trillion daily. There is an enormous scope of trade in Forex because it is global, and is open twenty-four hours a day, making the presence of buyers and sellers constant, and the fluidity of the market, grand. The market is ever present because it does not have a central venue like Wall Street or Tokyo. It is a series of internet and telephone communications between buyers and sellers and it is not overseen by any one main authority like the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Forex is made available to traders through platforms.

Traders of Forex commonly favor Forex trading systems. Forex trading systems are methods of trading currency based on ideas that have rules associated with them. Forex trading systems are a merging of theory and practice that have been tried and tested over and over, and the results of the tests have been documented.

Some Forex trading systems are based on the idea of going against trends. Other Forex trading systems are based on the idea of going with trends. Some Forex trading systems are based on the idea of tracking breakouts of a particular currency and these Forex trading systems rely heavily on the averages of a currencys highs and lows, and utilize Bollinger bands that track the average highs, the average lows and the moving average of the two.

Traders utilize Forex trading systems in order to work against human characteristics that can hamper trading, like greed, addiction, impulsivity, compulsivity and fear.

Kevin Anderson is the owner and operator of http://www.forextradingcenter.info a site developed to give users the most updated information, articles, and news related to the Forex Market.

Portfolio Caffeine

The effects of caffeine on the central nervous system were first discovered in the 6th century in the Ethiopian highlands by a sheepherder called Kaldi. After his sheep ate red berries from a coffee tree, they seemed a bit jumpy and had difficulty sleeping.

The berries next made their way to a local monastery where the Abbott made a drink by mixing the beans with water into a concoction that kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer.

Coffee most likely made its way to Asia in the latter half of the 17th century when a Dutch trader brought a seedling from Yemen to Java where the soil proved hospitable leading to a thriving and profitable industry to this day. Vietnam is now the worlds second largest coffee producer while India and Indonesia are in the top ten.

Despite substantial coffee production in Asia, much of the growth in the popularity of coffee in this predominantly tea drinking region can be attributed to instant coffee and the marketing efforts of Nestle. It rolled out the first commercially viable instant coffee in 1938 and it spread to Asia becoming a prestigious alternative to tea.

As incomes rose in Japan, coffee consumption grew as well making it the third largest consumer in the world. This is a trend that could continue in countries with rising disposable incomes such as China.

Coffee is now big business and as a world commodity is second to only oil. This size and growth potential for a habit forming product like coffee sure sounds like an investment opportunity to me. But how should you play the rise of coffee in Asia.

Since it takes about 4-5 years for a coffee tree to bear cherries, investing on the production side is not for the faint of heart due to hard to predict coffee price fluctuations. As one of the largest coffee plantation companies in Asia, Tata Coffee Ltd. of India, is worth a good look especially since it is an integrated coffee company with roasting, exporting and retail operations.

Nestle is also a possibility since it is the leader in instant coffee in China and many parts of Asia. A drawback is that the coffee business represents only roughly 10% of the sales of this diversified food powerhouse.

The most attractive option is to invest in the retail coffee market which is highly fragmented. Starbucks (SBUX) is the global leader with 10,500 retail outlets of which 3,500 are outside North America. Starbucks began in Asia with its first store in Japan in 1996 and now has 165 stores in mainland China, 221 in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, 595 in Japan, 64 in Australia and 34 in Singapore.

Starbucks is a classic growth story. It added over 1,000 stores last year and plans 1,800 more in the fiscal year ending September 2006. 35 million people visit a Starbucks store each week and it has operations in 37 countries.

Its global goal is to reach 30,000 outlets with half of them located overseas. China could perhaps become its second largest market after America.

The core of Starbucks is its premium branded coffee but it offers much more. It has become a second gathering place outside of work and home. Starbucks Entertainment produces CDs and is considering providing music download facilities in its stores.

I am one of the millions around the globe that use Starbucks as a second office. During my last visit, I got behind a gentleman who added several pricey pastries, and a CD to his coffee for a whopping bill of $27.

One caveat for investors is that sales growth expectations are high and any significant disappointment would likely hit the stock rather hard. Another is that its China expansion may run into some difficulties though I have been impressed with its incremental strategy since its first store in Beijing opened in 1999.

With its financial strength, knowledge of markets and attention to detail, Starbucks seems to have the recipe for success in the fragmented retail coffee business. Since it is opening 4-5 stores a week, competitors will need to scale up rather quickly to pose a threat to its growth. Copycats are a problem though. Starbucks recently gained a key judicial victory when it won a court case against a Chinese company that infringed on its copyright.

Meanwhile, back in Ethiopia, another Starbucks knock-off called Kaldis does a brisk business. While Starbucks is not amused, it cannot help but be flattered by the imitation in the very birthplace of coffee.

Carl Delfeld is head of the global advisory firm Chartwell Partners and editor of the the "Chartwell Advisor" newsletter. He served on the executive board of the Asian Development Bank and is the author of "The New Global Investor." For more information go to http://www.chartwelladvisor.com or call 877-221-1496.

Alternatives to Direct Property Investment

Residential property investment

UK residential property has been the best performing asset class in the last 50 years according to the Barclays Capital Equity Guilt Study & ODPM housing statistics. These figures showed that in real terms (after inflation) 100 invested in a portfolio of shares in 1930 would have grown to a little over 363 by the end of 2004 compared with 767 if that same amount had been invested in residential property.

Despite this, it has been very difficult to invest indirectly in the residential property market.

Why have investment funds not invested in residential property if the returns are so good?

There are a number of reasons why professional investment funds have stayed away from direct investment in residential property. Firstly, the whole area of private landlordism has been a real political hot potato up until the last 10 years. Housing was seen by some members of the political classes as something not to be profited from, like the NHS. The very idea of private investors making money out of peoples need for housing was seen as morally wrong. As a consequence the Labour Party for years had introduced a whole series of restrictive Rent Acts, which prevented landlords charging market rent as well as obtaining vacant possession. An investment in an asset that the investor was prevented from selling at its true market value (with vacant possession) was obviously not something the institutions wanted to get involved in.

The other factor that put them off was the relative intensiveness of the management process. An investment fund can invest 5+ million in a single commercial building, with one tenant who remains for 25 years. A comparable sum invested in a residential property could involve having to buy and set up say 50 individual properties at 100,000 each. Then each of these properties & tenancies would have to be managed, all this is time consuming and expensive.

As a result of this ambivalence to the sector, very little effort has been put into research that compares residential investment performance against other asset classes. Further details on how investment in residential property compares against other investment classes can be found in the Landlords Bible.

Why not invest all my money in residential property if it performs so well?

There are a number of reasons why it always good to have a range of investments. If you already have a large buy-to-let portfolio of residential property without much of your assets invested elsewhere, you may wish to consider diversifying your investments. The classic phrase is dont carry all your eggs in one basket. Investing is much the same. Whilst over the years I have always held most of my assets in residential property; I have also held a proportion in alternatives such as shares and deposit accounts. As an active investor I am always looking for new and innovative methods for diversifying my portfolio. The theory is that if one investment isnt doing so well, as was the case for shares for a number of years. Then some of the other investments are doing a lot better. The result you hope is that overall your capital keeps on growing.

You may still be keen to invest more funds in residential property but feel that you dont have the time or skill to do it yourself. What then?

Alternative to direct property investment

There are a number of drawbacks with direct property investment that those already in the sector are all too aware of. This isnt to say that these are not compensated by the huge benefits of successful residential investing. However, its always good to be aware of them so that at least you can make informed decisions about what to do with your capital.

The investment drawbacks of holding residential property directly are:

* The costs of acquisition can be high, typically 2000+

* The minimum capital required is large, with a minimum amount for a deposit, acquisition fees, set up costs of probably 20,000+

* The timescales for buying and selling property is long and the timing uncertain i.e. it takes many weeks and you rely on finding a willing buyer or a property that you want at the right price

* Management time is far greater than non-direct investment

* Generally timescales are long. Residential property is a long-term investment where your capital is tied up and cannot be accessed unless you remortgage

Therefore, as well as considering direct investment are there alternatives and what are their advantages?

There are a number of ways that it is possible to invest indirectly in the residential property market but first, what are the advantages of indirect investment?

1. the size of the investment can be much smaller than direct property investments, rather than thousands it can be hundreds of pounds
2. the investments are much more liquid so its easier to put money in and easier to take funds out 3. there are little or no management involvement in the investments
4. the entry and exit costs from the investment are also a lot smaller

Current Opportunities

The strong performance in residential property has led to a number of innovative schemes looking at ways that investors can invest in residential property without having to do it directly.

Stock market

The most obvious way to invest indirectly in residential property is through the stock market. There are a variety of companies whose performance depends to a greater or lesser degree on the residential property market. For instance, there are the numerous quoted house builders which as well as carrying out development, also hold large land banks. The asset value of these companies often varies in line with the underlying value of residential property as land costs generally rise and fall in sympathy with house prices. Another company to consider is Grainger Trust www.graingertrust.co.uk . This company is the UKs largest quoted residential property owner, with over 12,000 homes. As well as owning property they are also active in other related areas such as equity release, asset management and house building. Opening a share dealing account is a lot easier than you might imagine.

Residential trading exchange OPROMARK

A new initiative which may offer an alternative to direct property ownership is a company called Opromark. This company is described as the worlds first exchange for trading fully securitised properties. The way the exchange works is that a residential property is owned by a Single Property Company (SPC). This is then owned by Opromark members. Each SPC is managed by a property professional who acts as the managing director responsible for the management of agents who let the property on the shareholders behalf. Properties are let and the rent is then distributed to the shareholders in the form of a monthly dividend.

The individual shareholders are free to buy and sell shares in each SPC at any time. This scheme looks as if it could be an interesting alternative to direct property ownership. One of the obvious problems could be the liquidity of the shares, which means that they can only be transacted on a matched bargain basis. This effectively means you can only buy and sell if you can find other shareholders to either buy or sell stock. It is early days and its probably worth seeing how the project progresses before committing too many resources to it.

Funds

The Diverse Fund launched by Cordea Savills, the investment arm of the property company Savills Plc offers the opportunity to invest in student halls of residents, residential homes for doctors nurses & housing association properties on long leases. It is a Jersey quoted Oeic (Open ended investment company). It can borrow up to 70% of the value of its assets and has a current value of 10 million. Minimum investment is 10,000. The fund aims to capitalise on the growing popularity of student accommodation as an investment asset. The fund has a 5% yield and the projected capital growth in the fund is in excess of 10% per annum between 2006 and 2010.

Sipp (Self Invested Personal Pension)

Great things were promised by the Government for personal pension holders as a result of A-Day at the start of the 2006 tax year. This catchy expression was meant to herald in a raft of new ways of investing for your retirement through a SIPP, including the ability to hold residential property in it. Not for the first time the Government failed to deliver. In a dramatic last minute U turn; it removed residential property from the list of qualifying investments. This dashed the hopes of many existing and potential residential investors. However, in the latest twist to the saga the regulations were tweaked by the budget to allow the direct holding of residential property in a SIPP but only through a syndicate. The qualifying criteria are quite restrictive in that the syndicate must comprise of 10 or more people and that the properties cannot be used by syndicate members. In addition, the SIPP must be worth 1 million or more and have 3 or more properties. No single property should be worth more than 40% of any individual SIPP.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)

REITs have been available in the US and Japan for a number of years and are very popular with investors as they provide a transparent way to invest in property but without the difficulties of direct ownership. The attractions of REITs to the investor and property company is that they pay no corporation tax on their rental income. From the 1st Jan 07 UK property companies are free to convert to a REIT. In returns the companies under the regulations have to distribute 90% of their income to investors. This means that yields on the shares are likely to be high compared to other equity investments quoted on the stock market. The other attraction to REITs, which ultimately can invest in residential property as well as commercial property; is that they will be able to be contained within a PEP or ISA. This allows any income and ultimate capital gains if the shares are sold to be received tax free.

In general, it is likely that the number and variety of schemes available for indirect residential investment will increase as institutions and companies continue to explore ways of allowing investors to access this popular and strongly performing asset class. If the US experience is anything to go by, one of the developments could be the emergence of specialist REITs that invest purely in residential property giving small investors a genuine opportunity to invest indirectly in UK residential property without the drawbacks of direct ownership. Watch this space for developments and keep up to date with the latest news through Property Hawks news service.

Commercial property funds

As I have already commented on the fact that institutional investment funds have traditionally avoided residential investment but at the same time have long been large investors in commercial property. Commercial property is yet another way of diversifying your investments. It has shown some strong returns in recent years. Investment funds come in a variety of forms including investment trusts, unit trusts and oeic. They provide a mechanism for individual investors to have a share in the capital appreciation and income derived from investing in a range of commercial property.

Financial Advice

If you find all the talk about investment returns and capital boring and confusing. Then, maybe it is time that you sought professional advice. To source a IFA(independant Financial Adviser) try www.unbiased.co.uk which is the website for IFA (Independent Financial Advisers).

IFAs are the only advisers that are able to advise and select from the whole range of investment products on the market. They are bound by the Financial Services Rules, which ensures that any product that they recommend should be suited to your personal circumstances.

Chris Horne has 20 years experience as a property professional having worked for companies such as English Partnerships and Drivers Jonas as a planning and surveying consultant.

He now works full time as a investor and property developer.

He also has developed the site Property Hawk targeted at UK Landlords it provides FREE Property Management Software.

Property Hawk also includes a mass of Buy to Let targeted information, FREE Tenancy agreements, Inventory Forms, financial and management tools. Its primary aim is to make managing property simpler for UK Landlords.

propertyhawk.co.uk is the Landlord's Homepage

The Investments Arena - Are You Getting YOUR Share Of This Industry?

New To The Stock Market? Looking For A Good Place To Start?

You can't pick up the business section of a newspaper without being inundated by the stock market buzz. Shares are up, it's a bullish market! Shares are down, it's a bearish market! Do you read these things and then think to yourself, What do bears and bulls have to do with trading stocks and what the heck is an option? If the thought of investing intrigues you, but you're hesitant because you are just now beginning to educate yourself about the investment world, then you will find this article very helpful. I've attempted to define some of the basic, lower-risk stock trading strategies for you.

What is a stock anyway?

Think of stock as assets that you own in a company. When you purchase a stock, you are given a certificate that tells you how much of that company you own. Each stock that you buy in a company represents an actual percentage of that company that you own. The benefit of owning stock in a company is that when that company benefits, you benefit as well. On the flip side, if a company begins to decline so does your stock. This is where a little research up front will go a long way towards your investment success.

What is a stock option?

When you buy a stock option, you are buying the right or privilege to buy or sell a particular stock withing a specific time frame at an agreed-upon price. People like stock options because they are safer. There is less risk involved because you put less money up front. There are two main ways that you purchase stock options:

Call Options

Okay, lets say that IBM stock is selling in the marketplace for $90.00 per share. According to your research, you believe that within a year that stock price will raise significantly. So you purchase a one year call contract on 100 option shares at $2.00 per share plus a fee with the agreed-upon price of $100.00 per share. So now, you have the right, but not obligation, to buy those 100 shares at $100.00 anytime within that one year period. So, let's say that 10 months down the road, IBM's market value is now $120.00. You can then buy those promised shares at the pre-agreed price of $100.00 and sell them at their market value of $120.00, or you can sell your options to someone else. You benefit financially on Call options when you believe a specific stock is going to increase in value.

Put Options

Let's use that same IBM Example. Let's say that its stock has a market value of $90.00 per share. You believe that IBM stock is going to significantly plummet within the year. So, you purchase a put option that allows you the right, but not the obligation to sell your promised shares at $100.00 per share at anytime within the contract period. So, let's say that 9 months later, IBM stock has plummeted to $70.00 per share. You then have the ability to sell the options you purchased at $100.00 per share to someone else. You only benefit from buying Put Options if you believe the stock value will go down during your contracted time.

The Bottom Line

In the end, if you are new to the world of stock trading, then options can be a nice way to go. They can be a nice option while you're learning. That way if you make any major mistakes, you have less up front capital to lose. I would suggest that you find a good stock broker that has a good reputation to help guide you towards smart investment. I hope this article helped. Good luck!

Alan King is a writer that concentrates on helping people better themselves, for cutting edge information you NEED to know about stock trading before you try to cash in on this multi change your life I strongly suggest that you check out my friend Alan Crisp's awesome free 9 page e-book at http://www.stressfreetrading.com