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Trading Educators Blog

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Andy Jordan Educator for Futures Trading Strategies on Spreads, Options, Swing/Day Trading, and Editor of Traders Notebook. You can read my bio by following this link.

Apr
19

Fear

Let’s get one thing straight. Fear, for the majority of traders is a very real thing. You have it, I have it. Others have it as well. In order to become a professional trader, you must learn to deal with fear. The first step is to acknowledge that you have fear. Once you admit to fear, you can begin to deal with it. When you notice the impulse to trade based on strong fear, it is usually best to l...

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Apr
14

Checklist, Trading Plan, Track Record

"I review my checklist. It’s a handwritten sheet laminated in plastic and taped to the right-hand corner of my desk where I can’t overlook it. If you have a game plan prepared ahead of time, it can help you find courage in the heat of the battle.” - Marty Schwartz Yes, I also have a checklist and I look at it every day. On my checklist you can find reminders like “trade onl...

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Apr
12

Predicting the Markets

“Michael Marcus taught me one other thing that is absolutely critical: You have to be willing to make mistakes regularly; there is nothing wrong with it. Michael taught me about making your best judgment, being wrong, making your next best judgment, being wrong, making your third best judgment, and then doubling your money.” – Bruce Kovner This is an immense important quote from Bruce Kovner. This...

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Apr
11

Recommended Time Frames

I have received the following question: I assume the Ross Hook (RH) and Traders Trick Entry (TTE) are applicable in whatever time frame the trader uses. However, there are some time frames that are simply too erratic or wild to trade. And pertaining to stop running, there must be some that are favorites of those attempting to do so. So is there a recommended time interval from which to trade, or i...

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Apr
07

Stop Management

Richard Wyckoff wrote: “My stop was moved down so there couldn't be a loss, and soon a slight rally and another break gave me a new stop, which insured a profit, come what might… I strongly advocate this method of profit insuring. The scientific elimination of loss is one of the most important factors in the art, and the operator who fails to properly protect his paper profits will find that many ...

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Apr
05

Minimum Risk Points

Richard Wyckoff wrote in his book "Studies in tape reading": Successful tape reading requires ability to judge which side has the greatest pulling power and one must have the courage to go with that side. There are critical points which occur in each swing, just as in life of a business or of an individual. At these junctures it seems as though a feather's weight on either side would determine the...

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Apr
01

Sometimes others get to play and you don’t. Today, Friday 04/01 was such a day!

I wrote an article with the headline "Sometimes others get to play and you don't" some time ago and today (Friday 04/01) was such a day. And I tell you, it is difficult to watch markets are going my way knowing I could have made my shares for April but I missed the trade. Well, I haven't missed the trade actually because it wasn't my train. Here comes what happened. At 7:30 AM CT this morning we h...

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Mar
31

Trading Enhancements – Meditation

As a professional trader, I try to enhance my trading on a daily basis. Learning how to trade is an ongoing process - a process that never stops. Those who know me or who have traded with me know that I am always looking for a simple and straightforward approach to trading. Yes, of course I am testing indicators, new chart patterns, new charting techniques, and anything else that is showing up on ...

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Mar
28

The More I Know, the Less I Know, and the More I Become Confused

People have the tendency to believe that the accuracy of forecasting the markets increases with more information. This is the illusion of knowledge – that more information increases your knowledge about something and improves your decisions. However, this is not always the case – increased levels of information do not necessarily lead to greater knowledge. There are three reasons for t...

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  2944 Hits
Mar
21

Trading from the Beach

Because of the short week ahead of us, I've decided to head for the beach for a few days (until Sunday). Of course, I will take my "trading stuff" with me (Laptop, Smartphone) to watch and manage my open trading positions. When I travel, I usually don't put on any new trades (and I definitely don't day trade or swing trade) but with today's technic it is an easy task to keep an eye...

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  3849 Hits
Mar
15

How Do I Become Flexible in Trading?

One mark of a flexible trader is he/she has a carefree attitude when it comes to executing a trade. They don’t allow themselves to get bent out of shape over a trade. They don't sit and think over and over about their strategy. They have done their homework. They’ve developed a sensible trading plan, and when the opportunities present themselves, they pull the trigger on the trade....

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  4191 Hits
Mar
10

Stop-Running or What?

Of course, I have watched the ECB Press Conference today at 7:30 AM CT (Thursday 03/10) together with the markets. I did not intend to enter any trades before Draghi had his moment and I was surprised by the strong down move at 6:45 AM CT. In just a couple of minutes the Euro FX went down about $1,600. Stop running or was it because of the ECB announcement of lower interest rates (actually everyon...

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Mar
08

Sometimes Others Get to Play and You Don’t

Sometimes in softball games, as a kid, they handed out the bats and balls and gloves, and there weren’t enough to go around - so you had to sit it out. You had to sit on the bench and watch. The same thing happens in trading. Sometimes you don’t get to participate. You must get used to the idea that sometimes you will sit in front of your charts for days or weeks, and nothing at a...

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Derivative transactions, including futures, are complex and carry a high degree of risk. They are intended for sophisticated investors and are not suitable for everyone. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results, and all of which can adversely affect actual trading results. For more information, see the Risk Disclosure Statement for Futures and Options.