30
Apr 2017
Freedom Traders, We Want You, Compound Trading

We Want (Need) You! Apply to Nearest Recruiting Station. Part 4 “Freedom Traders” Series.

Trading Freedom and Freedom Attained via Trading Needs You! I Haven’t Got a Lot of Time (I chew

We Want (Need) You! Apply to Nearest Recruiting Station. Part 4 “Freedom Traders” Series.

Freedom Traders, Lead Trader Blog Post, Learn to Trade , , , , , , , , , Curt Melonopoly

Trading Freedom and Freedom Attained via Trading Needs You!

I Haven’t Got a Lot of Time (I chew off way too much ya ya eyes bigger… bla bla) But HERE IS MY PLEA. I’ll make it short.

This is Part Four of the “Freedom Traders” Series – How I Learned to Get Over the Wall and What May Help You.

There are links at the bottom of this post to Part 1 : My Personal Stock Trading Story. How I Blew up Two Accounts and Then Learned How to Trade, Part 2 : Trading Checklist – Rules I Follow Before Triggering, and Part 3: Now I’m Inspired!.A Struggling Trader That Inspired Change, Part 5 : Learn How to Trade Stocks (Build a Small Account) Following my Journey.

Introduction:

“in January of this year, Tuomas Sandholm and Noam Brown from Carnegie Mellon University developed a poker player called Libratus, which beat four of the world champion poker players, and not by just a little bit. They played 120,000 hands of poker, and Libratus ended up with $1.77 million in poker chips. This is a big deal, because it signals…” See: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-artificial-intelligence-will-change-everything-1488856320

Now, before you turn me off, hear me out quick! BTW, I meant to write the “How to Write a Trading Plan” post next but this was eating me alive so I’ll do that next.

This is about a freedom about to be stolen from you (the freedom to successfully trade at a retail level – your trading freedom) and what can be done and how you can benefit. Yes, there’s an upside for your service.

And if nothing else, I’ll guarantee you’ll be a better trader (unless of course you’re super trader already).

Here’s my best foot forward to what the H this post is about.

The Uncle Sam poster. Yes, this is the best way to explain this post.

Look, when this poster propagated it was during a time that people stood for what was they believed to be right (freedom) – so much so they would die for it. The whole country (and even the whole free world) rallied behind it. Now, of course I’m not asking for that haha, but I am asking for like minded individuals (people that want a better future that may or may not see the problem on the near horizon) to stand up and get behind what we’re doing – if even it is in a small way AND even if it only means you receive the benefit of becoming a better trader as the minimum objective.

Compound, Trading, Wall Street, Disrupt

Compound Trading Wants You to Disrupt Wall Street!

Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is a common national personification of the American government or the United States in general that, according to legend, came into use during the War of 1812 and was supposedly named for Samuel Wilson. The actual origin is obscure.[2] Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of American culture and a manifestation of patriotic emotion.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam

What’s The Big Deal? 

Look, I know I talk a lot about this… singularity and algorithms and stuff (math is one of the few things I’m good at) and I KNOW that most of you just want to trade better so you can achieve some level of freedom in a world that’s stacked against all of us common people. I get that. And so I apologize for my nerd post, but you can get what you want and I can feel like my life was worth something (more than just being a decent trader and money and so on). And you never know, you may actually take up a small portion of the cause in the process.

Here’s the big deal; right now this moment there are large rooms of scientists (mathematicians and computer programmers) designing algorithms and artificial intelligence to beat Wall Street. How do I know? Because I cracked the code. Don’t believe me? Fine, I don’t care actually – I wouldn’t believe me either. Seriously. But we have documented it and if nothing else you can’t argue that some have cracked Wall Street.

See:   http://www.ted.com/talks/jim_simons_a_rare_interview_with_the_mathematician_who_cracked_wall_street

Or this article that relates to the introduction of my blog piece:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-artificial-intelligence-will-change-everything-1488856320

You can’t argue that some have cracked Wall Street.

So What’s The Problem? 

The common person (retail trader) has always had the chips stacked against them on Wall Street. But that’s getting to be very, very real and nearing the point of completely unfair. I know, some of us can still beat it, but only the best human traders consistently beat Wall Street.

Why? Because there are high frequency trading algorithms and various other algo type trading systems that are revolutionizing trading.

And THE REAL PROBLEM is that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that over the next ten years (at very most – more likely 3 -5 years) this will become unbeatable. Look, singularity isn’t far off and I’m telling you that there are algorithmic trading operations that completely destroy our ability to profit. Soon, very soon, mark my words they will be telling you on TV that YOU HAVE TO GET IA TO TRADE OR DIE.

What is IA? An intelligent assistant. In other words, what we do (what we are developing with our algorithmic models) – and I’m not asking you to subscribe to our algorithms (I would develop them whether we had even one subscriber). The traders on CNBC you watch are already talking about how they can’t do without their #AI now.

So IA (an intelligent assistant) is the first level of acceptance at the retail level, because the human trader is in control and the algorithm simply assists the trader. But there will be a time soon where those “assisted” traders will move to full automation because there is no way to beat the machine. It’s all a process of acceptance.

Why is IA (Intelligent Assisted Trading) or HFT (High Frequency Trading) a Threat to Me?

You will be beat and you will have to subscribe to the future. And it is coming right soon. Think of me when you have no choice. Now, please keep in mind this isn’t going to be required (IA) for long term investing any time soon. I am talking about trading (day trading and swing trading).

You will be beat and you will have to subscribe to the future.

Here’s a CNBC video on Human Assisted Intelligence for example:

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000488817

So what’s the problem then? I’ll Just Subscribe to the Future

You may, or you may not. Right now, the IA technology is available and there are algorithmic modeling teams that produce incredible results (heck, our inaugural model EPIC has been insane successful), but YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO BUY THEM.

There is certainly a trend toward increasing automation among financial firms. Preqin, a company that provides financial industry data, reports that 40 percent of hedge funds created last year were “systematic,” meaning they rely on computer models for their decisions. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/600695/will-ai-powered-hedge-funds-outsmart-the-market/

You’ll be able to buy the moderately decent ones, but you won’t be able to buy the world class models. And even if you could, you couldn’t afford them. Do you know what these models are worth? Insane amounts. Some of the richest people in the world have become so over the last few years because of them and they my friends are sitting on islands they own, sitting in 60,000 square foot houses overlooking a bay with their mega yachts in view. Sounds like a Bond villain  – but true. Study it. It won’t be the common person that has them.

“I’ll Be Fine.'”

Sure, you’ll be fine as an investor and you’ll even be fine as a trader for a while. But you will as a trader be forced to subscribe to this future within 3 – 5 years or you won’t trade. That I can guarantee.

So What’s My Angle? Let Me Summarize Before This Post Gets Big.

IA and AI is coming. You will have to subscribe as a trader. I guarantee that.

We have published our work in modeling the algorithms over the last year for transparency. It would take you hours, but you could confirm that I am not a nut by reading our whole website and blog posts that we have in fact modeled what the machines are doing.

We have been challenged in various ways since starting this endeavor (trying to model what the AI firms are doing in the markets) and trust me it would have been easier to sell out. And I won’t explain how we could have sold out fast and easily and went to the beach.

My nature (you know the story about the toad and the scorpion), is the Robin Hood thing and I know it is corny, but it’s all about the common man for me. It’s all about looking at each other and jumping. I have a grade 8 education because I was bored in class, but I can calculate like nobody’s business. I’m an outlier, I get that. A nerd.

But I know math and I have done well in business for thirty years and everybody around me is screaming at me about how I’m so invested in this and not paying attention to my businesses (that they deem to be adequate).

But I am a common man that had to work very, very, very hard and I believe in and need as my nature the common man team thing. I am not a suit, I am not a Wall Streeter, I am not a corporate guy, and I am not a 9-5 type. I need by nature to stand for something and have to have my life to have been of some form of value. That’s just me (the scorpion and the toad).

So that brings us to now. Right now we at minimum have a trading platform that can benefit any learning trader and our clients will tell you that even advanced traders are learning and benefiting from our services. And because we’re already up and running I don’t need to sell you on it.

But there’s more (yes like the infomercials haha)…. we know how to model (crack the code) of the algorithms and we’ve proven it. Our mission is to democratize Wall Street. What does that mean? Make available to the common man what otherwise would not be attainable or available.

Make available to the common man what otherwise would not be attainable or available.

So What am I Asking For?

The vision I have for the future is tough for the common person. I see massive debt being moved to the middle and upper class in new and ingenious ways and we are allowing it and the elite getting richer. I see a difficult future for our kids and grandkids and their kids. I believe it is critical for this generation to get over the wall and I believe time is very short.

The wall to freedom (as it applies specifically to traders or aspiring traders) is the wall to predictable and consistent success so that our future generations can be given the opportunity to compete in a world that will get more and more elitist.

So I have a trading room that is already successful (when you consider the algorithm subscribers and swing trading subscribers) – successful in that we’ve got lift off and it’s a profitable endeavor already. The trading room is a little light yet and I would like to see more people in there but it is solid and has very good traders in it for newbies and experts alike and we are profitable.

So Why Would I Want More and What Do I Want?

I would like anyone that has a dream or a vision that relates at all in any way to what we are doing to get involved. We need good traders in the room, we need learning traders in the room. And yes I am saying we need subscribers to get beyond just a successful little trading enterprise. Let me give you an example.

The oil algorithm work we’ve worked with… EPIC the Oil Algo…. more than one million invested in less than seven months – in just time, forget the hard costs and various other costs. Algorithmic modeling, IA, AI, machine learning, big data – whatever you want to call it is massive.

So what we’ve done is we’ve secured early adopters to our offerings (the trade room, the algorithm charting newsletters and swing trading newsletters) to fixed subscription costs even as sub costs increase – and very soon the trajectory of those sub fess (to new users) will be parabolic – algorithms are expensive! Decent algorithms available are tens if not hundreds of thousands per month and our first algo is going to coding now and will be at that level very soon (EPIC is one of six and there are more in the works). And the institutional guys love it.

So what I am saying is that our work is costly and yes the everyday common person subscribing does bring that vision forward in a small (small in that it is bite sizes but adds up) but important way.

BUT MORE THAN THAT! We would love for others to get involved. We need learning traders to get over the wall to help others more than anything. The learning traders that succeed will be our best advocates when they become successful! But we need profitable traders too!

We need traders to get active in our room. We need traders that want to test our algorithms. We need traders that want to get involved in the marketing. Traders that want to help organize events. Traders that want to coach. Traders that want to document trades on video. Traders that will write blog posts and share our mission on social media and there will be so many more things that yes, WE NEED YOU FOR.

Why? Because we would really like to be the ones that make available to the common person world class algorithmic modeling so the playing field stays as fair as possible. And I personally would like to have lived a life of some value. Our middle class and even upper class is disappearing and keeping Wall Street a level playing field would at least offer a way for the common person to provide for their children and grandchildren.

That’s my sales pitch, my best foot forward – so if it at all meets your goals in even the smallest way… this is your call to action.

AND IF NOTHING ELSE – WE’RE A DAMN GOOD TRADING GROUP:)

And here’s my promise… I’ll do my best to stop trying to recruit ya’ll to the cause and focus on the trading – and hey, this Monday is the start of my two week double my account challenge so I’ll definitely not have time to sell y’all on our platform haha.

Also, I’ll do my best to get the “How to Write a Trading Plan” out sooner than later.

Click here for the link to sign on to any of our services. https://compoundtrading.com/shop/

Message me anytime with your story or questions. And if you follow me on Twitter and I don’t follow back so you can DM then send us an email to [email protected] with your Twitter handle.

Peace and best and enjoy your Sunday! Hug those loved ones tight, really, really tight.

Curtis

Part 1 : My Personal Stock Trading Story. How I Blew up Two Accounts and then Learned How to Trade.

Part 2: Trading Checklist (Rules) I Follow Before Triggering a Stock Trade.

Part 3: Now I’m Inspired. A Struggling Trader That Inspired Change. 

Part 4: We Want (Need) You! Apply to Nearest Recruiting Station.

Part 5: Learn How to Trade Stocks (Build a Small Account) Following my Journey. 

Part 6 a: Trading Set-ups. How-To Develop a Systematic – Predictable Process.

 

Topical Links for Further Reading:

Wall Street Journal Article https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-artificial-intelligence-will-change-everything-1488856320

The Mathematician That Cracked Wall Street Video 

My Story.

Our Story.

Our Algorithm Development Process.

Get up. Dust off. And never give up.

Article Topics; Freedom, Trading, Trader, Learning to trade, Stocks, Algorithms, AI, IA, Machine Learning, Common Person.

16
Apr 2017
Trade, coaching, trading plan, trade setups

Now I’m Inspired! My Guarantee to Struggling Traders (and Yours). Part 3 “Freedom Traders” Series.

I Just Received an Email From a Struggling Trader That Has Inspired a Change. I’m Pumped. Here’s My

Now I’m Inspired! My Guarantee to Struggling Traders (and Yours). Part 3 “Freedom Traders” Series.

Freedom Traders, Lead Trader Blog Post, Learn to Trade , , , , , , , , , Curt Melonopoly

I Just Received an Email From a Struggling Trader That Has Inspired a Change. I’m Pumped. Here’s My Guarantee and Yours in Return to Get You in to the Freedom Traders Club.

This is Part Three of the “Freedom Traders” Series – How I Learned to Get Over the Wall and What May Help You.

There are links at the bottom of this post to Part 1 : My Personal Stock Trading Story. How I Blew up Two Accounts and Then Learned How to Trade and Part 2 : Trading Checklist – Rules I Follow Before Triggering.

Introduction:

“To win consistently, a trader has to have a plan (a system) – that contains rules, controls losses (risk) and keeps emotions checked in at the door.”

Okay, so something big happened to me today while working on my charting set-ups for the week. A struggling trader sent me this email;

“Hi Curt I am trading for five years now with little success.I have continued my research which has brought me to compound traders doorstep.I have a decent understanding of the markets but not to the levels needed to trade successfully week in week out.Can I make profits using your live trading room/alerts bundle while taking time to learn your methodology along the way.I am a hard working student who learns quickly.”

WOW, what an email. Something clicked in me. FIVE YEARS! Unbelievable tenacity! And limited results? That should not be so I thought. Okay, but I can relate, I have had my own struggle. So here was my response;

Hi ______

You put 3 months in to our room (if time allows) and if not review daily room videos and pre and post market newsletters and I’ll guarantee you will become a profitable trader. But, you would have to follow the rules. You follow the rules (indicators) and you don’t make money I’ll refund you personally. And… you’d have to send me every entry and exit so I could check that you’re following the rules and preferably send me a daily trade plan (showing how the rules line up with your trade plan). There’s a video from Thursday mid day market review coming out in next 24 hours that explains the rules (indicator set-ups) clearly to follow.

Curt

Update: Here’s the video as an example of indicators – chart set-ups (and our next post in the Freedom Traders series will go in depth on the specific indicator set-ups).

So What’s The Big Change? The Realization.

So I realized a problem in my approach. When we first started Compound Trading we knew that we had very sophisticated big data mad scientist math figured out and that we had in fact cracked Wall Street. Yes I know, I know… sounds nuts but we can prove it. Anyway, the point is that this “cracking the code” or better described as cracking what the big trading firms are doing to bring massive returns (the ones that are).

BUT! You first need to understand how to trade the fundamentals. Our mad science stuff does absolutely nothing for the learning trader! The discipline and the know-how (the chart set-ups, the indicators) are key for the learning trader. That’s what first gets the struggling trader over the wall!

So how am I going to pivot to that? Let me explain in short.

Here’s My Pivot… A New Commitment and Format

So all the mad science stuff will continue because frankly we have many large traders and the like that rely on that and that’s now my life’s work. But that doesn’t mean I can’t pivot in that I bring a focus to the learning trader and the fundamental indicators and chart set-ups that cause a trader to win.

So here’s what I am going to do going forward:

  • I will be doing premarket chart set-ups (reviewing charting indicators) at 9:00 AM every morning in the room.
  • I will be trying to get as many of the chart set-ups for the standard indicators I preach about in my premarket trading plan (can be tough because premarket moves fast). Just getting a premarket report out in time is very hard.
  • I will be doing a mid-day chart set-ups review in the room everyday between 12;00 – 1:00 EST. Very specifically looking at the indicators I talk about all the time and specific chart set-ups.
  • In my post market report I will carve out and focus on the chart set-ups also.

So in other words, I will start to focus clearly for the learning trader specifically on these in a very detailed way and document the whole process.

And should a struggling trader work with me on it, I’m even gong to guarantee results (of course the trader has to reciprocate some accountability).

Here’s My Guarantee and Yours in Return

I let the cat out of the bag above obviously when I shared the email, but here it is. Sign up for our trading room bundle and print this and post it on your wall above your computer.

My Personal Guarantee

You put 3 months in to our room (if time allows) and if not review daily room videos and pre and post market newsletters and I’ll guarantee you will become a profitable trader. But, you have to follow the rules. You follow the rules (indicators) and you don’t make money I’ll refund you personally. And… you’d have to send me every entry and exit so I could check that you’re following the rules and preferably send me a daily trade plan (showing how the rules line up with your trade plan).

To do this (follow-through with the plan) review these regularly (can be done anytime because we publish all reports and videos of everything):

  • Premarket chart set-ups (reviewing charting indicators) done at 9:00 AM every morning in the room.
  • Chart set-ups for the standard indicators in premarket trading plan (as may be made available).
  • Mid-day chart set-ups review that will be done in the room everyday between 12;00 – 1:00 EST. Very specifically looking at the indicators I talk about all the time and specific chart set-ups.
  • Post market report specific to chart set-ups.
  • Send me your entries and exits on email [email protected] or by DM so I can review and preferably your trading plan (when you can) in advance of taking a trade for review.

That’s my guarantee to the new trading wanting to learn. It’s a huge commitment on my part and requires yours also!

So Sign-Up and Lets Get Busy

Here’s the link! And there’s a discount on the home page too that you can use (I think it brings price down to approximately 76.00 per month (or less if you register for longer terms)..

Live Trading Room Bundle

Message me anytime with your story, questions or additions to this checklist. I will update this list over time.

Peace and best.

Curtis

 

Part 1 : My Personal Stock Trading Story. How I Blew up Two Accounts and then Learned How to Trade.

Part 2: Trading Checklist (Rules) I Follow Before Triggering a Stock Trade.

Part 3: Now I’m Inspired. A Struggling Trader That Inspired Change. 

Part 4: We Want (Need) You! Apply to Nearest Recruiting Station.

Part 5: Learn How to Trade Stocks (Build a Small Account) Following my Journey. 

Part 6 a: Trading Set-ups. How-To Develop a Systematic – Predictable Process.

Get up. Dust off. And never give up.

Article Topics; Freedom, Trading, Trader, Learning to trade, Stocks, Rules, Checklist, Profit, Chart, Setups.

15
Apr 2017
Trade, coaching, trading plan, trade setups

Trading Checklist (Rules) I Follow Before Triggering. Part 2 of “Freedom Traders” Series.

Below are the Rules and Checklist I Use Before Entering a Trade. This is Part Two of the

Trading Checklist (Rules) I Follow Before Triggering. Part 2 of “Freedom Traders” Series.

Freedom Traders, Lead Trader Blog Post, Learn to Trade , , , , , , , Curt Melonopoly

Below are the Rules and Checklist I Use Before Entering a Trade.

This is Part Two of the “Freedom Traders” Series – How I Learned to Get Over the Wall and What May Help You.

There is a link at the bottom of this post to Part 1 : My Personal Stock Trading Story. How I Blew up Two Accounts and Then Learned How to Trade.

Summary Introduction:

This is about the freedom achieved when one learns how to trade stocks with consistent profit.

Learning to trade is tough, but there is a significant reward for the effort.

I have observed, in working with newer traders, that many randomly trade “what they like” without a system or rules. As such, I created a checklist that trader’s could use prior to executing trades..

To win consistently requires a proven system that provides more winning than losing over a series of trades. This is a trader’s edge.

To win consistently, a trader has to have a plan (a system) – that contains rules, controls losses (risk) and keeps emotions checked in at the door.

You, meet You:

If you are struggling to trade for consistent profit this post and your effort to follow a rules based methodology will cause you to look in the mirror.

Trading for consistent profit is a war against oneself. It is a war against our inner need to be free from rules and discipline. Successful trading is boring, it is disciplined and it isn’t remotely like a Friday night at the roulette table. Successful trading requires confidence in a system that is proven to return consistent results.

Successful trading requires a disciplined, devoted and tireless commitment to study and personal betterment. If you are not prepared to study, and I mean really study, you won’t make it. You will blow-up your account.

Personal Reflection – Recent Interactions:

I talk to literally hundreds of learning traders every month in one form or another (social media, email, private messages, coaching etc). I recently asked learning traders to send me their trading plans in advance of market open on a Monday morning.

Here are a few things I noticed in many responses;

Lack of study. Lack of implementation or Consideration Toward Standard Charting Indicators.

For example, I constantly talk about simple charts, keeping it simple and basic indicators. I do this for two reasons; one – I can get too complicated for my own trading primarily because of the type of work I do in algorithmic modeling. And two – I believe learning trader’s should first keep it simple.

Anyway, my point is that most replied to my call for trading plans with-out even considering the simplest indicators that I preach day in and day out in the trading room, in newsletters on videos and social media. And I thought to myself, my lord, how do I get this across?

Simple indicators like taking a daily chart and considering the moving averages or MACD were not considered in near all replies. Most replies were, “I like this stock and I don’t want to miss out”. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. I was completely floored. I couldn’t care less if I like a stock and I definitely won’t base a trade on possibly missing out.

All of these traders have had access for some time to detailed docs I produce toward the subject, such as our swing trading service newsletters, our premarket and post market reports and the near weekly charts I produce called Keep it Simple Stock Charting (not even considering the algorithmic modeling).

Below is a recent twenty minute video (a snippet taken from our live trading room) of indicators I follow when considering a trade. The video isn’t great (near bad actually) but you’ll get the point. I drive this home (indicators) over and over because they work!

Standard indicators will provide you with a simple edge and a simple process – a place to start. There are many different trading systems used in the markets, this is just one.

If you truly want to develop an edge (a process) that will get you winning more than losing (trading for profit), then learn the simple indicators and use a stop! That’s all that is initially required.

Trust me, if you need it, here it is (at least a start) in 20 minutes or less (we actually have a better video on indicators in charting reviews from last Thursday that I will post when it’s ready and update this article because the video below isn’t ideal as mentioned).

Of course it then (your personal trade process development) goes on for lifetime there forward, but I think you get my point. It isn’t that hard to stop your losses and GET OVER THE WALL to profitability.

So learn your simple chart indicators! Some examples are; moving averages, MACD, daily charts, price action, and maybe some others like the squeeze momentum I use and a Stochastic RSI. (Note: Video was updated)

A Trading Process and Trade Rules are Critical to Successful Trading – the Legends Agree.

Here are a few examples:

Martin S. Schwartz.

“I always laugh at people who say “I’ve never met a rich technician” I love that! Its such an arrogant, nonsensical response. I used fundamentals for 9 years and got rich as a technician.”

It is widely reported that Marty Schwartz lost money as a trader for ten years. And also widely reported that once he developed a more rules based approach he never looked back. Martin turned 5,000.00 in to 140,000.00 in one year and is one of the most well known trading legends to this day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_S._Schwartz

Jesse Lauriston Livermore.

“Real movements do not end the day they start. It takes time to complete the end of a genuine movement.”

Jesse Livermore used a set of rules, one of which was to identify “real movements”, because there is profit in a real stock move. A real move – not a low float pop and drop.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Lauriston_Livermore

Ed Seykota.

“Systems don’t need to be changed. The trick is for a trader to develop a system with which he is compatible”

“I would add that I consider myself and how I do things as a kind of system which, by definition, I always follow.”

“Systems trading is ultimately discretionary. The manager still has to decide how much risk to accept, which markets to play, and how aggressively to increase and decrease the trading base as a function of equity change.”

Ed Seykota, a commodities trader, had a conviction in Algorithmic Trading. He utilized the rules of technical analysis and it made him one of the greatest trading legends of all time. One of his trading accomplishments was that he turned $5000.00 in to $15 million over a twelve year period in one client account.

Seykota calls his trading process, the Trading Tribe Process. He describes his ideas and practices in his book The Trading Tribe (2005).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Seykota

George Soros.

“If investing is entertaining, if you’re having fun, you’re probably not making any money. Good investing is boring.” Soros on enjoyable investing.

George Soros: Most Influential Quotes | Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/university/george-soros-biogrpahy/george-soros-most-influential-quotes.asp#ixzz4eIkDeCuQ

Okay, so we know the trading legends agree, you need a system and rules. So I have prepared a checklist for you to review before taking your next trade and before every trade here forward until you consistently win. If you have any that I have missed, do me a favor and send them or tweet them to me so I can update this checklist.

Some Rules in Trading. Checklist Prior to Entering a Trade.

Rule 1 – Take Responsibility for Your Success or Loss. 

“A losing trader can do little to transform himself into a winning trader. A losing trader is not going to want to transform himself. That’s the kind of thing winning traders do.”Ed Seykota.

I tell our trading room and newsletter subs, “the shortest distance between you and the door is to blame myself or another trader for your loss”. Our systems, analysis, models or anything we say or publish, or anyone tells you or publishes is not the reason for your loss.

You lost because you lost to yourself or you lost because no trading system is infallible. This is without a doubt my rule number one. If I blame my lack of success on anything or anyone I’m doomed as a trader.

Rule 2 – Cut Losses. Use a Stop. Never Allow Losses to Get Out of Hand.

“The trading rules I live by are: 1. Cut losses. 2. Ride winners. 3. Keep bets small. 4. Follow the rules without question. 5. Know when to break the rules.” Ed Seykota.

“Trade with a stop, and know it before you enter.” Jesse Livermore.

“The most important thing in making money is not letting your losses get out of hand.” Martin S. Schwartz

Live to see another day. One of the most critical ingredients to success as a trader is in how long you are around to learn. You can always re-enter and the cards never stop.

Rule 3 – Ride the Winners.

“Let profits run. Close trades that show a loss (good trades generally show profit right away).” Jesse Livermore.

This is my biggest challenge. Always ride your winners. And once you learn that, you can then “hammer down” on your winning trends. This is where real profit is.

Rule 4 – Keep your Bets Small.

Take an entry that is at very most 5% and preferably closer to 1 – 2% of your trading account, and then when it becomes a winning trend, add as you see fit and the indicators tell you to do so. And yes, I know that I will take much larger trades, but that’s because of a host of more advanced (or refined) rules not included in this post and that trade is not my whole portfolio – it is a large portion of a specific account.

Rule 5 – Learn Trend Trading. Understand Your Charts.

“In order of importance to me are: 1) the long term trend, 2) the current chart pattern, and 3) picking a good spot to buy or sell.”Ed Seykota.

“Trade using the pivotal points. (Learn how to spot the pivot point from which a new movement will emerge; read Find A Trend With The Partial Retrace.” Jesse Livermore.

I call this “chewing around the edges”. If you learn how to spot trends or trend reversals for long term trend plays then you have hit the mother load and this is where serious profit is and accounts get built up fast. Read about pivot points. This happens to be one of the primary methods of our algorithmic chart modeling and why our algorithms have been so successful. Pivot points are powerful indicators.

Here’s a post from Steve Burns on the subject of trend trading.

Here is one Golden Rule trade example of what can separate you from just winning or wealth building. You find this one set-up in the indicators and you will win and win and win and really win. Below is the tweet and if you go to that tweet the chart that shows the set-up.

“When price trends up and Stoch RSI trends down that’s when you HAMMER down! Especially on a daily. #RULE $GDX $GDXJ $NUGT $DUST $JNUG $JDST”

Rule 5. Stay away from Momentum Plays. Pops. Pumps. Chasing.

I play morning momentum stocks for a kick. I play small and I play them smart. This is not a place for new traders. DO NOT join a chat room that plays momentum stocks as a beginner. Learn the predictable fundamentals of trading and become successful at low risk trades first. Do this for at least a few years before you try and learn momentum daytrading market openers and low floats and the like.

Rule 6. Buy in a Bull Market, Short in a Bear Market.

“Trade with the trend. Buy in a bull market, short in a bear market.” Jesse LIvermore.

If the market is red, be careful with your long trades. Now, if you know how to play by the rules and read a chart then red days are the days to study and prepare your shopping list for long trades. Then when the markets turn green or confirm you then have your hit list ready. And do not start your trading career shorting. I know, I know there are GURU’s that will disagree, but I fundamentally believe the best short sellers are those that first have the basics of long swing trading and even daytrading mastered. That is a personal “opinion”.

Rule 7.  Trade with an Edge.

“Don’t trade when there aren’t clear opportunities.” Jesse Livermore.

Trading with an edge can be understanding your basic chart set-ups with moving averages, VWAP, MACD and others or can be with methods such as our algorithmic chart modeling work. Or, even with fundamentals or with news events and more. You have to understand what provides an edge.

I often refer to a simple edge traders can follow as PTPTRR. Price, trigger, power, trade, risk, reward. Trader’s that know how to win will automatically understand what I mean by each point in PTPTRR. The question is, do you? If not, study it out – study each part of that equation. Trading price provides what edge? What are triggers? What does he mean by power? What is risk – reward in trading? And so on. In a future post I will cover this simple formula in more detail.

Here is an example on trading price from Investopedia as Jesse Livermore traded price action;

“Price patterns, combined with volume analysis, were also used to determine if the trade would be kept open. Some of the criteria Jesse used to determine if he was in the right position were:

Increased volume on breakout.
The first few days after the break prices should move in the breakout direction
A normal reaction occurs where prices retrace somewhat against the trend, but volume is lower on retracements than it was in the trending direction.
As the normal reaction ends, volume increases once again in the direction of the trend.
Deviations from these patterns were warning signals and, if confirmed by price movements back through pivotal points, indicated that exited or unrealized profits should be taken. (For more read our Greatest Investors Tutorial.)”

Rule 8. Trade Strength.

“Trade the leading stocks in each sector; trade the strongest stocks in a bull market, or the weakest stocks in a bear market.” Jesse Livermore.

I almost always trade strength. Strength in price action, strength in sector, strength in timing, strength in volume, strength in trend, strength in momentum, strength in fundamentals, strength in news, strength in wash-out (fear) and on and on. Trade the strength that comes with inflections.

Rule 9. Trade with Chart Indicators.

Know your simple indicators. A profitable career can be made trading indicators only. We have proven in our work that simple indicators will return 50% or more a year with the instruments we trade (more on this later). But the point is learn your simple indicators.

We are posting You Tube videos more and more on this subject and plan to cover it intensely over the coming weeks in our newsletters and on various other media channels.

Some of the indicators to consider; moving averages, channels or trends, pivot points, chart history, support and resistance, Fibonacci levels, volume, power, risk – reward and more. When you know these you can then even move in to custom indicators (such as I do with trading view charting) and even chart bots and algorithmic models if you choose. But first learn the basics of charting and candles.

Rule 10. Trade Price Action. Price is King (and Queen). Know That The Market is Always Right.

“It can be very expensive to try to convince the markets you are right.” Ed Seykota.

Have a plan and when price action says different cut quick. Never assume the market is going to do what you think it will do. Now, I know in the algorithmic modeling work we do, we do talk about advanced near future charting etc, but even so, it is still harnessed in the realities of trading – that never changes.

Rule 11. Entries. Exits.

Know the zone for entries and exits. There are many rules within this one rule. Some examples are; enter long at support and cut fast if it fails, trail out long positions at resistance and add at support, enter long when the stochastic RSI is at the bottom (one of my favorites), go long when the MACD crosses up and short when it crosses down, know your time-frame, enter long at the bottom of the trending channel… and so many more.

Rule 12. Continuous Improvement. Journal for Success. Be Yourself. Don’t Follow.

Journal your trades. Keep track of your trades daily, take notes, learn from your errors and reproduce your successes. Study, study, study.

Develop your own system. Develop your own style. Be yourself. Don’t follow in anyone’s trades – learn, but don’t follow. Turn off the noise.

Study “Trade Risk Management Psychology” and “Emotional Intelligence”. We don’t have enough time here to go in to it.

Rule 13. Support Other Traders

Support the traders that shout out a win and try and pass on what you have learned to traders struggling. You will be surprised how this simple good will posture will help your trading. I won’t go in to detail and I’ll let you discover how this helps your trading on your own.

Rule 14. Check Your Attitude.

Never blame, never complain, never lack gratitude for the opportunity to learn. Be a good loser, dust off and move on. You will never be a profitable trader any other way.

Message me anytime with your story, questions or additions to this checklist. I will update this list over time.

Peace and best.

Curtis

Part 1 : My Personal Stock Trading Story. How I Blew up Two Accounts and then Learned How to Trade.

Part 2: Trading Checklist (Rules) I Follow Before Triggering a Stock Trade.

Part 3: Now I’m Inspired. A Struggling Trader That Inspired Change. 

Part 4: We Want (Need) You! Apply to Nearest Recruiting Station.

Part 5: Learn How to Trade Stocks (Build a Small Account) Following my Journey.

Part 6 a: Trading Set-ups. How-To Develop a Systematic – Predictable Process.

Part 6 b: Trading Set-ups. Video Explains Predictable Winning Process (companion to part 6 a).

 

Get up. Dust off. And never give up.

Article Topics; Freedom, Trading, Trader, Learning to trade, Stocks, Rules, Checklist, Profit.