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The Best Way to Understand Personal Finance

When we are trying to understand Personal Finance, the best thing to do is to understand what Personal Finance is NOT.

Many people think that accounting and personal finance are the same, but Personal Finance is NOT Accounting.

On the surface they may seem the same; they both have something to do with money. However, the definitions will help us better understand the differences.

Merriam-Webster’s definition of accounting is “the system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and reporting the results.”

Based on this definition, we see that accounting is the process of analysing and recording what you have already done with your money.

This is why having an accountant is usually not enough when it comes to your personal finances.

Accountants generally don’t concern themselves with personal finance (there are some exceptions to this rule). Unless your accountant is also a financial advisor or coach, he or she will likely just look at what you have done with your money at the end of the year and provide you with a report of their analysis.

This report is usually your tax return; what you owe the government or what the government owes you.

Very rarely does the accountant provide an individual with a Balance Sheet or Income Statement or a Net worth statement; all very helpful tools that are necessary to effectively manage your personal finances.

Personal Finance is looking at your finances from a more pro-active and goal oriented perspective. This is what provides the accountants with something to record, verify and analyze.

The Merriam-Webster’s (Concise Encyclopedia) definition of “Finance” is the “process of raising funds or capital for any kind of expenditure. Consumers, business firms, and governments often do not have the funds they need to make purchases or conduct their operations, while savers and investors have funds that could earn interest or dividends if put to productive use. Finance is the process of channeling funds from savers to users in the form of credit, loans, or invested capital through agencies including COMMERCIAL BANKS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS, and such nonbank organizations as CREDIT UNIONS and investment companies. Finance can be divided into three broad areas: BUSINESS FINANCE, PERSONAL FINANCE, and public finance. All three involve generating budgets and managing funds for the optimum results”.

Personal Finance Simplified

By understanding the definition of “finance” we can break our “personal finance” down into 3 simple activities:-

1. The process of raising funds or capital for any kind of expenditure = Generating an Income.
A Business gets money through the sale of their products and services. This is labeled “revenue” or “income”. Some businesses will also invest a portion of their revenue to generate more income (interest income).

A Person gets money through a job, or a small business (self employment, sole proprietorship, network marketing or other small business venture). The money coming in can be a salary, hourly wage, or commission, and is also referred to as income.

A Government gets money through taxes that we pay. This is one of the main ways that the government generates an income that is then used to build infrastructure like roads, bridges, schools, hospitals etc for our cities.

2. Using our money to make purchases = Spending Money.
How much we spend relative to how much we make is what makes the difference between having optimum results in our personal finances. Making good spending decisions is critical to achieving financial wealth – regardless of how much you make.

3. Getting optimum results = Keeping as much of our money as possible
It’s not how much you MAKE that matters – its how much you KEEP that really matters when it comes to your personal finances.

This is the part of personal finance that virtually everyone finds the most challenging.

Often people who make large incomes (six figures or more) also tend to spend just as much (or more) which means they put themselves in debt and that debt starts to accrue interest. Before long that debt can start to grow exponentially and can destroy any hope they would have had to achieving wealth.

Personal Finance made simple

Personal Finance doesn’t need to be complicated if you keep this simple formula in mind:

INCOME – SPENDING = WHAT YOU KEEP

For Optimal Results you simply have to make more than what you spend and spend less than what you make so you can keep more for you and your family!

If you are not actively working towards an optimal result you will by default get less than optimal results

It really is that simple!

Now that you understand personal finance and WHAT you need to do, the next step is learning HOW to do this!

The best way to start is by following these 3 simple steps:-

1. Know what you want to achieve – “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” has become a very popular quote, probably because it is so true. One of the habits that Stephen Covey highlights in his book “7 Habits of Highly Successful People”, is to always start with the end in mind. Knowing where you want to go will be a big help in ensuring you get there.

2. Have a plan – that you can follow that will get you to your goals. Knowing how you will achieve your goals in a step by step plan is invaluable. Sometimes this is easier with the help of an advisor or a financial coach.

3. Use tools and resources – that will help you to stick to your plan and not become distracted by the things in life that could limit our incomes and make us spend more than we should. Don’t try and work it all out in your head! You will end up with a massive headache and your finances will become one gigantic dark fog!

Cheap Personal Finance With Newly Equipped Benefits

From decade to decade, cheap personal finance has been providing monetary support to every sort of people. It advances amount to fulfil every small or sizable personal demands to the applicants. Cheap personal finance allocate amount that borrowers are looking for, to materialize their wishes in a trouble free or easy way. Cheap personal finance is classified into secured and unsecured form. If applicants have property to place for the loan, secured cheap personal finance is offered. For people without property like tenants and non-homeowners, unsecured option is designed. The unsecured option can be obtained by persons who are unwilling to place collateral against the loan.

The amount that you can borrow in cheap personal finance starts from £ 5,000 to £75,000. The repayment period of cheap personal finance is from 5 to 25 years. Finance cheap personal scheme allow even the bad credit holders to obtain loan and execute their demand after proper documentation. So, bad creditors should furnish credit and personal details precisely.

Cheap personal finance has cut down its prior rate of interest and offer fresh rates which every person will find affordable. The interest rates vary from lender to lender in the competitive market. So, applicants can take the advantage of this competitive atmosphere and spot a marginal rate which suits his repayment ability.

The application procedure of cheap personal finance has gone through many phases and has become faster and easier than before, with the adoption of online device. Approving of cheap personal finance through online method will help to get loan in instant and also it is the most well-liked application process.

The borrowers can supervise various demands in a single amount with cheap personal finance. They can purchase cars, consolidate debts, go for holidays, renovate house, weddings and higher education are some preferred ends which can easily be fulfilled with cheap personal finance.

Personal Finance Online: Goal Setting In School

‘Personal Finance Online’ was not possible when I was at school in Belfast, Ireland – mainly because there was no real internet either used or taught. I don’t even think I was taught about goal setting in school either, not directly at least – I mean, no-one sat me down and showed me a template or explained the details behind goals motivation theory or anything like that.

In fact, my teachers never taught me about personal finance, online or otherwise, but the indirect lessons I learned about goal setting in school, from the complex rules of the playground, sport and even chasing girls, actually left me well placed to set goals and create my own way to create goals. Albeit not actually inside a real framework at all.

After all, it became second nature to choose what I wanted to achieve, and stubbornly do anything to get it – exams, trophies, even friends with cars.

I never was an Educator, but I hold them in very high regard – they have such a lot of responsibility to shape the minds of our children.

Belfast, where I grew up, had teachers, professors and kindergarten nurseries just like any other place, each with their own view of personal finance and never shared with students or even each other. Educators today have so much more opportunity to shape the health of this nation because they can use tools to teach personal finance online

How I Learned Goal Setting In School

From an early age, life was not easy in Belfast. There was no such thing as a free lunch, and if a kid wanted to have ‘stuff’ then that kid had to go to the bank of Mom and Dad, go without, or get a job.

I took a job as a paperboy.

I’d set times for the round, and race myself against the clock, lost in imagination. I’d see how many smiling visits it took to secure tips at Christmas, and I made sure all my customers knew about my birthday, well in advance.

In School, I knew the bus timetable and the exact time it took to the stop from every single exit from the school so I could time my journey.

I was a fiercely competitive sports wannabe in Athletics, so became used to goal setting in school for weight, speed, time, strength and timetables – everything was measured, everything focused on goal achievement.

What Has Goal Setting In School Got To Do With Personal Finance Online?

At first glance, nothing really links these things together, but actually, now that it is possible to do personal finance online, then I actually believe that schools should be taking the lead in teaching the kids all about it. They should be teaching Financial Goal Setting In School right alongside all the other achievement and assessment methodologies.

You see, as a kid, goal setting is all about getting what you want, striving for something desired and the recognition that comes with getting it, achievement of goals.

As an adult, these same emotional and psychological drivers can be used in improving this country’s personal finance – online. It is cheaper, easier, consistent and instant.

Adults in our country have little or idea either about goal setting or personal finance – while our kids grow up online. Teaching personal finance online makes absolute sense.

How to Set Financial Goals.

The list of critical items which are easily done with any personal finance online package or software come down the following

How To Budget
How To Save
Goal Setting
Forecasting
The Relativity of Goals in Goal Setting
The Value of Earnings

Personal finance online is so much better than a goal setting worksheet because the templates, the shape and direction of the calculations are prearranged and thought through by professional designers and educators.

All that remains for the kid, the adult or the user, is to make choices in the face of limited resources and the value of something not chosen.

Personally, I wish I’d learned these skills and had incorporated money management into my schooling – I’m convinced I’d be a wiser, richer and happier man today, but it’s not all bad.

I now teach all my children about money, about personal finance and about goal setting, and I use personal finance online tools to do it.

Either way, people in Belfast are only beginning to understand the power of achievement, and the global financial crisis is stimulating more interest and focus on personal finance through necessity.

I hope that these two initially unrelated issues can be fused together by the few people clever enough to know how to choose with limited resources, and be happy with the outcome.

Bankruptcy Lawyer In New York

In a big city such as New York you will find bankruptcy lawyer firms in large quantity. Bankruptcy lawyer main assignment is to help their client to prevent falling into bankruptcy. If it’s already inevitable they also help their client filing bankruptcy. As bankruptcy such complex issue to overcome with, you shall find a fully experienced and skilled lawyer in order to defend your assets, legal and personal rights includes.

There are two chapters that bankruptcy lawyers in New York are initially filed bankruptcy, they are chapter 7 for straight liquidation bankruptcy and chapter 13 if you want to prevent mortgage foreclosures. Chapter 7 will have every asset you have to be liquidating to distribute them into your debts creditor. Despite to this requirement, real estate mortgages, child supports, and taxes are the exceptional asset for you to keep. As Chapter 13 allows you to restructuring your debts to your creditors. Here you can offer repayment terms for 3 up to 5 years, and during this period creditors cannot purchase their debts without any permission from bankruptcy court.

The most common chapter to file bankruptcy is through liquidation process. Before conducting any of this chapter, bankruptcy lawyer will review all of your legal papers, your list of possessions, creditor acclaims, etc for them to settle on the best option for you with respect to New York regulation. In order to do this settlement they have to be well acknowledge on the latest bankruptcy law which referring to October 17, 2005 law.

Regardless, filing for bankruptcy is actually the last resort for you to have. Once you have declared as individual bankruptcy, the credit record will stay for up to 10 years. It wills eventually degrading your quality when you are going to apply another credit in future. So before you filing one, it is advisable to discuss it earlier with your bankruptcy lawyer to make financial arrangement by negotiating debt settlement with the creditors.

With this intention, you must have experienced lawyer specialized on bankruptcy to overcome your bankruptcy superbly. This kind of New York lawyer can be found in some well-known firms such as Nagel rice and Mazie, Muso and Weiner, etc. Other qualified lawyers list can be proposed by local bar association for they have many referral panels of bankruptcy. Despite to whoever you choose, please ensure that this chosen bankruptcy lawyer will only have you as client. This is important for you to have your lawyer focused and manage your case as good as one can.

Business Bankruptcy Lawyers

Bankruptcy is one of the biggest burdens for an individual or for any type of business. This is a situation where the business cannot meet its debt obligations; in a state of declared bankruptcy, the debtor disburses his assets to the creditors. The action is conducted as prescribed by the National Bankruptcy Act. If you must declare bankruptcy, you need not worry since there is a business bankruptcy lawyer to assist you with putting your assets in order and to smoothly take care of the files for bankruptcy.

A business can go bankrupt in several ways. The most common way is that a business can willingly declare bankruptcy. A business will also become bankrupt when it makes a suggestion to its creditors that is not accepted by them. Sometimes the creditors can push the business into bankruptcy by filing an appeal with the court.

Filing for business bankruptcy can be a complicated and frustrating process. Having an excellent lawyer can make the whole procedure easier. A business bankruptcy lawyer is familiar with the principles of bankruptcy laws and their applications. The lawyer explains how these principles function to relieve businesses from financial obligations and thus provide a fresh financial start.

Bankruptcy lawyers provide you with crucial information and feedback whenever requested. In order to get the utmost benefit from them, it is important that you give the lawyers a very sincere picture of your financial condition. If you fail to do so, you could encounter problems. A bankruptcy lawyer can file a petition only in the presence of the debtors.

Finding a business bankruptcy lawyer is relatively easy. The best way is to ask for suggestions from legal professionals. If you find a bankruptcy lawyer in the circle of your acquaintances, start there. Another way is to spend a day at a bankruptcy court. Watching the lawyers in action can give you an idea of the lawyer you want to represent you.

Getting a Good Bankruptcy Lawyer

There is nothing worse than having to file for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a very serious matter which can destroy the lives of many people and render them completely helpless. Before moving forward with this article it is important to describe bankruptcy and what it entails. Bankruptcy is also referred to as insolvency and is a legal state of being unable to repay debts owed to creditors.

Bankruptcy is applicable to both individuals and organizations. When bankruptcy happens to an organization, many creditors will normally file a bankruptcy petition in an effort to recover a portion of the money owed to them by the company or organization. This results in the organization seeking the services of a bankruptcy lawyer. A bankruptcy lawyer is someone who is conversant with bankruptcy law and will be able to defend you against the petition filed by the creditors. Bankruptcy lawyers are quite expensive and you will have to prove to them that you can pay them before securing their services.

Tips on how to hire a good bankruptcy lawyer?
The increase in bankruptcy petitions has resulted in an increase in demand for bankruptcy lawyers. This has led to an increase in the number of lawyers who are looking to make a quick buck at the expense of debtors who do not know any better, while offering very poor legal services in return. It is important to ensure that the bankruptcy lawyer you have chosen is up to the task and will give you the required help you need throughout the entire process. Some of the tips you can use when trying to identify a good bankruptcy lawyer are given below.

Investigation: Many people often panic when they declare bankruptcy and will select the first bankruptcy lawyer that they come across. This is not a wise move because you need to conduct a thorough investigation. This investigation should involve a thorough background check of the lawyer and should be done before the bankruptcy claim is made. This will also give your lawyer enough time to prepare for the case.

Word of mouth: A good bankruptcy lawyer will be well-known, especially in the business world, so it is very important to ask around and gather information about companies that have filed for bankruptcy and who represented them. It is also important to know the outcome of the cases. You are bound to get information that is helpful. Experience should be your main focus in the search for a good lawyer who can adequately represent you.

The courts: A bankruptcy court is a good source about bankruptcy lawyers. You should always take some time off and visit a bankruptcy court so as to see and experience a bankruptcy case. This will give you an idea of how a good lawyer should conduct the trial when defending someone.

The panel of lawyers: The best place to find out about the best and most respected lawyers is by visiting the bankruptcy lawyer’s panel. The reputations of these lawyers precede them and you are likely to find a very good lawyer who deals with bankruptcy issues and is experienced in the field. Visiting the office of the lawyer may also give an indication about the lawyer’s reputability.

Attending free consultation sessions: Free consultation sessions are the platforms that make it possible for you to ask as many questions as possible about bankruptcy and where to find good lawyers. It is also the beginning of a good working relationship between you and the lawyers because you might get good contacts which will help you in the future. A bankruptcy lawyer will make the difference in the outcome of your case so you should ensure that the lawyer you choose is able to swing the final result in your favor.

Common Terminology in Futures and Commodities Trading

While at a coffee shop with friends, one turns to you and says, “I just went LONG in Lean Hogs off a confirmed swing bottom.” What did he say? He went “LONG” in a hog off a swing in the bottom?”

For those of us who trade, we instantly know what was just said. By going “LONG”, this person BOUGHT (or is a BUYER) in the Lean Hogs futures market. His decision to do so was based on his determining that Lean Hogs had made a bottom and was now moving higher, thus ‘confirming’ the bottom.

The term LONG is very common in trading circles. It simply means that you took the BUY SIDE of the trade (every trade has two sides, the one who SELLS and the one who BUYS). You believe the market is going to go UP, so you decide to BUY, thus going LONG.

The term SHORT is the opposite of LONG. When you go SHORT, you are a SELLER in the market. In trading Futures and Commodities, you can just as easily SELL first to open the position SHORT, in hopes the market is going to go down. Later, you can then close your position with a BUY.

When you BUY to enter a position, you are LONG. But when you BUY to exit a position, because you SOLD first (went SHORT), you are simply out of your position.

When you SELL to enter a position, you are SHORT. But when you SELL to exit a position, because you BOUGHT first (went LONG), you are simply out of your position.

When you are out of all your positions, you are considered FLAT.

MARGIN is a term used in reference to the amount of money you have available in your trading account that can be used for trading. Brokers require that you have a certain amount of capital available for each contract you trade, in the event that the trade does not go in your favor. A MAINTENANCE MARGIN is the minimum margin you must have in your account for each futures contract you enter into.

BULL MARKET refers to a period when prices are rising. A BEAR MARKET refers to a period when prices are declining.

COMMISSIONS are the fees you pay to the broker for executing your trades.

HEDGING is the practice of offsetting your risk in the actual commodity by taking an equal but opposite position in the futures market. For example, a Farmer who grows Wheat has inherent risks to his crop. By the time he goes to market, prices could have dropped. To protect himself, he can take a SHORT position in the Wheat futures. If the price of Wheat drops by the time he goes to sell his crop, he losses in the actual crop, but he gains in the SHORT futures position, thus offsetting his losses. If the price of Wheat instead moves higher, he gains in the higher prices he is able to sell his Wheat for, but losses in his SHORT futures, again offsetting each other.

DELIVERY refers to the transfer of the actual commodity from the seller of a futures contract to the buyer of the futures contract. Most traders do not take delivery, but will close out their position by FIRST NOTICE DAY.

FIRST NOTICE DAY refers to the first day that a notice of intent to deliver a commodity can be made by a clearinghouse to a buyer of a futures contract.

These are some of the terms you can expect to hear among traders of Futures. There are a few others, less used. And if you trade Options on Futures, you have a whole set of terms such as PUT, CALL, In-the-Money, Out-of-the-Money, etc.

Before engaging in futures trading, take the time to learn the language. This way, there will be no mistakes in communication between you and your broker, and it helps when sitting around with traders at the coffee shop.

Smart Personal Finance Leads To Smart Business Finances

The financial world may be a mystery to us when we are children but we get a crash course in it as adults. When we venture out on our own, there is no one to help us create and maintain a budget or pay our bills. If we eventually tire of working for someone else and decide to start our own business, business-related finances supplement our personal finance dealings. Without some knowledge or guidance, the world can become very confusing.

One of the best ways to get a strong foundation regarding finances is to read. There are plenty of paper and eBooks dealing with business and personal finance. Entrepreneurs can also find prepackaged systems for starting an online business that includes tutorials regarding the financial aspect of a company. With this subject, it is much wiser to look before you leap, so read, read, read.

Whether they are offered online or at a local college, finance classes will also be helpful. Many cover the ins and outs of the global financial sector, while others have a personal or business focus. Learning how to manage personal finances will only help with managing those for the business. Many of the concepts are applicable to both areas of life so do not hesitate to take every class that can be found. When the courses are required for a new career, they are often deductable on income taxes, an added bonus.

Retaining a finance advisor is a smart move for anyone managing a substantial financial portfolio. The world of investing and money management is complex, so it helps to have professional assistance. This person may also be able to offer insight into business matters, providing twice the return on the investment. Some of the most well-known entrepreneurs credit their success to great advice regarding finances. Never hesitate to ask the advisor questions because that is the only way to learn.

A finance calculator is a tool used for financial matters in addition to basic mathematics. People use this device so they do not need to remember and perform complex calculations by hand. It saves them time and money when calculating present value, future value, payments, cash flows, and other terms for loans, mortgages, investments, and business endeavors. Business owners should keep one of these handy because it will be needed throughout the years.

Just as a financial advisor is a go-to resource regarding investments and other money matters, an entrepreneurial mentor can be invaluable for business matters. It helps to learn from the best, so business owners should seek out a successful entrepreneur with time to spare and learn everything there is to know about running a company.

Finance is as crucial an aspect in the business world as it is in our personal lives. By taking the time to educate ourselves, obtaining the proper tools, and consulting with the most knowledgeable people, we can successfully manage both work and personal finances. This will make our lives much easier, allowing us to focus on enhancing our quality of living.

Jan S. Moy has over 30 years experience in dealing with people in distress, pople in addictions, businesses in change and curhes needing help with employing new staff. He has developed treatment for drug addicts, trained people in communications skills, tought self improvement programs and has been used as public speaker. During the last couple of years, he has been involved in network marketing both traditionally and on the internet. This has lead to knowledge on how to start and run home based businesses.

The Key to Managing Personal Finance

Personal finance is something many people do not take very seriously. That is why so many people are fighting with debt problems. Personal finance is about keeping a balanced debt to income ratio and ensuring that expenses never exceed income. Personal finance is crucial to keeping a good credit record and maintaining credit worthiness.

Personal finance starts with a budget. Every person should have a budget to track and mange their income and expenses. A simple budget lists all income and all expenses for a month. The bottom line of a budget is that the income should never be less then the expenses. Should the expenses exceed the income the person is going to have to cut back on expenses. They should start by cutting out non-essential expenses. This can be difficult, but for someone wanting to be serious about their personal loans, it is important. Budgeting takes a lot of self control and little sacrifice.

The next step in finance is managing debt. Most people have some debt. Debt is essential for building credit. However debt should never become overwhelming. A person should make a list of all debt. The list should include the name of the creditor, the amount of credit, the amount of debt and the interest rate. If there is any debt problems they should be handled immediately.

Next is credit. If a person is easily handling their budget and their debt then they can consider getting more lines of credit. However, if a person is not handling their debt and budget then getting more credit is out of the question. A person should also make sure they understand all of their credit obligations. This includes all terms and conditions.

After a person has all of their personal loans in order they need to look them over. They should check to see if they are struggling with anything. If they are then they need to manage their finances to get them back in order. This may involve some credit counseling or debt consolidation. A person should be committed to whatever it takes to get their personal finances back in order, so they do not suffer damaged credit or financial difficulties.

Now that a person has organized their personal loans, they need to manage them. Managing personal finance is about sticking to a monthly budget, keeping debt under control and not getting overwhelmed by credit. Management of personal finances is on going. A person has to review every month to ensure they are not over extending themselves or breaking their budget.

Personal finance is an important topic. It is something everyone needs to think about and something everyone needs to control. Too often people let their personal loans get out of control. It is this that leads to debt problems and eventually financial difficulties.

A person that controls their personal finance will be using their monthly budget, keeping up on debt and not over extending themselves credit wise. A good, well managed personal finance is going to produce someone who can afford their lifestyle and who benefits in the form of a good credit record.

Understanding Technical Analysis of Stocks, Futures and Commodities

Understanding Technical Analysis of stocks, futures and commodities can be a valuable tool in determining the trend of any market and assisting with entry and exit levels for your trades.

The goal of technical analysis in the stock, futures or commodities market is to help us determine when a market is trending, and when it is not. If a stock or futures contract we want to trade is trending, then we want to be on board. If it’s not, all you are going to do is lose money as you get whipsawed around day after day. This is not what we want as traders

If you trade using a weekly chart, all it takes is a couple of trends a year to make a lot of money trading. If you trade something like that S&P Emini futures contract, using a 3 minute chart, then you’ll need one or two of these strong trends a day to do well, but it’s all relative.

Unfortunately, many people fight the trend and buy at every small up tick in a down-trending market, thinking they have picked the bottom, only to see the Stock or index fall further immediately. By the time the sellers are finished, these traders have spent their monetary and psychological capital in a futile attempt to pick the bottom of the market.

Another common mistake traders often make is buying more as the price falls, or averaging a loss. You can imagine how dangerous this strategy can be in a strongly down-trending stock – it’s something good traders never do. The trend is your friend, don’t ever buck it.

Good technical analysis skills, especially in fast moving futures and commodities markets, give us a mechanical indicator for price points to use for entries and exits and take a lot of the guess work out of our trading. It is very hard to argue that the trend is anything but down at any time if you are simply looking at a series of consistent lower tops and bottoms on your chart.

Does good technical analysis mean you’ll always make money?

No, of course not. Losses on some trades are inevitable, as we cannot know for sure what the market will do. It only takes one person somewhere in the world to invalidate your perfect trade set-up and send the price of any market in the opposite direction to what you were certain was going to happen.

All our analysis can do is alert us to probabilities – there are no certainties in financial markets. This is the hardest thing for most traders to accept. We all hate to be ‘wrong’, but that is the nature of the trading business.

All we can do is take every trade and see what happens. The better our analysis and our trading system, the more likely our trades will produce profits.

Every one of us must learn or develop a system of analysis that we are comfortable with, based on what we learn from other traders, mentors and coaches, and then we must take every trade that system signals.

If we start to second guess our system, we may as well throw it away and just stick with our day job.

Make a decision to develop or learn a technical analysis system you are happy with, and commit to taking 20 trade set-ups in your preferred stock, futures market or commodity no matter what.

Then follow your trading rules to the letter. This will give you an objective measure of how profitable your system is and whether it is right for you.

If you can enter a trade and hold a position, your plan is sound. If not, you may be over-trading (have too many open positions for your account balance and your personal temperament) and need to reduce the size of your position or adjust your plan is some other way.

The large profits come from using a proven technical analysis method to identify a strongly trending market and taking multiple positions with that trend.

This naturally involves holding firm and not jumping out at the first sign of trouble. Of course, you can only take what the market is prepared to give, so a system of trailing stops is a good way to lock in profits as they accrue.

Bottom Line: Find a trading and analysis system that’s been proven to work from somebody who has been actually trading it for a long period of time, have that person coach you through their system until you can implement it flawlessly, then take every trade signal the system produces regardless so you can test it’s validity.

All great athletes, business people (and yes traders) have a mentor or role model who they turn to for advice and guidance. Find one for yourself and your results as a stock, futures or commodity trader are bound to improve.