Make Money Trading Even When the Market is Down

One of the core questions my coaching clients have asked me over the past few months is: “Can I still make money in stocks with the market down like its been?” The answer is yes, or no, depending on the type of investments you have.

The answer is no if you are holding your investments in a stock fund, mutual funds, or other standard asset allocation accounts. The reason for this is that these large accounts are regulated and do not allow short stock positions. Therefore, if the market declines in the next 3-5 years, as it most likely will, your account will lose money year after year.

Short positions, however, will allow you to make money whether or not the market goes down. These types of investments are only available to companies and individuals who trade individual accounts.

Trading through an individual trading account rather than a fund gives you the leverage to control your investments and make profits daily. The reason for this is that you can buy low if you expect an increase in the stock value, or sell short if you expect it to decline.

So, if that’s all there is to it, why isn’t everyone taking advantage of it? Well, first, you have to be willing to invest around $25,000 into an individual trading account. A lot of folks don’t have the money, or don’t want to take the risk. And there are a lot of challenges for a new trader. You could lose your money fast if you don’t know what you’re doing.

I can suggest a few things to minimize your concerns.

First, find a trading program that gives you low risk trade picks. The program I use and that I recommend to my coaching clients has a 31 year average experience level for its trade pickers. So a trader can simply follow their trade recommendations and have a very high probability of realizing returns. If you remember to set your stops at a level that suits your comfort zone, you will have a maximum loss that is very small and insignificant over the course of time.

Its also critical to find a system that will walk you step by step until you achieve your goals. As an example, in the nine day trading course that I lead, the participants actively learn every piece to the process it takes to successfully trade stock whether it goes up or down.

Despite the program you choose, if it has advisors with the needed know-how and experience as well as a turnkey process you can follow, you can be enjoying profitable stock trading success while those around you are complaining over the declining markets.

Three Myths of Stock Trading

I’ve made a living as a Stock Trader for over 15 years, and have really learned the ins and outs of the business. But I didn’t make my start at a big brokerage firm that taught me everything through slick training course. I made it through trial and error, taking seminars and classes and learning as I go.

While I may have taken longer to succeed using this self taught method, it has given me a lot more real world knowledge of stock trading than I would have gotten following the one process taught by my employer. For one, I have found a number of myths that crop up again and again when talking to people about stock trading. Here are three of them:

The first misconception I’d like to dispel is that only certain types of people make successful stock traders. True, stock pickers (those guys who pick the big winners by consistently analyzing the market) are more often than not left brained thinkers , which is probably how this myth originated.

But there really is something in stock trading for every type of thinker. If you aren’t a left brained analytical type, you just need to find a process that works well for you. I am definitely right brained, and I am being completely honest when I tell you I would hate to sit around and analyze stocks all day. Despite this, I have made a great living trading stocks. Anyone else can too.

Second, is the underlying belief that stock trading is risky, even riskier than owning your own business. True, people have lost their shirts in the stock market, and those are the big splashy stories we all hear that frighten a lot of people away.

But I have learned that if you have the right process in place for setting your stops and limiting your risks to a level that you are comfortable with, it can really be a very low risk profession. For example, I have created a system for myself that allows me to trade with a 75% or more success rate, which is fantastic! I know of no other business that can give me that kind of low risk situation.

Finally, I hear again and again that to really make money in the stock market you must commit to it full time and then some. And I agree, this is absolutely true for some types of trading and particularly if you don’t have a good stock picking service. Then you have to do all the leg work in a fast paced environment. That does take a lot of time.

However, rest assured it is possible to make a full time living trading stock for 2-4 hours a day. What you do with the rest of the day is up to you! The trick is to find a process that meets your comfort level of risk and is very efficient with your time. There are a lot of courses available and I agree it can be intimidating to find the one that’s right for you. Investigate several choices and make sure to ask lots of questions before signing up. If you don’t get satisfactory answers to your questions, move on fast, customer will not improve once they have your money! If you research your options knowing the right process is there for you, you will be on your way to success at stock trading before you know it.

Mutual Fund Risks and Perks

People who would like to invest in meaningful stocks or secure bonds quickly come to realize that their options are unfortunately limited. Face the facts; investments require a high capital, in general, that a lot of people cannot afford. Even the safest of investments still come with a risk factor, and between these costs for investing and the current volatile situation, a lot of people find that investing may not be worth the risk.

Mutual fund investing could be the solution to a lot of people’s problems. An investment company pools the cash of their shareholders, using their cash to make even bigger investments in stocks, bonds and other short-term agreements with a higher than normal yield. This is what a mutual fund is. To people that take part in mutual funds, this is the perfect way to begin in the world of investments.

That other people make the major decisions on where to invest your money is the one big drawback of a mutual fund. You don’t have a say where the money goes. It’s because of this that mutual funds are strictly monitored by federal mandates. The companies must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Plus, they have to give annual reports with information detailing where the monies are invested, as well as the amount of money in the account.

Mutual fund investing company managers are the ones that will act as brokers for the investors. It thus falls unto them to select the right stock, securities, and bonds both long term and short to purchase or sell. Because of this, a very extensive and thorough knowledge of market trends is required. After all, this person will be responsible for what could be the life savings of an individual. Mismanagement of someone else’s money is certainly not an option.

The stock market is highly volatile, with prices fluctuating drastically each day. Investors, especially in an economic time like this one, can lose big if corporations fail. Nevertheless, mutual funds remain as the average American’s best choice for financial security in the latter parts of his or her life.

Tips and Tricks for Starting Stock Investors

First and foremost, you must keep in mind that the beginning investor will not find it easy to earn good money on the stock exchange. Had it been that easy, then every investor would be very rich right now. Remember that the investing profits can take time, devoted study, disciplined efforts and of course, independent thought.

That said; the stock market is quite confusing for the beginner. A few basic tips will help such an investor know informed choices that would be best for their needs. You see, the goals of one person will be different from the next, and it will play a big impact on one’s investing habits.

Engaging in Stock Market Investing is not as complex as some financial advisors will lead you to believe. On the contrary, almost anyone can do it. Keep that in mind, and follow some basic tips that can be useful to get you started.

1. There are no hard-set rules for investing. Guarantees do not exist, and there is no perfect way to invest.

2. Whenever you have to invest, make sure you completely understand how it will work and be aware of all the details of the transaction. Your choices should be informed and knowledgeable.

3. Make sure you know what your goals are, before you jump headlong into the market. This will aid you in knowing what investments you should go into, and how much money you’ll need to put into these investments.

4. Check the value of the stock, instead of the selling price. In this recession, stock costs are low for a reason. Open your eyes to the whole picture, and figure out the reason why the price is low, and if it’s possible for these prices to rise after time.

5. Check the company owning the stock, particularly the net worth return. Try to see if there’s a trend of growing return on net worth.

6. Do not put it all on one horse. Spread out your risk and avoid investing in just one stock. Have lower risks and higher risks in different investments. That way, your money is more protected.

7. Get a good, basic understanding of stock prices. Normally, stock prices will move up or down depending on future projections. And lastly:

8. Don’t be like the proverbial old dog that is resistant to learning new tricks. Go with the flow and learn, discover new things that turn up in the world of stock market trading.

Over-thinking an Investment

Investing your money can be hard, but it’s also very easy. It all varies depending on how you plan to approach the business. And to me, the best way to approach it is to be free of making decisions based on one’s ego. You see, sometimes our desire to be the perfect investor makes us over-think decisions before we make them.

Remember one fundamental truth that applies heavily in the world of investing: We all think in different ways. No two people utilize the exact same strategy with stocks. So, as an individual, know your strengths and weaknesses. Strive to improve on the areas which you’ll need the most improvement, but always use your strong suits to invest.

Basically, choose your playing field with care. If you are in a game show with multiple categories, for example, you will most likely pick categories you have knowledge in. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll most likely pick the Star Wars category. The same goes for stocks, go for what you know.

If you find that you’re trying to convince yourself to go buy a particular stock, in contrast, then it’s probably not worth investing in at all. It’s not a good idea to pretend to be smart by making all sorts of elaborate schemes that will result in those stocks becoming big gainers. If you don’t know about that stock niche, then you don’t know how it’ll grow.

You may also be in a situation wherein the exact opposite has happened; you may have done something correct, but then got scared and talked yourself out of it. How many stories have you heard about people selling out too soon, only to miss out on a 100% gain? Or those people who’ve sold because of a sudden drop, only to see those stocks soar right after? If you think you know the niche of your stock well, don’t be scared off that easily.

All in all, the advice I’m giving out is centered on one principle; do not over-think your investment. Sure, you should avoid making stupid decisions. But don’t be a smarty-pants by looking at every possible problem that your investment will get.

Emulating the Stock Market with Credit Cards

You may find several avenues of investigation profitable before you go into online stock market investing. There is a lot of information available online to a potential investor; one can buy a book on the topic, subscribe to newsletters, or even sign up for seminars wherein you can get good advice. Before you spend one cent on any of these options, though, you should try to go out and do research on your own. Both libraries and the Internet have material you will find useful.

And, one thing you should keep in mind is to set down some boundaries before you start to invest. Not like some online stock market investments you may have seen around, investing is not a wonderful and perpetual source of money as implied. I’ll tell you this; stocks will generally perform better than any other investments after long periods of time. Bottom line, though, all investments have their own risks at making profit.

Before you seek advice regarding the stock market, you should ensure that you have taken the effort to study your own financial situation. Make sure you know how your money is currently being spent, and apply measures to get rid of credit card debt, and get yourself into a positive money output. I advice you to refrain from investing in the market for now if you aren’t able to do so.

A credit card is a good measure of discipline; and if you have a credit card debt, then chances are you won’t be able to handle the pressures of owning shares. I’m not discouraging you, mind: If you can get rid of that weak spot in your financial armor, and then you can take on the demands of the stock market life.

Think of it like this: owning stock is essentially owning a small part of the company you invested in. If your boss had a substantial credit card debt, would you entrust him with other financial aspects? Probably not. Likewise, you should buy and manage stocks if you are confident in the company’s direction. At any rate, you’ll have one less thing to worry about without credit card debt.