Online trading has lowered commissions to the point where they are no longer the primary consideration. Ditto for good execution, if indeed they are Direct Access. If you decide later to trade commodities, options, futures, or currencies, TerraNova may be the only one that you can trade everything, real time, online, direct access. A lot of online brokerages claim to give you direct access, but if they take more than a second to execute your trade, it aint direct.
What you probably should be concentrating on is the best trading software or trading platform. But even then, everyone's criteria are different.
Find the articles online that have evaluated and compared online brokerages. I found a good one online in Barron's, but you'll find others in the trading magazines. Active Trader, Futures Mag, etc.
This is worth putting a little time and effort into, because it's a pain to switch, so once you choose, you're kinda stuck with it.
Townsend Electronics, the Parent company of TerraNova, is the one that digitized and electronified the Nasdaq. They are technological industry leaders and have a powerful and well built trading system.
I use RealTick at TerraNovaOnline, but it costs $275/mo. I think the Investor package is free to use, and just uses one screen.
What you should try is a free trial of their Investor platform, which is free. Their rates are good also, but of course, it depends on how often you trade. It will take you months to learn all the bells and whistles of what this program can do.
The other top-of-the line program is TradeStation, but it costs big bucks to join and operate. Some people consider it the Cadillac of trading and technical analysis.
TerraNova is the home of the Day Trader, so they think nothing of you making several hundred trades a day. You don't have to do that, but it's okay here if you do.
My take is that someone is deliberately swapping shares, huge chunks at a time, at ridiculously low prices to keep the stock price down? Why go to the expense?
The market is at a price consensus or is in a consolidation phase. The bulls and bears are in consensus; no one is more powerful than the other.
You will also find that penny stocks are usually less volatile than bigger value stocks.
>>My take is that someone is deliberately swapping shares, huge chunks at a time, at ridiculously low prices to keep the stock price down? Why go to the expense?
No I doubt anyone would be doing that deliberately. There is no point to such exercise – waste of time and money.
Maybe people who bought earlier at a cheaper price are taking profits and people who are hearing the news are buying in.
Good Luck!
So your estate would owe the credit card company, just the same as if you had run up your credit cards on anything else. The executor of your estate would have to sell something to cover the debts, and the stocks would be a likely a candidate. So really, in the event of your death, the credit card company doesn't have a specific claim on the stocks, but a general claim against all of your assets, before they are disbursed to your heirs.
PS. Im aware on how people think this is extreamly dangerous, but im not compleatly sure why. Please inform me. Please also note that im not planing to invest lots of money. maybe 3 or 4 thousand dollars.
Thank you!
I would appreciate any advice of where to look. What's Your experience?
Thanks
Mutual Funds is what I have already in my 401k. I don't plan to touch that.
I am also not planning to do day trading, becuase of the high risk and lack of time (I have a day job). It looks like I will be doing what they call position trading (buy and sell in the time frame of weeks-months).
Which online broker do you recommend?
etrade, Scottrade,…?
Check outthis link at TerraNova Online. The Investor platform is an escellent trading tool for a beginner, and is limited to one screen. I use RealTick and five screens, but it costs $250/mo. Ask about a free trial.
http://terranovaonline.com/
A lot of online brokerages claim to give you direct access, but if they take more than a second to execute your trade, it aint direct.
Find the articles online that have evaluated and compared online brokerages. I found a good one online in Barron's, but you'll find others in the trading magazines.
This is worth putting a little time and effort into, because it's a pain to switch, so once you choose, you're kinda stuck with it.
Townsend Electronics, the Parent company of TerraNova, is the one that digitized and electronified the Nasdaq. They are technological industry leaders and have a powerful and well built trading system.
What you should try is a free trial of their Investor platform, which I think is free anyway. Their rates are good also, but of course, it depends on how often you trade. It will take you months to learn all the bells and whistles of what this program can do.
The other top-of-the line program is TradeStation, but it costs big bucks to join and operate. Some people consider it the Cadillac of trading and technical analysis.
TerraNova is the home of the Day Trader, so they think nothing of you making several hundred trades a day. You don't have to do that, but it's okay here if you do.
Read vociferously:
"Which Is Better, Buy-and-Hold or Market Timing?"
"Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Market Timer
The Beginner's Bible in Technical Analysis is:
Edwards & McGee"Tech. Anal. Of Stock Trends"
Droke, ClifTechnical Analysis Simplified
Kahn, Michael N.Tech. Anal. Plain & Simple
Kamich, Bruce M.How Technical Analysis Works
Lefevre, EdwinReminiscences of a Stock Operator
Lofton, ToddGetting Started in Futures
Lowenstein, RogerBuffet (Warren)-The Making of a Capitalist
O'Neil, William J.How to Make Money in Stocks
Oz, TonyHow to Make Money From Wall Street
Rotella, Robert P.Elements of Successful Trading, The
Schwager, JackStock Market Wizards
Schwager, Jack D.New Market Wizards
Sperandeo, VictorTrader Vic-Methods of a Wall Street Master
Wasendorf, RussellAll About Futures
Slutsky, Scot and Darrell JobmanComplete Guide to Electronic Futures Trading
You can get every one of these books from your local library. If they don't have it, ask about Interloan Library System.
Any tips ?
Though I understand that my retirement is important, I don't see how riding in a fund that tanking is logical. Why not go into stable when the market is down and go back in when it's up? Can I rely on the fund manager to do this? My goal is to get 15% return and keep it there. I want to retire comfortably, but I want my money to work harder than it is now at 9-10%.
If you dislike the 401(k) restrictions (placed on you by a company that are apparently trying to protect you from yourself!) then go work somewhere else!
Presumably you have all the data for what you've been TRYING to accomplish, so try this: get the historical data for all the funds that are available to you, and actually SEE if the way you think you can make more money actually works! Don't forget, you pay a FEE inside the fund every time you switch from one investment to another, the folks executing your trades are doing it to pay their rent, not to maximize your return!
To get the "most out of your money", if you are a "young person" (just a wild guess), put 100% of it in the MOST volatile fund option you have: that way, your payroll deducted contributions will buy more when the price is down, and less when it's up. Assuming the trend is up (long-term), you'll make out like a bandit without playing silly-buggers.
(P.S. My 401(k) is currently invested 55% in Fidelity Contrafund, 20% in Genesis Bond Fund, 15% in International, and 10% in a junk bond fund. I've had the same allocation for 3 years, and YTD I'm up 19.2%….with no transfers & without a single trade other than the "buys"!)
Quit trying so hard, you are only hurting yourself!