Trading Insights

The familiar trading cliché, “Plan your trade and trade your plan” sounds like common sense, but only if you know what a trading plan is and how to make one. Trading takes preparation which includes planning ahead of time.  The Importance of Planning in Day Trading...

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between different market participants? Every market participant has a different behavioral pattern that may impact the price of a stock. Stock ownership is a summarization of market participants. The distinction can mean...

Cryptocurrency markets have finally become mainstream. Cable financial news network tickers include popular crypto prices in addition to the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq benchmark index prices. Crypto ETFs, futures and options are increasing in liquidity and...

For years big mutual fund companies have been trying to get approval for cryptocurrency exchange-traded-funds (ETFs) to no avail. The U.S. Securities and Enforcement Commission has been reluctant to approve ETFs for this risky asset class. However, the SEC finally...

It may feel embarrassing, but it’s quite common to blow up your trading account. It happens more often than you think and even some of the greatest traders in the world have had it happen to them earlier in their careers. Many will say that it was a painful but...

When hedge funds and institutional investors buy and sell shares, they often do so in large quantities. These large trades, known as block trades, can be big enough to move the price of a stock. So, it’s important for traders to be able to recognize when block trades...

As the stock market continues higher, you hear the term bull market constantly as it applies to stocks. It’s a common term, but what does it really mean and how can you trade it? Is a bull market just when the markets go higher on a single day and does it still apply...

Many traders have an affinity for prioritizing technical analysis to interpret price action utilizing stock charts. One of the most popular technical indicators that traders use are Bollinger Bands (BBs). These indicators provide multiple functions and are commonly...

The market sells off, you are thrilled to fill your orders at the bid ready for the bounce. However, the bids keep sinking lower followed by more size on the ask. The support level you have been stalking for days has evaporated as more panic selling ensues. Your...

Executing trades by placing orders can be simple or complex depending on the orders types you implement. The access to different orders types depends solely on your brokerage platform.  While discount and zero-commission brokers attempt to simplify the process often...

When a Company releases its earnings report, the stock price will react with elevated volume and volatility often resulting in a price gap up or down the following day. Traders look forward to the earnings season where larger stock price moves can present outsized...

While making profits is the goal of trading, it has to be tempered with prudent risk management to enable profits to matter. The dark side of trading that often gets overlooked is the defensive posture that needs to accompany a strong offense. What good is a $1,000...

“The more things change, the more they stay the same”, is a classic theme that applies not only to the markets but also the day traders that populate them. While it’s easy to click buy and sell orders all day chasing stocks, the key to longevity is having a well...

Volatility in the markets can originate from all sorts of participants ranging from small retail investors to major institutions and hedge funds. The “meme” stock revolution has empowered the retail trader as groups of independent retail traders all jumping into...

Every trader knows that losses are part of the game. However, there are good losses and bad losses. It’s easy to have a case of Schadenfreude whenever taking a stop loss. If the stock collapses much lower after you stop out, you feel better. If the stock immediately...