GOLD / XAUUSD UPDATE !!!!www.tradingview.com
The gold market is currently in a holding pattern, with traders reluctant to make premature decisions due to upcoming significant news. A consolidation below the level of 2315 is observed.
A false break of support has led the price to retest the 2310-2315 range, after which traders are pausing before the news release. All attention is focused on the forthcoming major events, namely the CPI and the Fed meeting. The key US CPI data will influence the Fed's stance on interest rates, which will, in turn, significantly affect the value of the US dollar and gold prices in the short term. The market anticipates neutral data (no change), which would likely maintain the same fundamental backdrop. However, the actual data is highly anticipated, especially after last Friday's unexpectedly high NFP.
Any initial reaction to the US CPI data might be short-lived as gold traders will soon turn their attention to the FOMC & Fed meeting.
Resistance levels are identified at 2315, 2325, and 2354, while support levels are found at 2305, 2291, and 2267.
From both a technical and fundamental perspective, gold appears weak at the moment. Amidst high volatility, the price may attempt to breach 2325 and test the liquidity zone of 2335-2345, then transition to a decline phase if the fundamental backdrop is conducive. The risk of further decline remains substantial, but the upcoming news could either exacerbate this decline or disrupt the market structure.
Brokers
HOW TO SET TAKE PROFIT AND STOP LOSSES ON CONNECTED BROKERSOne of the best features of TradingView is all the connected brokers and how you can not only place, but also move any take profit and stop losses around on the screen to match what you are seeing on your various indicators or support levels.
Video also covers a way to gracefully exit out of a trade bit by bit if you are already up a long way and want to protect your profit by selling a little bit at a time instead of the whole lot if the price starts coming down.
It's very cool.
Charles Schwab Opportunity Charles Schwab $SCWH
Earnings info will follow in comments:
Company Market Cap: $97.8 billion
Share Price: $53.72
Dividend: $1.00 dps – Dividend per share ($0.25 per quarter)
Dividend yield: 1.94% (Annual dps divided by current share price, expressed as a percentage)
Why this Trade?
o Contrarian trade – news is so negative its hard to not to feel interested
o Price 50% down from highs in Feb 2022
o Ascending triangle base re-test on-going
o Defined risk level/stop loss makes it an easy set up
o Long term diagonal support line provides secondary support
o RSI Oversold historic returns inform us of a current opportunity and potential future opportunities.
Concerns/Risks:
o Schwab is not a Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB)
o The 200 week SMA has been lost
o Rumours of Bankruptcy
Company Summary
o Charles Schwab is the 17th largest bank in the world with a market cap of $94.4 billion.
o Charles Schwab is primarily a wealth management and investment bank which stands out among the investment broker realm for its customer service, $0 trade commissions and large selection of mutual funds. From its origination the company has been all about making investing accessible to everyone.
o In line with this vision, Charles Schwab acquired rival firm TD Ameritrade three years ago. TD Ameritrade now provides investing and trading services for 11 million client accounts that total more than $1 trillion in assets, and custodial services for more than 6,000 independent registered investment advisors. Many Americans actively trade on TD or manage their own ROTH IRA’s through the platform, offering them tax benefits/advice and very flexible options for managing their own retirement funds. TD's Roth IRA has zero annual account fees or management fees.
The Chart
o You can see a potential Long Term Ascending Triangle playing out.
o There is an underside diagonal support line.
o The beauty of this trade is the following:
- A defined stop loss level at $45.39
- A potential 85% upside to – 12% downside (Adjust to suit your tolerance).
- A bounce of the top of the ascending triangle is promising.
o Any time we have been this oversold on the RSI we have made a significant upside move (green circles on the chart).
o The average performance after the green oversold RSI levels is an 82% price increase within a 12 months.
o If there is one thing we can take away from this chart it is that if we reach down into RSI oversold levels again this would be a great opportunity.
o Regardless I am proposing the trade based off the pattern and recent oversold RSI. Since this recent oversold level we have had an approximate 50% increase in price and a 27% retraction/decline back down to the ascending triangle base.
o For those of you who want to lower your risk you can raise the stop loss to a 5% decline ($48.00) or you can wait until over sold levels present themselves again.
Important to note that Charles Schwab is not a Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIB) like Citibank and the likes. This makes this a higher risk trade, especially if we are looking long term over a 52 week period. Regardless, it is a well-established bank providing some of the leading brokerage services to the US public including management of ROTH IRA’s, the cornerstone of most Americans retirement planning. One could argue, its systemically important without being a member of the G-SIB.
As always, stay nimble in this market, do not enter a trade without a stop loss at a risk level you can tolerate. Same goes with position size. With this stock 50% down from highs way back in Feb 2022 this maybe an opportunity to claw onto this long term rising trend near it lower diagonal support line.
PUKA
INFORMATIONAL : White Label Brokers: What Are They?What is a white label Broker ?
A white label broker is a particular kind of broker that grants access to a trading platform to its customers but actually outsources the platform's management to a different supplier. Typically, the third-party supplier is a bigger, more reputable broker with the hardware and setup necessary to host a trading platform. The provider charges the white label broker a fee for the use of its platform and services. A trading environment. The provider charges the white label broker a fee for the use of its platform and services.
Many Large brokers in the trading space offer this service to business clients. Simply ask the support team. The main advantage of becoming a white label broker is that it allows the broker to enter the market quickly and easily, without having to invest in developing its own trading platform and dealing with the technical and regulatory issues involved. The white label broker can focus on marketing and customer service, while relying on the provider for the execution and settlement of trades. The white label broker can also customize the platform to suit its own branding and preferences, and offer its clients a variety of trading instruments and features. If you happen to see a lot of new brokerages popping up they are likely to be white labeled.
The main disadvantage of becoming a white label broker is that it limits the broker's control and flexibility over its own business. The white label broker has to abide by the terms and conditions of the provider, which may restrict its pricing, commission, leverage, margin, and risk management options. The white label broker also has to share a portion of its revenue with the provider, which reduces its profit margin. The white label broker may also face competition from other brokers using the same platform and provider. ,and this typically means the white label broker may have higher commissions and spreads compared to other brokers in order to generate revenue. The justification for this is that in order to use the parent company's platform and brand, the white label broker must pay fees or royalties to them. They could raise the commissions and spreads they charge their clients in order to offset these expenses and turn a profit. The white label broker can make money while continuing to provide the same trading services and features as the parent company thanks to the higher cost structure.
How the higher fees affect the trader.
The profitability of a trader is directly impacted by higher commissions and spreads. A trader's transaction costs come in the form of commissions, which are fees assessed by the broker for facilitating the trade, when they execute trades. The potential gains from profitable trades are decreased and the breakeven threshold for lucrative deals is raised if commissions are high.
Second, higher spreads, or the difference between a financial instrument's buying and selling prices, might make it harder for traders to join and exit positions at advantageous prices. With wider spreads, traders must wait for the market to move more in their favor in order to break even or make a small profit. Due to the significantly higher cost of executing scalp trades, this may restrict the trader's ability to profit from minor price fluctuations. Moreover, higher costs can also discourage traders from actively participating in the market or taking advantage of certain trading strategies. For example, day traders who execute numerous trades throughout the day may find the cumulative effect of higher commissions and wider spreads to be prohibitive, making it less viable for them to pursue their trading activities.
Overall, higher costs imposed by a broker can impact a trader's profitability,
Accountability
As a white label, the small broker relies on a larger broker to provide these essential services, which means they are not directly responsible for addressing any problems that may arise. In the event of technical glitches or liquidity issues, the small broker must depend on the larger broker to resolve them. However, the larger broker is likely to prioritize their main clients over the white label brokers, as they hold a higher stake in their business. This situation puts the small broker at a disadvantage, as they may experience delays or difficulties in getting their issues resolved promptly, impacting their ability to provide quality services to their own clients.
How to know if a broker is white labeled ?
In some cases, a white label broker can be operated by a single individual, much like yourself. It is often challenging to discern whether a broker is white label since they may not have a physical location or any visible indications. However, there are some signs that can potentially suggest a broker is white label. One common indicator is when they are unable to provide an API feed.
🔹An API feed, or Application Programming Interface feed, allows traders to directly access liquidity and even create their own trading platform instead of relying on existing ones like MT5 or MT4. The ability to offer an API feed is typically associated with brokers who have direct access to liquidity providers. Therefore, if a broker cannot provide an API feed, it might indicate that they are white label and rely on a larger broker for liquidity.
🔹Another sign that a broker might be white label is if they exclusively offer payouts via cryptocurrencies. While not definitive proof, this can be a characteristic of white label brokers who use cryptocurrencies as a means of avoiding traditional banking systems and regulatory scrutiny.
🔹Additionally, another potential indication that a broker is white label is the absence of a physical location. Unlike traditional brokers who often have physical offices or headquarters, white label brokers may operate solely online without a physical presence. This lack of a physical location can make it more challenging to ascertain the true nature of the broker's operations and ownership. Traders should be aware of this factor when considering their choice of broker and take it into account when assessing the broker's credibility and trustworthiness.
Unfortunately, it can be challenging to obtain a straightforward answer from brokers about whether they are white label or not. Some may be evasive or unwilling to disclose this information. Therefore, traders should exercise caution and carefully consider these signs when evaluating a broker's authenticity and reliability.
Regulated vs Unregulated Brokers: Understanding the Differences When it comes to choosing a broker for trading, one of the most important factors to consider is whether the broker is regulated or unregulated. While both types of brokers can offer trading services, there are some significant differences between them that traders should be aware of.
Regulated brokers are licensed and monitored by regulatory authorities, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US. These authorities set strict rules and standards that brokers must follow to protect investors and maintain market integrity. For example, regulated brokers are required to segregate client funds from their own operating funds, provide regular reports on their financial health, and maintain a certain level of capitalization.
Unregulated brokers, on the other hand, are not licensed or monitored by any regulatory authority. This means that they are not subject to the same rules and standards as regulated brokers, and may not provide the same level of protection for investors. Unregulated brokers may also be more susceptible to fraud and scams, as there is no external oversight to ensure that they are operating in a fair and transparent manner.
There are some potential advantages to using an unregulated broker, such as lower fees or more flexible trading conditions. However, these benefits may come at a higher risk to the investor, as unregulated brokers may not provide the same level of security and protection as regulated brokers.
In summary, choosing between a regulated and unregulated broker is an important decision for any trader. While unregulated brokers may offer some advantages, such as lower fees, they also come with a higher risk of fraud and scams. Regulated brokers, on the other hand, are subject to strict rules and standards that help to protect investors and maintain market integrity. As such, it is important to carefully consider the reputation and regulatory status of any broker before entrusting them with your investments.
Diversification using TradingView ToolsHow to diversify your portfolio and trade across different markets and asset classes using Tradingview's data and charts
Diversifying your portfolio is one of the most important strategies for reducing risk and increasing returns in the long term. By investing in different markets and asset classes, you can benefit from the different performance cycles and correlations of each asset, and avoid putting all your eggs in one basket.
However, diversifying your portfolio can also be challenging, especially if you are not familiar with the different markets and asset classes available. How do you know which assets to choose, how much to allocate to each one, and how to monitor their performance over time?
This is where TradingView can help you. TradingView is a powerful platform that provides you with data and charts for thousands of assets across various markets and asset classes, such as stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, commodities, indices, futures, options, and more. You can use TradingView to research, analyze, and trade these assets with ease and convenience.
In this article, we will show you how to diversify your portfolio and trade across different markets and asset classes using TradingView's data and charts. We will cover the following topics:
- How to access data and charts for different markets and asset classes on TradingView
- How to use TradingView's tools and features to research and analyze different assets
- How to use TradingView's indicators and strategies to identify trading opportunities and signals
- How to use TradingView's brokers and trading platforms to execute trades on different assets
- How to use TradingView's portfolio and watchlist tools to monitor and manage your diversified portfolio
By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of how to diversify your portfolio and trade across different markets and asset classes using TradingView's data and charts. Let's get started!
One of the benefits of diversifying your portfolio is that you can take advantage of the different performance cycles and correlations of different markets and asset classes. For example, stocks tend to perform well during periods of economic growth and expansion, while bonds tend to perform well during periods of economic slowdown and contraction. Similarly, commodities tend to perform well during periods of inflation and supply shocks, while cryptocurrencies tend to perform well during periods of innovation and disruption.
However, to diversify your portfolio effectively, you need to have access to data and charts for different markets and asset classes. This is where TradingView can help you. TradingView is a platform that provides you with data and charts for thousands of assets across various markets and asset classes, such as stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, commodities, indices, futures, options, and more. You can use TradingView to research, analyze, and trade these assets with ease and convenience.
To access data and charts for different markets and asset classes on TradingView, you can use the search bar at the top of the page. You can type in the name or symbol of the asset you want to view, or you can browse through the categories and subcategories on the left side of the page. For example, if you want to view data and charts for stocks, you can click on the "Stocks" category on the left side of the page, and then choose from the subcategories such as "US Stocks", "UK Stocks", "Canadian Stocks", etc. You can also filter by sectors, industries, market cap, dividends, earnings, etc.
Once you select an asset, you will see its data and chart on the main page. You can customize the chart by changing the time frame, adding indicators, drawing tools, annotations, etc. You can also compare the performance of different assets by adding them to the same chart. For example, if you want to compare the performance of gold and bitcoin over the last year, you can add them to the same chart by typing in their symbols in the search bar (XAUUSD for gold and BTCUSD for bitcoin) and clicking on "Compare". You will see their data and charts overlaid on each other.
You can also use TradingView's tools and features to research and analyze different assets. For example, you can use TradingView's screener tool to scan for assets that meet your criteria based on various fundamental and technical factors. You can also use TradingView's news feed to stay updated on the latest developments and events that affect different markets and asset classes. You can also use TradingView's social network to interact with other traders and investors who share their ideas and opinions on different assets.
TradingView also provides you with indicators and strategies that can help you identify trading opportunities and signals for different assets. Indicators are mathematical calculations that are applied to the price or volume data of an asset to generate signals or patterns that indicate the direction or strength of a trend or a reversal. Strategies are sets of rules that define when to enter and exit a trade based on certain conditions or criteria. TradingView has hundreds of indicators and strategies that you can use or create your own using TradingView's Pine Script language.
To use TradingView's indicators and strategies, you can click on the "Indicators" button at the top of the chart. You will see a list of categories such as "Trend", "Momentum", "Volatility", etc. You can choose from the built-in indicators or search for custom indicators created by other users or yourself. You can also click on the "Strategies" button at the top of the chart to see a list of categories such as "Long", "Short", "Scalping", etc. You can choose from the built-in strategies or search for custom strategies created by other users or yourself.
Once you select an indicator or a strategy, you will see it applied to your chart. You can adjust its settings by clicking on its name at the top of the chart. You will see its parameters such as inputs, outputs, alerts, etc. You can change these parameters according to your preferences or needs. You will also see its performance report that shows its statistics such as net profit, win rate, drawdown, etc. You can use this report to evaluate its effectiveness and suitability for your trading style and goals.
TradingView also allows you to execute trades on different assets using its brokers and trading platforms. Brokers are intermediaries that connect you with the markets and allow you to buy and sell assets for a fee or commission. Trading platforms are software applications that enable you to place orders, manage your positions, monitor your account balance, etc. TradingView has partnered with several brokers and trading platforms that offer access to various markets and asset classes.
To start trading on TradingView, you need to connect your broker account or trading platform to your TradingView account. TradingView supports many popular brokers and platforms, such as Oanda, FXCM, Coinbase, Binance, Interactive Brokers, and more. You can find the full list of supported brokers and platforms here: www.tradingview.com To connect your broker account or platform, go to the Trading Panel at the bottom of your chart, click on the Select Broker button, and choose your broker or platform from the list. Then follow the instructions to log in and authorize TradingView to access your account.
Once you have connected your broker account or platform, you can start executing trades on different assets directly from your TradingView charts. To open a trade, click on the Buy/Sell button on the Trading Panel, select the asset you want to trade, enter the quantity, price, stop loss, and take profit levels, and click on Confirm. You can also use the One-Click Trading feature to open trades with one click on the chart. To enable One-Click Trading, go to the Settings menu on the top right corner of your chart, click on Trading Settings, and check the One-Click Trading box. Then you can click on the Bid or Ask price on the chart to open a buy or sell trade respectively.
To monitor and manage your open trades, you can use the Orders and Positions tabs on the Trading Panel. Here you can see your order history, current positions, profit and loss, margin level, and account balance. You can also modify or close your orders and positions by clicking on the Edit or Close buttons. You can also use the Trade Manager tool to manage your trades more efficiently. The Trade Manager tool allows you to set multiple targets and stop losses for each trade, as well as trailing stops and break-even levels. To access the Trade Manager tool, right-click on your position on the chart and select Trade Manager.
To monitor and manage your diversified portfolio across different brokers and platforms, you can use TradingView's portfolio and watchlist tools. The portfolio tool allows you to see your total portfolio value, asset allocation, performance, risk metrics, and more. You can also compare your portfolio with various benchmarks and indices. To access the portfolio tool, go to www.tradingview.com The watchlist tool allows you to create custom lists of assets that you want to track and analyze. You can add any asset that is available on TradingView to your watchlist, such as stocks, forex pairs, cryptocurrencies, commodities, indices, etc. You can also sort, filter, group, and customize your watchlist columns according to your preferences. To access the watchlist tool, go to www.tradingview.com
TradingView's brokers and trading platforms integration and portfolio and watchlist tools are powerful features that can help you execute trades on different assets and monitor and manage your diversified portfolio more effectively. We hope this article has given you a clear overview of how to use these features. Happy trading!
FOREX ORDER EXECUTION AND STOP LOSS Stop losses are a risk management tool that traders use to mitigate potential losses in volatile markets. However, understanding how stop losses work can be complex, especially when considering the different business models of brokers.
The broker's business model can significantly impact the execution of a stop loss. Typically, brokers operate under one of two models: the A-Book mode l or the B-Book mode l. This might also be referred to as a non-dealing desk or dealing desk brokers. Under the A-Book model (Non dealing desk), a broker routes orders directly to liquidity providers who source counterparties to take the opposite side of the trade. In contrast, the B-Book (Dealing desk/Market Makers) model involves executing orders in-house, making the broker the counterparty to all trades.
While the A-Book model provides a neutral intermediary between traders and liquidity providers, the B-Book model can lead to a conflict of interest, as the broker profits from traders' losses. Furthermore, the A-Book model may not guarantee stop-loss execution since it relies on liquidity providers to fill orders. On the other hand, the B-Book model can lead to faster order execution, but at the expense of the broker's credibility.
It's essential to understand the order execution process when placing a stop loss order. For example, when a trader inputs an order to buy or sell, the broker processes the order and returns execution information to the trader's terminal. However, the execution of stop losses is not always guaranteed since orders can experience slippage due to price movements or liquidity issues.
It's worth noting that some brokers offer guaranteed stop losses, but at an additional cost. This guarantee ensures that traders are not responsible for any losses beyond their requested exit price. However, traders should weigh the costs and benefits of this option before utilizing it.
In conclusion, stop losses are a critical tool for managing trading risk, but they are not foolproof. A trader's ability to exit a position at a specific price is subject to various factors, including the broker's business model and liquidity issues. To make informed decisions when placing stop loss orders, traders should research and understand the broker's order execution process beyond the liquidity provider.
In a future post, we will dive deeper into order execution from the A-Book broker broker's perspective and explore how it impacts traders. We will also speak on STP and ECN processing. Stay tuned for more insights and information on trading practices and strategies.
Is YOUR Broker Regulated? Find out hereHere is a list of eight of the main financial regulatory agencies that are backed with strict regulatory enforcement in other countries…
You’ll need to make sure the broker you choose is approved by one of the below.
South Africa (FSCA) - The Financial Sector Conduct Authority
USA (SEC) – Securities And Exchange Commission
Eurozone (MiFID) – Markets In Financial Instruments Directive
UK (FCA) – Financial Conduct Authority
Australia (ASIC) – Australian Securities and Investments Commission
India (SEBI) – Securities and Exchange Board of India
Japan (JSDA) – Japan Securities Dealers Association
Switzerland (FINMA) – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority
Am I missing any? Let me know in the comments :)
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
Financial trader since 2003
How to Choose the Right Broker -10 pointsHere’s a list you may follow to help with your decision.
My top 10 list to choose the best broker
1. Only choose reputable brokers that are regulated and recognised by the main financial regulatory bodies. (See answer to question two for the list of financial regulated authorities).
2. Find a broker who offer a list of trading instruments that you prefer i.e. shares, CFDs, Spread trading or futures.
3. Make sure their cost fees are low and their withdrawing and depositing structure takes place within three working days.
4. Make sure they are insured and deal with the top banks in the world and don’t run their own finance firm where they can take your money and run.
5. Go onto Google or ‘Hello Peter’ and read as many reviews from REAL people to see their experiences.
6. Browse through their website and read through everything before you decide whether they are for you or not.
7. Avoid any broker who promises any too-good-to-be true returns or are very marketing orientated – most times these are scams…
8. Analyse their portfolio growth they’ve achieved for their clients over the last five years. This will help you see their consistency or even the validity of what they have to offer.
9. Choose a broker who meets your trading needs i.e. trading platform, available markets, trading indicators, economic calendars and even copy-trading plug-ins.
10. Make sure the broker you choose is able to help in terms of customer service needs, trading education, live videos and even trading events for their clients.
If you found this useful, let me know in the comments.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
Financial Trader since 2003
Choose your Ideal Broker with a 10 Step checklistAre you looking for the right broker in 2023 and beyond but unsure what to look for?
With the high competition nowadays, each broker offers different features, instruments and advantages.
That’s why choosing one not an easy task for a beginner or even an experienced trader.
You’ll need to drill down exactly what suits your trading style, personality and risk profile.
I say this because, in the last two decades, I’ve been through a fair share of brokers. So, I know how difficult this decision can be and how it can determine whether you make money or not as a trader.
In this article, I’ll share with you an easy-to-follow checklist which you can use to help you choose the right online broker in 2020 and beyond.
What is a broker or dealer?
A broker is a company or institution that gives a trader access to a live trading account and trading platform which enables them to buy, sell and monitor different instruments and assets.
Here’s my checklist to find your ideal broker…
Checklist item #1:
Make sure the broker or dealer is regulated!
This is a must…
Whenever you sign up with a broker, make sure they are authorised, regulated and recognised by leading regulation authorities.
You will most likely find this stated on the company’s website, in the ‘About Us’ or in their ‘Disclaimer’, along with their license number they hold with that regulator.
Countries with dedicated financial regulatory agencies include:
South Africa
(FSB) – Financial Services Board.
USA
(SEC) – Securities And Exchange Commission
(FINRA) – Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
Eurozone
(MiFID) – Markets In Financial Instruments Directive
UK
(FCA) – Financial Conduct Authority
Australia
(ASIC) – Australian Securities and Investments Commission
India
(SEBI) – Securities and Exchange Board of India
Japan
(JSDA) – Japan Securities Dealers Association
Switzerland
(FINMA) – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority
When you sign up with a regulated broker, you’ll at least have the security and assurance that they have met certain standards approved by the regulatory body, such as:
Having the right capital to protect the clients’ funds
Ensure the firm won’t go bust
Confirm they have met certain requirements from the financial service provider
Checklist item #2:
Check their reviews and testimonials
Before you make any decisions, you’ll need to see what others have said and are saying about the broker or the dealer company.
You can do this by searching on Google, ‘Hello Peter’, trading forums or go onto their social media pages to read what other unbiased REAL clients have written about them when it comes to reviews, testimonials and ratings.
Checklist item #3:
Broker minimum requirements
There are two minimums to take into account: Minimum balance and minimum deposit per trade.
Most brokers require you to start with a certain minimum balance to set up your trading account.
Nowadays, with the high competition, you should easily be able to find brokers or dealers who require no more than R1,000 up to R5,000 to open a trading account.
If they require any more to open your trading account, just know that there are other brokers out their where you can start with less.
As with the minimum deposit to take a trade, you can easily find reputable brokers where the minimum is under R200 per trade.
Checklist item #4:
Availability:
What they can offer you
You should have a good idea on what you’d like to trade.
This is why before you sign up with the broker, you’ll need to see the availability and range of trading instruments the company has to offer.
What assets do you want to trade?
Shares, CFDs, Options, Futures, Spread Betting etc…
What markets do you want to trade?
Stocks, currencies, commodities, indices, bonds, ETFs or crypto-currencies…
Where do you want to trade?
Via phone, mobile or computer.
What times would you like to trade?
Morning, noon or night?
What gearing and leverage would you like to trade?
Whether you’re a Forex trader or a stock trader you’ll need to find out what gearing the broker has to offer.
Such as 5:1 – 20:1 (for stocks) and 50:1 up to 200:1 (for Forex).
E.g. With gearing (or leverage) of 50:1 this means if you deposit R1,000 into a trade you can hold a position exposed and valued up to R50,000.
REMEMBER: the higher the leverage offered, the higher the reward but also the potential risk.
Do they offer a demo account or a trial period?
You should never rush into trading with real money, before getting to know your broker and your trading platform.
That’s why you should ask your broker if they have a demo trading platform or account that you can use to test out what they have to offer with your strategies
Checklist item #5:
Do they offer trading education and training?
A good and genuine broker should want you to be successful as a trader.
And to do this, they should offer you a whole range of free education, training sources and tools such as:
Training guides
Glossary
Trading videos, podcasts, forums
Written articles
Step-by-step trading tutorials
Support staff
Opinion-based resources
Live trading events and webinars
Trading calculators, tools and calendars
Checklist item #6:
The trading platform itself
Majority of your analyses, preparation and the execution of trades are going to take place on the trading platform itself.
This is why you’ll need to try it out, test it and learn how to use it, to see if it will suit your trading.
Here is a list of items to watch out for with your trading platform:
Item #1: Chart types:
E.g. Line chart and candle sticks
Item #2: Time frame options of:
E.g. 1 hour, 4 hour, daily, weekly & monthly
Item #3: Trading indicators and oscillators:
E.g. RSI, Stochastics, MACD, OBV, ADX, Bollinger Bands etc…
Item #4: Real time charts:
E.g. Not having to refresh your screen every 15 minutes or download anything unnecessarily.
Item #5: Live streaming data:
E.g. News feed, live speeches & announcements, and SENS (Stock Exchange News Service).
Item #6: Customized watch lists:
Make sure there is a functionality to create, modify and monitor a watchlist with the markets you’ll be trading.
Item #7: Trading order variety:
E.g. Market, buy, sell, limit, stops, trailing stop loss and guaranteed stop losses
Item #8: Trading journal:
E.g. Portfolio profit & loss summary of open, closed and historical trades.
Item #9: Trading order box:
Where you’ll place your entry, stop loss, take profit, margin requirements, order quantity, gain potential, risk potential and risk to reward.
Item #10: Reliability:
When you’re testing the trading platform, this is where you can ensure it’s reliable in a way that:
It runs smoothly
It saves your layout, charts and profile
It doesn’t crash
The speed is good
The features all work as they should
The web-based (java) or desktop application works great
The mobile app is easy-to-use and handle
NOTE: TradingView connects a amazing and reliable brokers.
Checklist item #7:
Customer support
It’s important to find out where you can contact your broker, in case you need help due to some technical or trading reason.
Which mediums can you contact them through?
• Phone
• Email
• Online live chat
• WhatsApp
• Skype
• Forums
Also when you give the representative a call, make sure they sound knowledgeable and confident in what they tell you.
Think about how they respond to your questions, how quickly do they solve your queries, are they friendly and approachable?
The contact support will also confirm their quality, efficiency, reliability and credibility for what the company already portrays and offers.
Checklist item #8:
Costs and fees
You will never be able to avoid costs and fees completely, but you can minimize them by choosing the right broker.
You’ll need to do a bit of research to compare the costs of buying, selling and holding trades.
Make sure you look at the following:
Spreads (Fixed or variable)
Note: The spreads should be low for high volume traded markets
Commissions (When you enter and when you exit)
Margin interest
Service charges
Minimum charge per trade e.g. R100
Checklist item #9:
Ease of deposits and withdrawals
This is an important one…
Each broker or dealer has their own measures and policies when it comes to their clients depositing into their trading accounts or withdrawing back into their bank accounts.
Ask your broker how you can make a deposit whether it be via:
EFT
Credit Card
PayPal
Wire transfer
Then confirm with your broker to send you their policies and costs on how you can withdraw your money and how long it will take whether it be:
Via email to ask for a withdraw which will take under 3 trading days.
Via the trading platform where you can withdraw through an authentication process.
Via the broker who can only proceed with a withdrawal on the phone which will take three working days.
Note: A withdrawal and deposit with a reputable and regulated broker should NEVER take more than three working days or warning bells should ring.
Checklist item #10:
Safety, security and legitimacy
There are a few ways to check if the broker is safe and secure including:
Their website starts with HTTPS: and not HTTP:
They are insured and deal with top banks around the world.
They have secured encryption processes.
They have proven to show growth for their clients over the last five years.
They have won broker awards or are listed in the top brokers in the country you’re looking at.
Final Words
You now have an idea on how to find the most ideal broker for you. Take your time to do the research and go through each line item one by one.
Never rush into choosing a broker as this can be a significant decision for your financial future.
If you enjoyed this piece then follow more daily tips and lessons on TradingView. I've been in the markets since 2003 and happy to share what I've learnt along the way.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
PS: Connect with my few socials below.
GOOD BROKERS VS BAD BROKERSGood time of the day, TradingView community! The reason we decided to cover this topic are the alarming messages we’ve been receiving recently. “I am a representative for XXX, I’ll provide you with a white label brokerage, I instantly give you 50% of the loss of the customer who opened the account”. From the first glance, you can tell that there is something wrong ethically and legally. So how does one protect himself/herself and his/her capital from this danger. Simple answer: Education.
Scammy signal providers and fake mentors are much easier to identify. When it comes to brokers some might do a really good job covering up their true intent. Without further due, let’s get the broker guide started. Oh, well first of all, the word broker in this context is actually wrong to use. The so called “forex brokers” aren’t really brokers. In fact, even most of them don’t classify themselves as such. However, in order not to confuse you any further let’s keep it that way for this text.
We can break down all the forex brokers into Dealing Desk and No Dealing Desk. Dealing Desk can be classified as Market Makers and No Dealing Desk can be further broken down to “Straight-Through Processing” (STP) brokers, “Electronic Communication Network” and “Straight-Through Processing” (ECN/STP) brokers, “Direct Market Access” and “Straight-Through Processing” (DMA/STP) brokers.
To be honest, you don’t really need to know all that. Most you should know that there are 1) Good brokers looking for sustainable long-term collaboration 2) Bad brokers, not executing your trades and hoping for you to lose, so they can claim the collateral.
You may say: “Oh, Investroy, aren’t brokers waiting for us to lose anyway, so they can make profits? They automatically open a position equal and opposite to ours”. Well, that’s true. However, there is a big difference when it’s natural (there are more losing traders than winning ones) and when the broker is using mostly illegal ways to make you lose. This can be noticed when a broker has a discrepancy of more than 20 pips with the most trustworthy price outlets, suddenly increasing insanely large spreads and many other small tricks.
This all may want you think: “Oh, man, everybody wants to steal my money”. Not really, there are some honorable brokers out there with good reputation. Moreover, above in the chart we’re going to point out the main differentiations.
Ethereum CHAOS £100 Next?Ethereum cost drops lower as the current week's misfortune matches back the increases from a week ago.
ETH cost is set to proceed with its decay going into the following week.
With the mid-year, the money departure proceeds, and the ETH cost is in danger of falling toward £470.22.
Ethereum (ETH) cost is disappointing dealers attempting to focus on any break underneath £824.95 to get the cost activity and be important for a meeting that will swing them back to all-time highs into the following year. Nonetheless, that isn't how it works in exchanging, and positively not in cryptographic forms of money. Taking a gander at a week-after-week graph the £824.95 marker holds no significance and either needs a bob off $570 or a break above $1,404 before brokers can begin taking positions.
ETH cost holds 45% space to the drawback
Ethereum cost sees dealers consuming a ton of money to attempt to exchange around £824.95 to use as section level for a convention. Taking a gander at the more extensive time, it pays off to see and find that although it is a mental level, it holds no bearing at all. All things considered, it's smack in the center between £1158.69 for the potential gain and the disadvantage. With bulls consuming money, bears can undoubtedly neglect to move and watch cost activity drop further in their favor.ETH cost will tank further and could certainly still cover another 45% of space to the drawback before a huge essential level gets reached at £470.41. The new month-to-month S1 support level at £533.96 could currently be a sandbox where bears begin offloading and shutting their short positions. The message here is that bulls should make an effort not to impede the low steam roller that will crush any bull out of this endeavor to get the plunge instead of sitting tight for the bob. As currently referenced, bulls that need to be important for a more drawn-out term rally will rather need to trust that a solid bullish sign will arise. That could be conveyed once cost activity pops above £1158.69 and potentially break the red plummeting pattern line. With that move, the room gets up to £1393.07 in an underlying stage and next £1591.14, playing with £1650.56.
Bitcoin Value Forecast 2022Why 2021 Was a Decent Year for Bitcoin
More than 2021, Bitcoin partook in a lofty ascent in its fairly estimated worth. Toward the beginning of the year, a solitary coin was esteemed at $32,000, and by April that number had multiplied. Brokers were hopeful that more extensive acknowledgment of bitcoin by dealers and large banks would uphold the cost.
In any case, the guarantee beat the truth — it was basically impossible to utilize bitcoin for quite a bit of anything with the exception of speculative, dangerous exchanging. A decrease in the securities exchange in late 2021, and a fall in profoundly esteemed development stocks, conveyed cryptographic forms of money down too. Bitcoin completed 2021 at about $47,300.
As digital currency is still generally seen as a dangerous, speculative resource, this "risk-off" exchange brought bitcoin down to beneath $27,000 by early May. This addresses a deficiency of over a portion of the worth Bitcoin came to at its November 2021 pinnacle of $69,000, focusing on no indications of supported recuperation.
Worries over the high power utilization related to bitcoin mining and the forbidding of digital currency exchanges by China likewise burdened bitcoin's worth.
What Is the Fate of Bitcoin? Whales Make a plunge
The future cost of bitcoin relies upon whether advanced monetary forms can act as valuable monetary resources. There was little help for this idea among monetary newsmakers in the early years, however, some once-suspicious significant financial backers have come around.
Smorgasbord and Others Now Adherents
Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway organization has compensated financial backers with colossal returns over many years, when depicted digital money as "rodent poison squared," and he swore he could never contact it. Be that as it may, by buying NuBank, a computerized "neobank" engaged with the crypto space, Smorgasbord has given bitcoin a handed-down demonstration of positive support.
Lloyd Blankfein, a previous executive of Goldman Sachs, has declared that he's "developing" on bitcoin and other digital forms of money. Jack Dorsey, an organizer behind Twitter, surrendered his occupation as President of that organization to run Block, an installment handling pioneer that is presently growing new computerized money applications.
Reception by these and other corporate pioneers could uphold an inversion in bitcoin's fast drop and bring higher worth toward the finish of 2022.
Best Brokerage Account 2021Let’s talk about the best brokerage account, and in order to do this, I want to compare five different brokers for you.
I’ll be comparing tastyworks, the current broker that I’m currently trading with, Robinhood because many traders are using it, TD Ameritrade because it’s wildly popular, Interactive Brokers because it’s great for international traders, and we will talk about a new broker that I’ve been using for the past couple of months, so I have an account with them.
I want to talk about this and compare them to the others and tell you why I really like this new broker and why I’m in the process of switching over all my accounts.
The first thing to keep in mind when you’re comparing different brokers, you have to pick criteria that fit your needs.
These are my criteria and they might be great for you, or your criteria may be different. So what I’m looking for when finding the best broker.
My Criteria For Selecting A Broker
So the first thing that I would like to know is how much do I have to pay in commissions per month? I use a certain baseline for this.
With my current broker, tastyworks, I looked back over the past three months and I wanted to see how much I spent. From 1/1 through 3/31 I made 150 trades and traded 1,665 contracts.
So I use this as my baseline in order to compare these different brokers. I took to see what if I make 150 trades, or 50 trades per month and 500 contracts that I’m trading per month.
Again, for you, it might be different, but we need to have somehow a baseline, especially when we are comparing the commissions per month that I’m spending right now, that I would be spending on Robinhood, TD Ameritrade, interactive brokers, and this new broker that I’m trading with.
Now, every single broker has some other fees, and you need to see which of these fees are important to you. Here are the ones that are important to me.
I want to know if there any wire fees and if so, how much are they?
Also, are there any assignment fees? Assignment fees are important to me because I’m trading The Wheel Strategy, and part of this strategy is getting assigned shares, so I want to know how much this will be.
Information about their customer support is also important to me. What happens if I need help and I need to call or e-mail them? Do they have an online chat feature? So this is important for me.
What about the platform? Every single broker offers a platform for you, so which one best fits your needs?
This is where we get a little bit more technical because I want to talk about levels three and four. What does this mean?
Well, it means that, especially when you are selling options which you do with The Wheel Strategy, you need certain option trading permissions, so you want to know how easily can you get level three and four if this is important to you.
Now, last but not least, I love having live data. I don’t know about you, but I want to make sure that live data available with these brokerages.
I also want to know how much it costs if anything. So let’s get started and let’s talk about the first broker here, tastyworks.
tastyworks
I am currently using tastyworks, and I know exactly how much money I spent on tastyworks.
On this particular account, I spent $550 dollars in commissions.
For the baseline of 50 trades and 500 contracts per month, I spent around $180 in commissions.
Now for tastyworks, how much are wire fees? When I wire money out, which is once a month, it costs me $25.
What about the assignment fees? The assignment fees for tastyworks are $5. I want to explain to you exactly how they are charging.
So with tastyworks, they charge $1 per contract and they do have a $10 maximum. So you’re never paying more than $10.
Even if you’re trading 50 contracts, you will only pay $10.
They also have no closing fees and this applies to options trading. For stock trading, these days, trading stocks is free pretty much everywhere.
So we want to worry about options here because that’s what I’m mainly trading.
What about customer support? I must say their support is good. The experiences that I have had thus far when I contact them by chat are very quick.
When contacting them through chat, they usually only have me on hold for three to ten minutes.
Now, what I do not like about tastyworks? You cannot call them, and sometimes I would rather speak with someone on the phone, so this is why I’m not labeling it “very good,” I’m just labeling it as “good” because you can’t call them.
As for their platform, I think it is pretty good. However, I’m just using a fraction of the platform, so for me, the most important function is actually placing trades.
I’m not using any of the complicated curves that you can have and all of the analysis tools, but again, if this is important to you, then you need to make sure that this platform meets all of your needs.
For me, it does what I need it to do, which is entering trades.
Now level three and four is actually something that is quite easy to obtain with tastyworks. So no problems there, and live data is actually free.
Robinhood
As for Robinhood, how much would you pay in commissions per month? Well, Robinhood has always advertised you pay zero commissions, and that is true. For options trading, you also pay zero dollars, which is actually pretty cool.
Wire fees are a whopping zero dollars with assignment fees being zero dollars. So thus far Robinhood is really good in terms of commissions, right?
Well, what about customer support? Now, full disclosure, I do not have an account with Robinhood, so I’ve never contacted them, but based on what I have heard, it is pretty bad.
What about based on what I’ve seen? I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, but back when we had the GME craziness, Robinhood restricted trading for several days.
I don’t think that was fair. I don’t think that they should have done that, but they did.
This makes it seem to me they don’t have their customers in mind. Now, again, full disclosure, I don’t have an account with them and never contacted them. I’ve just heard that customer support is pretty bad.
What about the platform? I don’t know first hand, but I’ve heard it’s good. Again, this is where I go from hearsay because I don’t have an account with Robinhood, never had one, & don’t want one.
In terms of levels three and four, I heard from traders who have an account with them say it is fairly difficult to obtain levels three and four.
If you’re trading The Wheel Strategy, this is super important. As for their live data, it’s free.
TD Ameritrade
Now on to TD Ameritrade. How much would you spend with TD Ameritrade based on my baseline? You would pay 65 cents per the contract that you trade.
So if you’re trading like me, 500 contracts per month, times 65 cents, that comes to $325.
What about the wire fee? The wire fees here are also $25, the same as with tastyworks, but assignment fees are zero.
Now, what about customer support? Customer support used to be good. Right now I would say it is decent.
There was a time when you could call them they would pick right up. These days you are probably on hold for anywhere between 15 minutes and 2 hours because they got bought by Charles Schwab.
There seems to be a lot of consolidation going on and because of this, and because of this, it seems that customer support is suffering.
What about the platform? ThinkOrSwim is probably one of the most powerful trading platforms out there, and it is fairly complex.
For me, I just need to enter simple orders such as buy and sell orders. So for me personally, it is too complex.
It took me a long time to learn it. For those of you who have ThinkOrSwim, you either love it or you hate it. Either way, it is so complex, so you probably had to spend hours and hours learning it.
Levels three and four are fairly simple to acquire, and also live data here is free.
Interactive Brokers
Now with Interactive Brokers, I personally do have three accounts. I’ve been using them since 1999.
They’re a great choice for international traders. However, Interactive Brokers charges 65 cents per contract.
So very similar here to TD Ameritrade. If I would trade on Interactive Brokers I would actually spend $325.
The wire fee here is a little bit cheaper, $10. The assignment fees, if you get assigned, are zero.
Now their customer support, based on my experience is pretty bad. I’ve tried contacting them by chat, by phone, by email, and if you’re trying to contact them by chat, you will most likely be on hold for at least 20 minutes.
If you try to contact them by phone it is not unusual to wait 30 to 60 minutes until you get connected.
Their platform here is actually simple to use, but I find it’s pretty clunky. So just if you want my opinion and again, this is just my opinion.
You on the other hand might find this platform blazing fast and think it’s the best trading platform there is.
Now, in terms of levels three and four, yes, it is fairly easy to obtain, but they charge you $14.50 for live data, so just keep this in mind.
This is a monthly fee so you just need to know what you need.
So with the new broker, and I’ll tell you in a moment who that is, but when I saw all this mess going on in February where several brokers restricted trading, I said, “you know what, this is not fair.”
When I heard from some of you say, “My broker suddenly raised the margin requirements and I didn’t have a margin problem before and now I have a margin call,” or that you’re on hold forever before you get any customer support, I set out to find a great broker, and here is the new broker that I’m currently using.
Tradier
The new broker that I’m using is Tradier. I will move all of my accounts over to them because of what they’re offering.
The commission per month, it’s a $10 flat fee. $10 no matter how many options you trade.
This is a special rate for those of you reading these articles, and following me on YouTube.
So I think it is an absolutely cool model because it is a flat fee no matter how many contracts you trade.
Now, this, of course, is great if you are trading a lot of contracts like me. You have seen it, 500 contracts per month, with 150 trades, so I’m a very, very active trader.
I think it is absolutely cool that instead of paying $180 per month, all I’m paying right now is a $10 flat fee. That is pretty cool.
Now the wire fees are a little bit more expensive. The wire fees are $35, but again, I’m using it once a month.
So, therefore, if I’m adding this up, all right, and I say, well, that is $205 per month versus $45 a month, and for me, that adds up.
Right. It’s only a $10 difference from tastyworks, and I’m not wiring money in and out like crazy. I’m just wiring it out once a month and that is okay.
So the assignment fee here is a little bit higher, at $9 as of right now. So over the past three months, I had 3 wires and I had 8 assignments.
This is for the year. This means that per month I have 1 wire and approximately 3 assignments.
So as you can see, this is why the assignment costs here for me are not that important.
Again, these are my numbers, your numbers might be completely different, and that is fine.
This is where the cool thing is you have probably your brokerage account statement, so you can take a look at that, and then you know exactly how much you’re paying right now.
So the customer support, I must say based on my experience, over the past two months that I’ve been using them, is awesome.
What do I mean by awesome? By awesome I mean that I can pick up the phone right now.
I can call them, and within two to three rings, somebody picks up. The customer support team is in North Carolina, so I’m not going overseas, they are here in the United States.
They have been super responsive by email and by phone. I don’t even know if they offer a chat on the website because I was just so happy that I can finally talk to somebody.
Again, I’m coming from tastyworks, and on tastyworks, I’ve never, ever been able to talk to somebody because their business model is that they’re all doing it by chat, so I love this.
What about their platform? Their platform is simple, and in my opinion, it is super easy to learn.
So you can learn this platform in literally 10 minutes because that’s what they do. They just say, hey, if you want to enter trades, which I want to do, it’s fine.
They don’t have all of the bells and whistles that the other platforms have. So I would say it’s more comparable to Robinhood instead of a platform like TD Ameritrade because with Robinhood you just enter the trade and it is good.
So it’s simple and easy, does the trick for me.
Levels three and four are super easy to get. And live data is free. So this is what this new broker is all about.
For our members, we have created in our private community a special discussion group, and in this discussion group, we are here to help you, support you, with this particular brokerage. Which again is called Tradier.
So, for example, people have been asking if they open an account for business, an LLC for example? And the answer is yes. So you can ask us if you want to, of course, you can contact them.
So this is what we have here. We have a Tradier discussion group.
We do have tutorials for you such as videos on how to open an account, how to set up a paper trading account, and that reminds me, they offer paper trading. As you know, I highly recommend that you trade on a paper trading account first.
There are also videos on how to fund your Tradier account, how to place a stock entry order for the PowerX Strategy, how to place options order for the PowerX Strategy, entering orders for The Wheel Strategy, how to check your positions.
Summary
OK. So, again, my promise is to show you the best broker and this is the best broker for my needs. Now, for your needs, it might be different, but I thought that I compare here that the top five brokers that most traders are using right now.
Best Pairs to Hedge if you have an American Trading Account.This is just a quick video in response to a question a friend of mine had and so I thought I'd share my response to him with everyone else.
If anyone has any questions about advanced trading, feel free to drop me a line and let's chat.
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If you like my analysis:)
Trade Safe - Trade Well
Regards,
Michael Harding 😎 Chief Technical Strategist @ LEFTURN Inc.
RISK DISCLAIMER
Information and opinions contained with this post are for educational purposes and do not constitute trading recommendations. Trading Forex on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Before deciding to invest in Forex you should consider your knowledge, investment objectives, and your risk appetite. Only trade/invest with funds you can afford to lose.