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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.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
The BEST Trading IndicatorWith the ever increasing number of indicators, it makes sense that beginner traders’ wish to cut the steep learning curve by trying to find which indicator is the best and the most profitable to choose from. It’s overwhelming to start trading with so many jargon terms like, the MACD, RSI, Stochastics, ADX, Bollinger Bands and so on… Luckily, you won’t ever have to worry about any of these indicators. Here’s why… The quest to find the perfect trading indicator There is a big misconception when it comes to learning how to trade. Most new people start by going onto Google to search for the ‘best trading strategy’ or the ‘best trading indicator’ to speed up their success. Everybody wants to find that perfect trading indicator that will help them profit 80% to 100% of the time. Yet, at most, there are only 5% of traders’ out there who are able to make a consistent income with trading. I have two main reasons on this matter, which I’ve gathered since 2003. Reason 1: All indicators are history With local and international markets such as the stock market, Forex and even with crypto-currencies, there are billions of rands traded every day. With the ongoing economic, socio and political events taking place, every transaction from either a company, private individual or even a bot is entirely unique and UNEXPECTED. So which indicator is the best to choose from? Well before you go and do research on each indicator there is to trade with, let me spare you the time and tell you this… Every technical indicator and oscillator out there, is based on one thing. HISTORICAL DATA. When you add an indicator onto a chart, it can only show one of three things which are either the: Current momentum. Current trend direction or the. Demand and supply based on buying and selling volume. Not one indicator has any form of predictive qualities. Even with the dawn of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, there will most likely never be that one indicator that will be able to predict the future with accuracy and certainty every time. However, let’s say there is that one Quantum Computer that is able to take every news event, internal and external factor into account. The information assembled and collected, will still be based on past data. By now you may be feeling like your life has been a lie with all the marketing fluff out there with the 100% win-rate and get rich quick scams, but I assure you there is one legit way to succeed from trading. Reason 2: Each element is essential It doesn’t take just one trading strategy to bank a consistent income. It doesn’t take just a few rules to follow and, It doesn’t take a whole lot of money to fund your account to make it as a trader. No, in actual fact it takes four equally important elements namely: MARKETS: You need to find the best markets that are out there to trade and when to trade them. METHOD: You need to create or adopt a proven trading strategy that will fit your personality. (Price action with a few patterns is all that's needed to spot probability trades). MONEY: You need to have just a couple of money management rules, to follow every time you take a trade. MIND: You need to find a way to develop trading self-confidence as well as a strong mindset throughout your career. This is where so many different trading companies, publications and even education institutions seem to miss the mark. They either specialise ONLY in psychology, trading analysis or just on money management. Unfortunately, this is one hobby or lifestyle where being an expert in ONE field will not guarantee your success.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
2
2% Rule with CFDs versus Spread TradingThe rule is very easy to understand. Whether you trade using CFDs or Spread Betting, the rule is the same. Never risk more than 2% of your portfolio on any one trade. It’s one rule that you can use whether you have a R1,000 account or a R10,000,000 account. You see, trading is a forever business. This means, as a trader you should risk as little of your portfolio as possible in order to stay in the game longer. We’ll now go straight into how you to enter your CFDs and Spread Betting trades using the 2% rule. How to enter your CFD trade using the 2% Rule Here are the specifics for the trade CFD of the underlying Company: TIM Ltd CFDs Portfolio value: R100,000 2% Max risk per CFD trade: R2,000 Entry price: R400.00 Stop loss price: R380.00 To calculate the no. of CFDs you’ll buy per trade, you’ll need the: ~ Max risk per trade ~ Entry Price and ~ Stop loss price Next, you’ll need to follow two steps: Step #1: Calculate the risk in trade The ‘risk in trade’ is the price difference between where you enter and where your stop loss is: Risk in trade = (Entry price – Stop loss price) = (R400 – R380) = R20 Step #2: Calculate the no. of CFDs to buy No. of CFDs to buy = (2% Risk ÷ Risk in trade) = (R2,000 ÷ R20) = 100 CFDs In your platform you’ll type in 100 TIM CFDs to buy, place your entry price at R400 and your stop loss price at R380 to risk only 2% of your portfolio. Note: 1 CFD = 1 Share exposure 100 CFDs = 100 Shares exposure How to enter your Spread Trade using the 2% Rule With spread trading you trade on a ‘value per 1 point’ basis. You’ll choose either: R0.01, R0.10, R1 or any other amount per 1 cent movement in the underlying market. If you choose R0.10 value per 1 cent movement, for every 10 cents the market moves against or for you, you’ll lose or gain 100 cents (10 cents value per point X 10 cents movement). Here are the specifics for the spread trade. Contract of the underlying Company: TIM Ltd Portfolio value: R100,000 2% Max risk per Spread trade: 200,000c (R2,000) Entry price: 40,000c (R400.00) Stop loss price: 38,000c (R380.00) To calculate the ‘Value Per Point’ to enter your long (buy) trade, you’ll need the: ~ Max risk per trade ~ Entry Price ~ Stop loss price Next, you’ll need to follow two steps: Step #1: Calculate the risk in trade Risk in trade = (Entry price – Stop loss price) = (40,000c – R38,000c) = 2,000c (R20.00) Step #2: Value per 1 cent movement Value per 1 cent movement = (2% Risk ÷ Risk in trade) = (200,000c ÷ 2,000c) = 100c (R1.00) This means, with a ‘Value per point of 100c’ every 1 cent the TIM Ltd share price moves, you’ll make or lose 100 cents. Every 2,000c the market moves, you’ll make or lose 200,000c or R2,000 of your portfolio (100c Value per 1 cent movement X 2,000c movement). Note: 1 Cent per 1 cent movement = 1 Share exposure 100 Cents per 1 cent movement = 100 Shares exposure
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
EXPLAINED: How Gearing Works with CFDs and Spread TradingNot sure what happened but the image didn't show. Here it is again... This is the most important concept you’ll need to understand to accelerate your account. During your trading experience, with gearing, you’ll learn how to multiply your profits. But you can also multiply your losses, if you don’t know what you’re doing. So listen up. What Gearing is in a nutshell… Gearing also known as leverage or margin trading, is the function that allows you to pay a small amount of money, in order to gain control and be exposed to a larger sum of money. There is a very simple calculation you’ll use calculate the gearing for both CFDs and Spread Trading. Exposure Initial margin In order to understand this formula, let’s use three gearing examples with shares versus CFDs and Spread Trading. We’ll break it up into three steps for CFDs and Spread Trading: 1. Calculate the entry market exposure 2. Calculate the initial margin (Deposit) 3. Calculate the gearing We’ll also exclude costs to help simplify the gearing concept better. EXAMPLE 1: Buying AAS Ltd shares Portfolio value: R100,000 Company: AAS Ltd Share price: R109.00 No. shares to buy: 100 If you buy one share at R109 per share, you’ll be exposed to R109 worth of one share. If you buy 100 shares at R109 per share, you’ll be exposed to R10,900 worth of shares (100 shares X R109 per share). We know that to be exposed to the full R10,900 worth of shares, we needed to pay an initial margin (deposit) of R10,900. If we plug in values into the gearing formula, we get. Gearing = (Exposure ÷ Initial Margin) = (R10,900 ÷ R10,900) = 1:1 This means, there is NO gearing or a gearing of 1 times, with the share example as, what we paid is exactly as what we are exposed to. Easy enough? Let’s move onto CFDs. EXAMPLE 2: Buying AAS Ltd CFDs Portfolio value: R100,000 CFD of the underlying Company: AAS Ltd CFD Share price: R109.00 Margin % per CFD: 10% (NOTE: Find out on your trading platform or ask your broker for the margin % per CFD) No. CFDs to buy: 100 Step #1: Calculate the entry exposure of the CFD Entry exposure = (Share price X No. CFDs) = (R109.00 X 100 CFDs) = R10,900 NOTE: 1 CFD per trade, you’ll be exposed to the value of one share. 100 CFDs per trade, you’ll be exposed to the value of 100 shares. Step #2: Calculate the initial margin of the CFD trade Initial margin = (Exposure X Margin % per CFD) = (R10,900 X 0.10) = R1,090 This means to buy 100 CFDs, you’ll need to pay an initial margin (deposit) of R1,090. Step #3: Calculate the gearing of the CFD trade Gearing = (Exposure ÷ Initial margin) = (R10,900 ÷ R1,090) = 10 times With a gearing of 10 times, this means two things… #1: For every one CFD you buy for R10.90 per CFD, you’ll be exposed to 10 times more or the value of one AAS Ltd share. #2: For every one cent the share price rises or falls, you’ll gain or lose 10 cents. EXAMPLE 2: Buying AAS Ltd CFDs Portfolio value: R100,000 Underlying Company: AAS Ltd Share price: 10,900c Value per point: 100c (R1.00) Margin % per Spread Trading contract: 7.50% (NOTE: Find out on your trading platform or ask your broker for the margin % per share contract) Step #1: Calculate the entry exposure of the spread trade Entry exposure = (Share price X Value per point) = (10,900c X 100c) = 1,090,000 (R10,900) Note: 1c value per point per spread trade– you’ll be exposed to one AAS share 100c value per point per spread trade – you’ll be exposed to 100 AAS shares Step #2: Calculate the initial margin of the spread trade Initial margin = (Exposure X Initial margin) = (1,090,000c X 0.075) = 81,750c (R817.50) This means, you’ll need to pay an initial margin (deposit) of R817.50 to be exposed to R10,900 worth of AAS Ltd shares. Step #3: Calculate the gearing of the spread trade Gearing = (Exposure ÷ Initial margin) = (1,090,000 ÷ 81,750c) = 13.33 times This means, by depositing R817.50 you’ll be exposed to 13.33 times more or R10,900 (R817.50 X 13.33 times) worth of AAS Ltd shares. You now know how gearing works with CFDs and Spread Trading, in the next lesson we’ll cover how to never risk more than 2% of your portfolio for each CFD and Spread Trade you take. Did you enjoy this article? Trade well, live free. Timon Rossolimos Feel free to follow our socials below for more.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
How Gearing Works with CFDs and Spread TradingThis is the most important concept you’ll need to understand to accelerate your account. During your trading experience, with gearing, you’ll learn how to multiply your profits. But you can also multiply your losses, if you don’t know what you’re doing. So listen up. What Gearing is in a nutshell… Gearing also known as leverage or margin trading, is the function that allows you to pay a small amount of money, in order to gain control and be exposed to a larger sum of money. There is a very simple calculation you’ll use calculate the gearing for both CFDs and Spread Trading. Exposure Initial margin In order to understand this formula, let’s use three gearing examples with shares versus CFDs and Spread Trading. We’ll break it up into three steps for CFDs and Spread Trading: 1. Calculate the entry market exposure 2. Calculate the initial margin (Deposit) 3. Calculate the gearing We’ll also exclude costs to help simplify the gearing concept better. EXAMPLE 1: Buying AAS Ltd shares Portfolio value: R100,000 Company: AAS Ltd Share price: R109.00 No. shares to buy: 100 If you buy one share at R109 per share, you’ll be exposed to R109 worth of one share. If you buy 100 shares at R109 per share, you’ll be exposed to R10,900 worth of shares (100 shares X R109 per share). We know that to be exposed to the full R10,900 worth of shares, we needed to pay an initial margin (deposit) of R10,900. If we plug in values into the gearing formula, we get. Gearing = (Exposure ÷ Initial Margin) = (R10,900 ÷ R10,900) = 1:1 This means, there is NO gearing or a gearing of 1 times, with the share example as, what we paid is exactly as what we are exposed to. Easy enough? Let’s move onto CFDs. EXAMPLE 2: Buying AAS Ltd CFDs Portfolio value: R100,000 CFD of the underlying Company: AAS Ltd CFD Share price: R109.00 Margin % per CFD: 10% (NOTE: Find out on your trading platform or ask your broker for the margin % per CFD) No. CFDs to buy: 100 Step #1: Calculate the entry exposure of the CFD Entry exposure = (Share price X No. CFDs) = (R109.00 X 100 CFDs) = R10,900 NOTE: 1 CFD per trade, you’ll be exposed to the value of one share. 100 CFDs per trade, you’ll be exposed to the value of 100 shares. Step #2: Calculate the initial margin of the CFD trade Initial margin = (Exposure X Margin % per CFD) = (R10,900 X 0.10) = R1,090 This means to buy 100 CFDs, you’ll need to pay an initial margin (deposit) of R1,090. Step #3: Calculate the gearing of the CFD trade Gearing = (Exposure ÷ Initial margin) = (R10,900 ÷ R1,090) = 10 times With a gearing of 10 times, this means two things… #1: For every one CFD you buy for R10.90 per CFD, you’ll be exposed to 10 times more or the value of one AAS Ltd share. #2: For every one cent the share price rises or falls, you’ll gain or lose 10 cents. EXAMPLE 2: Buying AAS Ltd CFDs Portfolio value: R100,000 Underlying Company: AAS Ltd Share price: 10,900c Value per point: 100c (R1.00) Margin % per Spread Trading contract: 7.50% (NOTE: Find out on your trading platform or ask your broker for the margin % per share contract) Step #1: Calculate the entry exposure of the spread trade Entry exposure = (Share price X Value per point) = (10,900c X 100c) = 1,090,000 (R10,900) Note: 1c value per point per spread trade– you’ll be exposed to one AAS share 100c value per point per spread trade – you’ll be exposed to 100 AAS shares Step #2: Calculate the initial margin of the spread trade Initial margin = (Exposure X Initial margin) = (1,090,000c X 0.075) = 81,750c (R817.50) This means, you’ll need to pay an initial margin (deposit) of R817.50 to be exposed to R10,900 worth of AAS Ltd shares. Step #3: Calculate the gearing of the spread trade Gearing = (Exposure ÷ Initial margin) = (1,090,000 ÷ 81,750c) = 13.33 times This means, by depositing R817.50 you’ll be exposed to 13.33 times more or R10,900 (R817.50 X 13.33 times) worth of AAS Ltd shares. You now know how gearing works with CFDs and Spread Trading, in the next lesson we’ll cover how to never risk more than 2% of your portfolio for each CFD and Spread Trade you take.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
EXPLAINED: CFDs versus Spread Trading 101What are CFDs and Spread Trading? Spread Trading (betting) and CFDs are financial instruments that allow us to do one thing. To place a bet on whether a market will go up or down in price – without owning the underlying asset. If we are correct, we stand a chance to make magnified profits and vice versa if wrong. Both CFDs and Spread Trading, allow us to buy or sell a huge variety of markets including: • Stocks • Currencies • Commodities • Crypto-currencies and • Indices. When you have chosen a market to trade, there are two types of CFD or Spread Trading positions you can take. You can buy (go long) a market at a lower price as you expect the price to go up where you’ll sell your position at a higher price for a profit. You can sell (go short) a market at a higher price as you expect the price to go down where you’ll buy your position at a lower price for a profit. EXPLAINED: CFDs for Dummies DEFINITION: A CFD is an unlisted over-the-counter financial derivative contract between two parties to exchange the price difference between the opening and closing price of the underlying asset. Let’s break that down into an easy-to-understand definition. EASIER DEFINITION: A CFD (Contract For Difference) is an: • Unlisted (You don’t trade through an exchange) • Over The Counter (Via a private dealer or market maker) • Financial derivative contract (Value from the underlying market) • Between two parties (The buyer and seller) to • Exchange the • Price difference (Of the opening and closing price) of the • Underlying asset (Instrument the CFD price is based on) EASIEST DEFINITION Essentially, you’ll enter into a CONTRACT at one price, close it at another price FOR a profit or a loss depending on the price DIFFERENCE (between your entry and exit). Moving onto Spread Trading. EXPLAINED: Spread Trading for Dummies DEFINITION: Spread Trading is a derivative method to place a trade with a chosen bet size per point on the movement of a market’s price. EASIER DEFINITION: Spread Trading is a: Derivative method (Exposed to an underlying asset) to Place a trade (Buy or sell) with a chosen Bet size per point on where you expect a Market price will Move (Up or down) In value EASIEST DEFINITION: Spread Betting allows you to place a BET size on where you expect a market to move in price. Each point the market moves against or for you, you’ll win or lose money based on their chosen TRADING bet size (a.k.a Risk per point or cent movement). The higher the bet size (value per point), the higher your risk and reward. The costs you WILL pay with Spread Trading and CFDs Both Spread Trading and CFDs are geared-based derivative financial instruments. As their values derive from an underlying asset, when you trade using Spread Trading or CFDs, you never actually own any of the assets. You’re just making a simple bet on whether you expect a market price to rise or fall in the future. If you decide to go with the broker or market maker who offers CFDs or Spread Trading, there are certain costs you’ll need to pay. Costs with Spread Trading With Spread Trading, you’ll only have one cost to pay – which are all included in – the spread. The spread is the price difference between the bid (buying price) and the offer (selling price). EXAMPLE: Let’s say you enter a trade and the bid and offer prices is 5,550c – 5,610c. The spread, in this case, is 60c (5,610c – 5,550c). This means your trade has to move 60c to cross the spread in order for you to be in the money-making territory. Also, if the trade goes against you, the spread will also add to your losses. Why the spread you ask? The spread is where the brokers (market makers’) make their money. Costs with CFDs Brokerage With CFDs, it can be different. Depending on who you choose to trade CFDs with, you may need to cover both the spread as well as the brokerage fees – when you trade. These brokerage fees can range from 0.2% – 0.60% for when you enter (leg in) and exit (leg out) a trade. NOTE: If the minimum brokerage per trade is R100, you’ll have to pay R100 to enter your trade. Daily Interest Finance Charge The other (negligible) cost, you’ll need to cover is the daily financing charges. If you buy (go long) a trade, you’ll have to pay this negligible charge (0.02% per day) to hold a trade overnight. However, if you sell (go short) a CFD trade, you’ll then receive this negligible amount (0.009%) to hold a short trade overnight. The costs you WON’T pay as a Spread Trader With spread trading (betting), you don’t own anything physical. When you take a spread bet, you’re simply making a financial bet on where you expect the price to move and nothing else. This means, there will be no costs to pay as you would with shares including: NO Daily Interest Finance charges NO Stamp Duty costs NO Capital Gains Tax NO Securities Transfer Tax NO Strate NO VAT NO Brokerage (all wrapped in the spread). The costs you WON’T pay as a CFD trader With CFDs, you’ll notice that there are similar costs with Spread Trading that you won’t have to pay including: NO Stamp Duty costs NO Securities Transfer Tax NO Settlement and clearing fees NO VAT NO Strate 24-Hour Dealings The great thing about Spread Betting or CFD trading is that, you can trade markets trade 24/5. I’m talking about currencies, commodities and indices. And with Crypto-currencies you can trade them 24 hours a day seven days a week. I have left out a very important difference between CFDs and Spread Trading… Gearing and how it works in real life…
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
1
Trading 101 - What is a Derivative & why are they revolutionary?Derivatives trading! What I believe has been the absolute market revolution since shares. Derivatives might sound complicated and something you would hear from a professor or a know-it-all businessman – but they’re really not. I am no academic or even remotely one of the smartest guy’s in the world. And if I can grasp the idea and understanding of derivatives, I pretty much guarantee you will too. Also, if you want to take trading seriously and really make a living with it, you’ll need to understand derivatives trading sometime in your career. Let’s start at the very beginning. What is a derivative? – Collins English Dictionary – ‘A derivative is an investment that depends on the value of something else’ When it comes to trading, a derivative is a financial contract between two parties whose value is ‘derived’ from another (underlying) asset. Let’s break that down more simply: A derivative is a financial contract (CFDs, Spread Trading, Futures, Forwards, Options &Warrants) Between two parties (the buyer and seller) Whose value (the market’s price) Is derived (depends on or comes from) Another underlying asset (Share, index, commodity, currency, bond, interest-rate, crypto-currency etc…) You’ll find that the derivative’s market price mirrors that of the underlying asset’s price. Why trade using derivatives? The absolute beauty about trading derivatives is that they are a cheaper and a more profitable way to speculate on the future price movements of a market without buying the asset itself. You don’t get all the benefits with derivatives What’s probably important to note with derivatives, is this. When you buy a derivative’s contract, you’re not actually buying the physical asset. You’re simply making a bet on where you expect the price to go. EXAMPLE: When you buy actual shares of a company, means you’ll be able to attend AGMs (Annual General Meetings), Vote and claim dividends from a company. When you trade derivatives on the underlying share, means you’ll be exposed to the value of the shares and the price movements – and that’s it! As a trader, when you buy or sell a derivative, you’re not actually investing in the underlying asset but rather just making a bet (speculation) on where you believe the market’s price will head. This gives you the advantage and opportunity to: Buy low (go long) a derivative of the underlying asset and sell it at a higher price for a profit or Sell high (go short) a derivative of the underlying asset and buy it back at a lower price for a profit Remember when I said it was cheaper and more profitable? You can thank margin With derivatives, you’ll normally pay a fraction of the price of the total sum and still be exposed to the full value of the asset (share, index, currency etc…) The fraction of the price paid is called ‘margin’. EXAMPLE: To buy and own 10 Anglo shares at R390 per share will cost you R3,900 (R390 per share X 10 shares). To buy and be exposed to 10 Anglo shares using derivatives, and the margin of the contract is 10% per share, means you’ll only pay R390 (R390 per share X 10% margin per derivative X 10 shares). I’m sure you can see that with derivatives, you’ll be exposed to more and pay less which will gear up your potential profits or losses versus when trading shares. This is why we call derivatives, geared financial instruments. Enjoyed the article comment below and follow for more... Trade well, Live free Timon MATI Trader Also my socials are below thanks to Trading View.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
BACK TO THE FUTURE VS TRADINGI watched the Oscars recently and saw Michael J. Fox receive his humanitarian award. This brought me back to my childhood with the legendary Back to the Futures movie... Also this year we saw The Back to the Future stars Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) reunited and shared the stage at the New York Comicon 2022. This is where they reminisced over their iconic roles in the beloved film trilogy. There were a bunch of mixed emotions but mostly the feeling of nostalgia and childhood memories… And so, I watched the trilogy and I found it was super interesting to watch a movie when at the time, they were trying to predict the future by making a number of predictions about 2015… They certainly got a few spot ons such as: • Smart watches • Hover boards • Virtual reality headsets (which we use Quest, PlayStation and even HTC) • Talking from TV to TV (Instead we use tablets and smart phones, but close enough) • Donald Trump like figure as president They also made a few wrong predictions like: • People wearing their pockets inside out • Dogs having drones walk them (but we do have drones though) • Mechanical car fuel attendants • Pizza hydrators But overall, there is a very big lesson we can learn from this… If scientists, businessmen, producers, directors and actors can’t accurately predict the future, nobody can. And trading the financial markets are similar to “Back to the Future” movies. It’s unpredictable and normally plays out differently to what we think… Thing about the future is… When you know what is going to happen and you act according, the future changes… Let’s say you know what’s going to happen at a certain point in the future. If you act according to what will happen in the future, then your action will change the future. So, if the future is so unpredictable, how can anyone ever make money from trading? Simple. You don’t need to know the future when you trade When you take a trade, you should never try to predict where the market will go. Instead, we should base the future predictions and decisions on one word. Probability. If the market is moving up, there is a higher chance it will continue to move up. (It’s going up for a reason). If the market consolidates in a sideways formation and then the price breaks down, there is a higher chance the price will continue to move down. We say, go with the trend rather than against it… Our job is not to predict every turn and bank a profit from every point move. Our job is to anticipate a change in the market, wait for confirmation and then act accordingly to follow the MORE likely scenario… You might not get it right 30% to 40% of the time, but you can get it right 50% - 70% of the time during certain market environments… That’s all I do when I do trades and analyses… I base probabilities on where a market is more likely to go at a certain time… If I’m wrong, I adjust – rather than deny… This was a short reminder of why you don’t need to predict the markets to make it as a trader. Did you enjoy this short piece? Let me know in the comments. It's a passion to help share the knowledge I've gained over the last 20 years as a trader. Trade well, live free. Timon MATI Trader
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
2
Is Trading Like Playing Poker? Is trading a form of gambling? With hesitance, I would say yes. However, I would rather call trading a form of strategic gambling as both require elements of risk, reward, strategy and decision making. In the next two weeks or so, I’m planning to publish a new online FREE book called “Poker Vs Trading”. Who knows, by the end of it all you may take up professional poker playing as well as trading… Let’s start with the similarities. SIMILARITY #1: We can choose when to play (Strategy) Traders and poker players don’t play every hand that is dealt to them. With poker, when a hand is dealt, we can choose to either play the hand, based on how strong it is, or we can choose to fold and wait for the next hand… With trading, we wait for a trading setup based on the criteria of our strategy i.e. MATI Trader System. You’ll then have the exact criteria and money management rules to follow in order to take a trade or wait for the next trade. SIMILARITY #2: Amateur poker players and traders tend to go the ‘tilt’ (Emotional roller-coaster) Emotions are a main driver which leads to traders losing their cash in their account or poker players losing their chips very quickly. With poker, you get players who let their emotions take over where they start betting high with an irrational frame of mind. These emotions lead them to losing their chips very quickly. This is when they enter the state of what is called ‘going the tilt’. With trading, amateur traders also tend to act on impulse and play on gut, instinct, fear and greed after they’ve undergone a losing streak or a winning streak. This often leads them to: ~ Taking a series of losses. ~ Losing huge portions of their portfolio. ~ Holding onto losing trades longer than they should. ~ Entering a mindset of revenge trading. SIMILARITY #3: We know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em (Cut losses quick) We have the choice to reduce our losses when it comes to betting a hand or taking a trade. With poker, if the players start upping the stakes and you believe you have a weaker hand in the round, you can choose to ‘fold’ and lose only the cost of playing the ‘ante’. With trading, if you’ve taken a trade and it turns against you, you have a stop loss which will get you out at the amount of money you were willing to risk of your portfolio… SIMILARITY #4: We know the rake (Costs involved) There are always costs associated with each trade we take or each hand we play, which eats into our winnings. With poker, it’s the portion of the pot that is taken by the house i.e. the blinds and the antes. With trading, it’s the fees charged by your broker or market maker, in order to take your trade. These fees can be either the tax, spread and/or the brokerage. SIMILARITY #5: Aggressive trading and betting before the flop (High volatility) There will always be a time of strong market moves and high betting. With poker, you get times where players like to bet aggressively and blindly before the flop is revealed. It’s these times that lead to the amateur poker players losing their chips very quickly. With trading, you get economic data i.e. Non-Farm-Payrolls, black swan events and Interest Rate decisions when big investors and traders like to drive the market up or down before the news even comes out. NOTE: I ignore both forms of hype as it is can lead to a catastrophic situation. SIMILARITY #6: We bet and trade based on the unknown Every bet and trade we take and play is based on incomplete information of the future. With poker, we are dealt hands then bet on decisions based on not knowing what cards our opponents have and/or what is shown on the river. We then have the options to call, bet, raise or fold during the process.With trading, we take trades based on probability predictions without knowing where the price will end up at. This is due to new information which comes into the market including (demand, supply, news, economic indicators, micro and macro aspects). SIMILARITY #7: We lose A LOT! (Losses are inevitable) Taking small losses are part of the game with both poker and trading. With poker, it is important to wait patiently until you have a hand with a high probability of success. Some of the best poker players in the world, fold 90% of the starting hands, they receive. Some professional poker players can go through weeks and months without a win. With trading, we can lose over 40% to 50% of the time. In general, I expect around two losing quarters a year. I know that when there are better market conditions, it will make up for the small losses. SIMILARITY #8: You must learn to earn (Education is vital) You need to understand and gain as much knowledge as you can about poker and trading before you commit any money. With poker, you need to understand: • The rules of the game. • The risk per move. • The amount of money you should play per hand. Once you know these points, you’ll be able to develop some kind of game plan with each hand you play. With trading, you need to understand: • The MARKET (What, why, where are how?)NB* • The METHOD (What system to follow before taking a trade). • The MONEY (Risk management rules to follow with each trade) • The MIND (The frame of mind you must develop to succeed) SIMILARITY #9: Perseverance is the key ingredient to success You need to take the time and have the determination to become a successful trader and poker player. With poker, you’ll need to keep at it and apply strict money management rules with each hand played. With trading, you’ll need to know your trading personality, know which trading method best works you and understand your risk profile… I’ll leave you with a quote from Vince Lombardi (American football player, coach, and executive): “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect” Do you think trading is like poker? If you enjoyed this daily lesson follow fore more! Trade well, live free. Timon MATI Trader
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
24
How to increase your win rate in trading.The first three years of my trading career were a nightmare. I was all alone, trying to study and apply the course material I bought from a guru who ghosted me a few months later. He didn’t teach me anything besides telling me how to study the course and what my future will look like with trading. I followed his instruction, failed, and told him about the outcome. The response I always got was to study again. After some time I stopped following his advice. I decided to study what other successful traders were doing. And I found the cause of my problem - not taking responsibility. At first, I didn’t understand how I’m not taking responsibility. Because I forced myself to study the course and apply everything taught. But as I questioned myself and searched for the answers, I bumped into an AHA moment that was a game changer. It improved my trading performance. I unconsciously devoted myself to creating and mastering my 3 edges, which are my: 1. Technical edge. 2. Risk management edge. 3. Psychological edge. Following the steps we'll discuss below, allowed me to become responsible. And made me realize that taking charge of your trading career early on is important. Because it shortens the journey from being an unsuccessful trader to a successful one. Not Taking Responsibility For Your Trading Results Prevents You From Succeeding There are other factors that lead to avoiding being responsible, such as: 1. Focusing on the outcome instead of the journey. 2. Not documenting our performance. 3. Blaming the markets and brokers. Without realizing that it's holding us back. Taking responsibility creates integrity. Many people have been taught to believe that accepting responsibility weakens their position or causes them to look bad. But in reality, the inverse is true. By taking responsibility and accepting the consequences, we create safe places of trust and learning. We then stay in a learning loop that makes us better traders. With that said, let me show you how to stay in the loop and become a full-time successful trader. Step 1: Create a Trading and Risk Management Plan Having a plan will get you to cut distractions to keep you focused. But it needs to clearly outline all your strategies, rules, and processes for execution, managing, and reviewing to do that. It will save you a lot of time and allow you to run your trading business smoothly. Like any other successful business, they have the plan to run successfully. So, take time to create your own trading and risk management (business) plan. It must include your: - objectives and executive summary, - trading system strategies and rules, tools, and checklists, - risk management strategies, - as well as processes for planning, executing, managing, and reviewing your trades. Step 2: Document everything you do in your Trading Journal. Keeping a trading journal that has your thought processes written in it before, during, and after your trades, will allow you to execute the next step. Thus having it will keep a record of what led to missing, losing, or winning a trade. You need that data. If you don’t have it, you won’t be in a learning loop, which will result in being stuck in the same place. So, create a simple journal on Notion or buy one on Amazon. If you decide to create it in Notion, it must include your: - entry, stop loss and take profit details that have reasons behind the trade, - emotions before, during, and after the trade, - before and after chart images. Now with all the data, it's time for the next step. Step 3: Review your performance 2-4 times a month. This is where you become responsible for your trading. This is where you start and stay stuck in a learning loop that insures trading success. This is where you become the top 5% who make it. What you need to do here is simple. Set a time or day to review your performance using your journal and software that’s like (or is) Myfxbook. You can do this daily, weekly, or monthly. Not quarterly or yearly. Unless you’re a veteran trader who knows what they’re doing, why they're doing it, and how they should continue doing what they do to stay successful. That’s the stage you should be aiming at. If you haven’t reached it, review your performance daily, either after your trading session or before sleeping time. Follow the above steps and start molding yourself into one of the best traders in the world who are rich, famous, and free.
BITFINEX:BTCUSDEducation
by Doji-2k1
1
SOL BottomThis is more of a lesson on Psychology of Markets and how it can be used as confluence in helping identify bottoms. Crypto is very cyclical and there are tons of emotions involved, especially for novice members. Crypto also has many beginner investors that enter, as the user base is primarily younger generations dipping their toes in on perhaps generational wealth. I have traded crypto markets for 6+ years now and been involved with 3 market bottoms now. This is the exact type of chatter/doomsville posts you see at the bottom of markets. Remember, 99% of investors are euphoric at the tops, 99% of investors are fearful at the bottom. I am heavy Long on SOL, not just from technicals, but now increasing confluence with market participants emotions. advisor.visualcapitalist.com
Long
by CryptoCurb
2
Trading Psychology – FOMO #2JS-Masterclass: FOMO-Trading #2 In the first FOMO tutorial, I have summarized the characteristics of a FOMO trader and explained contributing factors which encourage FOMO-trading. In this tutorial, I will compare the typical behaviors of FOMO traders versus disciplined traders and give tips to overcome FOMO-trading. FOMO TRADERS VS DISCIPLINED TRADERS The process of placing a trade can be very different depending on the situation in hand and the factors that are driving a trader’s decisions. Here is the trading cycle of a FOMO trader vs a disciplined trader – as you will see, there are some fundamental differences that can lead to very different outcomes. TIPS TO OVERCOME FOMO Overcoming FOMO begins with greater self-awareness, and understanding the importance of discipline and risk management in trading. While there is no simple solution to preventing emotions from impacting trades and stopping FOMO in its tracks, there are various techniques that can help traders make informed decisions and trade more effectively. Here are some tips and reminders to help manage the fear factor: • Be aware that there will always be another trade. Trading opportunities are like buses – another one will always come along. This might not be immediate, but the right opportunities are worth the wait. • Everyone is in the same position. Recognising this is a breakthrough moment for many traders, making the FOMO less intense. Join a social trading platform or a trading service to get in contact and share experiences with other traders – this can be a useful first step in understanding and improving trading psychology. • Have a trading plan and stick to that. Every trader should know their strategy, create a trading plan, then ALWAYS stick to it. This is the way to achieve long-term success • Taking the emotion out of trading is key. Learn to put emotions aside – a trading plan will help with this, improving trading confidence. • Traders should only ever use capital they can afford to lose. Always define your stop-loss levels before you enter a trade and always stick to that. This helps to minimize losses if the market moves unexpectedly. • Knowing the markets is essential. Traders should conduct their own analysis and use this to inform trades, taking all information on board to be aware of every possible outcome. • FOMO isn’t easily forgotten, but it can be controlled. The right strategies and approaches ensure traders can rise above FOMO. • Keeping a trading journal helps with planning. It’s no coincidence that the most successful traders use a journal, drawing on personal experience to help them plan. Overcoming FOMO doesn’t happen overnight, it’s an ongoing process. This article has provided a good starting point, highlighting the importance of trading psychology and managing emotions to prevent FOMO from affecting decisions when placing a trade.
BITSTAMP:BTCUSDEducation
by JS_TechTrading
1
My Interview with US Successful Trader Peter L. BrandtThe Internet has truly made the world a smaller and a more accessible place. In 2013, I stumbled across world-renown trader, author and owner Peter L. Brandt, on Twitter and his blog. I sent him a request for him to join one of the most elite South African trader groups on Skype. We had some fantastic chats over the next couple of days. There are words of wisdom that are far too essential to let them slip by. I’ve collated some of the timeless lessons Peter L. Brandt shared with me. I hope you enjoy the interview and find it useful for your trading career. Timon: I’ve never met a trader who trades long time-frames on Forex and commodities, do you believe technical charts can be used to predict market movements? Peter: I absolutely positively do NOT believe I can predict the markets. I absolutely positively do NOT believe charts are predictive tools any more than a MACD, COT, Moving Averages or anything else. My win rate is historically around 38%, although I made some changes to the system in an attempt to boost that to 45%. Generally, 100% of my profits come from 10% of my trades. It is a matter of trying to keep the other 90% from being a net loss. Timon: I agree with no one being able to predict the market movements, however, I believe in probability predictions. If there is a breakout to the upside, there is a higher probability for the market to continue moving in the direction of the breakout. What is your take on when unfavourable markets bring about a 15% or more drawdown on your portfolio? Peter: Drawdowns come with the territory. The question to always ask for discretionary traders is, whether their trading rules are out of sync with the markets? If they are out of sync with their rules? or both? If I know the problem are my rules being out of sync with the markets, I will never stop trading because I cannot time my rules. I may cut back on the size during a losing period. Timon: As my trading mentor and dear friend Igor Marinkovic says, “Your biggest drawdown is still to come and so is your biggest winning streak.” What are your thoughts on risk management principles? Peter: As a general rule — very general rule — an excellent trader with a great grasp of money management should have an average annual ROR that is 1.5 to 2 times their worst drawdown, over the past three or five years. For me, this is mandatory Even daily patterns are made up of many hourly patterns that morphed, which are made up of many 15-minute patterns that morphed etc... — I call it ‘Chart Morphology’. The trick is to determine which patterns are real and which patterns are more likely to morph. Sometimes a market reveals itself by failing. It is because of morphology that I seek patterns that are 10 to 12 weeks or longer. I’m also not worried about markets changing so drastically that all conventional systems stop working. The reason is my belief that markets are and have always been driven by fear, greed and money flows. These things will always be the same. Timon: Yes, that’s why I don’t believe in Holy Grail systems. I believe in finding the system that suits your personality and risk profile. Along the way, one should not feel scared about making mistakes, but be sure to avoid them from being too costly. What would be your final feedback on trading in general? Peter: Sounds like you are well on your way to a long and profitable career trading. Mistakes are the tuition charged by the markets for learning. Unfortunately, the markets often decide the tuition rate, not us. Hence, I only risk 0.5% per trade. You have to develop your own style. I have never met another truly skilled trader who has copied his or her style from another trader. This is true from a tactical standpoint, but from a money management standpoint most skilled traders think very much alike.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
2
Trading Psychology – FOMOJS-Masterclass – FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Definition FOMO – Fear of Missing Out - is a relatively recent addition to the English language, but one that is intrinsic to our day-to-day lives. A true phenomenon that affects many traders and can be a major hurdle to become a successful trader. For instance, the feeling of missing out could lead to the entering of trades without enough thought, or to closing trades at inopportune moments because it’s what others seem to be doing. It can even cause traders to risk too much capital due to a lack of research, or the need to follow the herd. For some, the sense of FOMO created by seeing others succeed is only heightened by fast-paced markets and volatility; it feels like there is a lot to miss out on. To help traders better understand the concept of FOMO in trading and why it happens, this tutorial will identify potential triggers and how they can affect a day trader’s success WHAT IS FOMO IN TRADING? FOMO in trading is the Fear of Missing Out on a big opportunity in the markets and is a common issue many traders will experience during their careers. FOMO can affect everyone, from new traders with retail accounts through to professional and institutional traders. In the modern age of social media, which gives us unprecedented access to the lives of others, FOMO is a common phenomenon. It stems from the feeling that other traders are more successful, and it can cause overly high expectations, a lack of long-term perspective, overconfidence/too little confidence and an unwillingness to wait. Emotions are often a key driving force behind FOMO which can lead traders to neglect trading plans and disrespect their trading strategy. Common emotions in trading that can feed into FOMO include Greed, Fear, Excitement, Jealousy, Impatience and Anxiety CHARACTERISTICS OF A FOMO TRADER Traders who act on FOMO will likely share similar traits and be driven by a particular set of assumptions. Below is a list of the top things that guide a FOMO traders’ behavior: 1. Listen too much to the news. ‘They are all doing it so it must be a good idea’. 2. Be too much focused on potential profits versus thinking risk first. 3. Not sure but just let’s give it a go. 4. Getting frustrated in hindsight: ‘OMG, I should have seen this coming’. 5. This will be a great opportunity and if I do too much analysis, I will miss this great opportunity. What factors contribute to FOMO trading? FOMO is an internal feeling, but one that can be caused by a range of situations. Some of the external factors that could lead to a trader experiencing FOMO are: • Volatile markets. FOMO isn’t limited to bullish markets where people want to hop on a trend – it can creep into our psyche when there is market movement in any direction. No trader wants to miss out on a good opportunity • Big winning streaks. Buoyed up by recent wins, it is easy to spot new opportunities and get caught up in them. And it’s fine, because everyone else is doing it, right? Unfortunately, winning streaks don’t last forever • Repetitive losses. Traders can end up in a vicious cycle: entering a position, getting scared, closing out, then re-entering another trade as anxiety and disappointment arise about not holding out. This can eventually lead to bigger losses • News and rumours. Hearing a rumour circulating can heighten the feeling of being left out –traders might feel like they’re out of the loop • Social media. The mix of social media and trading can be toxic when it looks like everyone is winning trades. It’s important not to take social media content at face value, and to take the time to research influencers and evaluate posts.
BITSTAMP:BTCUSDEducation
by JS_TechTrading