Bulls To Bears: Invest - Ride or Die

Investing is a must and a vital part of good money management, because it provides you with both immediate and future economic security. When done correctly you wind up with a lot more money in the bank and also end up with another income stream.

 

Investing your money wisely in stocks is one of few ways anyone can create both viable wealth and passive income. Investing smart ensures present and future financial security over the long term. The money generated from your investment holdings should provide you with both financial security and income.

Actually, anything that generates a return is an “investment”. This means that even your savings account generating that 1% interest is an “investment”. However, when most people talk about investing, they're referring to much higher return investments like a funds, bonds and stocks.

 

One of the ways investments like stocks and bonds provide income is by way of a dividend. A dividend is an amount or a percent paid to a shareholders simply for holding their investment. These investments usually pay a monthly, quarterly, or annual payments, so you get passive income that ultimately could replace your pay check.

 

So you want to start investing with stocks, but the problem is, you have no idea what you’re doing? That’s okay! Again, we’re here to help.  In order to start investing, you’ll need to open what’s called a brokerage account. This is different than a bank account, though large banks might also offer brokerage accounts. However, you’re likely best off choosing a discount online brokerage. If you’re already trying to manage a budget and pay down debt, you might wonder why you have to add another financial task to your to-do list. But this one might be the most important of all.

 

Discount and Online brokerages make buying and selling stocks more accessible than ever. There are many online resources to build and manage your trading portfolio, whether you are investing in the USA or Abroad. Most brokerage accounts are inexpensive to begin to trade, with most that require only about  $1,000 to open and start investing.

 

Most millennial's today are afraid of investing in the stock market and I can’t emphasize enough how much of an opportunity there is "right now" to kick start a lifetime of wealth creation! It really doesn’t even matter if you make small contributions, because time is on your side. Once you start and open up that brokerage account, even as little as a few hundred per month can help your portfolio grow till you have something substantial.

 

Today more than ever money plays an important role in our society. Creating wealth is crucial for your future. Many people have money, but the majority of people do not have enough of it. Making smart investments early on in life will pay off big time. Regardless of your current age, it is never too late to start to invest your money and to be able to fund your lifestyle and plan for some rough patches and hardships that life will throw at you. There are no guarantees in the market whether you will profit or not and there is no way to determine today what will happen tomorrow. A number of unforeseen probabilities could eliminate your ability to earn money by traditional means like accidents or poor health. 

I hope you have heard the saying that "a penny saved is a penny earned." which is related to saving money? Saving your money will allow you to store it away and use for a later purpose. Many couples save money to pay for educational expenses for their children or for a vacation. You can even save for new automobiles, sports events  or to make improvements or repairs on your house. Saving for any of one of these reasons can help you achieve your desired outcome. However, the difference is that you will be saving money to spend it. This "saved money" will not be a part of growing your wealth.

 

Investing money that you save allows your money to grow to larger sums. Investing your money into treasuries, stocks, certificates of deposits and savings accounts builds wealth slowly over the  time. Quarterly or annual interest payments you receive from your investments are added to your original sum and helps to grow your money.

In the end, it is not so important what you choose to invest in, as long as you "DO" in fact invest your money. It is important for us to note that investing in Stocks have offered the most potential for growth. US stocks have consistently earned more than investment-grade bonds and real estate over the long term, despite all the ups and downs of the stock market. That's why investing in stocks, mutual funds or ETFs, is so essential when saving for your retirement and other far off goals.

So, no matter your age your at, and how far away retirement is, you want to enjoy your golden years and do the things you want without having to worry about the money.  So, to help you achieve that, the historical odds favor a diversified mix of investments with a significant exposure to stocks. So, sooner than later you must get used to riding the ups and downs of the market. For those investing for the long term and saving regularly, a stock market downturn can even help boost significant savings  because the same amount of money can buy you more shares of stocks at cheaper prices. 

Still unsure of what to do? Let us explore a range of investing options that Bulls To Bears offers. Our team of professionals does the hard work on what stocks you should be buying for yourself. Our program teaches people how to build a robust diversified investment portfolio, even if they are starting from scratch. Again, if you’re brand new to investing and want to do it right, our stock trading program is the only guide you need.  If you don't invest in your future you are already playing the losers game. So, enjoy your life and Invest wisely.

If you haven't gotten to it yet? We encourage you to Join our FREE Newsletter and we will provide you with our trading perspective to help you outperform the market. Also, take advantage of our 14 Day FREE Trial Offer and get a few free stock recommendations that are ready to advance.

The time is now to start making smart investments! Until next time... Happy Trading!!!

Bulls To Bears: Behavioral Coaching and Trading

I saw another interesting video I'd like to share with you. This one was from Investors Business Daily's web-site, it features an interview with Steve Wendel. Dr. Wendel is a behavioral scientist who studies financial behavior to help individuals manage their money more effectively. He is Head of Behavioral Science at Morningstar, where he leads a team of behavioral scientists and practitioners who conduct original research on savings and investment behaviors. Stephen has authored two books on applied behavioral science.

In this video Dr. Wendel talks about behavioral finances, coaching and psychological obstacles. People needed to be coached because they don’t perform well at current tasks. Coaching is one of those things that a lot of people aren't sure about. Although most of the world's most successful people, from athletes to business people, have coaches to accelerate their success. If you already know roughly what you need to do to achieve your goals, but you're good for making excuses and putting it off, a coach will put an end to that procrastination. When you're only answerable to yourself, it's too easy to say "I'll do it later or wait till tomorrow"  and we all know that tomorrow never comes! A coach is there to be your conscience, providing a supportive nudge in the right direction.

Working with a mentor/coach can help push you to the next level.  A good mentor knows where your next step should be to continue on your road to success. When you’re a new trader, it can be difficult to know what the next step is. A good mentor will guide you through the processes of learning and growing. Coaching is individualistic and it works best when it is tailored for the a persons specific needs. We may share computer screens shots and work on the trades together or we could be exchanging emails or texts.

 

Having a great coach and mentor can make all the difference. We've already tried and failed; we’ve made mistakes and have learned from them. Working with a mentor can be expensive in the short run, but in the long run, you may end up shortening your learning curve and get you even better success that your looking for. 

 

Developmental coaching is an individual development program tailored to help boost strengths, professional goals and objectives. Through coaching, you can enhance your effectiveness as well as support purposeful actions towards your goals and desires. It is your opportunity to stand back and gain new perspectives on your challenges and opportunities. Dr. Wendel's studies help people achieve results in areas of their life that they have previously struggled with, such as exercising more and building up savings.

 

So, should you invest in the stock market today? The stock market is at an all time high and most stocks appear expensive. This is a conundrum to both new and experienced investors alike. Nobody wants to buy stock if it’s going to crash 20% in 6 months, right? On the other hand, the stock market might continue to go up for the next few years. You don’t want to miss out on that gain. If you search around on the internet, you’ll see articles as far back as 2009 telling investors to pull out of the stock market. The S&P 500 index has more than doubled from that point in time and we’d all be a lot poorer if we followed that advice.

There is an invisible force that determines how we see ourselves and the world. So, If you are a young investor and just starting out, then invest as much as you can. At that point, your saving rate is much more important than the rate of return. Young investors also have time on their side. Even if the stock market crashes, you will have plenty of time to recover. In fact, young investors should hope for a big crash. That’s the time to buy and it benefits them the most. Just keep investing if you’re in your 20s,30s and 40's.

Like Dr. Wendel, Bulls To Bears teaches different ways to help individuals solve some potentially big problems. When people change their behavior and daily routines, whether it’s exercising more taking control of their finances or organizing their emails. Life becomes better. Development Training uses a variety of tested and proven methods to support you in your journey.  When you engage in developmental coaching with us, we will introducing you to the exciting world of the stock market, taking you from the very beginning "What is a stock?" to teaching you about different investing strategies, like Fundamental and Technical analysis.

For the past couple of decades, Stocks and real estate are the two investments, which have constantly beat all other forms of investments. Whether it is bonds or commodities like gold, silver, oil etc.. The stock market has been able to outperform all these investments with the best returns on investments. Hence, with the tremendous growth potential in the stock market, it is always advisable to be investing in stocks.

Check out the full video interview with Dr. Wendel at the link here: VIEW DR. STEVE WENDEL VIDEO 

Bulls To Bears is dedicated to empowering our followers by encouraging their advancement by providing a system of training and development that is ongoing and structured to purpose. Our stock trading objective is to prepare and empower individuals just like you to participate in the market safely and meaningfully. Further, we believe that skills we help develop is a critical contributor to the success of our followers.

Remember, you can learn more information about our stock trading strategies on our website at BullsToBears.com. Also there you'll find a 14 day FREE trial so you can take advantage of some ready to advance trades.

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Till Next time... Happy Trading!

Bulls To Bears: Top 25 Stock Trading Tips To Triumph

In this session of our Blog, we've boiled down some of our most trusted and crucial trade practices into 25 tips that we think will help to make you a better stock trader/investor.

Successful traders have to move fast, but they don't have to think fast. Why? Because they've developed a trading strategies in advance, along with the discipline to stick to that strategy. It is important to follow your formula closely rather than try to chase profits.

There's a mantra among day traders: "Plan your trades, then trade your plan."

Stock and Options Trading are both difficult to master, requiring time, skill and discipline. Many of those who try it fail. But the tips and guideline we have described below can help you create a profitable trading strategy, and with enough practice and consistency,  you can greatly improve your chances of beating the odds in a bull or a bear market.

Again, We are in the process of creating a wealth of new resources and tools to help you take advantage of this historic time in the stock market.

At Bulls to Bears, our followers come to our blogs to learn the skills of trading and then they join our cutting edge advisory service to find the stock situations which they should be acting upon.

So, when placing your trades consider these top 25 Trading tips as a guideline to help you in you quest in becoming the best trader you can be: 

• Tip  1: Bulls, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered
  It's essential for all traders to know when to take some off the table. 
• Tip  2: It's OK to Pay the Taxes
  Stop fearing the tax man and start fearing the loss man because gains can be fleeting. 
• Tip  3: Don't Buy All at Once
  To maximize your profits, stage your buys, work your orders and try to get the best price over time.
• Tip  4: Buy Damaged Stocks, Not Damaged Companies
  There are no refunds on Wall Street, so do your research and focus your trades on damaged stocks rather than companies.
• Tip  5: Diversify to Control Risk
  If you control the downside and diversify your holdings, the upside will take care of itself.
• Tip  6: Do Your Stock Homework
  Before you buy any stock, it's important to research all aspects of the company.
• Tip 7: No One Made a Dime by Panicking
  There will always be a better time to leave the table, so it is best to avoid the fleeing masses.
• Tip  8: Buy Best-of-Breed Companies
  Investing in the more expensive stock is invariably worth it because you get piece of mind.
• Tip  9: Defend Some Stocks, Not All
  When trading gets tough, pick your favorite stocks and defend only those.
• Tip  10: Bad Buys Won't Become Takeovers
  Bad companies never get bids, so it's the good fundamentals you need to focus on.
• Tip  11: Don't Own Too Many Names
  It can be constraining, but it's better to have a few positions you know well and like.
• Tip 12: Cash Is for Winners
  If you don't like the market or have anything compelling to buy, it's never wrong to go with cash.
• Tip  13: No Woulda, Shoulda, Couldas When Trading
  This damaging emotion is destructive to the positive mindset needed to make investment decisions.
• Tip  14: Expect, Don't Fear Corrections
  It is not always clear when a correction will strike, so expect and be prepared for one at all times.
• Tip  15: Don't Forget Bonds
  It's important to watch more than stocks, and bonds are stocks' direct competition.
• Tip  16: Never Subsidize Losers With Winners
  Any trader stuck in this position would do well to sell sinking stocks and wait a day.
• Tip  17: Check Hope at the Door
  Hope is emotion, pure and simple, and trading is not a game of emotion.
• Tip  18: Be Flexible
  Recognize and be open to the unexpected shifts in the market because business, by nature, is dynamic, not static.
• Tip  19: When the Chiefs Retreat, So Should You
  High-level executives don't quit a company for personal reasons, so that is a sign something is wrong.
• Tip 20: Giving Up on Value Is a Sin
  If you don't have patience, think about letting someone who does run your money.
• Tip 21: Be a TV Critic
  Accept that what you hear on television is probably right, but no more than that.
• Tip  22: Wait 30 Days After Pre-announcements
  Preannouncements signal ongoing weakness, wait 30 days to see if anything has gotten better before you pull the trigger to buy.
• Tip  23: Beware of Wall Street Hype
  Never underestimate the promotion machine because analysts get behind stocks and can keep them propelled in an up direction well beyond reason.
• Tip 24: Explain Your Picks
  

  Buying stocks is a solitary event, too solitary in fact, so always make sure you can articulate your reasoning behind your trade. 
• Tip 25: There's A Great Stock Trade Somewhere
  

  It's OK if you have to work hard to find a good trade, just don't default to what's in bear mode because you are time-constrained or intellectually lazy.

Whether you are a seasoned trader or a newbie in trading, you can trade independently, successfully and maximize your wealth with the help of our timely and robust advice.

 

If you haven’t done so already, make sure you sign up for our free mailing list here to make sure you get notified each time we update our blog. You will also get more trading tips, tricks and some other free stuff by subscribing.

Till next time... Happy Trading!

Bulls To Bears: Trading and Trumps Trade War

We are getting a lot of inquiries from our followers regarding the current “Trade War” situation currently going on with the Trump administration. We feel it is very important for our followers and subscribers to understand what is really going on here, and how it may impact their trading. 

 

First off, the trade war did not just start. If you look at the  current unfair tariffs that many other countries impose on U.S. goods and services you will see that there’s been a trade war being waged against the United States for a very long time. Just because our previously stupid leaders refused to do anything about it for such a  long  time doesn’t mean that this unjust situation didn’t already exist.

 

What is currently occurring today under President Trump is... WE ARE FINALLY FIGHTING BACK! 

 

In the end, the answer to this long time complicated problem is quite simple. Every single country in the world can pick what level of Tariffs the United States can apply to them. How you ask? Very simple, whatever level they want to pay, they must adjust the tariffs they charge on U.S. goods to whatever level they want to pay and we will meet them there. This is true open trade, which is what everyone on the left claims they want. 

 

So how will this affect your trading? Well those industries that are right in the cross hairs of the trade war are going to be affected. Some long term and some short term. For example, the Pork industry is one of the bigger ones. When the beginning overreaction occurs, prices of some stocks most likely will fall. When the dust clears there will be opportunities for those of us who choose to seize the day!

 

The United States is by far the largest economy in the world. We will not lose a trade war! These other countries eventually will concede. And, If they want 5% Tariffs on their Pork, they will put 5% on ours. The bottom line is that over the long term this will be very good for you and many of these industries.

 

The current Tariff imbalances are what killed and continues to choke certain industries. The recent action by the Trump administration revitalizes industries. However, it is very important for you to understand there will be a little pain in the beginning. You’ve heard the old trader saying and it should ring true in this case. “Short term pains for long term gains.” 

 

So, our advice is to stay strong, stay steady and take advantage of the current market opportunities. Continue to place your trades in the areas we are selecting. Embrace the volatility and some cheap stock prices.

Remember we are value contrarians. We buy when others are selling and sell when they start buying again. It is an age old, proven way to beat the market.

 

If you are an individual investor trading online, and you’re looking to pull some money out of the stock market, then you need Bulls to Bears in your trading realm. We will help you find those stocks that are undervalued and help you purchase them when their prices are low. We help our subscribers who follow our value investing strategy overcome whatever challenges the stock market is facing.

Another element of this contrarian value strategy is an avoidance of stocks that might be overvalued by the market to help protect the portfolio from the possibility of any downside risk associated with overvalued holdings.

If you still haven't done so? We would definitely recommend that you sign up to receive the BullsToBears.com Newsletter here and gain access to our exclusive tips, resources and tools to help you improve your trading success.

 

So, sign up today and we will work together to make some positive financial changes in your life.

 

Once again till next time... Happy Trading!

 

Bulls To Bears: Risk Management and Trading

You hear the term Risk Management being thrown around a lot lately. This is a complex and yet simple subject at the same time. From a trading perspective, we must all realize that when you are investing  in anything, especially stocks and options, there is a degree of risk and uncertainty.

Without that risk we all would be buying guaranteed government bonds. How much fun would that be? So, the riskier the stocks the higher potential rate of return.

Along with that potential upside you have that underlying and corresponding prospective of downside. It is therefore incumbent upon the trader to constantly monitor their level of risk involved in both an individual stock and in their overall investment portfolio.

If you are looking for monster life changing investment returns in short periods of return, you better buckle up -  you're in for a very humbling, wild and bumpy ride.

Risk management for any average stock trader should involve the following foundation:

1·  GOALS - What are your goals? If you are swinging for the fences so be it. You will be buying volatile stocks that can move for or against you very quickly. If you are looking for steady better than market returns than you will need to be focusing on stocks that are larger, safer and more heavily traded and will probably move slower than the “home run” stocks. Usually, the added volatility in these stocks during uneasy times comes from the market sector they are in and not just from the individual stocks themselves.

2·  RISK - What are your risk tolerance levels? You must be honest with yourself and figure out how much white knuckle, nail biting stress you can stand. If you are naturally risk averse, you should not try to be a hero and play the market like it is Vegas.

3.  ALLOCATION -  What is your portfolio size? A trader must be cognizant of the size of the portfolio compared to the size of each position they take. This is the proverbial “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” scenario.

Every stock trader must know his overall Risk Management and he or she better be diligent at it! You should at the very minimum be practicing the following trade parameters:

·    Always set target price goals and stop losses

·    Always use actual stop loss orders

·    Keep each position no more that 10% to 15% of your portfolio

·    In general it is better to trade stocks that have strong volume

·    Avoid sectors that seem to be just fads and short term plays

·    Be careful around known news events like the release of earnings

·    Look for undervalued situations that have been unfairly treated by the market. These have small downsides and large upside potential

(This blog is just a primer on the subject of Risk Management. We will continue to expand upon the subject in future blogs.)

Remember, it is important to understand the importance that Risk management is and that its the heart of the Bulls to Bears trading program. Our approach is intended to reduce your exposure to any unnecessary risks. Our investment team focuses on traditional investments, and we do not risk heavy losses by trying to chase very high returns. Bulls To Bears was designed to help you make informed investment decisions, weighing potential returns against the realistic potential for loss.

With the choice of the Bulls to Bears trading program, you can choose the amount of risk you feel comfortable with for a given return. Your Bulls To Bears representative will help you pick which stocks are best for your portfolio, based on your individual circumstances and suitability.

Effective risk management can be very beneficial to investors, and more particularly helpful to those nearing retirement age. This blog has been written with individual, private investors in mind. It aims to provide you with some information about investment risks in general, as well as to provide insight how these risks are managed within our program.

We provide investment ideas and trading solutions to our clients across the globe. Our breadth of investment capabilities are extensive and among the most innovative within the market. Diversification is another way of managing the risk associated with trading. It involves spreading your money across different asset classes and investments, so as to potentially limit the impact of negative events that impact any one asset class or investment.

Diversifying across asset classes may protect you against underperformance in any one asset class. Your asset allocation will reflect how cautious or aggressive your investment strategy needs to be.

Bulls To Bears trading signals and buy and sell alerts are sent direct to our members; via email fax or phone. Experience for yourself how we can help you to narrow your focus onto what we believe to be better trade setups. These positions are hand selected to give you not only a better probability of success but often better percentage gains.

BullsToBears.com has what you need. Take advantage of our FREE 14 DAY TRIAL today. Stop spending so much time trying to figure out what stocks to trade.  We’ve got that covered.

 

Also, get Free access to our FREE TRADING NEWSLETTER and discover further tip's on how you can reduce your downside risk,  know when to add to better positions (based on information that we provide for you) and start locking in more profits.

So, try us now for Free! We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

That's all for now. Till next time... Happy Trading!

Bulls To Bears: Dangerous Day Trading

So, you want to DAY TRADE STOCKS??? We'll, that is a TERRIBLE IDEA!

We are constantly asked by people, why don’t you teach any day trading techniques? In response, we decided to dedicate this blog to the adrenaline fueled world of day trading.

(First, let's begin with the definition of day trading: The buying and selling of securities within the same trading day.)

Many of those who participate in day trading cite the following as reasons why they like to day trade:

• Less Risk: they contend that since they are exposed to positions for shorter periods of time they are at less risk.
• Better Cash Flow: proponents of day trading say that by locking in profits you get better cash flow from your investments.
• Faster way to make money: day traders make money in the day. They lock in their profits while long term and swing traders must wait for their profits. 

Now if this is what you think, then I have bad news for you. The odds of your success to enter into and exit out of a trade with a profit, within a 7.5 hour trading session is stacked against you!

No one starts day trading to lose any money; people only do it if they think they can make money. Yet about 95% of people who attempt day trading will lose their money. Day trading has between a 5% to a 30% statistical chance of success according to market observers and financial specialists. Even the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has reported in their findings that over 70% of stock day traders lose all their capital through day trading. Something is going on there!

Why do so many people lose money when it looks so easy? We will tell you... You see everything happens for a reason... Sometimes that reason is... you're in over your head and make bad decisions!

The Stock market is composed entirely of other people that are trying to make money, or fend off losses (hedgers). These people who are very good at trading, are looking to take advantage of some of the orders which are placed by inexperienced traders at bad prices, that experienced traders think are good entries or exits. Usually those people are the ones that are going to be right, and the monies of the inexperienced day trader will be transferred to the more experienced traders account.

Again, this is coming from our own 100 years of combined experience working on Wall Street, our teachings and our investing experiences. We ASSURE you that the odds of Day Trading a Stock for your success is stacked very heavily against you. The system is practically rigged to encourage you to gamble and lose your money, and you’d be a fool to ignore our warnings signs and continue on that journey.

If we didn't know any better, a point could be made for Day Trading. The problem is that this is one of those things that looks great on paper, but doesn’t work in the real world. Here is our response to those that point in the favor or day trading for profits, and we added a few of our observations for your consideration:

• Less Risk: day trading involves split second decisions. While you are exposed to risk for a shorter period, that risk is dramatically greater.
• Better Cash Flow: day traders who say they lock in their profits are just deluding themselves. While they do close all their positions in a single day, their results are measured on a cumulative basis. Think of it as the guy who goes to Vegas 20 times and tells you about the one time that he won. How about the other 19 times?
• Faster profits: this is a fallacy because the potential gain you can make in an single day is limited. Even if you catch a big move, most of the time it is small compared to a stocks short term to near term moves.
• Commissions: day traders tend to make a lot of trades. The cost of these trades even when run through sever discount brokers adds up quickly. I worked as a professional day trader and paid only pennies per share in commission. Many months my commissions ate up a substantial portion of the gains I made.
•  Methodology: most day traders are using market news as the basis of the reason they are trading a position. This means they are literally guessing as to why they are in a position. It is like riding a wild bull and you are hoping to hold on and get off with a gain.
• Time and energy commitment: day trading takes a lot of energy. You must be watching the screen always. It is a split second instant decision making activity. Most people do not have the time or energy to commit to day trading. If you don’t, you put yourself in great peril.
• Record keeping and Accounting: to keep things on the up and up you must create and maintain meticulous records of your activity. The IRS demands this. If you let this slip for even a few days you can get in major trouble and must spend a large amount of time sorting it out.

Active Day Trading is an enticing model. It promises investors the world, and while some may make some money, the studies show the risks typically outweigh the benefits.

If making money trading the stock market is a goal for you? Then day trading is not for you. Despite all the newest marvels and technological advances and algorithms, YOU do not have the expertise to outpace the stock market ALONE. You just can’t do it. And, if you think machines can replace a seasoned level 3 trader and the market makers? Then, we have a bridge to sell you.

Nonetheless, you will still hear people brag about how they made money on a particular stock. Perhaps they’ll brag about the money they just made today? Then the very next day when the market is off they lose money and blame the stock market.

To sum it up, while day trading has an allure to it, it is not for most people. It certainly is not for the average trader. Traders should focus on short term swing or trend trading if you are looking to have winners that are dramatically larger than your losers. Trading should become an enjoyable experience. Day trading for profits is a very high stressful environment and should be left to the professionals with Big Pockets. Swing Trading and Trend Trading over the short term is far less demanding. It’s the better choice for those who want to try their hand at trading without becoming totally overwhelmed.

It is important for anyone interested in trading stocks to develop a strong fundamental understanding of how the financial markets work and the most important characteristics of various trading strategies. Bulls To Bears members are consistently telling us about the positive influence our short term trading programs has on their portfolios.

Need help finding the perfect trading program to pair with your Stock Market Trading? Get Bulls To Bears's FREE newsletter today and get a better understanding of short to Intermediate Term Trading. Once you learn to invest with us, you will begin to act with confidence and set yourself on a path to trading success. Come and see why some of our members are netting returns that would make many top traders salivate.

Till next time... Happy Trading from BullsToBears.com!

Bulls To Bears: Trend Trading Results For Bulls and Bears Alike

Trend Trading is all about being able to read market sentiment and the balance between bulls and bears. Understanding why a trend is gaining or losing momentum is very important if you are trying to make decisions about whether support and resistance levels are likely to hold or break down, whether a trend will continue, or if a reversal can be anticipated.

 

The trading tips we are sharing are not a standalone system, but they should build as a cornerstone of any trend trading methodology. The structure of a trends movements consists of alternating spikes (advances) and pullbacks (corrections), which respectively end with the Highs and Lows. Highs and Lows can be called trend points and without a clear definition and understanding of every stage of the movements, often enough confusion could  arise, especially for inexperienced traders.

 

Let’s start with some basic terms:

• Trends – this is the direction of the predominant movement of the price of a currency pair. Trends are ascending (bullish), descending (bearish) and lateral (flat). With an uptrend, the next High and Low in the chart should be higher than the previous one, with a downtrend, the next Low and High in the chart should be lower than the previous ones.
• Flat Market –  is a lateral movement in which new Highs and Lows do not go beyond the previous High or Low.
• Impulse – move in the direction of the trend.
• Correction – the movement of prices in the opposite direction to the trend. In this case, the correction should not exceed the previous High or Low, except for a false breakdown situation.
• Trend Reversal– is a change in the direction of the prevailing price movement. 

The whole goal of trend trading is to identify when a trend begins so you can capture gains within that investments trend. Technical Analysis is often used in conjunction to assist traders on when to take advantage of the current trend in a particular stock to help improve their returns. Day trading involves specifics that are different than the typical trend trading investment strategies. (we will visit this subject of day trading, the pros and cons, again later in another blog...)

 

The difference between the price target and the entry price is approximately the reward of the trade. The difference between the entry price and the stop out price is the approximately your risk. New investors, when you’re determining whether it’s worthwhile to enter into a trade, consider using a 2-to-1 as a minimum reward risk ratio. Your potential profit should be at least twice as much as your potential loss. If the ratio is higher than that, the trade is considered to be better; if it’s lower it is considered to be worse.

 

Through our 25+ years experience in trading, we have discovered that when it comes to identifying the trend of  the market, there’s no magic secret. Becoming a successful trader takes time and dedication. However,  learning professional grade investing skills that Bullstobears.com teaches its members can have a life changing effects. If you're ready to put in the work and learn, we can show you how you can make money consistently in any market, whether it's going up (bullish), down (bearish) or sideways (flat). Choosing the right trading method for you comes first. Perfecting it is the art of and trader. And mentoring you to becoming a successful trading artist is our lifelong endeavor.

The Bottom Line: When Trend Trading or Swing Trading, a good trader can stack the odds of making a successful trade in his or her favor. As we mentioned previously trading is an art, which means that it is both craft and science and requires a lot of practice to develop consistency and profitability trading stocks.

Online Trader’s sign up today for our 14 Day FREE Trial offer at BullsToBears.com and learn about our time tested and unique investment strategies.

Also, we invite you to become a better trader and subscribe to our FREE newsletter here for exclusive information to help you make money in today's turbulent market place.  Join our newsletter and learn our exact trading strategies, receive new posts and benefit from our ongoing mentoring within our private community.

 

Till next time… Happy Trading from Bulls To Bears!

Bulls To Bears: Contrarian Value Stock Trading For Success

I saw a very interesting interview recently from CNBC with legendary investor Leon Cooperman. Leon is a billionaire hedge fund manager from NYC. He manages around $4B and most of it is his own money. Leon was born of a poor family and grew up in the South Bronx. If you are not from NYC and don’t know the "South Bronx" it is a very poor, tough crime ridden area. It has gotten a little better in recent years but for a long time it resembled a war zone and not part of the greatest city in the world.

What interested me the most in this interview was the fact that his investing philosophy very much resembled our philosophy here at bulls to bears. Specifically, he said “I look for mis-priced assets. There is no stock up without an explanation and there is no stock that is down without an explanation. It’s my job to figure out whether the explanation holds water”.

Contrarian trading involves going against the herd in your trades. A contrarian trader is doing the opposite from most other traders and is, in fact, betting against the masses in order to profit from it.

This is exactly a like minded philosophy here at Bulls To Bears. We might look at a stock and say “it was $50 two months ago and now its $15. It may be a good buy and needs a closer look. Not because of the huge price drop. It may be a good buy because the price drop was created by circumstances that do not necessarily warrant this type of price action. Traders are very fickle and run for the hills at the smell of trouble. Once this starts you get everyone following. This is the heard mentality in action.

It is our job to find those stocks that are still the same good to great companies but panic selling by misinformed market participants has cause a major price move that “doesn’t hold water”. Once we find these, the ability to trade and make money on these is easy. But it takes a lot of homework and due diligence to find them. That’s what we do. That’s what we get paid for.

Recognizing the sentiment that drives trends and the indicators that signal their end is useful for traders of all shapes and sizes, whether you are a committed contrarian investor, someone who dabbles in the occasional contrarian trade or a seasoned bull or bear who acknowledges that all good things must eventually come to an end.

This is yet another way in which contrarian traders can predict market tops and bottoms. If you ask yourself when the market is the most bullish or bearish, the answer to that question should be that the market is the most bullish at the top and most bearish at the bottom.

Some of the most successful traders are contrarians and some of the greatest and most famous trades in history were the result of taking big bets against the market when everyone else was absolutely sure that the current trend would continue.

Keep in mind. Markets tend to follow the prevailing trend until it exhausts itself, and because of this, the one most important factor in placing contrarian trades is that the trader has to time the reversal with precision in order to take a successful counter-trend position.

It’s been reported and no surprise to us that over 95% of traders lose money in the long run. Why? When you realize that a lot of traders are taught and follow the same principles of analysis. They read the same books and follow the same philosophy, and they stick to the same rules for risk and money management. Ultimately, most times they all get the same results in their trading.

This is where contrarian traders have a distinct edge over most stock traders. If you want to excel at contrarian trading, you have to defy that very instinct of going where everyone else is going and start to think independently no matter how counter-intuitive that may seem.

Check out the full video interview with Leon at the link here: VIEW LEON COOPERMAN VIDEO

Also, you can learn more information about our contrarian trading methods and our stock trading strategies on our website at BullsToBears.com. Also there you'll find a 14 day FREE trial so you can take advantage of some ready to advance trades on underpriced assets like Leon is talking about.

If you haven't done so: Join our Free newsletter here so you don't miss our blog updates or any valuable stock trading information.

Till Next time... Happy Trading!

Bulls To Bears: Re-Introduction of Two Species Bulls and Bears

Bulls to Bears is an Independent Stock Research and Advisory Firm dedicated to the Independent investor. Bulls to Bears lives by the philosophy “everyone their own broker”. Our service grew out of the growing trend of individuals wanting to take control over their own financial destiny. Many of these investors had been burned by unscrupulous stockbrokers looking to “churn their accounts” for commission dollars. The advent of the discount broker and the use of the internet gave individuals the confidence to rely on their own talents to pick and execute winning stock trades. Unfortunately confidence quickly turned to dismay as those individual investors learned the reality of the perils of flying solo in the stock market. Bulls to Bears provided the perfect answer to the investor dilemma. Investors could get expert advice, but from a third party who’s compensation was not tied to the number of transactions the investor did. This third party objectivity gave the investors the confidence that our only motive was to bring them winning stock trades! This paper is going to explain our investment philosophy so you can further understand the true value of the experience and knowledge that Bulls to Bears provides its members.

Experience

For new investors, dabling in the stock market, it is like when first learning to ride a bicycle. It looks real simple when you watch someone do it. It is another thing to get on and start peddling. Most online traders are apprehensive in their trading. The reason for this is they are not in the market every day. An individual investor is never going to execute the number of trades that will give them the “street smart” confidence to execute their trades with the pinpoint precision that is necessary. This hesitant mind set leads to poor trading results and sometimes even disaster.

 

The staff at bulls to bears has a decades of trading experience. We are not hesitant in advising you to execute your trades. We have a tendancy to set very strict stop loss parameters to ensure you preserve your capital. We not only tell you what stock to buy, we tell you when you need to be selling to maximize each trade.

Market Wisdom

Most professional traders make money in the stock market because they develop a strong feel for the market. They also track each individual stock and get a feel for its trading behavior. Bulls to Bears closely tracks its recommendation to learn its behaviors. We track these stocks for months and in some cases years before they become a recommendation to our customers. These actions are what philosophers have spoken about for years. Having wisdom and not knowledge. Knowledge is information and wisdom is experience. The average individual investor can never get to this level because they just can’t spend enough time in the market. Bulls to Bears lives in the financial market place and we bring this wisdom to our clients.

Picking Our Stocks

We have found that the best trading situations are found in stocks that have fallen out of favor with the market. Many times this will be due to a general weakness in certain market sectors. For example technology stocks may be getting hammered as a group, but you will always find one or two stocks in that group that are doing well, but their stock prices are getting hammered like the rest of the group. These stocks are poised for strong upward movement when the pressure is off the group. These stocks usually at or below their book value and are in an oversold territory. Bulls to Bears tracks those sectors, identifies the “diamonds in the rough” and tracks them until they meet our investment criteria.

Stock Picking Goals

One goal is to make sure our clients do not fall into the heard mentality. i.e. Currently gold is the “flavor of month”. To us, this indicates that a bubble exists and there is great risk investing in situations tied to gold.

Another goal is to pick situations that will produce 10% to 15% gains in a months time frame. Day trading for the average individual is just gambling. Long term investing has proven to be perilous when the market hits a rough patches. By setting our goals realistically, we greatly increase our client’s chance of success. Many situations we recommend have potential to show a larger gains, but with proper money management 10% to 15% will provide a bankable differential from those positions that do not work out.

Conclusion

As time marches on, it is becoming more and more difficult for the individual investor to make money in the stock market. Program trading, institutional buyers and instant execution give the professionals an advantage over the individual online investor. Bulls to Bears “levels the playing field” for our clients. Our advantage comes from our market wisdom and our ability move very quickly. This is why we have our internal instant alert systems set up. If you are an individual investor trading with a discount broker you need Bulls to Bears in your trading arsenal. If you haven't done so yet? I would recommend that you sign up to receive BullsToBears.com's  FREE newsletter to get our exclusive financial educational tips, resources and tools on various financial matters to help you improve your financial well-being.

So, sign up today here and we will show you how to start making some positive financial changes in your life.

Till our next blog... Happy Trading!

Bulls To Bears: Good Traders Vs. Good Stock Pickers

As we have mentioned previously in this blog, trading stocks is a skill. It is not luck, or chance or some type of alchemy. If you learn the skills and practice them, you can be a good trader. What do we mean when we say Trader? We mean that you are someone who can consistently extract profits from the stock market.

To do this requires you to master two sets of skills. The first is the ability to trade the stocks. This skill is a combination of learning the rules of the game and then being able to follow the rules. It also involves learning the various tools that you have at your disposal to do this. This includes learning how to read charts, examine volume indicators and get a “feel” for the market action. 

The second set of skills you need are the ability to pick high probability stock plays. This skill involves more of the “heavy lifting” of trading. It involves continually monitoring multitudes of stocks. You must do your due diligence on these stocks and come up with solid reasons not only to buy them, but to buy them now. It also involves tracking the indexes that have an influence on the individual potential trades. In all, there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into being a good or even great stock picker

Here at Bulls to Bears we have a two-pronged approach to trading. We are going to try to use our blog and our newsletter to teach you how to be a good trader. It is free because the large amount of work including learning is incumbent upon you. Also, we know that if you do become a good trader, it makes our products more effective in your hands. It allows you to apply what we give you to make money for yourself and your family. 

The second part of our approach is our stock recommendation service. This you do have to pay for. Why? Because this is where we must do the heavy lifting. We must do the hundreds of hours of due diligence. We must track hundreds of stocks and indexes. We have the burden of finding the high probability situations so our clients can focus on what they need to do: learning to become good traders.

If you look closely at many highly successful stock traders, they all posses similar mindsets that separates them from the rest of the herd. Below we have listed a dozen unmistakable skills-sets that the most successful traders possess, that most people don't understand.  They tend to:

1. Keep Emotions in check. - good traders understand how their emotions can influence their trading performance. balance and temper thoughts and emotions.

2. Being confidence - change is all around us, not just in the markets; it’s always happening and there’s no controlling it. Good traders know that and are better at adapting to change, rather than resisting it

3. Mistakes, although uncomfortable - don’t punish yourself and others for them, good traders take responsibility for their every action in the markets and their focus on optimistic growth

4. Appreciate other people’s successes - Trading is a tough profession. Losses and drawdowns are challenging periods that cause many to break. Good traders never compare their own results with others. They don’t feel as though other people’s success somehow diminishes their own achievements. Losers think like that, and in return, losses and disappointments is what they keep reaping in their lives.

5. Sticking to the rules. - Good traders make decisions with relative ease because they understand their rules and what they are trading and looking for in the markets. They do not let other people’s opinions affect their judgment. They’ve learned to trust their own - essentially catching their own fish. 

6. Focus on sharpening your skills, rather than showing them off. - some people seek validation or recognition from other traders on Social Medias (especially twitter) for the trades they take, good traders are less concerned about gaining recognition. Instead, they’re intrinsically motivated to become better.

7. View trading losses as opportunities for growth. - Good traders don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves, they make good traders grow better.

8. Practice delayed gratification. - great traders view their trading goals as a marathon, not a sprint. They’re willing to tolerate short-term pain when it can provide long-term gain.

9. Bounce back from failure - Good traders don’t view failure as the end of the road. Instead, they use potential failures as opportunities to refocus and gain new knowledge and adopt new behaviors that will increase their chances of success in the future.

10. Express gratitude - Rather than exclaim you need more, good traders take whatever the markets are offering them in the moment however small the gains are. If they followed their plan to the letter, then what should or could have been doesn’t matter.

11. Focus on what you can control - Good traders are effective in the markets for the mere reason that they devote their resources to that which they can control - and this does not include controlling the markets but their own behavior.

12. Be open to learning - Learning is a paramount and an important tool and an ongoing quest for great traders.

We stress that you don't just practice good trades, practice good trading skills! Bulls to Bears uses a developed hybrid approach of both technical and fundamental trading disciplines to come up with a majority of our stock picks. In doing so we have developed a tremendous track record. Our service is literally designed so you can earn, while you learn. Use our stocks picks to make money and at the same time you are practicing and learning the skills needed to becoming a great trader. Think of it as a work study program for Stock Trading.

If you didn’t recognize yourself in any of those 12 statements above, rest assured, you can develop these qualities in record time. For starters, I suggest getting our investment newsletter here.

In the end it will boil all down to one key quality and that is behavioral change and we can help you with that too!