Mastering the Trade

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Mastering the Trade

Item Number:  2312
Date Published:  2005
Publisher:  McGraw Hill Publishing Co.
Number of Pages / Length:  388 Pages
Format:  Hardcover
Shipping Availability:  Usually ships within 24 hours.

Price: 59.95

Author(s):

John F. Carter

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John F. Carter is president of Trade the Markets, Inc., a financial markets information company he founded in 1999.

Trading actively since high school, Mr. Carter has more than 17 years experience trading stocks, options and futures, and has been trading full time for the past eight years.

In addition to working with managed funds, his daily market strategies and picks are auto-traded for clients at a number of brokers.

Synopsis:

Written by full-time trader and currency fund manager John F. Carter, 'Mastering the Trade' presents a step-by-step approach for becoming a successful trader. 'Mastering the Trade' provides chart setups, trading methodologies, vital money management principles, essential psychological guidelines, advice on powerful hardware and software, and more. The book is not targeted at any specific experience or level of trader. It encompasses the market’s broad overview and specific trading strategies. More specifically, the book discuss strategies with extract entry, exit, and stop loss levels for the intraday, swing and position trading of various markets, with multiple examples in forex. The book is divided into three parts:

Description:

Part 1- Trader’s Boot Camp
Part 2- Specific Intraday and Swing Trading Setups
Part 3- Heading Back to the Real World of Trading

Part 1: Trader's Boot Camp

Chapter 1: Markets Don't Move Because They Want to, They Move Because they Have to

* Average Trader Profile: The Wrong Skills in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
* It's All About Pain and Suffering
* The Case Study You Won't Read About at the Harvard Business School
* It's Not the Economy, Stupid

Chapter 2: Psychology 101--What They Didn't Teach About Trading in School

* Emotions are Fine at Weddings and Funerals
* Show Me a Guy with a System, and I'll Show You a Guy Who is Welcome in my Casino
* The Right Mental Outlook for the Markets: Don't Turn on Your Computer Without It
* Phase I Trading: Destined to Lose--Traits that make a person a success in life gets them killed in the markets
* Phase II Trading: Fear-Based Trading or "Everything I Touch Turns to Crap"
* Phase III Trading: The Search For The Holy Grail: Holding Your Breath is Not Advised
* Signs That a Trader is Stuck in Phases I, II or III
a. Good Till Close
b. Size Really Does Matter
c. Greed is Bad Nourishment for the Brain
d. Speaking of Jesse Livermore
e. Euphoria: Redefining Stupid
* Paper Trading: Why it is more worthless than an Iraqi Dinar
* Good Ideas to Keep in Mind

Chapter 3: Hardware and Software - Tools for Traders

* Hardware--It's All About the Ram
* Monitors, Graphics Cards and Other Gizmos--What to Get and Where to Get Them
* Taming the Technological Beast: Key Things Every Trader Should Know to Keep Their Computers Alive and Well
* Strip Away the Crud that is Slowing Down Your Computer
* Cookies and Spam--It's a Bad Idea for Lunch, and it's a Bad Idea for Your Computer
* Turbo Charging the Trading Computer
* The Back Up Plan: What to do When Your Computer Crashes or the Power Goes Out--Because it Will
* Like Buying Life Insurance, Not All Quotes are Created Equal
* A Bad Execution Platform Can Inflict Capital Punishment on Your Account
* Opinions are Like . . . Bellybuttons. Everybody Has One.
* Back Up Plan: What To Do When Your Computer Crashes or You Lose Power
* Establishing Priorities: If You Are Getting Interrupted During the First Two Hours of Trading, It Is Your Fault
*Why Watching Harry Potter on DVD after 12 Noon Eastern is Better Than Watching CNBC

Chapter 4: Markets 101--Understanding the Basic Mechanics of the Markets Discussed in This Book

* The World Beyond Stocks and Why It's Important
* Markets are a Reflection of the People Who Trade Them. Is Your Competition Wired on Starbucks or Methodically Filling in a Crossword Puzzle?
* Futures 101
* In a Nutshell--What Traders Need to Know
* The Mini-Sized Dow vs. the Emini S&P
a. Better Spreads Than the Emini S&P and Emini Nasdaq
b. Liquidity is King
c. Staying on the Path of Least Resistance
d. Easier to Trade than Stocks
e. Newer Traders Do Better with the YM
* Contract Specifications--What a Trader Needs to Know to Trade These Key Markets
a. Mini-Sized Dow
b. Emini S&Ps
c. Emini Nasdaq
d. Emini Russell
e. German DAX
f. Gold & Mini Gold
g. 30 Year Bonds
h. 10 Year Notes
i. Soybeans
j. Corn
k. Wheat
l. Euro FX
m. Crude Oil & Mini Crude Oil
n. Single Stock Futures
* Forex For Newbies
* This is How Moves are Measured
* Calculating Pip Values
* What Happens to Currencies When Prices Change
* How to Hedge Your Own Life in the Forex Markets
* The World is Falling Apart--How to Benefit From That
*For Traders, This is All You Need to Know

Chapter 5: The Stock Market is Now Open--Seven Key Internals To Gauge Intraday Market Direction

* Musicians Know How To Read Music; Traders Must Know How to Read the Markets
* TICKS--They Can Run but They Can't Hide
* TIKI--When Only the Fastest Heads Up Will Do
* TRIN: Like High School, It's All About Pressure
* TRINQ--the TRIN for the Nasdaq
* PUT CALL Ratio--The Keys to the Kingdom
* Sector Sorter List--Beauty is Not Only Skin Deep
* 5 Minute Volume--The Best Predictor of the Trading Day
* Putting It All Together--Sizing Up the Trading Day From the Opening Bell
* Listening In On the Floor--The Value of Pit Noise

Part 2: Specific Intraday and Swing Trading Setups for Futures, Stocks, and Options

Chapter 6: The Opening Gap: The First and Highest Probability Play of the Day

* Trading Without a Specific Setup in Mind is Like Hiking in the Amazon Without a Compass
* Not All Gaps Are Created Equal
* The Magic of Pre Market Volume
* The Best Days of the Week to Take This Trade
* Trade Rules for Gap Down Buys (Gap Up Sells Are Reversed)
* Who is Getting a Spanking and Why?
* Specific Examples of Trading the Gap
* What to Do With Unfilled Gaps
* Position Sizing With a $100,000 Account
* Strategies For Those Who Can't Trade Full Time
* Summing up the Gaps

Chapter 7: Pivot Points--Great for Trending Days and Even Better for Choppy Days

* Beating Indicator-Based Traders to the Punch
* Not all Pivots are Created Equal
* Here's Exactly How I Set Them Up on My Charts
* The Psychology Behind the Pivots--Who is Getting Burned
* Trading Rules for Pivot Buys on Trending Days (Sells are Reversed)
* Trading Rules for Pivot Buys on Choppy Days (Sells are Reversed)
* Specific Examples of Trading the Pivots
* Trailing Stops in This Fashion is the Key
* Tips and Tricks for Using the Pivots
* Summing up the Pivots

Chapter 8: Scalper Buys and Scalper Sells: When Only a Quick Confirmation Will Do

* Identifying and Profiting from Changes in Trend Without Catching a Falling Knife or Stepping in Front of a Freight Train
* Tick Charts Are Best For Scalping
* Trading Rules For Buys (Sells are Reversed)
* Specific Examples of Scalper Buys and Sells Setups
* Summing up the Scalper Buys and Sells
* Increase Probabilities of Success Through Multi-Setup Combinations

Chapter 9: Tick Fades: Taking the Opposite Side of the Newbies

* The Number One Action Alert Available Today
* Trading Rules for Sell Fades (Buys are Reversed)
* Specific Examples of Tick Fade Setups
* Summing Up the Tick Fades

Chapter 10: The Squeeze: Getting Positioned For the Big Market Moves

* Day Trading Versus Swing Trading
* Redefining Volatility--How Narrow is Narrow?
* Getting the Heads Up for a Potentially Larger Move Before it Occurs
* Trading Rules for Buys (Sells are Reversed)
* Summing Up the Squeeze
* The Key to Getting Positioned Before a Market Crash
* Strategies For Those Who Can't Trade Full Time
* A Note on the Squeeze Indicator for TradeStation and eSignal

Chapter 11: Brick Plays--Letting the Markets Stack Up

* Using Bricks to Capture Intraday Reversals in the Mini-Sized Dow
* Trading Rules for Buys (Sells are Reversed)
* Summing up the Bricks

Chapter 12: The Ping Pong Play--Batting the Markets Back and Forth . . . All Day Long

* A Trading Channel That Moves and Adapts to the Markets in Real Time
* Trading Rules for Buys (Sells are Reversed)
* When Dancing With the Market, It's a Good Idea to Let Her Lead

Chapter 13: The 3:52 Play: Capping off the Day with a Fine Cigar

* This is Where the Other Guy Starts to Panic
* Trading Rules for Buys (Sells are Reversed)
*Summing up the 3:52 Play

Chapter 14: Box Plays--On Days When the Stock Market is Dead in the Water, Look to the Euro Currency

* Measuring the Length of the Move Before it Occurs
* Trading Rules for Buys (Sells are Reversed)
* Summing up the Euro Box Play

Chapter 15: HOLP & LOHP--Catching Trend Reversals Without Catching a Falling Knife or Stepping in Front of a Freight Train.

* Buying a Stock Just Because it is Cheap, or Shorting a Stock Just Because it is Expensive is Dangerous--Unless it's Done Like This.
* Trading Rules for Sells (Buys are Reversed)
* Summing up the HOLP & LOHP plays.

Chapter 16: Propulsion Plays--Swing Plays Using Stocks, Single Stock Futures and Stock Options

* Setting Up for the Bigger Moves in Individual Stocks
* The Trader's Guide to Single Stock Futures
* The Only Way to Play Individual Stock Options
* Buying a Stock Just Because it is Cheap, or Shorting a Stock Just Because it is Expensive is Dangerous--Unless it's Done Like This.
* Trading Rules for Sells (Buys are Reversed)
* Summing up the Propulsion Plays.

Chapter 17: Market Profile--Removing the Mystery

* Following in the Footsteps of Elephants
* Specific Examples of Market Profile in Action
* Summing up Market Profile

Part 3: Heading Back Into the Real World of Trading

Chapter 18: The Pre-Market Checklist--Creating a Game Plan for the Next Trading Day

* Like Running a Credit Check, to Understand What the Market is Going to Do in the Future, it Helps to Understand its Past
* Monthly Chart Analysis
* Weekly Chart Analysis
* Daily Chart Analysis
* 60 Minute Chart Analysis
* Daily RSI Chart Analysis
* 60 Minute RSI Chart Analysis
* Index Radar Screen Alert
* Sectors and Key Stocks Radar Screen Alert
* The Key to Reading Daily Volume
* The Key Price Levels to Know Each and Every Trading Day
* Pivot Numbers, Of Course
* Key Sentiment Readings
* It's a Good Idea to Know What These Guys Are Doing
* Miscellaneous Items
* What Does Your Mother Think?
* Summing Up the Pr-Market Checklist

Chapter 19: The Trader's Business Plan

* Who Gets to the World Series--the Team with a Plan or the Team that Decides to Wing it?
* Why am I Trading Again This Year?
* Happy Wife, Happy Life
* What Markets am I Going to Trade?
* Why These Markets? What Specific Trading Strategies Am I Going to be Using?
* How Much Money Am I Going to Allocate to Each Trading Strategy and Setup?
* What Execution Methods Will I be Using? What Parameters?
* How Am I Going to Rank My Trades?
* What are my Drawdown Rules?
* What are my Profit Rules?
* What is my Office Setup Going to be Like?
* What are my Rewards if Trading is Going Well?
* Are There Any Groups, People, or Organizations I'd Like to Help Out This Year?
* What are my Specific Plans for Staying "On Plan" Throughout the Year?
* What am I Doing About my Physical Health?
* Concluding Thoughts on My Plan
* A Sample Plan From Another Trader
* Summing up the Trading Plan

Chapter 20: When It's Not Working For You, No Matter What You Do

* Will Cry for Food--Using Your Emotions to Make Money
* The Four Seasons Hotel Trade
* Thank You Sir, May I Have Another
* When I Tick, You Tick, We Tick
* Dive, Captain, Dive
* High Five, Baby
* Trading Really Isn't For Everyone--Alternatives to Consider

Chapter 21: Mastering the Trade

* Amateurs Hope; Professionals Steal
* 40 Trading Tips for Maintaining a Professional State of Mind
* Surviving the Trader's Journey
* Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Foreword by Peter Borish

Mastering the Trade

Author(s):

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