Understanding The Market

Trading is a lot like Golf.   There is a lot to learn, but with a few basics you can enjoy your first game, only to realize you have a lot more to learn.  You might even get lucky and make par.  I bet however you are likely not going to be a consistent golfer without a few lessons.  Without time at the driving range.   Most people need help improving their swing, their long game, short game, and their putting.  There are a lot of clubs in your golf bag but chances are you will use only 3 plus your putter.  Your driving wood, your long iron, pitching wedge, and your putter.   Maybe a sand wedge.   Lets face it you will spend a lot of time "on the beach" (the sand trap).  Anything else will work but really you aren't that good of a golfer to make a difference.  So why bother practicing with every single club and playing with every single club when you need to improve just a few things...

Same goes for trading.  At first stick to the basics, get comfortable with your chosen strategy's indicators.  Don't light up your trading station like a Christmas tree thinking 5 indicators are better than 1.  The indicators pretty much all give you the same signals.    All you need is an entry signal, a confirmation signal, and exit signal.  And of course technical analysis.  In golf you look at the layout first.  If it's a short par 3 with only 100 feet, you are not going to pull out your driving wood....  Leave Big Bertha in the bag, get your Pitching Wedge and have at 'er.  So when the trend is long, you look for long opportunities.   When the market is slow, you stay out or grab less pips.  I prefer to just stay out.  When it rains you get your umbrella.  When you get rained out you go home.  Twilight hits and you pay half price, and you might have guessed in when you trade slower markets or markets about to close, you might want to reduce your lot size to mitigate risk.

I chose Golf as a subject because a lot of people can relate to it. So now choose your hobby and relate trading to it.    Chances are you'll find your approach is similar.  Just thinking about it you are going in the right direction, that is to "understand" the market, versus "learning" about the market, versus "studying" and "being taught".    A lot of traders make the mistake of wanting someone to teach them without having to study or learn.  And if they make it to the learning stage they don't quite try to understand the market.   I'd have to say that's the biggest road block for traders.  Always looking to find the answer from someone else when only you have the answer.  When you pick up golf you need to be taught, study, learn, and understand the game to play it well.

Life of A Day Trader - The Weekend

For some traders the weekend is a difficult time.  They have an itch to trade, are worried about their negative trades, or are regretting all the "things to do" they pushed off to the weekend.

When you trade for a living you need to manage your time.  Don't lie to yourself.  Don't push things off.  Keep a list.  Just get to things when you can.  Only put target dates for important things...  Like "Exit all trades before NFP".

Weekends are often best spent doing anything but trading.   When you train in the gym or play sports you need a day or two in between to recuperate.  You should do the same when you trade.  Take a time out.  Step away.  Overtrading like overtraining will catch up with you.  Sometimes it's good to take a week or two off entirely.  Notice how your work outs become more fun and bring better results when you get back from time off?   Same goes for trading.  Just like in relationships, when one door closes, another will open.  Missed a trade today?  Don't worry, one will come along soon enough.

Top 10 Reasons You Shouldn't Trade

These are the top 10 reasons you shouldn't trade.  You should just forget about trading all together and get back to whatever it is you are doing for a living IF:

10.  You don't understand why the below reasons made the list
9.  You love to gamble
8.  You have no self control
7.  You don't want to spend time or money on proper training or coaching
6.  You don't want to put time and effort into mastering trading
5.  You want to open a managed account or have someone else trade for you
4.  You are constantly looking for the holy grail miracle system to make money
3.  You want "guaranteed" results
2.  You want to get rich quick

1.  You need to make money from trading to survive

Are You Happy?

The best traders are happy traders.   Don't be fooled into thinking trading will make you happy.   It's all about your lifestyle choices.   Trading isn't the answer to happiness.   You know the saying "Money isn't everything".    Sure money helps.  A lot.  BUT if you hare unhappy all the money in the world can't change that.   Trading won't either.

You need to focus on what makes you happy.  Your surroundings.  The land, the people, the food, your health, friends, family, etc.   Surround yourself with happy people and it will become so much easier to stay positive.  And when you are happy and positive, your trading becomes easier.  After all, trading is just a small part of your life.  Yet it enables you to live such a good life.  Like any job or business, do it with passion but don't let it consume your life.

For me happiness is somewhere warm with mild or no winters, with healthy food, friendly people, access to the internet, movie theatre, yoga, badminton, low crime, with an airport nearby so I can jetset when and if I want.   That place for me is Thailand.  Although I am considering checking out Malta.

Sometimes you also have to make hard decisions and cut out the things or people that make you unhappy.  For example the weather, rude people, money hungry self absorbed people, unhealthy food, too much TV, bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking.   All in all you might need to change your friends and surround yourself with people that strive to be positive, healthy, and happy. 

Bottom line.  Focus on you and your happiness.  Your trading will fall into place.

Reality Check

Every once in a while you need a reality check.   For my students I start with weekly reporting and then month and quarterly reporting.  You should on a regular basis review your trades and ask yourself the following questions:

1.  In the last month / quarter how many pips did you make?    What was the profit?
2.  If you had losses, what did your technical analysis reveal was your error?
3.  If you had losses, to correct your error(s) what steps will you take?
4.  If you were profitable, what can you do to improve your trading results over the next quarter?
5.  What have you learned over the last month / quarter?

Most traders just wing it and live in a constant state of denial.  They know what they are doing wrong, but fail to correct it.   You and only you can keep yourself in check.   You must be willing to put in the work and effort to analyze the charts, your trades, find your mistakes, and correct them.

Are you using Alerts?

Many traders make the mistake of either sitting infront of the computer all day or checking the chart too late only to discover their "ideal" signal was hit.   There is an easier way.... Alerts!

Every trader has their own favorite strategy and entry "signal".  For example you could use Moving Average Crosses, RSI, MACD, or a mixture.

One of the simplest and most powerful functionality of your trading platform is Alerts.  Every platform has them, I am going to focus on Metatrader.

There are three types of "Alerts" you can set up.

1. Alert by Sound - great if you are near your computer
2. Alert by Email - great if you are mobile and have access to email
3. Alert by Notification - great if you are mobile and have the Metatrader App

For Email and Notifications to work you need to configure Metatrader (Tools >> Options).  Note that it can be tricky to get SMTP to work as many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) now block SMTP Port 25.   If that's the case ask your ISP what SMTP port is open.   Notifications can also be tricky as some cell phone providers will block the port for notifications.  For example here in Thailand I only get notifications once I use Wifi but never with my AIS Mobile Provider.

In any event I still use notifications as my thinking is that if I'm not using Wifi then I'm likely not in a position to make a trade....

There are also two different ways to set up Alerts.  You can either open the Alerts tab on your Terminal window in Metatrader and set the currency and level, ie. EURUSD > 1. 2844 or you can check your favorite indicators to see if they have the Alert capability.   If they don't, see if you can find an indicator with an Alert function.  

If you have some programming experience you can easily add the Alerts to your favorite indicators.

Life of a Day Trader - A Typical Day

When I first started trading about 5 years ago I had no idea what to expect.   I remember the feeling was almost like being in high school when you picture what college or a "real job" would be like and you just don't know.  Of course reality is much different.

Many people focus on trading too much.  They are glued infront of their computers all day, waiting for that perfect trade.  I tend to just go on for a little bit and when I have made my trade, I leave my computer and keep an eye on my trade but don't babysit it.  If you have done your analysis right and if you have enough experience you know what can and cannot happen. The good and the bad. The ugly.

A typical day varies from trader to trader.   I am too busy with life to sit infront of my computer all day.  I remember I used to do that in the beginning but then I ended up putting on weight and feeling sluggish.   Now I realize I just need a few good trades and I'm set.

Rather than telling you a typical day, let me tell you what I did today.  This morning I got up around 8.  Made Espresso around 830. Then went to the Transportation Department to renew my vehicle registration and insurance.  Was told I needed to get my car inspected.  Went back home, went to school to study Thai.  Signed my visa papers to renew another year.  And after class I went to get my car inspected.  Got the A OK sign. Paid my 2000 Baht. That's about US$70 for the inspection, one year insurance and registration, and then went grocery shopping.  After arriving home and putting the groceries away I planted some basil, celery, and mint.  (I like cooking with fresh herbs).  Made some Vegetarian Green Curry with Rice.   Surfed facebook.   Looked at the charts after the US Market Opened, around 7pm, answered some emails, noticed EURUSD hit the Average True Range Resistance Level and placed a short order.   Made 10 pips.  Made a note to improve my take profit targets for ATR trades and decided to write this post before calling it a day. It was a hot one today, 35C and with all the driving around and maybe a change in my diet, I feel exhausted and my head isn't in the right frame of wind to do any more analysis, besides, I made my 10 pips, already have a good trade.

FAQ - I heard Forex is a Scam?

When it comes to investments it's never easy to make money.  Those that do not well often are looking to lay blame.  It's easy to say this or that is a scam.  It's like branding investments across the board a scam.  Lets face it. There are many scams and frauds in the investment world.  Ponzi schemes, failed real estate development, fraudulent developers, bad stock tips, etc.  Heck, even your cousin's husband might run off with enough money.  What I am saying is that nothing in this world is perfect.   There are all sorts of frauds and scams.  You have to be careful no matter where you put your money.  Same goes with Forex.

There are many get rich quick schemes, be it automated trading strategies, some online broker offering too good to be true sign up bonuses, follow trader type of services that boast incredible results, signal services, etc etc.    I have come across a few shady brokers in my time.   Some have "dealing desks"  which you might think is a good thing when in fact the dealing desk will trade against you!  Others will manipulate the chart data, miss take profits, or stop losses.

Just like with any other investment you will want to beware of too good to be true offers and find a reputable broker that an experienced trader is using.

FAQ - Can you really make money from trading?

I always have to laugh when someone asks me if I can live from trading.   I often feel like saying "yeah, I can.  I don't know about you..."  but instead I just say yes and change the subject.  Convincing someone that it is possible to live from trading is like convincing someone that their coffee cup is hot.   They might say okay and believe you but will always touch the cup in disbelief.  They need to feel the heat and gauge just how hot is hot...  Same goes with trading...  You need to trade for yourself to believe and see if you can live from trading.  I can but can you?

The Secret to A Long Life

The key to a healthy long life is sex every day. s. e. x. that is. (s)leep enough. (e)at healthy. and e(x)ercise.

FOMC, NFP, ECB - The Dangerous Three

The most dangerous three acronyms you need to watch for are:

• FOMC - US Federal Open Market Committee
• NFP - US Non Farm Payroll - First Friday Every Month
• ECB - European Central Bank

Why?  During these news releases you can anticipate great volatility.  If you're in a trade, exit at least an hour before.  On the day of any of these events you might as well make it a holiday.

Of course if you are a news trader then this is your money making time.  Personally I find these events too painful to trade.  Sometimes there is a lot of waiting around for nothing.  Other times you get false breakouts.  Slippage.  In the past while living in Canada I could never get up early enough to trade these events with a conscious and clear mind.  Just too damn early for me. I don't function at peak capacity.   Now that I'm in Thailand I just can't be bothered as I am making consistent profit with my proven strategies.  But who knows, maybe one day I'll work on a News Trading Strategy that I like.

FAQ - How much seed money do I need?

A frequently asked question I get is "How much seed money is needed to get started?"   Some people think it takes tens of thousands of dollars.  Others more.  And of course there is the Cheap Charlies that think they can become a millionaire without risking any money at all.

It really depends on your lifestyle and your current income.  First of all you should NOT start trading to make a living.  You should have a steady job or business, or better put, you should have a steady income and look at your trading as a "hobby" with the possibility of making "extra money".  When you are successfully trading on the side for at least a year or two then you can consider doing it full time.  But and this is a big but, you need to slowly work your way to that point of financial freedom.  Of course this is all with real money, no demo accounts.  You wouldn't believe how many people make the mistake of thinking demo account "earnings" as the "real thing".    Of course you need to have realistic expectations.  Just because you can make $500 per month with your real account, doesn't mean you can make $5000 just by trading 10 times your lot size.

You can easily start with only a few hundred dollars, say $500, and use micro lots.   If you are good you will double your account.  If you're a hack, you will lose it all in no time.

Of course the trading psychology changes as you start using lots and you need at least $5000 to weather your drawdowns. 

At most you should have about $25,000 in your account in my opinion.  But again that depends on your strategy and risk reward.  Some people make only a few percent, while others make 10% or more.  Others yet double or triple their account.

You can't base your success on anyone but yourself.  

Do your due diligence and calculate your quarterly and yearly profit, then determine what is obtainable, for you.   In other words if you can make 10% a month then $5000 will not get you far.   If you can make that in a week or day then of course things look brighter.   Always use at least one years worth of your trading results to gauge your gains.  Remember not all days are sunny. There will be rain.  There will be no trade days.  You will be sick.  You will be busy.   Life happens and you cannot trade every single day.   So one years worth of data is needed at a minimum to analyze potential future earnings.

Any money you put in your account you should write off and be able to walk away from.  Don't be a fool and use money you need or max out credit cards.   That's pressure and stress you don't need and you know how life can be sometimes, you can trade perfectly 100 times in a row and that one time you risk more lots is when you make that bad trade that wipes out your account.  

Traveling Day Trader Toolkit

Traveling can be fun but also stressful when you want to continue trading and you lack the essential tools.  What's "essential" depends on your lifestyle, trading style, and personal preference.  Here are mine:

Internet connection -  If you're from North America you take it for granted, but start traveling to Europe or South East Asia and it's not as easy as connecting at your hotel or internet café.   The first thing I do when landing in a new country is to purchase a SIM Card with a good internet package. These days you can get 7 days for like $10 and monthly packages for about $30.  You get a local telephone number as well which is handy and you can tether (share) your internet connection from your Smartphone with your Laptop, Tablet, or other devices.  Personally I prefer a laptop and use an Asus Zenfone 5 just because it's inexpensive, fairly robust, and works well.  The Samsung Note 2 I found great for a while, nice big screen, but costly and it broke easy.  And quite frankly it made me overconfident when trading.  Charts after all look different on a Computer versus your Smartphone.   It also has 2 SIM slots so I can have my "home" SIM card from Thailand and my "travel" SIM card connected at the same time should I choose to.  Last but not least I find mobile carriers' internet connections more secure then some overused WiFi hotspot that everyone and their shady friends have access to.

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) or simply put a dedicated computer that is hosted somewhere in the world and you connect to with RDC (Remote Desktop Connection) for me is a must have.  Once you enter your Server IP Address, username, and password, it looks and feels like your desktop but in fact you are connected to a machine elsewhere in the world that will run 24x7 without major disruptions.  You could try running a computer at home.  I had 6 machines at once running to backtest some strategies, however speaking from experience, if you have a computer at your home, it will either crash, reboot, update, or loose your internet connection, or worse shut down due to a power failure or spike, at the absolutely worst time.  A VPS can run you from $10 to $30 a month and gives you piece of mind and a platform that  is always on.  Plus if you have a slow internet connection, you can still "display" your charts and MetaTrader Trading Platform at slow speeds while the hosted machine is connected to live data at high speed.

Laptop - Sure you can trade on your phone, and sometimes that is all you can work with, but there comes a time that your laptop simply gives you a perspective of your charts that a mobile phone or tablet can't.  For me it's also a matter of convenience.  I like a real keyboard.  Decent size screen, like 13 inches.  And a very fast processor and lots of memory.  In addition I like to surf the web, do research, keep in touch with family and friends, and watch TV Shows & Movies.   I have a second Backup Laptop in case my favorite laptop crashes and I need to get it serviced.  I don't carry it with me, but sometimes on short trips I take my cheaper and slightly smaller laptop with me to save space. Or when I'm going on a trip where I won't be trading I take it for surfing and research.   In addition I have a Media Player Laptop that I traded for a Samsung Camera I wasn't using.  It's older, runs Windows 7 and has 4GB of RAM so it'll do for watching TV and Movies.   This media player laptop might be overkill and not "essential" but to me it's a great addition at "home" when I'm not travelling, and, you guessed it, it's yet another backup laptop in the event I need one.

Tripadvisor - A great travel website where you can check out local attractions and hotel reviews.  Bookings.com is another great website for hotels. SkyScanner is great for finding flight deals.  Last minute or based on solely dates and departure, so you can see what's cheap this weekend or what flights from your current location or maybe your location next week are on sale.    Why is this important for a Trader?  Well first off all you should look at finding a quiet hotel, preferably with a desk or table.  You don't want to end up in some cockroach hotel next to a busy road where you can't sleep at night which will affect your trading.  And when you have downtown, and as a trader, you have ALOT of downtime, you can go exploring the city.

Forex Market Hours - It's easy to get your time zones mixed up when you start traveling or living somewhere other than GMT, ET, or North America for that fact.   Then there is Daylight Savings Time which isn't observed in Thailand for example, so it's always good to get your bearings and figure out when sessions start in your time zone, or soon to be time zoon you are traveling too.  http://www.forexmarkethours.com/  does a great job of displaying the sessions.   You can also add additional clocks to your Windows Clock, and of course you can add the Session start/end times to your Google Calendar which will display in your current time zone.

Forex Factory - Be sure to put Forex Factory on your Smartphone and adjust your time zone when you travel so you can see news event times in your current local time.

Broker Contact Information - In the event you need to call in to cancel Pending Orders or set Stop Losses or Take Profits manually because you can't connect to the internet or your account, have your broker's contact information in your phone.  Google Contacts is great as it syncs between all your Android Devices.   Another reason to have a VPS in the event there is something wrong with your internet or trading platform (MetaTrader).

Some other items you might want to consider:

• Powerbank for your Smartphone if you intend to use your phone a lot.  Take pictures on that hop on / hop off bus tour, and check your trades, upload some pix to Instagram and before you know it you are down to 10%.  The nice thing about a powerbank is that you can use it for all your USB chargers and don't have to thumble between batteries or remember to charge yoru second battery.   In fact you can charge your powerbank and your phone at your hotel at the same time. BTW some hotels cut the power when you leave the room so don't expect to charge devices or keep your computer running while sight seeing.    Expect to only charge your device(s) when you are sleeping.
• Dropbox - The cloud is fantastic for backups, including frequently used files for your Forex Trading, of course it's good for your pictures from your travels too.   If you have a VPS or backup computer it's easy to share files and god forbid if something happens to your laptop while on the road, you can log in to the website and view/retrieve your files.  Should you have to install a new computer you can easily restore all your forex related files too.  Like notes, trading log, indicators, etc.  Shameless add for FREE space:  https://db.tt/CavZkQib
• Copies of Important Documents like your Passport, Drivers License, and International Drivers License.  Use Dropbox to store a softcopy and share with a family member just in case.
• Apropos International Drivers License, get one in your home country and see about getting a  10 year one if you intend to travel for a long time or become an Expat.   I have my Thai Drivers License (Motorcycle and Car) now.  Having an international drivers license also makes it easier to get local drivers licenses.
• Wifi Extender / Hotspot - in the rare event that you have a wired connection in your hotel room then you can use a device such as the D-Link DIR 506L to create a Wifi hotspot, with added security.   I only used it a few times but when I have a wired connection and Wifi is lousy then this sure is a life saver.
• USB Dongle for Ethernet Connection - most laptops nowadays are Wifi only and don't let you plug into a wired connection.  A $10 USB dongle lets you connect your laptop if you need to.
• Mobile Hotspot - if you intend to stay for a longer period of time then you might want to see about getting a Mobile Hotspot from a local wireless company.  You can get USB Sticks for your laptop or small device that broadcasts a Wifi signal.   I had one for a short period but now that I am renting a house long term I have a wired internet connection from the local internet provider which is of course faster.   Having a mobile hotspot is a good backup too.  I still use my phone's internet as backup but might consider getting a mobile wifi hotspot soon.  In monsoon season internet can be spotty and in the event of a power outage you can always rely on Mobile Internet. 
• Noise Cancelling Headphones - I can't travel for too long, be it by air or bus, without these.   Also good for some quiet time when in a busy lounge or just wanting to relax.  Makes trading more fun to crank up tunes and not hear any crying babies or superficial chatter.

The Trend is not your friend

Speaking of the weather.   You know the saying "The Trend Is Your Friend"?   Well not exactly.

The Trend Is Your Fair-Weather Friend

The trend of course is very important when it comes to your trading analysis.  You don't want to swim against the current, however the trend is your Fair-Weather Friend, it can change, currents can change and pull you under.  

In other words, look a little deeper, perform more analysis and be prepared for the trend to change.    The trend might be up but are there major trendlines in sight?  For how long has the trend been up?   Are you approaching fresh monthly, yearly highs?  Is major economic news (think FOMC, ECB, NFP) on the horizon?   All sunny days come to an end.  All rainy seasons dry up.

Rainy Days

Not all days can be warm and sunny.  There will be rainy days.   Right now we have "Green Season" here in Thailand.  Rainy season that is.  For the most part it's sunshine with occasional rain.  But at the moment there is a typhoon approaching the mainland which means here in Phuket there will be more rain and winds.  It's only 25C and despite this being warm or even hot in Western countries, having acclimatized to the 30 to 35C temperatures, I feel cold.  Am I going to go to the beach?  No.  What's my point?

Trading is like the weather.  You can't have all sunny days.  There will be rainy days.   They suck.   Having a bad trade is just as bad.  And when it rains, it often pours.  And when it does there is not much you can do but wait for sun.  Same goes for your trading. Wait it out.  Sit on your hands. Keep busy.   Don't try to make up for a bad trade by placing another trade.  Give it a day, maybe 2, maybe a week.   Chances are your analysis was flawed or the market is volatile, so all you're going to do is make the same mistake.  You're not going to plan a Beach trip when it's been raining all day, are you?

Your Trading Gatekeeper

The Key to Success in Day Trading and in life in general, is good gatekeeping.

Imagine a busy intersection.  Now take away the traffic light.    Chaos.  The flood gates open and things get exciting.  Wild.  Unmanageable.   What is needed is some controls to manage the flow.  Just as you need a good gatekeeper when you are trading the financial markets.

I have a couple students right now that are struggling with this.  They know what they are doing wrong, yet they keep making the same mistakes, or new ones again and again.   They aren't thinking clearly.  Their brain is jammed up.  They are overloaded and they aren't realizing it.    It's like being stuck in a traffic jam and sitting and not realizing that a traffic light to control the intersection will help you get moving. In the direction you want.

What you need to do is establish your routine and create a S.Y.S.T.E.M.  (Save Yourself Stress Time Energy Money).  It will help you control your thoughts, your actions, and put important checks and balances in place to ensure you are focused on trading.  Lets face it, if you are not making pips, if you are making bad trades, you are doing something wrong.  And if you keep making the same mistakes again and again, you will remain stuck.  

Your Trading Gatekeeper
First things first you owe it to yourself to take trading seriously, and that involves more than saying you are serious and turning your computer on to check charts and place a trade.  It requires discipline.  You are your own gatekeeper.

When you set your routine, your checklist, your system, you should:

• Set Boundaries
• What days and what time will you trade
• When is your no trade time
• What Currency will you follow.  Start with one.
• Move/Reschedule other activities around this time
  For example I don't do Yoga or play Badminton when Markets Open
• Know when to trade infront of a Computer in an office versus mobile on your phone
  for example, during prime time trading you might be in your office but in slow times you can monitor your trades on your phone.
   
• Limit Interruptions
• Email
• Facebook
• Private Messaging
• Phone Calls
• Text Messages
• TV, Music, News
• Food
• Kids
• Pets
• Checklist
• Economics Calendar
• Chart Analysis
• Monthly, Weekly, Daily, 4H, 1H
• Trendlines
• Trend vs. Range Markets
• Indicators - like your favorite golf clubs, pick and use consistently
• Study Risk vs. Reward ~ Stop Loss vs. Take Profit
• When in Doubt, Stay Out!
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Write down great "Trade Ideas", Strategies, Things you want to try
• Create Calendar Tasks or Notes to revisit your great ideas later
• Use a Journal to jot down notes or ideas
• Set a time when to do your "R&D" (Research & Development)
• Avoid "tips", Trader Chatter, or any kind of social sites all together
• Live vs. Demo
• Do NOT use your Live Account to try something new or gamble based on a hunch or feeling. 
• If you haven't gone live yet then do NOT use your demo account for anything other than to trade your established strategy
• Do NOT switch between Live and Demo. Set boundaries. Keep it simple.

The best Gatekeeper is YOU.   You need to set boundaries and control your environment so you can focus.   Day Trading is easy BUT... and this is a big one....  You need to TAKE IT SERIOUS!!  Focus. Be precise. Follow your trading plan and strategy.  Just because you know it works doesn't mean it will work. You need to work at it and be your own gatekeeper!

September September We Always Have Fun Remember

After a couple months of relaxing on the beach, traveling, and enjoying life, I'm back to trading Forex again.  September is a great time to do so.  The summer months and vacations are over.  Kids are back in school.  And business starts moving again.  So does the market.

I typically trade September to mid December, take Christmas off and then trade again mid-January to about Easter, take a short break and then trade until mid-May.  It's almost like being back in school.  Except it's less work, there is no homework, and the hours are pretty slack.

I trade only 3 days a week and for a couple hours on those days.

Most traders and noobs spend too much time infront of their computer and not enough living life.  Some spend too much time worrying about when to trade and don't take advantage of the prime times to trade.

Hope you have a great September.  I know I will :)