Online Trading : Stock, Currency, Options

Trading Concepts: Hi, my name is Anna Coulling and I live in Essex in the UK with my wonderful husband David and only daughter Sarah. Welcome to my online trading and investing site which I hope will introduce you to some of the basic stock, forex and options trading concepts.

Having been married almost thirty years, I am as passionate about my husband as I am about the empowerment of women. I care deeply that women should not shy away from trading and investing in the markets, through fear or because they are so male dominated. Women can make informed decisions for their own financial futures, which is why I have developed this web site, to try and redress the balance, and to offer a site where you can ask me any question about the financial markets, which will always receive a simple and straightforward answer. Please just complete the Ask Anna form and I will answer as soon as possible.

Online Trading Concepts : Forex Trading Blog

If you wish to follow my own trading and personal views on forex,  please click on my trading blog above. This covers my currency trading, but I do comment on more general aspects of trading and investing so even if you are trading other markets, it does have useful comments, advice and news.

Online Trading Concepts : My Trading Experience

I am now a full time online forex trader working from home, but started investing and trading nearly ten years ago. I began, because at the time I was working for someone in the industry, whose response, when I asked if he could explain something was, " if I tell you that then you'll know as much as me". I took the decision there and then to learn for myself. I made many mistakes along the way, and wasted thousands on training courses run by so called experts. I have also lost money (and thus learnt how to trade safely the hard way), and have traded everything from simple UK and US stocks, to options, futures, indices, and derivatives. Over the years I have used traditional brokers, as well as discount and direct exchange online brokers.

I trade forex online, not because I am advocating this as a starting point for you, I am not, but simply because it suits my personality and is where I feel most comfortable. If you look at the next page, Start Trading, it will give you a roadmap of what I think is a sensible way to start in the markets, moving from lower risk to higher risks in small steps. Naturally this is only a guide, and you may feel that five years is too long. Many enquiries I receive are from people who have rushed in to the markets, and promptly suffered large losses, and then ask for help and advice. This happens in all markets, but particularly those in leveraged markets such as derivatives, currency and options. The worst is penny shares - you may wonder why? - the answer is quite simple. The market appeals because it holds the promise of huge gains from small investments. After all, who could fail to be seduced by the prospect of a share at 5p going to 50p. If we buy 10,000 shares, then in a few months we will be sitting on profits of 4,500 pounds for an initial outlay of 500. What could be easier!

I remember a journalist in the Times, who gave up his job some years ago, and decided to see if he could make a living as a day trader, trading penny shares. He reported weekly on his progress in the newspaper. By the end of the year, he had managed to lose tens of thousands, simply buying ever larger volumes of low value shares, which promptly fell further. One I remember in particular was Pan Andean, which he was buying at around 32p. He was convinced that the company was about to discover huge oil resources, and the price would rocket. The price today is around 12p - the last I remember he had been forced to sell the house to pay off the debts. Remember, there is a reason that shares are valued at pence -they are worthless!!

Online Trading Concepts : My Trading Philosophy

Whatever I do, I try to keep it as simple as possible. My hardware is a standard laptop with a broadband connection, and for my charting I use very cheap end of day data ( more later) of free live charts for my online Forex trading. I have read a huge number of books on trading and investing, and whichever market I am studying, I always start small, and build up slowly. Having a trading plan is the key to success, along with simple money management rules.

Online Trading Concepts : Women As Traders

So why have a web site dedicated to women traders - very simple - research now suggests that women make better traders and investors for two principle reasons :Firstly, women tend to take a more balanced, low risk approach as opposed to higher risk strategies more commonly favoured by male investors. Secondly, the research suggests these women’s investment choices were not made using in-depth financial knowledge, but through simple common-sense approaches, based on their every day experiences.

Finally, if you learn nothing else from this site, please remember this - online trading and investment is about simple money management. You are in this to make money, not for excitement. Managing risk is about managing your money and understanding the level of risk you are taking. Using simple techniques will ensure your long term survival. Lose all your money and you are out of the market. As Aaron Brown (VP at Morgan Stanley wrote recently) - " most people take too much risk. They don't  think about it and don't know how to deal with it" In drawing comparisons with the poker industry, Brown offers three rules for risk management : "choose your risk carefully, prosecute your opportunities aggressively and always be willing to fold". Are these rules applicable in finance? Of course they are. The financial markets are, says Brown, "mostly simple" - "people are making it complicated because they want you to do something you shouldn't do!" Brown castigates both governments and many finance 'professionals' for misleading people.

In summary, I have developed this site to give women the confidence to start learning to trade and invest safely online, in stocks, shares, equity options and currency, using Japanese candlesticks and charting analysis. In simple terms, trading and investing online is about one thing only - managing risk! This site is an introduction to the subject and some of the online stock, options and forex trading concepts - nothing more!

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