We take many things for granted here in 2016. There are a myriad of ways to trade thanks to apps ranging from ThinkOrSwim to Robinhood supported by the advent of wifi and high-speed internet. Charting and screening tools allow for detailed analysis of securities with the press of a button. The markets can move at a blazing pace for every security out there, and we have the benefit of precise stock pricing to the decimal. None of that was always the case, though. It's easy to forget the internet is a relatively new invention in human history, with its implementation for basic stock trading being as recent as the early 2000s. Before that, the trading floor was handled by what was known as open outcry where a trader had to physically find a person on the floor to take the other side of a trade (think the end scene in Trading Places). Even decimal pricing, which allows for precise pricing of securities, wasn't implemented until as recently as 1999 in the NYSE. Join us in this episode of Trading Justice as Matt goes back in trading history with 30-year trading veteran trader Keith King as they talk about how it was, what the changes were like, and how it is now.  

  There's a joke that teachers are secretly students of what they're teaching since teaching is the best way to learn something and master it. It makes a sort of sense, too; you can't (properly) instruct someone on a subject unless you understand it, and teaching something so another person understands the subject offers the instructor other ways of viewing the subject matter. So it was for Tyler Craig when he started coaching day trading for Legacy education after only six months of practice and instruction for himself. He did have to know the material to properly convey it, but by teaching people different aspects of trading and options theory, Tyler came to appreciate more nuanced aspects of trading as he had to adapt to many varied learning styles. If you feel stuck on a particular aspect of trading, think about how you would convey it to someone else in a way that person would understand. It may just open the door to your own understanding. In this episode, Matt and Tim are joined by long-time trader Tyler Craig to discuss trading education, the importance of mentorship, and taking the steps necessary to improve your life.  

Fear is a motivator, and there are two responses it creates: action or inaction. Action, in attempting to overcome the fear; or inaction, in not knowing what to do, being overwhelmed, or simply trying to avoid the object of the fear. When it comes to finance, curiously, many default to inaction as the default response and pass along the burden of action to those "who know what to do": mutual fund managers and the like. Thing is, mutual funds don't adapt well to tumultuous markets, and are often aggressively bullish regardless of market conditions. This causes the fund to lose value, and folks who've passed the responsibility to the fund managers take the hit. That doesn't have to be the case, though. Educating yourself about the markets and investing can allow you to manage your own finances. Even simple strategies such as covered calls to generate cash flow can have a marked effect on your portfolio and possibly even your checking account. It is absolutely doable, but it does require action on your part. As with any pursuit, it can be overwhelming at first; there's lots of jargon and terminology, and it's your money on the line. To the first point, the terminology is there, but it can be learned. As to the second point, how is that any different than passing your funds along to a mutual fund that will likely not beat the market in performance? It's all about taking that first step for yourself. It can be daunting, but it's worth it; because you're worth it. Further, you don't have to take that step alone. There's this popular misconception that it's dog eat dog in terms of the markets, and everyone's out for themselves. At the institutional level with Fidelity and such, sure. At the individual trader level, though? Not at all! Folks help each other all the time. The market is so mind-bogglingly huge, and everyone's portfolios are so vastly different, that folks assisting each other in trading just makes trading better. Get involved with a trading community (such as the one on Tackle Trading) as you take that first step, and you'll realize it's not as daunting as you first thought. In this episode, Tim and Matt discuss stepping out from the shadow of fear in handling your own finances as well as the current state of the interest rates for the FOMC, BOJ, and CEB.  

  Education is no doubt important. You can't do something until you know how to do it. However, the credentialization of the workplace and overly long degree tracks (including excessive general ed requirements) isn't necessarily the best system. Other countries carry more focused programs such as three year MBA track programs from start of college to finish. Such a curriculum allows students to get the most efficient use of their college time while also getting the exact skillset they want for whatever profession they wish to enter. Curriculum isn't the only problem currently facing secondary education. Spiraling costs of both public and private schools almost mandate a student take loans to even attend whereas said loans are part and parcel part of the inflationary cost. More money available in the system allows colleges to increase the cost, students take more loans to attend, the schools increase costs again, ad nausium. In this episode, Tim and Solon Stephanou talk about the current state of education in the US and abroad, the importance of an entrepreneurial spirit in succeeding, and the current presidential race.  

    Those new to trading can find uncertain markets between bull and bear markets daunting. Prices can fluctuate more than usual from day to day, and the volatility in the market increases the difficulty of wringing risk out of trades. Even a reasonably balanced portfolio can run into trouble when the markets get overly jittery. However, it's not impossible to protect your portfolio with trade insurance: options trading. Selling well-placed options on owned stocks can generate cash flow even if a stock is going sideways or even downward. The real kicker? Options selling does better during periods of high volatility. That's not to say you should start clicking all crazy-like in the option chain tab of your brokerage software, though. Like all trading, risk is still involved. There is a right way and a wrong way to trade options, and if you do it wrong (particularly with unprotected, or naked, options), the risk of a given trade increases, as do the odds of imploding your portfolio. With practice and training, options trading can be a consistent cash flow strategy even in uncertain markets. In this episode, Matt & Tim are joined by serial entrepreneur and trader Rance Masheck to discuss trading in uncertain markets both past and present, and Rance's wending path of financial entrepreneurship that lead him to founding the iVest trading platform. AND! Courtesy of Rance, you can check out the iVest trading platform for yourself with a special offer for Trading Justice fans. Just follow this link and fill out the form to get access to iVest.  

Finding good trades can be a bit challenging even during bull markets. When the bears start lurking back into the market, though, it can feel even harder to do since it seems like everything is going down. Well, there are always winners, even in down markets, and directional trading doesn't care whether it's a bull or bear market at all. It's all about strategy and having a good set of parameters when seeking out new stocks. Of course, different stocks work well for different strategies. Day-to-day movements don't matter as much to investment traders like Warren Buffett, and long-term performance of a stock doesn't overly matter for a day trader. That's not to say, though, that you should ignore the analysis that isn't typically used for your type of trading (fundamental for investing, technical for day trading). Using both in tandem regardless of strategy will help you find winners regardless of what the market's up to. In this episode, Coach Matt is joined by Coach Noah to discuss how to find trades, what the different sectors are up to, and even to delve into what negative interest rate is all about.