The second method of Backtesting is performed manually and visually by the trader. The trader would take the historical data and scroll back in time on a chart and manually apply the trading strategy as if it was in a real time environment.

How to eliminate the hindsight factor while doing manual Backtesting? The trader would advance the chart bar by bar in order to refrain from seeing price action subsequent to the trade at hand. This eliminates trading in hindsight that is detrimental to an objective backtest.  Read more... (555 words, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

October is the month in which the most infamous crashes historically took place. The party starts in December and continues in the early part of January with some hangover effect. So what is the January Effect?  Read more... (633 words, estimated 2:32 mins reading time)

Investing and investments are usually if not seen as a “risk versus benefit” analysis structure. Some people live to gamble , others live to invest. Look at the long lineup at the information booth at your local shopping mall. These people put their hard earned money down gladly for a chance at the big one “the lotto” , the Irish Sweepstakes or the state or provincial lotteries. Yet if asked these same “investors” would scoff at the concepts of making their life’s fortune on forex – foreign currency trading.  Read more... (494 words, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

Multiple time frame trading is a trading method used extensively by forex traders. It involves the use of multiple timeframes. In this method, a trader first looks at a longer timeframe like a monthly or weekly chart to determine the overall direction of the trend.

Professional traders always use multiple timeframes. Multiple timeframe trading means using three or more timeframes in your trading. You as a trader decide to drill down to a shorter timeframe like the daily or 4 hourly chart to look for dips or pullbacks in the trend if you find a decisive long term trend on this timeframe.  Read more... (628 words, estimated 2:31 mins reading time)

Beginning with the main Pivot Point that is calculated from the previous day’s key price points, the resulting support and resistance are subsequently derived from the following calculations. How is the pivot levels calculated? Beginning with the main Pivot Point that is calculated from the previous day’s key price points, the resulting support and resistance are subsequently derived from the following calculations:

Resistance 1 R1 = 2PP- Previous Low. Resistance 2 R2 = PP + (R1-S1). Resistance 2 R3 = Previous High + 2(PP-Previous Low).

Main Pivot Point PP = (Previous Low + Previous High + Previous Close)/3.  Read more... (737 words, estimated 2:57 mins reading time)

Divergences are often used as important trading signals. But it doesn’t mean that divergences will always predict a reversal correctly. Price oscillator divergences have long been acknowledged by technical traders as a solid indicator of potential price reversals. Well defined divergences particularly on the long term charts can be surprisingly accurate in many instances.

Catching a major price reversal at the correct time can be so profitable that only a few accurate divergence signals are needed to offset the inevitable false signals. Price divergence oscillators can be spotted with just two elements on the price charts.  Read more... (532 words, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)

Markets tend to react to the outside events. Markets react to the seasons. Markets react to holidays. Markets react to political crisis. Markets are what the people are thinking. The day before the Presidents day is the worst day and the day after the Easter is the worst day after. However, you should keep in mind that a lot of other factors also come into play and you have a lot of room for error. The next best holiday bets are the Labor Day and the Memorial Day because they fall before the first day of trading in September and June respectively.  Read more... (604 words, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

Knowing the major market cycles is important for you and your trading system. Each market cycle requires a different approach from your trading system. There are four major market cycles. Adapting to market cycles can improve your profitability.

So you need to understand how to determine market cycles if you want to become a successful trader. Lets discuss these market cycles now. The four major market cycles are: 1) Trending, 2) Consolidating, 3) Breaking out of a consolidation and 4) Corrective.  Read more... (638 words, estimated 2:33 mins reading time)

The stock market is full of sayings like, Sell in May and go away, as well as the conventional wisdom about the, summer rally, the Santa Claus rally, the dark days of autumn, the presidential cycle, and so on. So the first question that comes to your mind is that are these seasonal cycles real in the markets and how you can time your trading with these cycles?  Read more... (550 words, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)