When I cracked open my laptop to begin writing this post, the “Opening Bell” rang inexplicably. My thinkorswim software is running in the background and I guess it felt the need to remind me that the stock market opened at 9:30am ET yesterday. Talk about serendipity… My intention is to barf out on the page […]
Since the middle of April, I’ve been to New York for three conferences and one in Chicago: The CMT Annual Symposium, Stocktoberfest, The Chicago Trading Show, and the Benzinga Global Fintech Awards. While the first was an annual gathering for some of the smartest and most influential minds in the technical analysis world, the latter […]
I’m going to disappoint the options eggheads with my opinions here, because I’m going on gut feel. I haven’t done any exhaustive research. I haven’t done any volatility skew analysis or 3D modeling. I haven’t reviewed seasonality patterns, or dug deep into open interest imbalances. No, I haven’t done any of that. Simply trusting my […]
[There is an update to this story at the bottom of the post, skip ahead if you’re already read the first part] I caught up with a trading friend of mine in Denver this afternoon to chat about what we’re seeing in the markets these days. After the usual swapping of the usual stories of […]
I’ve often been intimidated about going to NYC and interacting with Traders I perceive to be “smarter” or “more sophisticated” than me. New York and Wall Street have an aura about them. One earned over two centuries and perpetuated by romantic stories in the press and in classic books about various “Masters of the Universe” […]
[originally published on August 16, 2018 on medium] In a year filled with many frustrations on several fronts, one area that actually has been going well for me — tactically — is trading. In spite of what many may have assumed after reading my recent post about the unspoken career risks that Traders often unknowingly take on, I haven’t blown up […]
[originally published August 9, 2017 on medium] …and regrettably, I did nothing about it. Tuesday: I’m the Manager of a small but growing hedge fund that has so far delivered performance to my investors of +58% in the 18 months since inception — after my customary “two and twenty” percent management & performance fees. Rock star returns. Wednesday: I’m […]
[originally published August 2, 2017 on medium] Sometime during March or April 2000, I hand wrote a check for $50,000. Writing out “fifty thousand and 00/100” and scribbling my chickenscratch signature was a surreal experience. This was by far the largest check I’d ever written (then and now!). And as I sweated through tearing the […]
[originally published May 8, 2017 on medium] No it’s not a trade gone wrong, a risk poorly managed, a missed opportunity, or a job or partnership I should or should not have taken. I have regrets in all those areas, for sure. But the number one thing I regret and wish I could go back […]
I started trading stocks in 1998 during the great “internet bubble.” 4 years later, I got interested in trading futures, and 3 years after that I started trading options which I’ve been doing primarily ever since. I’m often asked why I trade options these days? And it’s usually obvious the asker is thinking that I’ve […]