http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/http://www.fxstreet.com/education/http://mediaserver.fxstreet.com/images/fxstreet-provider-logo1-en.gif7http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-02-08.htmlAs many of you know, my preference for swing trading Commodity Futures are Seasonal Spreads. I have found these to be more reliable and less manipulated than trading outright Futures. Perhaps because we don't place physical stops in the Spread markets, we don't experience the volatility of market participants running stops. Mostly, the reason is that these Seasonal Spreads tend be repeated year after year unless some fundamental reason disrupts the normal cycle. These fundamentals could be:Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:08:18 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-02-08.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-02-01.htmlOne of the reasons many traders gravitate towards trading Futures is the relatively low start-up cost. For example, it usually requires about $30,000 to open a stock day trading account and you must maintain at least $25,000 to keep your day trading status. The Futures market allows you to open an account for as little as $5,000, and best of all, you do not have to maintain that amount. As long as you have sufficient cash in your account to cover the margin required to trade the Commodity, youWed, 01 Feb 2012 06:45:43 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-02-01.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-25.htmlOccasionally, a Commodity offers prices to investors at a deep discount. Many times, there is a reason for a market to be cheaply priced, and we would do well to keep shorting that market. We have all seen a stock that was trading for $80 per share and weeks later, see it trading for $15. Our first thought is this is a bargain because the price has dropped so much. Many brokers call their clients that were put in the stock at $80 and tell them, "If we liked it at $80, then we have to love itWed, 25 Jan 2012 05:55:55 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-25.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-18.htmlTrading can be as simple or complicated as we wish to make it. With all of the information available to traders today, it is very easy to complicate our trading. I would like to show you a relatively simple way to look at the E-mini S&P (ES) and determine if the market is currently trending or in a trading range. When a trader approaches a market, one of the first things they should do is identify if the market is trending or trading in a sideways market. If you know which of these twoWed, 18 Jan 2012 06:36:46 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-18.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-11.htmlI believe that a prime ingredient for success in any endeavor is the right motivation. One question I like to ask new students early on in class is why they want to trade. This question is very important because so many people fail in this business partly because they lack the drive to persist through the inevitable tough times that are derived from trading. The obvious answer to this question of why someone would want to trade is to make a lot of money. My experience with traders that focusWed, 11 Jan 2012 06:48:02 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-11.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-04.htmlHow time flies. It seems like just yesterday that everyone was celebrating the massive rally the market was experiencing in the early part of 2011. At that point, hardly anyone could have foreseen the roller coaster that would be the global markets for the rest of the year. That's because most investors were caught up in the euphoria of the moment, and along with that had become unreceptive to any information that would change the status quo. Something we can count on, year in and year out, isWed, 04 Jan 2012 05:28:23 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2012-01-04.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-28.htmlMany investors have fears of trading the Commodity Futures markets because of the leverage and volatility that can be associated with these markets. This would be the wild hog I was referring to in the title. This does not mean you cannot diversify your portfolio with Commodity products. I would like to show you how you can use Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) to enhance your portfolio in the event of a broad Commodity price increase. Using ETFs removes the risk of losing more than you haveWed, 28 Dec 2011 14:37:40 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-28.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-21.htmlThis business we call trading attracts many types of personalities. For the most part, people that come into the futures arena are usually those individuals that have attained success in some form or another in other parts of their lives. Those accomplishments could have been in business, athletics, academically or in other professional capacities. Because they are programmed for success, the lure of making more money is very compelling. These folks are generally very smart individuals whoWed, 21 Dec 2011 05:40:53 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-21.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-14.htmlOne of the charting differences between Equities and Futures is that some Futures trade for almost 24 hours per day. Once Equities stop trading at 16:00 EST, the last price that a trader sees on their chart is usually the closing price. The next morning when the market opens at 9:30 EST and the price is higher or lower than the previous closing price, then the trader effectively has a gap opening. Before electronic and 24 hour trading came to the Futures markets, we were able to do the sameWed, 14 Dec 2011 05:45:48 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-14.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-07.htmlAs I write this article, the Dow Jones has rallied 490 points. There is no market that was not impacted by the news of the largest central banks reducing their lending rate for currency in an effort to help the European crisis. Even China lowered their mandatory reserve levels for their banks. News like this is good for the trader or investor if they already have a position in the market. The bulk of these moves occur during the European sessions before the United States regular trading hoursWed, 07 Dec 2011 06:15:32 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-12-07.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-30.htmlAs many of you know, my favorite style of Commodity trading is Spread trading. Most traders start out trading Stocks then move into Futures, Forex or Options. For me, my first trade in the Futures market was a Spread trade and then I started trading outright Futures contracts. I knew I was hooked on Spread trading after that first trade and have used them ever since as my vehicle of choice to trade Futures. That first Spread trade was the result of me asking my broker what he had that wasWed, 30 Nov 2011 06:40:28 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-30.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-22.htmlWhile growing up in the seventies, one of my favorite television shows was Kung Fu. The show was about a Shaolin monk named Kwai Chang Caine traveling through the western United States, and the lessons about spirituality, martial arts and discipline passed on to him by his mentor, a blind man referred to as "Master Po." During most shows, there were flashbacks of a Young Kwai Chang receiving words of wisdom from his older mentor. Often, when results in his martial arts training didn't comeTue, 22 Nov 2011 12:32:16 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-22.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-15.htmlCommodity Futures trading is an exciting arena for some traders and an absolute nightmare for others. For many of us, the leverage and volatility that come with the Commodity markets make sense. We understand that to survive in this asset class, we must have goals, a trading plan, discipline, risk management, a strategy with an edge and sufficient funds in our trading account. Other traders who try and learn Commodity trading on their own, or just treat it like a hobby, are finding it to beTue, 15 Nov 2011 12:35:45 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-15.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-08.htmlOne asset category that is not very well understood is what we refer to in the business as the credit markets. In the futures market, these encompass all debt instruments such as U.S. Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds, and are not limited to derivatives of debt issued by the U.S. treasury. The German debt market can also be traded here through most futures brokers on the Eurex exchange. These derivative instruments come with funny names like Schatz, Boble, and Buxl, and finally, the Bund. TheTue, 08 Nov 2011 12:39:55 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-08.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-01.htmlRisk is one of the most important parts of trading that we must master if we are to have a long consistent trading career. A popular saying in the markets is, "Take care of your losses and the winners will take care of themselves." Unfortunately, this is often overlooked by the masses as the statistics of successful trading are rather low. At Online Trading Academy, we emphasize good risk management as much as we show our students core strategies to give them a better chance of success so asTue, 01 Nov 2011 11:36:31 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-11-01.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-25.htmlAs traders, we are required to take decisive action. This is where having a written trading plan will help us to make those rapid decisions when the market conditions set up in our favor. This is why I say you shouldn't need a GPS to place a trade. If you try and make it too complicated, you will obviously not be able to place your trades quickly. Too many confirmations, chart setups and indicators will make you feel like you are lost while driving in a big city with no idea of where you are,Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:46:24 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-25.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-18.htmlAnyone that decides to take trading to a professional level and not just as something "to dabble in" has to decide in what fashion he will engage the market. There are many styles in which traders are told they can profit. For example, some market speculators refer to themselves as "trend followers," while others only jump on trades when the market is exhibiting high velocity, or momentum as it's commonly referred to in the business. Later, we'll explore some of these methods - the pros andTue, 18 Oct 2011 11:47:34 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-18.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-11.htmlWith so many types of traders and trading styles, it is very difficult to say that one entry technique will work for everybody just like no two traders will trade exactly alike because of different factors such as fear, greed, experience level, type of market or asset they are trading, etc. In trading it is extremely important to find strategies and tools that fit your personality and then use them consistently. If your personality is one that does not like to see a series of red candlesTue, 11 Oct 2011 12:20:12 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-11.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-04.htmlMany traders come to the Futures markets after trading in the Equity markets first. There they learn the fundamentals of trading and build a good foundation of discipline and risk management. Equity traders are very familiar with creating symbols for the stocks they are trading or investing. For example, if the trader is trading General Electric, the symbol would be GE. If they were trading Apple, they would use the symbol AAPL. When they start to trade Futures, they notice the symbol has someTue, 04 Oct 2011 12:39:08 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-10-04.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-27.htmlIt seems almost on a daily basis there are news flashes having to do with the state of affairs in Greece. Will they default on the mountain of debt that's caused them to implement severe austerity measures? And if they indeed cannot make their loan payments, what are the ramifications for the global economy? Will the ECB (European Central Bank), or the Germans, bail them out much like the US Central Bank did with our large financial institutions back in 2008? In addition to Greece, theTue, 27 Sep 2011 11:36:19 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-27.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-20.htmlMost traders, when trying to determine if a market is overbought or oversold, rely on an indicator. Some of the more popular indicators are tools used to measure momentum or trends. Popular Indicators: Stochastics Relative Strength Index Commodity Channel Index Moving Average Convergence Divergence And the list goes on and on... These indicators can help you time your entry, but one thing they cannot do very well is tell when a Commodity is too expensive or too cheap in the big picture.Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:56:44 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-20.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-13.htmlThe day I'm writing this newsletter (early Thursday, September 8th) happens to be somewhat eventful for anyone that trades stock index futures. What I'm referring to is a phenomenon unique to the futures markets called "rollover." Rollover day is simply the day that most traders begin exiting the contract that is due to expire and begin trading the next contract which doesn't expire for three months, thus becoming the "front month" contract. Rollover happens on the second Thursday of everyTue, 13 Sep 2011 11:28:38 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-13.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-07.htmlHow about this volatility in the Futures markets that we are experiencing? Some point to events like geopolitical and natural disasters for causing this elevated volatility. Day and swing traders alike are feeling the stress from this added volatility. Regardless of the reasons for this paradigm we are in, one thing is for sure: The risk has not been ignored by the government and the Futures exchanges. The Chicago Mercantile Group Exchange (CMEGroup) constantly monitors this added risk due toWed, 07 Sep 2011 11:50:14 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-09-07.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-30.htmlI started my 24th year of Futures trading this month and have been reminiscing about the path that the Futures industry and I have both taken during this time: Instant fills on electronic platforms compared to waiting minutes to hours for a price fill from the exchange floor No more watching price trade through your limit order in the Bond pits and then calling to ask for your fill price and hearing "unable to fill, still working the order" Computers that now plot charts as far back as 25Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:10:37 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-30.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-23.htmlOn Friday August 12, I was wrapping up a 7 day Professional Trader Stock class in our headquarters in Irvine, California. Sometime after the morning trading session, I asked all the students the following question: "Have any of you felt a sense of panic or dread at any time during this week?” All of them responded with a resounding no. Most admitted, however, that if they had been trading from home, all alone, they most likely wouldn't have been as calm. The reason this is important and quiteTue, 23 Aug 2011 11:41:54 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-23.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-16.htmlThe title of my article is from a bumper sticker I saw on a handyman's vehicle. Basically, he was implying that people who try and fix things themselves without any knowledge of what they are doing usually end up paying more because they cause more damage than the original problem. The result is they resort to calling the experienced and knowledgeable handyman to come and make the repairs. Since the homeowner tried to fix it themselves, there is more damage to repair and the handyman is forcedTue, 16 Aug 2011 11:43:11 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-16.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-09.htmlIt's not news to anyone who follows the financial markets that over the last couple of weeks things have gotten a little hairy for investors. The litany of negative press releases on the mounting troubles in Europe, the weakening US economy, the debt ceiling and all the rest, have cast a pall over market psychology. Conventional wisdom would lead you to head for the hills, or jump into your bunker under these circumstances, but following a panicked herd has rarely produced good results.Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:41:17 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-09.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-02.htmlMarkets are continually in a state of moving from range contraction to range expansion. The purpose of any exchange traded market is to facilitate trade. To do this, the market must search for orders. Unfortunately, for some of us, this search for orders can be when the market makes a new high or low and hits our protective stops we have in the market. During this pursuit of orders, the markets can sometimes become lethargic. While looking for these orders, the market may have a hard timeTue, 02 Aug 2011 12:14:07 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-08-02.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-26.htmlThe first thought conjured up when laypeople hear the words futures trading is that it's pretty much just another form of gambling. They've all heard some anecdote of a distant relative that lost a lot of money trading pork bellies, or the story of how the former First Lady turned a mere $1000 initial deposit into a staggering sum of $100,000 in just 10 months by trading cattle futures. Some find these stories farfetched, and generally think this would not be possible unless there wereTue, 26 Jul 2011 11:24:24 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-26.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-19.htmlMy email inbox has been getting quite full lately, so I'm going to dedicate this newsletter to answering some questions that I felt could be constructive to some of the readers. The first email is from Peter who writes: Hi Gabe, I really enjoyed your article on trends in "Lessons from the Pros." (" Which Trend Really Matters? ") In the past 5 months, I have started trading with the trend more and I have been having much more success in my trading now than just taking reversals. I usually findTue, 19 Jul 2011 12:03:16 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-19.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-12.htmlAll Commodity Futures contracts have an expiration date for which that contract ceases to exist and the trading volume moves on to the next contract month of the Commodity. Unlike a Stock that has no expiration, this creates a few challenges to the Commodity trader. The question soon becomes, "Which chart do I trade Commodities on - Continuous or Contract Specific?" Actually, we will use both, but depending on which contract month you are trading will determine which one to use. Let's defineTue, 12 Jul 2011 12:11:11 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-12.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-06.htmlOne of the most perplexing areas of trading is identifying trends early enough to still have low risk and high reward entries. Every book ever written on trading has told us that we should always align our buying or selling in the direction of the trend, and that this is the key to trading success. In some respects this may be true, however, most of these books fail to make three very critical distinctions. When is it too late to join the trend? What trends are the most important? And when areWed, 06 Jul 2011 11:57:44 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-07-06.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-28.htmlDuring the Commodity classes I instruct, I often hear of traders putting on a swing trade and then being stopped out before the big move starts. Some of this is because of the small risk some traders are willing to take which gets them stopped out by just market volatility. Other reasons are unexpected news, geopolitical or weather issues. Obviously, certain market events can happen and the best planned trade will get stopped out. One thing I learned in my early days of trading aboutTue, 28 Jun 2011 11:24:07 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-28.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-21.htmlThis question can be inviting under the right circumstances. However, in the Futures markets, it could mean you are in for a large move against your position when the market reopens in the morning. Futures Exchanges created rules that will allow certain Futures contracts to trade a limited amount above or below yesterday's close. Once these pre-determined amounts are traded to the next trading day, the market ceases trading in that direction. For example, if you happen to be short the marketTue, 21 Jun 2011 11:51:05 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-21.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-14.htmlMath plays a big part in a trader's life, but not in the way you might think. People that attend business school are first taught to read a company's balance sheet; the fundamentals, as they are called, on Wall Street. Under this evaluation method, the overall financial health of a company is determined by perusing through its books (assuming that what's in the books is legitimate) and an assessment is made as to the worthiness of ownership of its shares. What's the cash flow? How much debt isTue, 14 Jun 2011 11:45:17 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-14.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-07.htmlThere are so many different styles of entering a market at points we feel are of good value. Some of the styles involve placing a resting limit order at a particular price and waiting for the market to come to them. This is often referred to as a "Set it and Forget it" style. Using a style like this is good for traders who do not watch the trading screen all day. Traders can set their entry price and protective stop and know if the risk will be acceptable. One of the drawbacks to this style isTue, 07 Jun 2011 11:40:49 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-07.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-01.htmlRisk, this is something we all try to avoid, but we also know that with risk comes reward. For some people placing their money in T-bills is comforting knowing they have no risk. However, they also get paid very little return for not taking any risk. Futures traders take a lot of risk and have the potential to make huge returns. The key to gaining these huge returns is managing this risk. Obviously, some of the ways we can control this risk is by having a well-written trading plan, trading theWed, 01 Jun 2011 12:03:44 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-06-01.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-05-24.htmlIn a past survey, investors were asked the following question: If you owned three stocks, and of those, one was at a small profit, another was at breakeven, and the last one was sitting at a big loss, which would you sell first? What do you think the majority response was? If you said the shares that were profitable, you are correct. The implication is quite startling: Most investors cut their winners short, and let their losers run. It doesn't make sense, yet it happens day in and day out inTue, 24 May 2011 11:42:34 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-05-24.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-05-17.htmlTwo weeks ago in my piece, " Profitable Trading Can be Simple But Definitely Not Easy ," I warned readers of a couple of markets that were tracking at unsustainable levels. In particular, the speculative fervor in the silver market was off the charts. I like to say that it's OK to run with the herd, but when the herd turns into an angry mob, that's the time to summarily exit that trade. As it turns out, silver dropped precipitously the week of the article, perhaps out of sheer coincidence,Tue, 17 May 2011 11:31:18 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-05-17.htmlhttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-05-10.htmlWith the globalization of the Commodity markets, we need to be aware of Exchange holidays more than ever. Just last month we had the Easter holidays and some traders thought Sunday was the only day that would be impacted by this holiday. When we look at the calendar of Exchange holidays, we find there were three days and multiple countries that were celebrating this holiday. Not only were some Exchanges closed for the entire trading day, some actually closed earlier than usual prior to theTue, 10 May 2011 12:11:37 GMThttp://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/contact@tradingacademy.com (Online Trading Academy)http://www.fxstreet.com/education/related-markets/lessons-from-the-pros-futures/2011-05-10.html