Stock & Options Trading For The Active Investor
As stewards of a financial site, we try to cover different approaches to handling money, and in particular, we look at various ways that people make money in the stock market. We’re primarily long term investors, but even as we advocate indexing and passive investing strategies, we also keep our minds open to trading strategies in order to get a balanced view of the investment world. Ever wonder how traders make their money online? You don’t have to be an aspiring trader to benefit from the material we present here. We’d like to provide you with enriching information that can help you decide whether or not to pursue shorter term investment strategies.
Experts have long advocated investing for the long term for small investors. Buying and Holding for an indefinite period of time has always been a popular stock market investing strategy. Today, however, we have online trading platforms which allow for less expensive commissions in short term investing. Lower commission rates mean that it is less of a disadvantage to invest for shorter, fixed periods. It also means that it becomes much more convenient and alluring for investors to turn to trading as a way of increasing returns. Because of the availability of investment educational material and tools, as well as cheaper online brokerages and trading platforms, the world of stock and options trading has virtually exploded in growth and has entered the realm of the retail investor. Because of this, it is even more important to realize that trading is a highly risky endeavor, and that it should only be attempted after careful education and study. In fact, any type of trading activity that you engage in should be carried on with careful deliberation. Whether you decide to mix buy and hold investments with market timing positions or decide to trade aggressively, make sure you are aware of the kind of risks you are taking on.
So here’s where we dish out on active stock investing and options trading ideas and strategies. Most of the material here is for beginners and medium level investors.
Understanding Stock Sector Rotation & Select Sector ETFs Dec 2011 4
Have you ever considered investing in stock sectors? Here are some thoughts on the phenomenon called sector rotation. While many long term investors may dabble in some level of sector investing for the purposes of diversification, perhaps by using sector specific mutual funds, ETFs, or even individual stocks, others may prefer to introduce some degree [...]
OptionsXpress Review: Stock Investing and Options Trading Nov 2011 14
For a limited time, optionsXpress is offering a $100 cash bonus for all new account sign ups when certain requirements are met. You can find out more details below. I’ve been covering a number of online stock brokers here including the likes of Scottrade, TradeKing, ETrade and many more, as an exercise in discovering which [...]
Quotestream Review: A Real Time Stock Quote Web Service Oct 2011 1
Do you ever wonder where investors get their market and quote data? If you’re a hard core stock trader, you know that being a member of the trading club requires that you have at least two computer screens on your desk, with one showing and tracking streaming market data during all open market hours. This [...]
Head And Shoulders Trading Chart Pattern Jul 2011 1
If you’re old enough, you may remember head and shoulders. That creamy light blue shampoo was the hair product of choice for people who had a problem with dandruff. Who could forget those commercials with the otherwise good looking people with the little white flakes on their shoulders. Head and Shoulders is still around today [...]
Free Stock Trading Education with Trend TV Videos Aug 2010
For traders looking to seek advice from professional traders, look no further than . If you want to learn how to day trade, then read on. In one of my previous posts, I listed one of the key points for successful trading is to find a mentor. This can be somewhat tough if you don’t [...]
Stock Trading For Dummies: How To Profit From Trading Jul 2010 2
The key to successful (and profitable) stock trading is to understand how the market works. If you’re a newbie who lacks the experience and understanding to make educated decisions, then you’re left with two options: guessing (which isn’t a good idea), or better yet — starting out with a few professional trading tips. I, personally, [...]
How To Invest In Shares of Common Stock Jul 2010
I used to think that investing simply meant that you gave your money to some stock broker who worked in an office with a really large name on the front (think Solomon Smith Barney) and that in thirty years, when I’m ready to retire, I would be rich. So, I put off making any kind [...]
Types of Cash Investments & Bond Products Jul 2010
When we talk about investment products, we often mean stocks, options and mutual funds, which many people consider use to fuel their longer term goals. But a portfolio shouldn’t be without some type of representation in the more conservative assets that are responsible for providing stability and balance to your holdings. So while it’s not [...]
Investment Product Classifications: Stocks, Options & Mutual Funds Jul 2010
If you’re just beginning to check out the stock market to begin a “career” in investing and trading, then read on. To facilitate the learning process, let’s take a look at the different investment products that are available for trades. Investment Product Classifications Previously, we discussed some stock market basics. If you’re starting out as [...]
Learning Stock Market Basics Jul 2010 1
MarketClub Trading Software: Free Trial Offer
Susan Cooney, Co-Founder, MahiFX, on Margaret Thatcher and Peppa Pig!
Susan Cooney is Co-Founder and Head of Marketing & Sales at MahiFX, a new proprietary-built foreign exchange trading platform which launched earlier this year and gives retail FX customers access to same tight spreads and cutting edge technology as institutional FX traders.
Prior to founding MahiFX, Susan worked in forex trading at investment banks. In mid 2004, whilst she was working at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein selling e-FX technology to UK banks, Susan was asked by colleagues David Cooney and Tim Cartledge to join the team moving across to Barclays Capital. David was later to become her husband and co-founder.
In 2005 Susan was asked to recruit and head up a new team to expand Barclays’ institutional e-FX sales efforts in Europe, where she took the controversial approach of hiring people based on their character, rather than experience. In what was probably an Investment Banking industry first, Barclays backed this initiative and what was jokingly referred to as ‘Barbie’s army’ was born. 8 people were hired from all walks of life. The initiative was a success, which contributed to tremendous growth in Barclay’s eFX market share.
Susan went on to hire teams in Singapore, Hong Kong and the US. Susan’s e-FX career has taken her to many countries of the world, meeting many people and has given her valuable insight into the requirements of an FX trader. Insight that has helped her to contribute to much of the MahiFX functionality.
Susan and David Cooney married in 2008. Shortly after, she left Barclays to concentrate on her family and plan the next step in their careers - building the retail FX offering MahiFX. Susan and David have a 2 year old daughter.
TNW: How did you come up with the idea for MahiFX and then arrive at the decision to turn your idea into a reality?
SC: I have been involved in forex trading since the beginning of my career, working for investment banks. During that time we had some exposure to retail FX trading and could see there were many opportunities to bring the knowledge and experience we gained in the institutional space to retail traders directly.
TNW: What makes your company different from your competitors?
As a market maker we have direct access to the interbank market. By controlling the vertical, we remove the middleman and are therefore able to provide our clients with extremely competitive pricing previously only available to institutional traders.
TNW: What is your business model?
SC: We facilitate client’s ability to access institutional spreads and service through ergonomically designed, intuitive technology.
TNW: When you built your team, what are the key qualities you looked for to ensure the success of your business?
SC: The ability to think laterally and be creative. People with a high le
TNW: Who were your first customers and how hard was it to attract them?
SC: We found we initially appealed to a younger demographic, probably due to our online marketing activities and focus on design. The platform does appeal to the technology and design-led generation. Fortunately our customers are amazingly interactive and continually provide us with invaluable feedback, which helps us develop ongoing enhancements. Some felt perhaps the offering wasn’t quite right for them at that point, but instead of walking away, they told us so we could enhance it, which we are grateful for and incredibly open to.
TNW: Who are your customers and partners now?
SC: There is a great mixture of customers of different ages and countries from around the world. It’s incredible how the Internet makes the world feel so much smaller.
TNW: What is your marketing strategy and what has been the most effective source of new customers so far?
SC: One of the most successful marketing activities we carried out was our teaser campaign that we created while the platform was being built. We created an interactive Infographic to create brand awareness and give people the chance to sign up to be notified when we went live.
Experts have long advocated investing for the long term for small investors. Buying and Holding for an indefinite period of time has always been a popular stock market investing strategy. Today, however, we have online trading platforms which allow for less expensive commissions in short term investing. Lower commission rates mean that it is less of a disadvantage to invest for shorter, fixed periods. It also means that it becomes much more convenient and alluring for investors to turn to trading as a way of increasing returns. Because of the availability of investment educational material and tools, as well as cheaper online brokerages and trading platforms, the world of stock and options trading has virtually exploded in growth and has entered the realm of the retail investor. Because of this, it is even more important to realize that trading is a highly risky endeavor, and that it should only be attempted after careful education and study. In fact, any type of trading activity that you engage in should be carried on with careful deliberation. Whether you decide to mix buy and hold investments with market timing positions or decide to trade aggressively, make sure you are aware of the kind of risks you are taking on.
So here’s where we dish out on active stock investing and options trading ideas and strategies. Most of the material here is for beginners and medium level investors.
Understanding Stock Sector Rotation & Select Sector ETFs Dec 2011 4
Have you ever considered investing in stock sectors? Here are some thoughts on the phenomenon called sector rotation. While many long term investors may dabble in some level of sector investing for the purposes of diversification, perhaps by using sector specific mutual funds, ETFs, or even individual stocks, others may prefer to introduce some degree [...]
OptionsXpress Review: Stock Investing and Options Trading Nov 2011 14
For a limited time, optionsXpress is offering a $100 cash bonus for all new account sign ups when certain requirements are met. You can find out more details below. I’ve been covering a number of online stock brokers here including the likes of Scottrade, TradeKing, ETrade and many more, as an exercise in discovering which [...]
Quotestream Review: A Real Time Stock Quote Web Service Oct 2011 1
Do you ever wonder where investors get their market and quote data? If you’re a hard core stock trader, you know that being a member of the trading club requires that you have at least two computer screens on your desk, with one showing and tracking streaming market data during all open market hours. This [...]
Head And Shoulders Trading Chart Pattern Jul 2011 1
If you’re old enough, you may remember head and shoulders. That creamy light blue shampoo was the hair product of choice for people who had a problem with dandruff. Who could forget those commercials with the otherwise good looking people with the little white flakes on their shoulders. Head and Shoulders is still around today [...]
Free Stock Trading Education with Trend TV Videos Aug 2010
For traders looking to seek advice from professional traders, look no further than . If you want to learn how to day trade, then read on. In one of my previous posts, I listed one of the key points for successful trading is to find a mentor. This can be somewhat tough if you don’t [...]
Stock Trading For Dummies: How To Profit From Trading Jul 2010 2
The key to successful (and profitable) stock trading is to understand how the market works. If you’re a newbie who lacks the experience and understanding to make educated decisions, then you’re left with two options: guessing (which isn’t a good idea), or better yet — starting out with a few professional trading tips. I, personally, [...]
How To Invest In Shares of Common Stock Jul 2010
I used to think that investing simply meant that you gave your money to some stock broker who worked in an office with a really large name on the front (think Solomon Smith Barney) and that in thirty years, when I’m ready to retire, I would be rich. So, I put off making any kind [...]
Types of Cash Investments & Bond Products Jul 2010
When we talk about investment products, we often mean stocks, options and mutual funds, which many people consider use to fuel their longer term goals. But a portfolio shouldn’t be without some type of representation in the more conservative assets that are responsible for providing stability and balance to your holdings. So while it’s not [...]
Investment Product Classifications: Stocks, Options & Mutual Funds Jul 2010
If you’re just beginning to check out the stock market to begin a “career” in investing and trading, then read on. To facilitate the learning process, let’s take a look at the different investment products that are available for trades. Investment Product Classifications Previously, we discussed some stock market basics. If you’re starting out as [...]
Learning Stock Market Basics Jul 2010 1
MarketClub Trading Software: Free Trial Offer
Susan Cooney, Co-Founder, MahiFX, on Margaret Thatcher and Peppa Pig!
Susan Cooney is Co-Founder and Head of Marketing & Sales at MahiFX, a new proprietary-built foreign exchange trading platform which launched earlier this year and gives retail FX customers access to same tight spreads and cutting edge technology as institutional FX traders.
Prior to founding MahiFX, Susan worked in forex trading at investment banks. In mid 2004, whilst she was working at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein selling e-FX technology to UK banks, Susan was asked by colleagues David Cooney and Tim Cartledge to join the team moving across to Barclays Capital. David was later to become her husband and co-founder.
In 2005 Susan was asked to recruit and head up a new team to expand Barclays’ institutional e-FX sales efforts in Europe, where she took the controversial approach of hiring people based on their character, rather than experience. In what was probably an Investment Banking industry first, Barclays backed this initiative and what was jokingly referred to as ‘Barbie’s army’ was born. 8 people were hired from all walks of life. The initiative was a success, which contributed to tremendous growth in Barclay’s eFX market share.
Susan went on to hire teams in Singapore, Hong Kong and the US. Susan’s e-FX career has taken her to many countries of the world, meeting many people and has given her valuable insight into the requirements of an FX trader. Insight that has helped her to contribute to much of the MahiFX functionality.
Susan and David Cooney married in 2008. Shortly after, she left Barclays to concentrate on her family and plan the next step in their careers - building the retail FX offering MahiFX. Susan and David have a 2 year old daughter.
TNW: How did you come up with the idea for MahiFX and then arrive at the decision to turn your idea into a reality?
TNW: What makes your company different from your competitors?
As a market maker we have direct access to the interbank market. By controlling the vertical, we remove the middleman and are therefore able to provide our clients with extremely competitive pricing previously only available to institutional traders.
TNW: What is your business model?
SC: We facilitate client’s ability to access institutional spreads and service through ergonomically designed, intuitive technology.
TNW: When you built your team, what are the key qualities you looked for to ensure the success of your business?
SC: The ability to think laterally and be creative. People with a high le
TNW: Who were your first customers and how hard was it to attract them?
SC: We found we initially appealed to a younger demographic, probably due to our online marketing activities and focus on design. The platform does appeal to the technology and design-led generation. Fortunately our customers are amazingly interactive and continually provide us with invaluable feedback, which helps us develop ongoing enhancements. Some felt perhaps the offering wasn’t quite right for them at that point, but instead of walking away, they told us so we could enhance it, which we are grateful for and incredibly open to.
TNW: Who are your customers and partners now?
SC: There is a great mixture of customers of different ages and countries from around the world. It’s incredible how the Internet makes the world feel so much smaller.
TNW: What is your marketing strategy and what has been the most effective source of new customers so far?
SC: One of the most successful marketing activities we carried out was our teaser campaign that we created while the platform was being built. We created an interactive Infographic to create brand awareness and give people the chance to sign up to be notified when we went live.
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