The fast paced world of trading excites us - buyers vs. sellers, large capitalized players vs smaller and quicker/nimble players, etc.However we at Trade-Ideas recognize that for many in the investing public, trading twenty or thirty times a day is a lot - completely alien. That's why our tools are also made for longer-term traders.Let's define some terms first.The difference between day traders and swing or position traders is length of trade: the day trader exits position by the end of the trading day. Longer-term traders ride the position for a couple of days or weeks.How can a real-time intra day scanner be used to find longer term trades?

We asked them (our surveyed customers) and they responded. Trade-Ideas focuses on getting the longer-term trader through the best initial entry point and getting him/her to the next day and beyond. That's

...

Are you tired of being spoon-feed trades without knowing how to come up with the ideas on your own? Many traders fall into the trap of being fed the fish but never really knowing how to go about fishing on their own. This post and next week's aim to fix that.

The Words that Would Not Go Away

I've had a mental breakthrough recently about something that Dr. Brett Steenbarger lodged into my mind during one of my Chicago visits at his office. How could he have known that this thought would percolate in my head for so long?

Well I finally am able to pour it out by applying his trading approach to the suite of tools we offer here at Trade-Ideas - using The OddsMaker.

Creating and Testing Themes in the Market

The market is always giving answers to traders. If you don't ask the right questions, it sounds

...

Yesterday I participated in a great day of trader education organized by Tom Busby and the folks at DTI and sponsored by optionsXpress.My presentation discussed the best way to develop a theme about the market and test whether and how much profits can be made using our backtesting tool, The OddsMaker. It was a great discussion and it gave me personal satisfaction that I am finally able to put into practice advice that Dr. Brett Steenbarger gave me many months ago. Tomorrow I will start a small series on how I'm using The OddsMaker in this way.

Below are some of the questions (and my answers) the group asked during the show:Q: [11:35] Zoo the new guy: If I already just opened an OXPS (optionsXpress) account may I use the discount?A: You are referring to our special pricing subsidized by OXPS for new

...

Figuring out exactly what the market will do at the very next moment is tough to do. Understanding what mood the market is in, however, proves to be not only easier, but eventually leads to better accuracy about what comes next.The beauty of Trade-Ideas' tools is that you get to ask and answer your questions about the market's mood.Trade-Ideas allows you to develop any theme or behavior about the market like,"Are recent new lows enticing buyers?""Do bounces in this market have strength or are they dead cats?""Do any of these themes behave differently in the afternoon than in the morning?""What are the odds of a winning trade on any of these themes in the market right now?"

Aren't these better questions to be asking than "Is this stock going up or down?"

Subscribers who use The OddsMaker (our event-based backtesting tool) already know how to answer

...