Ever wonder how some people seem to be able to make money in the
market no matter what?
Why some people are successful enough where they can trade for a
living?
For some, it seems like a dream, akin to fantasizing about being in
the movies or winning the lotto.
But for others, it's not a dream. It's what they do. And there are
way more people doing it than there are famous actors or lottery
winners.
But it didn't just happen overnight. It took hard work and
dedication. But for most, it was likely a labor of love.
What's interesting is that in most fields where people have reached
a high level of success, you'll find that it doesn't necessarily
take extraordinary smarts or some ultra-special talent to make it.
It's really just about doing things that have proven to work and
then doing them over and over again.
The key is knowing what works.
But you don't need to know everything that works. Just some things
that work.
(And at the same time, stop doing things that don't work.)
You Don't Have To Reinvent the Wheel
The Zacks Rank is one of the best rating systems out there. Over
the last 26 years, the Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks have shown
an average annual return of 26% a year, beating the S&P 500 in
23 of the last 26 years. That means, annually, you're beating the
market more than 88% of the time.
That's a spectacular track record. And that one item alone could
help an investor transform his or her portfolio.
More...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Self Investors Wanted
Now you can be among a few investors to master the full
market-tripling power of the Zacks Rank. Learn how to make money no
matter which way the market is headed. No matter what your trading
style is. In the comfort of your own home. On your own time. With
winning stocks you find yourself even before the Wall Street gurus.
Special opportunity ends this Saturday, November 17.
Learn more now>>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get Specific
Once you've decided to become a better trader, you need to define
what that means.
'Making more money in the market' is a fine affirmation. But how
much money are you trying to make each year? What percentage gain
are you shooting for?
For example, if you decided to eat better, that's a great decision.
But what does that mean? Before you go to the store, you'll need to
decide what kinds of foods you'll buy more of, and what foods
you'll buy less of.
If your goal is to lose weight, how many calories will you eat per
day? Essentially, you'll be creating a meal plan to help you
accomplish your goal. Without that, your decision to eat better is
only a wish, rather than a real plan.
This is true for anything. And the same applies to trading.
If your goal is to make 15% a year (baby steps -- the Zacks Rank
#1's average 26%), how will you do it? How much will you need to
make each month to accomplish this goal?
If 15% a year is your goal, then you'll need to average 1.2% a
month for a compounded return of 15%. If your goal is 20%, then
you'll need 1.5% a month. For 26%, you'll need 1.95% a month.
Execution
Now you have to put that plan in motion.
From the list of roughly 220 Zacks #1 Rank stocks, you'll then
select which ones are right for you.
Are you a Momentum trader or a Value investor? Are you interested
in Aggressive Growth stocks or maybe Growth and Income combined?
As soon as you decide what type of trader/investor you are, it'll
be easier to find the stocks you're looking for.
Think about the last car you bought. Once you decided what kind of
car you wanted, you probably started seeing them everywhere. They
didn't just magically appear. They were always there. You just
became aware of them.
It's the same with stock picking. Once you know what you're looking
for, they'll become easier to find.
This will keep you on track. As long as your stock picking is in
alignment with your trading style and your goals, it will help you
get into the right stocks, and keep you out of the wrong ones.
Something Extra
Of course, markets don't always go up.
A good trading system should help you outperform the market in both
good times and bad.
But sometimes, there are special situations that can be best taken
advantage of through the use of Exchange Traded Funds (
ETFs
), options and even shorting stocks.
The trader who is knowledgeable about these types of products, and
how and when to use them, can take their trading to an even higher
level when these opportunities present themselves (like now).
Trading Plan
Whatever your trading goals are, whether it's to trade for a living
or earning x% per year on your investments, the time to begin is
now.
Put your trading plan together.
You don't need to be the next Warren Buffett to succeed. You just
need to do a handful of things right. And the commitment to do them
over and over again.
You can do it.
And we can help.
To get started, you may want to look into our
Zacks Method for Trading: Home Study Course.
This interactive program includes online courses that guide you to
better trading step by step. In it, we go over in detail how to
identify what kind of trader you are, how to find those stocks with
the right style characteristics, and how to trade them so you can
consistently outperform the market. It also goes over some of our
best performing strategies from all of the different trading styles
and shows you how to create your own.
If you're interested, be sure to check it out now. To encourage
immediate attention during today's turbulent market, we're making
the program available to you at its lowest-ever price. But this
arrangement ends this Saturday, November 17.
Click here to learn more.
Thanks and good trading,
Kevin
Zacks VP Kevin Matras is our chart patterns and stock screening
expert. He runs the Research Wizard and personally developed many
of its built-in market-beating strategies. He also directs the
Zacks Method for Trading: Home Study Course.
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment
Research