Steve Palmquist

Author of ‘The Timely Trades Letter’ and ‘How to Take Money from the Markets’

During 20 years of active trading experience I have researched, tested, and analyzed a number of trading systems and techniques. Some have shown promising results, some do not. I add tools to my trading toolbox based on their effectiveness. Trading systems are not effective because Aunt Millie or uncle Bob told you about them, they are effective because they work. One way to know if a trading technique works is through testing to see how different time periods, market conditions and parameters effect trading pattern results.

Making money in the stock market requires knowledge of what to trade, when to trade, and a variety of trading tools designed for different market conditions. Just as a carpenter will use several different tools when building a house, traders will use different tools to build their account. Using the same trading tool in all situations is like trying to build a house with just a hammer. Carpenters have tools designed for specific jobs, and so should traders.

The successful trader has a tool box with a variety of trading tools for use in different market conditions. The trader, like the carpenter, must go beyond just acquiring the tools. Traders must understand which tool to use for a specific task, and have a clear understanding of how the tool works, and what can and cannot be done with it.

Some tools, like a screwdriver, are fairly easy to learn how to use. Other tools, like a table saw, require a lot more training and experience to get the most out of. Most carpenters serve an apprentice period where they work with, and learn from, someone with years of experience. It is amazing how many people will just start trading their hard earned money without ‘learning the trade’ first. Understanding how to trade requires the ability to recognize basic trading patterns, and also knowledge of the market environments in which they work best.

There are no perfect trading systems, no matter what those slick brochures we all get in the mail say. Trading is a statistical business where it is important to manage risk. Every trading system has a certain percentage of winners and losers. Examples of six complete trading systems and how they perform in different market conditions is covered in ‘How to Take Money from the Markets’

There is no magic to trading. It is about putting the odds on your side and not trading unless they are. This sounds simple, but it takes…

a few years to get good at it. And like most things, while you are learning it is best to work with someone. The learning time is long because traders have to see how things behave in different markets, and learn to trade the odds and not their feelings. See www.daisydogger.com for more information on my trading experiences.

The market will not adapt to us, we must adapt to it. Active trading in a narrow range presents higher than average risk. Traders can compensate for higher risk market conditions by trading fewer positions and using smaller position sizes. Failure to do this can be costly.

I cannot control what the market does, so I have a plan for whichever path it picks and then trade the plan.

Successful trading is not about predicting what the market is going to do. It is about knowing how to react to whatever it does.

Always be thinking about taking and protecting profits.

You do not need to trade every day. Let the setups come to you and take the best ones. When the market is moving there lots of good setups to trade. If there are few setups, or most are failing, then listen to the message of the market.

Never enter a position without a plan for exiting.

Steve Palmquist a full time trader who invests his own money in the market every day. He has shared trading techniques and systems at seminars across the country; presented at the Traders Expo, and published articles in Stocks & Commodities, Traders-Journal, The Opening Bell, and Working Money.

Steve is the author of two trading books: “Money-Making Candlestick Patterns, Backtested for Proven Results’, in which he shares backtesting research on popular candlestick patterns and shows what actually works, and what does not.

“How to Take Money From the Markets, Creating Profitable Trading Strategies” in which he uses the results of extensive backtesting techniques to smash trading myths and get to the truth of what has worked and what has not. The book provides six fully analyzed and tested trading systems and shows how they have performed in different market conditions.

Steve is the publisher of the, ‘Timely Trades Letter’ in which he shares his market analysis and specific trading setups for stocks and ETFs. To receive a sample of the ‘Timely Trades Letter’ send an email to sample@daisydogger.com. Steve’s website:www.daisydogger.com provides additional trading information and market adaptive trading techniques.

Steve Palmquist

Author of ‘The Timely Trades Letter’ and ‘How to Take Money from the Markets’

During 20 years of active trading experience I have researched, tested, and analyzed a number of trading systems and techniques. Some have shown promising results, some do not. I add tools to my trading toolbox based on their effectiveness. Trading systems are not effective because Aunt Millie or uncle Bob told you about them, they are effective because they work. One way to know if a trading technique works is through testing to see how different time periods, market conditions and parameters effect trading pattern results.

Making money in the stock market requires knowledge of what to trade, when to trade, and a variety of trading tools designed for different market conditions. Just as a carpenter will use several different tools when building a house, traders will use different tools to build their account. Using the same trading tool in all situations is like trying to build a house with just a hammer. Carpenters have tools designed for specific jobs, and so should traders.

The successful trader has a tool box with a variety of trading tools for use in different market conditions. The trader, like the carpenter, must go beyond just acquiring the tools. Traders must understand which tool to use for a specific task, and have a clear understanding of how the tool works, and what can and cannot be done with it.

Some tools, like a screwdriver, are fairly easy to learn how to use. Other tools, like a table saw, require a lot more training and experience to get the most out of. Most carpenters serve an apprentice period where they work with, and learn from, someone with years of experience. It is amazing how many people will just start trading their hard earned money without ‘learning the trade’ first. Understanding how to trade requires the ability to recognize basic trading patterns, and also knowledge of the market environments in which they work best.

There are no perfect trading systems, no matter what those slick brochures we all get in the mail say. Trading is a statistical business where it is important to manage risk. Every trading system has a certain percentage of winners and losers. Examples of six complete trading systems and how they perform in different market conditions is covered in ‘How to Take Money from the Markets’

There is no magic to trading. It is about putting the odds on your side and not trading unless they are. This sounds simple, but it takes…

a few years to get good at it. And like most things, while you are learning it is best to work with someone. The learning time is long because traders have to see how things behave in different markets, and learn to trade the odds and not their feelings. See www.daisydogger.com for more information on my trading experiences.

The market will not adapt to us, we must adapt to it. Active trading in a narrow range presents higher than average risk. Traders can compensate for higher risk market conditions by trading fewer positions and using smaller position sizes. Failure to do this can be costly.

I cannot control what the market does, so I have a plan for whichever path it picks and then trade the plan.

Successful trading is not about predicting what the market is going to do. It is about knowing how to react to whatever it does.

Always be thinking about taking and protecting profits.

You do not need to trade every day. Let the setups come to you and take the best ones. When the market is moving there lots of good setups to trade. If there are few setups, or most are failing, then listen to the message of the market.

Never enter a position without a plan for exiting.

Steve Palmquist a full time trader who invests his own money in the market every day. He has shared trading techniques and systems at seminars across the country; presented at the Traders Expo, and published articles in Stocks & Commodities, Traders-Journal, The Opening Bell, and Working Money.

Steve is the author of two trading books: “Money-Making Candlestick Patterns, Backtested for Proven Results’, in which he shares backtesting research on popular candlestick patterns and shows what actually works, and what does not.

“How to Take Money From the Markets, Creating Profitable Trading Strategies” in which he uses the results of extensive backtesting techniques to smash trading myths and get to the truth of what has worked and what has not. The book provides six fully analyzed and tested trading systems and shows how they have performed in different market conditions.

Steve is the publisher of the, ‘Timely Trades Letter’ in which he shares his market analysis and specific trading setups for stocks and ETFs. To receive a sample of the ‘Timely Trades Letter’ send an email to sample@daisydogger.com. Steve’s website:www.daisydogger.com provides additional trading information and market adaptive trading techniques.

a quick overlay of the VIX on the SPY reveals some visual correlations with the VIX. Peaks in the VIX often correlate with bottoms in the SPYand vice verse.

To make use of the VIX as an indicator requires building an indicator using the closing price of the VIX. The EDS code to do this can be downloaded from http://aiqsystems.com/VIXSPY-spread_lasvegas.EDS save this file to c:wintes32EDS Strategies.

To add a custom indicator in AIQ Charts, open Charts and go to Charts, Settings, Indicator Library, EDS Indicators. Clickk on Add, locate the EDS file VIXSPY-spread_lasvegas.EDS in your c:wintes32EDS Strategies folder.

For Plot Type select Histogram with Plotted Line and click next.

For Description I chose VIX with 10-day av.

UDF to Plot is Close_VIX

UDF for line is VIX_10day

Click Finish and then Done.

The indicator VIX with 10-day av will now be available at the bottom of the indicator control panel.

I chose a 10-day average to help smooth out the fluctuations, a 21-day average may also work.

Here’s what it looks like

The arrows on the chart show an interpretation that works well for timing the bottoms of the SPY. I’m looking for theVIX histogram to be 3 or more consecutive spikes above the 10 day average, followed by Change in direction from up to down of the 10 day average. Check it out for yourself and see what you think.