MARCH 12, 2010
Cleaning up on eggs
The cleaner has definitely been at my creme eggs.
I should explain first: I used to buy the normal ones but ended up eating half and saving the rest for a little later (about 3 minutes).
Of course what happens is the goo gradually eases out and makes a big mess of whatever it's on.
So I discovered mini creme eggs, can be eaten in one go. Fabulous!
However I had some in the kitchen, two were left in the bag. Later in the day, both were gone!
The suspects could only be: Christopher, Mrs NT, the cat or the cleaner.
The cat and Mrs NT don't like creme eggs. Christopher would have considered it a success to eat them and would have bragged about it. Yes it has to be the cleaner.
Besides she has previous form as I am certain she ate chunks of my Yorkies when I was really into peanut and raisin Yorkies.
I don't really mind. Her job is boring and I think I'd find it hard to avoid the creme egg temptation.
So I now hide them. Buried deep away somewhere. One problem just arose. I just made some lovely tea and was ready for the blissful taste of egg.
But I couldn't find them. But I don't think it was the cleaner, I literally can't find them. I am going to have to get a proper stash box.
The Primark tie has now gone into the cupboard and now at least I have a tie for emergency dress code wearing.
Actually there are two weddings coming up in May so it could come in handy. Don't tell anyone but I find normal English weddings really dull.
The only two weddings I really enjoyed (apart from mine) was an Indian wedding and a Jewish wedding. In both cases everyone knew how to have fun. Those C of E weddings. Yawn.
We're off for a meal and a movie this weekend as babysitter is hired - the rest of it will be spent entertaining the lovely Christopher.
Going out is a bit of a problem for us: with no family backup it's tough! So every bit of time out is treasured...
At last we seem to have made some progress in the ongoing war between Christopher and the aged cat.
Indeed this morning he was actually sitting and stroking her rather than chasing her around. They are gradually making friends. Though he did say if she died, could we have another one.. I think he meant could we have a younger one that moved occasionally..
My new bank card arrived. The strip on it asks you to call a number to "activate" it.
Looks like a security thing - it isn't really, just an excuse to try and sell you extra stuff.
When you phone up you just know the hard insurance sell is to come. It all starts off to warm you up.. welcome, check address etc.. information about the card and then comes..
"Id theft is growing steadily in this country and we can offer you an excellent insurance..." "I am sure you will want to insure your card against theft....."
Of course both these insurances are a complete waste of time and money. If your card is stolen the bank has to refund any transactions made on it anyway.
Oh my goodness, it's the next seminar already! It's on Friday! Looking forward to seeing you all!
Two things to those of you booked in: if you want to fill in one of the questionaires please let me have it by midnight tonight as I'm devising the seminar over the weekend. It's pointless sending it to me after that!
You also all ought to know where you are going, venue details etc. if you don't have them or lost them please let me know...
The event next Friday March 19th is now sold out! However there is no waiting list for last-minute pullouts or transfers so there is a slight chance if you still want to come. If you think you could make it at the last minute let me know and I'll pop you on a reserve list. Sometimes someone can't get the day off after all etc.
Otherwise glad to say I have arranged a date for the seminar after which will be on Friday May 14th at Heathrow!
If you're interested in coming then email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "May seminar interested" in the subject line. If you want on the reserve list for next Friday's send me a mail with "reserve" on it.
I'll then send you details and a full agenda of what is covered. Also more details below somewhere.
My seminars are designed for beginners, dabblers and improvers and deals with everything from how to look for winners, how to research, spreadbetting, level 2 use how to time trades and short, how to use advfn properly and run your portfolio without having to spend money on systems and tipsters.. and tons more.
A lot of the day comes directly from the live markets and I show you many of the tricks I use to get good prices live. And there might even be the odd live trade or 2! E-mail me for details.
The number of emails to me is nearly reaching saturation point and I'm struggling! I'm getting 100s which is lovely in a way but killing me in another.
The main problem is the length of some of them, indeed some run to the length of novels, so, please, help save my eyes and please keep mails to under 150 words.. you can do it! It's close to the stage where I am going to have to say I will answer all mails but those over 200 words will get deleted. Keep them short and sweet, please!!
Also, it's possible the answer you seek from me is already in FAQ's. And do remember I can't discuss individual shares with you as it would be classified as investment advice which I'm not authorised to give.
Spreadbetting firm Tradefair Spreads has upped its offer exclusively to Naked Trader readers to a £100 credit. This offer is exclusive to me and not available anywhere else...
I've been using them for a few weeks to check that I'm happy with the service. As you know I don't take ads or allow referrals on the site unless it's a company I've used and I feel confident about.
What I like about it is it's easy to use, spreads are surprisingly tight on the smaller companies and interestingly an automated stop loss is applied to each trade - so beginners know what their max loss is from the outset.
Anyway they now offer a £100 credit as long as you deposit £100. You get the credit after you placed 5 trades (Terms and conditions apply)
If you'd like to apply for an account with Tradefair Spreads and get the freebie click this link:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/
MF Global offers a free £2 bet on the FTSE to all readers.
To take up the offer either click the MF banner you should find somewhere on this page, or cut and paste this link into your browser and you can sign up online:
http://tinyurl.com/c524ku
Terms and conditions obviously apply
Many of you enjoy the cheap advfn toplists bronze deal through me as do many of you with the cheap level 2. However many of you say you want a half-way house to include real-time share prices always on.
So I'm pleased to announce I've managed to seal a new deal with Advfn for its "Silver" service - that's always on real-time share prices for a good saving (Bronze toplists etc are included in this).
The deal is via me you can save £30 for your first year by paying just £138.06 inc vat via me instead of £167.47.
Just mail me for full details if you'd like it with "silver" in the subject line.
Those of you looking for some extra income could be interested here:
http://www.ei42.com/Nakedtrader/ then click "earn money" on the rhs.
So for free you can sign up and get this shopping site for yourself. What's brilliant is any product you want type it into the search and it will come up with it, which store it is at and where it is cheapest, then buy it and earn commission on your spend!
Everytime you buy anything yourself on your site you get commission.. So if you normally shop online anyway it's a no brainer: just use your own site instead of going direct and get some commission every time you shop.
Then you just get some friends to sign up and get their own site too - when they do online shopping using their mall, you get commission too. Simple as that.
They've just re-published "The Zulu Principle" by Jim Slater who's written a 2008 update at the beginning.
This is a brilliant classic book. Reading this is a real pleasure and it was a great idea to republish.
Jim believes like I do the best gains can come from smaller stocks and in an easy to read style takes you through how to evaluate smaller companies that are about to become bigger ones - he uses some excellent examples.
Really this is a must read for all more longer-term investors or anyone looking to grow their money... a number of you have also written to me about this book and praising it.
Here is the link to buy it:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/167207.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Here's a very topical one: The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets by Peter Schiff.
The book is all about how to keep portfolios up in a down market. He focusses a lot on how to play commodities and win with some sensible advice especially on natural resources and precious metals. He is very much a realist and there is no rubbish here: some straight talking and some interesting strategies.
Everyone who invests should think seriously about keeping portfolios up in bad times so this book should be read.
Well worth picking up at this link:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/271958.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
To order my new book Naked Trader 2 for next day delivery click this link... or the cover of the book top right!
http://books.global-investor.com/books/27120.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
I've had heaps and heaps of praise from many of you regarding The Financial Spreadbetting book.
The book really seems to have helped a lot of you understand spreadbetting a lot more than you did. You say it's really helped you with ideas too. The writer deserves commendation. With the ability to go short so important in these volatile markets, it's a must read. To order click this link... http://books.global-investor.com/books/23307.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Several people have asked me for a recommendation on a book which shows how to study accounts in a reasonably easy way. The one I like the most is http://books.global-investor.com/books/15717.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Robert Leach. Ten crunch questions to ask before buying any company.
It' s a decent easy-to-read book with several key chapters and it's highly recommended. It's one I keep and dip into from time to time. To order, click this link... http://books.global-investor.com/books/15717.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
The best book on charting and easiest read on the subject is http://books.global-investor.com/books/15618.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Alistair Blair. Click here -> http://books.global-investor.com/books/15618.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Another good one is the second edition of http://books.global-investor.com/books/23792.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Peter Temple. Included in this one is how to use spreadbetting, CFD's warrants and trackers to reduce risk. And there are some decent trading strategies too.
This is an excellent book for new investors and also experienced ones. It explains all the things you may not be sure about in the markets and will explain the tools that are there. To order The Investors Toolbox by Peter Temple (new edition) click the following link for delivery in 24 hours... http://books.global-investor.com/books/23792.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Naked Trader Seminar Latest News
Fancy spending a day with me, learning all the ways I have learned over the years to find good shares and play the markets? Well, you can at one of my seminars!
Booking is now open for the next Naked Trader seminar on Friday March 19th
Price is £495 plus vat.
That includes three course lunch, coffees, snacks etc. And most importantly it covers choc bars and fruit gums too.
The seminar is mainly aimed at beginners and dabblers though improvers are welcome too.
Topics covered using live market feeds all day include: Market psychology, level 2 - a simple guide to how to use it for better timing; how to value companies; finding companies that are about to rise. I will also cover techniques for handling events such as the recent meltdown and volatility.
Spreadbetting: How to use it to gain an edge and go short. Market makers - how they work and how to beat them; how to stop losing money and make it instead and plenty more.
How to plan trade entries and exits - how to research companies and understand reports, plus all those niggly questions you always wanted to ask. How to set stop losses and targets. Charts and how to use them.
Also covered: Market maker tricks: How to spot tree shakes and use them in your favour, How to tell when NOT to buy a share. I use live ADVFN all day with lots of level 2 and looks at all kind of live market data.
The idea behind the seminar is SIMPLICITY. I don't use jargon or fancy words - everything is in PLAIN ENGLISH! No question is too stupid and the event is held in a friendly relaxed and supportive environment.
The idea is you will come away from the event I hope a wise and better investor with lots of new ideas. I try and translate complex topics into easy bite size pieces. I also aim for it to be entertaining as well as instructive.
If you are interested please e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "New Year seminar interested" in the subject line and I will send you full details of the event including comments from those who have come to previous seminars and you can then decide whether you would like to come. See you there!
One seminar attendee Clare wanted to write a testimonial about her experiences at the seminar which follows now!
"I've just come back buzzing from one of Robbie's seminars. What a day! He's just brilliant, and manages to pack an awful lot into one day, and with his enthusiastic and humorous delivery the day just flies by. There are no gimmicks, no sell, no "˜get-rich-quick' promises, just his own solid, sound approach which he has learnt over the years and which works.
He shows you how to minimise the risks and maximise the profits and points out the banana skins on the way. Where the seminar really comes into its own is when he teaches using live level 2. Hearing him talk through his thought processes and reasoning is invaluable, and really brings home everything from the book. He has endless patience answering peoples' questions, and really seems to care that everybody understands.
On top of that, you meet some really nice like minded people and swap e mail addresses, you're plied with
chocolates and coffee all day, have a great lunch and spend the evening getting tiddled with Robbie in the
bar afterwards! You might even get to see the amazing crocodile boots . . . .
Don't worry about the cost, it's easily worth it, and you'll soon make it back with your new-found investment skills, and in what you're no longer losing. If you're thinking of going along to his next seminar, whether you're a novice or an experienced trader, don't hesitate ""just go!
Thanks Clare, did you want the tenner in cash, or will a cheque do?
Exclusive One Point Spread, £250 Cashback Offer
Still a massive response coming in for the sensational 1 point indices spread offer plus £250 cash back on losses - my mail box continues to be full of enquires - don't miss out!
I have arranged a deal with a spreadbet company that gives you just ONE POINT spreads on all the major indices and very tight spreads on everything else. A one point spread is just amazing and you can use it on the FTSE, DOW, Nikkei etc...
Not only that, I can offer those of you interested a fantastic £250 cash back on any realised spreadbet losses made within your first 8 weeks. That means you get back any losses up to £250 which could come in extremely handy.
If you'd like the details of this offer just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "£250 cashback offer" in the subject line. This really is a great offer which will have a limited lifespan so if you want it, get cracking!
£100 Tradefair offer
So there's now a £100 credit on offer for anyone opening an account via me. You get that after 5 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply)
To get the offer, click here:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/
Naked Rambling
So supermarkets were "tricked" into taking battery farm eggs and selling them as organic were they?
One would wonder how they thought they were getting the eggs so "cheep" (Sorry!)
Surely they should have visited a farm or two and run some checks into it? I tend to wonder sometimes about organic labelled food and how organic they really are...
You've got to hand it to John Lewis - a set of fabulous results and its partnership employment ethos works so well.
Thing is if you go to a branch you just know the assistant really wants to help you because the assistant gets a bonus at year end based on the company's results.
So they are knowledgeable and helpful especially if you're after complicated electrical goods.
Now compare and contrast with say PC World or House of Fraser. There the assistant's only interest is in selling you "insurance". They know little about the products and couldn't care less.
In fact it's hard to leave one of these stores without being flogged expensive and unneeded insurance. So, go to John Lewis!
The BA staff should think carefully about strike action. They may simply be playing into management's hands.
Although I do think the BA service is great and cabin crew cuts may hurt that as a business it has to move with the times and simply has to cut costs to survive. The strikers may find themselves out of a job totally.
What a fascinating and moving documentary on C4 last night about boys applying for scholarships at Harrow School.
11 bright kids whose parents can't afford the fees battle it out to get a place there, free. Three lucky lads got in. One ten-year-old was simply amazingly bright.
You have to applaud the man who stumps up the money (£200,000 per place) to enable this to happen - and it's also good for a school like Harrow to take on kids from lower income families.
Good old Prince Philip - he just can't do the smalltalk. He asked an army cadet if she did any other work. She said she worked in a club.
"Oh, a strip club?" he asked. When she said no he said. "Yes, a bit cold for that at the moment..." You gotta laugh.
If you press "Sports" there is a preview of the weekend's sports betting action and a look at the weekend games.
Get to grips with sports spread betting by opening an account with Sporting Index. . Click the link below to find out more.
For the next week they're offering a £100 credit for any new accounts openend, see terms and conditions..
http://www.sportingindex.com/?tpid=6755
Do remember if you do bet you ought to treat sports spreadbetting as entertainment - and expect to lose! Also with spreadbetting work out what your max loss could be and make sure you can afford it! In other words if you say backed the favourite at 15 for a fiver and they come nowhere your max loss is £75.
Naked Mail
I wish to thank you for a really fantastic seminar. Compared to the average newspaper pundit//broker/analyst you're worth your weight in gold. Sorry, even better, make that platinum not gold!
It was great to be able to witness you at first hand going through the actual nuts and bolts of your methodology, your thought processes even. And then, watching you trading and giving us access to your real time trading accounts as you trade. You're a very inspiring, generous, accessible and completely down to earth bloke. All in all, that seminar was a masterclass.
Thanks Michael - good to meet you and good luck.
Dan writes:
A big thank you for the seminar, you're an absolute trooper to keep
going to such an unsocial hour, especially with the last bunch of us
propping up the (closed) bar! It's a new record for you, although I
think I'd keep that one a secret otherwise your next seminar might be
a 24 hour bender!
It was a great day, really informative and yet strangely relaxing! Met
some very interesting characters and now just hoping I don't get a
case of amnesia, and forget the whole lot before I start trading. If I
do I know where to come.
Hope we didn't drain you too much and you get some TLC and chill out
time with your lovely wife Elizabeth and Christopher over the weekend.
I'll keep you posted should my trading take-off otherwise if you never
hear from me again I've probably packed it all in, and emigrated with
a lovely Swedish girl to live in a log cabin!
well, I hope you get to that log cabin and you and Swede will end up happy together...
Andy writes:
It was great to hear how much you all enjoyed South Africa as it brought back some good memories. I went in '94 to see a friend who was working in Cape Town. I had 4 weeks there and enjoyed every minute. We spent the first and last week in and around Cape Town, plus two weeks on the 'Garden Route'.
I agree having someone to show you around is a huge bonus. Some of my favourite things were: Drinking Mitchell's beer at the Waterfront, which is made using a combination of bitter and lager yeasts (later we visited the brewery in Knysna), catching the train down to Simonstown & visiting the Naval Museum, seeing the Penguins at Boulders Beach, drinking at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, driving scenic Chapmans Peak drive, wine tasting at Stellenbosch vineyards, the botanic gardens at Kirstenbosch, climbing the Lion's Head, canoeing on the Breede River, camping at Addo elephant park, driving over the Swartberg Pass with Massive Attack on the stereo, visiting the Kango caves, whale watching at Hermanus, chilling out at Tsitsikamma National Park ... and so much more. No wonder you're going back next year!
Hi Andy you remind me I can't wait to return but have to wait till December!!
Barry writes:
Alistair writes:
I just purchased your book and just wanted to drop you a quick email to say that I am, so far, thoroughly enjoying it. I didn't realise how much it would make me chuckle! I especially enjoyed your comments about Prime Minister's question time.
I too find Gordon Brown's inability to complete a sentence without stuttering or mispronouncing words highly entertaining. It was one of my favourite Wednesday morning hangover remedies before I graduated. However, as the looming general election draws nearer I have to ask myself whether this is a substantial enough reason to vote for the man?
Glad you like it!
Not a bad reason to vote for him though personally I'm fed up with the whole lot of them!
Advfn Level 2 Exclusive Offer
This compares to £360 PLUS vat from ADVFN direct (£423) so this deal saves you over £100! ADVFN level 2 also includes all the live trades made through Plus Markets which I find invaluable.
To accept this great deal just e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Level 2 offer" in the subject line and I will tell you how to get it. Level 2 for only £299 for a year (including vat), or under £25 a month!!
ADVFN Bronze Offer
Plus you get ADVFN's premium top lists which I talk about in my book and think are a must for finding great stock picks. That includes great lists like ex dividend dates, market maker buys plus chart breakouts and downs.
To take up the offer, e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with Bronze in the subject line and I will tell you how to claim the deal.
Advfn Silver Exclusive Offer
The deal is via me you can save £30 for your first year by paying just £138.06 inc vat via me instead of £167.47.
Just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com if you'd like this deal with "silver" in the subject line.
Selftrade Offer
All deals are just £12.50 with no funny small print. They also charge £35 plus vat pa for all accounts. Follow this link...
http://tinyurl.com/57hp4n
Markets
Wow. Great results from Nestor Healthcare (NSR). I can see why they've been rising. I'm up more than £5,000 now including the spreadbets. On those figures I'm not at all tempted to cash in yet. Indeed.. can you guess what's coming?
Yes, right! I bought some more! This time another 8,000 at 51.9. New target for these is 70p. I think there is another 25% upside here.
The directors waded in and bought shedloads of shares after results yesterday at the same price as me! One bought a whopping 100,000 shares! Another bought 80,000 and another 20,000. That's a big show of support for their own company. And broker Investec has a similar target to me (69p) saying " The business operates in attractive sub-sectors, has a strong management team and is building increasing momentum." Nestor remains one of Investec's top picks in the sector.
I suspect I might even hang onto them in the longer term even if they hit 70p but I'll wait till (hopefully) then to decide.
Pace (PIC) tumbled after results because they said growth would be in single figures after some terrific growth last year. But the figures are still brilliant and I felt the sell off overdone and was waiting for the turn. I got £30 on a spreadbet at 175. Target 210 stop 165.
Hardy has done me before so I was keeping a beady eye on it, deciding to quit if it dipped below 220 which it did and I went at 218.17 for a small loss of £94.
I have so many massive profits - only thing is they're not real till banked but I'm taking the chance and running them further.
Recent buys go well! As well as Nestor, Corin has been rising very nicely and I'm very hopeful of my 80p target on these.
Top up Petrofac continues to soar! Now over 1200 which is fantastic. Profits for the website now hit over £16,000 and I reckon I should end up collecting £20,000 on these.
Recent buy Harvey Nash continues to rise - indeed it is nearly up to the target price already with nearly 20% bagged. But, with such big buying going on my finger is not on the take profits button yet..
The two volatile plays Afren and Centamin both in good profits now with both motoring up towards my short-term targets.
Spirent is really going for it! The top up goes really well and it doesn't look long till it joins the list of doublers. After cracking 120 it's trying 125 as I write.
Sadly neither Dialight or Carclo got into the small cap index because of liquidity issues, management at both cos should sort this out so they get included in June - they both deserve to be up there.
Long-term doubler Chime reported a decent set of results today and I'll carry on holding there.
PZ Cuzzons continues to look good - bit of profit taking in the late 280s but now on the up again and 290 in sight. Little gamble Asterand is already paying off - rising nicely in the run up to results later this month.
Micro Focus goes well now and up again today but can it break 500 again? Dimension Data has gone up even more strongly over the last couple of days after its excellent statement and now up more than £3,000 already on the big spreadbet I have on it and more than £1,000 on the standard trade. Trying to conquer 95 still.
SDl has dropped a little this week but still giant profits and it's heading back up today. Long-termer Heritage is on the march again. Axis goes well and is attempting to get back over 400.
A brilliant time for the portfolio with massive profits building up everywhere.
Of course when you're doing well you have to be careful! The market likes biting you just when you think you're doing well...
I've been getting e-mails regarding my use of direct market access and who I use. I've tried a few and for me the easiest system for me is here:
http://www.igmarkets.co.uk/?QPID=1079&QPPID=1
Direct market access means you can place orders directly onto the order book bypassing brokers and market-makers with a chance to buy at the "sell" price. I would suggest you ensure you know what you're doing first but IG does provide much education with its "tradesense" educational tool which comes with it.
I also use its spreadbetting service too along with other firms like Tradefair because it now provides trailing stops which to me is a pretty sensible way of trading. Link is here: -
http://www.igindex.co.uk/?QPID=1078&QPPID=1
that also includes a pretty decent educational programme. As usual before opening accounts please read all the warnings on the sites. You can lose a lot of money if you're not careful so pay close attention to them and make sure you always understand what you are doing and what your potential losses are.
£100 Tradefair offer
So there's now a £100 credit on offer for anyone opening an account via me. You get that after 5 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply).
To get the offer, click here:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/
E-mail subscription service
Telecom Plus Offer
You get to sell great broadband, phone packages and energy to friends, relatives, contacts and anyone else you find and you get cash for each sale but more importantly you get a cut of their spend EVERY MONTH for as long as they are a customer!
It's called residual income and is a far better way to enjoy a ripe old age than relying on a pension. Because even after you stop selling the money STILL comes in!
I still get paid EVERY MONTH for sales I made back in 1999! Every time a customer uses broadband or the phone or switches on a light you get paid.
It's a great business and backed by a stock market company (Telecom Plus), a dedicated team of advisors.. and me to help you on your way!
Not only do you get paid out every month for each customer you can take on distributors. encourage them like I do and get paid on their sales as well.
One day, say you could made redundant, needed a year off or wanted to retire early can you imagine what joy it is to have the regular income coming in. It's wonderful.
You have to work at it, but if you do genuine repeat wealth could be yours. I did it. You can too. For full details, why not email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com.
An overview is also available at http://www.telecomplus.org.uk/fabdeal you can sign up directly there but do tell me!
****
Trade tables follow! Trades are current open and recently closed trades. Closed trades feature the closing price and the amount I won or lost. All others are open. Trades get updated a little later than the narrative. Trading costs are ignored, however I also do not add in dividend payments and with the kinds of companies I buy, dividends tend to equal or outweigh costs. Spread rollovers ignored for web purposes. Tables as accurate as poss however a mistake or two can creep in and very occasionally if I forgot I sold or bought something it will be added at a later time.
Trades first reported Weds and Fri afternoons under "Markets" section.. afraid I can't do live trades as that would turn me into a tipster and I'd have to be regulated!