** My book about spreadbetting , you can order it here:

http://books.global-investor.com/books/401334.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

Welcome to any new readers coming to the website from the new book, I would suggest you read the spreadbetting book in conjunction with Naked Trader, available here:

http://books.global-investor.com/books/27120.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

Naked Trader three will be out on Sept 30th, you can pre-order it here

http://books.global-investor.com/books/818560.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

That is a newly updated version which includes lots of new strategies including strategies for when markets fall!

I was having a really great August/ end of summer until.. out of the blue...
I was having a run around the river. I was listening to the cricket commentary.
I'd bought England runs with a spreadbet (betting on England to score plenty) .
It was going well and I was just trying to calculate in my head if I should take profits when I got home and I was listening to the commentary on the radio I had with me. Yes, I was away with the fairies in my own world.
Serves me right then. Next thing I knew I was flat on my face. Tripped on something. Bit of a graze on my knee, nothing serious, I thought and walked home. Took my profits!
Three hours later I got the worst pains ever in my leg. Really awful, and I felt sick. For a minute I actually thought I was going to die. I keeled over. I really thought this is it....!
No-one was in. I collapsed on the sofa and called Mrs NT who rushed home with painkillers. The pain was then getting worse - I was in agony and feeling sick so we called for an ambulance. Luckily the painkillers kicked in and the sickness stabilised.
In casualty there was a four hour wait.
And it wasn't even post pub time. I feel sorry for the staff and what they have to put up with. One bloke had been in a fight and kept going to sleep missing his name call.
One loud guy was well, really loud and irritating. And one poor chap was bleeding from a tooth extraction he'd had the prevous day. "I've not been in a fight," he kept telling us all.
I had an x-ray done. "Impressive," said the doctor.
Sadly "Impressive" meant bad news. I probably had a fracture and probably a rupture and was immediately plastered up. Three hours later I was home in plaster and some crutches. Feeling very sorry for myself. And it still hurt.
That's it. Come back next week, they said, we will do a scan.
Stuck at home. No going out. No footie or the park with Christopher. Not even a walk. For someone active like me it was a killer week. Absolutely horrible. Bad mood? You bet!
It was impossible to sleep, impossible to move much and it was really heavy. I shan't moan on but it was a rubbish week for me.
But it reminded me money means zero compared with health. I would happily have given up the gains I made on the market this year for this not to have happened.
Because without health there isn't really a decent life. So what is the point then of money?
So a week on. I was crapping myself that I'd need surgery - I got looked at by a specialist.
Phew. Not so bad. Plaster off. Knee still very painful though. He wasn't sure but decided for the moment I needed physio on it rather than surgery. He thinks it is a rupture.
For the first time ever I realise I am now officially old. Especially to the new doctors fresh out of training!
I know this because the doctor said "..... a problem with... "someone YOUR age".
Oh dear. Yes, I guess I am lucky to still be alive...
Then again I remember when I was 19 someone of 25 was even positively prehistoric!
So since then it's gradually improved, I'm still hobbling around and I can only move about slowly but it is getting better. I can just about do without the crutches now and at least I can go swimming.
I start on the psysio shortly. Those of you coming to next week's seminar will know when I arrive, a hobbling old bloke will be there!
Away from the knee problems we've had a terrific summer, it was everything I wanted. Out all the time doing stuff until it got dark. Trying to make the most of every day and any scrap of sun.
We went to festivals, played football till dark, went to Devon, did tons, very happy with that.
Christopher has literally just had his first day at his new school which was as stressful for us as it was for him!
His new school is more strict on stuff like uniform. Labels have to be in exactly the right place. And he has to wear a tie which was a problem for me as well as him.
Not having a job for more than ten years means I completely forgot how to even do one up so I had to practise it with him...! (Still don't see the point of them)..
It took me half an hour yesterday to get it right and 20 mins this morning. I've even had to go on the internet to watch "How to do up a tie" videos!
It looks like every morning for quite a while I am going to have to do up a tie! How weird is that. Still, he looks very cute in the uniform and he seems very happy with the new school.
They reward good things with mini footballs and he got two so far..
He's getting more and more into football so I'm taking him to see the next two Fulham games against Blackburn and Man City.
I told him Fulham would probably beat Blackburn but added just hope Man City don't beat us by too many...
Hey still we bought a new exciting £10m player. (Still don't understand how a football player could be worth £1m let alone £10m!).
So a busy autumn/winter season awaits! Two seminars, a half-term trip to Tenerife for my birthday, and then we leave for South Africa on Xmas Day!
I could be a lot busier as I keep turning down speaking "engagements". Everyone seems to want me to talk at their events. "Investor" shows, the LSE, brokers, spreadbet firms.
They all try and tempt me with the chance to sell my books.
Well, it's very kind of them and I am very flattered but I turn everything down. It's too much hassle and I would rather have the free time than the money or promotion. And anyway the mailbox is full enough without me wanting any extra promotion. (And anyway I only get £1.67 from each book sale!! or 50p from Waterstones!)
Also I feel if I am going to talk, I would rather do it properly for 12 hours with live markets than some kind of one hour powerpoint presentation. I did give a talk to students once but they were more interested in playing online poker or updating their Facebook pages on their i-gadgets than listening to an old fart like me!
So my public appearances are going to stay at five or so seminars a year. And that's it!
Right onwards and upwards with the new autumn/winter! The Met Office forecasts a horrible September and a terrible winter so I suspect it won't be long before we are basking in the sunshine!

The next seminar unexpectedly got sold out really early, in fact it is already sold out over 5 weeks before the actual event!!

So as mentioned above have booked a new overflow event for Fri Oct 14th
at Heathrow. If you are interested, mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "October seminar interested" in the subject line.

There is a decent early bookers discount for this new one. Beginners and improvers welcome! Come and spend the day with me, the markets and some lovely people - and of course, lunch!
If you mail me I will 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!

I get quite a few mails asking what magazines or news services I subscribe to etc. Well, hardly any!
However I do take (£8.99 a month though take the yearly option at 20% discount to that) a daily email which is my main source of news about such things as broker upgrades, main news items, analysis of stocks and markets, forthcoming company statements and events, stock recommendations and targets from the top brokers, what kind of earnings expected from companies and a whole heap more useful stuff.
I sometimes get ideas from this for companies to watch or monitor or even buy. And it's handy to get a summary of what the brokers are saying and looking at future earnings etc.
It usually arrives around 5ish every day.
I contacted the people that put it together and they offer a free 14 day trial of it to my readers - so you can cancel after 14 days if you don't feel it's useful enough.
Once you cut and paste this link into your browser, click "uk 14 days free trial" then I would go "yearly option" which gives a 20% discount making it just over £7 a month, as you can still cancel seems worth it. Hope you find it useful like I do. It's one of the few paid for news services that has really impressed.
http://bit.ly/eBPXuG

I do also get the Investors Chronicle delivered by the newsagent every Friday. It's always worth a read and brings to my attention things I may have missed.

An interesting email from a reader. The thrust of it was he was going to buy a share after doing a lot of research but then it went up 12% and he hadn't bought it yet. So he felt angry.
How does he stop/halt the feelings of anger?
Well, you have to take the emotion out of trading. Which isn't easy.
I suggested he should read this book.. by Jason Zweig
http://books.global-investor.com/books/256158.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
This is the one to read on psychology. Great read.
Fancy getting the naked trader updates direct into your inbox? And a bit before it gets updates on the net including news from my pension trades made from my SIPP?

All you have to do is take a phone or energy service from the Utility Discount Warehouse at www.utilitywarehouse.org.uk/fabdeal.

I get some commission and you get the service! On top of that you ought to make some amazing savings on your phone, broadband, or energy use or all! There's even an internet phone where you can make free calls from wi fi hotspots!

Prices are guaranteed lower than the top 6 suppliers but even better you can get huge discounts on your energy/phone bill if you shop at places like Marks and Spencers, Boots, Sainsburys and a whole load more. 5% of your spend comes directly off your billl. Many are saving a fortune from their energy bills.

So save a few quid, and get my stuff in your inbox! A win win? Mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "mail service" in the subject line and I'll send you details.

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/

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.
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.

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
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

**** BOOKING FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 14TH NOW OPEN

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 open for the Naked Trader seminar on Friday October 14th

Price is £550 plus vat. There is an early bookers discount currently available.
That includes three course lunch, coffees, snacks etc. There is an early bookers discount currently available.
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 "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?

I've started using Tradefair for spreadbetting - I like the auto generated stop losses which help to maintain discipline and that's good for beginners I think. And exclusively for Naked Trader readers they upped the offer to £100 credit.
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/

Alistair Darling's autobiography simply underlines the fact, yes the lunatics had really taken over the asylum in the last years of the last government.
Gordon Brown as we all guessed was the nutter in charge who refused to see anyone else's point of view. History will show he was the worst prime minister and chancellor ever.
When Darling was simply being honest in 2008 that we were in dire financial straits Brown could not accept the truth and made Darling's life a misery.
We were not in fact being run by committee, but by Brown and Balls, neither of whom could accept what was happening.
One really has to respect Darling. I know he is trying to get his revenge with his book but at least he was the only one who saw it coming and had the courage to speak his mind.
I quite respect Cameron for at least admitted the relationship between government and press has been too close.
Gordon Brown would automatically have denied it. He denied everything.
I'm sure you are all as excited by me.. yes Apple is going to launch a new I Phone!! I phone 5... whooooo..
I honestly laugh at Apple fans who love the company while their friend laughs while taking their money. They don't seem to realise in my view they are constantly conned into giving Apple more and more money from "upgrades".
I mean, honestly who really needs the upgrades? Quite... it's all clever marketing. Which perhaps is to be admired.
Hmm, the X Factor. Bored, sorry, same old, yawn, must be better things to do with the time. Same old stuff, same old manipulation.
And even more so with Big Brother. However I did back Jedward with Sporting Index and if they win I make a lot, if they come second I make a little, if they come third I lose a little.
But after the opening night I never bothered with it as there weren't any "celebrities" in it worth watching.
The new one starts this Friday and again without me watching it. I might have a bet in it at a later stage though.
Poor old Brian is a bit crap as a presenter and I can imagine him throwing monster strops off camera, can't you?
Duncan Bannatyne seems to be getting more and more depressed with every episode of Dragons Den. Time to put him out of his misery and axe him for the next series.
He isn't coming up with offers, and is scathing about everything. Instead of being on the telly he ought to be sorting out whatever is going wrong with his life.
I noticed Peter Jones seems to have toned himself down a bit recently which is all to the good and Hilary is stepping in with some offers but the would be entreprenuers simply aren't sure enough about her to accept.
SImon Cowell's new quiz show red or black is a disaster. Boring games, the only interesting bit is the last few seconds when someone gets the spin of a wheel.
You'd have thought for a million quid giveaway every other night it could be miles better, it could have been a really good gambling game with some skill, like a spreadbetting game.
Just my luck Channel 4 still have the first rights to Curb Your Enthusiasm. This means we eventually get to see the new series in the middle of night sometime but not anytime soon. Why oh why have they bothered and not handed the rights to Sky Atlantic?
Then us fans could be seeing it right now. So irritating.
In fact I am so irritated I'm not going to write anyone and go and calm down dear with some tea and toast, like the old fart I am!
Oh hang on, just to mention I backed Williams at 3-1 to win the US open (Ladies). Wish me luck.
The spreadbetting firm I use for sports betting is here:
Via this link Open a Sporting Index account and there's £100 cash offer - please check terms and conditions which apply.

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.

Chris writes :
Chris the builder from sunny Wigan here, fan from day 1, (well about day 323 but who's counting eh?)

Anyway....I feel the need to say THANK YOU again for staring at me via (the first book) on Waterstones bookshelf on that faithful Christmas weekend a few years back, then the seminar at posh Heathrow that i drove to in my van! Ha!

Patience is free, watched my portfolio turn to poo, then back into gold, bought another house with profits, ISA is crammed with good earners, and KENTZ? Need I say another word? Here's one... wow, and another, did I mention thank you Mr Burns

Thanks Chris, I remember you well! In fact I remember you giving me some "humble builder" type nonsense and so glad you've done well and I helped with the book and the seminar. One thing you picked up is the ability to hold onto the good winners for yers to get the real rewards.

I'm happy for you. Great thing about trading is it doesn't matter who you are, what you do, or how you perceive your "status". We are all equals in trading and that is just great.

Duane writes:
Wanted to say a big thank you to you and Mrs NT for an amazing day of learning and fun at your seminar.

The way you explained the share trading from start to finish was understandable and really interesting, well worth the seminar fee!
It was great to hear such down to earth and honest assessment from a successful trader like yourself. The way you explained everything was good revision from your book and gave further insight into successful share trading.

I particularly liked your live trades and going through your accounts when you gave snippets of why you invested in certain shares and why you kept/dumped them. Also helpful was the way you searched for prospective shares and within minutes discounted them or put them on a short list for further examination and correct entry points. Amazing!
You could really tell that you loved doing what you do and your energy levels to keep going till 10pm was well....... I had to leave at 9pm I was shattered!

Thanks again Robbie I am keen to put into practice what you have taught me. Even though you make squillions from your trades and I am sure don't need to do the seminars for financial gain, but please keep doing those seminars for newbies like me!

Thanks Duane! Don't expect to be doing them foreever but very rewarding for me to help people so expect to carry on for a while longer.
Malcolm writes:
A thousand thanks for the seminar, which I found both informative and inspiring. If I can keep my own psychology somewhere near balanced I can make steady money at this until I pop off.

I was particularly pleased to find your approach so simple. This chimes with Warren Buffet, who of course says,

'If calculus or algebra were required to be a great investor, I'd have to go back to delivering newspapers.'

It also confirms my own prejudice, and what my friends in the City have told me, namely, that the financial complexity is unnecessary, only there to bamboozle the unwitting public, and doesn't make it any easier for the City boys to make money. Hence nine out of ten funds haven't beaten the index in any four year period since 1914 (Motley Fool).

Thanks Malcolm. Glad to hear and hope you don't pop off just yet. I agree: simplicity is best and all the jargon tends to be just there to make the jargon talker sound important or that they know what they are talking about.

Terry writes:
Fantastic seminar.

I have always been sceptical of the public testaments you see on web sites
saying how great an event was. Now I'm one of those people!. I
genuinely believe that the tips and techniques as well as the overall
approach you demonstrated will radically improve my trading performance

Thanks Terry, well all the testaments are real but know what you mean and glad you feel it was worth it!
Stephen writes:
I read your book and did the course - and I wasn't sure if I'd recoup the cost, it's been 2 years and I've made £38k + saved a loss transferring a Jupiter ISA heavily invested in BP. I can't tell you how important this is or how grateful I am. That's just me, who knows how much people have made with your help and saved by not making mistakes. I wanted to get into shares as they recovered after the crunch, but I assumed I had to put a large amount in one company I thought would make a big jump.
But what happens when you make £1m on the website, will you still do courses? I don't know how you do your ISA and SIPP investments, write the website, books, courses and answer e-mails. But please don't give it up. Couldn't you do the courses and have a standing website which gets updated with your trades say once a month so people can see what you do..

Stephen thanks so much for such a nice mail and much appreciated! Dunno about the future, I feel like I'm getting jaded. It's possible I might just reduce it all at some point to twice a month after going weekly - that would probably help. The other problem is other people's angst is getting to me and the email workload becoming overwhelming. I think after ten years it might be time for me to quit. Anyway good luck with your trades and hope you make a lot more.

I have 3 great offers from ADVFN.

SAVE OVER £120 !
First great deal: If you want level 2, though me it is only £305 for your first year including VAT!
This compares to £432 direct from advfn so this deal saves you over £120! 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 gives you access to all the market maker positions and the order book and I would not trade without it! More on level 2 in my book and I spend hours on it at my seminars.

Deal two is ADVFN's bronze subscription - normally £72 pa - available from me for only £41! (inc vat) That's a saving of over £30! You access to the premium bulletin board which contains my discussion forum with direct access to chat to me and some very good traders. Plus you get ADVFN's premium top lists which I 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. All as explained in the book.
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.

Bronze is included inside the level 2 deal.

Deal three is ADVFN's silver subscription - for those of you who want all the benefits of Bronze AND always on real-time prices.. no more using the back button and getting frozen out!

The deal is via me you can save nearly £30 for your first year by paying just £141 inc vat via me instead of £169.20.
Just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com if you'd like this deal with "silver" in the subject line.

Want to try out broker Selftrade superb trading system for no risk? You only have to trade once to get £50 bunged into your account! You get £50 and I get £50.
All online deals are just £12.50 with no funny small print. Charges for phone deals are higher, check terms and conditions. They also charge £35 plus vat pa for all accounts. Follow this link...
http://tinyurl.com/57hp4n

What a rotten stinking mother f of an August that was!! (Does that sum it up nicely?)
They moan about no growth but what do they expect with these silly high taxes?
Cut the top rate immediately by 15p and the bottom rate by 5p. Now watch and see. You'd get growth for sure I reckon and I bet a higher tax intake as well. Everyone knows the top rate at 50p generates nothing at all.
And in reality the top rate is nearly 60p - what incentive is there to grow and create jobs? This move would work immediately bringing back confidence and desire.
Something needs doing and a dramatic and instant move like this is what I would be doing. So there!
In fact I wonder how about something even more dramatic? A flat tax of 15p for one year for all is announced up to say £500,000 when 40p kicks in. As a trial. For a year we let you keep much more of your money in return you go for it and earn as much as you can and get the country's growth going again. A kind of "Let's all go for it" campaign.
After a few months we can see whether it worked or not. if it did work, keep it, if it didn't then, well, okay it didn't work but at least we tried something different. I do wonder. I think it could work and benefit all. And bring back so much business to the UK.
Of course governments are always too scared to try anything radical. Or interesting.
August 2011 has to go down in my book as the hardest month in 12 years of trading that I've ever encountered. It was really hard for anyone to handle whether beginner or experienced.
It was almost like we were all being robbed/mugged by someone somewhere, the rotten stinking swines!
The volatility appears to still be with us. Markets are worried about a double dip. Every single small economic stat is met with a rise or fall of hundreds of points.
Or anytime anyone in America says something. Or if Ben Bananas looks slightly worried. And oh no Obama is speaking tomorrow and the moment he starts speaking the markets start tanking! (He has been a disappointment hasn't he?).
Indeed it looks like the market is up today because some kind of US stimulus package is expected to be announced by the man himself tomorrow. Expect a sell off again if he disappoints. Life is a roller coaster.
It doesn't seem to matter to the markets what happens in the UK. UK stats are neither here nor there and markets barely move on those. It's all about America.
Which is why the markets make their dramatic moves at 1.30 our time when US stats get released.
Of course it is all crazy. Psychiatrists reckon if the markets were really a person, said person would need urgent treatment for bipolar disorder, panic attacks, multiple personality disorder and a host of other serious conditions!
Fear and greed is all around us. Darn, why didn't I sell my shares at the top. S***!!!! Why didn't I buy some at the bottom!
Of course as per usual when was the best time to buy? Yes, exactly. Just at the biggest moment of panic.
It's actually very easy to say "Buy when all others are fearful" but very hard to do.
I did do it a little, to smaller stakes than I would normally.
Now the good news in my opinion...
I had a look round some bulletin boards for the first time in months (I gave up with them a long time ago on the basis that life is too short and there is more interesting things to do with the short time we have on the planet).
What was interesting was the doom and gloom, gurus retiring from the scene, people saying they were in cash, or fed up, etc... people trying index trading instead (usually means they just lose their money faster)
This seems to me like good news. It is nearly always when private traders give up that the market starts to go back up - the markets have sucked all the money out of them it can... and.. well... it shows the genuine fear about, and yet again, fear like that often preceeds better times.
Secondly, I've been reading a huge number of reports from companies producing very decent results but who also said the outlook was fine.
So while a double dip is possible there isn't a big sign of it in any reports I read.
And finally there is a whole wall of cash out there waiting to get back in. If fear can somehow be sidelined, it is there, waiting.
All in all I'm reasonably happy with the way I handled the tough times though in hindsight maybe I overtraded. Well, okay would have been nice if I sold everything at the top and bought everything back at the bottom but I am not that clever sadly.
And surely this blog is more interesting when it is all a bit harder, no? The general upshot is overall in August I lost a few quid off the table like everyone else. I took some profits on some positions but not too much as I was already defensive and had already banked a lot of profit in July. In fact my really defensive shares stayed level or even went up a touch.
However to counter some of the lost profit I made some nice profits on FTSE shorts and the ETF FTSE supershort and used a covered warrant in my pension to collect money from the downside - all of which I will be covering in depth for those of you coming to the seminar next week.
With shares and markets getting tossed about in thin trading, moving hundreds of points sometimes in minutes it was not a place for the faint hearted.
I made some very decent sums from FTSE downbets but I won't take the credit for that here - I probably made around £8k from them very roughly over the month. And I got some nice 20% profits in my ISA from using the supershort. Again, I won't take any credit for the money made from the downside - they were much shorter time-scale trades than normal.
However they have been great as they have brought in some money to cover some of the shares going lower.
I've also made quite a number of shorter-term trades, most of which I closed out so for the website I'll ignore those and concentrate on anything bought in the last couple of days given it's been a while since the last update.
Okay ... this was really bargain hunting, using the buy when all is afraid idea I tried hard not to be afraid and bought the odd share or two on the nasty days.

I've been tempted into Shaft Sinkers again (SHFT). Last time I got scared of them and came out fast as it started to, er, well, sink.
However I just bought some this afternoon at 142.75 and might try and stay with it this time. The figures looked really good and the shares are trading very cheaply indeed after they got sold off from the 180 area.

I've tucked them away hopefully for a while unless the market really tanks as this looks a share that could leap higher once the market is back on an even keel and I would look for a return up to 180. Downside should be fairly limited at this kind of price. (He says hopefully).

Yesterday I saw the report on Kofax (KFX) and thought it looked okay and it was marked up at first. Then it went down like a stone, way far too fast so I spend a while on level 2 waiting for the inevitable turn and though I didn't quite get the bottom at around 250 or so but I did collect 1,000 at 272.96. I wonder whether a predator might come in after the big dip? Considering it was at a fiver recently someone may be tempted? It's very volatile so will need some courage to stay with it!
I bought a few Cape (CIU) on a spreadbet at 477. This one has moved to the main market and I liked the look of the last few reports. The potential downside is it is crazily volatile and it would tank with the main market if it slumps further so I would be quite tight on a stop here especially if Obama does not come up with something.
What can I say about New Brit (NBPO). It's been a brilliant profit maker and dividend payer for me over the last 2-3 years - I did take some profits last time of over £3,000 and sitting on a near £7,000 profit still on my original buy.
Despite the climb from where I bought in the 100s judged from the latest report they do still seem cheap and also tend to be relatively unaffected by market falls so I bought some back (500) at 849.9. I would hope to hold these for the longer term for around 1200 mark.
Oxford Instruments (OXIG) where I might nice profits on in July came back to a lovely bargain basement price so I picked up 500 at 774.4, targetting the 900s. And I picked up a spreadbet in TT Electronics (TTG) at 141 on the basis it looked cheap after a sell off.
As to sells, one or two more to tidy up after my last manic sell off. But in the main I'm either being brave or stupid and hanging onto the companies I really like.
So, to tidy up a bit from the manic sell off last time, Latchways went at 1240 for a profit of £520, IG has been a very good market but I've taken profits there at 447 for a profit of £360. Hyder went at 365 for a profit of £1,807.
Elsewhere it's interesting that in the main I hold cash producing companies with strong balance sheets and they are doing okay in all the chaos.
Telecom Plus remains the star of the show at just under 7 quid with those buys on fear days looking good. Total profits are well in excess of £50,000 and way more than that personally - plus all those lovely dividends. I suspect 700 ish is the limit of upside for right now but 1000 looks on the cards for next year. ish
Kentz produced a super fabulous report and in better times I'm sure they would be over a fiver, as it is still in a nice profit on these and feel sure eventually the ones I bought recently will pay off. They head into the FTSE 250 in a few days time.
Coastal Energy too came up with a decent statement today and that's going well, it keeps coming up with successful drilling reports and this overlooked company could have massive upside in my opinion and already up nearly £2,000 on it.
. Dialight has held up pretty well too as has shares like Alternative Networks and Avon Rubber has bounced back higher.
Character is in a nice profit now, Entertainment One has held well (that one has a new movie out which has been getting good reviews). Risky Cadogan has stayed strong with institutions picking up shares.
London Capital spreadbet is really paying off now, they must have made a lot in August and there has been some heavy buying coming in with the spreadbet up nearly £1,500, looks like more to come.
The Ocado short has worked like a dream!! It has come down enormously and I'm on the verge of banking at least some of the £6,000 plus profits.
So the stategy contines for me.
Buy the odd bargain on a really bad day. Use FTSE spreadbets and the supershort for the ISA to short on the good days.
At the moment the strategy is working reasonably well. While it isn't making me a massive amount for right now neither am I losing much either. And I have some decent cash waiting on the sidelines. I think for right now it's important to preserve capital.
I suspect it will continue to be rocky ride though I do wonder if quite simply we'll end up the year in the 5000-5500 area which given current economic malaise, would seem about right.
Indeed with FTSE bets I'm currently thinking short around 5500, take profits and buy back in the low 5000s.
You may remember I run my multi millionaire sister's isa.. as she doesn't care whether she loses it all I experimented by not touching her isa at all in August and leaving things alone.
And you know what is interesting? It's only down by a small amount.. she has things like Telecom Plus, Avon Rubber, Devro, Hilton Food, Entertainment One, Coastal Energy in it.
So I do wonder to myself... could I have just taken August off and not worried about the volatility at all? Time will tell!
Although as many of you know after 12 years I do want to quit doing these updates sometime soon, I feel though while things are rocky it might be of even more interest to see how I handle the bad times so on that basis I am going to keep going for a while longer! However please do not be shocked if also I suddenly retire. One mad email too many could knock me over the edge. But I think I will see this year out though, and do intend to at least start the next!
I've earmarked next year to write a novel (fiction not finance) - that's my number one aim so if the website gets in the way of the time I need it will have to go. Or maybe I should just take a year off. We'll see.
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.

I've also started using Tradefair for spreadbetting - I like the auto generated stop losses which help to maintain discipline and that's good for beginners I think. And exclusively for Naked Trader readers they upped the offer to £100 credit.
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/

If you want to get the contents of The Naked Trader website into your mailbox instead of waiting for the update to come through, plus exclusively news on the progress of my SIPP from the old Sunday Times column inc new higher risk Aim buys made for that, e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with SIPP in the subject line for details of how to get it.

Want to quit the rat race? Try and start a new source of income so one day you can tell the boss to stuff it? You could do what I did to escape my grotty office job and become an independent distributor for the Utilities Discount Warehouse.
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 Wednesday afternoons under "Markets" section..