I'm sorry to say I broke my pledge to give up Twirls for Lent. I came across a small bag of them still leftover from the last seminar and I just couldn't help it.
I tried really hard but to no avail. I obviously have very little self-will and no determination.

I'll try and think of something else to give up. How about watching Gordon Brown on TV? That might be easier. Did you see him with Obama. Cringe!!!! So embarrassing.
Builders, designers and goodness knows who else invade the place on Friday to start work on the upgrade to the apartment as work begins!
It's going to be crazy - later on the same day I hope to also move properly to my temporary office bringing stuff there, trying to get computer connection etc.
I'd be really struggling to update and I think to take any extra stress off me - I'm probably not going to do a Friday update. Yes, I know, boo hoo, but you'll live. In any event I'm the boss and what I say goes. And I don't care about the court of public opinion.. so there Harriet.
Maybe if it all goes really smoothly and I'm up and running etc then I might be able to update. My guess is you know what these things are like and I'll be getting bogged down with everything that needs moved and stuff that needs shifting from here.
The builders will start making stange sucking noises and things they thought they could do in a week will now take a month. Look, you know what it's like! So don't expect a Friday update, just consider it a bonus if there is one!
I now have the keys to the little office I'm hiring while the work gets done over the next couple of months. There was no way I could work here while it was all going on and I hope to get set up with a kettle, toaster etc! I hope the phone line arrives by Friday too.
I think it will be quite fun. I'm back in an area I used to know close to the cafe I used to own.
I went in there for a fry up and people remembered me rightaway and I ended up talking to some old friends and some of the people renting offices.
Which was interesting as to the state of the ecomomy! Doing well: a recruitment agency. Seemed very upbeat.
Doing badly: the flooring company (which did our floor). The owner said: "I've never seen anything like this in 30 years of business. People aren't moving and no-one is buying flooring." Apparently the staff are on half pay till things improve.
Kind of ok: The cafe. Still taking reasonable money and the landlord offered a 20% reduction in rent which is really helping.
And doing amazingly well: the biggest surprise is the office building I'm in. The owner, who also owns 16 other rental office complexes says he's full. And indeed every office is taken in the building. He's also driving a Porsche!
So there are a lot of small companies doing relatively well in there. So go figure - good signs and bad signs.. a pretty mixed message except there seems to be some optimism beginning to come in..
I'll keep my ear to the ground while I'm there and let you know whether any "green shoots" are developing.
Lovely toddler Christopher was a livewire all weekend.
Kept going and going from 6.30am though to 8.30pm like a Duracell Max. Leaving us poor elderly parents struggling to keep up with him.
I spent much of the time tearing after him as he cycles or scoots to the park (who needs the gym).
He's fast whether he runs or cycles. We took him to the Science Museum on Sunday which has a great area for toddlers in the basement with tons of exhibits they can have fun with. But again he's so fast you really need trainers on to keep up. I'm going to have to get him tagged!
Sunday night we managed to get out for the first time in a while for an Indian meal with some friends (made friends with them at one of the seminars!)

It's a good Indian (ie poshish) and there were very few customers - it would normally be much fuller. Sign of the times.

Anyway it was a good night and we are going to a Mark Warner holiday in Greece in July with them and their 2 children.

Christopher gets some kids to play with and with the half-day kids club, we might just get a few hours lying by the beach doing nothing!

I'm dreaming about it already.... I've also already paid so I hope they don't go bust.
Thanks for the fascinating spreadbetting stories. An equal balance between some of you who've done well at it and some of you who've had a terrible time.

Remember I'm looking for spreadbetting experiences, good or bad for my new book. If your story makes it, you get one of the first copies free! Stories to a different address: thenakedtrader@aol.com

Consider it therapy and get those trades off your chest!!
Those of you coming to my seminar at the end of the month should have got a mail from me with all the venue details and how to get there etc. If you are booked in and did NOT get the details please e-mail me asap...

Ta for the continued nice feedback on the seminar - even better to know that many of you are mailing each other and some close trading friendships have been made. Good to hear!

Only 3 weeks left now till the seminar.. on Friday March 27th - it's getting close to a sell-out. I've started work on it from your questionaires and really looking forwards to it as I enjoy doing them so much even though I talk non stop for hours.

Come and spend the day with me, the live markets and find out all the tricks I've learned over the years - and meet lots of great people!

It's designed for beginners, dabblers and improvers and deals with everything from how to look for winners, how to research and how to time trades and tons more.

The early booking discount is no more but there is a credit crunch discount available.

So for more details just e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "seminar interested" in the subject line and I'll send you all the details and info.

There is also more on the seminar if you scroll down. I hope to see some of you there.
Hurrah! Spreadbetting firm Tradefair (Betfair's sister) has upped its offer exclusively to Naked Trader readers to a £100 credit!
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 2 trades (non equity)

If you'd like to open an account with Tradefair and get the freebie and try them out e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Tradefair" in the subject line and I'll send you info on how to claim the new £100 credit.
Still with BT for your phone line? Why? Move over to Utilities Discount Warehouse under me and pay just £8.99 for your line rental, and deal with a nice company. I get commission and in return you get my e-mail - this site into your mailbox at every update!

You could also add energy, guaranteed cheaper than the top 6 suppliers and get the lot on one bill every month. Mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com if you fancy it. Easy to do!

I'm glad to say MF Global has (after a lot of nagging from me!) - improved its offer to readers....
First you get a free £2 bet on the FTSE.. and secondly when you place your first bet with them they will cover the potential loss of up to £100 if the trade moves against you.
I use MF Global myself for spreadbets on the smaller companies as they have more online than anyone else and offer spreads on pretty much everything.
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/6lrpbs
Terms and conditions obviously apply, check them on that link.. I think those are good offers.

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.
The money - real money - is already coming on from my own internet shopping site which is at www.ei42.com/nakedtrader.

In fact I've already made £700 - that's in a very short time and as this grows I think there could be a very good income there.

YOU can make money out of this too - by simply doing your online shopping as normal but via your site (it costs nothing) and then tell friends to open their shopping site using the link from yours - you then get commission on their buys!
I like it as it's so simple. And it has most of the big names like John Lewis, Amazon, Marks and Sparks, Mothercare, Debenhams, Comet, Argos, Play.. Have a look at this link:

http://www.ei42.com/Nakedtrader/

So for free you can sign up and get this site for yourself.

Everytime you buy anything yourself on your site you get commission.. So if you normally shop online anyway with someone like Amazon or Argos 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.
It's all explained on the site top right.. just click "Make money with your own shop find out more" and it's all explained. Or click here

http://www.ei42.com/?10850514
So you just shop away as normal - but now you earn commission - and there's also decent money off coupons too on top of that!

The best thing about it is you can't lose anything and only gain as it's free. If you happen to run a website yourself like me, then use that to promote it...

So there you are - good luck and I hope some of you make some decent extra cash out of it. And it only takes a minute to sign up and get it going. Happy shopping and hopefully money for nothing much. And money for your friends too.

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

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 still open for the next Naked Trader seminar on Friday March 27th. Price is £495 plus 15% vat. However there is a credit crunch discount available.

That includes three course lunch, Starbucks coffee, parking 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; 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 "March 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!

. Mf Global Spreads is one of the few companies that offers spreads on smaller companies valued at just £6m or more, including AIM stocks. And you can trade them online too.
So now you CAN deal in small companies without having to actually buy the shares in the market and you can deal in them on margin if you wish.
Every naked trader reader who opens an account with them though me will get a completely free £2 a point bet on the daily FTSE on a day of your choice.
As you can imagine get it right and this free bet could be worth a few quid. The bet cannot be a loser, because if you lose, it is as if you never placed it!

And MF now also offers £100 refund on your first bet if it becomes a loser.
So here is your chance to open an account to spread bet the smaller companies - of course you can deal in the whole range of usual spread betting with them too including the bigger companies and indices bets as well.
To take up what I think is a brilliant offer, simply cut and paste this link into your browser and sign up online:

http://tinyurl.com/6lrpbs

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 2 spreadbets (non equity).

To get the offer, click here:

http://promo.tradefair.com/nakedtrader100/

Oh dear oh dear, Harriet Harman has really shown herself up.

To appeal to the "court of public opinion" is a really idiotic thing to say. To claim the Government should step in is a disastrous thing to say.

Surely if we went by the court of public opinion Tony Blair should be in court for the Iraq war, Gordon Brown would be slung out and health and safety departments would all be fired, - just part of a very long list I could have come up with!

I can't think of a time when the standing of politicians has been so low and it's their own fault.

We're all fed up with their lies, hypocrisy, their snouts in the trough and pretty much everything else.

If you wonder what the Government is currently up to it's continuing to be obsessed with us - monitoring us, wanting to know what we're doing and why.

The latest? It wants to give companies the power to look at your medical records.

Doctors and medical organisations are not surprisingly up in arms.

It's going to get easier and easier for anyone to find out about you? With ID theft on the rise, the upcoming Big Brother state is not going to help. Be afraid!

Apparently teenages cost £9k year to run. Is that all? You should see the my nursery bill!
Gordon Brown with Obama. How embarrassing. I can't watch, I really can't.
I really do think he really thinks he's saving the world - he's getting so deluded and caught up with his own imagination that he still can't bring himself to say at least part of this sorry mess was his fault.
You know what? If he called an election now at least he'd get some respect instead of this crap government limping sadly on to its demise in May next year.
It's always bad news for a country to have a lame duck government only concerned with itself.
Tv shows continue to get lamer.. and I'm not surprised at ITV's dire statement. Please please try and treat viewers as having a bit more intelligence..
Why does every comedy show have to have the same dull characters with just an excuse for getting in some laboured innuendo. The new show from the Pub Landlord a case in point. Dire!

For a betting preview of the weekend sport, click "sport" above..
If you want to bet on sport here's the sign up link, very large free bets for newbies: To open a Sporting account click here:
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:
I'm coming to your next seminar and hope you will cover SIPPs. You cover these a bit in your book but I would welcome you fleshing it out more. I am actually in a position to start one and am very seriously considering this now as opposed to paying a pension manager.

Am I the only person alive who is angered by pensions? What I mean is that they seem to run counter to all the advice on good money management out there. Basically most people seem to chuck money into a black hole
and hope it works out. That can't be right??! I don't gamble like that in any other aspect of my life, yet with pensions it's the done thing.

I am sick to death of seeing news stories each year about people's pensions being ruined weeks before retirement. If it was a anything else it would feature on one of those "Britain's worst scammers" type shows. I don't want any surprises in years time, and want to take
control back. I'm also sick of starting company pensions only to see them stagnate when I leave. Once they've lost momentum it seems to me to be like carrying a financial dead weight.

I don't see anyone shouting about this, and it makes me think I am missing something. But then I see another story about people working all their lives and being shafted with absolutely no control or knowledge of it and I get angry again. Is it not practically a form of
theft?
Hi Chris - yes I'll be covering Sipps at the seminar. I agree with your comments about pensions and I do wish more people would take control of them even on the basis that you'd really struggle to lose as much money as nearly all pensions have.

Jim writes:
I had a great time at the seminar. Couldn't believe how late it finished. It was good to see you look for the new stock. The market timing piece and level 2 was my favourite and couldn't have helped me in the past which is why I wanted to be at a seminar now instead of in a couple of years time to see the benefits from the word go.

Hi Jim! Glad you liked it!

Anthony writes:
I had a great time at your seminar as usual. You can pass on details of mysellf on your website on how I am one the traders who attend many times and still get a result.
Thanks Anthony - I think that was the fifth. I guess I'm going to have to start doing loyalty cards..
Tom writes:

Hope you had a good Christmas and really sorry to hear about your little boy, sounded like a nightmare. Fingers crossed that he is now on the mend. I came to your seminar in November (I was the youngish, 21yrs old, stayed till the end and had a quick drink in the bar before having to go and get back for the girlfriend!). Seminar was excellent, I really enjoyed it and couldn't believe how quick the day went. Equally I couldn't believe how you managed to talk non stop all day!
I also found it nice and easy on the brain, not too many big words for the novice trader like me to understand. I was very surprised to see someone I knew at the seminar. I was sitting there thinking I've seen that guy before. Turns out he was from my Krav Maga self defence class and we ended up having a drink and a chat afterwards and are meeting up again for some trading chatter.
Totally un trading related, I work at an entertainment and events company called CelebTime who provide top class entertainment and events for both corporate and private clients. We specialise in providing complete entertainment and event packages where we supply everything from the venue and the entertainment to the bars, catering and decoration and everything in between; a one stop shop for your special event. We have organised small parties in peoples homes and gardens right up to outdoor concerts for 40, 000 people. Our website has just been completely revamped and is still being updated , have a look: www.celebtime.co.uk Just thought maybe you will come across people that would be interested in this kind of thing.
Thanks Tom - glad you enjoyed the seminar and so a plug for your website and good luck with it and your trading!

I have 3 great offers from ADVFN. First great deal: If you want level 2, though me it is only £299 for your first year including VAT!
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!!

Deal two is ADVFN's bronze subscription - normally £60pa - available from me for only £40! That's a saving of £20! You get 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 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.

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 £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.

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!
All deals are just £12.50 with no funny small print. So it's a no lose situation! Follow this link...

http://tinyurl.com/57hp4n

My amazing Naked Trader Suck It And Cee (SIAC) (tm) (c) Amazing always gets it right super stock market system (yours for just £5,000 plus vat, then £4,000 per year plus 25 Twirls) has just flashed a buy signal.
The signal came from the gym changing room this morning when the gym instructor forecast to a punter that the stock market was going to go into meltdown and would not start rising again till 2011.
Under my system, the opposite of what most people think will almost certainly happen and therefore things are almost certainly about to get better. Always works. Just remember this when the market's back up at 5000!
Ps, if you'd like to buy my system do let me know. Guaranteed no money back promise!
Kind of seriously though, just as it's time to sell when all and sundry are buying and full of optimism, the time to buy is when it's all doom and gloom and the last person has sold.
Anyway what a ride! Markets fell off sharply this week but are rebounding this morning. Apparently a bit of good news emerging from China, things maybe not as bad as feared.
I managed to get some spreadbet FTSE shorts on on Monday but took profits late yesterday - given they were done between updates I'm not going to take credit for them though I was happy with them. I tend to keep FTSE shorts very short-term only now - given we are so low I could easily get caught out by a massive bounce. However happy to keep hold of the ETF short in the ISA.
Things are sliding to such a low point I don't think we can be too far off the bottom and I remain very excited about the latter part of this year where I think there is a lot of money to be made.
Obviously trying to make money investing in the current climate is very difficult unless you're very good at quick in and out short-term trades which isn't my forte.. mainly due to the fact I don't want to be tied to a desk all day. (Unless the Mrs really decides she wants to get into that sort of thing).
While I've been tempted to wade in and buy I already bought a few things on a downday recently so in fear of a dead cat bounce I'm more in a watch, wait and be patient mode.
A real mixed bag from my recent trading attempts. Some good, some bad, but luckily nothing really ugly. And the good pretty much outweighs the bad.
I'm especially pleased with Persimmon - it's gone nicely higher after saying it doesn't need a rights issue which means it seems fairly confident it can see itself through the current downturn. Good profits there now, tempted to take but it seems strong and there may be a bit more to come. Bit of profit taking there today but wondering whether to hold it a bit more for a possible ride up further to 400ish.
Not so pleased with Wellstream which I traded poorly. I should have taken some nice profits at 520, indeed had several chances. As always it's tempting to think (and it probably will) get there again. But I prefer to take a loss and get back in later rather than holding on. So I exited at 455 and 422 for an overall loss of £629. There'll be a new buying opportunity there any moment I would think and eyeing up a reentry right now as it could bounce nicely off the current 400 level. My finger is poised over the Wellstream buy button as I think a reentry at around 400ish could prove profitable.
My idea of swing trading Elementis didn't work out and I quit quickly as it started to sink and got out at 32.53 for a £14 profit.
After initial disappointment with Lancashire it really has taken off and could become very exciting indeed - now very happy with the profit there - it looks like it may get through 500. it keeps banging up against it. A mixed feeling here though because I'd like to buy when it steps up to the main market in a couple of weeks so I guess I kinda hope it doesn't fly up because obviously I've not been able to put any in my ISA.
I'm starting to feel re-Morse over Morse which I'm going to have to ditch if it heads much lower - looks like a fund or something exiting - when it's done it could head up as I also see some good buyers in there too.
The recent SDL buys are very pleasing as it now tries to get over 300. Of course it's tempting to bag the very nice profit but if it could top 300 then there could be further upside so giving it the benefit of the doubt.
Serco is slightly lower than my entry point but it also went ex dividend so I do get the dividend and I think it'll end up in profit overall.
Heritage remains exciting - a big profit sits on paper there.. exciting because it I think there is a good chance of a takeover. 250 remains resistance for the minute.
I so nearly took the brilliant profit of nearly £3,000 in my Yell shorts - one for the site and one I put on at the last seminar! It sits at 20 where there seems to be support. But it could easily go to 15 or even less but I'm going to let greed take over.
The FTSE 100 short via the ETF of course is coining it in now, up nearly 200 points on that and it's been a very useful profit maker and it feels much easier to hang onto a nice hedge than a spreadbet does.
Tribal remains very solid - this looks like a medium-term defensive winner, a good profit already for trade 1 and trade 2 is already on breakeven. It's the kind of share that sits nice and quietly, not going down on the bad days and then suddenly leaping. Another good contract win could see further good gains for me.
It's starting to be a long wait to get the cash from bid result Dmatek. I guess I could sell and take the profitsnow at 203 but I think it's worth waiting for the full 215 payout and near £5,000 profit. I hope it won't be too long but I do remember waiting three months last year for the payout from MTL Instruments.
For right now despite today's market rise I think it's best to be cautious. I don't tend to worry much about "missing" trades on updays. There's always another share another day and for now I still have lots of cash and happy to stay patient.

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 2 spreadbets (non equity).

To get the offer, click here:

http://promo.tradefair.com/nakedtrader100/
(currently says offer expired Dec 31st but ignore that, it is still going)

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.
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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.
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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.
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****
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.