OK, I just ordered a Tefal Toast and egg toaster.
It does the toast and also does fried or boiled eggs. So hopefully that's the end of these godawful hotel breakfasts for me.
I know you might say: don't be lazy and eat your breakfast in the restaurant instead of getting it in your room.
But really, isn't breakfast better sitting on the bed with the paper and the telly on instead of waiting for someone to serve you stewed tea and then queueing up for the toaster while dancing around people?
I'll let you know how the first breakfast I do on it goes at the next seminar - indeed I'll bring the toaster down to the seminar room with me and you can have a look.
Goodness me - we're looking at the year ahead and all the days Christopher is off on holiday.
Half-terms, bank hols, and the long summer. Though we already booked South Africa for the Xmas hols,
Where shall we go and what shall we do? Florida, Sardinia, France, all in the melting pot.
Took my old BMW Z3 for its MOT. Didn't expect any big bill as I only did 500 miles in it last year.
But because of that the rear axle something shaft thingy apparently needed doing which unsurprisingly "Might take a long time to fix".
Which of course it did and I ended up with a bill for a grand. I guess I wonder how much of that was a rip off.
They said "It's because you don't use it much." OK, I'll buy it.
I guess maybe I ought to sell it, it appears to be worth about 6 grand. It does seem silly to have a car I hardly ever use.
But, well I guess it's fun in the summer with the roof down and it has some emotional attachment. Silly, isn't it?
I know lots of blokes in my position would head off and buy a Turbothrusterbiglamborwillyoohlookivegotmoneyhahabetchwishyourboyfriendwashotlikeme type of car..
but lucky for me I've no interest in these things. And anyway I think I'm ok in bed so I don't feel the need for one of these cars. Well, I could be wrong about that but at least so far during my marriage she never once said: "Have you finished yet?"
In fact we were chatting last night about how greed and stupidity has caused recent financial worries and I've no doubt there will be more to come. (Greed and stupidity)
In London anyway it seems all about coveting thy neighbour and people keep buying bigger houses on credit because they're jealous when someone has a bigger one than them (house).
So they buy bigger borrowing huge amounts then wonder why they end up in a mess.
My parents would never have dreamed of moving into a bigger house with borrowed money. But in the last 25 years since credit cards replaced cash it's all gone wrong. Houses are way too expensive because of the borrowing and greed and I have little doubt we'll see a major house price correction within 2-4 years.
There are bog standard houses round here worth £1m. Now halve that price and that's nearer the mark.
Remember, if you want cheering up, this website is always here for you!
Off for a nice meal tonight at our fave restaurant, can't wait! Then a quiet weekend ahead - Christopher's got a party or two so I'm going to try and get my head down and finish off this book on spreadbetting which somehow I agreed to write. 80% done, nearly there. The publisher's already looking at a stop loss on it.
Off to see the accountant next week to learn how much of a massive cheque the taxman wants. He charges me a lot but then again I just hand over everything and he does it all which for me is money worth spending. I never understand a word of it and just try and nod in the right places while really thinking about what I might have for dinner.
Can I ask one thing before you mail me? Please check FAQ on my site - Every day there's at least 20 mails on the same 5 topics and the answers are on FAQ. You'd make an old man very happy.
Especially about the fact NMS is no longer on advfn. It's because NMS no longer exists - it is now EMS and they can be found at the London Stock Exchange site.
Thanks for the mails I had this week from those of you who came to last week's seminar. Glad you enjoyed it and I gather all the hangovers have now gone!
Just remember one thing which I reiterate: if you want to make money you've got to get rid of losers fast. I never heard so many feeble excuses as to why losing shares were still in portfolios. If you keep letting losers grow you will end up losing.

My next seminar is on Friday March 19th at Heathrow so if you couldn't make Friday's maybe you can make this one.
If you're interested in coming then email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "March seminar interested" in the subject line

I'll then send you details and a full agenda of what is covered. Also more details below somewhere. There is a decent early bookers discount available.

For those only who've been to a seminar before I have a seat left at the follow up Tech Analysis seminar at heathrow on Sat Feb 6th which I hold with top trader Susan Marmor. If you're interested mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Follow up TA seminar" in the subject line and I'll send you details.

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.

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.
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 2 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://promo.tradefair.com/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.
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

**** BOOKING FOR MARCH 19TH AT HEATHROW 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 now open for the next Naked Trader seminar on Friday March 19th
Price is £495 plus vat. However right now there is an early booking discount!
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!

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 (terms and conditions apply)
To get the offer, click here:
http://promo.tradefair.com/nakedtrader100/

If only this flipping election could be held now so we could get it over with.
Are you as sick as me of having to listen to these cringemaking policians talk crap?
What's worse is just as I get on the treadmill at the gym at 10am one of them is making a long-windbag speech.
Which means during the whole of my run, Brown is going to be talking s*** on Sky News in a boring fashion. What kind of motivation is that?
He's pretty much been forced to appear in front of the Iraq Inquiry before the election. He never wanted it, then he wanted it held in private, remember.
Of course he doesn't want to appear - he's been trying to pretend he had nothing to do with the war.
The Government has now created 4,300 new crimes since taking office including a ban on swimming in the wreck of the Titanic and the sale of game birds shot on a Sunday!
New offences are still being created at 33 a month... Of course the majority are nonsense but keep a lot of penpushers in their high paid jobs.
At last some common sense though. They released the guy who beat up the burglar.
It's high time we put some frighteners on burglars. At the moment they know householders are too scared to bash them over the head because the police are more likely to arrest the victim than the burglar.
Householders ought to be allowed to use excessive force in my opinion if needed. I don't advocate shooting them but no reason why in protecting one's family a hefty bash with a cricket bat should be fine.
Ohh! Camp Sisquo has taken on Alpha male Vinnie in the BB house.
As Vinnie said darkly "Take me on and you get voted out."
Hmm, I wonder whether he uses some of his millions to house a centre where workers speed dial the person he's decided should be out next?
As Stephen correctly pointed out, whoever controls the food controls the house. They're all a bit scared of Vinnie aren't they? Having seen what he did to Paul Gasgoine's wedding tackle I'm not surprised.
A treat in store, Mad Men is back on BBC 4, next Wed at 10pm. BBC4? Yes, of course the BBC always puts the best stuff on a minority channel!
If you missed it get the first two series on DVD first - you won't regret it.

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.
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.

Michael writes:
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...
Richard writes:
I've just finished reading your book, which I thought was superb. I've not read anything as simple and honest, when it comes to the world of trading, for a while.

I have two questions for you. Firstly, in your book you mention that once someone has invested the initial amount in an ISA, they can grow it to any size and keep buying and selling within that enlarged amount. However, I've just read a Moneyweek magazine article which states "once you are fully invested up to the annual limit, should you then sell the shares in an ISA, you can't change your mind later and reinvest in the same ISA." Does this mean that if you've grown your initial investment to say £20k, if you sell a loser you can't use the cash to buy a different share?

Secondly, and more importantly, I am a big fan of toast, but my question is "¦ Marmite or Bovril? I'm a Bovril man myself, but I know you Brits (I'm South African) are a bit strange and prefer to put it in hot water than on toast.

Hi Richard - more importantly Marmite for me but really marmalade is the winner!

Re ISAs if you grew it to 20k and sell a loser you can reinvest the money again rightaway. ie if you grow your pot you can sell and re-invest. But.. if you withdraw cash you cannot replace it until the next tax year if you already put in the full amount. But there is no limit to the amount you can make in an ISA.

Jimmy writes:

I have just finished reading your book The Naked Trader. I bought it in a bookshop, I at WH Smith's at Monk's Cross Retail Park in York, where I live. I have to say that it was worth every penny. It is very informative AND entertaining. So thank you for writing it.

I have been trading on and off for the past 12 years ( I'm 43 years old). The biggest satisfaction I got with reading your book was that it confirmed to me what I was doing right, and also what I was doing wrong. Thankfully, I was doing more things right than wrong. Of course I learned the hard way (or the expensive way) over the years. The horror stories in your book were interesting, because anyone who has traded for long enough will have made the same classic errors. It really made me giggle. It's like watching someone trip and fall flat on their behind. It's not really funny when you stop to think about it because one can really get hurt... but you can't help but laugh when it happens, especially because you've been there yourself. I think that even if you're a seasoned trader, reading The Naked Trader is a MUST READ. You'll learn a thing or two and have a good laugh
Thanks Jimmy, I love the stories true and they are all real!!

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! You get £50 and I get £50.
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

You know who to blame if your shares are going down. Obama - well you must have read his attack on the banks.

I guess he's probably right to take them on. Though maybe he went too far - not sure. If you own bank shares though I guess his name has been linked with a few four letter words.

The question really is whether this'll blow over and the markets resume their uptrend or whether it will develop into a further downmove. Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen...

The FTSE is certainly making a comeback as I write! But it would not surprise me to see it 200 pts higher or lower by the next time I update!

After some massive changes to the portfolio last time this update is a bit more peaceful!

I've taken a chance and just bought some Morse (MOR). 10,000 at 40.8 - target 50 stop 35.

I made some good money on these a while back but boy if only I'd held onto them as I bought at 9p!!! Never mind - despite the shares doing well I think there may be more to come. It's put out a decent enough statement - it's got good cash and business appears to be growing. Hope for confirmation of that on Feb 10th. It's also rejected a couple of bids and there were some rumours in the Mail before Xmas of a bid in the 55 area. Worth a punt for me.

I shorted Dominos (DOM) for a tenner at 321. Just looked a tad overpriced for what's a mature business - 325 looks a tough area too so I'm trying this short with a tight stop. Stop 326 target 300.

Get them trumpets out. I have at last sold the last of my Dragon Oil at 448. I feel bereft in a way - one of the first shares I ever bought and having been in and out of them for many years I've made a lot out of them.

We've had good times and bad times. But overall our relationship* has been very beneficial to me.

However it is time to end it. The price is close to the takeover price. It can't get through 450 easily. And without a bid there may not be a lot more upside for a while.

Anyway I've done it, I am Dragonless but the good news for me is that banks a marvellous profit of £6,380.

I bought about ten months ago at the height of fear at 129. Goodbye old pal*, and all the best

* Robbie's book rule was: never get emotionally attached to a share. (!)

Oh how I miss it already.. it even reported a decent statement today. Sigh.*

Centamin's been weak for a while along with its sector so with sellers coming in I axed the final spread and the other position at 121 and 121.25 for a profit of £120 and a loss of £375 respectively, Strong support at 110 for this so might look for a reentry.

I also topsliced a bit of Aminex at 13.3. Only because I needed a spot of cash for something else and it was a tad weak on level 2. However I still hold most of it and still up £7,000 plus at the moment and prospects look good. For site purposes that closes the last position to bank £770.

That's a hefty profit total of £6,895 for the website banked.

Not too bad couple of days considering the quick sell off due to the Obama bank announcements.

More by luck than skill the FTSE 100 short I put on Wednesday has gone into a profit of over £1,200 in just the two days - it's getting tempting to bank it already. Much depends on whether once the markets have fully digested the news there will be a bounceback.

Of course the other shorts have gone well too with Wolseley and Man both down yielding profits. As always with shorts I tend to take profits quicker than with longs, we'll see.The Imagination short isn't working out yet and on the verge of taking a small loss on that as it looks strong with the tech sector.

Recent buys have stood up well. The day after buying Kentz, it announced a lovely statement with a big order backlog and a good cash statement too. Looks a lovely one to hold onto for quite a while.

New buys Treatt and Volex has also held up well against the sell off. Well, for now!
Dialight consolidates well at higher levels -what a fabulous share this has been and it won't be long now before I'll have doubled on the first lot bought. Still buyers around today despite the sell off.
Intec Telecoms has raced higher this week and consolidated that, now up more than £6,000 plus a dividend as well. It's now nearly doubled.
RM didn't move for bit but it is really scorching up now and profits have rolled in here. 200 could be a barrier and would be tempted to grab profits if it can't get through.
Afren has got through the tricky 100 area which looks promising. Even more promising that it's held that despite the selloff. Micro Focus just rises everyday and is now battling to beat the 500 mark- around £3k profit there now with more than 100 points profits since the buy. Held up well too.
Avanti has gone nicely higher since I bought the spreadbet and hopefully more to come. Even more interesting that the buying is still coming in.
Nestor Heathcare is now very nicely into profit with the spreadbets now £3,000 in profit - good move this week with some big buying.
It's been a wonderful start to the year but some caution needed here. However most of mine holds ok and the shorts are bringing in some cash. Should be an interesting week next week.
McDonalds reports today. Maybe there will be a MCNuggett of good news?
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 2 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply).
To get the offer, click here:
http://promo.tradefair.com/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!
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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.
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!