more than £2 million banked since launch

14 Jan

JANUARY 14, 2016

Scratch your eyes out for a cat


**** Seminar Date

SPEND A DAY WITH ME AND LIVE MARKETS
ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 1-
If you want more than the book and see me do it live, come and spend a day with me and live markets. (beginners and improvers welcome). See trades from my own accounts, research, level 2, and finding great shares from scratch and tons more. Three course lunch, snacks, drinks ,lots of chocolate, banter and fun with me live all day.
Email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "February seminar interested" in the subject line and I'll send you details. More details also if you press the seminars button above.

There's an early bird discount off full price but the event is getting full up so not for much longer!
There won't be another one till at least April, or poss end of March.


It's great to be back!! I can't do it. I'm lying. No it isn't...

What would I rather be doing?

Lying by a pool in the sun relaxing.. or writing this looking out over a cold and raining and dark uk. I do love where I live but would prefer to live here March-October and somewhere warm Nov-Feb. There. Sorry.

And I am so (insert bad word of choice here) COLD.

People are a bit sniffy about Dubai I find. Well some of them anyway. Well, I like it, so there.

I've kind of done the adventure stuff in places like South Africa and
Gambia. These days frankly there is nothing like Xmas and new year
away in somewhere not demanding at all.

There is no crime, no rubbish, no p


up people, great food,
everyone mixes well and are polite and friendly, the weather is perfect.

What more could you want? OK, I suppose it is all a bit sanitised
but I like it for a few days at least.

We ate out every night and I realised the best meals are to be had
if they are authentic. The worst meals are the expensive places
with staff that speak perfect English and who pretend to be interested
in you.

The best by far are in places where the staff are disinterested, won't
speak English and couldn't care less about you. Quite refreshing.

Best meal in Dubai was at a Chinese
restaurant... .

An unusual experience - the centrepiece is a bowl of boiling broth. Then
you order whatever you want to cook in it,perhaps pork balls or other meat. And
lovely veg too. Amazing mushrooms. It all bubbles away.

We added standard stuff too like fried rice. All delicous and quite healthy
too as most of what you're eating isn't fried. We will be back and hope the staff
continue to not care a jot, or help out, or do anything other than plonk the food
down. No small talk - excellent!

Talking of small talk - the trouble with a top 5 star hotel is.. well... small talk.

It's all too much, the endless staff asking you how you are. The guests
who have spent all year making money so they can stay there but then
can't relax on holiday. So uptight and the whole place was stuffy.

So we moved to a four star now that's more like it! More fun, and much
more relaxing. Pool aerobics dancing to my kind of crap music !

Out of all the small talk we had to do at the very posh hotel my number one
bit was:

Staff member: Where are you from?
Me: London. It's always cold and rainy there, ha ha.

Him: Oh yes I heard.
Me: Where are you from?
Him Sri Lanka.

Me: Oh I hear they make great tea there..

No wonder we wanted to escape. Maybe that all sounds pompous and callous and I know they are just doing their jobs.

But at the four star they're not over the top, do their jobs politely but not overly in your face the whole time. "Congrats," I told the staff. "You have the balance right". I told them about the over stuffy 5 star. "Well," they reply. "We do service in the exact way we would want to be treated..."

Dubai seemed a little less busy this year, perhaps the low oil price not helping,
a few less super cars around the place. Perhaps some nervousness about the low oil price. The fireworks this year were simply stunning. Anyway, loved it will probably be back in a year.

We've just about got over the death of our lovely kitten sometime ago and felt strong
enough to go to the local (very large) rescue home.

You'd have thought there would be 100s of cats there waiting for a loving home. Well, it was
the opposite! 100s of people wanting to rehome cats and hardly any cats waiting to be
rehomed.

Indeed we were told there just wasn't a cat available.

"Best time to come is really early in the morning if you want to get
one," tipped one member of staff. "Even that it is difficult."

No doubt about it, we really are a nation of cat lovers...

Go onto any cat rescue website and it is the same story, nearly every cat on the sites already says "rehomed" and new ones are snapped up in seconds. Amazing - but I guess also terrific in that cats find new homes so easily.

Anyway we found a private ad for a kitten in the end and we went to East London to visit said kitten. The kitten was adorable.

The owner
said we can have her in a couple of weeks as she needs her mum
for a bit longer. Result and can't wait!! She is the perfect pussy. (Stop it
you bad person)

My 11-year-old has asked me for his first piece of love advice. "How do I kind of ask a girl out if I like her?" he asks.

"I don't mean now but say when I am 16?"

"Ah, son," I said. "I have lots of tips for you. If she's talking to you and fiddling with her hair that's a good sign. Main thing is don't seem too keen..!"

I suspect he won't be asking my advice when he hits his teens... but I will tell him never to put any feelings in writing.

I am still embarrassed about a love letter I wrote to a girl who sat next to me at college. She didn't fancy me in the slightest but did write back a nice note though.... awkward.....

Whatever you do, don't see Daddy's Home . A really horrible movie.

It's billed as a 12 cert so I took Christopher and frankly was shocked that it could be a 12
given the liberal swearing and storyline concerning a man who couldn't get his
wife pregnant.

"What's a tampon, Dad?" he asked when out of the blue a poor tampon gag was
produced along with one on screen. "It's a long lollipop," I muttered, caught unawares.

I mean, seriously !! Anyway, he bought my answer..phew !

Even taking that out just simply awful. Do not waste your time on this
garbage. I can't imagine whoever sets the certificate can have kids or thinks it is
appropriate to allow them to watch this crap film.

Talking movies can't wait to see "The Big Short". The book was brilliant and so
hopefully the film will be too... if you haven't read the book go read!!

If you would like to come to the next seminar..it is on Mon Feb 1st - there is an early bird discount on offer, so please claim it but with the event close to full it won't be there much longer.
Mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Feb seminar interested" in the subject line.

Beginners and improvers welcome! Come and spend the day with me, the markets and some lovely people - and of course, lunch, lots of sugary snacks, and even live chocolate waffle making in the teabreak!

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!

Here's some feedback from from "D"

'It's obvious from his site Robbie Burns is a good market analyst and shrewd stock-picker. He is also a highly opinionated commentator on everything from TV shows to food. Therefore I expected his seminar to be 75% entertainment, 15% general exposition for beginners and-- if we were lucky-- 10% of something I could use to help me invest. But I could not have been more wrong.

The opinions on food and politics etc. though genuine, are I believe a bit of disguise or misdirection for there is a real touch of rebel genius here. And in the seminar, which is 95% hardball, he actually takes you candidly right into the mental process involved in his successful trading, making it a pretty amazing display, even showing his own investment accounts right there on the screen. You can see at once why so many of us are merely stabbing in the dark with our investments.

This is a genuine coaching session in how to trade like him if you put in the graft. I have only bought one stock since, as I am waiting for the tools he recommends, but I got the price down by using his tactics and I cannot recommend the seminar too highly if you are going there to learn. It must be taxing on him to let us at such length and in such detail into the process, which has made him so much money (for--unlike so many other so-called experts the seminars are not a day job). My advice therefore would be to sign up for this while he is still prepared to do it.'

****
When I left my full-time job to trade it really helped having another income: this I got from part-time selling energy and phone services to people and getting a cut of their use of their home services forever! I still get enough from it now to pay all my bills. I am a great believer in multiple incomes and this is a great one in my opinion as anyone could do it.

If you'd like a second part-time income click here

http://www.utilitywarehouse.org.uk/237058/opportunity

This will explain what you can expect to earn and how it all works. If you sign up there you'll be under my wing. Any questions just mail me and if you sign up please let me know.



Get My Updates And Free Lightbulbs Fitted For Life

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 you can order at http://www.jointheclub.org.uk/237058 - let me know if you do it.

Become a double gold customer and the company will change all the bulbs in your house to new led ones worth an average £500 and continue to fit them free for life!

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!

Prices are guaranteed lower than the top 6 suppliers for energy and lower for mobile, home phone and broadband with some amazing prices and great service from a UK call centre.

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 Capital Spreads offers a great book on how to spreadbet for readers via this link http://www.capitalspreads.com/ntrader
Its spreads are surprisingly tight and interestingly an automated stop loss is applied to each trade - so beginners know what their max loss is from the outset. A super site for beginners.
I use IG Index for betting on the very small companies, the only spreadbet firm I can find that does the smaller ones making it possible to trade AIM cos tax free.

To sign up and get an excellent weekly education programme use this link:

http://www.ig.com/nakedtrader

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 £145 inc vat via me instead of £173.71
Just mail me for full details if you'd like it with "silver" in the subject line.


Naked Trader Seminar Latest News

FEBRUARY 1 2016 NEAR HEATHROW

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 February 1 which includes how to make the most of the Xmas rally potential.

Price is £650 plus vat. However there is a massive discount of £250 off that making it just £400 plus vat for the first early bird bookers.
That includes three course lunch, coffees, snacks etc.
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 "Feb 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!
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?


Capital offer

Spreadbetting firm Capital Spreads offers a great book on how to spreadbet for readers via this link http://www.capitalspreads.com/ntrader
Its spreads are surprisingly tight and interestingly an automated stop loss is applied to each trade - so beginners know what their max loss is from the outset. A super site for beginners.
I use IG Index for betting on the very small companies, the only spreadbet firm I can find that does the smaller ones making it possible to trade AIM cos tax free.

To sign up and get an excellent weekly education programme use this link:

http://www.ig.com/nakedtrader

If you like to trade the FTSE, Dow, or currencies then Spreado has an outstanding tight 0.8 spread - that is incredibly tight. The platform is very good and robust and have used it to great satisfaction and profits.

You can sign up at this link which includes a decent market commentary:

http://www.spreadco.com/nakedtrader


Naked Rambling

Supply teacher with hints of menace outside the classroom continues on his merry way destroying the Labour party.

There isn't much hope for Labour till they can launch some kind of coup.

Basically the party has been taken over by a bunch of horrible old b


who seem stuck in their ways from the 70s and who frankly don't seem to like women much.

I was shocked to read David Milliband is paid more than 400,000 for his charity job in America.

I simply could not live with myself getting paid so much by a charity. I always find it amusing that it's the so called holier than though Labour members who get paid so much.

Surely no-one involved in a charity should get anywhere near that. How many donations go straight into his pocket?

Meanwhile Nick Clegg (remember him?) has knocked up £44,000 for two speeches to Pepsi and Goldman Sachs.

I'm sure they were worth every penny. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair continue to command eye-watering amounts for any appearance. Isn't it strange that it is always the holier-than-thou brigade that stuff the cash away?

You have to hand it to old Rupe Murdoch who at 85 has announced he is getting married to Jerry Hall, 59.

I mean, at that age I would be happy to be alive and able to watch Deal or No Deal from my Bathchair.

But Rupe baby is still up for it. Well, I guess it gives me hope. I suspect Jerry might want to push for a fairly quick wedding date....

The new year sees a real dearth of anything decent to watch on TV. The only one that looks worth a watch is Deutchland which is similar to the excellent Americans.

Dragons Den is definitely better without Duncan, kind of more businessey and less ego-y. I don't think those two words exist but I like them and I am going to trademark them.

Though I still have the impression if you get an offer just realise you have a good business and go and borrow the money you need before giving away nearly half your business. Home land finished in style.

Celeb BB is just about watchable on fast forward. I'm not sure how wise it is to allow Westbrooke on there, the woman is terribly damaged and I feel uncomfortable that we are watching her for entertainment.

To put a bad addict like her into such a stressful situation might not bode well for her afterwards. I didn't watch the episode where Angie Bowie grieves over her ex's death. I think it was in very bad taste to chase after viewing figures like that

Apparently the French 5pm-7pm "naughty pause" is on the way over here.

This is the time when illicit lovers sneak off between work and home to do all kinds of things of 50 shades.

Hotels are taking advantage of this by offering part-time day rates.. even the HIlton is getting in on this (ooh la la)

And website dayuse is cashing in on bad daytime behaviour.

I don't think this is a great time personally. I much prefer 10am -10.05am..
I mean 10am-midday.

Hmmm, come to think of it it is 10am.. now where has the Mrs got to? Darling, something has just come up......

Good place for spreadbets and fixed odds for sport is here...

http://www.spreadex.com/nakedtrader/sports

Good quick execution of bets and a great range of markets. Recommended!


Naked Mail

Dave writes :
I agree with comments about Dr Who and Breaking Bad. I used to enjoy Dr. Who years ago but I think it's worn out, it's all about celebrity now, like everything else on telly.

I recently was enjoying the Sopranos a friend let me borrow (fascinating story lines) and my son Rob in Australia (an irrelevance to you of course), he said if you like Sopranos you'll love Breaking Bad. Wow was he ever right. I got the full set from Amazon (apart from the last season). I'm having to eke it out it's so brilliant I don't want it to end, that's the sad bit. What about the uncle in the desert in the wheelchair with the bell strapped to the arm of the chair, the missus and me just fell about and many more just brilliant set ups dragging out every emotion.

Agree Dave, love Breaking Bad. Only five to go for me and I won't spoil what happens for you except it gets more and more addictive!
Gary writes :
"For throwing your heart, soul and energy into one fact-packed, full-on and exhaustingly educational day: FIVE stars with no hesitation!!
Met some really nice people too - like me, nervous that it was the most we'd ever spent on a whole day of anything (had we made arses of ourselves?) But no one felt short-changed, especially when you were still going strong when we all wanted to go to bed! One of your delegates, Susan, back for a second time, said to me unequivocally, "you will go away absolutely inspired." I can't disagree.
Thanks Gary, hope you make some money!

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.
Gabriel writes:
If you are reading this, you are perhaps considering going on one of Robbie's Seminars. You maybe asking yourself (like I did) the testimonials are all well and good but once the euphoria and excitement of attending a Seminar has died down ..... and I am back home in my normal routine and faced with the "graft" of putting it all into practice... will I become a better trader and be financially better off?
Let me tell you that in my case it certainly has!
Book your place pretty sharpish....... is what I say !

Thanks Gabriel!

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!
Dan writes :
'It's obvious from his site Robbie Burns is a good market analyst and shrewd stock-picker. He is also a highly opinionated commentator on everything from TV shows to food. Therefore I expected his seminar to be 75% entertainment, 15% general exposition for beginners and-- if we were lucky-- 10% of something I could use to help me invest. But I could not have been more wrong.

The opinions on food and politics etc. though genuine, are I believe a bit of disguise or misdirection for there is a real touch of rebel genius here. And in the seminar, which is 95% hardball, he actually takes you candidly right into the mental process involved in his successful trading, making it a pretty amazing display, even showing his own investment accounts right there on the screen. You can see at once why so many of us are merely stabbing in the dark with our investments.

This is a genuine coaching session in how to trade like him if you put in the graft. I have only bought one stock since, as I am waiting for the tools he recommends, but I got the price down by using his tactics and I cannot recommend the seminar too highly if you are going there to learn. It must be taxing on him to let us at such length and in such detail into the process, which has made him so much money (for--unlike so many other so-called experts the seminars are not a day job). My advice therefore would be to sign up for this while he is still prepared to do it.'

I have 3 great offers from ADVFN.


ADVFN level 2 offer

First great deal: If you want level 2, through me it is only £420 for your first year including VAT!
This compares to £ 567.60 direct from advfn so this deal saves you £147.60! 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.


ADVFN Bronze Offer

Deal two is ADVFN's bronze subscription - normally £88.70 pa - available from me for only £60! (inc vat) That's a saving of nearly £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.


Advfn Silver Exclusive Offer

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 £35 for your first year by paying just £174 inc vat via me instead of £208.43
Just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com if you'd like this deal with "silver" in the subject line.


Markets

EMAILS: I do beg you not to send me emails asking me for advice on a particular share. It isn't legal for me to give you individual advice and all I do is send you a mail saying that, which wastes a lot of my time and yours too. This includes asking me what to do with a share, what I might "think" about a share, or deconstructing any of the buys I mention here. I would be grateful, see FAQ for more on this. Of course more than happy to answer general questions not related to specific shares.

****
COPYING TRADES: I can't stop you from copying a trade I made but remember the price may already be a lot higher than I paid indeed I hope it is as buying at good prices is what I do for a living. You may be buying at the top and could easily lose money. Also I can make terrible mistakes and have done in the past. I could also sell before you or before the share tanks. I may still be holding in a year when you sold at a loss. Always do your own research, don't jump in blindly. Market makers are very clever at knowing how to make you pay top dollar and then push you out at a loss. This site is about sensible investment and learning how to trade sensibly and is not a tipping site. Beware. Never push buy on anything till you've done proper research and got yourself a sensible price.
****


Markets

A few of you asked me about my new book on trading coming out probably in September. It isn't an update to Naked Trader but a totally new book on trading psychology - been meaning to write this for ages but been too lazy.

It is based on everything I've seen over 15 years , people I have met and my interaction with them and what I have learned from it. I wonder why most people lose at the market and I hope to explain in this new book why it is, why people lose and why it is mainly down to psychology - greed, fear and the male ego.

To that end do you have a story you would like to share? I am looking for something that happened to you. Did you lose a lot but then start winning? What turned you from loser to winner? Or what turned you from winner to loser?

Your ego: did you find that got in the way of you winning? Have you fought with others on bulletin boards? Did you find yourself getting jealous of other's successes? Did you find yourself immersed in Twitter feeds, bulletin boards and social media continually looking at other people's trades or opinions and finding in the end it was a waste of time? Did you get so obsessed with fighting or talking to others on any kind of media that it was affecting your life in a negative way? Are you an alpha male and if so did that go against you? Are you a gambler or alcoholic and did that effect your trading?

Did you even take a "guru" role telling all and sundry your views, did you hide losses and only broadcast winners? Were you in denial about your own ability. Have you hidden losses from partners and if so why? Did you get big losses and were unable to cut them? What do you think stopped you from making profits? Did you find you were getting out of control? Did your trading affect your personal life. How?

I'm looking for totally honest tales that might help others. Basically what is it in your brain you think might be stopping you from progress?

If I publish your story you will get a free copy of the book. Your name and details would be altered so you couldn't be identified although it is fine if you want to stay totally anonymous. If you want a free copy if I publish your tale then please also tell me your name and address.

Stories to robbiethetrader@aol.com - please put "story" in the subject line. I don't expect to reply to you - but take it from me I will read your story and you have my thanks ! I will let you know later this year if your story is used. Please keep submissions to under 300 words.

Well, no big surprises - The Santa rally played itself out nicely for great profits and then we now have the January dip and a lot of volatility.

We must remember the FTSE 100 isn't really representative of the market as a whole - the FTSE simply tells us oil and commodity are in the doldrums but if you stay clear of those areas and in good companies you could be doing ok.

Indeed I managed to clear over £20,000 on the Santa rally. Didn't get out at the top but still did a nice one. I got lucky in the sense that after losing on my first try, my second try worked and it kept going up.

I have since switched to a FTSE short in spreadbets and the ISA to bring in some money in case it slips some more. I'd get out of those if we begin to see a good upswing.

Those at the other end of private investor trades love volatility. They know fear will drive loads of selling and greed lots of buying back and lots of spreadbets and lots of ftse bets as the crowd sway from being bullish to bearish and back again in just a few minutes.

Seems to me this year will be the year of the good stock pick and the continued get out quick if a bad un is picked. There is little doubt we are in for a very volatile year.

Whatever you do don't believe a word of anyone on twitter, newspapers or anywhere telling you what is going to happen. They don't know whatever technical mumbo jumbo they throw at you. Follow, don't guess.

I have no idea if the FTSE will be at 7,500 at year end or 4,500 and neither would surprise me. But in a likely volatile year you need to be very disciplined and not let stocks run away from you on the downside else you will be "stuck" in them. Better to get shot fast then get back in lower on new trades.

It should though be possible to run profits on the good ones. For right now it's worth having some cash on the side, and keeping trades to a minimum. With cash available there is the chance to pick up oversold stuff should there be a big tankdown.

There is a lot of fear around at the moment, but often when you see headlines saying "sell everything" it is probably nearly time to buy and that works the opposite way too.

It is quite hard to sell high and buy low as when the market is tanking you feel fear and want to sell when long-term some buying might prove profitable. If only the market was easier.

Frankly, I would stop all electronic trading platforms and go back to market makers only on all shares which would put a stop to all the silly volatility. For newcomers I would suggest stand aside for the moment till things get easier.

As I was on hols in Dubai I did as little as possible, I don't like to trade on hols if I can help it. It feels a bit weird and I don't know why! Always abroad in the festive season so it isn't a trading time for me.

Anyhow I did make one or two trades since I was last with you. But not all that much - lucky for me one or two of my bigger positions have soared up since I last updated and along with the FTSE long and then short the accounts have seen a good uplift. Indeed I am quite amazing at the number of stocks I own that have released excellent new year updates.

Some of my bigger holdings have gone well and I have topped up in some of them as breakouts look very powerful.

I topped up in two in the same area that's Paysafe (was called Optimal Payments) (PAYs) and Worldpay (WPG).

Both companies are in the right place at the right time and there is a lot further to go for both of them. Worldpay is straight into the FTSE 100. I have already made a lot on both (particularly Paysafe where I would say across all my accounts and spreadbets I am probably in paper profit of well over £50,000).

I do suspect Paysafe will end up being taken over by Worldpay this year or next. Paysafe should also go into the FTSE 250 in March as it has now joined the main market. Together with a very positive update last week where it says it is doing even better than expected, there has got to be more to come, possibly a lot more. Both core holdings both in my ISA and spreadbets.

I've tried again with Vislink (VLK) after failing to make a profit last time although I think this is going to be my last try. It doesn't owe me much as it has made a packet for me over the years but it looks undervalued at under 35p.

I've bought some more Softcat - SCT.. Perhaps it is because I like cats that are soft? But again this one is in a sector the market likes a lot at the moment. I went through reasons on this one a previous update. It also remains pretty nicely under the radar and hasn't been affected (so far) by the volatility.

I've taken up my rights in RPC Group which adds some new shares.

The market just doesn't like QP and I sold at 98 to take a profit of £328 . It went a lot higher than that so should have got more out of it but it started to sink again and I didn't want another loss on it. Is something wrong there somewhere, its pricing and downward spiral seem odd but fighting the market is never a great option. I may make one more attempt as it has sunk again.

I sold GMS for a profit of £168. Again another the market just doesn't like. But I still think it is the best in its sector and will be looking to get back in. TTR absolutely stormed higher and sold most of the rest of my shares for a profit of £ 2,350 though still hold a last few. Over all made many thousands on TTR over the last 2-3 years. And took part profit on Crx as it fairly bolted up nearly 35% so a topslice seemed sensible to bank £1,080. I held onto the rest and as it's come back quite a bit now looking at buying shares back as the last report was excellent.

The market just doesn't like QP and I sold at 98 to take a profit of £328 . It went a lot higher than that so should have got more out of it but it started to sink again and I didn't want another loss on it. Is something wrong there somewhere, its pricing and downward spiral seem odd but fighting the market is never a great option. I may make one more attempt as it has sunk again.

Some fantastic reports from a lot of the companies in the portfolio has caused a decent rise in a number of the shares I hold.

Among them... Photo Me came up with a super statement and in particular they expect the compulsory photo cards in Japan to make them a lot of money. Shares have risen very nicely. I remain a long-term holder of this one.

Avesco produced a very strong statement this week and shares are rocketing on the back of that, should be more to come. Vectura reported yet more good news on its pipeline and the market liked that and pushed up the shares.

Epwin announced a super looking acquisition of Stormking Plastics that the market clearly likes plus decent trading.

Impellam produced a decent statement and gradually drifts higher.

Energy Assets came up with a bullish statement yesterday which pushed the share price up nicely, shame about the terrible spread. Goals reported today, not much new news and in a small loss there now - but with Mr Sports Direct taking a big stake I'll take a chance and hold for longer.

Quick look at some others:

Recent buy Robinson has pushed up well. ETO's share price remains in the doldrums but I suspect a matter of patience there.

Elsewhere great rises for recent buys McCarthy and Stone, Ibstock and Total Produce. No big alarm bells anywhere else so for the moment happy with the start of the year.

Still, the market loves to kick you just when things are going well so caution remains a keyword and I have some cash.

Certainly lots of volatility at the moment so my view is try not to trade at all or very if possible and wait for calmer times.

For me personally I guess I am semi-retired from "Trading" pretty much!

Good luck in this hard month - if I was northern I would probably say: If in doubt, do nowt!" Or summat like that.

Right, having just been patronising to all my northern readers.. er .. I'm off for a cuppa and a Twix max.


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***
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***
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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.

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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 in the diary under Markets every other Thursday afternoon.