Start Learning to Trade Commodities, Find a Commodity Futures Course

By William Davies

Your decision to start learning to trade commodities will give you a completely new insight into the whole world of commodity futures trading. This could be within a specific sector such as grains or precious metals or perhaps across the whole spectrum of global commodity markets. Now doubt you have heard concerns about energy security and the crude oil trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and of how the price fluctuations can be caused by a whole range of factors. And what causes price movements in gold, silver and other precious metals and why should cocoa or coffee futures prices suddenly surge?

These are exciting markets to study, so finding a top quality commodities training provider is so important. How do you go about learning to trade commodities? What are the key areas you need to master with confidence so that you feel comfortable entering the global commodity markets? Firstly, if you are learning to trade commodities find where to do the commodity trading courses that may be on offer. Either start your commodity education at home using study materials with an online training package or attend a top quality trading school where students cover all aspects of commodities and futures.

Why should you choose to go to a commodity trading school? One advantage is immediate face to face contact with your coaches and you might be able to have one to one coaching. Your tutors may well have real world trading experience under their belts, and may indeed still be active commodity traders. If so you will really want to use their knowledge to the full. Also you can share thoughts with colleagues as you network with them after the course.

Learning on location lets you watch and learn from live trades with your coaches, who may trade in real time as you look over their shoulder. This is valuable as it helps to explain in a live setting what you may have learnt in elsewhere in theory. Such examples are valuable as they bring a real, sharp edge to your commodity trading education, and the tutors will help you as you create a personalised commodity trading plan. With the growth in trading centres, training providers now have locations globally and you may find one close to you, such as in London, Singapore, Dubai and Toronto, as well as major US centres such as Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York.

So in contrast what can be said for commodity trading courses delivered online? It may be that you are not close enough to a training centre or other responsibilities mean you cannot find the time. An online package which covers the essential technical and fundamental analysis components of commodity trading can fit into your busy schedule.

The online commodities trading packages most likely provide students with e mail support from the tutors along with resources like charts, blogs, forums and video to supplement the main material. Along with CDs and DVDs software may also be downloaded so students can link up with the markets and trade without committing capital.

You are about to start learning to trade commodities, so what will be covered? Courses will cover the fundamental foundations which look at how supply and demand can affect commodity prices, and the impact of events such as inflation and recessions on these variables. Technical analysis is the other key approach, covering commodity charts, interpreting Fibonacci numbers, Japanese candlesticks, support and resistance lines, trade volumes and moving averages and other indicators of when to trade.

Your trading course will explain a futures contract and demonstrate the ease of electronic trading on global commodity trading platforms. You will learn how to place orders, set and maintain margins on your account, and learn about the importance of hedging. Risk management is important, including how to mitigate losses of capital when using derivatives such as futures contracts. Psychology is key when trying to execute your commodity trading plan will certainly be covered when you start learning to trade commodities. - 23309

About the Author:

The author, William Davies, travels the world and pens articles for a Commodity Trading website, providing an educational resource on commodities and markets. Find out more about learning to trade commodities here.

How To Learn Day Trading From The Pros

By Tim Hunt

There is excellent money to be made in day trading, but, unlike what some may think, it is not a simple job. To be successful, you'll need to put in some work.

Day trading stocks and commodities is a great job and a quite profitable one as well. It requires certain traits for success, and certain habits will need to be internalized.

A good time sense is the first important habit. Day trading is not the job for people who drag themselves out of bed in the late morning and can't think before their second, or third, cup of coffee. Day traders must be up and alert before the opening bell. In New York, trading opens at 9 AM. This is 6 AM in California, and a very early 5 AM in Alaska and Hawaii. The best time to plot trading strategy for a given day is before the opening bell ? you'll need to not only be awake by then, but alert and thinking on your feet.

A second critical habit is a good set of numerical analysis skills. Making and losing money based on gut hunches is a given, but you'll also need to make educated choices based on what you've read, summarized, and synthesized so that you can make good judgments quickly with this background knowledge. All of this needs to be done fast, and you'll need to quickly judge trends in financial markets and apply these snap analyses to your trading decisions.

Although you'll need some good quantitative skills, you don't have to be a mathematician to be a successful day trader. You can cultivate your quantitative skills with just a bit of practice.

A Third habit of successful day traders is the ability to make sharp observations, and to be patient when things don't pan out. Observations must be made quickly and with good short term memory. Though it can be hard, you must train yourself to stay calm even when you lose a trade, and just as importantly, keep your cool even when you make a winning trade.

Dedication to research is a fourth important habit. You won't need to pore over accounting statements like professionals in long term investing, but you will need to analyze trends that appear in the constant influx of information. You'll need to take an active role in decision-making, and choose trades based on this background knowledge. You can't make good judgments without the right research; but don't let an obsessive need to research cripple your ability to think and act on your feet.

Remember that you don't have to do all of this research and analysis alone. High level traders have many research tools and tricks, and various data analysis tools close by.

If you decide to pursue a career change in the field of day trading, you'll need to start by building a support team, including a broker, and some investors who can help you apply leverage to the market. Recognize that you will need to work, and it's a kind of work that requires focus, drive, and dedication.

If, after reading the skills listed above, you think you have what it takes to be a successful day trader, day trading may offer you a challenging and fun way to make a great living. It's a job that can be a ton of fun, and can provide tremendous riches ? in more ways than one. - 23309

About the Author:

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