If At First You Don't Succeed - - It May be Math Related.

 Most of you know that I'm not technically "working" at the moment, I can't go into details at the moment, but I'm free to do just about anything I want to do, and without fear that I can't meet my bills. Well, unlike most happy-go-lucky souls who would (or could) find themselves in this particular situation, I am not sitting around the house doing nothing, NO NO NO...far from that. I am studying how to become a stock broker and/or financial advisor. I could go in so many various directions; you just never know. If you asked me, and you should actually ask me, I think I want to become a swing trader.  A swing trader does somewhat the same thing that a day trader does, but a swing trader only trades a few times a week rather than multiple times in the same day.  Ultimately, it boils down to what your passions are in the investment world.  Do you see yourself standing up all day squeezing a stress ball while watching 16 monitors and going without bathroom breaks for the sake of a good trade? Neither do I?  That's why day trading is out of the question for me.

    An average Joe swing trader earns a bit less than the average day trader but they spend far less money on antacids too!  A day trader can literally make over $500,000.00 a year, and they can scrape the bottom of the barrel and barely break $15,000.00 if they lose their shirts (and the rest of their suit) while working like a maniac to make the most exciting trades.  A swing trader, by contrast (and I like this part) does a lot less Math and uses more time and common sense mixed in with a good dose of luck and perception to earn an average salary of just over $100,000.00 a year, but to be honest, there are commissions and bonuses that go along with it. The average swing trader who works for a firm in the U.S. can take home a hefty $40,000.00 end of the year bonus quite easily; so that alone can make someone stay at their desks on the days they're not actually trading.

    Swing traders and day traders alike could find themselves working from home if they choose to; or if their employers are of the mindset that being at home may be overall more productive and provide fewer distractions.  More swing traders remain at home while day traders sort of feed on the competitive frenzy that is the backbone of their profession. I (again) would prefer to take less money and do less Math. I would also prefer to take less money and keep my guts and ulcers in check. I don't want to worry about where the next "Dip" is going to come from.  A "dip" refers to a point of sale between the best bid and asking price of a trade.  Remember the old adage "Buy high, sell low"? Well, it works. It really does create the dip and that's when your best strike should be made - - for day traders, that dip comes often and at a furious unknown sort of anticipated point of time all throughout the trading day. For swing traders it's a calculated and more precise timing thing - - I prefer that.

    I want to get to the point that I don't need the calculator, but I don't foresee that being realistic for a while. I also don't want to spend other people's money until I know what I'm doing, and that's still a long way off from today. Literally, at this point, I'm learning the lingo. I'm working through the prep practices, the study guides, the YouTube videos and the information I can Google to find out all that I need to know. I took the official test for the SIE (Securities Industry Essentials) today, and I failed it. I didn't come up with a 70%. I made a 62%, and I needed just two more correct answers. The way I see it,  I would love to have passed, but now I have 30 more days to study and I've decided to make the most of it. Not only am I making myself flash cards, but I'm doubling down on the very things I missed and will go over and over the conversion formulas so that I know I won't miss THOSE questions next time. I don't know exactly what I missed, but I know I didn't know about 40% of the test obviously. Math plays about 10% of that equation - - If I can make up that 10% I've got this!

    If you ask most people on the street if they know the difference(s) between a Bullish or a Bearish outlook for our future (economically speaking), most won't know the terms in the first place, but if you show them a photograph of the famous brass icons from 11 Wall Street, NYC, NY, they may say something like, "Oh yeah, I've seen that. It's stock broking stuff, right?"  Yeah, it's stock broker stuff, but there are so many more angles to the industry.  Securities can be equity (money) or debt (bonds) and they can be high yield, no coupon, long, short, covered, even naked. You can be naked in the Market! It's not a good thing really, but it can happen! When people say "That's the long and short of it", they are referring to a financial situation, a position, that a buyer finds him/herself in, and most people don't know that either. I find it fascinating that every penny we earn or spend is manipulated every single day one way or the other by unseen people, by those we never think about - - but we just keep paying them what they ask us to pay. I wanted to be a part of that world - to a degree.

    I want to understand the process. I want to dig in and get my hands dirty. I won't compromise my character or my morals; nothing like you'll see in a Wall Street Mogul type movie.  I want to be respected, I want to be generous, I want to be honest, and I want to be trustworthy. When I choose a company to be appointed with for the sake of taking the exams and learning the ropes, I want it to be a good solid company with an earned professional reputation for excellence, not money grabbing. I'm praying about it now. As soon as I sit the SIE and pass it I know that dozens of companies will call me to say they have slots available. Everyone wants to hire the newbies to give them the grunt work. I welcome that grunt work. I want to know this industry from the inside out. 

    Once I have my feet planted and my head swimming with the right information I want to take the show on the road and work ADRs (American Depository Receipts) for foreign investors. I want to work as an American liaison for the new Scottish Stock Exchange, or for the London Stock Exchange. I will be stationed in Edinburgh, Scotland, and I will work from home most likely. I have pretty specific dreams in my head, but also prayers in my heart.  God is with me. He is helping. I could have used His recall today during the test, but something tells me He allowed me to fail so I could take a needed step back and do more of my own heavy research. No one pushes me like I push myself. I am the Queen of Self Butt Kicking!  Long live the Queen, and may she never be found naked in the market.  Being bullish like I am, I'm thinking of buying myself a Coo.

Photo Credit:  Treasures of Nature.