OK Guys…. I’m really sorry that I wasn’t able to get the NinjaTrader for Unilateral Pairs Trading Indicator put together… but IT’S NOT MY FAULT!! Honest!

OK. If its not my fault, then why the delay? Well, there’s a couple of little “technical” gotcha’s in NinjaTrader that are being worked out. NinjaTrader support is telling me that when NinjaTrader 7 comes out this fall/winter that all the technical components I need to accomplish the Unilateral Pairs Trading Indicator will be included.

So what “technical” issues are we dealing with? Well…. its simple in nature really. You see, in order for me to implement James Altuchers Unilateral Pairs Trading Strategy that he talks about in his highly acclaimed book Trade Like a Hedge Fund: 20 Successful Uncorrelated Strategies & Techniques to Winning Profits (Wiley Trading), I need a function called “Correlate” that … well….. finds the mathematical correlation value between two symbols. So why can’t I do that? Well, at this time, NinjaTrader doesn’t allow for two different symbols to be referenced in an indicator. So I can get the data for the two symbols and identify what the correlation is between them, which is (partly anyhow) what determines the standard deviation values that are derived for the buy/sell signals.

Now I don’t want anyone to badmouth NinjaTrader over this…. They are working very diligently on this, and even gave me several alternate methods to try. Unfortunately, as with most work-arounds, they were designed with a different purpose in mind, and were ultimately unsuitable for the Unilateral Pairs Trading Indicator

In fact, I’d really rather that everyone that has genuine interest in having this indicator, go to the NinjaTrader support forums, and let it be known that we Absolutely Require Multiple Symbols To Be Referenced in Indicators, so that more quality NinjaTrader indicators can be created. In fact, if you want a starting point, here’s the thread I started

So where does this leave me for writing NinjaTrader indicators? There’s still a whole wide field open for indicators…. and I’m just getting warmed up!!

So keep those requests coming, and I’ll keep delivering!!

“Here I come to save the daaaay!!”

A world famous quote by the everlasting Mighty Mouse …. And a phrase I intend to honor!

You see, I LOVE trading…. but every last charting package that I’ve come across… well, lets just say that every last charting package that I’ve used, is limited in some fashion or lacking key features.

Now don’t get me wrong, they serve a purpose, and I can use basic indicators and even write my own…..

But as a seasoned professional programmer and skilled businessman…. I WANT MORE!!

And you do to, don’t you?

Now, maybe I’m just a control freak, or Maybe… and this is a big one here…. Maybe I just want to do more, and have the best possible trading, charting and strategy back-testing platform in the world!

Now think about this for a moment…. if you make a request to your current charting provider, do you get what you ask for? For instance, if you make an indicator request…

Do they deliver? Mine neither… but I’m a programmer, so I just write my own….

But that’s not fair for everyone else!! You know it. I know it. And they know it!

As you know, I provide FREE indicators…. sure I load the site with advertising and make a small kickback, but that’s not WHY I do it… I think that if I purchase a platform, I should have access to Thousands of indicators that should naturally be included in the software……

At the very least, make it easier for a programmer, like myself, to actually program and integrate the indicators into the software. If a request is made, “Make it so, Ensign!”

Now … Mr. Taza, you said you had a fix to this problem…. could you pleeeease quit rambling and get on with your point?

Right … Sorry!

My solution? I’ve begun putting my 11 years of hard-core programming and 3 years of business ownership to use. I’m architecting my very own charting platform!!

OK. Great! So how can I help, you ask? I’m glad you asked!!

I’m looking for interested parties to support my coup!

Eerr.. rather, I’m looking for Angel Investors to help backup my plan to take over the world…. well at least the financial charting market.

This isn’t a low-class, half-baked plan either. This is a full-fledged operation!

So, How much do I need?

Hold onto your boots folks….

I need $3 Million Dollars…. to get a prototype….

So after reading this post, you may think that I’m kidding… and believe me, I can understand that…. just look at my casual, almost poetic, writing style….

But I’m NOT!!!

This is a (nearly) serious request for help in cleaning up the Charting Platform Industry…

Now I’m not thinking of lobbying the Charting Underwriting Platform Mitigating Outward Regulations (CUPMOR) or the Charting Litigation in Transition (CLIT) or anything like that….

No… I’m taking real action here, by proposing a product that is 1000X better than what is out there and creating a little friendly competition…

Of course, as Jerry Hocutt says

There’s good news and bad news… the bad news is that there’s a lot of competition. The good news is that they aren’t very good.

OK enough ranting. Just donate my $3 Million dollars below!!

NB: Though this article is intended to be light and distractive to ones day, there is a serious note in there that I do have plans to compete in the charting platform industry, and am seriously searching for funding opportunities to build a better product

Well now I’ve done it! And as an active NinjaTrader user, you’re probably thinking,

“Yeah! You’ve been putting up these great trading indicators for TradeStation, and the like, but, none for NinjaTrader! What gives?”

UPDATE (07/17/2008): TazaTek has just uploaded the first-ever Hilbert Sine Wave Indicator available for NinjaTrader!!! Go download your very own copy of the Hilbert Sine Wave Indicator

And you’d be right! My fault completely. And I sincerely apologize! And to make it up to you, NinjaTrader is my next focus in the coming weeks, But I need your help!! You see, I’m a programmer by profession, and a trader on the side. You on the other hand, make a living and lots of money by trading and maybe you’ve done some NinjaTrader programming on the side. My point is that you know what indicators are going to make you money, but you don’t have the foggiest idea of how to program them. And me on the other hand, knows how to program them, but I don’t have a clue of which ones are going to make you money.

And this is where you come in

I need you to give me better direction on where you need me to start programming free NinjaTrader indicators. You see, my goal is to make TazaTek the number one, Free Trading Indicator site, in the world, and have indicators for all the major platforms. And after looking through my site logs, there was an overwhelming response from the NinjaTrader crowd that you guys are actively looking for NinjaTrader Indicators. You’re the type that would even pay good money for them, but I’m going out of my way to make the indicators free for you, all you have to do is tell me what NinjaTrader indicators you need!

That’s it. It really is that simple. You see that little button down below that says, “Request a platform” ? ( I know, I should add a button that says “Request an Indicator”, but do you want free NinjaTrader indicators, or do you want more buttons on the site? Yeah, I voted indicators too.) Well if you click it, you can write a note about which indicator you’re wanting, and let me know that you are one of my NinjaTrader buddies, and I’ll get it processed and out the door faster than you can say “NinjaTrader Rocks!” Alternatively, if that button isn’t working (as can happen with websites occasionally), I provide my handy backup link to my contact form.

Now, I know that this is getting you real excited, and you just want to fire off a bunch of indicator requests (that I highly encourage, by the way), but give my just 10 more seconds of your time. If you are this energetic about getting free NinjaTrader Indicators, then I’m most certain that you have a trading buddy that is also excited about the prospect, so why not use the other button below so cleverly labeled “Tell a Friend” and let them know about this site! And the good news to them is that I don’t even see their email address when you tell them about this page.

And if you really like this idea of free ninjaTrader indicators, then go ahead and tell the forums that this site is alive and kicking, and we’ve been working feverishly on this site for 3 weeks (still in infancy), and we’re running in overdrive to put this site into it’s prime.

OK. I told you only 10 seconds, and I know that you’re excited to request your favorite NinjaTrader indicator, so go ahead and click the “Request a Platform” button below now…. Operators are standing by…

Well, everyone has their own list of the best stock trading sites on the internet, but none of them match up to our trading style, so we decided to create our own list of top 15 best stock trading sites. So without further ado, here they are.

1. Barchart.com

Barchart.com is bar-none (pardon the pun) one of the best stock trading sites on the internet. It provides a sector analysis with a proprietary weighted alpha that always produces great results. I use barchart.com to find the best trends of high volume stocks with a lot of “Oomph!” behind them. I personally use them to find my best options trades, but they work great for stock trades as well.

2. StockCharts.com

Stockcharts.com provides the best online charting software anywhere to be found on the internet. They have free charts and paid charts, allow for annotations to track where you made your last trades and more. They also have an extensive online tutorial on technical analysis. Don’t forget to sign up for John Murphy’s Newsletter too!

3. Investopedia

Investopedia.com is an extensive online resource of tutorials and articles on anything investing related. If you have a term, they have a definition. Want to know how to trade options or try your hand at futures trading? They have an answer. I see a lot of online sources that take material verbatim from investopedia.com, so you might as well just start here. They also have a newsletter and online tools as well.

4. CandleStickShop.com

Candlestickshop.com isn’t a very flattering web-site, but if you can get past that, they are an excellent resource for learning and participating in trading stocks, options, futures and forex with candlesticks. They have a FREE eBook too! I just love eBooks, but only the ones that have original content (like this one!).

5. CBOE

CBOE.com has a great online tutorial on how options work. Since I’m a big options trader, I found this to be great resource when I was just starting out. And to be completely honest with you, I still refer back to the Options Institute periodically. Not only is there an online course, but they are a huge authority on options, so if you have an options question, they may have an answer for you.

6. MarketWatch

Marketwatch.com has been one of my favorite news and research sites for years. They start it off right by having a pleasant design, with intuitive controls. The tools are useful and easy to use. I prefer their stock screener and portfolio manager over most of the other sites that are out there on the internet today.

7. StockPickR.com

Stockpickr.com (yes the funny spelling is not a typo!) takes the most interesting approach to trading stocks of all my picks, which is why it definitely makes my top 15 list of best stock trading sites. I believe that this site was formed by Mad Money Jim Cramer (someone correct me if I’m wrong on this). Jim Cramer is a brilliant man, with a fantastic sense of money. I hope to meet him some day…. I digress. Stockpickr.com takes the philosophy that the big guns out there, like T. Boone Pickens and Warren Buffet, know where to spend their money, and this site tries to mimic the trading styles of some of the wealthiest men on earth!

8. Earnings.com

Even technical analysts need to keep tabs on the fundamental data that is out there periodically, and definitely should be aware of when earnings are coming out. It doesn’t matter if the earnings are great or the earnings are tomb stoning , the outcome is unpredictable, and if you’re thinking about getting into a stock, you’ll want to check that there isn’t an earnings report coming out in the near future. It’s kind of like options expiration Friday. You just don’t want to be in options on that day.

9. OptionTradingTips.com

Optiontradingtips.com is a great beginning site for options traders. It gives a lot of background on what options are, and how to make money by trading the right options

10. SmartMoney.com

I like this site for the tools! Smartmoney.com has the most unique perspective on its tool usage than any other online stock trading site that I’ve ever seen. They let you drill down into data, and get the information that you really need.

11. iVolatility.com

IVolatility.com is the number one reason that I’ve made money in the stock market with options trading. By understanding the power of volatility with options, you will harness the power of making money! OK seriously, if you’re trading options, you need to understand volatility, and iVolatility.com makes it easy!

12. thinkOrSwim.com

thinkorswim.com is a great trading platform for stocks and options. They have both a desktop and online version of their software. There is also an option to paper trade to get comfortable and try things out. At one time they were giving away a free monkey if you signed up and funded your account. I cuddle with mine and call him George!

13. optionsXpress.com

optionsXpress.com is another great online trading platform for options. I like there ease of use and paper trading options as well. There aren’t as many options as thinkorswim.com, but in some respects, that is what I like better. Remember the old K.I.S.S. principle?

14. ProsperLearning

Maybe not one of the best stock trading sites, but definitely a great place to go to learn about how to trade stocks, options, online marketing and a whole variety of other ways to make money. Definitely worth the money for some hands on coaching. I made my money back the very same month I started.

15. Briefing.com

Briefing.com has expanded and provides a whole slew of content, tools, news and research. They have a free section, but the paid membership takes you to the next level of information. Really worth a shot.

Well that’s all I have for my top 15 Best Stock Trading Sites. I have a lot of other stock trading sites that I visit on a regular basis, but I think that this gives you a great start on where to go to get the information that you need to make educated decisions to buy and sells stocks. I’d really love to hear what sites you visit regularly, so go ahead and leave a comment below to share your favorite with others.

I just received word from TradeStation that they are giving their platform away for free until the end of June. Here’s what they sent me. Just remember, that I don’t make a dime off of this. I just think that everyone should take advantage of an offer like this, to see for themselves the power that the TradeStation platform gives you.

With four months of TradeStation free - plus the ability to test your
strategies risk-free in live simulated trading-there’s never been a better
time to get started with TradeStation.

TradeStation’s award-winning strategy development, back-testing, analysis
and automation tools give you the power to trade by the only rules that
matter: your rules. And with new TradeStation Simulator, you can test your
trading ideas under real-time market conditions-without risking a cent.

Fund a new TradeStation equities account with a minimum balance of $30,000,
or fund a new futures or forex account with a minimum balance of just
$10,000, and pay no platform fee for four months.

This is one offer you can’t afford to pass up. Discover for yourself why
Barron’s recently ranked TradeStation “best online broker” over 22 major
competitors.

See? Now how can you go wrong. You can ask for Todd Proccacinni and let him know that I personally recommend him and the product that he supports. 1-800-808-9336

Well, it was bound to happen. I found trading opportunities in Pairs Trading, and created a whole other site based on those trading opportunities. If you know what pairs trading is, then you know how difficult it is to come up with fresh new correlated pairs  to trade on a daily or weekly basis. Sure, you could use the SPY and QQQ pairs, but everyone is trading those…. Translation: your profits are diluted when there’s that much trading activity with the same strategy. So TazaTek created Pair-List.com to fill the gap for day traders. You see, before I became a TradeStation consultant, I was a Software Engineer for Raytheon , so naturally I wanted to program something that would solve this trading problem. TazaTek created Pairs-List.com with the idea that it would be accessed by traders online so that it would be available 24 hours a day. Why online? Well, there’s over 25 Million pairs that have to be compared for correlations. It takes a LOT of computer time to find out what the correlation is between all those pairs and then sort it out and organize it for our day traders. So we do all the grunt work, and you get all the  trading opportunities.

So go checkout Pairs-List, and Join the trading forum while you’re there.

So if I’m working so hard on Pairs-List, what’s going to happen to TazaTek ? Glad you asked!! TazaTek is going to shift from consulting work, to providing FREE trading indicators on a variety of trading platforms. Why free? Well, the proprietary ones I kept coming up with were so good, that I didn’t want to sell them. So selling my indicators  to traders became a no option, but I realized that there wasn’t a good repository of trading indicators out there, so that is the void that TazaTek is going to fill. So if you know of any public domain indicators out there that could benefit all traders on the web or that you have lying around, let us know, and we’ll post them right away! We’re going to post indicators for any trading platfom out there, so TradeStation, MetaStock, NinjaTrader, Wealth-Lab, Telecharts …. all fair game!

We look forward to providing you with great trading knowledge!