The full service ($149.95/month) includes analysis and trades of both ETFs and stocks, rather than stocks-only ($99.95/month). If, for example, you're interested in sector and commodity plays like the SMH (semiconductors) and the GLD (gold), best to have the full service. Otherwise, you'll receive just the stock trades like RIMM, BAC, GM, which some people prefer. We usually suggest taking the full service to start -- you can always downgrade before the free trial ends.

No. Trades are hypothetical but based on actual prices. Suffice it to say that too many conflicts of interest preclude me from participating in the same ideas that I post on the website. Furthermore, I have always thought that one's objectivity suffers if personally involved in the same positions as subscribers.

As MPTrader's (hypothetical) portfolio rarely has more than 5 positions at a time, let's consider 5 positions to be a complete trading portfolio. Thus, 1 full position would be 1/5 (20%) of a trading portfolio. A 1/2 position, in turn, would be 10% of the portfolio and a 1/4 position 5%.

Maintaining this discipline, we will be diversified, and no one ETF or stock position will ruin us. On the other hand, no one position will make us rich either. The aim here is to accumulate profits over time across a spectrum of vehicles... using technical analysis as our decision-making tool.

Yes, my stops are confined to normal trading hours (9:30am to 4:00pm ET) -- not afterhours trading. Stops continue to the next day, unless otherwise specified. If noted as a "Close Only" stop, then the stop can ONLY be executed if the position is below the stop price with 5 minutes remaining in the session.

Twenty years ago, if you had asked me how much I weighed or relied on technical analysis on one hand, versus how much I emphasized fundamental analysis (macro and micro) on the other, I think the split would have been about 80% technical vs. 20% fundamental.

I have matured though (at least I think I have) into a more well-rounded "technician-strategist," who now probably uses a 65%-35% mix to analyze the markets, trends, psychology macro and micro economic data, economic history, etc.

What you see on this site most of the time may appear to be cold, hard, chart work, but lots of underlying economic and psychological thought goes into the chess game of position trading, etc.

My forte without a doubt is in chart analysis...and I think that comes through loud and clear on a daily basis.

But I also know my limitations fundamentally, and so, I solicit the opinion a select few other strategists and economists (yes, even economists!), primarily those who exhibit a strong sense of market history -- to supplement my technical work.

A short-term position reflects my conclusion about the technical work that indicates a move is imminent and should unfold within the next 1-3 days, to which I can apply tight stops and immediate price targets. By contrast, an intermediate-term position is one in which I see a pattern developing over a potentially extended timeframe -- usually 1-3 months-- where I want to "be there" in anticipation of the market reaching its technical potential. Under such a scenario, stops tend to be considerably further away, requiring more risk initially than otherwise would be the case with a short-term position.

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