The Stock Trading Reality Podcast

I believe it's safe to say this person does not like day trading… at all! In a recent YouTube comment someone brought a flame thrower and, in their opinion, torched day trading as a money making income stream. He made several claims that I want to address as it kills a few birds with one stone. Discussing these claims helps not only dispel them as very weak, but also helps build a better context f...

While we all have different risk tolerances and personalities as traders, at the core, we're all still human. Meaning, there are some general scenarios that happen to us all whether or not it seems like it. Given the nature of social media and YouTube, some situations can seem to never happen to people, but I assure you… they do! The dangerous part of this particular situation I discuss is the imp...

There is a recent controversial proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $50 per hour. Let's consider some economic principles, supply and demand dynamics, and real-world scenarios, we assess the potential impacts of such a significant wage hike on affordability, housing, and the broader economy. Join us as we consider factors between labor costs, housing supply, and market rates to unders...

I'm here to teach! I want everyone to have a firm foundation of even the most basic economic and money principles. With that being said, apparently we need to talk exchange rates. What they are. How they work. Their practical implications. Tucker Carlson recently did a video and his entire argument was based on a very flawed premise. How flawed? The very thing he was arguing for he at the same exa...

It's a confusing time. You look at many of the economic indicators and it seems like the USA is on fire (in a good way!); however, there are some apparent contradictions between economic indicators and public perception. With stock market highs, job surges, and dropping inflation, why does Biden face a 20-point deficit against Trump in economic handling? There is some additional data we need to lo...

As the political season really heats up we're starting to see more and more talking points from the various candidates. While I'm not here to rant and rave in favor of one candidate or another, whenever I see economic talking points, I want to be sure everyone has a baseline understanding. In doing so, you'll be in the best spot available to make an educated choice. Maybe you choose to go about it...

For the beginner and person just getting started in the world of trading, this is a critical question and usually one of the first considerations. I recently had someone ask me about this topic but in more of a unique way. In doing so, they opened up the door for a different approach on the topic that should make things crystal clear. The vast majority of beginners go through the platform and brok...

I realize saying something is "next level thinking' reeks of exaggeration and being overly dramatic, but in this case, it's not. There was a recent event that took place in the markets that illustrates how we as traders and investors need to be thinking in "next level" ways. To be fair to all those who fall into the trap (including me when I first got started), you aren't stupid. In fact, you are...

All drama aside, what I talk about in this episode is a "must understand" concept for all of us as traders and investors. As you'll hear about, I came across someone within my YouTube comment section that did not understand this concept and it had them in a very risky personal finance situation. I've heard many horror stories over the years due to a lack of understanding, and my goal is to ensure...

Scams are a very real thing. I've lost count of the number of people who have reached out to me about an "issue" to, unfortunately, realize they'd been scammed. I want to teach you one very simple fact that is all you need to know to avoid being scammed in the world of trading and investing. Is it a basic principle? Yes. Is it one that people need to be told? Based on my personal interactions, yes...

As we start a new year, I want to walk you through what I would argue should be the number one goal for all of us as traders. This is a goal that anyone can accomplish. There is truly no excuse on why you can't put this goal in motion and immediately start to reap the benefits of it. It's a new year so let's focus on goals that will have practical affects on our trading outcomes! Let's go!

A whole lot of whether or not you will find success as a trader depends on your attitudes and perspective before you begin. If you approach the world of trading from the wrong angle, you are not guaranteed to fail; however, you are putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage. We all value our time and in order to maximize your time efficiency as a trader, you want to enter a situation with the rea...

The true skill set of a trader has nothing to do with reading technical charts or understanding balance sheets and cash flow statements. The true skill revolves around understanding your emotions and knowing how to control them. There are a variety of emotions that need to be considered within the world of trading and investing but one of the key emotions is fear. Fear is tricky because not all fe...

The market has a very sick sense of humor. If you've been around long enough, you know exactly what I mean by this! For the unsuspecting victims, they are treated as little puppets until the market decides to crush them. I know I've been there! The market has played me like a fiddle on more than one occasion. The difficult part with all of this is to most traders, they have no idea until it's too...

I want to talk about a topic that applies to all of us in one way or another. I recently had a conversation who made the argument that everyone should be paid a livable wage. I know this is not some new thought or a talking point which has not been discussed in the headlines before; however, I did want to bring another view to it that I believe many are missing in their analysis. If you ever come...

Yes, life is tough. It's correct, the world is not fair. Some people start off with more of a head start than others. You can't refute these things, they're fact. With all that being said, there is a powerful question you can ask and it'll get you pointed in the right direction. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. Finding the direction you should be headed in and then going with it....

If you overlook this particular dynamic in trading and investing, you're going to experience failure. There's a couple of reasons for this and neither of them in the big picture is going to work out well. With that being said, this is where the irony of the problem arises because it develops from a "big picture" horizon of time. This is also where additional irony comes into play because as trader...

I recently released a video with what I thought was a good argument for the logic some people choose to use in their learning journey. I was confronted with two rather lengthy comments (from the same person) objecting to my claims. I wanted to address these as I believe it makes an interesting conversation and, hopefully, can open the eyes of people who ascribe to the line of reasoning displayed o...

It's nothing that has not been said here before, but trading is very difficult. One of the biggest reasons is because of all the gray territory that exists within the world of learning and improving. Much of it has to do with the way the mind works and how we process and store the information. There is a concept in psychology known as dogmatism which, when left unchecked, can truly set you up for...

I've started to get more aggressive in my current trading with SPX options and it's happened…I've been told I'm a dead man walking! I'm told it's only a matter of time before the market owns me! Here's the thing though, this person was right and I "got owned" in a single losing trade that erased, literally, nine days worth of gains! Yet, I'm still nicely green on the month! Huh??? This opens up a...

The goal for us all is the same: gains. The problems for the vast majority of people can be traced back to the time component of these gains. When you are told "slow and steady", many people scream back, "No! Get rich… now!". I understand the allure of this. We want to have freedom and do fun things right away. Factor in being ambitious and the picture becomes that much more gray.; My guest, Morri...

Do emotions affect your trading results at all? Assuming you are a human being and honest with yourself, your answer is "yes!". For veteran traders in the market, you know this to be true and there are a variety of ways you can tackle this problem. For some people, removing themselves from their trading completely has fantastic results. In this episode, I welcome back long time member Joe ("JoeK"...

I recently stumbled across an article which talked about a special three word phrase. This phrase comes from a public speaking expert from Stanford. I'm well aware that just because an "expert" from a highly regarded institute such as Stanford does not make it true; however, when I think about it and apply to trading, I believe it is 100% accurate! What makes this phrase so special? I would argue...

Driving to your local brokerage in order to set up an account and place an order. This order to purchase a stock cost you $80 in commissions. How crazy would that be? It sounds like something form a horror movie, doesn't it? My guest this episode, Darrel, started out in this kind of environment. It makes my head hurt just how barbaric the markets uses to be and just how much I take for granted on...

As has become my policy, if you are someone who is constantly looking for excuses on why you can't do something or your main arguments revolve around "the system" being rigged against you, avoid this episode! Community member, Jean, moved to the USA from the Dominican Republic and has been in beast mode. He is a perfect example of they type of person I seek to surround myself with. The way he appr...