Multiple timeframe conflict
Looking at multiple timeframes of the same market (“multiple timeframe analysis”) is a common practice. There are many nuances to this approach, and many ways to use the information on…
The most important things
Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start. When we look at charts or go to the market for trading ideas, thousands of pieces of information compete for our attention.…
Did you miss a trade?
What happens if you miss a trade? Newer traders will often make a frustrated FOMO trade, and add a loss to what should have been a non-event. More experienced traders…
A look at some recent patterns
Summertime is here, and, as far as markets are concerned, it's been here a while. One of the characteristics of summertime trading is generally lower volatility and poorer followthrough. Summer…
Breakouts and breakout failures: real world trading
One of the disconnects for new traders is seeing how patterns play out in the real world. When we learn patterns, we usually start from pristine, idealized examples. But in…
Free bars: little patterns after big moves
Bands or channels are usually set up around some type of moving average. They define what is normal for a market, so excursions outside the bands are potentially interesting. There…
Entering trades: some ideas from down under
One of the key questions that comes up with developing traders is “how do I get into trades? Where exact do I enter?” On one hand, the answer to that…
The power of an inside bar
Just a quick lesson here, but an important one. Take a look at the chart above. Was there anything that could have helped us predict the breakdown on that last…
How to Trade Support and Resistance Levels
This is a continuation of a recent blog post in which I introduced the MarketLife PowerLevels. These levels are predicted support and resistance with a robust quantitative edge, available on…
A trade I usually skip. Time to rethink?
Today, I want to share some thoughts I’m having on a pattern I usually skip in my own trading. I’m wondering if maybe these are trades I should be taking……
What is the Dominant Technical Factor?
When I discuss a chart or market, I often talk about the “dominant technical factor.” This is a useful concept that can help anyone, regardless of your experience level, to…
Failure is NOT always an option
Patience is a critical skill in trading. But, like everything, balance matters. Being “too patient” is as bad as being impatient. How do we find the balance? One answer is…
Different markets are… different
What is different and what stays the same? This is one of the key questions traders who trade on different timeframes or in different markets face. We often hear the…
This is how breakouts work: lessons from the S&P 500
Just a brief blog post here to share some pattern lessons from the S&P 500. First, context matters, and that context is: Bullish because of the existing uptrend from the…
Support and resistance… right now
Support and resistance is a controversial topic. Traders’ cognitive bias and random price motion conspire to play tricks on the mind. Many technical analysis books and gurus parrot conventional wisdom…
Using highs and lows
How do we know how that market is doing on any day? If we turn on the news, we will hear something like “the Dow Jones is up 40 points…”,…