16
COVER STORY
Forget Wall Street. Trust Yourself.
Isn’t this why you opened a self-directed
account? You have the technology to
overcome your fears. So, put the tools on
your side and consider taking the plunge.
20
Your Portfolio Has a Job to Do. Put It
to Work. Investors think of core positions
as a tool to ride out the good, the bad, and
the sideways. Traders think about core
positions as a way to store capital—do
something to them and turn ’em into cash
flow. Here are some ways you can make
core positions potentially work for you.
24
All the World’s a Trade. You may not
be able to trade directly in foreign markets. But you may be able to use international news to trade commodity swings.
It’s a savvy way to add international exposure to your portfolio.
28
Neutral Spreads Get Tasty. When vol
is low and you’re scratching your head
trying to decide whether to put on iron
condors, consider diagonals. You’ll be
able to push your long options further out
in expiration and get long vol exposure.
MISCELLANEOUS
11 In The
Money
Vol Whisperer
Understand the relationship
between VIX futures and
VIX options. Know all the
details.
Gear Head Set up those
alerts so you can be in
the loop.
Ask the Geek About "the
cloud" and the Home tab.
Toys for Traders Create
custom candlestick
patterns, add studies to
indicators, and chart your
portfolio.
Capiche? Part 4 of our
series on portfolio margin
covers position risk,
margin requirements, and
how to meet margin calls.
REGULAR COLUMNS
6 A Quick Howdy
9 Love Notes
33 Associate Spotlight
Lorraine Gavican Kerr,
Director, Trader Operations and Oversight at
TD Ameritrade works
hard and plays hard.
Three words to describe
her: “Bring it on.”
35 Coach’s Corner
When the markets get
toppy, you need to be on
the watch for the storm.
Here are t wo chart patterns that could suggest
a potential reversal signal.
36 Trader Jargon
Glossary
38 The Back Page
Can you remain safely
oblivious to the world?
Here are five ways
traders can prepare for
hibernation.
Cover Photograph by
Dan Saelinger
