Better a little Caution

Many questions come to mind when one begins to ask about the basics of investing, 

- where to look

- what to buy

- should I buy

- how high is the risk, versus its returns

- why should I subject my money to such risk since they are my hard-earned money; fixed deposits could still be one of the best options

Be that as it may - after all, risk comes from not knowing what you are doing - Warren Buffett. So take your time to dig and dig, check and check, learn and learn, simplify and simplify, look at the charts, wait and wait - candlesticks/lines always go up and down and up and down. Use strict metrics, check for economic moats and management stability. Finviz is, to me, a fantastic website that I've been using for all sorts of updates about general markets, news, movements, and so many more. Good place to look at some crypto charts as well. I've added the web link at the side bar (for laptop screen) of this blog for convenience. 

"Bitcoin is the ultimate tool for financial freedom, enabling anyone to reclaim sovereignty over their wealth and opt out of a system built to exploit them." - excerpt from an article titled 'Bitcoin: The Dawn of New Monetary Era', 2 Nov 2025, CoinDesk. 

What a line so recently penned on this topic, be so powerful, maybe even divine. 

Requirement or Desire

"Needing nothing attracts everything."

"Letting go of desires creates a space for abundance and opportunities to naturally flow into your life."

While the above quotes certainly help to make better investment decisions (by avoiding the really bad ones) for good overall returns, one could also free up more 'mental space' to focus on learning and character renewal. 

Just food for thought.  

Thoughts during a break

How to navigate the markets and become a successful investor

How to make money in any situation

How to generate profits quicky

Titles, catchphrases, the gimmicky feels

Why not come out with something more about:

- how to turnaround from accumulating losses to profits

- what not to do or think while navigating markets

- why some traders just keeping having hard knocks

- pitfalls to note before and in the midst of active investing

- suggested mindsets for investors to adopt for safe voyage

Why sellers seem to focus on 'asking' people to enter the markets instead of focusing on the fundamentals. Generally, books and courses assume people are already investing and have the know-how to sign up and click till their money is invested; perhaps a proper introductory chapter should be inside each and every one. Just some of my thoughts that surface once in awhile for years.  Personally, I've learned tremendously from accomplished gurus who are able to connect well with students while far less is learned from gurus whose craft are actually superb and courses are professionally and pristinely delivered. 

 

Protect the Citadel

Trading frequently: Can we protect our capital consistently? Or can we afford to make a costly mistake so hefty it can destroy what has been built? Even the most seasoned warrior self-destruct from the slightest yet fatal mistake. 

Stay alert and vigilant at all times. Participate lightly to keep up. Don't chase the high. Search within for the mark of feeling emotional and let go when you know it has mounted on you. After all, you have worked hard. 

'Doing nothing is better than busy doing nothing.' - something I saw pasted on a wall during my reservist. 

Happen to click and then re-watched Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) on netflix. Poignant. Picked up an interesting scene when Li Mu Bai said he wanted to train Zhang Ziyi due to the opinion that she may eventually become a 'poison-dragon' if left unchecked. The question imo - should he have taken up the role or walk away? Maybe a couple of big considerations; though somewhat sadly, life is as such when people could easily fail (not entirely by one's own actions) and may still obtain clarity and truth at the very end. Not sure if lately there are other such simply-made (minimum cgi + maximum effort) and memorable Chinese movie. Amazing script, deep flavoured scenes as well as actors. 

There is a Bigger Picture

We are all part of a bigger picture. The same situation applies while one dabbles in the stock market. 

While we are so certain of specific set ups, trade executions with plenty of research - in-depth or simple ones, there is a still bigger picture, to mind; not to forget. 

The bigger picture forms continuously and never stops. The picture hangs above our heads even when we forgot to think about it. Fresh news breaks out, macro events, macro trends, higher moving averages, stocks categorizations . All these while we are looking at a set up or maybe a single stock. 

Normally - we read the news, check the markets and look out for price ceilings and floors, drawing lines. Yes, drawing lines - important, utmost. That's the least you can do, probably mentally. Horizontal or slants, or should you just look at one of them. Then you may look at higher moving averages, larger waves and overall market sentiments. What then or what's next?  

Price action.

Without price action, no glaring set ups can be spotted, I think. Unless you are insider-ing trading which is illegal. Even so, manipulation or whatever it is can likely appear in price action - whether or not one can identify it. That's the beauty of having candlesticks in charts. Or rather (and also) the stock market. I thank.  

Have you heard of anyone who trades purely based on news or announcements without looking at the price chart (or just price if they follow and memorized the movements)? Not impossible - I recall people who enters a trade just based on Highs and Lows, coupled with announcements.    

I'm convinced that there is no "1 size fits all" for traders or inspiring traders. People behave differently among one another while the price of a stock moves on the screen. Luckily, trading methodologies are aplenty, and instincts could guide an experienced trader to an extent. Grace could also you help to an extent. But punishment awaits to those who are trapped by fear or maybe greed. Sounds ugly.  Recalling to my previous post.

So where do we find guidance besides lessons (painfully) learnt? 

People - great mentors

Our surroundings - eg. the famous "Fibonacci pattern"

Life Events - Inspirations

Stories - Aspirations

Ourselves - by "writing"

To list a few. 

Always be keen (you really have nothing to lose besides time and 'ink') to jot down your ideas, ponder them, develop a strategy, and try not to deviate until results (good or bad) are seen in your balance or even in yourself. Or better still, don't trade at all until you sit on it enough and decide again. 

After all, I stared at the S-Reits market for years before making my first entry. 

Don't be hasty.  

Trade with Inspirations ;)  

Is it Easier to Stop or Better to Continue?

Is it easier to stop trading once you hit a positive number or continue with another trade / second or even third one henceforth?  (within same round of coz)

The whole issue is underpinned by the fact that the price of a particular instrument or stock can go wherever it wants any second any minute any hour any day. No matter the current trend or how strong the pattern could be. 

So many scenarios. From my personal bad experiences, it is better to stop at 1. 

Or stop at 2 if the first trade is negative and the second covers it up to positive. However, things are not always perfect. 

Is your skill set that great or the market/another stock trade just manage appear for you after the 1st trade. 

Are you patient enough to wait for a new one or should you go to sleep? Because your set up strategy is so awesome. 

Are you tired or sharp enough to wait, avoid and only spot the ones best in shape? 

I guess the questions above are sufficient for thought and the conclusion can be simple and easy, I think. 

Decision-making is tough work. 

Don't be greedy. Don't get too hot. 

Keep the tower safe. 

Tradespirations

Hi. I've slowly and finally decided to start this blog to write down some trading ideas once in awhile. My background is in business and real estate. In the last decade, I've been looking, staring at stock markets and eventually decided to enter them starting with Singapore REITs, followed by the US stock market. 

Small intro. I'm not an accredited (or near) expert in markets functions and its related technicalities. I do like to look at charts, reading relevant news and compare notes mentally. I've enrolled a couple of trading courses to learn the fundamentals and some tricks a few years back and also studied finance back in my polytechnic and university days. In 2018, I embarked on a special quest to pass CFA Level 1 and managed to attain it somehow by much grace and continuous effort. 

In my career, I've worked in a Singapore government agency for land acquisitions, on as a real estate market analyst and consultant for several years before going into accounts to do sales pitching and managing MNCs' real estate leases in APAC with dozens of highly experienced real estate agents/salespersons for over 2 yrs. Now closing to a decade since I've graduated I've seen many ins and outs of corporations and business antics - good and bad ones, driven by people of course. 

Meanwhile, I'm not getting younger and my body needs constant good nutrition and exercise just to maintain some level of operation and clarity of mind, and I needed some significant pauses. You'll simply pay for what you didn't do enough or notice enough for your body needs and long-term injuries, in your 30s. 

Now - I've no idea what this blog content could eventually focus on. I'll strive to post quality content in a way as simple as possible, some of which will probably be like a "nothing burger" but I do wish to write my ideas and thoughts in a more "typing" sort of platform and at the same time share with an audience, no matter the size. Pardon my lousy english too. I'll also put in some effort to organize this blog where applicable. I'm also currently using a tablet for this for ease. 

To start. Many would already be astutely aware that trading and investing are 2 different manner of "spending" one's money to "make" more money. Trading could go from seconds up to months in practice while investing USU goes from a quarterly basis up to decades from both personal and company perspectives. I spend much time doing trading only. Investing is much simpler imo. For me, I strongly believe in looking at candle stick charts instead of just looking at the prices. And candle stick charts are of coz better than looking at line charts. Even though I've friends who make money just looking at the line and/or seeing highs and lows - they are simply geniuses and/or inspirations. 

Trade

In trading, there are myriads of methodologies. I would think one of the truths is anything goes as long as the specific strategy delivers a positive return, overall. So its success is largely based on human error or mistakes. For instance, what's the simplest one top of mind? - a lower Moving Average (MA) crosses a higher Moving Average = buy. A higher MA cross down a lower MA = sell. This strategy can be proven easily for a decent average-high-volume stock trading at a large stock market - just do the workings, eg daily candles, for a "very long" run - eg 2 years to be safe if the pick is really lousy. 

Cont'd: The only thing standing against the overall positive numbers is the person himself or herself - a simple deviation from strategy of cos. So - if you have the know-how to build a very simple machine or software to trade, you make money, and of cos legally. Add another 2 simple criteria and hooyah, right? or Not? Too much criteria makes it "rubbish in rubbish out". To share, my favourite MAs are the 20, 50 and 200 MA - applying on both daily and weekly candlestick, with a few other time frames as well since it works so far, for "whichever strategy" I'm doing. A phrase comes to mind - "as long as it works, it is not stupid", right?  

Saw this image related to a new trend on the X app.