Picking A Strategy

I recently wrote a little about picking a best stock for 2011 and mentioned a few of the myriad ways in which an investor or trader might go about selecting a candidate. In my own trading life, as I review stocks, I find that the process becomes much more one of elimination than selection. As I look at a chart, for example, I can see that good old XYZ may have just reached up to a resistance and is turning down. A quick fundamental review may show that earnings have dipped due to some new competition, debt is considerably higher than other stocks in the sector, and a potentially large lawsuit has just been commenced against the company. If all this is occurring in a bull market, XYZ is not a buy for me; it is eliminated as a potential bullish addition to my portfolio since I know there are other better candidates out there. Does that mean that as a trader I am not interested in the stock? Definitely not. Though I have quickly rejected it as a buy I may give further consideration to XYZ as a bearish candidate. I may look at a different strategy that looks like it might have a greater chance of success with XYZ. Does it fit my parameters to short the stock, or to buy puts, or maybe put on a bear put debit spread or a bear call credit spread? I can see how those strategies might be a better choice given the information I have about XYZ and its price performance.

A majority of investors and retail traders may pass right over XYZ since their bias is bullish and they are only looking for top stocks to buy. Those investors may only really consider one strategy; buy the stock first and sell it later. In so doing they easily may miss the apparent opportunity the XYZ scenario offers to an investor armed with more than one strategy. There are many ways to making money in the markets, and the utilization of various strategies can add income streams and profits to the trader or investor who gains understanding.

How we invest or trade is a personal decision. The decision is influenced by how much time we have, how much cash we have to invest, our age, our family situation, our risk tolerance, our interest and a variety of other factors. No matter who you may be, if you have the interest to read this article, there is almost certainly a strategy that will fit your situation and comfort level. I devoted my new book to this subject. "Smart Investors Money Machine" is designed for investors as well as traders. In "Smart Investors Money Machine," I have tried to consider a wide variety of investors and traders using examples of a young single person, a growing family, and a couple reaching retirement to show numerous ways each might select a strategy that fits them and their lifestyle and at the same time will provide them with more income. The book isn't limited to option strategies though it does discuss some. The scope of "Smart Investors Money Machine" encompasses a variety of strategies from buy and hold to dividend capture to writing covered calls, to specific sectors that offer exceptionally high yields and includes a basic primer on bond investing and annuities, and even explains a little about reverse mortgages. With each strategy, I not only describe the strategy but also show how people in differing times and stations of life might use it to bring in more income to lighten their daily load.

The point is there are lots of ways to create streams of income. Some of them require a lot of time and some very little time. Some are very risky and offer higher potential rewards while others are accompanied by a lesser risk but offer a lesser potential reward. There are plenty of ways to do it and some of those ways are likely to fit your specific circumstances. In my view, it is definitely worth the trouble to explore the possibilities and see what you like and what can work for you.

Almost assuredly there are strategies for you. What I often see is people trying to be traders rather than investors when they have neither the time, the knowledge, the capital, nor the risk tolerance to really be traders. My advice to them universally is it is great to be a trader, but first you need to acquire the knowledge. In the meantime, there is no reason why they shouldn't be generating additional income using other strategies that may be less complex, less time consuming, require less attention (in some cases even no attention), and still add a stream or streams of income.

The strategies we utilize are critically important to our success and choosing what strategy we will employ may be as important, and sometimes even more important than the specific XYZ we select.

Recommended Top Stocks To Buy:

FAS (Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares)
This past week, Option Trader closed a debit spread on FAS for a before commission gain of 76% in just under three months. Thereafter, a new debit spread was entered using slightly different strikes. For those with an interest in financials, FAS is an interesting vehicle.

UNG (United States Natural Gas Fund ETF)
Trend Trader opened and quickly closed a one day trade to grab a 2.4% return before the small commission. Since exiting, UNG has been drifting down toward an uptrend line. I'm continuing to watch to see how the share price behaves as it deals with the trend line.

Will the Great "Pink Sheets Makeover" Work?

I doubt the average person has any idea what the Pinks Sheets are, much less anything about its reputation. But the average investor probably has very few positive things to say about this over-the-counter stalwart.

It's the "Wild West" of investing...

You can't find anything on the Pinks that isn't a sub-penny or shell company...

Stock promoters and scam artists - and their helpless victims - are the only forms of life inhabiting the Pink Sheets...

However, the Pink Sheets landscape is changing dramatically. And these changes could mean a more investor-friendly environment is finally making its way to the once-murky waters of bulletin boards. In fact, you might already be relying on the Pink Sheets for all of your over- the-counter trades - even if you've never put your money in a Pink Sheets stock before.

I'll explain how it all works in a minute. First, it's important to see how the Pinks have evolved into a major player in the listing game.

The Pink Sheets put its plan into motion back in 2007 when it began to differentiate between transparent, reporting companies and the shell companies that make up the Pink's notorious grey market. Most of these newly listed OTCQX stocks were larger, foreign firms looking for a foothold in the US markets. Even multi-billion dollar firms such as Adidas and Wall Mart of Mexico count themselves as members of the OTCQX.

The Pink Sheets boasts that the OTCQX is the "premier tier of the US over-the-counter market... Investor-focused companies use the quality controlled OTCQX listing platform to offer investors transparent trading, superior information and easy access through their regulated US broker-dealers."

And it's not just foreign firms that are populating the Pink's transparent listings. Since its 2007 inception, the program has expanded to include multiple market tiers designed to help traders and investors know exactly what they're getting into when they throw their money at a Pink's listing.

The OTCQB was the next step. This is the latest market tier for transparent, reporting, fully up-to-date listings. A public relations push has accompanied the OTCQB launch. The Pink's domain has changed to "otcmarkets.com." Front-and-center on the page is a link to the market tiers, along with clear designations and descriptions for even the speculative and grey market securities.

It would appear the PR blitz and OTCQB launch are part of the Pink's plan for OTC listing dominance. That's the important part: the Pink Sheets is not an exchange - it's a listing service, competing with the OTCBB, which is run by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Despite its less-than-stellar reputation, the Pink's are winning the technology race. Market makers have turned to the Pink's quotation system in droves. In fact, more than 80% of all market maker quotes in OTC stocks are now published on the Pink's platform, with just 20% on the OTCBB. So if you're buying an OTC stock, chances are the Pink's system is the one pulling the lever.

I can't say how quickly the Pink Sheet's reputation will change, if at all. But the listing service is positioning itself to turn the OTCBB into a thing of the past. That in itself is reason enough to pay close attention...   How One Local Government Cut its Expenses and Actually Gained Public Support   People are bicycling. The sun is shining...sparkling off the water and the glass towers. Snow capped mountains are in the background.

Welcome to Vancouver...

But after 20 hours of travel, we're too tired to write...

Besides... Nothing happened yesterday. The Dow rose 75 points. Gold went up $9.

Oh... Here's something interesting. Local government says it can't cut expenses? The New York Times:

A City Outsources Everything. Sky Doesn't Fall.

MAYWOOD, Calif. - Not once, not twice, but three times in the last two weeks, Andrew Quezada says, he was stopped and questioned by the authorities here.

Mr. Quezada, a high school student who does volunteer work for the city, pronounced himself delighted.

"I'm walking along at night carrying an overstuffed bag," he said, describing two of the incidents. "I look suspicious. This shows the sheriff's department is doing its job."

Chalk up another Maywood resident who approves of this city's unusual experience in municipal governing. City officials last month fired all of Maywood's employees and outsourced their jobs.

While many communities are fearfully contemplating extensive cuts, Maywood says it is the first city in the nation in the current downturn to take an ax to everyone.

The school crossing guards were let go. Parking enforcement was contracted out, City Hall workers dismissed, street maintenance workers made redundant. The public safety duties of the Police Department were handed over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

At first, people in this poor, long-troubled and heavily Hispanic city southeast of Los Angeles braced for anarchy.

Senior citizens were afraid they would be assaulted as they walked down the street. Parents worried the parks would be shut and their children would have nowhere to safely play. Landlords said their tenants had begun suggesting that without city-run services they would no longer feel obliged to pay rent.

The apocalypse never arrived. In fact, it seems this city was so bad at being a city that outsourcing - so far, at least - is being viewed as an act of municipal genius.

"We don't want to be the model for other cities to lay off their employees," said Magdalena Prado, a spokeswoman for the city who works on contract. "But our residents have been somewhat pleased."

That includes Mayor Ana Rosa Rizo, who was gratified to see her husband get a parking ticket on July 1, hours after the Police Department had been disbanded. The ticket was issued by enforcement clerks for the neighboring city of Bell, which is being paid about $50,000 a month by Maywood to perform various services.

The reaction is all the more remarkable because this is not a feel-good city. City Council hearings run hot, council members face repeated recall efforts and city officials fight in public. "You single-handedly destroyed the city," the city treasurer told the City Council at its most recent meeting.

Four years ago, in what was probably the high-water mark of acrimony in Maywood, a deputy city clerk was arrested and accused of soliciting a hit man to kill a city councilman. The deputy clerk, Hector Duarte, was concerned that his salary might be reduced or his job eliminated during a previous round of bad fiscal times; he was sentenced to a year in jail and six months of anger management counseling.

This time, the councilman, Felipe Aguirre, has received no threats and has seen remarkably little anger. "This is a very bad economy," said Mr. Aguirre, who like the mayor and fellow council members receives a stipend from the city of $347 every two weeks. Even if city employees lose their benefits, he said, "very good workers are still going to hang around."

Jose B. Garcia, an assistant city planner, will now be working on contract. "I still have a job," he said. "In that sense, I can't complain too much."

Maywood, which covers slightly more than one square mile, is one of the most densely populated cities in the country. The official population of 30,000 is believed to considerably understate the actual total of about 50,000.

It has some of the ills that plague other cities. Property taxes, a primary source of revenue, have declined to $900,000 from $1.2 million in 2007. Sales taxes have also dropped. But Maywood's biggest problem by far has been its police department.

A report by the state attorney general last year concluded the culture of the department "is one permeated with sexual innuendo, harassment, vulgarity, discourtesy to members of the public as well as among officers, and a lack of cultural, racial and ethnic sensitivity and respect."

The budget for the Police Department last year was nearly $8 million, more than half of Maywood's revenues. The contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will cost about half of that. Insurance premiums for the city have fallen to $200,000 from $1 million.

The deputies have already engendered good will, Councilman Aguirre said, by cracking down on a local hotel that was a haven for prostitution.

And others said they have seen an increased police presence in the last few weeks. "The deputies are there right away," said Maria Mendez, who has lived in Maywood for most of her 73 years. "Before you used to wait and wait for the police."

One reason for the general enthusiasm might lie in the fact that many of the nonpolice workers have been rehired on contract, so in some cases the faces encountered by the public remain the same. In other words, no one has noticed much going wrong because there was not much to notice in the first place.

The five crossing guards, for instance, are doing the same work but are paid by a security company.

And it is possible the bad news is just slow in arriving. Maywood has dabbled in contracting before, and it has run awry in some instances. Skeptics cited the example of two handball courts in a Maywood park. City officials said it cost an outsized sum - hundreds of thousands of dollars - for a contractor to build three concrete walls.

A few people, extrapolating from personal experience, are convinced that the city is still on a downward path.

Jerald Bennett was on his way to the $2 seniors' lunch at the bustling Maywood recreational center when another car made an illegal turn and almost rammed him. "It seems like that sort of thing is happening more and more," he said. "They're not patrolling the streets."

For others, however, the celebration here is practically palpable. Freed from its employees, Maywood has nowhere to go but up, they say.

"Remember the Soviet Union?" said Hector Alvarado, who heads a civic advocacy group. "They had a lot of bureaucracy, and they lost. Maywood was like that. Now people know if they don't work, they will be laid off. Much better this way."

Sooner or Later, You'll Invest Abroad

Many conventional U.S. brokers are relatively clueless when it comes to gold stocks for 2011. If you asked them to name one, chances are it would be a domestic producer, one with assets located primarily in North America. But that's not where the big money will be made over the next decade.
 
To start, here's something that will make you better informed than the typical traditional broker: take a look at where gold is currently being dug up around the world. 

Tally it up, and North America accounts for only 16.3% of total global gold production. In other words, 83.7% of all the new gold every year comes from outside our continent.

Further, of the 15 largest gold deposits in the world, only five are in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. Meaning, two-thirds are in regions where you don't get cell phone coverage and the natives don't speak your language.

The picture gets even sharper when you see the regions where production is increasing, vs. areas where it's declining. 


Several countries where gold has been traditionally mined, such as South Africa, Australia, and the U.S., are suffering production declines, while other areas, like China and South America, are just now starting to rev up.

In other words, not only is more gold being dug up outside our borders, more is being found there, too.

This has obvious implications for the gold stock investor who recognizes that the momentum is clearly behind the emerging countries. One geologist told me that some of these prospects are like Nevada was 100 years ago; wide open and full of gold deposits just waiting to be discovered.

Yes, there is risk, but the political winds are shifting in a more pro-mining direction here as well. In the U.S., for example, some members of Congress continue to promote a bill that could dramatically harm mining in the states, while China and many parts of South America are opening their doors to foreign companies. What would you rather invest in – a country trying to woo your investment dollars or one that is scheming to find new ways to take more of them away from you?

Gaia the Earth Goddess didn't ask where we wanted our gold and silver deposited. And it is the underexplored – and in some cases the unexplored – regions that offer the most potential for new discoveries, greater production, and thus, higher investment returns.

Guide To Making A Fortune In The Stock Market of 2011

What If I told you that in less than five minutes you were going to learn the exact tools and techniques that will set you free... that will give you a financial independence that will make your friends jealous and your mother proud?

Would you believe me?

I don't know you and I don't know what kind of situation you're in. But I'll tell you what I do know. Almost every single person I talk to is afraid to even consider the possibility that I have the system that can give them the kind of luxury that they've already convinced themselves they'll never bask in.

And do you know why? Because nobody likes to be let down!

How many times have you been sucked in by some punk who "guarantees" that the system he's selling to you for an absurdly large amount of money... and then leaves you out to dry... with not enough change in your pocket to buy yourself an ice-cold soda?

It happens every day.

And you hate it. You hate being trapped by your financial woes and stress. And you should. And you're about to hate it even more. Why?

Because if you decide to walk away from this opportunity, this is what's going to happen:

You're going to go about your life... go to sleep wanting more... wake up wanting more.. and all along, in the back of your mind, you're going to remember that you passed up an opportunity to bypass all the junk and "filler" you've been a victim to for too long... and get your hands in a proven system that's taken people exactly like you and quenched their insatiable thirst for wealth, once and for all.

Do you want to know what I mean? Then keep reading.

You have to realize this:

You're lucky you hate having money problems. You're lucky you hate the hype, the scams and the run-around you've gotten for months... even years. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Why?

Because the mere fact that you loathe that money causes you stress day in and day out (not to mention the restrictions you must put on your lifestyle), it means that you'll have the sheer drive and will to take full advantage of the full-proof system you're about to discover (and by the way, it was the same sheer drive and will that drove me to become the stock market millionaire I am today).

"But I'm Not The Only One Who's Made A Killing In The Stock Market."

The stock market of 2011 is responsible for making more fortunes than you could possibly imagine (doubt it? Just look through any magazine or website devoted to the stock market of 2011 and you'll immediately see what I mean).

The problem is that all the "average Joe's" out there like you and me were always convinced that you had to know the ins and outs of how a company works... or to have some kind of insider connection to get the tools and training needed to become a successful trader.

This couldn't be farther from the truth.

In fact, many of my greatest success stories are from people just like you who know practically nothing about the stock market of 2011.

Like Andrew here:

I could not be more pleased with my decision to make an investment in myself through Adam's tutelage.

Adam Mesh took it from the very basics to where I am already trading inside of 3 lessons. I am sure I was much like many of you who had so much fear about trading in the stock market of 2011.

I was the same as you prior to my sessions with Adam Mesh.

His risk/reward method limits the risks while it maximizes the rewards. I know easier said then done. But I have already made back a little over 1/3 of my initial investment for Adam's mentoring inside of 4 weeks (4th lesson is this coming Tuesday).

The lessons that I have learned from Adam in terms of where to set my limits based on the levels have saved my hide.

Also looking at some of the key factors has kept me in when I would have sold without this knowledge.

I could not be more happy with the way my mentoring is going and I am glad I made the investment.

Andrew J. Pachon
Carlsbad, California

"Why Is Making Only $5,000 A Bad Day For Me."

Am I superstitious? Yes.

Am I an aggressive trader? Yes.

Am I animated? Definitely (I held the record not only for massive trades... but also for the number of keyboards I broke!).

But, when it comes down to it, I'm just an "Average Joe" that's found a system that will guarantee me success for the rest of my life.

I didn't go to "work" in a suit. I went into the office typically with an old T-shirt and a hat on backwards. In fact, I was famous for being so superstitious, that if I was having a massive winning streak, I would wear the same T-shirt for an entire week!

But even though you'll rarely catch me in a suit, I'm still considered a well respected expert in my field.

Yes, I was the star of the hit TV show "Average Joe: Adam Returns." But more importantly, I've been featured on CNBC's "Squawk Box," on CNN, in Trader Magazine, and... of course, that famous article in Fortune magazine, where they watched over my shoulder as I effortlessly pulled in $19,743 in one day (now, do you see why I consider $5,000 a bad day?).

"What Makes My Approach Different?"

So, yes, I'm a quarky guy in many ways, but I'm not a big risk taker.

Part of what's made me such a sought-after mentor is the fact that I teach a unique trading system that's based on one principle:

Low Risk and High Reward.

I don't teach people to gamble their money. I don't teach people to throw in a chunk of change on some penny stock to buy that will get wiped of the board in two days (along with your entire investment).

This is a simple, paint-by-numbers system that is ideal for beginners. In fact, I get the most satisfaction out of having people like Andrew and Lynelle... people that aren't any different or "special" than you are... and watching them pull in successful trade after successful trade... right off the bat.

You heard me right.

I'm not going to show you something that will take you weeks to get through. I'm giving you the most essential keys to successful trading in a format that's easily digestible and so "hands on" that you can get started trading the same day.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with instant gratification!

So don't worry if you don't know what a "bid" is or what those "symbols" mean. Don't worry if you've never even thought about trading in the stock market of 2011.

"Introducing The Average Joe's Ultimate Beginner's ."

This written manual and 60 minute audio coaching session is designed to educate you from the ground up.

So look at what you're getting:

Hurl yourself past all the junk and hype and learn directly from a mentor famous for taking one of his students and showing him the simple techniques (any four year old could follow) to clench 87 "stock-market-money-in-the-bank" days in a row (and no, that wasn't luck).

Discover the step-by-step strategy I used to make over $19,743... in one day, with Fortune Magazine peering over my shoulder (those guys have written about a lot of millionaires in action... but even they were surprised to see how easy and effortless my approach was).

Avoid the one disastrous mistake that has been known to claim more beginner-stock-market-trading casualties than any other mistake (Don't worry, it's completely simple to avoid as soon as you know what it is).

Learn why you don't have to be a genius, you don't have to be a gifted at math... and you certainly don't have to spend hours doing research to be as successful as I've been (I made over $24,358 in a best stock by only looking at a few simple charts... I didn't even know the company's name!)

Instantly see straight through a stock to tell if it's going to crash and burn or if it's going to pay for your children's college.

Unleash the same easy-as-pie approach I used to make more money in a three days than most people make in a year.

Discover the secret of "momentum" and why it's crucial for your instant success (and no it's not the same as ice skating and being unable to stop).

Learn every single term, technique, and tool you must have at your disposal as a beginner trader (you miss one of these and you might as well quit while you're ahead).

Why certain stocks that experts "black flag" sometimes will make you so much money those experts will be begging you to tell them how you did it.

The same exact website I use every day to unearth all the research you'll ever need about any stock or any company you want to explore.

The insider technique I use to know exactly when to pull out of a best stock, and when to stay in the game (even if a stock is dropping).

"I Dare You... No Matter Where You Look You're Never Going To Find What I'm About To Offer You."

This is my goal.

I want you to be a success story. It's why I work so hard training people like yourself. When I receive letters from people telling me how powerful my techniques are... and how utterly simple and safe... well, it's like they went ahead and plastered a smile on my face.

So this is what I'm going to do.

As soon as you get this training manual and the 60 minute audio coaching session, you're already going to be equipped with every single fundamental technique you'll need to follow in my footsteps and clone the success my students and I have been enjoying.

But I'm taking it one step farther.

You're also getting a free 30 minute one-on-one coaching consultation with one of my top program coordinators.

Yep, something that I normally charge at least $400, I'm giving to you for almost nothing. Just to make sure that you get absolutely everything out of the written manual and the audio coaching session, I'm going to let you ask me any questions you might have, and make sure that you're well on your way to becoming my next success story.

"How Important Is Your Success? Are You Going To Shoot Yourself In The Foot... Or Step Up And Take The Next Step Towards Absolute Financial Independence?"

This is where I see a lot of people screw up.

No, this isn't free (if you knew how much blood,sweat, and tears I've put into this... you would understand), but when it comes to this point, 95% of everyone reading this becomes short-sighted. Too many people see this as spending money... rather than investing money. Big difference.

Reread Andrew's story. He made an investment to have multiple one-on-one coaching sessions with me, and less than a month later, he's already made back 1/3 of what he invested. You try and find something like that... and the closest thing you'll find is some scam artist giving you an empty promise.

So don't be myopic... you'll regret it later.

And here's the million dollar question. If I were to ask you to pay 15,000 dollars for this program... would you flinch? Maybe. But would you walk away? Well, that's crazy. And here's why.

I'm no smarter than you. I didn't go to business school... I'm not even really "book smart." I'm just another Average Joe. But look at me. I'm living proof that my low risk, high reward system works through and through.

So if you had to invest 15,000 dollars knowing that not only would you return that investment... but then go on to claim a kind of wealth you might not even have the imagination to comprehend... you should be going to the bank as we speak.

But am I asking you for that much? No. Not even close.

I've put a lot of thought into it, and I've decided to only ask you $47. That's it. You get the written manual, the 60 minute recorded coaching session... and yes, you get a free 30 minute one-on-one coaching consultation with me one of my top program coordinators.

"I Don't Believe You. Are You Lying To Me?"

Fair question. Nope.

So why am I asking for so little? It's simple.

My mentors understood something crucial not only for their livelihood but for my success as well. They understood that everything they give, they would get back ten-fold.

And because of their initial investment in me... I quickly realized how valuable they were to my success... and I became loyal. I still go to my mentors and and get their advice. And have I helped them? Absolutely. I owe everything to them.

I want to be your mentor. It's my passion. And it's my greatest skill. In all humility, anyone who gets a chance to work with me is almost guaranteed to be successful.

I want to create a relationship with you. For your sake and mine. You see, in the end, this is a win-win situation. I make an investment in you now, by asking for only $47... and I know that you are going to get so much pure value out of it, that you will implicitly trust me here on out.

It's not often you find someone willing to be honest, right?

"The Catch."

I'm not trying to brag, but I'm in demand as a mentor. I have people all over the world calling me asking me to teach them my low risk, high reward step-by-step system to becoming a wealthy stock market trader.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

As I've already said. I love what I do. And I love watching absolute beginner's make their first successful trade... and go on to become financial forces to be reckoned with.

But there are only so many hours in a day.

This isn't just an ebook. This isn't just an audio session. This is a chance to get all of that and a one-on-one coaching consultation with one of my top program coordinators.

And given the extreme value that I'm offering, I can only work with twenty people at a time.

So if you snooze... well, you really lose this time.

Don't wait. And I'm going to make it even easier for you.

"My Completely Unnecessary... But Full-Proof Guarantee." There really is no reason to give you a guarantee. Why?

Because I know, from my own experience and every single student I've ever had, that there is no way you can get anything but success.

But I respect the fact that you don't know me yet, and you have to take a leap of faith.

So this is what I'm going to do for you.

You have 90 days to check this out. You have 90 days to test-drive my proven system. And if you aren't completely satisfied. Let me know, and I'll give you a complete refund. No questions asked.

"Don't Shoot Yourself In The Foot. Not Only Does It Hurt, But You'll Regret It For The Rest Of Your Life."

So what are you going to do? If you've gotten to this point of the letter, it's obvious that there's something here that's speaking to you. And do you know what it is?

It's the voice inside you, however loud or soft, that knows that you're staring your future right in the eyes. And it's telling you to do the right thing.

But whatever you do, do it with conviction. Either close this window and walk away confident that you did what was best... or click the button below, and get your hands on the exact tools I've used to become a millionaire... and the exact tools you will use to climb up right next to you.

Do what you're going to do... but do it now.

P.S. How do you think it will really feel if you walk away? Do you think you'll just forget about the fact that you turned your head on a proven, guaranteed opportunity to build your own personal fortune. Do you think it won't haunt you?

I don't mean to be dramatic. It's just the truth

Unless you scrolled all the way to the bottom and read this P.S. first, you already know that this isn't an opportunity to be taken lightly.

So do the right thing. Get your hands on the "Average Joe's Ultimate Beginner's ."

Here's A Free Starter Play - Worth 50%

A portfolio is a terrible thing to waste.

And yet that's exactly what millions of Americans are doing every day as they flush their money into typical buy-and-hold stock trading. 

Don't get me wrong — you very well could make some money buying regular top stocks for 2011...

Just not over the last few years.

For instance, if you could've invested $5,000 in the S&P 500 on December 31, 2006 — and let it sit there for the next 4 years — you would have ended up with a whopping...

$4,250!

Yup, it's true. You would have actually LOST $750 of your money. 

Pretty sad, right? These are supposed to be the cream of the crop Wall Street has to offer — the blue chip titans that have made Americans rich for decades. 

And yet all they were able to do for you over the last ten years was lose 15% of your hard-earned nest egg.

Well, here's the even sadder part...

If you'd just used a slightly different approach, over the last 4 years you could have taken that same $5,000 and had scores of opportunities to transform it into $12,050, $14,400, $18,100, $19,550 even $21,500 or more...

And not in years, or even months. In some cases we're talking a matter of weeks, or just days...

All thanks to an investment that 9 out of 10 investors don't even have the guts to touch.

Why?

Because too many "experts" have told people they're not seasoned enough...

Because the talking heads of CNBC or Fox have labeled it a "fringe" investment...

Because scam artists try to charge thousands to "educate" investors on how to use this simple profit tool...

But this is all a bunch of bull. And I'm writing you today to set the record straight.

You CAN trade options. " ... words like 'risky' or 'dangerous' have been incorrectly attached to options by the financial media and certain popular figures in the market."
- Investopedia The truth is, you have just as great a shot at grabbing the options profits that are sitting on the table waiting for you as ANY other investor out there today.

All you need is a small amount of safe, simple, and above all PROVEN guidance.

And that's exactly what I'm writing to offer you today. 

Before the next 10 minutes are up, you'll have the answers to most (if not all) of the pressing questions you might have about options trading...

100% FREE of charge or obligation. 

You'll also have a FREE, no-strings-attached options "starter play" given to you in exact detail right here in this letter.

That "starter play" could easily produce up to a 50% gain within the next 8 weeks — a fantastic start to your options career.  And this isn't the kind of bait-and-switch tactic I'm sure you're used to seeing...

You'll receive the ticker symbol and all, right within this note, without having to buy a thing.

Above all that, you'll be offered the opportunity to be coached every step of the way on your path to becoming a seasoned options profiteer.

But before you decide anything, let me introduce myself and show you exactly why I know — beyond a shadow of a doubt — that I'm the man to set you off and running on your options trading joyride...

With confidence, clarity, and a wealth of great opportunities ready for the taking.

I'm Ready to Transform You Into an Options Trading Pro...

My name is Ian Cooper. For the better part of the last decade, I've been operating outside of Wall Street's reach, mastering the art of turbo-charged options trading.

When I say "turbo-charged" here's what I mean:

•    Fremont General September 2007 puts - 291% in 16 days
•    Lennar January 2008 puts - 279% in 40 days
•    Pulte January 2008 puts - 224% in 40 days
•    New Century January 2008 puts - 214% in 16 days
•    Centex January 2008 puts - 207% in 40 days
•    Countrywide January 2008 puts - 203% in 69 days
•    Thornburg October 20 2007 puts - 188% in 6 days
•    MGIC Investments December puts - 175% in 80 days
•    Capital One January 2008 puts - 160% in 59 days
•    Accredited Home September 2007 puts - 141% in 4 days
•    Hovnanian November 2007 puts - 136% in 13 days
•    Radian Group August 2007 puts - 122% in 19 days
•    Standard Pacific September 2007 puts - 111% in 2 days
•    Autonation January 2008 puts - 105% in 49 days
•    Coca Cola November 2008 puts – 262% in 39 days
•    JA Solar September 2008 calls – 113% in 7 days
•    Lehman Bros January 2009 puts – 208% in 4 days
•    Financial Select Sector January 2009 puts – 221% in 7 days
•    Dendreon Corporation August 2009 calls - an amazing 338% in just 6 days! 
Now, as a newcomer to the options game, the first part of those bullet points might not mean a whole lot to you — words like "puts" and "calls" might be Greek to you at this point...

Don't worry — you'll know what those terms and more mean, shortly.

For now, just focus on the second half, the part I've bolded for you.

These are the kinds of gains that options traders have been making over the last few years, while the rest of the market went to hell in a hand basket. 

It probably happened to a lot of investors you know...

Their portfolios filled with "safe" buy-and-hold top stocks top buy self-destructed, losing them untold amounts of money.

But that "1-out-of-10 investor" I mentioned earlier — who took the leap and started trading options — shrugged off the financial crisis and continued padding their bottom line with triple-digit win after triple-digit win.

I'm not trying to brag here, but every one of those potential gains you see above were plays that I recommended to my readers. 

Those readers were all members of my top-of-the-line trading research service, Options Trading Pit. Now, I'm not going to sugarcoat this next part...

If you're new to options, then you're NOT ready to join that service yet.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but I'd hate to see people get in way over their heads before they knew what they were doing.
So that begs the question: How DO you get to know what you're doing?

That's why I decided to create Options Trading Coach, a unique beginners-level options service that teaches you everything you need to know to become an options trading pro...

Beginning a profits joyride of your own — just like the one I showed you above.

Options Trading Coach isn't just a teaching tool, either. If you decide to let me turn you into experienced options trader, you'll also be receiving real, live options trades every month for you to cut your teeth on...

And potentially bank some serious double- to triple-digit gains in the process.

In fact, I'm going to give you your very first trade, that "starter play" that could deliver 50% in just 8 weeks, right here today in this letter — FREE of charge.

PLUS... when you try Options Trading Coach you risk nothing at all — for a full 6 months.

I'll get into all of the specifics of everything I just told you in a moment, but first let me say this is a GREAT moment to start your options trading career.

BusinessWeek has said that "options trading is suddenly catching fire," and they couldn't be more right.

Every year, options trading gets bigger and bigger. In 2008, 3.6 billion options contracts were traded — a full 25% more than 2007, another record year.

And why is this? Three reasons:

1.    Options trades deliver far bigger gains than regular buy-and-sell stock trades.
2.    Your purchase cost is far less than buying a stock; bigger gains for less money: win/win!
3.    You can profit from options in ANY market.

Now, with those three reasons in mind, can you think of a single reason why you wouldn't start trading options?

Well, I can think of one: you simply don't know how. 

So let's make today the LAST day you can say that.

Now I'd imagine your head might be swimming a little... Especially if you've never considered trading options before. 

That's only natural. In fact, it's great. It means you're already on your way to learning how to use options to blast your portfolio into the profits stratosphere. 

So with that being said...

You've Got Questions I'm Sure...

... and what kind of coach would I be if I didn't answer them?

Below are some of the most common questions I get from rookies to the options game. And this is really just the tip of the iceberg. 

But with my help every step of the way, you really don't need to know much more than these basic fundamentals to become an options superstar...

Q: What are options?

A: Might as well start at the beginning right?

An option is a contract that gives you the right — but not the obligation — to buy or sell a stock at a specific price on or before an expiration date. It's that easy.

If you think that stock is going to go up, you'd purchase a "call option," which gives you the right to buy shares at a later date for today's lower price... 

If you think that stock is going to go down, you'd purchase a "put option," which gives you the right to sell shares at a later date at today's higher price...

Either way, you keep the difference in the shares' value. It's easy money and a fraction of the outlay of actual shares for just as much in potential profits. 

You can't do that with regular old buy and sell stock trading. It's also why options can make you money in ANY market!

Which leads us to our next question...

Q: How can options make me more money than regular stocks?

A: This is what makes it so crucial for you to get started with options if you want to be a successful investor.

The short answer is that options give you leverage.

Say you buy 100 shares of a $20 best stock for 2011 and the stock goes to $30. You've made 50%. A nice gain sure, but...

Let's say you bought an options contract on that $20 stock at around $3 a contract (which is good for 100 shares)... That $10 advancement could triple your investment in one contract. That's the leverage you want in today's market.

Here's a great example: Recently I made a trade on home foreclosures. The underlying stock for the company I bought the option on is only up maybe 5%...

... but the option is up 40%! 

And with the worst of foreclosures still ahead of us, that means more buyers of this best stock for 2011. 

That means more options contracts for the right to buy more shares — which gives me an even better shot of continuing to make as much as 8 TIMES the profits of investors who simply bought shares. 

Of course, any time you're putting your hard-earned money on the line, you want know how safe it is. And that begs the question...
 
Q: Are options risky?

A: There's risk in any investment you make. Without risk, however, there's no gain.

Warren Buffett, the world's most famous and successful investor understands that... and he often uses options to reduce risk in top stocks for 2011 and profit from stock fluctuations at a reduced cost. He knows the power options can have when you make a sound decision based on sound analysis.

Just like I offer you as your Options Trading Coach.

But here's the long and short of it...

The biggest risk in options trading that doesn't exist with top stocks for 2011 is the limited lifetime. Options expire. 

This means that your forecast for a stock movement has to happen within the time frame that you choose. This can range from one day to three years with LEAPS — as your coach, I'll explain this all to you in complete detail in just a minute.

So yes, options do present some risk; they shouldn't be approached with any more money than you can afford to lose. I often tell people not to risk the house. You aren't buying a company as a long-term investment. You're betting that a certain event will happen in the market within a specified time frame...

But remember, this is a calculated bet — not a shot in the dark. And as my track record can attest to, we'll win those bets FAR more than we lose them.

Q: In what kind of market do options perform best?

A: The beauty of trading options is that they can be used in any market.

In a down market, you can go on a "put option" shopping spree, making tons of money off the boatload of companies that are losing their shirts.

In a rip-roaring bull market, you'd switch up your strategy and start buying "call options" and watch your bottom line soar along with those top stocks for 2011.

Either way the market is moving, you can hedge your bets. So it wouldn't matter which way a stock or index was headed... You could profit regardless.

That's what makes options such a popular investment with savvy traders. 

Better yet, options can be bought or sold at the fraction of the cost of an actual company's shares in ANY market.

Bottom line: options allow you to control and profit from the underlying stock in any market — without actually owning shares.

Sounding good so far? Well I'm sure you've got more questions...

Q: Are options hard to follow?

A: This is an easy one. Not at all. Options are as easy to follow as top stocks to buy.

Especially because with Options Trading Coach, we'll track your trades for you in our online portfolio.

Plus, I'll be in touch with you regularly to tell you exactly when I believe you should buy and sell your contracts. There's no sitting around biting your nails, watching CNBC or Bloomberg tickers like a hawk, trying to decide what to do.

You'll have me and my years of experience giving you precise instructions and education on the steps you need to take — not only to become a successful options trader in the future, but also make money off them RIGHT NOW.

But maybe you're skeptical about needing my guidance and you're wondering...
 
Q: Why do I need a coach to trade options? Can't I just start on my own?

A: Ask yourself this question first...

If you'd never played a hand of poker in your life, would you walk into a casino and throw down $5k on the table for a game — without knowing the rules, odds, or even what the cards themselves mean?

Of course not, because you're not stupid. 

And you're not an Arab sheik, dot-com billionaire, or playing third base for the New York Yankees... more than likely, you can't afford to risk money on things you have no clue about.

Just as you would never ante up to a poker game you have no idea how to play, why would you try to teach yourself the ins and outs of an investment, while at the same time your money is at stake?

That's what Options Trading Coach is here for. 

I'm not offering you some slapped-together DVD or 300-page manual that leaves you to figure out the Greek for yourself.

With Options Trading Coach, we'll hold your hand and walk you through what an option is, how it works, and how you can profit from it. 

And the best part is you earn while you learn! 

I'll issue you 1-2 real, potential triple-digit winning options plays each month. And as I mentioned earlier, you'll be instructed EXACTLY when to buy and sell these contracts.

Nothing is left to chance. So long as you're with us, we're with you.  

If you want to make serious money as an investor, you must know options — and disregard the all-too-common belief that options trading is difficult, risky, speculative, and a complicated way to trade top stocks for 2011.

It's simply no longer the case.

These days, options trading is quickly becoming the preferred way among savvy investors to make serious gains while limiting risk.

But you can't do it without understanding the ins and outs. If you don't know what you're doing, you WILL get burned — this I guarantee you.

Sure, there's no shortage of options educational services out there...

But every one of them I've seen is part of some sort of "package deal" that costs hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars.

These packages include DVDs and printed fluff pieces that fail to deliver any gains — except to those who sell them...

Sure, you'll get the background information on options, trade terminology, and a few basic strategies to build your options IQ... but that's about it.

You'll probably receive a PDF of an options trading course that'll conclude with a further offer: "If you join us right now for just $995, we'll walk you through similar trades!"

So you just paid hundreds of dollars — but for what? 

The chance to pay even more money to actually put your education to use? 

That's not a resource. It's a scam. Plain and simple.

You're left wondering what to do next... and how to start making gains on your own.

And that's exactly why Options Trading Coach blows away these other options "education" products.

Every week, we'll alert you to new options trade set-ups and new ideas and strategies...

These are some of the same strategies and insights I recommend in my more advanced Options Trading Pit portfolio — which has returned 9,101% cumulative returns since January 2007.

In fact, I developed Options Trading Coach after many of my readers insisted on such a service.

We've even set up a message board — checked daily by yours truly — where you can dialogue with us directly.

But look, maybe you're still not convinced.

Maybe you're the kind of person who needs to see actual results in front of their eyes...

That's why right here in this letter today, I'm going to give you your first Options Trading Coach trade recommendation...

At no cost to you and with absolutely no strings attached.

The First Mile of Your Options Joyride

Now here's the point in most letters where you'd get the rug pulled out from under you.

The "guru" who's spent the last 10 minutes telling you how they're going to teach you how to get rich and promising to deliver the name of an ABSOLUTELY FREE pick...

All of a sudden asks you to hand over a few hundred bucks before he'll give it to you.

Well that's not the way Options Trading Coach operates. 

Here is all the information you need to know to go ahead and purchase your first options contract:

If you're game, consider buying the Lexmark April 2010 30 put option (LXK100417P00030000) at or near 90 cents. We're looking to book at least a 50% gain on this position. 

A word of warning: I believe this pick could return as much as 50% over the next 8 weeks. However, remember what I told you just a moment ago. Would you go and throw your money into a game you had no idea how to play?

You're more than free to take on this opportunity on your own. In fact it's a great opportunity. 

Of course the only way you'll know how to pinpoint the PRECISE moment when to sell this contract and cash out that maximum gain...

The only way you won't be sweating bullets trying to follow the ticker each day...

The only way you can erase ALL the guesswork, confusion, and just plain fear you may have about purchasing the recommendation above...

Is to allow me to be your options coach. 

Once you're a member of Options Trading Coach, I'll keep you updated on this Lexmark play — and all your plays following this one — constantly. 

I won't leave you to the wolves to figure out what to do on your own, like a lot of other options services do. 

So the choice is yours: Go it on your own... or let me do the heavy lifting for you.

And if you decide to do that, then here's the part I think you'll like best of all... 

It's hardly going to cost you a thing.

The Cheapest (and Most Profitable) Education Out There...

First things first, as I mentioned before, when you sign on with Options Trading Coach, you'll have 6 FULL MONTHS to try the service at no risk whatsoever.

If after that 6 months you haven't made any money, still can't understand options, or just decide that it's not for you...
Then I'll refund every penny.

And you get to keep everything I've sent you and everything you've made off of it.

I'm essentially offering you a guarantee that you'll become 100% competent at options trading. If you don't, then you lose nothing on the deal. 

Also, when you become a member of Options Trading Coach, in addition to teaching you the best options strategies being used today, I'll give you a new trade example every month that could easily lead to solid double- to triple-digit gains...

But that's not all you'll get.

As soon as you agree to try out Options Trading Coach, I'll send you access to my 9 easy-to-follow reports, which I'll tell you about in just a moment.

I suggest reading one per day. Each report takes roughly 15-20 minutes to read through — the same amount of time it takes you to wait in line for a morning to-go coffee.

Then, start following my weekly e-Letter reports so you can trade right alongside me.

I also personally maintain an online forum — available only to Options Trading Coach subscribers — to address all reader questions and concerns.

So by now, you're asking yourself, "How much will this set me back?"

Services like the one I'm offering you today usually cost anywhere between $500-$1,000 a year... and that's WITHOUT the regular recommendations — let alone the "starter play" I've given you today, completely free of charge...

Up until today Options Trading Coach has sold for only $195 a year.

Notice I said, "Up until today... "

My publishers and I have recently decided to really push the envelope to get as many "pupils" into my education service as possible... because we're so confident that once you've started working with us, you'll be hooked for life. 

So in order to fill those spots as quickly as possible and get started on making some real options profits, I've decided to lower the annual price for Options Trading Coach to just $99.

That's it. No catches, no loopholes.

So here's the full tally of what you'll receive for $99:

•    Report # 1: Options 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Trading Options in Today's Markets
•    Report # 2: Selling Covered Call Options: Pocket A "Stealth Dividend" On Stocks You Own
•    Report # 3: Buying Call Options: How to Use the Power of Leverage to Control Shares for Less
•    Report # 4: Buying Put Options: A Better Way to Play the Downside
•    Report # 5: How to Invest in LEAPS Options: Long-Term Security and Ultra-Control
•    Report # 6: Options Glossary: A Handy Reference Guide to Every Option Term You'll Ever Need
•    Report # 7: Master the Straddle Strategy: How to Straddle Both Sides of the Fence Under Any Market Conditions
•    Report # 8: How to Control the Upside and Downside and "Strangle" Profits from Your Stocks
•    Report # 9: The Dynamic "2-In-1" Strategy: It Lowers Your Cost, Hedges Your Risk, and Boosts Your Win Potential

Plus — each week, I'll send you my latest report in which I detail new actionable ideas, strategies, and trades you can make work for you, right away.

In addition, you'll get full access to our members-only website, where you can "beta trade" my recommendations, catch up on our latest (and archived) reports, and dig into our members forum...

... All for less than what you might spend on dinner and a movie for you and a date.

And don't forget: ALL of this is covered by my full Options Trading Coach 6-month money-back guarantee. 

So you risk nothing at all by giving me a chance to make you a confident, successful options trader.

Why not give it a try? 

You've already got a potential 50% winner sitting right under your nose... 

Pick up a few contracts and then follow my coverage of it right up until the precise moment when we cash out for maximum gains. 

Options traders aren't made overnight... But you can start trading them for big profits a lot sooner than you think — with the right guidance.

Stop LOSING money and wasting your portfolio's potential by buying stocks, simply because you don't know a better way...

Dear Wall Street: We're Sorry

Sorry always seems the hardest thing to say.

But isn't a big apology exactly what we owe Wall Street today?

We've foolishly given the financial industry a trillion dollars in support of its balance sheets and markets. We did so even though the big banks and brokerages clearly didn't need or want our help. Things were just fine in September 2008, but then we had to go and stick our noses into the world of high finance.

Now, we're making matters worse by trying to tell them how much to pay their people, how much risk they can take and what businesses are kosher. Suddenly, we feel we're better bankers than the bankers. We know to whom they should be lending. We have strong opinions about what they do with our money.

We're sorry about that.

We're sorry that we want strong control of our money supply. We regret that we want to have government protection of our deposits, our checking accounts, mortgages and credit cards. Maybe it's our simpleton ways. We get nervous when we lose our jobs and have to sell our homes at a discount to eat.

That's our bad.

The fact is Wall Street has done as masterful job of handling these accounts. And we should acknowledge that the overdraft fees, escalating interest rates and calamity in the mortgage market are really our fault, not the banks'.

It's funny that Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs Group (GS) should have to keep apologizing for his firm's success. He said that given hindsight Goldman would have done things a lot differently. Goldman engaged in "improper" behavior, he said. But when he made those comments Jan. 14, he wasn't talking about the bets Goldman made against toxic mortgage securities it was selling clients. That's the lord's work after all.

I think I speak for everyone when I write, sorry Lloyd, I don't know how we got that one confused. I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks ($68.5 million in 2007).

But please understand, we only had the best of intentions with our meddling.

Taxpayer Help

When your balance sheets looked like they were in trouble we forced the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program on you.

We only wanted to prop you up with the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, a program designed to give the industry $200 billion in loans against "top-rated" credit-card, small business, student and auto loan debt.

The $30 billion Public-Private stock Investment Program was intended to only lighten the load of bad assets on your books. When that program didn't look promising we just tried to let you wipe it away yourselves by eliminating accounting rules that made you value the junk for what it's worth.

When you couldn't issue debt, we told the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the institution in charge of our nest eggs, to back your bonds. Reluctantly you took us up on it. Eighty-four bond issues for $309 billion were made under the program. Citigroup (C) issued $64 billion. Goldman issued $21 billion. Bank of America (BAC) issued $44 billion.

We know, you did it just to make us feel better.

And when all of that didn't work, we simply told the Federal Reserve to step up to buy an unlimited amount of mortgages and hand one of your trading partners, American International Group (AIG) a $182 billion lifeline.

How any of this stuff would be interpreted as backing banks while they continued to take bets "with their own money" on proprietary trading desks, hedge funds and private equity, is a mystery.

Bonus Bungle

Compared to our squeeze on your bonuses, this stuff was just kids' play. At Goldman, the average bonus worked out to just $460,000 per employee -- just a little more than nine-times the U.S. median income. Sorry, there's no way anyone can buy a Bugatti Veyron, even used, for those peanuts. So much for stimulating the auto industry.

In retrospect, all of that bailout money should have been earmarked for Wall Street bonuses. Without deep cash, your bankers are probably considering jumping to more lucrative jobs elsewhere, perhaps in Major League Baseball or playing the lottery. They're not focused on stabilizing the financial system, and the resulting problems are our fault for questioning you. Understand that we don't get paid the big bucks for a reason.

No, we just have our shrinking 401(k)s, our individual retirement accounts and maybe, if we're lucky, our homes. We're too dense to see how bulletproof the financial system is and really no amount of taxpayer support could ever pay you back for all of the good times we've had during the last two years.

So, Wall Street, forgive us for our meddlesome ways. Forgive us, and Paul Volcker, for wanting a return to boring old banking. Forgive us for the sarcasm.

Most of all, forgive us for ever trusting you in the first place.

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