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The Financial Spread Betting Handbook by Malcolm Pryor
  • The Financial Spread Betting Handbook

  • A guide to making money trading spread bets

  • by Malcolm Pryor
In stock, usually dispatched within 24 hours

    • Product code: 23307
    • ISBN: 1897597932, ISBN13: 9781897597934, 304 pages, paperback
      Published by Harriman House on 2007 , 1st
    Rate this book...

    Rating: 2.8/5 (50 votes cast)

    Description of The Financial Spread Betting Handbook

    Reach the heights of spread betting success!

    Financial spread betting is growing in popularity. But who wins and who loses at this game? What do the winners do that differs from the losers? That is what this book is about.

    Malcolm Pryor uses the model of climbing a mountain to explain a disciplined, winning approach to spread betting. First a base camp must be established: which includes getting set up with the right corporate data, charting and accounts software, deciding what to bet on and what your time frame should be, learning the nuances of operating an account, controlling risk, and learning from other people's mistakes. Many spread betters don't even get this far.

    Next, we start climbing the mountain: this means having strategies that are right for us. The whole of this section is devoted to illustrating strategies which can be used for spread betting, for example trend following, counter trend strategies and delta neutral strategies such as pairs trading.

    Finally, we make our assault on the summit of the mountain: which is where the winners set themselves apart from the losers. Issues covered here include trade planning, record keeping, performance reviews, more on risk management, psychology and continual development.

    Spread betting is great fun, and almost anyone can enjoy the odd bet now and again. But if you want to make money from spread betting, then it must be taken seriously and a disciplined and tactical approach is required. This book is the essential guide to get to the top of the mountain.

    Reviews

    "The clue to the book's usefulness is contained in the title: Handbook...This is because the mountain climbing analogy is apt: climbing a mountain means you don't go from base camp to the summit in one step (you'll probably forget to pack the thermal underwear and oxygen mask). You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. So too with this book. This is not just a book about spread betting, it's also a strategy of how to apply spread betting to your investments... [It's] something you'll frequently dip into to clarify a point or refresh your memory. Even if you're not an investor but someone who, say, has...a knack for predicting the outcome of sporting events - but are wary of fixed odds betting, then spread betting is a Godsend and you'll find this book extremely useful."
    - Martin Fagan, UK-Analyst.com

    Contents of The Financial Spread Betting Handbook

    Preface
    Acknowledgements
    Risk Warning
    Introduction

    PART 1 - BASE CAMP
    Choosing A Spread Betting Firm
    Origins and growth of the market
    Selection criteria
    The 6-Stage Plan for opening an account
    Directory of spread betting firms

    Getting Set Up - Computer Hardware and Software
    Hardware
    Internet connection
    General software
    Backing up
    Postscript

    Trading Resources
    Trading software
    Price data
    Information
    Web sites
    Postscript

    What Do Winning Spread Bettors Bet On?
    Markets
    The 3 key tests
    Differences between the spread betting firms
    Summary
    Postscript

    Choosing a Spread Betting Type
    Types of betting
    1. Extremely short timescale
    2. Short timescale
    3. Medium timescale
    4. Long timescale
    5. Very long timescale
    Differences between the spread betting firms
    Postscript

    Timescales for Spread Bets
    Postscript

    Pricing and Hedging
    Do they really want you to win?
    How spread betting firms work out their prices
    How competitive is the market?
    Do they hedge?
    Future developments a wish list
    Postscript

    10 Common and Really Expensive Spread Betting Errors
    1. No edge
    2. No planning
    3. Wrong bet size
    4. No risk management
    5. Mistiming exits
    6. Out of control
    7. Not in tune with the markets
    8. Running before walking
    9. Emotionally unstable
    10. Not taking responsibility
    Postscript

    Keeping Losses Small - The Stop Loss
    Stop or no stop?
    Near or far?
    Automated or mental?
    Instant or delayed?
    Techniques for placing stops
    One more useful approach - the time stop
    Two tips
    Moving stops
    Postscript

    Spread Betting Order Types
    Are some orders better than others?
    What's on offer in the market?
    Postscript

    Practical Issues
    Order placement
    Automated stop orders
    Dispute resolution
    Funds transfers
    Keep abreast of your margining position
    Postscript
    Congratulations!


    PART 2 - CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN

    Finding A Strategy That Works For You
    What do you like?
    Technical analysis is excellent for spread betting
    The basic choice: trend or countertrend strategies?
    Or delta neutral strategies
    Master one strategy first
    Postscript

    Spread Betting Strategy I - Betting On A Trend - Trend Identification
    Basic concept - using spread betting to ride a trend
    Breakouts or pullbacks?
    How to identify trends
    Postscript

    Spread Betting Strategy I - Betting On A Trend - Selecting A Bet
    Simplifying trade selection - the weekly shortlist
    Simplifying trade selection - identifying daily set ups
    Taking the trade - entry triggers
    Postscript

    Spread Betting Strategy I - Betting On A Trend - Bet Size
    Taking the trade - the right size of spread bet
    Postscript

    When To Exit A Bet
    1. The bet goes against us
    2. The bet goes nowhere
    3. The reason for the bet disappears
    4. The bet goes our way
    Postscript

    The Re-entry
    Postscript

    Spread Betting Strategy II - Betting On Reversals
    1. Buying support and selling resistance
    2. Betting on candle patterns
    3. Betting on gaps
    4. Betting on divergence
    Postscript

    Spread Betting Strategy III - In and Out Within a Day
    You need the time to do this
    Finding intraday bets
    Betting on opening gaps
    Betting as company results come out
    Betting on false break outs
    Betting on blow offs
    Binary betting
    Postscript

    Advanced Strategies
    Arbitrage
    Pairs trading
    Hedging
    Postscript


    PART 3 - THE ROUTE TO THE SUMMIT

    The Right Strategy For You
    Character
    Account size
    Beliefs
    Attitude to risk
    Postscript

    Staying In Control - Planning
    The successful spread bettor's plans
    A week in the life of a successful spread bettor
    Postscript

    Staying In Control - Record Keeping
    Postscript

    Staying In Control - Regular Reviews
    Monthly review
    Quarterly review
    Postscript

    Staying In Control - Risk Management
    Staying in tune with the markets
    Monitoring positions
    Monitoring and controlling stops
    Margin control
    Managing total exposure and leverage
    Net long/short
    Diversification
    Standing aside
    Counterparty risk
    Exceptional events
    Contingency planning
    Postscript

    Developing a Winning Attitude
    Profile of the successful spread bettor
    10 Rules for Profitable Spread Betting
    Postscript

    Continual Development
    Books
    Courses
    Magazines
    Web sites
    The final postscript…

    Appendix
    Examples of Basic Bets
    Spread Betting Glossary
    ADX
    Support and Resistance
    Betting via Exchanges
    How it works
    Benefits and risks of this type of betting

    Directory Of Spread Betting Firms

    About Malcolm Pryor

    Malcolm Pryor is a member of the Society of Technical Analysts in the UK and has been designated a Certified Financial Technician by the International Federation of Technical Analysts.

    He is a director of a consultancy practice, and is an expert at several games, including bridge where he has held the rank of Grandmaster for over a decade.

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