An interview with Gary Tanashian of BiiWii.com

I recently interviewed Gary Tanashian, who writes the well-respected newsletter "Notes From the Rabbit Hole" and runs the blog biiwii.com.

Before getting involved in the financial markets, Gary ran a successful medical components business for 21 years. This experience gave him an understanding and appreciation for global macro-economics as it relates to individual markets and sectors, and along the way he developed an interest in technical analysis. He has real-world experience and a positive view on how commerce works.

I think you'll find Gary's approach very refreshing when you watch this Skype interview. In the interview, I was able to ask Gary some very pointed questions such as, "what is the worst trade you ever made?" I think you'll be surprised at how Gary feels about that trade today.

Gary also shares with us his views on oil and gold, both of which are in the news due to the recent military flare up in the Mid-East.

I hope you enjoy this interview with one of the most interesting market minds I have run across in recent times.

Adam Hewison
Co-Founder of MarketClub.com

MarketClub TV: My biggest concern, and it's a wild card, is …

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Wednesday, the 14th of November.

My biggest concern, and it's a wildcard, is the Middle East and not the fabled "Fiscal Cliff". Today we heard about an Israeli airstrike that killed a top Hamas commander. The Hamas military wing said that the assassination "opened gates to Hell". The rhetoric as always, was over-the-top, but it underscores just how volatile and fragile the whole Mid East region is. The markets immediately reacted with oil moving up almost a dollar and gold shooting up higher in a knee-jerk reaction. Continue reading "MarketClub TV: My biggest concern, and it's a wild card, is …"

Post-Election Thoughts

The opening segment of NFTRH 212 did what an unbiased financial writer probably should not do and discussed politics. Then 24 pages of straight analysis followed.

Financial writers far and wide are weighing in on the US Presidential election result and its implications. So jumping into the ring, here are mine.

For the third cycle in a row I cast a protest vote. After voting for George Bush in 2000 (actually it was more a vote against Al Gore) I wrote in Ron Paul in 2004 and 2008. This year I voted for Gary Johnson, although I do not consider myself a Libertarian. I consider myself an independent who has long since been alienated from a two party system that looks a lot like dangerously competitive cartoons from opposite ends of a narrowly constructed ideological spectrum.

When you write a newsletter, you learn about being a newsletter writer; just like when you become a plumber, you learn a lot about plumbing. I once made an unfavorable public blog post about what I considered to be a cartoon that went by the name of Sarah Palin and was summarily served with an indignant email and subscription cancelation from an otherwise satisfied NFTRH subscriber. Lesson learned: There is little place for political commentary in financial analysis. Besides, political ideologues make really biased financial commentators; and in the markets bias just kills you. Continue reading "Post-Election Thoughts"

Be careful who you do business with.

Be careful who you do business with.

In the last few years, there have been several major meltdowns in the financial area that directly impacted individual investors and charities. I'm hoping these thoughts of mine will help you do business with the good guys on the street and not the bad guys. It is very important to know who you are doing business with.

When I started my career on the floor of the exchange in Chicago, my word was my bond. It is still the same way today.

So, how do you go about protecting yourself and your money? If you're thinking of trading in the futures markets, you should first check with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). For stocks and options, the place to go is the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). If a company that you're thinking of doing business with has had an excessive number of complaints filed against that firm, do not do business with that firm.

Now it's possible that every firm will have a few complaints against it, that is the nature of the business. As people get upset or angry with a particular broker, they will file a complaint. Be on the lookout for an excessive number of complaints, and consistent complaints. If you see that pattern don't do business with that company.

You work hard for your money and you should get the best possible service. You should get the satisfaction that you are doing business with a company that has a great deal of integrity. I invite you to take a minute and view this video, showing how our company gives every subscriber a 5-part guarantee.

Sincerely,

Adam Hewison
Co-Founder of MarketClub.com

P.S. Here is what I hope are the last three bad guys we see in the brokerage business.

(1) Peregrine Financial Group CEO Russell Wasendorf admitted to committing fraud in a suicide note. The amount of money in question could come to tens of millions of dollars, according to the federal indictment. Russell Wasendorf, survived his suicide attempt and  is waiting to be sentenced

(2) MF Global Holdings Ltd, formerly known as Man Financial, was a major global commodities brokerage firm.  On the day of MF Global's bankruptcy, a Bloomberg reporter wrote "Jon Corzine’s risk appetite helped destroy his firm.According to a trustee liquidating the company after its collapse, the losses incurred by customers of MF Global stood at $1.6 billion. The vast majority of these funds have not been returned to customers. So far no criminal charges have been filed against Jon Corzine. Not sure why that is, and why he is not in jail.

(3) Here's the granddaddy of them all, Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff lost investors some $17.5 billion and is serving a lifetime in jail.

Forget about the Fiscal Cliff and Europe

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Tuesday, the 13th of November.

Forget about the Fiscal Cliff and all of the problems in Europe. At the moment the complexity of the different economic forces is more convoluted than any one brain can figure out. The good news is, the reality of the market will tell you what it wants to do longer term, and that as a trader is what's important and the one message to listen to.

Some of the best paid minds in the business are paid to figure out this problem for you. All you have to do is listen to what the market is telling you through our Trade Triangle technology.

The theory and the reality of Trade Triangle technology is that big money must make a move in order to protect and grow its own capital. That means that big money, i.e. big positions, have to move in or out of a market, and that's where our Trade Triangles shine. Big money has to make its footprint known in the market, it cannot avoid this one simple fact because of its size. Price action is the number one indicator of trends in big liquid markets. Continue reading "Forget about the Fiscal Cliff and Europe"