Hi Jim, I just replied to another post of yours saying I am...

Hi Jim, I just replied to another post of yours saying I am selling my shares, but not because I don't think the company is any good, but rather because I needed cash.

If you want to learn technicals you can download paper trading platforms to start with, and just google everything.

I traded FX on OandA (they provided trading platforms on web, desktop and phone) and that's how I learnt about some of the tools technical trader use. (Anther platform I am using right now for SGH is actually Interactive Brokers, their paper trading platform is quite good). But to be honest, it's not really the tools, but how you discipline your self trading on these signals. I found that I was probably not suited for day trading because of my own behavior, I get quite confident and take up more risk and boom goes my balance.

If you read trading books, most of the professionals would say trading is actually very boring.... hence why the rise of the bots to trade signals and stick to the rules and won't get bored or egoistic... unlike humans which are likely to deviate and talk themselves out of sticking to the rules. (Down side is bots don't adjust to the changing market, but human does, so if you see boasts of a bot don't believe them, because the rules are set with certain assumptions which will definitely change over time).

So basically, I found the technical tools does help, but the more you look into it, the more faith I loose (maybe because I change my views all the time? Or maybe I didn't go off with a good teacher?) And at times it will confuse you and make you indecisive.

Hence why I think value investing in the medium long term works best for me. Taking emotions out, find a good value stock, and just sit on it.

But any ways who am I to speak about technicals.

My father in law have been trading for many years, and I found with him I can get more clarity on what I need to do at certain times in the market. Even though we see the same thing, but it's decision that comes from it that counts. He helped me on the decision to sell out my 2/3 portfolio when sp tanked and still came out with small profit but kept my wife "sane". But... he himself also lost big previously on share markets, and have been blamed by my mother in law for so many freaken years that he never made money... so what can you say.... I think it does help to be more decisive if you can see it signs, but still it doesn't guarantee anything.