Hi accThanks for the well-wishes & compliments. I too have...

Hi acc

Thanks for the well-wishes & compliments. I too have gained enormously from reading HC posts & getting feedback to my queries & analysis of information I provided.

However, I only started trading/investing in earnest in July 2007 [entered at the top of the market - well done heh?] & I freely admit to ethical hangups about seemingly orchestrated shorting practices by instos., so please don't place authority on my contributions.

Re; ... "This is the first Christmas/New Year I've traded. Someone mentioned that often the low volumes through this period can provide some profitable volatility. Does it tend to be a time when good trades can be made, or should I just go to the beach and come back on 5 Jan?"

In the post below I mentioned the results of some of my research into the Dec 18/19 to Jan 2 period - as you mentioned, usually characterised by lower volumes & subdued SP gains. Post Jan 2 though has often been quite ugly & IMO The Market is not to be trusted atm. Recently I was pre-occupied with minding our grandkids for about 3 weeks & slipped up on exiting several trades for handsome profits which have now translated into problematic, longer term holds.

http://www.hotcopper.com.au/post_single.asp?fid=1&tid=801772&msgid=4439379

Re going to the beach until Jan 5, well I've just had several more pre-cancerous lesions frozen & a squasi cell carcinoma [in situ fortunately] removed from my forearm so take care or you may suffer more damage at the beach than in The Market.

4YIO - NFA