Bull and bear runs depict the state of the stock
market at the current juncture. Bull run is synonymous
with good market value and lots of selling activity.
While Bear run is synonymous with depreciating market
value.

You can survive a bear run and make fortune in a bull
run if you keep your eyes open and keep your finger on
the pulse of the markets.

When the markets go through a bull run, the usual
notion is the market is on an upswing. Your stocks
will fetch a high price now and the general dilemma
would be if you should hold on to the stock or worry
if it would end up below the price you had actually
bought it for.

In that case scenario, sell a part of your shares and
hold on to the rest. That way you stand to gain when
the market corrects itself.

When the market is in a bear run, things look real
bleak. This is when you?ve got to be cautious. When
the prices fall on your shares don?t panic, but be
watchful.

In a bear market, people sell their shares fearing the
worst and that hits the market fortunes badly. If the
price of your shares goes down steep, it would
advisable to sell them, but just don?t wash your hands
off everything.

You can also use this scenario to your advantage as
the stocks, which were priced too high for you to buy
may have come down to a reasonable level. You can buy
them now and wait for the market to return to a stable
run. When that happens, you would have made a wise
investment.

More often than not, the toughest part about a task is
getting started. That especially rings true in online
stock trading. You would have read the success
stories, heard "hey, there is money to make" chatter
from your friends, and of course, the television
endorsements.

You would have been determined to start the very
moment, but alas it?s like hitting a gym. Yes. You
happen to start early one fine day with the adrenaline
rush and then, everyday is not the same. Those six
pack abs start to look like a distant dream. It?s easy
to throw in the towel and go instead for a six pack of
beer.

This is a business and not a treasure hunt. If you
want to get rich in a day, this is not for you. Trade
with caution, make mistakes, learn from them, and grow
successful. Just not the stocks, it works in every
walk of life.

Determination is the key and commitment should be the
motto. To sit in front of your computer for hours
doesn?t make you a great trader, but to dabble with
the stocks, start reading. There are innumerable books
from where you can source the knowledge from and of
course, there is the World Wide Web.

There are 24 hour news channels that feed you
information like no other. There are experts that
adorn the screen who talk about anything and
everything about stocks. Pick up the nuances of stock
trading from these experts, gain the knowledge from
the books, and trust your gut. Remember, intuition and
cold logic are the attributes that makes a successful
stock trader.

When you set foot on any business venture, you need to
define your targets. There should be a long-term
target and short-term one. In fact, your whole trading
schedule should revolve on it. This would, if not
anything, give you a sense of direction.

If you have direction, then the way becomes clear and
the target can be achieved by careful traveling. In
stock terms, setting targets would be defining numbers
or money.

You can set a long-term target of "n" number of stocks
by the end of the year valued at "x" sum of money.
Short-term targets should contribute towards the
larger goal.

In this case scenario, if there is a bear and bull run
you would know how much you should buy and how many to
sell. Shortly put, you would know what you are doing
and be rest assured that you are going through the
right direction.

If 10 big stocks would fetch you the money that 100
stocks combined would give you then you can crunch the
numbers, see if it tallies up with your target and
make the decision.

Sometimes, a bulk investment may fetch you a handsome
return. There is nothing wrong in going for it. But
make sure that it is a calculated risk. If this is the
one you are ready to roll your dice on, let there be
supporting stocks that will hold you good even if you
lose the roll of dice.

A bird?s eye view on the target always hits the bull?s
eye!

Dabbling with stocks is a roller coater ride. When
fortunes change by the minute and at times seconds, it
bounds to be an exciting, but nerve racking
experience. The speed is pure madness, but make sure
you find a method to madness.

You know the risk, but you should love the fun. If you
are here as a purist who just looks at the money part
then it would get to you sooner or later.

Don?t be a feeble heart one, but one who could take
rough with the smooth. This is really important
because stock markets tend to correct at huge numbers
either high up or bottom down. Be ready for the jolt
and never lose heart.

There definitely is a stroke of luck factor with stock
trading. Of course, fortune favors the brave. If you
are brave enough to bet high then you should be gutsy
enough to take it when things go awry.

When you see a few good stocks, don?t bet every
investment on it in order to make a killing. The
opposite is also true.

Just don?t put money towards all the small and sundry
stocks expecting a steady return. There should be a
balance and for that you should avoid excitement
clouding your judgment.

Never give in to the adrenaline rush and trade almost
daily. It is not advisable. Study and research the
stocks and then take the call. Don?t trade for the
sake of it. Never did a stock go rot lying idle for a
while.

Markets of today are fast-moving. You can not only
make money but also lose money in a jiffy if you don?t
go by the market trends and tendencies.

Assess the risk of your investment well, prior to
investing money. Risk management is not the usual
territory of the youth, but it serves as a speed
breaker and limits your loss.

The first person to convince before going into high
gear is you yourself. If you are unsure of what you
are getting into, then it would turn a damp squib.

Groundwork is a must for any new venture and stock
markets are no different. To win the game, you should
play by the rules and for that you should know the
rules.

Once you are aware of the market tendencies, you can
start trading as an independent investor. However, an
investor should keep a few things in mind before
plunging into trading stocks:

*Equip yourself against the odds an investor is likely
to face while trading stocks online.

*You should be able to study, assess and analyze the
past & present and should be able to forebode the
future of the companies stocks you are investing on.

*Don?t be taken in by the market rates. Set your own
limits for buying and selling stocks; so that, you can
sell your shares for the price you want to and thus,
need not suffer any loss.

To cut a long story short, seeking advice from
friends, tips from the experts, and ideas from well
wishers is fine, but let the final decision be yours.
If your decision turns out right, nothing like it, but
if goes wrong, there is something to learn from it and
move on.

Invest wisely and trade your stocks online now!

When you have decided to jump aboard, sit down and
take stock of your finances. Don?t go by the myth: the
more you invest the more you reap. It?s no fixed
deposit.

Invest the money you can live without and don?t invest
the sum you can?t live without. That would be a
disaster. Identify the strong stocks, invest on them
and play safe. Of course, that is until you understand
the market.

Don?t invest all your money on one or two stocks that
looks like a winner. Sure, the possibility of hitting
jackpot is higher, but look at the downside, if the
handpicked stocks of yours fail then you lose
everything.

It?s always wise to distribute your investment on a
set of stocks that you believe has the strength to
stay stable and expect no dramatic downturns.

There is no short cut to success. You have to go
through the grind. Equal distribution of the
investment sum would pay rich dividends.

Importantly, invest money from your savings and never
go for a debt sum to see you through the fortune
market. Be prepared! Even though stock trading sounds
more of a gamble than a chore, it has the quality to
make you reach the pinnacle or pull you down the
drain.

It?s a common trend that when a stock suddenly shows
life and moves in the fast lane everybody would like
to be on board. It?s a mistake if you short sell the
other stocks and move on to this promising train.

Law of gravity, everything that has gone up bounds to
come down and if you have a considerable investment
riding on it, your fortunes come down with a thud.

Thanks to the booming markets, there is a steep rise
in the number of people entering the world of stocks.
Usually, people who are not acquainted with the
nuances of trading stocks are also jumping the
bandwagon.

Of course, they seek the assistance of a conventional
stock broker or even well wishers who will guide them
about which company?s stocks are likely to soar or
drop.

Before moving in, determine whether you are in for a
short term or for a long haul. Short term would be
like buying a lottery and expecting a jackpot.

You may get lucky, of course, but the odds are slim to
the point of invisible. Law of percentages will catch
up with you even if there is a streaky stroke of luck
here and there.

Moving in for a long term makes sense and yes, a lot
many people have made careers out of stock markets.
And they are successful too. If you have the
expertise, investing money, and patience then welcome
aboard. There?s a successful career to be made out
here!

Making a career out of the stock market is a lucrative
option. You are your own boss, almost negligible
infrastructure, and running expense.

Although you don?t need to have a Masters in
computers, you need to be net savvy for trading stocks
online. You should also be able to handle technical
hurdles like a faulty modem, a very slow internet
connection, high net traffic and lack of certain
equipment, etc.

But again, you have to be confident and prepared or
otherwise, let the numbers gazing be just a part-time
option.

First things first, to trade stocks successfully
online, you should be online consistently without a
break. Keep your PC hooked on to the net and let there
be no technical glitches.

Once set, keep a phone handy and start trading. More
than trading on the floor, trading online has its
advantages. You get real-time updates on what?s hot
and what?s not.

If face is the index of the mind, stock market is the
index of a country?s economy. When you sit with a
piping hot coffee to browse through your business
daily make sure that you read the front page of the
day?s newspaper too.

Gross domestic product, foreign direct investment, and
politics have a big say in the fortune of the stock
markets, but not necessarily in that order.

We are in a world that is totally interconnected and
wired. War or even a quarterly result of an
organization could tip the scales in this business.

If price of oil per barrel goes up by a dollar, the
market turns red. Therefore, it is judicious to just
not concentrate on the local news, but be aware of
what?s happening around the world.

When you are at it, make sure you understand the stock
market trends. It?s not a tough nut to crack and you
can usually crack it just by following the regular
updates on electronic and print media.

If you are equipped with that knowledge it would be
easier to make logical decisions on what to buy and
what not to.

The fence sitters are those who are yet to get a
trading account, but extremely interested in moving in
and making money. They love the way the people are
minting money and wait for their turn.

They are too cautious to even make a move to start.
They read all the magazines and watch every channel
that has stocks scrolling down and still wait for the
right moment.

They applaud every landmark the stocks cross and
converse with their like-minded fence sitters how well
the stocks are doing and wondering where it will end
up. If you query when they would take the plunge then
there will be a sheepish "anytime soon" response for
sure.

There are fence sitters in people who have started off
trading too. These are the people who would buy
stocks, but are petrified to sell them or buy anything
new.

They just sit and wait for things to happen. It?s like
stepping inside a pool and still being reluctant to
swim. They act as a bad influence too; to camouflage
their reluctance they spread rumors of "doomsday"
theory all around in turn making the prospective
fellow trader vulnerable to any transaction or trade.

They expect their friends around them to take the
plunge and measure their success to understand the
risks. "The one who takes the lead would be the first
person to face the hurdle", goes the adage. There are
no free lunches. Quit being a fence sitter and jump in
if you have the will to win.

There are expert traders, a lot of smart people, and
thoughtful common men and women in this business and
all of them are on a quest to predict the mood of the
market.

Everyone is concentrated on the spiral curve of
stocks. You don?t need to outwit them, but tag along.
Bet on the winners, bet at the right time, and know
when to stop. That?s the mantra of successful stock
trading.

Now, the brokers or agents play an important role in
identifying stocks for you. Choose them judiciously as
they choose your wealth almost all the time. High
commission doesn?t guarantee you great results.

There are brokers who charge minimum commission, but
provide valuable service. You have to choose them with
care. It doesn?t mean you have to depend on the
brokers for life. You can start your research and
start expanding your knowledge about the tricks of the
trade.

Identify the industry?s myths and stay far away from
them. Never ever go for a dipping stock and expect a
miracle turnover in a short period time. Statistics
says that a dipping stock is usually doomed to
failure. Bet on the horse that is winning, but again
don?t go overboard. It?s all about holding yourself
back.

Patience is virtue and that?s especially true in
trading. The markets swing both ways both up and down.
When things are looking up it?s easy to stick on, but
when it starts its downward trend, be patient. Wait
for things to change and hold on to stocks of whose
fortunes you are confident of changing.