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Pastimes : Daytrading and Stock Trading Addiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sword who wrote (254)	1/17/1999 5:54:00 PM
From: James F. Hopkins	Respond to of 330

I gave up working over a year ago, but then I'm also 61 , and while I trade a lot, most of my money stays in bonds. I may come March actually move some more to stocks as some bonds come due, as I'm not sure I want to put back in them unless rates go up. But then to I have concerns at my me about being in the market very deep, and them me getting sick and my wife not knowing what to do. At any rate I won't cash in bonds before maturity to play stocks. I visit the dog track from time to time, and see the market much the same way I see betting on the dogs. There is no doubt it has an addictive quality to it, I think all traders are addicted, but the degree makes a difference. I don't do much FA, I just sort of handicap stocks, using a little of every thing. At times I wonder if it's worth the trouble, as it is a lot of work for the little I actually bet, But it has it's fun side. ---------- Right now I'm running 71 paper portfolios , broke down into sectors and funds that I understand, I won't use some ones else's style unless I under stand it inside out. And sometimes I don't always believe my own eyes. <G> Jim PS. I've traded only 1/4th the options this year as I did in 97, which was 1/2 of what I traded in 96. I made more this year than last, but 96 was so bad that it was not long ago I finally came ahead in options. I'm convinced that playing catch up kills most people in the option game, and no one does worth a crap the first year or two. If a person finds themselves hung up in options, they likely have a problem. I'v also switched to writing more options than I buy. I'm sure the writer has the edge in most cases.