TopDollar Investing

[TheFinalCD]

10 Common Mistakes Made by Traders
***UPDATED***



1. Marrying Your Stock and Finding Trades that Aren't There

If you haven't taken the necessary steps to manage risk, you'll pay a handsome price for your fidelity

2. Failing to Accept a Loss

A seasoned trader doesn't hesitate to take a loss. Learn to celebrate the small loss. Log your small losses into a trading diary and if you find you are making the same mistakes then work to eradicate that particular habit

3. Doubling Down on a Losing Position

This is the next logical step for the trader making Mistake #2. If nothing has changed in the short term dynamic of the stock then why double down?

4. Lack of Training and Preparation

Become a better manager of your own money. The best foundation is laid when you take the time to learn a piece at a time and spend plenty of time practicing.

5. Trading with Scared Money

You have made a bad trade and now you're gun shy. Usually results in one of two actions: The trader will attempt to increase risk or gamble his way out of his mistakes turning the trader into a Wild West Gambler. The second common behavior is to play the trade too close to the vest with very tight stops in order to avoid any sort of loss.

6. Buying Cheap Options or Devling into Options with No Training

With options, you usually get what you pay for. There isn't any intrinsic value that's reflected in the premium. The value of the option lies in the speculative worth based on where the underlying stock could move. That is, the premium price is grounded on what might happen, not on any intrinsic value at the present time.

7. Overcomplicating the Analysis

Keep it simple. Study price and volume. Identify your support and resistance levels. Add confirming indicators as appropriate. Do not suffer from Paralysis by Analysis.

8. Unrealistic Expectations

The first and most realistic expectation is to outperform the broad market. If you can't outperform the broad market, stop trading!! If you want to get rich quickly, go somewhere else. If you want to get poor quickly, keep trading with the belief that you can get rich quickly. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

9. Using Software Crutches

Software should never be a substitute for learning. Learn the language of technical and fundamental analysis.

10. Trading Without a Plan

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20 Technical trading tips

1. Forget the news, remember the chart. You're not smart enough to know how news will affect price. The chart already knows the news is coming.

2. Buy the first pullback from a new high. Sell the first pullback from a new low. There's always a crowd that missed the first boat.

3. Buy at support, sell at resistance. Everyone sees the same thing and they're all just waiting to jump in the pool.

4. Short rallies not sell-offs. When markets drop, shorts finally turn a profit and get ready to cover.

5. Don't buy up into a major moving average or sell down into one. See #3.

6. Don't chase momentum if you can't find the exit. Assume the market will reverse the minute you get in. If it's a long way to the door, you're in big trouble.

7. Exhaustion gaps get filled. Breakaway and continuation gaps don't. The old traders' wisdom is a lie. Trade in the direction of gap support whenever you can.

8. Trends test the point of last support/resistance. Enter here even if it hurts.

9. Trade with the TICK not against it. Don't be a hero. Go with the money flow.

10. If you have to look, it isn't there. Forget your college degree and trust your instincts.

11. Sell the second high, buy the second low. After sharp pullbacks, the first test of any high or low always runs into resistance. Look for the break on the third or fourth try.

12. The trend is your friend in the last hour. As volume cranks up at 3:00pm don't expect anyone to change the channel.

13. Avoid the open. They see YOU coming sucker

14. 1-2-3-Drop-Up. Look for downtrends to reverse after a top, two lower highs and a double bottom.

15. Bulls live above the 200 day, bears live below. Sellers eat up rallies below this key moving average line and buyers to come to the rescue above it.

16. Price has memory. What did price do the last time it hit a certain level? Chances are it will do it again.

17. Big volume kills moves. Climax blow-offs take both buyers and sellers out of the market and lead to sideways action.

18. Trends never turn on a dime. Reversals build slowly. The first sharp dip always finds buyers and the first sharp rise always finds sellers.

19. Bottoms take longer to form than tops. Fear acts more quickly than greed and causes stocks to drop from their own weight.

20. Beat the crowd in and out the door. You have to take their money before they take yours, period.




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25 AXIOM'S OF TRADING

INTRO
I am calling these 25 points "axioms" in that they are propositions that are not necessarily proved or demonstrated but rather are self-evident to those who trade/invest on the OTC. In other words, these truths should be taken for granted and serve as a starting point or a foundation when deducing or inferring other propositions about OTC investing. I will not seek to prove these axioms to you...they just simply ARE. An axiom appeals to no other authority for verification...it stands on its own as the truth. Therefore, with these axioms we are dealing more with beliefs and less with facts. But without fundamental beliefs, you will have nothing whereby to interpret the facts. So sit up and pay attention because the following are very important ideas that could keep you from losing your shirt and help you to win nicely at playing the OTC market.

1. The Center Stage Axiom
The longer an issue stays in the spotlight...the worse. There's always one or more good reasons as to WHY a company is trading on the OTC...especially if it is a sub-penny company. There have been many times in the past couple years I thought I had found that "true gem" that was going to be another Yahoo. I believed in it big time. I bought into it big time! But after the initial run and a dead-cat bounce or two...things began surfacing that were completely damaging to the demand for the stock. Simply put, the higher a stock climbs in the investing world, the more its rear end shows...and OTC butts ain't pretty. Are there the occasional rule breakers here? Yes (usually they are reverse merger plays). But those stocks are few and far between and they generally uplist very quickly to a higher exchange. As a general rule, the longer a company stays in the limelight, the more enemies it will attract. Bashers. Shorters. Bidwhackers. Apathy. New shares from various and sundry places (especially DILUTION and restricted shares coming off restriction). It's always a war to make the PPS (read: Price Per Share) go up on any issue. Don't stay too long at the war. Fight as long as you are advancing and retreat the moment you see the enemy reinforcements gathering. Or possibly better yet...retreat before you think you even heard the enemy reinforcements. Remember, it's not your job to make a stock PPS go up, it's your job to make your portfolio grow. OTC valor is much different than armed forces valor.

2. The Carpe Diem Axiom
Always take *some* profit when you're sitting on significant gains 50% or higher. Unless you are already independently wealthy and view OTC investing *only* as gambling for FUN (which isn't an altogether bad thing to view it as), take profit. The way to accumulate wealth playing OTC issues is to always exit too soon. Furthermore, it leaves one feeling pretty darn good when he left some on the table for the next guy and was not the chucklehead that single-handedly killed the run. If it does make you feel good that you were the chucklehead that killed the run, shame on you. Always remember...you do not know the next time buying pressure will allow you to leak out of shares without injuring a stock and/or your portfolio! Seize the day. Seize the opportunity strong buying pressure provides.

3. The Itchy Trigger-Finger Axiom
Someone always has shares to sell to ruin a run. Read it again: Someone ALWAYS has shares to sell to ruin a run. Make this statement your computer desktop and/or screensaver. Say it to yourself ten times whenever you start your trading day. Paint it on the ceiling above your bed so it's the first thing you see in the morning. Please understand that someone owns a whole lot of whatever stock you're jazzed about at much lower average than you -- and often times they own it for NUTHIN' (i.e. compensated promoters, debtors, relatives of CEO, etc.). Also, if you think that YOU are the ONE that is holding all the shares that could potentially ruin a run...think again. Only God knows where all the shares are or will be coming from...because who knows what kind of shorts will attach themselves to your play and sell you nothing but VAPOR.

4. The Domino Effect Axiom
Almost everyone that loses money playing the OTC looks to point a finger somewhere. They want someone or some entity to blame for their loss. Forget that the CEO sold 100M shares into the open market, they'd rather lash out at the popular poster that promoted, endorsed, and otherwise "pumped" the stock. Here's what folks like that should understand...there is a domino effect of people getting screwed. Here's an illustration: the CEO legitimately plans NOT to sell shares but some emergency comes up...and believe me..."emergencies" almost always come up for these guys! Selling shares is the easiest way for him to raise the money and "After all," the CEO justifies to himself, "the reason I went public in the first place was to raise money." The problem here is that the CEO failed to tell his promoters and/or closest investors about his need to raise funds and that group of people is living under the assumption that the share structure is stable (i.e. the supply will remain the same). So the CEO got screwed by somebody and had to pay up. He screws the promoters and his closest investors and they had to pay up. Now the promoters and close investors will probably screw another batch of investors. Scenarios like this have happened more times than I can count! When something goes wrong and you're holding several thousand dollars worth of stock, you're not going to be looking to inform the world about things that will negatively affect the stock's PPS! You're looking for ways to bring in buying pressure, not decrease it! Folks love pumpers/promoters when they are helping the stock they are in go up. Folks hate those same pumpers/promoters when their stock is going down. Heroes and zeroes in the microcrap world are one and the same...it just depends on the day. Remember this though...if the guy at the top decides to take advantage of people...he most certainly will succeed. What you need to know is your place in the food chain. And friends, if you're a rookie to the OTC world...you are a bottom feeder that gets caught eating the crap of all the other fish in the ocean when the "Domino Effect Axiom" kicks into high gear.

5. The Vapor Shares Axiom
If you see a poster battling the idea of shorting OTC issues with determination and vigil, sit up and pay attention...that poster is either a short himself or working on behalf of the shorts. People and/or groups with the right connections can and do short OTC issues...many times they short stock into oblivion with the full approval and consent of the leadership of the company. Contrary to popular belief, many OTC CEOs don't give a flying fig newton what their stock price does...what they care about is getting their hands on YOUR MONEY. There is a lot of money to be made when a stock goes up. There is even more money to be made when a stock goes down if you were selling vapor all the way down to .0001 and cover there. Micro cap hedge funds exist. Micro cap hedge funds manipulate stocks and steal the money of good people. Unless you are a micro cap hedge fund yourself, you can almost never win a battle against a powerful micro cap hedgie that is shorting the snot out of your beloved stock. Remember, this is an "axiom" that stands on its own. I will not seek to prove the validity of this point to you. You must simply either accept it or reject it.

6. The Glass-Half-Empty Axiom
Bashers on message boards are a very real force to contend with and it's not a coincidence that I've put this axiom after the "Vapor Shares Axiom." It is easier to get a person to sell a stock than it is to buy a stock...and they know this very well. If your stock's message board becomes infested with bashers...be careful! Unless you believe the company has some incredible news that may force these guys to cover or unless you know of a group with mega-bank that is going to push the stock and perhaps force a cover...be careful when playing with shorty. Many of these bashers will try and convince you that they are there out of the kindness of their heart to try and rescue other investors from the perils of a diluting CEO or worse. Nope. Their motives are to bring the PPS down down down. Bashers, in the end, are almost always right eventually because they are bashing OTC issues. They know axioms like "The Center Stage Axiom" too!!!

7. The Supply IS Demand Axiom
I have seen several runs simply because a stock has a low share structure. A low supply creates demand. Know the share structure. On plays where the TA is gagged, plan to exit within hours of entering and play the momentum only unless you have STRONG and SOLID reason to believe the stock will go up. Call transfer agents. Learn what authorized shares, outstanding shares, and float mean. The share structure is the first thing I look for when making a new investment...it should be the first thing you look for too. If a company is not willing to be transparent in this area, you can bet there's a hundred other areas they're not willing to be transparent about. I have and continue to invest in plays where the transfer agents are gagged (unable to report to you what the current share structure is) but I don't plan to stay invested for long.

8. The Don't Click The Mouse Yet Axiom
Never buy a stock at the high of day after a significant run (good rule of thumb here may be 70-80%). Wait for a pullback. And while you're waiting, do some due diligence. Check the company's filings on pinksheets.com or otcbb.com. Read a few of their PRs. Check the history of the leadership there. Call the transfer agent (T/A) and ask for the share structure. And on stocks that are pulling back, buy at the bid. Remember that it takes both bid buyers and ask buyers to make a stock PPS go up.

9. The Morning Patience Axiom
The first hour of the market is "amateur hour." With most first-hours on hot issues, it'll either be extreme bid whackage which will cause some panic selling which will create some excellent buying opportunities later in the morning OR it will be extreme ask slappage which will lead to a pullback around lunchtime. I hardly ever buy during the first hour of the trading day, and I'd venture to say 80-90% of the time that decision has paid off. I'd rather watch a few missed opportunities than be stuck in a bunch of "apparent" ones.

10. The Bruised Knee Axiom
There are too many enemies against an OTC issue's PPS going up to NEVER lose a battle. Know how to take a defeat. You lost. YOU made a mistake. Evaluate what went wrong. Evaluate why YOU lost money. It's okay to lose money occasionally but it's not okay to be just as dumb after as you were before! Think, think, THINK! Don't make the error again. Get smarter. Listen, school is expensive...tuition rates are high! If you want to make money trading the OTC you had better plan to spend the first year in school. ?

11. The Show-Me-The-Money Axiom
I once asked a poster that was complaining about getting lied to on a message board: "Are you stupid in any other areas?" Seriously folks, everyone on a stock message board has an agenda...including ME. Including YOU. Consider how often your posts are seasoned with fiction and/or things that you simply DO NOT KNOW TO BE CERTAIN. Consider that you have most likely served up a poo-poo platter covered thickly with powdered sugar. Trusting stock message boards for accurate due diligence is like trusting the National Enquirer for accurate UFO sightings.

12. The I'm-Rubber-And-You're-Glue Axiom
Develop thick skin if you plan to post on stock message boards much. 'Nuff said.

13. The Know-Your-Anthropology Axiom
Understand the nature of man! For this axiom, you need to be somewhat of a Christian theologian. The Bible clearly teaches us that mankind is not naturally good...he is naturally evil (Psalm 14 is a good place to start). The word Christian theologians use to describe our condition is "depravity." Because of the fall of man, we are morally corrupt in every part of our being and tend toward wickedness (i.e. greed, theft, lying). We stand in need of redemption from a Savior. So understand that you are playing amongst people (including yourself) that are not naturally good...they are naturally bad. In other words, you're playing with fire. Lies, half-truths, and misrepresentations abound in the OTC world. You better take EVERYTHING with a grain-of-salt the size of Texas. Some posters require more salt than others to digest. Be an evaluator of people. Learn how to ask the right questions. Make sure your yellow flags and red flags are ALWAYS working.

14. The Early-To-The-Party Axiom
Be willing to buy lower what you bought higher. I have often arrived to a party early. By "party" I mean a gathering of people and people's money that will result in a stock's PPS going much higher. By "early" I mean I got there before the stock was sitting at a low. I am always somewhat discouraged when a purchase I made continues to go down. But if I have done solid due diligence in the company, I often take it as an opportunity to add more shares cheaper and lower my average. In other words, don't look at your initial investment as dead money and hope that it goes back up again so you can get out. Average down, do the due, and then promote your stock to others and help jumpstart the party. Be a spark plug.

15. The Next! Axiom
Be looking to get out of an issue the moment you get in. Have an exit strategy in place. By buying a stock you are not entering into any kind of formal arrangement like matrimony. You are an investor and as such your goal is to make money. If your investment should go up within the first 20-30 minutes of purchase why is it any different taking some profit then as if it took 20-30 days for it to go up? Get in. Lock in profits. Ride freebies.

16. The Grow-Up Axiom
Somebody once said: "If somebody screws you once, shame on them. But if somebody screws you twice, shame on you." In the OTC world I would modify it a bit to say: "If somebody screws you once, shame on you. If somebody screws you twice, you really are a moron." Take responsibility for ALL your investment decisions. Almost nothing ever happens as planned or hoped here on the OTC. There are too many enemies against making a stock's PPS go up. If you're going to play the game down here...you better be ready to accept FULL and COMPLETE responsibility for EVERYTHING YOU DO IN THIS INVESTING REALM. Point the finger of blame at only one place: yourself.

17. The Ask-Yourself-Why Axiom
Understand that many of the people encouraging you to buy an issue are compensated promoters whether they disclaim it or not. Most times they do not have your best interest in mind, they have their best interest in mind cause they're sitting on a mountain of stock and can't wait to turn paper into cash. It has been said that "the man that can answer the question 'what' will always have a job but the man that can answer the question 'why' will always be his boss." Be continually evaluating EVERYTHING by asking questions that begin with "WHY."

18. The What-Was-That-Again? Axiom
Understand you are almost NEVER getting the whole story. The only way optimists will survive in the OTC is if they become compensated promoters. Pessimists can either become paid bashers or fast flippers. The OTC calls for realism. Be a realist. To be a true OTC realist you need to know and understand all that you are up against to make a stock's PPS go up.

19. The Public-Versus-Private Posts Axiom
Many of the people pumping stocks are stuck in them and want to inspire a whole new wave of bag holders to come take their place. Often times what is being said on the public message boards is completely different than what those same posters are saying behind closed doors. Realize this. Digest this. Embrace this. Don't be naive.

20. The Buy-The-Story-Not-The-Company Axiom
So you bought a stock because of a solid PR that came out. Cool. Why did you buy? Because of the story. Do you really know anything else about the company? Is it real? Do they have a big building? Do they have equipment? Are they producing? Forget all that. In many ways it is irrelevant. If you are going to invest in the OTC you had better learn to invest in STORIES. Now, ironically, one of the dictionary definitions for "story" is "a lie or fabrication." Do you really think that you are investing in the same caliber of companies on the OTC as you would on the NASDAQ or NYSE? Don't be naive! Do you think what your company outlined in that lovely PR is really going to happen? Two words for you my friend: SAFE HARBOR. In the OTC you are investing in POTENTIAL ALONE; therefore, be a discerner of the POTENTIAL OF THAT COMPANY'S STORY. What has great potential? Water to China? American Idol in a 3-D world? Gasoline replacement in a weed? Oh yeah baby! All those STORIES have great POTENTIAL. But there's a monster "IF" involved in every one of those. After some time, the reality that the "IF" is gonna stay a big "IF" sinks in and the stock PPS encounters a slow death. Sadly, some of the really real OTC companies go unnoticed because they do not have a great story with potential. The term many investors use to refer to the story is "kool aid." Does your stock have good "kool aid?" Well, does the potential of your company make you want to buy it? Does it make other want to buy it? I try to avoid investing in OTC issues that do not have good kool aid flowage or the potential for good kool aid flowage. Wow. What a concept. On the OTC sometimes you have to invest in the POTENTIAL POTENTIAL of a company. (That last sentence wasn't a misprint. Read it twice if you need to.)

21. The Don't-Gamble-Away-The-Mortgage Axiom
You *should* expect to lose your entire investment. You *should* expect to lose more money than you make playing OTC issues until you wise up, learn these axioms, and behave according to them. If you are playing the OTC to try and make some quick money to pay off a debt, good luck with that. Unless you are an experienced OTC Jedi Master that does this for a living (and I'm by no means saying that I am one or that I have arrived!), you better ONLY USE MONEY YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

22. The Dingle berry Axiom
This is the term I save for bidwhackers. Realize that the OTC market is unfortunately full of people that don't understand the concept of selling at the offer. They are more than happy to whack out the bids on an issue for their lunch money. Realize that usually the longer an issue stays in the spotlight, the more problem it is gonna have with dingle berries, er, whackers.

23. The Bid And Offer Axiom
Level 2 is often the truest of truths in the OTC. It tells a very accurate story. If you cannot afford to spend your day glued to L2 watching the issues you're trading...you shouldn't expect winning trades on the OTC. I simply cannot stress enough the importance of having LIVE Level 2 and understanding it. Spend some time paper trading which watching L2s. Practice. Practice. Learn. You just gotta understand what the Level 2s are telling you. Some of my friends would also come in here at this point and say it is not only L2 it is also the chart. I would argue that it is MORE L2 and LESS the chart. By understanding and watching L2 I feel like I can identify dilution much faster than by simply looking at a chart and all its indicators.

24. The CEO Is A Scumbag Axiom
Now I know we're all quick to defend our favorite CEO...but the truth is he or she is a scumbag. Now what level of scumbag she or he is I cannot say...but with confidence I can say that every OTC CEO is a scumbag. Deal with it.

25. The Know Your Friends And Enemies Axiom
You will have a hard time succeeding down here without friends. Any amount of public success will bring you more friends and new enemies. Understand which is which. Keep your nose clean. Loose lips sink ships. Know when its time to sever a relationship. Know when its time to repair a relationship. Know your associates.

Now, I must ask you, knowing all of the above, do you REALLY want to mess around with penny stocks? I mean...really???

Okay.

Those of you that have never traded in the OTC or are just beginning to trade down here and are right now shaking your head and thinking that you somehow transcend these axioms...you will have to learn the hard way. Traders like me will end up with your money. I want to thank you in advance for helping build my portfolio.

Those of you scared out of your gourd right now...GOOD. You should be. You should realize that you're absolutely nuts to be risking money down here (and I use the term "down here" on purpose) in the OTC!!!

Investing in the OTC is very risky. It's riskier than Alaskan King Crab fishing! But the rewards often outweigh the risk. The lure of monster profits is too much for many of us to say "no" to. The idea of finding that one true gem in a million that becomes the next Yahoo is too strong a draw for many of us to avoid. The surge of adrenalin that comes when profiting 100% on your money within the same hour you made the trade is addicting. The fun that comes from finding friends and having a successful trade with them is indeed AWESOME.

The OTC is a crazy world that attracts some pretty crazy people...and yet I have chosen to live in this world...I have accepted the consequences of investing in the OTC. I feel safer putting my money in an OTC issue than a NASDAQ or NYSE issue because I understand the OTC.

I have written all of the above as a student, not a teacher. I will always be a student of the OTC...ever learning. I do believe that is a good attitude to have if you want to truly be a successful OTC trader/investor. I do hope that some of what I have said above will help you retain and/or build your bank!


10 Advanced OTC Axioms
((((NEW)))

1. The Pigs Can Fly Axiom
Anything can run! I have basically stopped “warning” people about scammy, scummy, crummy companies because there have been several times when my warnings inadvertently kept people from making dough as the stock went through the roof. Anything can fly! The nastiest wart-covered, fat, sloppy mess-of-a-hog can grow wings if some hedge fund or some promo or some inexplicable force gets behind it. This is part of the allure of the OTC, I guess. Sometimes things happen in pennyland that leave even the most seasoned veterans slack jawed. You will never master the OTC for this reason! The law of gravity sometimes vanishes for an indeterminate amount of time but it always returns with vigor at some point. Sometimes, the really scammy companies run like the wind because you’ve got a fearless, no-conscience CEO tossing out insane revenue projections and/or fictitious buyout offers and/or anything that keeps the shiny object attractive just a little bit longer. (Also, understand that many times those posters yelling the loudest against scammy companies are trading the stock too! Perhaps it makes them feel better about their profits. Who knows. Where there is volatility, there is money to be made.)

2. The Horse Apples Axiom
This axiom is closely related to the Pigs-Can-Fly Axiom. Realize that penny stocks are like dung. All of them. If you have chosen to buy a penny stock then you have chosen to purchase poo-poo. Now, sometimes crap can make people a lot of money (think fertilizer companies and/or Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome), but when you position yourself to defend or support your favorite penny stock company what you have essentially chosen is to become an advocate for doo-doo. I know this is a troubling mental image but it is accurate. “Hey, it’s crap! Don’t buy it!” insists the do-good crusader. Yeah, we know. They *all* are. What matters is if it will MOVE. What matters is if there is POTENTIAL for gains/volatility there. What matters is what the masses BELIEVE. What are you going to do Captain-Save-The-Planet? Tell them how bad that poop smells compared to that not-so-bad smelling dung over yonder?

3. The Socrates Axiom
You can’t really be sure of anything. You will become a savvier trader when you embrace this. In the perception-driven world of the OTC, I would have to agree with Socrates that purported that: “the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” (Debating whether or not you can really know for sure that you know nothing is another matter. Just work with me on this.) You can’t be sure of the share structure. You can’t be sure of that large European holder that you just *know* is waiting to sell his eleven million shares until after the stock hits a dollar. You can’t be sure of the guy/gal that gave you the tip. You can’t be sure that the numbers in the press release are correct. You can’t be sure how much stock is going to hit the street next week. Understand that non-dilutive contracts often mean absolutely nothing to these penny CEOs. Should a marketplace like this actually exist? That’s a good question, too. But for now, it does, and there is money to be made on it for those that understand it by never understanding it.

4. The Share Swelling Axiom
Every stock gets diluted, period. If it’s not the company diluting, it’s ancient restricted shares coming off restriction. Or maybe it’s an escrow account that managed to stay hidden from the latest NOBO. Or maybe it’s an old cert some funder or accredited investor forgot about in his filing cabinet and he just found it. If it’s not one thing then it is another. There are many clever and creative means whereby the float on your cherished stock can GROW QUICKLY. Trusting that the stock’s float will remain stable is like having a tailgate party on a small lake that has quickly frozen over, inviting the entire town to come out, and trusting that the ice will hold up under the weight. Ain’t gonna happen. Sure, you’ll have a great time on the ice for awhile but something’s gonna give. When a stock is trading at a high price per share and there is liquidity at higher price ranges, the temptation is overwhelming for someone who has the power and ability to add shares to the float to do so. Oftentimes, stocks can and do go up when there is responsible dilution. And sometimes they even go up with irresponsible dilution (see Advanced Axiom #1). Penny stocks *all* dilute folks. Why would they be putting out press releases and hiring IR firms and shucking rumors if there wasn’t money to be made. And how do these companies make money? After all, they went public to raise money…and the way making money is done is through the *sale of more shares.* All of them dilute…even the ones that proclaim loudly that they are doing a share buyback. Think: how much of a buyback is it if they dilute twice as many as they buy? Maybe you’re a noobie to OTC investing and you’re thinking: “People would actually do that?” Yes, yes, YES they would do that (and they DO)! In fact, the louder the company and/or posters insist that the float is stable the more leery I become. Recently I got my butt handed to me because I neglected this axiom and boldly challenged a poster about the share structure of a stock I persisted remained unchanged. The very next day the transfer agent was called and we discovered that the scumbag CEO had diluted by about 5% of the outstanding. There’s always a reason why your favorite stock is getting buzzed about. Even if a stock’s run starts out as purely organic (which I believe can and does happen at times), understand there are forces out there that can add supply in amounts that will utterly cripple demand.

5. The Friends and Family Axiom
Sometimes the pre-promo *IS* the promo. Do you understand what I mean by “pre-promo?” Here’s an example of what I mean: “Hey bud, head’s up on XYZX. Hearing massive push coming next week with loads of overseas money coming into it.” If you’ve been online for any amount of time you’ve likely received a private or public message similar to this! Understand that sometimes the friends and family (i.e. “pre-promo” or “pre-push”) program IS the program. In other words, sometimes YOU are the promo without knowing that you are the promo. Your dollars. Your money. Your stupidity. You bought in on the hype and hope of a promo but you were the promo. The push that is coming is happening right now. Today! By YOU. When some friendly tipster tells you they know a push is coming on some ticker, it’s time to start asking A LOT of questions before you buy unless the rumor originates from a semi-trustworthy source. Which, when considered carefully, the idea of a semi-trustworthy source is a misnomer because he/she is likely trusting an altogether un-proven, un-trustworthy source for their information. Remember, the information you receive is likely two or three steps removed from the origin. And many times the people that are the origins of information would make the devil blush. Digest this. I’m trying to help you here. This is not a friendly world.

6. The Profit Axiom
If you’re not selling, you’re not making money. This axiom is not original with me but it is so good and true! Evaluate your trading activity over the last 2-3 months. How many bags are you holding because you were holding out for more profit? If you are holding bags that could’ve been sold for a profit, shame on you. Seriously, that’s just not good investing. The future is now. What are you waiting for? If the stock went up 300% over a period of years what would you do at the end of that time? Take profits. So why is it different for you to take profits a few days (or perhaps even hours) after you purchase a stock? Think in percentages. All pigs eventually get slaughtered. Good rule of thumb is to take some profit at 50% and some at 100% and then ride freebies. Be a disciplined person in an undisciplined world. You will win.

7. The Matrix Axiom
Discipline your mind to think *reality* though you invest in a realm almost exclusively dominated by *perception.* Why? Because “perception” can only take you so far. It’s Wonderland! But it sure seems real for a time! It’s like the guy that married a beauty queen. His perception of her was that she was staggeringly gorgeous! But the morning after his wedding night he woke up to reality in his bed. She didn’t wake up a beauty queen! It took a lot of work! Think of the OTC as “The Matrix.” Remember when Neo would get plugged in to the Matrix and visit a world that was total perception? You need to discipline yourself to view OTC life through that mindset. It’s. Not. Real. But it feels so real to so many that perception does impact aspects of reality. What is real? Money. Numbers. People. The OTC is a world of perception that greatly impacts the real world of money and numbers. Understand which is which. Don’t confuse the two. Don’t lose yourself. Swallow the blue pill. Remember, perception eventually comes crashing down and reality wins every time.

8. The Ebb and Flow Axiom
Think of each stock, each trend, each fad as having a window of time. Once the hub is seriously buzzing with the latest trend (such as “Q” stocks or “D” stocks) it’s time to start looking for the next “hot” thing. The essence of life is motion and change. Without motion and change there is no excitement, no buzz. Novelty rules the world. Most of these things tend to cycle.

9. The Hero to Zero Axiom
Nobody stays hot forever (or for very long). If you think that you have found that guy who never makes a mistake, that guru, that golden goose…you have deceived yourself. If your “big gun” is currently blazing hot…ride the wave but don’t be left holding the bag. The most undisciplined investors stay dumb on purpose. Most investors are lazy. They are some of the laziest people I’ve ever met. They want to turn $1,000 into $10,000 by doing nothing but waiting a bit. And they want to find the next Jim Cramer to tell them where to put their initial $1,000. That’s lazy. But it’s not going to change. Some of the truths of these axioms rub me the wrong way as I type it, but I can’t change reality. The more that I can embrace these truths, remember them, and act by them…the better investor I will be.

10. The Teamwork Shmeamwork Axiom
Teamwork on the OTC only works when there are positive vibes and the stock is uptrending. Why? Because those smart enough to realize the value of networking with other investors are also smart enough to realize those very same investors cannot be trusted. Private Ryan never gets searched for in the OTC war. Anyone that is pitching ideas of “nobody gets left behind” or “I will be the last one out” or “none of us are selling until $X amount” should not be trusted for long. I know this is harsh and will step on some toes. You, like me, have probably bought stock based on claims like this. But sometimes the truth hurts. I do not trade and invest to make buddies and friends. I trade and invest to make money. And as such, looking out for my own portfolio is the most significant factor when buying and selling securities. What is your most significant factor? Some of you may recoil a bit at this axiom and look for friendlier words from more cheery places. That’s okay, but please know this: The OTC is a battleground. People are fighting for money. Some people *kill* for money…so, deceiving you through kindness, notions of teamwork, or guilt-for-selling is STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for more “leaders” here than you ever dared dream. Bottom line: Don’t get your need-to-belong and relational itch scratched here. Instead, find a good Bible teaching local church.

Funny video on How Penny Stocks work http://www.youtube.com/user/zonatum#p/a/u/0/j94SgeyCh3M


Authored by: Master Jedi's: Vantillian,and $heff