Floor Trader

What is a floor trader. What do floor traders do?

Floor traders trade as a principal for his or her account on trading floors. In the past, this was a lucrative business. They had immediate access to information the typical American did not and the ability to go in and out of a trade before anyone else. Nowadays, computerized trading has replaced much of their worth.

The bottom line to making money ultimately depends on how much risk you are willing to take.

High risk, High reward, right? We are all too familiar with this concept.

FLOORED offers a look into the floor trading profession and the emotions involved in making millions in a matter of minutes.

This film provides a glimpse of their lifestyle and profession. It doesn’t go into details on how to trade, but it does give people who are not familiar with the profession a good look into it.

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Ways to Make Extra Money

As a college student, I was always looking for ways to make extra money.

If you didn’t know already, consumer product companies have been trying to predict the needs and wants of individual consumer for as long as I can remember. They want us to buy their products and the only way we would do so is by buying what we want and need or what we think we want or need. In the past, companies have asked about individuals’ attitudes, beliefs,values and past behaviors through paper-based surveys. Nowadays, surveys are being posted on the internet through survey research data collection companies.

There must be at least fifty online survey companies out there. I’ve narrowed my focus into two survey companies that I thought paid the most often and in a timely fashion. One of which includes Opinion Outpost.

Companies who look for ways to understand their attitudes, beliefs, values and past behaviors use companies like Opinion Outpost to gather information. Essentially Opinion Outpost amasses a large amount of surveys and holds it in their database, and then it disperses it to the pool of individuals. When a survey is available to its users, Opinion Outpost will send its user an e-mail notification with the direct link to the survey. Alternatively access to these open surveys is accessible through their website interface through your individual account. The results go directly to the consumer products based company or Opinion Outpost’s client.

Each survey has what are called pre-screener questions that helps the consumer product company find their target consumer. Companies want to survey those who fit a certain criteria – including age, sex, ethnicity, income, job profession. Most times, they won’t tell you who they are looking for. So your pre-screener answers could be in vain. But the neat thing about Opinion Outpost is that even though you do not pass their screener they offer you three options. You can donate to a charity, try your chances at an instant win of $50, or enter your name in a large sum sweepstakes.

They do offer a referral bonus incentive when you refer people to the site. It’s only a dollar, so if you are interested, I’d appreciate it if you signed up under my link. Alternatively here is the direct website without the referral link. It takes as little as $5 to cash out. From my experience that is about two or three completed online surveys.

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How is Phil Jackson so calm?

“It was Jackson’s calm on the sidelines that immediately appealed to Michael..” – From Jackson’s Book

What may seem to be a big deal now, five or ten years from now, will only appear to be a drop in the ocean.

Assuming the role of an auditor requires extreme attention to details. Often times, so much so that we lose sight of the big picture. Pathetically, we then fail to remind ourselves that there is more to life than making sure we obtain reasonable explanations.

Since I can remember, I’ve been a basketball fanatic – following it and playing the game religiously for more than 15 years now. I’ve learned a great deal from professional athletes. Being cognizant of how they deal with pressure, how they carry themselves, and understanding their work ethics; then incorporating these lessons into my own life.

Naturally, I was drawn to Phil Jackson’s ten championships as a coach. How was he able to achieve such greatness in the past two decades or so? What made him so successful? These questions filled my mind. What continues to fascinate me is how he is able to maintain such a calm demeanor even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable pressures. His assistant coach once said, “He has a purpose for practically anything he does. There’s times when things are about to blow up and you think man oh man why doesn’t he step in and do something about this? And there’s nothing but silence there.”

“He’s sort of a mystery to the players because he is not predictable. He doesn’t overreact, or sometimes even react at all. Yet he has a firm hand. The strength of Phil is that he is always very aware of what is happening. He could see things on the bench, or in the locker room, but never moved too quickly to fix things. He would only do that after he had thought about it. Then he would do just what was needed to calm the situation and the problem.”

After much research, I believe that his Zen approach to life and dedicate to eastern philosophy has helped shape his demeanor. Of such includes meditation, which plays a large part in centering yourself and being in the moment.

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Ultimate List of Short / Bear ETFs

It’s not secret that the indices have been on a “bear tear” lately. I’ve made a significant amount of money off of short/bear ETFs. I would say right now as of June 2010, the popular ones are definitely shorting Oil/Gas, the major indices, and Euro/US dollar.

Here are a list of short/bear ETFs, which can also be found here.

Dow Jones
Short Dow30 (DOG) – 1x Inverse of Dow Jones Industrial Average
UltraShort Dow 30 (DXD) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones Industrial Average
UltraPro Short Dow 30 (SDOW) – 3x Inverse of Dow Jones Jones Industrial Average
Short Financials (SEF) – 1x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index
UltraShort Financials (SKF) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index
Short Oil & Gas (DDG) – 1x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Index
UltraShort Oil & Gas (DUG) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones Oil & Gas Index
Short Real Estate (REK) – 1x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index
UltraShort Real Estate (SRS) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones Real Estate Index
Short Basic Materials (SBM) – 1x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index
UltraShort Basic Materials (SMN) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index
UltraShort Consumer Goods (SZK) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Goods Index
UltraShort Consumer Services (SCC) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Services Index
UltraShort Health Care (RXD) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Health Care Index
UltraShort Industrials (SIJ) – 2x of Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Industrials Index
UltraShort Semiconductors (SSG) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductors Index
UltraShort Technology (REW) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index
UltraShort Telecommunications (TLL) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Select Telecom Index
UltraShort Utilities (SDP) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones U.S. Utilities Index

S&P
Short S&P 500 (SH)- 1x Inverse of S&P 500 Index
UltraShort S&P 500 (SDS)- 2x Inverse of S&P 500 Index
UltraPro Short S&P 500 (SPXU) – 3x Inverse of S&P 500 Index
Short Mid Cap 400 (MYY) – 1x Inverse of S&P MidCap 400 Index
UltraShort Mid Cap 400 (MZZ) – 2x Inverse of S&P MidCap 400 Index
UltraShort Short Mid Cap 400 (SMDD) – 3x Inverse of S&P MidCap 400 Index
Short SmallCap 600 (SBB) – 1x Inverse of S&P SmallCap 600 Index
UltraShort SmallCap 600 (SDD) – 2x Inverse of S&P SmallCap 600 Index

NASDAQ
Short QQQQ (PSQ)- 1x Inverse of Nasdaq 100 Index
UltraShort QQQQ (QID)- 2x Inverse of Nasdaq 100 Index
UltraPro Short QQQQ (SQQQ)- 3x Inverse of Nasdaq 100 Index
UltraShort Nasdaq Biotechnology (BIS) – 2x Inverse of Biotechnology Index

Russell
Short Russell 2000 (RWM) – 1X Inverse of Russell 2000 Index
UltraShort Russell 2000 (TWM) – 2X Inverse of Russell 2000 Index
UltraPro Short Russell (SRTY) – 3X Inverse of Russell 2000 Index
UltraShort Russell Mid Cap Growth (SDK) – 2X Inverse of Russell Mid- Cap Growth Index
UltraShort Russell Mid Cap Value (SJL) – 2X Inverse of Russell Mid-Cap Value Index
UltraShort Russell 1000 Growth (SFK) – 2X Inverse of Russell 1000 Growth Index
UltraShort Russell 1000 Value (SJF) – 2X Inverse of Russell 1000 Value Index
UltraShort Russell 2000 Growth (SKK) – 2X Inverse of Russell 2000 Growth Index
UltraShort Russell 2000 Value (SJH) – 2X Inverse of Russell 2000 Value Index
UltraShort Russell 3000 (TWQ) – 2X Inverse of Russell 3000 Index

Commodity
UltraShort DJ – UBS Commodity (CMD) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones UBS Commodity Index
UltraShort DJ – UBS Crude Oil (SCO) – 2x Inverse of Dow Jones UBS Crude Oil Sub – Index
UltraShort Gold  (GLL) – 2x Inverse of Gold
UltraShort Silver (ZSL) – 2x Inverse of Silver

FTSE / Xinhua
Short FTSE/Xinhua China 25 (YXI) – 1x Inverse of FSTE/Xinhua China 25 Index
UltraShort FTSE/ Xinhua (FXP) – 2x Inverse of FSTE/ Xinhua China

Currency
UltraShort Euro (EUO) – 2x Inverse of Euro/US Dollar
UltraShort Yen (YCS) – 2x Inverse of Yen/US Dollar

MSCI
UltraShort MSCI Brazil (BZQ) – 2x Inverse of MSCI Brazil Index
Short MSCI EAFE (EFZ) – 1x Inverse of MSCI EAFE Index
UltraShort MSCI EAFE (EPU) – 2x Inverse of MSCI EAFE Index
Short MSCI Emerging Markets (EUM) – 1x Inverse of MSCI Emerging Markets Index
UltraShort MSCI Emerging Markets (EEV) – 2x Inverse of MSCI Emerging Markets Index
UltraShort MSCI Europe (EPV) – 2x Inverse of MSCI Europe Index
UltraShort MSCI Japan (EWV) 2x Inverse of Japan Index
UltraShort MSCI Mexico Investable Market (SMK) – 2x Inverse of MSCI Mexico Investable Market Index
UltraShort MSCI Pacific ex-Japan (JPX) – 2x Inverse of MSCI Pacific ex-Japan Index

Treasury Index
Short 20+ Year Treasury (TBF) – 1x Inverse of Barclays Capital 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Index
UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (TBT) – 2x Inverse of Barclays Capital 200+ Year U.S. Treasury Index
UltraShort 7-10 Year Treasury (PST) – 2x Inverse of Barclays Captial 7-10 Year U.S. Treasury Index

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Dress for a Successful Big 4 Interview

In any interview, whether it be for Big 4 or not, first impressions make a difference. Thus, dressing appropriately is not to be taken lightly. Below are just a couple “DOs” and “DON’Ts” for both men and women that I’ve gathered from recruiters over the years.

Business Professional for Men

DOs

1. Matching suit jacket and slacks (dark in color)
2. Tie
3. Collard shirt (light in color, preferably white)
4. Black dress socks
5. Dress shoes

DON’Ts

1. Short sleeves
2. Open collars
3. Flashy shirts or ties (be conservative)
4. White socks
5. Sneakers or sandals

Notes:

• Wear your suit jacket during your interview unless your your interviewer isn’t
• Tie should end at the belt buckle
• Make sure clothes are pressed and pants are hemmed
• No facial hair or keep it clean
• No cologne – interviews are usually held in small rooms, you’ll never know if your interviewer like your cologne or can’t stand it
• Keep last button of your suit unbuttoned

Business Professional for Women

DOs

1. Matching suit – can be pants or skirt
2. Collared shirt (pastel color or white)
3. Closed toe dress shoes (3 inch heels or less)

DON’Ts

1. Sleeveless blouses/tank tops
2. Mini skirts
3. Sun dresses
4. Sneakers or sandals

Notes:

• Collar of shirt should be kept outside of suit collar
• Make sure clothes are pressed and pants hemmed
• Skirts should be knee length
• Keep hair neatly kept and out of your face
• Light make up
• Clothes should not be tight
• Stockings are optional
• No flashy jewelry
• Earrings should not be long or dangly

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