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Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Another Bubbly Oil Day
Posted by FT on May 9, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT Comment

Another day, another record high in oil. The latest of many scare stories is worrying about Chavez being named a terrorist and the US saying “No thanks” to Venezuelan oil (yeah right). Meanwhile, equities are getting a few reminders that perhaps all the bad news hasn’t gone yet.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Another Failed Relationship
Posted by FT on May 9, 2008
Category: Views & Opinions, Currencies, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT 1 Comment

Don’t worry, this isn’t another fly-on–the–wall look at Kerry Katona, or Amy Winehouse and the half-dozen blokes she’s ‘made friends with’ while hubby’s been locked up. And it’s not a sporting blog on why Newcastle United just don’t get on with their managers.

I’m taking a look at one of the steadiest relationships over the past year or so, the Dollar and the oil price. The link was so damned good it was almost mechanical, the Dollar fell, the oil price rose; simple.

But over the past couple of weeks the relationship has been as rock solid as Mr and Mrs Ashley Cole’s; the Dollar’s started to feel good about itself and has been going out on its own. The third party in this ménage a trois, gold, has been happy to play its part (If the Dollar was going to be the dominant party then gold would play the weaker role). By contrast, oil has got used to all the attention and doesn’t fancy giving it up for anyone.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Big, Black And Everyone Wants Some
Posted by FT on April 17, 2008
Category: Views & Opinions, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT 2 Comments

So there I was down my local, having a quiet pint, when I felt this nudge in the back.

“Oi mate, what’s all this writing about gold malarkey? You should be writing about black gold, not the shiny stuff. It’s like doing a feature on whether Chelsea will win the Premiership next year whilst Man Yew are running away with the title this year. Get a grip!”

He had a point; since breaking the magical $100 mark back in February there’s been no sign of vertigo from the oil barons. People said it wouldn’t last, it was only a wild fling and that common sense would prevail. Yet the black stuff hit a record high on Wednesday, pushing above $115. So is this a bandwagon worth jumping on, or is it just about to run out of fuel?

But first, if you only think of oil as something you rub into your missus on a Sunday night, it might be worth having a glance at our beginners’ guide, A Cruder Way To Trade.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Missed The Gold Rush?
Posted by FT on April 11, 2008
Category: Views & Opinions, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT 1 Comment

Seeing President Sarkozy (and his tasty missus) over here last week reminded me that we haven’t touched on the old bling market for a while.

On the 17th March gold peaked at $1030; over the following three days it fell by over 12%. So, after rising to a level that confounded all but the most extreme optimists, is the precious metal following the ‘Grand Old Duke Of York’ theory and marching back down the hill again?

Or, as many in the business suggest, is this a healthy and much needed correction before a move onto bigger and better things?


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 More Short Positions Than Snow White
Posted by FT on April 2, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT 2 Comments

What a crazy, crazy day yesterday was. UBS, Lehmans and Deutsche Bank shot out of the starting blocks for the Q2 race, dragging UK banks with them. There were more shorts being squeezed than a gay pride beach volleyball meeting.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Sorry, What Was The Good News?
Posted by FT on April 1, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Oil, Gold & Commodities, Sub-Prime & Credit Crunch by FT 4 Comments

For the first time in a while I’m concerned about a possible rally in equities. My screens have shown nothing but bad news stories on banks. Yet equities are pushing higher, spurred on by, yes you’ve guessed it, banks!


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Inspired By Robert The Bruce
Posted by FT on March 6, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Currencies, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT 13 Comments

One of my favourite stories when I was a nipper was about Robert the Bruce and how a Scottish tarantula inspired him to thrash the English at Bannockburn. Now this has nothing to do with a disturbed childhood and secretly wishing I was Scottish. Nor is it a prediction for Saturday’s game, though with Balshaw re-instated at fullback the chances of a home win have increased hugely.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 All That Glitters
Posted by FT on February 29, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT Comment

Happy Leap Day. Hope you survived the, “Darling, I’ve got something to ask you” thing.

After a busy week, with extremely mixed results (up £750 on the forex, down £650 on equities) I’ve decided to sit back and have a look around today. Sometimes it’s good to just check out a few other markets or have a bit of a read and try to improve the view of the bigger picture.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 Happy New Year
Posted by FT on January 2, 2008
Category: Trade Diaries, Shares & Indices, Currencies, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT Comment

Happy New Year, and welcome back to the land of opportunity.

In my experience there are two ways of returning to work in the New Year; some return, complaining that the break is over so soon, already missing their lie-in, mince pies and hours of Halo 3 on the X-box. Others hit the office, raring to go, with new targets to hit and bags of enthusiasm.


Mr FT is a self-employed spread better. After 18 years in fund management he was given the choice of moving to London or .. not. ‘Not’ won out.

FT has been trading full time from home for two years, with nothing but four kids and a beach to distract him .

He fills his spare time with weight training and rugby, though more coaching than playing these days.

FT mostly trades the forex markets and although he plays FTSE on occasions his bread and butter market is £$.

He likes to think that his technique is evolving but still hasn’t the temperament or money to back the big calls. He prefers to trade between 1 and 3 times a day, aiming to take regular small gains, but feels part of the evolution is in not dealing if the conditions don’t feel right.
 My Five Crap Trades Of 2007
Posted by FT on December 24, 2007
Category: Trade Diaries, About Trading, Shares & Indices, Oil, Gold & Commodities by FT Comment

Ho Ho Ho, Christmas is here and it’s time for those seasonal lists. You know, top 5 Ronaldo dives in the penalty box, worst 5 ‘celebrity’ programmes, Pete Doherty’s top 5 ‘hits’ and Britney’s best 5 exits from a car. As this is my last blog of 2007 I thought a bit of self-indulgence was in order, so here’s my 5 crappiest trades of 2007:


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