The Financial Spread Betting Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Making Money Trading Spread Bets 2nd Edition

Financial spread betting is a huge industry. But who wins and who loses at this game? What do the winners do that differs from the losers? That is what this book is about.

Malcolm Pryor uses the model of climbing a mountain to explain a disciplined, winning approach to spread betting. First a base camp must be established. This includes getting set up with the right corporate data, charting and accounts software, deciding what to bet on and what your time frame should be, learning the nuances of operating an account, controlling risk, and learning from other people's mistakes. Many spread bettors don't even get this far.

Next, we start climbing the mountain; this means having strategies that are right for us. The whole of this section is devoted to illustrating strategies which can be used for spread betting, for example trend following, counter-trend strategies and delta-neutral strategies such as pairs trading.

Finally, we make our assault on the summit of the mountain. This is where the winners set themselves apart from the losers. Issues covered here include trade planning, record keeping, performance reviews, more on risk management, psychology and continual development.

In this enhanced second edition, you also benefit from:

- Refreshed and improved trading and risk management techniques, incorporating four additional years of spread betting experience and changes in the markets.

- Brand new advice on managing exposure.

- Updated analysis of spread betting firms' behaviour, order types and other practical issues.

Spread betting is great fun; almost anyone can enjoy the odd bet now and again. But if you want to make money from spread betting then it must be taken seriously and a disciplined, tactical approach is required. This book is the essential guide to get to the top of the mountain.

Preface to the 2011 edition
Preface
Acknowledgements
Risk Warning
Introduction

PART 1 - Base Camp
1. Choosing A Spread Betting Firm
- Origins and growth of the market
- Selection criteria
- The 6-Stage Plan for opening an account

2. Getting Set Up - Computer Hardware And Software
- Hardware
- Internet connection
- General software
- Backing up

3. Trading Resources
- Trading software
- Price data
- Websites

4. What Do Winning Spread Bettors Bet On?
- Markets
- The 3 key tests
- Differences between the spread betting firms
- Personal observation

5. Choosing A Spread Betting Type
- Types of betting
- Differences between the spread betting firms

6. Timescales For Spread Bets
1. Extremely short timescale
2. Short timescale
3. Medium timescale
4. Long timescale
5. Very long timescale

7. Pricing and Hedging
- Do they really want you to win?
How spread betting firms work out their prices
How competitive is the market?
Do they hedge?
Future developments - a wish list

8. 10 Common and Really Expensive Spread Betting Errors
1. No edge
2. No planning
3. Wrong bet size
4. No risk management
5. Mistiming exits
6. Out of control
7. Not in tune with the markets
8. Running before walking
9. Emotionally unstable
10. Not taking responsibility

9. Keeping Losses Small - The Stop Loss
- Stop or no stop?
- Near or far?
- Automated or mental?
- Instant or delayed?
- Techniques for placing stops
- One more useful approach - the time stop
- Two tips
- Moving stops

10. Spread Betting Order Types
- Time stop
- Are some orders better than others?
- What's on offer in the market?

11. Practical Issues
- Order placement
- Automated stop orders
- Dispute resolution
- Funds transfers
- Keep abreast of your margining position
- Congratulations!

PART 2 - Climbing The Mountain

12. Finding A Strategy That Works For You
- What do you like?
- Technical analysis is excellent for spread betting
- The basic choice: trend or countertrend strategies?
- Or delta neutral strategies
- Master one strategy first

13. Spread Betting Strategy I - Betting On A Trend - Trend Identification
- Basic concept - using spread betting to ride a trend
- Break outs or pullbacks?
- How to identify trends

14. Spread Betting Strategy I - Betting On A Trend - Selecting A Bet
- Simplifying trade selection - the weekly shortlist
- Simplifying trade selection - identifying daily set ups
- Taking the trade - entry triggers
- A new approach to short listing

15. Spread Betting Strategy I - Betting On A Trend - Bet Size
- Taking the trade - the right size of spread bet

16. When To Exit A Bet
1...

(Computer Bookshops Limited)