It will sound simple, such that you will think that I am insulting you but I am not. I sell puts or buy futures when I think the market is going up, and I sell calls or sell futures when I think the market is going down. So, I guess it's in knowing when the market may or may not turn. I don't have a strategy for the "knowing" of that. I will hedge when I think there is a large chance the market will move against me.
Do you mind telling us what is your background? Are you in the financial industry already? A math professor? Something like that..
It seems to be taken as gospel that the longer the time frame -- 60 minutes vs 5 minutes -- the "truer" the signals are. Yet when a novice has a small account he needs to trade with stops he can afford -- both financially and psychologically. I am currently trading a single NQ contract using two pt. range bars at the open and, once it calms down, switching to 5 minute chart. I like the $5 tick. I use only price action, risk $70 or less per trade and try to move my stop up once I have 12 ticks. I try to stay in the trade as long as the PA tells me to. Am I making a mistaking trading in such a short time frame? The alternative is to up the time frame and be prepared to risk more on a single losing trade.
You should ask buylosellhi because I dont, specially now that their are more fundamental and long term oriented.
In my opinion, trade in whichever time frame you are comfortable with. You can be profitable in any time frame, but you won't be comfortable in any time frame. Also, trade in a manner in which you see yourself trading in the future.
On average, not much, maybe 10-20 minutes. There is not as much research needed when trading indices. Mostly reading headlines and a few commentaries.
1. Do you prefer tranding markets or ranging? Which is more comfortable for you? 2. Have you ever traded lower TF -5,15,60 minutes? What makes you to choose daily?