02/26   Just curious:  How many people on the motd day trade?  If so, what
        tools, brokers, etc do you use?
        \_ ameritrade, level2 quotes and streamer
        \_ I get all my tips from the shoeshine boy on the corner.  We're
           beating the market by 15%!!
           \_ Sounds like you should run for Senate instead.
              \_ The shoeshine boy is supporting my run.  We have a true
                 gressroots moving starting for the next election cycle.  I'm
                 going to run against Feinstein when her current term ends.
                 \_ hey, it's Not Even Remotely Funny Anonymous MOTD Comic!
        \_ If my average stock hold time is about 3 months, am I an
           investor or a trader?
           \_ That's speculation, unless you're just really indecicive.
              \_ it's more like I find a stock that's cheap and is ready
                 to wait a year for it to go up, but it goes up fast
                 really soon, and becomes fully valued, so I dump it.
                 \_ Bingo.  You just described speculation.
                    \_ really?  cool, now I know I am a speculator.
                       but even for an investor, why would you want
                       to hold when a stock that was cheap has
                       become expensive, and is likely to fall back
                       or stay flat for a long while?  to save some
                       taxes?
                       \_ The idea is that it will still do well over the long
                          term and/or pays a good dividend.  Long-term
                          investors don't buy stocks withoug good long-term
                          prospects.  It sounds like you're looking for good
                          short-term growth without looking at long-term.
              \_ Depends, I would say. If you just run tight stops, then
                 you aren't really a "speculator" you are just an investor
                 with a low risk tolerance. If your average holding time
                 is 3 months, but half the stocks in your portfolio have
                 have been there 2+ yrs, I would call that an investor.
                 But I guess you might not. Certainly not a "day trader,"
                 I hope we can both agree.
                 with a low risk tolerance. You just might churn through
                 a lot of stocks until you find the ones with a low enough
                 beta for you.