Frequently Asked Questions

We do not recommend or endorse any specific broker. The platforms listed below are simply ones we've seen our members use.

Popular brokers among our members include Interactive Brokers (IBKR), Charles Schwab, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade (thinkorswim), Webull, MooMoo, TradeStation, and E*Trade. For international members, Interactive Brokers is typically the most accessible. Choose one that fits your trading style and is available in your country.

This depends on your personal situation and risk tolerance. You should only trade with money you can afford to lose. Many of our members start with only a few thousand dollars while learning, then scale up as they gain experience and confidence with the strategies.

Trading alerts are sent during the trading day, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM EST.

We host two live sessions during the week — Mondays at 9:00 AM EST on YouTube and Thursdays at 9:00 AM EST on Zoom.

Any and all questions can be sent to support@tradersagency.com.

A stock represents ownership in a company. When you buy a stock, you own a small piece of that company. If the company does well, the stock price typically goes up. If it does poorly, the price goes down. The terms "stock" and "share" are used interchangeably — when you buy 100 shares, you own 100 units of that stock.

A ticker symbol is an abbreviation used to identify a publicly traded company. For example, AAPL is Apple, TSLA is Tesla, and NVDA is Nvidia.

Market cap (market capitalization) is the total value of a company's shares. It is calculated by multiplying the stock price by the number of shares outstanding.

Micro cap: $50M – $300M
Small cap: $300M – $2B
Mid cap: $2B – $10B
Large cap: $10B – $200B
Mega cap: $200B+

Volume is the number of shares traded during a given period.

A market order executes immediately at the current asking price. Because it fills instantly, you may experience slippage — especially in fast-moving stocks or low-liquidity situations.

A limit order lets you specify the maximum price you are willing to pay (when buying) or the minimum price you are willing to accept (when selling). The order only executes at your price or better.

A stop loss is an order that triggers a market sell when the stock reaches a specified price. It is used to limit losses by automatically exiting a position if the price moves against you. For example, if you buy at $50 and set a stop at $45, your position will be sold if the price drops to $45.

A trailing stop automatically adjusts as the stock price moves in your favor. It stays a set percentage or dollar amount below the highest price reached, locking in gains as the stock rises.

Position sizing is determining how many shares to buy based on how much you are willing to risk. Instead of buying a random number of shares, you calculate the position size so that if your stop loss is hit, you only lose a predetermined percentage of your account.

This is a general guideline only and not a recommendation. Each individual is responsible for understanding and managing their own risk. Risk tolerance and position sizing should be based on your personal financial situation and account size. A commonly referenced approach is to risk no more than 1–2% of your total account on any single trade. For example, with a $10,000 account, risking 1% would limit the maximum loss on a trade to $100.

Risk/reward ratio compares how much you stand to lose versus how much you stand to gain on a trade. A 1:3 risk/reward means you are risking $1 to potentially make $3.

An option is a contract that gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a stock at a specific price before a certain date. Options allow you to control shares of stock for a fraction of the cost of owning them outright.

A call option gives you the right to buy a stock at a specific price (the strike price) before the expiration date. Call options increase in value when the underlying stock price goes up. You buy calls when you are bullish on a stock.

A put option gives you the right to sell a stock at a specific price (the strike price) before the expiration date. Put options increase in value when the underlying stock price goes down. You buy puts when you are bearish on a stock.

The strike price is the price at which you can buy (for calls) or sell (for puts) the underlying stock if you exercise the option. For example, a $50 call option gives you the right to buy shares at $50 regardless of where the stock is currently trading.

The premium is the price you pay to buy an option contract. It represents the maximum amount you can lose when buying an option. For example, if you pay $2.00 premium for an option, your maximum loss is $200 per contract (since each contract represents 100 shares).

Expiration is the date when an option contract expires and becomes worthless if not exercised or sold. After expiration, the option no longer exists. Options lose value as they approach expiration due to time decay (theta).

Assignment occurs when the seller of an option is obligated to fulfill the terms of the contract. If you sold a call and get assigned, you must sell shares at the strike price. If you sold a put and get assigned, you must buy shares at the strike price. Assignment typically happens when an option is in-the-money at expiration.

An option is "in the money" (ITM) when it has intrinsic value. For calls, this means the stock price is above the strike price. For puts, this means the stock price is below the strike price. An option is "out of the money" (OTM) when it has no intrinsic value — calls when the stock is below the strike, puts when the stock is above the strike.

The Greeks are a set of measurements that describe how an option's price is affected by different factors. They help traders understand the risk and behavior of an option position. The primary Greeks are Delta, Gamma, Theta, and Vega.

Delta measures how much an option's price moves for every $1 move in the underlying stock. A call with a delta of 0.50 will gain approximately $0.50 in value for every $1 the stock rises. Calls have positive delta (0 to 1) and puts have negative delta (0 to -1). Delta also roughly represents the probability that the option will expire in the money.

Gamma measures how much delta changes for every $1 move in the underlying stock. It tells you how quickly your option's sensitivity to the stock price is changing. Options that are at-the-money and closer to expiration have the highest gamma, meaning their delta can shift rapidly with small price moves.

Theta measures how much value an option loses per day due to the passage of time, also known as time decay. A theta of -0.05 means the option loses approximately $5 per contract per day, all else being equal. Theta works against option buyers and in favor of option sellers. This decay accelerates as expiration gets closer, especially in the final weeks.

Vega measures how much an option's price changes for every 1% change in implied volatility. A vega of 0.10 means the option gains $0.10 in value for every 1% increase in implied volatility. When volatility rises, all options become more expensive. When it drops, they become cheaper — this is often referred to as a "volatility crush" and commonly occurs after earnings announcements.

Implied volatility is the market's forecast of how much a stock is expected to move. Higher IV means options are more expensive because the market expects bigger price swings. IV tends to rise before events like earnings reports and drop sharply after — known as an "IV crush."

BUY — Full position, trade is at risk.

HOLD — No action required, trade is risk-free.

SELL % — Consider taking partial profits.

SELL ALL — Exit entire position, close the trade.

Stop losses are typically placed below the most recent swing low, or above the most recent swing high when shorting. They may also be placed below the breakout candlestick. We aim to keep risk under 10% and ideally right around the ADR% (Average Daily Range).

This describes our general approach and is provided for informational purposes only. Each member is responsible for managing risk based on their own account size, risk tolerance, and trading plan. In our own trading, rather than raising stop losses, we often sell a portion of the position once it reaches approximately 2x the initial risk. For example, if the initial risk is 5%, we may sell a portion at a 10% gain, which can reduce exposure on the remaining position. Members may choose alternative risk management methods, such as trailing a stop below the 21-day EMA or below recent swing lows, based on what best fits their individual strategy.

This reflects our general approach and is shared for informational purposes only. In our own trading, we often take profits in stages, such as selling in thirds while leaving a smaller portion of the position open. Each member is responsible for deciding how much to sell and when to sell based on their own account, risk tolerance, and trading plan.

This occurs when a stock gaps through your stop. For example, if your stop is set at $20 and the stock gaps down overnight to open at $15, your stop loss triggers at $15 since that is the next available price. Stop losses provide protection during normal trading hours but cannot prevent losses caused by overnight gaps.

After-hours trading has less liquidity, meaning there are fewer participants in the market. This results in wider bid/ask spreads. The bid is the price you receive when selling immediately, and the ask is the price you pay when buying immediately. If you trade after hours, use limit orders and stick to liquid names.

The Industry Strength indicator tracks the performance of various sector ETFs. For example, if it displays "Nuclear 17.99%," that means the nuclear ETF being tracked is up 17.99% based on the timeframe you have selected. This helps you identify which sectors are performing well so you can focus on stocks within those sectors.

The indicator tracks 40 sector ETFs. Click any sector below to view our curated watchlist of stocks in that sector on TradingView.

The Pressure Gauge tracks changes in buying and selling volume alongside RSI momentum. When the RSI is rising and buying volume is increasing, it can serve as confirmation for breakouts and continued momentum. This indicator is designed as a confirmation tool for breakouts rather than a standalone signal.

The Market Health Gauge displays the overall market bias. Bright green indicates a very bullish market, dark green indicates a slightly bullish market, bright red indicates a very bearish market, and dark red indicates a slightly bearish market. Use it as a "go/no-go" signal for risk — be cautious when it is red and more confident when it is green.

The colored dollar volume bars indicate when volume reaches at least 2x the average volume moving average. For example, if a stock's average volume is 50,000 shares and it reaches 100,000 shares in a single day, the bar will change color. Blue indicates bullish volume at 2x or more the average volume moving average, and maroon indicates bearish volume at 2x or more the average volume moving average. This provides a quick visual cue for unusual volume activity.

All of our indicators were created specifically for stocks. They may display on other instruments, but they were designed and tested for equity trading.

TradingView Plus is sufficient for most members based on what we have seen. We use Premium because of the large number of alerts, chart layouts, and other features it offers, but that level is not necessary for everyone. The main limitation on lower-tier plans is the number of indicators you can display simultaneously.

Go to TradingView, click your profile icon, and look at the URL. It will appear as tradingview.com/u/YourUsername. Note that your username is different from your email address.

Try these steps:

• Remove the indicator and re-add it
• Verify that you have access by going to Indicators then Invite-only scripts
• Confirm that your TradingView plan supports the number of indicators you are using
• Try removing other indicators to see if you have reached your plan limit

If none of the above steps work, email support@tradersagency.com.

Click the Indicators button (the "fx" icon), then select "Invite-only scripts" in the left sidebar. All indicators you have been granted access to will appear there.

You can move indicators to separate panes by right-clicking the indicator and selecting Move to then New pane. Alternatively, you can use the eye icon to hide indicators when you are not using them. This is a matter of personal preference.

Access is typically granted within 24-48 hours. Make sure your TradingView username is entered correctly when you submit your request — typos will delay the process.

Fire Trader is one of our premium services focused on momentum trading. We identify stocks exhibiting exceptional strength and explosive price action, with a focus on high tight flag patterns and other proven momentum setups. By targeting stocks with the strongest momentum, we aim to capture significant moves as they develop.

Stocks only — no options. We typically focus on micro cap, small cap, and mid cap names.

Days to weeks, depending on how the trade develops.

We aim to keep losses right around 5-10% per trade.

Black Edge is one of our premium services focused on tracking unusual options activity. By monitoring the options market on a second-by-second basis, we identify large, notable trades that may signal an upcoming move before the rest of the market catches on. This gives members early insight into potential opportunities driven by informed money flow.

Individual calls, puts, and debit spreads.

Usually a few weeks, depending on the expiration date and how the trade develops.

We aim to keep the average loss right around 50% per position. Because these are options, they are much more volatile than stocks.

Insider Effect is one of our premium services focused on tracking insider buying activity. By monitoring Form 4 filings submitted to the SEC, we identify when company executives, directors, and other insiders are purchasing shares of their own stock. These insiders have unique insight into their company's prospects, and their buying activity can be a powerful bullish signal.

Stocks and options.

Weeks to months. Insider-driven trades often take longer to play out.

We aim to keep losses around 10-20% per trade.

Alpha Stocks is one of our premium services focused on identifying stocks poised for significant moves higher. By analyzing supply and demand dynamics and spotting shallowing base patterns at key highs and lows, we identify setups that typically indicate a large move is underway. These patterns often reveal institutional accumulation before the move becomes obvious to the broader market.

Stocks and options.

Days to weeks, depending on how the trade develops.

We aim to keep losses around 5-10% per trade.