My Story So Far

Sure I have an “official bio” that my publisher uses…but I wanted to take a moment to tell you about me, my story, in my own words.

I am a trader, first and foremost. My involvement in the markets has been a pursuit almost two decades in the making! I began dabbling market timing and sector studies with mutual funds when I was in high school at age 17, plotting my own charts by hand. There was no “group” or “club” for it so it was basically a hobby nurtured along by my cousin, Bobby who I idolized (still do!)  He introduced me to the stock market and the internet and my life was never the same.  Mostly though — because was an entrepreneur — watching him convinced me I didn’t have to get a ‘job” but could work for myself.  And that opened a totally new reality for me.

I became a Divemaster my freshman year in college and and started a business (my first!) around it as it was the best way I knew to write off my gear, get paid to dive, and hang out with my best friend (Hi Dana!), all while attending Florida Atlantic University.  It was during that time and on my second boat, the Sea Search, that I met a professional pit trader who introduced me to futures trading. During my junior year in college I began to “short term invest” (…little did I know I was actually trading!) in stocks and commodity futures. I have been trading full-time since 1993.

In the Fall of 1993, after I graduated college,  I began shortening my time frame with stocks to supplement my S&P intraday trading, since it seemed a natural fit. The technology of faster computers and the Internet changed the entire face of individual investing and trading. I had been working from my home office and was invited to come work as a “trading and training facility,”  in Boca Raton.  I wanted to teach and trade from the same office so that was perfect.  The office was gorgeous and cutting edge for the time.

I have  and continue to instruct and advise traders, various hedge funds, and managed accounts. I’ve taught everyday traders from all over the world who want to take the leap from trading novice to expert. I feel teaching is really a powerful and rejuvenating break, especially during the July and August doldrums. I enjoy the teaching as it is a fantastic way to remind myself of the tried and true basics of trading, and frankly I feel it has improved my personal trading ten-fold.  Walk the walk…

In late 1999, after years of futures and stock trading, I added forex to my approach thanks to the persistence of a dear friend. (Thanks Mike!) If there is one idea I have always tried to get across it’s “trade everything” and when a trader focuses on price, price action, and liquid markets it’s something that is not difficult to do.

After years of being what I call a “hermit trader” it is nice to meet people who share the same passion for the markets that I do. I find the teaching totally “win-win.” Moreover, I enjoy the trading community I have established over the years. I have written commentary and analysis for eSignal, Trading Markets, FX Street, Baby Pips, FXStreet, and many other brokers and software companies like Autochartist and Metastock. Over time, my weekends and market after hours have become a prime opportunity for me to keep teaching people my trading approach. In December 2004 I fulfilled a long time dream when my first book “Forex Trading for Maximum Profit” was published by Wiley in Sons. These are the fruits of my labor.

After all these years, I am still a student of the “game of trading.” I continue to read (and write!) books on everything from charting to technicals to seasonal to fundamentals and I have spent thousands of hours studying and trading what works for me in the stock, forex, and futures markets. I am now working on my third book on my approach to “part time” forex trading.

Like a lot of people who get introduced to the financial markets, I became “obsessed” after I formulated my own opinions and techniques for trading, I was repeatedly asked to teach others which I slowly and somewhat hesitantly began to do. It was never my goal to teach because the whole goal of trading was to be able to do it when I wanted to and from anywhere I wanted to.  Traders have always been among the first to embrace new technology.  If I remember correctly, the first phone system was installed at the New York Stock Exchange.  The internet made the word my office.

If there’s anything I’ve learned and I think I’m proof of this:  Trading and investing is something anyone can learn to do well but we all need a “checklist”: a series of steps to examine before we enter or exit a position. I focus on the tools that have my three R’s.  They must be recognizable, then easy tor react to, and finally repeatable. I aim to show traders and investors the importance of understanding market cycles, price action, chart patterns, Fibonacci, time, and inter-market correlations.

My approach is based upon not only my years of experience but also seminars that I attended and walked away knowing: (1) the instructor did not trade actively and (2) that the education was far too general and untested. Every day I strive to find the distinctions of trading success with real world applications. I don’t feel successful trading has to be complex–just accurate and understandable.  I also don’t want you make you computer a ball and chain.  The markets are something that can add to your life. it should not be your life.

Live life wide open throttle!

Raghee Horner is a private trader, founder of EZ2Trade Software, blogger, and author.  She is a regular contributor at a number of sites including FX Street, Trading Markets, Baby Pips, Forex Pros, Forex Trader Daily, eSignal and a featured speaker at the Forex and Traders Expos as well as the International Stock Exchange. Her commentary and analysis is seen daily by thousands of traders at her personal blog ragheehorner.com.  She has written articles for Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities, Currency Trader, Your Trading Edge, and Traders Journal magazine.

Raghee began trading and experimenting with market timing 1989 and began to trade commodity futures and options. In the mid-90s she began daytrading stocks using direct access and ECNs. Later in 1999 Raghee added forex to her trading approach.

Raghee trades from her home in Coral Springs, FL. where she lives with her husband, Herb, and their two dogs.