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As you begin your trading journey, one of the most important aspects of your success is having the right tools. Whether you’re trading stocks, options, or ETFs, the tools you use can greatly impact your ability to make informed decisions and execute trades efficiently.
Here’s a list of the essential tools every trader should have to maximize their chances of success. BlackBox is designed to meet the needs of traders, so we cover most items on the list but not all:
BlackBox is an advanced research and alert platform that provides in-depth coverage of stocks, options, and ETFs on the NASDAQ and NYSE. Our comprehensive research tools include stock scanners for each market session (pre-market, regular market, and post-market), dark pool data, Insider Buys, and a Volatility Indicator (our version of Level 2 data). Additionally, we offer color-coded Options Flow with Historical Volume and Open Interest graphs, along with an Options Heat Map for a visual representation of the day’s options activity. Along with our algo-driven Stock and Options Alerts notify you when a stock or options contract shows unusual or noteworthy trading activity, helping you stay ahead of the market.
Charting software is essential for analyzing price movements, identifying trends, key patterns, and recognizing support and resistance levels. Our platform offers a fast, real-time, institutional-grade charting system with a wide range of timeframes, display settings, and a comprehensive library of drawing tools and studies. Our charting features the GoNoGo Trend study, designed to assist new traders in identifying the trend of price action, making it easier to determine entries and exits.
We provide several proprietary studies that deliver deep insights into stock and options trading, offering valuable information to assist with entries and exits for all types of trading strategies.
Our proprietary studies Include:
Staying informed is essential in trading, as news and analyst upgrades or downgrades can trigger significant price movements. Access to real-time news and market data is crucial for making timely, well-informed decisions. Our real-time, multi-source news feed delivers up-to-the-minute, actionable information and trade opportunities. We combine various news sources to provide a well-rounded view of market trends and events that can impact your trades.
An earnings calendar is a vital tool for tracking upcoming earnings reports, which are often one of the biggest catalysts for price action movement. By knowing the dates when companies release their quarterly results, traders can anticipate potential volatility and plan their trades accordingly. Earnings reports can lead to significant price fluctuations, making it crucial to stay informed and ready for potential opportunities. Using an earnings calendar allows traders to make more strategic decisions and react to market-moving events in real-time. The BlackBoxStocks key data banner above the charts include Earnings Dates and Dividend Dates.
The key data banner above the charts displays important information, including the confirmed or anticipated Earnings Date for each stock, along with whether the report will be released in pre-market or after-hours. It also shows the announced ex-dividend date for the stock.
The Earnings Date will be highlighted in green during the week of the Earnings Release. A sun icon indicates the Earnings Report will be released in the premarket session, while a moon icon indicates an after-hours release. If the date is accompanied by no icon, it means the Earnings Release date is estimated and not yet confirmed.
The Earnings Date will flash green the week of the Earnings Release. A sun icon indicates the Earnings Report will be released in the premarket session; a moon icon indicates an after-hours release; and a date with no icon indicates the Earnings Release date is estimated and not been confirmed.
We hope you have taken advantage of our education program. We offer a comprehensive program designed to help traders of all levels improve their skills and navigate the markets confidently. Our program includes live webinars, on-demand classes, and in-depth tutorials that cover everything from the basics of trading to advanced strategies. With a focus on practical application, our education program empowers you to understand key concepts like stock analysis, options flow, charting techniques, and risk management. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, BlackBoxStocks’ education resources are designed to deepen your trading knowledge and help you improve your approach.
The BlackBoxStocks trading community is a dynamic and supportive network of hundreds of traders, from beginners to seasoned investors, who share insights, strategies, and real-time trade opportunities. Our community thrives on collaboration through live trading rooms, discussions, and direct interaction with experienced Team Traders. Whether you’re looking for guidance on trade decisions, feedback on strategies, or simply a place to connect with like-minded traders, the BlackBoxStocks community provides a valuable environment for growth and learning. By engaging with fellow traders, you can enhance your skills, stay informed, and stay motivated on your trading journey.
Keeping a trading journal is a valuable tool for continuous improvement. By documenting your trades, strategies, emotions, and lessons learned from both wins and losses, you can refine your approach and uncover patterns in your decision-making. Your journal can be as simple as a spreadsheet or as advanced as using dedicated trading software. The key is not just to track your trades, but to regularly review and analyze the data to gain insights that will enhance your future trading decisions. A simple trade journal spreadsheet is available in our Homework channel on our Discord server. If you have trouble finding it, feel free to reach out to us at Support@BBSSupport.com, and we’ll be happy to send it to you.
To execute trades, you’ll need a brokerage account. BlackBox is compatible with all brokers, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Use BlackBox to identify high-probability trades, and then execute them through your chosen broker. Popular brokers in the BlackBox community include TD Ameritrade (Think or Swim platform); E*Trade, Interactive Brokers, TradeStation, TastyTrade, and Fidelity, just to name a few.
Your computer is your primary trading platform, so it’s crucial to have one that’s fast, reliable, and capable of running trading software smoothly. A high-quality laptop or desktop with a fast processor, ample RAM, and a strong and stable internet connection is essential to avoid lag or disruptions during live trades. A strong internet connection ensures that you receive real-time data without delays, giving you the edge in executing trades quickly and efficiently. Many traders also prefer multiple monitors to efficiently track charts and other important information simultaneously.
Protecting your capital is crucial to long-term success in trading. Risk management tools, such as stop-loss and take-profit orders, along with setting per-trade and daily maximum loss limits, help automate your exit points and minimize losses if the market moves against you.
Additionally, some brokers offer position sizing calculators, margin calculators, and portfolio tracking tools to help you manage risk and optimize your trades.
Understanding upcoming events and economic reports is essential for predicting market volatility. An economic calendar allows you to track important events, such as earnings reports, central bank meetings, and economic data releases that can move markets. One of our favorites is the Economic Calendar on Investing.com at https://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/.
A strong mindset is crucial for long-term success and consistency in trading. It starts with patience and discipline—acknowledging that not every trade will be profitable and that losses are a natural part of the journey. Successful traders approach the market with a clear plan, sticking to their strategies and risk management rules, even when emotions like fear, greed, or excitement may influence their decisions. They prioritize making well-informed, rational choices rather than chasing quick gains. By embracing a mindset of continuous learning, traders stay adaptable, refining their strategies as market conditions evolve. With a focus on managing emotions, staying disciplined, and pursuing consistent small gains, traders can build confidence and avoid impulsive decisions that could hinder their progress.
Building your trading setup doesn’t have to happen all at once, but starting with these essential tools will provide you with the foundation you need to trade effectively. As you gain experience, you can fine-tune your tools to fit your evolving needs.
We’re honored to be a part of your trading journey and are here to support you.
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Bender is an aggressive, yet disciplined options and futures trader with a primary focus on Technical Analysis. These skill sets have allowed him the ability to trade ES_F at a very high level while simultaneously trading individual equities.
Bender has been a full-time trader for many years. His uncanny knack for finding under the radar winners over the years has been exceptional, as has his desire to educate as he navigates the markets.
You will enjoy hearing Bender everyday live in our options room called Roadhouse.
Bender is an aggressive, yet disciplined options and futures trader with a primary focus on Technical Analysis. These skill sets have allowed him the ability to trade ES_F at a very high level while simultaneously trading individual equities.
Bender has been a full-time trader for many years. His uncanny knack for finding under the radar winners over the years has been exceptional, as has his desire to educate as he navigates the markets.
You will enjoy hearing Bender everyday live in our options room called Roadhouse.
Taylor is an options day trader who uses options flow and technical analysis to find actionable trades. He is comfortable in short term momentum type trades.
Taylor joined BlackBoxStocks as a member in 2018 and never looked back. Blackbox and its community were integral to Taylor’s success.
You can find Taylor live in our options trade room calling out actionable data and trades for the members.
KJ’s background before becoming a full time trader was in digital media management and live production. She also worked as a test pilot for Sea-doo.
KJ started as a member with Blackboxstocks in 2019, she quickly realized this was a community and platform like no other. Her passion was a driving force to assist her in becoming a Team Trader in 2022.
KJ loves working on digital media content for Blackbox on multiple social platforms, analyzing the market, and helping educate new traders.
KJ can be found daily in our Blackbox Start chat room, discussing real time money flow that can move the markets.
Mel is an Options trader and uses money flow as her main indicator. She monitors and analyzes Dark Pool trading, Options Flow, and Phantom Prints. Mel focuses primarily on intraday trading and swing trading.
Mel has been trading for 5 years and started with the BlackBox team as a trial member in 2019. When she first started trading, she was drawn to what moved the markets and how to track the big money flow through monitoring dark pool and options flow.
You can find Mel broadcasting live on Blackbox every day as she helps members track and monitor money flow and align their own trades with large market participants.
Mike is an Options and Futures day trader. He uses Option flow and technical analysis to find trades. He primarily focuses on intraday trading and scalping of positions.
Mike has been a full-time options trader for 5 years and has found a very consistent method of trading profitably. When he started with Blackbox, he gained knowledge from Team Traders and the BlackBox trading community.
You can find Mike live in the BlackBox Start trade room every day assisting members with trading strategies and finding trades.
Jason is an Options trader using a combination of Option Flow and Technical Chart Analysis to find trades. He focuses primarily on intraday trading, holding a position for a as little a few minutes to a maximum of a few days.
Jason became a member of BlackBoxStocks in 2018 and quickly learned how to trade by using the features on the platform, and the knowledge he gained from the education and community at Blackbox. He is now a Blackbox Team Trader and publishes the Swan Daily Watchlist (#SwanDailyWL) to members providing them with daily trade ideas.
You can find Jason live in the BlackBox Start trade room every day assisting members with trading strategies and navigating the platform.
Kang is an Options trader using technical analysis in his day trading. He focuses on momentum breaks to the upside and downside.
Kang’s background spans 18+ years in banking and finance. After joining Blackbox in April 2018, he was able to ramp up quickly by leveraging the platform features and the experience of our diverse trading community.
Kang shares his knowledge through his technical analysis daily in our live options trading room.
A deep look into the factors that create options pricing. An option’s premium has two main components: intrinsic value and time value.
During this free presentation from OICSM, attendees will learn about:
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
A deep look into the factors that create options pricing. An option’s premium has two main components: intrinsic value and time value.
During this free presentation from OICSM, attendees will learn about:
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
With any options strategy, there are two types of volatility to consider — historical and implied. Historical volatility is a measure of how much underlying movement has already transpired, while implied volatility, or IV, is an indication of how much change the market is expecting based on the option’s price.
During this free presentation from OICSM, attendees will learn about:
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
While most options have a monthly expiration cycle, investors and traders are discovering the power of Weekly Options, or “Weeklys.” We take a look at the important differences and risks unique to Weeklys Options.
During this free presentation from OICSM, attendees will learn about:
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
This webinar is great for investors that are new options or those that want a recap of options fundamentals.
This video will look at the difference between stock trading and options trading, why investors might choose to use options, and discuss various components of an option
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
In this fast-moving, one-hour seminar, the Options Industry Council analyzes both high and low volatility strategies.
This session focuses on risk, potential payoff and breakeven points. Straddles, strangles, diagonals and credit spreads are a few of the exciting strategies that is covered in this quick, 60-minute session.
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBox Stocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Bull and bear spreads, which are directional option strategies, could be the right choice for your investing style.
In this webinar, we’ll focus on vertical spreads – taking a look at how they’re constructed, what is the best target price for the underlying as we approach expiration, what risk factors you should consider and, of course, how much can you earn. We’ll also discuss how long to hold these positions.
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Taking an options position can sometimes prove to be the easiest part of the trade process. But what happens next? How do you adjust your position when your opinion changes on the underlying, or when things change in the market? Options Industry Council will take you through five different call adjustment scenarios when the underlying moves up, along with their associated P&L prospects.
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
When determining how options may react to a given change in some of the variable pricing inputs, investors turn to the Greeks for guidance. The most commonly used Greeks are Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega, and Rho.
During this free presentation from OICSM, attendees will learn:
*Reminder: The OIC is a non-profit organization, and the classes are free. BlackBoxStocks does not charge for OIC classes nor is it directly implied that the OIC classes are included in the value of a BlackBoxStocks Inc membership/subscription.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
This class is designed for the beginner and advanced trader, alike. Options flow can be confusing to beginners, as there is an abundance of information coming at you in a fast-paced environment. This class will break down what it is and why it works, before covering the specifics of how we read the data and how to use it to find high probability trades.
This class takes a deep dive into everything related to options flow including:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
This class is a complete in-depth walk-though of the powerful features of the BlackBox platform.
In this class you will learn how to use the following:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
This class is designed to introduce you to the fundamental elements of trading Options.
In this class you will learn the following concepts:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
This class is a complete in-depth walk-though of the powerful features of the BlackBox platform.
In this class you will learn how to use the following:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
This class is designed to give members a basic overview of Technical Analysis & how to apply it to market conditions. One can increase profitability and accuracy by developing a greater understanding of technical concepts.
Topics that are covered in this course include:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Instructed by Mel Stone
The Dark Pool Basics class will provide an overview of the dark pool exchanges as well as highlight the common misconceptions about dark pool trades. We will take an in-depth walk-through of the BlackBox Stocks dark pool tools and features, as well as how to review dark pool activity in multiple time frames:
Topics discussed include:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Instructed by Teresa Arthur
This class is designed to introduce you to the fundamental elements of trading.
In this class you will learn the following concepts:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Instructed by Teresa Arthur
This class is designed to introduce you to the basic concepts in charting financial assets.
In this class you will learn:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Instructed by Maria Chaudhry
Get ready to learn the basics of the Stock Market and investing.
Upon completion of this class, you will learn:
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Instructed by Jason Swan
Start your day with Swan. This webinar takes place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We encourage you to take it at least once each week to assist you on your learning path to EARNING. See why Blackboxstocks is the Ultimate Tool for Traders.
This is an interactive Screen share webinar.
Access unlimited classes by signing up for BlackBoxStocks today
Maria Chaudhry has extensive experience in financial services including 17 years of trading experience. Prior to joining BlackBoxStocks, Maria was a licensed stockbroker. She has worked for firms Charles Schwab, Scottrade, & TD Ameritrade Institutional.
Maria became a member of BlackBoxStocks in October 2016 and quickly became a well-known member of the Blackbox trading community. In 2017, Maria joined the BlackBoxStocks team as a moderator in their online community.
Maria spends her days trading with the BlackBoxStocks community as well educating and mentoring BlackBoxStocks members. In addition, Maria actively promotes Blackbox on multiple social media platforms to showcase the unique proprietary features and benefits of the platform.
With 18+ years in banking and finance, Kang has extensive experience in managing teams, staff development, project management, and client engagement/retention. Kang loves to share all he has learned with others. Kang became a full-time BlackBox Team Trader in 2019 and now shares his knowledge through the Technical Analysis 101 class. Many members take his class multiple times as they always learn something new.