A disappointing change is imminent

I have been using the free charting program QuoteTracker for the entire time I have been learning to trade; roughly 4 years. QuoteTracker (QT) has been having difficulties the past few days with backfilling charts and after sending tech support an email, I received a reply stating that QT's parent, TD Ameritrade, is phasing out and closing down the QT charting service. Uggh. I have really enjoyed this charting platform... it has a number of very valuable features that are integral to how I've learned to trade: on screen countdown timer for the current candle no matter what timeframe it is in, a projected volume meter that tells me second to second what the entire candle volume would be if the current volume surge were to continue through end of candle timeframe, synchronized lines that will show up on all open charts for a given stock, and it has been FREE of charge.
I will really miss the FREE part, but I will also really miss the candle countdown timer. Knowing how many minutes and seconds are left on a particular candle is critical to how I time my entries and exits.
And finally, I have all my entries, exits, and important lines of reference for our retirement accounts on the historical charts, though those can be copied and saved in the same way I do screen shots for this blog.
I am one who was taught to never complain about free anything, and I am not now. It is boorish and ungrateful/selfish behavior. Though my disappointment can't be denied, I am thankful to have had QT for all this time at no charge.
They have recommended I sign on with Think or Swim, a TD Ameritrade affiliated broker/platform. I am not sure about this. I have used Interactive Brokers since the beginning and love its commission structure; basically dirt cheap! And I am happy with their simulated trading feature which is critical to what I do right now. I once looked into TOS but found them more expensive, and know nothing about their sim-trading or if they have one at all. Though they do have more features and benefits than IB. IB currently costs me $30 per month unless I make a minimum number of trades in a month. I don't trade my live account so basically it has cost me $30 per month for a good broker and nothing for the QT charting service. Looks like I will have to do some shopping and prepare to be training with a more expensive set-up. I have heard good things about REALTICK as a platform but as a practice trader, the $200+ cost per month is not workable. I will likely end up with REALTICK when I become a successful pro trader, but I just can't raise my overhead for their service until then.

**Qualification: Mrs. Bluecollar and I have been required to maintain at least one account at TD Ameritrade of a certain dollar amount in order to maintain the free status, so technically speaking, the platform was not without some cost, in this case it was opportunity cost as opposed to out-of-pocket fee or payment.

See what I mean?

TNA is still consolidating and Lo and Behold, has established my entry and stop out levels as the boundaries of the consolidation range! Ha, that is NO coincidence because I've seen it hundreds of times. I entered and exited with the herd, by way of predicatable human pattern. On this trade, I was not a trader, I was Grist for the Mill. I was what true traders, the 10% who succeed over time, devoured for lunch. I was the 90% who walk away from this game as a loser. Fortunately, I had a stop in place and used it, and most importantly, I am using a simulated trading account and not real money. Strategically, I feel pretty good about what I do day-to-day. Tactically, I need more work. That said, I am hampered by my self-imposed rules for exiting, so I cannot be nimble and bail out in the face of volatility or errant decisions. No matter, I have the rules in place for reasons not associated with generating winning trades; rules that seem to be working for me. I will continue the limitations. I am developing patience while in a trade. I am stopping out trades as a matter of course because I am focused on process and not results. And I am seeing the momentum more clearly by staying in trades; my attention is greater. And I am bouyed by the nice unrealized gains I am seeing by not jumping out of trades early with small winners. I am again enjoying myself while at practice. I don't expect to be perfect and I expect to relapse into bad habits sometime. I still get a twinge of regret now and then when stopping out, and that tells me to keep taking losses even when nice gains are available. If this goes the way I wnat it to, I should be salivating like Pavlov's dog to hit the stop loss button when my trades cross the red stop price level I have set.

Still consolidating

The odds were in favor of consolidating around my entry & stopout area rather than pullback and drive lower, and that's what is happening now. I'm not expecting a big up move with the way markets have behaved thus far... but it is important to be flexible.

first of the day

I'm short in keeping with the trend of the day. I had a 34 cent gain before price reversed on me. I've got a lot of risk on because of the larger moves today. And... as I write this, I am stopped out. I was late getting in on the move down... price had not been above the 7 EMA until I just stopped out. So, a low probability entry on that trade. I did not enter on a pullback and therefore, assumed more stop out risk... 33 cents in this case. Price now is down below my stop line... looks like we may consolidate here in and around my entry price... just like yesterday.

To reiterate my comments from yesterday, the impulsive place to go short was right where I did it, and the "obvious" level to place my stop is right where I had it on the chart above. therefore, I am trading like the 90% and the 10% saw me coming! Another reason to not be practicing with real money. As I write now at 11:16 am, price has come back down to almost touch my entry.