Several times each month I am solicited by various market touts who have a newsletter service, faxes or emails they are willing to send me to make me rich. That sure is nice of them.

The first thing that pops into my head is if this system is so good why are they willing to share it for the lowly sum of $19.95 per month. Of course, some of them will move the decimal point to the right and increase that front number, but not to worry - it is sold with a money back guarantee!

If you should desire to put your toe in the water here are some questions you might want to ask first:

1. Are the figures shown actual trades or is this hypothetical? If it is hypothetical you can stop right there. Total BS.

2. What is the minimum size account I need to take all your signals?

3. Do you use stops?

4. Is slippage and commission figured in?

5. If all trades were made for the past year what was the starting amount and the amount in the account at the end of the year?

6. What was the largest single loss?

7. What was the largest continuous drawdown (loss)?

8. How many winning trades? And average profit?

9. How many losing trades? And average loss?

10. Are you willing to tell me a few clients who are using your method with their permission, of course? (Get references.)

It has been my experience that you will not receive an answer or you might get a form letter saying their method is proprietary information and cannot be given out. Hogwash. We know where you can put that letter.

You might ask to see their model account. Surprisingly the Securities and Exchange Commission does not require these hucksters to maintain such an account. I'd like to see such a regulation passed; there would be a lot less of these methods and systems sold as most of them would go broke. Before you send any money please make them prove with additional documentation exactly what they are selling.

Al Thomas

Albert W. Thomas has spent most of his life in the field of finance. In 1965 he founded an insurance holding company, Security Dynamics Investment Corporation, after having been an agent and General Agent for several life insurance companies. In 1970 he became cofounder and president of Real Life Estate, Inc., that marketed a unique real estate and life insurance package.

After he became interested in commodities he bought a seat for his personal trading on the Chicago Open Board of Trade, which is now known as the MidAmerica Commodity Exchange. Later he became a full time trader and also acted as a commodity broker for a few select clients. By fellow floor traders Al is considered to be an excellent technical analyst much of which is outlined in his book IF IT DOESN'T GO UP, DON'T BUY IT! It became a best seller on Amazon.

In 1981 he sold his membership on the Exchange and with his wife, Carolyn, lived full time aboard their 41' ketch, the Aumakua (which means guardian angel in Hawaiian). They sailed in Florida and the Bahamas for two years.

He founded World Trading Group in 1984 that grew to the seventh largest introducing commodity brokerage firm in the U.S. with 35 offices from coast to coast, Alaska and Canada. It was sold in 1992.

Al is a graduate of Northwestern University with a B.S. degree in Commerce and is a member of MENSA. He is now president of Williamsburg Investment Company that syndicates his weekly financial column since 1999 to more than 300 newspapers and writes a financial market letter called Over My Shoulder that is quoted in Barron’s and many other publications. A 3-month trial subscription is available on his web site. He is a regular guest on several financial radio talk shows.

His favorite pastime is fishing.

Mr. Thomas is available for speaking engagements. Please call 321-453-5300 for more information.