About us

The first portion of this section tells you who we are as individuals. The second section tells you who Investools is.

About the folks behind the blog:

Michael Atkinson - I’ve happily coached with Investools for 3 years (stocks, options, advanced options, advanced technical analysis …

Before that I was a broker for several years where I managed an office for one of the major brokerage houses. Fun (I’m lying) but not my thing at all. At that time I also taught some investment classes with a local college and liked teaching a lot better than selling securities. So voila’ here I am! I graduated from Brigham Young University 10 years ago with a degree in psychology so that I could understand my wife.

Edward Goettig is my name and Gmantrading is my alias. No, I wasn’t a former FBI agent, (but played one often as a kid!) Trading currencies is one of my passions in life that I can enjoy and have fun and have been with the Investools for the last 4 years. Another passion of mine is technical analysis and that is why I went and attained my CMT (Certified Market Technician) designation from the MTA. So, instead of a focus on fundamentals like a CFA may be, I focus on the technicals as a CMT.

I started my career in the banking industry about 14 years ago. Before becoming a PHD-level coach for Investools, I spent several years on the trading desk for First Security Bank, NA. I also handled the bank’s solvency through the Federal Reserve Bank by actively managing a large account. My background includes experience in currencies, bonds, equities, options and futures. My trading style is more of a short term approach of things, I don’t know if it is because of my attention span or just that I feel more comfortable with the quick short move and action of the trade. Either way, that is what I do and trade. I trade mostly the majors and some crosses but stick with those items that work best for me. What more do you want to know?

About Investools (NASDAQ : SWIM)
With over a quarter of a million graduates, Investools is one of the leaders in investor education.

The curriculum teaches beginning and experienced investors alike how to evaluate markets and make smarter decisions about when, where and how to invest.

Courses
Courses include Stocks, Options, Advanced Options, Advanced Technical Analysis, Currency Trader, Advanced Currency Trader and Active Investing Workshops. There are several learning formats for each Investools course to accommodate the growing needs of today’s investors. In addition to live workshops taught around the United States, Investools offers online courses and home study programs. It also offers a one-on-one coaching program to provide investors with additional guidance throughout the investing process.

Educators
Investools is the only investor education company that has over 100 certified educators on staff. Our coaches and instructors are some of the most successful investors in the market. They’re passionate about investing, and their enthusiasm carries over into our courses. It’s what has fueled our reputation around the United States as a leader in investor education.

Technology
Prophet.Net: The #1 site on the Web for technical analysis. Its award-winning technology is included in the Investools Investor Toolbox™. Prophet.Net charts have been rated #1 by Barron’s every year since 2001 and a “Forbes Favorite” since 1999.

Brokerage
thinkorswim: Ranked as Barron’s 2006 choice as “Best for options traders”, thinkorswim is a leading online broker for individual investors. thinkorswim supports retail and institutional traders through its trading platforms, which are widely recognized as the industry’s best for execution, professional analytics and real-time position management. thinkorswim has revolutionized the option industry by teaching and executing complex, non-directional option strategies with single-click functionality that has now become the industry standard. thinkorswim continues to evolve the financial marketplaces by delivering products that benefit customers whether they are hedging, speculating or enhancing returns.

Content Distribution Relationships
Yahoo! Finance: On February 7, 2006 we announced an agreement to provide customized investor education content to Yahoo! Finance, the leading online financial information site. We will work with Yahoo! Finance to develop educational content for a broad range of investing subjects to help educate Yahoo! Finance’s 10 million unique visitors per month. The content will be free, introductory content and complimentary to the premium content available at Investools.

Business Week Online: On May 4, 2006 we announced a similar agreement to provide investor education content to BusinessWeek Online, one of the leading financial news and information sites on the Web with over 5.6 million unique visitors a month.