A stock trader or a stock investor is an individual or firm who buys and sells stocks or bonds (and possibly other financial assets) in the financial markets.
Individuals or firms trading stocks as their principal capacity are called stock traders. Stock traders usually try to profit from short-term price changes with trades lasting anywhere from several seconds to several weeks. The stock trader is usually a professional. When a stock trader/investor has clients, and acts as a money manager or adviser with the intention of adding value to his clients finances, he is also called a financial adviser or manager. Many people who are new to trading stocks find it difficult to read the market dispassionately and realize that managing money with an open hand can sometimes be difficult.
For over 10 years Jim Cramer was a successful hedge fund manager and now he writes for RealMoney.com. Over the years he has developed a strict set of investing disciplines that have helped all kinds of people be successful through any market.
He created a service called Action Alerts PLUS, which allows people to follow along as he makes his own trades as a service for his clients. Via email Jim Cramer notifies his investors to that they can learn how and why he makes trades prior to every trade he makes--virtually holding the client's hand so that they can enjoy the same kind of success.
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