This is a shameless sales pitch from me to you...to financially benefit the TON...so if you're into self-managed investing or trading, please take a few minutes to read this offer. For every new account I personally refer, TradeKing will give me a $50 referral fee...and I'll donate the $50 referral fee to the TON.

The back story follows --

Like a lot of guys, over the years my IRA and 401K left me wondering why I bother, so for several years I've been seriously focused on stock market trading on my own terms and under my own management.

I actively trade stocks and stock options on a month to month basis - doing my own research and moving my money where ever the returns are currently better - so I have accumulated several online brokerage accounts, but my favorite for the past year or so has been TradeKing. Since finding TradeKing, I've transferred all of my stock trading activity to their service (but still use Options House for stock options trades - for cost reasons you can research for yourself) and I recommend TradeKing to everyone.

Frankly, I do hours and hours of research and TradeKing offers the easiest to use research tools and most comprehensive company data breakdowns of any broker I have ever used. I've got accounts with a half dozen online brokers - and with the exception of Scottrade in second place because they provide free access to Company Analysis Reports from S&P, Reuters, and Second Opinion - the research tools at TradeKing are by far the best I've ever found.

If you have $1,000 available ($2,000 if you prefer margin accounts) to invest with an online broker, I'd like to ask you to support the TON by sending me your email address...so I can submit it to Trade King as a qualified referral in exchange for them giving me a $50 referral fee....and the TON can have the $50 for community building and outreach work.

When you send me your email address, please note in the Subject: line "Trade King Promo" for me and I'll add your name and email address to the TradeKing website list, so they will send you the email offer.

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The email you receive will be exactly like the one copied below:

Hi -

My online broker is TradeKing.com. They get tons of new business from word-of-mouth referrals, so they've decided to show their clients some gratitude with their 'Refer a Friend' program. That means whenever someone I refer funds a new account with at least $1,000 and makes a trade, I'll get $50 deposited into my account.

I like money just as much as the next person, but I don't want you to think I'm just in it for the fifty bucks. TradeKing is a really great online broker. And it seems that I'm not the only one who agrees.

TradeKing is one of the most highly awarded online brokers in the industry. Barron's says they are among the "Best for option traders". SmartMoney ranked them #1 for customer service and Kiplinger's says "TradeKing reigns" in customer service, awarding them their highest rating of five stars.

So check out TradeKing.com. I'm sure you'll like them as much as I do. Then, once you have an account, you can start earning $50 for every friend you refer, too. Just make sure you click the link below when you sign up, so they'll know I sent you.

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Thank you for your support for the TON...and I'm sure you'll be as pleased with TradeKing as I have been. If you have $1,000 to spare for a little investment fun, but don't know what to invest in, I can not give you investment advise...and I'm not foolish enough to give hot tips on what individual stocks I've got in my portfolio because I'm a junkie who like high risk, high volatility, high return kind of trading...but I can tell you what Top Twenty ETFs are on my watch list.