First it was Goldman Sachs,  Now it's JP Morgan Chase. The banks are making billions of dollars again...and planning bonuses galore!

At one level we should,  of course, celebrate the survival of the banking system. Like it or not, we need banks to make the economy function. But it is a bit galling; just months after they had to be bailed out with hundreds of billions of dollars in cash, that they turn round, hand back the money and start raking it in hand over fist.

All at a time when they are still refusing to lend to consumers, and more and more people are losing their jobs. It is inevitable that we should feel perhaps bitter about this when the outlook is so grim. …the collateral damage as the military might say.

So I say to the Banks – remember,  you survived because of the taxpayer cash,  not in spite of it.

Nothing will enrage us more than having our noses rubbed in an orgy of bonuses and excesses while we dig ourselves out of the crises.  It is something that few of us will forgive. Will you ?

Today, the coffee shop where I bought my afternoon latte and muffin went out of business. Coffee Republic wasn't the best in the world but it was conveniently across the street. And the staff often double stamped my loyalty card!

The end was swift. Some colleagues had even bought their breakfast and lunch there. Then the sign went up saying it was in administration and that branch was closed. I could see through the window the staff taking it all in. The food counters still had muffins, cakes and sandwiches for sale.

So why am I bringing this to your attention? Because The IMF, the European Union, the US Treasury – just about anyone who studies these things – is now saying things will get better next year. Some are more optimistc than others.

But the reality is the improvement will be slow and painstaking. And there are many more Coffee Republics, clothing, candy, grocery – you name it – stores that will fail.

The stock market's sharp post-March rally was a cruel deception. It led so many to believe this is over. It was an enthusiastic bout of nonsense, as I suspect this 2nd quarter earning season just starting, will show.

As for my afternoon shot of coffee and a muffin? Well there are two Starbucks just about within spitting distance of each other ... and a variety of other coffee shops.

In a recession as long and deep as this one only the strongest companies, and those that have the best products and really give the customer what they want, stand any chance of suriving. And even that is not a certainty as Coffee Republic proved.

Who is next?

Tonight's rant on profitable moment came after my report on the renovation of the Savoy Hotel in London – not the sort of place where you will find the Buffet Breakfast when it opens its doors in 2010. It gave me a chance to re-open my one-man campaign against the abomination of this horrible morning ordeal.

Everyone likes a nice hotel – chocolates on your pillow – big fluffy towels…..these days are tough for the hotel industry- one wonders if the owners of the Savoy regret starting such an expensive project right at the start of the recession.

There is one thing I have a particular bug bear about – and that’s the hotel buffet breakfast. I hate ‘em. Miserable congealed eggs simmering next to hours old sausages. Yuch. And as for those ridiculous conveyor belt toasters. Please– we have sent a man to the moon. We have split the atom. So why, oh why, can’t an hotel have a toaster that gets it right. Don’t laugh. First time round and the breads comes out barely touched by the heat…so I send it around again – and out comes a burnt charred piece of bread. Is it really that difficult ? Has ANYONE ever made a decent piece of toast in those horrible machines ? I doubt it

Am I alone ? Join me – it’s my one man campaign. Quest against the Buffet Breakfast.

LONDON, England – Trading in the markets is going to be a long-term challenge and my education is still far from complete, despite all I've learned over the past month.

I'd like to thank all those who've helped me in my quest: Ryan O'Doherty, James Hughes and Ashraf Laidi at CMC Markets, David Jones and his team at IG Index, David Buik for his invaluable advice and, of course, Robbie Burns, the Naked Trader.

If I've inspired you to become a Rookie Trader too then I wish you good fortune. The only advice I can give you is that everything you need to be able to trade successfully is, with an Internet connection, out there and freely available to you wherever you are and whatever your income.

Remember: study hard and be patient. Don't expect to be making big profits within weeks. Please bear in mind that without proper research it's easier to lose money than make it. But take it slow and steady and who knows what you'll have achieved by this time next year.

Good luck. I promise to come back and update you on my progress every now and then over time.

LONDON, England – Several days have elapsed since my very useful meeting with Robbie Burns, a.k.a. the Naked Trader. Robbie's advice and encouragement have helped me narrow down just what sort of trader I'm going to be as I try my hand on the money markets.

I’ve decided that I'm not going to trade currencies or indexes as I don't have the time to sit in front of my computer all day waiting to take advantage of intra-day price movements. Also, I don't have nearly enough experience with the trading platforms to get in and out of positions quickly.

I won't be trading commodities for the moment either. I just don't know enough about the commodities markets, but I will start to follow gold in the hope that one day I'll feel that I know enough to spot opportunities. That leaves just shares - and UK companies in particular. As a financial journalist it's what I know best having followed the ups and downs of the stock markets, day in day out, for the last 15 years.

So, I'm not going to be a day trader. In reality I'm going to be somewhere between a swing trader, who looks to take advantage of medium-term price changes, and a trend trader, who looks to take advantage of longer-term price trends.

 Now that I know who I am, I suppose that the moment of truth has arrived. It's time for me to stop paper trading and commit my own money to a position.

I've spent the last few days looking for companies that fit Robbie’s exacting criteria. I've been getting up at 5am and going to bed after midnight, trawling through data on the web.

So far I've come up with a list of eight companies that I think are worth watching using technical analysis - but I'm only part way through the list of FTSE 250 companies. I'll be researching and adding to my list for weeks to come.

One of my companies, which is in the defense sector, is due to release its annual report in the very near future. The "fundamentals" (i.e. my research into the company – its profit/loss, previous performance and outlook etc), look good and technical analysis is giving me a strong buy signal.

Heck, let's go for it!

When the market has settled, around 40 minutes into the session, I place a "long"spread bet, meaning that I expect the share price to rise, at £1 ($1.63) a point. I place a trailing stop loss below the level where I think it may be triggered by normal market "noise." And that's it. I'm in.

Because of the stop loss I know that my total potential loss on this trade, if it goes against me, will amount to £28 ($46), which represents a little more than two percent of my total available capital.

A heart-stopping moment comes several days later when the World Bank releases its revised economic outlook for 2009 and the markets head south. But luck is on my side. My company's share price holds firm. The next day the company releases a very healthy annual report and the share price rockets nearly 100 points in a day! The next day it rises even further and the day after it rises again.

I'd love to be able to report that I rode the price rise all the way to the top, but I didn't. I played safe and got out 88 points higher, realising a profit of £88 ($144), improving on my risk-to-reward strategy of 2:1. With time and experience I'll learn to ride the price and take profits when the market tells me that the share is overbought. But for the moment I’m happy to have made money. It feels great.

So, my first trade was a success. I'm under no illusion though – not every trade will go my way. In fact, I'm prepared for the majority of trades to go against me. But, as Robbie Burns was at pains to point out, the trick is to micro-manage my positions so that I get out of negative trades long before they can seriously erode my capital, while riding the winners. The aim is for profits to outweigh losses. This way seven out of 10 trades could go against me - but I could still make money.

I haven't traded again since my first success. I'm in no hurry, much to the frustration of my colleagues, who can’t understand why I'm not making or losing a fortune. I'm still steadily building my list of companies to watch and I'm waiting patiently for trading signals. I'll go at my own pace and won't trade recklessly, jumping in and out every time I see the vaguest of opportunities. I want to be sure that I have the best possible chance of winning before I go in again.

In the meantime I am the angler, watching his lines for a bite.

* How does Adrian Finighan fare in his career as a rookie trader? Watch Quest Means Business Monday to Friday: 1800 GMT London, 2000 CET, 0300 HK.