Social Network Pays Its Members to Trade Stocks: BigSmarty Wallstreet Announced Today That It Offers a Way for Its Members to Learn How to Trade Stocks in a Risk-Free Manner and, If Successful, Be Rewarded for It

For years, the active trading industry has sought a way to embrace would-be traders and help them live their dream of being their own boss and becoming financially independent.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Business Wire EON) October 31, 2007 -- For years, the active trading industry has sought a way to embrace would-be traders and help them live their dream of being their own boss and becoming financially independent.

Our goal is to become the ESPN of Wall Street, where we can discover the superstars of stock trading

Missing from this equation, however, has been a way for these individuals to experiment with their new trading skills in a risk-free manner and be rewarded for it if they are successful.

Until now.

BigSmarty Wallstreet LLC (www.bigsmarty.com) is an online community that not only teaches individuals how to trade, but offers a trading platform and the necessary infrastructure for measuring their improvement.

Equally compelling is the fact that BigSmarty gives away $50,000 a month to winners of a variety of stock-trading contests. Among the tournaments are The Race to $200k, the BigSmarty Shootout (fashioned after the head-to-head bracketed tournaments of the NCAA) and Wall Street Bingo (where the first 10 players to black out their Bingo card win cash prizes).

“Our goal is to become the ESPN of Wall Street, where we can discover the superstars of stock trading,” says Douglas Burdick, CEO of BigSmarty. “We’ve combined the fame and fortune aspects of Fantasy Football, American Idol, MySpace and The World Poker Tour and wrapped them all into a world-wide competition.”

And like American Idol, the winner of each contest may have a future as a successful trader, says Burdick. “It’s the ultimate place to learn how to trade. Like learning a new language, you learn a lot faster by immersing yourself in the culture.”

Industry observers are already starting to recognize the impact that BigSmarty can have.

“There’s a buzz about this social network,” says Tom O’Brien, a financial analyst with Tiger Financial News Network (www.tfnn.com). “BigSmarty is a unique venue, which is giving people the confidence to realize their dreams as an active trader.”

For more information about the company, visit www.bigsmarty.com. Media should contact Holt Hackney at 512-478-8858, ext. 115 or Hhackney@hackneycommunications.com.