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Written by Leroy Rushing
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There are many methods to build superior trading habits. Good trading habits will make trading a part of routine, rather than a task. Getting in the habit of doing everything exactly to plan will boost trading profits, marking one more step in the path to financial freedom.
1. Trading Discipline - Following your own trading plan is very important to success. When emotions are left to go as they please, it is easier to lose track of your portfolio. Proven techniques and strategies should not be edited for any reason; follow the plan and let it work for you.
2. Look at Every Time Frame - Even when trading short 5 minute ticks, it is important to evaluate all timeframes for market data. It just might happen that a 200 day moving average is acting to support your position. You’ll never know this unless you take the time to study all timeframes rather than just a few. Long term trends can and do impact short term trading positions. Day traders are more susceptible to trading in only one timeframe because of how time-sensitive their investments are. Swing traders are probably used to checking multiple timeframes for entry points.
3. Trade As Your Capital Allows - Day traders are able to access high levels of margin that can greatly exceed their trading capital. Overextension of credit is dangerous and can compound losses just as easily as gains. Momentum trading with many different entry points can end up in costly mistakes if your account becomes overextended.
4. Understanding Risk - Managing risk is the difference between gambling and investing. Profitable traders can quickly calculate how much of a drawdown they are willing to incur before cutting a position. It is important to have a plan for pruning losses and minimizing the damage of drawdown.
5. Stick to Your Niche - Niche trading or only trading in your specific area of study is the best way to stay profitable. Too often do traders get bored with inactivity, only to take positions that are out of their trading knowledge. Sticking to what you do best keeps your account from being overextended in too many positions and minimizes loss. If you are best in high volume trading, then only trade during periods of high volume. Finding your trading niche will help you to become more a more efficient trader.
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Written by Leroy Rushing
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Can’t seem to pick a winner? Tired of the sideways market? The trading blues are quick to set in and ruin your future trades. Depending on the trading style, you may be more or less prone to the trading blues. Day trading and scalping are very quick, nerve-wracking professions and can be easily impacted by a series of losses.
However, there are five ways in which you can improve your trading environment, allowing you to overcome your trading blues.
1. Skill-Building Activities - Taking a look back to the basics of your trading plan blueprints can help you overcome the trading blues. Skill-building activities, such as drawing trendlines on short-term movements or analyzing candlestick patterns, can help you feel comfortable again with your own trading style. Go back through the step-by-step instructions of your trading plan and fine tune any possible variables in your trading plan – these activities will all help you avoid losses.
2. Trading Seminars - Listen to what others have to say about the markets, find what will work best for you, and incorporate the trading philosophy into a trading plan planner. Trading seminars allow a different perspective on the same market, letting you see the market from someone else’s perspective.
3. Take Some Time Off - Take some time off from the computer and rest your mind. Day trading is very tiresome, both mentally and physically. A brief escape from the constant flux of the markets will give you some time to relax and rewind. Consistent profits are best achieved after a restful break from the drama of the market.
4. Establish an Emergency Fund - Even professional traders have their bad streaks. The key is to ride out each bad period for times of prosperity. Establishing an emergency fund for day to day expenses can take the worry out of living off your trading capital. The stress of knowing you have to deliver results to make money can be devastating to your trading accounts.
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Written by Leroy Rushing
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Trading can be a very active lifestyle. Whereas day traders spend hours every day in front of a computer monitor scalping small movements in price, the active trader does have a “rich” lifestyle both in money and time.
Lifestyle Depends Upon Trading Style
Professional traders usually make their income from scalping short tick charts, day trading from open to close, or swing trading over a matter of days or weeks. The trading style differs with the lifestyle. Scalpers can profit heavily in just a few hours to have the rest of the day to relax and read up on the markets. Day traders benefit from taking positions when they want through the course of the week, often taking full days off at a time. A swing trader has the luxury of placing few trades every few weeks, allowing for plenty of down time.
Improving Your Trading Skills During Your Down Time
Many traders use their down time to participate in trading seminars to meet new people in the financial world. Trading for the big firms is all about whom you know, and indeed, getting involved in the trading community is the only way to work your way to the top of the trading world. For the smaller investor, time may be better spent on an online home study course to further their trading potential.
Skill-building activities, such as looking at old charts, reviewing failed trades, or sharpening your trend line drawing skills, are a great way to spend the surplus of time trading provides. Developing a trading plan planner is another good way to spend the extra time, as a complete trading plan will give you the confidence to trade, even when the market goes against you.
Trading isn’t just about investing in the markets, but also in your own ability to trade. Locking in consistent profits means more time off and more time to review your trading plan. Bettering yourself at your own job means less time studying and more time off, while bringing in consistent profits.
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