Day trading secrets to successful trading really AREN'T secrets. Research has proven again and again that you can become a successful day trader by following a few key and simple rules - and by getting the right training. You just need to know where to look to learn day trading. If you want to learn day trading secrets, then you just need to open up your eyes and look around. Here are some day trading secrets that you can't afford to ignore. These day trading secrets are incredibly important, and is completely lost on most people who learn day trading. So take the time to learn these day trading secrets. This little day trading secret involves a famous figure who far too many day traders think they are. They imagine that they are this historical figure, and suffer disastrous trading results because of it. The ideals held by this famous historical figure are excellent, and should be shared by all of us. They just have no place in a day trader's mind.
Or anywhere in their strategy either. In fact, your trading strategy should be completely devoid of this otherwise very excellent personality trait / quality. So with that, let's get to the heart of the matter, the real reason why you're reading this article today. We are all familiar with Neil Armstrong - that, or our elementary school teachers are failing miserably. Just in case you don't know, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. This was an amazing feat for a fledgling space program, and demonstrated our country's dominance and superiority over the rival USSR. Neil Armstrong was a dedicated and confident American figure. He was determined, and more importantly, he shot for the moon....and amazingly enough, he hit it! However, the ideals and character strengths exemplified by Neil Armstrong don't work for day trading. In fact, they are downright disastrous. This is where you start to see these day trading secrets and to learn day trading. Neil Armstrong shot for the moon, and he made it. Day Traders who shoot for the moon are liable to end up crash landing right after take off.
Rule number one, risk. Yes risk you never ever risk more money on any one trade than makes sense. Of course we all have different levels of risk tolerance that goes without saying. But if every time you open a trade you have your whole bankroll riding on the trade how many times do you think you can be wrong before your trading days are over and you're looking through the want ads again? I suggest you never risk more than 5% of your account on any one trade. That means whatever you are trading you set a hard stop loss that if hit would not eat any more than 5% of your capital. I know some people are even more strict and wouldn't suggest more than 2 or 3% but % is fine in my eyes.
On the subject of risk, day trading is almost unique in that it can be learnt and practised with absolutely no financial risk at all, by means of paper-trading - that is - trading using freely available simulation software. Thus in the same way a trainee airline pilot won't be let loose into the skies without having learnt and rehearsed their skills in a simulator, so a new trader can employ the same technique before they start trading real money. I "sim-traded" before I gave up the day-job; it made it easy to leave the safety-net of a monthly pay check knowing from my simulated trading sessions that I could already make money in the markets.
Which brings us to most asked question number two, losses. Yes everybody has losses, I do, you will even the most experienced trader on the planet will have losses. The sooner you accept that and move on the better off you will be. You can't beat yourself up over having a couple of losses. Try not to look at them as losses, look at them as business expenses. They are just a part of doing business, nothing more nothing less. You could see a market that looks setup perfectly to make a move all the planets have aligned and sure enough you jump in and get your fill. Only to have the market turn the other way and take off like a Jack Rabbit, it happens far more often to us than most traders would like to admit. You can't take losses personally you can't try to trade your way out of them and you can't control when they are going to happen. So just don't beat yourself up, take your loss chalk up to a learning experience and move on. Sometimes there isn't even anything to learn. You made the right move everything looked good, the market just turned. It will do that more than you care to think about.
And remember, you don't need to hit insanely high profit targets to be a successful day trader. Keep your targets appropriate, and your day trade goals in check. A 10% or 15% weekly return is more than enough to steadily (and safely) grow your trading account. So take heed of this little trading nugget as you learn how to day trade successfully. Your future success as a day trader depends on it!
Or anywhere in their strategy either. In fact, your trading strategy should be completely devoid of this otherwise very excellent personality trait / quality. So with that, let's get to the heart of the matter, the real reason why you're reading this article today. We are all familiar with Neil Armstrong - that, or our elementary school teachers are failing miserably. Just in case you don't know, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. This was an amazing feat for a fledgling space program, and demonstrated our country's dominance and superiority over the rival USSR. Neil Armstrong was a dedicated and confident American figure. He was determined, and more importantly, he shot for the moon....and amazingly enough, he hit it! However, the ideals and character strengths exemplified by Neil Armstrong don't work for day trading. In fact, they are downright disastrous. This is where you start to see these day trading secrets and to learn day trading. Neil Armstrong shot for the moon, and he made it. Day Traders who shoot for the moon are liable to end up crash landing right after take off.
Rule number one, risk. Yes risk you never ever risk more money on any one trade than makes sense. Of course we all have different levels of risk tolerance that goes without saying. But if every time you open a trade you have your whole bankroll riding on the trade how many times do you think you can be wrong before your trading days are over and you're looking through the want ads again? I suggest you never risk more than 5% of your account on any one trade. That means whatever you are trading you set a hard stop loss that if hit would not eat any more than 5% of your capital. I know some people are even more strict and wouldn't suggest more than 2 or 3% but % is fine in my eyes.
On the subject of risk, day trading is almost unique in that it can be learnt and practised with absolutely no financial risk at all, by means of paper-trading - that is - trading using freely available simulation software. Thus in the same way a trainee airline pilot won't be let loose into the skies without having learnt and rehearsed their skills in a simulator, so a new trader can employ the same technique before they start trading real money. I "sim-traded" before I gave up the day-job; it made it easy to leave the safety-net of a monthly pay check knowing from my simulated trading sessions that I could already make money in the markets.
Which brings us to most asked question number two, losses. Yes everybody has losses, I do, you will even the most experienced trader on the planet will have losses. The sooner you accept that and move on the better off you will be. You can't beat yourself up over having a couple of losses. Try not to look at them as losses, look at them as business expenses. They are just a part of doing business, nothing more nothing less. You could see a market that looks setup perfectly to make a move all the planets have aligned and sure enough you jump in and get your fill. Only to have the market turn the other way and take off like a Jack Rabbit, it happens far more often to us than most traders would like to admit. You can't take losses personally you can't try to trade your way out of them and you can't control when they are going to happen. So just don't beat yourself up, take your loss chalk up to a learning experience and move on. Sometimes there isn't even anything to learn. You made the right move everything looked good, the market just turned. It will do that more than you care to think about.
And remember, you don't need to hit insanely high profit targets to be a successful day trader. Keep your targets appropriate, and your day trade goals in check. A 10% or 15% weekly return is more than enough to steadily (and safely) grow your trading account. So take heed of this little trading nugget as you learn how to day trade successfully. Your future success as a day trader depends on it!
About the Author:
Frank Miller has a Debt Consolidation Blog & Finance, these are some of the articles: Getting Information On The Best Stock Newsletters You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.