Quote from geez:
Thanks OC,
I don't know if I would call the results "remarkable" when guys are posting +200k days, but this is the style that works best for me. I realized that my biggest emotional hurdle to get over in trading was how to deal with drawdowns. With the style I use now I won't make a $1,000,000 a year, but I won't have to deal with huge drawdowns either. If I lose 5 trades in a row, my drawdown is just over $1,000 and for me, this is well within my threshold of pain and I feel(for me at least) it's dealing with the pain that is the hardest part of trading. A very basic way of looking at it is this: Find a max loss per trade that you are very comfortable with, for most raders I think it's probably about 1/2 of what they REALLY think it is (if you think it's $200 per trade, it's probably really $100), then just take the normal trades you would take, set your stop and your target and LEAVE THE TRADE ALONE. Don't try to outhink the trade. How many times have you heard traders say "I should have let that one go to target"? What's the reason this happens? My guess is fear of losing, but if your max loss is a VERY reasonable number you are MUCH more comfortable about letting the trade run its course. If the stock does hit your stop..good!...Take the small loss and move on! In my opinion, this is much better than holding on to a trade and watching it continue to move against you- you may even add to your losing position and as it keeps moving against you, you are completely wrapped up (financially and emotionally) in the trade that you should have been out of for a very small loss.
So, for me, I just find good entries (per my plan) and then let the trade run its course: STOP or TARGET. If I lose...so what, it costs me $200 out of a 85k account...a VERY small drawdown.
Hope that helps...stepping off soapbox now.