23) Too Many Charity Trades ââ¬â When you make money on a well thought out trade donââ¬â¢t give back half on a whim. Invest your profits from good trades on the next good trade.
24) Courage Under Fire ââ¬â When a policeman breaks down the door to a drug dealer's apartment he is scared but he does it anyway. When a fireman climbs onto the roof of a burning building he is scared but does it anyway, and gets the job done. Same with trading. Itââ¬â¢s ok to be scared but you have to pull the trigger. No trigger ââ¬â no trades ââ¬â no profits ââ¬â no trader.
25) Quality Trading Time ââ¬â I suggest 3 hours a day of quality, focused trading time. Thatââ¬â¢s about all your brain allows. When you are trading be 100% focused. Half way is bullshit - it doesnââ¬â¢t work. Donââ¬â¢t even think that time spent in front of the computer watching the rates has any correlation to profitability - it doesnââ¬â¢t. Spend less time but when your trading be 100% focused on trading.
26) Rationalizing ââ¬â Killer. Absolute Killer. Put your trade on and let it run. If it hits your reasonable pre-determined stop you're out. Think of yourself as a prize fighter. You just got knocked out. Moving your stop is like getting up after being crushed with a knockout blow. Itââ¬â¢s pointless. Things will only get worse. Donââ¬â¢t ignore the obvious. You're wrong ââ¬â get out. Come back the next day and try again. A small loss will not hurt you - a catastrophic loss will.
27) Mixing Apples and Oranges ââ¬â Have you ever done this? You see the EURUSD trading higher so you buy GBPUSD because it ââ¬Åhasnââ¬â¢t moved yetââ¬Â. Thatââ¬â¢s a mistake. Most of the time the reason the GBPUSD hasnââ¬â¢t moved yet is because it's already overbought or some 4:30am UK news was bearish. Donââ¬â¢t mix apples and oranges. If EURUSD looks bid buy EURUSD.
28) Avoiding the Hard Trades ââ¬â Bank FX traders have an axiom "the harder the trade is to do the better the trade". This I learned from experience. When I needed to buy EURUSD and it was hard to get them, thatââ¬â¢s when itââ¬â¢s necessary to pay up and get the business done. When itââ¬â¢s easy to get them, then sit back and wait for better levels. So if you are trying to get into a trade, or more importantly get out of a trade, donââ¬â¢t putz around for a few points -get your business done.
29) Too Much Detail ââ¬â If your trading more than 2 indicators then you need to clean house. Having many indicators stifles trading and finds reasons not to trade. A setup and a trigger is all you need.
30) Giving Up Too Easy ââ¬â Your first trade of the day may not be your best but certainly itââ¬â¢s no reason to quit. I have a preset daily trading limit and I use it. You canââ¬â¢t make money by making excuses. Getting trades wrong is natural and should be expected.
31) Jumping the Gun ââ¬â Donââ¬â¢t be penny wise and dollar foolish. Wait for your trade signal to be clear. Put on your trade and give it a decent size stop loss so that you donââ¬â¢t get knocked out by random noise.
32) Afraid to Take a Loss - trading is not personal, itââ¬â¢s business. Donââ¬â¢t think that a poor trade is a reflection on you. It could be your just ahead of your time or a commercial order hits the market and temporarily creates a small unexpected move. Again, place your stop beforehand and NEVER increase your pre-determined risk. If itââ¬â¢s going bad it will probably get worse. I think thatââ¬â¢s Einstein's ââ¬Åin motion stays in motionââ¬Â¦Ã¢â¬Â
33) Over-Relying on Risk Reward ââ¬â There is zero advantage in risk reward. If you put a 20 point stop and a 60 point profit your chances are probably 3-1 that you will lose. Actually with the spread its more like 4 to 1 (from entry point if it goes down 17 points you lose, or up 63 - you win; 17/63 is close to 4-1).
34) Trading for Wrong Reasons ââ¬â Because the EURUSD is going up is not in itself a reason to buy. Buying EURUSD because it's not moving much is even worse. Youââ¬â¢re paying the toll (spread) without even a hint that you will get a directional move. If your bored, donââ¬â¢t trade; the reason your bored is there is no trade to do in the first place.
35) Rumors ââ¬â Rumors are rumors almost 100% of the time. Think about where in the motion you heard the rumor. If EURUSD is up 50 points in last 15 minutes and the rumor is dollar negative, well - then you missed it. Whenever you in motion with the trade, determine where you are entering.
36) Trading Short-term Moving Average Crossovers ââ¬â This is the money sucker of the century. When the shorter term moving average cross the longer term moving average, it only means that the average price in the short run is equal to the average price in the longer run. For the life of me, I cannot understand why this is bullish or bearish. Easy to set up on software, complete with lights, bells and whistles, and good for the seller getting thousands for the software but in terms of creating profit - itââ¬â¢s a zero.
37) Stochastic ââ¬â Another money sucker. Personally I think this indicator is used backwards. When it first signals an overdone condition, thatââ¬â¢s when I think the big spike in the ââ¬Åoverdoneââ¬Â currency pair occurs. To be overbought means strong and oversold means weak. Try buying on the first sign of overbought and selling on the first sign of oversold. Youââ¬â¢ll be with the trend and likely have identified a move with plenty of juice left.
38) Wrong Broker ââ¬â A lot of FOREX brokers are horrible. Get a good one. Read forums and chats in several different places to get an unbiased opinion.
39) Simulated Results ââ¬â Watch out for ââ¬Åblack boxââ¬Â systems. These are trading systems that donââ¬â¢t divulge how the trade signals are generated. Great majority of them are absolute garbage. They show you a track record of extraordinary results but think about it. If you could build a trading system with half a dozen filters using the benefit of hindsight, couldnââ¬â¢t you too come up with a great system. Of course going forward is an entirely different story. High-speed number crunching capabilities allows for building great hindsight trading systems, so BEWARE.
40) Inconsistency ââ¬â Every business (FOREX trading included) requires a business plan (trading plan). Unless you have taken the time to write down a set of rules that you can and will follow, itââ¬â¢s likely your trading will remain unfocused and directionless. Make a plan, have rules, follow them. Set goals that are realistic and you will achieve them.
41) Master of None ââ¬â Focus on one currency for technical trading. Each currency has a unique way of trading and unless you get intimate with it you will never truly understand its underlying idiosyncrasies. Donââ¬â¢t spread yourself too thin ââ¬â focus, master one currency at a time.
42) Thinking Long Term ââ¬â Donââ¬â¢t do it. Stay in the moment. Especially if youââ¬â¢re a day trader. It doesnââ¬â¢t matter what happens next week or next month. If you are trading with 30 to 50 point stops, restrict your thought process to whatââ¬â¢s happening right now. That is not to stay the long-term trend is not important. It is to say the long-term trend will not always help you when your trading a significantly shorter time frame.
43) Overconfidence ââ¬â Trading is not easy. Statistics show 95% failure rate. If you're doing well, donââ¬â¢t take your success for granted. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve what youââ¬â¢re already doing.
44) Getting Pumped Up ââ¬â The trick is to maintain an even keel. When you are in a trade, you want to think exactly as you would if you didnââ¬â¢t have a trade on. To do this requires a relaxed disposition. This is not a football game. Donââ¬â¢t get psyched up. Relax and try to enjoy it.
45) Staying in the Game ââ¬â I donââ¬â¢t recommend demo trading because traders learn bad habits when trading with play money. I also donââ¬â¢t think ââ¬Åletting it all hang outââ¬Â right away is wise either. Start off doing trades and taking risk that is relatively small but still makes a difference to you if you win or lose. About a quarter to a third of what you expect to reach as your trading matures is reasonable.