you can also use options as stops. But it really depends on your trading frequency/etc.
Hard Stops vs Mental Stops
- Thread starter jiminsd
- Start date
a Stop triggers a Market Order so there's no guarantee of a fill at the Stop price
don't be in the market when a news announcement/report will be released
when my isp went down i phoned my fx broker and closed the trade, no loss, the
service came back up just after the closing the trade; a power outage resulted in
the net going down, wasn't in the market, but i have digital phone service and that
also went down - have a cell phone as backup
i think Stops are in part lazy or naive thinking
if the price doesn't go where you think it's supposed to go then your trade is Wrong
but shouldn't you have worked out at what price, or pattern, or sr/fibo level or . . .
Wrong was being signaled ?
the choice at that point is a SR - StopandReverse trade or close the trade
but shouldn't you have worked out in advance what would determine the trade was
wrong Before you entered the trade ? and, what you'll do if the trade is wrong
don't be in the market when a news announcement/report will be released
when my isp went down i phoned my fx broker and closed the trade, no loss, the
service came back up just after the closing the trade; a power outage resulted in
the net going down, wasn't in the market, but i have digital phone service and that
also went down - have a cell phone as backup
i think Stops are in part lazy or naive thinking
if the price doesn't go where you think it's supposed to go then your trade is Wrong
but shouldn't you have worked out at what price, or pattern, or sr/fibo level or . . .
Wrong was being signaled ?
the choice at that point is a SR - StopandReverse trade or close the trade
but shouldn't you have worked out in advance what would determine the trade was
wrong Before you entered the trade ? and, what you'll do if the trade is wrong
by 'work my way out' I assume averaging down?
Can anyone (such as market makers, pit traders, etc) tell if stop orders in place are intended to open or close positions?
For example, if I have a buy stop for 5 crude oil contracts at the high of the day with the intention of opening a new long position and capturing the breakout move, and my twin sister has a buy stop at the HOD for 5 contracts because she's short 5 and wants to cover before price breaks out, can anyone see those orders and know which one is in place to offset an existing position?
For example, if I have a buy stop for 5 crude oil contracts at the high of the day with the intention of opening a new long position and capturing the breakout move, and my twin sister has a buy stop at the HOD for 5 contracts because she's short 5 and wants to cover before price breaks out, can anyone see those orders and know which one is in place to offset an existing position?
For me, mental stops tend to get moved or ignored.
If mental stops are strictly enforced, why not just use a hard stop order instead...It's easier and virtually the same thing.
If mental stops are strictly enforced, why not just use a hard stop order instead...It's easier and virtually the same thing.
I also use both as some others have mentioned. To be a trader with longevity discipline is a must. I consider my hard stop a life jacket. It protects my account from disaster. My mental stop I refer to as my risk. With this strategy an occasional steamroll will happen. But as an intraday trader a steamroll isn't going to blow up an account. The discipline to avoid the hold and hope demon is critical.
In the pits, if the trader holds both slips (and opened your sister's trade and remembers it), yes, which is why before Globex large off-site traders (Tudor Jones, Richard Dennis, etc.) used several brokers/pit traders to mask what they were doing. In electronic markets, I don't see how (but I'm sure THEY do
)A lot of good traders like Lescor and Don Miller don't use hard stops. If you can average down and work your way out that would be ideal. You have to really know the range of support or resistance in order to work out of the trade with averaging out. Can do it if there is a confluence of support or resistance in the area. If you enter in the middle of no where then you should probably just exit because you don't have an area for a pause where you can work out of the trade.
+1
Better to have stops, preferably mental off MAE (Max Adverse Excursion) than putting fixed dumbass stops that can be picked off by all.