Quote from Art Collins:
1. The average trader can't succeed unless he or she is 100% mechanical. Most of us can not "hear what the markets are telling us" because for all practical purposes, the markets ain't saying squat.
2. Human psychology tends to be drastically out of synch with what is needed to trade successfully.
3. When one combines mechanical with discretionary, one tends to get the worst of both worlds.
4. Simple is best.
5. Basic elements can be combined to create greater wholes.
6. Day trading can work, but there are inherent problems compared to other types of trading. The main problem lies in the relatively small trading arcs compared to trading costs.
7. Ideas have to test well over a fairly wide array of times and markets in order to be considered trustworthy.
8. When you do decide to trade a mechanical system, you must adequately budget for it. You must also follow all signals exactly as mandated.