One of the things that makes retail trading unique as a pastime, or even a career, is the degree of honesty and self-reflection it requires. There are many jobs that offer some consistent semblance of leeway when it comes to making mistakes and honing a skill set, but trading is not one of them. No trader can negotiate a raise with the markets or hope for the markets to recognize their hard work; if anyone is not careful with their expectations and risk management, even just one losing trade can be catastrophic. Hence, why truthfulness matters in the world of retail trading: it often spells the difference between passive income and financial ruin. With that in mind, let’s explore 3 lies traders should avoid today.
“My strategy doesn’t need stop losses”
Regardless of a trader’s win rate, every trustworthy strategy incorporates stop losses to some meaningful degree. This is because it is as near certain as statistically possible that unmitigated risk in trading will eventually have terrible consequences. Even if a strategy somehow achieved a win rate over 95% with consistent incremental gains, unchecked risk would still be present in every trade, resulting in a handful of losses that could easily erase all prior profits in a fraction of the time (I know this from personal experience). Stop losses, especially trailing ones, are thus an indispensable tool for traders when it comes to safeguarding against inevitable losses and making their wins count in the long run.
“I will compound my account so fast”
Building a large trading account is a long, gradual process that requires plenty of discipline and patience. Because of this, if a retail trader approaches entering and exiting positions through the lens of a get-rich-quick scheme, they are bound to become disappointed and discouraged, and likely lose money along the way due to over-leveraging and impulsive trading. Thus, it is important for traders to generate realistic expectations for themselves, and not take success for granted. Some ways to practice this include a) thoroughly backtesting any strategies of choice, b) avoiding trading out of financial desperation, and c) recognizing that your value as a person has nothing to do with your account’s performance.
“Fundamentals don’t really matter”
Technical analysis is a wonderful tool for every trader to have equipped, and there are myriad technical indicators worth exploring and adding to any strategy. Likewise, sentiment analysis is valuable as well, since anticipating buying and selling pressure is at the heart of trading as a discipline. However, even with these two crucial forms of analysis at our disposal, it must never be taken for granted that traders are buying and selling real securities.
In a new age of gamification and excessive speculation fueling price action volatility in the markets, it can become easy to believe, even subconsciously, that trading is reducible to a worldwide chart-reading game. Therefore, it’s possible for many traders to miss out on significant fundamental catalysts and opportune points of entry and exit, because it is easy to forget that we are trading in real markets that are shaped by concrete circumstances and events in our world. Thus, whether a trader is buying or selling stocks, currency pairs, or bonds, it is always wise to conduct fundamental analysis, whether that be monitoring macroeconomic data, business fundamentals, or other variables.
Key Takeaways
Thoughtful risk management is essential to success as a retail trader.
Building a trading account takes time and practice, so keep your expectations in check.
Fundamental analysis still matters, even in an age of excessive speculation.
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DISCLAIMER: All comments made by TraderNick’s Forex Group, LLC are for educational and informational purposes only. All comments should not be construed as investment advice regarding the purchase or sale of any securities or financial instrument of any kind. Please consult with your financial adviser before making an investment decision regarding any securities or financial instruments mentioned by TraderNick’s Forex Group, LLC. TraderNick’s Forex Group, LLC assumes no responsibility for your trading and investment results. All information on any of the platforms utilized by TraderNick’s Forex Group, LLC was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy, or warrant any results from the use of the information. TraderNick’s Forex Group, LLC, its employees, representatives, and affiliated individuals may have a position or effect transactions in the securities and financial instruments herein and or otherwise employ trading strategies that may be consistent or inconsistent with the provided strategies. Trading of any type involves very high risk and may not be suitable for all investors. TraderNick’s Forex Group, LLC, its subsidiaries and all affiliated individuals assume no responsibility for your trading and investment result. Read our full disclaimer here
There is a significant degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to foreign exchange trading, there is considerable risk exposure, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or currency pair. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. The vast majority of retail client accounts lose money when trading in CFDs. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.