It seems every day some new and up coming superstar day trader (ok wannabe superstar day trader) asks me the same questions. It always strikes me as funny that everybody always seems to have the same questions when to me the answers just seem so obvious. I will admit I've been trading for a while now and I've seen and read all the doom and gloom numbers about how 90% of all day traders bust their accounts in the first year. Why? I mean seriously why does this keep happening over and over again? I think it boils down to a couple of really simple but important rules that too many new traders either don't learn soon enough in order to save some of their trading capital. Or they don't really understand the concepts. Let's look at a couple of the major ones that you have to understand and have mastered before you can really hope to earn a living at this day trading game.
Those are thoughts I had almost every day, before I quit the safety of full time employment and decided to strike out on my own. I asked myself the same question day in and day out; surely there has to be a better way. What about the internet, I wondered, isn't that supposed to be bringing new and exciting opportunities to all? I researched a lot of so-called work-from-home opportunities that promised untold riches, apparently mine for the taking just by sitting in front of my PC. Needless to say, in reality those schemes turned out to be about as fulfilling as, well, filling envelopes for a living. No, I knew there had to be another way - something real - something where I could be in control of my own destiny. And then one morning on the train to work, I read about a couple of Wall Street boys who had struck it rich thanks to some huge bonuses, and were now going it alone setting up their own day trading shop. That was when I discovered day trading, and I realised that this was exactly the opportunity I had been searching for. I decided there and then that I was going to make a full time living from the stock markets, whatever it took to succeed.
The advantages of day trading as a job are numerous to say the least; there is no boss to answer to, no customers to satisfy, no suppliers to let you down, no waiting for invoices to be paid, I could go on. In fact, I will: trading is a location-independent activity - I can work from anywhere with an internet connection, which effectively means anywhere in the world with a telephone line. I regularly trade from my laptop whilst travelling. I can trade when I feel like it, and take time off when I like, which means I can spend quality time with my family. Now let's get this straight, trading can be a risky activity, there is no doubt about that. So is driving a car to work, but the risks of getting from A to B on four wheels are well understood and are managed accordingly, to the point where we don't think twice about getting behind the wheel. And in the same way, provided a trader is disciplined in their approach to the job at hand, and understands the associated risks of the work, so those risks can be managed.
I know of a couple of traders that don't think twice about putting 40 or 50% of their account on the line every time they open a position. Well all it takes is two or three bad trades in a row and poof they are finished, account busted. Let's look at some numbers just for the same of argument. I like to trade the S&P Emini, each point has a value of $50.00 so if I set a stop for 2 points, trading 2 contracts I am willing to risk $200. Using my rule it would mean that I want at least $4,000 in that account to open that trade. I know that might sound like a lot, but trust me on this it's more than possible to have four or five bad trades in a row. Then what? Well then you dig out those want ads again.
One more time, here are your day trading secrets: You're not Neil Armstrong. You don't need to shoot for the moon. A 50%+ weekly return, while nice, isn't necessary for you to be a successful day trader. Learn trading secrets to help you become the day trader that you are capable of. There are tons of resources available for you as you learn how to trade. You just need to be diligent in searching for them. You can find secrets of successful trading if you just set your mind to it.
Since I first started trading, the learning curve has become even easier for the aspiring day trader, with a multitude of new websites, training courses, and books all covering the subject. I envy anyone starting out in this business today - they certainly have many more learning aids available to them than I had at the same point in my own career.
Those are thoughts I had almost every day, before I quit the safety of full time employment and decided to strike out on my own. I asked myself the same question day in and day out; surely there has to be a better way. What about the internet, I wondered, isn't that supposed to be bringing new and exciting opportunities to all? I researched a lot of so-called work-from-home opportunities that promised untold riches, apparently mine for the taking just by sitting in front of my PC. Needless to say, in reality those schemes turned out to be about as fulfilling as, well, filling envelopes for a living. No, I knew there had to be another way - something real - something where I could be in control of my own destiny. And then one morning on the train to work, I read about a couple of Wall Street boys who had struck it rich thanks to some huge bonuses, and were now going it alone setting up their own day trading shop. That was when I discovered day trading, and I realised that this was exactly the opportunity I had been searching for. I decided there and then that I was going to make a full time living from the stock markets, whatever it took to succeed.
The advantages of day trading as a job are numerous to say the least; there is no boss to answer to, no customers to satisfy, no suppliers to let you down, no waiting for invoices to be paid, I could go on. In fact, I will: trading is a location-independent activity - I can work from anywhere with an internet connection, which effectively means anywhere in the world with a telephone line. I regularly trade from my laptop whilst travelling. I can trade when I feel like it, and take time off when I like, which means I can spend quality time with my family. Now let's get this straight, trading can be a risky activity, there is no doubt about that. So is driving a car to work, but the risks of getting from A to B on four wheels are well understood and are managed accordingly, to the point where we don't think twice about getting behind the wheel. And in the same way, provided a trader is disciplined in their approach to the job at hand, and understands the associated risks of the work, so those risks can be managed.
I know of a couple of traders that don't think twice about putting 40 or 50% of their account on the line every time they open a position. Well all it takes is two or three bad trades in a row and poof they are finished, account busted. Let's look at some numbers just for the same of argument. I like to trade the S&P Emini, each point has a value of $50.00 so if I set a stop for 2 points, trading 2 contracts I am willing to risk $200. Using my rule it would mean that I want at least $4,000 in that account to open that trade. I know that might sound like a lot, but trust me on this it's more than possible to have four or five bad trades in a row. Then what? Well then you dig out those want ads again.
One more time, here are your day trading secrets: You're not Neil Armstrong. You don't need to shoot for the moon. A 50%+ weekly return, while nice, isn't necessary for you to be a successful day trader. Learn trading secrets to help you become the day trader that you are capable of. There are tons of resources available for you as you learn how to trade. You just need to be diligent in searching for them. You can find secrets of successful trading if you just set your mind to it.
Since I first started trading, the learning curve has become even easier for the aspiring day trader, with a multitude of new websites, training courses, and books all covering the subject. I envy anyone starting out in this business today - they certainly have many more learning aids available to them than I had at the same point in my own career.
About the Author:
Frank Miller has a Debt Consolidation Blog & Finance, these are some of the articles: Trading Strategies You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.