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I will not…

1- “I will not alienate my friends and antagonize my family by reminding the world on every possible occasion how right I was about the upturn – or downturn – in steels, motors, airlines, or whatever.
2 – When I buy a stock I will not mobilize all the good news to make it look pretty. I will try to consider both the favorable and unfavorable angles as impartially as I know how.
3 – I will not close out a stock position that is doing well by me for no other reason than that I have a profit. I will not cut short my gains in a good situation.
4 – I will not hang on to a stock that is persistently going against me. I will limit my loss and close out any position that seems to have gone really bad before I am in danger of serious trouble.
5 – I will not be swayed or panicked by news flashes, rumors, tips, or well-meant advice.
6 – I will not put all my eggs in one basket nor will I be swept off my feet to plunge into some unknown or low-priced stock on a purely emotional basis.
7 – I will not attempt to tell the market what a stock ought to be worth. I will try to understand what the market has to tell me about what people are willing to pay for it.
8 – I will never forget that I am not in the market primarily to prove – to my broker, my friends, my wife, etc. – that I am smarter than everybody else, but to protect and, if possible, to augment my capital.”

20 Ways to Stop Losing Money

1. Don’t trust the opinions of market gurus. Remember that it’s your money at stake, not theirs. Listen to what they say, then step back and do your own homework.

2. Don’t believe in a company. Trading isn’t investing, so you need to focus on the price action and forget the balance sheets. Leave the American Dream to Warren Buffett.

3. Don’t break your entry and exit rules. You made them for bad trades, just like the one you’re stuck in right now.

4. Don’t try to get even. This isn’t a game of catch-up. Every action you make has to stand on its own merits. Take your losses with detachment and make your next trade with absolute discipline.

5. Don’t trade over your head. If your last name isn’t Kass or Cramer, stop trading like them. Just concentrate on playing the game well, and stop thinking about making money.

6. Don’t seek the Holy Grail. There is no secret trading formula, other than good position choice and solid risk management. So why are you looking for it?

7. Don’t forget your discipline. Anyone can learn the basics of the trading game. Sadly, most of us will fail because of a lack of self-control, not a lack of knowledge.

8. Don’t chase the crowd. Tune out the groupthink and dance to the beat of your own drummer. Get out of the chat rooms and off the stock boards. This is serious business.

9. Don’t trade the obvious. Everyone sees the most perfect-looking patterns, which is why they set up the most painful losses. Simply stated, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

10. Don’t ignore the warning signs. Big losses rarely come without warning. Don’t wait for a lifeboat before you abandon a sinking ship.

11. Don’t count your chickens. That delicious profit isn’t yours until you close out the trade. Trail stops, take blind exits and do everything possible to get that money into your pocket.

12. Don’t forget the plan. Remember the reasons you took a trade in the first place, and don’t get blinded by greed or fear when the position finally starts to move.

13. Don’t have a paycheck mentality. You don’t need to get paid every week or every month, as long as you take advantage of the opportunities as they come. Classic wisdom: traders book 80% of their profits on just 20% of the days the market is open for business. (more…)

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