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Metaphors and Similes

  
  Education
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Similes and metaphors play an important role in both the internal thought-process of a day trader as well as in communication between two traders.  To describe the emotional reactions coupled to the movement of a stock in likeness to a rollercoaster, or to compare averaging down in hopes of breaking even to digging one’s self out of a hole is to use simile to quickly illustrate a particular situation as clearly and succinctly as possible.  Every trader uses these analogies, each having his own favorites, and they are used to add structure to an environment that often lacks useful tools for explaining particular occurrences. 

Sports metaphors also play an important role in quickly passing information to another trader with a small chance for confusion.  Traders use base-hit as a metaphor to describe a solid but ultimately small-scale win in the market, and home run for when a trade is “out of the park”.  

Ultimately, metaphors and similes can be used by a trader to keep his mind in the right place, and maintain emotional control.  By metaphorically comparing trading to baseball or basketball, the Michael Jordan truism about never missing a shot he didn’t take or Babe Ruth’s statistical record for strikeouts helps the trader keep in the back of his mind the inalienable reality that he won’t get a hit every time he swings the bat.  (more…)

15 Points For Traders

  
  Education
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1. Don’t be a tradeaholic
Agreed
2. You trade to make money – not for fun, games, or to escape boredom
Definitely
3. Never add to a bad trade
If you have a specific strategy which includes adding to a trade which has gone against you, that’s one thing. Just “averaging down” is usually a bad play.
4. Once you have a profit on a trade, never let it turn into a loss
This can be a really good plan for psychology purposes, but it may or may not be appropriate for the type of strategy/system you employ.
5. No hoping, no wishing, no would’ve, no opinions, no should’ve
It’s hard not to second-guess, and reviewing thinking after the fact is part of the learning process, but never do it in trade.
6. Don’t be a one way trader – be flexible, opportunities on both sides
More opportunities doesn’t necessarily mean better trading. Some systems, markets, and/or traders are just better one-way only.
7. Know your risk on each trade. Trade with stops to limit losses
Definitely yes on the first part. The second part is up for debate in some ways.
8. Look for 3-1 profit objective trade
Totally disagree. This can’t be taken in isolation. You can have fantastic results with a smaller R/R ratio. It depends on your system’s or method’s win %.
9. When initiating a trade, always get your price (use a limit order)
Depends on your system. (more…)

10 Type of Traders.Which are You ?

  
  Education
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In the markets there are many different types of traders and many motivations that drive them.  Everyone has heard of  different types of traders based on their trading method: Swing Traders, Day Traders, Momentum Traders, etc. But what about different types of traders based on their psychology, their very purpose?  Some trade for fun and excitement, others trade purely for ego. Other love the game and still others are in it only to make money. In the greatest game on earth it is surprising that many traders have different motivations, in reality the only correct motivation is to make money, that should be the real goal of any trader. Here are a list of ten types of traders I have observed on social media. We have all likely been more than one of these types at some time or another while trading. But we need to focus like a laser on the only real reason we should be trading: to make money and once we have made it, to keep it.

  1. Greedy Traders: They trade too big and risk too much because their only goal is the easy money.
  2. New Traders: They have no idea how the markets work so their only goal is knowledge.
  3. Arrogant Traders: Their only goal is to prove they are right and satisfy their fragile egos.
  4. Trend Traders: Their only goal is to ride a trend and make money.
  5. Scared Traders: Their only goal is to not lose their capital.
  6. Perma-Bull Traders: Their only goal is to go long stocks.
  7. Perma-Bear Traders: Their only goal is to short stocks.
  8. Prophet Traders: Their only goal is to rightly predict market movement then let everyone know they did.
  9. Paper Traders: They love the market and study more than anyone but never quite make the plunge into real trading.
  10. Rich Traders: Their only goal is to consistently make money and grow their capital over the long term.

Which are you?

Trading is Mental Game -5 points

  
  Education
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1.    A trader can only build confidence to take a real time trade entry after they have done the necessary homework in back testing through multiple market environments to know the probabilities of success and the possibilities of failure. Understanding how the markets have behaved with past price patterns can give the trader the boldness they need to push the submit button on their broker’s screen.

2.    Understanding the price level where your stop loss on a trade will be and also your potential price target will give you a good idea of the risk and reward dynamics of a trade set up. It is easier to trade when you know that you are risking $100 for a chance to make $300 and the odds are on your side with a great entry.

3.    Structuring your position sizing so that if your stop is hit you will only lose 1% of your total trading capital will eliminate much of your fear of failure. The urgency and importance of any one trade should be converted into the calm assurance of knowing that the current trade is just one of the next one hundred trades. You can overcome the majority of anxiety around trading when you simply trade small enough so that any one trade or a string of trades will not affect your long term trading success.

4.    Trading what you know and are familiar with is low stress trading. Trading a chart pattern, stock, or index that you have traded for years is familiar territory. Also trading markets inside your circle of competence creates confidence. Only trade futures, options, stocks, bonds, forex, and indexes that you understand. Many traders drown chasing unfamiliar waterfalls.

5.    A lot of performance confidence comes from having a detailed trading plan on what you will do before the market opens and the faith in yourself to execute that plan after the market opens. Knowing that your decisions will be based on the facts and the reality of price action and that you will not be swept away with emotions and ego while trading can allow you to rise above anxiety and instead operate with faith in yourself and your system

12 Signs You’re in a Bad Trade

  
  Education
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  1. Your entry is based on your opinion not a valid signal.
  2. Your bet is that a trend will change with no reason behind the bet.
  3. You are entering out of greed after a big move.
  4. If you are wrong about the trade you will suffer a huge loss.
  5. You enter a trade with no stop loss.
  6. You enter a trade with no exit strategy to bank any profits.
  7. You enter based on someone’s opinion.
  8. You enter a trade because you are bored.
  9. You are trading a market you have done zero back testing or chart studies on.
  10. You are trading futures or option contracts you do not understand.
  11. You are trading with confidence even though you have zero confidence.
  12. You have no idea what the hell you are doing.

European manufacturing PMI at 29-month high (Full Detail )

  
Analysis, Education
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Eurozone-wide manufacturing data for November has met forecasts, reaching their best level since June 2011 as national-level numbers from the sector also beat expectations.

The Markit purchasing managers’ index survey for the shared currency area came in at 51.6, just ahead of the 51.5 predicted in a poll undertaken by Reuters.

Any reading above 50 indicates growth.

Markit said:

The recovery in the eurozone manufacturing sector accelerated again in November. Although the pace of expansion remained modest overall, the real positives were that growth extended into a fifth successive month with the rate of increase hitting a near two-and-half year high.

At national level:

  • Italy’s PMI reading for the month was 51.4, better than the 50.9 forecast
  • Germany’s index came in at 52.7, narrowly ahead of expectations of 52.5

  • France’s manufacturing sector continued to shrink, but by less than expected, with its PMI reading 48.4 against expectations of 47.8

According To Psychologists : 20 Facts -Why Traders Lose Money in Market ?

  
  Education
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  1. Men trade more than women. And unmarried men trade more than married men. 5
  2. Poor, young men, who live in urban areas and belong to specific minority groups invest more in stocks with lottery-type features. 5
  3. Within each income group, gamblers under perform non-gamblers. 4
  4. Investors tend to sell winning investments while holding on to their losing investments. 6
  5. Trading in Taiwan dropped by about 25% when a lottery was introduced in April 2002. 7
  6. During periods with unusually large lottery jackpot, individual investor trading declines. 8
  7. Investors are more likely to repurchase a stock that they previously sold for a profit than one previously sold for a loss. 9
  8. An increase in search frequency [in a specific instrument] predicts higher returns in the following two weeks. 10
  9. Individual investors trade more actively when their most recent trades were successful.11
  10. Traders don’t learn about trading. “Trading to learn” is no more rational or profitable than playing roulette to learn for the individual investor.

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The Visual Story Of The Biggest Fraud In Gold Mining History

  
  Education
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This infographic documents the rise and fall of Bre-X.

From initial private offerings at 30 cents a share, Bre-X stock climbed to more than $250 on the open market. Near the peak of Bre-X share prices, major banks and media were on board:

The Peak

  • It was touted by media and banks as the “richest gold deposit ever”
  • In December 1996, Lehman Brothers Inc. strongly recommended a buy on “the gold discovery of the century.”
  • Major mining companies such as Barrick Gold, Placer Dome, and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, among other top producers, fought an epic battle to get a piece of Bre-X’s Busang deposit.
  • Indonesia’s Suharto regime managed to grab 40% of the deposit for Indonesian interests.
  • Fidelity Investments, Invesco Funds Group, and other mutual-fund companies piled into the stock.
  • J.P. Morgan bankers talked up Busang in a conference call in which Bre-X’s top geologist predicted the deposit might contain a staggering 200 million oz of gold, worth over $240 billion in 2014 prices. Morgan declined to comment.
  • Egizio Bianchini, stock broker and one of Canada’s top gold analysts, said “What most people are now realizing is that Bre-X has made one of the great gold discoveries of our generation.”

(more…)

How To Reduce The Effects of GREED?- 6 Points

  
  Education
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  • Trade Small: If you are a beginner, trading a small account can be a worthwhile exercise. Use small position sizes and manage risk fiercely. Many traders get into trouble when they haven’t considered risk exposure while taking positions that are too large for their accounts.
  • Expect to Lose: Be prepared to lose when you enter a trade and DEFINE how much you are ready to lose. Don’t panic and change your mind if the market reaches that point.
  • Plan to WIN: Likewise, DETERMINE the amount of profit that is enough to quench your Greed Buds.
  • Time Horizon: Trade with short time horizon. Even if you are not an intraday trader, a shorter-term viewpoint in today’s volatile market environment gives a quick feedback about your analysis and can decrease the time you are exposed to the unpredictable marketplace.
  • Scared Money Never Wins: Trade only with money you can afford to lose that is less important and not significant enough to be protected. Treat your money well and trade well.
  • Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained:  Be a little greedy! If you don’t trade, you are engulfed by fear. Come up with a trading style that cuts down the influence of greed and fear and is easy for you.
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