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"Maintaining Sanity in a Schizophrenic Market"

The current market seems to be manic depressive without even a shred of memory from one day to the next.  How does a trader preserve control and commitment when faced with this challenge?

I think the first place to begin is with the questions we ask ourselves.  Is there an opportunity here? Where is the opportunity now?  How can I take advantage of this opportunity?

Then ask yourself, how do I deal with the volatility?  Do I decrease size and stretch out the risk parameters?  Do I increase size to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity?  Do I shorten or increase my time frames to increase my safety and profitability?  As traders we are always faced with the dual needs to seize a significant opportunity and to preserve our capital.  This balancing act is at the core of trading.

Of course, you need to address the underlying fundamentals.   What are they? Are they becoming more so or less so?  Are they changing or remaining the same?

Define the problems you are facing and redefine them.  Einstein was asked how he would go about solving a problem if he only had 60 minutes in which to solve it.  He answered that he would spend the first 59 minutes defining the problem.  Once you’ve identified and defined the issues you’re facing, look for workable solutions.  See problems as challenges not as threats.  I always assume if there is a problem, there is a solution.  Once you’ve found a solution, test it.

You need to sustain an optimistic outlook.  This means not taking market conditions personally.  Know that the difficulties will pass as well as the opportunities.  You can learn from difficulties and let them go even as you learn from and utilize opportunities.  Keep honing your skills and see the glass as more than half full.  You can heal your trading by finding a way to understand evil even as you find a way to make the best of a situation.  Any crisis can make you stronger if you don’t let it make you weaker.

So let’s go back to the original question.  Where is the opportunity here and now, and how do you go about taking full advantage of it?  When you find it, go for it.  If you don’t find it, wait for it to develop, and carpe diem (seize the day).

Observation, Experience, Memory and Mathematics

“Observation, experience, memory and mathematics – these are what the successful trader must depend on. He must not only observe but remember at all times what he has observed. He cannot bet on the unreasonable or the unexpected, however strong his personal convictions may be about man’s unreasonableness or however certain he may feel that the unexpected happens very frequently. He must bet always on probabilities – that is, try to anticipate them. Years of practice at the game, of constant study, of always remembering, enable the trader to act on the instant when the unexpected happens as well as when the expected comes to pass.

“A man can have great mathematical ability and an unusual power of accurate observation and yet fail in speculation unless he also possesses the experience and the memory. And then, like the physician who keeps up with the advances of science, the wise trader never ceases to study general conditions, to keep track of developments everywhere that are likely to affect or influence the course of the various markets. After years of the game it becomes a habit to keep posted. He acts almost automatically. He acquires the invaluable professional attitude that enables him to beat the game – at times! This difference between the professional and the amateur or occasional trader cannot be overemphasized. I find, for instance, that memory and mathematics help me very much. Wall Street makes its money on a mathematical basis. I mean, it makes its money by dealing with facts and figures.” (more…)

3 Habits every trader must avoid.

Not having a plan. Get a plan, who cares if it is bad, start with something. You can build off of it and refine it. You have to be willing to spend the time to make the plan yours. You do not start anything without some level of planning. Trading is hard; your brain spends a lot of time in fast forward, affecting your memory. You can slow it down by having a plan and increase your brains ability to remember.  A plan makes it possible to improve. Most importantly, a plan gives you a chance at removing emotion.

Forgetting why you are trading.  The purpose of trading is to make money.  Every action should bend to that goal. That does not mean every trade makes money.  It means every trade gets to closer. If you are looking for comfort, get a teddy bear. If you are looking to be right, play trivial pursuit.  If you want excitement, drive fast.

Letting it go. It is really important to separate what happened from how you felt. The more distance between the two the less time it takes to learn from that situation.  Admitting you made a mistake or are wrong are necessary for letting it go.  Unlike life, you get no credit for admitting you are wrong, it is just a part of trading. Neither matter unless you take action.

The story of 2 monks and the power of letting go

I believed you have heard of many versions of the story about 2 monks. No? Let me refresh your memory, and explain to you how it is applicable to trading.

There were two Buddhist monks walking along the bank of a river, making their way to back to the temple.

As they were walking, they came across a beautiful lady standing at the side of the river. She stopped them and asked if one of them is willing to help her across the river. The junior monk did not bulge but the senior monk without any doubt, carried her on his back and across the river. The senior monk put her down on the other side and she thanked him profusely and hurried off. The junior monk was taken aback by the gesture but kept to himself. The senior monk returned and they carried on with the journey.

As they walked, the junior monk kept brooding about the incident until it was unbearable and broke the silence, “why did you carry that woman across the river? Knowing that our religion forbid us to touch women!”

The senior monk replied peacefully, “I put her down a moment ago and you are still carrying her.” (more…)

The reason 95% traders lose: Humans 'have six-hour window' to erase memories of fear

Researchers have found that humans have a six-hour window of opportunity when fearful memories can potentially be erased, a study says.

Reliving a harrowing memory opens what experts call a “reconsolidation window” – a time-limited period when it can be changed from bad to good.

This is probably why 95% of traders lose – because mistakes or traps in trading are easy to come by, but erasing those bad memories is not easy after the six-hour window. This also suggests that you would need to go over the same trade within six-hours and somehow neutralize the bad memories (tequila or vicodin?).

six-hour

Mint Money -Avoid Blue Channels

539-

Just see Nifty Future kissed low of 4790..Not broken till this time of  12:40.

SBI as written zoomed above 1934 & kissed 1960 level (Written tgt for Traders : 1960-1967)

Sterlite :Cracked heavily from 745—716 level.

Refresh your memory :Last week written to sell and exit from all Real Estate stocks and my Focus was on HDIL ,DLF….Just see what happened ?

RNRL :On Friday kissed 92.25..never crossed that level and now kissed low of 87.

Always Remember :Trading runs in cycles: some good; most bad. Trade large and aggressively when trading well; trade small and modestly when trading poorly. In “good times,” even errors are profitable; in “bad times” even the most well researched trades go awry. This is the nature of trading; accept it.

-Awesome for Readers …But Routine for my Subscribers……

Updated at 12:48/14th Sept/Baroda

 

 

Words of wisdom from Jesse Livermore

No trader can or should play the market all the time. There will be many times when you should be out of the market, sitting in cash waiting patiently for the perfect trade…. ” – Jesse Livermore

“It is foolhardy to make a second trade, if your first trade shows you a loss…. As an ironclad Livermore rule, never average losses. Let that thought be written indelibly and forever upon your mind….” – Jesse Livermore

“Remember that it is dangerous to start spreading out all over the market carrying several positions. Do not have an interest in too many stocks at any one time. It is much easier to watch a few than many….” – Jesse Livermore

“As long as a stock is acting right, and the market is right, be in no hurry to take a profit…. ” – Jesse Livermore (more…)

Observation, Experience, Memory and Mathematics

“Observation, experience, memory and mathematics – these are what the successful trader must depend on. He must not only observe but remember at all times what he has observed. He cannot bet on the unreasonable or the unexpected, however strong his personal convictions may be about man’s unreasonableness or however certain he may feel that the unexpected happens very frequently. He must bet always on probabilities – that is, try to anticipate them. Years of practice at the game, of constant study, of always remembering, enable the trader to act on the instant when the unexpected happens as well as when the expected comes to pass.

“A man can have great mathematical ability and an unusual power of accurate observation and yet fail in speculation unless he also possesses the experience and the memory. And then, like the physician who keeps up with the advances of science, the wise trader never ceases to study general conditions, to keep track of developments everywhere that are likely to affect or influence the course of the various markets. After years of the game it becomes a habit to keep posted. He acts almost automatically. He acquires the invaluable professional attitude that enables him to beat the game – at times! (more…)

Three Things Will Destroy Your Trading

 

Not having a plan. Get a plan, who cares if it is bad, start with something. You can build off of it and refine it. You have to be willing to spend the time to make the plan yours. You do not start anything without some level of planning. Trading is hard; your brain spends a lot of time in fast forward, affecting your memory. You can slow it down by having a plan and increase your brains ability to remember.

Thinking trading is easy. It is not, there are times when it can be slightly less difficult after a lot of time, patience, and hard work. When I think to myself “this is easy” I lose my sharpness. My focus is adverted from my goal. I will lose. It may not be on that trade but maybe the next.

Not being a beginner. There is only one thing that every trade is guaranteed to give me: a chance to learn about myself, the market, and the interaction between the two. You have to be willing to be relentless in your learning. It will enable you to learn the cheapest.

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