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Trading commandments

ten_commandments1.) Respect the price action but never defer to it.

Our eyes are valuable tools when trading, but if we deferred to the flickering ticks, stocks would be “better” up and “worse” down. That’s backward logic.

2.) Discipline trumps conviction.

No matter how strongly you feel on a given position, you must defer to the principles of discipline when trading. Always try to define your risk and never believe you’re smarter than the market.

3.) Opportunities are made up easier than losses.

It’s not necessary to play every day; it’s only necessary to have a high winning percentage on the trades you choose to make. Sometimes the ability not to trade is as important as trading ability.

4.) Emotion is the enemy when trading.

Emotional decisions have a way of coming back to haunt you. If you’re personally attached to a position, your decision-making process will be flawed. Take a deep breath before risking your hard-earned coin. See related link.

5.) Zig when others zag.

Sell hope, buy despair and take the other side of emotional disconnects. If you can’t find the sheep in the herd, chances are you’re it. (more…)

Emotional

The amateur trader trades without knowing why, how, or when. She jumps into the market because it looks like it ought to got up, or sells because the market looks like it ought to go down. There is no plan, no set of rules, no understanding of stock market basics; just an emotionally driven response to price action. And the emotionally controlled professionals? They are standing with arms wide open and a smile from ear to ear ready to welcome the amateur into a place of grand opportunities only to be introduced to the slaughterhouse rules. Want to guess who the sheep is?

The 10 trading commandments

1.) Respect the price action but never defer to it.

Our eyes are valuable tools when trading, but if we deferred to the flickering ticks, stocks would be “better” up and “worse” down. That’s backward logic.

2.) Discipline trumps conviction.

No matter how strongly you feel on a given position, you must defer to the principles of discipline when trading. Always try to define your risk and never believe you’re smarter than the market.

3.) Opportunities are made up easier than losses.

It’s not necessary to play every day; it’s only necessary to have a high winning percentage on the trades you choose to make. Sometimes the ability not to trade is as important as trading ability.

4.) Emotion is the enemy when trading.

Emotional decisions have a way of coming back to haunt you. If you’re personally attached to a position, your decision-making process will be flawed. Take a deep breath before risking your hard-earned coin. See related link.

5.) Zig when others zag.

Sell hope, buy despair and take the other side of emotional disconnects. If you can’t find the sheep in the herd, chances are you’re it.

6.) Adapt your style to the market.

Different investment approaches are warranted at different junctures, and applying the right methodology is half the battle. Map a plan before stepping on the field so your time horizon and risk profile are in sync.

7.) Maximize your reward relative to your risk.

If you’re patient and pick your spots, edges will emerge that provide an advantageous risk/reward. There is usually one easy trade per session if you let it show itself.

8.) Perception is reality in the marketplace.

Identifying the prevalent psychology is necessary when assimilating the trading dynamic. It’s not what is, it’s what’s perceived to be that dictates the price action.

9.) When unsure, trade “in between.”

When in doubt, sit it out. Your risk profile should always be an extension of your thought process and when unsure, trade smaller until you establish a rhythm.

10.) Don’t let your bad trades turn into investments.

Rationalization has no place in trading. If you put on a position for a catalyst and it passes, take the risk off — win, lose or draw. Good traders know how to make money but great traders know how to take a loss.

There are obviously more rules but I’ve found these to be common threads through the years. Where you stand is a function of where you sit. So please understand that some of these guidelines may not apply to your particular approach.

As always, I share my process with hopes it adds value to yours. Find a style that works for you, always allow for a margin of error and trade to win, never trade “not to lose.”

And remember — any trader worth his or her salt has endured periods of pain but if we learn from those mistakes, they’ll morph into lessons. For if there wasn’t risk in this profession, it would be called “winning,” not “trading.”

The Farmer and The Calf: An Investment Story

This story is about a farmer who received a calf from a rich man. Hopeful that the calf will be able to help him have a better life, the farmer did his best to take care of it. But as the calf grew, so did the farmer’s expenses.One day, he said to himself, “I don’t want to wait anymore for this calf to become an ox. I’ll just sell it and buy several sheep which are easier and much cheaper to take care of.”And so he did just that.After several months, he realized that breeding sheep were not as easy as he thought. And so he said to himself, “It takes too long for these sheep to give birth. I better just sell them and buy myself several hens which can lay eggs for me everyday.”And so he did just that.The plan worked very well, he was earning good from selling all the eggs. Life improved for the farmer. But after several months, the hens started to lay less and less eggs until one day, the hens couldn’t produce anymore.The farmer was devastated. In his anger, he cooked all the hens and had himself a feast.Later that week, he remembered the single calf that started it all and realized that after all his hard work, nothing had changed in his life.

4 Trading Mistakes

  • Don’t over-leverage yourself or have all of your money tied into one position. Keeping cash on hand is okay as a trader. These days brokers are offering extremely competitive margin requirements for day trading futures, but low margins can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
    .
  • Don’t trade to trade. Understand that there are 3 positions you can take as a trader: a long position, a short position and a position to NOT be in a position. There will be plenty of trading opportunities that will come along. Don’t give money to the markets simply because you are bored!
    .
  • Avoid trading a strategy without having a good understanding of how the strategy works. What is the typical winning percentage? What is the largest drawdown? In general, high winning percentage strategies have smaller average profits per trade. Lower winning percentage strategies might not have as many winners, but when you are a winner, you typically win big. If you expect your strategy to bring big profits without losses, you can also expect a check made out to “REALITY” to come your way any day.
  • The market will always go higher and it will always go lower. Don’t try to pick tops and bottoms on a hunch. This is where most new traders get burned.
  • 4 Trading Mistakes

    • Don’t over-leverage yourself or have all of your money tied into one position. Keeping cash on hand is okay as a trader. These days brokers are offering extremely competitive margin requirements for day trading futures, but low margins can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
      .
    • Don’t trade to trade. Understand that there are 3 positions you can take as a trader: a long position, a short position and a position to NOT be in a position. There will be plenty of trading opportunities that will come along. Don’t give money to the markets simply because you are bored!
      .
    • Avoid trading a strategy without having a good understanding of how the strategy works. What is the typical winning percentage? What is the largest drawdown? In general, high winning percentage strategies have smaller average profits per trade. Lower winning percentage strategies might not have as many winners, but when you are a winner, you typically win big. If you expect your strategy to bring big profits without losses, you can also expect a check made out to “REALITY” to come your way any day. 
      .
    • Don’t get cocky after a few wins. The market WILL humble you and make fools out of those with egos.

    10 trading commandments

    1.) Respect the price action but never defer to it.

    Our eyes are valuable tools when trading, but if we deferred to the flickering ticks, stocks would be “better” up and “worse” down. That’s backward logic.

    2.) Discipline trumps conviction.

    No matter how strongly you feel on a given position, you must defer to the principles of discipline when trading. Always try to define your risk and never believe you’re smarter than the market.

    3.) Opportunities are made up easier than losses.

    It’s not necessary to play every day; it’s only necessary to have a high winning percentage on the trades you choose to make. Sometimes the ability not to trade is as important as trading ability.

    4.) Emotion is the enemy when trading.

    Emotional decisions have a way of coming back to haunt you. If you’re personally attached to a position, your decision-making process will be flawed. Take a deep breath before risking your hard-earned coin. See related link.

    5.) Zig when others zag.

    Sell hope, buy despair and take the other side of emotional disconnects. If you can’t find the sheep in the herd, chances are you’re it. (more…)

    10 Types of Trading Animals:Which Are You?

    The Bear- This trading animal believes the market will be going down and plays the short side. Bears think that a market is going to be very red.

    The Bull- This trading animal is very optimistic that the market will be green. Bulls love to buy and believe their screen will be full of green.

    The Whale- This trading animal can move prices when it buys and sells. The whale has to faze into positions and out of them so it does not make big enough waves to attract piggy backers. A lot of money can be made trading along side the right whale.

    The Pig- This trading animal likes to trade big and often. The problem is that the pig does not know how to exit a winning trade he usually has too big of a target, too big of a position size, and too big of a time frame.

    The Shark- This trading animal is just about making money, it gets into trades, makes money and gets out. It has little interest in big complicated theories or esoteric methods. The shark keeps it simple it makes money then moves on to the next opportunity. (more…)