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5 Major Trading Pitfalls

2dl87puPitfall #1. Betting the farm. Let’s be realistic. Not every trade is going to be a winner. Here is a simple rule for you to remember. Never commit more than 10% to any one position. When I was trading in the pits in Chicago I heard for the first time about the “RIOTRADE”. Simply put, you take a huge position in the market. If it works out, you are a hero. If you lose, you leave home and head for Brazil. Again, NEVER BET THE FARM ON ANY POSITION.

Pitfall #2. Planting too few seeds. This one goes hand in hand with the first pitfall. The key here is diversification and following several markets. Ken watches 30 markets and looks for profit opportunities in each one as they occur. PLANT MORE SEEDS AND YOU CAN ENJOY MORE WINNERS.

Pitfall #3. Jumping the gun. Patience, patience, patience. This is perhaps one of the toughest things for traders to remember, particularly after they have taken some good money out of the market. JUMPING INTO A MARKET BEFORE ALL INDICATORS ARE POSITIVE CAN CAUSE UNNECESSARY LOSSES.

Pitfall #4. The hope trap. This is one of those pitfalls that goes completely against human nature and it is the biggest account killer. What I am talking about is hanging onto a losing position in the desperate hope that it will turn around. A SIMPLE SOLUTION IS TO ALWAYS PLACE A STOP ON EVERY MARKET POSITION AND DO NOT CANCEL IT! (more…)

5 Major Trading Pitfalls you must avoid at all costs!

5pitfallsPitfall #1. Betting the farm. Let’s be realistic. Not every trade is going to be a winner. Here is a simple rule for you to remember. Never commit more than 10% to any one position. When I was trading in the pits in Chicago I heard for the first time about the “RIOTRADE”. Simply put, you take a huge position in the market. If it works out, you are a hero. If you lose, you leave home and head for Brazil. Again, NEVER BET THE FARM ON ANY POSITION.

Pitfall #2. Planting too few seeds. This one goes hand in hand with the first pitfall. The key here is diversification and following several markets. Ken watches 30 markets and looks for profit opportunities in each one as they occur. PLANT MORE SEEDS AND YOU CAN ENJOY MORE WINNERS.

Pitfall #3. Jumping the gun. Patience, patience, patience. This is perhaps one of the toughest things for traders to remember, particularly after they have taken some good money out of the market. JUMPING INTO A MARKET BEFORE ALL INDICATORS ARE POSITIVE CAN CAUSE UNNECESSARY LOSSES. (more…)

Why We Fear Simple Money Solutions

I keep coming across an interesting problem. People say they want things to be simpler — investing, life insurance, retirement planning, etc. But when a simpler (and effective) option is proposed, they reject it as too simple.

In most of the money situations I’ve come across, the best solution is almost by definition the simplest. (Note: I didn’t say the easiest.)

So why don’t we go for simple?

1) We don’t believe it will work.

We’re attracted to complexity because anything that requires a lot of something — time, details, money — should work, right? By default, if it’s simple, say only two steps instead of ten, we think we’re missing out.

2) We think simple should be easy.

It’s like the guy who goes to the doctor and says he doesn’t feel well. There must be something wrong with him that a pill could fix. But all the doctor says is, “Get more sleep, eat healthier food and exercise three times a week.” (more…)

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