I have been trading for several decades and was an exchange member and floor trader for 17 years. You learn fast there or you go broke in a hurry. As you can see I managed to hold my own for a few years until I found the secret and started to become a successful trader. Every professional trader I know knows the one great secret and that is to keep your losses small.
We all learned that when we took a position ? either long or short ? that we better be able to jump out if the trade was not going our way. Many of my friends were scalpers. That means they were trading for just a few ticks and every night went home flat. Flat is no positions at all.
Others, myself included, took a longer look and planned to hold a position for a period of time. That could be several days or weeks. If you were right the longer you held on the more money you would make.
The general public seems think that exchange members know everything and always made money.Tain't so. Many traders were wrong more than 50% of the time. Huh? Yes, fifty percent. My account had losses 40% of the time and 20% were scratch trades (neither winners nor losers).
You ask, "If you are out of the money 60% of your trades how can you make money?" This is what every professional knows: Keep your losses small and let your profits run. How many times have you heard that one? BUT how many times have you ignored that rule?
At the end of the year when you analyze your trades you find that you made $3.00 for each $1.00 you lost you will show a nice big profit.
I don't care what business you are in you don't put your whole wad on a single outcome and stick with it until it either works or go broke. That is what brokers and mutual fund managers want you to do. They want you to buy, but never sell.
It is a tragedy for the small investor today that mutual fund families are putting in selling restrictions to discourage investors from dumping funds that are headed down. Many require long holding periods and if you sell prior to that time they charge an extra fee of 2%. They give lame excuses that I know are not true for doing this. Never buy any fund or trade with any brokerage company that has that kind of rule.
It is cheaper to pay the 2% or whatever fee there is and get out than hang around and lose 20% to 40% of your equity. Look back at 2000 to 2003. This can happen again despite what your broker tells you.
Be wrong and run home with most of your money. You still have enough to invest in a better opportunity. If you are disciplined to get out of any bad situation early you will end up a rich person.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
tidy up service Northbrook ..Just about everything you have been told about Social Security... Read More
(1) Stock Market is Tough Place to Make Any Money... Read More
If you are serious about making and keeping money by... Read More
Are you attracted to the idea of being in control... Read More
You'd have had to be living on a desert island... Read More
We learnt the following the hard way! If any of... Read More
First let's see what protectionism is. According to Mr. Webster... Read More
During the month of January the Dow Jones Industrial Average,... Read More
The spring-loaded rat catcher is the ultimate low-tech device invented... Read More
There has been great condemnation recently because China has been... Read More
If you have been watching the stock market at all... Read More
Let's first define insanity. It is doing the same thing... Read More
That sounds like good advice doesn't it? Don't lose all... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
How often have you come across an advertisement or e-mail... Read More
Question: How does it get better when it gets worse?Last... Read More
I would like to share with the reader an article... Read More
Buy high and sell low -- It's not a typo.Millions... Read More
Did you know you can make money (and a lot... Read More
The gleam and bright lights of Wall Street lure in... Read More
There are formulas for just about everything, but it has... Read More
I receive emails from Morningstar. This company provides statistics and... Read More
Forget making a profit; instead focus on the income provided... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
You probably have been told that options are risky. Even... Read More
reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..Have you been listening to the talking heads on CNBC-TV?... Read More
Sometime in the third quarter of 1997, someone told me... Read More
The broker told me not to sell because the mutual... Read More
Starbucks earnings are up again and so is their stock... Read More
We keep hearing about this bear market and that the... Read More
For weeks, no, months we have been bombarded with nothing... Read More
We learnt the following the hard way! If any of... Read More
This is an extract of an article which was first... Read More
Mutual funds by definition are a mixed bag of stocks,... Read More
I cringe every time I hear a novice investor tell... Read More
Investing in long-term financial vehicles give you the most gains... Read More
The stock market has not been very kind to your... Read More
IT'S REMINISCENT OF THE OLD children's tale about an old... Read More
How many times has this happened to you? You're at... Read More
When the stock market is going up and all your... Read More
Peter is a professional trader, Paul is not. Peter has... Read More
Never lose money in the stock market again. Yeah, I... Read More
This is a guide to the different types of mutual... Read More
Ever done any whitewater rafting or canoeing? Long periods of... Read More
I love roller coasters. The steeper the better. High and... Read More
Spread trading is a technique that can be used to... Read More
You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds,... Read More
In my opinion, due to the volatility of stock market... Read More
The thinking process of the brain relating to the... Read More
With over 6,000 mutual funds available, it may be tempting... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |