​ Over-trading fits in under the topic of risk management. We are talking "risk control." First, I would say that risk management is one of the most important things that you really need to understand. Second, you must begin to under-trade, under-trade, under-trade. Whatever you think your position ought to be, cut it at least in half. My experience with novice traders is that they trade 3 to 5 ti...

​ You must be disciplined in following the plan of your trade religiously. Once you have closed your position, you should record everything about the trade. Write down where you wanted to enter the trade, what you expected out of the trade, and what you actually did get out of the trade. Make sure to include notes that will help you learn from the trade, reasoning what actually took place once you...

Anyone is allowed to make one mistake. When the mistake is repeated, watch out! The third repetition of the same mistake constitutes self-destructive habitual behavior that must be reversed. Stop all trading immediately, and thoroughly examine your self-discipline. Once the reason for the repetitive mistake is understood (usually fear, anger, greed, or guilt) it must be corrected before trading ma...

​ A thorough understanding of who you are and what makes you tick is essential in trading. How and what you think, what you believe, and how you behave are critical parts of winning in trading as well as winning in life. It seems very few traders understand, or are aware of this subtlety in the trading profession. You can get by without knowing who and what you are in most other careers but in tra...

​ Learning the business of trading is basically no different from learning any other business. The important thing is that you realize that trading is a business that must be studied and learned correctly, because that determines your success or failure. Winning means learning major guidelines and concepts that you repeat so often in your own behavior that they become good habits. These good habit...

​ The importance of how you learn the business of trading cannot be minimized because of the factors that determine your success or failure. Learning the business of trading is basically no different from learning any other business. Winning means learning major guidelines and concepts that you repeat so often in your own behavior that they become good habits. These good habits then become automat...

  Here is what I found on Wikipedia about Ed Seykota: Edward Arthur Seykota (born August 7, 1946) is a commodities trader, who earned S.B. degrees in Electrical Engineering from MIT and Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management, both in 1969. In 1970, he pioneered Systems trading by using early punched card computers to test ideas on trading the markets. Seykota resided in Incline Vi...

I like Marty Schwartz and his trading book "Pit Bull" a lot. It is an honest book about a trader who had his ups and downs in the market as we all do. In his book he writes, he made his highest progress, when he stopped trying "to be right" with the trades and instead followed the approach of "making money". Here is what I found on Wikipedia about him: Martin S. Schwartz (Buzzy, born March 23, 194...

​ During the next few weeks, I want to have a look into the "golden rules" of famous traders with the idea, to find something they all have in common. I am starting with Paul Tudor Jones. Here, what I found in Wikipedia about him: Paul Tudor Jones II (born September 28, 1954) is an American investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. In 1980, he founded his hedge fund, Tudor Investment Corpo...

To become a truly successful trader you must become a truly committed trader. How do you get yourself to be in control? Statistics and society may predict, but you alone determine whether you will succeed or fail. You alone are in control. You alone must take responsibility for your performance and your life. There are always tremendous opportunities in the markets. It is not what happens; it is w...

​ Anyone is allowed to make one mistake. When the same mistake is repeated a second time, caution should be noted. The third repetition of the same mistake constitutes self-destructive habitual behavior that must be reversed. All trading must stop immediately until the trader's self-discipline is thoroughly examined. Once the reason for the repetitive mistakes is understood, usually fear, anger or...

​ In this instance, you spread by taking an opposite position in a related contract. You might spread corn against wheat. You might spread heating oil against unleaded gasoline. Quite often, operators who trade large size and are market makers hedge the S&P 500 by taking an opposite position in the Nasdaq or the Dow. Soybean traders often hedge by spreading off against the meal, the oil, or bo...

As a trader, it's very important that you keep accurate records of all factors that may impact the outcome of your trades so that you can learn from your losses, improve your performance, and do better next time. From a psychological viewpoint, by documenting actions, thoughts and emotions associated with both wins and losses, you will come to see what works and what doesn't. When it comes to loss...

​ Our past experience is a factor coloring the way we see things. We get an electric shock, and we decide never again to put a hairpin into an electrical outlet. Or, when we kiss our mate and receive a kiss back, we learn that kissing that person produces pleasure, so we enjoy doing it again! Likewise, our experience with the markets, colors our perception, and can influence the way we approach th...

​ Early in the trading day, as part of your daily preparation (you do have a daily preparation, don't you?) it's helpful to practice a little to get a "feel" for what you might do and how you might trade. One way to do it is to make a few small trades, using just a small percent of your normal trading size. Putting on a small position usually helps you focus. Once you've entered the market, see ho...

​ Because we don't know what "successful" means to every individual, we should divide traders into different groups. I think most traders can be found in one of the following groups: Group One - these are mainly traders new in the trading business. They have read a book or two and they find trading very interesting, but they still don't know where to start. Group Two - these are the traders who al...

​ I'll try to give you a few things to think about, but unless you can overcome your inability to accept risk, you don't have much of a chance to make it as a trader. Trading and risk are virtually one and the same. Shorter term trading isn't about using a buy-and-hold strategy, and minimizing risk by holding on for the long-term. Short-term traders capitalize on volatility and the fact that volat...

Professional day traders reverse their positions about 60% of the time when they take losses? Why do they do this? The market should not have technically reached the exit price, which is placed where the intraday market trend may have reversed the short term trend. Consider a market that moves a three-day average range above the opening price then breaks sharply to the downside and posts new intra...

​ There are several major mistakes that traders, especially beginning traders, are making much of the time. Here is a (for sure not complete) list. Mistake #1: Because of hype they hear from many sources, beginning traders believe they can learn trading in a couple of days or weeks. The truth is, becoming successful in the trading business takes much longer and is harder to achieve than it seems i...

​ Winning traders cannot afford to be influenced by their emotions. The nature of trading demands an objective, logical approach. If you experience extreme excitement after a win and extreme disappointment after a loss, you will be living on an emotional roller coaster: up and down, up and down. Many beginning traders have head knowledge of what it means to control their emotions. They can imagine...