Learning Market Timing
Sep 9, 2009 Stock Investment
Market timing maybe the trading method of the 21st century! There is always a bull market somewhere if you look hard. In other words if you look around you will always be able to find a market that is trending up or down that you can use to make money.
The world is moving from a North American and Eurocentric world view to one that includes Asia, South America especially China, India, Brazil and Russia. Power and influence is spreading to more places around the world.
Internet has ushered in a revolution in the global financial system. Money gets transferred around the globe at the speed of light. This is enough to create opportunity for market timing.
Successful market timing is more dependent on trading techniques. It also depends on your ability to establish positions early on in the trend and maintain those positions as long as possible to let time work for you. This is the new world where the ability to move faster in and out of trading positions and to trade markets that are rising or falling profitably is becoming increasing important to the long term investors. Dont forget the hedge funds when we talk of long term investors. Hedge funds have the skills and resources for market timing around the globe. The buy and hold investing strategy is losing its appeal. Does buy and hold work in todays market? If you are a traditional buy and hold investor you have been conditioned to hold to your portfolio forever. This is what Warren Buffet does. Did he take a beating in the recent stock market crash? Yes he did.
Market timing is the act of entering or exiting trades at the most opportune times in any market whether it is stocks, options, futures, bonds, commodities or currencies around the globe.
Now if you can make money when the market is going up and when the market is going down, you have twice the opportunity to make money. Your goal in using market timing is to maximize your profit potential.
Many people try to confuse market timing with day trading. Market timing is not day trading. Market timing is about recognizing opportunities early on in any market. Moving into positions with well planned strategies and monitoring the progress on a frequent basis.
Market timing is about seeing the intermediate term trend which lasts for weeks or months. Market timing is close to swing trading and position trading. It can last as long as the trend continues in the market and getting out when your profit targets have been met.
Investors who can adapt to this new world are the ones who will have the best chances of success. What makes market timing one of the useful trading methods is that you can use the techniques to time stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, options, currencies, commodities or exchange traded funds!
Most of the markets are influenced by almost the same fundamental factors. Volatility in one market will definitely affect volatility in the other markets. Market timing requires knowledge of fundamental and technical analysis. You can diversify your investment opportunities with market timing. Market timing is as much a state of mind as it is a combination of trading methods.
Market timing also helps you decrease your exposure to risk. You want to stay with the dominant trend with market timing. You want to swim with the tide by buying stocks in a rising market and selling or shorting in a falling market. Get comfortable with technical analysis.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Candlestick Patterns. Learn Candlestick Charting!
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Exchange Traded Fund ETF Options Explained
Sep 8, 2009 Stock Investment
Have you ever heard of the Inverse Currency ETFs? Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a great tool for the retail traders and enable them to trade a variety of markets and sectors individually or with options. ETFs are a recent financial innovation. Overtime ETFs have become highly popular with the investing public. An ETF is made up of different component stocks, currencies, commodities or bonds. An ETF is a security. An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is typically designed to track a particular index or segment of the market.
ETFs enable you to reduce risk by offering unleveraged access to certain asset classes and implementing strategies previously only available to large investors. ETFs can also reduce volatility. As ETFs track a group of securities, ETFs volatility is less than that of its component stocks, bonds, currencies or commodities.
There has been an explosive growth in ETFs. So dont hesitate seeking an ETF for a market you wish to trade. There is a good chance that an ETF will be available that will fit your requirements if you are looking for a segment of the market to invest or trade. ETFs are similar to a mutual fund. ETFs trade like a stock which means you dont have to wait till the end of the day to exit a position.
So ETFs are easy to understand. They give you intraday trading access. They have a low cost as compared to mutual funds and there are no short selling restrictions on ETFs. Most ETFs are based on a specific index like the S&P 500 index. Many ETFs are passively managed. So you should always check the ETF prospectus to check which index it tracks. Some recent ETFs are actively managed. ETFs have tax advantages as well.
ETFs trade on major US stock exchanges. Buying and selling ETFs is like buying and selling stocks. ETFs popularity has also given rise to the availability of research and scanning tools for ETFs on brokers websites.
The good thing is that you can use ETF options to reduce risk further since the initial investment is reduced. Since most of the ETFs track some index, you may ask what the difference between index options and ETF options is. The two products differ in three important ways:
1) ETF options have an underlying security that you can own; they lend themselves to combination strategies. 2) Index options are cash settled while the ETF options are settled using the underlying security. 3) Index options can be European Style or American Style while ETF options can only be American Style.
If you have traded stock options than ETF options are pretty natural next step for you. However, as with stocks not all ETFs have options available for trading. When combining ETFs with ETF options, you have access to an index based security that you can protect as well as reduce its cost.
Just like with ordinary options contracts, you can use the covered call, collared positions or protective put to manage risk with ETF options. But not all ETFs have options contract available for trading! If ETF options are available check how liquid the fund and the options contract are.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know Swing Trading. Learn Forex Trading!
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Different Types Of Forex Charts
Sep 7, 2009 Stock Investment
Do you know what Candlestick Charts are? Candlestick charts were responsible for making many Japanese rice traders rich. Candlestick chart was developed by the Japanese rice traders in the 17th century to profit from rice trading. A picture is worth more than a thousand words. The forex charts is perhaps the best proof of this clich.
Appearance of certain chart patterns can give you priceless clue about the direction in which the market is about to turn. Traders have become very sophisticated in understanding charts and the information contained in them over time. Dont confuse the Head and Shoulder pattern with the name of a shampoo. Head and shoulder is an important trend reversal chart pattern.
By studying the patterns that appear on the forex charts you can predict the likely direction of the currency pair whether it is sideways, upward or downward. Study of charts is known as Technical analysis. Technical analysis depends on the study of different types of charts to understand and predict the likely direction of the currency market. Without technical analysis, you wont be able succeed in forex trading. Technical analysis is very important for forex traders.
There are four main types of forex charts that are used in the world of forex trading. The four main types of forex charts are: 1) Line Chart, 2) Bar Chart, 3) Candlestick Chart and 4) Point and Figure Charts (P&F Charts). A brief description of each one is given below.
Line Charts: Line charts are the simplest of the four forex charts. It does not contain much information. This chart resembles a line hence the name line chart. This chart simply connects the closes from one period to another. Critical data is missing from a line chart as it only shows where the price closed in a period. A line chart doesnt show you where the currency pairs price opened for the period. Nor does it points the high and lows for a period.
Bar Charts: The bar chart addresses many of the shortcomings of the line chart. It is also often called the OHLC (open-high-low-close) bar chart. The bar chart can provide the hourly, daily, weekly and even monthly information.
The top and bottom of the bar are the periods high and low prices of the currency pair. A horizontal line protruding from the right of the bar represents the currency pairs closing price. A horizontal line protruding from the left of the line represents the bar represents the opening price of the currency pair.
Candlestick Charts: This chart clearly depicts the currency pairs open, high, low and close. Traditional bar charts do the same. But candlestick charts do it more effectively. A candlestick chart is made up of two components.
The range between the open and the close is called the real body and the price movement above and below the body is called the shadows. If the currency pair closing price is above the opening price, the candlestick body is white and it is taken as a bullish sign. Similarly if the closing price is below the opening price, the candlestick body is painted black and it is taken as a bearish sign.
Point and Figure Charts (P&F): Point and figure charts plot the currency pair price using a column of Xs to represent rising price movements and Os to represent falling price movements. The main advantage of the P&F charts is that they filter out noise. The only downside is that they dont represent the time well.
The new plot is only made when the price exceeds the predetermined threshold by a fixed amount. The Xs and Os are plotted only when the currency price moves by a predefined amount. A plot may not be made if the currency price does not move significantly.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!
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Trading Decreased Volatility Breakout (Part III)
Sep 6, 2009 Stock Investment
Whether it is to the upside or the downside when you trade triangle breakouts ignore any first breakout attempts. Each triangle type has its own directional bias. Gather as much evidence as you can to support a particular breakout direction so as to minimize the risk of trading false breakouts. Get ready for a breakout when you have identified the triangle formation on either the daily or weekly chart. There can be three possible cases when you try to trade the decreased volatility breakout strategy.
Possibility#1: Dont forget, ignore the first breakout. The second breakout attempt is in the direction expected of the triangle type. In other words, the second breakout attempt is in the upside direction for an ascending triangle and it is in the downside direction for the descending triangle. This breakout could signal either the continuation of the existing trend or the trend reversal.
In case of an ascending triangle, place a stop buy order at least 10 pips above the horizontal resistance level to capture the potential upside breakout. You should make sure each side of the triangle gets touched two times at least. Set profit target according to your time frame. Place a stop loss order 10 pips below the horizontal level of the triangle to protect against false breakout.
Place a stop sell order 10 pips below the horizontal support level to capture the potential downside breakout for a descending triangle. Again make sure the triangle is touched two times before the breakout. Place a stop loss order 10 pips above the horizontal support level.
Possibility No 2: The second breakout is in the downside in case of an ascending triangle and it is to the upside in case of the descending triangle. Again ignore the first breakout attempt. In other words, the second breakout attempt is in the opposite direction of the expected triangle type breakout direction.
In case of an ascending triangle, since the breakout direction is opposite to the most expected direction, cut the position size to half for this trade in order to reduce risk. Set stop sell order at least 10 pips below the upward sloping trendline in order to capture the expected downside breakout. Ignore the first breakout attempt and make sure the triangle is touched at least two times. Place the stop loss 10 pips below the breakout point.
In order to capture the potential upside breakout in case of a descending triangle, place a stop buy entry order at least 10 pips above the downward sloping trendline. Set your profit target in accordance with your time frame. Again reduce the position size to half in order to reduce risk. Place stop loss 10 pips below the breaking point.
Possible Case No 3: The decreased volatility breakout strategy works better when it is implemented on a daily or weekly chart. Dont use intraday charts on this strategy. You must have observed that we havent talked about the symmetrical triangle case yet. Now, there is an equal possibility of upside as well as the downside breakout in case of symmetrical triangles. Place stop buy entry order or the stop sell entry order 10 pips above the downward sloping trendline or 10 pips below the upward sloping trendline. Similarly set your stop loss orders. Just follow similar guidelines as given for the ascending and the descending triangle.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Develop your own Forex Trading System. Learn Forex Trading !
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Triangle Formations In Currency Trading (Part II)
Sep 5, 2009 Stock Investment
What is the crowd psychology behind a descending triangle? Every time the currency price goes down to a certain level that forms the support there are buyers who want to hold that level stubbornly for their own reasons. Buyers thus push the price up each time the support level is tested. Spotting a descending triangle in a downtrend signals the downside breakout of the support level.
Thus when the price bounces off the support level, the bears take the opportunity to short again. Sellers are quite anxious to sell as they feel that the currency price should fall over time. This causes a domino effect. Prices go down even lower. Thus fulfilling a sustained downside breakout!
As with an ascending triangle, bulls and bears face a skirmish with both camps not feeling confident of the next market move. Spotting a descending triangle should allow you to be prepared for a downside breakout from the support level especially if it is a down trend.
When the support level is broken, many of those long positions which have been placed above that level soon get stopped out. Prices tend to break in the middle or the final third part of the triangle formation.
It tends to give off even more bearish vibes than if it is formed during an uptrend if the descending triangle is formed during an existing downtrend. Unless you have reversal signals in the form of technicals or turn around of the market sentiment, you should always assume the continuation of the prevailing trend.
If the descending triangle appears in the midst of a downtrend, the triangle serves as a continuation pattern. A descending triangle should not be considered to be the final word on impending downside breakout. However, with that said prices also sometimes breakout from above the descending triangle successfully in a burst of bullish momentum.
Symmetrical Triangles: A symmetrical triangle has some resemblance to a wedge pattern. A symmetrical triangle consists of two converging trendlines that join a series of lower highs and higher lows. There are no horizontal lines in symmetrical triangles. This differentiates it from the ascending and the descending triangles.
The higher lows are formed when buyers of the currency pair are willing to pay a bit more to get a piece of action. As they are willing to accept less and less of the price over time, the lower highs reflect the mildly bearish conviction of the sellers.
A symmetrical triangle tends to be less reliable as compared to an ascending or descending triangle. There is no way to predict the future breakout direction until one of the symmetrical triangle lines is penetrated. As with the other sloping triangles, breakouts usually occur in the middle or the final third of the triangle.
When trading triangle breakouts, you should always consider other pieces of information so that you can better pinpoint a higher probability trade set up. Besides the triangle formation, decreased volatility can also be detected with the exponential moving averages and the Bollinger bands.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!
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Triangle Formations In Forex Trading (Part I)
Sep 4, 2009 Stock Investment
Triangles are one of the best depictions of decreasing price volatility in the currency price charts. Triangle formations appear relatively common in charts. Through triangle formations you can ride on a potentially high momentum move that is likely to occur after a period of decreasing volatility.
A high probability trade is in sight when the technicals are coupled with the current market sentiment when a particular type of triangle has been identified by the trader. All triangles show decreasing price volatility in action.
Basically there are three types of triangle formations: 1) Ascending, 2) Descending and 3) Symmetrical. Triangles are also known as Wedges. Triangles are basically continuation patterns but they can also be reversal patterns. This depends on the different types of triangles and whether they occur in an uptrend or a downtrend.
Ascending Triangle: When you see an ascending triangle on the chart, it is basically a bullish signal. It can be either a continuation or reversal pattern. An ascending triangle can be easily identified by its upward sloping trendline. This upward sloping trendline creates the lower boundary of the ascending triangle.
The upper boundary is roughly horizontal and this horizontal line should connect at least two price points. The horizontal line represents the resistance level. What is the crowd psychology behind an ascending triangle? There are sellers in the market who push the price down every time the currency price goes up to the resistance level.
There are buyers who believe very strongly that the currency price should rise based on their own reasons when the prices retreat from their high and are on the way down. They thus bid the prices higher than the previous low forming the upward slope of the triangle.
The triangle is formed when these two lines, one sloping and the other horizontal converge at one point. Breakouts tend to occur in the middle or the third of the triangle formation measuring from the start of the triangle to the tip. The appearance of an ascending triangle should prepare you for an upside breakout form the resistance.
It acts as a bullish reversal pattern if it formed during an existing downtrend. It is seen as an uptrend continuation pattern when you see an ascending triangle during an uptrend in general.
Descending Triangles: A descending triangle is viewed as a bearish formation even though it can be either a continuation or reversal pattern. A descending triangle works the opposite of an ascending triangle.
A descending triangle can be identified by the downward slope of the trendline which is formed by connecting the lower price highs. This downward sloping trendline forms the upper boundary of the triangle. The horizontal lower boundary of the triangle represents the support level and it is formed by connecting at least two price points.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!
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What Is Decreased Volatility Breakout? (Part II)
Sep 3, 2009 Stock Investment
Aging Trend: This is the third stage of the trend and is the period of consolidation as the trend comes to maturity. As the momentum of the trend exhausts itself, volatility tends to decrease at this stage of the trend. This is the period where lot of profit taking will take place.
Both the bulls and the bears are hesitant to make daring moves at this stage of the trend. Experienced traders now know that the trend has aged and it is the best time to get out of the trend. They try to get out of their trades at this stage of the trend by closing their positions. This satisfies the appetites of inexperienced traders as they consolidate their positions by taking on the positions abandoned by the experienced traders.
Currency prices have moved by a large amount in the previous period of high volatility. This is the period of consolidation and the prices tend to stay calm during this period. The trend takes a short break and the volatility is low during this stage of the trend.
End of Trend: This is the time when the prevailing trend ends and reverses itself after some new information is revealed about a currency that changes the mass opinion. This results in the rapid adjustment of prices within a short time as the market players tend to absorb the information.
Many stops will get triggered during this stage of the trend. Especially if they have been caught on the wrong side of the market, traders become desperate to get out of their positions. Most know that the trend has come to an end. The best way to preserve their profits is to get out of the trend as early as possible. Experienced traders had already gotten out of the trend during the aging stage of the trend. Most of the traders who are trying to get out now are inexperienced traders.
The trend now reverses itself. There is a sharp follow through of the prices in the reversed direction during this stage of the trend. Now you understand and know that within a trend, currency prices can experience decreased volatility followed by increased volatility which is again followed by decreased and increased volatility as the crowd psychology keeps on changing.
Decreased volatility can be found during trending or ranging phases. Traders with open positions during this low period of volatility are the most vulnerable to unanticipated news.
However deceased volatility provides an excellent opportunity to traders to prepare and profit from an imminent change from low to high volatility. During this time gains can be made from the unsuspecting players and this is known as the Decreased Volatility Breakout Strategy.
How do you measure that the change in volatility? There are several technical indicators that can help you visualize the volatility in the currency prices. The success of this strategy lies in measuring the volatility of the forex market correctly. There are various ways to do that.
Two of the most useful indicators that can help you measure the volatility of the currency prices are: 1) Moving Averages and 2) Bollinger Bands. You can also use triangles as one of the best indicators of decreasing price volatility in the currency price charts.
You can take advantage of the decreasing price volatility in the forex market through identifying the triangle formations. When a particular type of triangle has been identified by the trader, a high probability trade may be in sight. All triangles show decreasing price volatility in the forex market.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Get Netpicks Forex Signals Free. Learn Forex Trading!
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Decreased Volatility Breakout Strategy (Part I)
Sep 2, 2009 Stock Investment
Trading breakouts is one of the most popular ways of making pips from the forex market. Decreased volatility breakout is one of the subsets of breakout trading. While this strategy is similar to the strategy of trading breakouts, but it is specific to a certain conditions in the forex market.
When prices change to a large extent within a short span of time, volatility tends to be high. Volatility is a measure of the scale of price fluctuations over time. The more the price changes during a certain period of time, the higher the volatility of the currency pair. The reverse also holds the volatility tends to be low during such periods when prices oscillate more or less close to a certain price level without deviating much from it over a long span of time.
Entering the forex market in periods of high volatility can be stressful for most of the traders as they dont know whether the trade will go their way or not. However, it is the periods of high volatility that lets traders make pips and it is the volatile nature of the forex market that attracts the risk seekers in search of high returns. Have you ever thought; why not concentrate on the low volatility period instead of focusing on the high volatility market.
Forex market is just people trying to buy or sell currencies. It is the psychology of the crowd that rules the market in the end. There is a tendency in the currency prices to alternate between periods of high volatility and low volatility in the forex market just like other financial markets. This recurrent pattern is due to the crowd psychology which is the force behind changes in the forex market.
There are four main stages of a trend. These four stages are: 1) Nascent Trend, 2) Fully Charged Trend, 3) Aging Trend and 4) End of Trend. At each stage of the trend, there is a different crowd psychology behind it. These four stages are closely linked to the cycle of volatility in the market. Lets discuss these stages of a trend in detail.
Nascent Trend: When the new trend just starts either upside or downside, most market players are still skeptical about the possible new trend direction during the nascent stage of the trend. Volatility is thus low as both bears and bulls tread carefully and are cautious.
Fully Charged Trend: When the trend progresses, it becomes fully charged as there is now evidence from fundamental data that supports the trend direction! It is time for more action now. Traders who are caught on the opposite side of the market become exposed when the new information proves them wrong.
During this stage of the trend, a lot of changing positions will take place. Traders who were initially on the wrong side of the market become new converts to the trend. This causes the currency prices to move more dramatically within this stage of the trend. Volatility is high during the fully charge stage of the trend.
Everyone wants to jump in the trend. More and more positions are established. Traders become convinced of the direction of the trend and new information convinces most of the traders of the direction of the trend. Hence volatility tends to be high during this period. This brings prices to higher highs in an uptrend or lower lows in a down trend. Always remember, Trend is your friend. Ride the trend as long as it lasts.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!
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Traders Mindset (Part II)
Sep 1, 2009 Stock Investment
Greed is a form of fear which is the fear of missing out. So you need to control and face your fears in trading. The first step in overcoming fear is to recognize the various forms of fear connected with trading. The second step is knowing how to control those fears.
Why so many people bought tech stocks during the dot com boom? Everyday their mouths would salivate on reading rosy pictures of potential gains that could be made in investing in those stocks further fueling the bubble that was going to burst all of a sudden. Have you ever thought why do so many people rush to the departmental store during the sales season? Is it is the fear of missing out. Any kind of buying mania stems from the fear of missing out. People are afraid of missing out a good opportunity. This form of fear is a kind of greed.
In forex trading, this fear manifests itself especially during a sharp rally or decline of a currency pair. Suppose, you see on your computer monitor that the EUR/USD pair is making new highs, as it keeps on going up and up.
Immediately buy, buy, and buy signals start ringing in your mind. Your heart starts pounding. You start feeling the acute pain of not being in the market when the EUR/USD pair continues to move higher and higher. Your mouth is watering with the thoughts of making potential huge profits.
You start thinking, Everyone is buying and I am not buying. I am losing out a highly profitable trade. This fear of losing out hypnotizes you into placing buy orders frantically. You have some doubts at the far back of your mind but you simply ignore them.
These types of trading decisions are very dangerous. When most of the buying has been done, it compels you to enter into a trend very late. Be disciplined! The mindset, How can I not be buying/selling when everyone else is buying/selling, is extremely dangerous. Be glad to think that most of the traders are pouring dumb money into buying a currency pair that is already overbought. Always remember, Buy low and sell high.
Trading is a game. There will be winners. There will be losers. Sometime you win and sometimes you will lose some of your trades. The fear of losing out is the most prominent among the new traders.
New traders dont yet have the adequate skills and knowledge to help assess and evaluate trading opportunities with a high level of confidence. This leads to trading paralysis. New traders become afraid of pulling the trigger when it comes to entering or exiting a trade as they fear losing money.
It is essential for you to practice on your demo account. Though you wont feel the real emotions like when you trade with your real money but still practice can make you confident. Now you should not be afraid of pulling the trigger and being fearful of damaging the account based on only one trade. How to overcome this type of trading paralysis? How much you can afford to lose, decide before entering into a trade. Use a stop loss order that is in accordance with your money management rules. Proper use of stop loss should help you become less fearful of losing out a major portion of your account.
Do not get caught up feeling invincible or pessimistic after a win or a loss. It is very easy for traders to oscillate between emotional high and low. The outcome of just one trade should not affect your overall performance. Try to develop your own winning forex trading system that can give more winner than losers in the long run.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know These Forex Charts. Learn Forex Trading!
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Do You Have The Forex Traders Mindset? (Part I)
Aug 31, 2009 Stock Investment
Human beings are emotional creatures. It is often said that we are our own worst enemy. In forex trading, this is the ultimate truth. Most of our trading decisions are guided more by emotional than logical thinking. Our mind is capable of playing emotional tricks on us.
Emotions can work for us and against us. Your battles are won or lost in your mind first. We can get seduced into unfavorable situations by our emotions. A traders mindset is the most important ingredient of success.
You must understand this thing from the start that forex trading is not for everyone. You must ask yourself do you have a strong desire to succeed in forex trading. If you dont have the strong desire, you will end up like the majority who lose their money and never make a profit. Dont just try your luck or dabble in trading. Ask yourself do you have the passion for trading forex?
Forex trading requires a lot of self motivation and a strong desire to succeed. In the beginning you may not be able to make many winning trades. You must be highly self motivated in order to become a successful forex trader. You must have a concrete plan of action and not be afraid of failure. Are you ready to devote a lot of time and effort into picking up trading skills and knowledge?
You need knowledge and skills in trading currencies in order to become a successful forex trader. To attain consistent success in forex trading, a huge amount of time, effort and money is required for a trader.
Losses are the inevitable part of lack of experience and knowledge. But even if you develop the experience and knowledge to successfully trade the currency market, you cannot avoid losses. There is an inherent risk in trading currencies. No one can overcome that risk. Are you willing to accept losses as part of trading? You are going to make mistakes while trading. Do you understand that you can suffer losses in trading? Are you willing to learn from your mistakes? Do you have a traders log that you use to reflect on each lost trade and learn from it?
Most of the new traders read some market analysis from an analyst and enter into the trade on his/her recommendation. If the trade turns out to be a loser, most of us tend to blame on the market analysis. It is easy to blame others.
Dont be trigger happy? Only pull the trigger when you are confident that you have done your analysis to confirm what others are saying. Is it fair to blame someone when you could have done further market analysis on your own? When you could have planned your trade in a better way, it is foolish to blame others for your mistakes.
Fear and greed are two demons that are going to haunt you in every trade. Fear and greed are the two most important and dominant emotions that affect not only the individual traders but also the currency markets. A trader is constantly under the influence of fear and greed when trading. Can you be greedy when others are fearful? Do you need to be fearful when others are greedy? In fact, these two emotions are the main drivers of the forex markets.
Fear and greed are behind the steering wheel of the currency market. Fear makes many traders like you over pessimistic about a currency pair. They start the selling frenzy. Similarly, greed is going to make many traders like you over optimistic in thinking that a currency is going to appreciate. Greed starts a buying frenzy. It develops a bubble based on the irrational exuberance. It is inevitable that this bubble is going to burst. When greed takes over, the market becomes bullish. When fear takes over, the market turns bearish.
Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know Swing Trading. Learn Forex Trading!
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