Many people believe that trading cannot be taught. They say that the best traders in the world are born with an innate gift that allows them to trade the markets with ease. Others, however, think trading can be taught, and this was famously put to the test by Richard Dennis and his Turtle Traders.
Whatever your personal opinion, successful traders do require certain skills and here are a few:
1. Discipline to trade to follow the plan
One of the key skills a trader must have is the discipline to follow the plan. When things are going wrong and the markets are not playing as expected, it’s tempted to abandon the plan and trade by gut instinct but this is a mistake. In fact, it’s times like those when the trading plan becomes even more crucial.
2. Intense work ethic
Some people get into the markets for the money alone and it is these people who normally do not last very long. Surviving in the markets means having the work ethic to do your homework on the markets, to analyse future opportunities and to go over all of your previous trades looking for ways to improve. In the end, it’s no surprise that those who do well in the markets are those that stick at it for long hours every day of every week.
3. Recognising when you’re wrong
Being able to recognise when you’re wrong is what sets winning and losing traders apart. If the price action is telling you that your trade is wrong, you need to have the strength to throw in the towel and close the position out for a loss – before it gets even worse. All traders make losing trades so traders who can’t recognise when they are wrong stand to lose much more hanging on.
4. Pulling the trigger
To succeed in trading requires finding profitable opportunities the moment they appear so it is necessary for a winning trader not only to find the trades but to act on them without delay. Following technical indicators and watching price action can lead to good trade signals but if pulling the trigger on a trade is a problem, it will always be difficult to make money. Because, profitable trading opportunities rarely exist for very long in the forex markets.
5. Patience
Patience is required in large amounts in order to be a successful trader. You must be patient to wait for the perfect opportunity to trade, then you must be patient enough to watch that trade as it loses money. Finally, you must be patient enough to go through the many years of hard work which it takes to become good at trading.
Whatever your personal opinion, successful traders do require certain skills and here are a few:
1. Discipline to trade to follow the plan
One of the key skills a trader must have is the discipline to follow the plan. When things are going wrong and the markets are not playing as expected, it’s tempted to abandon the plan and trade by gut instinct but this is a mistake. In fact, it’s times like those when the trading plan becomes even more crucial.
2. Intense work ethic
Some people get into the markets for the money alone and it is these people who normally do not last very long. Surviving in the markets means having the work ethic to do your homework on the markets, to analyse future opportunities and to go over all of your previous trades looking for ways to improve. In the end, it’s no surprise that those who do well in the markets are those that stick at it for long hours every day of every week.
3. Recognising when you’re wrong
Being able to recognise when you’re wrong is what sets winning and losing traders apart. If the price action is telling you that your trade is wrong, you need to have the strength to throw in the towel and close the position out for a loss – before it gets even worse. All traders make losing trades so traders who can’t recognise when they are wrong stand to lose much more hanging on.
4. Pulling the trigger
To succeed in trading requires finding profitable opportunities the moment they appear so it is necessary for a winning trader not only to find the trades but to act on them without delay. Following technical indicators and watching price action can lead to good trade signals but if pulling the trigger on a trade is a problem, it will always be difficult to make money. Because, profitable trading opportunities rarely exist for very long in the forex markets.
5. Patience
Patience is required in large amounts in order to be a successful trader. You must be patient to wait for the perfect opportunity to trade, then you must be patient enough to watch that trade as it loses money. Finally, you must be patient enough to go through the many years of hard work which it takes to become good at trading.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800
EUR/USD remains in the positive territory after registering modest gains in the previous session, trading around 1.1820 during the Asian hours on Monday. The 14-day Relative Strength Index momentum indicator at 54 is edging higher, signaling improving momentum. RSI near mid-50s keeps momentum balanced. A sustained push above 60 would firm bullish control.
GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600
The GBP/USD pair trades on a softer note around 1.3605 during the early European session on Monday. Growing expectation of the Bank of England’s interest-rate cut weighs on the Pound Sterling against the Greenback.
USD/JPY drops back below 157.00 on Japan's verbal intervention
USD/JPY has come under moderate selling pressure below 157.00 in the Asian session on Monday. The Japanese Yen lost ground to near 157.70 following Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party's outright majority win in Sunday’s lower house election, opening the door to more fiscal stimulus by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. However, JPY buyers jumped back and dragged the pair southward on FX verbal intervention by Japan’s Finance Minister Katayama.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800
EUR/USD remains in the positive territory after registering modest gains in the previous session, trading around 1.1820 during the Asian hours on Monday. The 14-day Relative Strength Index momentum indicator at 54 is edging higher, signaling improving momentum. RSI near mid-50s keeps momentum balanced. A sustained push above 60 would firm bullish control.
Gold sticks to gains above $5,000 as China's buying and Fed rate-cut bets drive demand
Gold surges past the $5,000 psychological mark during the Asian session on Monday in reaction to the weekend data, showing that the People's Bank of China extended its buying spree for a 15th month in January. Moreover, dovish US Federal Reserve expectations and concerns about the central bank's independence drag the US Dollar lower for the second straight day, providing an additional boost to the non-yielding yellow metal.
GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600
The GBP/USD pair trades on a softer note around 1.3605 during the early European session on Monday. Growing expectation of the Bank of England’s interest-rate cut weighs on the Pound Sterling against the Greenback.
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple consolidate after massive sell-off
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple prices consolidated on Monday after correcting by nearly 9%, 8%, and 10% in the previous week, respectively. BTC is hovering around $70,000, while ETH and XRP are facing rejection at key levels.
Weekly column: Saturn-Neptune and the end of the Dollar’s 15-year bull cycle
Tariffs are not only inflationary for a nation but also risk undermining the trust and credibility that go hand in hand with the responsibility of being the leading nation in the free world and controlling the world’s reserve currency.
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