This article written by Bruce Bower was originally published in the June 2013 issue of Traders' Magazine.
- Bruce Bower is a portfolio manager at a hedge fund. He has a keen interest in markets, psychology and self-development, having trained as a hypnotherapist.
In school, did you ever study something and end up more confused? For some, trading psychology has that effect. The more they learned, the more they would become confused. Actually, the standard advice is well-meaning and can be appealing on some levels. “Be more disciplined”. “Get in the zone”. Who can argue with that? Who wouldn’t want to do that?! Instead, most traders are struggling to close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. They know what they want, but they can’t quite get there. What to do? Ultimately, trading psychology should help us do two things: 1. Help us to identify problematic areas with ourselves that negatively impact our trading. 2. Solve them.
If you’re spending time “solving” problems that aren’t relevant to your trading, or implementing solutions that don’t work, then you are going to get confused. Instead, you should work on things that make you a better trader. And you know what — confusion doesn’t help you to get better at trading. With this in mind, how do we find out the best advice and block out the stuff that confuses us?
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD trims gains, nears 1.1700
The EUR/USD pair eases in the American afternoon and approaches the 1.1700 mark. The pair surged earlier in the day after the ECB left interest rates unchanged and upwardly revised inflation and growth figures. The US CPI rose 2.7% YoY in November, nearing Fed’s goal.
GBP/USD steadies below 1.3400 as traders digest BoE policy update and US inflation data
The GBP/USD pair stalls the previous day's pullback from the vicinity of mid-1.3400s and a nearly two-month high, though it struggles to attract meaningful buyers during the Asian session on Friday. Spot prices currently trade around the 1.3380-1.3385 region, up only 0.05% for the day, amid mixed cues.
USD/JPY extends gains above 156.00 after the expected BoJ rate hike
USD/JPY sees a fresh leg higher and regains the 156.00 level in Friday's Asian trading. The Japanese Yen loses further ground, digesting the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) expected 25 bps rate hike to 0.75%. Traders now look to Governor Ueda's press conference for fresh directives.
Editors’ Picks
USD/JPY extends gains above 156.00 after the expected BoJ rate hike
USD/JPY sees a fresh leg higher and regains the 156.00 level in Friday's Asian trading. The Japanese Yen loses further ground, digesting the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) expected 25 bps rate hike to 0.75%. Traders now look to Governor Ueda's press conference for fresh directives.
AUD/USD remains sidelined above 0.6600 amid a steady US Dollar
AUD/USD steadies above 0.6600 in the Asian session on Friday, following the previous day's two-way price swings and a positive close. Against the backdrop of the RBA's hawkish stance, a positive risk tone is seen acting as a tailwind for the Aussie. The US Dollar looks to stabilize the softer US CPI-led slide, capping the pair's upside.
Gold edges lower despite Fed rate cut hopes on cooling US inflation
Gold price declines to below $4,350 during the early Asian trading hours on Friday. The precious metal edges lower due to some profit-taking and weak long liquidation from shorter-term futures traders.
Top Crypto Losers: Pump.fun, Pudgy Penguins, and Hyperliquid extend bearish streak
Pump.fun, Pudgy Penguins, and Hyperliquid lose ground in an extended bearish streak, recording double-digit losses this week. The surprise drop in the November US Consumer Price Index to 2.7%, beating expectations of 3.1%, fueled a rally in the stock market.
Bank of England cuts rates in heavily divided decision
The Bank of England has cut rates to 3.75%, but the decision was more hawkish than expected, leaving market rates higher and sterling slightly stronger. It's a close call whether the Bank cuts again in February or March.
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