We are often asked: Is day trading is a risky endeavor?, but the answer is probably not what you would think. If you approach day trading like gambling, then indeed, it can be very risky. If you start on the simulator and you learn the proper techniques, which are learning to trade with price action, and you do not trade with real money until you can consistently make money for long periods of time on the simulator, then you will reduce your risk exponentially. Unfortunately, most traders think they can study a trading technique for a few weeks, and then jump right into the markets and make money, and most are quickly and sorely disappointed with their results. They either go broke or quit out of frustration very quickly.
We like this article that was written by M. Mathews, but regardless of what you decide when it comes to day trading, two things are a must. First, you must learn to read a price action by studying price action strategies. Secondly, you must start on the simulator and refuse to trade with real money until you can master trading on the simulator for a few months to a year at most. Now that we have clarified those most important points, enjoy this article that was written my Mathews and found at www.ezinearticles.com. Below is what Mr. Mathews had to say:
If you’re experienced enough you think the times of day traders. When the dot com bubble was happening, forget it. It seemed like the simplest job, sitting around on your rear making in a day what people make in a month or a year. It makes you feel much better if you lose money to focus on the people who have also destroyed themselves, but there are lots who still earn money to this even now.
Day trading is meant to be getting in and out of the stock inside the identical day. This entails if I was to buy a security, I have to sell it in front of the market close inside the said trading day. Day trading is to take no positions over extended periods, therefore reducing your prolonged risk. Anything can happen in stocks, the longer you hold it, the greater danger you put your money in. Of course day trading wrong can chop you up and have you lose the money much faster than holding, but if executed properly, things are different.
There is a technique in day trading to suit your style. People have their personalized methods. Many people buy stock while it’s going up, that’s called momentum trading. Imagine a boat on water, it does not just stop, momentum traders view momentum the same way. It takes time for it to stop, so momentum traders dive on the ship while it is working and get off before it stops. For example, if stock XYZ was rising, I would buy, and offload while it’s continuing to go up. I simplified this greatly for example purposes. This is just an example, momentum trading has much more difficulty to it.
There are also people who use technical analysis. Technical analysts look for various things and see if they can do anything with it. They practice chart patterns, triangles, flags, pennants, head and shoulders, double top, etc. It’s not just the pattern, it’s the knowledge of when to exercise them. You can’t just draw lines randomly and then make up patterns expecting it to work. When individuals first start trading, they make lines everywhere, their chart appears like great scribble. It’s imperative that if you want to use technical analysis, you should discover how to correctly understand charts.
Some people actually trade intraday off of fundamentals. It’s usually not executed by itself, but together with other methods, cause the nature of fundamental trading. Often times a stock will have good earnings, and be down in cost, you can then purchase the stock. Pharmaceutical companies may have a new drug, but because you do homework you find out first, and buy in front of it running up.
We know the primary cause that individuals day trade is to lower their risk. Why should you reduce your danger? The higher danger the greater reward!!! You will see that it is very daunting, and nerve-wracking to suffer a loss in the market. If you keep losing, you and your money will be gone, with zero learned and nothing left to make a return. There can be more stability in this business as long as it’s done smartly. They can also step-up the odds of a trade being correct by shooting for smaller gains. When you shoot for a small move, your probability is much greater Because if you can manage your risk you lose less. Nobody likes to lose money, and day traders can be experts at that. They treat it like a real job, they scalp money consistently. Go to your home without any concerns, and you will savor your life way more. It can be greater to earn smaller amounts to experience a bit of soundness. It would spare you a lot of strain and frustration.
Milton Matthews is a trader who spent his free time writing a few articles for pennystockfinds.com hoping that people will not make some of the same mistakes he has made.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milton_M._Matthews
If you approach it in the wrong manner, then the answer to the question “is day trading a risky endeavor,” is indeed “YES.” However, if you think day trading is right for you, then you should start with learning price action strategies, which is nothing more than learning to read a price chart. If you follow our two rules first and foremost, you will reduce your risk greatly.
Click Here To Find Mack's Price Action Trading Manual!
There is no other trading strategy that will stand the test of time like learning the language of the charts, as price action stays true to it’s rules through every phase of the market. Where other strategies start to fail, price action stays the same and never changes.