Every trader life cycleThe Trader's Cycle
The trader's cycle is the time span between the first replenishment of the deposit and its total loss. The cycle is divided into four parts, each of which corresponds to a different condition of the trader.
Every trader is in one of the stages of the trader's cycle; it is impossible to avoid the cycle by trading continuously. However, by splitting into a "cycle," you may lengthen the stages and reduce your losses.
The "trader's cycle" phases:
"Stability" is the initial step.
The trader is in a condition of equilibrium, regulates his emotions, initiates trades only on his system entry points, does not engage in high-frequency trading, employs stop losses, monitors risk management, treats losses properly, and lives his life throughout the first phase.
The second stage is known as "sudden impact."
In the second phase, an incident occurs in the life of a trader that throws him off balance psychologically. A stunning incident for a trader is a large loss that wipes out the results of his efforts for an extended period of time. In general, the major causes of "shock" include neglecting risk management and not employing stop losses, as well as a series of transactions closed by stop losses in system trading in accordance with all of the trader's trading system regulations.
A unexpected blow can also be caused by technical errors: a forgotten or failed order, technical issues with a broker or equipment at the worst possible time.
The core of the second phase is that the trader experiences psychological trauma, which causes him to lose his psychological equilibrium and engage in illogical behavior.
The third stage is referred to as "risk rise."
In the third phase, the trader awakens with a desire to recover his losses, which causes him to raise the volume of positions, increase leverage, refuse to apply stop losses, depart from risk management, and average positions, which leads to irreversible repercussions.
The trader deviates from another critical approach - consistent profit taking. He stops taking profits from the market, constantly desiring more, as a result of which he misses profits and awakens within himself the infamous feeling of missed profit - FOMO (The fear of missing out), which in turn feeds the trader's psychological trauma and causes him to behave aggressively in the market.
The trader has a "perception filter": he begins to automatically reject any market information and signals that contradict his established abnormally high confidence in the market's future direction.
The fourth stage is "collapse."
The trader's position is liquidated when the market moves against him, and he is left with no money. On the one hand, the trader has lost everything; on the other hand, he feels some relief and begins to behave objectively, abandoning wishful thinking.
After putting himself in order and returning to normal life, the trader begins to evaluate blunders. After dealing with the mistakes, the trader pledges himself not to repeat them and not to break from his trading strategy, but vows are broken over time, and the cycle continues.
Repetition of the cycle
After the "first round," most rookie traders abandon trading permanently, blaming the market and condemned "manipulators" for everything. Another, smaller group of traders has the courage to accept their mistakes and return to trading at a higher level.
After a period, the cycle repeats for most merchants, and they are once again separated into two groups, with the majority of them leaving the market for good.
How can you break the cycle?
Every trader should embrace and realize the fact that the trader's cycle is inevitable, therefore, he should take efforts in advance to assist "soften the fall". Here are some practical suggestions.
Rest and recuperation
Every year, the work of a trader becomes more difficult: new patterns emerge, more and more variables must be considered, which increases the emotional load many times over, so rest and recovery are critical: the right approach to leisure time will help to avoid emotional burnout and will "reboot" you, completely clearing from thoughts, allowing you to return to your favorite work with renewed vigor. Take regular breaks from trading, vacations, and living life, because the aim of your trade is to increase the quality of your life. Does your life improve if you make a lot of money but are miserable? Look for new interests and experiment with new things. Recommendations for healing include bathing, swimming in a pool, massage, meditation, winter swimming, spending time in nature, and traveling.
Lifestyle
Your lifestyle, whether you like it or not, will be reflected in your trading, so don't get too caught up in trading - satisfy yourself and your loved ones by spending gains and developing yourself.
Eat, travel, and live life to the fullest. This will undoubtedly boost your attitude and, as a result, the outcome.
Sport influences your physical health, which in turn affects your mental health, and mental health allows you to be more productive and balanced for longer periods of time. Also, keep your mental surroundings in mind and limit your time spent on devices and news sources.
Pay attention to your health, thoughts, nutrition, lifestyle, sleep, and connections with loved ones.
Trading strategy
The attitude to trading is the foundation that may both save you from the "trader's cycle" and push you into it. Here are a few highlights:
1. Risk assessment.
Maintain strict risk management and never, ever overstate dangers. Diversify your cash in several areas to ensure that you cannot gamble too much on one trade. Divide your trading deposit, for example, into four pieces and transfer cash to separate exchanges and wallets.
This strategy will have a significant psychological influence on you, so that if you lose, you will only lose a portion of the cash. Even if you let go a little when transferring cash from one account to another, your brain will remember why you split and withdrawn the funds, and your emotions will have time to settle.
2. Profit obsession.
Fix locations in sections, always leaving a little bit out of the transaction. Using this profit-taking approach, you will skim the juiciest milk from winning transactions and eliminate FOMO, which will benefit your trading.
3. Taking an asset from the watchlist.
Remove the asset from your watchlist and cease watching it for a time if you still did not follow the strategy of frequent profit taking and closed the position fully.
Why would you do it? Assume that once you've established your successful position, the price rises by another 10-20-30%. How will you react? Most likely, you will have FOMO (fear of missing out), return to the transaction, and the price will then reverse.
To avoid this, either fix positions in parts depending on the balance of the position rather than the beginning volume, or do not open the chart after closing the trade.
4. A sequence of stop losses
Leave trading for a day if you close two transactions in a row on stop losses, since failing trades produce unpleasant emotions, which lead to bad judgments, and bad decisions lead to a desire to recover.
It is critical to learn to track your mental condition and step away from the terminal as soon as possible.
Workspace
The workplace should be a quiet and pleasant setting where you can concentrate and nothing will distract you from your task.
The trading system
Your trading system is critical to your success. You must design it based on your trading strategy and risk tolerance.
The trading system should comprise the following components:
Risk administration.
A collection of entrance points.
A collection of indicators.
Self-control techniques.
Profit safeguard approach.
Transferring positions to breakeven is a strategy.
Various trading methods and tools are available.
Make plans for profit distribution and withdrawal.
A set of guidelines "What should I do if...".
Trader's journal, where you will keep track of your transactions.
Savings and income sources
To avoid an urgent need to recoup while incurring a major loss, it is vital to save - develop an airbag for 6-12 months of a pleasant living and do not squander it. Savings will be ineffective even in the best-case scenario, but the advantages of the "airbag" are difficult to overestimate. Such accumulations will improve your psychological state since you will be more confident in the future and will not tear your hair out by launching a "transaction for the sake of a deal" and anticipating a quick payoff.
It is also vital to generate "cash flows" (other sources of income) for yourself outside of trading in order to increase your passive profit.
Profits and interruptions are reduced to zero.
"Crashes to zero" and samsara in the shape of a "trader's cycle" are unavoidable, therefore you must plan for "rainy days" by taking action ahead of time.
The finest traders can maintain equilibrium for far longer, but they also have breakdowns. Don't think of yourself as an exception. End collapses, extract winnings, and build passive income streams since the ultimate purpose of your trade is to improve the quality of your life. Keep in mind that the funds in your brokerage account do not belong to you, and anything might happen to the broker.
Regular withdrawal of cash ensures a constant and comfortable quality of living, since if you lose control of yourself, you will lose just a portion of the assets, not all of them. Create bulletproof stages that will allow your capital curve to increase indefinitely.
Hope you enjoyed the content I created, You can support with your likes and comments this idea so more people can watch!
✅Disclaimer: Please be aware of the risks involved in trading. This idea was made for educational purposes only not for financial Investment Purposes.
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Tradingtips
5 Habits of Successful TradingGet a pen and paper and write these five habits down.
Each habit you have, write down a 1 and each habit you don’t have write a 0.
Sum up the points at the end and you’ll know where you are, what you have to do to improve and whether you have the trading edge to be successful.
HABIT #1:
Courage
You need the courage to follow these basic steps.
#1: Open a trading account
#2: Deposit money in your trading account
#3: Adopt a trading strategy
#4: Take the trades that line up
#5: Follow your strategy (with the winners and losers)
Have the courage to do that today or have done it?
Mark 1 for YES
Mark 0 if you’re not ready…
HABIT #2:
Persistence
I’ve said this before…
Trading is a forever business…
It’s easy once you get it right. The hard part after a while is keeping persistent.
Do you have the PERSISTENCE to:
#1: Trade for a few minutes every week?
#2: Look for trading setups?
#3: Follow a proven trading strategy without changing the rules?
#4: Not give up on a trading strategy after a losing streak?
#5: Not go against a strategy after during a winning streak?
Mark 1 for YES
Mark 0 if you’re not ready…
HABIT #3:
Save Money
Look.
The more money you have in your trading account, the faster it will grow.
If you think R5,000 or R10,000 is all you need to retire in a few years – it’s time to wake up!
Every month, I deposit around 5% -10% of my savings into trading…
Now I know not everyone can deposit such a large portion of their savings in trading as they have other capital allocations to their portfolio…
Well, what ever you can deposit per month comfortably is better than nothing.
This will help you to grow your trading account at a faster rate.
Mark 1 for YES – I have the habit to save money per month.
Mark 0 if you’re not ready…
HABIT #4:
Evolve
The markets are constantly going through change.
In just a span of 20 years there have been a multitude of trading instruments.
For example:
Shares – warrants – Futures – Binary Options – ETFs and CFDs.
We’ve also seen a plethora of different markets including
Equities – Indices – commodities – currencies and Crypto-currencies
And as a trader, it’s our job to keep learning and evolving with the markets…
Do you have the habit to adapt to change and learn throughout your trading career? Mark 1
Not ready for change? Mark 0
Habit #5:
INDEPENDENCE
Once you have everything you need to succeed as a trader, it’s all on you.
You should not have anyone to hold your hand, influence your decisions or tell you what to do.
When you are sitting by your laptop or device – No one should be able to change your mind including from:
• Friends
• Family
• Mentors
• Your conscience
• Bloomberg
• Spouse and kids
If you think you have a good level of independence, mark 1.
If you’re not ready for being independent mark 0.
Final Thoughts
The points where you marked 1 – Great keep at it and remember your strengths…
The points where you marked 0 – It’s ok… Every successful trader started with doubts and weaknesses.
Trade well, live free.
Timon Rossolimos
MATI Trader
What is FOMO and how to avoid it? What is FOMO?
FOMO - Fear of missing out or Lost Profit Syndrome - an obsessive fear of missing out on an investment opportunity.
This syndrome can overtake in any everyday situation and make you remember missed chances to get rich all day: ignore the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies, not invest in bitcoin and many other short-sighted actions.
To determine the presence of the syndrome of lost profits can be on several grounds:
frequent check of the exchange rate of the asset in the portfolio;
obsessive fear of missing some important event or news;
dependence on a smartphone, discomfort in the absence of a gadget;
resentment if someone is luckier or more successful.
In trading and investing, the FOMO phenomenon is especially noticeable. Many investors under the influence of the syndrome make spontaneous purchases, make many mistakes and subsequently lose faith in the prospects of the market.
But the good news is that even this obsessive-compulsive disorder can be cured with a few tricks
✅ Forget about the past.
What once happened in the market is absolutely irrelevant. No successful investor looks at quotes in the past. He only thinks about the future. Chances never end, they always reappear.
✅ Increase your competence.
Master new skills, study the experience of professionals, All this will give not only the necessary knowledge, but also confidence in the correctness of your actions.
✅ Set clear goals.
You should always keep your strategy in mind and set target values when buying an asset. If the quotes reach your target, you should sell.
✅ If there are no ideas for investing - wait.
If there are no assets that fit into your strategy, then the most correct decision would be to save, increasing the cash position. And wait for the right moment. It will definitely come, and you will know about it when the crowd will scream about the next funeral of the stock market.
✅ Your strategy is everything.
Develop your own strategy and stick to it, improving on the way!
Hope you enjoyed the content I created, You can support with your likes and comments this idea so more people can watch!
✅Disclaimer: Please be aware of the risks involved in trading. This idea was made for educational purposes only not for financial Investment Purposes.
* Look at my ideas about interesting altcoins in the related section down below ↓
* For more ideas please hit "Like" and "Follow"!
DON'T TRADE ON HOLIDAYS | 4 Crucial Reasons Explained
In this educational article, we will discuss why is it recommendable not to trade during the holidays season.
🏦 The main source of problems comes from the fact that the big market players like banks, hedge funds and investing firms are absent. Similarly to ordinary people, bankers and investors prefer to spend the holidays with their relatives and friends instead of staring at charts on Christmas Eve.
But how does it affect the market? Big players are the main source of the market liquidity. The liquidity itself is the measure to which an asset can be quickly bought or sold in the market at a price of its quotes. Therefore, when the big players are missing, the market liquidity drops.
1️⃣ That fact instantly reflects in the market spreads. They become substantially bigger, directly increasing the costs of each trade and making it problematic to open a position at a desired price.
2️⃣ Secondly, low liquidity leads to a decrease in volatility. The market becomes weak and indecisive.
As traders, we make the money on market moves. Our goal is to catch a bullish or a bearish wave. Their absence deprives us of profits or, at least, dramatically decreases them.
3️⃣ Thirdly, when the liquidity is low, even small market participants can move the market. It dramatically increases the probabilities of false signals. Relatively low trading volumes may manipulate the market, substantially decreasing the efficiency of technical and fundamental analysis.
4️⃣ The increased costs of trading, low volatility and manipulations should have convinced you to stay from charts during the holidays season. However, the main reason to not trade on holidays is much simpler. Holidays give you an opportunity to stay with your family, to take a break, to recharge and relax. Even a part-time trading is very exhausting and requires a constant attention. Let yourself be distracted and return after holidays.
I wish you a great holidays season, traders!
❤️If you have any questions, please, ask me in the comment section.
Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
Sell opportunity on the GBPUSD?The GBPUSD is testing the previous high on the weekly time-frame. Is this enough confirmation to sell the pair? The answer is no.
However when we drop down to the 4hr time-frame we can spot the break of structure to the preceding uptrend. Combine this with the rejection off the previous high on the weekly time-frame, it becomes enough confirmations for me to enter in for a sell trade.
What is left is to be patient for the market to pull back on the 4hr time-frame to my preferred sell zone and that will be my entry for a swing sell trade to the previous low or the last demand zone.
GoldViewFX - BENEFITS OF USING SMALL LOTS TO MANAGE RANGESThe temptation of using bigger lot sizes is something all traders experience in some parts of their trading journey. Yes, the wins can be nice, but the losses can be even greater and damaging. The benefits outweigh every time!!!
MOVE BIG RANGE
We cannot emphasize enough the benefits of breaking down lot sizes to micro lots to learn how to move and manoeuvre the range in a volatile market. Using small lots allow you to do this.
MORE FLEXIBILITY
The flexibility to add to existing positions or get better entries is only possible when account is not over exposed. Smaller lots give you the flexibility to chop and change and add to positions, allowing you to move big ranges and making changes throughout the move.
POWER OVER FEAR
Bigger lots exposes our accounts, which makes decision making very hard due to fear of loss and blown accounts. Small lots allow you to control and manage fear throughout the process.
STRONG PSYCHOLOGY
Having power over your fears is the greatest feeder to a strong psychology for a traders mindset. Strong psychology allows a trader to build consistent performance and profits.
LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY
The ability to get second chances is something everyone can appreciate in life. Smaller lots allow you to make mistakes and try again.
Hope some of our new traders find this information useful. Please don't forget to like, comment and follow to support our work. We really appreciate it!
GoldView
GoldViewFX - TRADING ETHOS & STRESS FREE TRADING
Here at GVFX, we constantly remind our followers to take profit off the table by banking in stages or protecting profit with a trailing stop after each incremental profit level has been reached as it heads toward the target TP. Far too many retail traders hold positions until it's too late and then the market turns against them and they end up breaking even or even making a loss in the hope that it will go back in the right direction and hit their ultimate, full-on dream TP.
Making money, or to use a specific example, getting into profit through a click on MT4/5 is an initial action. If that entry turns out to be profitable, it was either through blind luck or skilful analysis. Keeping that money, or profit on an open position in our example, requires learnt behaviour. Thus, you would either bank after a certain level of profit or trail your stop up/down depending on whether you're long or short using a habit that's now second nature to you. Growing money, or increasing your equity balance for our example, requires knowledge and discipline.
Growing your account size means not going in heavier with an increased lot size in relative terms to your account size simply because you've had a good run prior. It also means sticking to the same successful strategy that has made you profitable up to that point. Stay disciplined. Also, level up with your skills by gaining more knowledge regarding additional strategies (THAT FIT INTO YOUR EXISTING SYSTEM) and fine tune existing strategies to increase ROI. As an example of the latter, think about how you trail your entries. Advanced techniques on how to use trailing stops can significantly increase your profit on each entry.
Trading is a strategic business activity. It requires action, good habits and the thirst for knowledge. Trade safe and trade profitably.
GVFX - Stress Free Trading Strategy
If you find trading stressful, then one of two things is happening. Firstly, your trading strategy and risk management is not effective and the excessive drawdown (reversal) on each entry and/or the large number of entries you are having to chop is causing undue stress. Secondly, you may have a strategy and risk management style that works but you simply don't have the kind of personality/temperament that can tolerate any amount of stress. In the latter case, perhaps trading is not for you.
For those followers who occasionally want to take it easier for a bit of a break or for those who need to build up their resilience before being able to trade more aggressively, I suggest the following:
1) Risk no more than 1% even though we risk between 1 to 3 per cent.
2) Enter on a significant reversal to a key level. Do not enter on open even if it is a small lot as seeing this go into the red will cause you stress if you cannot handle it.
3) If you enter on a significant reversal, you can move the SL further back by the difference between where you opened your entry and the entry price on the trade setup. In that case, it will be unlikely that you will get anywhere near your SL so even if it reverses, you can relax.
Have a great weekend all
GoldViewFX
XAUUSD TOP AUTHOR
EXPLAINED DIXIE (US Dollar Currency Index) What, why where, how?The US Dollar has been in the limelight and not in a good way. In fact, he US dollar has not been dimmer since 22 September 2022 where it was trading at 114.42.
Currently it’s at 103.90 (9.19%) down…
But what does it all mean?
Why is the Dixie such a popular index to understand, and trade.
You see it in the news every time you turn on Bloomberg and you see it in the publications. So we might as well understand it for the next time they mention the Dixie.
IN this short article I’m going to answer the 6 most important questions, to help you understand the Dixie is, how it’s calculated and how to trade it…
1. WHAT IT IS?
The U.S. Dollar Index – DIXIE - (USDX) was first intrpduced in March 1973 and is a measure of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies.
2. HOW IT’S CALCULATED
The USDX is calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is based on the exchange rates of six major currencies: the euro (EUR) – Accounts for 57.6% - ,Japanese yen (JPY), British pound (GBP), Canadian dollar (CAD), Swedish krona (SEK), and Swiss franc (CHF) .
3. ECONOMY GAUZE
The DIXIE is used as a barometer for the value of the US dollar to base it on the potential strength of weakness of the U.S Economy.
4. TRADED BASED ON
The USDX is traded on financial markets, and its value moves based on certain macro aspects such as: Changes in exchange rates, economic conditions, and global market trends.
5. USE
Investors and financial institutions uses the USDX is often to hedge against currency risk, as well as to speculate on changes in the value of the U.S. dollar.
6. HIGHER VERSUS LOWER VALUE
If the Dixie goes up this means the US Dollar is gaining strength against the other currencies. The more it goes up the more it appreciates which indicates a stronger US dollar – Stronger economy – more confidence in the US dollar.
If the Dixie drops, it means the US dollar is getting weaker against the other currencies in the basket for the index. As it drops more, it depreciated which tells us the US dollar is getting weaker which means – a weaker economy and less confidence in the US dollar.
If this was interesting let me know in the comments or hit the like button and let me know what else you would like to learn about in bite size information.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
BEFORE YOU TRADE - Look - Calculate - RememberI don’t care if you’re new or old to the trading business.
This will apply to you, regardless.
In this short but vital article, we’ll go through 3 of “Before you do this – You need to do that”.
#1: BEFORE YOU TRADE – LOOK
Trading is a strategy game.
You don’t just thumb suck a trade and guess where the market will head.
No, you have your criteria on:
• The markets you’ll analyse
• The time frames you’ll use
• The criteria you’ll follow
• The entry, exit and risk levels you’ll apply
Before you take a trade, you need to first look and find synergy between your strategy and the market you’re looking at.
#2: BEFORE YOU SPEND – CALCULATE
Trading is a risk game.
You don’t just put in all your money in a trade because it feels good or looks too good to not risk.
You are not in the game to be right… You are in the game to play calculated risks with your winners as well as your losers.
I have a 2% risk rule per trade, in order to bank a 4% gain.
This is the best strategy that works for my 19 year old, 4 step strategy, 62.5% win rate MATI Trader System.
Whether the trade looks incredibly attractive and is almost a given, it doesn’t matter.
Calculate your risks, follow your rules and calculate before your spend.
#3: BEFORE YOU GET EMOTIONAL – REMEMBER
Trading is a mind game.
It can play with your emotions at times.
• A loss can ruin your week.
• A win can make you feel like a megalomaniac for a day.
• Your birthday can make you think you’ll profit that day.
• Your previous loss can cause you to doubt your trading strategy.
• Your previous winner can scare you.
“You need to remember that the financial markets don’t know you, care for you and remember that trading is a forever business.”
Next time when you feel those emotions taking over, just remember that sentence…
Did you find this useful, follow for more daily trading tips...
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
9 SIGNS You're Trading Well! Trading well is a marathon and not a quick race.
It doesn’t matter how much money you banked in a week, winners you took or how much money you have in your account.
What does matter is one word “Persistence”. And with persistence comes, 10 signs that you’re doing well with trading.
Let’s get to them…
Sign #1: You have the passion to LEARN how to trade
When you learn to trade, it’s not only a strategy game but also a self-introspection journey.
You get to understand who you are as a trader in a way that you learn:
• What time you wish to trade
• What markets you’d like to look at
• The instrument you want to buy/sell
• The broker that best suits your needs
If you have the passion to learn what fits your personality when trading, it’s a good sign you’ll do super…
Sign #2: You have a solid daily trading routine
There is no right or wrong way to go about your trading.
Once again, it’s what you feel comfortable with on a daily or weekly basis.
Maybe it is reading MATI Trader first thing in the morning, then going through your watchlist and seeing which trades are lining up.
Afterwards you set your trading levels and take your trade.
Whatever your trading routine is, make sure you have a checklist to follow.
Sign #3: You have strict rules to follow
Rules are the only way to find consistent opportunities within the chaos.
I have three rules with trading.
1. Never risk more than 2% per trade (no matter the portfolio account).
2. Never risk any money you can’t afford to lose
3. Never hold more than 5 trades at any one time.
If you have rules to follow, you’re doing well…
Sign #4: You have tunnel vision
There are no two traders that are the same.
This means, when you know who you are, you’ll know to ONLY follow your rules, strategy and vibe.
If someone tries to change your mind, put your blinkers on and remember the proven strategy you KNOW works.
Don’t listen to others and don’t care about where other traders are in their career.
Sign #5: You have a track record
Whether you’re still demo-trading or live-trading, it doesn’t matter.
All you need to make sure is that you have an excel sheet or written pad with all of your trades you have taken or backtested.
This is will remind you and give you proof of what works and will make you a consistent income during your trading.
Sign #6: You have the time to trade
You’ll need to choose the time, that suits you best to analyse and trade the markets.
It can be first thing in the morning, during your break in the afternoon or even 2am when you wake up and can’t go back to sleep.
Sign #7: You can psychologically handle it
Trading is mostly mindset.
How you deal with your winners, losers and with your trading longevity.
If you are prepared to mentally handle everything trading comes with – you’re well on your way to a bright trading future.
Sign #8: You have a dream
As much as trading is fun during the process, we all have a future idea on where trading will take us.
Some want to travel around the world and not have to worry about budgeting. Others want to just spend their time during retirement keeping their brain active and seeing trading as a forever-challenge.
Me, I love to trade, teach how to trade and create financial freedom for my future and for generations to come.
What is your dream?
Sign #9: You have your trading system
The game-plan…
Do you know where to enter, exit and place your risk levels every time?
If so, GOOD.
You have a trading system.
This is all part of trading well.
If you enjoyed this article feel free to LIKE and Follow for more daily trading tips articles. This is information I've gathered since 2003.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
7 SIGNS You're Trading Well So, you’re probably wondering how you’re doing as a trader.
• Are you rich?
• Is your portfolio shooting up?
• How many winners did you bank this week?
If you think those are the questions to ask –
Then YOU’RE WRONG!
As I’ve mentioned many times before. Trading well is a marathon and not a quick race.
It doesn’t matter how much money you banked in a week, winners you took or how much money you have in your account.
What does matter is one word “Persistence”. And with persistence comes, 10 signs that you’re doing well with trading.
Let’s get to them…
Sign #1: You have the passion to LEARN how to trade
When you learn to trade, it’s not only a strategy game but also a self-introspection journey.
You get to understand who you are as a trader in a way that you learn:
• What time you wish to trade
• What markets you’d like to look at
• The instrument you want to buy/sell
• The broker that best suits your needs
If you have the passion to learn what fits your personality when trading, it’s a good sign you’ll do super…
Sign #2: You have a solid daily trading routine
There is no right or wrong way to go about your trading.
Once again, it’s what you feel comfortable with on a daily or weekly basis.
Maybe it is reading MATI Trader first thing in the morning, then going through your watchlist and seeing which trades are lining up.
Afterwards you set your trading levels and take your trade.
Whatever your trading routine is, make sure you have a checklist to follow.
Sign #3: You have strict rules to follow
Rules are the only way to find consistent opportunities within the chaos.
I have three rules with trading.
1. Never risk more than 2% per trade (no matter the portfolio account).
2. Never risk any money you can’t afford to lose
3. Never hold more than 5 trades at any one time.
If you have rules to follow, you’re doing well…
Sign #4: You have tunnel vision
There are no two traders that are the same.
This means, when you know who you are, you’ll know to ONLY follow your rules, strategy and vibe.
If someone tries to change your mind, put your blinkers on and remember the proven strategy you KNOW works.
Don’t listen to others and don’t care about where other traders are in their career.
Sign #5: You have a track record
Whether you’re still demo-trading or live-trading, it doesn’t matter.
All you need to make sure is that you have an excel sheet or written pad with all of your trades you have taken or backtested.
This is will remind you and give you proof of what works and will make you a consistent income during your trading.
Sign #6: You have the time to trade
You’ll need to choose the time, that suits you best to analyse and trade the markets.
It can be first thing in the morning, during your break in the afternoon or even 2am when you wake up and can’t go back to sleep.
Sign #7: You can psychologically handle it
Trading is mostly mindset.
How you deal with your winners, losers and with your trading longevity.
If you are prepared to mentally handle everything trading comes with – you’re well on your way to a bright trading future.
This is all part of trading well.
If you enjoyed this article feel free to LIKE and Follow for more daily trading tips articles. This is information I've gathered since 2003.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
3 Sins of a Revenge Trader!Listen, there are only two types of market environments…
FAVOURABLE – Where the price movements yield high probability trade setups…
UNFAVOURABLE – Where the movements in the market do NOT offer high profitable trade setups…
For example… With my breakout MATI Trader System, I need a market that has broken out of a sideways range in order to ride and profit from it…
If the market stays in the sideways range, and I want to revenge trade… Whether I buy or sell, I will LOSE every time…
That’s why you need to remove the emotions and personal opinions from your analysis COMPLETELY.
The markets have no idea who we are and they don’t care whether we won or lost…
WAKE UP! There is no catch-up
If that revenge is flowing through every inch of your body, and you think you can play catch up – WATCH OUT.
Most revenge losers, will just try to reverse their trading positions and swing the other way…
This is JUST as dangerous for your portfolio…
You’re committing three sins when you try to revenge trade…
SIN #1:
You’re going against your proven trading strategy
You’re tempted to trade on impulse rather than following your logical and winning trading system.
SIN #2:
You’re over-trading
This is when you take more trades, to try to feel better about your loss you made…
SIN #3:
You’re trying to play catch-up
This is where you’ll take try to make up for your losses, by just taking trades by chance
You’ll need to stop the revenge trading before it becomes a habit…
Trade well, live free,
Timon
MATI Trader
PS: Next article I'll share my solutions to Revenge Trading
4 Problems when you Hold a Delisted ShareAs we are expecting Steinhoff to delist soon.
What if you continue holding shares in the company?
From my experience when a company goes from listed to private it means a few things.
1. Liquidity issues
Volume will be low where you might not be able to exit a position with a rightful buyer or sell
2. lack of transparency
This leads to uncertainty for the business as shares holders won't have the transparent information like they would with a public company.
3. Valuation
With a company listed privately, this can lead to investors pricing in the business rather than shareholders. This can result in slower performance in the price of the share.
4. Market perception
The fact that a company has been delisted can be seen as a negative development by some investors, who may view it as a sign of financial distress or poor management. This can affect the market's perception of the company and its shares, which can in turn affect the value of your investment.
Do you have a fundamental analysis question?
Let me know in the comments and I'll answer in simple terms.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
What a Leopard can teach you about Successful trading I’m from South Africa.
I’ve observed the movements and ways of life of wildlife at different game reserves, resorts and zoos. Penwarm, Kruger National Park, Londolozi and Sabi Sand Game Reserve to name a few.
And I’ve seen how leopards work when they catch their prey.
This methodology is very similar to how we as trader should act in the financial markets.
They lurk behind the bushes in a crouch position. They can wait all day for just the right moment to pounce on its prey and bring the hunt back to its family.
Even though they know they can outrun their prey, they still wait for the perfect moment to pounce.
Either they’ll wait for the animal in a vulnerable position, injured or the perfect time where they will have a higher probability of catching it..
Patience my friend.
That’s the most important element to grow your portfolio.
You don’t make money taking a trade. You make profits while holding, waiting and letting the market play out.
Here are five reasons why Patience is key for your trading success.
#1: Stops you from making impulsive decisions
Once you’re in your trade, holding and leaving it alone can help you avoid making impulsive decisions that are based on emotions rather than careful analysis.
#2: Helps you spot high probability trades
You need to have the patience to wait for the right opportunities to arise, rather than jumping into a trade just because you're feeling anxious.
#3: Hold onto winners
Trading is NOT about banking small profits.
Because you do that and your losses will outweigh your winners.
Your Risk to Reward should ALWAYS be above 1.5 at the minimum.
This way you’ll hold onto your positions for longer periods of time, which can increase the potential for profits.
#4: Takes away fixation
When you enter into a trade, you may feel the instinct to watch it and observe ALL day.
This will spark up your cortisol levels and will distract you from your higher priorities you have in a day. Once you’ve taken the trade, leave it alone to do its thing. You have your winning trading strategy in place.
#5: Wait for the prey
Like a leopard, successful traders need to be patient and wait for the right opportunities to arise, rather than acting impulsively or making rash decisions.
This is why having a clear and proven plan can also teach us the importance of running it which is essential for success in the financial markets…
If you enjoyed this article follow for more Daily tips. I enjoy sharing information I've gained since 2003.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
25 METRICS and 10 BENEFITS of a Trading JournalTrading Journals are essential. It's your game plan to what you could potentially see in the future as a trader.
In the above image are the 25 metrics every Trading Journal should have...
And below are 10 benefits for having a trading journal...
1. KEEP TRACK
A trading journal helps to keep track of your trades, including the reasons for making the trade, the results of the trade, and any lessons learned.
2. CUT OUR BAD HABITS
It can help to identify and eliminate bad habits and biases in your trading.
3. POWERS DISCIPLINE
A trading journal can help to improve your discipline, which is essential for long-term success in trading.
4. CONSISTENCY
It can help you to develop a consistent and effective trading strategy.
5. FEEDBACK FOR REFINEMENT
A trading journal can provide valuable feedback that can be used to refine and improve your trading.
6. FOCUS ATTAINED
It can help you to stay focused and avoid making impulsive decisions.
7. TRACKS SUCCESS
A trading journal can provide a valuable record of your progress as a trader, which can be useful for reviewing and analyzing your performance.
8. CONFIDENCE BOOSTER
It can help to increase your confidence and reduce stress by providing a clear and objective record of your trading activities.
9. STAY ORGANISED
A trading journal can help you to stay organized and avoid missing important details or opportunities.
10. LEARN AND IDENTIFY NEW POSSIBILITIES
It can be a valuable tool for identifying and learning from your mistakes, which is essential for long-term success in trading.
Why else do you think a trading journal is essential?
Let me know and follow for more daily trading tips from information I've gathered over the last 20 years as a financial trader.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
5 Questions to Ask before you take your next TradeThis is a reference guide with five questions you need to ask, the next time a trade lines up and you need to take a trade.
Ask and answer these questions out loudly to help you execute your trade easily the next time.
Question 1:
Do I have a strategy or plan?
First, you need make sure you have a proven and profitable strategy.
Or else how else will you take a trade?
Whether you’re following:
• Your own proven trading strategy
• My 20 year highly successful MATI Trader System
• The 9 year popular Red Hot Storm Trader service
You first need to establish you have a strategy and system to follow each time.
Once you have one of the above, move onto the next question.
Question 2:
Has a trade lined up?
Next, you’ll need to know if a trade has lined up according to a proven and tested trading strategy.
Whether your trading system is a swing, indicator, mean reversion, Gartley, moving average, volume or a price action system like the MATI Trader System.
you'll need to have the green light to know when a trade has lined up and whether it’s ready for the go.
Question 3:
Do I know where to place my trading levels?
Once a trade has lined up, you'll need to know or calculate exactly where to enter, place your entry, stop loss (for risk) and take profit (for reward) levels.
These three levels are essential for entering your trade.
This way you'll have a systematic approach with every trading position you take.
Question 4:
Do I know how much to put into my trade?
Next is position sizing.
Trading is one big risk to reward game.
You'll need to choose an exact percentage of your portfolio that you're willing to risk to gain with each trade.
With high probability trades, I never risk more than 2% of my portfolio.
With medium probability trades, I drop that risk to 1.5% of my portfolio per trade.
At this point, you also need to know how many CFDs you’ll need to buy/sell to make sure your risk is low.
Question 5:
Am I ready to press the button?
Finally, you'll need to do final checks.
This is where you’ll confirm with the strategy, check all your trading price levels and position sizes to confirm the that you’re ready to push the button to get you into your trade.
Once all is ready, you just need to do just one more thing.
Push that BUY or SELL button.
Those are the only questions you'll ever need to enter a trade. Unless I'm wrong, let me know what other question is missing from the list.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
5 Laws of Trading SuccessTo trade successfully in the financial markets, it's important to consider five key factors:
The markets you choose to trade in.
The method you use to enter and exit trades
The money you use for risk management
The mind-set you bring to the process.
The miscellaneous rules and tools you use to increase your win rate and manage your drawdowns.
MARKETS
First, when it comes to the markets you choose to trade in, it's important to select ones that align with your knowledge, skills, and interests. This will help you make informed decisions and trade with confidence.
METHODS
Second, when it comes to methods, it's important to have a well-defined strategy in place for when to enter and exit trades. This can include using technical analysis to identify trends and patterns, or fundamental analysis to assess the underlying health of a company or economy.
MONEY
Third, when it comes to money, it's important to have a risk management strategy in place to protect your capital. This can include setting stop-loss orders to limit potential losses, or using position sizing to manage the amount of risk you take on per trade.
MIND
Finally, when it comes to the mind-set you bring to trading, it's important to maintain a sense of confidence and discipline. This can help you stay focused and make sound decisions, even when faced with volatility or uncertainty in the markets.
Overall, trading successfully in the financial markets requires a combination of selecting the right markets, using effective methods, managing money wisely, and maintaining the right mind-set.
MISCELLANEOUS
These are the extra tips, rules and tools you use to improve your trading strategy’s win rate, lower the drawdown and find way to optimise your system’s success. From having a time stop loss, ideas to adjust your stop loss, when NOT to trade, when trades are low, medium and high probability.
This is what gives you the extra edge in the markets…
If there another Law I’m missing?
These are just the 5 I’ve gathered over the last 20 years as a financial trader and strategist.
Trade well, live free.
Timon Rossolimos
MATI Trader
10 Steps to Start Trading WellTo start anything in life, no matter what it is or how long it may seem, you need to take the first step.
With trading it’s the same, with one little difference.
You have the opportunity to learn the costly mistakes, tips and the strategies that have worked for other successful traders.
This way you can, take the shortcut to kick start your trading career, make it easier and more enjoyable.
Here are ten quick steps you can take to start your trading on the right path.
STEP 1:
Choose the market/s you’d like to trade
(Shares, Forex, Commodities, Indices or Crypto-currencies).
STEP 2:
Choose a broker or market maker you’ll trade with
(Make sure they offer CFDs or Spread Betting trading).
STEP 3:
Learn how the trading and charting platform works
(Call your broker who’ll be happy to help with the above first steps).
STEP 4:
Make sure you have a proven and a profitable trading strategy
(Every strategy needs to have its own entry, exit levels and risk management rules).
STEP 5:
Back-test your trading strategy
(Back test 20 trades and then forward test 20 trades on your paper account).
STEP 6:
Deposit money into account
(You can start trading with less than R1,000 to test the markets in real-time).
STEP 7:
Take every trade according to the strategy
(This way you can develop your track record).
STEP 8:
Track your trading performance to ensure your portfolio is on the up
(Win rate, average winner, average loser, no. of winners, losers and other metrics).
STEP 9:
Read more trading books and watch YouTube videos to learn extra tips
(Each tip can help boost your winners, cut losers and increase your win rate).
STEP 10:
Keep your head in the game
(You’ll need passion, integration and determination to maintain your trading career).
It’s your turn
Print and laminate these steps, so you know how to start trading – the right way.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
DXY H4 - Short SignalDXY H4 - Break and retest play seen here on the dollar index around that 105.00 handle. We are hoping to see deeper rejections from this price leading into US CPI figures and also FED interest rate and press conference later on in the week.
The general outlook seems to be a weaker dollar on the basis inflation is starting to cool and central backs are starting to back off with the aggressiveness regarding rate hikes.
4 Sacrifices every trader makesFirst of all, trading is not a short-term proposition to get rich.
Anyone who says otherwise, needs to spend some time thinking about doing before speaking inside a jail cell.
No…
Trading is a lifestyle that you’ll need to adapt and integrate into yours and your family’s financial future.
Whenever you start something new, especially for a financial gain, you’ll need to make some form of sacrifices.
In today’s article we’ll discuss the four sacrifices every successful trader will make.
SACRIFICE #1:
Time
The money is not going to just fall into your lap. You’re going to need to put in the time to work through the process of successful trading.
As a new trader you’ll need to read as many books, websites and forums on how to trade.
This will prepare you for what trading is all about.
Then you’ll need to take time to learn which:
• Markets you wish to trade
• Method you’ll use to get in and out of your trade.
• Money you’ll risk to grow your portfolio
• Mind you’ll need to adapt to avoid any unnecessary emotions from taking over and interfering with the process.
Then finally you’ll need the time to back-test, forward-test and actually trade on a daily or a weekly basis.
This time can range from 5 minutes a week, which is what I follow with the MATI Trader System, to 5 hours a day if you’re more of an aggressive intraday based trader.
No matter what career you pursue, you’ll need to sacrifice the necessary time to learn the ins and outs of it.
SACRIFICE #2:
Money
Another inevitable sacrifice you’ll need to make is to take money out of your savings to trade.
I say savings because you should never risk any money you can’t afford to risk or any money that you use on a monthly basis to finance your life.
Once a month as you get paid, deposit just 5% of your savings into your trading account.
This way you’ll be able to grow your portfolio at a faster and a more sustainable.
The other side of money you’ll risk is of course, with every trade you take.
Most successful traders out there risk around 1%, 2% to 3% per trade, in order to make a 2%, 4% or even a 6% gain on your portfolio.
SACRIFICE #3:
Thrill
You’ll need to sacrifice the THRILL of trading and exchange it for FOCUS.
Trading should be seen as a business rather than playing the lottery once a week.
As much as I have loved trading the MATI Trader System for the last 18 years, I’ve also taken it very seriously.
Before you commit any money into the markets, you’ll need to have a solid watch list, trading system and money management rules to follow methodically.
This way you’ll have a mechanical approach to trading without the thrill, when you bank a profit or without the devastation, anger and disappointment.
Remember that a winning portfolio is not about taking a few trades but the 100s of trades over time.
Make sure you have the focus for when you trade in the week and sacrifice the thrill for on the weekends when the markets are closed.
SACRIFICE #4:
Space
The final sacrifice you’ll need to make is to make space.
Make sure your trading desk is clear of any distracting books, devices and objects that have no aid to your trading.
A cleaner and clearer trading desk will prevent a number of distractions for when you trade which could result in unnecessary stress, anxiety and worry.
Also you’ll most likely need to make space for just one more monitor.
By having two monitors, you can use one for your trading platform to buy, sell and modify trades.
The other monitor will then be used for your charting platform to analyse, assess and seek more trading opportunities.
Are they actually sacrifices?
Coming to the end of the article, I’ve just realised something.
These four ‘sacrifices’ you’ll make as a professional trader – Are they sacrifices or are they just opportunities you can take for trading to be smooth sailing?
Expectations and TradingExpectations and Trading
When you trade, you look at chances that either come true or don't. You can't expect or demand anything from the market or from other people who take part in the market. No one owes anyone anything in this world, and trading is no different.
In trading, you have complete freedom of expression; you can do almost anything and however you want. This freedom will show you how irrational people are and how they can't just control their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
All traders lose money because they take too many risks and don't have enough self-control. How long does it take for a trader to lose control of himself? A feeling of being left out It all starts with the idea that money has been lost. This feeling is exactly what makes people want to take more risks.
You open the chart and see that the price of your favorite asset has been going up for more than a day. Then you start thinking about how much you could make and where you could spend that money. This makes you want to buy an asset with a larger volume so you can make more money. You make a trade that is set up to have the best possible outcome, but you have no idea or acceptance of the possible consequences.
Revaluation
Take a look at what you have done so far. Are you ready to put everything on the line? If the answer is no, you should ask yourself, "Why do I want to put everything I have at risk?" Most likely, you feel this way because you want to make a big change in your life. But do you really know what's at stake?
"Filter of perception" or what are the risks of expectations?
What happens after you have set up the expectation that the trade will go well for you? When you go into a trade with more money than you need, you somehow set yourself up for a good result. Your mind starts to ignore information and signals from the market that don't fit with what you already think, as if you were wearing blinders. You won't know for sure how this filter works until you close the deal and stop having false hopes.
Is trading something that everyone can do?
Trading is not something that everyone should do. To get good at this craft, you have to work on yourself all the time, get over your emotions, control your thoughts, and question your own decisions while always following the rules. Don't give up on trading if you think it's not for you. You can be successful if you only do what you really want and work to improve yourself and show off your inner potential.
What is it to trade?
Trading is a game of chances, and you should have the right mindset for it. You shouldn't feel bad when a stop loss happens, because if you use a method that has a certain chance of working, you know that in the end, you'll still have made money. It's just a matter of time. You can survive and put off the so-called "trader's cycle" only if the trading process makes you feel good.
System trading
System trading means that you only make a trade under a certain set of rules. Your system could include chart patterns, candlestick formations, indicators, a certain astrological date, and more. No matter what, it's important that the chance of success and the risk vs. reward are both high. As soon as you make your own trading system, start keeping a trade diary, write down the rules of your trade, and answer when you enter a trade, you will be in the big leagues of traders, and nothing can stop you from making money on the market. If you stick to your own rules, you'll be happy with both your take profit and your stop loss, knowing that you did things in a planned way. It is not your fault that the stop loss worked or your credit that you got a take profit.
Worry and concern
Before making deals, many traders are afraid and have doubts. These feelings are bad for you, so don't give in to them. They will only get in the way. You might be scared to open trades because the amount of money you risk in each trade is too high. Let's draw an analogy. You and a friend make a bet on the flip of a coin. The coin is strange, so it comes up heads 70% of the time. If it comes up heads at least once, you lose. If it comes up heads twice in a row, you win. Can it happen that heads come up twice in a row by accident? What's four? Yes, it sure can! Your task is in increasing the number of coin flips to win the bet as often as possible over time. The same is true of the business you do. When you act in a systematic way on the market, you might get four stop losses in a row. But at the same time, you shouldn't lose a lot of money that will change the way you live. One to two percent of your capital is the best amount to put at risk in a single trade. Getting a stop loss only won't throw you off your emotional balance and let you fall into the "trader's cycle" if you have so much used volume. If you don't think this is enough, ask yourself, "Is the goal of your trading to try to increase the size of your capital no matter what, or to keep it and grow it?"
How often you trade ?
Overtrading, which leads to "trading burnout," is not a small mistake made by new traders. Your job is to wait in a humble way for a new system to set up on the chart. You don't have to look at the chart every ten minutes. Instead, decide on your own what timeframes you will use to trade, and keep in mind that the longer the timeframe, the more reliable the signal.
Take profits and stop losses in a row
The most important thing to remember is that you must keep acting according to your trading system, no matter how many stop losses you get in a row, and you must keep not acting against your trading system, no matter how many take profits you get in a row. The market can be irrational, and technical analysis may stop working at those times, but that doesn't matter. What matters is whether you are acting in a systematic way and whether you are in control at this moment. We can get several stop losses in a row if we only follow our trading system, but we don't have to worry about losing a lot of money or feeling bad about ourselves because we know that over the course of a few years, we are statistically certain to succeed if we trade on system entry points that have a 70% chance of working out and a ratio of possible profits to possible losses of at least 2:1, which guarantees us a profit even if we lose.
Conclusion
Real traders trade probabilities based on market signals in the moment instead of building expectations, because they know that expectations lead to unfulfilled expectations and missed opportunities. You can only make money with a system, self-control, and time.
Is YOUR Broker Regulated? Find out hereHere is a list of eight of the main financial regulatory agencies that are backed with strict regulatory enforcement in other countries…
You’ll need to make sure the broker you choose is approved by one of the below.
South Africa (FSCA) - The Financial Sector Conduct Authority
USA (SEC) – Securities And Exchange Commission
Eurozone (MiFID) – Markets In Financial Instruments Directive
UK (FCA) – Financial Conduct Authority
Australia (ASIC) – Australian Securities and Investments Commission
India (SEBI) – Securities and Exchange Board of India
Japan (JSDA) – Japan Securities Dealers Association
Switzerland (FINMA) – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority
Am I missing any? Let me know in the comments :)
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
Financial trader since 2003
Q. How do you work out CFD Interest Swaps with an example?Q. How do you work out CFD Interest Swaps with an example?
Answer: CFDs is an instrument where you pay a small amount of money to be exposed to the full value of the share.
With CFDs, there are daily charges when you buy and daily income interest that you receive when you sell (go short).
The charge is known as a ‘daily swap’ or ‘daily interest charge’.
You can ask your broker what the annual interest swap rate is or you’ll most likely be able to find it on your platform…
With my broker for example, the long swap (for when you buy) is -9.47% per year.
And the short swap (for when you sell) is 2.71%.
With your Shoprite trade, because you’re buying CFDs (which is a geared instrument), you’re essentially borrowing the money from the bank.
This means, you have to pay interest on the borrowed funds (in order to be exposed to the full value).
Those are the ‘swaps’ we’re talking about.
Let’s say the Shoprite share is trading at R223.19 and the margin (initial deposit) to buy 1 CFD is 9.7% (R21.70).
This means, when you buy 1 CFD for R21.70, you’ll be exposed to the full R223.19 worth of the share.
If you buy 100 CFDs and pay R2,170 (100 CFDs X R21.70) you’ll be exposed to the full R22,319 worth of shares (100 shares X 223.19).
And if you sold the 100 CFDs at R236.00, you would have been exposed to R23,600.
On that R22,319 exposure, you’ll pay 9.47% (R2,113.60) interest (swap) per year.
But luckily as traders, you don’t need to worry about paying the full amount, as we like to hold only for a short period of time.
This means, each day you hold the CFD with exposure of R22,319 – you’ll only pay R5.49.
(Exposure of your trade X 9.47%) ÷ 365 days.
If the exposure never changed and you held onto your trade at the same share price you would pay R54.90 (after 10 days).
However, we know that share prices move up and down each day.
The higher the market goes up, the higher your exposure where you’ll pay slightly more.
If the market price drops, you will pay slightly less.
However, as traders we don’t tend to hold for more than a couple of days or weeks to curb the daily interest charges.
If you have any other questions please ask in the comments :)
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader