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
Tradingtips
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
REVEALED: 14 Ways to Spot a Trading ScamIf you’re new to trading, listen up.
There are serpent companies and individuals out there, with only one goal.
To make profits and money for themselves and NO one else.
They do this by exploiting the newbie trader’s optimism, greed and fear by tricking them into what I call “Easy-Money-Traps”.
As a savvy trader, you need to know how to spot and avoid these scams, before you fall victim to one of them.
I’m going to kick you off with 15 of the most common trading scams you may find nowadays.
SCAM #1:
Flaunting money and posing in flashy cars
WARNING: When you see an advert with a fake ‘guru’ posing in a Lamborghini holding stacks of cash, this manipulates people into thinking they’re rich.
REALITY: Most times the cash notes are fake and worthless, which is prop money that is usually used in movies. It’s also been proven that 90% of these companies or individuals usually rent the car, borrow it from their rich friend or they take selfies in front of a stranger’s car.
WHAT TO DO: Don’t believe everything you see online.
Scam #2:
They chase after your contact number
WARNING: When a fake “guru” begs for your contact number and persuades you to buy a trading course or ticket to their seminar.
The more aggressive they are trying to get your money, means that their primary income is mostly likely from what they’re trying to sell rather than the money they make when trading.
REALITY: A true trader with a product or service to offer, will not pester you, sound desperate and bully you with tons of marketing and promises. Their main goals are to offer you value, help and develop a relationship over time.
WHAT TO DO: Never share your contact number just to “Learn More”, “Book A Free Consultation” or “Check Out” information on what the product is about. You will have marketers call you on a weekly basis trying to suck you into buying their products.
Scam #3:
There is NO background information
WARNING: When a scam artist has little to no background or legal information.
Whether it’s a trader, broker, money manager or an educator – Never work with anyone who doesn’t have the following:
• A website
• A proven track record (at least 5 years)
• Valuable content
• An “About Us” page (To learn more about them)
• Contact information
• Customer reviews and testimonials (Ask people!)
• A company registration number
• Tax registration details• Financial regulation
• A website that isn’t secured (When it starts with HTTP and not HTTPS)
REALITY: Most times these non-regulated individuals will try their luck to get you to deposit money into their account and then will disappear.
WHAT TO DO: Always do a full check-up on the person or company through Google, Facebook, websites and reviews and take notes with the bullet points above to see if the person or company is licensed, legit and regulated by independent organisations.
Scam #4:
You can’t withdraw your money
WARNING: Your broker or money maker, doesn’t allow you or limits your ability to withdraw funds or profits.
Whenever there are delays to withdraw your money, chances are you’re dealing with illegitimate trading companies. It should never take more than a few days for your money to be returned…
WHAT TO DO: Don’t invest a single cent more into the company, until you have received your funds. Use your rights and speak to a lawyer about your options, in order to find a way to get your money back.
NOTE: This does not apply to fixed-term securities such as, hedge funds, bonds, retirement funds with periodic redemption rights and other constraints.
Scam #5:
Failure to prove their BOGUS trading results
WARNING: When you see someone bragging about their winning trades or money they made for the day and how they can help you – but not willing to prove their results.
Watch out with Facebook and Instagram posts on traders posting fake trading results on Telegram, MyFxBook, WhatsApp and other groups.
REALITY: If they are not willing to prove their results, chances are they have been Photoshopped and are only trading with a demo account. Also you’ll see them posting their gains and winnings only and never their losses. This is a big red-flag for me which screams out – SCAM!
WHAT TO DO: Avoid any person who is not willing to share their broker statements or trading results which have been verified by a reputable and licensed firm.
Scam #6:
When they urge you to buy immediately
WARNING: When someone tries one of their high-pressure sales techniques to get you to invest or buy a product or service on the spot.
If ever you get one of those sleazy salesperson’s try to intimidate you, make you feel stupid for not making a decision – warnings bells should ring.
Many con artists, will pressure you with limited time offers or tell you to buy on the phone or you’ll lose the deal.
REALITY: A legit and ethical company will never create such urgency. They will in fact, want you to do your own research, consider your options and take your time to see if their product or service offered will benefit you or not.
They will NEVER force you to buy anything on the spot.
WHAT TO DO: Do your own research before you make a decision, and make sure you leave those high-pressure salesmen charlatans.
Scam #7:
You hear bad investment advice or too-good-to-be-true deals
WARNING: When you hear bogus advice or too-good-to-be-true statements from an individual or company that is contrary to anything you’ve ever been told.
As soon as you hear any of these messages, they are most likely scams:
• “You can put your life savings into our brokerage firm.”
• “Follow our +80% win rate trading system.”
• “Do you want GUARANTEED returns?”
• “Take out a loan and invest with us.”
• “You’ll bank over 10% a month.”
• “We don’t use stop losses.”
• “100% accurate signals.”
• “Get rich quickly.”
• “Easy money.”
WHAT TO DO: Don’t run away just yet. Do the full check up on the company and with their track record and then decide for yourself.
Most times it’s just the marketing agency, rather than the actual trader, who’s trying to hype up the copy through their copywriting, Click Funnels, Value Ladders etc…
Scam #8:
They ask for your personal information
WARNING: When someone asks you for unnecessary personal information to make a transaction.
There are salesperson’s out there that will ask you for a bunch of unnecessary personal information including:
• Bank card details
• Facebook account details
• Phone number
• Income per month
• Trading account password
• Home address
REALITY: If you’re looking to invest in a trading product or service or open an account with an institution, then no trusted and legit company will ever ask for the above details.
WHAT TO DO: Never give any details to an individual or company that you don’t trust. You can also ask for their Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy statements, to read each detail of their security and privacy matters.
Scam #9:
You get a call from a stranger
WARNING: You may get an unexpected and unsolicited local or international phone call “cold call”, email, letter or personal visit from a stranger offering you a deal.
REALITY: These are most times marketers or customer services trying to sell you something, in order to make a sale.
WHAT TO DO: Kindly tell them to remove your number off their data-base and that you will do your own research and will call them back if you are interested in what they have to offer.
Scam #9:
Watch out for bad wording
WARNING: When the company or individual is packed with bad wording.
Bad wording includes:
• Misspellings
• Incorrect dates (Look at the footer of a website where it says ©)
• Badly written content
• Unprofessional content i.e. emoticons, !!!, ??? and swearing
• Typos everywhere
• URL website has spelling mistakes e.g. (Foerxtrading.com)
WHAT TO DO: This should be your judgement…
NOTE: I personally am sceptical whenever I see any of the above, even though I may make a typo or grammar mistake with my own content every now and then.
Scam #10:
The never-ending Facebook scams
WARNING: When you see posts that offer you free signals, tools, get rich quick messages or advertising ploys that direct you to deposit money.
You’ll see countless scams on a daily basis in Facebook groups and pages that will direct you away from them by sending messages such as:
• “Inbox me”
• “Ask how”
• “Join our Telegram”
• “100% accurate signals”
• “Reply add”
• “Do you know you can make XXX amount of money”
• “Click this link”
• “Ask for more info”
• “Daily free signals”
• “Daily 200 – 500 pips”
• “Guaranteed results”
• “No scam”
WHAT TO DO: Do your thorough research and follow the above #3 step before making your decision.
EXTRA TRADING SCAMS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
#11: Trading software, robot or EA that guarantees a +70% win rate system.
#12: Fake Facebook profile name, picture with dodgy friends.
#13: Any product or service that promises “Zero-Risk”.
#14: Any notion that promises you riches quickly and tells you to trust them or take their word for it.
If you enjoyed this trading lesson of the day let me know in the comments and follow me for more daily tips.
Trade well, live free.
Timon
MATI Trader
THE POWER OF STOP LOSSHello again! Here I prepared for you what I consider the most important tool when it comes to risk management and developing a discipline, which helped me a lot in my trading journey: stop loss!
At first, I have to admit that I found it truly frustrating to see how 2 pips can trigger the stop loss and right after that my position reaches my target, but in time, I realised that in order to stick to my trading strategy and become profitable, I have to also accept the losses, even when I consider them
"unfair". Using the stop loss order not only that it helps cutting the losses, but can also help you lock in the profits. What helped my account the most was, after a while when the price goes in the desired direction, to move the stop loss at the entry point (so whatever happens, there will be no loss), and it honestly eliminates a lot of stress, especially during night.
Hopefully you will find this information as useful as I did, and feel free to ask anything in the comments section!
1 Rule to STOP a portfolio CRASH I guess my number one rule to prevent a portfolio going bust is my 20% Rule…
The rule is simple.
If my portfolio ever drops below 20%, due to a losing streak, I halt trading…
Notice the word halt instead of STOP.
When a portfolio is down 20%, this is where you’ll halt your trading but you’ll
KEEP following your trading strategy.
So, you’ll simply demo trade your system and continue journaling your entries and exits…
And only once the equity curve (your portfolio) goes back to all-time highs (on paper of course) then you can resume trading live…
Do you have a trading question? Ask in the comments and I'll fully answer it in one of these posts on TradingView...
Trade well, live free
Timon
MATI Trader
27 Ways to Save money to TradeSaving money to trade, or in general, can be a pain.
Either it drops your quality of life, or you find that you just can’t save a cent at the end of the month.
No matter what you’re earning, I’m going to show you exactly how to save money the easy way.
Here are my 27 favourite money savings tips with a couple of personal notes…
SAVINGS TIP #1: Stick to your shopping list
Write your shopping list down on a piece of paper or on your phone, and stick to it to avoid overspending.
When you are prepared for what you have to buy when it comes to your grocery shopping, this will more likely stop you from buying extra items you don’t need.
SAVINGS TIP #2: Pay with hard cash
Pay using real money instead of swiping your debit or credit cards.
When you pay with a card, instead of cash, you’ll find that you’ll spend more money on unnecessary items than you should or with money you don’t even have.
Personal note:
While I’ve been living and trading in Greece, I find this is the best savings tip I’ve used so far.
SAVINGS TIP #3: Pay yourself firstay yourself first
As soon as you’re paid your salary, wage or income for the month – deposit a portion of that money straight into your trading or savings account.
I like to use the 10% rule, but this all depends on what you can afford to deposit. This means, if you earn R60,000 per month deposit R6,000 into your trading account or savings account each month.
SAVINGS TIP #4: Don’t shop when ‘hangry’ or emotional
Avoid shopping when you’re feeling hungry, thirsty, angry or upset.
You’ll find you’ll spend more money than you should. In a recent study: Hungry mall shoppers who were hungry spent on average 64% MORE than non-hungry shoppers.
Make sure you have a nice meal and drink lots of water, before you go on your next shopping trip.
SAVINGS TIP #5: The ‘cookie-jar’ approach
When you empty your pockets, at the end of the day, drop them into a yearly cookie jar for your savings.
You’ll be surprised how many thousands of rands you’ll be able to save, collect and be able to deposit into your trading account for the next year.
SAVINGS TIP #6: Use the 24-Hour-Rule
Before paying money for non-essential and expensive items on clothes, cosmetics, appliances or even tools, just wait 24 hours before buying it.
You may find that you’ll lose that desire to buy them after 24 hours, which will save you tens of thousands of rands a year. Maybe when your parents said “sleep on it”, there was method behind their madness.
SAVINGS TIP #7: Go generic
Save a ton of money by buying the generic prescription medicines instead of paying a fortune for the name branded drugs.
Ask your local pharmacist or physician if you can have the generic prescription drugs instead of the brand-name drugs.
You’ll find that the generic products cost far less than the brand names, and will work equally well.
SAVINGS TIP #8: A quick breakfast that lasts a week
Breakfasts are not only the most important meal of the day, but can also be the quickest, easiest and most inexpensive meal for the day.
When you eat a full and healthy breakfast, you’ll find it will keep you from going out to eat an expensive lunch…
Personal note:
For the last two years, I have had the same breakfast which I make once and it lasts an entire week.
This has truly been life-changing as it makes my day start with one less decision to make before I get on with the rest of the day.
It’s called “Overnight Oats”. If you’d like to see my personal recipe feel free to click here…
SAVINGS TIP #9: Follow the 30-Day-Rule
Before you buy something really expensive, give it 30 days and then decide if it’s worth it.
I’m talking about items like jewellery, motorbikes, paintings, juice extractors and any other item that can cost over R3,000.
SAVINGS TIP #10: Don’t be fooled by sales
Avoid sales and don’t be duped by discounts, special offers, buy 1 get one free etc…
Remember this for every time you see a sale for 50% at the next Black Friday’s Special.
“You’re not saving 50% of your money, you’re spending 50% of your money that you weren’t planning to spend in the first place.”
SAVINGS TIP #11: Skip the alcohol and bottled water!
When you go out to a restaurant, avoid spending unnecessary money on alcohol and expensive water bottles.
A standard restaurant can mark up their cost of alcohol by three to five times.
Instead order just plain water or even a sugar free soda.
Personal note:
In Europe I have noticed that when you ask for tap water, they pour it from a bottle of expensive water (R30) anyway. This is due to the danger of drinking tap water in Europe.
SAVINGS TIP #12: Own your doggy bag
Ask your waiter to put the food that you didn’t finish in a doggy bag, so you can save money on lunch for the next day.
People are far too embarrassed about everything nowadays which I think needs to stop.
There should not be a stigma attached to taking leftover food home.
Everybody easts, drinks and sleeps. And when it comes to the food you ordered at the restaurant, you paid for it so why waste it?
This will also save you money, time and effort the next day for lunch, which will make your trip to the restaurant EVEN MORE WORTH IT.
SAVINGS TIP #13: Put three items back after shopping
When you’ve added extra items to your shopping that weren’t on the list, to avoid overspending, put back at least three items that you believe you can live without.
It’s very easy to walk through the final naughty aisle grabbing a whole bunch of crisps, chocolates, biltong, dried fruit and even a bottle of juice.
SAVINGS TIP #15: Cut down on smoking and drinking
Try to cut down your smoking and drinking by half the number per day.
This is really tricky to do but if you put your mind to it and challenge yourself, I know you can achieve this.
Personal note:
What I do with smoking is I’ve limited it to two in the morning, two in the afternoon and two at night.
This tip has saved me hundreds of rands per week from buying more boxes and I will continue to try cut it down until I’ve quit completely.
SAVINGS TIP #16: Fill up your milk with water
As soon as the milk reaches, the half way mark – fill it up with water. YOU WON’T TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.
As a parent or as a milk drinker, it can be extremely expensive to buy milk on a daily basis.
SAVINGS TIP #17: Become a vegetarian (at least once a week)
At least once a week, switch to meatless dishes which will help drop your grocery bill.
Replace it with: Chickpeas, couscous, okra, rice, sauerkraut, quinoa, beans, nuts, pasta dishes etc… You’ll be surprised what you can find at your local supermarket.
Personal note:
Inspired by my cousin, she insisted I cut meat out just once a week. I call this day “Meatless Monday”.
EXTRA MONEY SAVINGS TIPS
#18: Grow your own vegetables
#19: Sign up for loyalty cards
#20: Track your spending on your finance budget app
#21: Make meals that will last a week e.g. Lasagna, casserole, giouvetsi, gemista, soups, roasts, ratatouille etc…
#22: Buy the generic foods rather than the expensive name branded foods
#23: Pay careful attention to expiration dates
#24: Check your eggs in their boxes and your vegetables in their packets
#25: Freeze your foods in bulk
#26: Eat a meal before going to a restaurant
#27: Keep to Pay-As-You-Go with your cell phone account and use the Wi-Fi to call on WhatsAapp
This will be fun!
With these savings tips you can watch your money grow in your savings and trading account!
Why you should LOVE your losses 5 REASONSWe are brought up in society to WIN, WIN, WIN!
Throughout our upbringing we must either:
Achieve top grades
Drive the fanciest cars
Wear and own the best brands
In other words, we are raised to win with everything we do in life, until you get welcomed into the world of trading.
Today I’m going to be the contrarian and share with you why you should love, embrace and own your losses in order to ensure you grow your portfolio on a consistent basis.
Let’s start with:
What happens after a winning streak?
There will be a time during your trading career, where you’re going to endure a magical time where you end up taking sometimes 6, 8 to even 10 winning trades in a row.
Your portfolio will be smiling at a new all-time-high and, you’ll feel invincible. You may think that you’ve cracked the holy-grail of trading where you can quit your job and just make a living with the markets.
Research shows that individuals tend to invest and trade more actively when their most recent trading performance was successful. In fact, here are:
4 DANGEROUS Actions Traders Take During A Winning Streak:
They take on more trades.
They upper their trading positions.
They start to go against their trading strategy.
Their self-confidence and greed levels pick up.
Winning streaks are normal and INEVITABLE, but eventually they’ll end and the losing streak will begin.
No matter how good you believe you are as a trader or how perfect your trading execution skills are, there will be a time when the honey-moon phase for your trading strategy will be over and the markets will stop acting in your favour every time.
The reason is that due to the conditions of supply and demand, the markets environment will eventually change.
A market that was trending up or down, could enter into a 3-months sideways phase very easily. When this happens, you will enter into a drawdown (downside) phase.
The problem is not the downside for the next three months. The problem is how you’ll treat your trading going forward, based on the DANGEROUS actions you would have taken during your winning streak.
Let’s bring them back, to see what will happen to ‘invincible traders’ portfolios and minds with their unexpected losing streak…
They start to take on more trades –
THIS MEANS MORE LOSSES
They upper their trading positions –
THIS MEANS BIGGER LOSSES.
They start to go against their trading strategy –
THIS MEANS UNEXPECTED LOSSES.
Their self-confidence and greed levels pick up –
THIS MEANS DEPRESSION MAY KICK IN WHICH WILL LEAD TO QUITTING.
Now going back to what we said in the beginning.
When a winning streak ends, you should love, embrace and own your losses because of these five reasons.
5 Reasons To Love Your Trading Losses
Reason #1: Losses are part of your trading success journey
Once you have a winning and proven trading strategy, you’ll need to go back to your trading journal to remind you of the flow of winning streaks, losing streaks, average gain & loss per trade and other historical statistics.
I’ve back, forward and real-tested the MATI Trader System strategy for over two decades and so I know exactly what kind of winning and losing streaks are to come and that I’ll end up profitable in the medium to long term.
Reason #2: Losses help keep your emotions in check
Knowing there are inevitable losses to come, this should curb the ego, greed and fear emotions.
Reason #3: Losses should keep your risk low
With a losing streak that is inevitable to enter your trading results, this alone should be a reason to keep your losses low.
I personally never risk more than 2% or my portfolio in any one trade, no matter how many winning trades I take in a row. You can read more about the timeless money management rules in lesson three of the MATI Trader System programme.
Reason #4: Losses stop the “Hot Hand Fallacy”
Another reason that I love losses when trading is that it reminds me that the winning streak will come to an end.
This keeps me humbled and grounded to know that there will be a time where I’ll need to give back to the market, when the trading environment is less conducive to the trading strategy.
Reason #5: Losses don’t take me back to the drawing board
After a winning streak ends, you’ll find new traders will then quit trading and look for another system to find that will work for them during the changing market environment.
The thing is they don’t realise and accept that losses come with the trading territory and that one should never throw a profitable system away because a market enters into a drawdown phase.
Let me know what you thought about today's trading tutorial. I'm just sharing information I've learnt over the last 20 years as a trader.
Trade well, Live Free...
Timon
MATI Trader
5 Market entry Orders Easily ExplainedBack in the old days, to action a trade you only had two easy options.
Buy or sell…
Fast-forward into the present day, and today you get slapped with five different options to choose from when you get into a trade.
Right now, I’m going to simplify these five trading entry orders in way that you’ll never forget.
Entry Order #1: Market Order
The first entry order is the easiest to understand.
This is where you’ll buy or sell at the most current market price.
When you choose a market order, it is the quickest, most effective and easiest way to enter into your ‘long’ or ‘short’ trade at the current bid (buy) or offer (sell).
Entry Order #2: BUY Limit
When you place a ‘Buy Limit Order’, you’ll place your long trade entry price BELOW where the current price is trading at.
Once the market price drops on or below the Buy Limit Order price, you will be automatically entered into your ‘long’ trade.
EXAMPLE: BUY Limit
If BHP Billiton’s share price is currently trading at R305 per share and you would like to buy (go long) at R300 per share, you’ll choose the Buy Limit Order.
You’ll then wait for the market price to drop to your chosen order price or below it where you’ll then be automatically entered into your ‘long’ trade.
Entry Order #3: SELL Limit
When you place a ‘Sell Limit Order’, you’ll place your short trade entry price ABOVE where the current price is trading at.
Once the market price hits this entry point or above it, you will be automatically entered into your ‘short’ trade.
EXAMPLE: SELL Limit
If BHP Billiton’s share price is currently trading at R300 per share and you would like to sell (go short) at R305 per share, you’ll choose the Sell Limit Order.
You’ll then wait for the market price to rise to or above your chosen order price, where you’ll then be automatically entered into your ‘short’ trade.
Entry Order #4: BUY Stop
When you place a ‘Buy Stop Order’, you’ll place your long trade entry price ABOVE where the current price is trading at.
Once the market price hits this entry point or above it, you will be automatically entered into your ‘long’ trade.
EXAMPLE: BUY Stop
If BHP Billiton’s share price is currently trading at R300 per share and you would like to buy (go long) at R305 per share, you’ll choose the Buy Stop Order.
You’ll then wait for the market price to rise to or above your chosen order price, where you’ll then be automatically entered into your ‘long’ trade.
Entry Order #5: SELL Stop
When you place a ‘Sell Stop Order’, you’ll place your short trade entry price BELOW where the current price is trading at.
Once the market price drops on or below the Sell Stop Order price, you will be automatically entered into your ‘short’ trade.
EXAMPLE: SELL Stop
If BHP Billiton’s share price is currently trading at R305 per share and you would like to sell (go short) at R300 per share, you’ll choose the Sell Stop Order.
You’ll then wait for the market price to drop to your chosen order price or below it where you’ll then be automatically entered into your ‘short’ trade.
I hope this helps with knowing how to place an entry order for next time!
Trade well, live free...
Timon
MATI Trader