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Q&A MARGIN CALL - Everything you need to know Today's Q&A I want to answer the most common questions I get about Margin Calls. Let's begin. Q. What is the Margin Call? A margin call is a situation where a trader does not have enough funds in their account to keep a trading position open. Your broker will either phone you or you'll receive an automated message with a margin call warning. Q. What can you do when you hit a Margin Call? If you are ever in this situation, you will be instructed to do two things. Deposit more funds into your portfolio to keep your trading positions opened. Close your current open position/s that are running at a loss, before your trading platform closes them out for you. Tip: When setting up a trading account with a broker find out what their minimum margin requirements are. Q&A: Can you show an example with a Margin Call? Let’s look at an example with a Margin Call Here are the specifics: Equity portfolio: R10,000 Initial margin deposit: R5,500 You buy a CFD trade which says you need to have at least 30% of the margin (initial deposit) in your account, to keep the trade opened. This means, you need R1,650 (30%) in your account to keep your trade opened. The next day comes and the market crashes below your stop loss. Your new account balance is now R1,500… Unfortunately, you’ll hit a Margin Call as your portfolio only has 27% of the initial margin of your trade. = Equity ÷ initial margin deposit = R1,500 / R5,500 = 27% 27% is less than 30% of what you need to maintain an open trade. The broker now has the right to close the trade and to send you a notification about what happened. You will receive a margin call to instruct you to deposit more money into your account or to close your trading positions. Q&A: What if I can't pay back the money when I hit a Margin Call? Essentially, you will be owing the broker as they will not be carrying the risk. If you cannot pay it or refuse to clear the negative balance, you will not be allowed to trade with the broker and/or trading platform again until you pay what you owe. Depending on the size of the debt, if you refuse to pay it then some brokers may have the legal right to pursue the outstanding debt through legal means. This means they could file a lawsuit. They could even take the matter to court, where a judgement may be issued where the trader will be required to repay the debt. What Q&A would you like to see next? If you enjoyed it or found this useful let me know so I can do more for TradingView... Trade well...
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
Stop Multi-Tasking and Start Mono-Tasking! – 8 Trading ReasonsYou’re risking your own money when trading. You realise that? And in this fast-paced world, it takes a split second to break a fortune. It takes a split second to miss an opportunity. It takes a split second to lose focus. And it’s all down to one trait that is actually detrimental to your trading. Multi-tasking. Here’s why. Reason #1: Missed Opportunities When you try to juggle too many charts, markets and tasks at the same time – it’s risky. And if you distract yourself at the same time with social media, your cute cat, the news and hype… It makes it a whole lot worse. You might miss the best and highest probability trades – that you need to grow your account. If you want to really dig into finding the best opportunities you need laser focus and tunnel vision. So stop multi-tasking and instead stick to mono tasking. Reason #2: Delays in Priorities If you multi-task, it can lead to a delay in focusing on high-priority tasks. Any delay, can result in: Catching the trade too late Skipping the trade completely Forgetting what you need to execute Taking an unnecessary loss You need to stop diverting your attention away from urgent market developments. Instead, make it a priority to focus on finishing that one task. And make sure you do it with your undivided attention. Reason #3: Elevated Stress Levels As traders, we’re not only working on our method and money management – but also our mindset. Financial trading and risking money is already stressful alone. So, multi-tasking can only exacerbate this stress. And when you get stress you don’t need me to remind you what happens: You see red Your judgement becomes cloudy You make impulsive decisions You make wrong decisions Your emotions override your logicality and rationality. You can get stress all because you’re doing too many things at once. Keep to one thing and compartmentalise the others. This will do wonders for your stress levels. Reason #4: Drop in Productivity You’d think if you do more, it’ll enhance productivity. Because you’ll get stuff done right? Um no. With complex instruments analyses and risk management principles, trading needs deep analysis, strategic planning, and quick execution. With multi-tasking, you’ll most likely shift between tasks rapidly. This will not only disrupt the flow of concentration you need for one task at a time. It could also reduce the efficiency and suboptimal outcomes for every task you take on. Reason #5: More Mistakes To err is human. And if you multi-task and take on too many things, this will increase the likelihood of errors in trading. You might enter the wrong amount. Get in at the wrong prices. Get your volume wrong. But more likely, you’ll misinterpret good market signals. Each mistake has the potential to reduce your profits and damage your reputation. Reason #6: Reduced Learning Opportunities Successful trading is an ongoing learning process. When you multi-task, it hinders you from fully engaging with market trends, historical data, and educational resources. When you’re learning one thing – stick to one thing. Or it’s going to go in the one ear – out the other. Be passionate and fully immerse yourself in the one thing you’re learning at a time. You’ll find you’ll get a better and deeper understanding which is critical for your learning journey. Reason #7: Loss of Concentration Multitasking fragments attention. This makes it super difficult to maintain the level of concentration you need when trading. When you jump from one thing to another. This rapid task-switching, diminishes the brain’s capacity to keep focus. And this could lower your analytical attention. Reason #8: Overwhelm and Burnout We’ve spoken about how multi-tasking increases stress and cortisol levels. But if you fail to work on it, you’re going to eventually go kaput. This is a forever game. The last thing you want to do is burnout in the journey. The last thing you want to do is develop a mental fatigue. The last thing you want to do is fail because you quit. Final words. Stop multi-tasking and start mono-tasking. Your singular focus will show you amazing, productive, optimal and efficient results. Not just with trading, but every task you set your heart and mind to. Let’s sum up the 8 reasons why Multi-Tasking is an absolute NO when trading. Reason #1: Missed Opportunities Reason #2: Delays in Priorities Reason #3: Elevated Stress Levels Reason #4: Drop in Productivity Reason #5: More Mistakes Reason #6: Reduced Learning Opportunities Reason #7: Loss of Concentration Reason #8: Overwhelm and Burnout
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
How to Stop Trading Pocrastination – 8 WaysIf you find it hard to press the trigger, you may be suffering with… Trading procrastination. This is definitely a major hurdle with trading well. The good news is that, this is a temporary problem that you can fix today. With the right strategies and mindset, you can overcome this challenge. I have a few ways you can stop procrastinating. #1: Choose Your Trading Days One of the first steps is to get your schedule right. If you’re trading stocks, indices, forex, commodities or crypto – choose the days you want to trade each one. First you’ll need to analyse the markets and your watchlist. Write down the trades that are most likely going to line up. And then, you’ll be able to condition your mind to prepare for trading on designated days. This will take away the analyses paralyses and overwhelming effect of looking at too many markets at once. #2: Set Smaller Tasks When you have gone through your watchlists on your charting platform. Plot all the potential entries and exits and write down notes on what you will be trading. This will help you remind you what you’ll need to take action with. #3: Track Results on a Specific Day You don’t have to review and track your performance everyday. Trading is a medium to long term approach. So, maybe choose a Friday or Saturday to go through your track record and see how you performed or are performing. It will also tell you which trades are working in your favour or whether you’re in a drawdown or not. A regular check-up with your performance, can serve as a powerful deterrent to procrastination. #4: Remove Distractions You need to create a calm and serene environment when you trade. Clear your desk, close your tabs, switch off your TV. Create laser focus and it’ll help you be more inclined to act on what needs to be done. If you lower the interruptions, your productivity and alertness will also pick up. #5: Self-Talk Trading is a mindset game. Sometimes, you need to have a few conversations with yourself. And there needs to be positive reinforcement and self-talk to overcome procrastination. Say things like: ~ This is a high probability trade lined up according to my strategy – I need to just take the trade. ~ I only have 2% of my portfolio to lose – so I am prepared. ~ The trading portfolio is not going to grow by itself – I need to act. Train your mind to recognize negative thoughts and replace them with affirmations that boost your confidence and belief in your trading abilities. Build a strong self-belief system with strong action points and it will help you tackle challenging trading situations head-on. #6: Reward Yourself If a trade lined up and you get in – reward yourself. If you took your take profit according to your strategy – reward yourself. If you stuck with your guns and took the loss according to your system – reward yourself. If you need to adjust a trade according to your rules – reward yourself. Go for a walk, grab a drink, make a meal, smoke a cigar or whatever you enjoy. You need to celebrate the small things to help with your trading accomplishments. Set up a reward system to recognize your efforts and achievements. This will motivate you to stay on track and keep going. #7: Visualize Success If you have your trading plan and strategy in place, you have the game-plan. Close your eyes and envision when the days are good and when your portfolio heads up to all time highs. Visualizing successful trading outcomes can be a powerful motivator. Embrace the feeling of achievement and success, as this mental rehearsal which can positively impact your actual trading performance. #8: Learn from Mistakes When you learn something new from trading. Jot it down with strong lessons to apply in the future. Also, analyse your past mistakes and use them as stepping stones toward improvement. Adopt a growth mindset to help empower you to make proactive decisions and drive your trading progress forward. FINAL WORDS: You can conquer procrastination, one step at a time. Take action. Stay consistent. Attain and measure attainable goals. Never give up. Let’s sum up the actions you can take to stop procrastinating. #1: Choose Your Trading Days #2: Set Smaller Tasks #3: Track Results on a Specific Day #4: Remove Distractions #5: Self-Talk #6: Reward Yourself #7: Visualize Success #8: Learn from Mistakes If this resonated with you let me know :)
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
Why you Are a Mass Procrastinator – 7 ReasonsAre you stuck in a trading rut? Have you thought to yourself. You have all the knowledge, tools, skills, strategies etc… And yet you don’t believe you’re getting the trading results you expected? I think it’s because of the ‘Procrastination Gremlin”. It’s a common issue. For three years during my trading career I was a mass procrastinator. I never took trades when they lined up. I never deposited more money to grow my account. I never tracked and reviewed my trades on a weekly basis. It became a disease as well as a comfort zone. But what you might realise is when you LEAVE that comfort zone of procrastination, you might find it was never comfortable to begin with. It slowed down your growth and progress as a trader. So if you can relate to some of the things I’ve mentioned already, this article is for you. Let’s explore if you’re a mass procrastinator. You Doubt Trades One of the most common forms of procrastination is when you doubt taking trades. You hesitate and find every excuse to not trade for the day. The problem is this. Doubt slows down your decision-making process, and causes missed opportunities. If you have a winning and proven system and you have money you can afford to trade with great money management principles. Just Take The Trade! Skip Trades Ahhh, I’ll skip this trade and take the next. Skipping trades is another form of procrastination. What are you waiting for? The “perfect” trading setup, the right “timing”, the right gut (gat) feel? Stop skipping. Remember, in trading, there’s no perfect moment. You are bound to take trades with losses. So if you’ve incorporated them into your trading, why are you skipping the trades? Worst case scenario, you take a small loss. Best case scenario, you ban a whopper of a winner. Listen… Consistency and resilience are what brings success. Stop skipping trades when they line up. J.T.T.T Skip Days I get this. Monday is a storm of a day after the weekend. Friday is a calm day to prepare for the weekend. That’s what I’ve gathered over the years. But it doesn’t mean I skip trades. If they line up (Monday or Friday or any other day, just take it). Successful trading requires regular market analysis and being persistent with your trading. Stick to a routine, check the markets and try not to skip days. Forget Tracking If you also forget to track your trades, this is another sign of procrastination. Tracking helps you analyse your performance, learn from your mistakes, and make informed decisions. Every time you take a trade, plot it in your journal. At the end of the week, go through the journal to see how your trades are looking. Go through the open trades, to see how they’re performing. Also maybe see if you need to make any adjustments. Don’t neglect this crucial task. Forget Setups You might have written your trading setups for the week. And then you don’t take them. You’re procrastinating your success. Be more accountable and responsible with the trades that are lining up. Write it on sticky notes. Put them on your fridge. Set alerts on your trading and charting platform. Set reminders on your phone! Do whatever you need to to NOT forget the setups that are nearly ripe for the picking. Neglect Self-Education and adaptation As I’ve said often. Trading is an adapting and ever-evolving game. You need to: ~ Keep learning and revising ~ Be up to date with new markets ~ Adapt your strategies ~ Add or remove from your watchlists ~ Update yourself as a trader Procrastinating on Diversification If you’re only trading one type of asset, you might be in trouble. You’re delaying portfolio diversification. There are so many new stocks to apply. There are new algorithms with indices, commodities, Forex and Crypto. If they work with your system, diversify and hedge. Don’t be a dinosaur and stick to what was instead of what there is! Start researching other asset classes today. Final words: You’re your own worst enemy with trading. Not any trader, analyst, company… You. You need to stop procrastinating and start doing. Only then you’ll see improvement, development and even mindset growth. Let’s sum up potential reasons why you might be a mass procrastinator. You Doubt Trades Skip Trades Skip Days Forget Tracking Forget Setups Neglect Self-Education and adaptation Procrastinating on Diversification
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
How AI will revolutionise the trading world – 14 WaysThe era of AI has unleashed in almost every aspect of our lives. And I believe that there will soon be a seismic shift in financial trading with AI. I feel it’s my duty to share some of the ways, we will incorporate, adapt and integrate AI into trading. To explain in simple terms… AI is a concept to teach machines, robots and computers how to perform human actions. And trading is just another element that AI will apply to. Let’s start… #1: AI Trading Bots We’ve had EA (Expert Advisors), chat bots and machine learning when it comes to trading. As AI adapts more into the financial world, they will be able to signal, alert and even optimise our trading strategies, risk management and financial profile. #2: AI will alert more markets into our watch lists Not all markets work with our trading strategies. Right now we have to manually search for different markets to back, forward and real test. Once AI adapts to our trading strategy, it will be able to pinpoint the most efficient and effective markets to include into our trading arsenal. #3: Real-time risk management AI’s rapid data processing will be able to identify our risk profile. In the near future, it will be able to identify not only trading setups, but also the volume we’ll need to buy or sell to enter or exit a trade. It will alert us when trades are ready to go and will ask us whether we want to go ahead and action the high probability trades (according to our risk management. #4: Algorithmic automatic trading Once we lay out the parameters of what we want our AI trading bots to do, they will be your employee. They’ll be able to take action while you’re away such as: Layout the chart setups Plug in the trading levels (entry, stop loss and take profits) Execute trades on our behalf They will work for us, which will limit our time staring at screens. #5: Sentiment Analysis: Read the market’s mood This tool will help us identify who’s dominant in the markets. Are the bulls or bears stronger. It will then give us a gauge meter to tell us whether demand or supply is higher. And this will help us make calculated decisions, based on our own trading analyses. #6. Freeing humans from the grind When AI takes over our trading, it will do all of the mundane tasks for us. It’ll focus on: What markets work best with the system Which markets to remove from the watch list and whether we are in favourable or unfavourable terrorist according to our system This will free traders from spending hours behind a screen on the daily. #7: Automation: Back and forward testing When AI learns a system with the right parameters and criteria, it will be able to backtest for us. It’ll be able to go through hundreds of trades in the past and will provide a full review of the stats and measures. It’ll tell us the: trades of winners and losers Win and loss rate Average winner and loser per trades Costs, risks and losses Accumulation of profit and losses and more… #8. Pre-emptive fraud detectors AI doesn’t just detect fraud—it sniffs out all the unregulated and fraudulent type companies, brokers, market makers. It also analyses the markets micro and macro analyses to see which companies are doing well, cooking the books and / or are red flags to buy or sell. Its predictive capabilities will be able to save millions of traders from falling into financial trading traps and scams. #9: Customizable AI trading assistants Also, I bet we will see companies create their own trading assistants. Similar to Siri, Alexa and Google. You will have your own finance-savvy cousin ready to act on your trading needs. Whether you want to trade, find setups, talk about tested systems, create new strategies, learn real time info about markets and instruments. You’ll have your own AI trading assistant just call away. #10: The rise of quantitative trading Quant trading will soar to new heights. AI will be able to crunch numbers and optimise strategies with high speed and precision. This will make sense of complex financial models at lightning speed. #11: Real-Time chart pattern identification Eventually, AI will adapt machine and deep learning into charts. We will finally see the day where market patterns, trends are identified on any time frame. As they learn the bends, turns, vectors and consistency with the charts through predictive analysis from historical market data… AI will adapt and learn to plot more accurate, recurring chart patterns and use them to predict future price movements on any market. And AI will be able to scan hundreds of charts simultaneously and highlight significant patterns as they emerge. This will present high, medium and low probability setups for our trading. #12: Past chart patterns predictive analyses Not only will it identify real-time chart patterns. It will also spot historical price patterns and insights that took place in the past. This will help us to back test the systems and how they worked on particular markets. AI will be able to identify the chart patterns that have proven to be most successful for that particular trader. #13: Personalized and customised trading strategies What if you have a new chart pattern you’d like to adapt into your analysis? Well I’m sure AI will have the ability to learn, recognise and incorporate your chart patterns into the system. This way you can personalise what chart patterns, candlestick patterns or strategies you would like customised to your style. This means that each trader can have a unique set of chart patterns to look for, tailored to their trading style and risk tolerance. This personalized approach can potentially enhance your trading performance and your profitability. #14: Integration with other data sources This will most likely be open-ended. It’ll work via the network where AI will improve chart pattern recognition in financial trading by integrating with other data sources. Imagine AI learns from millions of traders, millions of strategies, systems and new inputs. I can only imagine that traditional manual chart pattern systems will be a thing of the past. With the new set of systems, formation, price and volume data – we will see integration of brand new forms of analyses and strategies. And this will bring a new era of financial trading. Final Words and summary! It’s all exciting and frightening at the same time. Because with AI integration, we will see yet another shift in the algorithms and it’ll bring a new future for trading. Only those who learn to adapt and evolve – will make it… Let’s sum up all the AI elements that will we mentioned here. #1: AI Trading Bots #2: AI will alert more markets into our watch lists #3: Real-time risk management #4: Algorithmic automatic trading #5: Sentiment Analysis: Read the market’s mood #6. Freeing humans from the grind #7: Automation: Back and forward testing #8. Pre-emptive fraud detectors #9: Customizable AI trading assistants #10: The rise of quantitative trading #11: Real-Time chart pattern identification #12: Past chart patterns predictive analyses #13: Personalized and customised trading strategies #14: Integration with other data sources
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
12 Most Common Trading Myths - BUSTEDAs long as people lose money with trading (and that is like 98%) of the lot. They will preach the bad word. And this will lead to rumour which will create false beliefs - I.E Myths... Well I've been trading for two decades and I'm going to put these myths to bed. Let's go! Myth 1: It’s a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme Trading has long been shrouded in the myth of transforming anyone into an overnight millionaire. But it’s an illusion. It’s what drives newbies and amateurs into the trading world. And then a few months later, when they realise what it actually takes to grow an account. They move to the next “best” thing. Trading is a forever life-style that requires ongoing discipline and patience through strategic planning, knowledge and presteen execution. And not to mention, it also involves periods of losses. There are no shortcuts to wealth in trading, it’s a journey, not a sprint! Myth 2: It’s Just High-Stakes Gambling Trading is a form of gambling. But strategic gambling. It’s not like pulling the slots machine and having a chance of being right or wrong. Or flipping a coin. No, trading has an element of risk and reward control. And it is based on nothing more than probabilities and comprehensive understanding of market trends, money management and analytical skills. Unlike gambling, which is based largely on luck. You have an element of control with the outcome. That’s through trading journals, back and forward testing and making stringent decisions. Myth 3: More Risk, More Reward Yes! If you risk more you’ll gain more. But when you risk more, you can also LOSE way more. With trading derivatives and leverage, you’re exposed to more than what you put in. Sometimes 10 times, sometimes 50 and other times 500. So, this alone should tell you how dangerous trading is. When your portfolio goes to 0 – due to high risk – That’s it. And many traders full port their accounts. And majority become the 98% losing stat of trading. Stick to low risk, low return. Keep consistent and the return will start adding up and you’ll reap the rewards in time. Myth 4: Only the Rich Can Trade The myth that trading is a club exclusive to the wealthy is just that, a myth. Decades a go, you would have needed thousands to start trading and investing. But no longer is that the case. Some brokerages don’t even have a minimum with trading. You can start off with a demo or practice account. As long as the competition and innovation picks up, trading will be cheaper, faster and more accessible. Myth 5: Trading is Only About Buy low – sell high Although this seems like a logical strategy. It’s not the only way to profit. Trading techniques like short selling allow traders to profit from falling markets. Not only can you buy low and sell high. You can also sell high and buy low. Myth 6: More Trades Equal More Profit Trading isn’t a game of ping pong. You don’t just play as many times as you can in a day, to profit. First, Overtrading can lead to rushed decisions, increased transaction costs, and significant stress. Patience often plays a crucial role in a trader’s success. And second, it all depends on the market environments. If the market is not trending, you can go long or short and still lose every bet. Rember you still have to let the market move up or down a bit to make up for the trading costs! And so you’re already at a disadvantage when you take a trade. Sometimes the best move is to sit on your hands. Neutral is also a position and a powerful position during certain periods. Myth 7: Successful Trading Means Winning Every Trade Even the most successful traders get knocked down by losses. It’s the nature of the trading game. What matters is the net outcome over a period of time. Your job is to make sure the losses are small and the gains are bigger. That way, even with a 50% win rate you’ll win and the profits will outweigh the losses in the long run. Myth 8: Complicated Strategies Yield Better Results You’ve heard of analysis paralysis right? When you literally plant so many indicators on your chart it looks like a Jackson Pollocks Christmas Tree painting. Complication does not equate to success. You’ll learn that: Too many indicators will conflict with each other. You’ll struggle to back test a system. You’ll struggle to find high probability trades. You’re making it more complex than it needs to be. And most important… You need to learn to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Often, the best trading strategies are the simplest. What’s essential is understanding your strategy thoroughly and executing it consistently. Myth 9: You Need to Monitor the Market 24/7 Thanks to stop-loss orders and other automated tools, you do not need to be glued to your screens all day. The most important attention you’ll need to apply is trading layout, setup and execution. Once you’re done and the trading levels are in place. Go live, do something else. Don’t be a nerd. Enjoy life. Trading requires attention, indeed, but a healthy balance is crucial to maintain clear-headed decisions. Myth 10: Markets Are Always Rational Markets, unfortunately, aren’t always rational. Just like you learn in school. There is ideal and real ways of the world. Sometimes, the market is one clusterfreak of confusion. Correlations don’t work according to the book. Trends don’t match up the micro and macro analyses of companies. Good news doesn’t mean strong uptrends. Markets are run by many, many, many other factors. They can be swayed by demand, supply, algorithms, Smart Money, greed, panic, emotion, rumor, and corruption and manipulation. This will lead to price distortions. There is a famous quote attributed to Great Depression-era economist John Maynard Keynes – “Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent”. Myth 11: Brokers Want You to Lose Money Yes there are a ton of brokers who make money when you lose. But reputable, credible and top regulated brokers – do NOT want you to lose. They make their money from brokerages, spread and from trading volumes. They want you to succeed and grow. Because if you blow your account, they lose a client. Hence, when brokers approach me I always tell them the importance of education, guidance and helping them SUCCEED. Myth 12: Once a Successful Trader, Always a Successful Trader Market conditions, strategies, and personal circumstances change. If you want to be a successful trader and remain one it requires constant learning, adaptation, and diligent risk management. This includes me! Despite how long I’ve been in the markets, I treat each day independently. I follow my system, risk management rules. I look for future opportunities and prospects to improve my trading, platform, journals and even testing. This is forever an alive game that requires action. We are always learning, growing, improving and adapting. Like they say, past success doesn’t guarantee future profits. Let’s sum up the 12 common Trading Myths: Myth 1: It’s a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme Myth 2: It’s Just High-Stakes Gambling Myth 3: More Risk, More Reward Myth 4: Only the Rich Can Trade Myth 5: Trading is Only About Buy low – sell high Myth 6: More Trades Equal More Profit Myth 7: Successful Trading Means Winning Every Trade Myth 8: Complicated Strategies Yield Better Results Myth 9: You Need to Monitor the Market 24/7 Myth 10: Markets Are Always Rational Myth 11: Brokers Want You to Lose Money Myth 12: Once a Successful Trader, Always a Successful Trader Can you think of anymore?
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
5 Ways to Improve your Trading - WORTH THE READYou’re going to need a cup of coffee or two for this one. It is my longest trading article I’ve ever written. I’ve written it because I care about you and I want you to succeed. So, please take the time to read this and save it for the future. Or if you don't have the time then at least go to the bottom to see the highlights of the article... Enjoy and trade well! Part 1 – EXPERTISE Choose your markets wisely. There are so many different markets to choose from, that you need to upper your knowledge. Whether it’s understanding market, assets, securities and instruments – you need to have basic knowledge. Here are some to consider… #1: New ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a popular way to invest in a diverse range of assets. If you want to improve your expertise in ETF trading, stay informed about new trends and opportunities in the market. Keep up to date with the latest developments in the ETF industry, such as new ETFs being introduced, and be aware of market trends and movements that may affect your trades. #2: New AI Tech Companies and Technology Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is revolutionizing many industries, including finance. To stay ahead of the game in financial trading, be sure to keep up to date with new AI tech companies and technologies. See what Google, Open AI (ChatGPT, Dallee), Apple and Meta are doing. Even some crypto AI companies. Familiarize yourself with the latest innovations in the field, and consider investing in companies that are developing or utilizing AI technology. #3: Electric Vehicles Electric vehicles are an emerging trend in the automotive industry. Even in Greece and Europe, we are seeing more Teslas on the road and electric garage stations. And they are expected to have a significant impact on the global economy, environment and with the automotive sectors. Stay up to date with the latest news and developments in the electric vehicle market, and be aware of how it may affect your trading strategies. #4: Space Tourism Space tourism is a new and exciting industry that is attracting significant interest from investors. Keep an eye on the latest developments in the space tourism market, including new companies (SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and even Amazon technologies. #5: Metaverse The metaverse is a virtual world that is becoming increasingly popular, and it is expected to have a significant impact on the way we live and work. They are here to stay, improve and evolve. From virtual reality, augmented reality and a mixture of both. Get yourself a Quest headset (or wait for the Quest 3) and see the new opportunities in the space. Don’t get left behind.There are many other areas of expertise of industries that you should be aware of. Just do a bit more research and incorporate them into your trading and investing lives. Part 2 – TIME Time is all we have. It’s also something you can’t get back but it’s something you can utilise and take advantage of. With trading, you need to use your time wisely, In this part we will talk about how you can improve on this aspect. #1: Be Punctual One of the most important aspects of successful financial trading is being punctual. Be sure to arrive at your trading desk or platform on time. Be ready to take action when the markets open. Be prepared for when trading opportunities align and when they are ready to execute. Don’t miss these opportunities, because it just takes ONE big one to take your portfolio out of your drawdown and in the green. #2: Don’t Miss a Day Missing a day of trading could lead to missed opportunities and lost profits. Be sure to stick to your trading schedule and avoid missing any trading days. And if you miss a day, make up for it the next day. Spend extra time on analyses, execution and even during your evaluations and tracking of your portfolio. #3: Set a Reminder To help you stay on track with your trading schedule, set a reminder on your phone or computer. Even better. Set an alarm for when you know you need to trade. Time slips by so quickly and we can get distracted in the day. How many times have you forgotten to have lunch, drink water and miss your favourite TV show? Use your timer and set reminders with trading. This will help you to stay focused and ensure that you don’t miss any important trading opportunities. #4: Sticky Notes Sticky notes can be a helpful tool for staying organized and focused when trading. Use sticky notes to remind yourself of important dates, deadlines, trading setups, ideas and trading strategies. Also use sticky notes to maybe have a plan on what you need to do as a trader that day. They help and are great to bring to your notice with the actions you got to take. Part 3 – ACTION Without action, it stays a dream. Without action, it stays an idea. Without action, it stays a what if… You need to DO instead of SAY. You need to ACT. That’s what this is all about with improving another area with your trading. #1: Place Your Trading Levels Don’t just look at what is lining up. Write them down on sticky notes. Have them all drawn up on your charting platform. And make sure EVERY detail, trading level and reason is somewhere you can see. Then you have no other choice but to set your trading levels carefully. Or if you need to adjust them as necessary to reflect changing market conditions and lock in gains where you can. #2: Prepare Your Trading Setups You need to prepare your trading setups carefully. This will help you to stay organized and focused when trading. Set up your trading platform, charts, and other tools before you start trading to ensure that you are ready to take action when the markets open and eventually hit your desired levels to action. #3: JUST TAKE THE TRADE High probability setup – tick. Trading levels in place – tick Risk analyses and volume analyses all according to plan – tick As I like to say JTTT – Just Take the Trade! Taking action is the most important part of successful financial trading. Don’t be afraid to take a trade when the opportunity arises, but be sure to do so with caution and careful consideration of the risks involved. Part 4 – VISION AND GOALS We all have our desired goals and vision in place. Or else why would we do it? Right? With trading, we have a game plan. And when we have a solid plan with a proven track record, we can almost see into the future of the outcome. But you need to write them down. You need to have realistic targets and goals. You need to incorporate the downside and drawdowns as well. And you need to remember, to achieve these – you have to take additional steps such as… #1: Deposit more money One way to improve your financial trading results is by depositing more money into your trading account However, this does not mean that you should invest all your savings. It is essential to balance your investments and diversify your portfolio to minimize risk. Maybe you want to deposit 5% per month. Or maybe you want to just deposit one fixed lump sum, to start growing your account. Be sure to evaluate your financial situation and set realistic investment goals that align with your financial capabilities. #2:Be responsible Being responsible is crucial in financial trading. You need to be disciplined in your trading activities and avoid making impulsive decisions. Stick to your strategy and stay true to your long-term goals. You should also ensure that you have a clear understanding of the risks involved in financial trading. #3: Eye on the sexy prize Short-term gains can be tempting – I get it. We are seeing the future before we are dealing with the present. And this is dangerous in the short term. It might feel slow, unprogressively and not as amazing as you thought after a year. But with compounding, eventually you will feel the success, triumph and true potential of trading power. But it is essential to focus on long-term growth and wealth potential. Be prepared to hold onto your investments for an extended period, even if there are temporary fluctuations in the market. #4: Focus on growth and wealth potential It is crucial to have a clear understanding of your long-term goals and make informed decisions based on them. If you want to grow your wealth, you need to be patient and take calculated risks. Diversify your portfolio and invest in assets that have long-term growth potential can help you achieve your financial goals. Part 5 – ATTITUDE Now it’s up to you. You have to face the elements of trading. The winners. The losers. The drawdowns. The insane winning streaks. The slowdowns. The sideways going nowhere. This all can mess with your emotions. Hence they say don’t ride the emotional rollercoaster. So let’s fix your attitude shall we? #1: Biggest mental enemy is – YOU Your mindset plays a significant role in your trading success. The biggest mental enemy in financial trading is you. It is easy to get caught up in emotions such as fear and greed. This can lead you to taking impulsive and revengeful trades. This can lead to you giving up during the bad or slow times. To overcome this, you need to have a clear understanding of your emotions and how they can affect your trading decisions. #2: Stop celebrating winners Avoid celebrating them excessively. Great you won some money! But what about the next trade? What about next month. What about next year. You are only as good as your last trade. And when you banked a winner, you need to focus on the next trade and let by-gones be by-gones. Celebrating your wins can lead to overconfidence, which can be detrimental to your trading success. Keep level headed at all times. Especially during successful trades. #3: Stop crying over losers Similarly, you should not dwell on your losses. Losses are part of the learning process. They can help you identify areas of improvement in your trading strategy. Instead of crying over losses, focus on learning from them and making informed decisions based on your trading plan. Also, go back to your track record. Go look at the biggest drawdowns you had and how you overcame them when the market went into a better environment. That will stop you crying over losing a bit of money. Besides, losing money is not a loss. It’s simply a cost of trading. Think of it like that and you will never feel another loser again. #4: Be long term oriented Financial trading is a long-term game. To be successful, you need to have a long-term mindset and a strategy that aligns with your long-term goals. I’ve told you many times. It’s not about the one trade but the hundreds of trades later. Just keep to your discipline, follow the plan and strategy and you’ll see it pay off in the long run. #4: Stop thinking of instant successes Financial trading is not a get-rich-quick scheme. You cannot expect instant success or overnight riches. Instead, you need to be long-term oriented and take a strategic approach to your investments. It would help if you were patient and persistent, even when faced with setbacks or losses. 5 Areas to Improve! We’ve come to the end of the 5 part – Areas you need to improve with trading. What a pleasure it’s been. I’ll sup up everything below so you can have a quick reminder what you need to work on. EXPERTISE #1: New ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) #2: New AI Tech Companies and Technology #3: Electric Vehicles #4: Space Tourism #5: Metaverse TIME #1: Be Punctual #2: Don’t Miss a Day #3: Set a Reminder #4: Sticky Notes ACTION #1: Place Your Trading Levels #2: Prepare Your Trading Setups #3: JUST TAKE THE TRADE VISION AND GOALS #1: Deposit more money #2: Be responsible #3: Eye on the sexy prize #4: Focus on growth and wealth potential ATTITUDE #1: Biggest mental enemy is – YOU #2: Stop celebrating winners #3: Stop crying over losers #4: Be long term oriented #5: Stop thinking of instant successes If you found this helpful let me know in the comments. Remember to stay disciplined, be patient, and keep your eyes on the long-term prize. J.T.T.T
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
Think You Know Candlestick Patterns?Welcome to the world of candlestick patterns! 💜If you appreciate our charts, give us a quick 💜 Doji candlesticks, with their equal or nearly equal open and close, offer crucial insights into market indecision. Understanding these formations is key to anticipating potential reversals and trade decisions. Let’s delve deeper into their significance and how to incorporate them effectively into your trading strategy. Understanding Doji: A Doji occurs when opening and closing prices are almost identical, signaling market indecision. Neutral Nature: Doji are neutral signals, highlighting the tug-of-war between buyers and sellers. Psychological Insight: Forming amid market uncertainty, Doji reflect hesitancy and potential trend shifts. 4 Types of Doji and Their Meanings: Dragonfly Doji: Description: Open and close near the high of the day. Interpretation: Sellers drive prices down, but buyers regain control. Action: Explore long positions with support from trend analysis and resistance levels. Gravestone Doji: Description: Open and close occur near the low of the day. Interpretation: Buyers initially push prices up, but sellers regain control. Action: Consider short positions if confirmed by trend analysis and support/resistance levels. Traditional Doji: Description: Open and close are almost identical. Interpretation: Strong market indecision; trend reversal potential. Action: Confirm with trend analysis; consider reversal or continuation trades accordingly. Long-Legged Doji: Description: Significantly long upper and lower shadows. Interpretation: Represents high indecision; neither buyers nor sellers dominate. Action: Await confirmation from other indicators for trade decisions. Incorporating Doji Into Your Strategy: Combining with Support/Resistance: Doji at key support/resistance levels enhance their significance. Use them to validate potential reversal points. Utilizing Trend Analysis: Doji are potent when aligned with prevailing trends. In an uptrend, Doji signal potential reversals, while in downtrends, they may indicate trend exhaustion. Implementing Fibonacci Levels: Combine Doji with Fibonacci retracement levels for robust entry/exit points. A Doji at a Fibonacci level strengthens the reversal signal. Risk Management: Define stop-loss and take-profit levels logically. Doji, while insightful, don’t guarantee outcomes. Protect your investments with sound risk management. Remember, successful trading is a blend of strategy, discipline, and adaptability. Doji candlesticks, as valuable tools, provide glimpses into market psychology. When integrated wisely, they can bolster your trading decisions, enhancing your overall effectiveness in the dynamic world of trading.
Education
by Vestinda
Top 10 AI Stocks to Trade and add to Trading View WatchlistAI is definitely one of the key words for the century. And yes, I believe these are great companies to add to our watchlist to trade. ANd Trading View has all of the companies to analyse their movements. . We could even see AI companies being some of the safe-haven stocks to invest in 2024… Here are my top 10 companies that are incorporating AI into their businesses and ones I'm trading lately. 1. Microsoft (MSFT): Develops, licenses, and supports software, services, devices, and solutions. 2. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Designs and sells computer processors and related technologies. 3. NVIDIA (NVDA): It designs graphics processing units (GPUs) for gaming and professional markets. 4. Palo Alto Networks (PANW): Offers cybersecurity solutions and firewall technology. 5. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): This is a strategy that companies use to manage interactions with customers and potential customers. 6. Meta Platforms - formerly Facebook – (META): Operates social media and virtual reality platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus) Note: Oculus 3 Headset is coming out next year and it’s going to include and introduce Augmented Reality to the world. 7. Palantir Technologies (PLTR): Develops data analysis software and provides data integration and analytics platforms. 8. Adobe Inc. (ADBE): Creates software products for content creation, multimedia, and marketing. 9. Apple Inc. (AAPL): Designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, Virtual Reality and online services. 10. Micron Technology (MU): Micron Tech. inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells memory and storage products worldwide I have an entire watchlist just saying AI STOCKS... There isn't an Index yet, so I'm watching them and trading accordingly.
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
3 Risk Actions to take in a Sideways Market “Do you have any risk or money management rules you take, during a Sideways Market or Twilight phase? I want to be more cautious with my trading.” These actions, no doubt, will help us protect and preserve our trading accounts. Action #1: Drop your risk even more If you’re feeling uneasy with the markets, as many have – drop your risk. You can even drop your risk to a range of 0.5% to 1% per trade, as opposed to the usual 2%. This will keep you in the game, so you don’t miss out on any moves. Action #2: Hegde your portfolios I consistently employ hedging strategies, both Longs and Shorts. For example, you can go long stocks and short gold as a hedge. Or you can go long Bitcoin and short Ethereum as a hedge. As long as your losses are smaller than your winners, then your winners will outweigh. And this will help keep your portfolio in check. Action #3: Diversify The JSE ALSI 40 isn’t the be all and end all of trading. You need to learn to diversify into other markets. I’m talking about Forex like EUR/USD, Indices, and even intraday trades.
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
How to Adapt to the Ever-Evolving Financial Markets – 4 WaysThe only constant with the financial markets is… Change The market is constantly changing in a way that it’s bringing: New demand New supply New volume and fresh changes in the complex algorithms. If you want to thrive you need to learn to learn to adapt, evolve and grow with the markets. I want to cover four elements to today’s topic. The Inevitability of Market Change Change is not only constant but inevitable in financial markets. There will always be new elements streaming into the markets from: Global and political events Micro and macro aspects Economic indicators Regulatory shifts, and Investor sentiment These elements are perpetually at work, shaping and reshaping the market. These catalysts can shift the trajectory of entire sectors, leading to volatile market movements. Influx of New Volume on Market Dynamics Every day, the market sees a deluge of new volume. There are new traders and investors constantly joining the financial markets world. And we are seeing an inflow of capital from retail traders, institutional investors, and high-frequency trading firms. The big institutions like Smart Money (banks, hedge funds, brokers etc…) are causing the big volatile moves in the market. The smaller guys – dumb money and retail traders – are also helping with liquidity in the markets. Every transaction is causing a shift in the market. No matter how small it’s the “Butterfly Effect of the financial market”. The Role of Algorithms in Market Evolution In the era of digital transformation, algorithms have become a pivotal part of the financial markets. Algorithmic trading or ‘algo-trading’ employs complex mathematical models to execute trades at lightning speed and frequency. I’m talking about Copy Trader, Robinhood, AI trading bots, EA Expert Advisors and pre-determined automatic mechanical trading methods. This practice is now an integral part of the trading landscape. And they will continue to have an influence in price action, and market patterns. Haven’t you noticed? In the 50s through to the early 2000’s. The markets trended on a more consistent basis. Any monkey could choose a list of good stocks and hold them until they were up 200% – 1000%. But nowadays with derivatives, algorithms, shorts and automatic execution – markets have never been more volatile and more difficult to ride the trends. Always Adapt to Thrive in Changing Markets It’s our job to learn to be more flexible and to adapt to these market conditions. As markets evolve, so must we evolve with them. We need to always: Apply new markets to our watchlists Look for better trading instruments Change the trading strategy to make it more conducive with the environments Always look for the next best broker, trading and charting platform Look for ways to reduce costs and maximise profits. I’ll end off with this. The market is constantly changing, adapting and evolving. We need to embrace the change and not see it as a threat. Have this mentality and you’ll always have the opportunities to improve, anticipate and grow as a trader.
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
1
What is a REIT and how do they work?A. Let’s start with the basics: REITs stands for 'Real Estate Investment Trusts'. These are essentially property companies that are listed on the stock market which you'll find pretty much most of them on TradingView. So how do they work? Step 1: An individual decides to invest in a REIT company. Step 2: The money is then collected into a large pool (like all trusts). Step 3: The pooled money is then invested into the property that the company either owns, operates or finances. Step 4: Over time the company starts to make revenue and profit. Step 5: The profits are then accounted and collected. Step 6: The profits are then distributed in parts to the initial investors who helped finance the company through a REIT. Sounds great in theory… But in reality, there is always a catch… And that catch is timing. The Big five SA Reits have lost over R100bn in value since 2018. The BIG five REITs are: 1. Growthpoint 2. Redefine 3. Resilient 4. Vukile and 5. Hyprop. Of course, this could be seen as an opportunity but there are several other factors we need to consider before deciding the best time to trade this type of asset. A trick will be to overlay the five companies on a chart. See how they move and operate in conjunction to each other. And then we can decide which are buys or sells. Apples with apples.
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
Why It Pays to be a Patient Trader – 10 PointsPatience, passion and persistence. The three Ps of what it takes to make it as a trader. We like to say 5% is action and 95% is waiting. And that’s why I’ve written a complete guide to being a patient trader. Let’s start… No Impulsive Decisions Impulsive decisions are the bane of any trader. The market is known to be volatile, jumpy, fickle and are prone to make sudden swings. These swings can cause panic, fear and can lead to really poor trading choices. If you have the patience to wait for your setup, the right market environment and for your trade to play out – you’ll stop the impulsive and emotional decisions. Wait for the right and conducive market conditions Many trading systems are designed to work optimally under certain market conditions. For trend, momentum, and breakout traders – we need to let the market move and continue to move in the directions. Patient traders will need to continue taking their trades, when the system lines up. And only when the environment is right, will they make money. That’s why you need to learn to risk little with the losses. And when the winners kick in, they’ll make up for the dips and will help your portfolio flourish eventually. Spot only the high and medium probability trades Don’t be a rash trader. When you jump with every opportunity you can. There are low, medium and high probability setups. Wait for only the high and medium probability trades. Skip the low probability trades that align or risk very little (0.5%). Only trade those that align with your system’s strength and exhibit strong, favourable signals. This will help boost your win rate and drop the chances of loss. Hold onto winners To grow your portfolio, you need to let your winners run. Let the great trades, run their course. Many traders, especially beginners, often exit winning trades too soon due to fear of a reversal. They also exit quickly as they don’t want to take the trade to turn into a loss. And as a result, they bank a measly gain. A patient trader understands that great profits are made when you ride the big trends. This will require you to resist the urge to close a winning position prematurely. Wait it out A trader must sometimes wait: Wait for a setup to come to fruition. Wait for the trade to play out. Wait for unfavourable trading periods to end. Emotional stability While you’re being patient. Cut out the emotions. That feeling of ants in your pants. Rather learn to maintain emotional stability, and avoid the emotional highs and lows. Your trading should not feel like an emotional rollercoaster. Just do your job and treat it as a job. Not as the lottery. Not as a gamble. Not as a be all and end all situation. Don’t let anything cloud your judgement that can lead you to trading bad. Master your trading strategy Just because you have a trading strategy and gameplan. Does not mean, you know how it works over the long haul. A patient trader takes time to master their trading strategy. Back, forward and real test the strategy carefully. Trade them on different markets. See how they work taking into account the costs (brokerages, daily interest charges and even spreads). Know how the game-plan works in all different situations and environments until you are consistent and have a proven and tested methodical execution. Avoid overtrading Patience helps traders avoid overtrading. This is a common pitfall where too many positions are taken. You have to stop revenge trading (to make up for losses). You have to stop over trading (to try make more gains in a day). Stick to high probability trades, a careful selection of markets and the best times to trade. Learn from mistakes The main time you’ll actually learn, adapt and grow as a trader – is through your mistakes. When you make a mistake, do not sweep it under the rug. Take the time to write them down, screenshot them and jot down a memo to yourself about these mistakes. When you learn from them, it will prevent you from making them again and you’ll even be able to refine your strategy to avoid them. Develop discipline into integration Patience cultivates discipline. That is trading well every single day or week. Once you adapt into a routine and you have the discipline to act accordingly. Then you will enter into a lifestyle integration. You won’t think twice. You won’t need anything to motivate you to trade. You will just trade well like you brush your teeth, sleep or eat everyday. Once you have integration, there’ll be no need for motivation. Summary Patience in trading is a trader’s virtue. It is an essential strategy for you, if you wish to attain long-term success in the financial markets. Here are the key points we mentioned in this complete patience guide. No Impulsive Decisions Wait for the right and conducive market conditions Spot only the high and medium probability trades Hold onto winners Wait it out Emotional stability Master your trading strategy Avoid overtrading Learn from mistakes Develop discipline into integration
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
Become a Trading Machine – 11 Ways!If you want to trade well and consistently. You have to be more mechanically orientated. I’ll be literally quick and brief. Saying “literally” was unnecessary and made it longer. Sorry. Here are the pointers: 1. Stay committed 2. Cultivate patience 3. Avoid herd mentality 4. Be long-term oriented 5. Stop crying over losers 6. Review your performance 7. Stop celebrating winners 8. Adapt to market conditions 9. Keep your emotions in check 10. Don’t think of quick success 11. Adapt and advance with technology Are there any ways you take to be a trading machine? Let me know!
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
PUT TO BED: Trading VS GamblingIt’s a big debate that runs the financial market. Is trading gambling? Well I’m going to try put it to bed in just a few sentences. There are two types of gambling. Gambling by chance and total randomness like slot machines, lotteries, Bingo, Wheel of Fortune and flipping coins. And strategic gambling which allows you elements of control of coming out with a probabilistic chance of winning. I believe trading is a form of strategic gambling. Let’s talk about the similarities between certain strategic gambling games and see how we can learn from them with trading. Game #1: Trading and Poker: Skill, Strategy, and a Bit of Luck In poker, each player gets a unique hand of cards. To win, players must devise a strategy based on their understanding of the game, their observation of their opponents, and their willingness to take risks. Players can choose to play, bet or fold. The same principles apply to trading. Traders have their ‘hand’ in the form of markets to choose to trade. To yield profit, they must understand market trends, observe competitors’ behaviours, and manage risks. In poker, one needs to know when to fold and when to bet aggressively. In trading we have stop losses to get us out of the trade. We have take profits to bank our wins. We have volume choices of how much to buy or sell. And we have the choice to stay out completely. Poker also teaches the importance of emotional control and patience, which are crucial in trading, where emotional decisions can lead to significant losses. Game #2: Trading and Roulette: Understanding Probabilities Roulette is largely a game of chance where players bet on numbers, colours, or sets of numbers. You choose whether you want to bet on red, black, even, odd, specific numbers and so on… Although the outcomes are random, players can use probability to guide their decisions. In trading, while certain market movements can’t be predicted with absolute certainty, we rely heavily on technical, fundamental, statistical analysis and probabilities to make trading decisions. Trading, much like roulette, is where you need to diversify your positions and bets. But instead of placing chips on certain numbers, we place deposits (margins) in the hopes of a probable outcome. Game #3: Trading and Blackjack: Playing Against the Market (House) Blackjack involves strategic decisions, where players decide to ‘hit’ or ‘stand’ based on their current hand and the dealer’s visible card. The main goal is to try and get the cards we’re dealt to hit 21, be close to 21 or be closer to 21 than our opponent’s hand. Bet too high past 21 and you burn. In trading, technical analysis serves a similar purpose by predicting future market movements based on past data. Bet too high with trading and you stand to lose a lot more. And if you can’t count with Black Jack, then you have a much bigger disadvantage to the game. If you don’t have strong and stringent money management principles, then good luck trying to maintain, preserve and protect your portfolio. Game #4: Trading and Horse Racing: Know your horse! Horse racing involves choosing the right horse based on its: Form Characteristics Conditions of the race Weather on the day and other factors. This is like trading. You need to understand each market you trade. It has its own personality, form, movements, and style. You also need to know which market is conducive for your trading portfolio. And you need to choose the right stock or asset to trade based on its performance history, current market conditions, and other factors. In horse racing, experienced bettors also diversify their bets across multiple races and horses to spread risk. With trading we diversify our portfolios over different accounts, markets, sectors, instruments and types. Game #5: Trading and Sports Betting: Predictive Analysis and Risk Sports betting also works similar to trading. You need to know how to analyse a team’s or player’s form, weather conditions, home and away records, and more to predict an outcome. Whether it’s football, rugby or cricket – you need to know your team players, strategy and likelihood of who is to win what game. Traders also conduct similar analyses, studying companies’ financial health, market trends, and technical indicators to predict market movements. And as always, there are both risks that need to be calculated and managed for high probability successful outcomes. So next time when someone tells you trading is just gambling. You tell them, they are right but it’s strategic gambling rather than gambling by chance.
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
The Mind of an Ego Trader – 10 ActionsWe always hear of the two most dangerous states of trading. Fear and greed. But I think there is one more state, that really drives a trader to financial collapse. EGO. Ego is thinking you’re always right where you ignore risk and caution. It’s the voice in your head that tells you to make risky choices because you believe you know better. To overcome being an ego trader, we need to go inside the mind of one. Let’s start… Ego traders overtrade One of the most common pitfalls of ego trading is overtrading. This is the act of buying and selling markets way more than you should. They believe that the more they trade, the more profits they will make. Solution: Adopt a well-defined trading strategy and stick to it. You need to know how and where to enter your trades with strict risk management. Remember, quality should always be prioritized over quantity. Ego traders like to revenge Trade Ego traders refuse to be wrong. They’ll take a trade in one direction, bank a loss. And then immediately get in again, but in the opposite direction – to make up for losses. Their goal is not to trade well but to recoup any losses ASAP. This behaviour is often driven by the ego’s inability to accept a loss. And this will drive them crazy until they blow a big portion of their account. Solution: Acceptance is key. Every trader is going to take losses. You need to take the loss (see it as the cost of trading), and come back the next day. Take a step back, analyse the situation objectively, and stick to your trading plan. Ego traders ignore risk management Egotistical traders think like this. “I want to grow rich quickly and refuse to only bank 3% to 4% of my portfolio per trade”. They instead risk 5%, 10% and sometimes go full port. They have this invincibility complex, that the more money they risk the more likely they’ll build their account quickly. But this is reckless and your portfolio won’t last long. This will often lead to disproportionate losses. Solution: I sound like a parrot by now. Always adhere to your risk management rules. Determine your risk tolerance, set risk-reward ratios for your trades, and never risk more than you’re willing to lose on a single trade. You know this! Dismiss Market Analysis Ego traders are emotional. They mainly trust their feelings, their jiminy cricket voices and their instincts over solid and proven market analysis. This will obviously lead to discretionary trading decisions, which will eventually lead them with no strategy, no discipline, no rules, and no portfolio. Solution: Become a trading machine. Think like a robot and always base your decisions on thorough market analysis. This includes both technical analysis (price trends, indicators, etc.) and fundamental analysis (economic, financial, and other qualitative and quantitative factors). Ego traders blame everything Ego traders often blame the market, their broker, their children, the media, or unexpected news for their losses. You need to grow up and take on the mature approach. Every financial decision and action you make, is solely your responsibility. Solution: Take responsibility for your actions. Understand that the market is unpredictable and losses are a part of trading. Don’t trade if you’re feeling distracted, Don’t trade if you’re feeling you’ll blame something or someone. Learn from your mistakes and learn to humble yourself before the market does. Ego trader are trend top and bottom pickers These are the guys that literally try to ‘predict’ bottoms or tops. They go against the current trend, and instead guess that the price will turn from here. They give you every reason why the market will turn. They know privy info that no one else does (even though all info is in the public domain). They know strategies and indicators that make these predictions (even though all indicators are based on past data). They see and feel out of their asses about change in trends. And when they’re wrong (which most times they are), they find every reason, news event and indicator to guess when the market will turn. This usually results in entering at a bad price and subsequently facing a huge loss. Solution: Leave the tops and bottoms. Seriously, ignore the first 10% of the bottom. Leave 10% of the top. Claim the 80% market move when the trend has confirmed and is showing strong momentum. Enjoy going with the trend not against it. Ego traders over leverage It confounds me that traders want more leverage. They show off about 20 times, 50 times up to 500 times. You know what that means right? You can lose 20, 50 or 500 times the money you put in. Leverage is a double-edged sword. You desire the big wins and only think of the big wins. When then you are wrong (and you will be), you end up losing a colossal amount. Solution: Use leverage responsibly. Lower the leverage, the better you can manage your risk and reward management. Ego traders disregard stop losses Stop losses are designed to limit a trader’s loss on a position. However, there are two types of ego traders. The ones that trade naked (without a stop loss) and the trade goes heavily against them where they lose their hat. Then there are the ones that put in their stop loss. But then they move their stop loss FURTHER away where they can risk more. Once this happens, they marry into their trade. And they’ll keep moving the stop loss away again and again and again and then BOOK. Gone. Solution: First rule – Always set a stop loss. Second rule – NEVER move your stop loss where you can risk more. Super important. Ego traders dismiss discipline They have major commitment issues. They choose their days and times. They trade now and then when they feel like it. And this dismisses the discipline of taking every trade, one needs to take to build a consistent portfolio. Solution: See trading as a business. See trading as a job. See your trading strategy as your boss. Work accordingly like your life and livelihood depends on it. Discipline is key in trading. Maintain your discipline and eventually it’ll turn into integration. Then you’re sorted. Ego traders fail to adapt The market is constantly changing. There are always new markets. There are always new platforms. There are always new brokers. There are always new innovations and features. And yet ego traders, stay put. You need to learn to adapt to market changes. You need to constantly update yourself as a trader, your strategy, your watchlist and stay with the times. With discipline, a clear plan, and a bit of humility, traders can better navigate the markets and improve their chances of success. Let’s sum up the Mind of an Ego trader so you know how to overcome it. Ego traders overtrade Ego traders like to revenge Trade Ego traders ignore risk management Dismiss Market Analysis Ego traders blame everything Ego trader are trend top and bottom pickers Ego traders over leverage Ego traders disregard stop losses Ego traders dismiss discipline Ego traders fail to adapt
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
20 Trading Checklist in 2024In just two months, we are coming to the end of 2023. If it's been a year of learning to trade and getting to grips with everything. Then I have a 20 Trading Checklist for you to kickstart 2024. Print it, save it and repeat this whenever you need a Jimney Cricket by your trading side. You go this! Love what you do Trust the process Never miss a trade Don't fall for scams Ask trading questions Don't allow distractions RE-evaluate your watchlist YOU CAN ONLY GET BETTER Celebrate taking each trade Never extend your stop loss Stop overthinking everything Save 15 minutes a day to trade Boost your trading knowledge Screenshot every trading setup Find the best time that suits you Only follow your trading signals Journal and jot down every trade Follow your own trading time-line Accept when market trends change Deposit money to trade every month Let me know if this helps. T
TVC:SA40Education
by Timonrosso
When You Should NOT Trade! 11 Reasons to Take a Step BackYou have two choices each day you open your trading platform. To trade or not to trade. There are circumstances that will rise where you won’t trade for that day. Then there are times where you should NOT trade at all. And then there are situations where you need to avoid trading. You know when to trade. Now here are a couple of 11 reasons to take a step back with trading. After a bunch of knocks After you take a couple of losses, it might feel natural to want to jump right back in. You don’t want to lose. You want to recoup your losses. You want to ride the prominent trend. You have to learn to resist this temptation. Whether you buy or sell, if the market is in a bad state or environment – you’re likely to lose your positions. So take a step back and come back tomorrow. The peril of revenge and impulse trading tendencies I’ve told you many times. Any occurrence where you are NOT following your proven strategy is deadly. Revenge and impulse trading (to try and make up for any losses) is a dangerous path. Not only for the day. But it scars and sets a precedent for you to do it in the future. In the medium term, it’s a surefire way to harm your portfolio. Learn to recognize and control these tendencies. Rather take a step back and come back, the next day, with a more rational and logical approach. The absence of clear setups If you don’t have any high probability trades that have lined up, forget trying to take a trade. This is like sailing with a destination in mind without a compass. Trades will come. The markets will always be there for you tomorrow. So wait them out… Emotional instability Emotions when trading are a dangerous trait to have. Anxiety, excitement, ego, fear, greed or distress can cloud your judgment. If you’re emotionally unstable, you need to take a step back and learn to control your emotions. Drop your risk, ‘till you no longer feel a loser or winner. Continue backtesting until you regain your confidence. Refrain from trading until you learn to balance your emotions. Can’t afford it – forget it! If the funds you’re using for trading are essential for your survival or well-being, this is a red flag. You are going to be highly dependent and emotionally attached to your funds. I say it over and over… Do not trade with money you can’t afford to lose. It creates an unhealthy pressure that can influence your trading decisions. Don’t know it – Don’t trade it. If you lack a solid understanding of markets, methods or money management – you’re not ready to trade. You need to understand the above along with the market dynamics, the costs and process of instruments and how your trading and charting platform works. Education is key here. Learn, learn, learn. When you have less questions and more answers, then it might be a better time to take the trade. Low probability setups When the market is moving nowhere slowly. Or the markets are moving wildly with high volatility – this might be a time to not trade. The risk and uncertainty of the market is high. And this will result in only low probability trade setups lining up. If you really want to trade them, because you have nothing better to do – fine. But at least risk LESS. Risk between 0.5% to 1% of your portfolio instead of the full 2%. When exhausted, ill or mentally unstable Physical well-being also plays an important role. Your mental state affects your trading performance. If you’re not in the right mindset, consider taking a break. Avoid trading if you’re not feeling well, exhausted, angry, or you’re feeling unstable. Get your mind right, recover and see the markets with healthier and happier eyes. That made sense to me :/ No clear setup Sometimes, you might analyse the markets. And you’ll see nothing. Then, you’ll re-analyse and look EXTRA carefully. You’ll look and look and look until, somehow a trade presents itself. I’m telling you now, this is a dangerous time to take the trade. A trade should stick out like a sore thumb (according to your strategy). If it doesn’t, then you’re trying to see something that most likely is NOT There. Trade based on sound, proven and strong analyses, not via imagination and hope. During major economic announcements This point is more related and significant to Forex traders. If you see a high impact economic announcement, report, meeting etc… It might be a good idea to take a step back, and skip trading for the day. I’m talking about NFP, Unemployment, GDP, FOMC, Interest and Inflation rates etc… Without a trading plan A well-crafted trading plan is your roadmap. It’s your game-plan to make a probability prediction on a potential outcome. You need to eat, breath, shower and sleep with your trading strategy. If you don’t have one, don’t trade until you develop a plan and are ready to stick to it. Right so, now you now when to take a step back and NOT trade. I’ll sum them up here for you… After a bunch of knocks The peril of revenge and impulse trading tendencies The absence of clear setups Emotional instability Can’t afford it – forget it! Don’t know it – Don’t trade it. Low probability setups When exhausted, ill or mentally unstable No clear setup During major economic announcements Without a trading plan
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
21
The World is your Trading Oyster! Trade it!The world is your trading oyster Any market with a ton of volume, is going to move in one of three ways. Up, down or sideways. Stocks, indices, Forex, commodities or crypto currencies, They all move the same, they all act the same. We need to remember to diversify different markets into our trading. When some are in bad market envrionments, others will be in good trading conditions to help balance and hedge the portfolios... Be open to the markets available and do your research to see which will comply and will be compatible with your strategies.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
1
Bla Bla Bla Excuses to NOT trade Bla Bla BlaWhat is your biggest trading excuse? 1. Not enough money - Then paper trade! 2. Not enough time - 15 Minutes is enough 3. Not enough education - Learn it's FREE 4. Not the right time - It IS the right time 5. Not the best market environment - Let's get into them... #1: I don’t have enough money to trade Open an account and start demo-trading then! TradingView gives you everything you need. Start back testing and kick off your trading on the right note. #2: I don’t have any time to trade Seriously? Do you have time to watch Netflix? Do you have time to walk your dog for 15 minutes? Do you have time to read a book? If so… You have time to analyse for 5 minutes, 2 minutes to place a trade signals and then leave it up for the market. 15 minutes a day or at worse, 15 minutes a week – that’s all you need. #3: I don’t know how to trade What do you think TradingView tutorials are here for? #4: I’m waiting for the right time This is the biggest excuse for people to take action in life. Not just with trading. With a new hobby, with opening a business, with learning to cook… You’re not waiting for the right time, because the only time is NOW. You’re just afraid of failing and too scared to start. Prove me wrong… #5: The world and the markets are in a bad state Hello! With trading, we don’t care whether the markets move up or down. If it goes up we profit. If it goes down we profit… That’s the whole point of trading. Or else I would just do the passive income (which I don’t believe exists) approach and just buy and hold forever in hope. #6: I don’t know what to trade Why choose? A chart is a chart. Any market with a ton of volume, is going to move in one of three ways. Up, down or sideways. Stocks, indices, forex, commodities or crypto currencies. They all move the same, they all act the same. So, diversify your trading and trade all high volume traded markets. #7: Trading is complicated Everything seems complicated in the beginning. But as you repeat the process on a daily basis, it gets easier… This isn’t programming, you don’t need to know maths or science. All you need to know is where to type in your prices. Market Buy Or Sell Volume (CFDs) Entry (Where to get in) Stop loss (Where to place your risk level) Take profit (Where to place your reward level) Trade (Enter) The rest, we show you via videos or in the Premium membership step by step processes EACH TIME. Say less, do more… If this motivation helped give the kick you need, let me know by replying back. What is your excuse?
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
3 Dangerous States of a Trader“To err is human” It comes from Alexander Pope’s poem, “An Essay on Criticism.” This popular saying reminds us that making mistakes and feeling emotions are a common part of the human experience. In the high-stakes arena of financial trading, most people run their trading through three main emotional states. You might not be able to eradicate them completely but we can learn to keep them in check for superior trading performance. Let’s go through these three powerful states. State #1: Fear in Trading Fear is the emotional state that: Stops traders from actioning trades. Letting losses run (as they refuse to take a loss) Cutting winners too short (as they don’t want to lose their profits) When fear dominates, traders may freeze, act too soon, act too late or not act at all. How to Overcome Fear in Trading A well-structured trading plan is a trader’s best defense against fear. You need to think like the market. You need to trade like the market. You need to remove fear from your actions. That’s why you need to limit your risks per trade, where the loss does not affect you emotionally. You need to be strict with your trading plan, to avoid any discretionary and impulse trading decisions. And it’s important to start thinking with a more mechanical and rational approach rather than fear-driven ones. Practice mindfulness and stress management techniques can also keep your fear under control. State #2: Greed in Trading Greed drives traders to chase profits. This often compels them to take on excessive risk for the chance at bigger returns. They either increase their risk per trade, knowing that the reward will be bigger. Or because they want more, they will hold onto positions for too long. Having greed overtake the mind, will also result in overtrading and using up too much of their portfolios per position. How to Keep Greed at Bay in Trading Understand that trading is a long-term game. Consistency with small gains will build up a portfolio. Be content with 3% – 4% winners. Keep to this and greed will fall away and you’ll have a better chance of longevity when trading. State #3: Ego in Trading Ego is one state I never see anyone talk about. All you hear is fear and greed and greed and fear. But EGO. Ego is probably the most stubborn enemy. “Ego gets you inches but it doesn’t get you impact.” – Cameron Sinclair It convinces traders that they’re right, even when the market says otherwise. An inflated ego can lead to overconfidence, over trading, revenge trading and it can cause traders to disregard their strategy, risk and they’ll end up making irrational and dangerous trading decisions. How to Check Ego in Trading Even the most successful traders suffer losses. So you need to humble yourself and adopt amore mindful approach to realistic trading. Each small loss is a contribution and a trading cost to one step to success. You’ll also learn more from your losses than your gains. Which will give you an opportunity to learn and improve. So go back to your trading journal and review, monitor and analyse the true essence of what it takes to build your portfolio. This will help keep your ego in check. Conclusion Fear, greed, and ego are integral parts of the human experience. But there is NO need and use for it to succeed as a trader. When you learn to recognise these states and, you’ll be able to manage them better. And this will drastically improve your trading performance. Remember, successful trading is less about conquering the market and more about mastering your emotions.
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
10 Black Swan Events that Shook the marketsBlack Swans are highly unpredictable events that go beyond what is usually expected of a situation. One definition I like is this. A Black Swan is where an event can cause the market to move 10 standard deviations away from the norm. When this happens they could potentially have severe and wide-reaching consequences. You’ll see the market will jump erratically and even cause a halt in trading activity completely. So when you spot a Black Swan. Just take it easy from trading the markets that can be affected. Here are 10 Black Swan Events that I can think of that had an impact on the markets. 2008 Global Financial Crisis Triggered by the collapse of the US housing market, it led to a worldwide banking crisis and severe global economic downturn. COVID-19 Pandemic An unprecedented global health crisis that had significant repercussions on global economies and markets in 2020. Dotcom Bubble Burst (2000) The dramatic rise (due to greed and optimism) and fall (due to fear and panic) of internet companies in the late 1990s led to a severe market correction. Brexit (2016) Britain’s unexpected decision to leave the EU had immediate impacts on global markets. Japanese Asset Price Bubble Burst (1992) This led to a lost decade of economic stagnation in Japan. (Have you seen the Nikkei! And can you imagine holding stocks from 1992?) Swiss Franc Unpegging (2015) The Swiss National Bank’s sudden decision to remove the cap on the Franc’s value against the Euro led to extreme currency volatility. (Forex trading was a nightmare seeing some prices drop hundreds of pips). September 11 Attacks (2001) The terrorist attacks had immediate and long-term effects on global economies and markets. (I was too young to worry so I missed this one.) Fukushima Nuclear Disaster (2011) Triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, it had significant impacts on global energy markets. (I remember holding oil stocks while driving. And I came home to R120,000 loss). Flash Crash (2010) The US stock market crash, triggered by a high-frequency trading algorithm, sent a financial shockwave around the world. (Fat fingers caused by unknown factors). Oil Price Negative (2020) For the first time in history, the price of US oil turned negative due to low demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Which Black Swan event affected you the most?
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso
How to Time Manage your Trading – 6 WaysWhen it comes to the world of trading, time isn’t just money – it’s everything. A minute delay, can miss a profit opportunity. A minute delay, can make you question the trade. A minute delay, can affect your emotions. This is something I am constantly working on (even 20 years later). I truly want to wake up earlier, spot trades quicker (as they come) and have a better time management system. I might not be an expert in time management yet, but I will share some crucial tips I have learnt over the years. This will help you to not miss the trade. #1: Why you need to be punctual Being punctual isn’t just a good trait – it’s a survival skill. The markets move so quickly. They move with or without you. And they present opportunities on the daily. You need to be on time and when you see an opportunity that is about to present itself. Write it down. Stick note it. Set a reminder or something. But for Flying Spaghetti monster sake, don’t miss it! #2: Easy to miss a profit – when you don’t time analyses Every trader has stories about the “one that got away”. So what can we do to avoid this? You need to have your watchlists spread out according to what you trade. With TradingView, I have all my watchlists in different categories. Stocks, Forex, Commodities, Indices, International stocks. Etc… Then you’ll need to go over each watchlist every day. Write down the potential trades lining up. Then revisit the markets the next day. You need to be more punctual and disciplined to monitor, analyse and prepare for execution. Those golden opportunities missed due to hesitation or distractions. By maintaining punctuality in monitoring and execution, you can minimize these missed chances and keep your trading performance on the upbeat. #3: Set Reminders: The Power of Alerts Luckily, we have the technology to harness. You can set reminders for price levels to hit, on your own trading and charting platforms. Use these alerts to remind you when to act, or at least prepare for execution. #4: Sticky Note It Old school? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely! It doesn’t hurt to pick up a pen and a sticky note once in a while. Keep these visual reminders, to prioritise what you may be trading today. You’ll be surprised how useful this little pieces of paper are. #5: Develop a Routine Trading is a lifestyle. So you need to establish your routine with it. If you’re an early Hadeda you need to do a full pre-market review and write down the trades lining up for the day. If you prefer to look at the markets in the afternoon, choose a time where you will not be distracted by work, social media, kids or the Rugby! If you are an after the markets kind of trader, then do your research, analyses and even set your trading levels for the next day. I like to plot and draw all the levels and setups in the charts, and then write down which ones are almost ripe for the picking. #6: Prioritize Your Trades Not all trades are ready to action. Some might take a few days or months. What you can do is, flag them or colour them. GREEN – Act soon. ORANGE – Check over the next few days YELLOW – Trade could line up in the next few weeks RED – Potential setup but not likely in a few weeks. This approach will help you allocate your time better. So let’s sum up the time-management methods you can apply. #1: Why you need to be punctual #2: Easy to miss a profit – when you don’t time analyses #3: Set Reminders: The Power of Alerts #4: Sticky Note It #5: Develop a Routine #6: Prioritize Your Trades
JSE:J200Education
by Timonrosso