Trading psychology is one of the most important areas a trader must understand. Most traders often overlook this crucial area, believing that trading systems are the most important aspect of trading successfully. However, when you think about it, your beliefs about the market can have a significant effect on how you trade.
To illustrate the importance of psychology, the following is a quote from world renowned trading coach Dr Van Tharp:
“When I’ve had discussions about what’s important to trading, three areas typically come up: psychology, money management (i.e., position sizing), and system development. Most people emphasize system development and de-emphasize the other two topics. More sophisticated people suggest that all three aspects are important, but that psychology is the most important (about 60 percent), position sizing is the next most important (about 30 percent), and system development is the least important (about 10 percent).”
When it comes to trading, one of the most neglected subjects are those dealing with trading psychology. The majority of traders spend days, months and even years trying to find the right system to suit them. But having the right trading system is just a small part of what is really needed to trade forex, or any other financial market successfully. Don’t get me wrong, it is still important to find or develop a trading system that suits you, however, it is also important to have a well defined money management plan, as well as an understanding of all the psychological barriers that may affect the trader’s decisions when trading. In order to succeed in the business of trading, there must be a balance between all these important aspects of trading.
In the trading environment, when you lose a trade, the first idea that pops to mind would probably be, “There must be something wrong with my system”, or “I knew it, I shouldn’t have taken this trade” (even when your system signaled it). But sometimes we need to dig a little deeper in order to see the nature of our mistake, and then work on it accordingly. This means looking at the possible psychological biases you may have when it comes to developing and executing a trading system. This is explained in more detail below.
When it comes to trading the Forex market as well as other markets, only 5% of traders achieve the ultimate goal: to be consistent in profits. From my research I believe the main reason for this is a lack of understanding of what a trader should actually be taking into account, which could be largely attributed to their own psychological biases they have toward trading.
Psychological Biases
To best explain how trading psychology isn’t just about positive thinking, here is an example of how your psychological biases can effect your trading.
Consider a new trader that has an interest in trading the forex market. They would most likely believe that a trading system is the place to start, so they go off on the internet and search for keywords such as “forex trading system”, or “trading system”. They would also be likely to want to find a trading system that is very accurate, say around 80% + accuracy. The reason for this? Well from my research I have discovered that this way of thinking has been taught to us at a very young age mostly by the school system. School teaches us to be right 80% + of the time, and if we are not, we are considered a failure. The internet can also be blamed for this. If you were to search for anything trading system related, you would soon be bombarded with advertisements such as “System produces 90% accurate trades” or for those advertisers who are really pushing their luck: “100% wins, 250+ trades, NO losers BUY NOW!” All these advertisements cause you to believe that it is necessary to be right the majority of the time in order to succeed at trading.
Now the problem here is two fold. Firstly, their belief that a trading system is so important is not actually correct. There are other factors that are in fact more important such as, money management and psychology. And secondly there belief that they need a trading system that produces profits a very high percentage of the time is not absolutely correct either.
These are bias’s you have toward trading system development because you do not yet understand what is really involved in developing and implementing a system that actually works over time.
This is where the ‘Mathematics’ of trading system development and implementation come in. To illustrate how you do not necessarily have to have a trading system that wins 80% or more of the time, consider the following:
You have a trading system that is accurate and makes money only 50% of the time. On average you make three times as much as you loose. Let’s say your average win is 60 pips, and your average loss is only 20 pips. The following equation will work out how much you can expect to make on average:
(PW multiplied by average win of 60pips) Minus (PL multiplied by average loss of 20 pips) = 20pips.
Key: PW = the percentage of time you make money, PL is the percentage of the time you loose money.
This means you could expect to make 20 pips on average, even with a win rate of only 50%! Now it is important to keep in mind that the purpose of this article was not to explain the specifics of trading system development, nor the mathematics involved. It was to explain how your own trading psychology can have an effect on the way you trade the financial markets.
Conclusion
By understanding areas such as trading psychology, and money management at an early stage of your trading career, you will be able to develop a system that produces profits consistently, and be up there with the top 5% of traders who actually succeed in trading the financial markets.
Is there any money left in currency trading?
Currency trading may be one of the most liquid forms of trading, but it is also a volatile market that requires strategy if you wish to make money. The truth is that more people make small profits in this market, while a few are highly successful. The constant change makes this form of trading exciting and with a high profit potential; however, making a fast buck in this market may not be as easy as it used to be.
What is Currency Trading?
In its basic form, currency trading, also known as "forex trading," is simply that--trading money. It involves trading one currency for another, such as U.S. dollars for the Euro. The exchange rate is known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate, or FX rate and is one of the largest markets in the world, trading trillions of U.S. dollars each day. Currency trading gained enormous popularity in the 1990s, and continues today. One reason this type of trading is so popular is that it can be done from a computer, twenty-four hours a day. There are fewer currencies to trade with, which makes learning the practice much easier (as opposed to learning about the many stock options available). The most commonly traded currencies are the U.S. dollar, the Japanese yen, and the British pound.
Currencies are traded in pairs. The trader buys the one that he or she believes will appreciate in value over the other. Currency fluctuates as there is demand for it. Interest rates tend to be an indication of a currency's demand. The higher a country's interest rate, the higher demand. However, countries will sometimes try to create demand for a currency by changing interest rates. The well-informed trader needs to conduct research and make educated guesses on a currency's future.
Currency Trading is Big Business
The currency trading business is big. An estimated two trillion in U.S. dollars is exchanged each day. The forex market is the largest in the world. Because it can be done from home, many people are interested in getting involved, and the payoff can be big. It is also possible to get involved with little investment. Traders simply determine how much they are able and willing to risk, and they can enter the market.
As with other forms of trading, watching the market and making calculated decisions is more likely to result in a profit than making decisions based on emotions, hunches, or preferences. Many courses are available on currency trading. Learning more about the process can help traders make better choices. Choosing a quality course is also a matter that requires a bit of research. However, currency markets fluctuate on both short and long-term timelines, and learning how to best track these changes and the events that affect the markets can help traders, especially those new to the process. The allure of making quick cash is still out there, however, as it is possible to close a contract after a few minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
Is it Nearing its Peak?
The currency trading frenzy, which expanded rapidly during the 1990s, may be reaching a peak. Why? While in some ways currency trading is easy, many people who enter the market do not make money. The idea that you can make quick cash is not as easy as it sounds. Additionally, while traditional stocks are based on a company's physical assets and product, currency trading is not absolute. Further, governments control, or attempt to control currencies to reach political objectives. Unforeseen events, such as natural disasters, can also alter a currency's value, making it more difficult to make an educated guess on a currency's future. Finally, the global marketplace is changing currencies around the world (the Euro is one such example).
This does not mean that a person cannot make money in the currency market. However, as the global marketplace continues to expand and global politics affect currencies, it is much more difficult to determine a currency's value. Making money in the Foreign Exchange market is possible, but it is not easy. Even economists have a difficult time estimating the future of currencies and purchasing power, so a trader must conduct thorough research, determine trends, and try to make the best guess possible.
What is Currency Trading?
In its basic form, currency trading, also known as "forex trading," is simply that--trading money. It involves trading one currency for another, such as U.S. dollars for the Euro. The exchange rate is known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate, or FX rate and is one of the largest markets in the world, trading trillions of U.S. dollars each day. Currency trading gained enormous popularity in the 1990s, and continues today. One reason this type of trading is so popular is that it can be done from a computer, twenty-four hours a day. There are fewer currencies to trade with, which makes learning the practice much easier (as opposed to learning about the many stock options available). The most commonly traded currencies are the U.S. dollar, the Japanese yen, and the British pound.
Currencies are traded in pairs. The trader buys the one that he or she believes will appreciate in value over the other. Currency fluctuates as there is demand for it. Interest rates tend to be an indication of a currency's demand. The higher a country's interest rate, the higher demand. However, countries will sometimes try to create demand for a currency by changing interest rates. The well-informed trader needs to conduct research and make educated guesses on a currency's future.
Currency Trading is Big Business
The currency trading business is big. An estimated two trillion in U.S. dollars is exchanged each day. The forex market is the largest in the world. Because it can be done from home, many people are interested in getting involved, and the payoff can be big. It is also possible to get involved with little investment. Traders simply determine how much they are able and willing to risk, and they can enter the market.
As with other forms of trading, watching the market and making calculated decisions is more likely to result in a profit than making decisions based on emotions, hunches, or preferences. Many courses are available on currency trading. Learning more about the process can help traders make better choices. Choosing a quality course is also a matter that requires a bit of research. However, currency markets fluctuate on both short and long-term timelines, and learning how to best track these changes and the events that affect the markets can help traders, especially those new to the process. The allure of making quick cash is still out there, however, as it is possible to close a contract after a few minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
Is it Nearing its Peak?
The currency trading frenzy, which expanded rapidly during the 1990s, may be reaching a peak. Why? While in some ways currency trading is easy, many people who enter the market do not make money. The idea that you can make quick cash is not as easy as it sounds. Additionally, while traditional stocks are based on a company's physical assets and product, currency trading is not absolute. Further, governments control, or attempt to control currencies to reach political objectives. Unforeseen events, such as natural disasters, can also alter a currency's value, making it more difficult to make an educated guess on a currency's future. Finally, the global marketplace is changing currencies around the world (the Euro is one such example).
This does not mean that a person cannot make money in the currency market. However, as the global marketplace continues to expand and global politics affect currencies, it is much more difficult to determine a currency's value. Making money in the Foreign Exchange market is possible, but it is not easy. Even economists have a difficult time estimating the future of currencies and purchasing power, so a trader must conduct thorough research, determine trends, and try to make the best guess possible.
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