Hi anley
Wow, You are being a bit hard on me but I do not take it personally.
Can I ask you if, during your 'mug punter' days, you ever tried to trade the market the way I am doing with a two hundred pip stop loss or did you perhaps use 'expertly dictated formulae' on stop losses and still suffer losses. Also, at what stage did you see the light and what caused it? I'm always interested in trading plans that can be proven to a live audience, to show profits.
Regards
Mobanded
The difference was when I realised that the game was ALL about losses. Control those and you've got a chance, anyone has a chance.
But when I first started I though it was ALL about profits, make more than you lost and you'd be OK.
So I bet big, in relation to my stake, got plenty of winners but then right on cue 2-3 trades lost me over 50% of my account. Then I learnt all about how phycological the game really is...........
And when I read books ALL the pros banged on about the points above - ALL OF THEM. Let me repeat that again - ALL OF THEM.
So I swollowed my pride and said 'you know what, it's hard to admit but I don't know best here
🙂 ". If these guys ALL say it then it must be true and who am I to argue.
That was the first breakthrough.
Subsequent breakthroughs were made over the coming years but very slowly.
Now all I do is focus on potential losses, focus on my risk (per positon and as a portfolio if I have a number of positions). I also have set rules that are CASTE IN STONE.
one of them - never lose more than 5% in a week.
Another one - Never lose more than 15% over a month. So if I have 5 positions on the 1st of the month and something big happens and I lose 15% (even when the trades are open, some of them might be in profit) then ALL trades are liquidated at market and NO MORE TRADING THAT MONTH - NO MORE!
So what I now know is this - It's virtually impossible for me to go broke in this business (if I stick to my rules) and because of that I'll still be in the game in 20 years (if I want). You on the otherhand Mo might make 60% today, possibly even 100% but then at the rate you're going you won't be here in 20 weeks, maybe even 20 days or even 20 hours................................
Like I said before hand it's not personal when we're having a go at you - even if you lose you might find the money is a great investment in the future as it tells you the wrong way to proceed.
Good luck and hope this helps. Whatever the case it's a good thread.