Currency Trading Information

6 Critical Factors For Successful Trading


Success in any profession can be broken down into a number of critical factors. Trading is no different. Does your trading tick all 6 boxes or are there any areas you need to work on:

1. Do you have an edge? Trading futures is a zero sum game - you must have an identifiable edge over the other market participants. Have you identified a high probability pattern that can be exploited time after time? Remember though, the only constant in trading is change - you will have to constantly evolve your trading edge to stay ahead of the crowd.

2. Disciplined Execution. There is no point in identifying an edge if you can't execute the trade. Measure your trading success against your trading plan not the actual outcome of the trade. If you make a loss but you executed your trade exactly according to your plan than pat yourself on the back, don't beat yourself up over it.

3. Money Management. If your risk per trade is too aggressive then you run too high a risk of blowing your account, too conservative and you will not optimize returns from your system. It is essential to establish the maximum expected draw down of any system and set money management rules accordingly.

4. Have a Trading Plan. A trading plan will dictate what you will do in any given situation during the trading day. When the market is open you do not want to have to think - just concentrate on executing your plan. When the market is closed you need to be preparing for the next session to ensure you have a clear plan prepared.

5. Accountability. You are responsible for every trade. Ultimately the decision to put on a trade is yours. If your stop is hit and the market immediately reverses then you are responsible, not the 'big boys' gunning for stops - it happens, move on. If you get huge slippage on your trades then does your trading plan account for it or is your plan unrealistic for the market you are trading?

6. Commitment. Trading is not like a regular job, you don't pick up a pay check at the end of the month even though you did no work and spent the whole month surfing the web and emailing your friends. You must be committed to placing every trade according to your plan, even through the losing periods where every trade seems to end up a loser. Trading seems to throw up extremes of good times and bad times, you must not get over confident during the good times and you must not give up in the bad times - remember it is all part of the plan. You must set aside adequate time every day to compare your actual performance against your trading plan. You must be committed to continuous testing of new ideas and regular monitoring of your existing plan. Research into future ideas is essential - remember the only constant in trading is change.

Tim Wreford runs Online Futures Trading, a website that provides information and resources for traders. Tim also provides a free day trading system, the results of which are updated daily on the site.


MORE RESOURCES:

PHP Error Message

Warning: set_time_limit() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/a1838320/public_html/forex/inc/rss.inc on line 8


BBC News

UBS Gaining Market Share In Currency Trading
Fox Business
ZURICH -- As it is moving towards conducting more flow business on behalf of clients, UBS AG (UBS) is gaining market share in currency trading, Tom Naratil, chief financial officer at Switzerland's largest bank, said Tuesday.
Swiss risk deflation if euro crisis worsens: JordanReuters
UBS warns of poor Q1 as investment bank strugglesReuters UK

all 317 news articles »


FXstreet.com

Currency trading in London surges
Financial Times
Currency trading over the summer was unusually high as tensions mounted over the eurozone crisis, with July and August, traditionally quieter months for the foreign exchange markets, seeing strong trading volumes. Investment banks have also reported ...
UK Currency Trading Fell 3% in October From April to $1.97 Trillion/DayBloomberg
Forex Trading Volume Drops for First Time Since 2009Wall Street Journal

all 15 news articles »


India Eases Currency Trading Limits for Some Banks
Wall Street Journal
By SUDEEP JAIN MUMBAI -- India's central bank has asked banks to approach it individually for relaxing some foreign currency trading limits and has already eased restrictions for some banks, a top official said Monday. "Some limits, based on their ...

and more »


Two Principals of Foreign Currency Trading Firm Sentenced for $17 Million ...
LoanSafe
by Evan Bedard on February 3, 2012 in Scams (Source: FBI) – CHICAGO—Two principals of a foreign currency trading firm that collapsed in 2007 were sentenced to 17 years and 12.5 years in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to fraud ...
2 sentenced for stealing millions in fraud schemeHarrisburg Daily Register
Feds: 2 sentenced for stealing $17 million in fraudChicago Tribune

all 34 news articles »


PR Web

The Euro and US Dollar are at a Crossroads, Explains Jason Fielder of Absolute ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
The currency pair has pulled back farther than expected, remarks Jason Fielder, a 10 year Forex currency trading veteran and contributor to the Absolute Wealth newsletter. Jason Fielder is a 10 year Forex currency trading veteran, and a member of the ...
The Euro and U.S. Dollar are at a Crossroads, Explains Jason Fielder of ...DigitalJournal.com (press release)

all 13 news articles »


BBC News

Europe must do 'real' business
BBC News
This currency trading worth $4 trillion does not create any jobs or spin off any business. So it is not a very productive kind of activity. Justin Rowlatt: Now obviously currency trading has been a big issue for you, hasn't it?

and more »


German Industrial Production Plummets
TheStreet.com
DailyFX is the forex news and research arm of FXCM, Inc (NYSE: FXCM), which provides currency trading and brokerage services and is an advertiser on TheStreet websites. Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, or other information is provided as ...

and more »


FOCUS: Technology Buoys Retail Currency Trading, Reshapes Old Models
Wall Street Journal
By Eva Szalay Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES LONDON (Dow Jones)--Retail foreign-exchange trading is emerging as one of the biggest growth areas in the currencies space, and some of the trading firms that facilitate these flows are building up a whole new ...

and more »


Argentina Sends Tax Agents to Control Currency Trading
Wall Street Journal
Afip said that one well-known currency trading business, Banco Piano, refused to let inspectors do their job. As a result, Afip officials interviewed Banco Piano customers outside three of the company's branches. The government will fine Banco Piano ...

and more »


Morgan Stanley Currency-Trading Head Stephen Mettler Leaves Bank
BusinessWeek
By Michael J. Moore Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Stephen Mettler, who oversaw Morgan Stanley's interest rates and foreign-exchange trading businesses, has left the bank. Mettler, who joined the firm in 1997, retired, according to an internal memo obtained by ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006