Day trading strategies: The complete guide with all the advanced tactics for stock and options trading strategies. Find here the tools you will need to invest in the forex market by Andrew Elder
CHAPTER 1:
Know the Market
The first thing to consider when getting started in day trading, is
what market you want to use in order to trade. That may sound
like an odd question to consider at this point, but depending on
how much capital you have, choosing the right market is critical. The
important thing to recognize with day trading is that day traders routinely
have strings of losses. And we are not talking about amateurs here,
experienced day traders will experience losses on a routine basis. Of course,
you expect that over time you are going to make profits, but just like
flipping a penny can result in 5 tails in a row, making many day trades can
result in many losses before a big win hit. So, if you're trading a significant
amount of your capital, a string of losses could leave you going broke very
quickly. Thousands of dollars can be at stake in an individual trade. For
these reasons, there are some rules and recommendations in place to help
you avoid getting into super big trouble, but the rules may make day trading
seem less appealing especially if you cannot come up with the required
capital.
Things to consider before getting started
Day trading isn’t a hobby or a game. It’s a serious business, and just like
any serious business day trading is going to require a serious commitment
even before you get started.
Day trading requires a serious time commitment. You are
going to have to study the financial markets, keep up with
financial news, and spend time at your computer pouring
over financial data. Do you have the time to do all of these
things? It’s basically a full-time job. You’re not going to be
a day trader while working your 9-5 and expect to be
successful. The day traders who are successful are 100%
committed.
Are you willing to practice before actually beginning day
trading? Jumping in and risking tens of thousands of
dollars without experience is a bad idea. We have listed
links to practice software that lets you simulate stock
market trading. Are you willing to spend several months
honing your skills using practice methods before actually
day trading with real money? You can even open “demo”
accounts with many brokers. Consider working on this and
practicing now, and then getting into real investing when
you’ve honed your skills.
Do you have adequate capital to get started? The U.S.
government has a $25,000 minimum capital requirement
to begin day trading. Do you have the money already? And
is this actual money you can lose without getting into
serious financial trouble?