I asked Dr. Andrew Menaker, trading psychologist, the following question: You have a trader, a very good trader, who struggles to start December. He writes you an email saying this market is garbage and his taking an extended leave. What is your response to such a trader? Dr. Menaker responded: While it’s true that market conditions do change, it’s also … Read More
Improving Trader Performance Links
Patience is a virtue we are told but do we believe it and cultivate it whether in or outside the charts? While it is indeed healthy to separate our trading lives from our daily lives the character traits of a successful trader, such as patience, will find their origin outside the charts. A successful trading strategy can no more develop … Read More
How to Think About a Loss
We all lose here and there. It’s just part of trading. You can’t avoid it, but that isn’t the issue. Where many traders struggle is how to handle a loss gracefully. Instead if equating a trading loss with personal failure, shift your mentality for what a loss means. Does it mean you’re stupid? Not necessarily. Does it mean you were … Read More
Improving Trader Performance
It can be successfully argued that stock trading is pure gambling. While there are similarities, the successful trader will note the differences and similarities thus enhancing his or her performance by 1) focusing on the process, and 2) understanding the nature of the markets. In the following, I list several opinions about stock market speculation, provide a problem gambling test, … Read More
Three Ways To Overcome Your Fear From Past Trades
Traders are a skittish bunch. We can make the same trade a hundred times, but the one time a left-field event occurs, it can spook us forever. The other night, I let the dog outside before bedtime. He’s a seven-year-old Boston Terrier, so I’ve done that literally a couple thousand times. This time, however, he returned to the porch with … Read More
How Framing Impacts Our Trading
How do you decide what stock to buy? How do you determine the best time to buy? And once we have made the decision to buy when do we sell? These questions, and how we answer them, are a direct result of how we frame the questions, thus directly impacting our trading performance. Framing determines the viewpoint from which we … Read More
A theory on why you fade when you shouldn’t
I know an excellent trader who underperformed today mainly trading PCS. He faded the weakest stock in the market and now sits frustrated, dejected and angry. Pass him on a desk and you would see his cheeks red and the scowl of a defensive end ready to rip the head off of the opposing QB. I do not mean to … Read More
Good Teamwork. Now Time To Focus.
Bella and I had a short conversation after the Open. He mentioned that a bunch of traders got into ECL on the short side and had made some nice chops. My mentee Sammy mentioned the trade to me as well. He said one of the traders in his row called it out and he took the trade blindly with a … Read More