 I always enjoy Brett's books on trading psychology. While impressed by his ongoing sharing about this important subject, I emailed him recently to request an article for aspiring traders who want to trade for a living. This is not an easy feat, but it is not mission impossible. Trading the financial markets is basically trading your belief on the financial markets. It takes a disciplined mindset, proper money management and a good trading system to trade profitably. Most workshops teach you the technical skills, but rarely touch deeply on the subject of trading psychology. Therefore, I recommend you to read "Enhancing Trader Performance" by Brett N. Steenbarger to develope cutting edge of trading psychology. Below is an article he approved to publish at FX Operator:
 I receive quite a few emails from aspiring full-time traders. Some hope to land positions with trading firms; others are looking to make a living by trading independently. Here are a few considerations for those thinking of making the leap:
- Make sure you're adequately capitalized - This is, in my experience, the achilles heel of most traders who aspire to make a career of their market participation. If you start with a capital base under $100,000, you have to make a huge annual return on your money year after year to sustain a decent living. That leads traders with small accounts to take outsized risks, and those risks are what eventually blow them up. As a relatively new trader, you'd do *very* well to make 20% on your money per year after costs. If you can't make an adequate living from 20% returns, you know you're undercapitalized.
- If you're not adequately capitalized, focus on building a track record - It doesn't matter if you're trading small. If you can show consistent returns from your trading and sound money management, you'll have something to take to a proprietary trading firm to land a position. They will front you capital, and you can get your start in the business. If you don't have the track record, however, you'll find many doors closed. Motivation and a passion for trading don't substitute for experience and demonstrated skill.
- Make sure you have a durable edge - Before you quit your day job and pursue trading, make sure you've traded in a variety of market conditions over a variety of market cycles. Look at it this way: if a person with a track record of a few months asked you to give him money to trade for your account, would you pony up? Probably not. For the same reasons, you should establish a sound track record with solid profitability and good risk management before you make the full-time leap. Make as many of your mistakes as possible *before* you go full time.
- Make sure you have reserves - Just as many new businesses tread water their first year, many traders struggle to cover costs when they go "live". After all, to cover commission, equipment, and software costs alone requires a fair return on capital. You should have more than a year's worth of living expenses available as liquid capital before you go full time. A second income (your own or from a spouse) also helps tremendously. This will take pressure off your early performance and help you focus on making good trades, rather than making the rent money.
The bottom line is that starting a trading career truly is starting an entrepreneurial business. The same dynamics that lead to success in startup firms--from knowing your markets to having a solid plan to being well capitalized to executing on details--apply to aspiring traders. If you can approach trading with the mindset, work ethic, and creativity of a successful entrepreneur, you have a real shot. And that's what entrepreneurs live for. This article is taken from Brett's personal blog, TraderFeed. About Brett N. Steenbarger, Ph.D.Author of The Psychology of Trading (Wiley, 2003) and Enhancing Trader Performance (Wiley, 2006) with an interest in using historical patterns in markets to find a trading edge. I am also interested in performance enhancement among traders, drawing upon research from expert performers in various fields. Disclaimer
The views and opinions represented in the provided article and resources are created independently and do not represent the opinions of FX Operator, the Referring Broker or the FCM. Further, FX Operator, the Referring Broker and the FCM are not responsible for their content, or delivery of services. Risk Disclosure Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign exchange you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts. Hypothetical Performance Results Hypothetical performance results have many inherent limitations, some of which are described below. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. In fact, there are frequently sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any particular trading program. One of the limitations of hypothetical performance results is that they are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. In addition, hypothetical trading does not involve financial risk, and no hypothetical record can completely account for the impact of financial risk in actual trading. For example, the ability to withstand losses or to adhere to a particular trading program in spite of trading losses are material points which can also adversely affect actual trading results. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results and all of which can adversely affect actual trading results. Trading Strategies It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these website will be profitable or that they will not result in losses. Past results of any individual trader or trading system published by the registered users are not indicative of future returns by that trader or system, and are not indicative of future returns which be realized by you. In addition, the indicators, strategies, columns, articles and all other features of FX Operator (collectively, the "Information") are provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Examples presented on the website are for educational purposes only. Such set-ups are not solicitations of any order to buy or sell. Accordingly, you should not rely solely on the Information in making any investment. Rather, you should use the Information only as a starting point for doing additional independent research in order to allow you to form your own opinion regarding investments. You should always check with your licensed financial advisor and tax advisor to determine the suitability of any investment. |
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