It's so important to keep that in mind and not be under the false impression that demo profits are real. It's a fact that everyone knows but every new trader ignores and starts thinking of being an expert trader in no time with huge profits.
The right decision is to use a demo account, because it is a practice and an opportunity to learn how your strategy works.
Right, for example I found an edge on Fixed spread account (from Hotforex) trading USDRUB. Due to specific transactions costs on exotic pairs, stable spreads reduce transaction costs in average helping too boost profits. Just an example.
I suppose same rules can't apply across all securities, markets and pairs. A broker will always work as per trader's strategy.
I think having a well defined trading plan is critical. Your entry and exit values, also your stop loss should all be predetermined. Even the indicators that you would use everytime should be a part of this plan. Rather than using too many, just master the use of 2 technical indicators and use them regularly.
Learning balance is equally useful for both novice and experienced traders. Many successful traders use it to test different trading strategies or adapt when switching from one trading platform to another.