Hello, So I have to look at the charts and if I see a spike or the candle chart which touches the price where my stop loss was I just write it off as loss due to my stop loss? Is that all I have to do?
Follow the chart in real time just as you would if you were actually trading. When you decide to take a trade, instead of executing your trade, you write down the price you might have gotten. Then follow the price action and write down where you executed your exit. That's paper trading. It's much easier to have a simulator program that will accomplish the same thing. If you are back testing then for sure if price touches your exit; count the trade as being executed at that price.
%% Get a paper notebook; for uptrending buys in a bull market.Paper trade , for example buy SPY at market close area. SEll SPY with a profit\ or cut a loss with SPLV. Another hint= making money in an uptrending bull market is not rocket science; but dont try to use a 5 minute noise chart. IF this last sentence makes no sense you havent done much trend study. Good question andy p,+ my comments apply to liquid stuff like SPY, SSO....................................................................