Hi, I am pretty good at noticing when to go in to a trade. But I will often set my stop loss too close or move it too soon when i make a small profit and then get stopped out for a small loss or b/e or small profit and then watch as the trade eventually sails off in the right direction and I miss out. OK i dont lose much but I dont win much, frustrating . Any advice apart from obviously set my stops further away, I am risk averse in that sense as in oo ive made $150 lets tie in $60 now rather than sitting on my hands and leaving the stop set at say -$100
You have it made because you are so good at entering trades. Just give your attention to the "next" entry. It is the logical exit for the trade you are presently in. Naturally, it will be quite far "away" and on the opposite side of where you presently set poor stops. You may wonder if I use stops. Since I trade mechanically, instead, I just use the geometry of the market and volume as a leading indicator of price. What makes this combination so productive is that the timing is known ahead of the trade. The volatility you are getting knocked out by is part of how the boundaries are set in trading. It is attached to another significant variable: the overlap of bars. If a person is really insistant on stops because of the mythical fears of CW, he can look at how when the market reaches extremes and has great overlap and lower volatility; this is in great contrast to when when the market is in a significant move whereby and, thus, ocerlap is small and volatility is high.
Try backtesting something that brings in the current volatility of the market into play for your exit. Simple example would be something like (ATR * Factor) +/- Entry You aren't thinking everything through before entering your trade. That is a problem. So you are good at noticing when to get in you say, but that doesn't mean anything as the market is very random within small timeframes. No one has all the answers. I wouldn't get into something when you don't have a clearly defined exit plan. Multiple years of studying and work should ideally be put into this whole strategy before going live.
That happens to me too. What helps me is instead of trading 100 shares (my "lot" size), I'll by two lots. If my tight stop hits I'm out; if the trade goes my way I'll sell 1 lot when it slows and turns, setting the stop for my 2nd lot at or near my entry. My problem is my entries....
This was a simple but comprehensive answer to a person who is at a given station in trading at this time. There are many steps from being an observered to advanced expert. I related to bout five significant things for this person. I would class him as a beginner or a beginer getting ready to move towards advanced beginner. you oftern ask disconnected questions. Here are three you ask about. Everyone knows how it turns out as a person goes from beginner to advanced expert. Since I an am advanced expert, you can reason whether my suggestions to a persion at the beginning of the path could empower himself using my multiple suggestions. You might also consider why I would make suggestions to another person. The basic reason is that he may be able to add these steps to more success to his quiver of trading prowess. I also have earned that right to help others. At the point where you are, your linking of questions indicates you have been burned by not being able to take advice from those who have preceded you along a path to success. That will not change for you. It almost looks like you just typed in some sappy words to show the world where you hurt or where you cannot succeed. You can easily consider quitting trading. Most people do and they are wise to do so. Most people quit because they make so little money. Other make quite a bit of money and have interesting and rewarding life styles. They, in fact, can afford to help others because they can afford anything they want. Thier needs are well satisfied. I make money in any market. I am well known to the regulators and other government agencies since they see me as an example that is very unusual to them. They are not concerned with whether I make money. They well know from the records they continually access. They deal with How I make it since they are unfamiliar as you are with how high velocity money is made. You do not even get my suggestiions; you do not consider them since that is a high risk to you for spending what you need to spent: your personal time to learn anything. Fear is difficult to handle and you handle your contining fears in thread after thread in the same very low risk way. You, unlike they, do not have access to my records unless you use the Freedom of Information ACT provisions and that cost time AND money. You are not spending the time nor the money. That's your problem; not mine. A am a product of the Depression being born in 1933. BUT neither I nor my family have ever been broke. The first car I remember our family using was a Chrysler Air Flow, a model ahead of its time. I know my father wrecked a Stutz Bear Cat when he was in high school. I have a 12 cylinder car presently. The other cars I drive are not so special. Being broke is something I have empathy for. One of my college classmmates and co workers while in college lived in KS, worked in an ice house, was black and supported his mothr as he worked his way through colloege. I paid my way too and it was not difficult to graduate with no debt. Today that might be more difficult and I empathize with those who incur debt in lieu of working and being frugal. My trip to expert was short and sweet. I only worked for one company to acquire my initial capital by putting 50% of salary into my trading account for three years. At which time I bought my first MB sports car. Then I moved to Greenwich and then to Switzerland, then to Bucks County, and then to Arizona. My personal offiices operations during running private C corporations reached 13K space; I did a TFSE to go public where I became CEO of that combined enteprise. And in Arizona I concentrated on incubation exclusively by providing over 3,000 sft. to corps being incubated external to my personal interests. My final effort was an architechture/ construction operation where 100% of employees were restarting their lives after periods of incarceration ranging from drugs, alcohol and child abuse. I provided signatures for the water, electricity, rent and intial banking. I also provided via corporate means, full apartment furnishings and means of transportation via the use of company vehicles (mostly trcks larfer than pickups. I also provided lunches available on site. I read every report card of every child of every employee at the appartment of that child while dining with the child's family. I cremed off people leving incarceration as a consequence of my altercations with Maricopa country law enforcement; the judicial system chose to work with us as a process of rehabilitation. So I do not do broke. I have means and have had all my life. I have never lost a case with the IRS and there have been many. As part omy activities I have worked more than 3 times at EOP; I am one of the creators of the EIS system and I participated continually in getting PL 92-500 through the system. There are 31 books that I wrote during these processes. I am "old school" and I have a societal background. I am also 78 years old and considered to be one of the most astute traders around. This is not a defense statement. It is just a rebuttal to your senseless orientation that you keep proferring any time you run into someone who is "unbelievable" to you in the context of your judgmental orientation. Most important; my partner, Liz, is a very successful business women. We share and are active in promoting the solutions to local problems. Recently one of our friends was killed and another very seriously wounded in Tucson. My views on the current financial situation are best expressed in "Inside Job" and Habitat for Humanity. Economics, education and health demand much of Liz's and my attention. We work forward every day. Please take the trouble to read this comment to your questions before you open your sophomoric mouth to comment in any thread I am participating in. Do not ask me for any help.