Sometimes its best to sit on your hands. Some markets are very difficult to trade long or short. Whip saw action can hurt the best of traders. I am just watching and not doing anything.
No one wants to keep all the cash in the bank and earning pretty much nothing. It is actually losing money with the high inflation. Funds are not paid by doing nothing.
Nothing whipsaw about this. Bears have sold every 5 minute close on the S&P since the RTH open. Days like this can make your week if not your month.
Some markets are easier to trade that others, but you can always make money when you"trade well". However, that doesn't mean you must have a position on at all times. You only have a reasonable chance of making money when you are comfortable so that you can trade well. When the market takes you out of your comfort zone, it's better to stand aside than try to trade nervously and have it end up badly. IMV, the best approach... 1. Accept that you "can't get it all". Nobody can. So go for the stuff that seems easy to you. 2. Strive to learn and capture the most obvious ones.. the "low-hanging fruit", so to speak. 3. Once you're good at #2, then you can look for the less obvious. However, if you learn only the "low hanging-fruit" plays and and trade them well, "$Millions" are in your future. I'd say, "get good at trading the simple and obvious ones"... you don't need to do more. Then if you want, look for the less obvious... of which there are plenty*. Price TA.. and KISS, baby! *Somebody asked me about how many "Price TA correlations" are there? Well, I certainly don't know all of them, but I quickly rattled-off about 30 which quickly came to mind. Some occur often, some much less so. You don't need to "know all 30". Just learn the easiest and most obvious.. then trade them well.
Sitting on my positions as well. My short positions are doing great. The longs getting hit but, to be expected. My position is hedged enough I think so, I can sit on it and be relaxed.
Long only traders are not .... traders. But don't tell them, someone has lose or stand by idly, when the chit hits the fan like today.
do surgeons take breaks from surgery because the outcome was not successful. i think not. traders trade, thats what they do.