Mathematically, if you summed all of the trades, overall, it is zero sum for the market, net zero. Winners' money came out of losers' pocket. I provide liquidity to the MM and professionals.
Net negative I would rather say as the transaction costs (spreads), swaps, and currency conversions, costs we neglect due to its minimal value often is what turns the sign of the equation for a trader.
Think it's more like 96% of day traders lose. 3% are small profitable to breakeven, 1% make large bucks. Takes long time to find an edge, but once one figures out the game, it is often disappointing to find it easier than first year trading. What I have learned: "Stats" are required. Risk more than reward produces higher profitable percentages. Risk less than reward produces smaller profitable percentages. Targets increase when losses occur. Shouldn't matter what market traded, otherwise it is curve fitted.
Learnt something new, thought to share here: A lot of successful traders and portfolio managers nail trade execution. This helps them have an added advantage to their trading strategies. Even the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program, highlight that learning about trade execution is super important. Brokers often handle our trades in three forms called A-Book, B-Book, and C-Book. With A-Book processing, brokers take your trade orders and send them straight to the market. B-Book processing is when brokers keep the trades in-house, taking on the risk themselves. C-Book, which is a bit of a hybrid. In this approach, brokers use a mix of A-Book and B-Book strategies. Understanding ways to tackle this can be really helpful, hope this helps add value to your strategies.
%% MAYBE right. But if business trades are counted + i count those more like 20%win-winners. Add investmensts + its most likely much/ much better than 20+%; i only lost on 1or 2 in 20 year$ sellin' RE thru a REALTOR+ many times interest rates were higher, but prices better [EDIT real liquid markets +good brokerMM-execution,, market orders may work well , use limits some also ]
The fee / transactionbased pricing model of brokers makes high frequency daytrading almost "mission impossible". Many traders have to generate grotesque annual returns just to break even. Daytrading is an almost guaranteed way to go broke.
Agreed and i guess most of the scalpers usually helping the brokers earning commissions on their trades.
With regards to the checklist, a trader who - Always sets SL and TP and stays true to it, - Focuses on trading only a fewer symbols at one time, - Does not have much difference between their average loss per trade in $ and average win per trade in $, - Is fixated at the timing of their trades (market open/close, news event, rollover, etc.) Statically is said to be someone who can persist through the journey of trading.