Amazines - 3 easy ways to better your FX trading results

Foreign Exchange is the largest financial market in the world. 3 trillion dollars are transacted daily over 6 continents daily over 6 days a week and every week in a year. Below is 3 important area that you should always remand focus in order to gain success in Forex trading. 


#1 Discipline: Stick to your trading rules

You must never get emotion while trading as it will cause you to loss money in trading. For example if you execute a trade with is trending but just minutes after the trades, the currency price went against you and you went into losses. You may have losses that goes as low as -100pips (assume your stop loss is 150pips), do not panic and close your trade early to cut losses. Always stick to your trading rules. Hold onto the trade and let the trend ride out.

Like wise, if you execute a trade and the trend just go crazy and hit 100 pips profit. Do not be temped to close the trade and get the profit (assume your profit take is 200 pips). For fear of losing before the trade hit the profit target, you may just close the trade. Do not be over joy and close the trade. Stick to the trading rules and let the trade hit the profit level by itself. You may end up missing the profit that you should if you let emotion affect you. Be discipline always.


#2 Money management

This is the most important factor to every forex trader that is actively trading the currency market. Due to the leverage of forex trading as compare to conventional stock and shares, the leverage of currency in forex is 100:1. By saying this, using 100K contract or equivalent of buying 1 lot of normal trade, which is 100 x $1k of equivalent of currency value. In relative calculation, 1 pip which is 4 decimal for United State Dollar give you $10 per pip. (Assuming flat exchange rate for simplicity). With a trading account of 100:1 leverage, You need to spend $1k to buy and hold onto 1 lot at 100k contract.


The above is simple to calculate by just taking the leverage of your trading account setting. The tricky part is the margin calculation. Taking the same example, if the currency goes up by 100 pips, you will gain $1k unrealized profit. But if the currency does down -100 pips, you will loss $1k unrealized loss. So if you only have 2k capital in your trading account, your account would hit margin call (1k+1k=2k). The trade would be faced to close by your forex broker and you will hit losses. So it very risky to trade with zero stoploss. For me, by rule of thumb, I will use 10% of capital to trade, by calculation, you would have 900 pips to play with. (this applied to leverage 100 or 200 or 500:1 because leverage only reduce your initial 1k holding to $200. Since your contract is still 100k contract, the pips loss and profit remain the same. So stick to using 10% or less of your capital to trade). Instead of increase your capital, you can use mini lot or 0.1 lot for 100k contract. This will reduce your holding to $100 (using the above example).

#3 Review all trade: Keep a trading journal.

Good consistent trader always keeps a trading journal. Winning trades and losing trades are review consistently for flaws and good trigger setup. As all trades are executed using setup triggers, always have a habit of trying out different variation of the setup trigger. Example could be Simple moving average, you may find at period of 20 SMA cross over 50 SMA at 1 hour trading chart, always give you an accurate signal to execute a buy trade for EURUSD during early morning hours, and over 10 trades, you hit 7 winning trades. You can apply this together with another set of trigger rules to make your winning rates higher and consistent.
There are many indicatora which can assist in getting better trading results. Please visit my website for more information.


source http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/4534344?articleid=4534344

A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online (2nd edition) 

Day trading is highly profitable--and highly tumultuous. Moreover, the financial markets have changed considerably in recent years. Expert author Toni Turner gives you the latest information on mastering the markets, including:

• Decimalization of stock prices
• New trading products such as E-minis and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
• Precision entries and exits

The new breed of trader Written in an accessible, step-by-step manner, A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online, 2nd Edition shows how to day trade stocks in today's market.

About the Author

Toni Turner is the bestselling author of A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online, 1st Edition, A Beginner's Guide to Short-Term Trading and Short-Term Trading in the New Stock Market An investor/trader with fourteen years' experience, she is a popular educator and speaker at financial conferences and trading forums across the country. Toni has appeared on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, CNNfn, and CNBC's Power Lunch, with Bill Griffith. She has been interviewed on dozens of radio programs and featured in CBSMarketWatch.com, Fortune magazine, and Bloomberg Personal Finance. She currently serves as a consultant to Townsend Analytics, Ltd. Ms. Turner resides in Southern CA.

A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online (2nd edition) 

Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude

Douglas uncovers the underlying reasons for lack of consistency and helps traders overcome the ingrained mental habits that cost them money.  He takes on the myths of the market and exposes them one by one teaching traders to look beyond random outcomes, to understand the true realities of risk, and to be comfortable with the "probabilities" of market movement that governs all market speculation.

From Publishers Weekly

Douglas, president of the seminar firm Trading Behavior Dynamics, focuses on the psychology of successful traders. Instead of offering specific strategies, he advises readers, "The first step on the road...is to understand and completely accept the psychological realities of trading." It may be too abstract for some, but given trading's risks, this book could assist experienced investors willing to engage in self-reflection. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Douglas explains to the trader just what type of mental mindset is needed to be a winner in the markets ~ and guides the reader along a path of self-discovery leading them to higher and sustained trading results.  Global Network Publishers inc.

Trading in the Zone introduces a whole new mental dimension to getting an edge on the market.  Use it to leverage the power of the "zone" for unprecedented profit. --New York Institute of Finance/Penguin Publishers

Please note that the audio version of Trading in The Zone is not read by Douglas.  This version is read by a professional reader, most importantly, someone who is not a trader or in the investment industry.  This is a distinction that may make a difference in your listening experience.

(This review applies to the AUDIO version only.)  Please note that the audio version of Trading in The Zone is NOT read by Douglas. 

Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude

This version is read by a professional reader, most importantly, someone who is NOT a trader or in the investment industry.  This is a distinction that may make a difference in your listening experience.

From the Inside Flap

Even the most astute, highly motivated, well-grounded traders can be crippled by counter-productive thinking that leads to poor decisions and trading errors.  They suffer from an inability to stay objectively focused or lack the necessary confidence to execute their trades properly.  Or they let mental contradictions and misconceptions about trading or the nature of the market rule their trades.

In this book the reader will learn that maximizing the trader's state of mind is the key to successful results.  Douglas teaches traders to think in terms of probabilities and to adopt the core beliefs necessary to assuming the "winner's mindset."  Traders in the "zone" don't need to know ~ and don't care ~ what the market is going to do next.  They know what they are going to do next.  And that makes all the difference.

From the Back Cover

"Although I consider Mark a close friend, I still feel privileged to write a review for a book that has made such a substantial contribution to the development and success of traders all over the world.  Trading in the Zone is not to be read and placed on the shelf with the rest of the "trading" books. You'll find like many traders that its place is on your desk as a companion.  And it's not just about trading.  Trading in the Zone will also help you approach your daily life in a more positive and insightful manner.  I continually recommend to the traders that I mentor to read at least three pages of Trading in the Zone a day. I've found it has the effect of transforming a person's thinking in ways that allow them to trade without the kind of fears that can cause them to make trading errors or generally get in the way of their own success."

Larry Pesavento
President, TradingTutor.com
Author, Coach, System Developer

"Trading in the Zone is a must read for any serious trader. It offers extensive insights into the development of the professional trader's mindset by giving the reader practical examples of what it takes to think and perform like a consistently successful trader." 

Paula T. Webb
President, Path To Fulfillment™ Institute
Author ~ An Independent Prosperity


And more......

About the Author

Mark Douglas is also author of "The Disciplined Trader™-Developing Winning Attitudes" published in 1990 and considered an industry classic ~ and one of the first books to introduce the investment industry to the concept of trading psychology. Mark began coaching traders in 1982, and has continued to develop seminar and training programs on trading psychology for the investment industry, as well as individual traders.  He has been a frequent speaker at seminars across the world, as well as in the U.S., teaching traders how to become consistently successful.  He is currently working on his third book, and can be reached through his website markdouglas.com

Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude


Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management 

Trading for a Living Successful trading is based on three M's: Mind, Method, and Money. Trading for a Living helps you master all of those three areas:
* How to become a cool, calm, and collected trader
* How to profit from reading the behavior of the market crowd
* How to use a computer to find good trades
* How to develop a powerful trading system
* How to find the trades with the best odds of success
* How to find entry and exit points, set stops, and take profits
Trading for a Living helps you discipline your Mind, shows you the Methods for trading the markets, and shows you how to manage Money in your trading accounts so that no string of losses can kick you out of the game. To help you profit even more from the ideas in Trading for a Living, look for the companion volume--Study Guide for Trading for a Living. It asks over 200 multiple-choice questions, with answers and 11 rating scales for sharpening your trading skills. For example: Question Markets rise when
* there are more buyers than sellers
* buyers are more aggressive than sellers
* sellers are afraid and demand a premium
* more shares or contracts are bought than sold

* I and II
* II and III
* II and IV
* III and IV
Answer B. II and III. Every change in price reflects what happens in the battle between bulls and bears. Markets rise when bulls feel more strongly than bears. They rally when buyers are confident and sellers demand a premium for participating in the game that is going against them. There is a buyer and a seller behind every transaction. The number of stocks or futures bought and sold is equal by definition.

 

From Library Journal

Soviet-born author and practicing psychiatrist Elder (director, Financial Trading Seminars, Inc.) shares his learning over the years as a professional trader and expert in technical analysis and his principle of understanding the three Ms (Mind, Method, Money), which will strengthen the discipline required to be successful in trading. He explores crucial factors in the markets that most experts overlook, including time, volume, and open interest, and describes little-known indicators to track them profitably. In addition, he covers many of the more technical approaches to investing in futures, such as factoring in the meaning from the Elliott Wave, oscillators, moving averages, Market Logic, and point-and-figure charting. His unique viewpoints in this overly saturated genre explain his particular view that most traders sabotage themselves, while offering tips for others to avoid doing the same. The narration by Richard Davidson soundly guides the listener through this highly specialized work that, although first published seven years ago, remains recommended for university libraries supporting a finance and business curriculum.DDale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management  

From the Publisher

An eminent futures trader explores crucial factors in the markets that most experts overlook--time, volume and open interest--and describes little-known indicators to profitably track them. Covers all the popular technical approaches to futures, options and stock markets including Elliott Wave, oscillators, moving averages, Market Logic, point-and-figure charting. Explains why most traders sabotage themselves and how to avoid doing the same.

From the Inside Flap

You have just taken a big step away from the crowd of amateurs. By opening Trading for a Living, you’ve resolved to become a successful trader. Dr. Alexander Elder is a professional trader, a world-class expert in technical analysis, and a practicing psychiatrist. He believes that successful trading is based on three M’s: Mind, Method, and Money. First, you will see that the key to winning is inside your Mind. You will find out how to develop discipline and how to avoid the traps of emotional trading. Second, you will learn how to find good trades by using charts, computerized indicators, and other tools. You will discover how to combine several analytic Methods into a powerful trading system. Finally, you will learn how to manage Money in your trading account. The rules for limiting risks are as vital to a trader as a safety net is to a high-wire walker. With this book, you are on your way to mastering a new way of trading stocks, futures, currencies, and options. Dr. Alexander Elder helps you embark on an intense pursuit—trading for a living.

From the Back Cover

Trading for a Living Successful trading is based on three M’s: Mind, Method, and Money. Trading for a Living helps you master all of those three areas:

• How to become a cool, calm, and collected trader
• How to profit from reading the behavior of the market crowd
• How to use a computer to find good trades
• How to develop a powerful trading system
• How to find the trades with the best odds of success
• How to find entry and exit points, set stops, and take profits

Trading for a Living helps you discipline your Mind, shows you the Methods for trading the markets, and shows you how to manage Money in your trading accounts so that no string of losses can kick you out of the game. To help you profit even more from the ideas in Trading for a Living, look for the companion volume—Study Guide for Trading for a Living. It asks over 200 multiple-choice questions, with answers and 11 rating scales for sharpening your trading skills. For example: Question Markets rise when

1. there are more buyers than sellers
2. buyers are more aggressive than sellers
3. sellers are afraid and demand a premium
4. more shares or contracts are bought than sold

1. I and II
2. II and III
3. II and IV
4. III and IV

Answer B. II and III. Every change in price reflects what happens in the battle between bulls and bears. Markets rise when bulls feel more strongly than bears. They rally when buyers are confident and sellers demand a premium for participating in the game that is going against them. There is a buyer and a seller behind every transaction. The number of stocks or futures bought and sold is equal by definition.

About the Author

ALEXANDER ELDER, MD, was born in Leningrad and grew up in Estonia where he entered medical school at the age of 16. At 23, while working as a ship's doctor, he escaped from a Soviet ship in Africa and received political asylum in the U.S.A. He continued to work as a psychiatrist in New York City, served as book editor of The Psychiatric Times, and taught at Columbia University. After becoming involved in financial trading, Dr. Elder published over 50 articles, software, and book reviews, and spoke at many conferences. In 1988 he founded Financial Trading Seminars, Inc., an educational firm for traders.

From AudioFile

The author, a psychiatrist, talks about how human nature intersects with the investment world. Narrated with over-the-top gravitas start to finish, the program warns the listener to keep a close eye on emotion and to do the homework required to understand the many variables in the market. The author's knowledge of technical trading methods is also outstanding, and he is most effective when blending this expertise with his insights about human nature. Presenting the big picture without over-simplifying, he helps serious students stand back from the fray when making investment decisions. This title is an outstanding integration of the technical language of economics and the language of emotion familiar to a broader range of listeners. T.W. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management