Over the past couple decades; the stock market has become a popular means to supplement one’s income. Whether you are a casual stock trader, looking to catch the next Apple, or a vigorous day trader with your finger on the pulse of the market, there are basic strategies that are essential for your success. Compiling trading guidelines and strategies is something that all traders should seriously consider doing. Here are a few especially important guidelines to consider applying.
Probably the most important aspect of your trading strategy is keeping your costs low. The broker you choose to trade through will have commissions that will vary depending onthe company. In the past decade, the introduction on online brokerages and trading have allowed for trading commissions to come down to rock bottom levels. There are even brokers that charge as little as $2.95 per stock trade. Researching the different companies available to service your needs is important to trading effectively. Even though lowcommissions are a nice benefit, you may not have the level of advice available to you as you may find with a larger institution.
When it comes to trading, timing is everything. This being the case, you will want to have guidelines set for entry points and sell points. This means that you need to know when
to take profits, as well as when it is time to cut your losses. A general rule of thumb is to take some profits after a 20-25% gain, and allowing the rest of your position to ride out in the event that your stock is still in an uptrend. In the event of a loss, you would be wise to limit yourself to an 8% drop.
These are just guidelines that work as a base point for entry and exit points; you can customize the numbers to fit your own style. Regardless of how you decide to break down the numbers, you will be wise to stick to it without exception. Never allow emotion to get involved in trading.
Trading ideas can be found in several places. It seems every time you turn the television on to CNBC you are barraged with hundreds of trading opportunities. The same is true just about everywhere on the internet, as well as in many financial journals. What you choose to do with this research is very important. You will likely benefit by ignoring each and every trading tip you see or hear. Usually these ideas have already granted the returns that are there to be had. It is best to do your own industry research and pinpoint trading opportunities for yourself. Some financial journals are good at doing this research for you without going so far as to suggest trades, so this may also be a wise avenue to pursue.
Trading is not for the faint of heart. Whether you are a day trader or a casual trader, the importance of steady guidelines are vital to your trading success. Do some researchand compile your own list of rules to go by. Remember that these are not suggestions that you might want to put to use; rather they should serve as a systematic approach to stock trading.