Category Archives: General Forex

General Forex

Stock Trading Psychology

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Many of today’s highly successful traders will tell you that the general key to success in trading is to be able to comfortably take a loss. It is general knowledge among experts in the trading psychology field and among traders that the market is not predictable and it is safe to say that it never will be. In the world of trading, it is expected to take a loss; even those who are highly skilled traders know that it is inevitable. With that said, let us have a look at things you as a trader should be aware of, how you can take a loss effectively and use it towards the greater good of your trading world.

Trading psychology tells us that when a trader loses he begins to become somewhat of a perfectionist in his dealing. Many traders think that in trading, a good day will always be one that is profitable. Trading psychology experts tells us this is not true. A trader should define a good day as one where they have extensively researched and planned with discipline and focus, and have followed through to the entire extent of the plan. Yes, when a trader has mastered the art of accepting losses and working through them with a well thought out plan then good days will become profitable in time.

Because the art of trading in an unpredictable market fluctuates so greatly from one day to the next, experts in trading psychology believe that it is important that you concentrate on what you can control, instead of things that are beyond your control. Looking into the short-term you cannot expect to be able to control the profits of your trading. With that said, look at what you do you have ability to control.

You do have the ability to control the difference between good and bad days. You are able to control this factor by extensively researching the strategies you implement within your trading experiences. By learning to research your chosen strategies, thus controlling the amount of good and bad trading days you experience, you will, in the long-term begin to generate profits, which is the ultimate goal of every trader.

Trading psychology experts tell us that it is important to become realistic in trading instead of becoming a perfectionist. Perfectionist traders, relate a loss with failure, and will become obsessed with the failure, focusing only upon it. Realistic traders understand the unpredictability of the market and taking a loss is simply part of the art. The main key you must remember in trading psychology to be able to effectively limit your losses, instead of becoming obsessed with them. A common thing seen within the trading psychology world is that traders who are obsessed with their losses often have a hard time bouncing back from them, thus losing in the end.

Experts in trading psychology have organized three basic strategies you can use to effectively stop losses. These strategies are:

• Price Based

• Time Based

• Indicator Based

Stops that are priced based are generally used when the other two have not functioned. To make this work you will need to make hypothesis’s about the trade and identify a low point in that particular market. Then you will set your trade entries near your points, thus making sure that losses will not be overly excessive if the hypothesis fails.

Time Based stops constitutes making use of your time. Designate a holding period you allow to capture a certain number of points. If you have no achieved your desired profit within that time limit, you should stop the trade. If effectively used you should stop even if the price stop limit has not been achieved.

The Indicator based stop makes use of market indicators. As a trader, you should be aware of these indicators and utilize them extensively within your trading experiences. Look at indicators such as, volume, advances, declines, and new highs and lows.

Experts in trading psychology say that setting stops and rehearsing them mentally is a good psychological tool to use and will help ensure that you follow through.

General Forex

How To Start A Forex Hedge Fund – Forex Disclosure Documents

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How To Start A Forex Hedge Fund

Overview of Forex Disclosure Documents

Although there are currently very few details concerning the upcoming Forex registration rules, many Forex managers are preparing for registration, including the preparation of the Forex disclosure documents. Whether the Forex manager is a “Forex CTA” and only provides advice to individual accounts, or if the manager is a “Forex cpo” and provides advice to a fund, the manager will need to have some sort of disclosure document to provide to the investor. This document will need to be prepared in accordance with the NFA regulations and will also need to be approved by the NFA prior to giving them to potential investors. The disclosure documents will generally need to be prepared by the Forex attorney.

Selecting the Forex Attorney

A good Forex attorney is well versed in all aspects of the Securities laws and has experience with Forex managers. It is also helpful when the attorney understands the business aspects of the Forex manager’s trading program. For example, it is often helpful if the attorney has taken and passed the Series 3 exam (and, soon, the Series 34 exam). You will also want to talk to the attorney about the process and timeline of both the Forex registration process as well as the disclosure document creation process. After you have decided on a Forex attorney, you will likely sign an engagement letter and submit a retainer payment – they the attorney will begin drafting the offering documents. How To Start A Forex Hedge Fund

Disclosure Documents

There are three main parts of a Forex fund’s offering documents – the private placement memorandum (PPM, sometimes also called the offering memorandum), the limited partnership agreement and the subscription documents. Below, we have detailed the important parts of these items:

Forex PPM – like a regular hedge fund (especially a commodity hedge fund), the Forex fund PPM will include the following sections:

Legal Disclosures
Discussion of the Forex Investment Program
Background of the Forex Manager
Risks Factors of the Forex Trading Program
Discussion of the Potential Conflicts of Interests
Descriptions of the service providers – a discussion of the service providers will included in the offering documents. This includes the attorney, the administrator, the auditor and the Forex dealer member (FDM). Current pending litigation of the FDM will also need to be disclosed – your attorney will gather these details.
Performance Results – the NFA is expected to require in depth information about the fund’s past performance. These requirements are likely to be substantially similar to the current requirements for non-Forex CPOs.
Any Other Relevant Information How To Start A Forex Hedge Fund

Forex LPA – these are the official governing legal documents of the fund. Typical provisions will include:

Preamble
Discussion of Rights and Duties of Investors (contributions, redemptions, etc.)
Discussion of Rights and Duties of Manager (compensation, duties to fund/investors, conflicts of interest)
Winding Down Provisions
Etc.

Forex Subscription Documents – the subscription documents are important because they help the manager to make sure the offering complies with all appropriate laws with regard to an investor’s suitability. Common subscription document elements are:

Investor Information Request (name, contact information, investment experience, etc.)
Discussion of Investor’s Suitability (primarily net worth confirmations)
Subscription agreement – agreement investor signs before he can become an investor in the fund
Limited Partnership Agreement – agreement in which the investor agrees to abide by the legal provisions contained in the LPA How To Start A Forex Hedge Fund

General Forex

FX Trade Psychology and Mindset

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One of the things that most traders actually do not realise is that the mind plays a really important part in FX trade, or any market for that matter and once you have the mind and mental discipline to take the market by its horns and drive it to where you want it to be, then and only then, will you have matured as a thinking trader. One thing you need to know is that trading is one giant stress pill that you are swallowing on a daily basis and from there, you need to prepare yourself to be battered unconditionally by stress factors almost on a daily basis.

You will need to develop a sound and air tight trading psychology to be able to push through the market and all its potential problems. This is done through experience and learning on how the market and knowing who you are as an investor and a trader. Trading is also something that will challenge your mind, because of the sheer amount of analysis that you need to do and the sheer amount of data that you will have to digest. As a thinking trader, you need to be light on your feet, mentally agile and be able to think quick to get out of sticky trading situations fast.

You need to master all the analytics of the market to be able to gain the edge of other traders out there, and most importantly on the market itself. Remember, your enemy is the market and the market alone, and once you are able to recognise that, then and only then will you be able to make it trading. The other thing you might want to consider is of course your mathematical skill, and if you cannot crunch even the simplest of additions and numbers, then it would be best if you do not consider trading in the first place.

Your calculator is your best friend , but sometimes, you might have to trade and crunch some numbers with your mind to make split second decisions. If you are able to combine good trading psychology, money management and of course technical analysis, you will be the on top of the trading game. Remember that all markets always favour two people. Insiders and marker makers. Unfortunately as a trader, you belong in neither group, so you have to work extra hard to be able to make it in the trading game.

These are the external barriers to your success and this is how you will be able to be a successful, thinking trader in the FX trade, or any market of your choice. The first steps that you take are often the hardest, but remember, like a landslide, once you are able to build enough momentum, you will be making money faster and faster. Soon, words like diversify and managed accounts will come into your vocabulary and you will only grow as a trader. These are some of the mindsets and psychology of successful traders out there in the world today.

General Forex

Swing Trading – Trading Psychology

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Trading Psychology is something many swing traders and traders avoid, but really shouldn’t.  The fact that many traders neglect or avoid this is the main reason they suffer or perform poorly in their swing trading or trading regardless of the market.  If you truly wish to put yourself on the path to success then it is something that must be addressed.

The term psychology here refers to managing yourself while trading.  That’s right, yourself and not your trades.  This may sound a little strange, but trading induces a wide variety of emotions and reactions in people, especially when they begin to suffer a loss or start making a profit on a trade.  Many people lose control when it comes to trading and the thought of how much money they might possibly earn clouds their judgment.

Part of trading successfully is ensuring that you follow your trading plan and stick to the rules.  Beyond this, many traders, once they have several successful and highly profitable trades under their belt, begin to assume that they can outsmart the market.  As soon as this happens they are more often than not dealt a severe blow and suffer huge losses.  The market has basically taught them a lesson.  You are NEVER smarter than the market.

Swing trading and trading in general involves a wide variety of emotions.  If you are not aware of how these emotions can affect you, you may find that you execute your trades perfectly but always seem to close them out based on emotions and not market conditions.  To trade successfully, one must fully under the psychology of trading.

General Forex

Learn More About Trading Psychology and Improve Your Trading

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When it comes to trading, one of the most neglected subjects are those dealing with trading psychology. Most traders spend days, months and even years trying to find the right system. But having a system is just part of the game. It is very important to have a system that perfectly suits the trader, but it is as important as having a money management plan, or to understand all psychology barriers that may affect the trader decisions and other issues.

1. Act on Your Own Judgment

It was established earlier that if you do not enter a trade or investment with total confidence, you are likely to be spooked out at the first sign of trouble. It is much better to consider all the arguments, both bullish and bearish, prior to making a commitment.  In this way, you will be in a good position to judge whether the latest price setback is a result of a fundamental change in the overall Situation or if it is merely part of the normal ebb and flow that any market goes through.

Brokers, friends, and others that you respect can be helpful in providing you with ideas but you are the one who should make the final decision. After all, if things go wrong, it’s you who lose the money, not your friends.

2. Never Trade or Invest Based on Hope

Whenever you can identify hope as the primary justification for holding a position, close it out immediately. This action will achieve two things. First, it will protect you from a potentially serious loss. If your exposure is being rationalized on hope alone, you will be ignorant of any lurking dangers and will be that much more vulnerable to further price declines. Second, it is vital for you to regain some objectivity and free yourself from as many biases as possible. This can be achieved only by selling your position and making an attempt at a balanced assessment of your situation.

3. Don`t Overtrade

Sometimes you will start to lose money on trading just because you stay in the market for too long. Don’t overtrade, set daily goals for profit, limit for loss and don’t trade past them. Overtrading is one of the major psychological barriers in Forex trading.

4. Don’t Try to Call Every Market Turn

In our natural desire to be market perfectionists, it is quite understandable that we should feel the need to call every market turn. Unfortunately, that task is quite unobtainable. If we find ourselves trying to guess every twist and turn in the price action, not only will it lead to frustration, but we will totally lose any sense of perspective.

5. After a Successful and Profitable Campaign, Take a Trading Vacation

No person, however talented, can maintain a super trading performance forever. People operate in cycles in virtually every endeavor. Take baseball players, even the best have their off days, off weeks, and even off seasons. The same is true for traders. Therefore, make sure that you take a break after a successful campaign, returning to the markets six or eight weeks later. Your outlook is likely to be less overconfident, and you will also be able to take a more objective view of the markets.