Trading can be a great way to invest solid cash and see a return in value in a short period of time. It’s not uncommon for some people to make a small fortune with their investments. Unfortunately, fear and greed tend to rule the emotions that most traders feel when trying to buy, trade or sell. By understanding what to avoid, you’ll more likely have success when investing your hard-earned money into one or more different stocks.
Improper Timing
The old saying, “what goes up must come down” is incredibly true when it comes to the stock exchange. Timing is everything when you’re looking to get into trading and you need to be aware of this when purchasing or selling any shares that you currently own. Knowledge is power, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the companies you’re looking to invest in. From there, you can see if there is a demand for their products or services and when the best time to buy public stocks would be.
Not Understanding Broker Features
If you’re using an online-based broker, you need to check your broker’s website to ensure you understand your account features. All brokers should provide forex account information that will make it incredibly clear what’s available for your account and which features are needed to buy, sell or trade. By understanding all of the features that are available to you, it is easier and quicker for you to navigate the exchange without having to do all of the work on your own.
Buying Without a Plan
Many traders assume that the price of a stock will increase as soon as they buy it. They often feel shorted when they see no increase in price and then feel stuck. They might assume that the price will increase over time, but it doesn’t budge and they wind up losing a lot of their money. This is an all too common scenario that many first-time traders experience. It is important that you have a clear plan for any type of investing you’ll be doing. This involves knowing your price targets, how much money you’re willing to risk and studying flow charts.
Not Getting Rid of Losses
Most of the money that traders lose is because they are unwilling to cut losses when the time is right. You might be holding onto a stock for a long period of time, hoping and wishing that it’ll eventually have some return value. Because you keep holding onto the stock, you allow it to plummet further down, causing an even bigger loss for you. It can be hard to admit that you made a mistake with one or two stock investments, but you need to realize that this happens and get out as soon as possible.
Not Keeping Track of Trades
When most people think about investing into stocks, they don’t necessarily picture themselves journaling and writing about it. However, keeping a log of all of your past investments can help to provide you with foresight into future endeavors. In keeping this log, you’re essentially providing yourself with patterns and insight that you might not remember years down the line. You can then use these journals to help make future investment decisions.