Saturday, December 18, 2010

What's in a Fantastic Trading Plan?

Most traders now know that it is very important to have trading systems. Although even the best laid plans can’t always make you win, having one of your own can at least limit your losses and maximize your profit potential. There are several different ways however to either pick or generate your own system. To make sure you only find or create the best, you need to look into ideal qualities.

From the start, a good system should be able to help you get into profit generating trades. Entry indicators provided by trade systems are crucial because they are what make the entire process of trading possible in the first place. Remember though that it is virtually impossible to hit on a system that can help you catch perfect entry signals. A trading plan that says it can help you make perfect entries is something you shouldn’t be too eager to follow. Choose a system that admits imperfections and permits simple and direct entries.

Entry signals aren’t the only points for you to pay attention to. Your system should also consider equally important exit signals. These are the only signs you can rely on to make sure that you leave at the best possible time. The best points of exit are those that ensure very small losses while preserving existing trading profits. Simply put, a good exit snips losses while permitting your profits to run.

Entry and exit signals aren’t the top qualities to look for in trading systems. The more crucial components to look for are money or risk management rules. These are the parts of your plan that identify the most suitable level of risk for you. With your own personal set of policies, you have the assurance that you won’t experience losses that are too severe or unbearable. Money management rules always keep losses within acceptable bounds.

Another good quality to look out for is factual background. It is a must that you follow steps that are firmly based on research. Some traders make investments based on gut instinct, rumors or tips. In some cases however, these are unreliable or even conflicting sources. You can only improve your chances of making profits if you follow trade systems built around solid data like the Darvas system.

Research isn’t everything. For trades to give back great returns, you need to make sure your system bears the qualities of strength and reliability that are the results of testing. You might not need to personally perform tests yourself if you decide to use an existing system that has worked for other traders. If you want to follow one that you’ve made yourself, you need to subject it to back testing. For this procedure you simply need software that can simulate trades for you based on historical data. If a system churns out good results based on past information, it is likely to work well enough on the current market.

Trade systems are the best real concrete tools that can help you increase your chances of winning in trading. You just need to take pains at making sure all the right characteristics are found in a system that you want to follow. Assess a plan first before you make trading decisions based on it. This is a good rule to follow even for established systems like the Darvas box method.


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