Know These Facts About Trading

Trading is very easy

Is this a fact in trading? No, this is a myth. While it seems easier to open an account and start buying and selling stock based on some random tips, it is not so. Social media is full of traders sharing screenshots of profitable trades, alluring novices to the markets with rosy numbers of return expected from equity. Know for a fact that no one washes dirty linen in public.

So, what is a fact in trading? Trading is a difficult profession. One can start trading but may find it difficult to be a full-time trader. It is widely estimated that only 5-10 per cent of traders are successful despite having a robust trading plan.

It takes a short time to become a trader

This is also a fiction in trading. Information is easily available these days, thanks to the internet. While learning new skills and techniques is easy, mastering technical analysis to be a good trader and achieving your return expected from equity takes a lot of time and perseverance.

And what is the fact in trading then? Trading is not just a mechanical process where you buy and sell stocks. The moment one enters a trade, the emotions of the trader get activated. The success of a trader in reaching the return expected from equity depends on their psychology, and an emotional trader is bound to lose objectivity. To be objective, one has to have a trading plan that has built-in contingencies well before a trade is executed. Building a plan and test takes a lot of time and experience. More importantly, it takes time to build a plan that suits you.

A place to make quick money

This is something most people believe but is actually a fiction in trading. One can achieve the expected return from equity by trading in the markets, but it takes a whole lot of planning, preparation and patience.

Let's understand what is the fact in trading instead. Making money in the markets takes skills, effort and knowledge, apart from time. Each day poses a different challenge for a trader. Every day different variables have to be dealt with, and quick adjustments have to be made. This cannot happen without a strong trading plan.

There is a saying, “Trading is the toughest way to make easy money”.

Trading is better than investments

This depends on how strong your skills are and whether you have a risk-taking appetite. Many take to trading as investments require a lot of research and monitoring. Trading may be a relatively quick way to make money, as only a few technical indicators are enough to jump in and out of a trade.

But one of the many important facts about trading you must always remember is it will not give you instant success. You need to time the market successfully and regularly to make money consistently. On the other hand, investing requires spending time in the markets. The fact is there are more successful investors than traders. Successful professional traders are only a small minority in this vast ocean.

A very important differentiator between trading well and investing well is the ability to handle leverage.  In investing, the leverage is 1, i.e. with Rs.10,000, one can buy and hold stocks worth Rs.10,000. But in trading, especially with options, with Rs.10,000, one can trade contract values worth lakhs, increasing the leverage manifold.

It's crucial to know that this understanding defines your return expected from the future and option in stock market. If handled well, it leads to higher profits, but eventually, in losing phases, leverage hits hard and, in many cases, leads to the risk of ruin, i.e. trader eventually blows up the account. Managing this aspect is highly crucial for a trader to survive and, hopefully, thrive in the markets.

Trading doesn’t require special skills

Most newcomers confuse the ease with which you can enter the market and place an order with the ease with which you will make money. After a few successes, they also believe trading doesn’t require a strong special skill set.

One of the most important facts about trading is that a successful trader not only requires skills for identifying trades and profiting from them but also needs to have a firm check on their emotions. They need to think on their feet and be in the know of things, which can be exhausting in the long run. It is important to develop particular trader traits such as perseverance, patience, independence, fortitude, adaptability and urge to learn.

Points to remember:

• Separate fact from fiction. This is important in an age where so much information is easily available.
• Trading is not easy and requires a lot of skill, planning and preparation.
• Keeping a check on your emotions is crucial for success in trading.