Developing a Successful Trading Strategy

| by Markus Heitkoetter | November 02, 2007
Anyone who knows anything about stock trading or day trading has heard the term ‘trading strategy.’ A trading strategy is a simple concept – it’s basically the roadmap that a trader follows while trading the markets. A trading strategy is governed by a set of rules that do not deviate for anything other than market action. Faithfully following a sound trading strategy will provide you with your greatest weapon against your worst enemy – your emotions. With a trading strategy, you’ll know exactly when to buy and when to sell, regardless of what the market does or what your emotions are telling you.

About Day Trading Strategies
Every profitable trader will tell you that the key to trading success is an effective, reliable trading strategy. You, as a trader, need to identify a winning system, implement it, and have the discipline to stick to it. Though it would be possible for you to develop a unique trading strategy, it probably wouldn’t be that practical. The best – and most efficient – approach would be to adopt an existing strategy, one which has been used by other traders in the industry and which has already proven to be successful.

Just remember, whether the strategy you’re using is your own or someone else’s, it is critical that you have a thorough understanding of it, especially its entry and exit signals. Do not fall prey to the pitfalls of following untested trading “advice,” especially the free advice available in numerous trading forums and chat rooms. Advice that you receive in these types of venues is likely to be opinion rather than fact, and in the market, opinions are not worth anything. What you NEED is a proven and effective trading strategy, one that will work in any market, under any market condition.

Because of this need for solid strategies, more and more traders are looking for trading success through technical approaches to the markets. One of these approaches is Welles Wilder’s RSI indicator. The general idea behind using the RSI is to buy when the RSI crosses above 30 and to sell when the RSI crosses below 70. As you can see, these rules are clearly defined and don’t leave much room for interpretation. This is EXACTLY what you want from a trading strategy. In trading, you’ll need to make big decisions in mere seconds. There’s simply no time to rethink, or try to interpret the unknown signals and information that come your way. Following a set of simple, easy-to-understand rules – and having a trading strategy that regulates all of your signals and indicators efficiently – is the major key to trading success.

Though the rules of trading are very important, they are not the most essential element of trading success. The most essential element is YOU. The best trading strategy in the world will be useless if you lose your head in the market and panic. You need to remain calm at all times, executing your trading strategy efficiently, without hesitation.

How to Find a Good Day Trading Strategy
So, you’re convinced that trading strategies are important. Now, how do you find one that works for you? Obviously, day trading strategies don’t grow on trees. You’ll need to do some research and either develop a strategy yourself, or find one that is easy to understand and has been proven to be successful. Take your time and do your research. Your strategy is an important step towards financial success, and it’s more than worth the investment of time and energy. There are plenty of books and helpful websites to guide you along your way.

Also, be on the lookout for scams. There are a lot of “educational companies” out there, each selling their own trading systems and strategies, and each claiming that their system works better than their competitors’. Be wary of these companies. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you can bu

Markus Heitkoetter is a 19 year veteran of the markets and the CEO of Rockwell Trading. For more free information and tips and trick how to make consistent profits with online trading, visit his website www.rockwelltrading.com.

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About the Author

If you want to compete in the game of games and play against the best day traders in the world, then you need a good Day Trading System. In this article you will learn the “Six Reasons Why You Need a Day Trading System” » Read more articles by Markus Heitkoetter
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