Posts Tagged ‘day trading’

Stick to Your Shorts

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

(Watch the Video Online: Market coach Doug Hirschhorn, PhD, advises traders to stick to their shorts for the time being.)


This week’s trading plan should be to stick with your shorts. The top traders on the Street have spent the past couple months positioning themselves for a 10- to 15-percent correction. As their coach, I can tell you it’s rare for these Wall Street titans to be wrong for so long. What does that mean to me? That it’s time to remember three important rules:

  1. Trust your original thesis Just because the market doesn’t respond in the time frame you prefer does not mean your trade thesis is wrong. More times than not, it just means you were early to the party. So stick around because it’s about to get good.
  2. Patience is the key to bigger profits When the market starts to sell off over the next few weeks, don’t rush to buy back your shorts and take small profits, like everyone else. If you’re looking for that 10- to 15-percent sell off, have the patience to stick with the trade and endure the pains that precede your gains.
  3. Stay objective Forget about how long you’ve had the trade on. When the market starts to sell off, ask yourself one simple question: “If I had no trade on right now, what would I do?”

That’s what I call calibrating your trading mindset. If you want to trade like the elite, you have to think like the elite.

Think better, invest smarter.

Dr. Doug Hirschhorn on Good Losses, Bad Losses

Friday, August 14th, 2009

It’s a fact that not all losses are created equal. There are good losses and bad losses, and it pays — literally — to know the difference. Here are four basic reasons why traders find it difficult to take a loss. View the entire video post online now.

  1. Ego –- taking it personal.
  2. Financial pressures to produce -– After all, you trade to make money.
  3. “Trading to be right” mentality– No one likes being told they’re “wrong.”
  4. Traders are competitors — Taking a loss takes you out of game.

It’s important to understand there are good losses and bad losses. Bad losses are generally due to hesitation, doubt or panic. And those types of losses can decrease your confidence going forward.

On the flip side, good losses actually occur when you’re in control, trust yourself and stick to your game plan, which includes following your stops. Good losses can help build your confidence in the long run and take you closer to achieving a level of greatness as a trader.

Remember, at the end of the day, your best trade may be the one where you take a loss.

Think better, invest smarter.

Essential Trading Rules

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Dr. Doug discusses his seven rules for traders.

Probability & Investing

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Market coach Doug Hirschhorn discusses probability and the art of investing.

Staying Objective In Your Trade

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Dr. Doug takes an email question and answers it for one of our viewers. The question was, “How do you stay objective in your trade”. View this video now to hear the answer.