DAY TRADING STRATEGIES FOR BEGINNERS

Day traders buy and sell currency pairs many times a day and therefore need a rigid and viable day trading strategy to trade successfully.

Introduction:

A day trader is a trader that buys and sells currencies many times a day and does not leave an overnight position. This means that a day trader usually trades within one time zone and does not cross into other time zones except maybe a trader in Europe where the afternoon session coincides with the American morning session. The concept of a day trader is to generate income on a daily basis using technical and fundamental analysis to facilitate this money making process.

Day trading Strategies for Beginners:

When starting out as a day trader a beginner needs to develop a simple trading strategy that enables the trader to have the opportunity to generate profits with a viable risk/reward ratio. To develop a strategy which meets these requirements the trader needs to learn about self-discipline, price charts, volume and price movements, technical analysis and fundamental analysis. In addition the day trader needs to learn about different candlestick chart patterns, volume movements and trend lines, all of which provide tools which enable the trader successfully day trade.

So the first pillar of a day trading strategy for a new forex trader is knowledge. The second pillar of a day trading strategy is an understanding of how the markets function. Elements such as when the highest volumes are traded, what type of economic data has the strongest impact on the market, what time frames are good for certain currency pairs, and the best time of day to trade?

The third pillar of a day trading strategy is to do with deciding how much loss you are comfortable with taking on individual trades. To do this you must establish the maximum loss you are willing to bear. This is something that must be done in advance and not on the fly as you trade. Before you actually make the trade you should decide on the risk/reward ratio for the trade and your loss limit. As soon as you reach your loss limit you should exit the trade. Never fall into the trap of not keeping to your strategy and stay in the trade hoping the market will turn. It invariably does not.

The next important pillar of a day trader’s strategy is the maintenance of documentation which record the day’s trades and the results of those trades. In this way you can gauge how effective your day trading strategy is and amend it accordingly. Documenting your daily trading will also enable you to repeat your successes.

The final pillar of your day trading strategy is hedging. Hedging is the act of selling and buying the same currency pair or the act of buying one currency pair and buying another currency pair which is historically inversely correlated to the original currency pair. Hedging in this way does not produce high profits but it does produce profits and reduces the likelihood of losses.

The above simple day trading strategy will enable day trading beginners to start a successful day trading career.