Let’s face it. If you’re interested in day trading stocks, you’re a unique type of risk taker. One in the minority that wants rewards for the risk you’re about to embark on.
Google whether there are successful day traders, and you’ll find studies that satisfy your confirmation bias on both ends. For example, this round-up of studies states in their findings only 1-3% of day traders were able to earn above-market returns consistently.
In this article, we outline some foundational tips on how to get started on the right foot so you can have a long and profitable day trading career.
Key Takeaways
- Start with paper trading to experience a real day trading session
- Successful traders are lifelong learners of the trade, keep trading journals, and review trades just like any sport
- Practice risk management techniques to increase profits
- Find the right trading platform so you can learn it inside out from the beginning
What is Day Trading?
Day trading is the buying and selling of financial assets, often stocks or currencies, within the same trading day with the objective of making a profit from short-term pricing fluctuations.
It will require choosing a market, practicing and executing trading strategies, monitoring of the markets, and very often closing your positions at the end of the day.
It’s not predicting the future; it’s a skill, like every other sport, and it requires research, patience, and training to maintain discipline over time. People also often confuse day trading with investing, which uses completely different strategies.
Day trading will require the ability to consume a vast amount of news from financial markets combined with the ability to make split-second decisions.
9 Day Trading Tips for Beginners
1. Don’t Quit Your Day Job
We can’t stress this tip enough. Even if you’ve been killing it in paper trading, we promise you that keeping your job while you level up your trading skills is an absolute requirement.
When you day trade without a backup, it can become incredibly stressful. You basically can’t have any bad days. This goes double for those with dependants.
Like with any skill, you’ll need to spend time learning the various strategies, testing new strategies, and learning from your mistakes. You’re risking more than just your portfolio if you quit your job early.
2. Start With Paper Trading
Experienced day traders weren’t born overnight; they started by practicing with tools like paper trading. Paper trading is the ability to simulate your trades virtually. You’re trading with fake money, and this is where you get to perfect your craft. Specifically, you get to practice:
Practice buying and selling securities: Paper trading lets you experience the process of placing trades and executing transactions so that you can familiarize yourself with the mechanics of trading platforms.
Test new investment strategies: As a day trader, you want to experiment with different trading strategies to find out which trading style works best for you. Because day trading will be a never-ending improvement cycle, you want a chance to practice early and often.
Evaluate trading platforms: By using paper trading accounts, you can check out the features and functionality of various trading platforms before committing real money to them. No platform will be perfect, so you’ll need to try a few to see which features you like.
Learn without financial risk: Since paper trading does not involve real money, you can gain valuable experience and knowledge about the stock market without fearing losing your hard-earned money.
Platforms to try paper trading:
- Webull – With unlimited virtual cash and real-time data, this is an excellent choice for testing your new strategies.
- TradingView – A community favorite charting platform. TradingView also has a paper trading feature built right in.
3. Become a Subject Matter Expert
When trading, knowledge really is power. Having a slight edge can mean the difference between a $100 trade and a $10,000 trade when you have confidence.
Within the discipline of day trading, there are additional skills you need to learn, such as:
- Research and analysis: understanding financial markets, the market news, and economic factors so you can quickly recognize trends. Listen to earnings reports to stay on top of industry changes.
- Focus and concentration: trading can be incredibly emotional. Your ability to focus during the chaos will contribute to your success.
- Discipline and self-control: besides staying organized, you’ll get the urge to go big on trades, but you’ll need to stick to your trading plan if you want to succeed in this game.
- Technical analysis: understanding technical indicators, price charts, and chart patterns so you can plan your entries and exits is foundational to day trading.
- Risk Management: more than taking a risk assessment, you’ll need to plan ahead and know how much you’re willing to lose per trade before diving in.
These are the areas that you’ll need to continuously improve, so start off on the right foot and set aside time each week to work on one of these skills.
4. Develop Day Trading Strategies
Developing a trading strategy requires careful analysis of the stock market trends and risk management techniques. As a day trader, having a well-defined plan that guides your decisions in the fast-paced trading world is important.
To start developing your trading strategy, begin by studying historical market data and identifying patterns or trends that may indicate future price movements. To make informed decisions, use technical analysis tools such as moving averages, support and resistance levels, and chart patterns.
Risk management is another crucial aspect of your strategy. Establish clear entry and exit points for each trade, set stop-loss orders to limit potential losses, and determine your position sizing based on your personal risk tolerance.
5. Keep a Trading Journal
Start by creating a trading journal to track your trades and analyze your performance. A trading journal is an essential tool for day traders as it lets you record all your trades. This includes entry and exit points, profit or loss, and any other relevant information.
By maintaining a detailed log of your trades, you can identify patterns, trends, and areas for improvement. Analyzing your performance through the trading journal helps you make informed decisions based on past experiences.
Additionally, it provides a sense of accountability and discipline in your trading activities. Remember to be consistent in recording every trade and review your journal regularly. This will help you gain valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses as a trader.
6. Test several Online Brokers
When shopping for an online trading platform, it’s important to consider factors such as fees, customer service, and available trading platforms.
Finding a broker that aligns with your trading goals is important in the beginning, so you don’t invest too much time learning a tool that you may ditch in the future. As mentioned, make sure to test different platforms so you can find one that fits your style.
Prioritize brokers with excellent customer service so that you can easily resolve any issues or concerns that may arise during your trading career.
It is also essential to choose a broker that provides user-friendly and reliable trading platforms. This will ensure smoother execution of trades and access to real-time market data.
7. Understand Trading Psychology
To truly understand trading psychology, you need to acknowledge the impact of your emotions on decision-making and learn how to manage them effectively. Emotions play a significant role in trading, and they can often cloud your judgment and lead to poor decisions.
When you are faced with market fluctuations or unexpected events, it is crucial to remain calm and rational. By recognizing the influence of emotions on your decision-making process, you can develop strategies to control them and make more informed choices.
Surrounding yourself with a supportive community of traders can provide a sense of belonging and help you navigate the ups and downs of the market with greater confidence.
Remember that managing your emotions is an ongoing process that requires self-reflection, discipline, and continuous learning.
8. Use Risk Management Techniques
Managing risks is the key to successful day trading and can help you protect your capital and maximize profits.
One of the first steps in risk management is setting a stop-loss order. This order allows you to limit potential losses by automatically closing a trade when it reaches a certain price level. It’s important to determine this level before entering a trade and stick to it, even if emotions tempt you otherwise.
Another useful tool for beginners is the 1% rule, which simply states that traders should set a total loss per trade at 1% of their total portfolio. This is particularly beneficial for smaller portfolios of under $100,000.
Additionally, diversifying your portfolio can also help manage risks. By spreading out your investments across different stocks or sectors, you can reduce the impact of any single loss.
Lastly, don’t forget to regularly review and analyze your trades. Keeping track of your performance will allow you to identify patterns and adjust your strategies accordingly.
9. Post-Market Analysis: Wrapping Up the Trading Day
To wrap up your trading day, take a moment to analyze the post-market performance of your trades. This step is helpful in evaluating your overall strategy and making adjustments for future trades.
By reviewing how your trades performed after the market closed, you can identify patterns and trends that may not have been apparent during regular trading hours. Analyzing the post-market data allows you to assess whether your entry and exit points were optimal or if there were missed opportunities.
It also helps you understand any unexpected price movements or news events that could have affected your trades. By taking the time to conduct this analysis, you can improve your decision-making process and increase your chances of success in future trades.
Why Stocks Are Preferred Securities in Day Trading
Stocks are preferred in day trading due to their high liquidity and volatility, offering numerous opportunities for profit.
The stock market is a dynamic environment where prices constantly fluctuate, creating potential for quick gains.
With stocks, you can easily enter and exit positions throughout the trading day, thanks to their high liquidity. This means that you can buy or sell shares at any time without significantly impacting the stock price.
Moreover, stocks tend to be more volatile than other securities like bonds or commodities. This volatility translates into larger price movements, allowing traders to take advantage of short-term price fluctuations and potentially earn substantial profits.
Are you Prepared?
Day trading can feel like a complex and high-risk activity, but with a solid understanding of the basics, critical factors for success, and a well-developed trading strategy, you can increase your profit potential.
Managing risks and maintaining a trading journal are crucial elements in minimizing losses and maximizing profits.
Post-market analysis helps traders evaluate their performance and make necessary adjustments.
Lastly, continuous learning plays a vital role in staying updated with market trends and improving your trading skills.
