Beginner Traders Archives

How I Became a Trader

Nick Radge has ridden many waves of the financial markets since placing his first trade in 1985. With 30 years of skin in the game, Nick Radge will share some of the crucial lessons that have allowed him to not only survive, but consistently profit along the way. In addition to 30 years of trading, […]

Risk Management

Risk management, or position sizing, is paramount to the longevity of your career as a trader. The bottom line really comes down to this. The more you bet on a single trade, the more volatile your returns will become. The more volatile your account balance is the greater the emotional roller coaster you will ride. […]

How to Avoid the Next Dick Smith Holdings (DHS)

Our job at The Chartist is as much about helping our members protect their capital as it is about advising them when to enter the market and which stocks they should buy. We constantly monitor trends; the trend of the overall market, the trend of each section of the market such as small caps or […]

Rookie Mistakes Made by Amateur Traders

Amateur traders tent to make the same types of mistakes. “Your mind will do everything it can to make you hold a bad position yet entice you to exit a perfectly good position.” Our behavioural biases haunt us during times of heightened volatility such as we’re seeing now. Fear. Greed. Hope. It’s when we question […]

Paper Trading

“Do you recommend a paper trading account?” This stock trading question comes from James C. who asks: There are pros and cons for using a paper trading account. For: It allows us to assess how disciplined we really are when it comes to executing our strategy. It’s easy to look back and say, “I would […]

Placing Orders

This stock trading question comes from Ben B. who asks: “My broker doesn’t allow me to place orders for the opening or closing auction. What should I do?” It sounds like you may be using a CFD provider. Many CFD providers are not members of the ASX and therefore cannot access that facility. You can […]

How Much Money do I need to Start Trading?

This stock trading question about how much money is needed to start trading comes from Mike C. whose #1 challenge is… “What is a good size account to start with?” In other words, how much money do I need to start trading? It’s a common and important question. Too often new traders overlook the impact […]

How to Handle Losing Trades

Are you able to handle losing trades? This stock trading question comes from Nick A. who asks… “My #1 challenge in the markets is not getting too low emotionally after a losing trade and maintaining the courage to take the next trade after experiencing loss.” A great question. In the short term the best course […]

6 Steps to Start Stock Trading Successfully

So, you want to start trading the stock market but where do you begin? We all need to start somewhere, both from an educational standpoint and the actual ‘doing’ part. Unfortunately there are a myriad of choices and Monday Morning Quarterbacks willing to collect on the excited yet unsuspecting new trader. Back when I started […]

Commission Drag; Managing Your Trading Expenses

Commission drag is often an unknown factor for new traders. However it is essential and any professional trader will be able to tell you their figure. So what is commission drag? It’s the cost of trading. Like any business you need to assess all revenue and expenses to determine if you’re on the road to […]