There are almost 10 million day trades all over the globe, but this number is relatively low if we compare it to other industries and other professions. It is said that the reason why not too many people are interested in day trading is that it is really difficult. Even though you can easily make big profits, and you can even become a millionaire, not many are brave enough to give this profession a chance.
If you are interested in knowing more about the pros and the cons of day trading, you’ve come to the right place! In this 2024 guide, we are going to give you some information about the reasons why this job is considered one of the most complex and demanding ones.
Note that every person is different, so just because others say they weren’t able to succeed in it, it does not mean that you won’t be able to overcome the challenges. If you are interested to pursue this as a full-time job, you can always consult with an experienced broker, who will tell you everything you need to know about trading, and why you should avoid it, or give it a chance.
1. Not enough time
The first reason why many people have a hard time dealing with this profession is that there are always deadlines. In most jobs, we have deadlines that can last days, even weeks, but when it comes to day trading, you have just a few hours do finish everything.
This is extremely stressful, and everything comes and goes in an instant. You can win a lot of money and lose the same amount in a matter of minutes, so you don’t even have time to process everything that’s happening. You need to be ready to do the next step and the next deal no matter what the previous outcome was.
2. No room for emotions
As we previously mentioned, all of the wins and losses happen so quickly that you don’t have time to feel the rush of adrenaline or to feel sad about losing your money. You have to base your next decision only on your mind, and not let the emotions affect you.
Many people decide to do irrational steps when they feel the rush of adrenaline, and in this profession, it can cost you a lot. Because of this, traders need to always stay calm, no matter what the outcome is. They need to put all the feelings aside, and they should not let their mood affect their judgment. Not many people are able to do this, so that is another reason why this profession is seen as one of the most demanding ones.
3. You must stay objective
This is another thing that you need to pay attention to if you want to be successful in this industry. According to DayTrading, this should be done by using your strategies to capitalize on small price movements in high-liquidity stocks or currencies. You need to stay in your course, and you need to stay objective no matter what is happening.
At the same time, you cannot be distracted by things that are going on around you, and you need to use a good platform that will let you get everything done without you feeling pushed around or rushed. If you are interested in starting this, then you need to consult with an experienced broker who already know all these things, and who can help you out and teach you how to stay objective.
4. You need to learn
If you want to make money out of day trading, then you should be prepared to invest your time and money in learning everything about the industry. Nothing comes for free, and the chances of you finding a broker that will mentor you without asking for a fee are almost nonexistent. So, you need to be prepared that you will spend months and even years before you see real profits.
It is different when you have to gain new skills just to pass the subject, and when you need to gain knowledge to make ends meet. The latter is more stressful and it will test your knowledge in the real world. One small mistake can cost you thousands, and not everyone is ready to risk everything they own. The good thing is, you don’t need a lot of money to start, but the bigger your investment is, the higher your profit can be.
5. Forget about your individual desires
The last thing we are going to talk about is greed and fear. These are two emotions that can impact the outcome greatly, and if we want to be victorious with most of the trades, we need to forget about them. When we get a small victory, we believe that we can win every single time, and we let our greed get the best of us. There are so many things that you can do just because you are driven by the latest victory, including acting too soon, holding onto the trade for too long, or even not cutting the potential losses on time.
On the same note, you should not make the same mistakes if you experienced a loss. Just because things didn’t go your way on the last trade, you should not let fear stop you from trusting your gut. Unfortunately, many new traders believe that they have to sell their actions as soon as possible and to leave with little to no profit. Don’t let your fear could your judgment, and know that the things that passed should be forgotten until all trades are done.
Experienced brokers suggest that at the end of every day, you need to sit down, and access everything that has happened. See where you made your mistakes, and why that happened. You should also check if your profits happened because you had the needed knowledge and reacted on time, or if it was pure luck. These things will help you become better and make a lot of money out of this.
It is not easy being a day trader, and this profession is not for everyone, but if you are determined, and if you find a good mentor, you won’t have any issues tackle all the obstacles. Know that the platform plays a great deal in the whole thing, so look for the best one that can help you out during the challenging times.