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Choosing A Forex Signal Provider – A Look At Win Percentage
Posted by: | CommentsOne would obviously surmise that a trader with a % of winning trades nearing the 100% mark would be a very good bet. Side B then would tell us that a trader with a win % closer to 0% would be a very bad bet. Obviously, winning a great many trades is a good thing, but that would be to oversimplify the matter. The hope of this article is to explain to you why a 95% win rate is way more of a loser than a 65% win rate.
First we’ll take a look at traders with a low win rate. We will classify 0% to ~40% as low. If a trader fits into this range, then the closer they are to zero probably means the worse they are. Most traders in this lower range are losing traders. You will occasionally find a trader who attempts to catch very large moves with very tight stops. This type of trader may have an extremely low win % and still be a very successful trader.
The next range is from ~40% to ~70%. This is the range most winning traders will be in. The reason these traders win is not because they pick a ton of winning trades and rarely have a loser. They may in fact have more losing trades than winning trades. The reason they are able to win is that they properly manage their trades once they are open. They use reasonable stops that will often be executed. This obviously results in a losing trade, but a small loser. These small losers are only a fraction of the size of their winning trades. These are most often the traders that have the ability to cut their losses but let their winners run. This seems like a simple concept, but very few traders have the discipline to actually do it.
Our final grouping is in the very high range of a percentage of 70 and above. Most people want to fall on the bandwagon of a trader who is close to 100%. Most people are making a mistake; they should actually align themselves with the trader of a much more modest % win rate. Why is that, you may ask? The reason for the high win percentage of these traders is that they are most of the time taking profits off the table as they appear. A working plan if they also cut their losses in the same way. Any trader, though with a 95 % plus win rate is not following this plan. They do not accept small losses and go forward with their trading day. Oh no, they allow a loser to run rampant for all eternity and may even add to that position in some circumstances. You can see that this in time will wipe out many months of winning trades in one blow and the results are disastrous. For every 500 pip winners obtained one at a time, one 500 pip loser negates them all. And yet, this trader falls into our “winning” range of over 99% winning trades and is in reality a big loser.
Do not think for one minute that the reason for this article is to convince you that no trader outside the specified ranges is automatically a losing trader. I’m quite sure that there are traders that are successful with a win percent falling outside of the above ranges. The point of this article is to lead you to thoroughly investigate the trader with the 95% win rate as he could implode upon himself (and you) at any minute.
To learn more about 3rd party signal providers visit Automated Forex Trading Systems.
Guidelines To Choosing A Third Party Forex Signal Provider
Posted by: | CommentsThe foreign exchange market, or ForEx, has attracted many people and many of them have made it their financial vehicle of choice. With the markets new popularity, there are certainly some extras to consider. Books, videos, software, trading systems and third party signal providers. Today, I will tell you about some things that you should consider when selecting an excellent third party signal provider.
For you to choose a quality third party signal provider, we should have a good understanding about who they are and what they do. Signal providers are other traders or analysts that are able to place trades in your own account with the hope of turning a profit. Depending on your trading needs, you can have one or many signal providers.
The US Constitution states that all men are created equal. Unfortunately this is not the case with traders or signal providers. Some traders look like a million bucks at first glance but turn out to be bad news upon further inspection. To keep away from these types of traders we have to set some guideline to follow when choosing a third party signal provider.
1. The first thing I look at is whether the trader is a winner or a loser. This may seem obvious to nearly everyone, but I often see losing signal providers with 50-100 people trading their signals.
2. The next thing to look at is how long the trader has traded profitably. You don’t want a brand new trader without a track record trading your real money account.
3. An important factor is the maximum drawdown that a trader has caused to their account to date. Big draw downs mean a greater chance of a margin call and a much bigger chance that you will never recoup all of the losses that take place in a massive draw down.
4. The first three are easy to look at. They will be displayed right on the main screen of signal providers to choose from. Once you get a few signal providers you are thinking of using, its time to dive a bit deeper into their history.
a. Look at their actual trades. Do they have a good win rate because they have opened a ton of trades all at the same time on the same currency pair? They may have 20 winners in a row. This looks great, but if you look a bit deeper you will see that its really only 1 winning trade places 20 times. Not as impressive is it?
b. Have a look at how far they let their trades get away from them. Is your signal provider letting trades get 300 pips or more against them at times? Do they close trades the minute they turn into profit? If so this is a trader who does not understand risk and reward and should not be considered to trade real money.
c. Does your trader add to losing positions? Generally someone who is doing this is trying to average down their entry point and is setting themselves up for failure. Make sure when they do fail that your money is not on the line.
5. The most important thing is to choose a signal provider that you can live with. If you are risk adverse than an aggressive trader will probably more than your stomach can take. Its OK to let your account grow at a more modest pace if it helps you sleep at night.
This is only a simple guide for you to consider when looking for good third party signal provider. Remember to always trade a demo before a live account and that ultimately the money is yours and no matter what happens to it, you are the one who’s responsible for it.
To learn more about 3rd party signal providers visit Automated Forex Trading Systems.
Forex Trading Systems – Finding Effective Trading Strategies
Posted by: | CommentsFinding the most effective strategies in any situation could stop most of us from falling for our subconscious minds to break down the situation or better yet ourselves. A question comes to mind from the Jungian Personality Test that I have recently taken:
The process of searching for a solution is more important to you than the solution itself,
Yes or No
Knowing the effective moves that are capable of bringing the good and helpful to our ventures could possibly enable us to get just what we want. In any situation it helps. Going for a goal and not educating yourself is one of the ailing factors that lead to superficial end results and possibly unfortunate outcomes.
In general, money and investment is a big “situation” that harps at us like a continuous aching back. It may not be a good idea to move into any market unprepared: it’s also not a good idea to focus only on the money without thinking it through completely. Many helpful and effective maneuvers are required at a place like the Forex market which enable you to succeed and be content with any investment you wish to make. With research, counselors in the field, and help from the internet you can acquire want you hoped for.
The Forex market and finding effective strategies:
1) One of the most helpful educational tools you can use is internet research. Seeking the in-depth details of Forex among with reading the reviews and ratings can also be an immense aid. You can get the inside scoop by checking out Forex forums and blogs. It’s best to try and find other free recourses for information on trading strategies in the Forex market. Often times, expert traders share techniques and tips on trading using the forums.
2) Another good idea to consider, before entering the Forex market, would be to find a reliable counsel from an outside source who does not seek a profit from you.
3) Reviewing the strategy you wish to use is important, also look for unbiased or independent reviews on it. This is an advantage when trying to decipher between the good and bad of it, which can be of an assistance in your next step.
4) If you have found the Forex trading strategy you want to work with you must test it out. A real time trading experiment is crucial for you and your success. Make use of a micro or demo account in experimenting with the strategy; this way you can try it on for size without losing any money or pride.
Some Final Advice:
It is crucial to plan as you enter the Forex trading market. The problems that mostly affect traders are their emotions and stress, especially new traders, be sure to plan.
Traders also get caught by their greed or fear which both lead to loss. Following the trend and planning can lead to a more successful career in the world of trading. When trading be sure to keep it simple.
To learn more about Managed Forex Accounts visit Automated Forex Trading Systems.