Do you know how to avoid over trading? A successful trader is defined by the quality of the trades, not the number of trades. Over trading isn’t a problem reserved exclusively for new traders. It’s a problem both new and veteran traders face occasionally. The reasons are vast, from excitement, FOMO, and even vengeance. One important point is that you shouldn’t confuse over-trading with active trading. Despite placing hundreds of trades, many active day traders remain profitable. But does that mean you should follow in their footsteps? Not, lest you fall into the trap of overtrading.
Introduction on How to Avoid Over Trading
Over-trading happens when the amount and quality of your trades undermine your bottom line. In other words, you’re making too many trades with sub-par sets and irrational trading decisions.
All the while, you’re blowing through your account and paying dearly on commissions. Sounds fun. Do you want to know how to avoid over-trading?
A trading plan will help immensely. That’s stock trading wisdom right there. When you’ve written down a plan and know what you can and cannot trade or what you should and shouldn’t trade, you become a more targeted trader.
When you make a plan, you have to stick to it. That’s easier said than done, I’ll admit. So it may take some practice. But the more you practice, the more tactical you’ll be. And the more tactical you are, the better and more profitable you are.
Common Reasons for Over Trading
When you’re learning how to avoid over trading, and it takes practice, learn how to spot the reasons it can happen. As a result, if you find yourself over trading, you can stop and take a breath and see if these reasons are why you feel like trading too much.
Over-Excitement
I’m not going to lie; trading is exciting and even more so for new traders. With so much to learn and the promise of large returns, it would be strange if you didn’t feel the excitement. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize this can cause new traders to “jump the gun” and try to seize every opportunity in front of them.
I liken this to FOMO or fear of missing out. From our social relationships, our intimate relationships, and even our careers, FOMO can cause devastating effects. Beyond even that, it can have a significant impact on our trading practices.
Boredom
I’m guilty as charged of this one. If I’ve been staring at the screen for a while, I get tired, lazy, and bored. Worse yet, if there are no prime setups, I’ll end up trading sub-prime setups and place trades I normally wouldn’t. I’m just trading for the sake of trading.
Am I at Risk of Over Trading?
Do you know how to avoid over trading? If you can identify with any of the scenarios below, you might be at risk for over trading.
Have you ever:
- Rushed into a trade without following your trading plan?
- Rushed into a trade based on a hot tip?
- Did you feel regret after buying?
- Did you go against your trading plan and sell your positions because everyone else was jumping ship?
- Is trading your solution to getting rich quickly?
- Did you spend too much time scalping stocks until your eyes burned and forgot to check the turkey in the oven?
Excuses for Over Trading
- “Everyone’s doing it; it can’t be that bad.”
- “Just think of the money I could make…”
- “Sure, why not? What do I have to lose?”
- “If I don’t act now, I might miss out.”
- “I should have seen that coming.”
- “I’m so stupid; I can’t believe I did that.”
- “Someone must know something I don’t.”
If so, I hate breaking it to you, but you need help. So, moving onto our main show topic today, do you know how to avoid over-trading? Patterns of over-trading will look different for every trader, but there are a few fundamentals key to any trader’s success.
Get Your Emotions Under Control
In the words of the Oracle of Omaha, “If you cannot control your emotions, you cannot control your money.” Warren Buffett. So what does that mean with learning how to avoid over trading?
Without a doubt, managing your emotions is one of the critical traits of successful traders. Traders who face the same opportunity must trade the same; personal feelings can’t interfere.
You’re probably familiar with the phrase: “Plan the trade and trade the plan for those around you long enough.” A solid trading plan stops your emotions from clouding your judgment.
Know Your Exit Price
Yes, before you enter.
Ahead of time, any profitable trader knows the price they’re willing to pay and sell. They place the trade when the return is high enough and the chart indicators match their criteria.
Take a look at unsuccessful traders. What do they have in common? Firstly, they enter trades without figuring out their profit and loss targets. Secondly, they have no idea what price they will sell at. Unfortunately, this causes emotions to take over when the stock empties. When emotion dictates trades, you’re well on your way to blowing up your brokerage account.
Final Thoughts: How to Avoid Over Trading
This worked for me. In the past, I found myself staring at the computer for endless hours, getting bored, impatient, and overtrading. And the worst part is I lost money, lots of it. Quite frankly, I was sick to my stomach and guilty of gambling.
So, how exactly did I fix this? The short answer is I limited the number of trades I could take in a day. Every day, I approached the market with the mindset that I could only take four trades; that’s it.
Indeed, it worked as it forced me to have clear trade entry and exit criteria as I only had so many chances.
For you, this number could be 100 trades a day; whatever the number is, make sure you lock it down. Why don’t you try limiting your trades? If it worked for me, it could work for you.
Do you know how to avoid over trading? Success in trading requires dedication, hard work, patience and the desire to learn.
