Advertisements in trading magazines and the broadcast media relentlessly pander to the dreams of day traders, suggesting that successful trading is simply a matter of using the right computer, the right software, the right broker, the right trading plan, or the right advisor.
But the reality is that profiting as a day trader requires much more than access to a handful of decent trading newsletters and a reputable charting program or two. It's a skill that requires sound day trading strategies combined with winning psychology and behaviors. Nobody understands this better than renowned futures analyst and day trader Jake Bernstein. During his more than forty years trading the financial markets, Bernstein has battled every market condition imaginable, made every mistake in the book, and absorbed incalculably valuable lessons along the way. And now, in Lessons from a Power Day Trader, he shines a light on this decades-long day trading journey, giving readers an all-access pass to the mind, methodology, and missteps of one of day trading's top players.
Divided into two comprehensive parts, Lessons from a Power Day Trader begins by urging you to examine exactly how your uncertainty and emotions combine with your market strategies to impact your trading behavior and, consequently, your profits. Then, to expose you to numerous additional emotional and technical challenges that await you along the path to day trading success, Bernstein cracks open the spine of his daily trading journal, sharing word-for-word excerpts regarding trades that he executed perfectly, trades that he carried overnight, trades where his impatience got the best of him, and more. Additional topics covered include: How to determine whether a bad trade was the result of a mental error, an execution error, or a combination of both; Concrete strategies for identifying the damaging thoughts that serve as a prelude to losses; Why isolating and addressing your ingrained mental habits can save you--and potentially even make you--more money on every trade; And much more. In Lessons from a Power Day Trader, Bernstein does not claim to have all the answers as to what limits day traders' profits, nor does he propose that he is the best day trader of all time.
He does, however, offer an all-too rare and honest look at the mental and technical challenges of day trading, right down to his performance on a trade-by-trade basis, so that his failures don't become yours--and his triumphs do. What you'll learn
Whether or not you are mentally cut out for the intensity of the day trading game
The factors that promote day trading success--as well as those that ensure failure How to differentiate between the three broad categories of day trading mistakes, including errors of omission, errors of commission, and errors of ignorance The five "dirty" words that foreshadow losses Strategies for understanding what really motivates your trading behavior Why starting and maintaining a trading journal should be the single most important entry on your to-do list Who this book is for Lessons from a Power Day Trader is for active investors and traders of all levels, from those just starting out to those whose successes have enabled them to quit their day jobs and solely focus on their trading activities.
Designed for traders who have difficulty managing their emotions from entry to exit yet perfectly suited for those who are interested in sharpening their psychological edge over the competition, this book will appeal to fans of Mark Douglas (Trading in the Zone), Alexander Elder (Trading for a Living), and Peter Brandt (Diary of a Professional Commodity Trader).
