Losing Your Edge as a Day Trader

If you don’t have an edge when you are day trading, then you are gambling. If you are gambling as a day trader, then it’s only a matter of time before the markets drain your account. The stock market (and any financial market) can certainly be treated as a casino. You can utilize them to “have fun” and be smart with your budget via not needing to purchase a plane ticket to Las Vegas. With all that being said, does this mean the stock market is actually a casino? Absolutely not! There are strategies and methods that can give you an edge. Having an edge does not guarantee success, but it does, over time, give you a much better opportunity at having overall consistency. There are a variety of situations and instances that can cause one to lose their edge (and it is different for everyone). The more you become self aware of your own mental framework and day trading strategy, the better chance you have to understand and realize when your trading edge is gone. Instead of “talking in theory”, let me use some of my personal day trading results to illustrate what I mean!