Three Myths of Stock Trading

By W. Alan Gay

I've made a living as a Stock Trader for over 15 years, and have really learned the ins and outs of the business. But I didn't make my start at a big brokerage firm that taught me everything through slick training course. I made it through trial and error, taking seminars and classes and learning as I go.

While I may have taken longer to succeed using this self taught method, it has given me a lot more real world knowledge of stock trading than I would have gotten following the one process taught by my employer. For one, I have found a number of myths that crop up again and again when talking to people about stock trading. Here are three of them:

The first misconception I'd like to dispel is that only certain types of people make successful stock traders. True, stock pickers (those guys who pick the big winners by consistently analyzing the market) are more often than not left brained thinkers , which is probably how this myth originated.

But I have found that there's something for every type of thinker in stock trading. The trick is to find what works best for you. To be honest, I would be very unhappy sitting around analyzing stocks all day, but I have been very successful in this profession despite that. Anyone else can too.

Second, is the belief that stock trading is speculative, and carries as much or more risk as owning your own business. Yes, people have lost everything in the stock market, and those are the stories the media loves to report on that intimidate a lot of people.

But I have discovered that if you can establish a process for setting your stops can limit your risks to a tolerable comfort level, stock trading is really a very low risk profession. To illustrate, I have created a system for myself that allows me to trade with a success rate of up to 75% , which is hard to beat! I can't think of any other business that can give me that kind of low risk return.

Finally, how many times have you heard that its a full time job to make consistent big money in the stock market? Absolutely true for some kinds of trading and especially if you don't have good stock pickers to rely on. Then you are stuck doing the grunt and the leg work in a fast changing environment " sure that takes a lot of time.

But, I am living proof that it is absolutely possible to make a great living trading stock for 2-4 hours a day, which will leave you the rest of your day for whatever you wish. The way to achieve this is to have a process in place that is efficient with your time, and low risk enough that you can be profitable on a consistent basis. There are a lot of different courses available and it can be difficult to find the one that will work for you. I suggest you investigate several different choices and, ask lots of questions Use your questions as an additional screening " if you can't find anyone to take them all seriously, move on quick! Life is too short. If you start your research knowing the right system is there for you, you will be on your way to becoming a successful stock trader in no time. - 23222

About the Author:

W. Alan Gay has been a stock trader and coach for fifteen years. His free report describes Alan's voyage to becoming successful at trading stocks and gives useful tips he and his students have used to consistently trade profitably. Click to obtain a free copy of his report and learn more about how you could be trading stocks profitably in as little as fourteen days.