Top 10 Forex Resolutions for 2011

Who said that resolutions can only be made on New Year? Well, it’s still roughly a month from the first of January and I already made mine. I mean… the earlier I make the changes the better, right? So let me cut to the chase and tell you now what they are. Here are my top 10 forex decrees:

1) Don’t hesitate to trade the breakouts!

    * Chart patterns are the bread and butter of technical analysis. There are five basic must-know chart formations – triangles, head and shoulder (inverted), double bottom (tops), cup and handle, triple bottom (top). If you spot a breakout.. trade it!

2) Don’t forget the fundies!

    * Marry fundamentals with technicals like you’re marrying Jessica Alba. Okay, the latter does not make any sense. In any case, you should always try to execute trades that are both supported by technicals and fundamentals/sentiment as this would increase the chance of them winning.

3) Don’t gamble!

    * Say no to rogue trading! Trading currencies is not like in a casino where you can just do a one-time big time trade. Of course you can do that but don’t fret if you find your account down to zero the following day. If you want to gamble.. go to a casino! It’s more fun there! If you want to profit… trade forex in a systematic way!

4) Don’t revenge trade!

    * Did I say no rogue trading? Well, losing is part of the game. So if you do just relax, calm down, and move on. Don’t hit the entry button again and trade twice or thrice of the position that you lost in hopes of getting it back and even winning in one go. You’ll find yourself in a deeper ditch if you lose again.

5) Manage your positions wisely

    * Manage your positions wisely like your managing your chicks… I mean your checks. Don’t risk more than 1% of your account balance in one trade. Enough said!

6) Avoid trading in a highly volatile time

    * Trading during the releases of high profile reports like GDP and NFP is not my style. I got whipsawed the last time I tried to ride a sudden slide in prices from a GDP report. You cannot really gauge how much a currency will move given a report. You might get the tail end of the move if you decide to just jump in. If you miss it… then stay away.

7) Trade on retracements

    * This one is related to number 6. If you miss a breakout or the initial strong move in prices then don’t just jump in. Wait for it to retrace (sounds fancy, eh?) so you can get a better price. Hit the limit order function… it’s there for a reason.

8) Be flexible

    * The market acts like a girl… fickle minded. You just don’t know what she wants exactly. So sometimes it is best to just adjust and be flexible. To be profitable and likable you gotta do what the woman wants.

9) Use a journal

    * Okay, journalizing sounds kinda gay-ish. But if you want to keep track of what’s working and what’s not in your trades then you better jot all of them down. Write down your trade ideas, what happened, what you did, what you felt… everything.

10) Go out.

    * Yes. You read that correctly! Forex is a tough business with all the things that you have to read and analyze. We’re just humans. We get strained too. Sometimes we have to take a break as well. So for my tenth decree… Free yourself from stress. Clear your mind. Go out.