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Why is the percentage of successful day traders low?

Nick Goold

Many day traders enter and leave the forex market daily, making it a very competitive and fast-paced market. Many people are interested in trading because they like choosing when and where they work and making quick and easy money. Retail traders now enjoy access to narrow market spreads, timely market information, and professional liquidity, so the opportunity to make significant money trading forex has never been better.

Only a small number of day traders can make money consistently. As a result, the percentage of successful day traders can be as low as 10%. While this low success rate may seem discouraging to someone thinking of becoming a trader, it reflects the normal difficulty level of many types of businesses, which new entrants often underestimate.

So, why is the percentage of successful traders low, and what distinguishes successful traders from those who struggle to make money in the forex market?

The biggest reason is that many need to appreciate and approach trading as a business and understand the business they have entered and the skills and discipline necessary to succeed. In addition, it would benefit new day traders to understand the time required to gain experience to make long-term profits trading forex. While each trader's path to profitability is different, it can take months to years to become a profitable day trader. This investment in time can pay off considerably for those who become successful day traders.

Anyone can start trading forex, unlike many other businesses requiring training and qualifications. But unfortunately, the low barrier to entry to becoming a day trader is one of the primary reasons many traders fail. Expecting quick profits leads to gambling and losses for most day traders.

Treating day trading as a business and building your skills over time is the more intelligent approach. The advantage of day trading forex is the ability to use leverage and make multiple daily trades. In addition, once successful as a day trader, you can quickly increase profitability by increasing your position size. Unfortunately, many day traders trade a large position too soon, resulting in losses and quitting day trading.

How to increase your chances of becoming a successful day trader

The Importance of a trading plan

First, successful traders always use a clear and structured trading plan, no matter how the market is doing. They know how much risk they are willing to take and can handle risk well, which helps them stay calm and focused when the market is moving. On the other hand, traders who fail often change their trading plans, take too many risks, and need more discipline and focus when making trading decisions.

A trading plan should include your entry method detailing which indicators and how you will maximize profits and losses. Also, clearly state the markets and the times of day you will trade. A detailed trading plan will prevent unnecessary losses.

Focus & concentration

Another essential factor that distinguishes successful traders is their level of concentration. Successful traders have a laser-like focus on their trading goals and don't let anything else get in the way that could hurt their performance. They can also stay disciplined and focused even when they lose money and prices are volatile.

Discipline

Successful traders have self-control and stick to a strict set of rules and procedures for trading. As a result, they can avoid making rash or emotional trades and instead adhere to their well-thought-out trading strategy. With a high level of discipline, they avoid making significant losses that beginner traders make.

Risk management

When it comes to how much risk they are willing to take, successful traders know how to manage and avoid too much risk. They know that trading is a long-term game and that the best way to make consistent profits is to take calculated risks instead of gambling in search of quick profits.

Many beginner day traders focus on only achieving a high win percentage. Instead, they need to remember the importance of attaining a risk-reward ratio over 1 (higher average profit compared to loss). Many successful day traders can make consistent profits with a win percentage of 50% or lower.

Successful traders prioritize risk management and trade management. As a result, they can manage their open trades well and have a clear plan to minimize losses and make the most money possible.

Specialization

Often you see successful FX traders specialize in only a small number of markets or a limited number of trading patterns, strategies, and time-frames. The more specialized you can become, the higher your chance of success.

Motivation

Successful traders usually enjoy the whole trading process and are motivated to learn from their losses as much as they gain from their wins. Maintaining a high level of motivation is a characteristic that sets the small number of successful traders apart from the larger number of unsuccessful ones.