There are different trading styles. You can do day trading. You can do swing trading. You can also do position trading. What you need is a trading style that matches your personality and psychology.
What is the difference between day trading and swing trading. In day trading, you mostly close your position at the end of the day. As a day trader, you want quick profits. You are on the lookout for opportunities in the market that can give you a quick and fast killing. With experience, you will spot them soon. Now if you are an action oriented person who wants to take risk for quick profit making then day trading is for you. You will have to sit in front of your computer for perhaps maybe a couple of hours every day monitoring different charts.
Many day traders spend hours sitting in front of their computer monitors waiting for the right time to make a quick killing. 90% of the people who try day trading give up within a few months finding it to be stressful. No doubt for inexperienced it can be stressful. You can easily fatigue yourself by sitting in front of your computer for hours everyday.
But this doesn’t mean that day trading is not popular. Many people do it successfully by trading different markets like stocks, forex, futures, commodities, ETFs and even options. Day trading is best suited for risk takers and action oriented personalities who love monitoring the markets for hours on a daily basis.
In case of swing trading, you look for a trend that can last from a few days to perhaps a few weeks. Once you spot a trend developing, you try to ride it at an early stage and ride it till your profit target is met. Swing trading is mostly trend trading. Spotting the trend and then riding it till it’s reversal.
As a swing trader, you don’t have to monitor the market for hours everyday. Just 30 minutes to one hour will be enough for a good swing trader to know when is the best time to place a trade. When you open a trade, you leave it open with proper stops and go to other work whatever you want to do. Just monitor your trade eaveryday for 30 minutes to see how it is going. After placing the stops, you are all set and free. The market will take it’s own course. If it moves in the right direction, your profit target will be met. If it moves in a wrong direction, the stop will close your trade before you lose too much.
Day trading is a serious business. Many people think that they can day trade as a hobby. Never make that mistake. For most people who have a job, day trading is out of question. But swing trading is possible. At the end of the day, they can monitor their trade and move the stops if the market is changing. In the end, choose a trading style that best suits you!
