Why Is Day Trading So Hard?

Day trading is challenging due to its fast-paced nature and the complexity of the financial markets. It requires traders to make quick decisions based on real-time information, which can be overwhelming, especially in volatile market conditions. Traders must be adept at technical analysis, interpreting charts and patterns, and understanding how economic events influence market movements….

Access to a Trading Desk

This is usually reserved for traders who work for larger institutions or those who manage large amounts of money. The trading or dealing desk provides these traders with instantaneous order execution, which is crucial. For example, when an acquisition is announced, day traders looking at merger arbitrage can place their orders before the rest of the market…

The Solo Day Traders

Individual traders often manage other people’s money or simply trade with their own. Few have access to a trading desk, but they often have strong ties to a brokerage due to the large amounts they spend on commissions and access to other resources. However, the limited scope of these resources prevents them from competing directly with…

Who Makes a Living by Day Trading?

There are two primary divisions of professional day traders: those who work alone, and/or those who work for a larger institution. Most day traders who trade for a living work for large players like hedge funds and the proprietary trading desks of banks and financial institutions. These traders have an advantage because they have access to resources…

Discipline

Many day traders end up losing money because they fail to make trades that meet their own criteria. As the saying goes, “Plan the trade and trade the plan.” Success is impossible without discipline. To profit, day traders rely heavily on market volatility. A day trader may find a stock attractive if it moves a lot…