Day trading seems like a very lucrative way to get rich quickly because the thought of buying a few hot stocks, waiting a couple of hours, and then earning six- or seven-figure numbers seems so simple and easy.
That may be the reason why online brokerage platforms for individual traders are reporting unprecedented numbers of active users. The latest Robinhood report revealed that the number of their monthly active users jumped from 11.7 million in December, 2020 to 17.3 million in December, 2021—a stunning 48% increase.
However, as Ultra Calls (John R.), a professional day trader and a founder of Sapphire Trading, points out, most of these people quickly give up on day trading because they lost all of their money on the first try. He says that success in day trading doesn’t come overnight but that it can be achieved. “I’ve been in the game for a long time now, and I noticed a pattern that most people give up when they face their first failure,” he says.
Still, Ultra Calls explains that even though trading is not simple and it’s not easy to succeed, he believes that people shouldn’t be afraid of trading because everyone can achieve financial independence through day trading if they put enough work into it. With that in mind, he shares a few tips on how to get started in the trading world.
“Information is the key to success in day trading,” Ultra Calls says. He notes that before every trade, traders need to know what’s going on with the company they’re buying or shorting, what could affect its performance over the next few hours, where the stock was trading at previous days and weeks, if there are any upcoming events that could affect the company, what the current news about the industry is, and so on. He suggests using financial news websites or social media to stay up-to-date with this information.
Your Trading Mentor Is Your Anchor
“Day trading is a lot of work, and it’s very easy to lose money. If you have no experience in this field, you have to rely on people who have been doing this for years,” Ultra Calls says. He recommends finding a veteran day trader who is willing to educate new traders on how things work in the trading world. “You can easily study books and videos on the subject, but you won’t achieve as much as if you have a guide who will be there for you when things get tough,” he says.
As Ultra Calls explains, people need to understand that trading isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. “People have been brainwashed into thinking that trading is for those who are already rich or those who want to become rich very quickly,” Ultra Calls says. “That’s certainly not true.”
However, Ultra Calls adds that not everyone is willing to put in the work and make sacrifices necessary for success in day trading. “The most important thing in trading is your mindset because your mind will play tricks on you when you lose and especially when you win,” he says.
“You need to remember that trading is a race, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You need to keep your mind focused on the endgame—financial independence—and that’s the only way to succeed.”
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