Uncover the Myths of Stock Trading

By W. Alan Gay

I've made a living as a Stock Trader for over 15 years, and have really learned the ins and outs of the business. But I didn't make my start at a big brokerage firm that taught me everything through slick training course. I made it through trial and error, taking seminars and classes and learning as I go.

While I may have taken longer to succeed using this self taught method, it has given me a lot more real world knowledge of stock trading than I would have gotten following the one process taught by my employer. For one, I have found a number of myths that crop up again and again when talking to people about stock trading. Here are three of them:

The first misconception I'd like to dispel is that only certain types of people make successful stock traders. True, stock pickers (those guys who pick the big winners by consistently analyzing the market) are more often than not left brained thinkers , which is probably how this myth originated.

But there really is something in stock trading for every type of thinker. If you aren't a left brained analytical type, you just need to find a process that works well for you. I am definitely right brained, and I am being completely honest when I tell you I would hate to sit around and analyze stocks all day. Despite this, I have made a great living trading stocks. Anyone else can too.

Second, is the underlying belief that stock trading is risky, even riskier than owning your own business. True, people have lost their shirts in the stock market, and those are the big splashy stories we all hear that frighten a lot of people away.

But I have learned that it is a matter of setting up the right process to place your stops and limiting your risks to a level that you are comfortable with. If you can do that, stock trading is really a very low risk profession. For example, I have worked out a process that results in a 75% or more success rate with my trades. That is hard to beat, and you would be hard pressed to find another business that can give you that kind of low risk situation.

Finally, I hear again and again that to really make money in the stock market you must commit to it full time and then some. And I agree, this is absolutely true for some types of trading and particularly if you don't have a good stock picking service. Then you have to do all the leg work in a fast paced environment. That does take a lot of time.

However, it is absolutely possible to make a great career out of trading stock for 2-4 hours a day, and having the rest of your time to do what you want. The trick is to have a process in place that is low risk and efficient with your time. How do you find such a process? There are a lot of courses available and it can be tricky to find the one that's right for you. I advise you to investigate several options, ask questions (if there's no one who will answer your questions, move on...life is too short to deal with bad customer service). Head into your research knowing the right process is there for you, and you will be on your way to success at stock trading in no time. - 23210

About the Author:

W. Alan Gay has been a stock trader and trainer for fifteen years. His free report describes Alan's trip to becoming successful at trading stocks and gives useful techniques he and his students have used to consistently trade profitably. Click to obtain a free copy of his report and learn more about how you could be a profitable stock trader in as little as fourteen days.