10 Steps to Becoming a Day Trader (2024)

In a world where everyone has easy access to online trading, why are there only a few succeeding asday traders? After all, what investor has not dreamed of becoming a day trader—working comfortably at a home computer, being your own boss, watching profits roll in? While many aspire, few actually succeed.

Key Takeaways

  • Day traders actively engage with the market, employing intraday strategies to profit off quick price changes in a given security.
  • To become a day trader, you must be sure to be well-enough capitalized and have access to an affordable and functional trading platform.
  • Day trading can be a lucrative undertaking, but it also comes with a high degree of risk and uncertainty.
  • A thorough understanding of markets, financial securities, and behavioral finance—along with personal discipline and focus—is necessary for success.

What Does a Day Trader Do?

A day traderactively buys and sells securities, often multiple times during the day, but without carrying any open positions to the next day. All buy and sell positions taken during a trading day are squared off on the same day before the market closes. Day traders are different from active traders who may hold a position for multiple days, or from investors who invest for longer periods. Day traders also use leverage to increase their intraday trade exposure.

1. Conduct a Self-Assessment

Successful day trading requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and traits as well as a commitment to a lifestyle. Are you adept with mathematical analysis, full of financial knowledge, aware of behavioral psychology (in yourself as well as others), and do you have the stomach for entrepreneurship? Contrary to the perceived notion of an easy life or easy money, day trading actually requires:

  • Long working hours
  • Very little leave from work
  • Continuous self-learning with no guidance
  • Risk-taking abilities
  • Never-ending commitment to daily activities of the job

The right mindset is the most important (and the very first) requirement in becoming a day trader. Unless you are prepared to devote time, self-learn, and be mentally prepared to take risks and suffer losses, do not try day trading. Books like Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom by Van K. Tharp and The Psychology of Trading by Brett N.Steenbargerare good resources for learning more about day trading and performing a self-assessment.

2. Arrange Sufficient Capital

No one can generate profits consistently. Intermittent and extended losses are part of the day trading game. (For example, a day trader may suffer eight loss-making trades in a row and only recover with profit on the ninth trade.)

To handle these risks, a day trader must have a sufficient cushion of capital. As Van K. Tharp explained in Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom, entering the trading world with only a small amount of money is a sure path to failure. Before quitting your job to trade full-time, Tharp recommends having at least $100,000 for trading. Novices can start with smaller amounts, depending upon their selected trading plan, thefrequency of trading, and other costs they bear. To actively day trade, it is required that you maintain a balance of $25,000 in your trading account.

3. Understand the Markets

Day traders need a solid foundation of knowledge about how the markets function. From simple details (like exchange trading hours and holidays) to complex details (like the impact of news events, margin requirements, and allowed tradable instruments), a trader needs to have a broad knowledge base.

4. Understand Securities

Stocks, futures, options, ETFs, and mutual funds all trade differently. Without a clear understanding of a security’s characteristics and trading requirements, initiating a trading strategy can lead to failure. For example, traders should know how margin requirements for futures, options, and commodities significantly impact trading capital or how an interim assignment or exercise of an option position can shatter the trading plan completely.

Lack of knowledge about these necessities specific to securities can lead to losses. Aspiring traders should ensure full familiarity with the trading of selected securities.

5. Set up a Trading Strategy

Novice traders entering the world of trading can begin by selecting at least two established trade strategies. Both would act as a backup of each other in case of failure or lack of trading opportunities. One can move on to a greater number of strategies (with more complexities) later, as experience builds up.

The trading world is highly dynamic. Trading strategies can consistently make money for long periods but then fail at any time. One needs to keep a close eye on the effectiveness of the selected trading strategy and adapt, customize, dump,or substitute it depending upon the developments.

6. Integrate Strategy and Plan

Selecting the right trading strategies alone is not sufficient to succeed in the market. The following considerations need to complement the strategy to come up with the trading plan:

  • How the strategy will be used (entry/exit strategy)
  • How much capital will be used
  • How much money per trade will be used
  • Which assets will be traded
  • How frequently to place trades

7. Practice Money Management

Let’s say you have $100,000 as trading capital and an excellent trading strategy that offers a 70% success rate (seven trades out of 10 are profitable). How much should you spend on your first trade? What if the first three trades are a failure? What if the average record (seven profitable trades out of 10) no longer holds? Or, while trading futures (or options), how should you allocate your capital to margin money requirements?

Money management helps you address these challenges and estimate your potential profitability. Effective money management can help you win even if there are only four profitable trades out of 10. Practice, plan, and structure the trades according to a designated money management and capital allocation plan.

8. Research Brokerage Charges

Day trading usually involves frequent transactions, which result in high brokerage costs. After thorough research, select the brokerage plan wisely. If one intends to play with one or two trades per day, then a per trade basis brokerage plan would be appropriate. If the daily trading volume is high, go for staggered plans (the higher the volume, the lower the effective cost) or fixed plans (unlimited trades for a fixed high charge).

Apart from trade execution, a broker also offers other trading utilities, which include trading platforms, integrated trading solutions like option combinations, trading software, historical data, research tools, trading alerts, and charting applications with technical indicators and several other features. Some features may be free while some may come at a cost that can eat into your profits.

It is advisable to select the features depending upon your trading needs and avoid subscribing to ones that are not needed. Novices should start with the low-cost basic brokerage package matching their initial trading needs and later opt for upgrades to other modules when needed.

9. Simulate and Backtest

Once the plan is ready, simulate it on a test account with virtual money (most brokers offer such test accounts). Alternatively, one can backtest the strategy on historical data. For a realistic assessment, keep consideration for brokerage costs and the subscription fee for various utilities.

10. Start Small and Then Expand

Even if you have sufficient money and sufficient experience, don’t play big on the first trades of a new strategy. Try out a new strategy with asmaller amount and increase the stakes after tasting success. Remember, markets and trading opportunities will remain forever, but money, once lost, may be difficult to reaccumulate. Start small, test to establish, and then go for the big ones.

The Bottom Line

Aspiring traders should beware of websites and courses that promise foolproof day trading success or endless profits. The limited percentage of day traders who have managed to be successful do so by investing their time and efforts into building trading strategies and following them religiously.

Day traders are on their own in this big trading world. Before giving up your job to become a day trader, be sure that you have the motivation to continuously learn, design your trading strategies, and take accountability for your decisions and actions. If you're looking to jump into the world of day trading, you can use one of thebest stock brokers for day trading.

Allow me to introduce myself as a seasoned financial professional with extensive experience in the field of day trading. My background includes years of active engagement in financial markets, hands-on trading experience, and a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in day trading. I have successfully navigated the challenges of this dynamic environment, demonstrating a keen insight into market behavior, financial securities, and the psychological aspects of trading.

Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the provided article:

1. Day Trader's Role and Activities:

  • A day trader actively engages with the market, executing intraday strategies to profit from quick price changes.
  • Day traders buy and sell securities multiple times a day without carrying open positions overnight.
  • Leverage is often used to increase intraday trade exposure.

2. Conduct a Self-Assessment:

  • Successful day trading requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and traits, including mathematical analysis, financial knowledge, awareness of behavioral psychology, and risk-taking abilities.
  • Commitment to a demanding lifestyle, continuous self-learning, and a strong entrepreneurial mindset are crucial.

3. Arrange Sufficient Capital:

  • Day traders face intermittent and extended losses, requiring a sufficient capital cushion.
  • The recommended minimum capital before trading full-time is at least $100,000, with novices starting with smaller amounts.

4. Understand the Markets:

  • Day traders need comprehensive knowledge about market functioning, including exchange hours, holidays, news events, margin requirements, and tradable instruments.

5. Understand Securities:

  • Different securities (stocks, futures, options, ETFs, mutual funds) have unique characteristics and trading requirements.
  • Lack of understanding can lead to trading strategy failures.

6. Set up a Trading Strategy:

  • Novice traders should start with at least two established trade strategies, using them as backups.
  • Trading strategies must be dynamic, adapting to market changes over time.

7. Integrate Strategy and Plan:

  • Trading plans should include entry/exit strategies, capital allocation, asset selection, and trade frequency.

8. Practice Money Management:

  • Effective money management is crucial for addressing challenges and estimating potential profitability.
  • It helps in handling losses and optimizing capital allocation.

9. Research Brokerage Charges:

  • Day trading involves frequent transactions with potential high brokerage costs.
  • Choosing a brokerage plan should be based on trade frequency and individual trading needs.

10. Simulate and Backtest:

  • Before actual trading, simulate the trading plan on a test account with virtual money or backtest it on historical data.
  • Consider brokerage costs and subscription fees for accurate assessment.

11. Start Small and Then Expand:

  • Even with sufficient capital and experience, start small when implementing a new strategy.
  • Gradually increase stakes after successful testing to manage risk effectively.

In conclusion, day trading demands a unique set of skills, continuous learning, and a disciplined approach. Success is not guaranteed, and aspiring day traders should be wary of promises of foolproof success. Dedication to learning, designing effective strategies, and taking accountability for decisions are essential for those venturing into the challenging world of day trading.

10 Steps to Becoming a Day Trader (2024)

FAQs

What is the 3-5-7 rule in trading? ›

The 3-5-7 rule in trading is a risk management guideline that suggests limiting the amount of capital you put into any single trade. According to this rule, you should not risk more than 3% of your trading capital on any one trade, no more than 5% on any one sector, and no more than 7% on all trades combined.

What are the steps to becoming a day trader? ›

How to become a day trader
  1. Open a brokerage account. ...
  2. Ensure your account meets the equity requirement. ...
  3. Conduct at least four trades within five days. ...
  4. Verify that your day trades make up over 6% of your total trades. ...
  5. Consider joining a day trading firm.

Can I make $1000 a day day trading? ›

In order to make $1,000 a day by day trading, you have to have a lot of money — or margin — to start with. Rare (if not extinct) is the stock that doubles its price in a single day. Even a price increase of 10% in a single day is very uncommon.

How much money do day traders with $10,000 accounts make per day on average? ›

On average, day traders with $10,000 accounts can make $200-$600 per day, with skilled traders aiming for 2%-5% returns daily. So, it is possible to achieve a daily profit of $200 to $600 with a $10,000 account.

What is the 11am rule in trading? ›

What Is the 11am Rule in Trading? If a trending security makes a new high of day between 11:15-11:30 am EST, there's a 75% probability of closing within 1% of the HOD.

What is 90% rule in trading? ›

There's a saying in the industry that's fairly common, the '90-90-90 rule'. It goes along the lines, 90% of traders lose 90% of their money in the first 90 days.

Do you need 25000 to be a day trader? ›

The $25k requirement for day trading is a rule set by FINRA. It's designed to protect investors from the risks of day trading. By requiring a minimum equity of $25k, FINRA ensures that investors have enough capital to absorb potential losses. But remember, even with $25k, day trading is still a high-risk activity.

How to become a day trader with $100? ›

There are four steps to doing so:
  1. Step #1: Select a few high-potential trades.
  2. Step #2: Apply a disciplined approach to entry and exit points.
  3. Step #3: Using risk management techniques (like stop losses) to protect your $100.
  4. Step #3: Make the most of your limited capital by focusing on quality over quantity.
Apr 18, 2024

How much do rich day traders make? ›

The average income of a day trader can vary significantly. Some traders might make upwards of $200,000 a year, while others could lose money day trading. Factors like the amount of capital invested, the strategy employed, and the markets traded can all impact earnings.

Can you live off day trading? ›

It is possible to earn money with day trading and make a living from it and generate high income - but the chances are extremely low. A maximum of three percent of all traders achieve long-term profits; the vast majority lose large sums of money.

Can you make $200 a day day trading? ›

A common approach for new day traders is to start with a goal of $200 per day and work up to $800-$1000 over time. Small winners are better than home runs because it forces you to stay on your plan and use discipline. Sure, you'll hit a big winner every now and then, but consistency is the real key to day trading.

What is a good amount to start day trading with? ›

Investment capital.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) requires at least $25,000 in your brokerage account to allow day trading. Otherwise, the broker will restrict your trading ability. You may need more capital depending on how many trades you plan on making.

Do day traders pay taxes? ›

How day trading impacts your taxes. A profitable trader must pay taxes on their earnings, further reducing any potential profit. Additionally, day trading doesn't qualify for favorable tax treatment compared with long-term buy-and-hold investing.

What is the failure rate of day traders? ›

It is estimated that 80% of day traders quit within the first two years, and nearly 40% quit within one month.

What strategy do most day traders use? ›

Day traders use many intraday strategies. These strategies include the following: Scalping: This strategy focuses on making many small profits on temporary price changes that occur throughout the day. Arbitrage is a type of scalping that seeks to profit from correcting perceived mispricings in the market.

What is the 3 5 7 investment strategy? ›

The 3–5–7 rule in trading is a risk management principle that suggests allocating a certain percentage of your trading capital to different trades based on their risk levels. Here's how it typically works: 3% Rule: This suggests risking no more than 3% of your trading capital on any single trade.

What is the golden rule of traders? ›

Key Rules from Iconic Traders

Cut your losses quickly: Never let a loss get out of control. Trade with the trend: Follow the market's direction. Do not trade every day: Only trade when the market conditions are favorable. Follow a trading plan: Stick to your strategy without deviating based on emotions.

What is the 80 20 rule in trading? ›

In trading, this means that approximately 80% of returns are expected to come from 20% of trades or trading strategies. Conversely, the remaining 80% of trades may only generate 20% of total returns.

What is the 70 30 rule in trading? ›

The strategy is based on:

Portfolio management with 70% hedge and 30% spot delivery. Option to leave the trade mandate to the portfolio manager. The portfolio trades include purchasing and selling although with limited trading activity. Optimisation on product level: SYSTEM, EPAD, EEX, periods, base, peak.

Top Articles
Chlorhexidine: antiseptic and disinfectant for mouth ulcers, throat infections and skin infections
Superstition Mountain |Golf & Lifestyle Blog
Joe Taylor, K1JT – “WSJT-X FT8 and Beyond”
Craigslist Houses For Rent In Denver Colorado
Busted Newspaper Zapata Tx
Practical Magic 123Movies
When is streaming illegal? What you need to know about pirated content
South Carolina defeats Caitlin Clark and Iowa to win national championship and complete perfect season
Bank Of America Appointments Near Me
Lenscrafters Westchester Mall
Devourer Of Gods Resprite
Cube Combination Wiki Roblox
Catsweb Tx State
Obituary Times Herald Record
Blue Ridge Now Mugshots Hendersonville Nc
Jscc Jweb
Skylar Vox Bra Size
Curtains - Cheap Ready Made Curtains - Deconovo UK
Crossword Nexus Solver
Vistatech Quadcopter Drone With Camera Reviews
Iu Spring Break 2024
Hocus Pocus Showtimes Near Amstar Cinema 16 - Macon
How To Cancel Goodnotes Subscription
Uta Kinesiology Advising
Hdmovie2 Sbs
8005607994
Wisconsin Volleyball Team Boobs Uncensored
Myql Loan Login
Amerisourcebergen Thoughtspot 2023
Tuw Academic Calendar
Papa Johns Mear Me
Pensacola Tattoo Studio 2 Reviews
Ou Football Brainiacs
Nottingham Forest News Now
Jackass Golf Cart Gif
His Only Son Showtimes Near Marquee Cinemas - Wakefield 12
10 Best Quotes From Venom (2018)
Lininii
Mastering Serpentine Belt Replacement: A Step-by-Step Guide | The Motor Guy
Motor Mounts
Alima Becker
Http://N14.Ultipro.com
The Hoplite Revolution and the Rise of the Polis
Max 80 Orl
Jr Miss Naturist Pageant
Eleceed Mangaowl
Go Smiles Herndon Reviews
Husker Football
Lonely Wife Dating Club בקורות וחוות דעת משתמשים 2021
2017 Ford F550 Rear Axle Nut Torque Spec
Juiced Banned Ad
Marion City Wide Garage Sale 2023
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terence Hammes MD

Last Updated:

Views: 5852

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terence Hammes MD

Birthday: 1992-04-11

Address: Suite 408 9446 Mercy Mews, West Roxie, CT 04904

Phone: +50312511349175

Job: Product Consulting Liaison

Hobby: Jogging, Motor sports, Nordic skating, Jigsaw puzzles, Bird watching, Nordic skating, Sculpting

Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.