Problems Trading? | FAQs | Support (2024)

FAQs

What's the hardest mistake to avoid while trading? ›

Accounts with three good faith violations or one freeriding violation in a 12-month period must be restricted to purchasing securities only with sufficient funds on hand in the form of core account balance, received deposit, or settled sale proceeds. This restriction expires in 90 days.

If you see a "Not enough money" message, it means your account doesn't have enough funds to meet the margin requirement. To resolve this, add funds, close some open trades, or increase your leverage ratio (e.g., switch to 1:400). To open a position, your free margin must cover the margin requirements.

One of the most common challenges for new traders is the lack of sufficient knowledge and education about the financial markets. Trading involves complex concepts, technical analysis, and understanding various financial markets.

Most new traders lose because they can't control the actions their emotions cause them to make. Another common mistake that traders make is a lack of risk management. Trading involves risk, and it's essential to have a plan in place for how you will manage that risk.

If there is one thing industry professionals have learned in all their years in the financial markets, it is never add to a losing position. That means never “average down” a losing long position or “average up” a losing short position. This is even more important when using leverage.

The emotional aspect of trading often leads to irrational decisions like panic selling. When the market moves unfavourably, many traders, especially those who are inexperienced, tend to panic and exit their positions hastily. This panic selling often occurs at the worst possible time, leading to significant losses.

The ones that try to squeeze the market for disproportionate returns only end up loosing money and in turn creating those very inefficiencies. This is one of the most important reasons why most people fail to make money in the markets. Unrealistic expectations. First of all, you're misquoting Zerodha (Nithin).

It's often hard to accept the kind of uncertainty in the market. Traders can be reckless. They may forego market analysis, dodge setting Stop Loss orders, and the risk management rules. All of this leads to mistakes and bad trades.

The most challenging aspect of trading is gaining the qualitative skills. Those that come from experience or time spent in the markets. Being realistic and realising that you are probably just an average trader and that's okay. It's about learning how to keep going even when your account experiences a few losses.

Why is trading so hard? ›

Factors contributing to these dismal outcomes include high transaction costs, emotional decision-making under pressure, and the inherent unpredictability of short-term market movements. Moreover, the rise of HFT algorithms has made it increasingly difficult for individual traders to compete effectively in many markets.

Poor Risk and Money Management: Traders should put as much focus on risk management as they do on developing strategy. Some naive individuals will trade without protection and abstain from using stop losses and similar tactics in fear of being stopped out too early.

Trading without a Plan

Trading without a plan is one of the biggest mistakes made by new traders. It can put you at risk of making decisions based on emotions and behaving impulsively, which often leads to losses.