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Effective Strategies for Avoiding Losses in Trading

There are various reasons why traders continuously lose in forex trading, even consecutively. If left unchecked, this can become an endless cycle until the trader's capital is completely depleted.

Losing in trading is inevitable, but the frequency and magnitude of losses can be managed. Having the right knowledge can be a solid foundation in limiting the amount of losses that are likely to be incurred in each trade.

Preventing Losses in Trading


It is normal for trading to result in either a positive or negative outcome, i.e. a win or a loss. There is no trader with a perfect record in forex trading, even when it comes to making predictions. Some traders are consistently profitable, while others consistently lose in their trades.

In the case of losing trades, it is not necessarily the sustained losses that can cause a trader to suffer, but rather large losses that can trigger a series of negative cycles. The problem with large losses is that the trader is unable to predict them and they often go against their strategy.

While it is common in trading, large losses remain an anomaly and this is what makes them dangerous for traders. In order to prevent losses of any amount, traders should always protect their positions using stop-loss orders. This can safeguard their positions against sudden large movements in the market. However, most large losses experienced by traders are not due to sudden market movements, as many traders imagine.

There are few traders who are willing to admit to making mistakes in their trading, and this is a fact that is prevalent in the trading world. Traders will inevitably make mistakes, and unfortunately, they often blame the market for not moving in the way that they had predicted.

Losing large sums in forex trading does not originate from the platform, strategy, market, or broker. These losses occur because the trader has chosen the wrong criteria for a forex broker (e.g. choosing a broker with zero spreads), or because they do not master the trading platform and strategy. The real problem lies with the trader, and this is what complicates the matter further.

Triggers for Losing Trades

The root of the problem why traders consistently lose is actually quite simple: they take on too much risk. At least there are two main triggers for why traders make large mistakes: greed and failing to exit positions quickly enough.

These two types of mistakes are two negative attitudes that are often displayed by traders, which subsequently lead to large losses. For example, greed can occur when a trader becomes overly confident in their ability to predict the market. They then enter the market with a larger capital than is recommended. They only know that the market will go up, so they buy more than they should. While this mistake is often made by beginners, some experienced traders also make this mistake.

Another mistake is failing to exit positions quickly enough. The strangest step that can trigger a large loss in trading is when a trader decides to change their stop-loss position in the hope that the market will return to its previous state, i.e. its movement.

The fact is, this situation will only make things worse. It is very likely that the trader will hold onto their position while hoping the market will turn around, although the chart shows that it is still declining. The trader may still have a positive outlook, but what happens after the trade is reversed.

Perhaps this is also the reason why many traders want to use robots, because everything is automatic. The truth is, if the trader had not changed the stop-loss position, then a large loss could have been avoided.

Since the stop-loss position remains unchanged, the trade will surely be exited by the market because the stop-loss has been triggered. Moreover, that is the purpose of the stop-loss, to limit losses. But the combination of these two negative behaviors can be a disaster for traders, potentially leading to early retirement.

Insufficient Initial Capital

Many beginner traders start their trading career with the hope of becoming rich quickly. Forex is a get-rich-quick scheme and is a career that can easily be mastered. This is a wrong argument in a career, and losing in trading is something that cannot be avoided.

What actually happens is that this argument is put forward by marketing to lure beginner traders into choosing their service. This includes recommending the use of high leverage, which is promised to bring in large income with a small capital.

This is a high-risk offer and a sure way to quickly lose all trading capital. On the other hand, slow and steady is the ideal way to win in trading. With a calculated approach, traders only need sufficient capital to start seeking profit.

In addition to being useful for achieving an ideal profit, sufficient capital can also minimize the risks taken by traders. Many consider USD 1,000 to be sufficient capital to start trading with a micro lot. Besides this number, traders will only experience disaster from trading.

If you do not have this amount of capital, it is a good idea to save up while learning to improve your trading skills with a demo account, including reading various materials from various references related to live trading.

In general, beginner traders are required to take no more than 1% risk for a single trade. If you try trading with higher risk, you will only increase the chances of losing in trading. Traders can then increase to 2% if they have a lot of experience, but still do not use excess capital for a single trade.

Acknowledging Losses and Mistakes

In the world of trading, there is no room for blaming each other. Accepting responsibility and acknowledging that you have made a mistake can save time and energy rather than blaming the market, strategy, or anything else.

One major mistake why traders consistently lose in trading and fail to generate profit, even just one pip, is because they do not take responsibility for the results they obtain from trading and do not take any steps to improve.

When losing in trading, everything will look wrong in the eyes of the trader. This negative condition can certainly trigger a negative cycle that can ultimately destroy capital. Only losses are gained by the trader from subsequent trades.

So to deal with tricky situations like this, traders must be brave and accept the reality that everything that happened is because of their own mistakes. That way, the trader's thoughts can become more open and willing to make evaluations and the like.

Traders do not have to make a lot of trades to be successful, but only need to make the right trades. That is why trading strategy is just as important as the trader's mentality. This will help traders recognize market conditions and open trades correctly.

In the end, it is the trader themselves who have the power to break the cycle of losing in trading, not experts or other individuals. Even if the broker causes the loss, it is still the trader's responsibility because they have chosen the wrong broker.