How to Make Money Trading
by Frank Soler of SolerInvestments.com

So, you think that you can make money trading stocks, options, currencies, or futures? From nearly two decades of doing just that, I'm here to tell you, YES, it's very possible to make a lot of money trading.

AND, it's even easier to lose a lot of money trading. For that, check out an article I wrote titled "How to Lose Money Trading."

Learning what to avoid is very important, as is learning what to do correctly. Remember the old saying K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)? Well, learning how to make money trading, when broken down into its essential steps, can be quite a bit simpler than it first appears.

The simplified suggestions and advice below will work in all markets, whether you're trading stocks, options, futures, or forex.

Ways to Make Money Trading

• Take the time to learn how to trade before you start trading.
• People, or the mass psychology of people move markets, therefore learn how "crowd behavior works."
• When more people want to buy at a specific price than there are sellers, the price will rise. When more people want to sell at a specific price than there are buyers, the price will fall. THIS IS supply and demand and is the cornerstone of ALL markets.
• Learn to read a chart correctly. While fundamentals are nice to talk about, a chart will tell you where there are supply and demand imbalances. This is where you want to enter and exit trades.
• Using supply and demand (also called support and resistance), generate a set of rules that you use for your trading. These rules will cover where exactly to enter, where to exit, and where to take profit at a minimum. The more set rules you have, the easier it will be to trade successfully.
• Risk and trade management is your key to survival. As long as you can easily absorb a string of small losses, you'll have enough money to easily take the trade that makes you a lot more than those small losses.
• Risk and trade management is your key to survival. Yes, I'm repeating myself. It is that important. Learn proper trade management. Really, do it.
• Risk vs. Reward, if you're risking $100 to make $50, you're doing it wrong. If you're risking $100 to make $500, you're on the right track. You never want to risk a lot to make a little, your risk to reward ratio should always be at least 1:2 at a minimum, preferably higher.
• Trade according to your own personality. You can make money day trading, swing trading, position trading, and investing. But, it is much easier to trade according to your specific personality. For example: If you are very ambitious and can handle high stress and want to reap quick rewards, day trading may be best for you. If you are very conservative, patient, and don't want to be glued to your computer screen, perhaps position trading is your style of trading.
• Making money trading is best done over time. Don't expect to get rich quick. You want to consistently make more from your winning trades than you losing trades. Repeat this process over and over and you'll notice that you are making a lot of money. Keep repeating.
• How to make money trading in a nutshell: Generate (or learn from others) a set of trading rules and strategies that give you an edge (test this extensively to make sure); Develop these into a CLEAR written trading plan; Use strict money management principles; That's it folks, simple, but so hard for those who don't put forth the effort to take these steps.

Following the above suggestions will put you on the correct path to trading success. It is a long and winding pathway, and not meant to be easy, but following that pathway can change your life for the better more than you ever thought possible.

Frank Soler is a successful trader and Registered Investment Advisor. His company, SolerInvestments.com, provides real-time Forex, Futures, and Stock Picks, and a free online trading education center.

Copyright @ 2009 Soler Investments All Rights Reserved. Reprint of this article is allowed as long as due credit is given to the author and links are left intact.