5 Skills That Traders Need

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There are many routes to becoming a professional trader, as well as many skills that a candidate needs to excel in a high-stress, highly competitive field.

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Analytical Skill

One skill every trader needs is the ability to analyze data quickly. There is a lot of math involved in trading, but it is represented through charts with indicators and patterns from technical analysis. Consequently, traders need to develop their analytical skills so they can recognize trends and trends in the charts.

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Research

Traders need to have a healthy thirst for information and a desire to find all the relevant data that impacts the securities they trade. Many traders create calendars of economic releases and set announcements that have measurable effects on the financial markets. By being on top of these information sources, traders are able to react to new information as the market is still digesting it.

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Focus

Focus is a skill and it increases the more traders exercise it. Because there is so much financial information out there, traders need to be able to hone in on the important, actionable data that will affect their trades.

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Control

Hand in hand with focus is control and, specifically, self-control. A trader needs to be able to control their emotions and stick to a trading plan and strategy. This is especially important in managing risk by using stop losses or taking profits at set points.

Many strategies are designed so the trader loses a little in bad trades and systematically gains more in good trades. When traders start to get emotional about their trades—good or bad—strategy goes out the window.

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Record Keeping

One of the most important keys to trading is record keeping. If a trader records the results of his or her trades diligently, then improving is simply a matter of testing and tweaking strategies to find a successful one. It is hard to show real progress if you aren't keeping accurate records.