Trading Posts

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Knowing When To Stay Out Of The Market

Trades won’t always be available: knowing when to stay out of the market.

EDGE: Sometimes there isn’t anything on watch, other times you can have 10 tickers on your watchlist but enter none because it doesn’t fit your edge. Your Edge. The market isn’t going to go the way YOU want it. You just need to sit back and trade your plan.

PSY: We have to make clear decisions based on our current mindset, trading capital and mental capital. Am I in a current drawdown or winning streak?

RISK: sitting on your hands can save you money. Making small shifts like using limit orders instead of market orders.

Sense of intuition when making decisions. This can happen for a small percentage of trades. For example, I was in a trade and saw that price action was forming a “top”. I took my profits and exited positions. The next morning, the price dropped. I can’t say it was a complete win and followed my rules. It comes with experience and time. It’s like that gut feeling.

In...

Trading Reality vs. Trading Fantasy

Overnight success, fancy cars, expensive watches, and an overall care-free easy-going mind, and fast paced lifestyle...welcome to the world of trading. Well, Fantasy trading that is. In reality, trading the same way, year after year gets a little redundant and quite honestly, boring, but boring works.

At Hawai'i Trading Academy you won't find any of that shenanigan here. Instead, you find a reasonable approach as we adhere to principles of Risk, Edge, and Psychology. AKA - REPs for short. A saying you'll hear in the gym that aptly fits our style of education is "Put in the REPS!" - focusing on HTA REPS will streamline your success in the markets.

Systematic Trading: The Grounded Reality

Risk Management

At the heart of systematic trading lies the unwavering focus on risk management. This approach doesn't just acknowledge the inevitability of losses; it plans for them. By employing a disciplined risk management strategy, traders can ensure their survival in the mark...

Think Like The 5% - Market & Mindset Consistency

In the realm of trading, a stark statistic often captures the attention of newcomers and veterans alike: 90 to 95% of traders fail. This figure, while daunting, shifts the focus onto a critical question that most in the trading community overlook. Instead of dwelling on why the vast majority fail, a more productive inquiry is to explore what the successful 5% do differently. Their secret? Consistency. But not just any form of consistency—there are two distinct types that set them apart: the consistency in action, particularly in journaling and documenting trades, and the consistency in mindset towards trading itself.

Defining Success and Consistency in Trading

Success in trading doesn't necessarily equate to winning every month. Instead, it means sustaining the energy to improve daily, becoming an elite performer through an unwavering willingness to learn. This perspective requires us not to belittle another's success or to underscore the challenges of achieving consistenc...

Strategic Trading in Hawaii: Leverage Time Zones

Trading from the serene Hawaiian Islands might seem like a dream away from the hustle of Wall Street, but it's a reality that offers unique strategic advantages. Whether you're delving into forex, cryptocurrencies, stocks, or futures, Hawaii's time zone provides a distinctive edge. This guide will walk you through optimizing your trading strategy from the islands, debunking myths, and setting you up for success.

Dispelling the Myths of Trading in Hawaii

Many assume that Hawaii's geographical isolation translates to a trading disadvantage due to time differences with major financial hubs. However, this myth overlooks the strategic benefits:

Time Zone Advantage: Hawaii's time zone allows traders to engage with different market sessions effortlessly, from the Asian markets in the evening to the American markets in the early morning.

1. Understanding and Utilizing Market Hours

Forex Market Hours in HST:
Sydney Session: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tokyo Sessi...

Finding Focus in Trading

Finding Focus in a Distracted World: A Trader's Guide to Mastering the Markets

In the fast-paced and often chaotic world of trading, the ability to maintain focus is a crucial skill that can make the difference between success and failure. With constant market fluctuations, news updates, and the allure of quick gains, distractions are everywhere. However, mastering the art of focus can help traders navigate these challenges and achieve their financial goals. This guide explores practical strategies to cultivate focus and enhance productivity in trading.

Understanding Focus in Trading

Focus in trading is the capacity to concentrate mental energy and attention on market analysis, decision-making, and execution without getting sidetracked by distractions. It's about honing in on critical data, filtering out noise, and making well-informed decisions based on sound analysis. In essence, focus is the trader's tool for staying disciplined, minimizing errors, and capitalizing on marke...

Emotional Control In Trading

Emotional control in trading is the anchor that holds the entire strategy together. Without it, even the most meticulously planned trades can go awry. In our recent podcast / post, we explore how you can cultivate emotional control to navigate the volatile markets.

Understanding Trading Emotions

Trading isn't just a test of your analytical skills; it’s also a test of your emotional resilience. The market is always changing, and so must your strategies and mindset. The first step towards mastering emotional control is recognizing that change is constant. Thoughts and routines might remain stagnant, but the market doesn’t wait for anyone. You must be ready to adapt and evolve your trading plan as well as your mentality in order to succeed in this industry.

Readiness for Change

1. Awareness: The journey begins with awareness. You must recognize that something in your trading approach or mindset needs to change. This awareness often comes after experiencing pain or ...

How To: Treat Trading Like A Business

Podcast ep 15 - This post is a summarized version of our PODCAST which you can find the episode by clicking this sentence.

Trading can’t be treated like a hobby, there is no “dabbling” in the markets if you want to be a trader. It must be taken serious as businesses do. After all, we are handling a lot of money. Here are 10 tips in ways to traders can treat their trading like a business. And if you need to hear it….FOLLOW YOUR PLAN, Aloha.

10 tips

Journal

All business has books, keep a record of everything (tax purposes even expenses even if you aren’t a business yet, get into the HABIT of record keeping).

2. Make smart decisions

Don’t go and buy all of the fanciest trading software, news feeds, computer power, don’t need a personal assistant in your first year of trading. Keep your expenses small and invest in your learning.

3. Stoic

Keep your emotions out of your TRADES! When trading, don’t trade off of emotions. Businesses (generall...

Changing Your Language

Change Your Language, Change Your Life

The Power of Language in Trading Success

Embarking on a journey to become a full-time trader is as much about mindset as it is about strategy and execution. One of the most transformative aspects of this journey is the language we use—both internally and externally. Changing your language can significantly impact your trading success and overall lifestyle.

Setting Up a Proper Timeline for Trading

1. Education and Practice Phase (6-12 months):

Focus on learning trading basics, developing strategies, and using demo accounts.
Aim to understand trading mechanics and test strategies without risking real money.

2. Initial Live Trading Phase (3-6 months):

Start with a small live account to gain real market experience.
Focus on consistency rather than immediate profits.

3. Evaluation and Scaling Phase (6-12 months):

Analyze your performance and refine strategies based on live trading results....

Leaving Your 9-5 To Trade Full Time

Join us as we explore the realistic challenges and strategies of transitioning from a 9-to-5 job to full-time trading. Whether you're an aspiring trader or looking to refine your trading approach, this podcast aims to equip you with the insights and tools needed to navigate the trading landscape successfully.

Motivations for Trading: Discussing common reasons why people want to shift from traditional employment to trading.
Financial Preparation: How to financially prepare for the transition, including creating a cushion and understanding income requirements.
Emotional and Lifestyle Impact: Exploring the psychological adjustments and lifestyle changes that accompany full-time trading.
Risk Management: The importance of managing risks and expectations in the volatile trading market.
Continuous Learning: The need for ongoing education and adaptation to stay successful in trading.
Realistic Expectations: Setting realistic goals and understanding the challenges
...

Accepting Market Uncertainty

Accepting Uncertainty in Trading.

Take a longer listen to out Trading Podcast about Accepting Market Uncertainty!

The meltdown of 2022 has wiped out more than $7 trillion in market value from the blue chip stocks in the S&P 500. The index is down nearly 18% since the end of December.

Set the context for the conversion, going over recent events that’s creating our market environment

War.

Stocks - all these stocks are down:

Crypto is down -$200 billion market cap gone in a day, bitcoin is at a 50% from the high

There is a lot of uncertainty out there. What does uncertain mean?

Uncertain - not able to be relied on; not known or definite.

Glenn observation - according to historic data of DOW jones index, we never had bear run longer than 4 consecutive months. (this is data gathered since 1929). 1929 lasted for two years. Back in the day, took longer for the market to move.

1929 - overall 2 year bear trend, -84%

2008 - 6 months str...

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Finding Focus in a Distracted World: A Trader's Guide to Mastering the Markets

Two Step