By: Chris Irvin, Veteran Instructor & Trader at The Wizard

My last blog (May 9, 2012) spent some time dealing with the logical and emotional sides of the brain and how the flow of information from side to side differs between men and women.  Among other things I suggested that in order for a male trader to be successful they have to have an exit strategy before entering a position because our egos can often get in the way of solid decision making while in the middle of the trade.  I am a firm believer that traders need to define exits prior to entering a position because this is the only time when ego is not an issue in the process.  This idea brought up a valid comment from one reader.  “Wouldn’t it be easier to just put a trailing stop on your position rather than defining a solid stop loss level?”  It probably would be easier, but is it the best?  In this blog I would like to explain why I believe repositioning stop losses manually is a better idea than using trailing stops, if you have the option of course.  If you are a trader that does not have the ability to adjust stop losses manually due to schedule, or circumstance, the trailing stop is a great tool.  If you do have the ability to babysit your trades then I believe it is better to reposition the stops on your own.

Before debating whether manually repositioning stop losses is better than setting an automated trailing stop, I need to point out that even a manual stop loss is really automating your trading process.    The question is “can you be more successful if you use a little of your own elbow grease rather than setting an automated trailing stop?” Continue reading "Me Centered or Stock Centered?" →