Day trading is an excellent way to earn profits by leveraging short-term fluctuations in stock prices. While thousands of people across the globe day trade for a living, many feel skeptical about entering the world of trading due to some misconceptions or myths.
Everything you may hear about trading is not necessarily true. So before getting started with day trading, it is important to bust some myths that may have been keeping you from exploring it.
Myth 1: Day trading is just like gambling
People who have not tried their hands at stock trading often say it is similar to gambling. That’s not true at all. Unlike gambling, traders need to study the market and make a calculated move while trading stocks. There is a scientific process for making money through day trading. Anyone treating the process like gambling is destined to fail.
Investing in stocks gives you a certain level of ownership in the company. In other words, you will profit when the company does well in the market. So, you usually buy a stock where you see the potential for success. In gambling, no such value is generated. You receive your winning amount from the money someone else has lost.
Myth 2: Day trading does not require any training
If you are on social media, you may have encountered Reels where someone says you can also become a millionaire with day trading. Firstly, social media is not a reliable source of information. Secondly, you can only become a successful day trader overnight with proper training.
Everyone is indeed allowed to participate in day trading. That does not mean you should start investing in random stocks without proper knowledge. If you do that, it will only put you in financial trouble. Consider getting adequate training on stock trading and learning to read market behavior before entering the world of day trading.
Myth 3: You need a large amount of money to get started
It is a common misconception that trading is for the wealthy. Anyone who understands and actively engages with the market is more likely to become rich over time, but you can also participate in day trading if you have a small amount to invest. Moreover, brokerage fees have also gone down drastically in recent years.
Once you have gathered significant knowledge about the market and the current trends, you can start trading with as little as $50. There is also the concept of fractional shares, where you can invest in a portion of a stock instead of one full share. This allows you to day trade with significantly low capital.
Myth 4: You can time the market
Another popular myth among novice traders is that you can predict when a stock’s price will start rising or falling. While you can predict market behavior using chart analysis strategies, it is not always accurate. Even advanced traders make losses from time to time.
It is a good idea to back your predictions with proper research and analysis of the stock. But you should always be cautious while trading, as things can often go against your plan. Try to ensure that you are not over-exposed to a certain sock.
Myth 5: More stocks mean diversification
It is often recommended that traders diversify their portfolios. However, a lot of people confuse owning more stocks with more diversification. You may own 20 stocks, but a person owning 10 stocks can have a more diversified portfolio than you.
If you own 20 BFSI stocks, you will be at greater risk if the sector faces specific challenges in the market. On the other hand, the portfolio is more diversified for a person with five BFSI stocks and five energy stocks.
Conclusion
There are plenty of other day trading myths that are not mentioned here. You will discover a few on your own as you start your trading journey.
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