Why do most of the retail traders (~90%) lose money? And how they can be more successful? (2024)

FAQs

Why do most of the retail traders (~90%) lose money? And how they can be more successful? ›

In conclusion, retail trading is challenging and risky, requiring much preparation, discipline, and skill. Most retail traders lose money because they do not have a clear and consistent trading plan and a proper risk-reward ratio.

It is said that almost 90% of people lose money in intraday trading. Most of the intraday traders lose money because they fail to understand the market movements and end up taking the wrong decisions.

Lack of Effective Risk Management

In-Depth Insight: Inadequate risk management is a critical factor in retail trader losses. It involves setting stop-loss orders, determining position sizes, and managing overall portfolio risk.

The reason many forex traders fail is that they are undercapitalized in relation to the size of the trades they make. It is either greed or the prospect of controlling vast amounts of money with only a small amount of capital that coerces forex traders to take on such huge and fragile financial risk.

Lack of trading discipline

This is the primary reason for intraday trading losses in the intraday trading app. Trading discipline has to focus on three things. Firstly, there must be a trading book to guide your daily trading. Secondly, you must always trade with a stop loss only.

It is a high-stakes game where many are lured by the promise of quick riches but ultimately face harsh realities. One of the harsh realities of trading is the “Rule of 90,” which suggests that 90% of new traders lose 90% of their starting capital within 90 days of their first trade.

The truth is, most traders lose money for one simple reason: They don't have a plan. These losses can be substantial: The bull run during the pandemic saw retail traders lose more than $1 billion, according to a recent study.

The emotional aspect of trading often leads to irrational decisions like panic selling. When the market moves unfavourably, many traders, especially those who are inexperienced, tend to panic and exit their positions hastily. This panic selling often occurs at the worst possible time, leading to significant losses.

Most traders are not profitable. Can Retail Traders Actually Make Money? Retail traders can make money if they discipline themselves to learn a specific trading style and use risk management techniques. It isn't easy to make money consistently as a trader, but it's possible.

As much as 95 per cent of day traders lose money in the market, it demands an investigation. Intraday trading is the most popular, yet data suggests that most intraday traders lose money.

Why do traders lose money in trading? ›

Simple mistakes that intraday traders commit include; averaging your positions, trying to outsmart the market, overtrading to recover losses, focusing too much on hot tips etc have created many Indian stock market loss stories. Interestingly, 90% of the intraday traders are losing money in intraday trading.

Not having and not following a trading plan is a big reason most traders fail. People without a plan are making an assumption that they are smarter than people who do this for a living, and therefore they don't need to prepare, plan, or practice.

Investing is a zero-sum game where one person's win is another's loss. The majority of retail investors lose money, a fact underscored by risk warnings on nearly every regulated broker's website.

The most common reason for failure in trading is the lack of discipline. Most traders trade without a proper strategic approach to the market. Successful trading depends on three practices.

With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].

Studies have shown that more than 97% of day traders lose money over time, and less than 1% of day traders are actually profitable.

The emotional aspect of trading often leads to irrational decisions like panic selling. When the market moves unfavourably, many traders, especially those who are inexperienced, tend to panic and exit their positions hastily. This panic selling often occurs at the worst possible time, leading to significant losses.

Common Mistakes That Lead to Losses

They start to trade without a solid plan. They risk more than they can afford to lose. Beginners often use leverage in trying to make a killing and then lose all of their trading capital.