Trade to Win

Trade to Win would seem to be the only reason to be in the markets. However, I have found from my more than 40 years of association with traders and investors, that it is not the case. In fact, I have found that traders and investors talk about winning and their individual wins, when they are, in fact, overall losers. I am reminded of a trader from the 1985 soybean market, who after making a potential huge profit gave it all back because she didn?t want to sell ?her? beans. I met Tom several years ago. I was immediately impressed with his low key, down-to-earth, and confident demeanor. His approach to the markets and to trading was matter-of-fact and simple to understand. He makes a trade for only one reason?to make money. And once his objective is met, he exits. He doesn?t need to be in the markets just for the sake of being there. Trade to Win is a roadmap to build a trader?s winning attitude. It is easy to read and easy to follow. While reading the pages, your confidence will swell as you gain insight into how you may overcome your biggest trading obstacle, yourself. Tom reassures you that it is okay to win?and to win quickly. He helps you understand the risks involved in trading while also teaching you methods to forecast and mitigate market disasters. It is so refreshing to read about a person who admits to making mistakes and withstanding a disaster that wiped him out. Tom does just that while detailing his struggle to regain his confidence in the markets and his ability to trade again and to win. After the markets dealt him a near deadly blow, he persisted and built a successful career as both a trader and an educator. All through the text, Tom offers ?pearls? of knowledge that are the foundation for understanding trading and the markets. He adds still more by showing the reader specific trade ideas and the importance of timing in achieving success. Over the years I have worked with many trading advisors and Tom is the only one who has been willing to make a live trade in front of a live audience. He puts his money where his mouth is; he is one of a kind. When he says he can show you how to make your trading day in twenty minutes, he means it, and I have seen him do it. It is all about education. We are not born traders. Understanding the basics all the way to the psychology of trading is a learned ability. Tom is a master trainer. Trade to Win will help you build the discipline and skills that make the trading game understandable, and his strategies will prepare you to make money. To win you need to stay in the game. Chapter 17 sets you up to stay for the long haul. Risk management is the most important lesson a trader can learn. Quickly identifying when trades are bad and cutting your losses fast, using stop/loss orders, and knowing before you place a trade the amount of money that can be lost?all of these strategies help manage risks. Not all of your trades will be winners. The key to successful risk management is knowing quickly which trades are losers and letting them go. My favorite chapter is ?Psychology and Discipline: The Winner?s Edge.? This is where the rubber meets the road. You can?t win if you won?t let yourself win. That?s right, most traders don?t believe they are good enough to win; the markets are too tough. Tom sets the tone for you to think like a winner, and be a winner from the start. The markets are here for us to make money, not just the professionals, but for us, all of us, and that means you! Discipline is the backbone and muscle required to win.