In my small unique book «The small stock trader» I also had more detailed overview
of tens
of stock trading mistakes (http://thesmallstocktrader.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/stock-day-trading-mistakessinceserrors-that-cause-90-
of-stock-traders-lose-money/): • EGO (thinking you are a walking think tank, not accepting and learning from you mistakes, etc.) • Lack
of passion and entering into stock trading with unrealistic expectations about the learning
time and performance, without realizing that it often takes 4 - 5
years to learn how it works and that even +50 % annual performance in the long run is very good • Poor self - esteem / self - knowledge • Lack
of focus • Not working ward enough and treating your stock trading as a hobby instead
of a small business • Lack
of knowledge and experience • Trying to imitate
others instead
of developing your unique stock trading philosophy that suits best to your personality • Listening to
others instead
of doing your own research • Lack
of recordkeeping • Overanalyzing and overcomplicating things (Zen - like simplicity is the key) • Lack
of flexibility to adapt to the always / quick - changing stock market • Lack
of patience to learn stock trading properly, wait to enter into the positions and let the winners run (inpatience results in overtrading, which in turn results in high transaction costs) • Lack
of stock trading plan that defines your goals, entry / exit points, etc. • Lack
of risk management rules on stop losses, position sizing, leverage, diversification, etc. • Lack
of discipline to stick to your stock trading plan and risk management rules • Getting emotional (fear, greed, hope, revenge, regret, bragging, getting overconfident after big wins, sheep - like
crowd - following behavior, etc.) • Not knowing and understanding the competition • Not knowing the catalysts that trigger stock price changes • Averaging down (adding to losers instead
of adding to winners) • Putting your stock trading capital in 1 - 2 or more
than 6 - 7 stocks instead
of diversifying into about 5 stocks • Bottom / top fishing • Not understanding the specifics
of short selling • Missing this market / industry / stock connection, the big picture, and only focusing on the specific stocks • Trying to predict the market / economy instead
of just listening to it and going against the trend instead
of following it
Many hit the road during this
time of year to avoid the peak - season
crowds and save more
than a few bucks on flight and hotels, while
others hunker down at home to avoid the risk
of getting rained out — or worse, having to evacuate, in the event
of an emergency.