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Core Concepts and Considerations

Traders and Mistakes

/ 12 minutes of reading

Traders and Mistakes Part 1: Mechanical Traders by Van K. Tharp, Ph.D. June 13, 2018 A note to readers: While Dr. Tharp’s content is timeless, this article is from our newsletter archive and may contain outdated information, missing links or images. I’ve always said that trading is mostly psychological and that traders should spend a lot of time working on their core issues. In fact, most of my Super Traders spend at least a year working on psychological issues before they get to work on their business plan or trading […]

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Mistakes Are the Downfall of Most Traders

/ 12 minutes of reading

by Van K. Tharp, Ph.D. October 17, 2018 A note to readers: While Dr. Tharp’s content is timeless, this article is from our newsletter archive and may contain outdated information, missing links or images. In my experience, I find that it is very easy to design a system that will produce great returns (even 100% or more). What’s difficult is actually trading the system and getting those returns. In this article, I’ll show you how easy it is to develop a great system, how mistakes can be your downfall, and

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Paradigm Shifts for Trading Success

/ 9 minutes of reading

(or “AH-HA”s for Traders) By Van K. Tharp, Ph.D October 29, 2018 A note to readers: While Van’s content is timeless, it is from a past publication and may contain outdated information, missing links or images. When the topic of paradigm shifts came up at a workshop, I suddenly started talking about all the paradigm shifts that were in my book Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom. I had never before thought about the book in terms of paradigm shifts, but suddenly all of the information about the shifts discussed

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Procrastination and System Development By, Van K. Tharp, Ph.D.

/ 5 minutes of reading

A note to readers: While much of this article’s content is timeless, it is from a past publication and may contain outdated information, missing links or images. My research suggests that the problems people have in developing a trading system fall into five different categories. The first three areas prevent traders from ever starting (or finishing) the development of a trading system. These include computer/technology phobia, procrastination, and being overwhelmed by the whole process. The last two problems tend to prevent the trader from coming up with a workable system.

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Developing Top-Down Discipline By, Van K. Tharp, PhD

/ 4 minutes of reading

A note to readers: While Dr. Tharp’s content is timeless, this article is from our newsletter archive and may contain outdated information, missing links or images. One of the qualities of top traders is their total commitment to the trading process. And while I cannot give you the commitment that it takes to be successful as a trader, I do know of a process that helps build this kind of commitment. It’s called developing top-down discipline. You start with your desired dream life and your purpose in life, and you

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What is a Trading System? By, Van K. Tharp, PhD

/ 1 minute of reading
A note to readers: While Dr. Tharp’s content is timeless, this article is from our newsletter archive and may contain outdated information, missing links or images. Traders often ask, “What exactly is a system?” In this article, we’ll go through some background information to help you understand what a system is outside of the context of trading. We will focus on clearly defining what a trading system is and then looking at the broader picture of your system—your trading plan. Finally, we’ll focus on some key elements in system development.

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