There are many ways to approach trading but regardless of the approach, there are basic tenets to follow to increase your potential for success. Regardless of your level of experience, adhering to a particular framework will help you stay disciplined and consistent in your trading decisions. And while no number one rule of trading exists that supercedes any other, there are fundamental principles that can significantly enhance your trading performance.
Rules of Trading
The First rule
At the start, if you’re about to embark on your trading journey, you must not only properly prepare but also continuously monitor your performance so that you can make adjustments if needed. This requires adopting a mindset that is less about viewing trading as a game, and more as a serious strategy for earning additional income or building wealth.
It also requires setting goals that are realistic so that you don’t set expectations that can’t be met. A strategic mindset is also one that understands that trading success is usually rooted in discipline as opposed get-rich-quick schemes. By refining your approach intermittently and learning from both the wins and the mistakes, you become better able to make more sensible financial decisions.
The Second rule of trading
Another core principle of trading is developing a financial plan, not only for the structure it provides but also for the way it can mitigate emotionally driven trading decisions. The plan is there to help you traverse the complexities of the financial markets in ways that reduce the risk of your emotions overwhelming you.
An effective trading plan is one that incorporates these key points:
- Your trading objectives and financial goals
- The rules that you will adhere to in the course of trading
- When you will enter and/or exit specific positions
- How much risk you’re willing to deal with
- Your budget which should align with your goals and strategy

The third one
Third rule of trading , be mindful of the fact that just as the mercados financeiros advance and change, so too does technology. Trading platforms are continuously evolving, either by way of new features or through new technologies. One such platform is MetaTrader 4 (MT4), a global favourite amongst traders almost everywhere.
The reason for its popularity is because in addition to constantly being improved, it is easy to use, offers advanced technical analysis and tools, and provides access to automated (algorithmic) trading which enables traders to execute strategies with increased efficiency and precision.
Rule of trading number four
Fourth, remember that to achieve any level of success in trading, you must continuously educate yourself and be aware of any new market trends, as they arise. This ensures that you can better identify trading opportunities and improve your potential for maximing profits. This includes monitoring market-moving events and releases that may cause volatilities, resulting in aggressive price spikes.
Another rule of trading is to use Calendário Económico. This is probably one of the most important tools for tracking major financial events and economic indicators, keeping global traders to support smart trading decisions.
With IronFX’s Economic Calendar for instance, you can track essential indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), interest rates, unemployment figures, Central Bank Minutes, and Consumer Price Indices (PMIs) (an inflation measure).
These are critical drivers of currency values and significant market-moving factors. With real-time updates, the broker’s economic calendar offers all the information necessary to analyse economic trends, spot opportunities, and effectively plan and execute your trading strategies.
In addition to using an Economic Calendar, ensure you keep monitoring the news so that you’ll be in a position to react as quickly as needed should a market moving event occur.

Fifth rule
Fifth rule of trading, another of the key components of trading is having a risk management plan in place to safeguard your funds. Risk management comprises of different activities, all of which play a role in mitigating risk associated with potentially losing trades. These include:
- Stop-loss orders which are executed when an asset reaches a certain price. The objective is to limit losses on a trade when the market moves in an adverse direction.
- Take-profit orders whereby a specific position is automatically exited when a predetermined price level is reached, thereby locking in potential gains.
- Position sizing by never risking more than a certain percentage of your capital (usually no more than 2%) on a single position.
- Ensuring that your positions align with your budget so that you don’t lose more money than you can afford. Also, never trade with funds that have been committed to important expenses like a university degree, health insurance, a retirement plan, long-term savings, etc.
- Portfolio diversification by spreading your funds across different assets or sectors, so that if one asset in either of these areas perform badly, it will be offset by profits in another.
Sixth and last one rule of trading
Sixth, knowing how to properly manage your emotions while trading often times dictates the difference between success and failure. Emotional discipline helps you stay more focused on your end goal and maintain a clear perspective, even during volatile market conditions.
There are a range of feelings that trading typically evokes, the most popular being fear, anxiety, stress, arrogance and greed. These typically lead to to behaviours like:
- Holding onto trades for longer than necessary, leading to larger losses.
- Closing trades too quickly, missing out on potential gains.
- Not entering a trade because of a fear of loss, resulting in missed opportunities.
- Deviating from your trading plan in moments of extreme stress or anxiety.
- Revenge trading in the hopes of recovering losses.
- Getting stuck in a mode of analysis/paralysis, resulting in indecision or missed trades.
There are many ways to strengthen your trading psychology and build mental resilience. Engage in some form of mindfulness practice to destress, and calm your mind. Take up some form of exercise or physical activity to up the happy hormones. Take a break from your computer screen for a few hours or minutes to catch your breath and gain some mental clarity before going back to trading again.

Just keep studying
Finally, regardless of whether you are a beginner trader or a professional, commit a certain number of minutes or hours per day or several days a week to improving your skills and capabilities through a trading-related education.
The most popular resources include eBooks, videos, blogs, podcasts, seminars, webinars, courses, etc. In person exhibitions are also common for peer to peer information exchange, as are community forums which provide a platform for traders to share strategies, concepts, tips, and ideas.
Additionally, traders may make use of demo trading accounts to acquire practical trading experience or to hone their strategies, regardless of how complex. This is because a demo account offers access to a simulated trading environment in which traders can use virtual funds to enter and exit positions. In this way, their own money is protected, allowing for more peace of mind. It also provides a great opportunity to learn more about technical analysis as well as how to navigate the trading platform.
Negociar com o IronFX
Register with award-winning IronFX and enjoy a high quality, flexible trading experience, a range of tradeable assets, multiple account types, and quick and easy trade execution. You’ll also be able to enjoy fast withdrawals and deposits, and market access via the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) trading platform, arguably one of the world’s most popular trading systems amongst global traders. The IronFX Academy also offers an abundant source of educational resources to boost one’s skills and acquire fundamental trading insights.
INFORMAÇÃO LEGAL IMPORTANTE: Esta informação não é considerada como aconselhamento ou recomendação ao investimento, mas apenas como comunicação de marketing. O IronFX não é responsável por quaisquer dados ou pela informação fornecida por terceiros aqui mencionados, ou com links diretos, nesta comunicação.