When I started trading, I did everything wrong. Lost money I couldn't afford to lose. Here's what I learned the hard way so you don't have to:

1. Trading without a plan

I'd see a stock moving, jump in, and hope for the best. No entry criteria, no exit strategy, no risk management. Just vibes. The fix: I started writing down exactly why I was entering every trade and what price I'd cut the loss at — before clicking buy.

2. Oversizing positions

I'd put 30-40% of my account into a single trade because I was "sure" about it. One bad week wiped me out. The fix: I capped my risk at 1-2% of my account per trade. Boring? Yes. Still in the game? Also yes.

3. Revenge trading

After a loss, I'd immediately try to make it back. This always made things worse. The fix: I set a rule — after two consecutive losses, I'm done for the day. Walk away, reset, come back tomorrow.

These aren't advanced concepts. They're the basics. But the basics are what keep you alive long enough to actually get good.

If you want a structured path to learning this stuff properly, TradeVault is where I teach everything I wish I knew when I started.

When I started trading, I did everything wrong. Lost money I couldn't afford to lose. Here's what I learned the hard way so you don't have to:

1. Trading without a plan

I'd see a stock moving, jump in, and hope for the best. No entry criteria, no exit strategy, no risk management. Just vibes. The fix: I started writing down exactly why I was entering every trade and what price I'd cut the loss at — before clicking buy.

2. Oversizing positions

I'd put 30-40% of my account into a single trade because I was "sure" about it. One bad week wiped me out. The fix: I capped my risk at 1-2% of my account per trade. Boring? Yes. Still in the game? Also yes.

3. Revenge trading

After a loss, I'd immediately try to make it back. This always made things worse. The fix: I set a rule — after two consecutive losses, I'm done for the day. Walk away, reset, come back tomorrow.

These aren't advanced concepts. They're the basics. But the basics are what keep you alive long enough to actually get good.

If you want a structured path to learning this stuff properly, TradeVault is where I teach everything I wish I knew when I started.

I've been trading for years and I've watched hundreds of beginners make the same 3 mistakes. Every single time.

Mistake #1: Trading without a plan

You see a stock moving, you jump in, and you have no idea where you're getting out. No stop loss, no target, no thesis. That's not trading — that's gambling.

Mistake #2: Risking too much per trade

If you're putting more than 2% of your account on a single trade, you're one bad week away from being done. The math doesn't care about your conviction.

Mistake #3: Chasing indicators instead of understanding price

RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands — they all lag. They tell you what already happened. Learn to read price action and volume first. Everything else is secondary.

The fix for all three? Build a simple trading plan, size your positions properly, and study how price actually moves before you add any indicators.

If you want the full framework I teach beginners to trade without blowing up their account, check out TradeVault.