The Stock Trading Reality Podcast

We hear it all the time: context is king. This is certainly true and is an important part of the discussion or decision making process. When we focus it into trading, context is extremely important! With that said, I recently read an article from a psychology professional who makes a super interesting point. Is it anything revolutionary? I don’t think so. But it is one of those dynamics that sort of hides in plain sight and therefore is overlooked. The problem is, overlooking this dynamic can have very annoying and demoralizing results. I’ve seen this problem occur over and over during my years of working with traders and what this psychology professional points out is dead on. Let’s discuss!

$53,400 gone in a matter of minutes. It sounds a bit far-fetched doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s not and is the reality of the situation for a very courageous member of my private trading community. This past week a screen shot showed up in our private chatroom showing their results and it left us all shocked and saddened. How could this happen? What was he trading? Does he plan to keep on trading? There are several very important lessons to be learned. I have nothing but respect for this person as his courage has opened up the flood gates of teachable moments and bigtime reminders for those of us who have been in the market for years. Trading is no joke and if you aren’t careful, absolute disasters can happen. Let’s talk about it and do some learning!

There is a new study making its way around from MIT in regards to what ChatGPT is doing to people’s brains. In my opinion, none of it is shocking; however, it also made me think about all of us as traders. I’m open to the idea that maybe I am overthinking this and it’s not necessarily true, but I’m pretty confident I’m at least in the general area of truth. Finding consistency and success in trading is a very hard thing to do as I’m sure many of you already know, and while it may seem like ChatGPT can make our lives easier as traders, I think I’d disagree. Let me give you my thoughts and you are more than welcome to reach out to me and disagree. It’s always a bit more interesting that way anyhow! Let’s get to it!

Personally, if someone showed me what I’m about to show you, I would not believe them. I would immediately say, “No way! What’s the catch???”. As much as it would disappoint me for you not to consider what I talk about in this week’s episode of the podcast, I’d truly understand. If you are looking for a way to create some crazy return on investments (“ROI’s”) in your monetary world, then you need to do what I’m doing! None of this is a Holy Grail or “get rich quick”. None of this is easy. But the math is the math and when you see how all the numbers fit together, I think the strategy is something worth seriously considering. If you are a day trader who wants to keep your risk to a minimum while truly opening up the world of upside potential, then this is a discussion you won’t want to miss! Let’s get to it!

It’s certainly not a new topic to the ClayTrader world, but it’s a topic that I’m not sure can ever be talked about too often. Good ole’ demo trading is one of the more complicated dynamics in all of trading. I think this is because there are so many different angles and considerations that need to be made in regards to its actual value. As the years continue to pass me by and I hear more and more stories from traders, I’ve begun to get a bit more solid in my current position on the topic. While I’m not saying I am 100% right, what I’m quite confident in claiming is that more times than not “demo trading” is a total pitfall for traders. How so? What are the solutions around this problem? Let’s discuss!

Are there any more dreaded words in the minds of some traders than “market makers”?!?! Who knows, perhaps you now have goose bumps or the hair on your arms is standing straight up! If you are one of these people who believe it is very important to pay attention to “market makers” and their games, let’s take a step back and do some thinking. While I can understand your concern and focus on market makers, please… STOP IT. All the talk and drama around market makers is totally overblown and in all actuality, makes very little sense. I can prove this to you by asking you a simple question. In considering the question and its implications, I hope to be able to calm your nerves so that you can begin to focus on the aspects of trading that are way more important. Let’s get to it!

Anxiety and “Tilt”. Perhaps those two words cause goosebumps and/or for the hair to raise up on the back of your neck! I’m with you! In the world of trading these are two very common and powerful pitfalls that we must learn how to navigate. I recently had a couple of traders ask me how I fight against each of those. This is a very thoughtful question and comes from a place of someone being self aware and truly wanting to improve as a trader. I certainly can’t proclaim to have all the answers, but I have been around long enough and worked with enough traders to see some common themes and occurrences. Let’s talk about it and try and kick anxiety and the feeling of “tilt” to the curb.

I recently came across an article on CNBC that sparked a topic that doesn’t get talked about enough. Perhaps you are well aware of day trader geography, but oftentimes it’s one of those concepts that hides in plain sight. The best way to find success as a day trader (or really any kind of trader/investor for that matter) is to ensure your expectations are aligned as closely as possible with reality. A key component in this task of aligning expectations and reality is understanding day trader geography. I suppose this concept could lead you to taking drastic measures, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. I simply want to challenge you to stay realistic with your expectations as a trader. Let’s get to it!

“Today” (the day I recorded this episode) I was reminded of how I need to do a better job of deploying my critical thinking skills around the economic calendar. Thankfully the trade I was in turned out really well, but wow, the opposite could have just as easily been true. I know I’ve talked about the economic calendar before on the podcast; however, the lesson I was reminded of “today” is certainly one worth offering up to you as a reminder. Hopefully none of this is coming across as overly dramatic as that’s not my intent. None of this is rocket science, but it does require a bit of thinking on our parts. Let me walk you through this experience and what it can teach/remind us of as active traders in the market.

My YouTube live streams continue to deliver these podcast episode ideas! This past week I had a few interactions that, once again, reminded me of how some people could better themselves as a trader by doing one simple thing. To be fair, I suppose it is not the simplest thing to do, but again, to be fair, it’s also not in the realm of reasonableness to say this thing is impossible to do. I admit I probably get more frustrated than I should when I encounter these situations, but I can’t stand watching someone make their life harder than it needs to be. I don’t think I’ll be saying anything ground breaking in this episode, but I do think some people (including myself at times) underestimate the far reaching issues. Let’s talk about it!

The Trump Tweet. We’re all aware as traders by now how a single press of a button can send the markets into full blow roller coaster mode. We’re also aware of how a press conference about a certain topic can contain an off the cuff remark that, once again, sends the market into full blown roller coaster mode. I’ve been asked enough now the same general question where it makes sense to address it via a podcast. The question goes something like this, “Hey Clay, how do you navigate and manage this type of market where in the blink of an eye, everything goes crazy?!?!”. This is what I have been doing and will certainly continue to do. In fact, I will go as far as arguing that you are absolutely playing with fire if you aren’t doing what I do.

More and more people are asking about AI and what I think the effects it will have on the markets. It’s not a crazy question at all. Is AI something that is going to wreck the markets and destroy everything we know as traders? Are we going to be eaten alive by its vast intelligence and ability to think way quicker than we are? The core of the question is this: will there be any room for human traders, or are we going to become instinct? Let me give you my thoughts. Spoiler alert, it’s a very simple reply due to some of the simple tools available to all of us in the trading world. Let’s not overcomplicate this folks!

There is nothing worse we can do to ourselves as traders and investors than deceive ourselves. Deception can be a tricky thing. Self deception can be an even trickier thing. I wouldn’t say I was shocked by the discovery, but the livestream on YouTube continues to deliver valuable lessons and reminders for us in the trading world. There is quite a bit of self deception occurring and I’m doing my best to put an end to it. I used to fall victim to it as it is something that seems to be totally innocent. The problem is, if you start playing the game you will begin to take yourself down the pathways which lead to confusion and headaches. Let me walk you through how this game is played and why it’s so damaging. Avoiding this temptation will keep you grounded in reality and give you a much better chance to be efficient with your time.

Not a whole lot of money but want the opportunity to grow it fast? Looking for something that moves extremely quickly? Did you stumble upon someone explaining just how much money can be made with these small cap and low float stocks? Listen. I get it. I really do. Like most of us, when we first get started on our trading journey we don’t have a whole lot of capital to work with. Because of this, the logic follows that by trading these types of stocks we’ll be able to create more capital and then maybe we can consider a bit less volatile assets. I recently got a comment on YouTube that really drives home a concept that many beginner day traders are not aware of. Whether or not you choose to take the path i describe in this episode is up to you; however, I do with 100% confidence believe it is a pathway you need to, at least, be made aware of. Let’s get to it!

Do you have the entire context when it comes to risk management? This is a critical skill within the world of trading and one that must be mastered if you want any true chance at success. Perhaps you’re now asking, “How do we determine the entire context for risk?” Well, in all actuality, it revolves around a single question. Once you answer this question, the numbers will drive themselves from there. Without this question however, you won’t be able to proceed forward in any coherent manner. Yes, you’ll be able to proceed and potentially think you are doing a good job, but you aren’t. I had an interaction with someone on the livestream who stated with confidence they were managing risk and gave me what they were doing. Spoiler Alert, they had a gaping hole in their plans. Let me walk you through this important question you should always be asking yourself as a trader!

Hmmmm… is this type of trading fake? That’s what I was recently told and perhaps you’ve heard someone make the same claim. This interaction happened on a live stream which was ideal as I could interact with this person in real time. Did this person bring hardcore evidence to the table to support their claim? Were they able to present a case that did indeed expose this trading strategy as fake? I think it’s worth examining their claims and seeing if they carry with them any merit. My goal with myself and for this podcast is to always seek after efficiency and the truth. If we’re doing something wrong, then I think I speak for most people in wanting to learn from it so we can, by default, do what is considered right/efficient. Let’s dig in and see if there’s any logic behind these claims.

Do you find yourself struggling in an area of your trading? You aren’t alone! The world of trading is a constant struggle. Oftentimes, it’s the struggle against all those crazy voices in our head that want us to do really stupid things. Other times, it can be more of a unique struggle that won’t be the same for everyone. In this episode of the podcast, I wanted to take the time to share with you a recent problem and struggle I’ve been experiencing. I also want to discuss what the solution to this problem was and how the solution played out in the real world (no worries, this won’t be one of those “I read in a book this is how the solution is supposed to work, in theory”). For some of you, maybe you are having the same problem and not even aware of it? Maybe you have a struggle and can’t quite pinpoint exactly what is causing the struggle. Maybe my solution I talk about in this episode will be the exact solution you need? I can’t say for certainty that my problem is going to be the same as you; however, I’ve talked to many traders over the years and I can say this problem is very common! Let me share with you the struggle I recently endured and what the ultimate solution was.

Unless you went outside, dug a hole, and shoved your head into it.. You know things have gotten pretty wild around the world from an economic standpoint. If you’re anything like me and others know you’re “in the markets”, you know things are getting dramatic when people start texting you with “you ok?”... “what is going on?”.. Etc. We’re in a unique time and I want to point out what I believe to be the most important indicator to keep an eye on. It’s already being talked about in the headlines somewhat, but for any of you who are loyal listeners, you know I’ve talked about this indicator for years. Trying to cut through all the headlines and opinions you see in the media and social media is essentially impossible. There’s just too much of it! The indicator I share with you in this episode will tell you the true attitudes of people and their thoughts about all this tariff stuff. Let’s get to it!

One of the more challenging parts of being a trader is figuring out the difference between good goals and bad goals. Unfortunately, this is not always a black-and-white situation where a goal is blatantly bad (or good). If you wonder why day trading failure rates are so high, in my opinion, I would say “goal setting” is one of those core reasons. I realize this sounds a bit backwards. Most of us growing up are taught to set goals, strive for goals, and of course… never give up until the goal is achieved! In so many areas of life, this is a fantastic attitude that will produce great results. In the world of trading however, the lines get blurred in a hurry. In this episode I want to talk through a goal that I think does more harm than good.

As I’ve now been live streaming for almost two months now, I’ve gathered many more real time interactions to my “experience database”. Over the years I’ve interacted with plenty of people through customer service emails, YouTube comments, and people joining my communities. There’s something a bit more unique about the live stream as I can, in a sense, have a real time conversation with them. Through this, I’ve noticed a massive problem with traders of all experience levels. I have quickly begun to learn that regardless of the experience level, people do not understand the importance of “categories”. It may seem like a moot point, but it 100% is not! If the person you are interacting with begins to make assumptions, you could be getting advice that is financially dangerous or just sending you down a pathway of wasted time. This is nothing complicated to implement, but it is certainly something you need to be doing as you network within the world of the financial markets. Let’s discuss…