Thursday 9 August 2007

Loss of Control or Control of Losses?

I've been thinking more about losses and how we deal with them. It seems to me that an experienced trader asks himself, "How much could I lose today?", whereas a beginner wouldn't even contemplate the possibility. Unless the idea of taking a loss is already in your mind then if it comes to the point when you have to, to avoid the possibility of taking an even bigger loss, you won't be able to. If you have read my report (see sidebar for a copy), then you will remember about the work done by Kahneman and Tversky on loss aversion. Having already prepared for the possibility of getting out of a trade early with a small loss, if the market turns against you, then you are partial innoculated against loss aversion.

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