Over the past 10 – 12 years, the stock market has been in a big sideways range. The average retail investor who has parked his or her money in the stock market has not seen long term capital appreciation over that period. I suppose if you add inflation into the mix, this average retail investor has perhaps lost during this period. What about some of the major institutions like Goldman and others during this period. Have they had flat returns over this period? Many have recorded historic profits year after year during this period. If you think about it however, the institutions are buying and selling in the same markets during the same period as retail investors yet they are making all the money. What about short term trading? It’s no secret most retail day traders lose money. Yet, many major institutions buying and selling in the exact same market as the day traders are making fortunes consistently. For an individual to find success short term or long term trading in the financial markets, the most important thing I tell Online Trading Academy students is to stop thinking and trading like a retail trader and investor and start thinking and trading like an institution and that is the focus… Continue Reading