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One of the reasons newbie traders don’t do as well as they should is because they’re usually trading the wrong time frame for their personality.
New forex traders will want to get rich quickly so they’ll start trading small time frames like the 1-minute or 5-minute charts.
Then they end up getting frustrated when they trade because the time frame doesn’t fit their personality.
For some forex traders, they feel most comfortable trading the 1-hour charts.
This time frame is longer, but not too long, and trade signals are fewer, but not too few.
Trading on this time frame helps give more time to analyze the market and not feel so rushed.
On the other hand, we have a friend who could never, ever, trade in a 1-hour time frame.
It would be way too slow for him and he’d probably think he was going to rot and die before he could get in a trade.
He prefers trading a 10-minute chart. It still gives him enough time (but not too much) to make decisions based on his trading plan.
Another buddy of ours can’t figure out how forex traders trade on a 1-hour chart because he thinks it’s too fast! He trades only daily, weekly, and monthly charts.
Okay, so you’re probably asking what the right time frame is for you.
Well buddy, if you had been paying attention, it depends on your personality. You have to feel comfortable with the time frame you’re trading in.
You’ll always feel some kind of pressure or sense of frustration when you’re in a trade because real money is involved.
That’s natural.
But you shouldn’t feel that the reason for the pressure is because things are happening so fast that you find it difficult to make decisions or so slowly that you get frustrated.
When we first started trading, we couldn’t stick to a time frame.
We started with the 15-minute chart.
Then the 5-minute chart.
Then we tried the 1-hour chart, the daily chart, and the 4-hour chart.
This is natural for all new forex traders until you find your comfort zone and why we suggest that you DEMO trade using different time frames to see which fits your personality the best.
FAQs
If you have limited time and want to day trade, you should choose a lower time frame, like M1, M2, or M5. If you want to be with the markets the whole day, day trading, you can go to a higher time frame, like M15-H1.
How to decide what timeframe to trade? ›
Ideally, traders should use a longer time frame to define the primary trend of whatever they are trading. Once the underlying trend is defined, traders can use their preferred time frame to define the intermediate trend and a faster time frame to define the short-term trend.
What is the most accurate time frame for trading? ›
It is an easier strategy to manage risk while it is a good thing to identify trends. Therefore, for scalpers, we recommend that you use extremely short timeframes like 1-minute, 5-minute, and 10-minute. For regular day traders, the best time frames are 5-minute, 15-minute, and 30-minute charts.
What time frame is best for option trading? ›
Ans: The appropriate time frame for options trading depends on your purpose and research of the trade. However, a range of 30-90 days can be a good time frame for most trades.
What is the 11am rule in trading? ›
It is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a guideline that has been observed by many traders over the years. The logic behind this rule is that if the market has not reversed by 11 am EST, it is less likely to experience a significant trend reversal during the remainder of the trading day.
What is the perfect time to trade? ›
The time of day when a trade is made can be an important factor to consider. The closest thing to a hard-and-fast rule is that the first hour and last hour of a trading day are the busiest, offering the most opportunities, while the middle of the day tends to be the calmest and most stable period of most trading days.
What time frames should I use for position trading? ›
If you are a positional trader, you will need to use multiple time frames to assist with your trading. 60 mins charts, Daily charts, and Weekly charts are the most frequently used positional trading time frame to take a positional trade. Spotting the trend of the stock on the weekly chart is necessary.
What is the 10 minute trading rule? ›
One way to protect yourself against further declines is to set a stop order under the lowest price reached in the first 10 minutes.
What timeframe do professional traders use? ›
Most traders will start by choosing one longer timeframe and another shorter timeframe. As a general rule, traders use a ratio of 1:4 or 1:6 when performing multiple timeframe analysis, where a four- or six-hour chart is used as the longer timeframe, and a one-hour chart is used as the lower timeframe.
Which time frame is best for beginner trading? ›
Medium-term time frames, such as the 4-hour and daily charts, are often favored by beginners. These time frames strike a balance between providing enough trading opportunities and allowing for a broader perspective on market trends.
Some traders follow something called the "10 a.m. rule." The stock market opens for trading at 9:30 a.m., and the time between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. often has significant trading volume. Traders that follow the 10 a.m. rule think a stock's price trajectory is relatively set for the day by the end of that half-hour.
What is the trick for option trading? ›
Avoid options with low liquidity; verify volume at specific strike prices. calls grant the right to buy, while puts grant the right to sell an asset before expiration. Utilise different strategies based on market conditions; explore various options trading approaches.
Which indicator has the highest accuracy? ›
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator is often considered one of the most accurate technical indicators. That is because it uses a combination of moving averages to spot potential buy and sell signals.
What is the 3 5 7 rule in trading? ›
What is the 3 5 7 rule in trading? A risk management principle known as the “3-5-7” rule in trading advises diversifying one's financial holdings to reduce risk. The 3% rule states that you should never risk more than 3% of your whole trading capital on a single deal.
What is the 5 minute rule in trading? ›
The 5-Minute strategy is created to aid sellers and buyers engage in back tracking and spend some time in the location with the appearance of prices proceed in a latest route. The system depends upon exponential moving averages and the MACD forex trading indicators.
What is the 15 minute rule for day trading? ›
Here is how. Let the index/stock trade for the first fifteen minutes and then use the high and low of this “fifteen minute range” as support and resistance levels. A buy signal is given when price exceeds the high of the 15 minute range after an up gap.
What is the best timeframe for a beginner trader? ›
Medium-term time frames, such as the 4-hour and daily charts, are often favored by beginners. These time frames strike a balance between providing enough trading opportunities and allowing for a broader perspective on market trends.
What is the 15 minute rule in day trading? ›
Here is how. Let the index/stock trade for the first fifteen minutes and then use the high and low of this “fifteen minute range” as support and resistance levels. A buy signal is given when price exceeds the high of the 15 minute range after an up gap.
Is a 30 minute time frame good for trading? ›
This approach requires a good understanding of market trends and precise timing, as the short time frame limits the number of possible trades and increases the importance of each choice. However, with the right approach and strategy, 30 minutes a day can be sufficient for successful trading.
How do you know how long to hold a trade? ›
These factors include: Trading Strategy: Your trading strategy plays a crucial role in determining how long you should hold a forex trade. For instance, if you are a day trader, you will typically close your positions within a day, while swing traders may hold their trades for a few days or weeks.
