The same beginner errors repeat across every market and every decade. They are predictable, which means they are also fixable.
1. Position size too large
Fix: define risk in % first, calculate lot size second. Always.
2. No stop-loss / mental stop only
Fix: place a hard stop at entry. Mental stops fail under stress.
3. Moving stops in losing direction
Fix: written rule — stops only move in your favour or to break-even. Never widen.
4. Adding to losers
Fix: written rule — no add-to-losers. Add only to confirmed winners with explicit pyramiding rules.
5. Trading too many setups
Fix: pick one setup. Master it. Track 50 trades. Then consider a second.
6. Ignoring news calendar
Fix: check the calendar before every session. Reduce or skip during high-impact releases.
7. Treating cashback / bonuses as income
Fix: cashback reduces cost. It is not edge. Don't overtrade to capture it.
8. No journal
Fix: 5-minute journal entry per trade. Weekly review.
9. Switching strategies after every losing streak
Fix: define an evaluation window (e.g. 30 trades). Stick to the strategy for the window. Then evaluate.
10. Overestimating speed of progress
Fix: 12 months minimum to start being honest about whether you have an edge. Accept the timeline.
Next steps on ShaFX
- Free trading calculators — position size, pip value, margin, risk/reward, drawdown.
- Take a quiz on this topic and see what you missed.
- Glossary — precise definitions for every term used here.
- Compare brokers using our methodology.