Overall I want to work on my consistency and aim for at least 4/5 days a week positive.
(1) I have always traded with a max draw-down on my main account and back account. To start the year off the max intraday drawdown of my main account will be $1000. I am looking to change that (to bring it more in line with approximate profit goals) but for now am having it quite large to maximise the probability of having a positive day.
(2) To start with am going to target earning $200 a day. The reason for targeting this is purely to maximise the probability of a profitable day. After about a month will look to change this, and bring the target and draw-down further in line.
(3) Max sizes completely defined (on main account). In the past I have focused on using unrealised profit as risk to increase size, and have also adjusted the size by the ATR. Of course this is the way it should be done... But I have had difficulty doing it on the spot... Additionally the adding has created problems with greed and dollars lost on a stop out (because there's more size letting it go an extra 10c means it goes further).
While I am trading I will still adjust size for the ATR but this is absolute max:
$1-$10 -- 500 shares.
$10-$20 -- 400 shares.
$20-$50 -- 300 shares.
$50-$100 -- 200 shares.
$100-$200 -- 100 shares.
$200+ -- 50 shares.
Additionally guidelines for how to treat the sizing:
(i) In general max size shouldn't be achieved unless adding to a winner with a trailed stop-loss and orders to reduce size quickly already in place.
(ii) Counter-trend trades should only have 1/5 entered initially, and then another 1/5th added once a stop-loss can be put in place.
(iii) 80% of the time should be trading on 3/5s or less.
Redefining Rules (back account):
I have always had trouble setting rules for my back account because I am deliberately aggressive and somewhat ruthless on it. However, there are some clear improvements that can be made.
(1) Back account max drawdown will still be the same at around 1/2-1/3 of the account, but will be strictly obeyed. This is because the only two times in 2015 when I reached this point and carried on I lost more money, and those two day were very pivotal for the entire year (-18k and -45k). Reduce those two days to where the drawdown was stopping me out and they would become -11k and -15k respectively. In turn that would have had a flow on effect via risk-taking and confidence for the rest of the year.
(2) Only go max size once trend is in place and stop-loss is defined.
(3) Trade only pieces of trash below $10, and 19/20 times should be on the short side. This is my niche that I don't mind throwing money at aggressively.
(4) Withdraw half of any profits over $1000. If I haven't been able to withdraw profits (because of the 3-day rule) halt trading if account triples without a withdrawal.
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