Truths About On-Line Trading

 by Conrad Lim

Truth #1 : You will lose money in markets

Since I started teaching about six years ago, I have come to realize that there are many people out there who have no idea or the wrong idea about on-line trading as a source of income or even as an alternative job. Many who have come to my Previews seem to already have a pre-conceived notion about this business and are surprised when I tell them the truth. And in spite of the truth being so obvious, they would still choose to believe in their idea about what trading is about and will not accept that I am offering nothing but the truth about it. They want to continue believing that there must be another way and that I am just bullshitting them into signing up for my class. Many walk away unconvinced only to come back months and even years later, acknowledging that what I said before was true.

TEH : I have only started to teach trading about 4 months ago. But I do realise that trading is NOT for many. There are TOO MANY ignorants, greedy gamblers, un-realistically optimistic people around ... yes, I TOTALLY agree with what Conrad has written above. So many going for 'free previews' BELIEVING that they could profit from markets!! But ... the statistics SHOWN that 80-90% of them lost lots of money and many more holding to huge paper-loss in their portfolio. Of coz, many more will CONSOLE(lying to themselves, self-denial type) themselves by saying they are .... looooong term investor!! Dont believe me, take a look at your personal performances and your portfolio right NOW.

Where do these people get the concept that trading is going to make them rich? How do they get the idea that it's as easy as reading a book, attending a workshop or learning off the Internet? Why do they believe that they are the lucky ones that will become the next Buffet, Sorros or Peter Lim? And what is it about trading that draws these disillusioned people into getting slaughtered like flies to a flame?

TEH : If trading is that simple ..by reading books or through internet, or attending some workshops?? Yeah right ... tell me about it. If you said you have read LOTS of books or learning from internet AND performing very well, congrats. You are the VERY few who are able to do such!! I can't, I failed, obviously. And I am still struggling to learn. There are SO SO MANY punters and IGNORANTS out there, silently reading tips from forums, blogs, newspapers, tips from remisiers, insider-news etc etc ... gosh ... it is SO SO noisy!! They really think they could learn trading by READING. You should talk to those studious type such as doctors or lawyers. These are people who should not trade. They read and read .. and wanting to find evidences for a sure-win trade!!

The answer can be found everywhere. It's called Media. It's in the advertising, in books, on the Internet and it's being sold at every workshop, with every software and in every website. It is a sales pitch and you can't sell anything if you don't hype it up. And you can't hype anything up if you don't sell a dream. And you can't sell a dream without lying or hiding the ugly truth. I should know. I am in the business of trading and selling.

TEH : YES YES .... he is speaking my mind!! Why those GREEDY investors or traders BELIEVE that one system could CATCH 20% surge in ONE WEEK or perhaps another advertisment showing you how to PROFIT RM100k in less than two months(the most recent ad posted by one of my tratle, CT). Yes, how you can GET VERY RICH trading in forex!! Or how to use high-leverage instruments to get you REAL RICH in the SHORTEST of time!! Wake-up!! Get REAL la ... I know how arrogant and ignorant many are, especially those so-called macho-males.

But I have always been at odds with selling the dream. This has been the case since I started selling a class. It was tough at the start. No one wanted to sign up for the class because I was too brutally honest. The first truth I ever sold was that you will lose money. (Now, is there anything about that statement that you can't believe?) And unless you banished any and all ideas of easy and quick wealth, you were likely to lose everything first before you wake up and discover, accept and learn from my first truth.

TEH : Yes yes ... another thing I will find it HARD but did it. I started to tell ALL my tratles the TRUTH. You will lose money if you are going into markets!! This is especially true for those novices who never really been into stock-markets. Not to deter them from learning, but we need to let them know the truth. For those already in markets for a while, they will understand better what it feels of losing money in markets and ... accept the first TRUTH. I am quite certain majority out there will continue to lose money!! If you are not in that 'losing' category, then ... congrats again, you are the TOP TEN percent of the profitable investors/traders in KLSE. Look around you .... out of ten attended a market talk, 8 to 9 of them are LOSING or LOST money!! Interesting truth? Buying the truth I am selling?

It was also a painful start as the naysayers and disbelievers questioned and grilled me about my credibility. I was even labeled as one of those gurus I despise for selling dreams. Such labels came from people who hardly knew me or knew what I stood for and why I wanted to teach ' a topic that has been discussed in great detail in several series of posts on this blog including; Why I teach what I teach (2 parts), Why teach when you can trade (4 parts) and Why Traders Fail (3 parts).

TEH : Yes, I want to teach because I am in education line. I am motivated to share, to teach ... and it has been always my passion. I am still hanging on to my full-time teaching of Maths because I love teaching, I love Maths. Simple as that ... if I could share my knowledge with someone and he/she could learn from the knowledge shared, why not? And if he/she appreciates your effort and seeing him/her improving ... that is called SATISFACTION. If you are not in teaching line, you wont really understand that despite a low-salary, I will still continue to teach. Currently I am very much into trading ... the obvious point will be teaching trading!! Will you find someone who is after your MONEY, charging you thousands of $$$ to teach you trading ... and they are NOT in EDUCATION line, they dont even bother about improving in their teaching etc etc ... but just a mere SALES-persons selling you a system or a course? Think!! A good teacher should be a person who is concerned about your learning and telling you some truth even tho you may not favour his words.

I didn't care. And I still don't care for those who won't believe or accept. I do what I do because there are many others who want to learn and many more others who want to unlearn. And the only way for me to teach them is by being honest and brutally truthful. For those who want to buy dreams, I can't do much for them and I am sure they are not interested in my help.

TEH : Yes, let the others continue to dream ... going from on forums to one forums to search for sure-rich stocks. We cant help those who do not realise and not wanting to learn, ok? I repeat, MAJORITY of them do not want to learn. It is not a surprise, ok? I will only concentrate to teach those I who want to learn. My tratles and e-tratles will be my main focus in teaching-learning next year. Yes, I want them to do well .... especially my tratles who will be with me, hopefully for the full 2012 year and we will let the results speak by itself.

Challenge : This is a challenge I will throw it to my tratles ... show a PROFIT of 10 by the end of 2012. Deal? Whoever obtain less than that are not 'allowed' to graduate to next level --- intermediate level.
The above is taken from Conrad's blog. Yes, please buy his books ... and I have a collection of his and Adam's books. They are very educational and good for novices.

TEH