It is important to understand the difference between fundamental analysis and technical analysis. A quick explanation of the difference among the two types of analysis is: fundamental analysis focuses on the company and economic events while technical analysis focuses primarily on price action and market behavior.

Fundamentals include earnings report, dividends, sales, inventories, profit margins, P/E ratio, market share, etc.

I am going to take you through the different development stages of a new trader. Most of this comes from my own experience. Like any other profession, trading takes years of practice to reach the ultimate level. While doctors and lawyers have gone through higher education to obtain their license to practice, traders are required to obtain knowledge on their own.

Trading for a living requires a different kind of mindset than the typical profession. Most professionals believe in being right: there is a cure for every problem. But in the financial markets, fighting the markets because you believe you are right can lead to financial suicide.

The markets function in its own set of laws. You must learn to obey it.

It seems like each day there is another complicated trading system in development. I am quite surprised to see the trading population dig into more complex methods combining various indicators to profit from the financial markets. New traders favor technical indicators as it eliminates the need to think on their own. They will plot a dozen indicators on their charts waiting for the perfect signal.

Having a trading plan is similar to having a map when traveling to a new location. Modern day vehicles often come with a navigation system making it easier to travel with the fastest route. A trading plan acts as a road map for the trading day.

Most new traders trade without a plan. This often causes reckless trading, emotional trading, and no predefined entry and exit points.

Since the dawn of the 21st century very few nations have been recognized or emerged to have the largest economic stability in the world. Leading nations like the United States entered the 21st century with an economy that was bigger, and by all means more successful, than ever. Despite enduring two world wars and an everlasting depression in the first half of the 20th century, it faced challenges which ranged from a 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union to the existence of sharp inflation, huge unemployment, and enormous government budget deficits in the second half of the century.

Online trading is gaining popularity because of its efficiency and ease of use. If you are on the trading business, it is important to know the right tools of the trade. Doing trade at home should not pose any problem as long as you have the right hardware and software to assist you in your online trading. One should invest in a sound computer with suitable hardware specifications and software.

As a professional no-limit holdem poker player prior to my trading career, I find that both professions share many similarities. Poker and trading are both a game of probabilities. Individual psychological makeup is also important to control emotions during times of tilt and euphoria.

In poker, a player can choose the stake he is willing to play.

I would like to talk about 10 common mistakes in trading. New traders are often unaware of what is required in trading and the bad habits that can lead to financial suicide.

1. Under capitalization - One of the first mistake I made when beginning to trade was being under capitalized. I started with a $10K account without any idea on how to trade.

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." -Proverb-

There are two types of men in this world. One that falls and one that stands up after he falls. In NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, there is no such things as failure. A failure is simply classified as a feedback and every feedback is a lesson to help you learn and improve.