Article

Top Reasons to Cut Your Losses Short in the Stock Market

Topic: InvestingFeaturing Shaun RosenbergPublished March 27, 2009
No ratings yet713 viewsSign in to rate

The biggest mistake I have seen people making in the stock market is not getting out when they are wrong. Instead they allow a trade they are in to pull back 50% or more if things turn against them.

The larger you let your losses get the shorter you will be trading the market. Here are the top 3 reasons to cut your losses short.

1. Trading is a Business.

Trading in the stock market is a business; your capital is the lifeblood of your business. If you let the loss on 1 trade get too big you will not have any capital left and therefore you will not be able to make any money.

So protect what you do have, that has to be your main focus.

2. Emotions run wild

Everyone gets into the market trying to make some good money. I have not seen anyone who has gone into the market trying to lose everything. So when you do first experience your first big loss it can be hard to handle.

It is very upsetting to see your account actually shrink especially when where planning on it growing into millions. It is hard to handle losses so keep them small. The smaller you keep your losses the less it will affect you.

3. The Less you lose the less you have to be right

If you lose 50% of your account you have to get into some pretty big winners just to break even again. And if you get into another losing trade after that, well your account is going to be negative for a long time.

If you only lost 2% of your account on 1 trade that is easy to make up. 1 big winner can easily pay for several small losses and then some. Obviously you still want to be profitable as often as possible, but if you only need to be right 40% of the time to be profitable it is much easier to get that then if you have to be right 90% of the time.

For more stock tips visit http://www.stocks-simplified.com/stock_tips.html

For more about the stock market visit http://www.stocks-simplified.com

Article author

About the Author

When I was young I wanted to learn how to trade the stock market. So I traveled around the country listening to professional traders talk about how they are making money in the market. Now I understand how easy it is to make money in the stock market and started a site http://www.stocks-simplified.com to help others learn.

Further reading

Further Reading

3 total

Article

Truckload shipping is a cornerstone of modern supply chains, responsible for moving goods efficiently across regional, national, and international networks. For businesses that rely on timely deliveries, understanding what influences truckload shipping costs is essential for optimizing logistics budgets and maintaining operational efficiency. Costs associated with truckload shipping can vary widely depending on several factors, from cargo type to route optimization. By analyz

January 7, 2026

Article

Imagine it’s a typical Tuesday evening. Someone in a bustling North American city has a question about their internet bill. They pick up the phone, dial a familiar customer service number, and within moments, they’re connected to a calm, articulate agent who resolves their issue efficiently. What the caller might not realize is that the helpful voice on the other end is speaking from a modern office in Lahore or Karachi, halfway across the globe. This scenario is playing

November 19, 2025

Article

Introduction: The Changing Face of Solar Sales In the fast-evolving world of renewable energy, the solar industry has witnessed remarkable growth. But with that growth comes competition — and not just for customers, but for the right customers. Many solar companies are discovering that chasing countless leads doesn’t always bring better results. What truly matters is the quality of those leads. A well-qualified lead isn’t just a number on a list; it’s someone genuinel

October 29, 2025