Trading binary options is an exciting yet inherently risky venture. With win payouts pegged around 75% and losses returning just 10% of your investment implying you have to win at least 60% of the time to make money, it would appear like the odds are somewhat stacked against you. Nevertheless, avoiding the pitfalls that are so common in binary trading can enhance your chances of making money a good deal. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Trading without a strategy

A binary options strategy helps you eliminate the elements of your emotions interfering with your decisions and second-guessing. You cannot consistently win in binary options if you are depending on some wishy-washy gut feeling about when to place your trades. A trading strategy lets you know the right action to take at any given time. This can be particularly critical for day trades and scalpers who sometimes need to make multiple trades on any give day.

Trading arbitrary amounts of money

It’s not uncommon to find Australian traders trading 5% of their account balance on one trade and then throwing in 20% the next time when they think things are going their way. Technically speaking, there is nothing wrong with that, only that trading this way is a recipe for disaster. People become greedy when their trades are going well and get tempted to trade as much as 50% of their account balances, easily putting them at a great risk of wiping out their entire accounts in just a few trades. A good rule of thumb is to limit your trades to no more than 5% of your account balance. If you decide to trade a bigger percentage, say 7% or 8%, avoid the temptation to risk bigger amounts.

Trading emotionally

While nobody is saying that Australian traders should trade like robots with no emotions involved (which is impractical anyway), some emotional trading behavior that traders commonly engage in can jeopardize their investments. One of these is attempting to chase your losses in a bid to try and recover them. The second is letting down your guard when you are on a winning streak and making trades that you would normally avoid. Equally bad is trading based on instinct alone, or letting your fear overwhelm you. Again the key thing here is knowing your limits and recognizing when you start overstepping them.

Trading without testing

Trading without testing is one of the most common mistake beginners make. Other traders only test their trading strategies on a single trade and then proceed to use it with real money. Testing trades is an absolute prerequisite before getting started with binary options. Testing your trade in many contexts ensures that you have a good understanding of both good and bad setups. Remember that even if a trading system has been proven to work for some people, it might not necessarily do the same for you. Back testing on historical trades as well as demo testing with virtual money are important as well since they help you familiarize yourself with the trade system and get your feet wet.

Bottom Line

Avoiding the pitfalls that are so prevalent in binary trading will not eliminate the risks associated with binary trading, but can help avoid making your work much more difficult. Once you hone your trading skills and understand the assets that you are trading, you will realize that binary trading can be very profitable. A good binary options broker will have lessons or tutorials on binary options, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to conduct a fundamental or technical analysis so as to make informed decisions. In fact, this is where TorOption comes in handy. With a variety of unique features (like 60 seconds, One Touch, Longterm, Pairs and Ladder) as well as a secure, dynamic, and easy-to-use trading platform, TorOption remains the most suitable binary trading platform for both experienced traders and those who are just starting.