The 5 Types of Forex Traders

There are 5 types of Forex Traders. These traders are separated by their trading style, risk profile, and trading objectives.

The Day Trader

Marty Schwartz’s trading was at one time accounting for 10% of the daily volume on the S&P 500 futures contract. He is the author of “Pit-bull, Lessons from Wall St’s Champion Trader”.

To the uninitiated, the day trader may seem like a person of action. But they are just as comfortable stalking their trade as they are decisive when it comes time to execute. Typically surrounded by multiple screens, the day trader monitors dozens of inputs while waiting for a trade with an edge to appear.

Some trade rapidly, moving in and out of the market in a heartbeat, taking 5 pips here, 10 pips there. Others may be more serene, placing only one or two trades per session, carefully waiting for the optimal time to catch the day’s move. The day trader may be boisterous and rowdy, but they have learned to separate their ego from the trade.

What if the market doesn’t go for them? They either out or going back the other way. To the day trader, it’s all the same. What matters is whether they cut their losses short or let their profits run. Whether they are right or wrong is irrelevant. They may only win with half of their trades. But through superior risk management, they end each day well in the black.

The Technical Analysis Trader

William Delbert Gann was famous for his ability to forecast market moves using technical analysis.

The charts weave a compelling story to the technician. They know that technical patterns provide a window into the market’s soul and a snapshot of its psychology. It is through technical analysis that they surf the waves of market participants’ fear and greed. Be it Fibonacci, Elliot Wave, or Gann theory; the technical analyst has the tools to help them predict the market’s near-future. The skills to implement a winning trade are based on their ideas.

The technician can analyse both short and long-term moves. Some will combine their technical analysis with fundamentals, trading primarily when both are in alignment. Others trust the price. They trade first and seek reasons later.

The technician’s charts are brightly adorned with trend lines, moving averages, stochastics and MACD. But underneath it, all is a beautiful simplicity that guides them to trade with accuracy and aplomb.

The System Trader

Ed Seykota is a system trader beyond compare. He understands that trading is about psychology first and the system second.

The system trader is the god of the trading machines. Through a rigorous process of development and testing, the system trader has automated their trading strategies. Their computer essentially does the trading for them. A picture of discipline, the system trader, sits calmly through rough periods. They know that when the trends appear, their profits will be significant.

System traders are in a research war. Markets change, and as they do, systems need to adapt. System traders spend more time researching than trading. That is unless they are roaming the world, as the master system trader is prone to do. His machines afford him the luxury of free time.

The Macro Trader

Famous for predicting the Black Monday crash in 1987, the billionaire Paul Tudor Jones is now the head of the philanthropic Robin Hood Foundation. The Global Macro Whizz Kid is known for trading big market moves with skill and tenacity.

The best global Forex traders know that it’s hard work and discipline that has led to their success. They search tirelessly for opportunities in currencies, indexes, and commodities. Then, they work even harder to ensure the best risk/reward profile for their trade. They understand that ideas are only going to get them so far and that implementation is the key.

The best global macro traders (the true whizz kids) never have a losing year, profiting in all market types.

The Hedge Fund Trader

Ray Dalio is the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates. In 2012, Dalio appeared on the annual Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world and is currently worth over $15.2 billion.

It takes a leader to build a successful hedge fund, but it takes true leadership to build a business based on its people. Hedge funds are experts in selecting traders who fit their criteria, be they mechanical, macro or quant.

First and foremost, they are risk managers, with each trader having their place in a greater risk management plan. Traders that are performing exceptionally well are allocated more funds, while allocations are cut to those that are not.

The hedge funds trader knows that their team can produce returns far greater than their individual parts’ sums.

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