facebook banner
logotype
Back to list

Here's How a Typical Day of a Forex Day Trader Looks Like

1:18 PM May 20, 2020
10623
Forex trading

Due to dishonest advertising, many have the wrong impression that currency traders do whatever they want, and whenever they want. It's a delusion. Any successful trader has an accurate trading routine and a detailed plan that he strictly follows.

The routine of market participants differs depending on their trading style. Today we will look at a typical schedule of a day trader. This way, it will be easier for you to implement the required actions to your daily plan.

Morning

A day trader always starts by scanning the night market. He looks for sharp fluctuations and studies the world events that could provoke such movements.

After assessing the market condition, the day trader needs to check the economic calendar for important news. You should mark the time and events that will occur during the day in order to be ready to respond to them. The reaction to the news depends on the news trading strategy that you have chosen:

  • Avoiding the market during news releases
  • Trading prior to the event according to forecasts
  • Trading immediately after the release of data
  • Trading on price action after the sharpest fluctuations

In addition, many day traders check the current market sentiment using currency strength indicators. Sometimes, such information helps assess the mood of the market until the end of the day.

When the preparation is finished, the trader proceeds to trade opening. He looks at the market again searching for suitable trading setups that depend on the trading strategy:

  • Pullbacks to an important price level
  • Breakouts through a key level
  • Candlestick patterns, etc.

In case of a good setup, the trader finds confirmation of the signal, checks the transaction for full compliance with his risk management system, and sets an order. For successful trading, you must fulfill all the conditions of your trading plan before opening any trade.

An experienced trader also knows that there is not necessarily a suitable trading setup in the market. If you didn’t see it at first glance at the chart then you should wait for a better moment.

In addition, depending on the trading strategy, many day traders place pending orders. For example, if they notice the breakout signals on the chart that have not been confirmed yet, then they can place a Buy Stop or Sell Stop order, depending on the direction of the price movement.

Day

If you correctly use Stop Loss, then you don’t have to constantly monitor your open positions. Nevertheless, if the trade has been going against your direction for an hour, consider closing it. The chance of a price reversal, in this case, is much lower than closing by a Stop Loss. So, it’s better to close the trade with less loss and look for new trading setups.

If some important news comes out during the day then you should take actions that are appropriate to your news trading strategy.

In addition, you can open additional orders if you notice promising trading setups. A quick look at the market will not take much time but it can help you make money in the afternoon. Moreover, the most favorable trading time is the intersection of the European and American sessions, due to high liquidity.

You can check your positions several times during the day. However, don’t constantly monitor the charts. This can lead to anxiety and overtrading.

Evening

Time to close all open positions. It doesn’t matter whether they are profitable or not. Don’t be upset if you have suffered losses. Only your overall trading performance is relevant.

You should also prepare for the next trading day and view the current market situation. Some traders note important trading signals that may affect the quotes in order to pay attention to them in the morning.

As a rule, most day traders spend in front of the charts about an hour in the morning, around an hour during the day, and half an hour in the evening. Beginner traders may take longer. Professional traders might need less.

Well, now you have an idea of ​​a typical schedule of a day trader. This will help you build your plan and fit it into your daily life.

Popular articles

Stay tuned for the latest FXCL stories

trading mindset beginners novice traders trading strategy losses forex mistakes trading habits trading plan forex trading women in Forex female traders risk management broker profit trading instruments pairs price advantages of forex leverage FXCL investments copy trading advantages of Forex social trading professional traders trading psychology demo trading buy/sell bid/ask spread Metatrader 4 market analysis technical analysis fundamental analysis trade trading platform Forex trading novice trading dealing with losses charts timeframe indicators MetaTrader 4 trading routine support level resistance level trend low-hanging fruit stop loss loss trading history long-term goals open trade close trade daily charts swing trading intraday trading scalping trading setup Forex traders bullish bearish resistance support MA 200 trend trading professional trading EMA EA daily chart weekly chart Forex news highs lows account type cent trading Mini Micro Cent Partnership commission fees trading terms Stop Loss news trading economical calendar major news release currency pair currency rate national currency trading journal trades profit/loss emotions news release positions size Expert Advisors platform trading robot cryptocurrency volatility day trading position size lot account types cent accounts Mini account ECN Copytrade ECN accounts swap-free minimum deposit order execution liquidity providers demo accounts real account low-risk trading EUR/USD economic calendar majors cross-currencies exotic currencies base currency quote currency quotes bid ask Brexit United Kingdom European Union GBP Euro GDP WTO price levels moving average 4-hour chart 1-hour chart bulls bears false breakout cross-currency USD price action pin bar trading inside bar trading hands off breakeven stop loss 50% stop loss pin bar high-frequency trading position trading swings breakout strategy trading style Entry order Take Profit hammer shooting star inside bar pinocchio bar head and shoulders harami risk to reward ratio trading calculator trader’s age emotion control stop-hunting false signal trading session New York session Asian session non-farm payrolls fed rates decision central banks mentor teacher Forex education Forex books candlesticks bonuses tradable bonus no deposit bonus deposit bonus cashback pending orders counter-trend trading risk-to-reward ratio 1-2% rule uptrend downtrend news releases slippage emotional trading stop orders limits orders trailing Stop correlation Correlation Matrix EURUSD EURJPY RSI Overbought/Oversold indicator doji morning start candlestick pattern liquidity London session gap requote US dollar greed excessive trading Expert Advisor trading instrument Twitter Trump euro Canadian dollar Japanese yen Mexican peso currency pairs Fed China economic news currency wars USA interest rates trade agreement H1 H4 D1 sell trade buy trade price level trading system COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown checklist Default mode network Nonfarm Payrolls intraday traders lot size Stop Out margin breakeven pip point entry price chart candles weekly candle daily candle engulfing candle Doji W1 fears money management trading signals Charles Dow Dow theory primary trend Relative Strength Index signals market noise trading volume oversold/overbought corrections candle M30 GBPUSD GBPJPY pending order fundamentals Interbank order Stop order Limit order Standard account Interbank account liquidity provider M5 chart gold XAUUSD Chinese yuan flat US Dollar Fed Interest Rates inflation level XPTUSD platinum XAGUSD silver USDCNY Chinese Yuan instruments swap trading hours Buy Stop Sell Stop Average True Range ATR range sideways range price level trading scripts Excel tables entry point equity balance applications highs and lows RSI Fibonacci terminal server proxy OS Windows XP self-trading Forex advantages gap trading Fibonacci levels USDJPY Buy Limit Cherry Blossom market cycle mark-up mark-down consolidation distribution long positions short positions double bottom triple bottom double top triple top pattern signal presidential cycle Elliott wave Kondratiev wave Forex terminology quote standard lot mini-lot micro-lot cross pairs exotic pairs counter-currency terminology Margin Call long position short position buy sell candlestick chart bar chart line chart range market channel high low ADX OHLC patterns profit level martingale aggressive EAs VPS demo account EA tester trading signal chasing the market clicking the button oil trading lot EUR cent account Forex mentor novice trader emotions control fear psychological level round numbers Key Levels indicator MetaQuotes iOS Android mobile trading mobile terminal VPS server financial portals day trader position closing short timeframe fast trading news site news portal FXStreet Investing.com Forex Factory ForexLive DailyFX CPI PPI economic indicators Non-Farm Payrolls monetary policy FOMC retail sales inflation rates program installation intuition apps ECN brokers market makers financial markets indices commodities stock metals trading robots Forex mentors confidence bias low-frequency trading set and forget end-of-day trading exit trade auto-trading OCO trailing stop auto-management competitive advantage partnership IB referral Introducing Broker Sub-IB EURGBP EURCHF Donald Trump Twitter exotics minors trading patterns wedges pennants triangles breakout trading range trading confident trading trading goals Japanese candles inverted hammer hanging man abandoned baby spinning top spinning bottom inverted head and shoulders trading figure trading pattern beginner mistakes unrealized profit/loss Forex scammers money managers overtrading Trader’s Cabinet MT4 trading styles exit point Forex myths currency bitcoin ethereum tether litecoin tick chart education European session cross currency GBP/USD GBP/JPY M15 intraday strategy American session USD/CAD M5 Bollinger Bands MAM investing high water mark currency market stock market cryptocurrency market japanese candles stars morning star evening star figures diamond divergent triangle symmetrical triangle reversal signal financial intelligence financial education long-term investing triangle ascending triangle descending triangle risk control stocks Forex mutual fund EUR/AUD AUD Australian Dollar Australia ECB RBA demo live live account spike bearish spike bullish spike breathing techniques meditation unusual trading tips useful habits nutrition intermittent fasting Three indians pamm mam expert advisors start-up capital business Forex business oversold overbought reverse signals 15-minute chart full-time trading discipline drawdown inflation devaluation IDR LAK export Russia regulations regulators Central Bank quantitative easing quantitative tightening Donald Trump Joe Biden coins indexes DXY ICO Mrs. Watanabe beginner trader carry trading young traders women traders productivity self-discipline rectangle sideways channel trend figure Alexander Elder John Murphy Jack Schwager limit order leaving Forex useful tips motivation on Forex expanding triangle 5 candlesticks signal confirmation loss control currencies Germany market execution instant execution taxes laws remote trading withdrawals time management British pound BoE unemployment rate interest rate breakout Sydney session Tokyo session disposition effect continuation pattern golden rule enter trade high volatility risk trading trading discipline trading strategies Forex risks trading risks systemic risks technical risks force majeure criminal risks self-education self-study professional education Forex forecasts partnership program Forex bonuses Forex contests self-employed trader bars harami cross engulfing belt hold sandwich piercing line dark cloud cover marubozu three black crows upside gap two crows multitasking wedge figure trading sessions major trend million financial literacy budget goal setting Forex resources Myfxbook useful tools account analysis account monitoring trading analysis economic sentiment consumer price losing streak perfectionism consistent profits starting capital initial investment market psychology japanese candlesticks PAMM trust management money manager holidays market sentiment CHF CAD Great Britain pound Swiss Frank reserve currency averaging morning routine initial capital potential profit reverse pattern rounded bottom rounded top saucer inverse saucer IB Program IB Commission Sharing reversal patterns deposits payment methods payment systems local transactions trader’s block market balance
trading mindset beginners novice traders trading strategy losses forex mistakes trading habits trading plan forex trading women in Forex female traders risk management broker profit trading instruments pairs price advantages of forex leverage FXCL investments copy trading advantages of Forex social trading professional traders trading psychology demo trading buy/sell bid/ask spread Metatrader 4 market analysis technical analysis fundamental analysis trade trading platform Forex trading novice trading dealing with losses charts timeframe indicators MetaTrader 4 trading routine support level resistance level trend low-hanging fruit stop loss loss trading history long-term goals open trade close trade daily charts swing trading intraday trading scalping trading setup Forex traders bullish bearish resistance support MA 200 trend trading professional trading EMA EA daily chart weekly chart Forex news highs lows account type cent trading Mini Micro Cent Partnership commission fees trading terms Stop Loss news trading economical calendar major news release currency pair currency rate national currency trading journal trades profit/loss emotions news release positions size Expert Advisors platform trading robot cryptocurrency volatility day trading position size lot account types cent accounts Mini account ECN Copytrade ECN accounts swap-free minimum deposit order execution liquidity providers demo accounts real account low-risk trading EUR/USD economic calendar majors cross-currencies exotic currencies base currency quote currency quotes bid ask Brexit United Kingdom European Union GBP Euro GDP WTO price levels moving average 4-hour chart 1-hour chart bulls bears false breakout cross-currency USD price action pin bar trading inside bar trading hands off breakeven stop loss 50% stop loss pin bar high-frequency trading position trading swings breakout strategy trading style Entry order Take Profit hammer shooting star inside bar pinocchio bar head and shoulders harami risk to reward ratio trading calculator trader’s age emotion control stop-hunting false signal trading session New York session Asian session non-farm payrolls fed rates decision central banks mentor teacher Forex education Forex books candlesticks bonuses tradable bonus no deposit bonus deposit bonus cashback pending orders counter-trend trading risk-to-reward ratio 1-2% rule uptrend downtrend news releases slippage emotional trading stop orders limits orders trailing Stop correlation Correlation Matrix EURUSD EURJPY RSI Overbought/Oversold indicator doji morning start candlestick pattern liquidity London session gap requote US dollar greed excessive trading Expert Advisor trading instrument Twitter Trump euro Canadian dollar Japanese yen Mexican peso currency pairs Fed China economic news currency wars USA interest rates trade agreement H1 H4 D1 sell trade buy trade price level trading system COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown checklist Default mode network Nonfarm Payrolls intraday traders lot size Stop Out margin breakeven pip point entry price chart candles weekly candle daily candle engulfing candle Doji W1 fears money management trading signals Charles Dow Dow theory primary trend Relative Strength Index signals market noise trading volume oversold/overbought corrections candle M30 GBPUSD GBPJPY pending order fundamentals Interbank order Stop order Limit order Standard account Interbank account liquidity provider M5 chart gold XAUUSD Chinese yuan flat US Dollar Fed Interest Rates inflation level XPTUSD platinum XAGUSD silver USDCNY Chinese Yuan instruments swap trading hours Buy Stop Sell Stop Average True Range ATR range sideways range price level trading scripts Excel tables entry point equity balance applications highs and lows RSI Fibonacci terminal server proxy OS Windows XP self-trading Forex advantages gap trading Fibonacci levels USDJPY Buy Limit Cherry Blossom market cycle mark-up mark-down consolidation distribution long positions short positions double bottom triple bottom double top triple top pattern signal presidential cycle Elliott wave Kondratiev wave Forex terminology quote standard lot mini-lot micro-lot cross pairs exotic pairs counter-currency terminology Margin Call long position short position buy sell candlestick chart bar chart line chart range market channel high low ADX OHLC patterns profit level martingale aggressive EAs VPS demo account EA tester trading signal chasing the market clicking the button oil trading lot EUR cent account Forex mentor novice trader emotions control fear psychological level round numbers Key Levels indicator MetaQuotes iOS Android mobile trading mobile terminal VPS server financial portals day trader position closing short timeframe fast trading news site news portal FXStreet Investing.com Forex Factory ForexLive DailyFX CPI PPI economic indicators Non-Farm Payrolls monetary policy FOMC retail sales inflation rates program installation intuition apps ECN brokers market makers financial markets indices commodities stock metals trading robots Forex mentors confidence bias low-frequency trading set and forget end-of-day trading exit trade auto-trading OCO trailing stop auto-management competitive advantage partnership IB referral Introducing Broker Sub-IB EURGBP EURCHF Donald Trump Twitter exotics minors trading patterns wedges pennants triangles breakout trading range trading confident trading trading goals Japanese candles inverted hammer hanging man abandoned baby spinning top spinning bottom inverted head and shoulders trading figure trading pattern beginner mistakes unrealized profit/loss Forex scammers money managers overtrading Trader’s Cabinet MT4 trading styles exit point Forex myths currency bitcoin ethereum tether litecoin tick chart education European session cross currency GBP/USD GBP/JPY M15 intraday strategy American session USD/CAD M5 Bollinger Bands MAM investing high water mark currency market stock market cryptocurrency market japanese candles stars morning star evening star figures diamond divergent triangle symmetrical triangle reversal signal financial intelligence financial education long-term investing triangle ascending triangle descending triangle risk control stocks Forex mutual fund EUR/AUD AUD Australian Dollar Australia ECB RBA demo live live account spike bearish spike bullish spike breathing techniques meditation unusual trading tips useful habits nutrition intermittent fasting Three indians pamm mam expert advisors start-up capital business Forex business oversold overbought reverse signals 15-minute chart full-time trading discipline drawdown inflation devaluation IDR LAK export Russia regulations regulators Central Bank quantitative easing quantitative tightening Donald Trump Joe Biden coins indexes DXY ICO Mrs. Watanabe beginner trader carry trading young traders women traders productivity self-discipline rectangle sideways channel trend figure Alexander Elder John Murphy Jack Schwager limit order leaving Forex useful tips motivation on Forex expanding triangle 5 candlesticks signal confirmation loss control currencies Germany market execution instant execution taxes laws remote trading withdrawals time management British pound BoE unemployment rate interest rate breakout Sydney session Tokyo session disposition effect continuation pattern golden rule enter trade high volatility risk trading trading discipline trading strategies Forex risks trading risks systemic risks technical risks force majeure criminal risks self-education self-study professional education Forex forecasts partnership program Forex bonuses Forex contests self-employed trader bars harami cross engulfing belt hold sandwich piercing line dark cloud cover marubozu three black crows upside gap two crows multitasking wedge figure trading sessions major trend million financial literacy budget goal setting Forex resources Myfxbook useful tools account analysis account monitoring trading analysis economic sentiment consumer price losing streak perfectionism consistent profits starting capital initial investment market psychology japanese candlesticks PAMM trust management money manager holidays market sentiment CHF CAD Great Britain pound Swiss Frank reserve currency averaging morning routine initial capital potential profit reverse pattern rounded bottom rounded top saucer inverse saucer IB Program IB Commission Sharing reversal patterns deposits payment methods payment systems local transactions trader’s block market balance