Most of us start trading with prop firms for one reason. We want to maximize our profits and get access to more capital so we can take the skill to the next level.
The problem is that a lot of people do the exact opposite of what works. They let their losses run and they cut their profits short, and that is why the failure rate is so high.
Key takeaways
No matter how good your strategy is, cutting profits short and letting losses run kills your statistical edge and you will not be profitable long term.
Do not judge a single day; think about what your account looks like in a month, two months or a year, and trade day by day toward that.
When your analysis is right and price moves in your favor, more often than not it follows through, so do not cut yourself short.
Set two positions or an alert at the halfway point so you can bank some profit and let the rest run without the fear of a reversal.
Never add to a losing position; add to a winning one, once you are comfortable letting your profits run first.
Why cutting profits short breaks your edge
A statistical edge means that over a series of trades you have an advantage. That is the whole point of a strategy.
However, if you let your losses run and take your profits early, that edge disappears. In practice you are handing back the advantage your strategy gave you.
You see price moving toward your stop and you tell yourself, let me move it back a little. At the same time you grab profits before price ever reaches your take profit. Do that and you will not be profitable, no matter how good the setup was.
“No matter how good your strategy is, if you cut your profits short you lose your edge.”
Why letting profits run actually works
Letting profits run is hard because you see the green and you get scared it will reverse and turn into a loss. Sometimes it does reverse, and that is okay.
That said, price hits your take profit more often than it reverses. That is really all you need to know.
There is momentum on both sides. When the market tells you your analysis is correct and price is going your way, more than likely it continues in your favor.
Two easy ways to take partial profits
The first way is to set two positions instead of one. Exit one halfway and let the other run to the full take profit, so you are no longer worried about giving it all back.
The second way is to keep one position and set an alert at fifty percent of the way to your take profit. When it triggers, manually close however much your strategy allows.
Both make it easier to hold a winner. Once you are comfortable with that, you can start adding to winning positions, because when price is going your way it is more likely to follow through.
“Never add to a losing position. Always add to a winning one.”
When you are ready to scale a strategy that lets profits run, compare reliable prop firms with fair conditions on Propvator.