What day trading is, and what it isn't
Day trading means opening and closing positions within the same trading day. You don't hold anything overnight. Instead of owning a company for years, you're trying to profit from price moves over minutes or hours.
How it differs from investing
An investor buys something they expect to be worth more in the future and holds it. A day trader doesn't care much what something is worth long term; they care about where price is likely to go in the next few minutes to hours, and how much they could lose if they're wrong. That means day trading is mostly about process: which setups you take, how much you risk, and how consistently you follow your rules.
Realistic expectations
- Most beginners lose money. Studies of retail day traders have repeatedly found that most lose money over time. That's not meant to scare you off, but to set the bar: this is a skill, it takes time, and it costs money to learn.
- It's a business with costs. Commissions, data, platforms and, if you use them, prop firm fees. Profit only counts after all of those.
- Consistency beats big days. Traders who last usually risk small amounts, follow a plan, and review their results honestly. Traders who blow up usually take a few oversized losses.
What this course covers
The next nine lessons walk through the practical groundwork: how much money you need, choosing a market, brokers and order types, managing risk, writing a plan, practicing, journaling, the mental side, and your options for getting started, including prop firms. It won't teach you a strategy or tell you what to trade. It gives you the foundation to test any strategy honestly.