This article is really a list of things that you should already know about, but the problem is, while people might nod wisely at the advice on this article, there are a massive amount of traders out there that are simply going into the game of trading, be it equities, futures or any commodity, with no fundamentals in place. The problem is the hype and the salacious ad sales that have been creeping around brokerages and banks all over the world and people simply get sucked into the whole trading game without realising that they are simply pawns for the bank to pad their trading accounts and make an interest out of the initial margin.



Be sensible about the whole concept of trading; it can surely make anyone money but you need to question whether or not you are capable of doing it and whether or not you have the kind of time to invest in it. Once you are able to answer these question, then and only then will you be able to start considering your move to trading commodities and when this decision has been made you need at least 4 things in your check book.

One thing is money management, and this is something you cannot do without. It is just not a scorecard, it tells you when and where you are getting things wrong and whether or not your trading strategy and the people you are working with need to be reassessed. Do not look at the money management chart as a single dimensional thing, look at it as a paradigm that allows you to track your entire trading career and it must be a constant throughout your entire period of trading.

Secondly, do some smart risk assessment; look at your current financial condition and be prepared to make some hard decisions. Do you have what it takes to do this and can you spare the margin to start trading, Is the margin too much? If so, you need to assess how much you can put in and what sort of risk your portfolio should be showing. In the end of the day, it is your money and your life, so put some thought into it.

Another thing, well the third thing you should be doing is learning all you can about the commodities that you want to trade in and find out as much as you can on their behaviour and the market psychology that precedes them.

Also, you might also want to consider talking to as many traders as you can who have been dealing with your chosen commodities. That is the fourth and last thing you should be doing because experience from the ground is the most valuable experience of them all. As you can see, it is all about knowing yourself, your capabilities and hoarding as much information as you can on the commodities and the markets that you want to trade in. The rest of it is just elementary.