“Top Down Trading” (TDT) was Jesse Livermore’s unique trading system which outlines how one of the world’s most famous speculators read the tape. Livermore emphasized the importance of keeping things simple by remaining as objective and unbiased as possible.
Lesson 1 stressed the importance of developing “a sound market-tested trading plan, then trade your plan.” Lesson 2 discusses the importance of handling losses. Remember, losses are inevitable so don’t set them aside. Instead, prepare for them by integrating them into your trading plan. That way you can recognize when you are wrong, and instead of battling it out in the psychological warzone, you can cut your losses and get back to winning.
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre and Roger Lowenstein is one of the most powerful investment books every written. Many people believe the book outlines the story of Jesse Livermore, one of the most famous stock market operators in history. The book contains a wealth of wisdom and prescient information that has stood the test of time. Many of the concepts are applicable today! Over the next few weeks, I will break down much of that “market wisdom” into a series of easy to digest blog posts.