10 Deadly Trading Mistakes! Have You Put Your Account in Danger?

“Unplanned profits always end up turning into bigger losses.” 💥

Have you ever had a winning trade on your account, only to see those profits vanish because of an impulsive decision or poor position management?

90% investors have fallen the traps of these deadly mistakes! In your trading, are you more prone to blindly chasing breakouts, or holding onto losses hoping for a rebound?

Small mistakes like these can accumulate into heavy losses. Today, let’s talk about the 10 most common trading mistakes—how many do you have in your own trading?

Top 10 Most Dangerous Trading Mistakes:

  1. Averaging down without a plan — Buying more to recover losses can actually amplify risk.

  2. Letting small losses turn into disasters — Small losses that are ignored can wipe out your account.

  3. Blindly chasing every breakout — Focusing on price without understanding context or logic.

  4. No stop loss, or moving stops — Losses can snowball uncontrollably.

  5. Frequent trading without reason — Dozens of trades a day can eat into profits via fees and emotional stress.

  6. Overexposing one trade — Putting too many eggs in one basket can be catastrophic.

  7. Thinking you’re smarter than the market — The market is always smarter; arrogance is your enemy.

  8. Measuring success by P&L — Ignoring your system and process, letting short-term swings distort judgment.

  9. Holding on to “it will rebound” hope — Gambling on luck instead of following rules often ends badly.

  10. Poor position sizing — Too big or too small positions put unnecessary stress on your account.

💡 Discussion

Which of these mistakes do you find yourself making most often?

Do you lean more toward strict stop-losses, or waiting for a rebound?

Was there a single trade mistake that taught you a lesson and changed your trading habits?

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# 10 Deadly Trading Mistakes! Have You Put Your Account in Danger?

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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  • Shyon
    ·10-02
    TOP
    For me, the biggest mistake is not following my trading plan strictly. I usually start with a clear entry and exit, but when the market moves against me, I give the position “a little more room.” This wider cut-loss tolerance often backfires, turning small losses into much bigger ones.

    Another weakness is controlling my emotions. When losses build up, I sometimes overreact and double down without a solid reason. It feels like trying to “fight back” against the market, but usually just makes things worse.

    Still, every loss has been a teacher. I’ve learned that consistency and discipline matter more than chasing wins or outsmarting the market. My key takeaway is simple: stick to the plan, respect stop-losses, and don’t let emotions dictate trades. Each mistake makes me a bit more cautious and mindful.

    @Tiger_comments @TigerStars

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  • koolgal
    ·10-02
    TOP
    🌟🌟🌟To err is human, to forgive divine.  We have all been guilty of making trading mistakes in the course of our investment journey.

    One of the most common trading mistakes is FOMO-ing into the Hype Train.  "Everyone is buying it!". That's great logic if you are chasing ice cream, but terrible for chasing meme stocks.  By the time you hear the buzz, the smart money has already cashed out and sipping cocktails.

    Another common trading mistake is ignoring risk management.  No stop loss?  That is like skydiving without checking your parachute.  You might feel free, until gravity reminds you of reality.

    Another mistake is falling in love with a stock.  It is not your soul mate, it is just a ticker symbol.  If it is tanking, don't write poetry.  Write an exit strategy.

    I must confess that I have been guilty of making all the above mistakes and much more.  However I view these mistakes not as failures but lessons learnt to be  a better investor.

    @Tiger_comments @TigerStars



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    • koolgalReplying toicycrystal
      Best of luck 🍀🍀🍀
      10-07
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    • koolgalReplying toicycrystal
      May you have a winning week ahead 🌈🌈🌈💰💰💰
      10-07
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    • koolgalReplying toicycrystal
      Appreciate your support 😘😘😘
      10-07
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  • Aqa
    ·10-05
    TOP
    🧨 Many of us had encountered the 10 Deadly Trading Mistakes! Blindly chasing breakouts, Trying to out smart the market, Averaging down without a plan, Letting small losses rolling into disasters, No stop loss, Frequent trading without reason, Overexposed in one stock, Holding on to “sinking ship”, Poor position sizing, Letting short-term swings distort judgement. Hope all my friends Do Due Dilligence before each trade, avoiding the above 10 trading mistakes and win all the way to the moon during this mid-autumn! 🚀🚀🚀🌕 @1PC @SPACE ROCKET @GoodLife99 @icycrystal @Optionspuppy @Tiger_comments
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    • icycrystal
      thanks for sharing
      10-07
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    • 1PC
      [Comfort] ya ... lets eat 🥮 and sucks in our mistakes 😞 this weekend... Thereafter, look forward ⏩😜 and 🪏 the Markets with the New U 😄 for [USD].
      10-05
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  • 1PC
    ·10-05
    TOP

    💥 I’ve made 8 of the 10 deadly trading mistakes: averaging down, ignoring small losses, chasing breakouts, moving stops, overtrading, measuring by P&L, holding on to hope, poor sizing. My $50K → $2K moment was painful—but it taught me discipline. Now I trade with a system: 📈 MA5/12/26, 📊 RSI, 🔊 Volume, 🌀 MACD, 🧭 left-side methods. I’ve reduced those mistakes, review every trade, and follow rules. Growth comes from learning, not luck[Miser]. Trade with intention—not impulse[Happy][Cool]. 🧠📉

    [Miser]@JC888 @Barcode @Shyon @koolgal @Shernice軒嬣 2000 @Aqa @DiAngel

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  • ee244c
    ·10-02
    TOP
    I had a close call when I over brought a stock that was thinly traded. I kept on buying when the price drops
    Didn’t realize that the margin for this stock was only 30% and Tiger would close or sell down to meet the margin if I didn’t meet the safe margin level after review. Lucky I was able to trim down the total stock holding in time without making a loss.
    Lesson learn don’t over chase and monitor the allowable level for each stock.
    $CityDev(C09.SI)$
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  • highhand
    ·10-02
    TOP
    if trading a stock with no fundamentals and purely price action, definitely need a stop loss. if trading a fundamentally good stock that don't mind holding long term, and still hold provided you want to own the stock. need to consider opportunity lost too, as other stocks are running up.  to prevent bag holding, always watch your allocation and enter a few support levels
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  • Optionhawk
    ·10-02
    TOP
    A mistake most people will make. Greed. Have a target price to close the position but due to greed, hold longer and in the end, the price reverse and profit became losses.


    Nowadays, have learnt to take profit along the way. Secure profits always better than losses at the end of the day
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  • Cadi Poon
    ·10-02
    TOP
    十大最危險的交易錯誤:

    在沒有計劃的情況下平均下跌——購買更多以彌補損失實際上會放大風險。

    讓小損失變成災難——被忽視的小損失會讓你的賬戶化爲烏有。

    盲目追逐每一次突破——在不瞭解背景或邏輯的情況下關注價格。

    沒有止損,或者移動止損——損失會不受控制地滾雪球。

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  • I always feel like gambling without knowing the reason i buy the stocks. Yes you maybe need a bit of luck, but with good analysis and understanding of how market works and move it will give u greater chance. Im still learning 😏
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  • Sachy
    ·10-02
    Have always had the mindset to trade like a robot. Set initial stop loss, moving stop loss from when first target is hit. Set 3 targets and sell 20% of your holdings when you reach each target. The last 40% allow to run should you reach those first 3 targets and only sell when it hits your moving stop loss (I Set mine at 7% below the highest price of the stock since I've owned it).
    Unfortunately there have been multiple times I've strayed from this strategy and got greedy (human nature) and been burnt.
    So best thing I found is to trade like a robot!!
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  • My greatest mistakes are as follow:-
    1. Averaging down without a plan — Buying more to recover losses can actually amplify risk.

    2. Letting small losses turn into disasters — Small losses that are ignored can wipe out your account.

    3. No stop loss, or moving stops — Losses can snowball uncontrollably.

    4. Holding on to “it will rebound” hope — Gambling on luck instead of following rules often ends badly.

    5. Ego as I do not want to sell at loss. I always think I am buying a share for earning profit and not at loss, so I will hold on to it till it make profit before I decided to sell off. As a result, I can end up the share become zero value due to delisting.

    However, all these mistakes still never change my trading habits. I never regretted holding on to the shares like $Alibaba(BABA)$ $Sea Ltd(SE)$ $Palantir Technologies Inc.(PLTR)$ $Tiger Brokers(TIGR)$ $Snowflake(SNOW)$

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  • I can see myself often afflicted by (2) that is sticking to a counter being scared by exiting at a small loss to later see it becoming a mess with much larger losses. Another one of my issues, not listed in the above 10, is not booking timely profits. Many times this has led to the profits reducing ir even vanishing in the future - this has happened at least 3 times after trump took over this year.
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  • Apollos
    ·10-02
    It's a good article. As an amateur trader, I made all the mistakes. Every mistake is a reflection and learning opportunity. Be disciplined and not greedy. Always trade with no leverage to reduce risk exposure.
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  • Thanks for participating in my discussion. Your coins have been sent through the tiger coin center![Tongue][Tongue]
    Check them in the history - “community distribution“
    @icycrystal
    @WonderElephant
    @icycrystal
    @Success88
    @Isleigh
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    @TheWhiteTigerHorse
    @TheStrategist
    @D45
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    @WanEH
    @L.Lim
    @Lemony33
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    @Optionhawk
    @Cadi Poon
    @embraceit
    @highhand
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    @Sachy
    @1PC
    @Aqa
    @LiverpoolRed
    @Shyon
    @Lanceljx
    @MHh
    @koolgal
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  • L.Lim
    ·10-10
    I go for long term and buy into sensible companies, in hopes that I can let them grow organically.
    So I guess I'm at risk of having losses grow? Too stubborn to sell... maybe I'll be a little more pragmatic
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  • WanEH
    ·10-03
    嘿嘿,我犯了这个错误过度暴露一项交易——把太多鸡蛋放在一个篮子里。操作了两次全仓+杠杆投资在一家公司,第一次成功,第二次飘了结果亏到妈妈认不得孩子。以后就不敢这么弄了。 @Tiramisu2020
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  • Jackosen
    ·10-03
    $PayPal(PYPL)$ is my biggest trading mistakes. Bought it at high around 200+ and DCA at every dip, thinking that it may recover. Now stuck with paper loss. Now I learnt my mistakes and applied stop loss if things go out of plan.
    @TigerEvents
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  • Lanceljx
    ·10-03
    I used to struggle most with #2 (letting small losses turn into big ones) and #9 (hoping for a rebound), especially early on when I believed “it’ll come back.” That mindset turned manageable losses into painful lessons. The market eventually taught me that capital preservation is priority one, and protecting the downside is what allows you to stay in the game.

    Over time, I’ve grown to lean strongly toward strict stop-losses. They help remove emotion and force accountability. When a trade hits my predefined limit, I exit; no hesitation, no bargaining. I’ve also learned to size positions smaller so stops don’t feel punitive.

    One turning point came from a tech trade that fell 40% while I kept averaging down, convinced it would recover. It never did. That loss reshaped my approach entirely; I began journaling trades, defining risk before entry, and respecting every stop. Since then, I’ve realised consistency and discipline, not prediction, drive long-term success.

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  • embraceit
    ·10-03
    I hit the jackpot! as I trade, I reflect and try to be better with the mistakes made. I treated those as my tuition fees for trading. I also read on other's winning trading strategies and picked up those that best suit my trading behaviour. I appreciate Tiger for providing me with the platform to learn and trade.
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  • Sarohiwal
    ·10-02
    Very well write-up.


    These are the very common mistakes transfers do.


    Many traders struggle not because of the market, but because of avoidable mistakes. The most common ones are trading without a clear plan, ignoring risk management, overtrading, and letting emotions like fear or greed control decisions. Another mistake is expecting quick profits without patience or continuous learning.


    Success in trading comes from discipline – having a plan, managing risk, staying calm, and always learning from past trades.
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