Shocking But True: 90% of People Lose Money in Stocks (2024)

FAQs

Why do 90% of people lose money in the stock market? ›

The first reason people lose money in the stock market is because they try to hand-select individual stocks that they think will be winners. Whether it's because they heard someone on CNBC recommend that stock or because they use the product, investing in individual stocks comes with real risk attached.

It's a shocking statistic — approximately 90% of retail investors lose money in the stock market over the long run. With the rise of commission-free trading apps like Robinhood, more people than ever are trying their hand at stock picking.

Aspiring traders are often driven by the lure of making quick money, but the reality is that the vast majority of traders end up losing money. According to statistics, around 90% of traders lose money in the long run.

The emotional aspect of trading often leads to irrational decisions like panic selling. When the market moves unfavourably, many traders, especially those who are inexperienced, tend to panic and exit their positions hastily. This panic selling often occurs at the worst possible time, leading to significant losses.

It is a high-stakes game where many are lured by the promise of quick riches but ultimately face harsh realities. One of the harsh realities of trading is the “Rule of 90,” which suggests that 90% of new traders lose 90% of their starting capital within 90 days of their first trade.

The most straightforward answer to this question is that it actually disappeared into thin air, due to the decrease in demand for the stock, or, more specifically, the decrease in enough investors' favorable perceptions of it to move the price down by selling.

According to a survey of 330 family offices, their portfolio allocations to private capital markets are 29.2 percent, edging out for the first time investments in public equities, which are at 28.5 percent, according to Campden Wealth and RBC 2023 report.

Can You Make a Lot of Money in Stocks? Yes, if your goals are realistic. Although you hear of making a killing with a stock that doubles, triples, or quadruples in price, such occurrences are rare, and/or usually reserved for day traders or institutional investors who take a company public.

Another reason why day traders tend to lose money is that it's very different from long-term investing. While traders take advantage of price swings (which means they have to make specific predictions), investors tend to buy a diversified basket of assets for the long haul.

The most common reason for failure in trading is the lack of discipline. Most traders trade without a proper strategic approach to the market. Successful trading depends on three practices.

What is the 1% rule for traders? ›

Applying the 1% Rule in a Single Trade

Determine your risk capital, i.e., the total amount of money you're willing to risk in your trading. This should be money that you can afford to lose without it affecting your lifestyle. Calculate 1% of your risk capital.

The money you can make by trading can run into thousands, lakhs, or even higher. A few key things that intraday profits depend on: How much capital are you putting in the markets daily? How much risk can you take in your bets?

According to research, the consensus in the forex market is that around 70% to 80% of all beginner forex traders lose money, get disappointed, and quit. Generally, 80% of all-day traders tend to quit within the first two years.

Studies have shown that more than 97% of day traders lose money over time, and less than 1% of day traders are actually profitable.

With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].

Lack of Portfolio Diversification: Over-reliance on a single stock or sector can be risky. If that stock or sector experiences a downturn, your entire portfolio may suffer. Diversify your investments across different stocks, sectors, and even asset classes to spread risk and potentially mitigate losses.

One of the primary reasons why traders lose money is because they fail to manage their risk effectively. It's crucial to set stop-loss orders and appropriately size positions to control your losses when trading stocks. Without proper risk management, even a single bad trade can wipe out a good chunk of your profits.

Fear of missing out (FOMO), fear of losing, a lack of patience, and greed are common causes of rash decisions and costly blunders. Ineffective Risk Management: Failure to manage risk properly, such as putting too much money at risk in a single trade, is a common cause of failure.