Introduction
I’m Alex, a trader who spent the last year obsessively building a price action trading strategy that works for small accounts under PDT restrictions. This article shares my struggles, how joining B Traders changed my risk mindset, and the systems I use to track progress through traderSync. While I’ve made strides, my biggest challenge remains maximizing winners without letting emotion guide exits.
Trader Talks QnA
How long have you been trading stocks?
I’ve been actively trading for about 11 months now. While I initially dabbled casually, it wasn’t until I fully committed that things started making sense. My cash account size is currently $22,000, and I’m mentally preparing to consider margin when I hit the $30,000 threshold.
What struggles did you face early on?
I got my account temporarily banned at Fidelity from rapid trading, had no mentorship (even friends wouldn’t talk trading with me), and kept adding to losing positions out of fear rather than strategy. Those early mistakes taught me that consistency and process matter more than profits at first. I trade extremely small now, with single-trade risk under $5, to build proper habits before scaling.
What breakthrough changed your approach?
Joining V Traders and focusing solely on support/resistance trend lines instead of dozens of indicators. I realized from learning systems like humble traders’ pre-market analysis that price action trading could work for small accounts. Taking the plunge to simplify my charts changed everything.
How do you measure success in your trading?
I track both profit/loss ratio and consistency. I run all my trades through traderSync because: – Profit/loss ratio should be 3:1 or higher – Win rate needs to stay above 30% (currently at 40%) – Max loss per trade must stay under $5.00 This blend of metrics helps me focus on process over profits, just like calculating how to trade daily trend lines properly.
What’s your actual trading process like each day?
I wake up at 5:30 AM Arizona time, watch the pre-market video from humble trader, then build watch lists using Finviz levels. After getting my daughter ready for school, I focus on: 1. Bankroll: $22k cash account 2. Positions: Swing trading with small base sizing 3. Market time: 6:15 AM-6:50 AM Market Open 4. Charts: Daily/15M/5M timeframe analysis 5. Strategy: Buying support at prior 9EMA trend lines, selling resistance
What specific trading mistakes do you battle against?
Overtrading and forced position adjustments. When I got shaken out of my Mara long at $47.70 that hit $48.40, I realized that: – My 5%-sized entries build proper average cost – Large initial sizing creates emotional stress – Force expiration of trades before hitting key resistance areas Like that times I knew crypto HX stock would reverse but panicked when it stayed under 9EMA briefly. Smart money spots those leaks faster than beginning traders.
Alex Trade Statistics
My conservative approach shows measurable improvement over time when tracking through ‘price action trading strategy’ principles:
- $22,000 cash account as of last month
- Max single-trade risk: $5.00 (previously $2.70)
- Win rate improved from 18% to 40% in good periods
- Now finds quality stock setup through Finviz exploration
| Month | Profit/Loss | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2022 | -$55 | 18% |
| Jan 2023 | $1.42 | 32% |
| Feb 2023 | $112.34 | 40% |
| Recent Bad Day | -$6.99 | 18% |
| Recent Good Day | $3.6:1 | 40% win rate |
Key Trading Insights from Alex
These takeaways reflect my experiences adapting to price action based strategies under real constraints:
- Scaling slowly is critical – I doubled exposure only when maintaining 3:1+ profit levels
- Type of trader matters more than indicators – Short-term support plays better than long-term investor buying
- Psychological barriers under $25k threshold affect how small accounts trade
- Start-and-stop pattern recognition builds long-term trading consistency
Alex Trading Strategy
After removing all technical indicators, I focus on specific technical elements from my price action trading toolbox:
Morning Stock Selection
I start with humbletrader and V Traders pre-market breakdowns, then add my own watch list through Finviz technical scans. This hybrid model helps me find stocks that show clean intraday volatility rather than random noise.
Security Setups
I buy at support (prior 9EMA trend lines) and sell at resistance levels broken. Recent setups include Plug Power and Fastly plays where price hugged moving averages after my entries.
Alex Tools
My trading tech stack focuses on clean price action visibility:
- Tiny trading: Fidelity cash account currently
- Analytics: traderSync for daily strategy feedback
- Screen recording: MyTrade and forensic review process
- Charting: Simplified view – daily, 15M, 5M with clean trend lines only
Common Trading Mistakes to Avoid
From early $55 loss months to handling pre-market profits, these patterns always resurface:
- Over-adjusting while learning – Jumped into shorting too early, lost more from commissions
- Trusting external calls over personal strategy – Got faked out even in daily chart plays when others give ‘big picture’ advice
- Shifting parameters mid-flow – One small loss can lead to all-time low regarding motivation and discipline
- Mixed timeframes – Single trades might work on 5M but get shaken when checking translations under 1M
Conclusion
If you’re tweaking your price action trading strategy while managing small size like me, remember: process matters more than the immediate profits. By sticking to simple trend lines and buying dips near daily resistance, we can build habits that matter. Would you try trading without a full indicator package for a month? Or do you need layered setups to confirm your entries? Let’s connect if you’re focused on beating PDT restrictions like I am.