What is FOMO in Trading? Characteristics of a FOMO Trader

At the individual level, FOMO stems from the feeling that other traders making money while you are left out, so you too want to get a piece of the pie. However, it leads to a lack of long-term perspective, an unwillingness to wait, too much confidence or too little confidence, and overly high expectations. FOMO is basically about emotional trading, and if left unchecked, you may end up neglecting your trading plans and taking too much risk. The risks of loss from investing in CFDs can be substantial and the value of your investments may fluctuate. 70% of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs, with this investment provider.

  1. As a result, it reinforces poor trading discipline and delays doomsday.
  2. This can provide a great deal of relief – the idea that everyone is having a better time, and is more successful, can be lonely and isolating.
  3. Market volatility can be a great opportunity to make money as there’s price movement in all directions.
  4. Become a better trader with our analyst Paul Robinson – learn to overcome the FOMO and trade more successfully.
  5. FOMO can affect both new traders with retail trading accounts and professional traders working for large financial institutions.

This emotional response can cloud judgment, hindering the necessary analysis before placing a trade. Hakan Samuelsson and Oddmund Groette are independent full-time traders and investors who together with their team manage this website. They have 20+ years of trading experience and share their insights here. To overcome FOMO in trading, you need to conquer your trading emotions, such as greed, envy, jealousy, impatience, fear, excitement, and anxiety. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. It’s important to remember that FOMO affects traders of all levels and can be difficult to overcome.

Trading Forums

But, it takes patience to develop strong decision habits and good judgment calls. So, impatient traders who are indecisive are likely to succumb to FOMO. We know that FOMO is caused by the anxiety that other people are making lucrative trades while you’re not. Before we dig into what FOMO is in trading, we’ll give a brief overview of where the fear of missing out stems from. Social media can be helpful to traders, but it can also be detrimental – when it looks like everyone else is winning trades, it’s easy to become disillusioned and demotivated.

In the financial trading world, every moment in the market is unique and anything can happen at any time. Traders worry that if they miss out on a potentially profitable trade, they’ll regret it later. It can be amplified by social media and trading forums, where traders may see others boasting about their profits and feel pressure to keep up. As well as affecting traders on an individual level, FOMO can have a direct bearing upon the markets. Moving markets might be emotionally driven – traders look for opportunities and seek out entry points as they perceive a new trend to be forming. The psychology of trading is a key theme covered in our webinars, where our analysts share expert tips to keep emotions in check, maintain consistency and maximise trading success.

Despite the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. stock market keeps churning out a string of record highs. It appears that social media is fueling mass FOMO, with investors on the sidelines jumping into the market in order not to miss out, thereby driving the markets further up. An investor is much better off buying low and selling high, and often is more likely to make money on less popular trades. So, how do traders avoid giving into drawn in by FOMO resulting in bad trades?

No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial pundi x wins out vote for free binance listing situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication.

Identifying FOMO in Trading

The modern trader lives in a world where social media is commonplace and they are bombarded with stories of others succeeding. The concept refers to the feeling of anxiety or the idea that other people are sharing in a positive or unique experience while you are missing out. Technical analysis helps combat the fear of missing out because it shows market data which may confirm or invalidate a trade. Thus, you’ll be able to incorporate more logic and less emotion in your decisions. FOMO stock prices usually result from stocks that get airtime and are performing  particularly well. While a stock that shines in the news can make investors want to buy in, its rally may have already run its course.

The feeling of missing out on a great opportunity can be pervasive. Fear can appear in trading any asset; for example, there is FOMO in forex, in stock trading, FOMO in commodities, and more. To avoid it, you need to analyse the market thoroughly and plan your actions. There, users can find the most advanced analysis tools and charts free of charge. It’s important to remember that hindsight bias often magnifies the perception of missed opportunities, making the fear of regret an even more significant driving force behind impulsive trading actions.

Just because a security is performing well doesn’t mean that it will continue to do so in the future. In fact, many investors lose money by investing in price movements or market trends right before they’ve run their course. In the context of trading, the fear of missing out addresses the anxiety a trader feels by missing out on a potential, lucrative investment.

To help traders better understand the concept of FOMO in trading and why it happens, this article will identify potential triggers and how they can affect a day trader’s success. It will cover key examples and what a typical day trade looks like when it is driven by FOMO. There are various tips on how to overcome the fear, and the other emotions which can affect consistency in trading – one of the most important traits of successful traders. Basumallick also emphasized the importance of a long-term strategy, which helps ward off the “inevitable biases” that come so easily to investors. There are many social media forums where people talk about the financial market. In these forums, investors can give tips and live updates on trades.

The characteristics of a FOMO trader?

However, with practice and discipline, traders can learn to manage their emotions and make more rational decisions. If they still want to open a position after waiting and researching, then perhaps that has more merit. However, in many cases the urge to purchase the hyped security was an emotional one and the emotion will have passed. Overcoming FOMO doesn’t happen overnight; it’s an ongoing process. This article has provided a good starting point, highlighting the importance of trading psychology and managing emotions to prevent FOMO from affecting decisions when placing a trade.

Not only can FOMO have a negative emotional impact, but it can also cloud judgment and overshadow logic, which is problematic when making trading decisions. Similarly, during the GameStop short squeeze of 2021, retail traders on Reddit’s Wallstreetbets forum drove up the price of the stock. As a result of this situation, GameStop stock rose nearly 2,000% in less than a month. And then, it all came crashing down, leading to significant losses for some investors. When it comes to investments, the fear of missing out or FOMO can strike when there is a big rally or newly surfaced exciting opportunity that has a lot of buzz.

Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. Managing risk carefully is an important step in moving away from FOMO – and if you are tempted best cryptocurrency exchanges in the uk into trades through the fear, good risk management will be your backup to ensure losses don’t spiral out of control. FOMO manifests when a trader observes a sharp rally in a stock and feels compelled to join the move, fearing the opportunity will pass by.

Why is it so important to us to make sure we’re doing what everyone else is doing? IG International Limited is licensed to conduct investment business and digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. A refusal to accept FOMO means a trader won’t change their habits, staying stuck in an unfulfilling cycle of reliance on others. This can provide a great deal of relief – the idea that everyone is having a better time, and is more successful, can be lonely and isolating. One of them has sold 30,000 copies, a record for a financial book in Norway.

Traders may find themselves unable to stick to their trading plans or maintain discipline, instead succumbing to impulsive actions driven by the overwhelming fear of missing out. FOMO, or « fear of missing out », is a slang term originally created to reference the distress one feels at missing out on experiences and opportunities like nights out with friends. However, as used in investment circles, FOMO is somewhat linked to emotions like impatience or envy can risk causing investors to make hasty and/or decisions. Unfortunately, the FOMO feeling becomes greater the more the market continues to move in that direction. However, the farther the price moves, the more likely it will actually reverse or make a pullback. From experience, most trades placed out of FOMO often end up as losers, which could have been avoided with a little bit of discipline.

However, the flip side of that coin means that “there is always a new crop of opportunities.” Investors who are more disciplined are likelier to find better opportunities. Having a plan in place with rules for what constitutes a good trade how to send bitcoin to your coinbase coinbase charges card will help you beat trading FOMO. Just make sure you stick to your plan and only take trades that meet your criteria. These thoughts suggest you need to spend some time evaluating your trading and establishing what works for you.