Closed out losses stopped?

[ghotib]

If you know that you might be unable to monitor a trading portfolio regularly for a while, how do you decide whether to trust your stop losses or just to close out?

See why I need to find a strategy? I'm away for 12 hours and my thread goes bust!!!

Thanks for the replies people.

Maybe I should have said that I intend to stick with value investing as my core strategy, but I find t/a fascinating and I'm working my way around to having a try - provided I can trust myself to keep technical and value portfolios distinct in my mind.

Length of trades is one of the areas I'm trying to figure out, and that's what started me thinking about what my plan would be for trades that I couldn't monitor right through. I'm more interested in what should go into the decision (e.g. capital gains effect. thanks tech) when I have to make it than in trying to decide in advance.

Bullmarket, thanks for pointing out the Commsec conditional orders, I hadn't got around to noticing them.

dutchie, the laptop solves a lot of problems but not the problem of a disconnected brain, which is likely enough in the sort of family disruptions I'm imagining. Besides, I hanker after a tablet machine and I'll need some profits to get that.

Tech, nice to hear that you've occasionally made an impulse trading decision. I just hope mine don't turn out to be worse.

Cheers,

Ghoti

 

[Bobby]

Hullo ghotib.,
I've had set stops just passed through = ouch !. ( too quick to drop )

No simple answers sorry, just close any positions that worry you if youre not there to watch ?

bob.

 

[bullmarket]

Hi ghotib

See why I need to find a strategy? I'm away for 12 hours and my thread goes bust!!!

That'll teach you to leave us on our own with no-one to mind us - you know what they say happens when the cat's away although Wayne stepped in and made an executive decision

Anyway, maybe something else to consider if you're thinking of separately technically trading and value investing your portfolio could be to open up a second account with your broker to keep the two styles separate. Apart from any logistical and/or mental/psychological reasons to keep the two styles separate the tax treatment of profit/losses in trading, so to speak, and investing is different and can be tedious as far as record keeping goes depending on your circumstances and set up.

food for thought.

cheers

bullmarket