當新交易員選擇進入哪個市場和如何進行第一首交易時有很多選擇。但是錯誤選擇錯誤會產生滾雪球效果，降低你信心的同時還吞噬你的血汗錢。（見《你應該規避的10個常見交易錯誤》）。經紀人和金融媒體不顧客戶是否符合標準的積極營銷使這個工作更加的困難。
這也為什麼你要在外匯、期貨和股票市場之中做選擇之前要做準備工作。最開始，你應該避免期權交易，因為那需要高超的技巧。外匯市場吸引新手的原因是小的賬戶額度和高達50：1的槓桿。盡管500美元或者更少的保證金讓它十分有吸引力，但是下列原因讓它對新手也十分危險：
首先，外匯經紀人通常讓自己的市場和交易與客戶賬戶相反。這將產生利益沖突，這可能導致在午夜停止運動、大規模滑點、訂單不能執行和連續盈利後的賬戶限制。最終，這些操作提供的限制數據將毫無疑問的提供一個接近100%的失敗率。
其次，新的交易員不應該接觸槓桿，因為他們不理解它是如何運行的，也不知道他有多少方式槓桿可以在一夜之間摧毀一個小賬戶。事實上，即使在小賬戶爆發引起的大規模趨勢中，在走勢正確的方向會感覺良好但是錯誤的方向也會使你的賬戶爆倉。(欲了解更多,請看:<外匯槓桿:一把雙刃劍>)。
股票市場的第一步
股票市場為只要滿足賬戶需求的新交易員提供最好的機會，這是具有欺騙性的。你可以用500美元賬戶在許多經紀商處交易，但是任何小於25000美元的賬戶都會引起SEC模式日交易規則生效。這表明在傳統的交易週中同一股票只能進行4次操作，超過次數賬戶將會被標記並處以90天的限制。
這條規則產生了風險管理障礙，給實時學習增加了相當大的負擔，因為它很自然的把入市選擇變少，將減緩急速退出。（閱讀更多：《創建一個成功交易計劃的4個關鍵因素》）。在需要時打破規則使退出一個虧損賬戶更加困難。反過來，損失增加交易員信心喪失。
圍繞規則降低交易頻率有一種方法，每週一重新開始並密切關註總體執行到週五收盤。但是學習曲線就會受到影響，因為交易員需要通過反複嘗試調整策略，通過高頻率小金額交易控制風險並學習。在這種方式中，他們可以用股本進行數百次的實時交易。
自從2001年它變成法律以來交易員用三種方式應付這條規則。第一條，他們在賬戶金額超過25000美元之前在限制内交易。第二條，他們積累股本然後交易股票。第三條，他們放棄股票並完全轉入Globex，完全專註於標準普洱500指數和納斯達克100期貨指數。
選擇期貨指數
可以在Tradestation開立5000美元和Interactive Brokers開立10000美元的期貨賬戶，並且交易員可以持有每筆少於6000美元的隔夜賬戶。Globex期貨交易一天24小時,增加機會和風險,特別是在這個快節奏的電子環境。學習期貨交易的風險更大，因為每筆交易的最小額度不會讓你像股票一樣降低費用。
單個交易中的一點在標準普洱500和納斯達克100的價格分別是50美元和20美元。在一個交易日中，標準普爾500指數可以輕易跨越20到40點，納斯達克100指數可以狂飙40到80點。自從2009年低谷後這個運動就變得容易了，因為需要在更高價格的更多點數生成相同比例的運動。
考慮到每一點的高價格，帶有完美技術的微型交易可能達到四位數虧空，除非使用嚴格的止損策略。反過來，對大多數新的交易員來說需要排除長期倉位，因為他們無法處理下跌帶來的心裡和資金影響。（相關閱讀:《交易心裡和紀律的重要性》）
總結
新交易員應該進入那些提供大量機會但是保持低風險的市場。外匯、股票和期貨這個幾個主要市場提供不同的優缺點。
First Markets & Strategies For New Traders
New traders have many choices when deciding which markets to play and how to enter their first positions. But picking the wrong ones can have a snowball effect, undermining confidence while bleeding precious capital. (See: Top 10 Trading Mistakes You Should Always Avoid). Brokers and the financial media make this task even harder, with their aggressive marketing for new clients regardless of whether those clients meet the criteria.
This is why you should do your homework before choosing between currencies, equities and futures markets. At first, you should avoid options because they require advanced skills. Novices are drawn to the forex markets because of the low account size requirements and leverage that can reach 50:1. (For more, see: Top 7 Questions About Currency Trading Answered). Despite the attraction of a minimum stake of $500 or less, it's still a dangerous choice for new traders for the following reasons:
Firstly, currency brokers typically make their own markets and trade directly against client accounts. This generates conflicting interests that play out in midnight stop runs, massive slippage, orders that don’t execute and account restrictions after winning streaks. As a result, it’s no surprise that the limited data provided by these operations suggests a nearly100% washout rate.
Secondly, new traders shouldn’t touch leverage because they don’t understand how it works or the many ways it can destroy a small trading account overnight. In fact, even a small blowup on the other side of the world can trigger massive cross-currency trends that feel great when positioned on the right side of the trade but end careers when caught on the wrong side. (To learn more, see: Forex Leverage: A Double-Edged Sword).
First Steps In The Stock Market
Equities markets offer the best opportunities for new traders as long as they meet account requirements, which can be deceptive. You can trade with a $500 account at many brokers, but anything less than $25,000 brings the SEC’s pattern day trading rule into effect. This states that positions can be opened and closed in the same session only four times in a typical trading week. The account is flagged when exceeded and placed on severe 90 day restrictions.
This rule creates risk management obstacles that can add a considerable burden when learning how to trade in real time because it’s natural to make poor entry choices, which can be mitigated through quick exits. (Read more in: 4 Key Elements To Create A Successful Trading Plan). Break the rule and it becomes more difficult to exit a losing trade when needed. In turn, the loss grows and the trader’s confidence evaporates.
Lowering trade frequency offers one way around the rule - starting fresh each Monday and keeping one eye on total executions until Friday’s close - but the learning curve will suffer because traders need to fine-tune strategies through trial and error, benefiting from high frequency but small size to control risk. In that way, they can work through hundreds of scenarios in real time and with real money at stake. (See: The Vital Importance Of Defining Your Trading Edge).
Traders have dealt with the rule in three ways since it became law in 2001. First, they work within its restrictions until the account size exceeds $25,000. Second, they accumulate the stake first and then trade equities. Third, they pass on the stock market entirely and head over to Globex, focusing totally on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 index futures.
Choosing Index Futures
Futures accounts can be opened for $5000 at Tradestation and $10,000 at Interactive Brokers and the trader can hold an overnight position for less than $6000 per contract. Globex futures trade 24 hours a day, increasing opportunities and risk, especially in this fast-paced electronic environment. Learning to trade carries greater risk with futures because the one contract minimum won’t let you ratchet down exposure in the same way as buying small equity shares.
One point on a single contract is worth $50 on the S&P 500 and $20 on the Nasdaq 100. The S&P 500 can easily traverse 20 to 40 points on a typical trading day while the Nasdaq 100 grinds through 40 to 80 points. This ease of movement has increased considerably since the 2009 low because it takes more points at higher prices to generate the same percentage movement.
Given the high value of a single point, a minimum-sized position with perfect technicals could be in the hole by four figures, unless highly disciplined stop loss strategies are employed. In turn, that rules out longer term positions for the majority of new traders because they can’t handle the psychological or monetary impact of the drawdown. (For related reading, see: The Importance Of Trading Psychology And Discipline).
Bottom Line
New traders should enter markets that offer the greatest opportunity for learning their craft while keeping risk at a minimum. All major venues, including currencies, equities and forex offer distinct advantages and disadvantages in this discovery process.
本文翻譯由兄弟財經提供
文章來源：
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/041515/first-markets-strategies-new-traders.asp