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

FAQs

Shocking But True: 90% of People Lose Money in Stocks? ›

How Many People Lose Money in the Stock Market? About 90% of investors lose money trading stocks. That's 9 out of every 10 people — both newbies and seasoned professionals — losing their hard earned dollars by trying to outsmart an unpredictable and extremely volatile machine.

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.

One of the biggest reasons traders lose money is a lack of knowledge and education. Many people are drawn to trading because they believe it's a way to make quick money without investing much time or effort. However, this is a dangerous misconception that often leads to losses.

That's a roughly 1-in-4 chance of losing money in stocks in any given year.

Too much panic in the market

One of the basic reasons traders lose money in intraday trading is due to panic. In the stock markets when you panic, you actually subsidize the other trader who does not panics. Profits always flow from the trader who panics to the trader who does not panic.

Success rates among average traders are even lower, with some estimates suggesting the number of people that lose money is as high as 95%. The decline in value of an asset isn't the only place you could lose money.

No one, including the company that issued the stock, pockets the money from your declining stock price. The money reflected by changes in stock prices isn't tallied and given to some investor. The changes in price are simply an independent by-product of supply and demand and corresponding investor transactions.

The Rule of 90 is a grim statistic that serves as a sobering reminder of the difficulty of trading. According to this rule, 90% of novice traders will experience significant losses within their first 90 days of trading, ultimately wiping out 90% of their initial capital.

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].

Approximately 1–20% of day traders actually profit from their endeavors. Exceptionally few day traders ever generate returns that are even close to worthwhile. This means that between 80 and 99 percent of them fail.

Do I lose all my money if the stock market crashes? ›

No, a stock market crash only indicates a fall in prices where a majority of investors face losses but do not completely lose all the money. The money is lost only when the positions are sold during or after the crash.

About 90% of investors lose money trading stocks. That's 9 out of every 10 people — both newbies and seasoned professionals — losing their hard earned dollars by trying to outsmart an unpredictable and extremely volatile machine.

When a stock's price falls to zero, a shareholder's holdings in this stock become worthless. Major stock exchanges actually delist shares once they fall below specific price values.

The Rule. If, after trading outside the Value Area, we then trade back into the Value Area (VA) and the market closes inside the VA in one of the 30 minute brackets then there is an 80% chance that the market will trade back to the other side of the VA.

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.

1. George Soros. George Soros, often referred to as the «Man Who Broke the Bank of England», is an iconic figure in the world of forex trading. His net worth, estimated at around $8 billion, reflects not only his financial success but also his enduring influence on global markets.

The top 10% of Americans have lost over $8 trillion in stock market wealth this year, which marks a 22% decline in their stock wealth, according to the Federal Reserve. The top 1% has lost over $5 trillion in stock market wealth. The bottom 50% have lost about $70 billion in stock wealth.

The vast majority of day traders lose money, reflecting the activity's risk. The factors that determine the potential upside of day trading include starting capital amount, strategies used, the markets in which you are active, and luck.

Stocks can only drop to $0.00 per share, meaning you can lose 100% of your investment but not more than that, seeing as the stock cannot be of negative value.