Good morning. In 1993, the VIX Index (Volatility Index) was introduced by the CBOE to measure market fear and uncertainty. It’s now known as the “Fear Gauge” of Wall Street.

When the VIX spikes, traders don’t breathe, they brace.

-Jordon Mellor, Jonathan Kibbler, Shaun A

MARKETS

How’s your favorite today?

Prices supplied by Google Finance as of 4:00am ET - stock prices as of close. Here is what the prices mean.

TRADER INSIGHTS

Day Trading For A Living Can Be Scary

Day trading for a living looks glamorous from the outside. The charts, the action, that dream of making money in pajamas. Social media loves to hype it up, screens full of green, profit numbers that almost look fake. But to be honest, this thing cuts both ways.

Every day, you stare down the real chance of losing money. You question yourself. Sometimes, you want to scream at your own laptop. The stress is not just real. It’s constant.

I’ve walked this path, the excitement, the panic, the “what have I done” at 3 p.m. when the market spits in your face. If you’re thinking about trading for a living, or if you’re already in the thick of it, I won’t sugarcoat anything. This job can chew you up if you’re not careful.

Let’s talk about the fear and, more importantly, what I do to keep from blowing up my life.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Day Trading

Trading for a living scrambles your insides. It’s more than just pushing buttons to buy and sell. It’s fighting yourself. It’s staring at red numbers and wondering if you’re a genius or a clown.

Facing Financial Uncertainty Every Day

No salary shows up on Friday. The market doesn’t care about your bills. You can work 10 hours and end the day with less than you started.

Losing streaks feel like a punch in the gut. You start to doubt every decision. “Am I just unlucky, or am I bad at this?” That thought eats at you.

Every day brings a fresh spin on the wheel. Win or lose, your stomach drops. When the rent is due or you’re staring at a growing stack of losses, the stress can keep you up at night.

Dealing With Isolation and Mental Fatigue

Most traders work alone. There’s no boss. No coworkers. Just the glow of your screen and your own voice in your head.

No one claps when you score a big win. Nobody talks you down after a bad run. The silence creeps in. Your world can shrink to a monitor and a coffee mug.

Mental fatigue sneaks up fast. You stare at patterns, charts, numbers, your brain feels fried before lunch. Burnout isn’t a maybe. It’s waiting outside your door.

Managing the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Regret

FOMO is a monster. The market rips up without you and you feel left behind. You see setups you missed and start revenge trading. That’s when mistakes stack up.

Then regret shows up. You sell early, watch the stock double, and kick yourself. Or you hold too long, and a winner becomes a loser.

You can’t rewind the tape. The shoulda-woulda-coulda game will eat your lunch if you let it.

Mitigating the Risks: What I’ve Learned

You can’t erase the danger, but you can manage it. I’ve made just about every rookie mistake. Paid for each one with real cash. Here’s what actually keeps me in the game.

Creating a Structured Trading Routine

Wing it and you die. Simple as that. Chaos kills accounts.

I build a plan before the market opens. Each trade gets clear rules:

Entry and exit points
How much to risk
When to bail out

I block off time for breaks. No staring at the screen for six hours straight. Step away. Drink some water. Clear your head.

Discipline beats luck. Every. Single. Time.

Building an Emergency Fund and Risk Controls

Never trade with money you can't afford to lose. Period.

I keep an emergency fund, enough to cover months of living expenses. This isn’t just for peace of mind. It keeps me from making desperate, dumb trades (and the mrs. from killing me).

Stop-loss orders save me from blowups

Stop-loss orders save me from blowups. I decide the max I’m willing to lose on a trade. No guessing. No hoping it'll bounce back.

Here’s what works for me:

Risking no more than 1-2% of my account per trade
Setting hard stop-losses before entering
Walking away after my daily loss limit

Small losses are survivable. Big losses end careers.

Seeking Support and Continuous Education

Nobody gets good at this alone.

I found a mentor. Someone who’s traded for years, who calls me on my nonsense. I join trading forums. I share my wins and my screw-ups.

Course-selling “gurus” on YouTube? Ignore them. Find real people with track records.

I never stop learning. Markets change. Setups stop working. I read, I test, I tweak. This is not a job where you set it and forget it.

Support matters even more for your mind. When I’m burned out, I talk to other traders. Sometimes, you just need someone who gets it.

Conclusion

Day trading for a living is scary. That’s the truth. It’s not all Lambos and beach laptops. The fear is real, fear of losing, fear of missing out, fear of blowing up everything you’ve built.

But fear isn’t the end. With structure, discipline, and support, you can manage it. You can keep your head above water when things get rough.

It’s not about being fearless. It’s about being prepared. Knowing yourself. Learning from pain.

If you’re in this game, or itching to start, don’t just dream about the highs. Prepare for the lows. Build habits that protect you.

And remember, every trader faces the same monsters. You’re not alone. You’re just one more person, staring down the market, trying to carve out a life one trade at a time.

Stay sharp. Stay safe. And trade smart.

-Jordon Mellor

FOREX

Is GBP/USD Heading for a Massive Drop?

The GBP/USD price has pushed through the support of 1.3400, will this see prices fall further?

The pound's been on a steady downward slide, and it's only getting worse. Why? It’s all down to a messy combination of the Bank of England’s (BoE) likely rate cuts and an economy that can’t seem to get its act together.

Let’s break it down:

Why the Pound’s in Trouble

BoE Rate Cuts: The market’s pretty much convinced the BoE is going to slash rates. Economic data isn’t helping, and inflation’s still a pain. This is just what the pound doesn’t need, and it’s been dragging it lower for weeks.
Weak Economic Data: Let’s be honest, the UK economy isn’t looking great. Retail sales? Sluggish. Industrial output? Meh. And don’t even get me started on growth. It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck – you know it’s coming, but you can’t look away.
Technical Levels: I’m looking at 1.3000 as the key support. This could be a target for sellers. The head and shoulders pattern can be easily spotted with a neckline around the 1.3400 resistance. This could be the level that sellers re-enter the market.