By definition, black swan events are unexpected and extremely difficult to predict. It’s possible that we could see huge gaps, wild swings, and increased volatility during big events… or we could see no movement at all.
Remember the time when the Swiss National Bank (SNB) surprised the markets with the decision to stop defending EUR/CHF’s 1.2000 floor?
The move went down in history as a Black Swan event, an unpredictable, unforeseen event that had significant impact across financial markets.
The SNB’s decision cost many market players a lot of money, and even forced some brokers and other financial institutions to close shop for lack of capital.
Average Joe retail traders also got caught in the SNB’s storm. We’ve heard stories of trades that got triggered hundreds of pips away from their orders, brokers who are now incommunicado, and investors who have lost everything but the shirt on their backs.
So how can you protect yourself from black swan event losses? Or how can you pick yourself up from your trading losses?
Here are three things you can do:
1. Manage your risk
This is a no-brainer. The first defense against unpredictable, unforeseen events is limiting your potential losses.
Use stop losses in every trade and always be aware of your account exposure. Make sure you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
If anything, trade many small, uncorrelated positions and get bigger only if the trade goes your way and you expect it to keep going. Most importantly, NEVER risk money that you can’t afford to lose.
2. Be informed
Do your research and ask your broker to clarify any concerns you have. If you can’t contact your broker, try interacting with trading communities in case someone has more information.
If you’re one of the unfortunate souls who have sustained significant losses and have brokers who suddenly aren’t available, then the first best step is to talk to regulatory agencies to know your rights as a client.
Just because you can’t predict the markets doesn’t mean that you can’t predict what could happen to your hard-earned profits in the event of another black swan.
3. Build your account back up
Once you’ve accepted your losses and done your homework for future trades, all that’s left to do is to pick up the pieces and build your account back up.
Trade demo accounts if you can’t afford another live account yet. That way you can still fine-tune your processes and keep your trading skills sharp.
Either way, the best way to protect your account is to be prepared for as many scenarios as you can and to always manage your risk.
