Trading guides
One idea per guide, explained in plain words with a worked example. Educational only, not financial advice.
New to the words? See the trading glossary.
Start here
New to chart reading? Read these in order.
How to Use the ATR to Set a Stop Loss (Gold and Forex, 5 and 15 Minute Charts)
What the ATR measures, how to read it on your chart, the two ways to use it for a stop (a buffer beyond the level, a distance check from entry), sizing from the wider stop, and two made-up examples.
When to Move Your Stop to Break Even (and When Not To)
The three moments that earn a break even stop, the real break even price once spread and commission are counted, why moving it too early turns winners into scratches, and two made-up examples.
How to Trade the London Open on Gold and EUR/USD
When the London open is in UTC, how to mark the Asian range, the two setups at the open (false break and real break), where the stop goes, a 30 minute no-rush rule and a worked example on EUR/USD and gold.
How to Trade the New York Open on Gold (13:30 UTC US Data)
When the US data and the New York open hit gold in UTC, why the release candle is not the entry, the 15 minute wait, the retest entry, when to stand aside, and two made-up examples with lot size.
How to Calculate Lot Size on a Small Account (Forex and Gold)
What 0.01 lot is worth on EUR/USD, USD/JPY and gold, the one formula that turns your stop distance into a lot size, three worked examples on $100 to $1,000 accounts and what to do when the minimum lot is too big.
How to Read the Economic Calendar Before a Trade
What each economic calendar column means (impact, actual, forecast, previous), which releases matter for gold, forex and Bitcoin, a 5 minute routine before every trade and a worked EUR/USD example.
How to Trade Gold on the 15 Minute Chart: A Step by Step Plan for XAU/USD
A routine for gold on the 15 minute chart: the 1 hour bias, the levels that matter, the session to trade, a stop that survives the spread, size in ounces and a worked example.
How to Use AI for Trading Safely: A Checklist Before You Follow Any AI Trade Plan
What an AI chart tool can and cannot see, the mistakes that turn a useful second opinion into a costly one, and a 6-step checklist to use AI on your charts without handing it your risk.
How to Read a Trading Chart for Beginners: Price, Candles, Timeframes and Levels
A step by step method to read any trading chart: what candles show, which timeframe to use, trend or range, where the key levels are, and how to turn it into a written plan, with a worked example.
What Is a Good Win Rate in Trading? The Math Behind It
Why a 40 percent win rate can make money and a 70 percent win rate can lose it, the break-even win rate for each risk reward ratio, how to measure yours, and how many trades you need before the number means anything.
OTC Charts on Broker Platforms (Why the Levels Behave Differently)
What the "OTC" label means on broker and fixed-time trading platforms, why those charts can differ from the real market, how far chart reading still helps, and the payout math every fixed-expiry trade has to beat.
Trading Around News Events: Spreads, Slippage and How to Plan the Trade
What happens to spreads and fills around releases like NFP, CPI and rate decisions, why a stop can trigger before the chart reaches it, and four ways to plan a trade around the news, with a sizing example.
The Best Timeframe for Day Trading (1H, 15M, 5M or 1M?)
Which chart timeframe to use for day trading, how to pair the 1H for direction with the 5 or 15 minute chart for entries, and why the 1 minute chart misleads most traders. With a gold example.
Trailing Stops Explained (How to Trail a Stop Without Getting Shaken Out)
What a trailing stop is, the three common ways to trail one (fixed distance, ATR, swing lows), when to start trailing, and a worked example that shows what each method keeps and what it gives back.
How to Backtest a Trading Setup by Hand (Step by Step)
A practical method to backtest one trading setup manually on past charts: write the rules, scroll back, log every trade in R, read the results honestly and avoid the usual traps.
How to Scale Out of a Trade (Partial Profits Explained)
What scaling out means, how to split a position into partial take profits, when to move the stop to breakeven, and the arithmetic that shows what it costs and what it protects.
ChatGPT vs a Dedicated AI Chart Tool: Which One Should Read Your Chart?
An honest comparison of asking ChatGPT about a trading chart screenshot and using a dedicated AI chart tool: format, consistency, levels, stops, history, a prompt to copy, and when each one is the better choice.
How AI Chart Analysis Works: What ChartEdge Reads on a Screenshot
What an AI chart analyzer actually reads on a trading chart screenshot, how ChartEdge turns that reading into a bias, levels and a plan, when it says wait, and the limits you should know before you use it.
Forex Session Times: When Each Currency Pair Moves (UTC Guide)
The Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York forex sessions in UTC, the overlaps, which pairs move when, release and central bank times, the rollover, and a session-based sizing example.
Gold (XAU/USD) Trading Sessions: When Gold Moves and How to Plan Around It
The Asian, London and New York sessions for gold in UTC, the London and New York overlap, the US data releases that move XAU/USD, daylight saving changes, and a sizing example with a session-based stop.
Bitcoin Weekend Volatility: How to Trade BTC on Saturdays and Sundays
Why Bitcoin often trades differently on weekends: thinner order books, CME futures closed, leverage still on. How to measure it on your own chart, a sizing example with a wider weekend stop, and 6 weekend rules.
Why Most Traders Lose Money: 7 Risk Rules That Keep You in the Game
Why retail traders lose money comes down to risk more often than to bad entries. The math of losing streaks and drawdowns, a worked example at 10% vs 1% risk, and 7 simple risk rules you can apply today.
Liquidity Sweeps: How to Spot a Stop Hunt and Trade the Reversal
What a liquidity sweep is, why price runs the stops above equal highs or below equal lows, how to tell a sweep from a real breakdown on a chart screenshot, and a worked long example with entry, stop and target.
Trading Journal: What to Log After Every Trade (With a Template)
What to write in a trading journal before and after each trade, a simple template you can copy, a worked example with R multiples, and how to review the journal each week so it actually changes how you trade.
Bull Flag and Bear Flag: How to Trade the Pause After a Strong Move
How to trade bull flags and bear flags: what a real pole and flag look like, how deep the pullback can go, the close that confirms the break, the measured target, where the stop goes and a worked example with numbers.
Order Blocks and Supply and Demand Zones: How to Mark Them and Trade the First Return
What supply and demand zones and order blocks are, how to mark one on a chart screenshot, which zones are worth trading, where the entry, stop and target go, and a worked example with numbers.
Double Top and Double Bottom: How to Trade Them After the Neckline Breaks
How to trade double tops and double bottoms: what makes the second test valid, the neckline close that confirms the pattern, the measured target, where the stop goes and a worked example with numbers.
Head and Shoulders Pattern: How to Trade It Without Guessing the Top
How to trade the head and shoulders pattern: the neckline close that confirms it, the retest, the measured target, where the stop goes, the inverse version for longs and a worked example.
Breakout vs Fakeout: How to Tell a Real Breakout Before You Enter
How to tell a real breakout from a fakeout: the close rule, the retest, volume and context, a 4-step plan, where the stop goes, a worked example with entry, stop and target, and the mistakes that trap traders.
Fibonacci Retracement: How to Draw It and Trade the Pullback
What Fibonacci retracement levels are, how to draw them, why 61.8% and 50% get the most attention, how to pair a level with old support, a 4-step plan and a worked example with entry, stop and targets.
MACD Crossover Signals: What They Mean and How to Trade Them
How the MACD line, signal line and histogram work, bullish and bearish crossovers with a diagram, zero line crossovers, why MACD lags, a 4-step checklist and a worked example with entry, stop and target.
Moving Average Crossover Strategy: How to Trade the 20 and 50 Cross
How a moving average crossover works, SMA vs EMA, golden cross and death cross, why crossovers whipsaw in ranges, a 4-step plan that waits for the pullback, and a worked example with entry, stop and target.
How to Use Multiple Timeframes: A Simple Top-Down Method
How to combine a higher and a lower timeframe on one trade: which pairs to use, a 3-step top-down routine, a worked example, where the stop goes, and the mistakes that make timeframes contradict each other.
Position Sizing for a $1,000 Account: How Much to Buy on Every Trade
How to size positions on a small trading account. The one formula, worked examples for crypto, forex and stocks, minimum sizes, leverage, and the mistakes that blow up a $1,000 account.
RSI Divergence Explained: How to Spot It and When to Trust It
What RSI divergence is, bullish and bearish divergence with a diagram, hidden divergence, a 4-step checklist with a worked example, where the stop goes, and why divergence alone is not an entry.
Trend vs Range Markets: How to Tell Which One You Are Trading
How to tell a trending market from a ranging one on any chart, with a 4-question checklist, worked examples, which setups fit each, and how to spot the switch from one to the other.
How to Read Candlestick Patterns From a Chart Screenshot
A step by step method to read candlesticks on any chart screenshot: candle anatomy, the patterns that matter, and how to judge them in context, with a worked example.
How to Set a Stop Loss: Structure, Volatility and Position Size
Where to put a stop loss so normal noise does not hit it, how to size the position from the stop, and the mistakes that turn small losses into big ones, with a worked example.
Risk Reward Ratio Explained: How to Calculate It and Why Win Rate Matters
What the risk to reward ratio is, how to calculate it from entry, stop and target, how it connects to win rate, and the mistakes that make a good-looking ratio meaningless.
Support and Resistance for Beginners: How to Draw Levels That Matter
What support and resistance are, how to draw zones instead of thin lines, how to tell strong levels from weak ones, and how to plan a trade around them, with a worked example.
Check your next chart with ChartEdge AI
Upload a screenshot and get the trend, key levels, entry, stop loss and targets in seconds.
3 free analyses. No card required.