Discipline has always been important to BetterTrades coach Ryan Litchfield. The same discipline required to achieve a black belt in the martial arts form of Aikido is evident in Ryan's stock market trading and the way he trains students who seek his guidance. He believes that discipline can help people make money in the market.
"Trading is not a natural act; it's counter-intuitive to everything you know," Ryan says. "You need someone to coach you through the process. You need someone to show you how to stay calm, follow procedure, and stay with the fundamentals that are taught."
Ryan has the capability to show students how it is possible to become disciplined by becoming less emotionally tied to their trades. Through Ryan's self-designed "Bracket Trading" system, students learn from a series of "if-then" scenarios to overcome the fear that accompanies trading, and trade with confidence.
Ryan realizes that new traders aren't prepared when they enter the trading arena; he was like that when he started. They have limited knowledge and a lot of determination, but don't realize the depth of the pool into which they are stepping. A builder of customized homes for 20 years before beginning his stock market career, Ryan says it's like looking at the plans for a house that hasn't been built; it's more complicated than it appears.
As a coach, Ryan is there to help students learn the proper way to profitably trade the market. His "Traders Forge" class expands a student's experience base by putting them through 10 months of simulated trading in two days. It's designed to get students prepared; he compares his role to a flight instructor who refuses to allow the student pilot to leave the runway before it is safe. Ryan wants his students to "hurry up and go slow," until their risk levels and skill levels are equal.
Ryan is considered one of the nation's foremost authorities in candlestick charts, an indicator that encapsulates a stock's movement at a glance. Ryan co-authored the book "Candlestick Charting Explained," in which he looked at more than 14 million days worth of candlesticks while doing research. This gives him a unique perspective as a coach.
Ryan lives in Seattle with his wife, Cindy. They like to spend time with their five grown children and doting on their four grandchildren. Ryan, a champion pole vaulter in high school who still calls himself "a jock," enjoys spending time outdoors and appreciates "anything with handlebars and an engine."
But his true passion is coaching others. His goal is to help students become calm, confident, consistent, and profitable in their trades.
"It's so gratifying when you're in a class and you see the lights come on and you see that they've got it," Ryan says. "It's even better when you see them again two months later and see how you've made a positive impact on their life."