If you’re looking for spread betting tips, this is definitely a good place to start.

1. The more profitable trades consist of trends where a spread trade is entered long or short and is left to run with the trend for weeks on end.
2. The best times to buy a market is often when the herd is terrified and you can smell blood in the air. The financial markets crash because of insufficient buyers. For a bull market to continue rising you need to continue pumping in new money. If all investors are bullish on a market, then it has no other way to go but down as investors that wanted to buy have already done so.
3. Avoid exiting trades too early. It can be tempting to close your trade as soon as it has turned to profit but closing bets too early is wrong. You REALLY have to try letting profits run as much as possible. Stick to your trading strategy and only exit your position once it has reached your target level. This can even be done automatically if you set a limit order so you don’t have to be continually in front of the screen.
4. Don’t stay in a trade for too long. On the other hand it can be easy to fall in love with a stock and get greedy. Markets go down as well as up and trades will not go your way forever so you may see the market reversing direction at some point. Stick with your trading plan and exit when pre-defined levels are reached. If the market is going against you and the trade is loss-making, don’t hesitate to exit. Avoid ending up in a position where you are watching as your money dwindles away while you you hope for your trade to recover, as it may already be too late.
5. Overtrading is a killer Do not do it. This is one of the most common mistakes that beginners tend to make. Leveraging your spread betting account too high by taking on big positions relative to your initial deposit outlay puts you in a very vulnerable position. A tip is to limit your leverage to 15 to 20% as this gives your trades a bit of leeway for normal everyday market noise and reduces the chance that you will be forced to exit positions due to insufficient margins.
6. Develop your Trading Plan Plan your trades out before plunging in. This is one of the most important principles in trading – you need to have a regimented plan and trading system to have any chances of success in the long run. Many day traders do not realize that trading is more complex than it may initially appear. Don’t be greedy and set realistic profit targets. Admit your mistakes and try to learn from them. Be confident in what you’re doing. Keep all these in mind, and you will not go wrong.
7. When trading on leverage discipline is paramount so as to avoid your cash balance suffering a boom or bust. Overconfidence, or so called ‘conviction’, leads spread traders to disregard evidence that contradicts their view.
8. Control your Emotions Emotions are a no-go in trading. Always be objective with your trading decisions. The old saying applies here as well: ‘never marry your trades’. If you are in a trade and the market keeps moving against your position, admit that you have got it wrong. Hoping is futile and will only lead to more pain.
9. Cut losses at an early stage. How many times have we heard that? Some traders keep hoping that their loss-making trades will ultimately do well if they wait for long enough. More often than not, the market keeps moving against your positions and continues losing you hundreds of points – making it very difficult to ever recover. Don’t think that each and every single trade has to be profitable for you to be successful. If half the number of your trades are doing well, you should consider yourself as being on the right track. The key here is to ensure you still get enough even if only half of your trades are winners is to allow your winners to run and to reduce your losses.

1. It is essential to have a high tolerance for risk and a gambling mentality. On the other hand you have to be risk aware and constantly try to make your trades more efficient by getting the odds on your side.
2. Spreadbetting on FTSE 100 companies requires a greater awareness of the macro economic picture. For instance, stock prices can move rapidly when economic news are about to be released, it is immensely important to be able to trade  when this happens.  Likewise, London prices react to movements on Wall Street so an eye has to be kept on the Dow Jones Index
3. Avoid the temptation to take positions outside your chosen sphere of knowledge. I usually make sure to dedicate sufficient time to research  ‘my shares’ well but once or twice was tempted to take a position on a share I did not know which had experienced a sudden price movement.   Most of the times it didn’t go well…
4. Have a trading diary. Many successful traders deem it necessary to keep a trading diary. Writing in diary form can allow one to describe the daily events and also express your trading emotions. A trading diary let’s you learn from both your technical and psychological mistakes and become a better investor.
5. Beware of your Emotions. Develop a clear strategy for emotional risk management. I can’t stress the emphasis on controlling emotions sufficiently. Especially how hesitation and doubt can play a critical factor when your on the clock. Don’t trade when stressed from work, family or finances. If you cannot separate emotions from your life when trading you are more likely to make rash decisions that may cost you dearly.
6. It is gambling. But it is about making high probability bets and limiting the odds of failure. I have read enough books on it to know the facts. The vast majority of people will keep losing money for the same reasons. And the spread betting companies will keep making vast amounts of money for the same reasons.