Ray Dalio needs no introduction.

There’s no doubt we can learn a ton from such a legendary investor.

That’s why today I want to share with you 7 powerful lessons from his book ‘Principles’ which you can apply to your trading TODAY.

These are some of the principles Ray used himself to succeed in the stock market, and it’s interesting how I used some of these without even noticing!

Without further ado, let’s get started:

Work for yourself and don’t just do what others ask of you

Ray Dalio didn’t particularly love school growing up.

From a young age, Ray decided to work for himself, and he learned that he could get anything that he wanted by working for it.

And when he was 12 years old, he bought his first shares in the stock exchange.

See, Ray didn’t take the traditional, secure route. Instead he chose the uncertain, hard one.

I guess we can both agree it went well for him, right?

Working for yourself can be scary sometimes.

But if you put in the work and become good at your craft there’s no ceiling to what you can achieve.

Create independent opinions and use them to advance your goals

We talk about developing your own strategy at Hawkeye all the time.

Every trader is different, has different goals, different strengths and weaknesses…

There’s no cookie-cutter approach that can make every single person that uses it successful in the market.

One of the main things we do inside Hawkeye is help our students develop their own strategy.

Click here if that’s something you want help with.

Play to win

The financial markets are like a jungle.

It’s kill or be killed.

It’s no place to play around or test the waters.

You have to be in 100%… or you’ll soon be out.

That means doing your due diligence, researching, having a solid mindset, learning what’s working now, etc.

There’s a lot of things involved. That’s why you need to apply the next lesson…

Surround yourself with the smartest people you know and learn their way of thinking

When he was beginning in the world of investment, Ray had questions for everyone that he considered a good investor.

This could be anyone. For example, he asked his stockbroker, his barber and anyone else that he thought was good at investment.

By learning the processes of many people, he boosted his chances of being right in trades, and it contributed to his overall success.

Which is why the Hawkeye community is so powerful.

We help each other with research, we share new opportunities, and we learn together!

I personally do a live session every Wednesday where you can ask ANY questions you have.

Plus, you can interact with other members inside our exclusive Hawkeye group to learn what’s working for them or ask about one of your trades!

Invest in what you know and understand

No matter which type of appetite you have, Ray says that risk grows from not knowing what you are getting involved in.

If you make trades in a sector of industry that you know little to nothing about, that can be risky.

That’s why I always preach niching down to a sector you’re familiar with.

“Invest in things that you know and you will be successful.” – Ray Dalio

In my case that’s energy.

How about you?

If you need help finding your niche, you can look at your previous career, your interests, the news you typically follow…

Reflect on your past decisions to improve your future ones

One of the principles that Ray Dalio depends upon extensively is the process of decision-making and the activity of analyzing results.

Which sounds boring and vague, but I’m going to teach you exactly what Ray means and how I personally do this.

From his days as a boy, he learned that failure was the result of something that he or others around him were doing wrong.

By analyzing the reason for failure, Ray learned how to be effective at a higher rate than his peers.

Struggling with his mistakes, problems and weaknesses made Ray grow into a strong investor.

The lesson here is to not shy away or be embarrassed of mistakes. Simply learn from them and strive never to repeat them.

How do you learn from them?

Here’s what I do.

I go to my trade history and analyze my latest failed trades.

I open the chart and find where I opened a position, what my indicators were telling me, how the trend developed, where I should have closed my position, etc.

And I recommend you do this with every losing trade. This one comes back to the ‘Play to win’ lesson.

Yeah, it sounds cute and all, but the reality is if you don’t put in the work to master the craft you’re not really playing to win.

This is in my opinion the single best thing you can do to become a better trader (besides becoming a Hawkeye Trader).

Become aware of overconfidence and reduce your risk to the lowest level possible

Overconfidence is much worse than lack of confidence.

When you lack confidence you’re cautious and don’t take big risks.

But overconfidence is what leads to blown accounts!

The most basic lesson in trading 101 is to reduce risk as much as possible.

Yet we forget about this all the time by focusing on the upside.

It’s understandable though — the goal is to close big wins, right?

But that often involves higher risk, and it’s our duty as traders to protect our trading capital.

Which is one of the main things we teach in Hawkeye Mastery Academy!

Click here to learn what that is and how you can get access for free!

Today I want to talk about the “Next” mentality.

This is something not many traders are even aware of.

But as I always say, trading is 90% mental and emotional…

And overcoming mental barriers can have a huge impact on your trading.

The next mentality is pretty easy to understand…

But tough to implement.

This is what it’s all about:

Win or lose, you should always be moving on to your next trade.

Whatever the result of your last trade was…

The sooner you reset and refocus, the higher your chances for your next trade to be a winner.

When I was a beginner trader, things didn’t usually go the way I wanted.

But even when they did and I had a big win, it would often turn against me.

I’d feel super excited and overconfident.

… Which would lead to bad decisions on the next trade, and therefore losing all the money I had previously gained.

So win or lose, you should always have this “next” mentality and focus on the next trade at hand.

But of course, this is easier said than done.

The hardest part is starting a new trade from scratch.

First you have to find a trade that matches your criteria, analyze it to make sure it can be a winner, and then execute the trade…

It’s a whole process.

That’s why a solid trading strategy is the best ally to the Next mentality.

Because if we rely on our emotions after a loss…

We’ll probably want to make that money back as soon as possible.

And as you probably know, that rarely ends well.

Other times we just feel insecure about our abilities and make soft decisions…

Which also very rarely ends well. You shouldn’t ever take a step in the markets unless you’re 100% confident.

Whenever you have a loss, focus on your strategy and the things that have worked well before…

And apply them to your NEXT trade.

Typically when we’re trading well we tend to take gains into the anticipated move, cutting off losses quickly and sticking to a game plan.

So when things go bad, cut your losses quickly, don’t dwell on it and look for the next trade you can apply the above criteria to.

Fundamentals always win, so stick to them!

After all, trading is a marathon, not a race.

If you invest in the proper behaviors and strategies, your chances of reaching your trading goals will be much higher.

I know because it happened to me.

And nowadays I teach the trading fundamentals and mindset needed to succeed in trading inside my Hawkeye Traders mastermind group.

These are the same golden rules that I’ve learned over 10 years in trading — and that allowed me to generate $1,000,000 plus in the last 4 years.

Click here to learn about Hawkeye Traders!

There are many ways to get paid for doing a job.

Money is definitely a very important one.

But there are many others virtually no one talks about.

And it’s my firm belief that they should always play a role when choosing your next career step.

Because it’s the sum of all the different ways to get paid that truly makes a good job.

So what other ways are there to get paid?

First of all there’s time.

Time is the only thing we can’t buy.

If your job sucks all the time out of your day and you aren’t able to do the things you enjoy or dedicate time to your family, I think we can both agree that’s not ideal.

But don’t get me wrong, trading can also be very time consuming.

There’s people that spend the entire day glued to a screen.

If they’re OK with that, cool.

But it’s not the way I personally like to do things.

That’s why we created the Hawkeye set of tools. But that’s a story for another day.

My point is if you’re paying the company you work for with your time, instead of them helping you make time for the things you deem important, things need to change.

One of the coolest things about being a full time trader is that we can safeguard our time and only invest it in things we choose.

Something else that’s important when choosing your job or career is the sense of fulfillment or enjoyment you get out of it.

Reporting to a boss everyday — especially if they aren’t the nicest person in the world – can be pretty unfulfilling.

I certainly wouldn’t enjoy it. Especially after working for myself for 10 plus years.

I also think it’s important to do something that motivates us and challenges us.

If you do sit every single day in a cubicle doing the same thing, day after day…

It’s hard to be truly happy.

And it’s hard to be truly motivated when your earning potential has a clear ceiling!

That’s why if you have an interest in the markets, economics, or any sector that can be traded, there’s no better job (in my opinion).

Just the fact that you can decide how much you get paid based on your effort and skills is a total game changer.

And finally there’s comfort.

Comfort comes in many ways.

There was a time last year where I feared I had Covid…

And it made me appreciate how lucky I am to not have to travel for work, or commute, or work in a public place risking getting infected.

It’s not only about the virus though — I generally don’t like to do those things.

I’d just rather stay in my safe and comfortable house…
Sitting in my office with my dogs, and having my wife close to me.

People who can make their living working remotely and independently are in the strongest possible position to stay healthy, happy and financially secure for the upcoming future.

That’s why in my eyes the pandemic was an amazing opportunity to get into trading (if you haven’t yet).

And if you didn’t make the leap…

The next best time is always NOW.

All you have to do is watch this training where I show you how I was able to succeed in trading as a former mechanic with no formal education in economics or finance.

>>> Click here to watch it.

Commodity supercycles are great for traders…

And a new commodity supercycle appears to be on the horizon.

Bold statement, I know…

But I have plenty of evidence to support my claim.

If you want to learn what a commodity supercycle is, why I believe one is coming AND how you can benefit…

A commodity supercycle is a decade(s) long period in which materials or commodities trade above their long-term price trend.

Commodity supercycles are born out of abnormally strong demand growth that producers struggle to match, sparking a rally in prices.

And needless to say, these are a great environment for us traders to do our thing and profit!

The first indication of a commodity supercycle I noticed was when oil prices surged over the past month…

But then I started to look more closely at other important commodities.

Iron ore — the flag carrier for the boom in resource commodities — has reached record level prices.

Steel seems to be crushing it as well…

Copper prices shot up above $10,000 per metric ton this week for the first time since 2011 and are now close to an all-time high:

Also nickel, cobalt, lumber, lithium, and even coal have rebounded quite dramatically from their pandemic lows.

Plus there’s a boom occurring in agricultural commodities. Wheat, corn, other grains and soy prices are at six-year highs, and cotton and live cattle prices have bounced back strongly from their pandemic lows.

The pandemic severely disrupted production and supply chains for most of these commodities.

So there already is a lack of supply ready to meet pre-pandemic levels of demand…

Which can drive prices up even more.

So is all this evidence enough to say 100% a commodity supercycle is coming?

Nothing is guaranteed…

But what’s for sure is the commodities market is getting red hot as we speak.

As traders, I think this is definitely a market to pay attention to.

I know I will…

And I’ll discuss with my Hawkeye students the best opportunities for big profits and how to take advantage of them… and I’ll even help them with their own trades.

Plus, they’ll be equipped with the most powerful indicators out there.

If you’d also like to be prepared to take full advantage of this potential commodity supercycle…

>>> Click here to discover how to make that a reality.

If you’ve been thinking about retiring early, that’s awesome.

I’m sure you deserve it.

But there are some factors that may get in the way between you and the peace you deserve.

More specifically, there are six reasons why you may not be able to retire as early as you want…

Not Enough Savings

Maybe you still have kids in college…

Perhaps you have elderly parents who need help paying medical bills or nursing home fees. ..

Or maybe you still have a mortgage and credit card debt.

If that’s the case and you’re planning to maintain your existing lifestyle — but your savings are limited — you’ll need to either take care of the above expenses beforehand or make sure you have enough savings to pay them as they come (including an emergency).

Reduced Social Security

The earlier you start collecting your social security benefits, the less benefits you’ll receive.

The earliest you can start collecting your benefits is age 62, and if you decide to do so you’ll only receive about 70% of your benefits.

The more you wait to start collecting, the higher your benefits will be.

Living Longer Than Expected

Thanks to the technological and medical innovations of our era, people are living longer than ever before.

According to the Social Security Administration, about one in three 65-year-olds today will live past age 90, and one in seven will live past age 95.7

And if your family has a history of longevity or you take care of yourself, you might live even longer!

The average monthly benefit for retirees in 2020 was $1,503, or $18,036 a year.

For retirees with no savings and no pension, it may be hard to meet basic living expenses on Social Security income alone. Therefore, you might want to wait till age 70, when you can collect your maximum Social Security benefit.

Increased Mortality

A 2017 paper published in the Journal of Public Economics found a link between early retirement and mortality rates, especially among men.

The research conducted in the study showed that men could see a 20% increase in mortality risk by claiming benefits early and retiring.

Saying Goodbye To Your Bucket List?

Retiring early would mean significantly smaller 401k savings. Which could result in you saying goodbye to some of your dreams or goals.

Maybe you want to buy a house in Florida, or take a cruise…

Are you willing to sacrifice those things?

The Point of No Return

If you change your mind after you take early retirement and want to return to the workforce, it’s not as easy as deciding to go back.

Whether you quit your last job or were laid off, finding new employment when you’re over 50 can be a struggle.

And if you do manage to get a new job, chances are it won’t pay as well as the one you left.

But fear not!

Because you can still retire early if that’s what you truly desire.

Trading can enable you to generate a healthy income while investing little time.

We’ve got many retirees in Hawkeye who have a higher income than when they were working — and they truly enjoy trading!

If that’s something you’re interested in…

>>> Click here to learn how they made it a reality!

One of the most important things you can learn as a trader is to minimize losses.

In fact, this is one of the first things that most traders must learn, in my opinion.

Because it’s not the wins that dictate success — it’s the losses.

Easier said than done, I know…

But today I want to share with you 6 maxims to keep in mind when trading that will help you keep your losses to a minimum.

• A single loss can wipe out months of gains

  There’s not a single trader who hasn’t heard the mantra “cut losses quickly” over and over again.

  … Yet we’ve all been guilty of ignoring this rule.

  Losses can escalate very quickly and wipe out months of gains and diligent trading.

  Keep this in mind next time you’re on the losing side of a trade.

  What starts as a “small” loss can quickly wipe out months of hard work if you let it get out of control.

• Traders Should Study Their Losses

  Traders are always looking for the next great trade.

  This means that as soon as a losing trade is over they forget about it and focus on a new trade.

  Your trading history is filled with super valuable lessons.

  Take 30 minutes of your day to study your losses so you can avoid them in the future.

  Reflect on why you lost that trade and what can be done to prevent this type of loss in the future.

• Don’t add to losing positions

  “When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.”

  It’s very easy to become stubborn when faced with a losing trade.

  We’ve all been there.

  We figure the trade will turn soon, and the last thing we want to do is sell at the bottom or cover at the top.

  Some traders will even double down with no real argument to support that decision.

  Remember, a stock can always go higher when you’re short and lower when you’re long.

  Don’t be stubborn. Take the loss, study it and move on to the next one.

• Always Have a “Stop” In Place

  Stops provide the foundation for a risk management strategy.

  And it’s an essential element in any trading plan.

  You should know your stop price before you enter any trades, whether it’s a mental stop or a stop loss order.

• Focus on Your Best Trading Setups

  Focus on your highest probability setups and avoid any subpar setups.

  Go back to your trading history and analyze your biggest winners. Find the common denominators on your winners, and look for new trades that share those elements.

  This can automatically increase your percentage of winning trades.

• Always Trade With a Free and Clear Mind

  If you’re tired, anxious or upset, your trading is likely to suffer.

  If you’re not in an optimal mental condition to trade, don’t trade!

  You should also avoid “vengeance” trading — that is, trying to make back losses, or forcing a trade just to make money.

Hopefully you found these useful, and maybe you’re already implementing some of them in your trading.

But if you feel you need some help with risk management…

Hawkeye can help tremendously.

>>> Learn more here!

I’ve always been fascinated with lions.

They’re fearful creatures — assassins, predators…

Yet if you put them in the wrong environment, they will perish.

For example, a lion wouldn’t survive long in the scorching Sahara desert, or in the Amazon where the landscape doesn’t help them in the least.

And guess what?

It’s the same with traders.

>>> Keep reading…

The same way lions or any other animal can’t adapt to every single environment…

Traders, or any other business owner will have a tough time trying to dominate every market.

Imagine three business owners that provide a service.

One is carpenter, the second is an electrician, and the third is both a carpenter and an electrician.

Who do you think will dominate the electrical market?

Most likely the one that focuses on electrical work!

Because he puts all his time and focus into it, which will help him dominate that market faster than the guy who does both carpentry and electrician work.

He goes deep instead of wide.

The same would happen with the carpentry market.

See, there’s a reason for that old saying:

“The riches are in the niches.”

Too many traders try to focus on multiple markets instead of drilling down into one or two that they know or have a great interest in.

Doing this is one of the simplest ways to maximize your wins and minimize your losses.

One of the questions I get asked the most about this topic is:

“How do I pick what niche I’m going to focus in?”

It’s a pretty easy decision making process actually…

For instance, I grew up in a family that owned an automotive repair and retail gasoline business.

I was used to seeing the gas and oil price fluctuate.

And I always knew what was going on in the space.

The key is in going after a niche you know well or have a keen interest in.

So for me, it was the energy sector.

For you it could be the industry where you worked previously, a sector that you are really interested in, or one or two niches where you’ve achieved your greatest trading results.

Give this a try and you’ll see trading become more predictable and enjoyable!

And if you want some tools to help you dominate whatever market you pick…

Check out this on-demand training where I share the tools that helped me become the master of the energy sector!

Check out this on-demand training where I share the tools that helped me become the master of the energy sector!