If you’ve ever opened a trading account in India, the very first thing you’ll notice is a disclaimer: “9 out of 10 traders lose money.” This isn’t just a warning — it’s a mandatory SEBI guideline for all brokers. According to official SEBI data, 93% of retail traders end up losing money, which means only about 7% actually make profits. Now, these numbers might sound scary, but let’s look at them differently.
Trading Success Rate vs Other Tough Exams
Before you feel discouraged, consider this — the 7% success rate in trading is actually much better than many of India’s most competitive exams. Let’s take UPSC, for example. In the 2024 Civil Services Exam, around 5.83 lakh candidates appeared for the prelims, and only 1,009 made it to the final list. That’s a success rate of just 0.17%! Even exams like IIT-JEE, AIIMS, or CA Final have a success rate of less than 1%.
So if we look at the data objectively — trading isn’t as impossible as it seems. It’s just that people often enter trading without preparation, patience, or discipline. And that’s where most go wrong.
Before you read further — If you’re serious about trading, start the right way:
- Open your Demat & Trading Account with Zerodha — India’s most trusted stock broker.
- Interested in crypto trading? Begin safely on CoinDCX or Delta Exchange — both FIU-registered and government-compliant platforms.
- Want to master trading charts and patterns? Grab this must-read book: Candlestick & Chart Trading Mastery.
Why Is Trading So Difficult Then?
Trading looks easy from the outside — you buy low, sell high, (Or Sell high and buy low in case of Short selling), and make profits. But in reality, it’s one of the hardest skills to master because it requires discipline, emotional control, and consistency. In trading, one bad day can wipe out your profits of several months — or even your entire capital. Let’s take an example.
If you’re into fitness, you know it takes dedication to stay fit — regular workouts, clean diet, and consistency. Now imagine having a cheat day — maybe you eat a few slices of pizza. You’ll gain a little fat, but you can fix that in a day or two. Or think about IIT-JEE preparation. If you skip studying for a day, you can still make up for it later.
But in trading, if you lose discipline even for one single day, it can completely destroy your progress. A few emotional trades, a moment of greed or fear, and you could wipe out months of hard-earned profits. That’s the brutal reality of trading — your exam is every single day, and the market never gives you a day off.
The Real Challenge: Controlling Emotions & Managing Risk
Successful traders say that trading is 80% psychology and only 20% strategy. You can learn technical analysis, chart patterns, or indicators — but without emotional control and proper risk management, you’ll still lose. Even great minds like Sir Isaac Newton, one of the smartest people in history, lost a fortune in the stock market. His problem wasn’t intelligence — it was emotion.
Most traders fail not because they lack knowledge, but because they can’t control their emotions — they become greedy when prices rise and fearful when prices fall. Learning to stay calm and stick to your plan takes years of experience and discipline.
Final Thoughts
Trading isn’t easy — and that’s exactly why so few succeed. It’s not just about making profits; it’s about surviving the bad days, staying disciplined, and managing risk. But here’s the good news — just like cracking UPSC or IIT, success in trading is possible if you stay patient and consistent. You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to stay in the game long enough to learn from your mistakes. So next time you see that “9 out of 10 traders lose money” disclaimer, remember — that one trader out of ten could be you, if you learn to master your emotions and respect the market.
The post Why Is It So Hard to Succeed in Trading? The Harsh Truth Few Talk About appeared first on Trade Brains.