Marty Schwartz on cutting losses
Seeking Alpha Analyst Since 2009
What happened that Monday? When did you get out?
"The high in the S&P on Monday was 282. I liquidated my long position at 267. I was real proud of that because it is very hard to pull the trigger on a loser. I just dumped everything. I think I was long 40 contracts coming into that day, and I lost $315,000.
"One of the most suicidal things you can do in trading is to keep adding to a losing position. Had I done that, I could have lost $5 million that day. It was painful, and I was bleeding, but I honored my risk points and bit the bullet.
"That's another example where my Marine training came into play. They teach you never to freeze when you are under attack. One of the tactics in the Marine Corps officer's manual is either go forward or backward. Don't just sit there if you are getting the hell beat out of you. Even retreating is offensive, because you are still doing something. It is the same thing in the market. The most important thing is to keep enough powder to make your comeback. I did real well after October 19. In fact, 1987 was my most profitable year."
-From "Market Wizards"
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