Pre-commitment devices: what binds your future self?

A pre-commitment device locks in the decision before the temptation arrives: the pending stop-loss, the daily limit setting, the account you can't easily top up. The future self is bound by the past one.

Pre-commitment devices: what binds your future self? — risk-reward diagram
A risk-reward ratio of 1 to 2

What binds you?

  • the commitments you've locked in
  • how they've saved you from yourself
  • the temptation that slipped past them
Pre-commitment devices: what binds your future self? — candlestick anatomy diagram
The parts of a candlestick: wick, body, open and close

The order types guide is pre-commitment in platform form.

Background: Market, limit and stop orders: which order type to use

The order types on a trading platform decide when and at what price you enter or exit. What each one does, and the mistakes that cost traders money.

What is the difference between a buy limit and a buy stop?

A buy limit is placed below the current price to buy on a dip. A buy stop is placed above the current price to buy if the price breaks higher.

Does a stop-loss guarantee the exit price?

No. A standard stop-loss becomes a market order when triggered and can fill beyond its level in a gap or fast market. Guaranteed stops, where offered, cost extra.

Read the full guide

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