DEFINITION
Overtrading
Taking more trades than the strategy signals, often driven by boredom, revenge, or FOMO. Dilutes edge and inflates commission/spread costs. A leading cause of prop firm failures.
In depth
Overtrading is detected statistically: trade count above strategy baseline, trades in low-quality sessions, or trades clustered after losses (revenge pattern). The TradeLens AI flags it automatically.
Related terms
Revenge Trading
Taking impulsive, oversized trades to recover losses after a losing trade or day. The single largest source of catastrophic losses in retail trading.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
An emotional state where a trader enters a position because the market is moving without them, rather than because of a valid signal. A leading cause of late, oversized, and poorly-timed entries.
Tilt
An emotional state (borrowed from poker) where rational decision-making breaks down after a loss or frustration. Tilt is behind most revenge trades and oversized positions.
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