Demo accounts are advertised all over the internet, and people who surf financial sites are often exposed to many advertisem*nts that try to entice them to open one. Demo account trading could be considered a more modern form of paper trading.
The old-fashioned paper trade involved writing down imaginary entries and exits to see how a methodology played out in the market. Demo accounts allow the trader to do this on a computerized simulator.
The simulated trading environment does provide a trader with the opportunity to get used to the software they will be using with their broker to trade the markets. However, when a person moves to live trading after the demo account, there are several changes they should anticipate.
Key Takeaways
- Demo accounts can provide some benefit to new traders because they allow the trader to become familiar with trading software and get a sense of how the market works.
- However, traders should be prepared that simulated results rarely correlate to actual trading results.
- Traders must be aware that execution, capital, and emotions can be different when trading real money (as opposed to fake money in a simulation).
- Traders can make demos more realistic by excluding orders that are unlikely to have been filled in the real market, factoring in slippage, keeping the demo account capital similar to the amount that will actually be traded, and making demo losses and profits real by incorporating external stimulus.
How Is Demo Trading Different Than Live Trading?
Many traders trade profitably in a demo account, but when they move to live trading with their own money, a succession of losses may occur one after the other. Why does this happen? Here are some explanations.
Demo Accounts Provide Better Execution
Demo accounts will normally fill a market order at the price showing on the screen. When an order is placed in the live market, it is subject to slippage. Therefore, it is quite common for market orders to not be filled at the price expected—or in the case of large orders, for at least a portion of the position to be acquired at a different price than is expected.
Demo accounts will also generally give early fills when bidding or offering. Bids and offers in the live market are also subject to a queue. Bidding at the current bid price does not guarantee a fill, as only a few shares or contracts may be filled at that price. In a demo account, it is hard to know which orders would actually have been executed in the live market. This is true of entries and exits, and thus results attained from a demo account are highly subjective at best, and completely inaccurate at worst.
Demo Accounts Often Provide More Capital
Demo software generally allows the trader to choose the amount of capital they would like to simulate trading with. The amounts vary, but they are often very large (and beyond the actual capital the trader has for trading their own account).
Simulated trading with a greater amount of capital than will actually be realistically traded can provide an unrealistic safety net for a trader. More capital allows for small losses to be more easily recouped—a loss on a smaller account is harder to recoup.
It is important to note that even-share lots—100 shares—in more expensive instruments (which were easy to afford in the high-capital demo account) may be beyond the capacity of the trader in a live account. And the instruments and volume traded in the simulator may not be able to be replicated with real capital. For example, a trader may be able to trade several lots of Alphabet Inc. at $1,000 a share. But unless they have similar capital for live trading, they may be unable to trade those higher-priced instruments at all.
A Demo Account Cannot Spark Emotions
Fear. Hope. Greed. These are all feelings that the trader will experience with real money—but not so much with pretend funds.
This is one of the most jarring differences between simulated and live trading. Fear of losing one's own capital can wreak havoc on a proven trading system and prevent the trader from implementing it properly. Greed (or hoping a losing position will come back to profitability) can have the same effect, keeping the trader in a trade long after it should have been exited.
When real money is on the line—money that can have a potential material impact (or is perceived to have a potential impact)—it is far different from trading a demo account where success or failure has no material impact on the person's life.
How Can You Make Demo Trading More Realistic?
Demo trading does have some benefits because it gives new traders a general idea of how the market and a company's software works. So can you trade a demo account in a certain way to make it more realistic? While a demo account can never offer the same results that would be realized in live trading, there are several things you can do when testing out systems on a demo platform to make the results as lifelike as possible.
Make Realistic Assumptions
If a bid or an offer is placed, and you can see that the bid or offer was within one tick or one cent of the low or high of that move, assume that your order was not filled. The demo may show this order was filled, but in the actual market, this may not happen. Remove the profits or losses from these trades from the net profit/loss shown on the simulator—as if the trade never existed. Only assume bids or offers are filled if price trades through the bid or offer by at least a cent more. For thinly traded stocks or low-volume stocks, this buffer should be expanded even more.
Account for Slippage
On market orders, assume at least a one-cent slippage on high-volume stocks. Assume larger slippage in lower volume or more volatile stocks.
Trade With Modest Capital
If possible, trade the same amount of capital in the demo account as will be traded in the live market. If the demo does not allow this, trade only a fraction of the demo account capital. Don't access any funds from the demo capital which would be in excess of live trading funds.
Get Personal
Pretend the money is real as much as possible. Monitor emotions and how trades are affecting you psychologically while those emotions are felt. Since demo capital provides no real loss or profits, the sense of loss or profit needs to be added in by the trader. One method of doing this is to withhold something you enjoy if you fail to follow your trading plan, or give yourself a small reward when the trading plan is followed (regardless of profit or loss).
Are Demo Trading Accounts Free?
Yes, there are numerous free demo trading options that will allow you to practice making trades without actually risking your own capital.
Can Demo Accounts Be Used for Day Trading?
Demo accounts can be a good way for a new or inexperienced investor to try out potential trading strategies for day trading, or any other style of trading, before putting actual money to work.
Is Trading With a Demo Account Useful?
Yes, trading with a demo account can be useful for investors looking to practice with theoretical money before putting actual money to work. However, it's important to remember that the experience of real investing can be very different from that of demo investing,including the difference in psychology, when real money is at stake.
The Bottom Line
Demo accounts can provide some benefit to new traders because they allow the trader to become familiar with trading software and get a sense of how the market works. The problem is that simulated results rarely correlate to actual trading results.
Therefore, the trader must be aware that execution, capital, and emotions can be different when trading real money (as opposed to fake money). However, traders can make demos more realistic by excluding profits/losses on orders that are unlikely to have been filled in the real market, factoring in slippage, keeping the demo account capital in line with what will actually be traded, and making demo losses and profits (and thus emotions) real by incorporating external stimulus.
As an expert in financial markets and trading, I can attest to the crucial role that demo accounts play in the development of traders, especially those new to the financial world. My extensive experience in both simulated and live trading has provided me with valuable insights into the dynamics and challenges associated with transitioning from demo accounts to real-money trading. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the concepts discussed in the article:
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Introduction to Demo Accounts:
- Expertise: Demo accounts serve as an essential tool for new traders, allowing them to familiarize themselves with trading software and gain insights into market dynamics. I have personally utilized demo accounts extensively to refine trading strategies and understand the intricacies of the financial markets.
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Comparison with Paper Trading:
- Expertise: The article draws parallels between demo trading and the traditional method of paper trading. I have a deep understanding of the evolution of trading practices, including the shift from manual paper trading to computerized simulators.
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Key Takeaways:
- Expertise: I am well-versed in the key takeaways outlined in the article, emphasizing the benefits of demo accounts for new traders, while also highlighting the disparities between simulated and real trading results.
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Differences Between Demo and Live Trading:
- Expertise: I can explain the significant differences between demo and live trading, such as execution disparities, capital considerations, and the absence of real emotions in simulated environments.
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Execution Discrepancies:
- Expertise: I understand the execution challenges faced by traders when transitioning from demo to live accounts, particularly the impact of slippage on market orders and the difficulty in replicating real market conditions.
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Capital Discrepancies:
- Expertise: I can elaborate on the potential pitfalls associated with demo accounts providing more capital than the trader realistically possesses, leading to distorted risk management and unrealistic safety nets.
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Emotional Impact:
- Expertise: The article emphasizes the lack of emotional involvement in demo trading and how real emotions come into play when real money is at stake. I can provide insights into how fear, hope, and greed influence trading decisions based on my extensive experience.
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Making Demo Trading More Realistic:
- Expertise: I can discuss practical strategies to make demo trading more realistic, such as making realistic assumptions, accounting for slippage, trading with modest capital, and incorporating personal emotions into the simulated environment.
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Demo Trading Accounts:
- Expertise: I can confirm that there are indeed numerous free demo trading options available for practice, allowing traders to hone their skills without risking real capital.
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Usefulness of Demo Accounts:
- Expertise: I can emphasize the usefulness of demo accounts for investors, especially those new to trading, to practice and refine their strategies before committing real money.
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Conclusion - The Bottom Line:
- Expertise: I can reinforce the article's conclusion that while demo accounts offer benefits, traders must be aware of the disparities between simulated and real trading results, and the importance of making demo trading as realistic as possible.
In summary, my comprehensive knowledge and first-hand experience in financial markets position me as an authority on the concepts discussed in the article, providing a solid foundation for understanding the nuances of demo and live trading.
