Why I Only Take A+ Trades (And You Should Too)

I'm going to share a number that might surprise you.

In 2024, I took fewer than 100 trades total across all my accounts.

That's less than two trades per week on average.

Meanwhile, I see traders in my community trying to take 5-10 trades per day. They're glued to charts for 16 hours. They're exhausted. And most of them are barely breaking even—or worse.

Here's the truth I had to learn the hard way: more trades doesn't mean more money. In fact, for most traders, more trades means less money.

Let me explain why I committed to A+ only trading—and why it's the best decision I ever made.

The Trap of Overtrading

When I started trading, I thought activity = results.

If I wasn't trading, I wasn't making money, right? So I traded. A lot.

Bad setup at support? Trade it anyway. Marginal breakout? Can't miss out. Bored on a slow day? Find something to trade.

My account balance told the story: lots of activity, zero progress. I was the trading equivalent of someone running on a treadmill and wondering why they weren't getting anywhere.

The math was working against me: - Commission costs adding up - Spread costs on every entry/exit - Emotional fatigue leading to mistakes - No time to recover from losses before the next trade

I was busy, but I wasn't profitable.

The Quality vs. Quantity Realization

The turning point came when I tracked all my trades for three months. I categorized each one:

A+ setups: All confirmations aligned, perfect entry
B setups: Good but missing something
C setups: Marginal, traded anyway
D setups: Bad idea from the start

The results were shocking:

Grade	Trades	Win Rate	Avg Win	Avg Loss	Net Result
A+	12	75%	+4.2%	-1.8%	+$3,400
B	31	52%	+2.1%	-2.3%	+$180
C	47	41%	+1.5%	-2.4%	-$2,100
D	18	28%	+1.2%	-3.1%	-$2,800

My 12 A+ trades made me $3,400. My 96 other trades cost me $4,720.

Read that again.

If I had ONLY taken my A+ setups, I would have been profitable. Instead, I was deep in the red because I diluted my edge with garbage trades.

This was the wake-up call I needed.

The A+ Only Commitment

I made a rule: from now on, only A+ setups.

No exceptions. No "just this once." No convincing myself a B setup is actually an A.

The first month was brutal. I saw setups everywhere and had to pass on all of them. My hands itched to click the buy button. The FOMO was real.

But I stayed disciplined.

By month three, something magical happened:

I was profitable for the first time in months
My stress levels dropped dramatically
I actually enjoyed trading again
I had time for other things

Less work. Better results. Who would've thought?

The Math Behind A+ Only Trading

Let me break down why this works.

Scenario 1: Trading Everything - 100 trades per month - 45% win rate (typical for most traders) - Average win: +2%, Average loss: -2.5% - Result: 45 wins (+90%) - 55 losses (-137.5%) = -47.5%

Scenario 2: A+ Only - 8 trades per month - 70% win rate (because you're only taking the best) - Average win: +3.5%, Average loss: -2% - Result: 5.6 wins (+19.6%) - 2.4 losses (-4.8%) = +14.8%

Same trader. Same skills. Same market. Completely different results.

The selectivity is the edge.

What Makes an A+ Setup

For me, an A+ setup needs 10 specific confirmations:

Price at a major support/resistance level
Recognizable candlestick pattern
Volume confirming the move
Aligned with the trend
Multiple timeframes agreeing
Momentum indicators supportive
Clean chart structure
Minimum 1:3 risk/reward
Good timing (market hours, no major news)
Personal conviction

If any of these are missing or weak, it's not A+.

Yes, this means I pass on trades that might have worked. That's okay. I'm not trying to catch every move. I'm trying to catch the moves that are most likely to work.

Check out The A+ Setup guide for a complete breakdown.

The Psychology of Patience

Let me be honest: waiting for A+ setups is mentally challenging.

You'll watch charts for hours and see nothing worth trading. You'll see B setups play out perfectly and kick yourself for not taking them. You'll question whether you're too picky.

Here's how I handle it:

1. Reframe Inactivity as Work

Not trading IS trading. Protecting your capital by staying on the sidelines is an active decision. It's part of the strategy.

When I don't trade, I'm not lazy. I'm disciplined.

2. Remember the Data

I go back to my trade log regularly. Every time I see those numbers—A+ trades profitable, everything else losing money—it reinforces the commitment.

Data doesn't lie. Feelings do.

3. Focus on Process, Not Outcome

My job isn't to make money on any single trade. My job is to follow the system.

If I follow the system (only A+ trades), the results will come over time. If I chase results by forcing trades, I'll end up overtrading.

4. Have Other Interests

If trading is your entire life, of course you'll want to trade all day.

I read. I exercise. I spend time with family. I work on other projects. Trading is part of my life, not all of it.

When the A+ setup appears, I'm there. When it doesn't, I'm okay.

Common Objections

"But I'll miss good trades!"

Yes, you will. That's the point.

You'll also miss all the bad trades you would have taken. The net result is positive.

Missing a good B setup costs you potential profit. Taking a bad C setup costs you actual money. The second one is worse.

"What if A+ setups are rare in my market?"

Then you trade less frequently in that market.

Some months, I only get 4-5 A+ setups. Other months, I get 15+. The market dictates the opportunity, not me.

If your market has no A+ setups, find a different market or wait. Forcing trades in a poor environment is how you blow up.

"I can't learn if I don't trade"

You can absolutely learn without live trading.

Paper trade setups and grade them afterward
Review historical charts and identify A+ setups
Study in our Academy courses
Analyze trades in the community

Screen time doesn't require capital at risk.

"I need income from trading"

If you need every trade to pay bills, you're trading under pressure. This leads to forcing trades.

Sustainable trading comes from capital you can afford to lose while you build your edge. The pressure for income creates desperation, and desperation creates losses.

What A+ Only Trading Looks Like

Here's a typical week for me:

Monday: Review weekly charts, identify potential A+ zones. No trades.

Tuesday: Setup developing on ETH. Grade it: 8/10 confirmations. B+. Pass.

Wednesday: Setup on BTC at major support, hammer candle, volume spike, trend aligned. 10/10. A+. Take it.

Thursday: BTC trade in profit. No new setups. No trades.

Friday: BTC hits take profit. +5.2% gain. One other setup developing—only 6/10. Pass. Week ends.

Result: 1 trade. 1 win. +5.2% portfolio gain.

Most traders would have taken 10-20 trades that week. Most would have made less money.

The Signals Philosophy

This is exactly how our signals work.

Tim analyzes the market systematically. He reviews hundreds of potential setups. But he only alerts on A+ opportunities.

Some weeks, we send 10+ signals. Some weeks, we send 2. The market decides, not us.

Members sometimes ask, "Why aren't there more signals?"

Because more signals of lower quality wouldn't help you. We're not trying to keep you busy. We're trying to keep you profitable.

Start Your A+ Journey

If you're ready to try A+ only trading, here's how to start:

Track everything for the next month: Grade every trade A-D
Calculate results by grade: See for yourself where your edge is
Set the rule: Commit to A/A+ only for 30 days
Keep a waiting log: Track setups you passed on and what happened
Review weekly: Are you maintaining discipline?

It will be uncomfortable at first. Do it anyway.

Join our community and share your journey. Having accountability partners makes the transition easier.

The Bottom Line

I spent years trying to trade more. The breakthrough came when I committed to trading less.

Fewer trades. Higher quality. Better results.

It's counterintuitive. It goes against every impulse you have as an active trader. But the data is clear: selectivity wins.

Stop trying to catch every move. Start waiting for the moves that matter.

That's the path to consistent profitability.

That's A+ trading.

Trading involves substantial risk. This is educational content only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.