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Do Holy Grail trading strategies exist?

Yes, they do.

But…

It all depends on how we define a grail strategy.

So in this article, I’ll get into what a Holy Grail trading strategy is, and more importantly, how you can discover your own Holy Grail.

The Definition of Holy Grail

There’s no agreed upon definition of a Holy Grail trading strategy, so I’ll give you my definition.

Other people will have their own definitions and that’s great.

But for the sake of what I’m going to talk about here, I need to define a Holy Grail:

A single trading strategy or portfolio of strategies that a trader feels is worth trading because it gives him the long-term return he is looking for.

That’s it, super simple.

Ultimately, that’s why we trade.

Therefore, I believe that there are grail strategies, but they are not what most people might think.

Holy Grail Trading Strategy Misconceptions

Many new traders think that a Holy Grail trading strategy is one specific strategy that they haven’t discovered yet and it will provide them with unlimited profits forever.

That’s obviously a myth.

A few trading educators have also named their trading strategy “The Holy Grail.”

Sometimes they actually believe it, sometimes they are just being sarcastic.

Whatever the case, be sure to steer clear of anyone who claims to have a trading strategy that cannot fail.

All trading strategies can fail, even if the most successful trader in the world uses it.

Here’s why…

The Most Profitable Trading Strategies are the Ones That Match YOU

Now obviously there are plenty of profitable trading strategies out there.

Hedge Funds wouldn’t be a thing if their strategies didn’t work.

However, many retail traders get caught up in chasing the wrong Holy Grail.

This is very important, so pay attention. 

Your Holy Grail trading strategy will be different from almost every other trader in the world.

I’ve seen traders do well day trading just one strategy.

Other traders prefer trading a portfolio of swing trading strategies.

Some traders trade multiple markets, while others prefer just one.

You get the point.

The bottom line is that you have to trade a strategy that works well for YOU.

Most of the time, that means you’ll have to tweak existing strategies to find something you like.

So the faster you can internalize this fact, the faster you’ll be able to find a trading strategy that is profitable over a long period of time.

The Grail is Already Within You

Now I’m going to get a little philosophical for a moment.

Another reason that I believe that there are grail trading strategies is because I feel that the mythic “Grail” of ancient lore is actually much closer to home.

In the Indiana Jones movie, they go searching for a cup.

But what if the cup is simply a metaphor for what’s already inside you?

And what if a Holy Grail trading strategy is simply another metaphor for trading based on your innate personality?

Believe what you want, but that might be something to consider.

Final Thoughts

When I first started this website, I believed that there is no Holy Grail trading strategy.

But I changed my mind.

After a lot of experience and live trading, there are undoubtedly methods that successful traders use over a long period of time.

That’s a grail to me. 

Successful traders also have techniques for developing new trading strategies and that could be considered a grail system as well.

So if you want to find the best long-term trading strategy for you, stop chasing the latest trendy strategy on TradingView.

Start reviewing your trading personality, and developing strategies that make sense to you.

Backtest your strategies to find out if they have an edge or not.

That’s how you find a grail strategy.

Yes, it takes work, but the rewards can be tremendous.

Chicago media ran stories today about a police officer there who was shot and killed while pursuing a fleeing suspect. They name the 36-year-old officer, a woman with a young daughter, who chased the suspect on foot. They quote a senior officer saying she was protecting lives and lost her own as a hero who wanted to make Chicago safer.

She was a four-year department veteran on duty with a 6th District tactical team, they report, stopping a man they understood to be armed. They relate the suspect’s flight into a nearby apartment, and an armed confrontation commencing with those within. One pointed a rifle at them and officer Krystal Rivera was shot: “Shots fired at police,” one officer “screamed.” Rivera was rushed to local hospital, but died.

“This is the risk our officers take every single day,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling is quoted saying. Two suspects were arrested. Three firearms were recovered at the scene. One story closes on a poignant quote from Mayor Brandon Johnson: “Her young, energetic and bold approach toward keeping us safe is the memory we will honor.”

Hundreds of words. Dozens of paragraphs. But nowhere do any of these reporters state who is thought to have shot and killed Krystal Rivera. Police are usually enthusiastic about naming them, especially when they are in custody.

The story is an unusually extreme example of what some call “the exonerative tense” in reportage about bad things that happen in the presence of police. When it comes to the moment where the key act would be described, such stories retreat into the passive voice, law enforcement jargon and peculiar omission: guns are discharged, individuals are impacted, subjects become unresponsive. It reflects the language of police reports and press releases, adopted verbatim by newswriters and editors eager to please departments that are often their key sources.

A clue is offered in the PBS story: “The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is also investigating the incident.” I’m sure they are.

Note how my post never states that Rivera was shot and killed by another cop? You likely think it does. It’s an intentional technique and it works. But I don’t know if that’s really what happened. We can only hope the police soon have local media post what did.