Beginner 4 min read
Which timeframe should you use?
Scalper, day trader, swing — your timeframe defines your edge. Pick the wrong one and you lose money on the right idea.
Your timeframe should match how long you can watch a position and how much noise you can tolerate. Scalpers live on the 1m–5m and need to be at the screen. Day traders work the 5m–1H. Swing traders live on the 4H–1D and can hold through noise that would stop out a day trader.
The most common beginner mistake: taking a setup on the 15-minute chart and then getting shaken out by normal 15-minute noise because you were emotionally sized for a daily hold.
Pick your timeframe before you look for setups, not after you've already fallen in love with one.