You are a...

Values-Driven Trader
Congratulations! As a Values-Driven Trader, you
already have two of the three core qualities of top
traders: you have the ability to see the big picture
and you tend to be decisive. However, you tend
to make decisions on principle or your feelings
rather than on analysis or logic. If you are able to
manage this part of yourself, you have potential to
do very well in the markets—if you are willing to
do a few things.

First, are you willing to take complete responsibility

for your trading results? There is no room to
blame the market, your broker, your education,
or anything else. Second, can you change your
thinking so that you treat your trading as a
business? Initially, this means writing a thorough
business plan. Third, could you develop a trading
system that fits you? Most people want to start
here, at the technical side and back end of trading;
however, I recommend saving this until you have
completed the other tasks first. My studies have
revealed that your psychological biases and issues will affect your trading system development
if you have not taken the time to work on yourself first as the core of your trading.

All those things just mentioned are what you can read about in our weekly newsletter. You
are now subscribed. Should you find it less than useful, you can click on the unsubscribe link
at the bottom of the newsletter anytime you desire.

Helping traders become their best is our mission at the Van Tharp Institute and we’ve
helped thousands of traders do that for over 25 years. We offer excellent educational and
training programs designed for both beginning
Top Three Core Trader Qualities: and advanced traders/investors. If you have
questions or would just like more information,
please visit our web site at www.vantharp.com.
1. The ability to see the big So let’s get to your report. The next page
picture, new possibilities and describes your trader type based on your
connections between things. answers. Look for what rings true for you and
2. Making decisions based on keep in mind that no individual will match up
logic and analysis. exactly with a profile. Next, you’ll discover how
to leverage your strengths and challenges to
3. Being decisive, orderly and become a better and more profitable trader. And
doing things sequentially. finally, we list the trader types and their potential
for success in the markets.

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com

 Values-Driven Trader Type
As a Trader... you tend to be very organized and decisive in implementing your vision. If
trading is part of your vision, and you develop a sound business plan, then you’ll probably be
very good at it. You have two out of the three characteristics that make a great trader, but
your focus on material comforts could be your undoing.

Example Trader
Dr. Van K. Tharp
SUMMARY
Our prototype Values–Driven
YOU typically need to do your own thing and trade something you deeply believe in that is self–generated. Trader is the developer of the
If you’ve listened to the media about what’s important to success, then you could find yourself trading with Tharp Trader Test, Dr. Van K.
some version of that, but with disastrous results. You tend to get your sense of meaning out of relationships,
Tharp. Van is really a trader’s
ideas, and material possessions, which suggests that you would tend to be motivated to make money. You
coach, but his development
have two out of the three characteristics that make a great trader, but your focus on material comforts could
be your undoing.
and understanding of what it
takes for coaching success
You probably tend to trust your instincts above all else. This can be good for traders and investors if you’ve is unsurpassed. Tharp helps
managed to train your instincts through extensive market experience. But without such training, it could be people change for the better
disastrous. through a financial metaphor.

You are also very interested in what motivates others and are very insightful about what’s going on in them. Tharp set out to uncover the
While this is a useful characteristic in life, it has little relationship to trading. And if this drives you to try to secrets of trading success
understand the markets, it could cause you problems. after his own market setbacks.
He now manages his own
You also have a clear sense of your values and a true commitment to them. As a result, you tend to develop funds, runs a model portfolio
a clear vision about how to best serve the good of all. And you tend to be very organized and decisive in
through his free e-mail
implementing your vision. If trading is part of your vision, and you develop a sound business plan, then
newsletter Tharp’s Thoughts,
you’ll probably be very good at it.
and manages his company’s
You also can be very creative and somewhat independent. You are probably not that good with details,
retirement funds.
but you are great at developing ideas for trading. If you are willing to commit yourself and do the work
necessary, you could do very well as a trader.

TRADING STRENGTHS TRADING CHALLENGES

• Can readily grasp how the markets work • If you accept the status quo of society
and develop new low-risk ideas. and how trading “should be done” as your
understanding of the markets, then you’ll
• Totally motivated by your values and what probably jump right in and make a mess
“feels right” to you. of things.

• You are an independent thinker and you • Your focus and emphasis on principles
are self-directed. may cause you to overlook details requiring
your attention. You are prone to act on
your insightful feelings without analytic
confirmation.

• You may become quickly frustrated when

your systems do not seem to be operating
as you feel they should.

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com

 LEVERAGING YOUR
STRENGTHS AND
ADDRESSING YOUR
CHALLENGES AS A VALUES-
DRIVEN TRADER

LEVERAGING YOUR STRENGTHS AND ADDRESSING YOUR CHALLENGES AS A VALUES-

DRIVEN TRADER

As a Values-Driven Trader, you are highly self-directed and can easily grasp new ideas. I teach
tried-and-true concepts and strategies and I have some ideas of how to address your strengths
and challenges because I have observed these in many traders of your type.

LEVERAGING YOUR STRENGTHS

Strength #1 – Readily grasp how the Strength #2 – Motivated by Your Principles Strength #3 – Independent and Self-
markets work and develop low-risk ideas Your motivation level is a great Directed
If you are trading, are you using asset as it drives your desire to Thinking differently from the crowd is
a complete and well thought out succeed. That being said, do you a requirement for successful trading.
system? Do you know what a really understand what it takes to How do you think independently
complete trading system entails? succeed in the financial markets? about trading the markets though?
If not, your trading results would The following article can help you I outline some of my ideas in the
benefit greatly by understanding that understand what’s required. Read following article. Read the Article
and as a Values-Driven Trader, you the Article “What Is Involved in Peak “Tharp Think”
can excel at systems development. Performance Trading?”
Read the Article “What Is a Trading
System?”

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com

 As a Values-Driven Trader, you are highly self-directed and can easily grasp new ideas.
I teach tried-and-true concepts and strategies and know how to address your challenges
because I have observed these in many traders of your type.

ADDRESSING YOUR CHALLENGES

Challenge #1 – Jumping Right In
Your desire for action and new ideas may cause you to do things that can cost
you money in the markets. There is a flow to the markets and learning it is not an
instantaneous process. To help you become aware of the flow and temper your
desire to jump in, this article may be of some help.
Read the Article “The Flow of the Markets”

Challenge #2 – Overlooking Details

Your focus on principles may cause you to overlook details requiring your attention.
You are prone to act on your insightful feelings without analytic confirmation.
Details and analysis are important components of trading.
Read the Article “Top-Down Approach to Trading”

Challenge #3 – Frustration and Self-Sabotage

You may become frustrated quickly when your systems do not seem to be
operating as you feel they should. If you don’t spent time working on yourself, your
emotions can easily get the better of you and sabotage your trading.
Read the Article “Mistakes”

Read on for Additional Resources....

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
In addition to the articles mentioned above, the Van Tharp Institute has
numerous books, courses, and aids to help the Values-Driven Trader
become better.

As a Values-Driven Trader, principles are important to you; that’s how

you operate. You will find many of the techniques discussed in Trading
Beyond the Matrix effective. I expect you will want to quickly implement
the Tharp Think Principles in Section One. However, with your trader
type, do not overlook the details because step-by-step action is necessary
when it comes to trading. For this reason, you will love the check lists I
have provoded in this thorough book.

To help you find success in trading, I provide a lot of trading principles in

my book Super Trader: Make Consistent Profits in Good and Bad Markets.
The five sections of the book delve into the key areas for every trader to
focus on for success: working on yourself, business planning, trading
systems, position sizing, and monitoring your psychology. Whether these
terms are familiar or brand new to you, Super Trader’s fifty chapters are all short and each has one or
two actionable ideas to help you improve your trading.

Most people don’t have a good understanding of how they operate and that’s trouble for any trader.
Because Values-Driven Traders are driven by their principles and their feelings, it’s paramount that you
understand these before you can trade well. I highly recommend the Peak Performance Home Study
Course. It has four CDs and five volumes of readings and exercises. Values-Driven Traders will find
value in all five volumes, but I’d like to point out two of them in particular. Volume 1 covers the topic
of risk—a concept with which you are already somewhat comfortable. If you are able to master the
principle of risk, you will be able to trade successfully for a long time. Volume 3 on attitudes would
also be very valuable for you. As you can find strong motivation in your feelings, it’s important that
you understand attitudes and feelings at a deep level. There are numerous exercises that help bring
out your hidden attitudes—ones that might cause behavior and actions you sometimes might not
understand. Knowing yourself, what you believe, and how you’ll react in different situations is critical
in trading before you put money on the line. Learn how to identify, understand, and manage your
attitudes and feelings and trading will be a rewarding experience.

I’ll also mention my book Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom, which contains a number of chapters
that a Values-Driven Trader might find especially useful. The book has a lot of material on trading
systems. Most companies that offer trading systems for sale, sell a setup and an entry as the whole
system but that is only a part (and a relatively unimportant part) of what I view as a trading system.
The book includes discussions of several full trading systems and a number of ideas that can be easily
turned into systems. Values-Driven Traders will find this information useful in thinking about trading
and systems.

Of course, we have a series of other products and workshops that you may find useful. We encourage
you to explore vantharp.com to learn more and to read the newsletter I’ll be sending to you each week.

Most importantly, if you are new to Van Tharp and his concepts, read the Tharp Think Concepts page
on our website.

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com

 LIST OF THARP TRADER TYPES AND THEIR POTENTIAL
FOR SUCCESS IN THE MARKETS

HIGH POTENTIAL FOR MARKET SUCCESS:

Strategic Trader
Planning Trader

GOOD POTENTIAL FOR TRADING SUCCESS WITH SOME WORK:

Detailed Trader
Facilitative Trader
Innovative Trader
Spontaneous Trader
Independent Trader
Administrative Trader
Values Driven Trader
Socially Responsible Trader
Accurate Trader
Adventurous Trader

POTENTIAL FOR TRADING SUCCESS WITH LOTS OF WORK OR

HAVE OTHERS MANAGE THEIR MONEY:

Supportive Trader
Artistic Trader
Fun Loving Trader

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com

 THANK YOU for taking the Tharp Trader Test, which evaluates psychological tendencies relating
to how you gather, store, comprehend and act upon information and input. After modeling and
studying thousands of traders, I’m able to help you understand a little about yourself with just a few
questions, based on a much lengthier profile that we use to evaluate traders. This test was designed
simply to introduce you to some of the issues that affect your trading.

After all, YOU are the single most important factor in your trading performance but how well do
you understand that? How well do you know yourself, and what kind of internal forces are at work
when you trade? The Tharp Trader Test helps you identify strengths that should help you trade and
challenges that may interfere with your trading. It also helps evaluate your possession of the three
core qualities of top traders:

1. The ability to see the big picture, new possibilities and connections between things.

2. Making decisions based on logic and analysis.

3. Being decisive, orderly and doing things sequentially.

For more information, click on the links in this report or visit our website at www.vantharp.com.

You will start receiving your newsletter sometime in the next month (or sooner). Until then you can find issues (current and for
many years back) on our website under the Newsletter link at the top of the home page.

Also, be sure to read each section of the Tharp Think Concepts if you have not already. These concepts take the mystery out of
trading by helping you understand who you are as a trader, how your personal psychology can work for you instead of against
you, how to think about and manage risk, and how to develop winning trading systems.

Again, thank you very much for taking the Tharp Trader Test and good luck to you.

Sincerely,

Van K. Tharp
Trading Coach
Founder and President,
The Van Tharp Institute
www.vantharp.com

!
What if you have read this report and only some of it or even very little of it seems to apply to you? That’s possible. To make this test
fast to take (and very low cost!), I kept the sampling questions to a minimum; the resulting trader profile is merely a rough estimate of
who you are. If it seems off-base, you could consider taking the test again or simply just be aware that the results in this profile are not
you; they are an extremely simple model of you. In most cases, however, I have found it to be fairly accurate. If a more scientifically
rigorous psychological profile interests you, we offer that on our website in the products section.

102A Commonwealth Ct. Cary, NC USA T 919.466.0043 F 919.466.0408 www.vantharp.com