Hey everybody — JD here.
The markets are closed today for Memorial Day. No trades. No charts. No action.
And honestly? That’s a good thing.
Because the longer you’re in this game, the more you realize:
Markets may pause… but the noise never really stops.
There’s always a new story, a fresh “crisis,” a reason to panic or chase or guess.
That’s why I built something to cut through it.
I call it the Four Pillars of Rational Trading. And it’s the simple framework I use to decide what’s worth trading… and what’s just noise.
Here’s the ultra-quick version:
- Yield Curve – What’s the bond market telling us about growth and fear?
- Valuation – Is this stock (or index) priced for reality… or fantasy?
- Volatility – What’s the VIX saying about emotion in the market right now?
- Moving Averages – Where are we relative to the big-picture trend?
If a trade doesn’t line up with these, I don’t take it. Simple as that.
If you want to get the full breakdown where I go into each of these Four Pillars in detail, you’re in luck.
You can get it completely free: Grab the free Four Pillars eBook here!
Other than that… Take this market holiday to recharge. Spend time with family. Reflect.
And remember the folks who gave everything so we can do what we do.
Talk soon,
—JD
The Rational Trader
