Good morning, traders…
This might make me sound like an old man yelling at clouds, but bear with me…
I grew up in a different era of music.
Songs used to tell stories. Artists painted vivid pictures with their words, building narratives that stuck with you.
Albums had arcs, each song flowing into the next. There was intention behind every verse, every chorus, every sequence…
But these days, a lot of popular music sounds like noise to me.
Random tones strung together through distortion so loud you can’t hear the lyrics.
It’s optimized for algorithms instead of human connection.
Sound familiar? It should.
Because trading is heading in the same direction (and it might be costing you money)…
Tuesday was the single worst day for the S&P 500 since October.
And so many traders got destroyed intraday because they were distracted by noise.
Open any trading chat room. It’s impossible to ignore:
Someone will be talking up their breakout while another trader posts a chart with 17 indicators. The screen buzzes with alerts about “deep dive due diligence” on “insane setups.” Bots fire off tickers every 30 seconds. Social media gets flooded with P&L screenshots (that may or may not be real).
The noise grows louder, the volume keeps increasing, and the traders who chase it keep losing money.
I spent years drowning in that noise. I subscribed to dozens of different alert services, monitored multiple chatrooms simultaneously, and had 20 charts open at once.
I was processing hundreds of data points every hour, convinced that more information would lead to better decisions.
My account said otherwise.
My “a-ha moment” came when I stopped listening to noise and started tuning into the signal…
The Difference Between Signal and Noise
First, it’s important to understand what I mean by “signal” and “noise” in trading.
Signal is meaningful and actionable information, headlines that can directly affect the stock market (or the price of a specific stock).
It comes from fundamental data, changes in economic policy, or technical indicators that reveal directional market trends.
(Just look at Tuesday’s policy-driven pullback for immediate evidence of this.)
Noise is all the irrelevant information that won’t actually have a major impact on the share price.
It manifests as constant media chatter, random price fluctuations, and emotional reactions to short-term events.
Noise is anything that distracts you from making sound trading decisions. It gets regurgitated onto the internet to keep you engaged, clicking, and paying commissions … not to help you trade better.
You need to filter, to separate the meaningful signal from the background noise.
Think about the last trade you took based on someone else’s alert or tip (even one of mine).
Did you understand the setup? Could you explain the risk/reward? Did you know your exit plan before you entered?
If the answer’s no, you were reacting to noise.
How To Hear The Signal
Start by narrowing what you listen to.
Pick a handful of charts you understand completely. Simple setups where you can articulate the story, the catalyst, the risk, and the reward.
Then watch the market for those specific stories, the move, and the follow-through. That’s it.
When your setup appears with confirmation, you trade it.
When it doesn’t, you wait.
If you feel fidgety or unproductive during the “waiting,” that’s the noise talking, trying to pull you back in.
Write down the story behind your last five trades. Not the ticker or the direction, but the actual narrative that made you enter.
Market participants are always blabbering.
The question is: Are you listening to the right conversation?
I want to make sure you’re focused on the signal that matters throughout ALL of 2026…
That’s why I’m hosting a special 2-day Options Bootcamp next Tuesday, January 27th – Wednesday, January 28th.
Because despite the chaos of the last few months…
We’ve still been able to catch some of the biggest moves in the market, like:
+52% on AAPL (1 day)*
+100% on TSLA (same day)*
+215% on CMCSA (2 weeks)*
+100% on AAPL (1 day)*
+100% on META (same day)*
+200% on HOOD (2 days)*
+294% on GOOGL (4 days)*
I want to show you exactly how we’re doing it…
The scanners, the indicators, and the strategy…
Click below for everything you need to know about the bootcamp:
Happy trading,
Ben Sturgill
*Past performance does not indicate future results
