Been trading for a while now and figured I’d share what actually works for me.
RSI and MACD are solid for momentum. Bollinger Bands help with volatility reads. Moving averages keep me grounded on trend direction.
Stochastic adds confirmation to RSI. ATR can help position sizing based on how volatile the market is.
MACD histogram works better than the regular MACD lines for timing entries. The histogram shows momentum shifts before the signal line crosses happen.
I usually combine it with a simple 20 EMA for trend direction. When the histogram starts building in the same direction as the EMA slope, those setups tend to follow through better.
Stochastic can work but it stays oversold or overbought too long in strong trends.
Fibonacci retracements work better than most oscillators for entries.
Ichimoku cloud gives you everything in one setup. Trend direction, support resistance, and momentum all wrapped together.
Used it for about 3 years now and it cuts through the noise better than juggling multiple indicators. The cloud shows you where price wants to go, and the cross signals are pretty reliable on higher timeframes.
One thing I learned the hard way - don’t trade against the cloud direction. Tried fighting it countless times and got burned. When price is above the cloud, look for longs. Below the cloud, shorts work better.
Also volume indicator helps confirm breakouts. Fake moves usually come with weak volume.
Keep it simple. Too many indicators create noise and delay decisions. Price action tells you more than any indicator combination. Stick with one momentum oscillator and one trend filter. RSI works fine, but watch for divergences rather than overbought/oversold levels. Most traders get trapped using RSI signals in trending markets. Support and resistance levels beat any indicator. Mark key psychological levels and previous highs/lows. Price respects these zones more consistently than indicator signals. Backtest whatever you choose with real market conditions, not optimized settings.