Yes, you're right. If the market opens below your stop, you get executed at the first available price.

As for swing trading, I recommend not placing trades if you are not comfortable. It leads to second guessing and mistakes.

There are traders who make outrageous returns. The difference is that it is not realistic to expect that type of performance oconsistently over time. There are some reputable commodity funds up over 60% this year thanks to a hot market. I doubt they can replicate that level of performance year in and year out.

Daytrading is considered riskier because the excessive commissions generate enormous costs and slippage plays a larger role. Commissions hurt your risk-reward ratio, percent accuracy, etc. They are bad for trading in every sense. Slippage on a high-probability, low return trade can double or triple your anticipated trading cost. That means more stress, more work in terms of watching the market, etc.

Daytrading does not match my personality, but maybe it complements you well. Everyone has their own style, so there is no right answer as to which is better.

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Shaun Overton
OneStepRemoved.com
Strategy and Automated Trading Development