I wouldn't have chimed in on this if that fraud and braggart apak (multiple aliases with little to nothing of value) hadn't added his less than 2 cents worth.
This is like any other business in terms of time, planning, capitalization and effort. The reason most people fail is for the same reasons people fail at most new businesses. What attracts people is the very low barriers to entry, and the seeming ease with which money can be made - "seeming" being the operative word here.
When I ws on the floor, no one made it in less then a year of standing there very day and all day, and most took more like two years. You either needed a part-time job or a working wife to tide yuo over in between - I was lucky to have both.
In addition to the time the markets are actually open, you shuold plan on spending an equal amount of time doing pre-opening, and post-market analysis, keeping a journal, and reviewing each week over the weekend, each month at mnoth's end, and so on.
Several of the veterans have great things to say - I'd agree in general with the poster who doesn't read things from people joining in the last year or so.
Frankly, I can't think of a more DIScouraging place to try and learn than ET with all the outright fakes and people who don't, and haven't ever traded who now populate the site.
A good suggestion was made in looking for the profitable traders. Most will not want to mentor or train directly, but use the Search Function to read their comments; many are open to the occassional general question about direction, resources they found helpful, etc.
Best of luck the OP, and don't worry about being 50. You have experience and perspective that is always useful!
