I know this is going to sound like whining or bragging, but it's not, and you guys are the best people to understand this.
I swing trade. I started doing it about 15 years ago. I'd do it with little or no leverage, and for years mostly broke even. It was like playing Blackjack, and it was entertaining. But once in a while I'd get burned on a trade pretty bad and drop out for a while. Sometimes even a year, but I kept coming back.
Over time, I got better and better at it. I spent a lot of time studying what was supposed to work in text books, learning what doesn't work (the hard way), and kept going. I got better at it. I kept trying to find a holy grail, but in the end, I realized that I was better off screening a bunch of stocks, and then selecting the one that fit the best based on liquidity, fundamentals etc. I'm trying to say that what I do might seem like it could be automated, but I do use enough discretion to say that experience plays a role in what I do.
Now meanwhile, I was invested heavily in real estate. And my family was growing, and my day job income wasn't keeping up. Over time, I had to spend more and more of my trading funds just to make ends meet. Now, by the Grace of God, my wife just got a real job, and we'll be able to fund that account and crawl out of a financial abyss. But meanwhile, I find myself in this situation (1.) I have less than $10K to trade with and (2.) I've gotten really good at trading. I've put together a track record over the last 4 months that solidly demonstrates I can double my trading account every year. IMHO, I feel my method is finally polished enough to where it is consistent.
But here's the thing. To the outside observer, it doesn't look like much. For example, since the beginning of the month I took my biggest account, and made $216 off of $7K. And I still have to contend with the T+3 bullsh-t. $216 doesn't sound like much, but I made it safely, and consistently, just like the last 4 months. Go through the math, and you either understand that this will double an account annually, or you don't. And I have to contend with T+3 trading rules and I can't even put in a conditional sell signal with my crappy broker because I'm trading in an IRA.
Now, I've written about the loneliness of success on this forum a couple of times. But I find as I get better, it gets worse. I've really got it figured out now. And I should be happy. I am happy in one way, but in another way, it's depressing. I feel like I have some really rare knowledge that I'm proud of, but I'm a long way from doing anything serious with it. I'm 50+ years old, and comfortable, but by the time I can prove anything, it will probably be too late. My dream is to work on Wall Street, running a fund, or assisting with it. I know I'd be good at it, but all I have is an outstanding blotter with an assortment of accounts totaling $10K. Dang it, I can make money easily now. But it's going to take forever to build anything big...even calculating doubling time. It's going to take forever to get recognition that would get me hired. Meanwhile, I make a really good wage in a job I find boring as hell in a different field.
I guess I'm just venting, but I feel like I have something wonderful, but it's too little too late and nobody close to home understands it. I've invented the lightbulb, and my friends are like, "why don't you just use a candle?" Does anyone out there understand what I mean? Don't flame me. I'm being very open here.