Its too bad this post will sound a little depressing...because I blew up my account again in January. Embarassing right. I didn't even make it to the market volatility.
I'm 27. Been trading since I was 16, when I stole the password to my mom's IRA and lost 30k.
I became interested in trading at age 10 when my dad showed me compound interest in microsoft excel, and we would input some amount + percentage and drag the cursor. In high school, he showed me Reminiscences, and I was hooked. All I thought about as a kid was how to "make it" trading so I wouldn't have to work a real job. (Whatever that means). Turns out sitting at home watching a screen all day and playing video games isn't all its cracked up to be.
I did get my bachelors from a good school in 2012, when I went to work for a software company. I wasn't a computer science graduate, but I had enough friends who were software engineers that I have made half-assed attempts over the years to switch. In the end, I get distracted by a couple of good trades, and go back to focusing on trading. If I were more disciplined, I would be a software engineer right now in a cushy job.
I did try the "full time route" twice. I semi-retired at 23 with 400k, and at 26 I tried again. Both times I blew up within 6-9 months.
As a trader my biggest weakness is taking excessive risk, especially after taking a loss, and relying on my trading to be successful.
As I said, its too bad that my first post is coming from a low point. But I did want to say hi. My plan right now is to stop trading, and focus solely on programming, so I can have some income again. I will try to get full time work, but contract work would be nice too, and probably more attainable at this point.
For what it is worth, I post this to help you. Yours does not seem troll-bait.
First, this bit...
I'm 27. Been trading since I was 16, when I stole the password to my mom's IRA and lost 30k.
Jesus man. That is bad. Stealing from your mom's IRA? Dude! You need to recheck your moral compass.
And then there is this bit...
...As a trader my biggest weakness is taking excessive risk, especially after taking a loss, and relying on my trading to be successful.
No, it seems your biggest risk is your weakness as an excessive trader.
And there is also this...
"...All I thought about as a kid was how to "make it" trading so I wouldn't have to work a real job. (Whatever that means)..."
Having to slog through a "real job" might just be the kick in the pants you need to truly appreciate what you have, and what you would have to do if you wished to have it again were you to start from scratch.
If you really do not know what it means to have a "real job", go ahead and apply for one. Go through the process for applying to a job. Pick one, any one. Type up a resume', submit it with your job app, and watch the system at work. You'd be amazed at how it all ties together these days.
...I did try the "full time route" twice. I semi-retired at 23 with 400k, and at 26 I tried again. Both times I blew up within 6-9 months.
For that I try to keep things in perspective, and it is tough. You semi-retired at 23 with $400K (of which at least $30K you owe your mom, so let's call it $350K after interest on your mom's loan), then at 26 tried again and "blew up".
I dunno' what size account you blew up, but I hope it is within reason and not a true blow-out.
I have been fortunate enough to have taken only major losses from previous profits. I gave back some of what I have made, but have not "blown out" an account. I am still in profit from the start of the endeavor, but have taken major steps back and am back to digging up from where I am in my current hole to where I was comfortable before the hole. It is not a soft and comfortable ride up that path...It is rough-and-tumble. It is a lot of music you would not understand. It is many things...
You? You had $400,000. Do you have any concept of how much money that is? Can you truly fathom it?
$400,000. Let that sink in for a minute, Mr. niko.
$400,000.
Has it sunk in yet?
I didn't think so. Go ahead, keep thinking about it.
Keep thinking about it.
Go on, keep thinking about it.
$400,000
23 years old with $400,000.
Think McFly.