I was trading FOREX on paper for 18 months, recently gave that up and have moved on to futures, primarily the /YM emini. Having incredible success with it in thinkorswim papermoney, doing so well I am wondering if there is something about futures I am missing.
So I am looking for someone who can just review a PDF I made from TOS account statement output, look at my trades and tell me if what I am doing looks like it would work in live trading. I want to start a dialogue with a current active futures trader so I can ask some specific questions. Will not bother with online "mentors" as many of them are scams that just want to sell me their "holy grail" indicator.
You can not determine what someone is doing wrong or right if they are
only looking at broker statements...a common flaw many do not realize. It may be better suited to just post videos of you trading and of your monitor as you navigate from one trade to the next trade.
In contrast, if you revealed your trade method in that same .pdf file with the broker statements with timestamp fills and you reveal if you're using charts (time frame), DOM or whatever trading tools you're using with your trade plan (I didn't say trade method)...you will have a better starting point beyond just broker statement.
Also, the fact that you even mentioned the word "mentors" implies you may be trying to find someone to review your broker statements as a substitute for mentoring...flawed approach. You don't need it if you put all the info about your trading plan (once again I didn't say trade method) in that .pdf file along with a well documented trade journal...its all you will need for someone to be able to make suggestions after reading the info...reason for my suggestion that if that's what you're trying to do...post videos to go with those .pdf files.
Therefore, its simple from this point on.
Just start a trade journal here at ET...post your files at the end of the trading day if you're really in need to find someone to review your trades but keep in mind that if you're not revealing the trade method, your trading environment at home and anything else that impacts your trading...some stranger reviewing your file will only be able to say basic statistical analysis info.
Trade Journal Section @
https://www.elitetrader.com/et/forums/journals.29/
Just be careful about
simulator trading. It should only be used to learn the broker trade execution platform or used briefly when there are new changes to your trade method (method that's already been backtested)
prior to you trading with real money on the minimim trade size (e.g. 1 contract).
Use the simulator too long beyond the above...you will see a completely different trade performance when you traverse into real money trading...often worst than your simulator trading performance.
Most common simulator trading mistake is that the trader is using an account size, margin/leverage not realistic to what they will be doing in their real account. For example, using a simulator that lets them trade with 100k when in reality their real account is only 5k...silly stuff like that. Another example...riskier trades on the simulator and then they try to "cherry pick" their trades in real money performance.
The killer, the emotions or lack of in simulator trading will not even be close to the same emotions in real money trading especially in the first few months of real money trading via the fact that there's
not a "do over again" the next day if you screw up big time in one trading day. Thus, a big screw up on simulator trading...you get to start again the next day. In real money trading, you screw up big time...there may not be a next day.
Good luck.
wrbtrader
