in about July 2012, my fist year trading forex exclusively, I hit a high and had to decide how to pay taxes, and also, it was enough to pay my small monthly bills
I just picked a round number that I wanted in my account, and decided on the last trading day of each month to request a withdrawal of 50% over and above that month.
good decision, because that was the all time high in 2012, and since then, I have had some profitable months and some losing months.
Yet, each month, even into my horrible losing new year of 2013 (lost 25% of total account in just two weeks in Feb 2013), I still get a check each month
I'd have to do pretty piss poor in 2013 to lose all I made in 2012. But it will take all of 2013 just to take out the high of 2012 (or at this point, just BE.)
hey man, I don't do this for a living anymore. I can just click a box on my my mutual funds and they will start paying me dividends (or in the case of my bond funds also capital gains, since I am too old to start buying any new bonds.)
not sure why you think it is so hard to get a check from ib each month. Just don't get in the habit of sending them one each month (and at one time, in a low point in my life that is exactly what I did, and all that money is gone, and never should have been committed. Back then you couldn't ACH, it all had to be wired, and my ex girlfriend who was the Bank Manager would always ask me, "Are you sure?")