Is day trading worth it?

[dbphoenix]

In my experience it's more psychological. Just knowing a trade may happen any hour doesn't let one fully relax as opposed to say, long-term investment when you care less even about various flash crashes etc.

From another viewpoint, if there are enough trades every day, there's no biggie to miss a day or a couple of weeks simply if you want so, especially if it happens around holidays or late August.

That depends on the instrument, how much it moves (duration and extent), and what one wants. If one is concerned about "enough trades every day", then he's daytrading again. Or he can trade a daily chart. Or a 2d chart. Or 3d. Trader's choice.

 

[cornix]

That depends on the instrument, how much it moves (duration and extent), and what one wants. If one is concerned about "enough trades every day", then he's daytrading again. Or he can trade a daily chart. Or a 2d chart. Or 3d. Trader's choice.

Yep. Why not day trade say 6 or more instruments?

 

[bawr]

Hello all,

... I was tired of being glued to the screen all day long ...

Laissez Faire,

I just came across this thread. I believe spending one's life in front of a terminal is a waste. It is important to come up with a way to avoid doing this.

I'm a full-time student of mathematics and physics, devoting most of my time there.

I studied math (with a bit of physics on the side) too. I did it because it was interesting to me, and not as a career move as recommended by some here. I have no interest working for some financial firm or managing other people's money.

I'm just thinking that swing trading may be just as rewarding, less stressful and even more financially rewarding than day trading, while at the same time leaving time to pursue other interests (which I have a lot of).

I agree. My own "trading" has been longer term oriented and has been modestly rewarding. I just calculated that the geometric average of my annual returns for the past 11 years has been about 45%, with 2/3 of the total gains being accounted for by just two positions, which were held for several years, and in one case through the financial crisis. I enjoy looking at my stock portfolio and the market for about an hour every day, and making adjustments as needed. I rarely trade more than three times a month.

I would be interested to know the type of returns, say, the top 2.2% of day traders are making.

 

[masterm1ne]

You're still working 9-5 and that's excluding the work done outside market hours.

No. I was done today and most days entering positions around 10 am (starting at 0630). Even though I made mistakes today, I am positive and I made more than I currently earn in 1 day of work at my job, 630-1600.

What exactly are you talking about? You wrote in your journal that your best year ever is -1k.

I need to fix that, I actually just received my tax return for last year, and I lost $381 dollars last year. Please go back and read every post in my journal. 5 weeks is nothing, but I am currently making money nearly every day trading 9 lots on the RLM.

 

[dbphoenix]

Yep. Why not day trade say 6 or more instruments?

If you can do it profitably, why not?

This thread could have consisted of two posts: the first one and a second one saying "Yes, if you know what you're doing and no if you don't". That's really what it boils down to.

 

[NoDoji]

I spend 5 hours per day trading (with plenty of breaks in there, too), sometimes less. I spend 7 hours a day sleeping. That leaves nearly 12 hours per weekday to "have a life".

If I worked for someone else outside my home, I have at least 10 hours a day tied up with my job.

If I can generate more income day trading than I can working for someone else, what's the downside?

 

[dbphoenix]

I spend 5 hours per day trading (with plenty of breaks in there, too), sometimes less. I spend 7 hours a day sleeping. That leaves nearly 12 hours per weekday to "have a life".

If I worked for someone else outside my home, I have at least 10 hours a day tied up with my job.

If I can generate more income day trading than I can working for someone else, what's the downside?

You're denied the pleasures of office politics.

 

[dealmaker]

You're denied the pleasures of office politics.

I am guessing you are kidding.....

 

[dbphoenix]

I am guessing you are kidding.....

 

[failed_trad3r]

to all the people who say daytrading is worth it instead of swingtrade + job, why they dont post a math example where everything works out, including the % profit per year required and comparison to normal wage slave life?

i have run the math and it does not work out. You either start with 500k+ or you make a subsistence living on 1000 a month when you could make 5000+ month with the right STEM degree.

Daytrading is also the loss of opportunity, there is an opportunity cost involved.