Legit or no?

Quote from ksmetana:

hahaha yes, my big secret. I keep no secrets, go read my trading journal on ET, I hold nothing back. Sorry for my slow responses, I don't check this site as much as I used to. Calm down.

The company has already been mentioned: Tower Hill.

Maverick actually told me to inquire with them some time ago, and I did, and finally they got back to me.

They have not mentioned anything about a trading cost. The only cost I'm aware of would be the flight to chicago and hotel acccomodations during the 2 week in-office training.

If they are holding out information, then so be it haha.

If the terms are legit, it sounds like the best deal out there for a new trader.

I have not yet signed with them or anything, because I am considering going back to school for my MBA so that I can get a salary job in the markets.

Might Tower Hill have a crappy side? Maybe, I don't know. I do know that most prop firms have a crappy side, so its to be expected.
The industry is BS, but it can't be avoided, so only two things matter:
1. The terms
and
2. The technology and support

I don't know how reliable their service / support is, so I can't comment on that. But the terms sound pretty damn decent from what I can tell.

And to you guys who say "open a futures account..." I am not new to this arena, I have traded for a firm and I've already had a futures account. Futures are great for the independent trader, but you miss out on so much opportunity.

Also they have a nasty non-compete which is ridiculous considering they have new guys trading odd lots.
 
Quote from Maverick74:

Kurt, I have not heard many good things about Tower Hill. I know a few people that interviewed there and it looked bleak in their office. From what I heard they stop you out at like a $50 a day loss and fire guys after 3 months if you are down a little bit in the account. I would think T3 was a better setup.

I believe the owners of Tower Hill are connected with Avatar. I think Avatar was started by some former Tower Hill traders. I'm not sure what you like about this setup. Nobody in Chicago wants to trade there. Hell, very few people I know in Chicago have even heard of them and this is a trader's town.

Actually trading 5 shares.......50 dollars is a ton of room.......lol.


I would guess that they have new guys trade some sort of retail account seeing how trading odd lots at prop firms is illegal.
 
lol, so much hate in this thread for no reason, hitnrun is very sensitive, did the kids make fun of you at school

i need not defend myself, my journal is up for all to see. i have a lot of potential in the markets, i look forward to getting my mba
-------

so their offices are empty? any word on why?

Yeah, they'll give you tight stops in the beginning im sure, but at least it's free

maverick, my draw is simply that there is no risk to me. being undercapitalized and trading scared money was always my nemesis, along with working a full time job haha

and yes they are starting remote
 
haha @ odd lots. i would hope they don't keep you at 5 shares for too long lol

i can just imagine, buying 4 shares and scaling out of a position!
 
Quote from ksmetana:

lol, so much hate in this thread for no reason, hitnrun is very sensitive, did the kids make fun of you at school

i need not defend myself, my journal is up for all to see. i have a lot of potential in the markets, i look forward to getting my mba
-------

so their offices are empty? any word on why?

Yeah, they'll give you tight stops in the beginning im sure, but at least it's free

maverick, my draw is simply that there is no risk to me. being undercapitalized and trading scared money was always my nemesis, along with working a full time job haha

and yes they are starting remote



Not really free....you will be taking up time there trading ridiculous small size when you could be actively trying to find a much better situation. I have been in the biz for a long time..I have never heard of a firm starting guys out at such tiny levels. They would be better off having guys start on a simulator.

As far as their offices being empty...think about it. Do you really need an answer. If it was 10 yrs ago and there were a ton of prop firms in Chicago then them being empty would not be such a red flag. But with a ton of guys looking for trading jobs and with the number of firms in Chicago decreasing so much, they should be pretty much full.
 
Quote from ksmetana:

* * *

And to you guys who say "open a futures account..." I am not new to this arena, I have traded for a firm and I've already had a futures account. Futures are great for the independent trader, but you miss out on so much opportunity.

What opportunity are you referring to? I've traded at a firm (my own money). It felt like a job. Maybe that's what you're looking for though. I'm not knocking it at all. You're young and haven't really worked much so I can understand. For me, I'm definitely not missing leaving the house at 4:30 a.m. to commute to an office full of people I didn't care to be around.

Now, if you mean you didn't do well with futures and want to stick with stocks, I totally understand that. No doubt stocks are easier to trade. They're just not that great for intraday compared to e-mini stock index futures. Tech stocks during 1998-2000, different story.

Whichever your decision, good luck from a fellow Anteater.
 
Quote from ksmetana:

haha @ odd lots. i would hope they don't keep you at 5 shares for too long lol

i can just imagine, buying 4 shares and scaling out of a position!

Ha ha...yes. But is true............


My buddy asked what happens after you prove yourself at 5-15 shares. They said they move guys to 10-30 shares.


Waste of time..........
 
Are you currently profitable? Do they have a trading program/curriculum/training, such as Bright Trading?

ES

Quote from ksmetana:

I found a firm that does NOT require a series 56... trading STOCKS.

They require NO capital up front. They absorb the losses. They limit their risk buy starting you off really, really small, and increasing your BP as you show consistency.

So, what is the law exactly on the 56?

Do you only need to take the test if you are contributing capital?
 
Im familiar with them. Its a legit set up. One of the few where a non-bd can pass through high commissions without being a BD. (The owners of tower hill also own a BD which Tower hill trades through and that is where they get any mark up). Benefits the trader and firm in a few ways (no tests, quicker start up times).

From what I know, no capital required is true. I don't think remote is realistic unless you have capital down, then maybe, but I really doubt after 2 weeks. I'd get clarification on that if was the OP.

I cant comment on why the office seems empty or not, but how many good traders are out there right now? Even First New York is disintegrating.

When the market gets tough (and stays tough for years), the crappy traders and firms immediately get emptied out by failing traders who should have never started, and firms just start selling education or stealing trader's money when they suddenly close (Madison Trading - a BD, Velez / Team Trading, Everest, whoever else). Conversely, a good firm keeps tabs on its good traders and keeps a tight ship when the going gets tough. Point is - big space is less important than if the concentration of good traders in there for you to learn from or trade with.

The avatar office there in Chicago is a ghost town. They just opened up to try to poach tower hill people and it didn't work. Trading firms in ny are empty too in a lot of cases. The ones you named either are empty, charge for education, closing, have no capital, or have seriously suffered from years of diff't conditions.

On the share size thing, not the worse idea if you want to (or the firm wants you to) trade the crazier symbols. They aren't pulling a WTS and having you trade BAC with 1 share. AMZN, VMW etc (I ASSUME).


Before making a decision, ask if you can go check it out. I believe they've backed guys for years, and that means they should have good traders, a good working trading floor, lots of capital (in the BD, not tower hill), adding up to a decent place to learn or prove yourself.
 
Quote from SgtSlottter:

Im familiar with them. Its a legit set up. One of the few where a non-bd can pass through high commissions without being a BD. (The owners of tower hill also own a BD which Tower hill trades through and that is where they get any mark up). Benefits the trader and firm in a few ways (no tests, quicker start up times).

From what I know, no capital required is true. I don't think remote is realistic unless you have capital down, then maybe, but I really doubt after 2 weeks. I'd get clarification on that if was the OP.

I cant comment on why the office seems empty or not, but how many good traders are out there right now? Even First New York is disintegrating.

When the market gets tough (and stays tough for years), the crappy traders and firms immediately get emptied out by failing traders who should have never started, and firms just start selling education or stealing trader's money when they suddenly close (Madison Trading - a BD, Velez / Team Trading, Everest, whoever else). Conversely, a good firm keeps tabs on its good traders and keeps a tight ship when the going gets tough. Point is - big space is less important than if the concentration of good traders in there for you to learn from or trade with.

The avatar office there in Chicago is a ghost town. They just opened up to try to poach tower hill people and it didn't work. Trading firms in ny are empty too in a lot of cases. The ones you named either are empty, charge for education, closing, have no capital, or have seriously suffered from years of diff't conditions.

On the share size thing, not the worse idea if you want to (or the firm wants you to) trade the crazier symbols. They aren't pulling a WTS and having you trade BAC with 1 share. AMZN, VMW etc (I ASSUME).


Before making a decision, ask if you can go check it out. I believe they've backed guys for years, and that means they should have good traders, a good working trading floor, lots of capital (in the BD, not tower hill), adding up to a decent place to learn or prove yourself.

Everyone I know who has interviewed there left there with horrible impressions. They opted to go to firms where they deposit money. Imagine that. The employment contract was a joke. In fact, I have a copy of it around here somewhere from a buddy of mine that interviewed there.

And I'm sorry, I have to take issue with something. Giving a guy 5 shares to trade is not "backing" someone. Fuck, I'll back anyone on ET with 5 shares of stock. Shit I got that money in my wallet for lunch tomorrow. Let's try to keep this serious.

I've been in this business for a while, probably too long. And I can tell you and anyone who has ever had any success in the equity business will back this up, the office environment is absolutely crucial to being successful. Especially to a new guy.

The problem Tower Hill has is the problem all firms that offer a shitty deal have. As soon as the trader has any kind of success, they leave. Sure they have a 3 year non compete which is absolutely unenforceable. So what you are left with is all the dead beats.
 
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