She did ok, but slowly - was still doing her Master's degree at the same time as trading a little, a couple of days a week - stayed with TST for about 8-9 months, as I remember, and saved up enough from the takings to start on her own.
Question for TST Traders
- Thread starter xoxo555
- Start date
She did ok, but slowly - was still doing her Master's degree at the same time as trading a little, a couple of days a week - stayed with TST for about 8-9 months, as I remember, and saved up enough from the takings to start on her own.
Hello,
And congratulations on taking on the TST challenge. I have experience with them my self as i have also tried the TST.
Here is some :
1. Becareful of the drawdown. Make sure your method and contract size will allow you to trade comfortable enough through out all 3 stages.
Let me give you an example.
30K account is actually a starting balance of $1500. So think of it as you actually have $1500 in a live brokerage account.
For my strategy, which is a 3 contract strategy, with exit 2 contracts at 10 ticks and let one contract be a runner. Buttttt, my stop loss is 15 ticks. So trading the CL, i am risking -$450 per trade. With an account size of $1500, after 3 losses in a roll, i will hit the TST trailing drawdown of $1500, and break a rule and fail.
Yess, the $1500 is a trailing drawdown..
From the example, obviously my risk management want work with 3 contracts and $1500 balance and 15 tick stop loss.
So, i had to reduce all the way to 1 contract. With 1 contract and balance (trailing drawdow) of $1500, this allows me 15 times to to hit a 15 tick stop loss before hitting drawdown.
Yes, trading one contract all take months to past combine, but atleast I don't have to worry about hitting that draw down on all 3 stages of the TST till funded.
Now, that is the key to passing Combine.
Yes, some will get lucky and pass Combine on one weeek. But it all depends on favorable market conditions per your strategy.
For my strategy and data collection of 200 trades, the most drawdown I had experienced was about $800 with one contract, so this gave me an edge on passing the combine AND high odds of passing the other 2 stages as well.
I hope this makes sense, if not reply.
And congratulations on taking on the TST challenge. I have experience with them my self as i have also tried the TST.
Here is some :
1. Becareful of the drawdown. Make sure your method and contract size will allow you to trade comfortable enough through out all 3 stages.
Let me give you an example.
30K account is actually a starting balance of $1500. So think of it as you actually have $1500 in a live brokerage account.
For my strategy, which is a 3 contract strategy, with exit 2 contracts at 10 ticks and let one contract be a runner. Buttttt, my stop loss is 15 ticks. So trading the CL, i am risking -$450 per trade. With an account size of $1500, after 3 losses in a roll, i will hit the TST trailing drawdown of $1500, and break a rule and fail.
Yess, the $1500 is a trailing drawdown..
From the example, obviously my risk management want work with 3 contracts and $1500 balance and 15 tick stop loss.
So, i had to reduce all the way to 1 contract. With 1 contract and balance (trailing drawdow) of $1500, this allows me 15 times to to hit a 15 tick stop loss before hitting drawdown.
Yes, trading one contract all take months to past combine, but atleast I don't have to worry about hitting that draw down on all 3 stages of the TST till funded.
Now, that is the key to passing Combine.
Yes, some will get lucky and pass Combine on one weeek. But it all depends on favorable market conditions per your strategy.
For my strategy and data collection of 200 trades, the most drawdown I had experienced was about $800 with one contract, so this gave me an edge on passing the combine AND high odds of passing the other 2 stages as well.
I hope this makes sense, if not reply.
Echo everything that was said here, especially by @Xela. 
One other thing I noticed - it looks like your demo only charges you $1.84 per round turn in commissions and fees. I could be wrong - maybe that spreadsheet counts a "contract" as a "side," not a "round turn." (i.e. Is 100 contracts traded on your first day 50 buys and 50 sells, or 100 buy/sell?)
Retail rates (and possibly TST rates) are closer to $4.00 per round turn. Given the low average profit per trade, just the extra bump in commissions would severely deplete your P/L. Work on increasing your profit per trade, and assume much higher commissions.
One other thing I noticed - it looks like your demo only charges you $1.84 per round turn in commissions and fees. I could be wrong - maybe that spreadsheet counts a "contract" as a "side," not a "round turn." (i.e. Is 100 contracts traded on your first day 50 buys and 50 sells, or 100 buy/sell?)
Retail rates (and possibly TST rates) are closer to $4.00 per round turn. Given the low average profit per trade, just the extra bump in commissions would severely deplete your P/L. Work on increasing your profit per trade, and assume much higher commissions.
Think of it like this with the $50k account as an example.
Forget the $50k marketing, and pay attention to the $2000 trailing drawdown.
1. Can you start with $2000 account and make $3000 profits without balance going to $0. Max contracts is 5.
2. If question 1 is yes, can you do question 1 three times in a roll. This means make $3000 in combine, then another $3000 in 2nd stage, and once funded another $3000 (this $3000 will be your actual money to keep or leave it as your starting balance).
So if you have to make $6000 in sim, just to get access to $2000 real cash to stare trading again to build your equity. Once you in funded and your account reaches $2000, TST will count that as your money. From there you can continue trading to continue building your capital.
If answer to question 1 and 2 is yes. Open an account and good luck.
Forget the $50k marketing, and pay attention to the $2000 trailing drawdown.
1. Can you start with $2000 account and make $3000 profits without balance going to $0. Max contracts is 5.
2. If question 1 is yes, can you do question 1 three times in a roll. This means make $3000 in combine, then another $3000 in 2nd stage, and once funded another $3000 (this $3000 will be your actual money to keep or leave it as your starting balance).
So if you have to make $6000 in sim, just to get access to $2000 real cash to stare trading again to build your equity. Once you in funded and your account reaches $2000, TST will count that as your money. From there you can continue trading to continue building your capital.
If answer to question 1 and 2 is yes. Open an account and good luck.
You're more the welcome xoxo 555, have fun and enjoy the journey. I was with TST for 5 months and experience no issues with their service. Very good customer support as well. And I learned alot too.Thank you for all of your inputs, especially Xela & SimpleMeLike
Bad juju there. I wouldn't attempt it even if the broker allowed it. Not good risk-management.
Hello Overnight,
Well, that is essential what TST provides. They provides a $2000 trailing drawdown account. And allow you to trade up to 5 contracts.
This does not mean you have to trade 5 contracts. I scaled all the way to 1 contract so the $2000 trailing drawdown has lower odds of being hit while I try to reach TST profit target. I even tried 2 contracts as well. I hit the trailing drawdown 1 time.
By the way, it is very possible to start an account with $2000 and grow it to reach their profit target, it depends on market conditions, stop loss of the strategy, and style of the trading strategy. And contracts size.
Well, that is essential what TST provides. They provides a $2000 trailing drawdown account. And allow you to trade up to 5 contracts.
This does not mean you have to trade 5 contracts. I scaled all the way to 1 contract so the $2000 trailing drawdown has lower odds of being hit while I try to reach TST profit target. I even tried 2 contracts as well. I hit the trailing drawdown 1 time.
By the way, it is very possible to start an account with $2000 and grow it to reach their profit target, it depends on market conditions, stop loss of the strategy, and style of the trading strategy. And contracts size.
Then why don't they just call it a $2K combine, provide $2K drawdown, with same max contract size?
Hello Overnight,
Good question, and I do know the answer for that. I wonder the same thing. Maybe for marketing purposes to think you are actually getting a $50K account. That is not true, you only get $2K account. Also, their is a cost to the Combine. Overall,