Quote from bat1:
Hello,
I'm tired of stocks I'm really starting to hate them
However Futures seem to be very exciting
So, I'm asking where do I start?
what would be the best to start with oil? gains? e-mini 500?
What firm do I use?
What's the best web site to learn from?
Trading futures is a 24/7 operation?
What about Tax time how do you report them? is there a wash rule with futures also?
I only got 60k to begin with..
Maybe somebody can put me under there wing and get me going
and down the road I will reward them..
FYI.. I'm 52, military retiree ....
Thank you
There is just so much wrong with this. First, if trading is exciting, you're either doing it wrong, risking too much or have a need to punish yourself. You can have a passion for the markets, but once you start looking to trading for excitement, the end is not far away.
All your questions could be answered by a couple of hours of basic research. Why would you take the opinions of total strangers instead? Whatever.
I would suggest doing extensive backtesting on several markets. Trade the one you do best with. Or paper trade. One contract only until you are making consistent money. I repeat, one contract only.
Whatever market you trade, you need to be aware of the major data releases. They can leave a painful mark.
Many here use IB. It is not for people who need handholding. Their customer service is a little different from what you will get at Fidelity or Schwab. You shouldn't be trading futures if you need handholding however.
Tax reporting is one of the advantages of futures. The broker gives you a 1099 with a profit or loss number and that is all youhave to report to the IRS. Futures also qualify for 60/40 tax treatment.
No one is going to teach you how to trade or take you under their wing. You can pay people who will pretend to, but if they were any good, would they be teaching?
There are important fundamentals anyone can tell you however. Understand what your time frame is. Trade in the direction of the trend from the next higher time frame. Cut losses quickly and let profits run. Understand the key levels.
I would take your 60k stake and divide it in half. Put half in a bank account or somewhere you cannot access it for trading. If (when) you lose the other half, you can then make a decision if you want to continue.