Who at ET trades for a living?

[clacy]

Thankfully I don't trade for a living, because I still cannot consistently make money on my trades. I make a nice living so until I can be confident that trading can replace that, I'll likely continue trading part time.

I've managed to break even for the past 2.5 years, so it could be worst.

I work days, so even though I do have some freedom to watch the markets, I primarily feel like my only option is to swing trade, so I don't have to spend much time glued to my monitor.

I also recently started toying with micro accounts in Forex at night to learn price action and work on strategies.

My plan is to continue to learn to trade until I feel confident enough to make a living from it. If that never materializes, I would be ok, with learning to at least earn 20-30% per year, to build up a large retirement account.

I must say that I would love to become a full-time trader at some point in the future.

 

[austinp]

<i>"...did u feel the squeeze comin this avo ? 3 years screen time qualified me"</i>

Indeed. Took some losses on the long side early until it finally popped, but was pretty sure it would happen. Short side paid the bills. Screen time helps

 

[Mike805]

Not sure if I trade for a living or not... I manage OPM full time and that provides good income. I have a lot of passive investments as well.

A good portion of my income is from day to day market participation, but, it goes toward my net worth, not towards my living expenses.

Mike

 

[NoDoji]

Quote from TheAngryHermit:

I trade 3+ hours per day, Mon-Fri, but not for a living. I lose almost everyday, how could I?

Hermit, we both trade for a living. One day you make money and I lose it. The next day we trade: I make money and you lose it

 

[Kap]

Quote from austinp:

<i>"...did u feel the squeeze comin this avo ? 3 years screen time qualified me"</i>

Indeed. Took some losses on the long side early until it finally popped, but was pretty sure it would happen. Short side paid the bills. Screen time helps

I started batting early too with small lots leaving large stop buy orders above for the pop... then she blew !

 

[joesan]

Have been trading Asian markets full time since five years ago from Shanghai, 85% months profitable. Multimarket multi-strategies supported by an ATS developed by myself. From this August also managing OPM, so far so good, five consecutive winning months.

 

[gaj]

9+ years fulltime equities.

do *not* take on clients, though i've been asked a fair number of times by family, friends, people i run into, etc. well, first, i'm not trading big enough that having clients is worth it. but other reasons why i don't:

-> don't want added mental pressure. if i lose, i lose *my* money.
-> i prefer to keep all my gains.
-> i'm a daytrader. size becomes harder to deal with a larger cash base.

i understand the other side - you have some kind of guaranteed funds, longer term trades can result in huge profits, larger cash base...but it's just not for me.

 

[Bootsie]

Quote from saliva:

C'mon people, ya know there's a ton of full-time daytraders, myself included. Sure, not all of them are successful, but that's the beauty of this zero-sum game: one man giveth, the other taketh.

On that note, what I really want to know is why the hell do you even bother replying to this crappy thread anyway? It's a no-brainer that this OP idiot just lost his shirt and now needs to justify his losses, namely, if it doesn't work for him it shouldn't work at all.

Have you seen this "idiots" P'n'L lately. I sure as shit haven't seen yours... how about it. You show me yours from today and I'll show you mine.

 

[tigerwu]

Good Traders make lousy business persons. That's why I rather trade for myself than opm. Good traders tend to change their views on a dime as they process new information. Business people tend to stick to their one great idea til the very end. Preseverence or "unwillingness to take a loss" is a virtue in the business world, not in the trading world.

I have been prop trading successfully for top IBs for the last 15y now, and was told by a superior recently that I should be mature enough to distinguish the correct action in either fields. Well, i am not a superman like he think he is. And he never made a dime trading!

Coincidentally, good traders make lousy spouses as well. My wife still gets very angry that I change my mind 50 times a day. And we still own no assets (house, expensive car, any membership over 1y), nothing that can not be liquidated in 10min....

 

[kiwi_trader]

Yes.

No to OPM. Have been asked but I can only imagine I'd do it to help out family as I have enough money of my own not to need someone elses. For me trading has created freedom and OPM would restrict that.