You Only Need $5000 to Make a Living

Quote from Fractals 'R Us:

Eh.. trade three contracts of the YM, takes $5k, make 2 points every half hour during real time hours, you net $350 a day to live on. I would never argue that is not doable...

That seems nuts. What would you estimate % risk of ruin? How often will you have a drawdown large enough to cripple your earning power?
 
Quote from cuz69:

Well as I do agree with those 4, here a few more

1. PROTECT YOUR CAPITAL!
2. Play with your offense not your defense
<b>3.Make trades that have the best probability of gain, not the best dollar gain.
</b>
4. Have the wind at your back
<b>
5.Start liquidating not when you are wrong, but when you are NOT RIGHT
</b>
6.Define the edge of each trade
7.Don't rationalize your mistakes, or wallow in self pity
8.Never stand in front of a moving train
9.Always earmark your exit
10.There is no place for fear or greed!

Amen


both exceptional
 
there are pros who trade with small accounts, usually more than $5k, more like $15k. They are already experienced and are not turning $5k daily profits.

Bigger players, hold larger positions overnight, and thus require more in their account--but can put $50k in the bank at the end of the month. I've heard of old pros keeping a few grand in their account. They don't trade often, but the brokerage will cover for them because they are probably friends and also they wait for best possible trades.

I know $1k/day and $5k/day traders. And one who is happy averaging $500, who keeps maybe $10k in his account.

I've blown out one account and since traded down a couple accounts and closed them because because I broke one of my four rules; averaging down (I love it when it works). Yea, it can but you have to have money and at least once you will take a hit. #2 is sticking with what I know...at least don't throw something new into the mix until you are sure it will add something to your edge. #3 is patience. I can make my quota in an hour and watch it slip away until I have to take a breath and retrench. #4 Take your pick: bored, tired, trading when the market is flat, etc.
 
Damn!!!

We've got a NEWBIE FEST in here!!!

So long do you all think the 10% return a day performance will last?
Hopefully, you (they)'ve got some contingency plans going...

Scary... scary scary scary...
But yet... funny
 
Quote from GermanTrader:

Then I guess my weekly profit distributions really don't happen. I guess my standard of living is all just a dream. I'm not really typing this on my laptop as I take a dump during a trade. I'm not really living in a home paid in cash by trading. If what you say is true, then I guess I will be waking up anytime now, back punching a clock at some boring job. I guess I really don't take 3-day weekends every week because I take Fridays off. And I guess I never fly at 20,000 feet just to watch the sunset while everyone else only sees fog.

I started trading with $1,500 and that is all anyone needs, if they know what they are doing and have been working for years at developing their own system on a sim. Sure, I blew my account when it was small, when I was trading someone else's systems, when I should have been on the sim. Call it hunger to win. $1,500 is all anyone needs to make a go of it with emini futures. I did it, and how much profit I take per distribution is none of anybody's business. But if I lost it all tomorrow, I would get a few jobs, save money, and just start over again, with $1,500.

I enjoyed that post - well done.
 
Quote from 4DTrader:

But you have to have the correct method and discipline in avoiding 4 mistakes.

My point here is that you don't need a large capital to make a living.

I agree! But the 4 mistakes are your first 4 trades.

If you start with low equity you need to get an early string of winners, 3 or 4.
 
Quote from TSGannGalt:

Damn!!!

We've got a NEWBIE FEST in here!!!

So long do you all think the 10% return a day performance will last?
Hopefully, you (they)'ve got some contingency plans going...

Scary... scary scary scary...
But yet... funny
Very few of the posts on this board even make sense anymore.

But they are intersting to read, just to see what people think.
 
i love the critics who tell people they cant make the profits they are talking about. Maybe you think its not possible because you cant make it . It could be you are not as good a trader as them .
 
I don't think the premise of the thread has been addressed fairly. How many have traded since at least 2000? Spent time in the pit? Remember the S & P when it was $500 a full handle? Day traded by calling the pit directly? Traded with FM antenna for live quotes? Seen the old timer sitting on the observation deck charting grains by hand? (he was actually an analyst)

Is it likely that someone can make a living trading with $5000? Probably not a good chance especially for a novice, but you can't prove that it isn't possible. It seems to me that some people spend more time commenting than contributing. A bunch of floor traders got their college education tending bar, working in factories, sniffing around the cbot. If you are scrappy you might do it. There are no magic 4 things for everybody for f's sake.
 
Quote from watchdaride:

i love the critics who tell people they cant make the profits they are talking about. Maybe you think its not possible because you cant make it . It could be you are not as good a trader as them .
i love the idiotic concepts that are promulgated on the website ... all i have to say is, please be trading the ES!
 
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