I understand old percy-verance. And the school of hard knocks. But how long should you stay doing the same thing if it is not the opportunity it is cracked up to be? This will be my 5th year. That is just a waste of life!
Funster: ââ¦I really am doubtful whether you can make a decent income in this business.â sabena: âIt IS possibleâ¦â I agree with sabena although I would add that it has become increasingly difficult for me to maintain a decent profit in the ES over the last year or so, particularly in the last 6 months.
I have to disagree that it has become more difficult the last year or so, at least not for me. One question to all of you ; how much percent of your trades are from the short side ?
sabena: ââ¦how much percent of your trades are from the short side?â March ES trades are currently composed of 62% shorts. Not as significant a sample as the NQ trades, which I have actually begun trading more of over the last few months.
Now that sounds like a nice living to me. Where do I sign up? I don't know if you could get that business back or not, but it might be worth a shot. Heck, if I could make up to $70,000/wk I wouldn't mind that business for myself. Stable income and no risk. I wish you the best on your future endeavors, whether they be trading related or not. I'm still dealing with my own trading demons here, so I really can't offer you any advice, that you haven't already read or heard before. 2-B
90 % of my trades are from the short side, reason for this, the average move down takes about 3 times less in time then the average move up. Explains a lot of my consistent succes ...
sabena Never really counted but just as likely to go long as short so 50/50 I guess. 2-b Nothing is no risk. We had to take 3 major corporations through expensive and lengthy litigation proceedings to get most of our money. But we had an edge and we were in the energy sales business at a time of government deregulation. Backhanders galore as well - dodgy buggers the lot of them! Anyway the same opportunity is much less potent now (who makes money when there is competition and a level playing field anyway???!!!). And also if I was in it now there would have been a good chance that I would have had Enron as a major customer. We would have been stuffed!
hi all..my first time here..lots to read following Funsters' account of what is happening..I've been trading index futures for about 7 years now..following on from shares ...I've traded the FT100 the Dax and the e-minis ..I 've even gone as far as installing direct data lines for 1 second fills via pats etc.. Changing markets was both in ignorance and in trying to find liquidity..connection with data lines was as a result of internet trading not working via dial up and due to location..etc etc I say this ..and there is much much more to say because of the following.. 1) not until I stopped trying to chase a trade or want to make it happen and be right, did i really start learning.. 2) the frustration and angst that is obvious in funster post..which I both understand and sympathise with..stems, with all poeple..from something we want to happen not happening. Trading imo is about the self and not the markets..the market is a mirror..it merely reflects your own state of mind and degree of balance. Trading is a contradiction ..seemingly..we buy and it goes down ..we them sell and it goes up..WHY..because we chase..and we EXPECT to be right..and also because we subconsciously take action (place the trade) at or near the very piont we should be closing..!! Yes ..its about wanting verification and that dreaded word confirmation..without realizing it ..we have an opinion say to buy..but we wait just too long ..this invokes a missed opportunity syndrome..and frustration leads us to eventually take the trade.. but its all done and dusted..why then would we have made money by doing the opposite ..think about this ..it is very profound. I hope I'm not going on too much..but 7 odd years worth is hard to put down on a page and for to help..I am pleased to.. TRADING IS NOT EASY! so why do we expect it to be..false expectations and lack of understanding as to what discipline is..are the main causes of losses..think, if you will the times you have ended a day and thought I had more chance flipping a coin..in many ways this is true..try to understand the real meaning of dealing with uncertainty . i'll finish for now with this..EVERY trader has at least one thing they are good at in thier trading.be it a certain analysis/trend /shape..this or that whatever..what most traders don't have is the discipline to find and see this in amongst their failure..and then the discipline to ONLY trade in terms of that one thing that works.. My best wishes to all traders..its hard but we learn how to make it simple by understanding ALL the difficulties..
I would like to add if I may for your help if I can..and I say all the following with respect..(affter all I know I too have been there) there was a post in which you said you traded 13 times.. also some remarks about $1000 per week.. you are overtrading..you are imo chasing..trying to MAKE it happen..we have no control over the market only oneself and ones actions to open and close.. $1000 is possible per week ..10 ticks a day on the mini nq on one contract even or 5 ticks per day on 2.. Do you realy know ..for certain how many times you were up 5 ticks aon a day..I have found it absolutely imperative to have logged the result of each and every trade on each day.. Ttreat it as a business..get totally serious about making making it work..and the secrete to this is facing full on all that you do wrong and with TOTAL ruthless efficiecy stop doing what you did wrong ONE by ONe..there will come a point when you will be doing 51 % right and 49% wrong..this is enough to slowly get better..know your objective on each trade and day week etc.. fortunes are being made by those that commit..and believe and do not accept failure as anything more than an opportunity to learn..if I can be of any help please feel free to ask.. regards..