Maybe, and then when we get a real correction, you wont see it coming, will keep "buying the dips" and will give it all back and then some. Rinse and repeat
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83601&perpage=40 http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83408&perpage=40
Typical ET thread lifecycle. First someone starts a pretty decent thread asking a fair question. Then a mindless pinhead tries to be a comic, posts a worthless comment. Then a investor often impersonating a trader who has recently found nirvana with ' Futures For Dummies" or "Options for Dummies" chimes in why trading intraday, scalping or trading equities, or trading in general doesn't work anymore. Then comes the graphics department with the smiley avatars...and we are in an arms race to the gutter. The thread gets derailed and the ad revenues continues....
I would respectfully disagree that it was posed as a fair question. A simple dollar amount is meaningless without context. I've made over 100k in the last three months but if you don't know how much capital was used, how much risk taken, and a long term time frame of consistent results it is completely meaningless. The question needs to be posed with more specifics and what exactly the OP is trying to find out. What are his experience level, capital, goals, etc?
Yes. I make 20% on day trades and 80% on swing trading. Up about $50K YTD in 2007. Last year was $135K from trading.
Assuming some of us are newbies asking this quesiton: Trading takes a lot of time to learn. As much as what it takes to be a lawyer or an MD. Some may get lucky in a few bull years starting out luckily at the right time, but without experience in dealing with losses they eventually will get wiped out when market turns. Scalping takes a lot of energy and concentration. Full time. Fast reaction required. You need to deal with taking losses as well. Winning scalpers are usually very smart and quick. How long can they sustain in the game, I always wonder. They sleep better at night. They can wake up any time to enter the market and trade. Swinging is for a more cautious and analytic individual. Dealing with charts, fundamentals, correlating market indexes into the trade takes a different amount of time, and you deal with the stress requiring your full attention of the market 24/24. This could be stressful. I recommend a full time job swing shift, and scalp in the morning. This way, you can put your hear at work, deal nicely with bosses, coworkers, no stress, take home some 50K a year, and scalp in the morning for another 50K a year. eventually, you might be able to bring in hundreds K every year, and still sleep better at night. Key to good life is a straight stress free 8 hours of sleep. If you aim for making 100K a year by trading, you probably will lose money and your precious time. Not worth it.
THE QUESTION could be how many traders maker over 100 k per year that strictly daytrade a market? no overnites or other income, strictly a pure day trader that grinds it out as their only income source? anyone? thanks.