How many times did you lose your capital before becoming profitable?

Discussion in 'Trading' started by ronin266, Feb 13, 2012.

How many times you burned your account before becoming profitable?

  1. Never, I earned my bread and butter from the first deposit

    30 vote(s)
    27.3%
  2. Once, and I learned a lot from it.

    12 vote(s)
    10.9%
  3. Twice, you know, sh*t happens. But that was all.

    20 vote(s)
    18.2%
  4. A lot.

    48 vote(s)
    43.6%
  1. Tend to agree that 10 to 30% per week isn't realistic. It actually is when you are playing with small numbers, but as your account grows, taking the kind of risk required to earn at this level, is neither realistic nor very smart.

    On the other hand, while prop. trading, the expectation was that I earn 20%/month or about 1%/day.
     
    #41     Feb 19, 2012
  2. I don't know what cheekyness is, but if it's bad I probably deserve it. Yesterday, it has come and gone, I never hold a grudge. otherwise, it is very difficult to make sense of traders ROI because everybody calculates it differently. The best deal in forex is just to describe returns based on pips, that way the guy with 1k and the guy with 100k can make an honest comparisiion on trading styles and methods. Or in ES just stick to how many points you took out. But from now on, I will just ignore percentage returns posted because they may mean one thing to me and something else to someone else.
     
    #42     Feb 19, 2012
  3. Actually counting points is deceiving too since it fails to take into consideration how many contracts you purchased. My chart with FXCM shows point count, but fails to differentiate between a 1 ounce of gold purchase and 3 or 10 ounce purchase.

    I look at my bottom line. I don't care what's in my trading account because it can disappear in flash. What matters is what I have in my savings account.

    And I am sorry for my sharp comments earlier. Let's please put it behind us.
     
    #43     Feb 19, 2012
  4. You're right. I don't deny this. However, it isn't the balance in my acccount that causes "fear", rather it is the $/unit change that has the greatest effect on me. Watching my equity change $1 at a time is easy to stomach. Watching my equity change at a rate of $10/unit is harder to stomach. $100/unit ... haven't got there yet.

    Keep in mind however that ever person find it easier to manage large sums of money if they have earned it gradually over a period of time. This is the benefit of starting small and training myself on small amounts. A few thousand dollars can compound very quickly over a few years once I am truly competent.
     
    #44     Feb 19, 2012
  5. Anyhow, enough about me!

    Let's get back to the original post.
     
    #45     Feb 19, 2012
  6. Hahahahahaahah:p

    Stop the fun...........

    You can make 30% every week doesnt matter how much money you have.........................

    Its just like Poker. If you have the odds on your side, you have to bet big or die.....

    Thats the game.....

    Do it right or let it be........

    Sorry, but i have no understanding for you guys, who want just make a living through trading, get rich or die..........fuckas.......

    You do not understand in what business you are .......

    This is financial trading.......here are millions made all the time.....
    You just need the knowledge, the guts and the right business partners aka Big Banks.

    AMEN

    :p :p :p
     
    #46     Feb 26, 2012
  7. Never "Blew UP" where I got a margin call that blows out the whole equity. It's pretty much considered "blown out" lol

    Started with 20k.

    Biggest down day was 8k when I first started.... I was doing dumb shit like holding a 3x etf over night.

    Was down -26k total at one point in my learning curve , (refunding same account) .

    Buckled down,

    did my time, 10k hours, paid my dues, learned how to play, made some money (lower 6 digits) and here I am to fight another day.
     
    #47     Feb 26, 2012
  8. nursebee

    nursebee

    "Got to love the 2011 registrants who are telling how easy it is."

    LOL, my thoughts exactly, though I was not as nice
     
    #48     Feb 27, 2012
  9. Yeah, you really need to use a robust system to trade 3x. Discretionary, non-quantitative trading is guaranteed to ruin your capital accumulation in those instruments.
     
    #49     Feb 27, 2012