Then I can tell you with the absolute certainty that you are a dishonest man. But, that would be WRONG... b/c you might be one of those rare people that survived the learning curve and then got lucky.
You are declaring what is possible for the rest of us based on your own knowledge and limitations at this time. Take a moment and get over yourself. Lucky? Perhaps, but certainly not by your standards.
US futures are very efficient (but not entirely) and very tough to trade, but you can make money in them. The problem is, the players in the future market are so good, that they have eaten up every little edge joe average is capable of finding. I have found edges in futures, but since they are not nearly as good as edges I have found in equities, I dont bother wasting my time trading futures. Too high of an opportunity cost. A large percentage of people simply dont have it what it takes to find a real statistical edge, especially in the futures markets. Why? My guess is a combination of lack of determination, IQ, and lack of creative thinking. This is not a personal attack on anyone. Only a small percentage of people have the ability to become top notch physicists. The same is true for trading the worlds toughest markets.
How I survived as an amature retail fresh meat daytrading ES emini (last month): 1) Got a job in the afternoon to pay for bills, health insurance and diapers (for my son... although I have that shit in the pants feeling sometimes.) No pressure. 2) Exact entry with tight stop... Exact entry means if it goes against me a little, I know my premise is f@cked. I would rather get stopped out quickly. This is very tricky... because this alone can give you the illusion that you can make money but actually it is not enough (can get whipped-saw a new asshole). 3) Trade with the trend with "gear shifting." Study Spike500's posts here on ET. They are like gold to me. 4) Respect the market... Be content while things are good... or even bad... Good trading.
So the flip side of that question....in addition to bonds.....which markets are currently the best to trade?
Yeah, it's like being a professional athelete, performer, etc. By definition, only a certain % are going to be able to be in a position where they can: a) figure it out b) once they've figured it out, use their knowledge to their advantage. Harsh, but very very true. Nice post. Jimmy