Mainly risk/reward. Risk is more important than reward. One of the first questions I ask is what is the likelihood my position will be wrong.
How often do you use insider trading as an indicator and market sentiment as a reverse indicator? What do you consider to be a good yearly rate of return?
I think it's a very good question. A successful trade to me is one in which I've captured the opportunity and IMO correctly evaluated the risk/reward.
That was a difficult transition because it's mostly mental. Looking back, I don't think there was anything I did to make it easier. Just know that when you increase this size, you will always have that initial feeling. But know that it is a necessary step. Focus less on it, and more on the trading itself.
I have looked at insider trading over the years and haven't found it particularly useful so I only look at it on a few occasions. I am constantly monitoring market sentiment. I don't focus on return at all, only as a barometer of whether things are working, not as a goal itself.
Lets say the es futures market is trending down and you think its about to reverse and start to trend back up (please note I am not talking about a major move, instead looking for 2 - 5 points). What signs are you looking for to indicate that the market has stopped falling and will be rising? Also, how many of those signs do you need to happen before you would put on a trade?
Sorry, but I read every one of the OP's posts, and it is mostly fluff and opinion. And there is no proof he is successful other than him starting a thread. You have a serious case of #6, below... Terrified that the goose that lays the golden eggs will go away. I have news for you. This goose likely only lays the kind of eggs that make omelettes. one can pretty much pigeon hold your particular lack of success based on your fear that Mr. Professional may stop posting. You can get most of his stuff in a trading book for $15 used, at Amazon.com This is a forum. People ask questions. People answer questions. Others give different opinions. However, your terror at others who challenge the self-anointed is rather noobie. Challengeing others is standard forum practice. I am saying, "Who are you, again?" Every ET paper trader is ready to fall all over every would-be guru, mentor, self-promoter. Except nothing so far has really been anything that would make the newbies here "successful." He already admitted to being PMed about an opportunity. There is a chance that the motive (playing hard and appearing as a guru) is a powerful marketing method, and standard internet publicity-building 101. "Ask the Expert." You cannot be so blind that you haven't seen a fair number of these, from Jack Hershey to Doug Allen "trade my money" to Brandonf "DO YOU WANT TO LEARN FROM A GURU?" Unless you have SERIOUS proof to the opposite. I will say it again: 1) In a place that you said has minimal value (ET)... 2) and that you said provided boredom... 3) and given the fact that you are pretty anonymous... 4) and that we get a lot of paper traders that claim to be special 5) why do you think "Professional Trader" applies to you? 6) and why do people so readily fall all over themselves to prostrate? By the time they are done this thread, no one here will be any more longterm successful than when it started. And the OP gets his ego stroked Starting off with "I am successful and plan to give back" is a self-centered way to start a thread. He could have just done this without the "I am only here a few days - going going gone... - line up and learn how I became successful" schtick.