I started this journey back in 2009. I've experienced many ups and down. I've learned a great deal about myself, about the nature of uncertainty and how that applies to everyday life, and by some miraculous twist of fate, it has also led me to the love of my life. It is time for me to move on. I blew up once, when I first started. Boy was I a fool. It's funny to look back and laugh but I still remember the paralysing anxiety I felt as my account crashed that day. I was, and still am, young so I bounced back. Some good fortune and better trading kept me in the game until now. I have been slowly but steadily bleeding money since Jan 2013. I am ending things on a positive day. So for now, I am taking an extended break. I might come back to it one day when I have more money to play with. This is just not my thing though. I treat this like a hobby than a fulltime job and while I may be more disciplined and successful than a lot of people, it's not enough and I need the capital for other ventures now. One thing I noticed is that one of the people I look up to in this trading business, he takes it much more seriously than I do. I just don't have that intrinsic drive to really learn this business with as much depth and effort as I should and I suspect that may be the reason for my failures. I wish you all well and thanks to all the people who helped and encouraged me over the years.
Good on you. I wish I had have quit when I was 5 years in! Now i'm in too deep and have invested too much time, and so will probably only quit when I die or literally can't afford to fund any sort of account. In my time, i've seen very little proof of retail success. There's a chance that it is impossible, and we are just essentially flipping coins. The occasional success story (if not a lie) could simply be no different to the success stories of lottery winners or of people who seem to make regular money from roulette wheels in casinos. (fooled by randomness)
the problem is many who go into it want to trade like the "big boys" with not a "big boy" account. Best for traders to know what they are, and if they are retail traders to maximize it like a retailer. Use the strengths of a retailer instead of embrassing the disadvantages of a "big boy" trader.
Anyway, good continuation to Feng. And do not be ashamed to keep us updated about the "love of your life", as it seems you were "encountered" via some introduction "intermediaries". Detail that makes a difference down the line: "engineered" encounters...
Here's an update. After a couple of years, the relationship didn't quite work out but I learned some things about myself, including some issues I had when it came to relationships. I started a small business, my first, which struggled mightily the first bit and I almost didn't survive. After 3 years though I did quite well netting around 130-150k in 2019. I then sold this business and paid my loans. In 2020 I pivoted to another business, this time a trade. It has a higher ceiling than the other business and there's far less dealing with red tape. I am now finishing up Year 3 of that. The raising of interest rates has significantly affected things and now I am unsure of where to go. In the meantime, I've put almost all my savings in ETFs. Biggest thing though is, I am now in my mid 30s and boy do I wish I was in my mid 20s again. The clock is ticking hard (and fast!) now and I am pretty scared that I'll run out of time and just be mediocre like my parents, which I promised I would never be. After all, how can I blame my parents for everything if I end up exactly like them?
It's the path not the destination... (oh boy). Overwrite into synthetic straddles (up/out strikes) and you'll be happy with your ETF longs. GL.
Kudos to you for coming back after nearly 9 years to give an update. That's super rare around here. Wishing you all the best luck in your new business.