So most people are trading from home and are happy....but i am sure that sometimes they miss being in an exciting office and being around others getting out of the house also is good for the sole
I trade from my office alone I find there can be too many distractions at home if you have others. As I trade from France my hours commence late afternoon and into the night there would just be too many people around and calling to be effective.
i trade from home. i miss the 'good' people i used to work with in nyc - i don't miss the office politics, the irritating people, the commute, or things like that. i like coming downstairs and being able to work in casual clothes, or shorts, or whatever i feel like wearing. as others have mentioned, i talk with a few people periodically, a couple who are PT traders, and a couple who are FT traders in non-equity products. one of my good friends is a FT trader, he's 'impressed that i (or anyone) can trade FT with my own money, i'm impressed at the stuff he trades with the firm's money and how good he is. i also break one of the other rules; i'm taking care of one of my children during the afternoon (wife takes care of both kids in the am). i usually don't put on new trades after 1 pm, so i'm only looking to exit trades, not put on new ones. in fact, i'm going to nyc tomorrow (train) and will see a couple people during the day. unfortunately, the ppl won't be around after work so i'll fly solo, but at least i can catch up with some of them during the day. and it's been 8+ years that i've been FT trader...
i also break one of the other rules; i'm taking care of one of my children during the afternoon (wife takes care of both kids in the am). i usually don't put on new trades after 1 pm, so i'm only looking to exit trades, not put on new ones. This is what i dont like about trading from home i have to little kids running around the house...something always seems to come up.. Its not bad when i am trading well but when stuff is not going well..it can be a real pain
I traded from home for 3 yrs after my son was born. The wife went back to work and I was able to trade wherever. After 3 yrs, I couldn't take it anymore and it began putting an enormous strain on the marriage, especially since I was making the majority of the money and still doing all the house shit (cleaning/shopping/child care, etc.) I wasn't getting any equal, adult interaction and I was going crazy. I forced the issue with my wife and now I opened an office and trade from there with similarly like minded people
Interesting thread... I trade from home full time and don't miss the commute one bit... being in Dallas... it's horrific. It gets kind of quiet and at times boring but the money is good. The markets are closed by the time the kids come home from school, so I can switch gears and hang with them or hit the golf course. All in all, I can't complain.
Wife and kids should respect the fact that this is your JOB. If they, (especailly the wife), cant understand that, then I'd say there's a problem. No one's gonna kick me out of my own house, nor should I feel the NEED to leave.
Since I only trade once a day, I trade from work near market open. I live near work. I get the work camaraderie, don't have to pay to rent an office, and get the $$$ from an interesting job, to boot Obviously, this might not work for scalpers, though