Trading is NOT a business

Trading is an art not a science!!! I guess my seven figure retirement nest egg generated from trading over the years is a mirage. And I am just your small time, average trader next door type who believes 95% of the game is about money management and 5% something else. Unfortunatley 99% of the traders out there waste all their time and efforts on that 5% something else seeking some elusive technical Holy Grail.

 

OK, I'll play then. It is commonly said that the best career is a hobby that pays enough to be called a profession. I really enjoy trading - it's a 'job' that I'm enthusiastic for and which I find intellectually stimulating.

I have made enough money trading (18 consecutive profitable years) to convince myself that it is statisically significant - better than the proverbial coin-flip.

I had to re-invent myself five times in the process, and maintaining a viable edge in the marketplace is hard work and an ongoing endeavor.

Your 'research' is fundamentally flawed in that you assume successful traders apply the technical studies you cite in the same manner as yourself, in the same markets as yourself, with the same holding periods, same profit targets, and same stop/loss levels you chose, and with the same study settings you analyzed. That's bad science IMO which discounts the obvious.

 

I averaged 8 %/year over the last 22 years, what did you average ?

 

That's less than the market.

You'd better stop trading and buy the market...

...just a thought.

(or give a risk-adjusted value)

Ninna

 

Once upon a time I met a researcher.

He was thrilled! He had found amazing new facts about fleas.

"See", he told me, "I managed to catch this flea".
"I hold it in my hand and when I say 'jump', it jumps. See! And again 'jump' and it jumps. It works everytime."

He then took a knife and cut the flea's legs.

"Look, now this is the amazing breakthrough. I say 'jump' and it doesn't jump! Isn't it amazing? When you cut their legs they become deaf!"

Ninna

 

That's correct, that's the reason I ask Bone for his numbers.

 

Well, with all due respect, I couldn't pay my expenses on an 8% RoI.

I post a statement on my website from 2006 for the ICE-Europe Brent-GasOil Crack spread, using on average $50K per day in margin, which netted just under $500K. That type of scenario is not unusual for a very good Chicago futures prop trader - the use of leverage is not a fair 'apples to apples' comparison to an equities trader, and I do not hold myself out as a better trader in terms of skillset than a very good equities traders who is not as levered.

I lever consistency, and to that extent I've made a number of strategic decisions to lever a conservative futures trading strategy that takes advantage of a very good model and spread position SPAN margin offset credits - typically, 65-85%.

Every client who has spoken with my clearing firms, checked my credentials, and spoken to my existing clients does or wants to hire me.

 

All good and well, how much % did you average over your 18 years ?

Instead of posting a snapshot of your performance, why not give us your total track record ?


P.S. I also can show you a 25 % profit in 2 months, but in those 22 years I only averaged 8%, you get my point.

 

you know what they say:

"To make a small fortune, you have to start with a big one"

 

But seriously, making money trading seems hardly to be impossiple, I mean the overall market has produced a positive return over the past many years.

It is of course the art of beating the market that is difficult, or as some say:

"Impossiple in the long run"