If your stops are run you could lose 3-5x that, or more. CL is a monster and you trade it because of the noise. Nothing wrong with that, just stating the obvious. I would work on a swing trading method where you can monitor stuff from your smartphone (on the job).
Always the one pimping Topstep? I "pimp" them, as you put it, not for guys to get backing, but for guys to realize the value of their day job and not trade. Pretty much the same advice I'm offering you here. Do you really think someone is going to back you?
Are you suggesting 30 tick stop slippage events are common in CL away from maybe news announcements? I've watched it for years and I can't recall every seeing something like that in the tape. If you have examples, I'd love to know about it. In any case, an event like that would cost maybe 2-3% of account value since I'm planning on one contract per $10K. Shitty day, sure, but not that big a deal.
Disagree strongly on the above. Trade with risk capital only (money that you can afford to lose, not on a loan). Just my view. Surely others have made it work out favorably on a loan of some form, but then again, surely others have ended up creating very difficult, life changing situations (for the worse) for themselves (and potentially others) by doing so.
I have no idea. My point is simply that there's one outfit that might, even though they appear to be total clowns. It certainly raises the question of what else might be out there.
With $13K and trading the morning session hours you indicate, your edge should take care of your P/L readily. I don't think you'd be able to qualify with TopStep trader as a micro-scalper. Although it's rare, I've been slipped between 8 and 21 ticks trading CL and that was on minimal size. So the answer to your question is to trade your edge in the mornings and watch the money appear
Unless you are not worried about the long term financial (and life/family/marriage/health/etc.) risks, this is probably the most important advice here.. how can it be justified to leave a $200k salary job (very enviable to most) unless you are pulling in significantly more (think millions per year) trading to offset the long term risks? If you can automate your strategy and/or do it part time in a way that does not interfere with your lucrative career, why not do so? Again, just my $0.02.
In general, you are correct. But his salary is 200k, a 50k loan is just 5% of his annual salary. Plus, he has been trading real money with PF > 2, and he wants backing. Assuming his edge exists, A lot of effort must have gone into developing a PF 2+ strategy on liquid markets like CL/ES. He should feel confident to risk at least 50k on this business. Otherwise, why will people take him seriously if he has only 13k in his trading account. My main point is if he is a college student with 13k in his trading account, people might still talk to him, but 200k salary common he shiold be able to put in 50-60k in his account, especially when he has the strategy and the execution worked out. Thats all I am saying