I trade "retail" full time. Made my money as an real estate investor. Gave up the business for now, margins went to hell, competition where I live would work for peanuts and I am not cheap. Started trading full time in March/05, but "been" in the business part-time for a few years. Use IB., and a 10K computer system. Have broken all the rules in trading this year, but the year is not over..... Position trade options exclusively. Good luck to you all !!!
We are all impressed with your 10K 'puter. I am curious what it performs? I would expect my coffee beans ground 15 minutes prior to my alarm clock ringing and felatio around 2:31, after oil closes for 10K.
You guys are very funny indeed. I run three computers, 7 screens, 6 19 inch and a 31 inch. I am planning in getting another 4. 19 inch Why so money screens. Because I don't trade one market. I want trade as many markets as possible. I plan to trade futures intraday, later when I have devised a trading plan for that purpose. As a side note: I had never traded futures but a friend kept insisting it was the way to go, so I tried it. Made $2500.00 the first day. Thought, humm if it is this easy to make $2500 I can make 25K everyday, piece of cake.........well 35K later I figured I should probably get a plan first... So in total I will be trading three strategies. One tops and bottoms, one trend continuation, and the intraday futures. The first two are position trades strategies which I don't follow during the day or anytime after I open the position anyway. So I need to keep myself busy intraday because writing to you guys is fun, but it doesn't make me money. I'm single, no wife, no kids, no dog and very happy. Gave up drugs and partying at least for now. This is it. Trading for pure unadultered fun....until the day I die. Good luck !
Holmes - how do you determine your trades? Im going into a similar setup - position trading for a living. --------- Who's your main broker? IB How's your biz set up (i.e. sole prop, sub s, LLC, LLP)? LLC How long have you been trading profitably? 1yr What did you do b/f? Invmt banker ------------ Left job this week - scary.
I trade full time(ONLY source of income,married with kids).I,ve been in the business for 18 years,many as market maker, then prop now retail, made money up until this year(finding it hard in this market). Im just curious if the traders who say they trade full time and this is their only source of income, do they have families, mortgage etc, I know many traders who trade full time, but they collect a pension or have other income on a montly basis. How many trade full time and its their ONLY source of income
Trading is my primary (but not only) source of income. Wife who works, mortgage, no kids. There's no way I would have made the jump with kids. Too risky when you factor in insurance costs.
I've been trading retail as my primary source of income since 2000. Worked as a broker from 1995 until 2002, when I left to daytrade full time at home with IB. Sort of sad, but I learned how to trade profitably from observing the mistakes made by my most active clients. The majority of my trades involve small to mid cap NASDAQ stocks which have gapped on news. I've tried futures and larger cap stocks, but found the competition too intense to gain an edge. About 30% of my income comes from after hours trading.