After over 20 years of corporate lives, victimized in 2 corporate layoffs, but survived many more and "living on the edge - never know when your company is going to have another layoff again"... I do trading for a living now. My sole source of income. The most satisfying aspect of it is not so much on how much better pay you can get through trading (and opened up all the possibilities that a salary-staff can only dream of)... it is that YOU, SOLELY YOU, ARE RESPONSIBLE for your well being. Trading is not a team sport. It is an individual sport. You lose a hundred thousand dollar this year, don't blame it on a bad boss, don't blame it on colleagues back stabbing you, don't blame it on the corporate CEO taking the company in a bad direction. You are the CEO of your own trading business. You can only blame yourself. On the other hand, if you make one million dollar this year, you can pat on your back you have made it all happened. This is where ACCOUNTABILITY is real. You can't talk your way out of it.
I lost the "thrill" two decades ago. Profits are an end result of the tens of thousands of hours I have labored to hone my skills at the craft of trading. I still have a passion of what I do, I still work an eighty hour week to trade and become even better. I still learn nuances every week. The markets really don't change that much, those who say they do, have not traded long enough. Markets go up and they go down. Those that lose, all do so because they were TOOO LAZY!!! to do it the right way, they open an account and start trading. Buy some data, spend several months backtesting in all kinds of market action, then simulate trading till you can make sim profits four of five days for six weeks in a row, if you can't, real time will will destroy your account. But very few learn from those who have been doing this a very long time, they have no patience, they want it now. I guess I should thank them for their money... Handle
There is much more one can add here. Like health issues, losing all your money, having your wife kick you out on ur ass...
I would say trading for a living is a bit glorified by some. You shouldn't expect it to be easy or profitable at first. It's really lonely and nobody usually understands the business. My career is just starting, being that I'm 20 and only 1 year active and 1 year general involvement with markets. I've seen people lose their jobs, businesses and what not. So trading is about the same risk, with a much greater potential return. #1 have a mentor with experience. #2 have the funds. #3 have some balls, stay focused, and have backup plan. That's what I would do over. But hey, when your young you can get knocked around and learn pretty fast what NOT to do! Ask Phil Hellmuth if he would do it all over...Chances are there are no regrets! All winning and losing is part of the game...and if you survive and profit, you can show off the battle wounds, because you'll be accused of "not working" for your money...complete bullshit! There are no regrets! You lose, You win, get over it and make some damn money man!
I don't even really know myself how I feel about trading as a career -- my outlook changes from day to day. But I think that a lot of the traditional professions are better, overall. Take, e.g., medicine and higher-end law -- these professions are far more consistent and respected, I think, and less apt to get you roped in with a gold digger (if you are a man, that is). But successful trading (similar to other high-octane business fields such as executive-level management or VC) may be more exciting and offer more variety, depending on your perspective. And such "high-octane" fields can of course pay far more, too -- but is this really worth anything, in terms of job satisfaction and overall happiness? Probably not, if the statistical and anecdotal evidence are to be believed. Also, most people don't reach the "high success level" that offers such benefits, anyway. I'd try to factor out the "adrenaline rush" factor because this may shorten your career and/or fade, anyway. Ultimately, I think you should think about what you enjoy doing, REGARDLESS of the success level you may or may not ultimately achieve.
It's not worth it. Go enjoy life. I guess if you enjoy trading now that's good then keep it up. But the minute you get sick of it quit. I'm profitable BUT i don't and can't live off it. I have too many expenses.
Can you elaborate on this? Is this due to wife/kids/mortgage? A 19 year old would clearly not have these constrictions.
Definitely worth the effort to me... Hard times when learning makes total sense now. I can't even imagine what else I would be doing if I had blown up my first account. Trading is just what drives my mind all day, a definitely saner mind than before...I will do everything to keep this lifestyle.