Anyone here making $100K+

[carcanaques 10]

Are any of you earning at least $100K and making a living solely from trading?

[Reaver 10]

One doesn't need $100K/year to make a living solely from trading...

[carcanaques 10]

True. But a six figure income is a good line in the sand. All of the professional traders I know don't earn less than that year in and year out.

 

I'm really interested in hearing from those who are at that level. Then, I can read their posts here and hopefully gain some knowledge of what seperates them from the others. My impression is the traders here are an honest bunch and don't engage in self delusion.

[Reaver 10]

I see your point, but it really depends on many different variables.

 

Trading full time only requires you to be able to pay your bills....that is often not a very high threshold to cross if you are financially responsible....

 

I don't think that the majority of pro traders make more than $100K unless they work for a prop firm, or have been trading for a long time, etc...I am referring to self-directed traders of course...OPM, etc is a whole different rodeo.

 

Eventually a good trader will make that much, but I think your income for the first few years especially, will be highly correlated to your inital account size.

 

ie if you start with $10K which is probably what most traders that aren't already rich will start with...it isn't wise to expect to make $50,000 a year off the bat, much less $100,000....eventually, with proper money management and compounding, yes of course, you would expect a much higher income....

 

So unless you get lucky as all get out and hit a boom or bubble or something...you aren't reasonably going to expect to make that kind of money unless you start with a bunch in the first place.

[Reaver 10]

Not to mention I think it's fairly disrespectful to discuss other people's income. It's a highly personal thing. It doesn't directly offend me, but it's not polite to put other people on the spot like that. Maybe it's because I'm Southern or something. But to me that's just bad manners.

[carcanaques 10]

I don't know any of the people here personally and I doubt anyone else does either, so stepping up isn't a big deal. And besides, trading is ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY. That's how we measure our success. We don't have to ask our neighbors how much money they make if we see a Ferrari sitting in the driveway of their macmansion on a lake next to a country club. We know they got it, but here we know nothing.

 

The question is only directed to professionals, not novices. I know a handful of pros who make mid six figures in their bathrobes at home, not prop shops. And they all trade size, not nickels and dimes. Starting out undercapitalized with the hope of turning $10K into $100K+ in a highly leveraged instrument like futures is a very low probability trade. The odds are great the account will dissapear.

[Reaver 10]

I don't know any of the people here personally and I doubt anyone else does either, so stepping up isn't a big deal. And besides, trading is ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY. That's how we measure our success. We don't have to ask our neighbors how much money they make if we see a Ferrari sitting in the driveway of their macmansion on a lake next to a country club. We know they got it, but here we know nothing.

 

The question is only directed to professionals, not novices. I know a handful of pros who make mid six figures in their bathrobes at home, not prop shops. And they all trade size, not nickels and dimes. Starting out undercapitalized with the hope of turning $10K into $100K+ in a highly leveraged instrument like futures is a very low probability trade. The odds are great the account will dissapear.

 

My statement still stands.

[Reaver 10]

I don't know any of the people here personally and I doubt anyone else does either, so stepping up isn't a big deal. And besides, trading is ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY. That's how we measure our success. We don't have to ask our neighbors how much money they make if we see a Ferrari sitting in the driveway of their macmansion on a lake next to a country club. We know they got it, but here we know nothing.

 

The question is only directed to professionals, not novices. I know a handful of pros who make mid six figures in their bathrobes at home, not prop shops. And they all trade size, not nickels and dimes. Starting out undercapitalized with the hope of turning $10K into $100K+ in a highly leveraged instrument like futures is a very low probability trade. The odds are great the account will dissapear.

 

I don't know of many pro traders that will tell you how much they make, frankly. Maybe in France, where you claim to be from, asking that sort of question is apropos, but where I am from, it's not really a polite question...and in response to your assuming someone is rich based on appearances...from my experience in the mortgage and lending industry..you'd be surprised how many people in big ass houses driving Lexus's and BMW's don't have much money....

 

Turning $10K into $100K is not that big of a deal (relatively speaking) if you trade right based on probabilities. Grinding it out, that is. You make it sound like unless you're already rich, then you're some sort of fool to be trading with goals of ever becoming wealthy. LOL Please.

 

I've never met ONE person who started out trading with a large bankroll (ie $20-50K) that ever ended up even remotely profitable. Either they are already rich from having a high paying job or have inherited money...either way, they don't generally respect money the same way someone who started saving every nickel and dime they had. Sort of the same way it is said that those with MBA's and PhD's, etc are handicapped in the trading world due to their biases and generally linear way of thinking and solving problems.

[BlowFish 10]

I'm really interested in hearing from those who are at that level. Then, I can read their posts here and hopefully gain some knowledge of what seperates them from the others. My impression is the traders here are an honest bunch and don't engage in self delusion.

 

I know a handful of pros who make mid six figures in their bathrobes at home, not prop shops. And they all trade size, not nickels and dimes.

 

Seems that if you know professional traders that would be the best source of the knowledge you seek. It is worth noting that a fixed $ amount is a poor way of measuring 'success' or 'consistency'. (as the second quote alludes to0) I mean $100k is great on a $50k account put pretty lacklustre on a $500k account. Actually its a poor measure for a whole bunch of reasons though I do kind of see where you are coming from.

 

I actually approach things the other way round, I read what people have to say and pretty soon get an idea of what has merit and who is worth listening too. imho constructing your own set of market 'beliefs' is one of the key steps on the long and windy road. It also allows you to judge the veracity of different approaches and ideas.

 

Cheers

[TinGull 10]

This sort of discussion has absolutely no merits. This sort of thing doesn't need to be on this board as it provides no one with any educational value. That is the mission of Traders Laboratory and since we are obviously here to blow our own horns, this thread is closed down.