What is Real?

[carguy0001 10]

Maybe should be titled----How long did it take you to be a profitable trader, part 2. I realize this a broad question, but here it is. To the fortunate that have become profitable over a period of time (years) trading futures, what kind or ROR is realistic? I don't care about trading style---swing , daytrade, scalp. I only want an idea from those of you that trade a sane level of risk; 1 to 2% of your account. If one have paid his dues (tuition to the market), is 10 to 20% per annum possible over the long haul? Looking forward to any responses of your experience. It seems that those who post here actually do some real trading; unlike the limited other sites I have stumbled upon. Thanks, Mark

[zdo 20]

carguy

 

To answer your question: Yes 10 to 20% is possible over the long haul.

 

Questions and comments on your question:

(btw my responses run contrary to what most pundits would say)

Why do you ask?

If it’s for the ‘if others can do then I can do it’ factor– that is important, but only for a few ‘times’ – then it actually becomes a limiter.

If it’s to help you decide whether or not the possible ‘gain’ is worth the possible ‘pain’- you will never know that in advance no matter how stoked on trading you may be.

If it’s about settling into a consistent pattern of ror, you would be much better served establishing consistency in the trading instead of establishing a smooth equity curve.

 

re: “sane level of risk; 1 to 2% of your account” the sane level of risk is extremely bound to the specific system you are trading… for some systems risk of only 1 -2 % is ‘insanely’ low … talk about a waste of time…

 

will stop the list with this for now ----------- per person, some lessons are only learned the hard way - but any kind of mentation that (ultimately) limits what you can do ‘over the long haul’ needs to be seen for what it is and dropped because if held onto, it may literally prevent the 1000+ % year(s) that you may need to survive and thrive… and that is from ‘experience’.

[atto 20]

Everyone takes their own time. I strongly believe trading can be learned fairly quickly under proper guidance, faith in a methodology (after independent analysis, of course), discipline, and a good BS detector. Very few people learn it quickly, though. And without these things, a trader may never become consistently profitable. Active trading is very similar to playing poker.

 

As for returns, with a good edge and plenty of trades, far more than 10-20% YOY is possible. But don't let greed blind you while you're learning. Most never make it.

[jonbig04 10]

Could we define "profitable trader"? I keep reading about this and really don't know exactly what it means.

[HAL9000 10]

Could we define "profitable trader"? I keep reading about this and really don't know exactly what it means.

 

Hi Jonbig,

 

maybe its best, to define it for yourself, and ...

 

A simple definition I would like to provide, is, that you can

trade for your living without a job, additional business and so on.

 

Well, the $ amount to do so, might be another story,

but this story is not mine.

 

Regards,

 

Hal

[BlowFish 10]

Could we define "profitable trader"? I keep reading about this and really don't know exactly what it means.

 

Isn't that one of the points of the thread ? Actually it doesn't mean anything exact, that's why you don't know exactly what it means As has been said before it is a completely personal thing.

 

Having sad that the OP has defined it (for discussion) as 10-20% return account whilst risking no more than 1-2%. That sounds like a pretty reasonable goal to establish 'profitability'.