From the onset, let me say that individuals who begin careers in e-mini trading fail at an alarming rate. This high failure rate is the result of a variety of problems including: poor trading methodology design, poor trader execution, lack of experience, no formal in e-mini trading, the list is a long one. On the other hand, there are new traders who find a good methodology and execute their trades with precision and enjoy normal success for a new student. (For the record, I chose my words carefully in the last sentence so as not to reinforce the mistaken idea that e-mini trading is a get-rich-quick proposition)
Trading has afforded me a great viewpoint on life, free from the constraints of tyrannical bosses, incompetent colleagues, and office politics. Let me say that I have only enjoyed this lifestyle the last 7 or 8 years because my learning came on Wall Street trading operations and all the stress of trading for more money than I could ever repay in my lifetime. Nearly 25 years in total, and I received a well-rounded education in trading in a variety of trading environments and numerous different trading systems. There is always the newest and hottest algorithm based trading methods, the new miracle oscillator, the hype never stops.Â
But hear is the catch, once you learn to trade the right way, you don’t need all those silly new trading devices. Once you can effectively read charts and trade consistently for a profit, you can begin a limited foray into trading that may lead you to your own trading business and an enjoyable lifestyle.
But there is a problem here…
Learning to trade is an acquired skill, and some of the lessons do not come easy or on the cheap. To be an effective trader you must have a high quality trading methodology in place and the experience to execute that system with systematic precision. No small task, but it can be done. Add a mentor to the equation and you can greatly increase your learning curve. You won’t be tearing the market up after a month, but I have watched students that have become self-sufficient in six months, though I would not say that is a typical time frame. We all learn at different rates and learning to trade isn’t a race.
But once you have, oh, once you have learned to trade…
• Set your hours around a specific trading schedule and enjoy leisurely activities that a normal 9 – 5 job simply doesn’t facilitate.
• Spend time with your family
• Enjoy favorable tax treatment of your earnings.
• Have the peace of mind that your job is not dependent upon someone else’s assessment of your abilities. In trading, you alone are responsible for your earnings.
I truly enjoy the e-mini trading lifestyle, and spend a great deal of effort training others to have the opportunity to do the same.  I don’t think it is prudent to push potential full time traders into a trading career, they will know when it is time to reap the benefits of the hard work they expended learning to trade.