Sticky Introduce Yourself

Hello. I'm John and I'm a Trade2Win addict. :cheesy:

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In all seriousness, I'm John Forman - currently of the Boston area in the U.S. I'm 38 years young and for the time being I'm working as a stock market analyst/strategist for Thomson Financial (soon to be Reuters). If you count when I opened my first trading account, then I've been in the markets for about 20 years. If you go back to my first stock holdings it's a bit longer (mom forcing me to put part of my paper route money into a Dow Chemical DRIP). As a professional analyst (primarily for an institutional audience) I have covered Fixed Income, Forex, Equities, and Energy (albeit very briefly in the latter case). In terms of trading, I've done all of that stuff plus the occassional commodities too. Pretty much if it's something a retail trader can trade, I've done so, but forex and stocks are by far the markets I have most actively traded over the years.

I got involved in trading education a while back, particularly in terms of working with a professor friend to introduce trading in the finance classroom. That lead to a particularly hare-brained idea to write a trading book of my own because I couldn't find one on the market which I thought suitably general to serve my classroom needs teaching students the very basics. That book became The Essentials of Trading, though it had a much less attractive title during the conception stage.

I am primarily a technician in my trading and analysis. It's basically volatility and price action upon which I focus my efforts in that regard. Over the years I've look at just about everything at one point or another and just fell into this stuff as what I'm most comfortable and successful with.

Aside from the trading stuff, I also spent about 7 years as a professional collegiate volleyball coach. Well, I was definitely a collegiate volleyball coach. The professional part is somewhat questionable given how little I got paid for it, though.

Oh, and once upon a time I was the Content Editor for this wonderful site. You can thank my very sore fingers for much of the Traderpedia. Sharky made me do it!
 
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Very briefly - name is Dave, 21 years old, graduated (Computer Science w/ a bit of Management, Finance, Maths and Geology thrown in as a 'bonus') in June or July 07, then started a job in late September prop trading financial futures - which is more or less my entire trading experience, although I did a bit of equities analysis at an investment club at uni.

Definitely a trading newbie, but am trying to learn as much and as quickly as possible.
 
My name is Carlos, I'm German (at least 50%) ;)
I prefer to stay for some years now 39 :whistling

Just starting my 26th year as a trader.
What I did so far:

Traded for some of the "bigger"banks, headed trading desks, worked on the floor in Frankfurt, had my own tiny brokerage firm, sold it, moved to different countries :)

Products I have traded so far:
$/DM ;) long time ago, German and US equities, Scandinavian equities, OEX, S&P, NQ, ER2, DAX, FESX, BUND, Options (on equities, indices, Gold, Silver, Crude, and US Bonds as well as Bunds)

I hope, that's it.

At the moment, I daytrade mainly the volatility bitch, the DAX :D

I hope, to find some interesting chaps here. To be honest, I often look shortly into webpages like this and usually immediately run away ;) So, let's see, what comes out here.
I put a thread on, hoping to hear some positive New Year Resolutions from the guys here, but most seem to be too lazy for that ;)

http://www.trade2win.com/boards/foyer/27957-why-2008-will-good-year.html

I would love to read more there.

Cheers Carlos
 
Thanks for the intros so far, very interesting to read. Look forward to reading more of them..
 
I'm from the U.S.

Started as a stockbroker until the 1987 Crash eliminated that job (I'd only been at it a year, so didn't have much of a book built up).

Then went to the screen to trade futures and got an intro to technical analysis.

In the mid-1990's worked in Chicago for an options trading firm, and then as a local on the futures floor trading my own account until the late 1990's.

Took some time off to pursue other projects, and am now beginning to trade U.S. equities on the screen.

Looking at ways to make my floor experience useful in the new trading, so drawn to price/volume relationships and order flows.

Really enjoy this site - perhaps the most informative, and most civil!
 
Hi Everyone,

I'm Jill Bray, 40 years young and I live in Guernsey, Channel Islands. By profession I'm an architectural technologist and chartered surveyor, but I became interested in trading just over 3 years ago and since then have spent every spare moment learning all I could about it. I work from home, so this makes my trading life a little easier than most peoples as I'm able to keep an eye on the charts whilst working at the same time.

I now only trade the forex markets using technical analysis, though in the past I've traded UK stocks, FTSE and Dow Indices. My first ever trade was on the FTSE and made +£6. My trading style is to look for breaks of support/resistance on 1 hour time frames and take entries off 2 min charts.

At the moment I'm also part of Phil Newton's Trading Room and learning his trading style and strategies as well.

For my sins, I'm also Content Editor for this website :innocent: and have been doing that for nearly 2 years now.
 
I am Alex, 37, live in outer london...have 18 months trading experience in my belt, still learning and working hard. Before trading, i was in business to business electronics industry for nearly a decade. Managed to switch career to trading was my happiest moment in life...but life is no honeymoon thereafter. I trade uk equities and hope to leverage my skills into derivatives when such opportunities available. Like many of you, i see bright-light at the end of the tunnel...that's the direction i am heading.

New to trade2win and I do find the website informative. My salute to the people behind trade2win for building a library of trading resources.
 
Thanks for your kind comments about the site, a very warm welcome from T2W - especially to new registrations and posters.. If you haven't yet posted on T2W, why not start here and take the plunge!
 
Hello my name is Richard and I am new to trading, can I possibly be someones apprentice. I dont talk much, I am a good listener, and I learn after you tell me once. I am not desperate for a teacher its just i'm 20 yrs old, I have saved 60% of every dollar that came my way since i was 17 and am wanting to trade for the first time. I like to read the paper regularly although I do not understand the stock page other than + and -, I would like to learn. I do have credentials. I am a natural at picking winners, I am 2 yr NFL.com fantasy football champion. Picking winners is my gift, just looking for someone who wants to exploit that and make us both some money. Thank you for your consideration.
 
Hi all,

I'm Terry, 22 and living in Liverpool. Study International banking & Finance at John Moores Uni and I've been a member of T2W for about 3 years! However, this is my first ever post haha

I've worked in various back and middle office roles, in Liverpool and London, before deciding that to get a sniff at the front office uni was necessary. However, JMU not exactly a big draw on CV so who knows where I'll end up. I have read countless books on trading, love the subject, love the site and really would love to take the plunge and trade full time but can't fund it at the mo. I'm stuck to playing about on IGIndex for small potatoes (about 300 quid of every student loan I get I dabble with).

Anyway, just thought I'd finally say hi :)

If theres any other traders in Liverpool give me a shout. No-one I know is interested in the subject so it's a lonely quest for knowledge

T
 
Hi Richard/Terry, thanks for introducing yourselves and for taking the plunge and making your first post. Look forward to reading more of your thoughts, questions and contributions!

Who's next... :?:
 
Im Charlie, 25 from Brixton, London Uk..

Been intreasted in trading for about 2.5 years now, and have decided that by the time I hit 30, I want to be trading from home full time. I currently work in the Insurance industry, while tying to build a bankroll, so progess is slow at the moment. Recently took a career change and worked at Cantor Index for 4 months, but it wern't worth the pay cut so i returned to Insuance.

I curently trade UK FTSE listed equaties with Capital Spreads, but always keen aneye out for breakouts in fx, commodites and the indices. Also reading upon charting when i can.

I support Crystal Palace FC
 
Where are the girls and boys?

Thanks for your kind comments about the site, a very warm welcome from T2W - especially to new registrations and posters.. If you haven't yet posted on T2W, why not start here and take the plunge!

How sad, that not more people post here. This could and should be the NO. 1 thread here.

C'mon Sharky, push your buddies a bit ;)

:clap::clap::clap:
 
This is a new sticky thread in the General Trading Chat forum which provides everyone an opportunity both old members and new an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community.

If you're a new member, or maybe just a lurker who hasn't yet taken the plunge, then this is as good a place as any to start. Tell us a bit about yourself, perhaps your trading history and interests, and what you hope to gain from the site.

trading since 95. mostly listed derivatives, but also some stocks in 2000-2. traded options on stirs, & fx, equity, & interest futures. both open outcry and now on the screen.

i come here mostly out of boredom in quiet markets....
 
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I've been professionally trading for 4 years. Before that I dabbled in FX and investing in shares.

At present I trade futures on LIFFE, Eurex and a few other exchanges. I mainly trade spreads using software like ECCO.

I currently trade for a firm, but am thinking of going to an arcade.

I have also backed my own independent trader, who trades our own account, and have taught him a relatively successful semi-mechanical strategy. He's up 120% in 5 months! :clap::clap:

I spend most of my trading days playing around with ideas in Bloomberg, Matlab, Java, Excel etc... And surf porn and drink tea when my head hurts too much.
 
Thanks for the intros folks.. as Dax says let's try and make this the no.1 thread on T2W... who's next?!
 
Hi everyone,

Im James, from Liverpool, been in the market (with a few breaks) since i l left school really. Started at the Royal Exchange in the city for a member in about " 86/87 - which was the LIFFEs 1st home, as a runner and it all just progressed from there - (these days all the newbies/ Top Grads get " signing " on fees) - way back then, us rookies -(A Level scrapers) - (i blame Morrisey), would be lucky to get on a sandwich run to get a breather from the floor- (i became an expert on good cheap eateries in the City ,so that wasnt a bad thing. :p,also it was good to get experience of the back office and other support roles..After that it was Cannon St and thats where the LIFFE (as everyone knew it) - ceased to exist).. - a bit like SIMEX - (although its reputation got dragged through the mud because of a young man called Nicholas Leeson - (not the best example of a good derivatives trader) - :p
Now everythings electronic/browser/screen based - i think the choices can just simply " overwhelm " people, the technology can put a lot of new learners off at least trying too,which is a shame, because i feel if you can " take the time " to learn to trade, you can have an income source which in basic terms,will always be there..
Trying to make " BIG " money " TOO FAST " invariably leads to disaster in my experience, and anyway the " journey " is a great one and one worth taking - Youll probably discover more about YOURSELF than you will immediately about the " markets " - and that isnt such a bad thing i reckon.. !! ive always thought it was really cool how most of the best traders / money managers in the World,say pre -1960 never used the internet and used to draw charts by HAND etc ..!!

I think the site is brilliant its so cool to see so many people interested in trading for a start and its a great resource for everyone to share ideas/thoughts on it all...There are a lot of really knowledgeable traders on here, so i sure hope a Morrisey fan like me can learn a bit and maybe join in too - !! :)(y)
 
Shame it's mostly the newbies on here and not some of the better established members -it would be nice to put a background story to many of them given their obvious experience.

Anyway - I started working in the City about ten years ago, and was doing corporate finance in a tech company before that. Have done equity sales in various shapes and sizes, now working for a European IB and switching between its Paris and London offices - moved family to Paris last year for better quality of life. Obviously had a strong interest in PA investing/trading and over time that's turned into a pretty serious endeavour: probably running more money than some of my clients, LOL. Because of the day job and compliance issues (and also because of personal preference), tend to work more off EOD data and fundamentals, but not averse to the odd intra-day opportunity, and use basic TA to work the timing, or derivatives to hedge my currency and beta.

Stumbled across T2W recently and really impressed with what people seem to be achieving without massive resources behind them or a previous career in the industry, and the help offered by contributors.

When not working, I'm with family, or racing my sailboat with very little success.

Login name is in honour of the eponymous Walter, the greatest political, economic and business theorist, writer and journalist of his time.
 
Shame it's mostly the newbies on here and not some of the better established members -it would be nice to put a background story to many of them given their obvious experience.

You seem to be 100% right, Sir (y)

C'mon boys :clap::clap::clap:

Show him some flavour :clap:
 
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