September 2023 - Trade The Pool - Stock Trading Prop Firm

TTP $160k Funded Trader – “I can short any stock from 12,000 stocks.”

Posted on September 28, 2023December 3, 2023 by Carlo Aguinaldo

“Being able to recover was crucial to develop a new strategy to minimize losses.”

Boris U., 48 years old, from the United States.

Boris has successfully passed our Extra Buying Power program, and he is now TTP’s funded trader managing a $160K account, or as we call it, he is a true “Stock Star”.

Every time he reaches 5 consecutive winning days, we will boost his buying power and max exposure.

We spoke with Boris about his trading plan, insights, and lessons gained while trading in the markets and our platform as a funded trader.

Boris’s evaluation statistics

Q&A’s With Boris

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Boris Urman. I had been living in Israel for 16 years, then moved to the United States. I am a short-bias day trader.

How long have you been trading?

I’ve been trading for over 8 years

Briefly describe your trading plan and how it contributes to your success

I trade mostly in Premarket hours and started to focus on stocks over 20% change. I looked at a daily chart to determine key levels (resistance/support) and draw on intraday chart premarket levels. When the market opens, I try to focus on spikes with big volume and wait for approximately 15 minutes.

Share with us a challenge you faced in your trading career and how you overcame it

In the beginning, there was no understanding of what I was doing. I only thought about money, and only over the years I begin to think about the process. The moment I began thinking about the process, I started to have some successful trades and developed consistency.

How did you adjust risk management to your trading personality?

My risk management is how I feel comfortable with position size.

Describe a key moment in your trading career

When I had my first big loss. Being able to recover was crucial to develop a new strategy to minimize losses.

How long did it take for you to become a consistent trader, and what aspects did you change for that?

It took me 4-5 years to become a consistent trader.

What is your mental/psychological strength, and how did you develop it

My mental and psychological strength depends on my position size.

What was your strategy for successfully passing the evaluation phase?

My strategy is to trade only small caps.

How is trading for Trade The Pool different from trading by yourself?

It’s different because we trade stocks with no need to care about locates so that I can short any of the 12,000 stocks.

The risk management. If I already understand that the stock is going against me, then I am automatically closed by the daily loss parameter, and I have no temptation to add more and, accordingly, get a larger loss. I consider this an advantage of Trade The Pool.

What would you recommend to someone who is just starting with us?

Trade small position size for start.

Share online resources that were/are significant in your trading development. Names and links are appreciated.

Investorslive. This is a big community of traders with a chat room and educational resources.

TTP $20k Funded Trader – “You’re not risking your capital with TTP”

Posted on September 21, 2023December 3, 2023 by Carlo Aguinaldo

“Adjust position size based on the volatility of a stock and scale into the positions.”

Dan B., 31 years old, from the United States.

Dan has successfully passed our Mini Buying Power program, and he is now TTP’s funded trader managing a $20K account, or as we call it, he is a true “Stock Star”.

Every time he reaches 5 consecutive winning days, we will boost his buying power and max exposure.

We spoke with Dan about his trading plan, insights, and lessons gained while trading in the markets and our platform as a funded trader.

Watch The Interview With Dan

Dan’s evaluation statistics

Q&A’s With Dan

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am 31 years old and now live on the central Coast of California after moving around the globe for a good chunk of my life.

A friend of mine showed me what stocks were when I was 16 and I’ve been hooked ever since, always following the markets and trying to learn new strategies even at times when I didn’t have the means to actively trade.

How long have you been trading?

I’ve been trading on and off for quite a few years now but decided to take it seriously and go full time about 3 years now.

Briefly describe your trading plan and how it contributes to your success

Every morning I start by scanning the pre-market for the biggest movers of the day. I mostly trade micro/small cap stocks that have a lot of volume.
One of my main strategies is to find stocks that have had an early morning breakout but are still only at the beginning of their upwards trend for the day. I normally wait for a pull-back off the high of day and look for the retest of that high and how strong the upwards trend was. Once I’ve identified that the chart looks good and there’s significant enough volume I will take the trade.

Share with us a challenge you faced in your trading career and how you overcame it

The biggest challenge for me was what I feel most traders face and that is risk management. I knew I had a good understanding of the markets and the strategies that worked for me but I would enter trades with too much of my portfolio and not a clear exit strategy once things didn’t go my way.
It took me a while to finally understand that I need to set clear profit targets with acceptable win to loss ratios. Based on their volatility and potential for gains or loses I needed to adjust how much I would enter each trade with for each stock rather than enter each one with the same amount each time and set clear win/loss ratios. Once this was established I had a way of entering or exiting trades that was automatic.

How did you adjust risk management to your trading personality?

I started to adjust my position size based on the volatility of a stock, starting off a lot smaller and scaling into the positions instead of going in with all at once.

Describe a key moment in your trading career

Once I become consistent and realized I could do this for a living

How long did it take for you to become a consistent trader, and what aspects did you change for that?

It took over 3 years for me to finally become consistent after I understood risk management and position scaling.

What is your mental/psychological strength, and how did you develop it

Persistence. Once I want something I don’t give up, no matter how many times I fail. And I’ve failed a lot with trading but I want to be successful at it more than anything.

What was your strategy for successfully passing the evaluation phase?

Scaling into the positions, adding to the winners. Let the market dictate what you should do. During this time I shorted a lot more than I usually do.

How is trading for Trade The Pool different from trading by yourself?

You’re not risking your own capital, that alleviates a lot of the pressure, along with the built in stops and drawdowns it helps prevent major account blow ups.

What would you recommend to someone who is just starting with us?

Spend time getting used to the platform and how the stops work.

Share online resources that were/are significant in your trading development. Names and links are appreciated.

1. Trading View
2. Webull
3. Chat with traders podcast

Thinking of Swing Trading?

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Ophira Top

Here are the what, the how, and the who

Swing trading is a popular trading strategy that involves taking advantage of short-term price movements in stocks. Unlike day traders and long-term investors, swing traders aim to profit by taking advantage of price movements within a few days or even a few weeks.
In the following article, we’ll quickly examine the reasons that so many traders choose swing trading as their favorite style, we’ll explore the main factors to consider in order to swing trade successfully and we’ll explain how swing traders go about picking their stock. So… let’s get started!

Is swing trading right for you?

Before answering questions such as this, it is essential for you to analyze and understand your current trading style. You need to Identify your risk appetite, know your exact time availability, and, most importantly, you need to clarify your goals and objectives.
Even if it’s based on a larger timescale than day trading, swing trading still requires active monitoring of the market, as well as quick decision-making. It is crucial for you to have a clear trading plan and you also must have a specific method on which to base your entry and exit price levels, your stop-loss orders, and your profit targets.
If this is at all similar to what you are already doing then yes, sure, swing trading could be an excellent style of trading for you too.

So why do so many traders choose to swing trade?

Swing trading is a common trading method utilized by many financial market participants. Swing trading allows traders to retain positions for several days to weeks, as opposed to day trading, which compels traders to execute trades inside a single trading day. This is probably the factor number one that makes swing trading so appealing to so many traders but… there is more.

Here are three more great reasons:

Flexibility and Time Commitment

Another reason traders opt for swing trading is the flexibility it provides.
Swing traders aren’t tied to their screens all day and have, therefore, more time for all other things life is made of.
Because swing trading strategies typically involve identifying potential price swings over the space of days, traders often use technical analysis to identify entry and exit points in advance and are then able to let their trades run, making swing trading less demanding in terms of time commitment than day trading.

Lower level of stress

Due to the fast speed and continual decision-making required in day trading, traders often found it more stressful than swing trading which, on the other hand, offers a slower pace trading environment and… more time to think.
Swing traders have more time to study markets and make sound decisions. They can also avoid being negatively impacted by unexpected market movements because they often use stop-loss orders to limit possible losses more often than day traders do.

Better Risk Management

Swing trading offers traders the ability to manage risk more effectively compared to day trading. By holding positions for a longer duration, swing traders typically use wider stop-loss levels and take-profit targets. This allows them to manage and withstand short-term market fluctuations and reduces the probability of being stopped out too early. Furthermore, swing traders can adapt their strategies to changing market conditions, allowing for more dynamic risk management.

How do swing traders go about picking the right stock?

Whilst swing traders use similar techniques as day traders to set their entry and exit points (i.e. technical indicators and oscillators, chart and patterns analysis, etc.), there are differences in the methods they use to pick their stock to trade.

When choosing stock, Swing traders must pay particular attention to these four important factors:

Liquidity level

Liquidity refers to the ease with which you can buy or sell a stock without significantly affecting its price. Or at least, that’s what it means if you are an institutional trader with a huge account. For retail traders, this usually means looking for stocks with a high average trading volume, as this ensures there are enough buyers and sellers in the market and a decent level of volume and volatility.

Price trends analysis

To choose stocks for swing trading, analyze price trends to identify potential opportunities. Technical analysis tools, such as moving averages, support and resistance levels, and chart patterns, can help traders in detecting current and future trends.
Look for stocks that have recently seen high levels of volatility, showing signs of upward or downward momentum and, once your bias is formed, use technical and fundamental analysis to set your entry and exit points.

Volatility level

Volatility is a crucial aspect of swing trading. Higher volatility indicates larger price swings, which can offer more significant profit potential. However, higher volatility also implies increased risk. Stocks with significant news, earnings releases, or events scheduled in the near future, tend to be more volatile than others. Consider the volatility of a stock based on historical price movements and news flow to select the suitable ones for your swing trading.

Market News

Keep up to date on market news, economic data, and company-specific events. News and events can have a big impact on the price of a company, generating chances for swing traders. Follow financial news websites, study corporate earnings reports, and keep an eye out for macroeconomic issues that may influence market direction. Being current on market knowledge will allow you to make more informed selections when choosing stocks for swing trading.

Swing Trading Conclusion

If you want to trade stock as a swing trader, you must remember that it requires a combination of technical and fundamental analysis, market trend evaluation, risk management, and being always up to date on market news.
By following the concept described in this article, you will be better equipped to spot potential swing trading opportunities and make informed decisions.

Remember that practice, patience, and continual learning are essential for success in swing trading and all other types of trading.

Hope this helps
Trade on!

TTP $80k Funded Trader – “With TTP You Have Capital Size That Allows You to Make Profits”

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Carlo Aguinaldo

“TTP helped me with providing those pre-market gainers.”

Henry N., 24 years old, from the United States.

Henry has successfully passed our Super Buying Power program, and he is now TTP’s funded trader managing an $80K account, or as we call it, he is a true “Stock Star”.

Every time he reaches 5 consecutive winning days, we will boost his buying power and max exposure.

We spoke with Henry about his trading plan, insights, and lessons gained while trading in the markets and our platform as a funded trader.

Henry’s evaluation statistics

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am a 24 yr old from the US.

I’ve lived in this country for roughly 16 years.

After my first win of about $10, I was so motivated to master the skillset and maximize this opportunity.

How long have you been trading?

I’ve been trading for roughly 2 years.

I actually did not ever picture myself ever trading until 2 years ago when I discovered that you could make profits from stock market moves.

After some light gains and painful losses, I was forced to take a step back to evaluate and maybe find other way to approach this without losing so much. That is when one of my close friends told me about prop firms and how you could prove your trading skills in return for capital and a chance to really grow!

Briefly describe your trading plan and how it contributes to your success

Each week is very similar to the other, and it goes:

30 mins – 1hr before market open, I identify stocks that have or are making moves in the pre-market session, maybe at least 2% changes or higher whether up or down (learnt this after joining TTP). TTP actually helps with providing those “pre-market gainers”. After the stocks have been identified, I now find what I think is the market direction based on 15 minute/1-4hr time frame looking at the highs of the week and the lows as well. Once there is a sense of direction, I now start to identify yesterday’s highs/lows, same for premarket. Once that’s done, I ready up, wait for market then I look for entries.

Share with us a challenge you faced in your trading career and how you overcame it

One challenge I definitely faced while undergoing this course was the risk department. On my first few accounts, I had little to no risk management. Rather, I had set profit target and totally forgot about risk and what comes with that. I overcame this challenge when I realized and accepted that without risk management, you are nothing in this world of traders. I established a system that would help me get in and out of the market without much second guessing. I created a system that tells me how many shares to buy based on the price of a stock. This helped my get in and out without over buying & etc.

How did you adjust risk management to your trading personality?

I started to scale into positions rather than putting all my positions in at once. Once I had accumulated profit, then I could handle more positions.

Describe a key moment in your trading career

One of the key moments in my trading career was when I started making consistent profit after developing a new strategy.

How long did it take for you to become a consistent trader, and what aspects did you change for that?

It took over 2 years for me to become consistently profitable and it took understanding risk management/position sizing to change that.

What is your mental/psychological strength, and how did you develop it

Mentally, I am a bit above average. I learnt a few things concerning psychology and how fear can ruin your trading career. I then decided to start trading more confidently. it was a night and day difference. I watched videos that helped traders overcome fear and uncertainty, things like those. You need a strategy and a few. Once you have that, you need to trust it.

What was your strategy for successfully passing the evaluation phase?

Start small now go bigger later. building the account with small size positions in order to reduce initial risk and accumulate bigger risk capacity then manage after that. Do not have to trade every day. catching and holding big moves such as earning calls.

How is trading for Trade The Pool different from trading by yourself?

With TTP, you have reasonable capital sizes that allow you to make profits assuming you are profitable. It is not easy to just spawn $80,000 and just begin to trade… so TTP is helping more than they can imagine.

What would you recommend to someone who is just starting with us?

Large caps have been very reliable. Start with small positions. Starting big can risk positioning yourself terribly almost as soon as you started.

Share online resources that were/are significant in your trading development. Names and links are appreciated.

#1. Trade the Pool Discord!! woot wooot!
#2. Yahoo Finance
#3. Moomoo
#4. Trading View