Hi Mike, I’ve just read your book, One Good Trade and have to say it’s left me more motivated than ever to continue improving my trading skills. Currently, I trade futures for a newer prop firm in Western US. Trading is what I’ve always wanted to do; I saved money working as a waiter to start trading options in my … Read More
Special Projects Returns
In The PlayBook I dedicate a chapter to the argument that pro traders should start early, even in college. One trader, Special Projects, and a review of his trade while interning at SMB, was highlighted as an example of starting early on your trading game. Trading is a skill, one that takes time to develop. You were not born a … Read More
We Want to Back Your Automated Trading Strategies
Hi Mike, I’ve been reading The PlayBook and saw a few mentions of SMB’s growth in the area of algorithmic trading. I am a programmer and have been working on some of my own trading algorithms. Right now I am building algorithms to work with (website redacted per request) but I’m finding some limitations with their platform (for example, it … Read More
Unleashing the Power of Professional Charting for Traders
Q: I’m getting ready for the DNA program. Going through what I have so far, I have two questions maybe you can advise me on: 1. Basic IT suggestions for hardware, RAM, processor, etc, for optimal performance off the computer to match what the SMB desk is doing. I’ve been using an Apple computer and now I (obviously) need to … Read More
I Am Worried About Dark Pools
RE: Should we be concerned with all of the volume being done on dark pools as retail traders? @MikeBellafiore SMBU recently sent a survey to the SMB Trading Community asking of their trading frustrations. From this survey we ferreted out the top five trading frustrations. Then we held a Webinar to offer solutions. Here is a link to that … Read More
This is a Detailed Trading Plan
Q: How many pages is typical of a sufficient detailed trading plan? And how might one go about SIMPLIFYING to focus on what matters most? @MikeBellafiore SMBU recently sent a survey to the SMB Trading Community asking of their trading frustrations. From this survey we ferreted out the top five trading frustrations. Then we held a Webinar to offer solutions. … Read More
Ask The Trading Doc: How Do I Take On More Risk?
Hi, Mike. Thank you very much for writing The Playbook. I thoroughly enjoyed it and my own playbook is coming together nicely. I’m curious if you have any thoughts on what a trader can do to shift their psychological skew from Afraid to Lose to Afraid of Missing Out? Is it just a matter of screen time and repeatedly/mechanically taking the A+ … Read More
The Trading Technology You Must Have
Mike, I’m in the first day of the equities foundation course and I have a quick question: What trading software is currently being used for intraday? Is this something that I get access to through SMB? Thank you! @mikebellafiore We use proprietary trading software Gr8 trade. It is only available to our in-house traders on our prop desk in NYC. … Read More