February has been an interesting month for trading. There was a brief melt-down in equity markets, causing the U.S. Dollar to (at least temporarily) halt its downtrend.
Tejas from Vancouver has capitalized on that environment to earn a TopstepFX Funded Account. But in talking with him about what made him successful, his perspective proves that trading forex is no different than trading futures: good trading is good trading.
Tejas’ keys to success are similar to what we often hear from successful traders: he started focusing on the actual market trends and became obsessive about his risk management. Here's how he earned his Funded Account.
TopstepFX: Tejas, thanks for talking with us today. Curious to know what your trading journey has been like.
Tejas: I’ve been working on my trading for more than a year. In the past, I’ve inconsistently traded live forex brokerage accounts and worked on my strategy in simulated accounts. Frankly, when I was trading live, I didn’t know how to trade profitably. The gains I made were lucky, and they were always followed by losses that more than made up for them.
As I’ve become more focused on exploring trading as a business, I attended seminars and workshops that really impressed upon me the importance of having a strategy and then executing it. Now, I focus on that process and let the profits follow.
TopstepFX: Broadly speaking, what is that strategy that you’ve developed?
Tejas: I start by identifying the major trend of the day or week. Where is the market driving prices? Then, I try to only take trades that is on that side of the market. So if the U.S. Dollar is selling off, as it has been, I try to buy pullbacks in EUR/USD, for example. I am much less likely to try to sell EUR/USD in that scenario.
When I’m in a trade, I try to ride the momentum and look for 20 to 30 pips of profits, being sure to watch my stops closely if the trade is not working out. So I’m probably somewhere between a scalper looking for a few pips and someone who is swing trading.
TopstepFX: You are the first person to earn a TopstepFX Funded Account. What do you think helped you pass the Trading Combine?
Tejas: First, I am still working on my trading, so I don’t have things figured out by any means. I had to reset my Trading Combine as I was going through it, but successful trading takes time. I understand that.
When you are trying to rush through the process, you actually end up setting yourself back — losing not just money, but also time.
TopstepFX: What advice might you have for traders that are still going through the Trading Combine?
Tejas: There are three things I would share:
TopstepFX: Awesome! Tejas, final question. You mentioned that you are still working on a lot of things in your trading. What would you say your strengths and weaknesses are?
Tejas: I have two main strengths. First, I have a deep passion for trading and the markets. That’s why I’ve been able to spend time going to seminars and working on this without trading in live markets. Second, I realize that profits will not drive my self worth. Being contented is important sometimes.
As for what I am working on, I mentioned continuously refining my money management skills. I think that’s a key to becoming a successful trader in the long term. I am also working on managing my emotions. Both of those things are related — you’ll never be able to control your emotions if you have reckless money management; the ups and downs would be too much to handle.
TopstepFX: Tejas, this has been great. Thanks for spending the time to talk with us. Can’t wait to see how you do in a Funded Account!