"...how many trades of your 1-3 daily do you get stopped out of?"
I am stopped out of every single trade...eventually. A trader should aim to be stopped out of every single trade.
"...what would you say is your percentage of winners and losers?
I have not measured that in a long, long time, because trading is about long-term outcomes. The trade in hand makes absolutely no difference in the long run, so long as you don't let it be the one that puts you out of business. Most traders worry too much about the trade in hand, and they don't think about long run outcomes. The last time I measured by batting average was maybe 5 years ago, and it was 70%...but now, using super tight stops, I think I'm down to maybe 50%, but I make more money with less risk.
"...that is you buy on an upswing but set a sell stop right where a breakout area is in case the breakout fails..."
I never buy a "breakout". In fact, I never even use that word. You buy a "retracement", the pullback, in an uptrend.
"...I'm wondering what you can expect to generate out of your capital as a good trader--for instance, trading the futures, what percentage return do you get annually on capital you've set aside for this purpose?"
If I only traded a single E-mini S&P 500 Index futures contract, I would probably make 2 points a day on three trades ($100 less $30 commission), with $5,000 of capital, no sweat. So that's $1,400 a month with commissions deducted, for a 28% return - PER MONTH. I think this is a good goal, especially if you don't take much risk, like me.
Teresa |
