4 Questions With Funded Trader Brad M. from Chicago

Brad M. from Chicago has been with Topstep since 2016. We were lucky enough to have him stop by the Topstep Studio and share some of his thoughts on the Trading Combine, markets, and how he became a better trader through objective self-reflection.

Read more below or check out the video above to get more tips from Brad and to learn about his experience with the Topstep Trading Combine®.

What brought you to Topstep?

Brad works as a real estate broker in Chicago—a job that rewards both knowledge of macroeconomic trends and persistence. This background made futures trading an attractive proposition.

However, like many novice traders, Brad got burned the first time he started trading live capital in his brokerage account. In fact, he lost 40% of his account balance on his first day of trading. It was this experience that led Brad to check out TopstepTrader and the Trading Combine.

What changes did you make along the way?

According to Brad, his trading started to improve once he committed to keeping a trading journal and reviewing his trade analytics. He learned that the expected value of his trades increased when he held them for a slightly longer duration.

Most importantly, he realized that he had a 70% win-rate on days when he made only 1 or 2 trades, and only a 30% win-rate on days when he made 3 or more trades. Obviously, his performance suffered when he was over-trading.

For a person who admits to not being “math guy” in high school, Brad learned to appreciate the value of statistical analysis quickly once in started to affect his bottom line.

What are your long-term trading goals?

Brad is channeling his inner Warren Buffet. He sees trading as a means to generate capital to fund future business ventures.

We applaud his honesty. Go out there and get that sweet, passive income, Brad!

What advice do you have for other traders?

Stick with it. You might not find success right away, but you always learn something by trying. Evaluate your performance objectively and always be improving. This is advice that you can apply to every facet of your live, not just trading.

“If you put in the work, the results will come,” said Brad.