Shortly after most novice traders discover how trading works and begin to realize that they have the potential to make unlimited amounts of money in the financial markets, they start dreaming the near-impossible dream. They fantasize about buying that condo in Boca Raton for their parents or surprising their son with a brand-new car on his 16th birthday. They even begin to imagine themselves opening their own trading firm or milling about the pit of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, lobbying against other professional traders for the perfect entry into a once-in-a-lifetime trade. But then ... they watch the markets lurch in wildly unpredictable ways, lose their shirts in a few live trades, and then freeze in their tracks, wondering if they will ever be able to consistently trade in a manner that can even loosely be defined as “profitable.” To be sure, becoming a full-time, professional trader, working at a proprietary trading firm, or managing the trading activity of a hedge fund may sound like the perfect career, but it’s all too easy for beginner traders to overestimate their trading abilities, underestimate the movements of the markets, and find themselves in a financial hole of epic proportions after a few bad trades. So what does it really take to make a living in the markets? Tim Bourquin, co-founder of Traders Expo and the Forex Trading Expo and founder of TraderInterviews.com, and freelance writer and editor Nick Mango set out to answer that exact question in Traders at Work, a unique collection of over 20 interviews with some of the world’s most successful professional traders, from at-home hobbyists who have opened their own firms to those working at hedge funds, on proprietary trading desks, and in exchange pits. What mistakes did Anne-Marie Baiynd make early in her career? What does Michael Toma wish he had known about trading? What trading strategies work best for Linda Raschke? How does John Carter remain cool, calm, and collected when the markets are sending mixed signals? And how did Todd Gordon make the transition from part-time to full-time trader? Bourquin and Mango ask all of these questions and more in Traders at Work and in doing so reveal insider insights on what it takes to be a successful trader from those who are living that dream. Fascinating, compelling, and filled with never-before-told stories from the front lines of the trading arena, Traders at Work is required reading for anyone who has ever asked themselves if they have what it takes to trade for a living.

Want to become a truly great trader - either for yourself or for a proprietary trading firm? This book will help you get there. This unique approach is the closest thing to signing up for a "trader boot camp" yourself! You'll learn by watching new traders walk through actual trades, explain what they've tried to do, and try to survive brutally tough expert critiques. One trade at a time, The Playbook reveals how professional traders must think in order to succeed "under fire," how they assess their own performance, and how they work relentlessly to improve. Using concrete, actionable setups drawn from his extensive trading and training experience, Bellafiore walks through an extraordinary array of trades, showing readers how to maximize profits and avoid disastrous hidden pitfalls. He covers support plays, bull-and-bear flags, opening drives, important intraday levels, bounce and fade trades, pullbacks, scalps, technical opportunities, consolidation, relative strength, market trades, and more. He also presents indispensable insights on psychology and trader development, based on his work with hundreds of traders on a major commodity exchange and an elite prop firm's trading desk. Packed with color, personality, and realism, this is an exciting guide to real-world trading.

Most traders fail, especially since the rise of High Frequency Trading and computerized markets. What are the main characteristics of the traders that do succeed? That and other questions are answered by Fernando Oliveira in this book with in-depth interviews with traders and market experts. If you’re tired of the outdated day and swing trading literature that’s available in bookstores and are looking for something more in touch with the current market structure, then this book will please you with a wealth of up-to-date advice, tips, strategies, and techniques.

"Floyd has answered for many in this book a way to both understand and use the Commitment of Traders reports. In my thirty-five years as a registered broker and author of my own book, I find that at times someone takes a complex subject and makes it easier to understand. Floyd has done this with his book. Not only does he make understanding the COT easy, but he ties it to some technical trading ideas that readers can try out, using historical data on their own. Truly another good technical book for those looking to understand this often overlooked subject." -- Ira Epstein, PresidentIra Epstein & Company Futures "For many years, I've had requests from customers seeking information on the Commitment of Traders report but had few resources to which I could refer them. This superb treatment of the subject by Floyd Upperman, full of detailed information and innovative ideas on how to use them [COT] effectively in trading, is the definitive treatment of the subject in my book. I highly recommend it." -- Edward D. Dobson, PresidentTraders Press, Inc. "The Commitment of Traders (COT) can be a very powerful trading tool to help anticipate market direction. But all too often it is misunderstood and/or misinterpreted . . . Floyd's unique analytical interpretations, combined with his trading tools and indicators, will open a door to greater profitability for all traders." -- Walter Bressert, President Walter Bressert, Inc. "If you are interested in capturing major market moves, this is a must-read book." -- Larry Williams, Commodity TraderIreallytrade.com By understanding commercial activity and monitoring its behavior, a trader can potentially forecast significant changes in price direction. Author Floyd Upperman shows you how to use the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports to accomplish this goal. He skillfully explains how to break down the COT data into producers, consumers, and funds so you understand the positions and activities of these key market participants. In addition, he demonstrates how to monitor the COT activity so you can detect position imbalances that could be harbingers of major trend changes and illustrates his techniques for combining traditional technical analysis of price with the COT data.

A detailed look at what really happens in the front office of an investment bank and why Trading floors have always fascinated people, but few understand the role they play in the world of finance today. Though markets rise and fall every day, the drivers of those are rarely explored. Those who understand the dynamics of trading floors will better understand the dynamics of global financial markets. This book reveals the key players on the floor, their roles and responsibilities, how they serve their clients, and how it all impacts the markets. It also explains important terminology, explains the world of trading both cash and derivatives, and much more. Includes a foreword by Gillian Tett, author of Fool's Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe. Terri Duhon (www.terriduhon.co) is a financial market expert who in 2004 founded B&B Structured Finance Ltd, which provides expert consulting and financial markets training . Her time on the trading floor has been documented in the book Fool's Gold as well as by PBS's Frontline.

The new trader's guide to the business, psychology, and hype in trading The Trader's Pendulum + Website is the ultimate toolkit for realizing your trading potential. Written by one of North America's leading trading coaches, this guide is designed to show aspiring traders how to design and implement a successful trading strategy by learning the psychological tricks behind solid trading philosophies. New and experienced traders alike will find value in The 10 Habits of Successful Traders, and come away equipped to navigate the real-life emotional-psychological effects of market chaos. You'll learn to embrace change and risk, and use it to your benefit as you climb out of the technical trap and stop riding the Trader's Pendulum between fear and greed. Based on the author's Elliott Wave and Harmonics expertise, this invaluable guide brings you a top-down approach to the market to help you maximize profit and minimize poor choices. The companion website gives you access to an interactive Trader's Scorecard, models for your 'business' and trading plan, The Trading Blotter, and a video synopsis of the all-important 10 habits. Today's global economy has forced people to search for a second cash flow stream to replace or supplement a primary income. It is more important than ever to have a reliable guide at your side, and this book gives you guidance and so much more. Develop and follow a successful trading system Make more money while saving time and effort Treat trading like a business for lasting success Use change and risk to your benefit Stop chasing trends and listening to widely disseminated bad advice. The Trader's Pendulum + Website is more than a guide—it's advice, examples, models, and more, giving you a practical roadmap to your online trading success.

Trading Systems That Work evaluates many of today's most influential techniques and, emphasizing trading software programs TradeStation and Excel, covers all aspects of researching, building, understanding, and evaluating your own trading system.".