Why We Bring Humor to Trading (And Sing About It, Too!)

October 16, 2024 in Announcements, PTR Recording

Learning about trading fundamentals like risk management, proper sizing, and chart reading can feel a bit like memorizing tax codes—essential but, let’s be honest, dry. So, at our trade rooms, we’ve made it our mission to bring in some humor, light-heartedness, and even a bit of musical entertainment to the table.

Enter our AI songs, “Just Suck Less” and “Double Down Donkey.

Let’s take a closer look, and listen, 🎧👂🎶 to these two silly tunes that bring a bit of rhythm and wit to some valuable trading principles:

Just Suck Less: This song is a playful spin on the idea of improvement. Getting better each day can feel like a lot to ask when you’re deep in the charts or managing risk. But what if the bar were lower? Instead of aiming to be perfect, we’re just aiming to “suck less.” Make fewer mistakes, manage losses better, maybe even pull back on impulse trades. It’s a reminder that small, incremental changes add up, and if you’re making fewer mistakes each day, you’re already moving in the right direction.

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Double Down Donkey: This tune is a fun cautionary anthem against the urge to “double down” when things go south—a strategy that too often leads to deeper losses. Whether it’s martingale or simply piling on losing trades, this song highlights the trouble with chasing after bad trades. It’s a catchy reminder to avoid the pitfall of doubling down when it’s time to reassess.

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These songs aren’t just meant to teach—they’re designed to make you laugh, shake your head, and give you something to hum throughout the day. Because while trading can be tough, it doesn’t have to be dull.

FOMO Alert:
😱 Fear of missing out on futures brilliance? Enroll in our Futures Fanatic Foundation Course and never miss a beat in futures trading. Yes, I Need This!


Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Futures and Options trading has large potential rewards, but also large potential risk. You must be aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest in the futures and options markets. Don’t trade with money you can’t afford to lose. This is neither a solicitation nor an offer to Buy/Sell futures or options. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those discussed on this web site. The past performance of any trading system or methodology is not necessarily indicative of future results.

CFTC RULE 4.41 – HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER-OR-OVER COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFIT OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.

TopStep Trader and TopStepX: A New Era for Prop Traders

May 13, 2024 in Announcements, Prop Trading

As someone who has been critical of futures prop funding firm TopStep in the past, it’s only fair to recognize when significant improvements are made. TopStep has recently overhauled their prop programs and technology, making substantial strides and significantly improving their competitive positioning. Their new platform, TopStepX, is at the forefront of these changes, and it’s worth taking a closer look at what they have to offer.

Leveraging the Power of Micro Contracts

It’s been a really long time coming, but TopStep now properly recognizes the total leveraged ratio of micro contracts to minis. Previously, traders faced limitations that hindered their ability to fully utilize micro contracts. Now, with the ability to leverage 10x Micro to Mini contracts, traders have greater control over risk, strategy, and capital allocation and can move through Combines utilizing the TDG “Acorns To Oak Trees” Way. This is a game-changer for micro traders who can now fine-tune their trading strategies with precision.

Competitive Pricing and Ongoing Promotions

TopStep has also upped their game in the pricing department. Currently, they are offering Combines as low as $19 for evaluations using the TopStepX platform. This price remains for the life of your evaluation or until you earn funding. This makes TopStep an attractive option for traders at various stages of their trading journey, but especially so for beginners, and those that prefer simple, web-based trading platforms to more complex Windows applications.

Introducing TopStepX: The New Trading Platform

TopStepX is the latest addition to TopStep’s suite of tools, and it comes with several benefits designed to enhance the trading experience:

🗠Integration with TradingView Charts: Familiarity is key, and TopStepX integrates seamlessly with TradingView charts, providing a smooth transition for traders accustomed to this popular charting platform.

🆕 New Products: You can now trade CME FX Currencies, CBOT Bonds/Financials, Micro Bitcoin (MBT), Micro ETH (MET), Heating Oil (HO), and even RBOB. Essentially, the platform now supports most popular futures instruments and the micro versions to boot!

🔄Built-in Trade Copier: The new trade copier feature is easy to set up and reliable, allowing traders to copy trades across multiple accounts effortlessly.

🔒 Manual Lock Out: This feature helps traders lock in profits and prevent emotional trading by allowing them to walk away for the day.

🤑 Personal Daily Loss and Profit Targets: Traders can lock in their profits or set the maximum amount they are willing to risk for the day, fostering better trading habits.

👉 Personalized Risk Limits: Traders can set their risk and reward levels so they trigger as soon as they enter their trade, ensuring disciplined trading practices.

Other TopStep Benefits

📺 TopstepTV streams live on YouTube Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM–3:00 PM CT for hours of daily education and entertainment.

🆓 All traders get a Reset–at–Rebill™, one FREE Reset each month when your account is rebilled, if you’ve exceeded your Maximum Loss Limit.

💸 The TopStep Payout Policy is simple—put up 5 winning days of +$200 to request your payout. There are no hidden rules or gotchas.

Areas for Improvement

While TopStepX has a lot going for it, there are still a few areas where it could improve. The platform currently lacks a mobile app, though one is expected to be released soon. Additionally, as a web-based platform, TopStepX isn’t quite as responsive as desktop applications, which may not be ideal for active scalpers who need lightning-fast execution.

TopStep ends the daily trading session at 4:10pm EST even though the market is open until 5pm EST. This is usually not much of an issue but can be a factor on days when large Nasdaq companies report earnings.

📱 MOBILE FRIENDLY Update: June, 2024

TopstepX™ just got even more powerful!  They recently added the MOST requested feature – MOBILE! 📱💥 So you can now access your accounts and manage trades from any smartphone or tablet.  You’ll access TopStepX via a mobile browser like Safari, not a “native” app in the App Store or Google Play.

So open a web browser on your phone, type in topstepx.com, and get started from anywhere. It’s easy to add TopstepX to your home screen using the share icon.

Conclusion

TopStep has made a remarkable comeback, reestablishing itself as a top contender for traders seeking a prop funding relationship. With substantial improvements in their prop programs and the introduction of TopStepX, they are very much back in the game making this Why I Think TopStep Is Toast video in much need of an update. If you’re in the market for a prop trading firm, TopStep’s recent updates make them a strong candidate worth considering.

FOMO Alert:
😱 Fear of missing out on futures brilliance? Enroll in our FREE Futures Fanatic Foundation Course and never miss a beat in futures trading. Yes, I Need This!


Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Futures and Options trading has large potential rewards, but also large potential risk. You must be aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest in the futures and options markets. Don’t trade with money you can’t afford to lose. This is neither a solicitation nor an offer to Buy/Sell futures or options. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those discussed on this web site. The past performance of any trading system or methodology is not necessarily indicative of future results.

CFTC RULE 4.41 – HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER-OR-OVER COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFIT OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.