What its Like to be a Stock and FX Trader

I remember the day I placed my first trade; I was 18 years old and had just received my student loan. Within two years I had transformed my student loan into a life-changing amount and began developing algorithms.

Stories of my meteoric rise had spread and investors began approaching me through word of mouth. Three years after my first foray into trading I set up Samuel and Co Trading.. Becoming a trader at such an early stage has been fraught with difficulties and in order to excel I have had to go through a process of on-going self-development to hone in on the skills required to progress.

Successful traders need an inherent ability to assimilate complex information and apply stringent strategies time and time again. As a trader it is vital that I am aware of all major news event as soon as they happen as they have a direct impact on the market. In order to ensure this is the case, I subscribe to various services, which ensure that the news is transmitted to us well in advance of the main news channels. It is then up to me to make decisions in an instant about the direction of the market and go ‘long’ or go ‘short’ on the relevant stock or currency pair.

In analysing stocks, I go through a method entitled the ‘Stock Optimiser’ which picks up on four major factors:

1. Company Financials
2. Corporate Sentiment
3. Stock Momentum
4. Technical Levels

Every quarter I will also go through an in depth report of company financials so that I am aware of the possible market movements in the next quarter. The importance of being prepared cannot be underestimated.

The importance of not deviating from a set strategy is quite often what sets apart the 95% of traders who fail and the 5% who manage to have consistent success. The temptation to deviate from a set strategy is a problem most prevalent for new traders. It is said that trading involves just 20% skill but 80% mind-set and it is for this reason I actively champion the requirement to digest relevant literature in order to adjust a traders mind-set. Ignoring the strategy is a sure way to fail in the markets. The strategy has been developed entirely by me and if followed correctly is a sure way to achieve success as a trader.

As the Director of Samuel and Co Trading I am also required to manage client expectations and doing so at such a young age was at first daunting but is now second nature to me. The fund grew at an exponential rate and this has resulted in us creating a bespoke trading programme from which distinguished and successful candidates are provided with a portion of the proprietary fund with which to trade. The proprietary fund consists of 18 traders who trade remotely from all corners of the world whilst sometimes running other businesses simultaneously. The importance of having multiple income streams is something which resonates strongly with me, and I ensure that this ethos is passed on to my junior traders. The online trading programme itself has been purchased in excess of 34 countries and I have just created a new programme, which focuses on stocks listed on the FTSE. We have now taught in excess of 1,000 students and provide a recognised CPD certification upon successful completion of the courses.

Given that the strategies I have created are extremely profitable, in order to work smarter, I have created numerous algorithms which run 24/7 on the fund. This ensures that I have the time available to balance other tasks in order to ensure that the fund reaches higher heights.

As alluded to above, becoming a successful trader is almost entirely dependent on one’s mind-set. Trading for a living can become an extremely stressful vocation for those that have not worked on their mind-set and developed traits of patience, discipline and emotional imbalance to open trades. The ability to take a losing trade and move on to the next trade is a skill that is not to be underestimated as once emotions take over; a trader is doomed to failure.

I learnt early on that maintaining client relationships is extremely important and it is for this reason that Samuel and Co Trading’s growth has been unprecedented. The importance of ensuring that subscribers are kept up to date about gains as well as losses is crucial and is one of the many facets that separate us from other companies. We also ensure that the fund retains an element of exclusivity and in this regard we only take funds from investors who have been recommended by two current investors. This ensures that we are able to manage client expectations and continue the staggering returns we have been able to return.

I’m a firm believer in giving back to the community and in this regard have started an initiative where I will be running the junior trader programme exclusively for those who suffer from autism. The students will not be required to pay the course fee and they will receive the on-going support they need to excel in the markets. In the past, I have also ran the London half marathon for UNICEF to help with their charity. We are always looking at other ways to be more charitable.

Trader life; the workload is immense, intense and sometimes immeasurable. The hours are often long with the day starting at 6am and not ending until at least 8pm. Without excellent time management skills it is only too easy to slip into a vicious cycle of stress, overworking and unproductivity which does not bode well for any aspiring trader.

The life of a trader can be stressful. It requires consistent hard work. But it is a career that I would not swap for any other. It has given me the opportunity to live a lifestyle unachievable and unparalleled for those in my age range, it has allowed me to reside in a distinguished private gated community with neighbours who are leaders in their field, it has allowed me to fund my father’s retirement and subsequent trip around the world and allowed me to have the financial freedom that so many desire and the possibility to retire by the time I am 30 years old, if I decided to.

I am one of the few that can wholeheartedly say ‘I love my job.’

Samuel Leach