Better System Trader is the podcast and blog dedicated to systematic traders, providing practical tips from trading experts around the world.
It was a pretty warm weekend here in Melbourne, and on hot days I bring out the inflatable pool for the kids to paddle around in. But I have a rule… It only comes out on really hot days because it takes me AGES to setup… It can literally take me an hour of strenuous work in the heat to get … [Read more...]
Happy Monday! Actually, I used to think that statement was an oxymoron before I quit my corporate life. And in fact, my hatred of Mondays used to spill over into my Sunday evening too, once I realised the weekend was over and I had to go back to corporate slavery the next day, but life is good … [Read more...]
It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Melbourne, sunny, blue skies, 31 degrees celcius (or 88 fahrenheit for those stuck on the old system). You can't get much better than that - it's days like this when you can't help but smile! Something else that makes me smile is when I receive emails … [Read more...]
What does it take to succeed? What are the secrets of the most successful people? I just read an interesting article on Scientific American (shared by Adam Grimes of adamhgrimes.com- thanks Adam!) called 'The Role of Luck in Life Success Is Far Greater Than We Realized'. The article … [Read more...]
The idea for this podcast episode has its roots in a trip I made to the States last year. I was at a conference and one of the speakers was 1993 Karate World Champion Ricardo Teixeira. Ricardo was explaining how he came about becoming World Karate Champion and he shared his #1 secret to … [Read more...]
Yesterday I received an "interesting" (abusive) email from someone we'll call "Mr Angry”, in response to my previous blog post with a case study of how Market Internals student Christopher reduced drawdowns by 59%. The email from Angry is ridiculous, so I won't publish it here, but in his … [Read more...]
Market Internals student Christopher sent us an update on his progress applying the exclusive Market Internals Smart Code to one of his strategies: "Well, I finally got to applying it to my ES strategy, and the results are awesome. Just take a look for yourself. Every single metric has improved, … [Read more...]
According to Business Insider Australia there are approximately 1.8 million conventions, conferences and trade shows in the USA every year. And it seems these days you can find a conference to suit almost any interest, for example: MerCon - A gathering of people who like to dress up like … [Read more...]
Winter Olympics fever is here and there have been a number of standout stories so far. One that has caught the attentions of many is the women’s Jamaican bobsled team. Did you ever see the movie 'Cool Runnings' from the 90's, which told the story of the men’s Jamaican bobsled team in the 1988 … [Read more...]
At the end of every podcast interview, I always ask the special guest if they have any favourite trading books, and an overwhelming number of people say the Market Wizards books by Jack Schwager. Why is that? What's the appeal of the Market Wizards books? When I first started trading many … [Read more...]
We have a really interesting one here for you today, one that may challenge your existing thoughts on trading models. I know this episode has certainly made me think about it from a different angle, so I hope you enjoy this. Our guest for this episode is Kevin Saunders from Tribelet … [Read more...]
'Whats the difference between a good joke and a bad joke the timing...' OK, OK, I admit that's a pretty crap joke, but in many areas of life timing can make a big difference to the outcome. In the last few months I've been doing alot of automated strategy creation and advanced robustness … [Read more...]
Sometimes it can be really tough to love trading. You put all that time and effort in, but every now and then the market is looking to kick your butt. For some traders, the markets have been in a serious butt-kicking mood lately. So, for all those out there suffering from broken … [Read more...]
"Imagine if we could just ask women what they were thinking" - Jerry Seinfeld. In the very first episode of the hit TV show ‘Seinfeld’, a lady that Jerry is interested in calls him and mentions that she'll be in New York and they may catch up while she's there. Jerry shares this story with his … [Read more...]
How do you know if a $5000 luxury watch that you just saw heavily discounted is an authentic one or a fake? Today, many fakes can be difficult to identify, so the truth is, in most cases you simply don’t know. With trading breakout signals, it can be a similar story. We’re often eager to … [Read more...]
I was watching a documentary last week called 'Don't look down', which follows the story of Sir Richard Branson and the hot-air balloon adventures he used as a publicity stunt to promote his airline Virgin Atlantic. Even though Branson had never flown a balloon before, and 5 out of 6 people who … [Read more...]
Just wanted to share a quick blog post that flashed across my linkedin feed today, that I think you may be interested in.It's an article called 'Alpha Extraction and Trading Under Different Market Regimes' by Jonathan Kinlay.We've discussed Market Regimes on the podcast before - they can make a … [Read more...]
We're back! After a short stint in hospital and some time to rest, I'm recovering nicely and it's time to resume the podcast episodes. A big thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes, I really do appreciate it. In this podcast episode we’re going to be talking about something that can have … [Read more...]
Have you ever been on one of those amusement park rides at a carnival or festival that spins around so fast that you can't get up and it makes you start feeling sick after a while? In Australia it's called the Gravitron and I've just spent a week on one... Not literally, but very much the same … [Read more...]
It's 42 degrees celcius here right now, and while we're waiting for a cool change to hit I've just cracked open a cold beer, ahhh! Apologies to those currently at work! :-) Today I want to share with you a technique that I've used for many years, which is really easy to implement but can provide … [Read more...]
