Don’t Break The Chain

Merritt BlackFutures, Futures TOTD, Trader Development

I’m sure it’s a difficult grind having a career in a creative field such as stand-up comedy or being a writer. No matter how creative the person is, they still have to sometimes force themselves to sit down and find a way to come up with new material. No easy task. Perhaps one of the most famous stand-up comics is … Read More

Fear This

Merritt BlackFutures, Futures TOTD, Trader Development

I see a whole lot of traders afraid of a whole lot of things: Being wrong Losing money Open profits evaporating Not catching the next big move Failing in general Taking a loss, therefore letting it get worse Having objective trade processes, therefore being fully responsible for results and More Do you identify with any of these? Do you experience … Read More

Stop Deleting!

Merritt BlackFutures, Futures TOTD, Trader Development

I often get requests from traders in our Futures Tryout asking us to delete their prior trade history from Tradervue. They haven’t performed well, and mentally want a “fresh start.” I promptly respond with, “No way Jose!” Why? I think this is a big issue that relates to a common hurdle to getting better as a trader… avoiding discomfort! There are … Read More

SMB Futures TOTD – 5/24/18

Merritt BlackFutures, Reading the Tape, Technical Plays

It’s time for the Futures Desk Trade of The Day! Today the trade is from yours truly. It wasn’t a monster winner, but it was a quality trade from start to finish. CL (crude oil futures) A good entry according to premarket plans and key levels Quality profit taking when given the opportunity Aggressive add given the context of the … Read More

SMB Futures TOTD – 5/23/18

Merritt BlackFutures, Reading the Tape, Technical Plays

It’s time for the Futures Desk Trade of The Day! If you missed yesterday’s, you can find it here. We love having our traders in Europe and Asia on the Futures Desk. It allows us to capture some trades while the rest of us here in NYC are fast asleep. This trade was just after 4am NYC time. Key variables: … Read More

SMB Futures TOTD – 5/22/18

Merritt BlackFutures, Reading the Tape, Technical Plays

It’s time for the Futures Desk Trade of The Day! The trade was in crude oil futures. Speaking of which, many think that this is a “wild west” market, and it’s truly not. It’s a great market with solid liquidity and often great momentum. Key variables for the trade: Failed attempt at breakout outside the prior day’s range Failed attempt … Read More

Perception and Trading

Merritt BlackFutures, market structure, Trader Development, Trading Psychology

Laurel or Yanny? There are a few viral videos going around in which different people perceive different words despite listening to the same audio clip. This one is particularly impressive to me: You can hear EITHER one, simply by telling yourself that is what you’re about to hear. Kind of bizarre given the cadence and different syllables of the two … Read More