After building my account up to $25-30k and subsequently losing 90% four times now, I’ve decided I need different view points on my trade choices. I’m hoping this journal will also keep me more grounded and focus on profit taking no matter how small. I’ll be trading on two accounts, an IRA and margin.
Margin starting balance $6,233.33
IRA starting balance $2,235.17
IRA update:
QQQ 343P buy 15 @ 1.45
sell 15 @ 1.65
New Balance: $2,533.66 (+13.35%)
IRA update:
SQQQ $37.5 P
Buy 25 @ $1
Sell 25 @ $1.11
New balance: $2,806.16 (+10.75%)
IRA update:
QQQ $344C
Buy 23 @ $1.18
Sell 23 @ $1.40
New balance: $3,309.78 (+17.95%)
Margin update:
SPY 14 APR $439P
Buy 100 @ $0.56
Sell 100 @ $0.70
New balance: $7,623.23 (+22.30%)
IRA update:
QQQ 14 APR $342P
Buy 29 @ $1.13
Sell 29 @ $1.33
New balance: $3,886.86 (+17.43%)
83.49% gain for the week.
This is awesome! How do you pick your entries/exits?
I use volume and option order bids to gauge momentum and play off that. I can start including the times I buy and sell if anyone is reading this and is curious.
Week 2 beginning balances:
IRA - $3,886.85 (+83.49%) last week
Margin - $7,623.23 (+22.30%) last week
I was pretty busy Monday and Tuesday, so this is a late update.
I made a mistake on my IRA account Monday. I had my phone in one hand, my son in the other. I accidentally bought QQQ calls instead of puts. In the minute it took me to realize what I did, I lost 40% of my account by the time I sold. That hurt.
IRA:
Monday
4/18 QQQ 341C
Buy 53 @ .72
Sell 53 @ .42
Balance: $2,303.37 (-40.74%)
Tuesday
4/20 SPY 444C
Buy 14 @ 1.57
Sell 14 @ 1.76
Balance: $2,567.95 (+11.49%)
Wednesday
4/20 QQQ 342P
Buy 21 @ 1.20
Sell 21 @ 1.45
Balance: $3,090.80 (+20.36%)
8/9
Margin update
4/20 QQQ 343P
Buy 69 @ 1.10
Sell 69 @ 1.45
Balance: $10,031.22 (+31.59%)
2/2
IRA update
4/22 QQQ 347C
Buy 14 @ 2.10
Sell 14 @ 2.15
Balance: $3,159.39 (+2.22%)
9/10
Margin update
Tried my hand at TSLA and I’m not sure I’ll ever do that again.
TSLA 4/22 1015P
Buy 15 @ 6.65
Sell 15 @ 7.30
Balance: $11,004.67 (+9.70%)
3/3
You’re Killin it, great stuff
Work and personal life have been quite busy recently so I haven’t updated as often as I should. I took profits out of my margin account at $18,248. I left $1,000 and moved it to a cash account. The day trading rules were too annoying. I also rolled most of my IRA account into my TSP at $6,845. I left a small amount to try and challenge myself and see how far I can go.
May 1 balances:
Cash: $1,000
IRA: $245.64
I’m currently working overnights and just woke up. These trades were made this morning, before 1010 EST.
IRA:
5/2 SPY $405P
Buy 2 @ 1.15
Sell 2 @ 1.30
Balance: $275.42 (+12.12%) 1/1
Cash:
5/2 SPY $407P
Buy 10 @ .89
Sell 10 @ .99
5/2 SPY $406P
Buy 1 @ .93
Sell 1 @ .97
Balance: $1,102.85 (+10.28%) 1/1
Two quick afternoon SPY scalps after I woke up.
IRA:
5/4 SPY $422C
Buy 1 @ 2.34
Sell 1 @ 2.50
Balance: $291.30 (+5.77%) - 2/2
Cash:
5/4 SPY $412P
Buy 4 @ 2.68
Sell 4 @ 3
Balance: $1,230.45 (+11.57%) - 2/2
A couple quick SPY & QQQ scalps today.
IRA:
5/6 SPY 416P
Buy 1 @ 1.58
Sell 1 @ 1.74
Balance: $307.18 (+3.86%) - 3/3
Cash:
5/6 QQQ 314P
Buy 7 @ 1.70
Sell 7 @ 1.90
Balance: $1,369.72 (+11.32%) - 3/3
Spent most of the morning just watching, timing entires and exits without trading. I’m trying to get a better grasp on movements when it’s pinballing. Took what I learned and made a very quick 2 min trade with TSLA.
Cash:
5/6 TSLA 885C
Buy 2 @ 6.10
Sell 2 @ 7.17
Balance: $1,583.52 (+15.61%) - 4/4
EOW gains: +58.35%
Quick SPY scalp at the start of the day around 0950, then watched the rest of the day. Tried my hand at a quick SPX scalp around 1400. Worked out.
IRA:
5/9 SPY 400P
Buy 1 @ 1.40
Sell 1 @ 1.50
Balance: $317.84 (+2.23%) - 4/4
Cash:
5/9 SPX 4010P
Buy 1 @ 13.80
Sell 1 @ 15.40
Balance: $1,742.25 (+10.02%) - 5/5