Hello,

I'm a graduate student in a finance/mathematics program. If anyone involved (either currently or formerly) in futures trading could possibly spare 2-3 minutes answering the following questions as part of a class assignment, I would be extremely grateful. Thanks in advance!

-Nick

In your opinion:
1. What separates a successful futures trader from an unsuccessful one?
2. How important is it to continually monitor news financial news sources?
3. How much do you rely on quantitative analysis and modeling techniques as opposed to “hunches” and heuristics?
4. What factors/characteristics distinguish a futures trader from traders of other asset classes (equities, options, bonds)?
5. To what extent do you utilize forward curves?
6. Do you use any time-series analysis or forecasting techniques?
7. What would your advice be to someone just beginning to trade commodity futures?