Tweety,

Thank you for bringing up another common misconception. It is always best to go w/ actual numbers than opinions. Successful trading is about minimizing risk and return on equity. Ex. I had a good month in my futures acct in Feb: +3.5%. It could have been better but I'll take it. Now +3.5% for the month for a fund manager would be a great month. On average they get a 2% annual fee and 20% of profits. Back to the average guy on here. Let's say I trade a 50K account. That 3.5% is only $1,750. Not much of an income even when you annualize it. Still good / successful trading. Now lets say I trade a 100K account -- which would be a very large acct compared to the average trader on TFC -- the average futures account holder was around 6 or 7K -- a few years back. Anyway, that 3.5% for Feb on a 100K account still leaves me in a middle class neighborhood; yet it's still a fine rate of return and envious form the likes of hedge fund managers today. And I still have to worry about a black swan event but luckily not about another russ wassendorf -- he's already in prison. My point being there is no private beaches -- other than maybe a 1-week vacation -- for your average guy grinding out a few points a month w/ the occasional 8% to 10% month until he's old and grey -- 5 or 10 years of that then maybe you can get the beach but by then you don't give a ##### about it cuz you have enuf sense to want to live around you're blue collar family anyway.

Next point, thanks to technology people can have access to an entire eCampus of 30 hours of on-demand videos -- 24/7, and an instructor -- me -- can spent just a few hours per week teaching in live markets and answering questions be it w/ 1 person or 10 -- I'm on the screen anyway for those same few hours. No sales calls involved.

Thirdly, I'm sorry you believed what republican leaders told you and put all your money in gold at an avg price of 1500.

And finally you just made Cub fans century cuz you are such a fade that you have the power to send the Cubs to the world series!

Thank you again for your contribution.

Your observations did remind me of an article I wrote last year which I will promptly post.