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I've been trading the micro 6E and 6B futures for a while now; if you want to day trade, stick with M6E, it's the only one that has enough liquidity to do so. The rest are good for swing trading.
- The best thing you are likely to do is start a trading journal here on futures.io and post your trades, charts, reasoning, etc. Post as much or as little as you feel you want. (The trades can be in simulation mode -- paper trading -- that's what most people start out with). Everyone here who reads your journal will be pulling for you and will offer their suggestions (you, or course, will have to decide what works for you.)
- Read some of the other trade journals on this forum. Everyone has started somewhere, and some are struggling, while others have gotten past that and are successful. You can learn from both. It helps to see someone working through the same issues that you are (and everyone has the same issues, basically), and it helps to see someone who is doing well.
- Pick something you will trade to start with. The currency micros and the stock index micros, any that suit you, would be good choices. Try some and see. (Some of the currencies have heavy European participation, such as 6E -- the Euro -- and so they have good volume and liquidity before normal US work hours, which would let you work around your regular work times.)
- Simulation (sim) only works for so long, because it has no real monetary risk, and so has a totally different psychological feel compared to real money trading. You'll need to get into live trading at some point. Just be aware of this. Margins for stock index micros are typically in the hundred-dollar per contract range for most brokers (day trading margins -- overnight is higher), and commissions are typically in the one dollar or less range per contract on an all-in (all fees included, including exchange and data fees), round-turn (both the buy and sell) basis. You may want to look around to see what deals are out there. Many brokers will let you try a trial basis of a couple of weeks, during which you can trade in sim, and this often can be extended for another couple of weeks, so you can shop around while you learn.
- If you like what you see in the other traders' journals and in the support you get in your own, you may consider an Elite membership, which gives you access to the broader community of more traders' journals and other threads... but only if you see there's something here for you; it's entirely your choice.
The original question of this thread was how to find a mentor. You've already gotten the idea that basically, you will be your own mentor. There are a lot of people here who will pitch in, and we have all gone down this path before. It isn't easy, but it's rewarding and can be fun. (Also, exasperating. But you do learn. That's life. )
I definitely wish you luck with this project. I think you will see that the membership will rally to assist you. Be ready for a thousand different suggestions, though.
You'll need to pick though them based on what resonates with you and what works out when you try it. Again, good luck.
Start trading and keeping a journal. Find a meetup group and attend regularly. Most of the folks who go to groups like that are not trustworthy and/or are not mentor material, but sometimes you'll find veteran traders will attend and be looking to share their knowledge with those who are hungry and willing to listen.
A good start would be to be very specific. Saying I would like to find a trading mentor is like saying I would like to find a car racing coach. What kind of car racing, Formula 1, NASCAR, Drifting, Rally...you get the point.
What is your specific goal? Intraday trading, swing trading, position, options?
What have you accomplished thus far? How long have you been paper trading?
What is your current trading strategy and why?
First and foremost, you need to understand that trading is very personal thing and is completely different to EACH successful trader. 90% of people starting to trade failing to understand that the biggest fight they need to win daily in order to make money and be consistent is not against other market participants. That fight is against their own bad habits and lack of discipline. Each trader (just like every human) has a unique psychological profile, temper, level of patience, various personal reasoning and other factors that will directly impact the way he / she trades.
I would strongly suggest to start by signing up to one of the groups that have reputable track record and following them for a while. One of such places is Convergent Trading. The guy who runs that community - FT71 aka Morad Askar also runs his own Prop Firm and has very unique approach on prepping new traders for this business. He focuses a lot on psychological profile of the trader as well as market context. This will be a good starting place for you so you can follow his daily briefings, listen to other people in that community and ask any questions you may have. You can also paper trade at the same time. Once you feel comfortable about your trading routine you can dip your toe into Micro ES and start live trading without having significant risk. Remember, in order for you to learn and progress you must have a skin in the game and micro contract will force you to take your journey seriously because you will have your own money at risk. Becoming consistent and being able to execute your trading plan while sitting on hands when you do not see the setup that allows you to execute your trade is essential. Confidence and psychological comfort is the most preciouses commodity trader possess.
Remember, you only need to master 1-2 trade setups and practice them until you be able to execute them with your eyes closed (this is the level of confidence you need). Once you achieve this level of consistency you can consider yourself a success.