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If your strategy requires to leverage Millions to generate profits (trading straight equities for example) then a prop firm is for you. If you are looking to scale your profitable strategies (need funding in other wors), then a prop firm is for you (but the terms are critical in a eat what you kill situation)..
If you have the funds and dont need the outside capital, but you still need the risk management piece and the technology access, then the prop firm is for you.
above is just my opinion, and what I see as an advantage to going with the right prop firm.
Are you asking what are the benefits of working at a prop shop?
Some prop desks actually require an initial start up deposit where you actually give the firm money to trade. They say this money is to train you but most just give you a generic education along with some basic technical analysis stuff. Usually when you start out you have a pretty strict loss limit too.... if you mess up towards the beginning you could be held liable and shown the door.
If the desk has a strong reputation you could be around some really bright people from multiple disciplines. This means that you get access to various viewpoints and methods. However, from my past experience, the costs were too high ("desk" fees). Some traders produce around $1 million annually, and end up only walking away with around 10% of that. You're usually not paid a salary either. Theres a big difference between you making money for firm and the firm making money just off your trading. Some of the larger US desks are being shut down though because of dodd/frank - I know Goldman was closing their global macro desks, pushing their traders out. However, their big and famous desk (The Special Situations Group) remains. A lot of big fund managers got their start there if i remember correctly.
So, how would that work? Let say I have 25k and I want to trade 100k, I'm using 75k of their money. So let's play to scenarios:
1) I make a trade and make 50k...how much of that is mine?
2) I make a trade and loss 50k...how much do I lose from my own account?
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." --- "Therefore, I Believe it and I will see it. And every day and in every way, I am healthier, wealthier, and wiser."
Yes, I've read that and most are just a scam, I believe.
This is the part that I don't understand...you sit next to another person without any privacy...you're crammed with other traders in a large room.
I mean I can get every thing as a retail trader...I have a computer like them, I have a feed and trading platform like them, I have access to knowlegdeable traders here in NexusFi (formerly BMT) like them, if I want an education, I can buy a course like them...and I have privacy with no one looking over my shoulders sort of speak....and I don't need to get fired...
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." --- "Therefore, I Believe it and I will see it. And every day and in every way, I am healthier, wealthier, and wiser."
Ya, what's up with that....I just want to trade, not bring in clients...why is that?
After getting through 2/3 rds of the way in Market Wizards, the majority of the Trading Wizards allude that 99.99999999 percent of the brokers with series 7 or whatever series don't KNOW HOW TO TRADE...they only take orders and give out close quotes, basically.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." --- "Therefore, I Believe it and I will see it. And every day and in every way, I am healthier, wealthier, and wiser."
Most of the so called "prop shops" today, are not prop shops in the literal sense. That's because most of them require a capital contribution on the part of the prop trader. When that capital contribution is exhausted, you are finished with the prop firm. In essence, all you are doing is opening a brokerage account.
The alleged value add of joining a prop firm is lower commissions, higher buying power, and access to technology and training. Quite frankly, it's all a bunch of B.S. There are some "true" prop houses, especially when it comes to futures, but they are predominantly interested in "quant" types who have a proven methodology. By proven, I mean they want to see a 2 year track record, and be convinced that your strategies are not only robust, but scalable.
There are still some equity shops that offer a pure prop deal, but they are also going to want to take a look-see at you track record. I was offered a position with one of the top 3 shops NYC. I was offered 25MM in buying power to start, based on my experience and P&L, with a quick bump to 50MM, after I proved to them I could mange risk properly. They offered me a 30 -70 split, where the house keeps the 70. That meant that I would have to scale my P&L by 5X to match what I was already making, and I would have to trade out of their offices in Manhattan. I turned them down, and stayed independent.
If you are under-capitalized, and you are able to find a "true" prop shop, that does not require a capital contribution, then it makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, there are very few shops that continue to follow that business model.
BTW: I would check Schonfeld Group, to see if they are hiring. They are a true prop shop that does not require a capital contribution, and they even provide lunch for their traders. Who said, " There is no such thing, as free lunch?"
IMO of course..$100K is not much money to trade... access to capital means you already generate $100K+ from your account and you are looking to take that north, which means you already have well over $100K on your account, more like $500K+. Also, to if you loss of $50K on a single trade, your account is not $75K; and if the account is $75K, risk managment already took you out of the trade even before it ever got to that level.
I would recommend you ping @aztrader9, I think he participated for a while with the whole topsteptrader combine,.. or visit the site for more info as well, it might answer some of your questions.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." --- "Therefore, I Believe it and I will see it. And every day and in every way, I am healthier, wealthier, and wiser."
