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Me! I was in front of my monitors at 7 EST this morning checking out the NQ and ES to see what was happening. It looked like it was indecisive as to where it wanted to go and wasn't breaking in any direction, so I stepped away from the monitors for a bit. I come back 30 minutes later and it's completely broken to the downside it seems to always happen that way. I am pretty new to futures too, and I don't really know how to trade these range days, so I'm just sitting on my hands. It seems like after a big trend day in the ES or NQ, we always get a range day to follow. Like everyone needs some time to process all that action
Now... what on earth would make you think this is a range day??
LOL! About all you can do on a range day like today so far is take your normal set ups and grab some profit and jump out. The range isn't so bad you could jump in grab 20-30 ticks and jump out. Sort of a semi-scalp.
Good day of trading so far. Would have hit my 80 tick target if I wasn't scared of this chop fest of a market, especially this morning. Overall I am happy with the refined way of trading. I just need to build more trust in it.
I am a little concerned with TopStep. Several times over the last few months they have had issues with orders being executed correctly or at all. Today it is limit and STOP orders not working correctly on NQ and ES. Really not a big deal on the combine but it is a huge deal on a live account. It's no big deal for them to give you a free reset on the combine but what would they be able to do for you on a live account? I understand computers can have issues but it seems to me to be a regular thing with them.
I am also a bit concerned about the mandatory data fees. $105 per month just for ES,NQ,etc. If you want CL, add another $105. $210 bucks a month is ridiculous. I pay 21 a month total for my NinjaTrader data for ALL CME products. Just seems like they are over charging for this. Maybe I am spoiled with NinjaTrader.
Tomorrow is interest rates in the afternoon. This can make the markets crazy in the morning. I plan on getting up early and seeing how things are going during the European markets. Maybe I can catch a decent move before the jitters set in.
You sim trade your account w/1 lots. You live trade your account w/1 lots. You pay for a trading combine and trade small lots (1-3 contracts) - but then last week in the combine you ramp it up to 15 contracts and blow out 'step 1' and do a re-set?
Okay, fine. How in the hell can you keep track of all these variables and then completely re-configure your entire trading strategy over the weekend?
So, NQ has been BEAUTIFUL most of the year. July/August were outsized smooth price action and the week of Labor Day was very nice.
The last two weeks have been 'fitful' and the 1st 2 days of this week somewhat challenging as well.
I'm not pressing you necessarily for specific answers - but you are all over the map. Is this your process for several months (which is fine) until you settle on your non-discretionary rule-based fixed-time interval NQ intraday trading methodology?
Just to say, TST aren't overcharging, they aren't charging anything.
The trader pays the monthly fees directly to the exchange because the CME terms and conditions classify somebody trading another person's funds as a professional trader, and that's how much they charge a professional trader for their data.
You do not win as a trader, you just get to play again the next day. If that game doesn’t appeal to you then you should not trade. Gary Norden
Nah, I blew it on 3 contracts during step 2 (scaling plan kicks in during step 2). And I didn't really blow it all the way. It was just easier since I was only 2 days into step 2 to do a reset after having such a bad day. It doesn't reset you back to step 1, just resets the account used in step 2. Besides, it was a freebie. Step 1 you can trade whatever you want up to the max. Which is what I did towards the end and it worked just fine.
It's not a complete re-configuration. Mostly a refinement. It's not like I changed every moving average. It's more of a refinement regarding entries, targets and break evens. I realize that you like to test for months and months before making a change and that works just fine for you. For me as long as I am able to see it, I will try it. Preferably live. Usually after only 1 day of sim trading.
I don't think so -- if OneUp/MES is paying out money to their funded traders, which they are, then it's not sim. (We know people on FIO who have gotten paid by them.)
As to the professional fee, it must be paid by someone -- unless, of course, someone is just cheating, which I am going to assume is not being done... it would just be too hard to get away with it as the firm grows.
As to who pays it, I personally think the firm should pay it as a cost of doing business, or reimburse the trader if there's some rule that prevents the firm from paying directly. I never understood why TST does not, but if you're a profitable trader I wouldn't think it's a big deal.
I have no experience with TSTrader, but I was a little alarmed a while ago when you mentioned that you were using it for your Combine.
Why? Well, it's a TST-branded version of Tradovate, a somewhat new platform and broker. Tradovate's claims to fame, as I understand it, are that they have a mobile (web-based) platform (a good thing) and they don't charge broker commissions (they have a subscription payment model). You do pay the usual other fees that are not from the broker. I don't believe the TST version has any subscription fees, so the total cost per transaction is attractive, and they do push it, for whatever reason.
Certainly, there are traders on FIO who have used them (Tradovate) and who like them for their regular accounts.
I have no knowledge of Tradovate, good or bad, and can't say anything one way or another about them.... Except that they are (relatively) new. If you want to use Tradovate, cool. But on the TST Combine and, eventually, the funded account, I would have chosen a well-established platform that I knew well (which would be NT or Sierra Chart for me, and there are others), and which would use a data, trade execution service and broker that I knew more about.
This is perhaps just me, but some things make me suddenly turn very cautious.
I do not want to be unfair to either Tradovate or TST, but in some areas I generally let other people try the new things, that's all. Call me chicken.
If you want to stay with TSTrader, fine with me. But if not, you might want to see if you can switch, once you get funded (as I am assuming you will.) They do want you to stay with the platform you passed the Combine with, which is natural, but I think they have allowed a switch before if someone is very familiar with some other platform. I'm not sure what they do currently.
I don't know for sure why you have had these issues with the TST account, and you may never have them again, but if you were on the NT platform you would be going through NT Brokerage and Rithmic....
it seems to always happen that way. I am pretty new to futures too, and I don't really know how to trade these 
