Financial markets, an integral part of free-market economies, facilitate the exchange of various financial instruments (e.g., stocks, bonds, derivatives, currencies, etc.). Essentially, these markets allow buyers and sellers to trade their financial holdings. According to recent statistics, there are approximately 9.6 million active online traders globally. It is worth noting that in the United States alone, one out of 210 people engage in online trading. This number proves that contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult to enter the world of trading.
Technology advancements and increased trading volumes have already lowered the presumed high barriers to entry. Therefore, trading is now accessible even to those with limited capital. Regardless of whether the aspiring trader desires to make trading a full-time or part-time career or a means for additional income, trading opportunities primarily depend on the trading strategies the individual implements.
Most traders rely on a type of system to guide them when making trading decisions. Traders who seek to capture trading opportunities efficiently and consistently, for instance, utilize systematic trading. Unlike discretionary trading, which emphasizes subjective judgment and trader intuition, this approach is based on statistical models or fundamental analyses that remove emotional bias and human error from the equation.
Robot Wealth (RW), a trading education company based in Western Australia, champions systematic trading to assist traders in obtaining a competitive edge in saturated markets. The company was founded by Kris Longmore, an experienced engineer turned expert trader who made it his mission to develop a thriving community of like-minded retail traders. James Hodges, a finance expert trading for 18 years, later joined the company to impart his extensive experience to the RW community.
Robot Wealth's integration of systematic trading in its educational approach is the product of Kris' trading journey, which has been consistently informed by quantitative analysis. "I rely on systematic rules because it's important in managing multiple trading edges within a portfolio. A systematic approach can be the greatest edge for the average independent trader," he remarked.
Acknowledging the advantages of systematic trading, Kris and James designed Trade like a Quant Bootcamp. It is a four-week trading course that aims to provide traders with the skills and insights needed to navigate financial markets effectively. The Bootcamp is divided into two phases: "Trade Like a Quant," which dives deep into market intuition, and "Quant like a Trader," which revolves around combining data analysis with portfolio construction skills.
In the first phase, participants learn through real-world examples of systematic trading strategies to gain insights into extracting value from the market. "Many aspiring traders enter the market expecting they'll immediately gain massive profits. We developed Trade like a Quant to help them learn about the reality of trading and prepare them for the inevitable risks brought by periods of stagnation or loss," Kris shared.
After helping set appropriate expectations, the course introduces participants to the "three mortal sins" of trading: overcommitting to individual trades, excessive trading frequency, and pursuing low-probability strategies. Knowing these common pitfalls would help traders protect their capital and position themselves for long-term success.
The second half of the Bootcamp focuses on learning how to use simple yet powerful tools to discover market inefficiencies, validate trading ideas, and effectively manage trades. Kris expounded, "In Quant like a Trader, we teach simple data analysis tools for quantifying and understanding trading edges. We also teach portfolio construction, which is critical to diversifying and sizing a portfolio,"
By the end of the Bootcamp, participants will learn how to create a business plan based on selecting the least competitive trading opportunities and have a toolbox full of specific systematic trading strategies for various asset classes. Because RW prioritizes hands-on learning, traders will also gain valuable insights into effective trading techniques and align their trading activities to give them the best chance of success.
With guidance from a team of experts, Robot Wealth empowers traders to pursue trading as a serious business with confidence. RW's Trade like a Quant Bootcamp offers both novice and seasoned traders opportunities to elevate their skills and achieve sustainable success in the financial markets.
