Six Years as a Full-Time Trader
Alan has been trading full time for nearly six years. At 33, he describes his life as relatively relaxed, with trading remaining his primary focus alongside a few other projects. Axi Select is not his only trading account, but he says adding it to his broader portfolio has helped increase his income. What stands out most is how differently he approaches the market today compared with earlier in his career. Instead of chasing every opportunity, his trading has become more selective, more controlled, and much more comfortable with stepping away when the conditions are not right.
Why Alan Prefers Gold After the Big Move
Alan primarily trades gold, but he is not looking to chase the largest move of the day. His preference is often the opposite. When gold makes an unusually large drop, he waits for signs of a reversal on a shorter timeframe and looks for an entry near what he considers a discounted level. That allows him to place a relatively small stop near the extreme of the move. Rather than fearing volatility, Alan sees large price swings as creating opportunities, particularly when the initial move has already happened and the market begins showing signs of reversing.
Levels First, Indicators Second
Alan describes himself as having a long-term bullish bias toward gold, so after a sharp bearish move he is generally more interested in finding a potential buy than chasing price lower. His process is built around identifying important market levels and waiting for price to reach them. He has also developed his own indicators to automatically draw those levels on the chart. The indicators assist his process rather than replacing it, helping him reduce the amount of repetitive chart work required before he can focus on the actual setup.
His First Trade Sets the Risk for the Next One
Alan takes a cautious approach to risk when trading Axi Select or other funded programs. His first position is deliberately conservative. If that trade earns money, he may use some or all of that profit as the risk budget for the next opportunity. His example is simple: if the first trade makes $10, he can then evaluate whether he is comfortable risking that $10 on a later trade. Instead of immediately putting the account's capital at risk, he tries to build a small cushion first and let the day's results influence how aggressive he is willing to become.
Sometimes the Best Trade Is Taking the Week Off
Alan's most unusual risk rule may have nothing to do with stop losses. After two bad days, he may stop trading the following day. After a particularly difficult week last year, he stepped away from the market for two months. He applies similar logic after winning streaks. Three, four, or five consecutive winning trades can also be a reason to take a break. For Alan, both losing and winning streaks can affect decision-making. Protecting his mental state is therefore part of protecting the account.
Trading Strategy/ Mindset
Alan's Trading Strategy with Axi Select
Alan primarily trades gold and approaches it with a longer-term bullish bias. Rather than trying to catch the initial explosive move, he prefers waiting until gold has already made a large downward move and then looking for a reversal on a shorter timeframe. His objective is to buy near the lower end of that move with a relatively tight stop positioned around the reversal area.
He also uses indicators he developed himself to automatically plot important market levels. Those tools reduce some of the repetitive chart analysis and help him focus on areas where he may want to act.
Risk management begins cautiously. Alan tries to make his first trade relatively conservative and then considers using profits from that trade as risk capital for subsequent setups. If the first trade earns $10, for example, he may decide whether he is comfortable risking those $10 later rather than immediately putting additional account capital at risk.
His psychological rules are even stricter. Two bad days can trigger a day away from trading, and a particularly poor stretch once led him to take two months off. Importantly, he also takes breaks after extended winning streaks because he believes success can affect decision-making just as easily as losses.