Why Now is the Time to Get into Retail Trading with Michael Patak

Since its heyday in the 80s, retail trading hasn’t been hugely popular. But now, especially in the last two months of market fluctuations, retail trading seems to be entering a new golden age. It wasn’t even the pandemic that got this ball rolling, Younger generations have been dipping their toes in the industry ever since the boom of crypto.

This week on Limit Up! we’re joined by TopstepTrader’s very own founder and Chief Visionary Officer Michael Patak. Michael chatted with Jack and Dan about why retail trades are suddenly so lucrative as well as some strategies he employs to trade successfully. Stay tuned for reflections on the market and a discussion on what’s going on with Boeing and Hertz.

[00:40] - This week: Michael Patak[01:33] - Market Reaction[04:43] - Interview with Michael Patak[04:43] - Crypto renaissance[07:49] - Retail wash-out[11:21] - Pros and cons of asset classes for retail traders[27:08] - Let the trade play out[29:50] - Getting into a more sophisticated class or product[32:50] - Order flow and range[36:16] - Level acceptance[41:03] - The other side of the trade[43:35] - Baptism by fire

Michael Patak is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of TopstepTrader and the Co-Founder of mobile trading platform BLUECHXP. Prior to founding TopstepTrader, Michael was a trader for several years.  In 2015 he was a semi-finalist and in 2016 a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2017, Inc. Magazine ranked TopstepTrader No. 1,261 on its 36th annual Inc. 5000. You can find Michael on his own Instagram and he makes frequent appearances on the TopstepTrader Instagram account.

Limit Up! is a podcast for traders of all levels brought to you by TopstepTrader. Whether you’re considering a career in trading and don’t know where to start, or you’re a seasoned veteran looking for advice from big names in the financial industry, Limit Up! is your guide. Join us weekly as we discuss the market in all of its volatile glory. Risk Disclosure: https://www.topstep.com/risk-disclosure/

Jack Pelzer is a co-host of Limit Up! He traded as part of a U.S. Treasury group for 7 years at Chopper Trading and DRW. After leaving the industry, he became a Writing Fellow and Senior Contributing Writer for The Onion. He is now the Head of Content at Topstep.

Dan Hodgman is a co-host of Limit Up! Prior to coming to Topstep Dan traded 30 Yr Treasury Options and Yield Spreads. Before that, he served in the United States Marine Corps where he simultaneously managed his own Futures Account applying the skills he grew up learning from clerking on the trading floor. Now Dan works with the Traders here at Topstep as a Performance Coach as well as being a regular on the Daily Market Recap.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Limit Up! in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a...

Since its heyday in the 80s, retail trading hasn’t been hugely popular. But now, especially in the last two months of market fluctuations, retail trading seems to be entering a new golden age. It wasn’t even the pandemic that got this ball rolling, Younger generations have been dipping their toes in the industry ever since the boom of crypto.

This week on Limit Up! we’re joined by TopstepTrader’s very own founder and Chief Visionary Officer Michael Patak. Michael chatted with Jack and Dan about why retail trades are suddenly so lucrative as well as some strategies he employs to trade successfully. Stay tuned for reflections on the market and a discussion on what’s going on with Boeing and Hertz.

[00:40] - This week: Michael Patak[01:33] - Market Reaction[04:43] - Interview with Michael Patak[04:43] - Crypto renaissance[07:49] - Retail wash-out[11:21] - Pros and cons of asset classes for retail traders[27:08] - Let the trade play out[29:50] - Getting into a more sophisticated class or product[32:50] - Order flow and range[36:16] - Level acceptance[41:03] - The other side of the trade[43:35] - Baptism by fire

Michael Patak is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of TopstepTrader and the Co-Founder of mobile trading platform BLUECHXP. Prior to founding TopstepTrader, Michael was a trader for several years.  In 2015 he was a semi-finalist and in 2016 a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2017, Inc. Magazine ranked TopstepTrader No. 1,261 on its 36th annual Inc. 5000. You can find Michael on his own Instagram and he makes frequent appearances on the TopstepTrader Instagram account.

Limit Up! is a podcast for traders of all levels brought to you by TopstepTrader. Whether you’re considering a career in trading and don’t know where to start, or you’re a seasoned veteran looking for advice from big names in the financial industry, Limit Up! is your guide. Join us weekly as we discuss the market in all of its volatile glory. Risk Disclosure: https://www.topstep.com/risk-disclosure/

Jack Pelzer is a co-host of Limit Up! He traded as part of a U.S. Treasury group for 7 years at Chopper Trading and DRW. After leaving the industry, he became a Writing Fellow and Senior Contributing Writer for The Onion. He is now the Head of Content at Topstep.

Dan Hodgman is a co-host of Limit Up! Prior to coming to Topstep Dan traded 30 Yr Treasury Options and Yield Spreads. Before that, he served in the United States Marine Corps where he simultaneously managed his own Futures Account applying the skills he grew up learning from clerking on the trading floor. Now Dan works with the Traders here at Topstep as a Performance Coach as well as being a regular on the Daily Market Recap.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Limit Up! in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

Podcast episode production by Dante32.