Limit Up! Podcast

The true cost of trading futures is more than just your P&L. Learn what determines your bottom line whether you're trading from home or at a prop shop.

Setting grounded expectations will help you make steady improvements (and keep your sanity) while trading.

Topstep Senior Performance Coach John Hoagland joins the podcast to discuss revenge trading and how to stop fighting the market. 

Venture into the world of the Trading occult with Dan and Jack as they discuss a few of the most common superstitions in the industry.

Dan went live on YouTube this week to take trader questions with Topstep CEO Michael Patak. If you missed it, get it here. 

Tightening up your entry criteria can pay big dividends in your account. Learn a few tips to help you avoid over-trading and under-performing.

Is trading stressful? Definitely. Many traders are under-rested and overleveraged. Dan and Jack are here with a few solutions. 

Topstep legend Eddie Horn joins the podcast to talk about the benefits of having a personal trading coach—which, by the way, Topstep now offers for free!

Closing out a trade often comes with conflicting emotions. Learn how to use that to your advantage.

Futures traders are usually pretty good about setting a daily drawdown limit. But how should you treat your unrealized gains?

Equities are off to an explosive start in January. Does this mark a new shift in sentiment? Or is this just another bull trap?

The trading day is finished. Now it's time for perhaps the most important part of your process—a healthy dose of self-reflection. 

Today, we explore the "trade" aspect of Topstep's Prep-Trade-Reflect system with special guest John Doherty.

In the next 3 episodes, Dan and Jack explore the Prep-Trade-Reflect system endorsed by the coaching team at Topstep.

We're back after a magical holiday break. Now it's time to examine the big trends that will shape markets in 2023.

John Doherty joins the podcast today to discuss which levels really matter when the market starts rocking and rolling. 

November ends with a glimmer of hope as the Fed hints at slowing rate hikes. 

The NASDAQ was up 800+ points! Let's break down some of the good news from CPI.

Dan and Jack discuss the unprecedented wealth destruction happening in the NASDAQ courtesy of some of its biggest names. Plus it's time to digest the latest Fed minutes. 

Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. When your trading is on a cold streak, these are the adjustments you need to make.

Jack and Dan recover from CPI whiplash long enough to talk about how trading psychology and strategy change slightly in the fourth quarter. It's crunch time on Limit Up!

The recent illiquidity spurs Dan and Jack to reflect on what makes a product something worth trading. 

What the Fed giveth, the Fed taketh away. Dan and Jack also play a few rounds of CNBC.com Roulette.

You learn from good trades. But you learn way more from the terrible ones. Dan and Jack discuss their most spectacular trading failures. 

Original Topstepper Eddie Horn joins the show to discuss the most common questions asked by traders.

John Hoagland stops by to discuss the ups and downs of trading, and why managing losses might be the hardest part of the game. 

Dan and Jack discuss their personal experiences at professional prop shops. Specifically, they dive into how these companies manage their risk. 

It's time to get weird! Or at least as weird as one can be when talking about macroeconomics. 

Is trading all about fast cars, glamour, and screaming matches between colleagues? Of course not. Dan and Jack dig into a few of their favorite trading myths. 

Crude Oil has been on a tear since late 2020. But lately, that rocket has come back to Earth. 

Congress released their report on Robinhood and memestock mania last week. And boy, is it a doozy.

Plunging rate expectations have Dan and Jack split over the next move in equities. 

Bonds may not be as exhilarating as other futures products, but they are just about the most important indicator out there.

With traders viewing everything through the lens of the Fed, good economic news might not be all it's cracked up to be. 

It's tempting to "jump" your levels so you can get in on the action. But if it's not part of your trading strategy, you might want to think twice.

The Nasdaq is down more than 30%. Which begs the question, is everyone having fun yet? Dan and Jack discuss the levels to watch below. 

Most traders get started with stocks before exploring other products. Dan and Jack discuss the pros and cons of options and futures when it comes to daytrading. 

Dan and Jack discuss the components of an effective trading journal. The trades. Hard data. Emotions and feelings. You'll need them all if you want to get better. 

It’s been 136 days since the NQ last hit an all-time high. This is uncharted territory for those who started trading in the past few years. Plus our thoughts on Elon Musk buying nearly 10% of Twitter. Enjoy!

Dan and Jack look at charts going all the way back to 1998 to put the recent moves in context. Stock index futures are wobbling right now—so will it be smooth sailing, or is the drop we saw just the beginning?

The Fed raised rates this week for the first time since before the pandemic. How will the markets react in this new environment?

Volatility in markets, especially commodities, is extremely high. This is when you need to adjust your risk parameters to trade responsibly. 

Dan and Jack discuss how the Russian invasion of Ukraine completely changes everything.

Dan and Jack respond to the Fed's threat to raise rates by a whole percentage point before July (not that any of them will care, but still). Then the discussion moves to trading with bracket orders. These are a powerful tool for traders, but the results of a little experiment run by Risk Manager Mick demonstrate why they can't be used like market-making algos. 

Dan and Jack reflect on today’s big drop in NQ and take on the concept of trading “congestion areas.” What are they? Why are they important? Listen and you shall be enlightened! There’s also a new segment where Dan reveals what’s working and not working this week for Topstep traders.

Discretionary trading requires a massive amount of… well… discretion. Dan and Jack rundown Thursday’s market action and then partake in a lively discussion about what percent of your stack should be risked each day, week, and year (or even what you should risk, period).

Every trader knows you need to trade with stops. But where the heck are you supposed to put them? Dan and Jack dive into initial, trailing, time, and volatility stops today in their quest to become more enlightened traders and better men.

Dan and Jack are back after going "off-the-grid" for six months to discuss their 2022 trading goals, Jack's new family situation, and the new, interactive format of the podcast. Check out the Topstep YouTube Channel at 3PM CT on Thursday afternoons to be part of future live recordings. It’s great to be back!

Who do you listen to when it comes to trading? Doing your homework and staying informed is an important aspect of long term trading success. As is having a place to bounce around ideas and hear different perspectives. However it’s also critical that you vet those sources. This week on Limit Up! Jack and Dan discuss the double-edge sword of easy access to trading advice and how best to evaluate your go-to sources. They’ll cover some practical tips and give a few golden rules to keep in mind. Lastly, they give a heads up on their August hiatus from the show, but don’t worry Jack and Dan will be back before you know it in September with all new content.  Limit Up! is a podcast brought to you by Topstep about trading, trading psychology, trading life, and pretty much whatever else the wonderful world of markets has to offer. It’s hosted by two former professional traders, Jack and Dan, who still dabble in futures, forex, options, political betting—they basically love to follow the action. They’ll teach you how to trade, but more importantly, how to develop the habits that make traders good. Risk Disclosure: https://www.topstep.com/risk-disclosure/Topstep is the premiere funding opportunity for traders looking to make the most of market opportunities without risking their own capital. When traders pass the completely-objective Trading Combine®, Topstep funds them with proprietary money. Guaranteed. Beyond funding, we seek to instill better habits in our traders (hence the Limit Up! Podcast and other educational resources). Topstep has been based in Chicago since 2012.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.

How do you build long term success in day trading? That’s the topic Jack and Dan are tackling this week with practical suggestions for account management, capital allocation and overall risk and money management, helping you find term success to keep you in the game. As always they kick things off with a discussion of current markets including the recent bounce-back, volatility increase and the complexities of trading the bond markets.  Limit Up! is a podcast brought to you by Topstep about trading, trading psychology, trading life, and pretty much whatever else the wonderful world of markets has to offer. It’s hosted by two former professional traders, Jack and Dan, who still dabble in futures, forex, options, political betting—they basically love to follow the action. They’ll teach you how to trade, but more importantly, how to develop the habits that make traders good. Risk Disclosure: https://www.topstep.com/risk-disclosure/Topstep is the premiere funding opportunity for traders looking to make the most of market opportunities without risking their own capital. When traders pass the completely-objective Trading Combine®, Topstep funds them with proprietary money. Guaranteed. Beyond funding, we seek to instill better habits in our traders (hence the Limit Up! Podcast and other educational resources). Topstep has been based in Chicago since 2012.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.