Top Traders Unplugged

Our next guest started his firm back in 2012, and we’re talking to him at a special moment in the company’s evolution as it starts to gain outside capital and make its mark in the industry. Listen in to gain insights into how a manager started his firm in the current environment, the inside view on currencies as an asset class, and much more.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Mark was interested in finance from a very early age and learned from his adoptive parents.About his time studying macroeconomics in college.The story of his career and how it took a windy series of turns before heading into the financial market.His time studying currencies when he was in law school and his time as lawyer.How he started getting into the financial markets by investing in stocks in the late 90s.How he quit his job as a lawyer and planned to go into the financial services sector.His ventures into the currency markets and why he considered them in the first place.How he started by managing his own money.What he sees in currencies as an asset class and how he describes that to investors.How the currency market has changed throughout the years.How he decided to launch his business in 2012 and how he got organized to take outside capital.How he built the organization and his business.What kind of organization he would like to grow into in the future.Why culture in a small company is a very important issue.How he looks at track record, being such a young company.How he created the models he uses for his strategy.The example of the Euro and what Mark predicts for the currency in 5 years.His thoughts on the Swiss Franc and the historical context of its value.The Singapore Dollar and how it is likened to the Swiss Franc.How many currencies he trades.How he thinks about diversification.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Mark mentions the book A Random Walk Down Wall Street in this episode.Mark has authored many white papers on currencies, including:Currency Investing: An Alpha-Rich EnvironmentHow to Invest When Both Stocks and Bonds are OverpricedThe Case for Currencies as an Asset Class Becomes StrongerFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mark Whitmore on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation with researcher and co-author of one of the definitive books on trend following. In this conversation, we dive into the the models that she used in writing the book, as well as her thoughts regarding risk management, what you should be asking a manager during due diligence, and what the future holds for the managed futures industry.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:What Kathryn looks at when evaluating the track records of managers.Her thoughts on the recent performance of trend followers.About price range compression.If she has a favorite statistic to look at when analyzing a manager.How she and her co-author came up with the trading strategy that they use in their book.Why the exit from a position is just as important as the entrance.What trend leakage is.Her views on how inflation and other environmental changes affects trend following strategies.About diversification.About risk management; how Kathryn defines risk and what is important to look at in risk management.Kathryn explains the topics of hidden and unhidden risk.What kind of drawdowns should be expected from a trend following model.A discussion of the drawdowns that trend followers have experience in the last few years.Seeing drawdowns as a buying opportunity.How to detect if a manager’s models and system has stopped working.The biggest challenge for the CTA industry right now.What she would ask of David Harding.What questions investors should be asking of managers when doing their due diligence.What personalities traits a good trend following manager should have.Her thoughts on regulation, especially for smaller managers.What her plans are for the future and how she sees the managed futures industry going forward.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Kathryn’s book is: Trend Following with Managed Futures.Is this Time Different? Trend Following and Financial Crisis.Following the TrendOutlierDavid and GoliathLean InKathryn’s TED talk on Convergence and Divergence.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Kathryn Kaminski on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy Policy Disclaimer

Our next guest is different than any guest we’ve had before, as she is not a fund manager but has spent much of her life’s work researching and writing about the topic of trend following. She is a true thought leader in the managed futures industry and you’ll learn a lot from the animated discussion we have regarding the history of trend following and how she co-authored her latest book on the subject.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Kathryn’s upbringing in Nashville, Tennessee.About her time at MIT where she went for electrical engineering.How her internship at a bank in France got her on the path to work in the financial industry.About her teaching financial engineering with Andrew Lo.Through her teaching and research, she became interested in technical analysis and trend following.How Kathryn went to the Stockholm School of Economics.When she left academia and joined RPM in Sweden.How she met Alex Greyserman and how she came to write a book with him.The history of trend following as she lays it out in her book.How trend following at its core is quite simple.What Kathryn likes to do outside of work.Her work life balance and her life in Sweden.Her view on the building blocks of trend following.Her quest for acceptance of trend following in the academic community.Where the term Crisis Alpha came from and what it is.About Convergent and Divergent strategies.About the Adaptive Market Hypothesis that she writes about in the book.What the CTA Smile is and what it really means.What she would look for when building or critiquing a research team.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Kathryn’s book is: Trend Following with Managed Futures.Learn more about Andrew Lo and MIT.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Kathryn Kaminski on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation with Managed Futures expert and President Mike Harris of Campbell & Company. In this episode we delve into the specifics of Campbell & Company’s trading programs, how models are added or removed, and the importance of risk management. This episode also explores the managed futures industry as a whole and is a must-hear for anyone looking to gain knowledge about this strategy.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Campbell & Company’s trading program.How they create a trading strategy.Why they use a hypothesis driven system to add new models to their programs.About the peer review process they use before adding or subtracting models.When do you remove a model? How do you know when it isn’t working anymore?About position sizing and why its important.How they look at risk through something called Vertical Risk and Horizontal risk.Campbell’s systematic approach to risk management.How he deals with drawdowns.Why he worries about systemic risk and natural disasters.Why Mike thinks redundancies are so important.The risk of regulation.How these strategies tend to perform when interest rates go up.The trend of the managed futures industry and why it has been dominated by European firms in the past 10 years.What people need to become a successful manager: humility is “at the top of the list.”Books that Mike recommends.What he would do differently if he could talk to his younger self.The importance of managing work and life balance.What the future looks like for Campbell & Company.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn more about Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University.Hedge Fund Market Wizards by Jack SchwagerTechnical Analysis of the Futures Markets by John MurphyTrend Following with Managed FuturesFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mike Harris on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

This episode goes in-depth into the history of one of the most well-known managed futures firms in the world, Campbell & Company. We explore the beginnings of the company, how they have dealt with challenges a long the way and how they have succeeded to overcome them, as well as the current state of the company and the systematic models their products are built on. Our guest is current President of the company, Mike Harris, and you’ll hear about how he entered the industry as well as his path to becoming Campbell’s President.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Mike explains what he does.How his grandfather gave him money to invest in his first stock as a child.How his interest in the financial markets started young and how he structured his whole education around working in this industry.About his first job out of college.About his time as a Futures Broker.How he joined Campbell & Company in 2000, starting at the European Trading desk.How he came to be President.The story of how Keith Campbell started the firm in 1972.The history of Campbell & Company.How they dealt with drawdowns in 1994 and ’95.Why Mike has always been an avid reader.How Campbell’s 2nd President, Bruce Cleland ran the business for 20 years and how I met him back in 1993.What the company’s product offering looks like today.How the company’s 130+ employees are organised.How they outsource things on the technology side of the business.What he looks for when adding staff to his research team.How Mike builds a strong company culture.How investors should make sense of the track record of Campbell & Co since they have such a long history.Changes they have made to the trading models after 2007 and 2008.The ways the company uses long term, medium term, and shorter term systems.Where the company wants to grow and how big it wants to get.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about a Carry Trades.Learn more about short-term mean reversion.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mike Harris on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

In the second part of our conversation with AHL founder and Aspect Capital Director, we dive into the details of his firm’s strategies and models. We explore how the models evolve, how he deals with risk management, and his advice for would-be fund managers. Investors and managers alike will gain deep knowledge from this episode.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How their model changes are very small and gradual.What the Diversified Program of Aspect looks like today.How Martin weights the portfolio between financial markets and commodity markets.How his model allows them to grow the company.About foreign exchange markets and liquidity.The 2008 crisis and how it affected their models.The real secret behind trend following and how it works.How they are making the transition to a “box-to-box” execution approach.How Martin defines risk and risk management.About model risk.How their risk team operates.Why correlations are a crucial to look at.How drawdowns are different than open-ended risk and how to explain that to investors.Why succession planning is not an issue for the company right now.What his biggest challenge is.The evolution that is going on in the managed futures industry in general.How small firms are struggling but may see opportunities in the future.What Martin would ask David Harding if he were interviewing him.What investors forget or don’t know to ask.Martin’s advice for managers or would-be managers.A vacation the Martin took his family on, that turned traumatic for a moment and that British Airways learned a lot from.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Martin suggests books by Antti Ilmanen.Learn more about David Harding and Winton Capital Management.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Aspect Capital on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

In this episode, we get an exciting behind-the-scenes story of one of the most famous systematic trading firms of its time, AHL. Our guest is one of the firms founders and takes us from the company’s birth to its acquisition by Man Group. We also discuss how he started his next company, Aspect Capital, how he creates his trading models, and how to build and run a successful multi-billion trend-following firm. This episode is full of insights and stories that you won’t hear elsewhere.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Quantitative Investment research.About Martin’s background in physics.Martin’s time at his first company, AHL and how it had a profound effect on the whole managed futures industry.How Martin met his future AHL co-founders at university.Why AHL was a happy accident.How he met his friend Michael Adam and went to work for his dad after studying in Oxford.Martin started working for Michael’s dad as well, investigate many trading models and distilling them into key concepts.In 1987 they founded AHL with David Harding after leaving Michael’s father’s business.They started with $100k of investor money that bridged their split from the family business.About MINT, a pioneering systematic CTA in the early 80s.How they tried to articulate their trading patterns in the form of a computer trading model.What the initial AHL model looked like back then.How they over optimized in the beginning and had to learn things as they went along.How AHL got involved with Man Group.The skills that each of the 3 Founders brought to the table.In 1989 Man Group took a stake in AHL.How the Man buy changed their business.What happened after Man’s IPO.How Michael, David, and Martin went their own ways after they left AHL.How Martin started Aspect Capital with Anthony Todd, Eugine Lambert and Michael Adam.Why he parted ways with his other AHL founders initially and did not start AHL 2.0.What he does when he is not working.Aspect was founded on bringing managed futures to the institutional side of things.What it looks like running 100-person+ organization.What he looks for when adding new researchers and staff to his team.The lessons he has learned and the mistakes he’s made in building a culture of an organization.About their track record and how it should be viewed.Martin’s persistence in using trend following models.How his models have changed and how he has dealt with risk management over the years.What it means to change his models from a binary implementation to an analog implementation.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn more about AHL.Find out more about the MAN group.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Aspect Capital on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

In Part 2 of our conversation with the CEO of Insch Capital Management, we talk about how the firm’s trading models work and how they were built. We discuss how Insch deals with drawdowns, increased regulation, and marketing. This is a truly in-depth episode into the mind of a hedge fund Founder and the inner workings of an Alternative investment firm.Welcome to the second part of our conversation with Chris Cruden.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Indicators that are more robust than others.Chris’ views on stop losses.How his firm deals with risk and how he uses Index Risk.How correlations play a part in his models.About risk equivalency.how he deals with drawdowns.Why a sense of humor is important in this business, especially during drawdowns.How investors don’t share the same confidence in the model as managers and how managers can better share that confidence.How simple his system really is.Why you must have discipline. Many trend followers are making all-time highs but many people have announced the death of trend following time and time again.What the “black swan” event and the “gray swan” event would be for Chris’ business.The two kinds of research that his firm does.Why his team looks at emerging currencies in their research even though they do not trade them.What he is looking for in terms of red flags during his research that suggest models need to be tweaked.How he tries to stand out from the crowd in order to attract investors.Why he is based in Lugano, Switzerland.What Chris would ask David Harding if he was doing the interviewing instead of being interviewed.What investors forget to ask him.Why it’s a good idea to ask if you can try a dummy account with a new investment manager to see how it works.How he deals with the difficulties of regulation.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Market Wizards: Interviews with Top TradersTrend Following: How to Make Millions in Up or Down MarketsFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Chris Cruden on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Our next guest was a British Army Officer and moved to South Africa before finding a career in the financial markets. He is now the CEO of his Managed Futures firm and has worked with some of the industry’s most influential companies and people, including Dean Witter and AHL. The story of his career’s beginnings and the lessons he used to become a systematic trend follower are unique and insightful. You’re sure to learn a lot from this episode.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Chris came to work with Dean Witter, one of the leading players in the industry back in the 1980’s & 90’s.About his days working for AHL in the early 90’s.How his career started off as a British Army officer.His time in Africa after leaving the army –  finding himself in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).About his first job at Syfrets Trust bank in South Africa as a Gold analyst.How he came to do business with Dean Witter Reynolds and after a few years why they hired him.After the 1988 crash he found himself back in London and joined AHL.In 1993 he went back to New York joined with Robert M Tamiso, a mentor to him.Why he looked for a market that was not overcrowded and easily spooked, which was the inter-bank foreign exchange market.What AHL was doing in the beginning of the company.Why he started trading currencies early on.How Bob Tamiso was successful and the way he carried himself that made him successful.Why Bob Tamiso’s best advice was to always “show up”.About Chris’ golf playing and his ties to Scotland.His routine at work and why being a systematic trader makes him boring and bad at marketing, but helps him sleep at night knowing they are going to “show up” the next day.About Chris’ goal with his work and why he is happy with the size of his firm and why growth is not the prime focus.How he has such low staff turnover and why he likes to work with young people who have never worked anywhere else in the financial world.What matters when discussing a firm’s track record and how his programs are setup.The building blocks of their trading program and how the money they’ve made has historically come mainly from interest rate differentials.What the environment has been like for a currency program in the last 5 years.Why he believes the current intervention by The Fed is not so substantially different that his model won’t be able to see good returns in the futureHow he designed his program and what its objective is.What currencies he trades and how he trades them.Why volatility has been so low but why he sees that it is coming back and why it’s a good thing for his models.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about Dean Witter.Get more information on AHL.For historical background, see this article on Rhodesia.Learn more about Lugano, the city where Insch is located.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Chris Cruden on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

In the second part of our interview with hedge fund founder Luc Van Hof, we dive into the philosophy and creation behind his trading models. We also discuss why he is a risk averse person, what hobbies help him stay focused at work, and what investors and fund managers can do to grow their business and trade smarter.Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation with Luc Van Hof.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How to avoid model decay and how to avoid the risk when the model may stop working in the future.How to diversify your types of models – dynamic filtering that takes place. Automatic de-leveraging when a certain market goes down.How Luc chooses his models and why he does:Short term trend followingShort term mean reversionWhat concepts for his models repeat themselves over and over again, pattern recognition.About volatility risk premium strategies.How he tests his models that have so many moving parts in short timeframes.His views on position sizing.What investors should look at in terms of risk managementMaximum Exposure for a trade – determines the maximum risk that a trade can generate for the total of the portfolio.How Luc deals with drawdowns.Why he is a risk averse person.Why he is still researching other trading ideas when he thinks he’s found a way that mitigates risk effectively.How he gets his ideas from math puzzles, reading about geometry and logic.Why investors should look at the predictability of returns and how to convince investors what and how you are going to trade is something that is going to work.Why discipline is the main characteristic that people need to be a successful fund manager.The books that he recommends for managers starting out wanting to be successful.How his hobbies such as nature, reading, and music help to keep him balanced in a busy financial world.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Market WizardsThe PredictorsMean ReversionRisk PremiumFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Luc Van Hof on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Our next guest worked for the European Commission before starting his own firm. In an unusual career twist, he sold his company to a larger firm only to buy it back from them a few years later and had to start from scratch. Learn about his aversion to risk, his short term trading strategies, and his interesting past as one of the fastest readers in the world.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Luc’s time working for the treasuring of the European Commission starting in 1985.How he learned about Options trading before many people were doing.About his years working for Bankers Trust in London and Morgan Stanley as a trader and how those experiences influenced his career later.How he started Analytic Investment Management (AIM), doing options trading.How he acquired his first clients.Why he got started trading currencies.About the early days of trading and the physically demanding work before computers took over.How his attendance at conferences, getting invited to speak on panels, and other speaking engagement led to the sale of his company.About the selling of AIM to Trobico in 2006 and why trobico bought his firm.How he ended up buying his company back from Trobico in 2010 after management changes caused them to shut down everything in the alternative investment space.About the different products that Capital Hedge provides.How he had to start from scratch, getting all new investments after buying his firm back.Where he is now – advising $200 Million US dollars, mainly in his DPI program.How he is one of the fasted readers in the world, and how he learned to speed-read from a class he took in the Netherlands.How he convinces institutional investors that a 2-3 person company is enough to manage the investments they have, and how technology has changed the game from needing a staff of 25 to needing just 2.How small managers need to describe what they do, and why they might not want a multibillion-under-management hedge fund.How investors should look at a track record of a firm and why that doesn’t necessarily mean good returns in the future.Why investors should see the latest test of what the firm is currently running rather than worry too much about the historic model results.How Luc trades and develops his systems, and how he looks for patters in the market.How to avoid model decay and avoid the risk when the model will stop working in the future.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about the European Commission.More about Bankers Trust.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Luc Van Hof on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

In the second part of our conversation with Marc Malek, we explore the strategies that he uses to build his models and how he explains them in simple terms. We go in depth about drawdowns and what investors should know about them. We also discuss what keeps Marc inspired, what he does for fun, and how he couldn’t imagine having any other job.Welcome back to Part 2 of our conversation with Marc Malek.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:About the four strategies inside Conquest Capital’s Macro program.How the technological revolution has changed the market and trend following, now that everyone gets the same information at the same time.Marc’s approach to building trading models.Defining risk in terms of upside deviation vs. downside deviation in the portfolio.Why correlation is one of the most misunderstood stats that you can use.How Marc deals with drawdowns and why he thinks nothing new is happening now that did not happen before.His view on backtesting.The challenges hedge fund owners face in the current business climate and why Marc is lucky to have investors that have stuck by him.Why Marc is motivated to keep pushing through this period and why he loves what he does.The story of how Conquest Capital got its first investor, and how in the early days investors cared more about managers and interacting with them personally.Marc’s biggest failures, and how he overcame them.The hobbies Marc has and why he likes seemingly dangerous sports.Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn more about Backtesting.Learn about Downside Deviation.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.Follow Marc Malek on Linkedin.IT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

This guest had a different path that eventually led to owning a hedgefund in New York. Marc Malek got a grant from NASA to study how different armored tank positions would lead to winning results on the battlefield. Traveling to Wisconsin to begin his research, his advisor steered him to do a similar project on stocks, bonds, and equities instead. He went on to work for UBS and finally founded his own firm, Conquest Capital Group. His story will fascinate and inspire you.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The story of how Marc became interested in the financial markets after a university project, a bit unexpectedly.About Marc’s upbringing in Beirut, Lebanon.How his studies at Caltech in neural networks and decision support systems eventually led him to the stock market.About his grant from NASA to research the position of tanks.His job offer from Oracle that he turned down.About his first job out of university at Salomon Brothers and why he left after one year.How Marc got hired at UBS and moved to Europe and then Asia during his time with the company.Marc’s departure from UBS and how he started Conquest Capital Group.How trader’s thought processes are turned into trading models.Why models are not black boxes and why investors should not be worried.The history of trend following and the old systematic approach.How markets move for alpha and beta reasons.About “turtle strategies” vs “trend following 2.0”.How Marc’s strategies and models have evolved over time.About his product Conquest Macro and the two mandates that the product has.How his product makes the bulk of its return during periods of risk aversion and high volatility.How his firm developed a risk index in a time before anyone was doing them.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:See Episodes 13 and 14 for more discussion on “Turtle Strategies”.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Marc Malek on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to the second part of our discussion with Aref Karim. In this episode, Aref discusses his firm’s strategies and the broader philosophies that drives what he does. He also talks about market volatility, the need to innovate while keeping models intact, his perspective on drawdowns, and what investors should be asking their managers. You’ll learn something about the art galleries and music that fuels his inspiration, and what he thinks it takes to become a successful hedge fund manager.You will be amazed by the candid truthfulness of Aref at the end of the episode as he speaks about his personal life and the current state of his business. Thanks for listening to Part 2 of the conversation, I hope you enjoy it.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:What strategies his firm uses regarding commodities and currencies.How Aref explains his investment strategy in a concise and understandable way.Why volatility is an important source of information when making investment decisions.How to make the best of the current market environment and innovate.Why his firm evolves their model on a macro level and does not change the model every time the markets change.How QCM manages risk.Aref’s perspective on drawdowns and how to make investors comfortable with drawdowns and see them as an opportunity.How investors should be evaluating the track records of managers given that some firms’ models have changed over time.How growth and technology have effected the relationship managers have with potential investors and why it is still best to meet the manager in person.When investors ask questions of potential managers, the economic alignment question often gets left out.What it takes to be a successful fund manager: treating it like a business even if you are investing for yourself.Aref’s personal appreciation for the arts, art galleries, opera, and jazz. How it inspires him.How Aref sees the current state of QCM and why he believes in its future.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about Long Volatility vs Short Volatility, mentioned as “Long Vol” by Aref in the episode.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow QCM on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

How do you transition from working alongside the capital management industry to starting your own hedge fund? Our next guest grew up in Bangladesh but fled to London during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. He worked as an accountant and then went on to join the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) where he pioneered the organization’s futures investment department. Learn about his personal setbacks and successes, his innovative investment strategies, and how he founded Quality Capital Management in the UK.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Aref’s childhood in Bangladesh.How his father wanted all 10 of his children to attend university and instilled in them the belief system that made them successful.Why Aref decided to study English and Literature even though his background was in the sciences.The story of Aref’s escape to the United Kingdom because of war and social upheaval in Bangladesh.How he went from being an accountant in England to working for the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, ADIA.Aref’s perspective on the history of the hedge fund industry and the alternative investment industry.About the beginnings of ADIA’s futures department that Aref helped to start.The early days of the futures industry and Aref’s perspective on trend-following.How he overcame personal setbacks when his wife unexpectedly passed away, leaving him with three young children.About Aref’s return to the UK and his decision to start his own CTA and start trading in futures.About the genesis of Quality Capital Management.How Aref’s investment strategy evolved and the specifics of his current trading strategy.How he measures the “Flow” of the market.Why his strategy looks at changes in volatility and doesn’t care whether it is a bond or an equity.How QCM went from using a few indicators to no indicators at all.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about Aref Karim on his Wikipedia page.Learn about the Bangladesh Liberation War that displaced Aref from his country of birth to the UK.Learn more about the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow QCM on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to the second part of our interview with Scott Foster, President and Founder of Dominion Capital Management.In this episode, we learn the philosophical rules that drive his firm, and how he bridges the gap between the philosophy behind his decisions and the models he creates. We discuss the increased governmental involvement in the markets and the adjustments that Scott has had to make to adapt to new signals. Finally, we learn the personal habits that help Scott succeed. Thank you for listening to Part 2 of our conversation with Scott Foster.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why Scott does not worry about model decay due to the principals with which he runs his firm.How to bridge the gap between philosophy and rules.How he created the Sapphire program, his firm’s signature service, and what it took to create it.How increased government involvement in the markets has changed his system and made him adapt to new signals in the markets.Why and how political feedback and involvement are affecting the markets and short term trading.How his firm is able to so expertly predict to potential customers their drawdowns and how they contain them.That investors spend too much time dissecting the drawdowns and not enough time looking at why and how they made money.The principals of behavior finance and the underlying philosophical principals such as self attribution bias and loss aversion.How alone time and contemplation have led to 80% of Scott’s best trading ideas.The hardest part of being the President of a fund and why it is not the trading.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode: Learn more about illusory superiority, the bias that the Lake Wobegon effect is name after, or Lake Wobegon itself, a fictional town in Minnesota.Learn more about Mean Reversion, which Scott’s firm looks at closely in the models they use.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Scott Foster on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Our next guest was a philosophy major and a magician before he ever considered trading in the stock market. In Part 1 of our talk, he describes how philosophy and psychology determine his firm’s decisions and the story of how he started trading in a small town in Pennsylvania.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:On the 20th Anniversary of Scott’s firm, he looks back on how it all started.Scott’s life as a magician and how the principals of magic influences his perspective on trading and the market.How he became a philosophy major and how he applies philosophy to trading and everything his firm does.How he started trading in the market, getting a group of his college friends to take out cash advances on their credit cards and investing it.The Austrian perspective on economics that his college was well known for.How he educated himself in futures trading and invested long before he ever met another trader.Scott’s initial lessons learned from trading in the stock market; how he lost almost all of his capital in one day and had the first sleepless night of his life.How he made the mistake of investing in coffee and cocoa in the late 1980s and what he learned from that experience.How he started his first firm in 1989.How Scott traded while living in rural Western Pennsylvania.How a philosophy major with no connections to the financial world used his network to find a mentor.The story of Scott becoming a principal at one of the biggest short-term CTAs in the world.The story of Dominion Capital Management, which he started in 1994 by moving to Chicago.Why he is based in Traverse City, Michigan.How his firm is a bit different and why they don’t have any mathematicians or scientists on their team.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about the Square of Opposition that Scott explains in the episode.In Scott’s first job at a firm, the company hired people belonging to Mensa.Learn about how trading was conducted and firms operated before the use of personal computers and the Internet. Scott’s firm had a VAX computer.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Scott Foster on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to the second part of our interview with Scot Billington of Covenant Capital Management.In this episode, Scot delves into the practice of trend following and why it is a great model to follow. He also discusses tips for beginning traders and investors, and advice for those who wants to start a firm. Thank you for listening to Part 2 of our conversation with Scot Billington.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The story of Scot’s childhood obsession with mathematically based, but unknown future outcomes.The discipline required to follow a mathematical model.The advantages of trend-following and why the media reports that “Trend Following is Dead” every few years.Scot’s philosophy on position sizing.How every sector in the market is highly correlated.Getting comfortable with taking risks: they exist and it is impossible to avoid them.The Barbell strategy: have very little money at risk, but the money that is at risk is in the most aggressive things that it can be.The biggest mistake that allocators make.How Scot conducts research for Covenant Capital.Why he is based in Nashville and how he overcomes the challenge of asking investors to buy into the long time-frame.Finding your niche as a boutique firm.Advice for managers wanting to start firms today.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Scot mentions how the media often announces the death of trend following. Here’s an article on the subject from Futures Magazine.Learn about the Barbell Trading Strategy.See 10 Fallacies when Selecting CTAs.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Our next guest takes a mechanical, long-term trend approach to trading to a new level, and you’ll find out why he thinks it is the better option in this episode. He started Covenant Capital with his business partner in 1999 and has grown it into a profitable boutique firm. But in early 2002 after they ended the previous year down 20%, they really had to grind it out and stick to their guns which ultimately paid off in a big way.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Scot started his firm, doing the testing by hand.The difference between a discretionary model and a mechanical model and why Scot chose a mechanical one.How he met his business partner Brince Wilford and started with 3 accounts in 1999.How narrative bias can affect a trader’s decisions.How the firm got through a year that ended with them down 20%.What made Scot believe in his model and stick to his guns.The offerings that the firm currently has, including the differences in the trading models.The pitfalls of investing in shorter term models and not allowing managers to see a full cycles with markets.Why most allocators and investors are chasing 24-month returns on stocks and why that may not be the right approach.About different types of CTA firms, including boutiques, battleships, emerging, and experimental.What to look for in a CTA.How to get investors to share the long-term horizon with his firm when certain markets do very well in the short term.-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:An article on Covenant and Scot Billington in Futures Magazine.Check out Discretionary vs System Trading.Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to the second part of our interview.In this episode we dive into the negative effect of greed on the market. Anders Lindell again shows his depth of knowledge as he elaborates on the nature of irrationality though the ages and how our markets today, really are rather stretched. This is a powerful episode, I really do hope you will enjoy it.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How the IPM model profited by choosing to position against the carry frenzy in Japanese Yen during late 2008Risk factor analysis when selecting model attributesWhat the more reliable indicator in the global economy isHow their trading model works on overall, daily basis“Stop-Loss” Positioning in the IPM strategyWhere IPM identifies value traps and optimizes their exposure to itThe average length of trades at IPMWhat drives the relationships that Anders explores to build models aroundIf Correlations structure matters when IPM decides on risk overlay to make market decisionsWhy timing can be the largest challenge for their strategyHow Anders defines risk and how IPM controls the model and expected riskThe biggest fear Anders have in regards to unexpected market effectsWhat is expected in regards to drawdowns in the IPM Global Macro StrategyHow to convey the needed confidence to investors during drawdownsRisk Management/Risk Control model rebuildingHow Anders Lindell identifies research processes which will over engineer and cause return issuesSuccession planning as Anders sees it for IPM – Perception and VisionThe challenges for IPM and how overcoming them has helped to make them strongerWhat Anders would suggest for investors to focus onWhat it takes to be a great hedge fund manager in today’s economy-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Anders Lindell on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Our next guest turned a challenging market into an opportunity to transform his strategy and build something substantial.Welcome back to another episode of Top Traders Unplugged. Today we have the former CEO, now Chairman of Informed Portfolio Management on to discuss the road to formation of his firm, their Systematic Global Macro strategy, their unique approach to investor interaction and much much more.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The relevance of controlling production at paper and pulp mills while Anders was a developing manHis history during his early days at JP bank as an analystThe impact of the shifts in the fixed income markets of the early 1990’s which inspired a new strategyThe strategic focus that was the starting point for the formation of IPMWho Anders learned from early on and who helped him cultivate a career in the hedge fund industryHow to find and retain talent and the entrepreneurial spirit drives in house management decisionsHow IPM as an organizations manages the in house operationsHow Anders hopes to see their potential realized in terms of double or tripling their AUM for future marketsWhat Anders looks for when spotting talent for new team membersIdeas for incentivizing team members to appreciate their careersThe long term view of IPM’s track record and how to evaluate itMore on the objective of the strategy of IPM and the environment in which it’s been designed to work wellWhy the opportunities and volatility in emerging market equity trades is decompressing globallyThe meaning of global macro and how they structured all the information into a systematic trading approachHow the IPM model differentiates it’s self from discretionary trading models and how they run themThe role of fundamental information in identifying market strategies-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Anders Lindell on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Did you know that a meditation practice can help you be a better investor?In this episode we discuss our common lessons that we ask all Top Traders, but we dive deep into why Nigol thinks differently about CTA issues. Growing up in war-torn Lebanon shifts the filters he uses to see the markets. We all have filters but in this episode you will learn what perspective he takes on the markets that may, or may not, support his market philosophy.Welcome back to the second half of our interview with Nigol Koulajian.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How growing up in war torn Lebanon influences the way Nigol filters market decisionsThe challenging nature of a market injected with federal liquidityNigol’s strategies for selecting position sizingDrawdown expectations of Quest PartnersHow Quest works to maintain a balance in the working environment and how busy the team staysHow Nigol manages emotional turmoil of drawdowns and how he projects this calmness upon his investorsThe few things that Nigol predicts would shake their strategyHow to listen to clients and use their advice in a way that serves them, even if you don’t implement exactly what they’re sayingWhy mathematician optimization can adversely effect the strength of your CTA strategyHow Nigol expects to know if a model is working or notThe importance of using math as little as possible despite the systematic approach to tradingA fascinating perspective on why the CTA industry AUM has shifted to EuropeThe most important question investors should be asking: “How to price tail risk.”What it takes to build a firm and become the next QuestLearn all about Nigol’s daily meditation practice which he credits as his top personal attribute to becoming a great traderThe most challenging thing about being a CTA for Nigol (A: Fishing in a very small pond)Nigol’s biggest failure which occurred in 2009-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Nigol Koulajian on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Want to build a computer that makes money?Quest Partners LLC has a long, robust track record with their systematic trading approach.They utilize a different strategies from many of their peers and have diversified their product range to include equity programs both hedge and long only.At the core of it all is their philosophy on focusing on what investors need. They provide solutions for investors rather than a purist strategy.Leading the way is our next guest on Top Traders Unplugged, Nigol Koulajian.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How growing up Armenian provides a filter for the way Nigol perceives the marketsHis experience at Anderson Consulting and how he ended up working with Solomon Brothers by chanceWhy Nigol spend time at Colombia Business School programming and building modelsWhat Nigol thinks of Value at RiskHow Nigol found himself as a risk arbitrage manager despite his passion for CTA strategiesHow Nigol navigated beneficial detours before finally partnering to co-found Enterprise Asset Management in 1994About the founding and growth of Quest Partners from inceptions in 2001 to +760$ million in 2014The dangers of an increased correlation between alternative strategies designed to protect against trouble in traditional investment and the traditional asset classes themselvesLearn about self reinforcing feedback loop and how managers of growing AUM are forced to allocate to factors that are doing well (but perhaps doing well by chance)About the tight, automated business infrastructure of Quest Financial PartnersAbout the shift in volatility expansion and how to measure itResources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Investors Business Daily – The finance newspaper which inspired Nigol in the early days3 Research Pieces from Quest that specifically examine factor drifts that could effect the returns of CTAsLearn about Sharpe RatioA specific trading model that trades the S&P and 30Y Bonds if it’s down 3 days in a row, with a stop-loss and profit target (Full testing and code in the link).BTOP50 – the index that seeks to replicate the overall composition of the managed futures industry with regard to trading style and overall market exposureLearn about David Harding, one of the largest alternative investment managers in the worldRead this interesting article about transcendental meditation and NigolNigol’s Foundation to promote studies on eastern religious philosophies and YogaFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.Follow Nigol Koulajian on Linkedin.IT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

How would it feel to identify trades no one else you know is looking for?Our guest is back and this interview is all about carry trades, mean reverting environments, merger arbitrage, volatility arbitrage, tail hedges and how to become the best trader possible. It’s quite likely there is something in this interview which will help propel you forward as a hedge fund manager or in your research of managers.Welcome back to the second part of our interview with Chief Excutive Officer of Future Value Capital, Roman Lutz.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Simple Models used by Future Value Capital to implement trend followingHow they utilize carry tradesThe third area of models: Tail HedgesLearn about how to carry potentially large value variance swaps while keeping the premium for holding them downWhere the variance exchange swaps derive from whether from OTC with counterparts or constructed using exchange listed productsLearn about Credit Support Annex (CSA)Risk management procedures at Future Value CapitalThe purpose for tactical asset allocation meetings and the decisions that are madeThe common performance drivers and if there is a dominant part of the portfolio that is responsible for the performanceHow Roman translates the complex trading strategy of Future Value Capital to investorsHow Future Value Capital implements trades and why they consider it a key strength of their programHow much AUM would be optimal running the program or if the potential is unlimitedHow to create certainty around the risk Future Value Capital holds and how they define that riskWhat Roman Lutz considers to be one of the riskiest thing that could happen in the financial systemWhat to expect in terms of returns and drawdown when investing in Future Value CapitalHow to realize when a model is no longer workingPersonal habits that contribute to Roman’s success in managing a hedge fund-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Roman Lutz on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Can you implement well established hedge fund strategies in a systematic way?Future Value Capital has been researching this for years, before they started trading. They are unique because of  how they simplify and automate complex Risk Premia.But we aren’t the best at explaining their systems. Roman Lutz, the Chief Financial Officer of Future Value Capital will explain it all in this interview.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Merger Arbitrage and How investors can ProfitWhat criteria they look for in mergers, such as Market Cap, Deal Size, Liquidity etc.What currency markets Future Value Capital entersThe app. 15 strategies they use and how many sub strategies they may haveThe origin stories of where the Future Value Capital strategy derived from.Understanding the typical way to build a derivative businessWhy the average correlation of a hedge fund with equities has shifted from 0.6 to 0.9 from the 1990’s to today.How Scottish Whiskey tasting can kickstart long term business relationshipsAddressing the “Black Box” label that many systematic programs hasWhat environment Future Value Capital’s systems are best suited to operate withinThe business structure of Future Venture Capital and the alliance with Trium CapitalAbout the post Madoff and additional regulatory environment investors are operating inHow Roman Lutz developed the shared business management and split the overhead cost with other emerging fund managersThe negative side effects of sharing hedge fund management business practices with other firmsA ballpark figure for the cost of being part of the Trium Manager Alliance and get the services required to be able to operate as a regulated and well run firmHow Roman and partners develop new plans in regards to where the economy is going and how to develop plans to manage funds going forwardHow merger arbitrage and volatility arbitrage connect implied and realized volatilityHow to buy realized volatilityWhen to deploy and when not to deploy the realized volatility trades (when volatility starts to trend)Main categories from a strategy point of view – Trend Following for exampleHow Future Value Capital uses trend following-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Listen to the past episode with Marty Bergen from Dunn Capital mentioned in regards to the higher correlation between traditional alternative investment space and the traditional assets.Lars Jaeger owner of Alternative Beta Partners – Wrote extensively about the lack of alpha to people hunting it. 4x more assets are looking for alpha than alpha is available in the market.Listen to our previous guest Karsten Schroeder from Amplitude Capital on the value of systematic trading vs. discretionaryLearn more about the determining implied market volatility with VIXFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Roman Lutz on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Imagine if your assets under management went from $721 million to $50 million….Would you have the courage to stick with your system?Our next guest was able to weather that storm and come out even stronger. In fact, he gives credit to the fall in assets because it was an important component to improving their processes and efficiency today.We’re excite to share with you, the second part of my interview with CEO of Systematic Alpha Management, Peter Kambolin.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How many markets Peter trades and the number of different spreadsThe three points during a day in which volatility is elevatedWhat triggers an exit from a trade when profit levels haven’t been reachedHow Systematic Alpha Management makes decisions relating to sizing market positionsThe number of daily trades Systematic Alpha implementsHow much of the P/L comes from the hedge component of spread decisionsWhat kind of Risk Budgets that Systematic Alpha Management runsHow to drawdown profile has changed over the last few yearsEstimating and predicting Black Swan eventsHow Peter personally balances the challenging feelings of managing a portfolio in drawdownExploring mean reversion and how the hedge ratios change dailyOn the value of being located in the heart of New YorkThe biggest challenge for Peter in running Systematic Alpha ManagementPeter’s opinion on why success in the CTA industry has shifted from the United States of America to EuropeWhy individuality is critical in success in the CTA industryPeter Kambilin’s biggest failure and what he learned from itSome fun facts about Peter that you probably would never have guessed-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Peter Kambolin on LinkedIn.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Peter Kambolin is the common sense CEO behind Systematic Alpha Management, an Award Winning CTA Firm which has come through the tremendous market forces of the past 10 years. Their staying power is a testament to their success as conscious, ruled based traders.This episode is about his hero’s journey from immigrant origins in Moscow to founding a lasting, top financial service company headquartered in New York City.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About the effect of the 2004 internet bubble and how Systematic Alpha created a “market neutral” CTA strategy in responseWhat it’s like to win global CTA awards yet still have to hunt new business due to capital flows towards large investment firmsPeter’s story of moving from Moscow to New York and how he entered the finance industryThe surprising story of how Peter was inspired to start his own firm at 21 years of ageHow Peter and Alexi work together to maximize each others strengths, and control for each-other’s weaknessesAbout the transition from long term to short term CTA strategiesWhy living in New York yet playing in Miami helps stoke Peter’s creativityThe story of the dramatic period of March-August 2011 in which they experienced a drawdown that let to a drop in AuM from 721 million to 50 million due to investor redemptions.The effects of the coordination of global economic decisions by government on volatility and it’s effect on the overall environment for Systematic Alpha Management’s CTA programs.Why Peter considers Systematic Alpha to be a stronger firm after the steep drop in AUM they experienced in 2011.Where Systematic Alpha’s value proposition is and the importance of a CTA position in diversificationHow to get out of losing trades when liquidity is a problem-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Peter Kambolin on LinkedIn.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to Top Traders Unplugged. On this episode Karsten and I discuss the systems and implementation that has led Amplitude to such remarkable success. As the interview comes to a close, we learn about Karsten’s philosophy of success and entrepreneurship. Despite being based outside the global financial hubs (i.e. New York, Chicago, London) Amplitude has experienced world class results. He provides a deep philosophy on achieving success in the CTA industry.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Allocation of capital from a stop-loss point of view when doing short term tradingAmplitude Capital’s systems for trade implementationWhy high frequency trading is a very different strategy from that of Amplitude Capital’sRisk management strategies and the framework for embedding these principles into the Amplitude Capital operationsExploring the meaning of market correlation in short term CTA strategiesKarsten Schroeder’s philosophy on drawdownsHow managers can do a better job of explaining drawdownsThe role of teamwork and processes in the research cycleThe internal processes for validating implementation of strategies at Amplitude CaptialKarsten Schroeder’s explanation for why Amplitude has experienced such successDo financial leaders need to live in financial hubs? How living outside of the financial hubs has impacted Amplitude CapitalThe difference between European CTA managers and US counterparts. Why has the market dominance shifted?The philosophy of failure that empowers Karsten Schroeder’s entrepreneurial journeyWhat continues to inspire Karsten to keep running the businessThe question investors are not asking that they should be:-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Karsten Schroeder on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Through courage and vision, Karsten Schroeder co-founded Amplitude Capital as a pioneer in the CTA industry.Why pioneers? Because they focused on short term trading.In this episode of Top Traders Unplugged, Karsten and I discuss Amplitude Capital’s scientific approach to Amplitude Dynamic and Amplitude Klassik. These are the two short-term rule based trading programs that Karsten and his team run to invest billions of dollars on behalf on a small group of institutional investors.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The founding story of Amplitude CapitalAbout the motivation source for choosing short term tradingThe scientific processes guiding Amplitude’s perception of the marketsHow Amplitude manages their in-house and outsourced business processesWhere the point of optimal capital under management is for Amplitude CapitalA bird’s eye view of their historical track record and their reaction to the market shift in 2009On the effects of quantitative easing and other government interventions in market healthModel decay and how to best deal with itThe design structure of Amplitude Capital’s ProgramsMarket dynamics and where the Amplitude programs tradeDiffering philosophies: market specific models vs. models for all marketsComparing mean reversion models (counter trend models) vs. trend following models-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Karsten Schroeder on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Today we will continue our conversation with Jerry Parker the founder of Chesapeake Capital and widely known as the most successful Turtle ever.After wrapping up his position with Richard J. Dennis as a famous “Turtle,” he went on to start his own asset management firm, Chesapeake Capital Corporation.In this episode we discuss the evolving CTA industry and the story of Chesapeake. It’s a powerful story from one of the most successful people in the industry. We really hope you enjoy it. -----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How the research and complexity of systems has a backwards effect to making moneyChallenges with entering stock markets with CTA strategiesWhy counting the trades and analyzing sample size is what most investors forget to ask when seeking fund managersWhere the CTA managers have failed investorsHow Jerry Parker handles emotions during drawdownsWhy markets have changed so that longer term focus has proven more successfulLearn about the philosophy of “The Markets are the Heroes”Important lessons from a long, successful career in the CTA industryWhat is it that keeps investors from Turtle CTAs and choose larger financial organizationsWhy we see a skewed distribution towards profitability of long side trades and short side tradesThe key legacy traits left behind by the Turtles and if the experiment could be replicated nowWhy Jerry Parker’s contribution to the CTA space will be that he sticks with the plan and be the last one going down with the trend following shipLessons for upcoming CTA managers from Jerry ParkerDebunking trading cliches like, “you never go broke taking a profit” and “exits are more important than entries”Personal habits that have contributed to Jerry Parker’s successHow Jerry Parker would start if he were to start all over again-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Ray Dalio – Bridgewater CapitalLearn about Jerry Parker’s Acting “Career” on his IMDB pageFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jerry Parker on Twitter.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Imagine you found an advertisement in the newspaper offering a position with a one sentence application process.Would you take it?What if it was for a position where you would learn a proprietary trading system in which you would trade solely for owner of the firm?What if that man was Richard Dennis?Our next guest took that position in 1983 and it changed his life forever, for the better. He found himself with what was to become a famous title, a Turtle. He was given the opportunity to manage a million dollar account with specific rules to follow. Rules that he would learn to love and perfect.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About the Turtles and how the unique experiment grew into the Managed Futures/CTA IndustryHow Wall Street Leaks inspired Jerry into understanding the industryHow Jerry encountered trend following for the first timeThe One Sentence culture in Richard J. Dennis’s officeHow to excel at unprecedented tests from leading tradersWhat it was like moving to Chicago to train as a TurtleWhat the Turtle training was like and the mindset provided in the trainingThe most challenging thing about Trend Following when Jerry started with Richard DennisAbout the transition from Turtle Trading to starting his own organization, Chesapeake Capital in 1998The evolution of Chesapeake’s strategy from day one after leaving Richard Dennis’s programThe early focus on diversification and adding new marketsIssues with trying to improve the original Richard DennisThe shift in investor expectations with the growth of institutional investment organizations while operating on of the largest CTA firms in the industryWhy it’s best to take an optimal loss rather than a small lossOn the meaningfulness of track records and what else investors should be encouraged to explore when choosing an investment management decision-----The advertisement Jerry responded to in 1983:Richard J. Dennis and CD commodities is accepting applications for the position of Commodity Future Trader to expand his established group of traders. Mr. Dennis and his associate will train a small group of applicants in his proprietary trading concepts. Successful candidates will then trade solely for Mr. Dennis. They will not be allowed to trade futures for themselves or others. Traders will be paid a percentage of their trading profits and will be allowed a small draw. Prior experience will be considered, but is not necessary. Applicants should send a brief resume with one sentence giving their reason for applying.Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:The Barefoot Trader (Article about Richard Dennis in Wall Street Journal)Learn more about Richard J. Dennis the founder of the Turtle programFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jerry Parker on Twitter.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to Top Traders Unplugged. In this episode we continue our conversation with Dr. Mathias Bucher the Co-Founder of AllMountainCapital.In this episode we go deep in the philosophy, habits and personal traits required to excel in the hedge fund industry.It’s a pleasure to have you here and we hope you enjoy the episode.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:About Stop Loss, Risk Management and overall Exit StrategiesHow the current drawdown is effecting current testing and research at AllMountainCapitalHow Mathias takes the stress of drawdowns and turns it into creative powerThe research cycles in the program and the company as a whole at AllMountainAn example of a research idea developed and how it was implementedCurrent research interests in business development and market positioning as a CTAWhy Dr. Mathias Bucher and Dr. Tilman Keese base their business in Wollerau rather than a major financial hubThe threats and challenges involved in growing a young CTA firmDr. Mathias Bucher’s perception on why the CTA industry excellence seems to be shifting to EuropeLearn about the concept of the Industrialization of the Global Financial SystemThe human traits needed to strive in the CTA industryResources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Larry Hite and ISAMWatch another interview with Dr. Mathias Bucher on Opalesque TVFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

Our next show provides you with the opportunity to learn from a highly educated founder and fund manager.He Studied Economics at the Luzon Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid. He went on to earn a PhD in Quantitative Finance in Evolutionary Finance at University of Zurich. Upon graduating he agreed to a research position with Zurich Capital Bank.Horizon21 made an offer to have Mathias and his business partner Dr. Tilman Keese build a systematic trading program. In 2010 they left Horizon21 to go out as entrepreneurs with AllMountainCapital.Please give a warm welcome to, Dr. Mathias Bucher.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:The story of founding AllMountainCapital and how much AUM they currently manageHow they outsource all non-core aspects of the business so they can focus on Research, Trading & Client servicesOn the changes in the CTA industry from 2007 to the presentWhy central bank actions are correlated with a drop in volatility since 2009The nature of the AllMountain trading model and how it has coped during challenging timesAbout the Modules that make up the AllMountain trading programSectors and markets that AllMountain tradeHow their different system works and why they use it the way they doHow they quantify trend strength in a marketResources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Larry Hite and ISAMWatch another interview with Dr. Mathias Bucher on Opalesque TVFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

What are you going to do to differentiate yourself from everyone else in the industry?That’s the question Marty Bergin would ask the next guest on Top Traders Unplugged.Welcome back for the second part of our interview with, Marty Bergin.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How trade decisions are generated and executed at DUNN Capital ManagementThe way Marty and DUNN manage the emotional challenges of trend followingWhy many CTA firms are giving allocations to long equities and the results of that decisionHow significant drawdowns help to make firms strongerDUNN Capital Management’s approach to researchHow DUNN Capital identifies and reacts to issues with external/strategic alliance situationsPortfolio development and decision-making at DUNN CapitalOn the importance for personal ownership in a CTA firmLearn about Michael Covel’s interview with Harry MarkowitzThe importance (or lack of) of being located in a large financial hubDUNN Capital’s investor focused fee structureWhy European CTA’s seem to be out growing the American firmsWhat does it take to become a great CTA in today’s environment-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Learn more about DUNN CapitalCopyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Our next guest is a partner in a firm that has enjoyed 40+ years of trading success with a 35+ year continues track record of their WMA program.The track record of the organization, DUNN Capital Management, is world-class. The legendary Bill Dunn offered partnership to our next guest and he replied, “I’m happy with where I am.” Bill’s response will make you laugh.Please enjoy my conversation with, Marty Bergin.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:The Story of DUNN Capital and the Evolution of the firmHow Marty began working with the firm and how he became a partnerThe company culture of DUNN Capital and why it’s so important to their successAn overview of the DUNN WMA programHow the Value At Risk (VAR) approach separates DUNN Capital from other CTAsWhy DUNN Capital manages all tasks in-houseAbout the 40 year+ track record of DUNN CapitalThe big research upgrades taking place in 2006About the change to using two separate "Trend Following Models"About the adaptive risk profile (ARP)DUNN’s approach to diversification across sectors (for example; 23% in agriculture and 13% currency allocation)Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about DUNN Capital’s methodologies and awards.Q&A with Bill DunnFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.Learn more about DUNN CapitalIT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

Today we rejoin the conversation with Martin Estlander the Founder and CEO of Estlander & Partners. If you missed the first part, feel free to listen to it here.In this episode we explore the evolution of the CTA industry, the skills required to run a successful business and finally the fun, less known facts of Martin’s life outside of trading.Welcome to the second part of our conversations with Martin Estlander.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The best rule of thumb to visualize risk in a traditional CTA portfolioWhat Martin has learned from being in drawdowns and the difference between drawdowns before and after 2009The effect of volatility in the markets and how this impact CTA performanceHow Martin Estlander manages the emotional roller coasterResearch processes and research cycles at Estlander & PartnersHow to identify and address systems that were working but now aren’tThe biggest challenge for Estlander & Partners going forwardWhat are investors not asking that they should be asking when choosing a CTAWhere the misunderstandings can happen for investors when trying to understand the CTA industryHow to become better at communicating with investorsMartin’s key traits to success in the CTA industryPersonal habits that have contributed to the success of Martin EstlanderHow Martin manages failures and improves from themThe things Martin would do differently if he started over today-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Learn about Commodities Corporation, the company behind some of the all-time great tradersFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Estlander & Partners Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Estlander & Partners – The Oldest CTA firm in Scandinavia and one of the Longest Running CTA firms in the World.  Thank you for listening to my conversation with its founder Martin Estlander. In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Martin got involved in the CTA IndustryThe Evolution of Estlander & Partners and Where They are TodayFounding of an options trading business in Frankfurt in 1991About the inspiring time in which he was part of the Commodities Corp. team until 1998 when Goldman Sachs came in and bought CCAbout Jan Haraldsson’s Alpha Trend Program and how they recently opened the Program for external investorsThe recreational activities that support Martin’s trading philosophy. Skiing, Tennis, Sailing and MeditationAn overview of the Main Programs Estlander & Partners run today – Alpha Trend, Freedom, Global Markets & PrestoThe business organization of a modern day CTA firm – What is “in-house” and what is outsourcedHow volatility is perceived in the Estlander & Partners portfolioThe structure of the Alpha Trend Program and why it is designed to trade 74 different instruments and how they mix togetherHow Alpha Trend’s pattern recognition differs from the traditional moving average crossover or price breakoutWhether Alpha Trend is Intra-day, End-of-Day… or bothWhat Alpha Trends’ models are designed to captureHow Alpha Trend manages stop loss and stop profits when entering a new marketParticularly important key performance drivers of Alpha TrendThe human intervention required to run the Alpha Trend modelHow Martin Estlander defines riskAchilles Risk and how Alpha Trend manages for itResources & Links Mentioned in this Episode: Learn about Commodities Corporation, the company behind some of the all-time great tradersFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.Follow Estlander & Partners Linkedin.IT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

We’re back with the second part of our conversation with the Head of Research at Rho Asset Management. In this episode we discuss the details of Managing Equity Curves, Trade Length in CTA systems and how Rho achieves to get the optimal position size when entering new trades.Thank you for visiting, now let’s continue the interview with Tushar Chande.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Rho creates for algorithms to decide the size of a new positionThe difference between the models in terms of trade lengthThe trade frequency Rho Asset ManagementAbout the design philosophy in creating the profile of its Altius ProgramDiscussing the research cycle and the research reviewsMajor findings that led to the creation of the Altius ProgramWhy trend following systems make money over timeHow the CTA strategies will overcome challenges in the futureThe main thing investors should take away as a benefit of investing with CTAsFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE 👀 – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast.

On today’s show I am talking to Tushar Chande, Co-Founder and Head of Research at Rho Asset Management.  Tushar is also the author of a number of books on the topic of how to design rule based trading systems as well as having been actively trading these systems for more than 20 years.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why the random nature of the markets attracted Tushar to develop systems for trading these marketsBackground information on Rho Asset Management and it’s philosophyHow Tushar utilizes behaviors of discretionary traders to make estimates of conviction about their individual tradesHow Rho has designed it’s Altius Program to offer meaningful protection when equity markets go downWhat to be aware of when exploring an Asset Manager’s performance over a 20 year periodOffense/Defense Ratio, What it means and How to use it to Measure the quality of systems designHow Rho’s models have been designed in order to achieve the overall objective of the ProgramWhat Trend Following Indicators are used for and whyExploring the volatility of the equity curveThe input data needed to run the Altius Program, the time it takes and when they run the model-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Beyond Technical Analysis by Dr. Tushar ChandeFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

In this episode we continue our conversation with the founder and CEO of Brandywine Asset Management and discuss the aspects of what makes his rule based asset management style so successful.Enjoy the second part of my conversation with, Mike Dever.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Continuing the Conversation around why Trend Following can be more difficultDescribing Disparate Return DriversHow Brandywine Assets Management actually implements the decisions of their trading modelWhy Position Sizing and Risk Management Principles are EverythingHow position sizes are managed across various Return DriversWhy Sharpe Ratio is a meaningless measure on it’s own. It doesn’t give you any idea on predictability of returns.The professional traders approach to the emotional challenges of drawdown.Managing regulation challengesThe environment of marketing trend following strategies to investorsWhat it takes to become a great trader todayWho Mike started out aspiring to be likeIf Mike has any personal habits that contribute to his success-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Jackass Investing by Mike DeverLearn about Dick Donchian the Grandfather of Trend FollowingLearn about Poul Tudor Jones of Robin Hood FoundationLearn about John W. HenryFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mike Dever on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

On today’s show I am talking to Mike Dever, the Founder and CEO of Brandywine Asset Management.  Mike is a Divergent Thinking Systematic Investment Manager and Author of the best selling book “Jackass Investing”. Mike has been trading for almost 4 decades and shares a wealth of insight to how he has stayed successful and how his trading approach and research has stayed current in an ever changing financial landscape.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The Evolution of Mike’s TradingHow Mike almost got in to business with Richard DonchianHow they developed a systematic trading model in the 1980sHow Mike met and invested with Paul Tudor Jones, John W. Henry and was the first outside investor in TranstrendHow Mike went from being a discretionary trader to become fully systematic when launching the Benchmark Program, and WhyAbout the experience of running the Brandywine Benchmark Program in in the ‘90sHow Mike discovered the importance of Portfolio Allocation in the 1980sThe Story of Developing the Predictive Diversification Portfolio Allocation ModelThe Entrepreneurial Storm that Kept Mike away from Trading and Brandywine for YearsThe story of developing the Brandywine Symphony ProgramHow many people it takes to run a system with more than 1,000 strategy/market combinationsExploring the track record of Brandywine Symphony ProgramWhy one should avoid making decisions based on single return drivers5 Themes in Brandywine’s Asset Allocation Strategy: Fundamental, Sentiment, Event, Arbitrage and Alpha HedgeHow Marginal Cost of Production Works as a Return DriverAre the strategies from the 1980’s just as effective today?What is directional arbitrage?-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Jackass Investing by Mike DeverLearn about Richard Donchian the Grandfather of Trend FollowingLearn about Poul Tudor Jones of Robin Hood FoundationLearn about John W. HenryFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mike Dever on Linkedin.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Welcome back to our conversation with Jason Gerlach of Sunrise Capital Partners.In this interview we discuss the history of Sunrise Capital Partners, the current evolution in their financial product line and the inner workings of what it takes to make it as a successful trading organization in the ever changing market conditions.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Exploring the design structure of the Sunrise Evolution program: Quadrant A, B, C and D and how they play togetherDetailed examples of how trading models can be different.How trade implementation works with complex systems like theseAbout the Volume of trading the Sunrise Capital does each dayWhy the game of picking sectors is a fools errandStrategies for dealing with the emotional weight of drawdownsSunrise Capital Management’s approach to researchThe traits and what it takes to become a great CTA----- Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on LinkedIn.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Sunrise Capital was the first CTA (Commodity Trading Advisor) ever.The company has evolved considerably since its inception in the 1970s.Today on the show, Jason Gerlach, the Chief Executive Officer at Sunrise Capital joins us to discuss the history of the company and about the evolution of their trading strategy over nearly 4 decades. Sunrise has achieved astounding results over the lifetime of the company and Jason provides unique insights to the inner workings of Sunrise.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The story of Sunrise Capitals founding in the early 1970sRick Slaughter (Sunrise’s Chief Researcher) founded Commodity Monitors – the First Hedge Fund/CTA firm ever launchedJack Forest (Sunrise Commodities) and Gary Davis (Cresta Commodities) – The doctors trading outside the hospitalHow the three pioneers of the CTA/Commodity Trading Industry came together to form Sunrise Capital Partners in the mid 90’sHow Jason was brought on into the firm and developed a succession plan for the businessThe unexpected story of how Jason “the Attorney” turned into Jason “the Systematic Trading Guy”What Sunrise Capital Partners offer today?How does one structure a CTA firm like Sunrise, what functions and how do you manage them?The role of outsourcing in the day-to-day operations of Sunrise Capital PartnersWhat Sunrise discovered in the early 00’s which indicated to them a decay in long-term trend following and how they responded-----Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:Download the article Niels mentioned: Fallacies to Avoid When Selecting a CTAFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to [email protected] please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on LinkedIn.Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer