In our latest trader interview, Head of Trader Education Andrew Lockwood sat down with Chetin, a full-time day trader from Bulgaria. After passing a two-stage evaluation, Chetin has been trading on a live simulated account for the past couple of months with impressive consistency. He has successfully secured eight payouts in that short time, averaging withdrawals of around $2,000 every two weeks.
Results like this are exceptional and not typical of most traders. However, analyzing Chetin’s journey provides a masterclass in the value of strict risk management and psychological control.
The Realistic Journey to Profitability
While Chetin is trading consistently today, he is honest about the reality of the learning curve. He has been studying the markets for six years, but it took him three and a half years to finally become profitable. His early days were difficult, filled with heavy backtesting, endless YouTube videos, and blown accounts.
His ultimate advice for newer traders facing those same struggles is simple: “The most important thing is to be consistent and not give up”.
A Focused 3-Hour Trading Routine
Despite trading being his full-time job, Chetin avoids the common trap of staring at charts all day. He spends only two to three hours at his screens each day. Because his local time zone is seven hours ahead of New York, he enjoys his day and focuses exclusively on the afternoon New York session.
He specializes in indices, specifically the US30 and NASDAQ, actively avoiding highly volatile assets like oil and gold, which he finds unpredictable. As a dedicated day trader, he closes 9 out of 10 trades on the same day, and avoids trading during major news releases, preferring to wait for the volatility to settle before executing his setups.
Iron-Clad Risk Management Rules
The true secret to Chetin’s impressive 2.4 profit factor isn’t a magic indicator—it is his uncompromising risk management.
While he risked around 1.5% during his challenge phases, he drastically reduced his exposure once he reached the funded stage. He now risks a maximum of just 0.25% per trade.
To control his psychology and prevent emotional “tilt”, Chetin utilizes strict behavioral rules:
- The 30-Minute Pause: If a trade hits his stop loss, he forces himself to step away from the screens for a minimum of 30 minutes before considering another setup.
- The Daily Drawdown Limit: If he loses two trades in a single day, he completely shuts down his charts and stops trading until the next day.
- No Trade Baggage: He recognizes that trading is a game of emotions and treats every trade independently, ensuring that the frustration of a previous loss does not impact his next execution.
Why He Chose Funded Trading Plus
When asked what attracted him to the simulated programs at Funded Trading Plus, Chetin praised the clear, transparent rules. He highlighted the fair parameters of the two-step challenges—specifically the reasonable 7% profit targets combined with generous 8% to 9% maximum drawdowns.
🎥 [Watch the full interview with Chetin here]