Been looking at copy trading platforms and noticed some traders have crazy good stats but they’ve only been around 6-12 months.
Starting to think experience matters more than flashy returns. What do you guys think about the 3-5 year rule?
Experience matters, but I care more about how they handled specific market chaos than just years under their belt.
I’ve watched 2-year traders crush the March 2023 banking crisis while 5-year vets fell apart. Did they stay cool during the yen carry trade mess? How’d they handle the Swiss National Bank going nuts with rate cuts?
Real test? Check their performance when volatility spiked. Anyone starting late 2022 has already been through some brutal conditions.
Also - what pairs do they trade? EUR/USD guys handle stress totally different than someone who’s been riding crypto pairs.
Years don’t matter as much as watching how they handle losing streaks and position sizing when markets go crazy.
I look for traders who keep consistent lot sizes and don’t revenge trade after getting burned. Do they actually stick to their rules when everything’s falling apart?
Some platforms show trade timing too. Good traders aren’t chasing breakouts at 3am or panic-selling during news releases.
Experience matters, but markets shift constantly. I’d rather have a 2-year trader who’s been through multiple cycles than someone with 5 years of stats from just one bull run.
Three years minimum or skip them completely.
Two years works if they’ve been through at least one major market shift. Look for traders who made it through 2020’s chaos or the 2022 rate hikes. Monthly consistency matters way more than flashy annual numbers. I’d take a trader pulling 15% yearly with just two bad months over someone hitting 50% returns with crazy swings. Most copy platforms show max drawdown - skip anyone who’s blown more than 20% in a single streak, doesn’t matter how long they’ve been trading.