Extras · 1 of 4

A typical day

Most futures prop traders work the first hours after the 9:30 a.m. Eastern stock market open, when prices move most. You check the calendar for big reports, set your daily stop, and take a handful of planned trades. When you hit your target or your loss limit, you stop. Afterwards you log the trades and check how close you came to any rule. Forex traders often start earlier, around the London open.