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My guests today are Kim Hellemans and Jim Davies.

Kim is a Senior Instructor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University, where her research focused on understanding the biological basis of drug addiction.

Jim is an award-winning American/Canadian cognitive scientist, playwright, artist, and author. He is a professor at the Institute of Cognitive Science and the School of Computer Science at Carleton University, where he is the director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory. His research focuses on visual reasoning, analogy, and imagination.

The topic is their audio show called Minding the Brain.

In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss:

• Jumping into all that is the mind

Mentions & Resources:

• Minding the Brain
• @MindingtheBrain
• @drjimdavies

Listen to this episode:

• Listen to this podcast on iTunes. (Please leave a rating!)
• Listen on Spotify.
• Listen on Stitcher.
• Libysn RSS.
• Download as MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
• Free Video.

Jump in!

Feedback in:

Hello Michael,

My name is Alfonso and I’m an Italian aspirant trader/student of the markets. I won’t make this too long, but just a little presentation.

My interest in trading begun 2 years ago, and since then it took my complete dedication, I even left my law university studies. Your Trend Following and TurtleTrader books were one of my first reading, and they stayed with me since then. Then I quickly went on money management, but spent most of my time trying technical stuff for entry, focusing everything in that.

Now that I have some experience (and loss) in the market, I’m rethinking my approach, trying to apply something that has proved to be profitable.

My studies were always in books, and I never really confronted a real trader, so I hope with this massage to get a sort of review of my strategy, to see if it can be classified as trend-following and make sense on the authors I studied

– Fundamental setup analysis with the Commitment of Trader report (L. Williams, S. Briese);
– Technical setup analysis with Market profile and auction theory (J. Dalton, P. Steidlmayer, (I also created some original indicators);
– Technical entry and trend following approach: Bill Williams techniques.
(in the future I’ll think in adding a cycling study (W. Wilder Delta) and a stock approach (L. Williams))

In essence with the first two analysis I’ll find the setup for the trend, that will be taken surely with the technical entry (essentially break-out entry), adding aggressively, trailing the stops; if wright we do money, if don’t we try the next time (1% total risk in every position, closer the stop bigger the position (the stop is one of the main thing in my studies, but not very literature on that)).

I’m sorry if the message wasn’t that short, it’ll be a dream if I’ll get a response.

Best luck and regards, Alfonso.

Yes a response!

But your strategy is trouble.

It just won’t work.

Start with Trend Following.

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How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
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Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

Feedback in:

Hi,

My biggest challenge is owning a trading system that I have enough confidence in that leaves me without intolerable mental discomfort. I was brought up to be very risk averse (i.e. no risk) and while I have adjusted to live a “risk managed” life at home and in my business I am still to take the final step and learn how to apply it to trading financial instruments.

I am comfortable with the idea of losses for it is no different to investing in say a marketing initiative for my business that doesn’t deliver the return expected.

However because I have never had a trading system that I am 100% confident in over the medium and long term, I am afraid of the spectre of losing consistently. Consequently my many dips into the market have always resulted in retreat.

I left a career as a futures and options broker in London in 2000 (I now own my own small community insurance broker) and ever since I have harboured a smouldering desire to prove to myself that I can indeed make a living from trading.

I plan to spend this year learning and developing a trading system so that a share of the profits of the insurance business can be invested into a trend following trading programme, rather than put it into a savings account that earns nothing!

Tom J.

A good place to start is here.

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How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

Feedback in:

Hello Michael,

My name is Ryan and I’m 29 years old. I got “into the market” about 4 years ago when I went the Buffett route and bought some shares in a start up. The company is a gateway for influencers to find out their current rate and find advertisers that will work with them. Put $500 in and the company is still gojng but I have zero clue as to what they’re doing or how much my shares are worth.

Skip ahead two years and I FOMO’d into Bitcoin on December 17 2017. The day Buttcoin hit it’s all time high. Well luckily I didn’t really want Bitcoin but I wanted “the next bitcoin” so I split up $1000 and invested in Tron and Ripple off pure fundamentals and they took off. In 3 weeks $1000 was now $5000, I didn’t sell because I didn’t know how. I have been “trading” for a total of 3 weeks. I think I sold a week or two later and my portfolio was now worth $1500~.

Then we entered the bear market. I have learned so much because of it too. My first big lesson was easy, buy and hold is terrible and doesn’t work. The Crypto community has adopted “HODL” as a meme / serious suggestion. A drunk holder typed HOLD misspelled on reddit, it caught on and now people have lost all savings and continue to dump into shitcoins.

Fundamentals are stronger in Crypto but it’s clear bots are setup to purchase coins when the ticker is mentioned. It’s rigged.

Over the last two years I have read over 50 books on trading. The first book I read was Trend Following but the spirit of the Crypto Twitter crowd makes you want to trade trade trade! Never a dull moment. It’s very day tradey and panic stricken. So I avoid trend following for about a year and a half.

I tried Eliot wave. Fibonacci. Cup and Handles. It’s all bullshit!

When I got to The Turtle Traders, which I didn’t realize at the time that you had also written Trend Following, i got very inspired. I think we sometimes wait for life to give us permission to do something. I knew I could be a professional trade and the Turtle Traders were the confirmation that it doesn’t matter what your background is, if you have a passion for this and a willingness to learn you can do this.

Trend following is amazing and it’s really funny it took me so long to accept its awesomeness because, like Larry Hite, I’m a trend follower through and through. I don’t follow societies trends at all, actually I’m probably counter trend and constantly fight back against group mind think. But when someone is a shithead for 3 / 4 instances, chances are they’re a shithead and I’m just going to go on my own way. I have tried fish a few occasions and I’ve hated it, I’m not going to continue trying to catch the knife on my pallet changing and I’m just going to order anything other than fish. Short fish.

I’m an incredibly structured and rule based. I see a lot of things black and white and that’s helped me.

Here’s what’s tripping me out the most. What does your day to day look like?

I currently have a full time job and I put in as much money as I can into my portfolio. I balance it at least every two weeks when add into it. I look at it everyday but that’s just because I love to watch it move. If adjustments need to be made they will but currently it’s looking like I spend roughly 30 minutes a day looking at or adjusting the portfolio on average. One day, preferable yesterday, I would like to “retire” and just follow trends and explore the world more. In the event that I do get that luxury, is that what my day looks like? Make room for 30 minutes of checking for any “out of this world” moves in my current portfolio?

Sorry this was so long… I’m on episode 75 of your podcast and I have probably listened to the last 100 of the most recent so i kind of feel like I’ve been hanging out with you a lot but I haven’t told you about me. I guess I just did.

Thank you so much for all the content,
Ryan L.

Thanks for the great feedback.

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How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

Subscribe to Trend Following Radio on iTunes

Please enjoy my monologue Roll into 2020 with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio. This episode may also include great outside guests from my archive.

Listen to this episode:

• Listen to this podcast on iTunes. (Please leave a rating!)
• Listen on Spotify.
• Listen on Stitcher.
• Libysn RSS.
• Download as MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
• Free Video.

Want to learn more Trend Following? Watch my video here.

Feedback in:

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your email! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your TurtleTrader book, as well as Trend Following. I am now listening to the collected interviews and have been blown away by the breadth of your interactions.

At this point, I’ve been learning the markets since January 2018 and am looking to find a system that feels most comfortable while demonstrating actionable results. As I’ve dug into trend following in general, I’m excited to possibly connect with a community of like-minded individuals from whom I can directly learn how to submit to the trend and go with the flow.

The biggest challenge I’ve had is putting together the rules of my system to work across markets, especially measuring volatility and managing risk. I’ve become familiar with cryptocurrencies since introduction through Bitcoin, though the toolbox seems limited at this point. Coming from a humanities background into healthcare management/technology consulting, its been like starting over again in learning basic statistics to apply in new ways.

It will be a pleasure to continue to grow and learn more from your community, including your flagship course as I approach graduation in the Spring.

I hope you had a warm and enjoyable holiday. May 2020 bring health and continued happiness!

Regards,

Matthew

Thanks for the nice words.

Start here.

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How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

Feedback in:

Michael in my podcast wandering I happened to find you. It was a great discovery. Short story I am 69 year old guy that did not retire well and still work to have discretionary funds. How can I invest in a small budget…very small? I love your podcast and philosophy just listened to podcast #828 and want to acquire a copy of the famous The Turtle Traders.

Thank you!

You are welcome.

Small? Go here.

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How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.