A few years ago I constantly saw traders on social media saying things like: "I made €5,000 in a month buying and selling stocks" or "Look how I made a 40% return in a week."
It seemed easy. It seemed accessible. You didn't need a boss, didn't need to go to an office. Just you, your computer, your broker, and making money.
Movies and TV shows helped. "Wall Street", "The Wolf of Wall Street", documentaries about successful traders. They all mythified that life: young man, computer, charts, money flowing.
I understand why it's attractive. Especially if you're young, it's practically irresistible.
I fell for it too.
My Experience: I Tried To Be A Trader
Not seriously. I didn't quit my job or anything. But I started seeing what "experts" on social media were doing, and thought: "Why not?"
I bought some stocks trying to replicate what I saw. I waited for them to go up. I sold them when I thought they'd go down.
Result: some went well. Others I lost money on.
The Brent Story (40% In Days, But Pure Luck)
There was a moment when geopolitical tensions rose around the Strait of Hormuz. That affects oil. I bought Brent (oil futures) thinking it would go up.
It did. In days, I made a 40% return.
It seemed like the price would keep rising. But something told me to wait.
Wait. One day. Just one.
The next day, a geopolitical agreement was reached. The price crashed. If I'd waited that one day (which seemed likely), I would have lost money.
This made me understand something important: I made money. But it was luck, not skill.
The Reality Of Trading
Here's what nobody tells you on social media:
Trading is not investing. Investing is: you buy, you hold for years, you wait for it to grow. Trading is: you buy, you wait days or weeks, you sell hoping it went up.
To consistently make money trading, you need:
Deep knowledge. Not just "buy when it goes up." You need to understand technical analysis, fundamental analysis, market cycles.
Dedicated time. It's not "buy from home doing nothing." News breaks at any hour. A geopolitical agreement, a central bank statement, anything changes the market IN MINUTES.
Ability to predict the unpredictable. In my Brent case, how did I know an agreement would come? I didn't. It was luck.
Without that, trading is gambling.
Social Media Traders
Why do you see so many traders on social media saying they made X amount?
Because:
- The ones who win post. The ones who lose don't.
- Many sell courses. They make more from the course than from trading.
- Some are just lying.
- Survival of the fittest: traders who lose money disappear from social media. You only see the ones who won (by luck or skill).
It's the same bias as "I quit my job at 25 and made millions." You don't see the thousand who tried and failed.
My Conclusion
I decided it wasn't for me. Not because it's impossible. Some traders do make money consistently. But:
- It requires a lot of training
- It requires dedicating time constantly
- Even when winning, you're taking risks you don't need to take
For me, a more conservative profile, investing in MSCI World year after year is much more predictable, much less stressful, and in the long run, much more profitable.
The Real Lesson
If you're young and see traders on social media making money: it's fine to feel attraction. It's normal. But don't believe it's easy, don't believe it's safe, and definitely don't invest money you can't afford to lose thinking you'll "replicate" what you see.
Trading can work. But it's speculation, not investing.
And there's an important difference.
Speculation is gambling. Investing is patience.
Choose wisely.