TopTrades
Copy Trades from Traders around the World
TopTrades
If you're new to trading, the internet is simultaneously the best and worst place to learn. YouTube is full of traders in Lamborghinis. Reddit is full of people showing off 500% gains (and quietly deleting the posts about losses). Discord servers promise "guaranteed signals." It's chaos.
The truth? Most people who start trading lose money — not because the markets are impossible to beat, but because they start wrong.
This guide is different. We're going to cut through the noise and give you an honest, practical roadmap for getting started in trading without blowing up your account in the first month.
Trading is the buying and selling of financial instruments — stocks, futures, forex, crypto, options — with the goal of profiting from price movements.
Unlike investing (which typically means buying and holding assets for years), trading is generally shorter-term. A trader might hold a position for seconds (scalping), minutes to hours (day trading), or days to weeks (swing trading).
The two most common ways traders make money are:
- Going Long: buying an asset expecting the price to go up, then selling at a higher price
- Going Short: selling an asset you don't own (borrowing it) expecting the price to fall, then buying it back cheaper
Trading is legal, accessible, and genuinely possible to do profitably — but it requires real skill, discipline, and time to develop.
Here's what most trading content won't tell you:
The average beginner trader loses money for the first 1–2 years. There is a saying called the 90 Day Trading Rule that says: 90% of new Traders will lose 90% of their money within the first 90 days of trading.
This isn't to discourage you — it's to prepare you. Trading is a skill, like playing chess or performing surgery. You don't pick up a scalpel on day one and start operating. You study, practice, make mistakes in low-stakes environments, and gradually build competence.
The traders who eventually become consistently profitable are the ones who:
Before opening a live account, spend time understanding:
1. Basic Market Structure
Not all markets are equal, especially for beginners. Here's a quick breakdown:
Stocks
- Good for: Long-term investors and swing traders
- Accessible: Yes, through any major brokerage
- Capital needed: Varies; pattern day trader rule requires $25,000 minimum in the US for frequent day trading
- Best for beginners? For swing trading, yes. For day trading, the $25K rule is a barrier.
Futures
- Good for: Active day traders and swing traders
- Markets: ES (S&P 500), NQ (Nasdaq), CL (Crude Oil), GC (Gold), and more
- Capital needed: Micro contracts (MES, MNQ) can be traded with as little as $500–$1,000
- Best for beginners? Micro futures are surprisingly accessible and a great learning ground
Forex
- Good for: Traders interested in currency markets, available 24/5
- Capital needed: Can start with very little, but leverage makes it risky
- Best for beginners? Requires discipline around leverage; demo trading first is essential
Crypto
- Good for: Traders who want 24/7 markets
- Capital needed: Very low
- Best for beginners? High volatility makes it exciting — and dangerous. Start with small size.
Every major trading platform offers a **paper trading** or **simulation mode** — a virtual account where you trade with fake money in real market conditions.
Use it. Seriously! And treat it like it was real money.
Most beginners skip the sim and go straight to live trading because "it doesn't feel real." But the habits you build matter more than the money. Practice:
Here's a strategy most beginners don't consider: **copy trading**.
Instead of trying to generate profits yourself while you're still learning, you can automatically copy the live trades of experienced, verified traders — while simultaneously studying *why* they're making those trades.
This gives you:
1. Real market exposure while you develop your own skills
2. A potential return on capital rather than just losing money on tuition or courses
3. A live education by watching how a skilled trader navigates markets in real time is one of the best ways to learn
Trade Copying Networks like TopTrades (https://www.toptrades.live) let you browse verified traders by their win rate, average gain (aka Rate of Return or RoR), and trade history — then automatically copy their live trades into your own account on NinjaTrader, cTrader, MetaTrader, Sierra Chart, etc. and Toptrades is free to join.
Copy trading is not a replacement for learning to trade yourself — but used wisely, it's a much smarter way to participate in markets while you build your skills.
When you're ready to trade real money, start with the minimum viable size. The goal at this stage is not to make money — it's to learn how to manage emotions under real financial pressure.
Trading with real money feels completely different from simulation. Fear and greed become real. You'll make mistakes you never made in simulation. That's normal — and it's why you start small.
A good approach:
1. Trade micro contracts (futures) or mini lots (forex) to keep dollar risk tiny
2. Risk no more than 1% of your account on any single trade
3. Trade for 3–6 months at this size before considering scaling up
4. Keep a journal of every trade — what you saw, why you entered, outcome, and what you learned
Let's go over the most common mistakes new traders make when starting out:
1. Overtrading
Taking too many trades out of boredom or FOMO. Quality over quantity — wait for setups that meet your criteria.
2. Moving Stop Losses
When a trade goes against you, the temptation is to move your stop loss further away to "give it room." Don't. Your stop was placed for a reason. Honor it.
3. Revenge Trading
After a loss, trying to immediately make it back by taking a bigger trade. This is how small losses become catastrophic ones. After a losing trade, step away.
4. Ignoring Fees and Commissions
Every trade has a cost. On small accounts with tight margins, commissions can eat your profits. Factor them in before every trade.
5. Trusting so called Gurus
If someone is promising consistent 90% win rates or guaranteed profits, they're selling something. Real profitable traders have drawdowns, bad weeks, and losing streaks — anyone claiming otherwise is lying.
6. Letting Losers Run
Often new traders will quickly close a winning trade but let a losing trade run for a huge loss in hopes it will come back into profit.
Books on Trading: *Trading in the Zone* by Mark Douglas (mindset), *Market Wizards* by Jack Schwager (inspiration and real trader stories)
Trading Platforms: NinjaTrader (futures, free to use), cTrader (forex and CFDs), MetaTrader 5 (forex and CFDs)
Copy Trading: TopTrades (https://www.toptrades.live) is a Social Copy Trading Network for NinjaTrader, cTrader, MetaTrader, Sierra Chart, TradeStaion, IB, and other trading platforms.
Getting started in trading doesn't have to mean losing money while you figure things out. With the right foundation — learning the fundamentals, practicing in simulation, managing risk, and using tools like copy trading to participate smartly while you develop — you give yourself a real shot at building lasting profitability.
Most traders fail because they rushed. The ones who succeed took their time, stayed humble, and kept learning.
If you're ready to take your first steps, join TopTrades for free and explore how social copy trading can help you participate in markets while you build your skills.
Finally, remember that all trading involves risk of loss. This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.
TopTrades