Most forex traders do it while having a day job, some trade during their free time, and some do it when the boss isn’t looking. And some think or dream of quitting their job and going pro – making a living out of forex trading. When can this be done? Here are 5 important points: At least a year of profitable trading: In order to evaluate if you have the basis for trading forex as a profession, a full year of successful “internship” is necessary. During the course of a year, you’ve seen many different phenomenons in the markets. This is minimal experience. Significant income for three months: Are you already making a significant monthly income from trading? Significant means that it pays the rent or mortgage, covers a big savings plan or is a sizable portion of your overall income. Plan for scaling up: Making a significant sum from trading is great, but can you scale it up to making a living? How? Take the time to make a plan on how your trading routine will be – your timetable is different when you don’t have a day job. The free time needs to be successfully utilized from day one. Deep pockets. In deep pockets, I don’t mean being need to be rich. If you would be rich, you wouldn’t need any trading, would you? I mean that you can continue your life as usual for some time with your current income from forex. Given that you don’t scale quickly, you’ll need money to cushion your expenses. The more money you have, the more patience you’ll have with full time trading, the greater chance you’ll have to succeed. Plan B: Following the previous point, you need a Plan B in case it doesn’t work out. This could be returning to your previous job, pursuing another path, etc. If you know the worst case scenario, you’ll clear out the uncertainty and you’ll have a better chance to succeed. What do you think? Any pro forex trader out there with a good tip? Yohay Elam Yohay Elam Yohay Elam: Founder, Writer and Editor I have been into forex trading for over 5 years, and I share the experience that I have and the knowledge that I've accumulated. After taking a short course about forex. Like many forex traders, I've earned a significant share of my knowledge the hard way. Macroeconomics, the impact of news on the ever-moving currency markets and trading psychology have always fascinated me. Before founding Forex Crunch, I've worked as a programmer in various hi-tech companies. I have a B. Sc. in Computer Science from Ben Gurion University. Given this background, forex software has a relatively bigger share in the posts. Yohay's Google Profile View All Post By Yohay Elam Basics & IndustryForex Basics share Read Next Forex Daily Outlook – September 24 2010 Anat Dror 12 years Most forex traders do it while having a day job, some trade during their free time, and some do it when the boss isn't looking. And some think or dream of quitting their job and going pro - making a living out of forex trading. When can this be done? Here are 5 important points: At least a year of profitable trading: In order to evaluate if you have the basis for trading forex as a profession, a full year of successful "internship" is necessary. During the course of a year, you've seen many different phenomenons in the markets. This… Regulated Forex Brokers All Brokers Sponsored Brokers Broker Benefits Min Deposit Score Visit Broker 1 $100T&Cs Apply 0% Commission and No stamp DutyRegulated by US,UK & International StockCopy Successfull Traders 9.8 Visit Site FreeBets Reviews$100Your capital is at risk. 2 T&Cs Apply 9.8 Visit Site FreeBets Reviews$100Your capital is at risk. 3 Recommended Broker $100T&Cs Apply No deposit or withdrawal feesTrade major forex pairs such as EUR/USD with leverage up to 30:1 and tight spreads of 0.9 pips Low $100 minimum deposit to open a trading account 9 Visit Site FreeBets ReviewsYour capital is at risk. 4 T&Cs Apply Visit Site FreeBets ReviewsYour capital is at risk. 5 Recommended Broker $0T&Cs Apply Trade gold, silver, and platinum directly against major currenciesUp to 1:500 leverage for forex trading24/5 customer service by phone and email 9 Visit Site FreeBets ReviewsYour capital is at risk.