Only gamblers and manipulators dared venture into this market. One hundred years ago, that's what was said of the stock market. Needless to say, the transformation of the public's attitude concerning stocks has been revolutionary and has come full circle, from outright revulsion to full embrace . Many believe the revolutionary change in the public's perception and participation in stocks can be directly attributed to investors becoming better informed and leaving their investing decisions to market professionals. Like stocks, investors are being won over to futures by becoming better informed and leaving their investment decisions to professional management .
Studies show that the majority of individuals who trade futures on their own do lose.
However, there is a logical reason for the amateur losses. If a non-professional attempted to practice medicine or law, he or she probably would perform quite poorly, similar to many nonprofessional futures traders. From monitoring amateurs who trade futures on their own, we have observed most trade on rumors, tips from friends, gut feelings, part-time research, and for the fun of it. We believe most amateurs who trade futures on their own are making a very serious error in judgment. They are not professionals and, in our opinion, are doomed to fail even before they begin, just like a non-professional would be if he or she attempted a complicated medical operation.