Traders Talking – How eToro Changed the Way They Trade

Meet Ed, a Popular Investor whose passion for futurism helps him with investing

Ed (@eddy123) is a Popular Investor from the UK who enjoys traveling around the world. He uses his sound financial background, and his passion for recognizing technologies that will generate disruption, to identify financial opportunities, all while sipping cocktails on sandy beaches. We asked him to answer a few questions about his trading style and strategy

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m Ed from England, although I am currently traveling around the world. The majority of my career has been as a Project Manager, building apps and websites for major banks and organizations. After building up some savings, I decided to go full time on eToro and drive around the Americas. I love futurology and technology, so I enjoy researching and analyzing upcoming trends while venturing through jungles and relaxing on beaches.

Did you have previous experience with financial investments before joining eToro?
Yes – I studied Business and Management at university and opted to take a lot of Finance based modules. From that point, I started investing with robo-advisors, before selecting funds myself and subsequently picking out individual assets. Finding eToro made all of that a lot easier.

Why did you choose to join eToro?
The financial world is incredibly complicated and investing in new instruments can always be quite daunting. The simplicity of eToro was a major draw, but I liked the social aspect of the platform as well. I spend a lot of time reading the opinions of other Popular Investors and the ensuing discussions.

What are the three key benefits of using eToro?
Ease of use – I can keep an eye on the markets through my phone, wherever I am in the world.
Information – eToro’s CopyPortfolios are a great introduction to new markets and ideas, eToro Senior Analyst Mati Greenspan’s newsletters are always informative, and other users’ opinions provide new perspectives.
Support – I have found the staff at eToro really helpful and responsive which is a big comfort on this type of platform.

How has eToro changed the way you trade?
I have used other platforms in the past, but the simplicity of eToro’s design, particularly on the mobile app, makes it so much easier to get the information I want when I want it.

What is your type of trading strategy and on what is it focused?
I prefer the term ‘investing,’ and the technology sector is my playing field. My career focused on building and designing technology that would disrupt markets and give companies a competitive edge. So I spend my time assessing what the technological world will look like in years to come and who, and what, is best placed to take advantage of that. I select assets and companies that I think will embed themselves in their market over the next few years. I think day trading has been overwhelmed by algorithms, which is why I have put together a long-term portfolio that I think will be resilient and profitable.

What are the benefits of being a Popular Investor and what is your long-term goal?
Well, you get paid as a Popular Investor, so there’s that… Beyond that though, eToro offers much support throughout the process with newsletters, webinars and marketing all thrown in to propel your progress. As a Popular Investor, my goal now is to increase my AUM and the best way to do that is by making other users rich. I would also like to think that people read what I post and consider the ideas I offer as they put together their own portfolios.

Do you have any advice for your copiers/ users considering copying you?
I always recommend that you copy my open trades, given my trading volume is pretty low. I would also suggest that you invest at least $1000 in order to ensure that there are no syncing issues when I make changes to the portfolio. More broadly, be patient and make sure that your investment in me is reflective of your risk appetite when balanced with any other investments you might have.

What are your hobbies?
I am traveling full time at the moment, so I don’t know if beaches, hammocks and cocktails count as hobbies, but I also enjoy making those cocktails, playing poker, writing, reading, football (both playing and watching), cooking and learning about other cultures.

From fruit delivery man to Popular Investor: Meet Robin Lundberg

A self-described “simple delivery man,” Robin (@Polar-Investment) from Sweden tried various online platforms and trading methods before choosing eToro and focusing on currency trading. We asked him a few questions about his trading style and personal story

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Robin Lundberg. I am 29 years old and I live with my wife in a city in the north of Sweden called Umeå. On weekdays, I work as a delivery guy, delivering mainly fruit baskets to various companies. My working hours are favourable and I have a lot of free time between stops so I can stay up to date with the market.

Did you have previous experience with financial investments before joining eToro?

No, not really. My father invested in stocks when I was a kid and he didn’t really speak highly of it. So in my mind, it wasn’t a good place to make money. But as I got older, I sort of dabbled in a lot of ways to make money online, like poker and sports betting, before I found trading. My first experience with trading wasn’t great. The first site I found was a “binary options” trading website and as you probably can assume, it didn’t go that well. I lost my first investment probably in a couple of hours. But now I am in the habit of really digging into what I do, so I kept on learning and watching YouTube videos and after a while, I found that trading on a regular broker platform was way better (for me) than binary options. I did trade on one or two platforms before finding eToro.

Why did you choose to join eToro?

There was something about the social aspect and the openness that really spoke to me. Looking at other traders and connecting with others is really great, in my opinion. I don’t have any family or friends that are interested in financial markets, so I wanted to find others that share my interest. I figured if I could become better and people were to copy me, I could earn an extra income, and that is always a nice bonus.

What are the three key benefits of using eToro?

The social aspect.

Many instruments to choose from, so there is something for everyone.

I like the platform, it is very user-friendly.

How has eToro changed the way you trade?

eToro has changed my trading in a way that makes me more responsible, by giving me a Risk Score and showing me drawdown information, available at a mouse click.

On other platforms, I could be very aggressive with my trading and end up [taking too many risks]. Now I have to really think about the trades I make and be selective in a way that I probably wouldn’t have been on other sites.

I don’t want to come off as someone who doesn’t want to make a huge amount of money. I just don’t want to risk 50% in order to make 100%. I’d rather risk 5% in order to make 10%.

I think reviewing your own Risk Score and drawdown are key in finding where your problem lies. I am working on making sure that my maximum drawdown is not too high.

What is your type of trading strategy and what is it focused on?

I mainly trade currency pairs and I also focus on the bigger picture, like daily, weekly and monthly charts. However, I don’t usually trade based on weekly or monthly charts unless the momentum is in the right direction. I work my way down to the 1-4 hour time frame for execution. I am a contrarian at heart and I like to go against the majority of people, so I really have to be selective where I want to consider buying or selling.

Fundamentals are very important to me as well. Knowing which countries have greater interest rates, implementing QE programs or just solid financial outlooks. All this is good to keep in the back of your mind.

When it comes to fundamentals, the currency market is very slow and it can take 2-3 years for a currency to reach a government target. For example, the Swedish Riksbank is now starting to raise rates and is trying to reach the same rates as ECB, with a target of EUR/SEK at 9.5 but it may take several months or even a year for the market to get there.

What are the benefits of being a Popular Investor and what is your long-term goal?

One benefit is, of course, the financial aspect. But it also gives me a lot of responsibility for my copiers and for myself, so that I really work harder and focus more on long-term trading.

It also gives you the ability to teach others and interact with more people as you go, making more friends and developing as a [Popular Investor].

My long-term goal is to become an Elite Popular Investor and have trading become my main source of income.

Do you have any advice for your copiers/users considering copying you?

The best advice I can give is: learn how to trade and/or invest by yourself. However, I understand that some people are busy and might not have the time, so copying others can solve that issue for them.

The shorter the time frame you use, the harder it gets. So I would advise people to learn from a daily chart and not to use more than 5X leverage. That way, you have plenty of time to react to swings in the market.

If you choose to copy me, I would recommend that you see it as a year-long endeavor, and don’t put 100% of your funds on one person. It is important to have a diversified portfolio.

Don’t expect quick money, I can’t guarantee you that. But I can promise you I will do my very best to grow your money along with my money.

What are your hobbies?

My absolute biggest hobby today is trading and Financial markets. But I am also a nerd when it comes to TV series (Netflix and HBO) and PC games. I enjoy going to the gym and running, and I also like to watch football from time to time. As a kid, I was good at sports. Mostly a sport called “Innebandy” in Swedish, but I think the English name is “Floorball”. It’s not a very big sport internationally, but in Sweden, it’s huge! I also listen to many podcasts and maybe one day I’ll create one of my own.