The Dream
Wow, have I got a lot to say about algorithmic finance and quantitative trading. To start off, it is my dream to create algorithmic systems that can manage my money and beat the market.
There are plenty of methods. Basic portfolio management, algorithmic short term trading, and then there is quantitative trading: discovering an edge in the market that few others, if anyone, have found and algorithmically taking advantage of those discrepancies.
How It Started
Back in high school, I started my financial journey with a teen account on Fidelity. Of course, looking back, I wish I had put all my savings in the S&P and held it. It has skyrocketed since then. But as a high schooler, I could not imagine leaving my money there for decades, so I was interested in following the news, chasing the pumps and the retraces.
Of course, I did not beat the market. And then I discovered options.
Oh no.
I quickly lost a lot of my savings, but it got me hooked. In college, doing software, I realized that data backed trading, done by computers and code, is the only way to consistently beat the market. Remove human emotions from the equation entirely.
University and Beyond
At Rochester Institute of Technology, I continued to pursue my Interactive Development degree, learning programming, fullstack development, and user psychology. But I also added on a Finance minor, took a graduate level Algorithmic Trading course, and kept building my knowledge while backtesting and developing strategies on the side.
Soon after graduation, with more funds available, I plan to run my systems live and update this blog with the results.
Let's Talk About Day Trading
First, I want to address the most publicized and well known form of trading right now: day trading. The numbers are brutal. Prop firms like Topstep publish their own data, and it paints a clear picture.
The odds are stacked against you if you are clicking buttons manually and watching candles all day. But these firms can be used with intraday algorithmic systems to safely pass exams and take payouts with limited funding. That is the edge.
Algorithmic Trading
The real opportunity is in building systems that trade for you. No emotions, no hesitation, no revenge trading. Just data, logic, and execution.
Whether it is high frequency trading, portfolio management, mean reversion, momentum strategies, or statistical arbitrage, the common thread is the same: find an edge, validate it with data, automate it, and let it run. I will be writing more about specific strategies, backtesting frameworks, and results as I continue building.