Is It Possible To Make a Living Off Stocks? (2024)

Stock enthusiasts commonly wonder whether it's possible to make a living off stocks. The idea that you could quit your job and support yourself just by trading stocks may seem impossible to some, butit is possible to trade stocks for a living.

Novice investors, buoyed by their successes with paper trading, may take the leap of faith and decide that they're going to earn their living from the stock market.Some find success. However, many people who independently trade for a living use day trading strategies, and studies have shown that the majority of day traders lose money over the long term.

Learn what it takes to do trading as a career, and why it can be a financially dangerous career.

Key Takeaways

  • While some can make a living trading stocks, the majority of day traders lose money over the long term.
  • Education is critical to being a successful trader.
  • You should also develop a trading strategy and stick to it.
  • Set aside enough money to support yourself while you learn the ropes, and only invest money that you can afford to lose.

Trading Requires Discipline

Being able to successfully trade for a living means achieving a high level of focus and discipline. This is as opposed to traditional investors, who buy relatively safe products and let their equity grow over decades. The constant movement of stock prices on a second-by-second basis can be unnerving. You need to have a clear plan that you can stick to.

Get Educated About Trading

Spend some serious time educating yourself about everything related to trading. As a day trader, you should emphasize short-term strategies and the securities that work best with those strategies.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the IRS all offer valuable information for traders. Introductory books on strategies and theories will help you get acquainted with the playing field.

Once you understand the theories, products, and institutional players in the markets, spend some time testing your knowledge with a paper trading simulator. You shouldn't make the leap into a full-time trading career until you've maintained ample profitability through a variety of market conditions on a trading simulator.

Choose a Good Trading Strategy

To start trading, you'll need a sound trading methodology that takes advantage of volatility without forgoing risk management principles. Again, this methodology should be tested over months or years and in all different kinds of market environments. Start with a demo account, then ease your way into trading with real money. Slowly swap out simulated positions with actual, risk-taking positions.

Set Aside Some Income

Many experienced traders suggest having at least one year’s worth of income set aside before you start trading. This is not the bankroll that you will trade with—you'll need separate capital for that. These funds should be set aside purely for living expenses such as housing, insurance, and food. Having this financial cushion will give you peace of mind, allowing you to begin your new career without the pressure of having to pay rent.

Even when it comes to capital for your brokerage account, day traders need significant capital to trade in earnest. FINRA has special requirements for pattern day traders, who are defined as those who open and close a position on the same day at least four times within five business days.

FINRA mandates that pattern day traders must maintain a brokerage account balance of $25,000. That's $25,000 on top of the year's worth of income you've set aside. In addition, you'll have to do your day trading in a margin account, although it isn't difficult for most traders to open this kind of brokerage account.

If you don't plan on day trading but you still want to make a living trading, you'll need to make every trade worth more. Since you won't be able to execute as many trades, each trade needs to be for a significant sum—and the more money you put into a trade, the more you expose your portfolio to risk.

Note

You'll need to have a record-keeping strategy ready for tax season.

Prepare Yourself Mentally

Professional traders need to leave emotion out of their trading. Psychologically, you will need to steel yourself for the severe financial losses that typically accompany the first few months of day trading. Learn from your mistakes without getting caught up in emotional highs and lows.

The goal when trading for a living is to have a reliable and consistent revenue stream, but that will take time, diligence, and luck to achieve. Not everyone has the mental fortitude to work up to the point where they have a consistently profitable strategy. Watching the daily fluctuations of your income can be extremely tough on the psyche, especially when it lasts months.

The combination of speed, volatility, adrenaline, and losses can make day trading a jarring experience for newcomers. You'll need patience and coolheadedness in the face of repeated losses; otherwise, the stress of day trading can wreak havoc on your emotional well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much can I make trading for a living?

Your profits as a day trader will depend on whether you do it full- or part-time, how well you learn trading skills, and how willing you are to take risks. Only about 20% of day traders are marginally profitable.

How does the IRS define a day trader?

The IRS will consider your day trading an official business if you seek to profit from daily price movements on the stock market, you do so regularly, and your activity is substantial. Otherwise, it will treat you as an investor.

How do I start day trading?

To give yourself the best shot at successful day trading, you should learn as much as possible about the process and practice trading on a simulator without risking any cash. When you're ready to start real day trading, you'll need to put at least $25,000 in a margin account. Keep in mind that most experts recommend you don't risk more than 2% of your account on a given trade.

Is It Possible To Make a Living Off Stocks? (2024)

FAQs

Is It Possible To Make a Living Off Stocks? ›

Making a living off trading stocks might be possible, but it can put you in a position where you're not earning on a regular basis. This lack of consistent income can lead to a loss of morale which might cause you to quit. Before you decide to be a full-time trader, you should consider other sources of possible income.

Is it possible to make a living from stocks? ›

With so many routes, anybody can enter the market, but your ultimate success depends on you. Depending on the route that you choose, trading can become a full-time career opportunity, a part-time opportunity, or just a way to generate supplemental income.

Is it possible to live off of stocks? ›

By investing in quality dividend stocks with rising payouts, both young and old investors can benefit from the stocks' compounding, and historically inflation-beating, distribution growth. All it takes is a little planning, and then investors can live off their dividend payment streams.

How much can you realistically make from stocks? ›

The average stock market return is about 10% per year, as measured by the S&P 500 index, but that 10% average rate is reduced by inflation. Investors can expect to lose purchasing power of 2% to 3% every year due to inflation.

Can you become a millionaire from stocks? ›

Becoming a millionaire through stock investing is possible but not guaranteed. It depends on various factors such as your initial investment amount, rate of return, and time horizon. The key is to start early and give your investments enough time to grow.

Can you make a living off day trading? ›

The overwhelming majority of day traders lose money. While a select few are able to generate steady profits, these are generally people who had careers in the financial industry or who have devoted themselves to studying markets. Successful day traders apply themselves to the practice as a full-time job.

Is day trading like gambling? ›

It's fair to say that day trading and gambling are very similar. The dictionary definition of gambling is "the practice of risking money or other stakes in a game or bet." When you place a day trade, you're betting that the random price movements of a particular stock will trend in the direction that you want.

Is it realistic to live off dividends? ›

Creating a diversified portfolio, understanding the implications of dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) and being aware of tax efficiency are vital steps in maximizing dividend income while minimizing risks. The dream of living off dividends is attainable with the right financial planning and investment strategy.

How do you make money off of stocks? ›

The way you make money from stocks is by the selling them at a higher price than you bought them. For instance, if you bought a share of Apple stock at $200 and sold it when it reached $300, you would have made $100 (minus any taxes you'd have to pay on the money you made).

How do millionaires live off interest? ›

Living off interest involves relying on what's known as passive income. This implies that your assets generate enough returns to cover your monthly income needs without the need for additional work or income sources. The ideal scenario is to use the interest and returns while preserving the core principal.

What will $10 000 be worth in 30 years? ›

Over the years, that money can really add up: If you kept that money in a retirement account over 30 years and earned that average 6% return, for example, your $10,000 would grow to more than $57,000. In reality, investment returns will vary year to year and even day to day.

Can you make easy money with stocks? ›

Making money in stocks doesn't happen overnight. Some people day trade and try to turn a quick profit, but day trading comes with additional risks. Most financial advisors will tell you that you should invest only money that you won't need for at least five years.

How much money do I need to invest to make $1000 a month? ›

Reinvest Your Payments

The truth is that most investors won't have the money to generate $1,000 per month in dividends; not at first, anyway. Even if you find a market-beating series of investments that average 3% annual yield, you would still need $400,000 in up-front capital to hit your targets. And that's okay.

Is investing $1 in stocks worth it? ›

Investing $1 a day not only allows you to start taking advantage of compound interest. It also helps you to get comfortable with investing and develop the habit of putting your money to work for you. As you can see, that single dollar can make a huge difference in helping you to become more financially secure.

How fast can stocks make you money? ›

When you invest in the stock market, it may take you at least a year to make money if you pick a solid blue-chip stock. This is essentially a stock of a large-cap company that rides market volatility, then earns you good rewards.

Is stock market a gambling? ›

No, stock market trading is fundamentally distinct from gambling. Although both involve risk and financial uncertainty, they differ in their underlying principles and approach.

How much money do day traders with $10000 accounts make per day on average? ›

With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].

How much money do I need to invest to make $3 000 a month? ›

Imagine you wish to amass $3000 monthly from your investments, amounting to $36,000 annually. If you park your funds in a savings account offering a 2% annual interest rate, you'd need to inject roughly $1.8 million into the account.

Can you start day trading with $1,000? ›

Many people think that they can make a living with $500 or $1,000 in their trading accounts. The truth is, that you need much more to be able to make living as a day trader, luckily we can show you the way how you can become a full-time day trader without having tens of thousands of dollars in your trading account.

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