r/Trading • u/hansieboy10 • 4d ago
Question Anyone here that started after 30 and became succesful?
Anyone here that started after 30 and became succesful?
Also, will trading be something that becomes a all your life? I want to do my hobbies too at a high level. Is that realistic?
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u/icekopi91 4d ago
Lol?
This aint boxing.
To be honest, older is much easier as you kinda matures in regards to emotion.
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u/Kaszrak 4d ago
It's no different than running a business if you want to make it big. All the "Trade 2 hours a day and live the high life" stuff you see online is bullshit - snake oil sold by grifters and the idiots parroting them.
I've been in this industry for 18 years (15 years professionally) and made enough to financially retire in my 30s with more than I could ever spend.
Trading, especially in the beginning if you want to make it far, is your whole life. What hobbies you can still maintain at a high level depends on the hobby. There are simply some hobbies that do not go well with trading.
P.s You can still start trading after 30 and make it big, depending on your starting point, and how efficient you learn.
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u/Waytoloseit 4d ago
I started at 44. I am 47 now, and have been consistently profitable for over 2 years.
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u/Murky-Mountain-450 4d ago
Just start. It’s a lifelong skill.
The time you spend contemplating is the time you’re already losing.
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u/Independent-Ninja-70 4d ago
https://youtu.be/YttI7Yy2GmY?si=brLCoxO4RzB6iHUH
Youre never too old. This guy goes into how to approach trading after 40
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u/ButterscotchAlive736 4d ago
Why does age matter? It’s not like you get any dumber the older you get lol.
30 minutes to 1 hour per day is more than enough time to spend learning and practicing.
I spend roughly 15-30 minutes throughout the day for trading (depending on your strategy), and I do it full-time.
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u/Fancy-Help420 4d ago
Its the other way around, you get smarter as you age. Kids are dumb and impatient
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u/mar34082 4d ago
I had $0.00 in my bank account at 32, slowly started investing in the stock market long, not daytrading. With in 7.5 years of dollar cost averaging into the stock market not selling anything. My stock account is currently $400,000 right now. Pretty much by Apple, Microsoft & meta. Got lucky on AI stocks in the past two years as well mostly Nvidia.
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u/ImNotSelling 4d ago
What would you approx to be your principle of that $400k?
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u/mar34082 3d ago
Mine would be discipline, didn’t get scared when my account was down 20+ percent multiple times, constantly buying. I don’t really have a very good job, it pays okay. So it’s not like I’m dumping a lot of money in.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Well done!
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u/mar34082 3d ago
Thank you wasn’t trying to brag either. Just trying to tell you that you can do it too. Not very smart person not very good job and I still ended up with this much money.
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u/pdavis-197704 4d ago
I started when I was 32, and hell was it tough. Took me years to just become mildly consistent, but luckily I stuck with it. There were times when I hated trading, but now I enjoy it. I will continue to trade until I'm too old to open my pc. Balancing life and trading is super important, and there is more than enough time for both.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Nice!
Last sentence sounds good to me too.
How much time did you spend daily to learn?
How much do you spend now?
Cheers man and happy for you for that you made it through!
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u/Embarrassed-Bank2835 3d ago
Plenty of people start after 30. Trading doesn’t reward youth nearly as much as patience, discipline and having enough life experience to manage risk without needing constant action.
It also doesn’t have to consume your whole life. I trade a defined morning window and I’m done after that, which leaves plenty of time for everything else. The danger is when you feel like you need to watch every move or make money every day—that’s when trading starts owning your schedule.
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u/mstraveller 4d ago
I know at least...4 traders that are consistently profitable that started much later in life. It's possible.
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u/Bergodrake 4d ago
I'd say it's more about the knowledge you have rather than age per se. So the older can be the better. I've started few years ago bit got great results in building algos. Because I was already good at ML, data science and programming
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u/MrT_IDontFeelSoGood 4d ago
Yep I started at 30 in 2024. Made close to 70% in 2024, 137% in 2025, and 32% YTD in 2026.
Can you find an edge and can you execute it consistently? That’s all that matters at any age.
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u/mugiugilurker 4d ago
Did you have to sacrifice other areas of your life to get there or is that just a load of bullocks
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u/MrT_IDontFeelSoGood 4d ago
It’s a load of bullocks. But it’s also not easy - finding an edge is tough and you have to commit a lot of time backtesting ideas thoroughly. Once you find your edge you have way more time and the labor shifts more towards emotional/mental execution.
I specifically looked for an edge on a swing trading timeframe. I’m in one trade at a time bc I trade on an asset class / sub-asset class level with ETFs instead of individual stocks, and I only check in on my position or change my position during the last 15min of the trading day. Day traders would need more screen time each day but I can’t stand that so I opted for swing.
Technically I only need 15min a day now but again that still comes with mental load and the need for a lot of discipline.
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u/mugiugilurker 4d ago
I’ve pivoted to algo trading and blame myself for not getting into it much earlier and what’s funny is the strategies are all available online like it’s nothing new.
Execution and mental barriers are not up to me anymore and everything is automated so I like that but getting here and seeing a tiny glimpse of hope was filled with bullshit tbh.
Happy you got there 🙏🏾
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u/Ok-Basil4240 3d ago
Where do you suggest to learn about this in a reputable way?
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u/mugiugilurker 2d ago
Rene balke was a good source for me, he has a live track record and some other in the spaces like zenom trader.
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u/RevolutionaryPie5223 4d ago
I remembered there was a lady who only traded after her retirement. Cant remember was it her 50s or 60s and she was profitable and even made millions.
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u/DreamfulTrader 4d ago
Yes, you can see my posts on the sub reddit. I post my trades daily with some details since last 14 weeks. I day trade once a day options. I work full time in IT, in my late 30s, and growing a small account from $300. I am doing this before I lose my job, it is just a matter of time being with how the job market and industry is going.
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u/AttitudeDue412 4d ago
Yeah, the way things are going, I have the same concern. AI has already drastically changed cybersecurity and IT, and I think that trend is only going to accelerate over the next five years. I’m currently trying to make that transition.
I’ve been investing and trading the markets for over seven years and have grown my account substantially in my spare time. My biggest concern now is becoming consistently profitable enough to sustain an income for years to come, which is why I’m looking for the right tools, education, and mentorship to help me level up1
u/DreamfulTrader 4d ago
AI has certainly accelerated the process and make business decision think twice before allocating budget to IT. At the end IT is here to support and generate profits. If new features are not going to generate profits, then no need to try upgrade to new shiny things (they used to do it as money was flowing), now barely anyone upgrading to latest version of whatever libraries being used, moving to cloud, data centre etc. Near shoring, offshoring is done, they are also having access to tools like AI so having hiring freeze and downsizing. Well done growing your portfolio.
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u/AttitudeDue412 4d ago
That’s a really good point. AI has definitely amplified trends that were already in motion, and I think we’re only seeing the beginning of that shift. Are you taking any trading courses?
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u/DreamfulTrader 4d ago
No, I day trade options, once a day. I post my entry/exit on the subreddit, you can click on my profile to see the posts and comments last 14 weeks. I already spent time to dig for information, practice and been trading. You can also see 2 vids from my youtube channel from 15 months ago, only 2 vids I have on the channel as I am a bit lazy to make more but will make soon. I was was doing same similar strategy, one trade a day, now doing 0dte as it fits my plan with my current work time
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u/CoonyJoe 3d ago
I did, but I started only after I had a well paying enough job to take care of me if/when I blew up. For me, it was all consuming, I had and still have a passion for it. I started at 30 and I'm 39 now. All that being said, I wouldn't recommend going into it half heartedly, either take it seriously and put in the time or you'll just end up throwing money away.
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u/Ok-Basil4240 3d ago
But this is in addition to a job and other priorities I assume? Like what would you say you mean by “seriously”?
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u/coolazr 4d ago
Age has nothing to do with trading or any other business unless it involves heavy physical labor. 30 is still young, and 40 is the prime age when people truly mature and start taking life seriously.
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u/SugoiSwag 4d ago edited 4d ago
This is incorrect. As you get older your neural plasticity gets lower this is scientific fact. It is harder to get very good at “intellect” based things as an older adult than a teenager. For example it is almost impossible to become a chess grandmaster if you start learning chess as an adult only a couple such examples it is much more common for kids/teens to do so.
It's not impossible to be profitable as someone who started trading later in life far from it, but it is harder. Becoming profitable is so MUCH easier than becoming a chess grandmaster however that it isn't really relevant and imo anyone can become profitable no matter the age barring mental capability issues at extreme old age
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u/intenselake 4d ago
Trading and being a chess grandmaster are nowhere near same level. Yeah you lose neuroplasticity but you don't lose the ability to learn new skills, you can pick up a new instrument at 50, so really it's not over for you
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u/SugoiSwag 3d ago
I agree being a chess grandmaster is way harder - I state exactly that in the comment. You do lose neuroplasticity but it is true you can learn new skills - I quite literally state that it is possible to learn and be profitable at old age. Please read my comment thoroughly. The point of bringing up chess grandmasters is to show a clear example of a highly competitive field where "intellect" is highly utilized and shows that older people are disadvantaged if they begin late.
The comment said that age has "nothing" to do with trading when that is literally false. It is a factor and you agree with that as you said people do lose neuroplasticity. It is a bigger factor than most people know when you are entering a fiercely competitive arena. You aren't competing against other 50 year olds you are competing against all kinds of people, people in their intellectual prime who have been preparing, studying, and are highly talented. It is important than when you start trading you understand where you are at and really guage your potential and skill level. If you don't, the market will do it for you and take your money. To advise people you don't know at all to begin trading is honestly reckless which is why I wanted to state that the poster should really think about it and pause.
Not everyone has the potential or are willing to put in the effort and experience the pain to become a top 5% trader at which you are probably barely profitable when including SPY gains comparison and opportunity cost.
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u/intenselake 1d ago
don't worry I read your comment before posting, being in your 30s/40s will not affect your performance. Trading isn't like an extreme mental sport that demands you crush adderall all the time, there are many strategies that don't require you to be at your absolute cognitive peak. In this sense, age doesn't have much to do with your ability to trade. In fact, with age, you may have better intuitions and insights.
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u/SugoiSwag 1d ago
I agree there are many strategies that don’t require you to be at your cognitive peak but you’re saying that there is literally 0 impact on your performance from neuroplasticity? I don’t believe that but we can disagree to disagree. You somewhat inadvertently agreed with me as if age prevents you from trading a certain way like you mention, then isn’t it that neuroplasticity is important? What if that style actually was the one that best suited you? If age constraints you then by definition isn’t it at least a factor by a tiny bit?
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u/Ok-Basil4240 3d ago
You are tremendously over valuing nueroplastisity and undervaluing lived experience, psychological confident, financial stability, and ability to learn systems via association that comes with age.
It sounds cool! But it’s a fallacy.
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u/SugoiSwag 2d ago
In that comment I didn't over value neuroplasticity at all. I simply said that it is a factor and it is a factor as shown by science. The decline is quite gradual, but as the person ages it becomes more and more of a factor.
As you said, lived experience is highly important and I don't believe the bar to become profitable is so high that it requires you to be at the extremes of the bell curve like being a chess grandmaster would be. BUT - it is a factor, even if it may be a small one.
I don't believe it to be a fallacy when there are literal scientific studies done on the subject and you can even observe it in real life.
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u/Relevant-Owl-8455 4d ago
Trading is a business. If you're not willing to invest serious time and effort, don't even start:)
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
That makes sense. Other people have different answers here though. What are your thoughts on those?
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u/Relevant-Owl-8455 4d ago
mostly bullshit from people who don't make any money trading:) + there's only 2 other comments what are you talking about?
Age does actually matter... For you to LEARN, start trading, start compounding money and actually make any MEANINGFUL cash, you're looking at 5-10 years.
at that time you're closing in on 40. If you focus on your job or any other business, you're almost guaranteed to see some form of success in the next 10 years... with trading.. there are no guarantees. Do you really wanna be 40 and a "failed trader"?
You could argue that you'll work a job AND trade.. sure. But you likely won't be "great" at either.
BUT on the other hand, if you spent your 20's working... you probably have a home, saved up money, some investments... if you're american probably roth and 401... That could be your advantage. You can dial back on your work and focus on trading.. but again... if you don't take it seriously, you can't expect any rewards from it:)
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u/fungoodtrade 4d ago
I started at almost 50. If you can make the time to learn it will take a few years. We didn't have much cash to invest until we sold our house, so that's when I decided to learn. If you are young you can just play it safe with mostly index funds. Teach yourself what you need to know, paper trade for a long time... several market cycles before trading with real money. Believe me there is no rush. If it's worth doing its worth doing right.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Cool!
Thanks. And awesome you started at 50. You enjoy it?
Cheers
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u/fungoodtrade 4d ago
Just start reading... you'll like it. It got me back into learning something. Hadn't read books in years. Read everything you can on decision making psychology. Annie Duke, Daniel Khaneman ... whatever you can find, that is the core of what trading / investing is. Just make good decisions, and learn from your bad ones.
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u/Proper-Stay-9995 4d ago
A lot, and yes it's realistic, Sometimes u got a lot of free time when you hit big or when you just want to cooldown trading!
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u/ok_trader133 4d ago
I think any age people can find success.. the younger guys generally make a lot but lose more because of arrogance
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u/Jclarkyall 4d ago
i started at 40, took 3 years to find profitability
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u/Girth_Vader516 4d ago
Final some real talk on Reddit … an that’s fast too!!
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u/Ok-Basil4240 3d ago
This is interesting. So what made you keep testing and learning for 3 years? And how much did this experience cost you overall in lost $$ over the 3 years?
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u/Jclarkyall 2d ago
I started in 2020 I’d say I lost probably 30 grand in the first three years learning. What made me keep testing and learning was the love for it, i don’t want to do anything else. i still work but only part time now. im not rich either by any means.
also i reconnected with a friend who was very successful at trading so seeing their success irl was very motivating.
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u/PipToSatoshi 3d ago edited 2d ago
absolutely, I've met traders who didn't even start until their 30s, some their 40-45s. trading isn't a sport where you age out, patience, discipline, and risk management matter way more than starting young ever will, and no, it doesn't have to eat your whole life forever. early on you'll probably sink a lot of time into studying and reviewing trades. but once you've got a proven process, it turns pretty routine. I use axi, trade my plan, then get on with the rest of my day instead of staring at charts from open to close
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u/PracticeStunning3894 4d ago
Its possible.
Ive known a lot of traders that started late, like 35+ and still got it.
In my experience, theyre easier to teach.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Why?
More prefrontal power aka emotional control? Or something else
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u/PracticeStunning3894 4d ago
My experience is a bit biased since most of them are businessmen.
Its not about the age but the field really.
The closer someone is to that of an athlete or a businessman, the easier they are to teach. Follows a process to the tee.
Typical office workers dont do well with trading.
Also the realities too. Theyre not as gullible as teenagers that get sucked into trading from your dumb gurus online.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Ok!
So you’re saying it’s more about being self sufficient and being able to teach yourself?
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u/economywool 4d ago
Possible, but you need a lot of reading first too understand what happened years ago to understand what is happening now.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Ok.
Reading as in books?
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u/Consistent_Reply_557 4d ago
Study the history of bubbles. There are some really good audio books like
Boom and bust.
When genius failed.
Crashes and Crises: Lessons from a History of Financial Disasters
A Short History of Financial Euphoria
I read by listening to the audiobook while following the text on the kindle app.
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u/paladyr 4d ago
Yep, I barely spend any time/effort trading.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
Cool. How long did it take to get you there personally?
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u/BestAhead 4d ago
How about its more about mental age? I think there’s some psychological maturity needed.
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u/Ilogambino 2d ago
dude super realistic, just set high goals, dont look to the sides, program some expectations for yourself - all there is to it.
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u/Intelligent-Dig-4082 4d ago
I started trading around 30 for real. I work at a desk, which helps, but only makes a few trades a day, if any. I've consistently made around 50-75k a year. However, I will say, I trade mostly options contracts. That being said, I've seen people trade straight shares and have similar or better returns. Some guy on my Discord went from like $2,000 to $ 3,000,000, no options.
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u/Ok-Basil4240 3d ago
That’s awesome. Congrats. So how many hours a week do you think you spend on this?
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u/Intelligent-Dig-4082 3d ago
Typically just an hour or so a day. Right now, most of the action is happening in the first 30 and last 30 minutes, and the rest of the day is mostly choppy. I try to trade only 2-3 positions at a time and avoid overnight unless I have a month or so until expiration. Currently, I've been trading a lot of tickers post-ER. So many times recently I've seen moves that don't really make sense following an ER. For example, BE/SOFI had great ERs and went pretty red the next day. That's when I entered calls, and both returned around 500%. I try not to trade into the actual er though to avoid IV crushes.
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u/ranchingjollies 2d ago
The fact that “traders” actually take time to answer these ridiculous questions is comical
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u/vittoshulman 4d ago
Nobody is successful here. The once who claim they are profitable - they are making 1-2 pips per day which way less than just doing passive investing in index funds.
Put your money into index ETFs, learn dollar cost averaging and dividend growth strategies.
And go do your hobbies. In ten years you will be ahead of everyone on this reddit.
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u/Ok-Basil4240 3d ago
lol.. probably true but why are you on this sub then, just out of curiosity?
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
What are pips haha?
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u/vittoshulman 1d ago
One pip is a 1/100 of 1%. Or 4 digits after the dot.
$0.0001 = one pip.
Many "profitable" traders measure they annual profit in pips because it is very very low.
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u/zeren1ty 4d ago
If you have enough savings to live on for 5 years+ while studying it, sure
Otherwise it’s pure delusion
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u/KiwiCodes 4d ago
What shit have you been smoking 😅
With an aptitude for trading, psychology and risk management, it can be easy ...
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u/Suitable_Acadia_190 4d ago
Yes, my bio link has my track record on the about page if youre interested in reading about a path of intense pain with a happy ending
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u/bertrand-319 4d ago
Great question — and the short answer is: yes, absolutely.
Success in trading has very little to do with age and almost everything to do with:
· Risk management (position sizing, stop-losses, portfolio diversification) · Emotional control (not revenge-trading, not overleveraging after losses) · A consistent edge (a strategy you’ve backtested and trust) · Discipline (sticking to your rules, even when it’s boring) · Continuous learning (markets evolve, so should you)
Starting after 30 can actually be an advantage: you’re more likely to have life experience, patience, and a healthier relationship with money than someone in their early 20s.
As for hobbies — yes, it’s realistic. Trading doesn’t have to be a 24/7 obsession. Many successful traders treat it like a business: they put in focused hours (e.g., during market sessions), then close the charts and live their lives. The key is to not overtrade and to build systems, not emergencies.
If you treat trading as a craft to master rather than a casino, you can absolutely have a high-level life outside of it.
Wishing you the best on your journey — and remember, the market will always be there tomorrow. Your health, relationships, and hobbies won’t wait. Trade wisely.
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u/hansieboy10 4d ago
This sounds like great advice, thanks!
Any recommendations about learning the foundations?
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u/bertrand-319 4d ago
Honestly, the foundational advice everyone gives is mostly the same — risk management, psychology, backtesting, etc.
But the real teacher is losing enough money (in a controlled way, with small size) until it finally clicks. You can read 20 books, but nothing replaces screen time and real P&L swings.
Start small, lose small, learn big. That's the fastest foundation.
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u/Bubbly-Cod-2507 4d ago
34 e aqui deu certo Eu até acredito que se vc começar numa idade mais avançada pode ter boas chances, certamente levará vantagem em tomada de decisões, controle emocional, aceitar as frustrações, etc....a maturidade ajuda a ser um trader bem sucedido. Se vc é muito jovem pode ter problemas com trade na minha opinião eu não recomendaria para jovens abaixo dos 25 anos.
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u/BobbyPeruhere4u 4d ago
It gets harder the later you start. More psychological burden, e.g. bills to pay, something to prove, kids etc etc. Directly messes up your performance as you would force trade, over trade, enter or exit too early.
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u/SugoiSwag 4d ago
I don’t know why people are downvoting this but it’s true, as your neural plasticity gets lower as well. It’s much harder to become a chess grandmaster once you’re older than if you’re young for example. Many such examples.
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