Trader Michael T Shares Insights on Earning $75,000+ Through Breakouts and Pullbacks

Michael T, a seasoned trader with over 13 years of market experience, has officially surpassed $75,000 in total payouts from the prop trading firm Trade The Pool. In a recent interview hosted by the firm, Michael shed light on his journey, strategy, and mindset that allowed him to thrive both in a professional career and as a trader.

Michael has been with Trade The Pool for approximately a year and a half and is recognized as one of their most consistent performers. His current funded account offers $200,000 in buying power. This capital has allowed him to maintain steady monthly payouts averaging nearly $7,000.

“Trade The Pool offers an opportunity no other online platform I’ve seen provides,” said Michael. “You guys are my main go-to trading account. I’m a very active trader and I just appreciate the services you offer.”

Michael’s trading strategy revolves around breakout and pullback setups in both large-cap and small-cap stocks. He prefers to trade with moderate position sizes, focusing on consistency over aggression. “Even though I have $200,000 in buying power, most of my trades are with 1,000 to 3,000 shares,” he explained. “I don’t need to take massive positions to be profitable.”

Reflecting on his journey, Michael shared that his first trade was during college when a finance professor encouraged students to open a Roth IRA. He eventually ventured into high-risk penny stocks during the marijuana legalization boom, turning a $7,000 investment into $40,000. “That experience hooked me. I wanted to treat trading as both a business and a skill set,” he recalled.

Despite early success, Michael’s journey was far from linear. He joined a proprietary trading firm post-college but gave back much of his profits due to living expenses. He later left his job during COVID to trade full-time, only to return to the workforce for financial stability. “Now, I work full-time as an accountant and trade on the side. It allows me to be more patient and focused with my trades because I don’t have the pressure to trade just to pay bills,” he said.

When asked whether he would recommend aspiring traders join Trade The Pool, Michael didn’t hesitate. “One million percent yes,” he said. “You don’t need to go for the biggest account. Start with the 5K. Prove yourself, learn, and then scale. That’s how you stay in the game.”

Michael also highlighted the importance of Trade The Pool’s risk management tools. One of his trades in HIMS tanked due to unexpected news, but the system automatically liquidated his position pre-market, limiting his losses. “I probably would’ve lost another $15,000 if the Trade The Pool risk parameters weren’t there,” he admitted.

His adaptive strategy—trading both large and small caps based on market conditions—has given him flexibility others might lack. He explained that while large caps often require more consolidation for breakouts, small caps can present quicker opportunities. “APLD was a small cap I traded based on a news catalyst. It gave me a clean breakout,” he noted.

Michael attributes a major part of his success to sizing discipline. “When you go too big, you start getting emotional. You hold trades longer, you want to be greedy, and that’s where losses pile up. I trade best when I’m risking within a comfortable range,” he said.

By maintaining consistency, using moderate size, and leveraging the firm’s resources, Michael has not only outperformed his day job income but continues to trade with zero personal capital at risk.

“I’ve actually made a little more from trading with Trade The Pool than from my full-time job over the past year,” he revealed.