The amount of capital one needs to begin trading or investing varies widely depending on numerous factors; Are you just interested in learning the basics or enhancing your trading & investing skills or do you plan to trade full time as your primary source of income? If so, how much do you need to withdrawal from your trading account for living expenses? What are your expected annual returns and how consistent to you expect those returns to be? Are you looking to trade to supplement another source of income, such as a pension or social security or are you still early in your working career?
The decision to embark on a career of trading full-time for a living should be carefully thought out and at that, only when one has a high degree of confidence in their abilities to consistently generate more than enough income needed in all market conditions such as bull markets, bear markets, and deer (sideways) markets. Typically, achieving such a level of trading proficiency takes years and is certainly not something that can be learned by attending a few seminars or subscribing to a newsletter or any other paid service, including this one. Unfortunately, the answer to the question about how much trading capital one needs to embark on a full-time trading career can not be answered here nor can Right Side of the Chart offer any type of trading, investing or career advice. The answer to that question can only be answered by the person asking it and only then after they have enough experience in order to ask themselves all of the pertinent questions associated with their own unique circumstances.
For those new to trading or investing, one viable option to avoid the common pitfall of losing most or all of your trading/investing capital during the early stages of the never-ending learning curve would be to start out paper trading. Most brokerage firms offer paper trading whereby you are able to trade securities (stocks, ETFs, options, & futures) without using real money. One potential benefit to doing so would be to allow someone new to trading or investing to hone & refine their own unique trading style (e.g.-day trader, swing trader, trend trader, investor, etc..) without risking any real money. Inquire with your brokerage firm about paper trading and consider consulting with a licensed stockbroker or Registered Investment Advisor before making any investment decisions that exceed your experience and/or comfort level. Please make sure to read our disclaimer.