Howdy Lark Traders! This is Lark Digest, the trading newsletter that takes you on a financial joyride with no “bear” encounters!

Mr.Lark

On today’s menu:

• I just passed my $100,000 challenge ✅ 

• Why cTrader Is Better Than MT5 👀 

• Why Stocks Are Dropping 📉 

✅ I Just Passed My $100,000 Challenge

Yes, folks, I still got it.

For two years, starting in 2020, I traded full-time.

I got funded with FTMO and from that point, I covered 100% of my expenses from trading.

But when I launched Lark Funding in June 2022, my trading took a backseat.

But it turns out trading is a lot like riding a bike. It takes a lot of crashing, bruised knees and breached accounts to learn - But once you do, you never forget how to make those profitable trades!

The proof?

I’ve been playing around with a $100,000 Lark Challenge, and after just three trades, I’ve passed.

*Well, I’m about $60 away from passing, but we’ll just say I’ve passed (sorry, haters).*

So, why am I telling you this?

• Because I’m not some crazy, 10/10 trader. I’d say I’m about a 4/10.

• I’m proof that trading doesn’t need to be complicated. It just takes patience.

• I passed in just three trades without risking more than 1%.

On social media, we see traders everywhere posting huge payouts and passing challenges within a day.

But 99% of it is a lie.

Here’s the truth:

• Gambling 101. These social media influencers are buying 10 challenges to only pass 2, to then try and receive one massive payout. That’s gambling. Not trading.

• Good trading is boring trading. I held the above trades for a few days. I set my take profit and stop loss levels and then literally forgot about them.

• Patience > Hard work. Trading is like my golf game - The less I golf, the better I get. That’s because if I try to force things or overcomplicate them, that’s when things fall apart.

The takeaway here is that trading can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.

I spent years trying to make things difficult for myself because I thought it was necessary.

But it’s not.

And if I can pass and make a living from trading while only being a 4/10 trader, then you can, too.

👀 Why cTrader Is Better Than MT5

cTrader is WAY better than MT5.

Yes, I said it.

Yes, I know this upsets a lot of traders.

But it’s true!

A recent poll even showed that traders are finally coming around to the platform.

Now, for some reason (which I can’t understand), traders seem to be VERY attached to MT5, a platform that was launched 14 years ago.

However, aside from being able to use Expert Advisors, I see absolutely no reason why a trader would prefer MT5 over cTrader.

Here’s my reasoning to love cTrader:

• Calculating position sizes is incredibly easy.

• The charting platform is great. For a time, I even used it over TradingView.

• Email alerts. Rather than spend crazy money on TradingView alerts, you can have unlimited email alerts on cTrader.

• Mobile is awesome. It’s incredibly easy to use.

We’ll have a full YouTube video breaking down the platform shortly.

But until then, check this out.

📉 Why Stocks Are Dropping

I love stocks.

I think the best thing to do with prop firm payouts is to invest those gains into the market (not financial advice, obviously).

But personally, I absolutely hate investing at all-time highs.

You see, most people’s moods fluctuate with the weather, but mine fluctuates with the market.

And happy markets = sad, Mr.Lark.

I want a discount, baby!

So I’ve been sitting on my hands for several months, waiting for the indexes to drop, and it looks like that drop might be starting to happen.

In fact, as of this writing, the Dow Jones is down over 1.5%.

So, for both traders and investors, what’s going on here?

1/ GDP Is Not Looking Good

The US GDP numbers just came out this morning and they’re looking ugly.

GDP was expected to grow 2.4% from January to March but only grew at 1.6%.

Ouch!

This is bad because:

• This means that the economy is weaker than expected.

• Inflation is still persistently high.

• A weak economy and high inflation put the Federal Reserve in an impossible position.

If the Fed cuts rates, it will help the economy but send inflation to the moon.

Alternatively, if they keep rates high, it will (hopefully) improve inflation, but then the economy takes a hit.

So, if you thought your job was tough, imagine being Jerome Powell right now and having the entire US economy on your shoulders.

2/ Ugly Earnings Season

Meta, AKA Facebook, is currently down over 14% after the market didn’t like their earnings report yesterday.

Specifically, they clearly don’t like that:

• Meta’s costs are rising.

• They’ll be spending up to $10 billion in AI investments.

That’s been sending bad vibes throughout the market, as Microsoft and Google will both report their earnings after the bell today.

What does this mean for traders?

• Higher volatility = more opportunities. This could be a good chance to jump into a trade if there’s reason for it.

• Fundamentals > Technicals. I’m all for a good-looking chart, but during times like this, not following the news is shooting yourself in the foot.

• Risk Management 101. While more volatility means more opportunity, it also means it’s easier to blow your account. Now more than ever, reducing your risk is what the pros would do.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more juicy, market-moving updates!
Mr.Lark

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