How to Change A Life in One Year: A Trader's Success Story

"Nothing is impossible," is a phrase we often hear others say. To some extent, it is true because success is something that can be built. For the past 12 years, FBS witnessed many success stories from their traders. The time has come to share them. 26-year-old Jamie from Birmingham was always fascinated by financial markets. He used every chance to dive into the topic of finance and trading. At one point, he decided that, as the financial industry was steadily growing every year, there would be a place for him to earn — he was right.

When Jamie began to trade with FBS, he didn’t dream of big results and started small. He was always passionate about learning; that is why he used every chance to dive deeper to further his trading knowledge. His first deposit was £150, and in one year, he made almost £30 000.

We asked Jamie a few questions to understand more about his secrets of success.

Jamie, how did you start trading?

Ever since graduation, I dreamt about a life where I didn’t need to worry about money. To achieve this, I understand that it couldn’t be from the typical wages earned at a boring 9 to 5. However, that was where life took me. My first experience with trading is something I don’t want to remember. Without a single thought, I put all my savings into some kind of options trading. As a result, I blew up my account and was left without a single penny to live. This made me looking for a job, and I ended up working in a small restaurant nearby.

As a waiter, I was miserable, but from that misery, my motivation was born. One day, I was fired after missing my shift. That was all the change I needed to kickstart my journey.

What were your first steps as a novice trader?

Since my first experience was a total failure, I began searching for a good broker. Then I realised I didn't know what made a good broker. So, after scouring the internet for reviews, I settled on FBS.

What stuck out for me with FBS was its license and amazing reviews that proved this broker could be trusted. Moreover, FBS provided their own mobile trading platform, where I could trade. So I decided to give FBS a chance and started with their demo account on the FBS Trader App. I didn't know it then, but I made the right choice.

When did you start to make profits?

I was fully prepared after opening my first real money account, thanks to my demo account training. I had some jitters, but it was a smooth transition. When I felt I was ready, I opened a Standard account in FBS Trader. To gain capital for trading, I started to freelance as an English instructor. I capitalised on the high demand for native English speakers, which provided extra income when I gave a lesson. Even now, I do it from time to time.

The first order I opened seemed like an absolute sure thing. I opened an order for EURUSD. My intuition was correct, and it paid off. That was my very first profitable order. Even though I predicted it, I was still a bit shocked. I decided to up the stakes a bit with a larger order.

The more and more I traded, the more confident I became. I also started trading crypto, and now I trade on both Standard and Crypto accounts.

You mentioned that FBS is your broker. What do you like the most about FBS?

Surely, the aspect I like the most is that I can trust FBS. To me, a broker needs to have a license. Also, I like their app, FBS Trader. Do you know how MT4 looks like? That's different with FBS Trader. Trading feels much more comfortable. I'm positive that even a total beginner can handle that.

What else… FBS has a lot to offer. 0 pip spreads, deposits and withdrawals without commissions, analytics. You won't believe me, but I even subscribed for their weekly emails. They help to learn new about trading.

In your opinion, where can a beginner learn to trade?

When I decided to learn how to trade, I gained knowledge through the internet. I even bought a book on trading. Never read it, though. It was hard to find anything valuable. I didn't know where to look. And that's okay cause I was a novice. I missed the fact that FBS has an educational section on their site. More than that, there was analytics, news, and something else, don't really remember. Webinars too. And it's all free. Of course, when I found it, I already traded, but still, it came in use to me.

If you are a beginner, try to find trusted sources because the right strategy is everything.

What was the most memorable trade for you?

I already mentioned my first trade. It's hard to remember it in detail, but I remember how excited I was about my first profit. That's the most memorable one. Oh, I have one more! It was when I first tried a pending order. Please, don't laugh. I was a beginner! So, I made a pending order and understood that I made a mistake with the amount. I panicked and didn't know what to do.

I rushed to FBS support (thank goodness it's in FBS Trader via chat) and asked if they could help me. The whole matter took a few seconds; they explained that I could cancel it and open a new one. I felt a bit silly! But that was a lesson. Good that I could chat with support, with real people; otherwise, I would do something wrong.

I don’t really want to brag, but trading turned out well because I worked hard, studied, and disciplined myself. I think that this works for every trader. So that’s what I did and continue doing today. And don’t give up! Sometimes it feels like you’re not going anywhere, and you want to quit. Don’t do it. I had my own rises and falls, but I knew I’d figure it out. You will too!

I didn't expect much at the beginning, but trading helped me to realise my dreams. I always wanted to have a dog. As soon as I earned my first money, I rushed to buy a dog and got the cutest Labrador in the world! Now I am a happy owner of Brownie. Step by step, I bought a fantastic Audi Q7 (my first car!) and moved to London (my dream!), where I rent a flat now. So anything is possible!