Chat With Traders

Peter Brandt entered the commodity trading business in 1976 with ContiCommodity Services, survived years of market shifts, and turned a passion for price action into a legendary career spanning over 50 years as one of the world's premier classical chartists.After starting with Conti handling large institutional accounts like Campbell Soup Company and Homestake Mining, Peter went on to found Factor Trading Co., Inc. (now Factor LLC) in 1980 to trade proprietary capital. Author of the classic Diary of a Professional Commodity Trader and featured in Jack Schwager’s Unknown Market Wizards, Peter has spent over five decades navigating inflationary booms, market crashes, and the transition from open-outcry pits to electronic markets. Today, his edge is built on process, discipline, and classical charting principles that have stood the test of time.In this conversation, Peter pulls back the curtain on his five-decade journey, sharing the specific principles that have allowed him to navigate the markets for half a century. He breaks down why high win rates are a myth, how he caps risk at 60–70 basis points per trade, and how he transitioned from searching for quick wins to building a career as a master craftsman in speculation.

In this episode, we explore:• Peter Brandt’s 50+ year journey from advertising to commodity pits and Factor Trading• Why high win rates are a myth and how the 80/20 Pareto Principle applies to trading profits• How Peter limits risk to 60–70 basis points per trade and why he never pyramids positions• Why he shuns indicators and diagonal trend lines in favor of horizontal classical patterns• Why the real edge comes from risk management and emotional control, not chart patterns• Peter's advice for the next generation on craft, capital preservation, and longevity

About Peter Brandt:Peter L. Brandt entered the commodity trading business in 1976 with ContiCommodity Services, a division of Continental Grain Company. In 1980, he founded Factor Trading Co., Inc. (now Factor LLC), trading proprietary capital across forex, futures, fixed income, and equity markets. Over his career, he has managed trading activities for major institutional clients, including Commodities Corporation of Princeton, NJ.Peter is the author of Trading Commodity Futures with Classical Chart Patterns (1990) and Diary of a Professional Commodity Trader (2011), which held Amazon's #1 trading rank for 27 weeks. Featured in Jack Schwager's Unknown Market Wizards and named among the 30 most influential people in finance by Barry Ritholtz in 2011, Peter is widely recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on classical chart analysis.

Links + Resources:X (Twitter): https://x.com/PeterLBrandtWebsite: https://www.peterlbrandt.com/

Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com

Time Stamps:Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.
00:00 How a 50-Year Veteran Thinks About Risk Management05:42 Wanting a Career from Trading09:42 Taking 5 Years to Be Profitable15:20 Don't Quit Your Day Job to Trade Until You Have a Proven Track Record22:30 Cut Losses Short and Let My Winning Trades Run27:00 Understand the Risk and the Probability31:00 20% of My Trades Account for at Least 80% of My Total Profits36:08 Sizing Is Really Important and It Is the Reason Why a Lot of Novices Blow Out43:00 Removing Yourself from the Equation48:30 I Don't Believe in Optimization Where You Have a Set of Rules52:50 I Like Horizontal and Continuation Patterns54:38 I Don't Believe in Indicators Because They're Just Derivatives of Price1:00:00 Technical Analysis: Charts Resonated with Who I Am1:03:20 The Time Frame I Trade1:07:00 How Important It Is to Identify How You Trade1:09:15 Having a Mentor1:14:50 What Are You Most Proud of in Your Career01:20:09 I Enter Every Trade Assuming It's Going to Be a Loser01:26:05 Become a Craftsman of Trading01:33:48 You Can’t Go Broke Taking Small Profits, But You Will Go Broke Taking Large Losses01:35:40 Peter's Takeaway He Leaves to the Next Generation of Traders01:36:14 Where Can Traders Find You

Trading Disclaimer:Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice.
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Paul Scott entered the high-stakes trading floor of the London Metal Exchange at just 16 years old, survived years of trading under survival-mode pressure, and turned old-school pit wisdom into lifelong success.
After starting with a three-month probation and carrying the weight of his father's legendary legacy, Paul developed a disciplined approach to the most volatile corner of the market: commodities and forex. Today, his edge is built on experience and his pit logic trading approach, using price and value to guide his decisions while human behavior gives him the confidence to take the trade.In this conversation, Paul pulls back the curtain on his Survival to Success Arc, sharing the specific setups that allowed him to survive and scale through market chaos. He breaks down the fundamentals of his strategy, the open outcry framework, and how he transitioned from trading under pressure to trading with total directional agnosticism.

In this episode, we explore:• How Paul Scott Navigated 30+ Years of Volatility on the LME Trading Floor• Paul’s start at 16 years old and trading under extreme physical and mental pressure• The mechanics behind his pit logic trading approach• Why Timeframe Doesn’t Matter
 • Why every major trade should be simple enough to explain in one sentence• How Do the Big Money Trade?• The Traits Identified in Successful Students• His advice for beginner traders

About Paul Scott:Paul is a veteran commodities and forex trader known for his raw, practical approach and deep generational knowledge. Starting with the guidance of his legendary father, Harry Scott, he has documented more than three decades of trading through massive market scandals and institutional shifts. He specializes in momentum strategies and order flow behavior, focusing on the intersection of horizontal value zones and trader psychology.

Links + Resources:Website: https://paulscottfx.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@paulscott3066/videosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulscottfx/

Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com

Time Stamps:

Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.

00:00 Why Technical Analysis Is Just Retail Noise

02:14 Being a Second-Generation Trader

06:36 The Pressure of Having a Trader Dad

07:48 What Was the Pit Really Like?

15:06 The Biggest Metal Scandal in History

21:00 Market Manipulation in the Digital Age

24:50 What Is Pit Logic?

31:56 Working with Goldman Sachs

37:05 Modern Retail Traders vs. Professionals

38:40 Can Traders Find Success Purely on Technicals?

44:00 Trading for a Client vs. Trading for a Company

42:55 Why Timeframe Doesn’t Matter

47:42 Explain Your Trade in One Sentence

49:39 Thinking About What the Institutions Are Doing

54:04 How Do the Whales Trade?

1:01:20 Let's Talk About Capital Preservation

1:06:17 The Traits Identified in Successful Students

1:12:27 Is There a Trade That Stands Out to You?

1:20:18 What Is Your Advice to Your Younger Self?

Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice.
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David Capablanca pursued architecture for a decade, culminating in studying under a Pritzker Prize winner at UCLA, before a life threatening brain tumor, massive medical debt, and student loans forced him to completely reevaluate his life.After starting from rock bottom and carrying the weight of massive debt, David developed an all-consuming, "burn the boats" pursuit of trading mastery that saw him sleeping in his office, living out of his car, and showering on Skid Row just to trade the 4 AM pre-market session. Today, his edge is built on rigorous fundamental deep dives, forensic research into small cap pump and dump schemes, and a strict risk management framework designed to survive predatory market algorithms.In this conversation, David pulls back the curtain on his grueling journey from rock bottom to short selling master, detailing how he reverse-engineered the strategies of market manipulators. He breaks down the anatomy of modern short squeezes, his absolute checklist for avoidable stocks, and why protecting your capital to survive the learning curve is the ultimate rule.

In this episode, we explore:· Surviving rock bottom, sleeping in a WeWork desk, and showering on Skid Row during Covid· Waking up from a coma: The life-threatening surgery that gave David the "gift of urgency"· How the Covid biotech mania changed his account forever· Going undercover in Colombia: Inside David’s high-stakes investigation of a cannabis pump and dump· Why David completely avoids trading Chinese and Singaporean small-caps· The reality of Wall Street favoritism and the mechanics behind requesting a "trade bust"· Analyzing early $60,000 losses

About David Capablanca:David is an accomplished short seller, author, educator, podcast host, and founder of Friendly Bear University. Over a trading career shaped by intense study, he has built a verified seven-figure track record with a remarkable ninety percent win ratio. He has trained countless developing day traders, expanding his educational insights globally while championing an autodidact, highly disciplined framework to achieve true financial independence.
Links + Resources:
Upcoming Conference (October 12th): https://www.friendlybearuniversity.com/conference
(Chat With Traders Team and Host Kevin Avery will be there live to co-host the forum!)
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidCapablancaTrades
X (Twitter): https://x.com/reverselong
Instagram: https://instagram.com/reverselong
Facebook: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=772328557
Website: https://www.friendlybearuniversity.com
Pre-Order Short Selling Master Book: https://harriman-house.com/authors/david-capablanca/short-selling-master/9781804093290

Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com

Time Stamps:Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.

00:00 The Journey From Skid Row Showers to Short Selling Master05:14 Isolating from society to build an entrepreneurial identity11:05 Betting on Yourself Leaving Architecture15:02 Pattern recognition and risk management19:18 Waking up from a coma25:04 Selling the car, quitting alcohol, and sleeping on a shared office floor30:04 Trading the Covid biotech bubble34:13 Traveling to the Colombian jungle to verify a stock scam38:16 The moment David's spy-pen cover was blown by the cartel44:45 Why David completely bans Chinese stocks from his Trading50:24 How predatory algorithms map locate data to trap shorts55:04 Inside the New York Stock Exchange01:00:09 "Trade Bust" and the reality of Wall Street favoritism01:04:00 Reviewing early painful losses: The $60k loss01:09:04 Insider liquidity of after-hours news01:12:51 David's biggest winner01:17:57 The finish line of excellence01:20:12 Final piece of advice01:20:43 Where to Get The Short Selling Master Book

Trading Disclaimer:Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice.
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Jason Berry co-founded Positive Equity in 2008. Built alongside partners and traders who raised the bar, the firm operates trading floors in Ireland and Croatia. Over a 14-year stretch of verified clearing statements, his small losses, long career approach resulted in only five losing months.Most people think trading success comes from predicting markets. In reality, Jason's multi-decade longevity proves that true consistency comes from deep discipline, strict risk control, and surviving long enough for compounding to work, earning him a featured chapter in Jack Schwager's book, Market Wizards: The Next Generation.In this conversation, Jason pulls back the curtain on his journey from a remote Northern California commune to the chaotic trading floors of London and Dublin. He breaks down the realities of managing a decaying edge, his framework for identifying raw talent in trainees, and why surrounding yourself with a team of disciplined professionals is the ultimate source of career longevity.In this episode, we explore:·        How Jason transitioned from an isolated childhood to the chaotic London trading floors·        The hidden edges of the open outcry era and the nature of "elbow trades"·        What Jack Schwager and the Market Wizards team look for when verifying a trader's record·        The structural reality of Jason's risk-reward framework·        Why summer vacations can cause traders to become rusty and lose touch with the market tape·        How to spot decaying market edges through the P&L before they do catastrophic damage·        The core personality traits and tells that separate successful trainees from those who fail·        Jason’s outlook on which traders will survive the next decade of AI and machine learning

About Jason Berry:Jason is a professional futures trader, co-founder of Positive Equity, and a featured market wizard in the book, Market Wizards: The Next Generation. Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, Jason has documented a legendary track record of consistency and durability. He has trained well over 200 traders, expanding his operations from Dublin to Croatia while championing a team-driven approach to market mastery.

Links + Resources:X (Twitter): https://x.com/JasonHBerryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhberry

Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com

Time Stamps:Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.

00:00 He Only Had 5 Losing Months In 14 Years


03:09 Introduction To Trading


09:33 Using Elbow Trades As An Edge


16:22 What Your Risk-Reward Looks Like

20:34 Can You Make A "Mr. Consistency" System?

25:29 What You Possess That Others May Also Have


30:23 Why You Get Rusty When Taking A Summer Vacation


35:56 How Important It Is To Constantly Innovate


38:51 What Traits You Can See In Your Trainees


45:10 The Single Greatest Rule In Trading


51:35 How Do You Scale Positions?


55:54 Which Traders Do You Think Will Survive The Next Decade?


59:45 Trading Euro Stocks


01:03:05 What The Next 30 Years Look Like For You


01:08:30 Have You Had Your Trainees Outperform You?


01:09:34 What Your Advice Is To Traders


01:14:11 Where Can You Find Jason Berry

Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Schwager and George Coyle team up to look at what it takes to master the markets, combining classic wisdom with how modern financial markets work today.After studying top fund managers and over 100 years of market history, Jack and George wrote Market Wizards: The Next Generation to showcase today's best traders. These elite performers range from everyday traders who turned small accounts into millions to steady traders who almost never have a losing month. The secret to their success is matching their trading strategy perfectly with their personality.In this conversation, Jack and George reveal the core rules that great traders follow. They talk about unexpected strategies that surprised even them, like making huge profits trading agricultural futures or shorting small-cap stocks. They also discuss why basic chart reading works better for managing risk than company fundamentals, the reality of a tough work ethic, and why the most important lesson in trading is knowing when to step away from the screen.

In this episode, we explore:·        How Jack Schwager and George Coyle started working together·        The three timeless trading rules that top traders have used for over a century·        The specific trading strategies that completely surprised Jack and George·        How to balance making big returns while protecting your trading account from large losses·        The main differences in managing risk between technical and fundamental analysis·        The story of an anonymous multi-millionaire musician who became a legendary trader·        The intense work ethic and personal sacrifices needed to reach the top level·        Final thoughts on why there is much more to a good life than just trading the stock market

About The Guests:

Jack Schwager:Jack is the author of the famous Market Wizard series, A Complete Guide to the Futures Markets, and Market Sense and Nonsense. He is a world-known expert on trading and financial markets, famous for showing the mindset and risk management habits of elite traders.George Coyle:George is the co-author of the new Market Wizards book. He is a writer, trader, system designer, money manager, and market strategist. After studying finance at The Ohio State University, he worked for 10 years in NYC at major hedge funds, including John A. Levin & Co. and Clovis Capital. He studied applied statistics at Columbia University, worked briefly with Victor Niederhoffer, and later served as a macro strategist in the US Virgin Islands. George also worked as the Chief Investment Officer for a family office in Chicago before returning to Ohio to run his own investment firm.

Links + Resources:George Coyle: https://x.com/gfc4Jack Schwager: https://x.com/jackschwagerOrder Market Wizards: The Next Generation Book: https://harriman-house.com/authors/jack-d-schwager/market-wizards-the-next-generation/9781804093641

Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com

Time Stamps:Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.
00:00 The 3 Timeless Rules Shared by 100 Years of Market Wizards


07:57 The First Market Wizards Book


12:13 What George Coyle Was Trying to Solve


15:59 Why It Is Better to Keep Things Simple Rather Than Complex


22:19 Making Sure Your Strategy Fits Your Personality


28:21 The Two Main Types of Profitable Traders

31:55 Finding a Trading Edge in Today's Market Landscape

37:16 Interviews That Challenged Jack and George's Core Beliefs

42:51 Where the Younger Generation of Traders Succeeds

47:07 Core Personality Traits of Market Wizards

52:24 Understanding the Reality of Market Structures

56:03 The Real Problem with Pure Fundamentals

01:01:13 Jack's Most Memorable Moment from the Next Generation Interviews

01:03:50 George's Most Memorable Moment from the Next Generation Interviews

01:04:52 Where to Follow George Coyle and Jack Schwager Online

Trading Disclaimer:Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices