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[B]ClarkFX a.k.a Clark Lai[/B]
[B]1. Tell us about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from? Are you in school? What do you do?[/B]
[I]I am currently 17 years old, and will be turning 18 on June 24th. I live in Canada; Calgary, Alberta to be exact (good ole’ Stampede). I am still in my senior year in high school, and will be looking to pursue a post-secondary education. I am planning to go for my BComm Honours Degree, majoring in Finance, minor in Business Law/Economics. For my postgraduate studies, I am looking to gain admittance into law school, where I can receive a joint Masters in Business Administrations and Bachelors of Law (MBA/LLB). I will be attending the University of Alberta.[/I]
[B]2. How did you discover forex trading?[/B]
[I]When I was younger, before I knew about forex, I always thought that you could make a profit through currency rates and fluctuations, but I never took it thoughts into great detail. I thought I could stand in front of a currency exchange desk and make a quick buck like that!
Then I started getting involved in trading stocks from my parents. I saw ads and heard from my friends’ parents about trading gold and other metals, so I tried reading up on that, but it was too confusing at the time. That’s when I started seeing ads for trading currencies. Back then I didn’t know it was called forex. I did a quick search on Google and stumbled upon Babypips. I tried learning from Kindergarten, but I was still young so I could not grasp it at all. I gave up.
A couple years later, I start reading again and I understand all of it, surprisingly, and here I am![/I]
[B]3. What/who influenced you to get involved in forex trading?[/B]
[I]When I was younger, I realized I DO NOT want to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. That’s torture. Why could I just stay at home and work for a living?
My parents never really approved of my thinking, so I decided that someday I will prove them wrong, and it’s been one of my key motivators. I got interested with a home business. Perhaps, selling merchandise, or online marketing. I ended up trying all of that, some failed while some proved to be quick successful.
Affiliate marketing, Google AdSense and PPC advertising, web & graphic design, eBay businesses, dropshipping practises, I tried them all. But the stock market and the economy, I was always interested in. So I decided to invest my profits into a discount brokerage account and started trading. I read up a lot on the subject and got pretty good at it. I ran my initial balance up 700% in a matter of 8 months.
With the money I have made, I intend to use it to trade forex now. The large liquidity, and volatility suits my trading style. Since it’s hard for one single entity to corner the market, it provides a more accurate analysis using technicals. [/I]
[B]4. Do your parents or friends know that you trade? If yes, what do they say about it?[/B]
[I]My parents know I’m trading, since I’m not of legal age yet, they have to actually open my trading accounts under their names. =P I try to keep trading away from my friends, I figure the less people who know, the better. I mean, a couple friends know that I do some sort of work at home, but that’s about all they know.
My mom supports me as she is in the finance industry. My dad, on the other hand, doesn’t really like the fact that I believe forex will be my primary source of income. He’s a traditional man, and feels that everyone should work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week… Not my sort of thing, sorry pops.[/I]
[B]5. What do you usually do when you’re not trading?[/B]
[I]I participate in a lot of extracurricular activities. I play the piano, guitar, and alto-saxophone. I do Western boxing, Wing Chun, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jujitsu. I also lift weights 6 days a week, and 3 days of cardio; I used to compete as a Junior Bodybuilder. Yeah, the ones you see running around in their underwear. =P I like hanging out with my friends, fishing, play golf, paintballing, laser tag, etc. I just like being able to experience there is to do in life. I still manage my own PPC business right now, as it’s proved to be a good source of income. School wise, I am trying to maintain my grades to receive scholarships (free money, right?) and get final admission into university. [/I]
[B]6. Are you looking into being a full-time forex trader in the future?[/B]
[I]My dream job is to either be a full-time trader who works at home. I don’t have to necessarily trade forex solely but adding other markets will help, I feel, as well. My other dream job would be to manage my hedge fund. Some older traders might say these are far-fetched dreams, but give me a break old-timer, I’m young, I started at an early age, if I work hard enough I will make it! :D[/I]
[B]7. Who do you look up to in the forex industry? How about from the non-forex industry? [/B]
[I]I do not know a lot of people in the forex industry, but I do look up to Soros. Some might hate him, but I don’t. He’s powerful, independent, and free from social norms. Some might feel he exploits society and the markets, but it’s a dog-eat-dog world, only the smart, strong, cunning traders will survive. Soros has proven himself to be of that character. In the non-forex industry, I look up to many of the wealthy philanthropists (just learned what that word actually meant a couple days ago!) in the world. They must be great people, giving what they have to the ones who need it.[/I]
[B]8. Who inspires you?[/B]
[I]I don’t really have anybody that inspires. But the fact that if I can trade for a living, I am able to get a lot more freedom and time in life. I like the fact that I can be making a lot of income without working a single day at the office. That’s my main inspiration.[/I]
[B]9. If you never discovered forex trading, what do you think would you be doing?[/B]
[I]If I never discovered forex, I would still be trading stocks, and working on my PPC business. Or even perhaps, another home business venture, who knows. :P[/I]
[B]10. If forex trading can be a personality/celebrity/character who would it be and why?[/B]
[I]I have no clue what forex trading would be… Maybe Charlie Sheen? Since the markets are quite irrational?? :P[/I]
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