Top Traders Unplugged With Niels Kaastrup-larsen | Engaging Conversations With The Top Traders & Investors

Welcome to an episode of Top Trader’s Unplugged unlike any other. We take a break from interviews with hedge fund managers and invite you into the fascinating world of financial astrology. Mahendra Sharma dedicates his astrology and predictions work exclusively on the financial markets, and has had an astonishing accuracy of predicting market events. Learn about his story, including his upbringing without electricity in his home, on this episode.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why Mahendra is completely different than any of the other guests that have been on the podcast.How he got into predicting the financial markets.The story of his astrologer grandfather who lost his eyesight.How he came out with his first predictions at the age of 20.How he made a fortune in technology stocks based on his own predictions.The way he wrote his first book that came out in South Africa.How he gre

In the second part of our talk with Mike Shell, we delve into the specifics of his program and why most of his clients have 100% of their investments with his firm. He discusses backtesting, risk management, and the differences between purely systematic systems and systems with a discretionary element. Listen in for an inside look at this fascinating firm.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How people should look at Mike’s 10 year track record and how his models have evolved over that time.How much of the strategy is machine run and how much is human run.What he does when he backtest a system.How he started out as a chartist in the 1990s.What is it that he can’t systematize.The difference between a trader that is purely systematic and one that has a discretionary element, however small.How his investors use his program.What his approach to risk management is and how it plays out with

Most trend following firms have clients that invest somewhere between 2 and 20% of their portfolio with that firm, but Mike Shell’s firm is different. His strategy is tailored to a specific customer, and almost all of his clients have their entire investment portfolios with his firm. We dive into the specifics of Shell Capital Management in this episode, and how Mike grew up in the southern United States with a military background to become the owner of his own firm.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The ways that Mike’s firm is different from other firms.His upbringing in Tennessee.How he started Shell Capital in 2004.The books that influenced him in his trend following education.What his experience was in the brokerage world.Why he left the brokerage world and what gave him the courage to become an entrepreneur.His experience in the military and law enforcement.What

In this year-end review, Marc Malek explains why intervention in the markets affects trend following, but also why trend following strategies are not long volatility strategies. He discusses 2014 from the point of view of his firm, how his program did, and why he is excited about 2015.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How 2014 treated Conquest Capital.How volatility shows itself in a market like oil.What strategies performed well and what markets contributed to their success.How he prepares himself for extreme volatility and how he dealt with the Swiss Franc move.What intervention does to the markets.How his firm would plan for our react to a big market change such as the break up of the Euro overnight.Why people use correlation in the wrong way.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP for Rick Rule's Symposium: Once in a life-time natural resource insights from the BEST investors in the

This year in review covers how Aspect Capital came out of 2014 with their best year ever as a company, and what they learned from the year. Martin Lueck discusses the events that made 2014 a roller coaster ride, as well as the importance of always staying agnostic in your allocation to different sectors.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why 2014 was a roller coaster ride for Aspect Capital.How 2014 was the best year ever on record for Martin’s firm.Why CTAs spend most of the time being in a certain level of drawdown and how they have to be psychologically prepared for that.What markets didn’t perform for his firm.How Martin reacted to the Swiss Franc move that happened recently.How conversations with investors changed over the year.Why educating investors is important.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP for Rick Rule's Symposium: Once in a life-time natural resource insights fro

On our next year-in-review, Mike Dever talks about how 2014 evolved for his firm and what they learned from the year. He discusses the changes they made to their program as well as the recent Swiss Franc move and what they learned from that. He also talks about why investors need to keep the long term view in mind when investing, and not re-evaluate the program every time the profits take a dip.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:What Mike’s firm does that blends together different strategies in order to diversify a portfolio.How 2014 was for his firm.Why they had a great first quarter to 2014 when most CTAs did not.How the Interest Rate sector and Agriculture sector did well for the program.Why he saw the Swiss Franc move coming.How they are in a continual process of learning and subsequently improving their program.Convergent vs. Divergent environments and what Mike is looking forwa

Aref Karim has been on the institutional investing side and the fund manager side for many years, so he has some great insights into how each group thinks and ways they can understand each other better. In this episode, Aref reviews 2014 from the perspective of QCM and discusses the research upgrades that the firm started to their program, and how they dealt with the events of the year, including the recent Swiss Franc move.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:About the two programs that his firm trades.How 2014 went for Aref and his firm.About the upgrades that the firm started in late 2013.Where their largest gains came from in 2014.The opportunities that no one predicted in 2014.How they dealt with the Swiss Franc move in early 2015.How institutional investors are looking at the managed futures space as we enter 2015.What 2015 looks like for his firm.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-

In this year-end review, Luc van Hof discusses what he learned from 2014 and how his firm innovated to create better gains for customers in 2015. He also talks about the Swiss Franc and why he was not trading it when the major move happened in 2015.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The two programs that his firm trades.What kind of risk both of his programs take on.What 2014 taught Luc.What he learned from the Swiss Franc move.Why they didn’t trade the Swiss Franc…on the day of the big move.Why he wishes they could have taken a holiday for 6 months after the end of June.The advantage of trading frequently.The new innovation that his firm started this year.His thoughts on volatility.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP for Rick Rule's Symposium: Once in a life-time natural resource insights from the BEST investors in the world via a first-class livestream or Live event!Resources &

Jerry Parker takes us inside 2014 for his firm, and how his models reacted to the Swiss Franc move in January of 2015. He looks at the year and makes a case for trend following as an asset class, as well as highlights what we can learn from a year like 2014.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How the year ended up for Jerry’s firm.The date when his system started getting short Crude Oil.What they could have done better in 2014.How he dealt with the Swiss Franc move in January 2015 and how many ATR he made and lost on 2 different CHF positions.The minor changes they’ve made to increase diversification of their trading systems.What he wishes for 2015.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP for Rick Rule's Symposium: Once in a life-time natural resource insights from the BEST investors in the world via a first-class livestream or Live event!Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:List

In this year-end-review, we take a look at how 2014 might be seen many years into the future. Is this when “trader-less” systematic trading caught on? We take you into the workings of a 1-year-old trading technology company, how they succeeded, and where they are going in the future.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:It was their first year of trading under the public eye.How consistent the statistics were the entire year.How the backtest matched up with live data in 2014.What led to their profits and where they lost money.Why it’s hard to draw conclusions that tie trades back to world events.How they made a lot of money in the first half of the year when other trend followers were having a difficult time.About their one-year birthday party.The improvements they made during the year.How 2015 will see a “refined” interest in trend following CTAs.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP

In this year-end-review, we discuss the year for CTAs and short term traders, as well as the recent collapse of the Euro/Swiss Franc peg and how that affected the models of Quest Partners. Nigol discusses his goals and thoughts for 2015 and reflects on a 2014 that saw his firm start two new strategies and take in new investment.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Quest Partners did in 2014.Why fixed income was the highest contributor to his gains during the year.What models did well in 2014.What the Euro/Swiss Franc collapse can teach us about risk management.How do we prepare for the unthinkable?The details of how his models reacted to the Swiss Franc surge.What the highlights of 2014 were for Nigol.About the two hedge strategies that they started in 2014.How investors should insure they don’t repeat 2011 and 2012.How the “Black Box” of CTAs is not as mysterious as it used t

In this Year End Review, we discuss the major events and unexpected market trends in 2014 as well as the major Swiss Franc move at the start of 2015. Scot Billington discusses his firm’s performance what they learned from their losses and gains, and how they evolved their models. He also talks about why they were able to keep losses low in 2014.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:An overview of what happened in 2014 and where they made money.Which factors contributed to profits in 2014 and which factors were the laggards.Dissecting the market effect of sliding oil prices in 2nd half of 2014 and the “un-pegging” of the Swiss Franc to the Euro.Evolving perspectives on risk management in response to events of 2014.Deconstructing the Optimal Program and how to mitigate risk in higher leverage environments.Actions taken to keep a typical program or an Optimal Program from going to zero.Cha

Peter Kambolin comes from the short term CTA space, and thus has a different perspective than some of our previous guests for our Year in Review theme this month. He discusses how the events in Crimea and Russia shaped markets, how divergence played a role, and how his firm made small changes to models and even added a new product line in 2014.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How the year went for Peter and his two different strategies that his firm trades.Why it was a challenging year for mean-reversion type strategies.What markets did well in his portfolio.What he learned from 2014 and what he would do differently.The minor adjustment they made to the model in October.How they adjusted or reacted to world events in 2014.Why they don’t trade certain markets because most trades are not made by humans.What would divergence do for his trading models.How they improved their backtestin

How do clients understand a trading strategy so that they stick by the firm in hard times? How do investors make sense of when things go well for the CTA industry. We dive into these questions and more on this next episode, a year-in-review from Anders Lindell of IPM.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why 2014 was a model-proving year for IPM.How relative bond trading worked so well for his firm.How the world events of 2014 affect how much risk people take on in general.Why his models got the Russian Ruble wrong.Anders’ new role within IPM that was a highlight for him during last year.How conversations with investors changed over the year.How Anders thinks about divergence in context with the market’s past history.How he makes sure that clients know what they are buying into.Why he wants a normalization from the central banks.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP for Rick Rule's Symposi

Bastian Bolesta reviews 2014 and details the ups and downs of the year for his firm and the managed futures industry as a whole. In this episode, he discusses the start to the year that he wants to forget, the return of seemingly normal volatility, and the profitable 4th quarter.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How the first half of 2014 was a continuation of 2013 for Deep Field Capital.How the “fellows” in their trading program evolved during the year.What markets contributed to their growth.What markets they lost in during 2014.The automated system they use to choose what markets they trade.How the markets started to behave in a more “normal” way in the second part of 2014.What his highlight was for the year.Why to be careful of accepting assets that are chasing past performance.-----ATTENTION TTU TRIBE : SIGN-UP for Rick Rule's Symposium: Once in a life-time natural resource ins

Our next Year-in-Review conversation comes from a manager who considers 2014 to have been a disappointing year for his firm. As a trend follower in the currency markets, Chris has unique insights into what shaped 2014 and how the next couple of years look for his industry. He also shares the importance of having discipline and sticking to your systematic models, which builds investor confidence.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why the year was a disappointment for Insch Capital.As a currency trader, how he differs from firms that trade different markets.How the carry trade has all but disappeared.How he reacted to world events in his business.Why he is very proud that Insch stayed the course over 2014.What he thinks of the emerging currencies.How his investors felt about 2014.Why he is hopeful for more divergence in the years to come.How Chris will try and avoid a repeat of th

Our next year-in-review is from a recent guest who discusses the roller coaster feel to 2014, and why it was a good year for the CTA industry. He talks about what his firm learned from 2014 and why he is very excited about this year.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The ups and downs of 2014 from Tim’s perspective.What markets contributed most for his firm during the year.What markets he wished he did better in for 2014 and what he learned from those market shifts.The kinds of strategies they trade and what stood out as working well.What big worlds events are visualized in the markets and how they affect the strategies.How Auspice grew in 2014 and what were the drivers of that growth.What changed in their research process in 2014.Why Tim is very excited about the market environment in 2015.Why he wants to make sure investors sign up with his firm for the right reasons, not just chas

In this 2014 year-in-review, Karsten Shroeder looks at the CTA industry and give some advice on how to look at 2014 with a rational and objective eye. He also has insights into how 2015 will be for the CTA industry and how to educate more clients to the advantages of managed futures.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:How the year evolved for Amplitude and it’s strategies.How the CTA industry did in 2014 in Karsten’s opinion.What models did well last year.How hard it is to shape models and make guesses based on world events that affect the markets.What Karsten learned from 2014.How they have increased their research team.Why his firm welcomes divergence in the markets.Why educating clients is very important.What diversification can do for clients in their portfolios.Why not to use 2014 as a reference point and say that this markets new returns for CTAs.What Karsten wishes for 2015.---

For January 2015, we will be revisiting with previous guests on the show to find out how their businesses grew and changed in 2014, and what the year was like overall for their industries.In our first Year-In-Review episode, Jason Gerlach, the first-ever guest of Top Traders Unplugged, looks at 2014 from a long-term trend following perspective.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why 2014 was a great year for Sunrise Capital.What markets were responsible for much of their performance in 2014.The most challenging markets for Sunrise Capital last year.About their longer-term trend following strategies.How world events shaped market changes in 2014.About the oil collapse of 2014.How volatility returned to markets last year.How long-term trend following is getting more attention than before.How to avoid 2015 becoming like 2009 for this industry.If & When to turn down clients.How diverg

In the second part of our talk with Tim Pickering, we dive into the details of his firm and the challenges that he has to overcome as a business owner and entrepreneur. Tim has some valuable life lessons for managers who are just getting started. He also dives into the different ways investors should carry out their due diligence and why he wanted to become a manager in the first place.-----EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE: Find Out How to Build a Safer & Better Performing Portfolio using this FREE NEW Portfolio Builder ToolIn This Episode, You’ll Learn:The details of Auspice’s programs and what makes them different from other managers.What discretionary traders are good at and how Tim captures lessons from them in a systematic model.How he implements the system in practice.How Tim measures risk.How he copes with being in a drawdown.What he has learned from the drawdowns that Auspice has been through.What keeps him up at night.What questions he brainstorms with his research team currently.How to detect if a model is