“My goal? One good trade a day,” says Mario from Italy

Hi Mario, welcome to Fintokei Stars! Could you tell us a little bit more about how you started trading?

It started several years ago. At the beginning, I was just curious about how prices move and why markets behave the way they do. I found it fascinating that markets reflect the psychology of so many people at the same time. Over time, this curiosity became something deeper. I started studying market structure, liquidity, and how technical and fundamental factors interact. Now, trading is not just something I do, it’s something I constantly study and try to understand better.

What’s the driving force that keeps you in trading? Is it financial reward, freedom, or something else?

For me, trading is more about personal challenge than about money. Every day, the market tests your discipline and patience. You must follow your rules even when emotions try to push you in another direction. That challenge is what keeps me motivated. It helps me improve not only as a trader but also as a person who makes decisions under pressure.

How did you learn to trade?

There was a lot of trial and error. Especially at the beginning. For several years, I’ve spent about two hours every day learning about technical analysis, risk management, and trading psychology. Then in 2025, I started applying that knowledge more consistently. That’s when the results started to become stable.

So you are self-taught?

Yes. I prefer to think independently. Of course, I listen to different opinions and ideas, but I always analyze them and only keep what fits my strategy. This helped me build a trading approach that matches my personality and my risk tolerance.

What resources helped you learn the most?

I learned mainly from books, courses, and structured educational content. I also study trading psychology a lot, because mindset is extremely important. Recently, I have sometimes used AI tools to challenge my ideas or simulate different scenarios. But I always see AI as a support tool, not something that replaces my own thinking.

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Do you remember your first trade?

Yes, very well. It was on gold (XAUUSD) in a demo account using the M15 timeframe. I entered the trade because RSI was oversold and the price was near a support level. Even though it was just a demo trade, I remember feeling very emotional. The trade actually ended in take profit, which gave me confidence that analysis and discipline can really work.

Let’s now talk a bit more about your trading style. How would you describe it? 

I’m an intraday trader focused only on gold. I usually enter the market on M5 but always look at H1 and H4 timeframes to identify important levels.  Before every market entry, I wait for confirmations like RSI, Bollinger Bands, and/or key support and resistance levels. Once I enter, set up stop loss and take profit, that’s it – I don’t adjust the position any further. If the plan was good before entering, there’s no reason to interfere later. I prefer quality over quantity, so my goal is one good trade a day.

Why do you trade only gold?

Because it’s the market I understand best. Over time, I studied its behavior a lot, both technically and fundamentally. Gold can move very fast, but it also respects levels quite well if you are patient. Experience also helps a lot when managing drawdowns.

What kind of risk management rules have you set for yourself?

Risk management is the most important part of my trading. I never risk more than 1% of my capital on a single trade. My typical profit target is between 1% and 2%. Stop losses are always predefined, and I never move them. As I’ve already mentioned, most days, I only take one trade, which helps me stay calm and focused.

Losses are part of the game. After a losing trade, I stop and review what happened. I try to understand whether the loss was just normal market behavior or if I made a mistake. But no matter what kind of losses I suffer, there’s one important rule I abide by – no revenge trading.

Mario

Trader

Is trading stressful for you?

Not too much. Because my system is very structured, most decisions are already made before I enter the trade. Every morning, I analyze the Asian session, important highs and lows, the VIX, and the overall market structure. Having this routine helps me stay calm.

Do you recall a moment when all these rules clicked and led to a really successful trade?

Yes, that was during the European session. It lasted about one or two hours. I followed my strategy perfectly. The reason I remember it is because I passed a $100K Fintokei challenge with around $6,000 profit thanks to this trade. 

Nice! What do you think was behind this success?

Patience. I waited for the price to reach the levels I track with my system and confirmed the setup with macro conditions. Sometimes the best thing you can do as a trader is simply wait.

Let’s now talk about your journey with Fintokei. Why did you choose us?

There were several things about Fintokei I liked immediately. The rules are clear, the company is transparent, and a big plus is also support in Italian. That helps a lot. Not to mention that payouts are really fast – that’s really important too.

Speaking of payouts, what was your first one like?

My first significant payouts were between $700 and $800.I reached the funded account in about 15 days. That moment gave me a lot of confidence. It showed me that the process can really work if you stay disciplined.

What were you doing before prop trading?

I was in online commerce. I discovered prop trading last year, in 2025, and it was a big step forward for me. That’s because trading with strict rules helped me improve my discipline a lot. It also helped me control overtrading and approach the market more professionally.

Mario, we’re nearing the end of this interview. Before we wrap it up, could you lead us through your daily trading routine?

It’s nothing flashy. My daily analysis usually takes around 30 minutes. I focus mainly on European and U.S. economic news and general market sentiment. I have to admit that I’ve never written down my trading plan. It comes from experience and repetition.

Any advice you would give to beginner traders?

One of the biggest myths in trading is that it’s easy. Many of my early losses came from being overconfident and not respecting risk. My advice is simple: respect risk management, accept losses as part of the process, and focus on long-term consistency.