About Me.

My name is Scott Hoffman. I am currently a futures market evangelist, broker, and educator.   I received a bachelor’s in Economics from The University of Chicago in 1986.  My futures career began on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  I moved off the floor in 1987, running a futures trade desk: I supervised phone clerks, managed clients’ risks and positions, and would troubleshoot trade problems. I served as the personal broker for William Mallers, Sr., a former chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade, who taught me a lot (often by yelling!).

In 1989, acting on my initiative, my firm opened a full service division. The environment on the trade desk had been such that I didn’t have time for what I really enjoyed-interaction with clients.  I was at my best discussing and analyzing the markets and helping my clients become successful traders.  Following the tip from a client, I discovered a daily futures advisory fax service by Linda Raschke.   Reading her advisory day to day taught me how to prepare for a trading session and how to systematically analyze the markets.  (See my blog post about the philosophy behind STI HERE.)

As I studied further, I emulated daily Linda’s fax sheet, doing my own analysis. In time, my writing evolved into my Swing Trader’s Insight (STI) service. Originally written as a crib sheet for my own analysis, I started STI it to clients at their request.  STI reached  its current format in 2001.

In 2006 I worked with another trader to refine some of Linda Raschke’s breakout trading ideas.  (Bibliographic note:  these ideas were first explored by Toby Crabel, in his book Day Trading with Short-term Price Patterns.  This book became a cornerstone of breakout trading theory.)  The results of this research were the Trade or Fade Service-pattern recognition for breakout setups and its proprietary calculations to determine entry and exit prices. I wrote a book about using these trading methods in my book HERE.

Throughout my career I have deeply enjoyed education, analysis and research. I am passionate about sharing what I have learned with other traders, to help give them an edge in their trading. I am happy to discuss others’ trade ideas or analysis, to improve their trading as well as my own.

Trading can be a difficult business.  There are many lessons to learn, and sometimes the tuition is high.  I believe I can teach you some of these lessons without the tuition normally involved, both monetary and psychological.

I hope to create a community where other traders come to learn, teach, and discuss the markets to help us all reach our trading goals.

Copyright by Scott Hoffman. (2009)  The information presented here has been taken from trade and statistical services and other sources which I believe are reliable. I do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Any opinions expressed reflect judgments at this date and are subject to change without notice. The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or commodity options can be substantial, and therefore investors should understand the risks involved in taking leveraged positions and must assume responsibility for the risks associated with such investments and for their results.