The FixedTrader blog

Honest writing on systematic forex trading, algorithm verification, prop firm challenges, and what our live account is actually doing.

Preparing for Launch: What Early Access Actually Means

The FixedTrader marketplace opens January 1, 2027. What early access members get, why the list exists, and how the six months until launch will be used.

Half-Year Review: The Live Track Record, January to June 2026

Six months of verified live trading reviewed honestly: +18.9% YTD through a two-month drawdown. Every month, every statistic, and what we learned.

Choosing a Forex Broker for Algorithmic Trading: US vs Non-US

The broker checklist for running expert advisors: execution model, MT5 support, and the regulatory split that gives US traders a completely different menu.

The Compounding Math of Monthly Returns

What does 4% average monthly return become over five years? The compounding math, the sequence risk caveat, and why modest monthly numbers create immodest outcomes.

Why We Publish Our Losing Months

Most EA sellers hide drawdowns. We publish every losing month on a verified public track record. The business logic and the buyer logic behind radical transparency.

Two Losing Months in a Row: A Live Drawdown Case Study

May closed at -2.63% and June is running negative. A real-time case study of a normal drawdown on a verified live account, and the math of when to actually worry.

The Real Cost of Free Expert Advisors

Free EAs cost nothing upfront and plenty afterward. Where free robots come from, the incentive problems behind them, and when free is actually the expensive option.

News Trading, Prop Firms, and What 1:30 Leverage Actually Means

Some prop firms ban news trading, others allow it at 1:30 leverage. What these rules mean mechanically and how to pick a firm compatible with your trading system.

Trading Through a Losing Month: May 2026 on Our Live Account

Our live account just closed its first losing month: -2.63% in May 2026. What happened, why we changed nothing, and what a normal drawdown looks like from inside.

Profit Factor, Win Rate, and Expectancy: The Three Numbers That Describe Any System

Win rate alone tells you nothing. Learn how profit factor, win rate, and expectancy work together to describe a trading system, with real numbers from 6,000 trades.

Position Sizing: Fixed Lots vs Percent Risk

Fixed lot sizing and percent-based risk produce radically different outcomes from identical trades. The compounding math and why percent risk wins for systematic trading.

Why JPY Pairs Are Ideal for Breakout Systems

USDJPY, GBPJPY, and EURJPY have structural properties that suit breakout trading: session rhythm, persistent trends, and clean ranges. The full reasoning.

How EA Account Licensing Works (And Why It Protects Buyers Too)

Account-locked EA licensing compiles the software to one MT5 account number. How it works technically, and why it protects buyers as much as sellers.

Backtest vs Live Results: What Gap Should You Expect?

Live trading always underperforms the backtest. Slippage, spread, and execution reality. How big a gap is normal, and when a gap means the backtest was fiction.

Why Two Strategies Beat One: The Math of Strategy Diversification

Combining a breakout and mean reversion system produces lower drawdown than either alone. The actual portfolio math, with a counterintuitive finding from our backtest.

MT5 VPS Setup for Expert Advisors: The Practical Guide

An EA is only as reliable as the machine it runs on. How to set up a VPS for MetaTrader 5, what specs you need, and the checklist for uninterrupted automated trading.

No Martingale, No Grid: Why These Four Words Matter When Buying an EA

Martingale and grid EAs produce smooth equity curves right up until they destroy the account. What these mechanics are, why they are popular, and how to avoid them.

The Best EA Setup for Prop Firm Challenges (FTMO-Style Rules)

What makes an EA suitable for prop firm challenges? Drawdown rules, risk settings, and 11 years of simulation data showing a 100% historical pass rate at 0.5% risk.

Can a Forex Algorithm Outperform the S&P 500? An Honest Comparison

The S&P 500 averages about 10% a year. Our forex algorithm backtests at 67.8% CAGR. Here is the honest comparison including risk, drawdowns, and why they are not the same game.

Drawdown Explained: Why Max DD Matters More Than Returns

Drawdown measures the decline from peak to trough and it determines whether you survive a strategy. Why max drawdown is the first number to check, before returns.

Is Automated Forex Trading Actually Passive Income?

Automated trading gets sold as passive income. The honest answer: mostly yes on time, absolutely no on risk. A realistic look at what running an algorithm involves.

1% Risk Per Trade: The Math That Keeps Accounts Alive

Percent-based position sizing is the difference between surviving losing streaks and blowing up. The actual math of 1% risk per trade, losing streaks, and compounding.

How Much Capital Do You Need to Start Algorithmic Trading?

You can run a forex algorithm from $2,000, but the math changes with account size. Here is a realistic breakdown of capital, risk, and expectations by account tier.

Curve Fitting: The Silent Killer of Trading Backtests

Curve-fitted backtests look perfect and fail live. Learn how over-optimization happens, how to detect it, and why 6,000 trades with simple rules beats 50 parameters.

How to Verify a Forex EA Is Real: The MyFXBook Checklist

Fake EA results are everywhere. This step-by-step MyFXBook verification checklist shows exactly how to separate real verified track records from marketing screenshots.

Mean Reversion in Forex: Making Money by Fading Extremes

Mean reversion strategies profit when overextended prices snap back. Here is the logic, the 72% win rate math, and why it pairs perfectly with breakout systems.

What Is a Breakout Trading Strategy? JPY Pairs Explained

A breakout trading strategy enters when price escapes a defined range with momentum. Here is how it works, why JPY pairs suit it, and what 4,542 backtested trades show.

A Decade of Manual Trading Taught Me to Stop Trading Manually

After ten years of discretionary chart trading, I moved everything to systematic algorithms five years ago. Here is what manual trading taught me, and why I left it behind.

Why Most Forex Robots Fail (And How to Spot One That Will Not)

Most forex robots blow accounts within months. Here are the five structural reasons why, and the checklist that separates real trading algorithms from curve-fitted marketing.