John McLaren
Trading Industry Writer · 14 years across retail FX and prop firm operations, with affiliate management roles at FXCM, easyMarkets, and XM
John has spent 14 years inside the retail FX and prop trading industry — affiliate roles at FXCM, easyMarkets, and XM, plus self-employed market analysis. He writes about prop firms from the inside: rules, evaluations, payouts, and the affiliate ecosystem behind them.
Articles by John McLaren(34)
Trading 101·Beginner·9 min read
What Is Trading? A Beginner's Guide to Markets
Trading is buying and selling financial instruments to profit from price movements: here's how it works, what it costs, and why most beginners fail.
Asset Class Guides·Beginner·8 min read
Types of Trading: A Framework for Choosing Style
A practical guide to types of trading, asset classes, and choosing a style that fits your capital, time, and execution edge.
Risk Management·Beginner·8 min read
Trading Risk Management: Protecting Your Capital
A practical framework for controlling loss size, position size, and account drawdown before emotion takes over.
Prop Trading Education·Beginner·9 min read
What Is a Prop Firm? How Proprietary Trading Firms Work
A prop firm provides traders funded capital for a profit split, with strict drawdown rules managing risk for both
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·7 min read
Swing Trading: Strategies and How to Start
Swing trading captures multi-day market moves using technical setups, selective entries, and tighter risk control than
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·11 min read
Supply and Demand Trading: Zones and Entries
A practical guide to supply and demand trading: spotting zones, filtering weak setups, and managing trades around them.
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·12 min read
Smart Money Concept in Trading: Principles
A practical guide to smart money: structure, entries, indicators, mistakes, and funded-account risk fit.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·12 min read
Shooting Star Candlestick: How to Trade It
A shooting star candlestick is a bearish reversal signal requiring structure, context, confirmation, and proper risk
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·13 min read
Scalping Strategy: Techniques and Costs
A scalping strategy lives or dies on costs, execution speed, and discipline more than on entry signals alone.
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·12 min read
Reversal Trading: Patterns, Signals, Traps
Reversal trading means entering when a trend genuinely shifts direction, not just pauses, and managing the risk.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·12 min read
Reversal Candlestick Patterns: Types and Rules
A complete guide to reversal candlestick patterns: identify, confirm, and trade them with defined entry, stop, and
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·13 min read
Pullback Trading: Entries in Trending Markets
Pullback trading enters during temporary retracements within larger trends using structure, volume, and confirmation to
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·13 min read
Price Action Trading: A Rules-Based Guide
Price action trading uses candlestick patterns, support and resistance, and market structure to find high-probability
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·12 min read
Order Block Trading: Find and Trade Blocks
Order block trading uses price zones where large orders sat before impulsive moves for entries, invalidation, and
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·12 min read
Momentum Trading: How It Works, Indicators, and Strategy
Momentum trading captures price strength or weakness, but success depends on regime, execution, and sizing discipline.
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·12 min read
MACD Indicator: Components, Signals, and Smarter Trading Use
A practical MACD indicator guide covering components, crossover signals, divergence, histogram reading, settings, and common trading mistakes.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·11 min read
Inverted Hammer Candlestick: How to Trade It
The inverted hammer is a bullish reversal pattern only when it appears after a decline and gets confirmation.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·11 min read
Hammer Candlestick: Rules and Confirmation
A hammer candlestick is useful only when anatomy, downtrend context, and confirmation align; otherwise it's just a long
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·8 min read
Fibonacci Trading: Key Levels and Examples
Fibonacci trading uses mathematical ratios from the Fibonacci sequence to map pullback zones and plan entries, stops,
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·11 min read
Fair Value Gap Trading: FVG Strategy Guide
Fair value gap trading uses three-candle imbalances to identify retracement zones and manage risk with structure.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·13 min read
Doji Candlestick: Types and How to Trade It
A doji candlestick forms when open and close prices converge, signalling market indecision, but its trading value
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·18 min read
Day Trading Strategy: A Practical Framework
Strong day trading relies less on perfect setups and more on matching tactics, sizing, and timing to market regime.
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·5 min read
Day Trading for Beginners: Rules and Risks
Day trading means buying and selling an asset within the same session—learn the rules, risks, strategies, and realistic
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·22 min
Day Trading: Definition, Rules, How to Start
Day trading means opening and closing positions within one session, but success requires understanding rules, capital
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·14 min read
Crypto Trading Strategy: Best Approaches by Market Regime
A crypto trading strategy works best when it fits the current market regime, your risk limits, and a tested ruleset.
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·21 min read
Chart Patterns: Identify Setups and Avoid False Breakouts
A practical guide to chart patterns covering identification, confirmation, market regime, and execution rules traders
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·13 min read
Candlestick Patterns: Reading Price Action
Candlestick patterns signal reversals or continuations, but reliability depends more on timeframe, volume, and trend
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·13 min read
Breakout Trading Strategy: Rules and Setups
A complete framework for identifying and managing breakout trades with false breakout filters, risk rules, and position
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·10 min
Pattern Day Trading in 2026: Rules and Alternatives
Pattern day trading once hinged on the PDT rule; in 2026, intraday margin standards changed the framework but not the underlying risk.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·12 min read
Candlestick Types: The Complete Pattern Guide
A complete reference to candlestick types, from anatomy to reliability tiers, with volume confirmation rules that separate actionable signals from noise.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·11 min
Engulfing Candlestick Pattern: What It Means
The engulfing candlestick pattern is a two-candle reversal setup where the second candle's body fully covers the first: here's how to read and trade it.
Candlestick Patterns·Beginner·10 min read
Morning Star Candlestick: Signals and Trade Rules
A practical guide to the morning star candlestick, with identification rules, trade entries, stop placement, and false-signal filters.
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·8 min read
Support and Resistance: Identify and Trade Levels
A practical guide to support and resistance: finding chart levels, trading breakouts, retests, and multi-timeframe
Trading Strategies·Intermediate·6 min read
Stock Chart Patterns: Reversal and Continuation Guide
Stock chart patterns are recurring price formations that signal potential trend reversals or continuations, but reliability varies sharply by pattern type and timeframe.
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