March 26, 2026
By: David Downs
You don’t get paid for one good day—you get paid for proving it wasn’t luck. Most prop firms require 5 separate days of $150+ profit before you can withdraw $150. That rule isn’t there to slow you down—it’s there to...
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February 6, 2026
By: David Downs
1. News Awareness as a Core Trading Skill In prop trading, technical execution alone does not determine long-term success. Traders are operating within externally imposed risk frameworks, where rules are just as important as market analysis. Among the most commonly...
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By: David Downs
Proprietary trading has quietly become one of the most accessible ways for individual traders to participate in global futures markets without putting their own capital at risk. Instead of funding a personal trading account, traders can demonstrate skill and discipline...
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December 18, 2025
By: David Downs
Investor relations is often misunderstood as reporting or relationship maintenance, but at the institutional level it is a core operating discipline that directly determines fundraising outcomes and long-term LP loyalty. This conversation unpacks IR as a system for building trust,...
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December 17, 2025
By: David Downs
“Best takeaway here: build a fund like a product—your LP base is your moat. If you align investors to earn their seat (operators who actually help), institutional-scale value-add stops being a slogan and becomes a repeatable advantage. Pair that with...
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December 15, 2025
By: David Downs
Sarah Lacy and Adeo Ressi discuss “institutional LP love”: when large LPs (sovereign wealth funds, endowments, pensions, insurers, corporates) court new fund managers with dinners and attention, even though they usually cannot or will not invest in Fund I (often...
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October 14, 2025
By: David Downs
After years of quiet consolidation, silver has broken out—rising more than 60% over the past twelve months, from roughly $32 per ounce to above $52. What was once a niche asset class for metal stackers and collectors is now grabbing...
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October 8, 2025
By: David Downs
A QOF lets you defer and potentially eliminate capital gains taxes by reinvesting your realized gains into Qualified Opportunity Funds within 180 days — deferring taxes until 2026 and making all appreciation tax-free after 10 years. It’s a powerful compounding and...
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June 6, 2025
By: David Downs
The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), often called the Norwegian oil fund, represents one of the most carefully designed and transparent examples of sovereign wealth management in the world. Established to manage Norway’s surplus revenues from oil and gas...
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April 15, 2025
By: David Downs
In an era where retirement security is increasingly uncertain, Defined Benefits emerges as a pivotal player, dedicated to reinstating the prominence of defined benefit (DB) pension plans. By collaborating with regional trade associations, medical and dental practices, law firms, and...
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