About Nick
Nick Palmer is a full-time futures day trader and the founder of TrailingStopLoss.com, a finance and trading publication covering futures markets, prop firms, day trading strategy, and trader education. A Canadian-American currently based in Minnesota, he has spent the last five years in the markets — starting in spot forex before transitioning into futures, where he found the structure, liquidity, and execution quality that forex couldn't match for his style. Beyond the screen, he genuinely enjoys researching, writing, and constantly learning about trading, the markets, and investing — the publication is an extension of that work, not a side project bolted onto it.
He began his futures career trading the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) specifically because of its tighter, more readable price action — a deliberate choice to learn the mechanics of futures without the volatility of the Nasdaq (NQ) chewing up an undercapitalized account in the process. With those reps in place, he transitioned to the NQ as his primary instrument, where the larger range per point aligns with a continuation scalping approach. That progression shaped his entire trading philosophy: respect the volatility of the instrument you're trading, and build a process around what the market actually gives you — not what you wish it would give you.
Trading Style & Methodology
Nick is a continuation scalper who trades exclusively after the New York open. He's not a breakout chaser, not a reversal hunter, and not interested in the overnight session — his entire edge lives in the few hours of structured directional movement that follow the cash open, when liquidity is deepest and institutional order flow is most readable.
"The market doesn't owe you a trade. Most days, the best decision is to take one good setup, manage it well, and walk away — not to force a second one because the first felt too easy."
Primary Instrument
E-mini Nasdaq 100 (NQ) futures, with MNQ sizing for prop firm scaling phases.
Session
New York cash open through the late morning — the highest-conviction window for continuation setups.
Strategy
Continuation scalping. Trade with the developed trend, not against it. No counter-trend mean reversion.
Risk Framework
Fixed-R sizing, hard daily loss limits, and a non-negotiable cutoff on consecutive losing trades.
Risk Management & Trading Psychology
Most retail traders blow accounts not because their setups are bad, but because their risk management and psychology haven't caught up to their strategy. Nick's writing on TrailingStopLoss.com reflects that conviction — the technical edge gets a lot of ink in trading content, but the behavioral edge is what actually separates funded traders from the people who churn through prop firm evaluations every quarter.
His coverage emphasizes pre-defined risk per trade, daily loss limits that are respected without negotiation, and the unglamorous mental work of sitting out sessions when conditions don't favor the strategy. It's the boring half of trading that nobody puts on a YouTube thumbnail — which is exactly why it tends to be where the real edge lives.
Prop Firm Experience
Nick has passed multiple prop firm evaluations and trades funded accounts as part of his ongoing business. That experience informs much of the prop firm coverage on TrailingStopLoss.com — what evaluation rules actually mean in practice, where retail traders most often disqualify themselves, and how to think about scaling within the constraints that funded programs impose.
About TrailingStopLoss.com
TrailingStopLoss.com is an independent finance and trading publication Nick founded to cover the corners of the market he wished had been better explained when he was starting out: futures, prop firms, day trading, pre-market and post-market briefings, and trader education. Every article is written or edited by Nick personally — no anonymous content farms, no AI-generated SEO filler dressed up as analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who writes the articles on TrailingStopLoss.com?
Nick Palmer writes or personally edits every article on the site. There are no ghostwriters, anonymous contributors, or AI-generated articles published without his review. If you see analysis on the site, it has gone through someone who actually trades these markets.
What kind of trader is Nick Palmer?
Nick is a futures day trader who specializes in continuation scalping on the E-mini Nasdaq 100 (NQ), trading exclusively after the New York open. He has been actively trading for five years, starting in forex before moving to futures.
Does Nick trade with a prop firm?
Yes. Nick has passed multiple prop firm evaluations and currently trades funded accounts. That hands-on experience shapes the site's prop firm coverage, particularly around evaluation rules, scaling plans, and the common mistakes that get traders disqualified.
What's Nick's view on risk management?
Risk management is the foundation of his trading, not an afterthought. He uses fixed risk per trade, hard daily loss limits, and a strict cutoff after consecutive losing trades. The view he writes from is that strategy is replaceable; risk discipline isn't.
How can I contact Nick?
Email nick@trailingstoploss.com for editorial inquiries, corrections, or partnership questions. You can also follow him on X at @canadiannq.
Is TrailingStopLoss.com financial advice?
No. Everything published on TrailingStopLoss.com is educational and editorial content. Nothing on the site constitutes personalized financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss and isn't suitable for every investor.
